10. Green Eyes
711 Words
10Green EyesBy the time Joshua returned with a video file just a half hour later, Tazia and Billy were already on their second beer each. The atmosphere in the room had started to settle again, and both were breathing easily.
“This guy’s, like, major tough!” Joshua said. “I watched him from the security cameras. He spotted me at the end, but I got out of there no problem. Found it?”
Billy nodded and hit the play button. Joshua’s face disappeared from the screen and they found themselves looking at a prison cell.
There was no sound. A man with broad shoulders had his back to them, almost fully blocking the camera. He was looking at someone secured by chains to the wall opposite. The object of his attention, also male, was curled over on his haunches, shaking his head as though responding to something the man had said. He eyed the shotgun his captor carried in his right hand with an expression close to panic.
“That’s a vampire,” Tazia noted about the prisoner. Although in shadow, she recognized the familiar crouching pose of the demon type when cornered. “A young one.”
They saw the vampire say something. It seemed to be what the man was waiting for. He nodded, but instead of freeing the vampire, he brought the shotgun around and, without hesitation, fired directly into his chest.
The video stuttered as Joshua jumped into another camera, this one situated with a clearer view of the victim.
Wide-eyed, Billy gasped, and as the video ticked on, his mouth fell open.
The gun had blown a fist-sized hole in the vampire’s chest. Blood spattered his body and the surrounding floor, and more gushed from the wound. Another liquid, this one clear, combined with the blood, leaving translucent trails amongst the red. The liquid ate into the chest, enlarging the hole as well as consuming the meat inside. The remainder of the heart was still pumping valiantly, but slowing with every contraction.
As they watched, blackened and broken rib bones turned white as the rivulets of liquid washed over them. Blood also coursed from the mouth and eyes of the vampire. He was still alive, his body jerking until the final part of his heart was eaten away. Then he slumped, head resting on his shoulder, eyes staring.
“Acid?” asked Billy, shuddering.
“As good as,” Tazia replied. “Holy water.”
She’d seen this before, too often, weapons specifically designed to kill demons. Holy water could stop many creatures in their tracks, but was especially effective on vampires at close quarters. A shotgun adapted for the purpose was a practical delivery method. This one looked like it had a lot of power behind it.
The man in the video turned as though sensing something behind him. He had dark brown hair cut into an army-style crew cut, a square jaw in a tanned face, and the most beautiful sea-green eyes Tazia had ever seen. His face and neck were patterned with the vampire’s blood.
His eyes roved for a moment and looked up into the camera directly at them. The stunning green eyes instantly turned to ice blue as he focused, and his mouth set in a stern line. He reached a hand up toward the watching audience, then the screen went blank.
Joshua’s grinning face popped back onto the screen. “He’s a good-looking dude, huh?” He winked at Tazia.
“Taz, you’re not going near him.” Billy frowned.
She wasn’t sure if he was worried about the demon’s looks or because they’d just watched him kill a vampire so gruesomely. Before turning back to Joshua, she gave Billy a quick smile. “This definitely him, Josh?”
“Yeah. The place is full of security cameras. I did a good recce first. In one room there’s like a stack of guns, rifles as well as those huge grenade launchers, and handguns. He’s got a major set-up there.”
“Could that be our way in, Billy?” Between the two of them, they could pull off a gun deal. They’d done it a hundred times across Europe. The United States couldn’t be that much different, could it? Now the Risings were catching hold, weapons were becoming more and more valuable. It was something she exploited as fully as possible.
“I guess it’s our best bet. But I still don’t like the look of that guy. We can find another way to get back your soul.”
Tazia kissed Billy lightly on the top of his head. “You heard my father, there is no other way. Looks like I’m going to Detroit.”
- Writer
