Sand Storm, page 18
part #11 of Wildcat Wizard Series Series
I checked everywhere, edged through the crowds trying to find the vamps before they did something terrible, but there was no sign. How the hell can seven-feet-tall vamps hide? Easy. There were several hundred people all packed tight, waiting to get through customs and go pick up their bags.
Aha, bet they didn't have passports, so what would they do? Although, how had they got this far without them? Vampire speed? Bit of glamoring? Something even sneakier?
Panicked, I shoved and barged, shouted and shunted, keen to get to the front before all hell broke loose. These were people from a different time and a very different place and they didn't stand with convention, answered to nobody, had no idea how the modern world worked. They were like babes in that respect, albeit ones with very large teeth.
I shoved two men aside to find myself in that no-man's-land where everyone stands behind a line, waiting for passport control to wave you forward to a counter to stare at you suspiciously and make you feel like you'd done something wrong.
Up at the counter was Otangu and the man and woman he'd brought along. The customs official was red-faced and shouting at them to hand over their passports or they'd be detained. Otangu looked at him blankly then whispered something to the woman. She smiled, her fangs down and gleaming, and as I shouted, "No," she attacked.
It was over the moment it began. The customs guy dropped behind the counter as blood spurted over the woman next to him dealing with an old lady, and the vampire silenced her with a quick tearing out of the throat.
Otangu nodded to the woman and she smiled a sick smile in return; her lips and chin dripped blood.
Pandemonium set in instantly. Everyone went wild, screaming and running back the way we'd just come, so luckily, or unluckily, I was at the rear of it all and didn't get caught in the stampede.
Otangu and his cohorts breezed past the dead and into it the bowels of the airport where countless weary travelers would be milling around the carousels, waiting impatiently for their bag to come out last.
I chased after them, part of me still not believing they were really here, the other part wondering why they'd not waited for me, as I was obviously the reason they'd come.
I sped up as they disappeared around a corner, but the problem with vampires is that they're fast when they want to be, and dangerous at all times. There was no sign of them when I came to a halt in the vast baggage collection area where hundreds of people were entering from all directions to join others keen to escape the airport and move on with their lives.
Then I found them. It wasn't difficult.
Halfway down the room came screams of what could be terror, or could be delight. I followed the sound as I slung the backpack over my shoulders and pulled the straps tight.
"You ready for some action?" I asked Wand as I pulled him from my pocket.
"Is my shaft smoother than your—"
"Just say yes," I sighed.
"Yes." Wand melded into my palm like a sixth finger, familiar and comfortable, where he belonged. Sigils flared, my will joined him in a joyous, if brief, communion, and he burst into crimson life, ready to do battle.
"And don't worry about blasting brains or eyes, you have my permission to destroy these bloodsuckers in any way you see fit."
"Now you're talking. Glad you aren't turning into a lightweight in your old age."
"Who you calling old?" I wheezed as I closed in on the screams.
Nobody was running away though, the news of the deaths hadn't reached this far yet, so what was happening?
I pushed through the crowds gawping at the carousel to find the woman balancing on the conveyor belt, screaming with delight as she slowly went around. She kicked bags out of her way or bent to fling them right across the room, then backtracked when she reached the low bit where bags disappear for several annoying minutes before reappearing.
Otangu and his cohort laughed and clapped at her antics, oblivious to the onlookers.
Before I reached them, a man put his hand on Otangu's shoulder and shouted something.
Otangu's head snapped around, teeth bared. The man tried to backtrack as Otangu laughed but he didn't stand a chance. A moment later his throat was gone and the news that the African vamps were in town spread faster than Vicky could disseminate juicy gossip with a fully-charged phone battery.
In seconds the baggage area was empty of citizens, but I knew that within a minute or less armed police and guards would be swarming the area, keen to shoot anything that looked dodgy.
Without further ado, I raised Wand, focused my will, and let rip with some rather stunning magical mayhem even if I say so myself.
As vermilion magic crackled and wrapped ethereal tendrils around Otangu and the guy next to him, I smiled smugly, thinking this would be over before it even began, but the magic hissed then fizzled to nothing as they darted away just before it made contact.
"What the...?"
"Ah, my friend, you are here," said Otangu with a wide grin. "You forget, we are ancient, and are pure magic, not like your tricks. You will have to do better than that. Our reflexes beat your ridiculous human speed."
The woman hopped down, the three stood side by side, and I answered, "Sure thing," before the battle really began.
Super Annoyed
I blasted again, but Otangu's taunts were true. They were bloody fast, faster than I'd ever seen a vampire move before. No sooner had Wand sent the good stuff right at them than they were well away before it even came close. They could read my body, anticipate my moves, and even if they couldn't, they could still evade the strikes with ease.
Didn't stop me trying, and trying, and trying again.
Already burning out, I took a moment to regroup, and they did likewise. They gathered together beside a pile of luggage, and stood grinning like the twats they were.
"What happened to us being even and you telling me to get lost? What are you doing here?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"We heard stories," said Otangu.
