“Hey, is she all right?” The cab driver said as he turned his head.
Sigman bared his fangs and the man turned the wheel quickly and hit into a motorcycle parked on the side of the street. Sigman looked fierce, and the cabbie stopped the taxi and ran out of the car.
Now that they were alone in the cab, Sigman took his time. He wouldn't need to take her back to the apartment. He could finish her off first, and then stop again and pick something up for Amwolf on the way home. Amwolf was such a health nut anyway. The girl was too good to waste on his brother. He licked her neck. A good meal should never be hurried. She was attractive. It was lonely in Philly and his brother was working most nights. Amwolf’ s work must be a distraction for him. His parents had each other. He realized how alone he was.
Sigman hadn't thought of it, but perhaps the cycle of hunting was getting old. If he had someone to come home to, wouldn't that be better than all the games he was so good at playing? Maybe he'd turn her. What would it hurt to take another bride?
Then he thought of Victoria and he paused. Vampires never got headaches, but Victoria gave him a pretty good idea of what it must be like to suffer from them.
Kelly moaned and he thought that he better end her after all. He drew out his back fangs and his mouth grew wider. He was ready to strike. Then he heard a rapping. It was so annoying to be in the middle of something and to hear such a loud sound.
Sigman looked up as the glass of the back window shattered, scattering bits and pieces everywhere.
Sigman felt a prick against his shoulder. He realized that he had been cut. He let out a howl that caused the dogs throughout the neighborhood to bark and yelp. Then he saw the door next to where Kelly was slumped over open and a man grabbed her and yanked. Sigman grabbed her feet. The man tugged harder and Sigman pulled her back inside the cab. Kelly woke up and screamed.
It didn't look like it was so easy now. She kicked Sigman and he became off balanced and he let go as she kicked. Then Kelly was pulled free. Sigman was so angry he tore the roof off the cab. Embarrassed, he realized too late he could have merely opened the door next to him. He got out of the cab through the door. He would remain the civilized gentlemen he had been for centuries. Then he would kill them both. No humans should be so much trouble.
The man carried her with ease, and Sigman realized he was very strong as he felt the wound and cupped his hand over the spot. Then his anger overtook the injury and he ran. He reached the man carrying Kelly.
“Give her to me and I'll let you live, Draculan Hunter!”
“What a fool you think I am!” The man took out his dagger and slashed at Sigman.
Sigman evaded the blade and slowed down. The man picked up his pace and then Sigman noticed the building in front of them. It was a church.
Liam Abraham pulled open the doors to St. Mary's. The woman he was carrying hung on to his neck, almost choking him. He reached for her hand to loosen it.
“Sorry,” Kelly said as she put her hand on his shoulders.
Liam raced to the altar, genuflected and set her down on the carpeting. Darkness made the church ominous.
“Do you know where the light switch is?” Liam asked.
“The back of the church. Wait, the flood lights. Over by the sacristy, to your right. It should be there somewhere.”
Liam walked through the darkness with an outstretched hand to feel for the lights. He found a switch and turned on the lights of the side room. The he saw another set above them and turned on lights over the altar. The pews in front of them cast shadows onto the walls. The statues of bygone saints lined the walls and seemed to hover over the pair.
Kelly stood up as a howling voice spoke to them from the back doors.
“She is mine, Draculan Hunter! She came willingly with me and I claim her!”
“If you want her, come and get her!” Liam shouted.
“Wait just a minute,” Kelly said as she stood up. “Why would you say that?”
Liam glanced at her. He whispered into her ear, “He can't come into a church. Draculans were excommunicated millenniums ago. If you're going to keep hanging out with vampires, don't you think you should at least learn the ground rules?”
“He's a vampire? And for your information I didn't go off with him! He came to the Soup Kitchen and gave me twenty dollars.”
“Twenty seems a little cheap.”
“It's for the charity, you dim wit!”
“Can't you take a joke?”
The silence was more threatening than the howling. “Shh!” Liam said.
“Shh yourself!”
“Just be silent so I can hear him.”
Kelly looked up at the massive crucifix hanging over them and the altar. The painted-on blood streaked the sculpture's depiction of Christ. An anguished expression on the work made Kelly shiver. The banging made her back up against the stone altar.
“He's here somewhere. He won't enter this part. Stay here. He must be in the rafters or he's hiding in the back. Oh, I wish I thought to grab some holy water as we entered this place.”
“What about the baptismal font?”
“Good thinking. Do you see it?”
“It's to your left, right off the altar.”
“Stay put. He'll kill you if he gets to you.”
Liam tipped-toed off the altar to the font. He took out a plastic baggie and dipped it into the font collecting the water. He turned towards Kelly. The flooring where he was standing gave out and he fell violently into the basement below. Kelly screamed and began to move until she remembered she must stay at the altar. She wasn't sure if what the Insurance Salesman told her was correct, but she had no other options left, so she stayed there and listened.
***
Liam's bottom hit down hard onto the flooring of the basement. He stood up and realized he was in a social hall. There must be a light switch. He thought of the stairs, there must be a switch there. Before he could run to the stairwell and turn them on, he was punched multiple times with such force he was knocked back down to the floor. He felt more kicks and punches.
Sigman lifted Liam and he went for the neck artery.
Liam put up his arm to deflect the vampire and felt a trickle of blood pour as he shielded himself from the onslaught. The strength of this particular Draculan was a marvel. Liam hadn't struggled like this for years and for a moment he wasn't sure if he would survive. His adrenaline surged as he worked to overcome the vampire. He pushed with all his considerable strength, keeping the creature away from his neck.
With his free hand, Liam reached inside his jacket's pocket looking for his dagger. The dagger wasn't in the pocket, but he felt the baggie with holy water.
Sigman’ s sharpest tooth hit the side of the Insurance Salesman's face, drawing blood from a thin red line etched in flesh. Sigman began to move his fang down to Liam's jaw. The taste of fresh blood excited the vampire and a screeching sound came from his throat indicating his pleasure.
Liam finally managed to open the plastic's zip lock as he struggled with the Draculan and flung the holy water on towards the attacker. Liam knew he hit some part of the vampire. In the complete darkness, it wasn't possible to know how much damage he had done to it.
The attack stopped and screams could be heard moving away from him. He stumbled to his feet and ran to the back stairs. He reached the light switch and turned on the lights. He saw Sigman Van Horn, fangs bared, frozen by the lights as if he stepped out of a horror movie. The momentary paralysis ended and Sigman Van Horn fled the basement.