Night School Book 2: Vampire Legion Page 7

  “I’m Korean, not Japanese,” spat Cindy. “Your boyfriend’s an asshole,” she said to Felicia.

  Felicia smacked Declan's arm. “Seriously.”

  “What?” said Declan.

  “Let’s move on to the next item,” offered Norman, trying to diffuse the bickering.

  “It may be old school, but it’s the only one you can kill a vampire with that won’t blow back on you. Keep in mind, these were designed to be used by humans. More specifically, by us. Choosing a selection that vampires could use without killing themselves was…tricky.” Elijah reached into the sack and procured a belt with several metal spheres attached around its perimeter. Each sphere had a ring attached to its pole. “These are a bit more complicated. Use with caution.”

  Norman recognized these devices. One had been thrown through the window of his condo the night Skeete's henchmen attacked them.

  “We had a run-in with one of those,” said Darius. “Got a little barbecued.”

  Elijah did not laugh at the light-hearted comment. “This is a grenade that’s completely harmless to humans., When it goes off, it opens, exposing a light. To a vampire though, the light is deadly. It’s pure sunlight. You might find it very effective in killing a vampire enemy. However, you’ll probably kill yourself in the process.”

  Declan picked up the belt and dangled it in front of his eyes, inspecting the sunlight grenades.

  Norman gently took the belt from Declan’s hand. “Let’s leave this one aside, for now.”

  Next Elijah withdrew an item resembling a rifle. Norman instantly recognized it as the device Naseem had used to save his neck when they fought the Corps. V in the scrap yard. He’d even fired it himself.

  Elijah held it by the butt and muzzle. “This one’s a bit safer to use. It’s based on similar technology. Each bullet only has a tiny amount of sunlight energy. It will burn out in just a second or two. Shining on a vampire’s skin would result in, let’s say, a very bad sun burn. However, these bullets are timed. They don't go off until they’ve found their target, which, ideally, is in the gut of a vampire. It’ll hollow out even a big one in a few seconds.”

  “I like the sound of that,” said Darius taking hold of the rifle.

  “Easy there!” shouted Elijah as he pushed the muzzle away from the members of the group. “Keep the safety on for now.” He pointed to a switch near the trigger.

  Next Elijah pulled out a thick leather belt with a short dagger sheathed to one side. All around the outside of the belt were very small capsules secured in loops of leather. Elijah pulled the dagger from its sheath. “This one’s not deadly, but very handy in a tight spot.”

  “It looks like a regular knife?” said Norman. “Does it have wood mixed in with it?”

  “No,” replied Elijah. “Its mojo is in the handle.” Elijah twisted a small latch and opened a panel in the hilt. Inside were several of the tiny capsules like the ones secured around the belt. “In each capsule is a solution with a tiny amount of silver in it. When you drive the point home, a capsule releases its contents through the blade.” Elijah pointed out a narrow channel in the edge of the blade. It’ won’t kill, but it will effectively drain your opponents of their strength and abilities for a time. We’re not quite sure why it works. We believe the silver works on the cellular level somehow clogging the blood receptors and blocking its uptake.”

  “How long does it last?” asked Norman.

  “Their bodies start metabolizing it right away. How long it takes to wear off depends,” replied Elijah.

  “On what?” asked Felicia, seemingly transfixed by the beauty of the elegant blade.

  “A combination of the vampire’s age, strength, when they’d last fed and a few other factors. They could be out for a few minutes to half an hour.” Elijah slid the blade back into the sheath.

  Felicia shook her head as if coming out of a trance. “That’s mine.” She extended her hand to take it from Elijah.

  “Good Choice,” he replied. “Don’t go too crazy with it. Refill capsules are limited.”

  Felicia looked along the blade. She replaced it and fastened the belt around her waist. “Has it got a name?”

  “No, only the old stuff got named. We don’t do that anymore.” Elijah reached back into his bag of tricks. He pulled out another case. It was long and had a leather covering. Dust filled its cracks and seems. “Tyreese. You’re a track and field man, right?”