"After we asked the questions," said the man by his side with an entirely smackable smug grin on his face.
"Oh, and what questions were those?"
"What it was you wanted from the old man. We got several very interesting answers once we gave a little encouragement."
"Yeah, I bet." More death, more bodies, this bloody artifact was nothing but trouble.
"What business is it of yours?"
"We were curious. You were very concerned about its whereabouts, and you called in your favor. I was intrigued. Normally, human worries matter little to us, but in this case..."
"Whatever you think you know, trust me, it isn't like that. Go home, there's nothing for you here."
"That is where you are wrong, my friend, there is something special for us here. We have let you weak creatures have too much freedom for too long. Our time has come and you will help us realize our ultimate goal. We shall take the power, control you all as you should be, so I will have that artifact."
"You don't get it, do you, you fucking idiot. It's too dangerous, too volatile, for you to ever control. You know nothing about magic, wouldn't have a clue how to use it, and even if you could, it would never work how you want it to."
"I'll take my chances. Now, will you give it to me, or are you going to make me angry?"
"What about our deal? We were quits, now this?"
"Quite. We are, as you say, quits. I owe you nothing, so here I am." Otangu held out a hand. I let Wand rip with a quick attack out of desperation but he moved before I'd hardly even thought about blasting him.
"You try my patience, wizard. So be it, you shall die and it will be mine anyway."
"I don't kill so easily, not these days. I'm being careful, watching what I eat, all the good stuff. So, why don't you just bugger off before I do something you'll regret and I'll enjoy?"
"Haha, always the comedian. Just not a very funny one."
It was my turn to anticipate movement, and as they spread out to attack from three sides I did the only sensible thing a wizard could do under such circumstances, I ran.
I leaped luggage and bounced along beside the conveyor belt then dove onto it just before it disappeared through the rubber curtain. Even though I was in mortal peril, I couldn't help but smile. I'd always wondered what happened on the other side, and now I would find out.
"Oh boy," I gasped as I jumped up and put my arms out for balance.
The place was huge, with numerous carousels all spinning around. At the side was a road in the huge underground hangar where small trucks queued to be unloaded. Men chatted idly, others flung bags onto the carousel at superhuman speeds, seemingly in the throes of a game to see who could make the most noise and break the most vacation souvenirs.
A guy taking a sneaky, and no doubt forbidden, drag on a cigarette across the road shouted at me then came storming over.
"You can't be here," he said, "it's not allowed."
"Neither is that," I replied, pointing at his cigarette.
Call it stress, call it withdrawal after weeks of no smoking, or just plain adrenaline getting the better of me, but before I knew what I was doing, Wand was waving about at the guy and his crooked rollie was sailing through the air towards me. I snatched it with my left hand, took a deep drag, felt the nicotine hit relax my muscles, savored the foul taste and the harsh hit at the back of my throat, then was overcome with dizziness after going without my one and only vice, other than killing people, for so long.
Timed to utter imperfection, I heard the rubber part behind me and promptly lost my balance as the nicotine did strange things to my head.
"Get off me, you fucking moron," shouted the guy I'd landed on.
"Sorry, sorry," I gasped, then took another hard drag before stuffing the smoke between his lips and jumping up.
Without looking around, I ran down the road, launched onto the flatbed of a vehicle, then hopped onto another carousel and ducked to get through the curtain.
Something clawed at my calf, and as I emerged into strong light I glanced down to find I was bleeding copiously.
Taking my chance, I blasted through the curtain just as it began to open, then turned and sent concentrated volleys of a Hat special at the turned backs of the vampires.
For once, I was lucky. Otangu sidestepped, but the other guy was a moment too slow and a fat chunk of sheer emptiness hit him smack bang in the chest, sank though, and left a gaping hole. He dropped down, I fired another shot at his head so he couldn't regenerate, and then launched off the carousel and blasted at the crouched woman as she glided through the curtain.
Things Get Dicey
She danced away just in time and landed, cat-like, on a pile of designer luggage. She licked her lips as she advanced, keen for delicious Hat blood.
Otangu shouted something I didn't understand and she nodded. Then she was across the room, giving me a wide berth to join him.
"You dare kill one of us? One of mine!?" spat Otangu, strangely incensed I'd defended myself.
"What, I should have let him suck on me? Are you fucking nuts?"
"We kill you, you do not kill us." Otangu was ultra-angry, like he'd never expected such a thing to happen.
"You're playing with the big boys, nutcase. I told you I was a handful many years ago, that I wasn't to be screwed around, and we had a deal."
"Deal is done, now we fight."
Those weren't the words I wanted to hear. "Why don't we all go home and forget about all this?" was what I wanted to hear.
"I think you're going to have some real trouble on that front," I said, knowing I sounded smug, and not caring.
A veritable platoon of armed men and women came storming into the room through every available door. There were airport security, police with high-vis jackets, and a number of unarmed personnel too. Plus a news reporter judging by how terrified he looked and the phone glued to his ear.
