7. Rude Awakenings

Samantha and Bullock are called in by VHC and Samantha McDuff dreams.

That evening, just before dusk, Samantha’s phone began to ring yet again.  Annoyed now and angry from lack of sleep she grabbed the phone and yelled.  “I do not care and I will not care until I get at least five more hours of sleep.  Do you understand me you soulless blood sucker?” 

                The voice on the other end of the call was sweet natured and decidedly feminine.  “It’s Belinda honey.  The Director’s secretary in DC.  Is everything okay down there?”

                Samantha was appalled with herself.  She knew better than to unleash like that before checking the caller ID.  “Belinda, I am so sorry.  It’s been a rough day and I’ve had no sleep.”

                As always Belinda was as sweet as she could be.  “It’s okay dear.  We all have bad days.”

                “You never do.”  Samantha said sulkily.  How could this woman be so unerringly nice?  Especially at this time of day…night…whatever.    

                “Oh, I do, but I don’t have long to talk about it.  I wanted to give you a heads up on something.  In about an hour HVC is going to recall everyone.  Be ready to come to DC.”  Belinda said.

                “Everyone?”  Samantha asked.  “I’ve never heard of such a thing being done.”

                “According to the Director every covert agent, human and vampire, is going to be headed to DC in one hour by plane, train or automobile.  You and Bullock get the automobile.  Call him, a car will be pick both of you up at your house.”  Belinda said in her cheery voice.  “I can’t wait to see you.  It’s been way to long.”

                “Same here.  Have a Coke waiting for me?”  Samantha said knowing that her friend had a cooler of the sugary drinks sitting underneath her desk.

                Belinda Fletcher had been with the Vampire-Human Commission for nearly 25 years.  She, like Samantha, had a pedigree in the vampire business.  Her family had also been one of the first to take up the mantle of government vampire hunters.  Unlike Samantha Belinda could not qualify for agent training because of her poor eyesight.  After being turned down for agent training Belinda had gone to John McDuff, then a Senior Supervisory Field Agent and begged for a job as his secretary.  Unfortunately, SSFA’s don’t get secretaries, but McDuff saw real potential and passion for the Agency in this woman.  So, he talked her up around The Agency and finally found a Deputy Director who would hire her.  When John made DD status he offered a position in his staff to her and the two had been together ever since.

                Belinda was an unattractive woman.  She was overweight and had been fighting acne since puberty.  Her hair, once a soft brown, was now steel grey and wiry.  She sat alone all day at her desk filing papers and answering the phone, and most people acted as though she was not a real person.  They treated her like a machine when they noticed her at all.  Despite this Belinda had never lost her sunny disposition or her true love for the Commission.

                When Samantha had first begun training in DC she was summoned to her uncle’s office.  She arrived early, as was her habit, and checked in with Belinda.  “He’ll be right with you Darlin’.”  She said handing Samantha a coke from the ever-present cooler. 

                Samantha and Belinda were soon talking like old friends, and they had been tight ever since.  Belinda often called to warn Samantha about changes, promotions, or new missions.  Strictly speaking these simple phone calls could have been cost Belinda her job, but Samantha liked having a source inside the Director’s office.  Plus, it made Belinda feel like a real covert agent to do something so sneaky, and that made Samantha smile. 

                At 7:30 pm the official recall came in from Washington.  Samantha and Bullock sat on her bed and answered at the same time.  A recorded message gave them orders to wait for a car at 4th and Broad Streets, a couple of blocks from the apartment.  They were instructed to pack for an overnight trip and to report to the Director’s Conference Room at 8:00 the next morning.

                “Sounds serious.”  Bullock said.

                “You’ve been with VHC longer than I have.”  She said.  “Have you ever heard of such a massive recall of agents?” 

                Bullock did not answer.  Instead he grabbed their small duffle bags and headed for the door.

…

                The black Lincoln Towncar pulled up to the curb at exactly 8:00 pm, and the front passenger window buzzed down.  “Agents McDuff and Bullock, please scan your ID cards.”  The man said passing out of the window what looked like a credit card machine.  It was Standard Operating Procedure to scan one’s ID at the entrance to any VHC office but Samantha had never seen it done on the street.  She looked at Bullock hoping he would take the lead.  He nodded almost imperceptibly. 

                Trusting Bullock’s judgment fully, regardless of the incident in the swamp, Samantha swiped her card, and Bullock followed suit.  After a moment the man said, “Okay, get in.”

                “So what’s the big secret?”  Samantha asked settling down onto the leather seats of the Towncar.  Neither the driver nor the scanner of IDs answered the question.