  “Used to be,” Tyreese replied. “They don’t have a team at Night School.”

  Elijah snapped the latches of the case open. “This will be perfect for you.” He opened the case to reveal four long spears resting in velvet grooves, like prized pool cues. “You can handle these just like a javelin.”

  “I ran hurdles,” said Tyreese.

  “Ah,” said Elijah nonplussed. “Something new to learn, then.”

  “What good’s a javelin against a vampire?” asked Tyreese.

  Elijah carefully lifted one of the spears out of the case. “Glad you asked.” He slid one hand along its length until he reached the point. As he directed their attention to it, they instantly saw there was something different about the tip of this spear. Elijah tapped his finger on the sharp point. “A werewolf incisor.” He looked around at the eyes of the group. They stared at the tooth. “It will cut vampire flesh like a hot knife through butter. If you throw it at one, it’ll go clear through him like he wasn’t even there.”

  Tyreese reached for the spear.

  Elijah jerked it away. “Watch the tip!”

  Tyreese looked away from the spear and at Elijah. He nodded his head and took the spear by the opposite side. He inspected the tooth, rotating it around to view it from all angles. “I think I could learn this.”

  Elijah looked to Declan. “I think I have just the thing for you.” He reached into the duffel and removed a large heavy club. It resembled a thick, clunky baseball bat.

  Matt chuckled. “Hulk Smash!”

  Elijah looked to Matt and frowned. Suddenly he rose up to his full height and lifted the club over his head. He brought it down with a loud grunt onto the pavement. When it struck, a burst of light exploded from the surface.

  Norman felt a searing on his face as the indirect burst of light briefly shined on him. He heard gasps from his Nymphs as they felt the same pinch. “Not what I expected.”

  Elijah allowed a sinister smile, clearly pleased with his little surprise. “It’s touch sensitive. The harder you hit, the brighter the burst. For a garden variety vampire, one hit is all it takes. For these new guys? Might slow ‘em down. I doubt it will kill them.” He then twisted the handle and pulled it apart. He yanked a black cylinder from inside the grip. “This is the battery. Stored sunlight. When it runs out, it’s just a club. There’s a few extras in the bag.” Elijah reassembled the handle and handed it to Declan. “Be careful. Some of the light will leak out from each blast. It'll sting. But the other sucker will get the brunt of it.

  Norman thought it wise to keep the sharp stuff from Declan. It would be hard for him to accidentally hurt any of the other Nymphs or himself with that thing.

  Elijah looked into the duffel and shuffled its remaining contents around. “I think those are your best bets. There are a few things lift in the bag. Shall I go over the rest of them one by one?”

  Cindy took another look at Cherry Popper. She lifted it from the ground and grabbed the hilt. She pulled four inches of the blade out from its sheath. She ran a thumb along the exposed edge gritting her teeth in pain as a drop of blood ran down her hand. “Very sharp.” She pulled the blade all the way out of the sheath and held it with two hands swinging it around. “Very light.” She maneuvered around with the blade, thrusting it and slashing it downward. “I could get used to this.”

  “See?” said Declan, not quite aware that he was reigniting their earlier argument.

  Cindy whipped the blade around so the point was an inch from his nose.

  Declan’s eyes crossed as he focused on
the point. “Uh. Sorry. No offense.”

  Cindy smiled. “None taken.” She sheathed the sword and wrapped the belt around her waist.

  “And for you, Mr. Bernard,” said Elijah, holding the bag open. Inside it were a variety of trinkets with LED’s and buttons, and small pointy objects.

  “No thanks,” replied Norman. “I guess I prefer really old school.” He opened his mouth and his fangs flicked out. His snarl turned to a smile.

  “Suit yourself,” said Elijah.

  Norman turned to his class. “I’ll be changing your status to ‘Constructively Present’ in the school attendance log. We don’t have much time left. You’ll be spending it training.” He looked to Elijah. “Will you conduct the training?”

  “Well. I am the master at arms,” he said proudly.

  “How do you train people if you’re never allowed to meet them?” asked Norman.

