Mortal Agent of a Vampire - Chapter 20

Then we were supposed to come to the real battlefield.
All the glass shattered in a flash, and bullets ran in from all sides, intertwining in trajectories outlined by fire. Then the incendiary bombs joined in. Explosions followed each other like the final movement of a grand symphony.
The interior of the church looked like it had been stuffed into a giant juicer, being crushed into pieces by sharp blades rotating at high speed. The glare mixed with the strong smell of gunpowder brought tears to my eyes. Now I really feel like a pacifist.
“Go! Go!” Vince shoved me and we crept forward, shifting behind …… the downed statue of Jesus Christ, the only untouched hiding place so far.
God will help you in a pinch, mom wasn’t lying to me.
“What the fuck is going on here?!” Vince yelled.
That’s the first time I’ve ever heard him swear. Gentleman, he was always self-promoting.

“Five million dollars!” I said at the top of my lungs, “When we came out of the casino, I consulted Remy! because he seemed familiar with the situation! I asked him if there was anything he could do if I was hunted down! He said to give him five million dollars and he’d take care of the rest!”

“Now it looks like he wants to take care of us too!” Vince yelled into my ear.

“I’m sorry!” I almost had to add sir after that, “I didn’t know that was his plan! I insisted that he not tell me the details! Lest Lutz read them! I only told him that the other side was only afraid of fire and silver bullets!” I was a little smug when I said that, I had even fooled Vince, “I’m a genius, aren’t I?!”

A bullet passed between us.
“If I live, I’ll kill you!” Vince’s voice sounded like he wanted to kill someone right now.
“Whatever, as long as I survive!”
I said with a sob.
After a century, the shooting and bombing finally ended.

The good news was that we all survived.
While I was still lost in reviewing my short life, Vince tapped me on the shoulder, “There.”
That’s when I realized that everything had fallen into place instead of my ears being deafened. My legs were still shaking and he helped me to my feet.
I had never seen such a gruesome sight. It was almost like traveling to the end of a war movie. The chapel was a complete ruin, riddled with bullet wounds and craters, a few flames still stubbornly spreading.
Ruiz’s men were sprawled on the ground, either shot to sieves by silver bullets or already burned to black charcoal.
A figure appeared at the entrance to the church, wearing sunglasses and a well-tailored black suit, a machine gun slumbering in the crook of his arm.
“Five million dollars, cash.” He said.
I recognized him as Remy’s follower from earlier, the blond guy showing off his muscles. It was definitely retaliation, we shouldn’t have flirted with him, he was really intimidating.
The searchlights went out one by one and he disappeared into the darkness.
Vince walks over to Ruiz. He’s leaning against the back of the pulpit with a dozen injuries. His hair was partially burned, his face was covered in soot, and he looked dying.
“Don’t kill me. …… Don’t kill me. ……”
As Vince approached, Ruiz curled back, his voice filled with fear.
“I’m not going to kill you.” Vince whispered, “The sun will tomorrow.”
I didn’t argue with him about mercy, Ruiz wasn’t the type to know what was coming, spare him this time, next time, he’d pay back a hundredfold.
We get on a helicopter and leave him on the little Eiffel Tower, the sun will scorch him and he’ll enjoy a long and painful death.
“Finished?” I asked.
Vince and I stood on the top floor of the Cloud Tower, the sun rising over the horizon with all of Vegas in view.
The sunlight gilded the side of Vince’s face, he wore those masked sunglasses that made him look like a hero in a sci-fi movie, the wind ruffled his open collar, “It’s over.”
“Can we go home now?” I asked.
“Home.” Vince affirms.
Home, sweet home. I must have laughed like a fool.
Vince ended my good mood with the words, “That five million is on you.”
We didn’t fly, we drove all the way back. From time to time, the only thing on the road was our flashy Ferrari. The desert unfolded endlessly on both sides, and tumbleweeds were blown along.
When I recall it now, the quiet beauty of that journey makes you almost want to stop time.
Eventually, we made it back to the Little Pantheon. One night, the car drove slowly down the boulevard, the motion-sensitive lights on either side coming on one by one, and I spun the steering wheel around and came to a smooth stop in front of the porch.
Vince and I stepped down and looked up the steps to where a woman stood.
A white strapless dress framed the curves of her slender, delicate body, and her blonde hair cascaded down her back, fluttering as if alive in the evening breeze. The moonlight illuminated her astounding beauty. All that was missing was a crown of laurels and she was the Goddess Daphne descending.
Any man would have been jealous of the portico she held in her hand, except, perhaps, Vince? At the first sight of her, he reined in his steps and sank his brow as if he were an enemy.
“Oh, Vince, Guten Abend, I’m so glad we meet again.” The goddess let go of the porch column and stepped down gracefully, “How long have we been apart? I would say, a century? It really feels like yesterday.”
I’ve decided to never say the words ‘it’s been a long time’ to anyone again.
Vince didn’t say a word, when the goddess had walked up to him, she opened her arms as if she wanted a hug, “Don’t come any closer.” Vince stopped in a low voice that sounded like muffled thunder before a storm. The goddess stopped and crossed her arms in a graceful gesture, “Naughty kitty.”
I highly doubt my ears deceived me. Her name was Vince, ‘naughty kitty’? There had to be something in between them.
Vince didn’t comment on the nickname (it was a nickname, right?), “What do you want?” He asked.
The goddess seemed offended as she showed a look of lazy surprise, “Mein Gott, Vince! Asking a lady what you want? Where’s your education as a gentleman?” She turned to me, “He’s so rude, isn’t he?”
I held up my hands to show my innocence.
“Go inside, Lyle.” Vince ordered, still staring at the goddess as if she was a viper or something.
There’s a tension floating in the air, and I know it’s best for me to stay out of it, but I can’t help but feel for the reassuring weight of the gun pinned to my waist.
“Oh, relax, little friend.” A flash before my eyes and the goddess had somehow made her way to my side, her cold hand catching my arm and I froze.
“Let go of him.” Vince said, his tone still calm, but his fangs showed and his golden eyes let out an intimidating glow.
“I said relax,” the goddess turned to Vince, “I mean no harm, I just came to deliver a message.” To make herself more credible, she released me and I unfroze, she spread her hands, “You should understand that if I had any intentions, one of you wouldn’t be standing here right now.” She smiled once, her eyes sliding up to me.
I avert my eyes in a hurry. Don’t make eye contact.
“And it should be clear to you that if you do that ……” Vince closes his eyes as if he’s organizing his thoughts, after a moment he regains his composure, “Speak.”
“Angelo sends his regards.” The goddess made a curtsy, swan-like in its grace.
Vince did not answer.
“My task is complete.” There was a breeze and the goddess disappeared.
I parked the car and went back inside. An odd tension hung over the place. There were no lights on in the house, and Vince stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, oblivious to a few dead leaves being swept in by the wind.
“Can I ask a question?” I said carefully.
It took a moment before Vince snapped out of his musings, “No.”
“Well,” when he said no, it had to be a no, “I just want you to know that if you ever want to have a press conference, remember to be the first to invite me, I’m going to have a front row seat.”
He laughed a little, “Nice joke.”
I felt a gripping sense of powerlessness, it was surprisingly the only thing I could do – tell a joke – when he was so caught up in his world.
“That’s enough, Lyle.” He said.
I sighed, “Okay.” I turned to leave, but suddenly, seeing him shaped and alone, I changed my mind.

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