                Bullock laid his hand gently on her thigh, and gave her a “be quiet” look.  Again she had no choice but to follow his lead.  Then he put his tree sized arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.  She allowed herself to be positioned in a way that made her appear to be trying to sleep.  “These guys are vampires.”  Bullock whispered in a barely audible voice.  “But they are not VHC.  Follow my lead, and stay quiet.”

…

 

                Samantha found herself running for her life yet again.  It was an not an instinctual response to danger for one born to the life of a vampire hunter.  She did not even stop to look at her pursuer, there was no need.  She knew all she needed to know.  When he spoke, it was in a snake’s voice.  His eyes, not just the pupils or the irises, but his entire eye, would be black.  Just like the darkness into which she now fled. 

                She knew not how she could say with such certainty what his eyes would look like; after all, she had never seen him.  In all of her years of running from him, never once had she turned to look back.  There was no need.  She knew about his black eyes and feared them.  It would be so easy to lose oneself in that darkness.  And if you were lost in the black where would you find yourself?

                Samantha had an idea that beyond the black eyes lay a river.  The banks of the river would be scattered with the bones of animals, humans, and vampires alike.  Between the shores would be blood.  A river of hot boiling blood, and if you looked carefully you could see the souls of the damned floating by on that river.  Samantha had no inclination to see any of it and so she kept running.

                As we all know the world of dreams, like that of Hades, has no concept of time.  The real world is of no importance to a dream.  Like a river, including that river just described, dreams run their appointed course, not deterred by time, obstacle, nor the desires of man, or woman.  This dream was no different.  Perhaps a bit more vivid than most, but really no different, and so Samantha continued to run into the darkness.

                What stopped the heavy beat of her boots upon the unseen earth was a crack and a spear of pain in her face.  She fell backwards onto her rump.  Later she would realize that she had probably bruised her tail bone.  For the moment however it was the searing pain in her face, and the sudden welling of tears that concerned her.  She looked around to see what she had run into, but the darkness denied her view.  Even as her brain registered this denial, the darkness began to lighten.  Little by little she could see the immovable object that had stopped her headlong panicked run.

                She was not surprised to see the massive red stone wall.  She had reached The Maze once before, years ago, but she had forgotten it.  Now as the fifteen foot wall stared down at her she remembered The Guardians as well and as if her memories had awakened them, the wolves began to howl, the bats began to fly, and the enormous spiders began their clicking walk along the cobbled streets of The Maze.  They waited for their next victim, and the blood that sustained their demonic hordes. 

                Already tired from the long run Samantha sat upon the cobbled ground she could now see, and wiped the blood away from her nose.  The blood shimmered black beneath the silvery half moon.  She slowly licked a spot of blood from her fingers, the metallic taste sending electric shocks through her exhausted brain. 

                The snake voiced man laughed from behind her.  “You must continue Samantha.  You have come to far now to let a sore a*s stop you.”

                She did as commanded.  Not out of fear this time, but out of curiosity.  “It’s a good thing you are not a cat,” she said to herself in a dry whisper.  She could still taste the blood in her mouth, and while disgusted by the thought of drinking blood she had to admit that the flavor had a certain erotic appeal.  It was silky, thick and warm.  “I want sex and candy,” she sang, not knowing if the lyrics were right or not but laughing all the same.

                Samantha McDuff began to run again, slowly at first, but building speed.  When she crossed the entrance of The Maze she was at nearly full speed.  She could hear her pursuer laughing a truly demonic laugh, the wolves baying and herself humming.  

…

                Samantha woke with a violent start.  She was laid out on the back seat of the Lincoln parked on the side of the highway, and the morning sun shone brightly through the window.  “Bullock?”  She said when she realized the sun was already up.  She knew at once that the question was pointless.  If he had been in the car at sunrise he would be ash.  As her eyes began to adjust to the brightness she looked around the car.

                Three small items lay on the dashboard of the car, a parchment envelope, a key, and a cellular telephone.  Samantha checked her pockets but they were all empty.  She looked around hoping to see her overnight bag, but it too was gone.  She snatched the envelope off the dash and broke the wax seal to open it.  Inside was a letter, handwritten in old fashioned penmanship.  She recognized it at once as that of a vampire. 

We have taken your partner.  Do not attempt to find him.

Our master desires an interview with him.

We have been kind enough to leave you alive.  It is a sign of our respect

of Roland McDuff, a great warrior.  Though we have taken all of your

personal belongings we have left you a telephone and a key to this automobile.

                                 Have fun.

Not surprisingly there was no signature.  Samantha crammed the letter into her pocket and climbed over the seat.