Of Vampires and Men
#3 of Paranormal Detective Agency
Sabrina had lined up another contract which took Steel out into the middle of nowhere. A small rural town without much value or reason to visit. However, a vampire had been attacking livestock and some of the townspeople. Aqua had filed papers more efficiently, so he didn't have to scramble to find the stores that sold silver bullets, and Cleopatra had arranged for his pay to be doubled, plus expenses.
He met up with the current town mayor, "Well, here's hoping you're as good as they say mister. You aren't the first guy we've hired, or the first team. That damn undead monster keeps making mincemeat out of them."
"Yep, I bet. So, tell me what I need to know."
"Right." He took out a notepad, "Took us a few days, but... there's a cave, about half a mile East, that bastard is living there. He's got some of our people and them failed hunters under his spell or something. Couldn't tell you how many, but I think he had a few before he started harassing us. Don't think they use weapons, but I've been wrong before. You'll need something, what did you bring?"
Steel pulled out his .357, "This should do nicely. Silver bullets are more damaging to a vampire. Also have a few charms just in case. I should have your problem cleared out soon." He started to walk away, but the mayor ran in front of him, "What now?"
"That's all you got? I rounded up a few men to help out."
"Keep them here, they'll only get in my way." He resumed his march to the cave.
It was nothing special. Just a cave, but there were vampires. He walked inside with his gun at the ready, as vampires never made a deal with their hunters. Luckily, there were no sentries in the hallways. The grand chamber deep in the cave however, "Enjoy the feast my minions, for soon we shall march onto the town and claim freedom!"
"Knock knock!" Steel stood in the entry, "Hi!" They all turned to face him, "No offense, but I have to eliminate the vampire threat. It would be fantastic if you would line up and not fight back."
The head vampire was wearing an old noble garb, complete with a cape, "And who are you? A single man has no power against us."
"Wait, you're going to fight me? Thank you! You have no idea how long I've wanted something to fight back. Peace is great and all, but that's no fun. Still, if you would all please line up? I... think I stopped making sense a while ago." He scratched his head with his free hand.
"Attack my minions!"
The various minions all got up and ran at Steel. He easily dispatched six of them with shots to the heart, and on the reload he ran around and dodged all of their sloppy attacks. As he fired off another six more rounds, he noticed the head vampire standing in front of a door, the only door in the entire cave, "Something isn't right here..."
One tackled, but Steel dodged and slammed his gun into it's skull. He was able to continue to dodge the sloppy attacks, then killed the other six minions, "You foul creature, who sent you?!" The head vampire was very upset.
Steel reloaded and walked towards him. The head vampire crouched down, ready to pounce, "A vampire hellbent on conquest and violence wouldn't bother to protect a door. I'm a detective, you can't get these things past me that easily. How about we have a little chat?"
The head vampire was still just as angry and didn't relax his pose, "You have killed my people, and you expect me to talk?! Who sent you?!"
"Calm down already. I'm keeping this out because the last 18 vampires I've come across tried to kill me. Now, what could you be hiding..." Steel paced back and forth with his hand on his chin, "Not secrets, you wouldn't die for them. Treasures? Nah, that's not a vampire's goal. A loved one. Not a wife though, she would have been out here with you. Then... a daughter." The vampire flinched, "Hey, guess I'm not too rusty after all. How about this, I'll stand back here and you tell me why I'm being paid to kill a vampire who's protecting his daughter."
The vampire watched Steel walk back towards the entrance, then pulled out a chair and sat down. The head vampire opened the door a crack and whispered, "Be cautious my dear, I do not trust this man." A little vampire girl in a dress walked from the room, but her eyes never left Steel, "Yes, I am protecting my daughter from those beasts."
Steel looked at the table, "I haven't eaten in hours, and the only food before me is covered in blood. Also it's people. Well, why are they beasts? You've been attacking them."
The vampire spoke clearly, "Yes, but only to protect my daughter. I have lived here with my daughter for many years, and there has never been trouble. In exchange for my unique protection, they have given us one cow a month to harvest for blood, more than enough. However, I heard rumors. They are a cult, and as soon as they found out about the age of my daughter they raided my cave. They wish to sacrifice a young vampire to gain immortality and raise up a demon. I know... this is bizarre, but you must believe me."
"I know this sounds kinda cruel and coldhearted, but I am running a business. They paid me a great deal-"
"I'll double it! I'll pay you anything you wish! All I ask is that you eliminate the cultists and find a place for me and my daughter to live in peace."
Steel thought for a moment, "How much do you have to offer?"
"I have $500,000 and gold, it's all yours-"
"Easy there chief. If you give me all of your money I can't get you a place. Alright, $50,000 and the cost of these silver bullets I'm wasting all over and you have yourself a deal."
He bowed his head, "Thank you..."
Steel left the chamber and was about to walk from the cave, but there were about ten of the townspeople waiting with rifles, "All done? Fantastic!" The mayor pulled out an envelope, "Worth every penny!"