  “YouTube,” replied Elijah.

  “Only seventeen, indeed.”

  8

  Grass Roots

  Norman looked at his watch and then scanned the periphery of the old parking lot. The message he had received from Elijah simply said, “seven o’clock.” It had appeared in his mail cubby at school. Now that Norman stood alone next to the old plumbing supply warehouse, he began to wonder if perhaps the message was from someone else.

  He heard a mild zephyr in the cool autumn air. He waited to feel the breeze caress his exposed skin. It never came. Odd. Norman could usually hear a breeze before he felt it. He waited one more second before becoming officially suspicious. He heard a sound right behind him. It sounded like a snicker muffled through someone’s nose.

  Norman spun around to see his Nymphs standing silently behind him. Darius lost the battle with his laughter and wailed out loud. The rest of them chuckled as well.

  Norman relaxed. “You’ve come a long way! I used to be able to hear you coming from …well…any distance, really. You don’t move like humans anymore.”

  Elijah’s voice came from the distance in the direction of the plumbing warehouse. “I do!” He breathed heavy as he ran up to join the group.

  “You’ve done good work with them,” said Norman. “They’re not as rough around the edges.”

  “We missed you, too,” said Felicia, a smile beaming from her face. She ran in and embraced Norman. The rest of the students gathered around him as well.

  “Are they ready? I thought you’d need at least another week,” asked Norman.

  “They’ll have to be. Things are moving faster than we thought. We need to get ourselves down to Chip,” replied Elijah.

  Not ready? That was the whole point. Norman pointed a stiff finger into Elijah's chest. “Wait. The deal was: I’ll join up with Chip after the training’s done.”

  “The training’s as done as its going to get. There’s no more time,” replied Elijah. “And the deal was that you’ll all join Chip and his new PDRV.”

  That wasn't the deal! Norman's rage bubbled over at the betrayal. He wanted his Nymphs trained so they could protect themselves, not so they could become soldiers against invincible vampires. “That’s out of the question. These guys will move on without me…out of the fray. Your training should keep them safe if the fray happens to find them.”

  Elijah took a deep, frustrated breath. “Mr. Bernard. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ the war finds them. It’s when. The first wave is just for clean-up. They plan to wipe us all out. Then the second wave will take out humanity. Without us to resist, they’ll make minced meat of the human world, killing most, harvesting the rest.”

  So that was why they agreed to arm the vampire students, to train warriors for their war. “It’s me alone, or no one.”

  Felicia stepped forward. “It’s not up to you, Mr. Bernard.”

  Norman looked over at her, completely surprised. He didn’t know why he should be though. Felicia had always had a strong mind of her own. That would only become enhanced now that she’d become a member of the dark tribe. Elijah’s training had probably helped bring it out as well.

  “She’s right, Mr. Bernard,” said Tyreese. “We don’t mean no disrespect. But we got a say in this, too.”

  “Tyreese.” These were just kids...Nymphs. They weren't ready. They'd get themselves killed. Norman would get them killed. “I know you’re starting to feel your power. It feels good. But you’re still new at this. Your appreciation for your… ‘life’ will increase greatly after you’ve been around fifty, a hundred, a thousand years. I want you to be around that long.”

  “We fought that guy in the warehouse, too,” added Felicia. “They’ll be the only vampires around in fifty years if we don’t fight now.”

  Tyreese flicked his chin up at Norman. “Besides. We owe them one for Keon. Can’t let that shit stand.”

  Then Darius spoke up. This was different. “We’ve already decided, Mr. Bernard. We’re joining whether you take us or not.” Darius always ended with a joke or sarcasm. This was different.

  Norman shot a hard look at Elijah. What kind of deal have I made? “It seems Elijah’s influence had gone beyond weapons training.”

  Elijah shrugged his shoulders. “We’re all just playing our part.”