"You need to be taught some manners, all of you do," shouted Otangu, livid. "We will not be interfered with."
And then shit got real. Real nasty.
Airport Carnage
Otangu and his mistress tore around the room like dervishes. Gunfire ricocheted off the walls and the floor, sending shards of tile in every direction. People screamed, others ran, some remained cool under the terrible pressure and tried to find something to aim at. But the vampires were in full-on murder mode and sped from one poor person to the next. I saw the reporter fall under a double onslaught and the woman cackle as she bit deep at his exposed wrist.
A policewoman took the opportunity to fire but the vampire dodged and was on her in an instant, tearing her, literally, limb from limb with sickening snaps that made everyone pause for a moment to stare in utter horror.
It was the opportunity they needed, and the vamps redoubled their efforts. They ripped off heads, yanked off arms, caved in skulls, and eviscerated with a single punch and pull anyone they could find.
It was all so fast, so wild, that you never actually saw it happen, just the aftermath. I didn't have a hope of stopping them, couldn't get a fix on them even though I tried repeatedly, just had to look from body to fallen body and try not to puke.
Then it was done. Almost. Several people wailed or screamed the place down as they stared, aghast, at their limbs next to them in a pool of blood. The vampires weren't quite finished though, and did the rounds once more, just as fast, until the room was deadly silent.
"Now, where were we?" asked Otangu, fondling his assistant in mass murder. Both were soaked though. T-shirts stuck to their firm bodies, their legs were crimson, heads slick with brains and gore. They licked each other like thirsty dogs after a day in the desert. The wildness was upon them, the hold of the vampire complete, and I knew there would be no stopping them now, not alone, not feeling the way I did, not even with full strength.
Running wasn't an option, I'd probably skid on the slick floor and be done for. They had the lust and wanted what was mine.
Aha
Glancing around, I formulated a plan in a split-second, unsure it was the right thing to do.
I grabbed the nearest fallen phone, of which there were many, and hastily dialed a number I never thought I'd use.
"It's The Hat, at the airport. You'll know which one. Bring everyone, and be ready to kill vampires. Ancient, scary, tall vampires." I hung up, hoping I'd made the right decision. There was no going back now, I'd put into action something that would only end one way. It might have been the biggest mistake of my life, it might have been the wisest choice, right now it was the only option I could think of and would have to do.
"You think calling your friends will save you? Haha, you have no idea. You saw what we did, what we can do. Nothing stops us." Otangu stretched out his back then studied me like an insect under a microscope.
"I didn't call my friends. I called my enemies."
The air fizzed and magic cracked reality as a man wearing head-to-toe body armor emerged from the middle of nowhere into the room, a large weapon held out before him. He spoke into the walkie talkie at his lapel then stepped forward. His left hand trailed through the portal. As he moved into the room cautiously, so another man came after him, holding on to the first's sleeve. Then another emerged in the same fashion, then five more, each releasing their predecessor once they were safely through. The next to emerge was Kim, de-facto head of Cerberus, her Hounds before her. She towed a long series of other Hounds behind her, maybe twenty or more in all, each gripping tight to the one in front so the portal remained open and they kept the connection that ensured their safety.
The Hounds spread around the room, weapons trained on both the vampires and me. Kim remained where she was, close to the portal. A metal cylinder was passed to her from the lead Hound which she tucked away into a pocket of her armored vest. The vampires stood their ground, watching, and unnervingly still.
"Arthur," she said with a nod.
"I bloody knew you had another Teleron. You lot are such bullshitters."
"We believed it lost, but it was found. That is no concern of yours. What is the meaning of this? Who are these people? Why have you brought them here?"
"I didn't bloody bring them," I said, incensed. "They followed me. I've been away, in Africa, at—"
"Yes, yes, we know. Dire Dawa. Having an adventure in the desert too, so I hear."
"How do you know?" I snapped.
"We are Cerberus, we know."
"Then you know these freaks are dangerous, and if you don't then take a look around. Care to deal with it before things get out of control?"
"Why should we? This is your mess."
"Because you're here now, and trust me, it will be worth your while."
Kim raised an eyebrow, then frowned as she thought. "Maybe we will. But this is most unconventional. We don't do your bidding, you shouldn't have called."
"I was desperate, and besides, isn't it your job to keep the country safe?"
"That's as may be, but there are police, army, for such matters."
"It isn't their job to fight vampires. And you've been doing plenty of that since you stole so much of Ivan's business. You still dealing drugs now? Become the gangsters I always knew you were?"
Kim scowled. "That's not how it is and you know it. We took what needed to be made right, we are slowly gaining control of the underground, and soon peace shall be restored."
"Yeah, right, good luck with that. You don't know what the fuck you're doing. He won't stand for it." He hadn't been, and the war still raged, but that wasn't my concern. Ivan didn't want my assistance anyway.
"Enough. Let's finish this." Kim turned to the amused vampires and said, "Did you kill these people?"
"Who, us?" smirked the woman.
"Yes, you?"