"Well, this is really embarrassing. You see, they were quite civil, and told me something about you sacrificing a girl to summon a demon. Now, a vampire will die relatively easy, but those demons take effort. I'm a lazy guy, so I think I have to cancel on this job, and start a new one." He drew his .357 and quickly fired six shots at the men holding the automatic weapons, then took cover in the cave, "I'm a detective, did you think I was gonna be that stupid?" He fired four more times and killed four more people, "That's the majority of the cultists I think, there were only a few people in the town still."
Steel marched into town, only to find it completely deserted. There were, however, a few freshly dug graves which had been filled, "Ah, another sacrifice!" Ten more people jumped from the low rooftops, forcing Steel to take cover inside of a building, "Come out!"
"I'm a detective, not a gunman. Dammit.." He looked around, "Wait, not dammit." He had rolled into the sheriff's office. If there were better guns anywhere, it would be here. Luckily there was a fully automatic carbine in the back, "They even left me ammunition, how sweet." Steel charged from the building with a terrifying battle cry, "I'M COMPLICATED!"
"Flee my broth- URK!" Steel was a good shot, so this didn't take long. The few that scrambled to get away were easily taken down, and for some reason they were all horrible shots.
He tossed the carbine into a well and got into his van. When he reached the cave, "You ready? I can think of a place, but no biting. It's no wonder they hired people, they were horrible shots."
The girl was excited, "We can have a home?"
"I think... yeah, there is a house near a local prison. Maximum security with a huge death row, and the warden owes me a favor. I'm sure that there will be an occasional "suicide" among the inmates." Steel started the long drive back home, "This didn't go as I expected, but I got more money, and money makes the world go 'round."
It was a very long two hours, and Steel had to stop by a payphone to call a real estate agent to meet them at the house. Luckily, it was night, "Yeah, I know it's past hours, but I have a single father and his daughter willing to buy this house."
"Is that right? I know of a few better places, safer and with a better-"
The head vampire handed over a bag full of cash, "This house is worth $156,000. In this bag is $250,000 cash."
"Right! It's all yours!" She walked away, "I'll mail the paperwork to you tomorrow!"
The head vampire and his daughter walked inside, followed by Steel, "I thank you, nobody has shown us this level of kindness before."
"I don't like killing innocents, or being a reason for their death." There was a knock at the door, "I'll get that, don't bite him either." Steel opened the door, "Ah, warden, please come in. I'd like you to meet... this guy whose name I don't know."
He stared at the vampire, "Listen, this better be good. I'd rather not owe someone like you a favor for too long."
Steel nodded, "I get that a lot. Well, simply put, these people need protection, and they can potentially help out you. You have the occasional inmate who causes a lot of trouble right?"
"Tell me about it, I have five guards quit this month cause of safety issues."
"Well, who's to say they didn't have secret suicidal tendencies after you put them in solitary confinement... my friends here would be more than happy to take care of those trouble makers, then you pick them back up, put them into solitary confinement, and find a guy who committed suicide."
The warden looked at the two vampires, "Let me guess, you two are some kinda monsters."
"Vampires, to be more precise, and I was unaware of this proposal, but I suppose it makes some sense. We have a constant supply of food when needed, your guards feel safer with less violent inmates, and there is a cover story that nobody can deny."
The warden nodded, "Yeah, I guess. I know some guards who would be in on this too, but we need to work out a deal on paper. My people don't get harmed, and you keep getting your blood. Got it?" The vampire nodded, "Fine. Steel, I don't want to hear from you again unless I need to." He left the house, mumbling incoherent things to himself.
"That takes care of my end of the bargain. Here, take a business card, might as well. I have to get home to some... strange, strange women." He sighed as he left the house.
"Thank you Steel! The little girl waved her arm, and he waved a little in return.
As Steel drove back to his building, he couldn't help but echo some words in his head, "Strange women... strange women..." He walked into the third floor office, "Hello."
All three were standing there, "Well, finish up or what?" Cleopatra was the first to ask.
Steel waved his hand in front of his face, "Canceled, took another contract." He set the bag on his desk, "$60,000, oh, but ten of that is for the silver bullets. Aqua, put that into the budget."
The goo girl nodded and used her new mobile bin to roll over to the file cabinet, put on the plastic gloves, then wrote it down on a spreadsheet. Sabrina checked her messages, "We have a few calls, should be simple. Mostly house inspections. I can let you know when we get something good."
"Not happy about the original contract, but you got a better one it seems, so it's all good."
Steel took a seat in his desk chair, "Also, family of vampires by the prison, they're all set. I hate having to shoot so many people, I'm a detective after all." His stomach rumbled, "I... haven't eaten in over a day, I really shouldn't forget that sort of thing." He took out his keys, "Guess it's a crappy all-night diner. Again."
Cleopatra smiled, "One advantage of being in my condition is that I do not require food or drink for survival, only for pleasure."
"Yeah, well I'm still alive. I need food and water or I stop moving. Trust me, I won't be getting back up after I'm down for good."
Aqua jiggled, "Well, I need water, so I guess we're the only two that need stuff to live!" She was looking healthier, her pink color was more vibrant and her body looked less fragile, "Water is good!"
"I know." Steel opened the door, "I'll be back, I assume the toilet will be my best friend tonight."