Tomorrow's Dead: The Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles (10 page)

The crowd roared, screaming Poe’s name.  By the curtains, Poe couldn’t harness a smile. 
“This is like a frikkin’ concert with my horrible voice at center stage.”

“Good luck, Poe,” said Michelle.  It was the first time her protégé talked to her
since the leeches were kidnapped.

“Thanks, Michelle.”

“I’ll be down in the crowd to keep an eye if someone wants to harm you.”

“Appreciate it.”  The woman was still cold to her.

Something chilly rested on her hand.  Sainvire had done his appear-out-of-nowhere
trick.  “You okay, Poe?”

“I don’t know.  My mind’s a jumble.  I’ve got a couple of weeks anyhow, and I’m out
of here.”  Poe squeezed his hand.  “You know, you’re very manipulative, right?  Getting
me to leave my island.  Getting me to speak.”

“I don’t mean to be.  You’re just very important to all of us.”

“Why don’t you marry me then so you can have access to my brainwaves and charisma?”
taunted Poe.

Sainvire narrowed his eyes.  “Would you consider marrying me?”

Poe shook her head.  “Hell no!  You’ll get me to hawk Plasmacore for you all over
the country until I lose my arm, my leg, and my nose.”

“You think I’m only using you?”

Poe shrugged.  “Yeah.  With this politics thing.  If you really loved me, you’ve have
left me alone.  It must be nice to have someone to puppet around all the time.  And
the world knows generals make the worst politicians.”

She didn’t know why she lashed out at Sainvire.  Perhaps she’d been thinking about
her role in Sainvire’s plan.  Maybe she was still pissed that he never visited her
in Catalina.  And maybe she was tired of creatures attempting to murder or threaten
her while Sainvire would clap her back and say he was sorry and he loved her.

The pain in Sainvire’s eyes nearly made feel her guilty.  Fortunately Joseph grabbed
her arm and led her to where the curtain was parted.

“Here she is, the Small Giant, the Sureshot Wonder, and our very own hero, Julia Poe!” 
Poe accepted the podium and frowned at Morales, who sounded like an over-the-top boxing
announcer. 

The vampire killer lowered the microphone and cleared her throat.  She reached inside
her right pocket then her left while silence reigned in the hall. 

“Shit,” she cursed.  “Must’ve dropped my speech.”  The crowd laughed. 
Just what I didn’t want to happen.
  She looked around the expectant faces and the colorful shirts and shook her head. 
“I’m no speechmaker anyway.  I can do a lot of things, but they don’t make much sense
these days.”  She glanced at Morales who smiled kindly at her.  His shiny white teeth
lifted her spirits.

“I was left alone here in Downtown at age eight.  I won’t bore you with the details,
but everyone I loved was lost.  Like most of you at that time, I was on my own.  I
survived by hiding, killing, and later by stealing cattle with Sister Ann and Goss. 
They are also gone now.  Then I met Sainvire, Joseph, Maple, and Perla.”  Poe searched
for Perla among the Tunics and found her.  Their eyes met.  “When Morales here says
I single-handedly did this and did that, he exaggerates.  I couldn’t have taken on
Trench and the Vampire Council without the help of vampires, halfdead, and humans. 
We all did our part, starting with Sainvire asking Perla to come up with a new food
source to end the blood bath, to end human slavery,” she said in her husky tone. 
Her ears were red and burning.

Poe looked around the crowd.  “Did you know this about Sainvire?”  She watched heads
turn in the negative.  “Sainvire is an idealist.  His friends know this.  Perla is
a gifted scientist who deserves a statue somewhere for creating Plasmacore.  If you
haven’t heard of her, she’s the head of the Tunics.  She also taught me a little something
about guns. 

“Maple was as central to the destruction of the reign of vampires.  She was human. 
Dying, actually, from the Gray Armageddon.  Then her partner asked Sainvire to turn
her.  And I’m glad this vampire did because Maple’s dignity, clear head, and mallet
arms saved a bunch of you sitting here today.”  Poe purposely omitted Perla’s name.

Poe cleared her throat.  “Then there’s Joseph with his amazing speed who pledged to
save humanity along with his friend Sainvire.  These two vampires tried to make a
difference, and they lost their friends and loved ones in the process.  Joseph, he’s
probably going to kill me for this because he’s very private,” she said.  “He lost
his wife, a human.  Megan.  She was dying from childbirth complications.  He asked
if he could turn her and allow her to live forever, but Megan declined.  Joseph honored
his wife’s wishes and watched her die a human death.”

