Episode 11

Detective Harris was having one of those days that simply kept going wrong. Losing the respected reporter in strange circumstances was bad enough, but finding a dead taxi driver at the tramlines was a definite no, no.

As he climbed from the unmarked squad car, the shocked medic called him over.

“This is a strange one. You better have a look see.”

Harris leaned inside the vehicle as the baffled medic pointed out the two pin pricks located over the throat.

“In all my years I’ve never seen such a wound.”

“It certainly does not look animal in nature,” the detective muttered.

He thought carefully and said flatly, “I wonder why there is no blood spatter?”

“It would seem that the blood was drained somehow,” the doc explained.

“Are you suggesting some lunatic did this?”

“The forensic boys swabbed the wound for DNA. Hopefully that will pin it down.”

“The last thing we need is an attack like this doc. Look, try and keep this to yourself eh?”

“I fully intended to sir.”

The detective nodded and wandered back to his car. As he did so, the forensic officer approached with a small plastic bag.

“We found some blonde hair strands sir. Hopefully they will match the swab.”

Harris examined them and said, “They look female to me.”

“That’s what I thought. The cabbies meter suggests a trip from our cinema.”

“Does it indeed. That slice of intelligence could come in handy. I’ll have the area plastered with posters by noon.”

He climbed back in, some very strange thoughts floating through his active mind.

“First we get the craziest abduction I’ve ever seen, and then this. There has to be a connection.”

He allowed these thoughts to fester as he made his way home, hoping at least to get a good night’s rest.
---
As the following day passed, posters indeed went up around the cinema. Harris finally got the reports on the driver and they made for an even worse day.

Harris read the swab report first. It concluded with the strange sentence, no DNA found. The autopsy was sadly even worse. Cause of death, cardiac arrest due to severe blood loss.

As he scratched his head, his office door was knocked.

“We have a witness sir. Would you like to see her?”

“You can show her in.”

Harris watched the swanky blonde enter, and noted the heavy application of cosmetics. He preferred his women to be natural and this vision put him right off.

When she sat and made herself comfortable he asked carefully, “You were at the pictures last night?”

“I sure was honey bun. Lousy flick too.”

“So what did you see?”

“As I was leaving I saw this woman dash for the waiting taxi. I had
to wait about an hour for the next to turn up.”

“Describe her for me?”

The witness thought back and smiled.

“She was a tall broad with a thick coat made from dark wool. She was fairly tall, and I would swear that she was a natural blonde.”

“That would certainly fit the facts mam. Did you notice anything else?”

“Just the weird crazy eyes. Kind of creepy like.”

He thanked her for the information but this witness was not finished with him yet.

“If you need soothing detective here is my address.”

She snatched a pen and scribbled it down on his pad before swirling out again.

He tried to suppress a smile as she left, a pretty hopeless task in the circumstances.

As he sat thinking, the door opened and an officer asked, “Any good sir?”

“She saw the killer alright. I’ll run it through the system.”

He typed in the description but was disappointed when no results popped up.

“Perhaps she has no criminal record,” he muttered.

The officer returned moments later with the Bugel, and pointed out the glaring headline.

‘Vamp attack.’

The detective shook his head in frustration.

“That’s all we need.”

“Page four is even worse sir.”

He flicked the page and saw Ben’s photo with a nasty caption.

‘Where is Ben?’

He rang the number and waited for the editor to answer.

“How dare you run such a crazy story. Where is your public duty?”

“Look detective. We got inside information that the driver had two throat punctures. It’s our job to report it.”

“Not if it causes panic mate,” Harris replied.

“Did you actually read it?”

“Of course not.”

“Well detective. Further down the page we report it likely the killer used some kind of extraction device.”

“So why not say so at the top?”

“Cause the headline sells detective. How is the search for my reporter going?”

Harris winced.

“Not very well to be honest. That is all I can say at the moment.”

“Any chance of seeing a tape?”

“Certainly not,” Harris replied. “It may prejudice the investigation.”

“I had to ask of course. The hospital has kept shut, if you know what I mean?”

“They are acting on my instructions. Take advice from me eh? If another body turns up, leave vamps out of it.”

He slammed down the phone, waiting to see if anyone responded to the Ben article.
---
When the sun had gone down at last, the detective visited his patrolmen who had been deployed on Muscle Street.

“How is it going?”

The young officer smiled and said, “Fairly quiet sir. I’ve asked a few questions but sadly the replies were negative.”

“Keep at it eh? A high public profile may reassure the people.”

Harris glanced around at the crowds and returning to his vehicle, drove off into the night.

The patrolman watched him leave as a tall, blonde haired woman peeked out from behind the queue. After a moment, she strode toward the officer, the long dress swaying in time with her thighs.

“Having fun are we?”

“You must be joking mam. I would rather be somewhere else this evening.”

The woman strode over to the poster, noting the description of the Russian coat.

“You have not found her yet then?”

The curious officer joined her.

“We’ll get her mam. Why do you ask?”

The woman smiled carefully and said, “Oh I don’t know. I saw such a woman on my way here that’s all.”

The officer’s ears pricked up.

“Could you tell me where exactly?”

The woman placed a finger against her left temple and seemed to think it over.

“I’m pretty sure she was standing near the north traffic lights.”

She saw the officer reach for his radio and promptly stopped him.

