8. The Phone Call

Samantha is in a strange car with a stranger's cell phone.

Once she was behind the wheel of the large luxury car, something she could not take the time right now to enjoy, she rolled down the window and threw the letter out onto the side of the road.  Normally, she was harsh on litterers but at the moment she did not care.  The key slid into the ignition silkily.  As she started the car she felt a strange buzzing, a noise a high end car should not make under any circumstances.  Her first thought was that the car was wired to explode upon ignition, but then she remembered that her advisories were vampires.  They would not waste human blood, and in her exhausted state she would be no match for more than one. 

                She soon realized that the buzzing had nothing to do with the car, instead it was the cell phone her enemies had left her.  She picked it up and examined it, but the caller ID only reported that the number was restricted, she had a gut feeling that all the calls incoming on this particular cell phone would be.  “Who the hell is this?”  She answered.

                “Now, now Agent McDuff.  There is no need for such hostility.”  Said a silky male voice with the hint of an accent, though she wasn’t sure what kind.  “You will know my name soon enough, but for now all you need to be aware of is that VHC headquarters is under my control.  The Commissioners and Director McDuff are dead.  I am sorry to break the news to you in such a way but it, unfortunately, is unavoidable.  I believe that the director was your uncle…”

                “Yes, but we have never been close.  He is…was…more of a boss to me than he was family.”  She muttered through clinched teeth.

                “Oh, yes.  Your father saw to that did he not.  He refused to join the family business.  Well that is of no matter to me.  In fact none of your family interests me…including you.  Ms. McDuff.  Since VHC is no longer existent I cannot justifiably refer to you as an agent, can I?”  The man said with an almost childish giggle in his voice.  “You will not be harassed as long as you do not interfere with my plans.  Stay away from VHC, go on live a full and satisfactory life, and die in your bed an old woman surrounded by many grandchildren.  It is time that Clan McDuff found a new profession.”

                “Why are you doing this?”  Samantha asked.  “Where is Bullock.”

                “I shall answer your questions of course.  I know that you humans have to have…What do they call it?...Closure.  I like the word.  I learned it from Dr. Phil on the television.  But day time television is neither here nor there.  The fact is that vampires and humans are supposed to be enemies.  They are built to wage war upon one another.  It is just that simple.  It is time to let Mother Nature reassert her claim in this matter.  But as I said you are free from all fear.  No vampire will ever harass you.  As far as your partner, the one you call Bullock.  He is with me.  He is my prisoner, and is being treated as any captured traitor deserves.  I promise you that he is alive, so to speak, but how long he stays that way is up to him.  I did not realize how cliché that would sound until I actually said it.”  The man laughed again.

                Samantha could hear screams in the background and the sounds of fighting.  The sound of it and knowing that he was at VHC raised the hair on the back of her neck.  “You know, the movies say that vampires can sense fear.”  The man on the phone said conversationally.  “That’s not saying much right now.  You have probably figured out by the commotion here that there are a lot of frightened people running around.  Incidentally, why do people feel the need to make noise as soon as you get on the telephone?  Do they not know how rude that is?  But nevertheless, what I called for was to tell you that you have a car.  Take it and go.”

                “Sam, stay away.”  A female voice screamed in the background followed immediately by the sound of a open hand hitting the woman, and a loud thump as she hit the floor.

                Samantha knew that only one person at VHC had ever called her Sam, Belinda Fletcher.  She could hear Belinda screaming obscenities at the man and trying to fight back, but by now she had probably lost her glasses, and Belinda was way too out of shape to be fighting vampires.  The gunshot silenced Belinda, and the second was just to make a point to Samantha.  “You know Samantha; humans like this one aren’t even worth the time to drain.  Too much fat in one’s diet is not healthy.”  The vampire said jovially.  “By the way Edgar just said to tell you hello.”