  Norman fumed at the influence he’d allowed Elijah to have on his Nymphs. At this point, though, his opposition was moot. Elijah had given them a glimpse of their true power. They felt invincible. Norman would have to watch them more closely than ever. They’d relied on him heavily, hiding behind his experience and skill. Now that they felt they had skills of their own, they’d probably do something stupid and get themselves killed. Clearly, they’d come a long way in the last week, but they had a long way to go. A vampire life lasts a long time. In vampire terms, they’d barely been introduced to what their abilities could do. In their minds, however, they felt like they were finally coming into their own. Like they were free.

  This would be a dangerous time. They needed Norman more than ever. “Well let’s go then,” said Norman. “When and where?”

  “Now, and follow me.” Elijah responded.

  Norman reflected upon what a pain it was to have a human in their group. It slowed things down so much. He remembered how slow he’d progressed through the sewers when all of his students were human. It had been like having weights tied around his neck. He supposed he’d have to be extra careful with Elijah. After all, he was only human but a valuable one, though.

  As Norman turned the corner in the sewer, he began to recognize the route. They’d entered from an unfamiliar man-hole but had now worked their way to a portion Norman had been through previously. He thought he could find his way from here if he had to. The scum patters on the walls had changed somewhat. Old filth had slopped to the floor and been replace by new filth. The smells hadn’t changed a bit, though. Norman’s keen sense picked up all the odors, differentiating them to an uncomfortable degree.

  He could see Tyreese and Darius were nearly overcome by the experience. Their faces appeared pale. He imagined if their stomachs still functioned in a human capacity, they would have vomited.

  “Just like the good old days,” said Darius.

  Norman did not enjoy being underground. It felt like trying to use an abacus when you’d gotten used to a calculator. It was slow. It was analog. It was old.

  “How’re you holding up,” Norman asked Elijah.

  “I’ve made this trip more times than I’d have liked,” he replied. “I’m used to it by now.”

  Finally, they reached the breach in the sewer wall where Norman had first encountered Ian and his band of PDRV survivors. Two guards stood at the entrance. Their arms were crossed and they carried wooden stakes in their belts. They were no soldiers, though. The military would never accept recruits with such small stature. However, desperate times…

  “Password,” said one as Elijah approached.

  “It’s me,” Elijah responded without breaking his stride.

  Then one of the guards moved into his path blocking the entrance. “
Password,” the guard repeated.

  Elijah stopped inches from the vampire. “Et in terra, sanguinem.”

  The guard stepped aside.

  Elijah pointed his thumb backward. “They’re with me.”

  “Mr. Bernard, what does that mean?” asked Darius.

  Norman didn't know.

  “And in the earth, blood,” said Tyreese. “Latin.”

  Norman entered the large cobblestone chamber. Not much in the sewers had changed since he and his students had been driven there. However, this room had been transformed. The walls were lined with desks. Computer stations were placed around the perimeter. A large screen hung on the wall to the left of the breach. The torches had been replaced with electric lights that dangled by wires from the arched ceiling high above.

  Vampires also bustled around the room, working on computers and conferring with others here and there. As Norman and company entered the chamber, the commotion stopped and everyone stared at the new occupants.

  Chip, who’d been looking at a computer over another vampire’s shoulder looked up. He removed his glasses. “Norman. We’ve been expecting you. Sorry to have to move the timing up.” He strode toward Norman.

  Norman extended his hand, but Chip walked right up and grabbed Norman in a friendly hug. At first Norman recoiled a little. Chip released Norman and patted him on the back. A politician's charm.

  “It’s great to have you aboard.”

  “This is quite an operation you’ve put together,” said Norman casting his eyes around the room. “You work fast.”

  “No choice, old friend,” replied Chip. “The times demand action.”

  “Where did all these vampires come from?” asked Norman.

  Chip waved his arm to indicate all the people in the room. “I’ve spent the last year rounding up survivors from around the world. It seems we’re not the only PDRV fighting the good fight.”

  Norman bristled at being included under that acronym. “How many?”

  “A lot more than we thought. But…” for a brief moment his voice trailed off and his game face faded. “…we’ve lost so many.” Chip snapped back into the moment. “I’ve brought some of them back here to help rebuild. Although, it seems we’ve still got quite a fight on our hands.”