Poe was disoriented suddenly.  She was supposed to only speak about her list, not
be a storyteller.  “I’m sorry if I seem like I’m going nowhere, but please indulge
me with one more person.  He is standing here to my right.”  Looking somber, Morales
blinked at her.

“When I first met Sam Morales or T-Doc to all of you, I thought he was a handsome
man with a very playful nature.  Later I thought he was a pervert who wore too much
cologne.  And still does, by the way.”  The crowd guffawed and cheered.  “I met him
and Megan when they would pick up humans I broke out from Downtown blood banks.  They
took care of placing these people in real farms in the Central Valley.  This guy,
a real estate agent, became a ballistics expert, a bombmaker, a dentist, a doctor,
and a father.  I’m sure he learned even more when I was away.”

Her hands shook suddenly.  “You see, these are some of the people that helped retake
this city.  They are vampires, humans, halfdead, and what have you.  This goes to
show that all humans and undead aren’t all bad.  My biggest wish is for the people
of Los Angeles to pull together and create a Downtown we can all be proud of.  Start
from scratch.  I think we can start by writing up our own stories for our city history. 
Our stories are all-powerful, and our children will benefit from them.  Our Central
Library is getting repaired with the help of some of you, so we’ll soon have our history
intact again.  We should do a census just in case you have relatives in other cities,
but that’s another bale of hay.  Anyway, here I go now without my list.  I hope I
don’t forget anything. 

“Not only do we need to compile our stories, we need to bring back the free press
because we’re a democracy.  We have the Los Angeles Times building several blocks
away, so we should get back in there and get those printing presses rolling. 

“T-Doc needs psychologists and other physicians.  We have few professionals who can
teach counseling classes.  His massage therapy seems to be a great hit, and so is
the talking kind.  I’m sure many of you have some sort of skill to share.

“We need garden projects because growing new things is vital and soothing according
to a Martha Stewart Magazine article I came across when I was a kid.  The farmers
are willing to take farm helpers if people want to get away from the city.

“Churches for some of that old time religion or simply a hall to commune with your
friends might be a good idea.

“Movie theater revivals.  We have tons of theaters on Broadway and folks sure love
to watch movies.  I personally watch all sorts of films, so I’m looking forward to
that project.

“Very important.  We ought to monitor vampire creation.  We don’t want angry vampires
on the loose no matter how righteous they think they are.”  Poe’s words hushed the
crowd as they stared where the Tunics sat.  Poe eyed Sally then Perla who looked away.

“Clothes drives for children and adults.  This means shopping in Santee Alley and
the garment district.  If you look good you feel good.  Seamstresses and tailors out
there, teach classes.

“We need to limit our alcohol consumption because it leads to stupidity and violence
in our depressed state of mind.  Right, Roger?”  The crowd laughed.  Roger was a known
lush who drank at vampire and human watering holes from morning to closing.  “You
can’t turn into Rambo and take on the world with a crossbow.  Besides, there’s nothing
worse than an alcoholic.  My uncle was one, and he was punchable.”

“We need to mix different folks up.  We need a place of entertainment where everyone
can enjoy a show.  I want to introduce you to Shandra.  Where are you?”  A redhead
dead with a tiny waist and breasts double the size of Jane Mansfield’s stood up in
her tight leather alligator mini-skirt.  The hollering and wolf whistle from both
humans and vampires created a ruckus.  Shandra had been Trench’s favorite stripper,
and Poe had been fascinated by her.  “Alright, folks, that’s enough.  Shandra’s starting
a club where men, women, and vamps can show off their dancing prowess.”

Poe hung her head low.  “I know I’m forgetting something.  Oh well.  In any case I
believe we should have a council of nine representing the different factions out there. 
This is how we’ll deal with problems and approve measures.  Basic line is:  we’re
gonna need to work together because we’re a community.  I’m just an ignorant girl
with no schooling, so don’t be too hard on me.  Okay.  I’m done.”  Poe ignored the
clapping and concentrated on getting down the platform.

Poe received a hug from Morales and shook hands with attendees who shoved themselves
in her face.  She sat between Maclemar and Percy who was minding Chops and Penny in
the seventh row.  Penny parked herself next to Poe’s leg and was lovingly massaged
about the neck.  Poe slid her free cold hand in Maclemar’s which he squeezed to show
support.  “I love you, Julia Poe,” he whispered in her ear.