“Surely you can tackle her yourself. I could take you there if you like?”

The officer was certainly eager to seize the miscreant. Such a high profile catch would boost his promotion chances no end.

“We can take my car mam. Follow me.”

She followed and sat at his side, as the engine was gunned.

“I sure hope she is still there.”

“So do I mam. Before we go, are you sure the description matches?”

“I’m pretty sure sir. She was simply gazing at a dark patch of earth.”

The officer nodded and pushed his foot to the floor. The vehicle set off at speed toward the northern lights as the passenger gazed at him sweetly.

“No siren tonight?”

“We don’t want to scare her off do we?”

The vehicle swung left and hurtled toward the lights that lay nearby. As they approached, the officer noted that they were at green.

“There she is,” the woman muttered.

The siren was activated at once, and the car shot over the junction before swerving to a halt. The officer turned his head and whispered, “Stay here mam.”

He leapt out and saw the suspect standing upon the darkened earth where the old property had stood.

She did not seem to be aware of the officer. Either that or she was on drugs.

“I need you to turn around mam.”

He drew his weapon, eyes staring at the Russian coat and blonde hair.

“Did you hear what I said? You must turn around.”

The suspect did so very slowly and the officer saw the weird looking eyes.

“Now lay yourself down.”

The suspect remained mute as the coat was opened provocatively. The officer saw the nude form beneath, but kept his finger poised over the trigger.

“I said lie down!”

He did not expect a lilting voice to whisper into his ear, “Why don’t you lie down?”

He glanced behind and saw the woman glaring at him. A fist closed around his throat and crushed his windpipe with ease. As he collapsed, Dreamer smiled at her new lover.

“Well done Gemma. Now let us feed before anyone misses him.”
---
Trayhas and Ben had also been busy that night. After feeding upon a stray dog, the true vampire licked his lips as Ben looked away.

“Think yourself lucky that you don’t have to do this.”

“I suppose I should thank you for that.”

Trayhas patted his shoulder and said, “We should look around now. Dreamer will probably be active.”

“Where do you want to go first?”

The vampire smiled and closed his eyes in deep concentration. His mind sent out a lighthouse beam, scanning the area for anything unusual. When he opened them once more, he grimaced.

“You better come with me.”

He grabbed the reporter and they dissolved almost at once. When Ben became aware of his surroundings once more, he recognised the northerly location.

“Oh hell!” the vampire hissed.

Ben glanced down and spotted the crumpled body of the officer. Trayhas knelt and began feeling around his throat.

“He’s quite dead my friend. Throat has been crushed like jelly.”

“So why here?”

Trayhas stood and looked at him grimly.

“It’s a message to me. A kind of calling card.”

“Any ideas where she is now?”

Trayhas scanned the ground and seemed to smile.

“She has a new recruit I see. Which means even more trouble. That could work to our advantage.”

“How come?”

“Her acolyte may not be able to shield her mind. In that case, we could end up locating them.”

Ben began pacing the ground before he spotted the patrol car.

“I have an idea.”

Trayhas watched as he marched over and leaned through the open door.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“Calling this in.”

Trayhas ran forward and stopped him just in time.

“Have you lost your mind? Who do you think they will arrest.”

“Harris trusts me remember?”

“He probably knows of your kidnapping. You won’t be able to explain that away.”

“I have no choice,” the reporter said. “Now, are you going to stop me?”

Trayhas stepped back as Ben made the call. He dropped the radio and glanced around quickly.

“You just follow me.”

He dashed across the empty road and concealed himself in the dark shadows, as sirens ripped the air apart.

“This is madness my friend.”

“You just stick around. Believe it or not we need that detective.”

They saw three patrol cars reach the scene and a few minutes later, Harris arrived.

“Now it’s your turn to perform,” Ben hissed.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Use that mind thing and bring him over here.”

Trayhas shook his head and concentrated hard. Ben saw the detective stand away from the corpse and slowly saunter towards them.

“Just a little more,” the reporter whispered.

When there was no response, he glanced back and noted the creature had vanished. Almost at once, the mind lock snapped and a confused detective realised where he was.

“What the hell...?”

Ben stepped out smiling.

“Nice to see you again.”

The detective was pretty shocked and reacted accordingly.

“Good grief Ben. What is going on?”

The reporter pulled him into the darkness and whispered, “I’ve no time to explain now, but we have a vampire on the loose.”

Ben had been expecting incredulity but got a shock.

“After viewing that tape I had reached a similar conclusion.”

“What tape?”

“Hospital security mate. What else could have spirited you away like that?”

“I see, well...He is not the threat on this occasion. It’s Dreamer you need to be afraid of.”

The officer shrugged his shoulders.

“Never mind detective. Just remember the name. My colleague thinks she has a new recruit. He may be able to trace them for you.”

“I don’t seem to see him.”

Ben smiled.

“He vanished my friend. Don’t worry though. He is a strong ally.”

“I just hope so. Answer me this Ben. How come you are able to walk around?”

“That’s his doing but don’t worry. I’m not a drinker.”

“Glad to hear it mate. What do you want me to do in the meantime?”

“Your job of course. Keeping the boys in blue off our backs would be a huge help.”

Harris nodded and said, “I better return to the victim. Where can I
find you again?”

The reporter smiled.

“Pop over to my home tonight eh?”

Harris agreed before walking off toward the crime scene.