The Dorkiest Vampire

Once we arrived in New Orleans, there was a great debate as to what to do next. Despite Mr. Marrionneaux’s initial suggestion, we knew we couldn’t go to the human police. They would probably have us all committed for alleged a centuries old vampire had kidnapped a couple of teenagers. We decided to go to our old house. I thought my parents had sold the old house in New Orleans, but apparently they kept the place for situations just like these. It was really starting to upset me how many things my parents kept from me on the premise of protecting me from things.

We arrived at the house in the early morning hours, just before the sun was due to come up over the city. Tired, we were all ready to go inside, get some breakfast and then begin strategizing how we were going to find Riley and break her out of whatever awful situation she was currently in. However, upon pulling the car into the driveway, Dad got this weird look on his face and ordered all of us to stay in the car. Mr. Marrionneaux insisted on following him up to the house while Riley’s grandfather opted to stay in the car with us, questioning Antoine about his adventures during his short century of time on the planet. When Dad didn’t appear after a few minutes, I got nervous and decided to go inside, the rest of the crew from the car following me inside.

The door was still wide open, so I pushed through to find Dad and Mr. Marrionneaux standing in the empty room that used to be our front parlor. Someone had lit a fire in the fireplace, warming and lighting the room barely. What I noticed most, however, is that Dad was talking to a shadowy figure standing just outside the glow of the fireplace. I was nervous at first, but Dad seemed calm and collected, even if Mr. Marrionneaux appeared just as nervous as I was. Then again, I remembered Dad had one time been a trained Vazatori agent himself, able to blend in with the shadows and seem calm and collected, even in the most desperate of situations.

“What’s going on?” Galiene said, interrupting the quiet but someone fearful ambiance of the room. Dad turned to look at all of us and sighed.

“I almost forgot you were in the car,” Dad admitted.

“Who are you talking to?” I demanded to know.

“Pardon me,” a young looking man stepped forward. He looked about his mid-twenties, but I could instantly tell he was a vampire, making him much older than just a few decades. “I’m Caspian Defoure. I’m one of the agents who was assigned to take over the case after Monsieur Believeau’s unfortunate passing…”

“I remember you,” Galiene said. “Dad used to send you on errands for him and stuff.”

“Yes,” Caspian nodded. “Your father was very instrumental in my training. He was a good man. And now, I think it is high time we bring those who sought to do him wrong to justice.”

“Donny killed our father?” Christophe said in alarm.

“When I get my hands on that son-of-a…” Antoine began.

“Yes, and in due time, he will be punished for his crimes,” Caspian nodded. “However, Monsieur Vespasien here informs me that the situation is far more delicate than simply arresting Boucher for his crimes. With the life of a young human in the balance, we will have to approach this situation with a lot more finesse than just barging into his hideout.”

“You know where they are?” Hubert Marrionneaux asked hopefully.

“Not as yet, though we do have a general idea that he is operating underground here in New Orleans,” Caspian replied. “I have an associate out doing reconnaissance right now.”

“Trustworthy?” Dad asked him pointedly.

“You can be the judge of that,” Caspian said cryptically. “My associate has informed me that the young woman in question is still very much alive and doing well. However, the young gentleman that accompanied her…”

“Eldon’s dead?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes, apparently he crossed Boucher, a quality one does not seem to find desirable in henchmen,” Caspian nodded.

“Henchmen?” Galiene, Mr. Marroinneaux and I all gaped at once.

“Yes. Apparently, this Eldon you speak of was working for Boucher. To what end, I am not sure, but I have a feeling there were promises of immortality and other riches that lure the young man into Boucher’s web of deceit,” Caspian shrugged. “At this point, we need to act fast but also with precision as to not endanger the young woman and prohibit Boucher from finding any more… subjects… on which to execute his diabolical experiments…”

Caspian went on explaining to all of us what the Vazatori had uncovered about Donny, all of his plans for the vampiric race and his experimentation on defenseless humans, mostly young college girls he lured with promises of romance or bums he lured with promises of shelter and a good meal. When they went awry, Donny mainly disposed of his experiments in the only safe way he knew how: draining them of their blood. Around a hundred bodies had been recovered so far over the course of the past five years and Caspian wagered there would be more.

However, Caspian noted that not all of Donny’s captures had been eliminated and some that were not entirely failures had been kept on as sort of half-human, half-vampire peons to do Donny’s bidding. Apparently, a human who could not manage the change gained vampiric qualities but their brain became severely depleted as a result, giving Donny a legion of half-wit hybrid vampire beings to do his bidding. Being that these hybrids were new, strange creatures, the Council and the Vazatori were not keen on letting them survive, unsure of how Donny’s minions would behave in the human world if unleashed. It was unfortunate, Caspian had said, but the hybrids would probably have to be taken out as well to protect society at large from anything they could be capable of.