The vampire eradicator stared into his jewel eyes and smiled at him. 

The girl could barely contain her yawning.  Politics bored her.  When the different
factions stated their points, Poe fought to keep awake.  More than once had Maclemar
nudged her to life.  The only time she perked up was when Sally took the stage once
more, taking over Perla’s turn. 

Poe sat up straight and Penny growled.

“Let me continue my speech,” she said.  “Whereas Julia Poe would want us to have an
entertainment center starring the lewd vampire Shandra as a platform, I’d like to
recast your attention to leeches.  It’s time for them to die!”  The Tunics led boisterous
shouting. 

From behind the curtains, thrown to the stage were six bodies – five emaciated leeches
and Syrus, the vampire butcher.  Sturdy rope bound the humans’ wrists and ankles while
the vampire was handcuffed.  The sound of shock from the assembly filled the room. 
Perla along with three other Tunics flanked Sally in support of the measure. 

“Sainvire, you have no more say in this matter,” Sally hissed.  The blonde, grungy
vampire’s wrath was nearly palpable.  “They have no use in our new society.  These
worms will die tonight.”

Poe looked around for Sainvire who leaned against the wall nearest the Tunics.  He
looked relaxed.  Too relaxed.  She reached down to pat Penny on the head but felt
nothing but air.  The dog had disappeared.  “Penny?”

On the stage was Penny, baring her fangs at Sally. 

“What the hell!” Sally cursed when Penny took a nip at her thick ankle.  “Goddamn
dog!”  She kicked Penny like a football, and Sainvire from the other side of the room
whizzed in a blur to catch her. 

Poe’s ears were on fire, and her eyes teared.  Before she knew it, she was standing
in the middle aisle and glaring at Sally.

“Oops.  Was that your dog?” asked Sally and everyone on the stage, except for Perla,
laughed. 

Poe tried to still her voice and her shaking hands.  “No one kicks my dog,” she said
crossly.  “No one!”

“Well I just did,” said Sally smugly.  “What are you going to do, shoot me?  I heard
you can’t shoot worth shit!  And—”

Before the woman could finish her thought, the twin Colt .45 guns were out of the
holsters and Poe had fired and caught Sally right between the eyes.  The surprised
audience and shocked Tunics shrieked in fright.  The Tunics took to the air, and Poe
smiled bitterly.  Her left hand shot knee caps while the right aimed for the stomach
because the ripped organ hurt vampires like a son of a bitch.  Perla’s people landed
on the stage, screaming in pain from burning garlic-dipped bullets. 

Poe ran to the stage and scaled it.  She stood face to face with Perla.  She’d blotted
out the noise in the hall and concentrated on her old friend.

Maple yelled from one of the side benches.  “Poe, don’t!  Leave her be!”

Poe’s eyes narrowed.  “Oh, I’m not going to harm her, Maple.  She was good to me once.” 
Then she turned to Perla.  “Isn’t that something?  She’s still trying to protect you
after the shitty way you’ve treated her.”

  Perla looked away.  Poe sheathed one of her guns and picked up the microphone.

“Don’t look away, Perla.  You’re gonna get what you wished for.  You’re all gonna
get what you’ve come for.  Poe walked to the first leech and pointed her gun at his
head.  The audience in the auditorium screamed.  “Hush up!  Have any of you really
killed before?  It’s not romantic.  It’s not like Chuck Norris on a pleasure cruise
to some dank tropical country.  I wonder if any of you would have the brass to do
this.”  Poe pulled the trigger, and the leech’s brain splattered on the curtains. 
The other leeches tried to scamper away, but they couldn’t.  They cried and begged
Poe for mercy.

“How’s that, Perla?”  She met the woman’s eyes.  “Do you feel better?”  She located
Michelle on the first row with a look of revulsion on her face.  “What about you,
Michelle?  An eye for an eye?  Well here’s one dedicated to you.”  Poe fired without
looking at the second leech in line.  The bullet destroyed his face, leaving a pool
of blood.

“That’s enough, Poe!” ordered Sainvire who appeared on the stage.

“Leave me alone, Sainvire.  You see, I’m not like some people who think you ought
to retire and let creatures like the Tunics take over.  I think without you, life
in this city would be chaotic and brimming with vengeance.  What if the San Diego
crew comes over like they did this morning as they tried to kill me?  You’re gonna
beg for Sainvire to save your asses, right?”