Episode 13

Back in the swinging fifties, Donashey had built an underground bunker to protect officials against the horror of thermo nuclear war. Not that it would have done them any good of course.

When the ‘evil empire’ collapsed in the year 1990, this post was quietly abandoned, though the structure remained in situ.

When Frenier glanced around, she saw the central command post and wondered where the hell she was.

“Never mind this place,” Dreamer hissed. “You are in far more trouble than me.”

She pushed the mortal woman against the white painted wall as Gemma
looked on with surprising interest.

“What the hell do you want with me?" I’ve never met you!”

“I’m Dreamer by the way and you are a filthy slut!”

The woman was deeply offended by this obvious slur upon her character.

“I’m no such thing!”

Dreamer lurched forward and slapped her face sharply. As blood oozed from her nose the vampire hissed, “Are you mortal?”

“That’s a daft question!”

Dreamer responded to this by punching her hard in the tummy. The woman gasped, but thankfully the blubber cushioned the shock.

“No effect eh?”

“What do you really want?”

Dreamer stepped back and glanced at Gemma.

“She still does not know why my love.”

Frenier took full advantage of this distraction. She suddenly lunged but Dreamer grabbed her arm and knocked her to the floor.

“Nobody attacks me!” she hissed.

A foot lashed out and caught the woman squarely in the kidneys. This time she groaned loudly as Gemma giggled softly.

“We should kill her.”

“That would be a waste of good blood my dear. We could keep her alive for quite a while.”

The woman attempted to crawl across the floor until Dreamer dragged her back again.

“You cannot escape from us. So play along and the beatings will stop.”

Frenier sat up and winced.

“What are you?”

“Something that your mortal mind could not possibly comprehend my dear. Now sit against that wall.”

The poor woman crawled over painfully and did so without further resistance.

Dreamer was satisfied at last and turning to her lover said coldly, “There is a storeroom at the rear. Bring her a tin of beef and an opener. Don’t forget the water either.”

Before Gemma had moved however, the woman spoke up.

“Is there any red wine?”

“Bring the three litre box and forget the damned water.”

As her companion walked off the woman stared at her captor.

“So Satan needs me after all.”

The remark annoyed the vampiress.

“You have no idea of such a being! I was walking the land of Israel five thousand years before your messiah was born!”

Her hand lashed out, breaking the victim’s nose at once. As she screamed and the blood flowed, Gemma returned with the goods.

“What happened to her?”

“A little disagreement my dear. Just give her the stuff.”

The woman took a hanky from her pocket and leaned her head back until the flow stopped. Then she coolly opened the tin and poured herself a glass.

“Fancy joining me?”

Dreamer sneered at the very suggestion and wandered over to the adjacent chairs.

“Sit yourself down Gemma. We are in for a long night.”

As Ben rested upon the sofa, Trayhas sat upon the floor as his recovery period drew to an end. His mind swept the town, until the soft thoughts of Gemma were detected.

“They seem to be in an underground bunker my friend.”

“I know of that place. We did a piece when the authorities closed it down.”

Trayhas opened his eyes.

“Now may be our chance. Your woman is very much corporeal.”

“What do you mean my woman?”

Trayhas smiled knowingly.

“After the wine you had her. Or perhaps she had you my friend?”

Ben blushed at the sodden memory of a rather pleasurable night.

“We need a plan,” he said at last.

“I suggest that we turn up at the entrance,” Trayhas suggested. “That may catch them off guard.”

“Then let’s go.”

“What about your precious detective?”

“He is probably up to his eye balls in paperwork. We can deal with this ourselves.”

Trayhas nodded but kept a truth back.

When they left the town, Ben drove a mile towards the south and slowed down when he spotted the open field.

“Nearly there.”

He slewed the car onto a gravel track and stopped at a small fence.

“Time to get out mate.”

“A rather strange place to locate it,” the vampire said.

“Where else but the middle of nowhere? Come on.”

Ben led the way to the fence break and from there across the grass toward a cupola.

When they reached it, he started scraping at the ground.

“That is an air vent,” he muttered. “Under here is...”

“A trapdoor,” Trayhas commented as it came into view.