The entire time Caspian relayed his story, I noticed my father becoming increasingly depressed. This entire case had been his before retirement and I knew, to extent, my father thought his retirement played a role in the death of Beaureguarde Believeau, his long-time Vazatori partner and friend. Apparently, the madman working to turn humans into vampires below New Orleans had been the pet project my father and Mr. Believeau were working on before retirement and death came knocking at their doors. Little did either man know that the madman was right under their noses in the form of long-time acquaintance and almost son-in-law Donny. Dad berated himself for not seeing the signs sooner, but Caspian reminded him it was part of Donny’s nature to ingratiate himself into the lives of the investigators, hoping to find out more about the investigation into his activities while also doing his best to eliminate himself as possible subject.

“When can we go in and get Riley?” I finally asked when Caspian was done relating his tail.

“I have to wait for my associate to return with the necessary information,” Caspian said. “We already have several agents on call for the rescue and infiltration of the lair once that information is collected.”

“I want to go,” I said.

“Michael, your mother would never…” Dad began.

“She’s our friend,” Galiene piped up. “Why would she trust a bunch of people she doesn’t know coming in after her? If we’re with you, she won’t put up a fight.”

“I agree,” Mr. Marrionneaux nodded.

“Unfortunately, sir, we cannot allow you to accompany us on this rescue mission for your daughter,” Caspian replied. “It’s against our policy to allow humans or family members on missions of this nature. You could create more dangers for the mission and drastically compromise your daughter’s rescue…”

“We will ensure that Riley gets out safely,” Dad comforted Mr. Marrionneaux. He nodded and sighed, not really happy with the way the situation was going. “I assure you, we will make sure she is fine and unharmed.”

“So, when do we leave?” Galiene asked.

“You aren’t going,” Antoine told her fiercely.

“Oh, because I’m a girl?” Galiene huffed.

“You’re too young,” Christophe agreed. “You’re staying here…”

“But…” Galiene protested.

“You too Christophe,” Antoine said.

“But… “ he protested.

“Mom would never forgive me. And I need both of you to stay here to make sure the other one doesn’t leave,” Antoine snorted. “You can guard the Marrionneauxs. How about that?”

“Sucks,” Galiene pronounced. Christophe didn’t look happy either, but I knew Antoine could easily beat up his younger brother. Judging, by my past experiences with Antoine, he wasn’t to be trifled with and usually got his way. As much as they both wanted to protest, we all knew Galiene and Christophe would definitely both be staying behind.

“I’m going,” I informed my father. He opened his mouth to protest, probably ready to say something about how one of us needed to stay behind for my mother or something else that would guilt me into staying behind. However, he thought better of whatever he was going to say, closed his mouth and nodded gently. It was really the first time I felt my father thought of me as something more than a little boy who needed to be coddled.

“Ah, that will be my associate now,” Caspian informed us after we heard a slight rap on the door.

Instead of one person, like we were expecting, a whole flood of Vazatori operatives in their state-of-the-art surveillance and stealth gear entered into the room, falling into a perfect line as if they were awaiting military inspection. I briefly wondered which one of these people could be the associate Caspian kept talking about before he returned to the room, a figure in a long flowing cloak behind him. Like the other agents, this one was dressed in the Vazatori regulation black pants and long-sleeved shirt. Unlike the others, she was obviously a woman and hiding her identity under a long, billow black cape with a huge hood. Something about her seemed oddly familiar and it was all I could do to not blink and rub my eyes repetitively when she lifted up her veil.

It was hard to believe my long-dead sister was standing before me, very much alive and in the flesh. Galiene let out a shriek of shock while Antoine and Christophe just stood there, dumfounded. Mr. Marrionneaux and Hubert didn’t really seem to understand what was going on or why we were all shocked. My father retained his composure for a moment and then stepped forward, embracing Lia as if he was never going to let her go again. She let out a soft sniffled and returned the embrace, allowing my father to whisper in her ear how much they had missed her and how she had to come home once this was all over.

Once she and my father finished their hug, Lia stepped forward and up to me. I wasn’t really sure what to make of the young woman I had thought was dead and haunting me through my dreams. It had been easier to accept my father just telling me there were good odds that Lia was alive, but seeing her right before me was another feeling all together. I was almost as tall as she was and knowing that I still had some time to grow, I had a feeling I would be taller than her soon even. She ran her fingers through my hair and cupped my chin, examining my face with tears in her eyes. Before I could say anything, she pulled me into an embrace just as tight as the one she had shared with our father seconds before. I hugged her back, still unsure if this was indeed my lost sister or a stranger. I decided she was both.

