[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.He pulled into the parking lot of the redwood sculpture stand across the street from the motel, and there, nestled among the carved gnomes and dragons and bears, he began his stakeout.He didn’t know when Callendar and Jeffers would arrive, but he wanted to make sure he got his fair share of the bounty.It was possible the vampire he had called might arrive first, but since the huge, creepy vampire only seemed interested in three girls––or two, now––that was OK.Maybe, if Butler could get a free shot at them, he’d take them down when they left.He opened the glove box and pulled out the small binoculars he kept in there for hunting.He examined the boarded-up building.Even now, his eyes wanted to slide off it.It was as if there was a powerful glamour emanating from the structure.Don’t look here, the aura seemed to say.There is nothing here.But now that he was focused on the motel, Butler found he could ignore the warning impulses.And he was absolutely certain it was infested with vampires.For one thing, the parking lot was streaked with tire tracks, as if cars were arriving and leaving all the time.Butler put down the binoculars and looked around.Sure enough, there were a number of vehicles parked along the coastal highway, even though there didn’t appear to be any beachcombers at the moment.It was too dark and windy, and a little too chilly.So who did the cars belong to?It soon became a moot point.As he watched, a caravan of cars, vans and motor homes pulled into the parking lot.A whole crowd of people poured out of the vehicles and milled around as if waiting for instructions.The last motor home pulled in, and the newcomers gathered around it.The door opened and a beautiful redhead emerged.A tall, rugged-looking man got out of the driver’s side and joined her, putting his arm around her.Butler held his breath.His instinctive vampire radar had been tingling even before he saw the tall man.It was Robert Jurgenson, the police officer who had first trained Butler and most of the other Crescent City cops.And then another tall man emerged, dark-haired, handsome, but not someone Butler normally would’ve looked at twice on the street.But something about the way he held himself, as if he was aware––but trying not be aware––that he was special, made Butler recognize him.Unless he was very much mistaken, this was the legendary Terrill, the oldest vampire in existence, it was said.The bounty on him had been in the millions the last time Butler had checked.The door to the motel restaurant opened and about fifty more vampires emerged.Butler had never heard of so many vampires congregating in one place.He had always assumed they were solitary, because the few times any of them had been caught, they were almost always alone.These vampires acted tentative, uncertain, looking up at the sky as if they expected the sun to come out at any moment, peering nervously up and down the highway as if they expected the vampire hunters to descend on them.Now that he thought about it… Where are the damn vampire hunters? Butler wondered.A little backup would be nice, though even Callendar and Jeffers would think twice about taking on this crowd.Butler pulled out his phone, but hesitated.He’d get credit, he supposed, in a bureaucratic sense: some sort of plaque or medal, but if he officially reported this conclave, he’d get none of the monetary reward.He put the phone back in his pocket and pulled his gun instead.He ducked down under the dashboard, letting only the top of his head and his eyes show, and raised the binoculars again.The two crowds of vampires weren’t mingling.Indeed, they seemed to be keeping their distance from each other.The vampire he guessed was Terrill was standing in front of the vampires who had emerged from the motel, and he was saying something important, if his gesticulations meant anything.#Terrill wasn’t getting through to them.“You don’t understand,” he said insistently.“You must join us; you must take the blood of gold!”“But didn’t you just say it kills anyone who isn’t pure of heart, or something like that?” This came from a mousy, skinny vampire who had her arm around a beautiful younger-looking girl.“Are you Patty?” he asked.She stepped back in surprise, almost stumbling.The smaller girl caught her and helped her stay steady.“How could you know that?”“We were contacted by someone named Rod.He told us about three vampires who had been held captive: Patty, Laura and Simone.”“I’m Simone.” Another vampire girl stepped out of the crowd, followed by a human Terrill guessed was Rod.“You are all victims,” Terrill said, pointing at each of them.“You didn’t wish to become vampire, nor did you choose this life.I’m offering you a chance to turn away from evil, from killing.”“But that’s just it, mister,” a little girl vampire said, stepping forward.“We’re vampire.” She was grimy from top to bottom, her blonde hair ratty and snarled, but she had a confidence beyond her apparent years.“Hoss told us to wait for him here, and that’s what we’re doing.We’ve been abiding by the Rules of Vampire, which I always heard you created, Terrill.What’s wrong with that?”“It isn’t enough,” Terrill said.“Did I hear Rules of Vampire?” a voice said.From the beach side of the motel, a teenage boy emerged, followed by several other vampires.“Hoss!” the little girl cried, running to him.“Hey, Charlotte,” Hoss said, lifting her up.“Keeping everyone in line and safe, are you?”“Trying to, Hoss,” she pouted.“They don’t always follow my instructions.”“Well, no one likes taking instructions from a six-year-old, even if she’s the smartest girl in the world,” Hoss said.He dropped his smile and turned toward Terrill.“You’d better get ready, Terrill.The Shadow Vampires are on their way.I warn you, they are powerful; more powerful than you can believe.And the Master––I do believe he is evil incarnate.I’m not sure even you can withstand him, Terrill.How many Golden Vampires do you have here? Twenty? Thirty? The Master has three times as many followers, if not more.You might want to get out of here and fight another day.”“No,” Terrill said.“Today is the day.Today all of you need to decide, once and for all: will you renounce your killing and turn to the light? Will you continue to be vampire, or will you allow yourself to be turned into something even worse?”Hoss looked stubborn [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]