Ben pulled it open, pointing down to the metallic ladder.

“After you then.”

“I would rather you went first.”

Ben duly obliged, descending rapidly into the encroaching darkness. When he reached the corridor, he switched the lights on.

“Where the hell are they?”

Trayhas joined him and scanned quickly.

“They seem to be sitting at a table. The room has a map upon the wall.”

“That is the command area my friend. It’s down this way.”

The creature glanced in the completely opposite direction.

“What’s down here?”

“Just the generator room and calor gas storage tank.”

Trayhas smiled.

“We should check that out then. I’ve just come up with an idea.”

Ben rolled his eyes, and followed his mentor down the lit corridor and through a door marked danger.

Trayhas did not need any lights to locate the gas tank. His superior night vision was perfectly suited to the task.

“This will do perfectly.”

It was then that Ben realised what the plan was.

“Oh come on mate. You can’t blow us all to kingdom come!”

Trayhas placed a palm upon his quivering shoulders.

“Dreamer knows perfectly well what gas can do my friend. Once she realises the danger she will flee.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

Trayhas smiled grimly.

“In that case, we go up with her.”

He scanned the controls until he spotted the fragile pipe. Kneeling beside it, he pulled with all his might. The pipe gave way with a loud crack and he returned to the valve. Ben watched it turning and heard the gas begin to seep out.

“Turn the light back on now!”

Ben dashed over and did so, as his friend found a convenient bolt.

“Now try to aim correctly,” Trayhas hissed.

He tossed the bolt toward the fragile glass, hitting it perfectly.

“In about fifteen minutes this place goes sky high. Now lead us to this command post!”

Ben ran through the open door and down the well-lit corridor. At the far wall, he swung to the right and pointed to the door.

“The command post is there. A storage area sits behind us.”

Trayhas gritted his teeth and prepared for action.

“I will try not to kill her for reasons best known to myself.”

“You are in love with Dreamer.”

The vampire glanced at him before storming the room. His shoulder smashed the door open, his forward momentum carrying him into the room.

As Dreamer glanced up in deep surprise, Trayhas attacked her companion. Grabbing her by the hair, he dragged her down before his booted foot smashed her evil skull.

Ben had now entered and went at once to the stricken woman.

“Everything is alright Frenier. We will soon get you out.”

As the grateful women hugged him, Dreamer dashed for the rear wall.

“How did you get out of the flat?”

Trayhas pointed to the happy reporter.

“Unlike you I have mortal friends. Now do you really want to die?”

Dreamer screwed her eyes, nose sniffing loudly.

“You damned fool!”

“Get out of here now!”

She growled like a wild animal and transmuted into a column of white mist. Moments later, she faded from view.

“Now pick her up!”

Ben reached down and did so easily, as Trayhas marched out of the doomed room. As they reached the ladder, Frenier asked clumsily, “How did you find me?”

“Don’t tell her mate. You two outside now!”

They climbed toward the surface, as the lethal gas level rose toward the red-hot filament of the smashed bulb.

“Run for it!”

The three friends now dashed across the field and toward the waiting vehicle. As they reached it, the gas ignited.

A huge fireball rose skyward as the concussion wave smashed them to the ground. When it had passed, Ben glanced up at the shattered car.

“There goes my no claims bonus.”

They picked themselves up and glanced back at the gaping hole where the bunker had lain.

“Thanks for saving me,” the woman whispered.

“You are welcome,” Ben muttered.

Trayhas smiled and started to wander off.

“You can stay with me if you want.”

Trayhas turned.

“I have another agenda Ben. Time to leave this place.”

“Are you going after her?”

The vampire shook his head.

“No need my friend. She seems to turn up wherever I live. Just take that lady home.”

He darted off as Frenier gripped Ben’s arm.

“Back to my place or yours?”

Ben heard the approaching sirens and said calmly, “Why not mine.
Ever tried whisky?”

A sudden roar caught Ben’s attention. Looking overhead, he spotted the distinctive lights of a passenger aircraft.

“Must be heading for Montreal.”

“Typical reporter!”

She laughed as the two lovers hobbled into the night.