“I never thought I would ever get to see my baby brother face-to-face,” Lia said as she pulled back from me, wiping a few glistening tears from your eyes. “I’ve seen pictures before, but I never thought…”

“Pictures?” I asked.

“I was able to get them through the Vazatori. Updates on mére and pére as well,” Lia said. “You must understand. I had to hide to protect you all…”

“How did you wind up working for them? Without Dad knowing about it?” I wanted to know.

“Shortly after what happened with Donatien… I went to them… I couldn’t prove Donatien was guilty of anything, but they had long been investigating the family,” Lia said. “They offered me protection and concealment. I knew if he still thought I was alive that Donatien… he could do terrible things. It was hard having to stay away, but deep down, I knew it was for the best…”

“I had my suspicions,” Dad admitted, “but I never pushed htem. Not until recently. The Vazatori wouldn’t have helped me in anyway, to protect you. To protect all of us. In a way, I didn’t want to know. It allowed me to cling to that hope. I was too afraid if I looked too far into things I would find you were really gone, and I just couldn’t let myself believe that…”

“I’m glad for the reunion, but we do have a task at hand,” Caspian prompted us.

“Of course,” Lia said, smiling at him in a way I caught her looking at Jacques in my dreams. I instantly shook the thought out of m y head, deciding now was time to focus in on Riley’s rescue.

“He is holding her in a cell there, but she seems to be doing well. She agreed to play along for now…” Lia began.

“You spoke with my daughter?” Mr. Marrionneaux asked hopefully.

“Lia is blessed with a unique gift. She is able to communicate through manipulating dreams,” Caspian explained.

“She is doing well, though. Circumstances considered,” Lia shrugged. “Apparently, the boy was in on it. Donatien has… done away with him…”

“Not that he’ll be missed much,” Galiene harrumphed. Even so, I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that Donny had killed Eldon. Sure, Eldon was a jerk and a kidnapper, but he didn’t deserve to die exactly.

Lia went on to describe what she had gathered of Donny’s lair’s layout and how many of the sick hybrid creatures were working there. She outlined the direct path to Riley’s cell and the information they had gathered about his weird experimentations. Lia and Caspian quickly organized some sort of rescue plot, along with the head of the weird Vazatori special ops group and Dad chipping in every now and then. It was decided that Dad, Caspian and Antoine would go with the larger group of operatives to trash Donny’s lab, stop his experiments and bring him in so he could be formally charged and tried. I would be dispatched with Lia and three or four operatives for the rescue of Riley.

“How did you get involved in this case?” I asked Lia as we laid in wait. I had followed her down from our old house to the nearby cemetery in my dreams. We would be using nearby manholes to get into Donny’s lair since he had the entrance to his parents’ crypt heavily guarded. We were now in the shadows of the street, waiting for the signal to go.

“I know Donatien better than just about anyone. I did almost have to marry him, after all,” Lia shrugged. “They called me in when they realized how heavily involved he was in this. It was one thing for him to do simple experiments, but when they got wind someone was killing people in New Orleans… it got more complicated. Originally, we just thought he was one of the players in a much larger game, but after the girl in Merridick was killed… we realized Donny was definitely in charge and most likely doing this on his own. He got sloppy in Merridick, killing the cheerleader. We were ready to bring him in, but when he had your friend kidnapped… things got a lot more complicated. All of his experiments are dead or need to be put out of their misery. We couldn’t risk a living, breathing innocent human as collateral damage, though. That’s just not our way.”

“I don’t want Riley to get hurt,” I said. “She’s the first and only person I’ve ever been able to trust with our secret. And she’s been a good friend to both me and Galiene. I don’t think she wanted to get mixed up in this. She was just trying to be a good person and a good friend to me. I sort of feel guilty for bringing her into all of this.”

“I know,” Lia said softly. “There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t feel guilty for what happened to Jacques. He didn’t stand a chance against Donny, not in his current state. At the time, I was naïve enough to think that my love for Jacques it was so pure that it could overcome anything. Now I realize love alone isn’t enough to save the day. “

“Mom’s really missed you,” I said, hoping to wipe the forlorn look off of her face. “They both want you to come home. I wouldn’t mind it either. It’s kind of hard having to live up to a ghost.” Lia laughed and ruffled my hair, much in the way I had always dreamed an older sister would.

“I was glad they had you,” Lia said. “I never thought I’d get an opportunity to go back to them. Hopefully, when this is all said and done, we can get back home and be a family again. I think I would like that most of all.”

Before we could talk any further, a whistle came from the background, the signal that our attack on Donny’s compound was on. I sucked in a death breath, hopeful this would turn out for the best, and followed my sister into the shadows.