"What did you do?" I gasped.
"I punched and kicked him and tried to knock him off. Fortunately he'd lost too much blood and hadn't the strength to kill me. But he died on top of me, his blood drenching me, his face next to mine as he shuddered and sobbed and "
Steve looked away. I didn't press him for further details.
"Since then I've learnt to use those." He nodded at the arrow guns. "They're the best there is. An axe is good too if you have a good aim and the strength to chop a head clean off but stay away from ordinary guns they're not reliable where the extra tough bones and muscles of the vampaneze are concerned."
"I'll bear that in mind," I said, grinning sickly, then asked how many vampaneze Steve had killed.
"Six, though two of those were mad and would have died before long anyway."
I was impressed. "That's more than most vampires kill."
"Humans have an advantage over vampires," Steve said. "We can move about and strike by day. In a fair contest, a vampaneze would wipe the floor with me. But if you catch them in the day, while they're sleeping
"Although," he added, "that's changing. The lastfew I've tracked have been accompanied by humans. I wasn't able to get close enough to kill them. It's the first time I've heard of vampaneze travelling with human assistants."
"They're called vampets," I told him.
He frowned. "How do you know? I thought the families of the night had nothing to do with one another."
"We hadn't until recently," I said grimly, then glanced at my watch. Steve's story wasn't complete he still hadn't explained how he'd wound up here but it was time I made a move. It was getting late and I didn't want Harkat to worry. "Will you come to my hotel with me? You can finish telling me about yourself there. Besides, there's someone I'd like you to share your story with."
"Mr Crepsley?" Steve guessed.
"No. He's away on business. This is somebody else."
"Who?"
"It would take too long to explain. Will you come?"
He hesitated a moment, then said he would. But he stopped to grab his arrow guns before we left I had a feeling Steve didn't even go to the toilet without his weapons!
CHAPTER TWELVE
DURING THEwalk to the hotel, I filled Steve in on what I'd been up to. It was a greatly condensed version, but I covered most of the bases, and told him about the War of the Scars and how it started.
"The Lord of the Vampaneze," he muttered. "I thought it was strange, how they were organizing."
I asked Steve about my family and friends, but he hadn't been home since he was sixteen, and knew nothing about them.
At the hotel he clambered on to my back and I scaled the outside wall. The stitches in my leg strained with the effort, but held. I rapped on the window and Harkat quickly appeared and let us in. He stared suspiciously at Steve but said nothing until I'd made the introductions.
"Steve Leopard," he mused. "I've heard much about you."
"None of it good, I bet," Steve laughed, rubbing his hands together he hadn't taken off his gloves, although he'd loosened his scarf slightly. There was a strong medicinal smell coming from him, which I only noticed now that we were in a warm, normal room.
"What's he doing here?" Harkat asked me, green eyes pinned on Steve. I gave him a quick run-down. Harkat relaxed slightly when he heard that Steve had saved my life, but remained on guard. "You think it was wise to bring him here?"
"He's my friend," I said shortly. "He saved my life."
"But he knows where we are now."
"So?" I snapped.
"Harkat's right," Steve said. "I'm human. If I fell into the hands of the vampaneze, they could torture the name of this place out of me. You should move on to somewhere new in the morning, and not tell me about it."
"I don't think that will be necessary," I said stiffly, angry with Harkat for not trusting Steve.
There was an uncomfortable silence. "Well!" Steve laughed, breaking it. "It's rude to ask, but I have to. What on earthare you, Harkat Mulds?"
The Little Person grinned at the directness of the question and warmed to Steve a bit. Asking Steve to sit, he told him about himself, how he was a ghost who'd been brought back to life by Mr Tiny. Steve was astounded. "I've never heard anything like this before!" he exclaimed. "I was interested in the small people in the blue robes when I saw them at the Cirque Du Freak I sensed there was something weird about them. But with all that's happened since, they'd slipped my mind entirely."
Harkat's revelation that he'd been a ghost unnerved Steve. "Something wrong?" I asked.
"Kind of," he muttered. "I never believed in life after death. When I killed, I thought that was the end of the matter. Knowing that people have souls, that they can survive death and even come back It's not the most welcome news."
"Afraid the vampaneze you killed will come after you?" I smirked.
"Something like that." Shaking his head, Steve settled down and finished telling the story he'd started earlier that night in his apartment. "I came here two months ago, when I heard reports of what appeared to be a vampaneze presence. I thought the killer must be a mad vampaneze, since normally only the crazy ones leave bodies where they can be found. But what I discovered was far more disturbing."
Steve was a highly resourceful investigator. He'd managed to examine three of the victims, and found minor differences in the ways they'd been killed. "Vampaneze even the crazy ones have highly developed drinking patterns. No two kill and drain a victim exactly alike, and no vampaneze varies his method. There had to be more than one of them at work."
And since mad vampaneze were by their nature loners, Steve concluded that the killers must be sane.
"But it doesn't make sense," he sighed. "Sane vampaneze shouldn't leave bodies where they can be found. As far as I can figure, they're setting a trap for someone, though I've no idea who."
I glanced questioningly at Harkat. He hesitated, then nodded. "Tell him," he said, and I told Steve about the fake forms which had been sent to Mahler's.
"They're afteryou ?" Steve asked incredulously.
"Possibly," I said. "Or Mr Crepsley. But we're not entirely sure. Somebody else might be behind it, someone who wants to pit us against the vampaneze."
Steve thought about that in silence.
"You still haven't told us how you were there to save Darren tonight," Harkat said, interrupting Steve's reverie.
Steve shrugged. "Luck. I've been turning this city upside-down, searching for vampaneze. The killers aren't in any of their usual hiding places abandoned factories or buildings, crypts, old theatres. Eight nights ago, I spotted a large man with hooks for hands emerging from an underground tunnel."
"That's the guy who attacked me," I told Harkat. "He has three hooks on either arm. One hand's made of gold, the other of silver."
"I've been following him every night since," Steve continued. "It isn't easy for a human to trail a vampaneze their senses are much more acute but I've had plenty of practice. Sometimes I lose him, but I always pick him up again exiting the tunnels at dusk."
"He comes out the same way every night?" I asked.
"Of course not," Steve snorted. "Even a crazy vampaneze wouldn't do that."
"Then how do you find him?"
"By wiring manhole covers." Steve beamed proudly. "Vampaneze won't use the same exit night after night, but they tend to stick to a strictly defined area when they set up base. I wired every manhole cover within a two hundred metre radius I've extended that to half a kilometre since. Whenever one of them opens, a light flashes on a kit I have, and it's a simple matter to track the vampaneze down.
"At least, itwas ." He paused unhappily. "After tonight, he'll probably move on to somewhere new. He won't know how much I know about him, but he'll expect the worst. I don't think he'll use those tunnels again."
"Did you know it was Darren you were saving?" Harkat asked.
Steve nodded seriously. "I wouldn't have come to his rescue otherwise."
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
"I could have taken Hooky out ages ago," Steve said, "but I knew he wasn't working alone. I wanted to track down his companions. I've been exploring the tunnels by day, hoping to trail him to his base. By interfering tonight, I've blown that chance. I wouldn't have done that for anyone but you."
"If he'd attacked an ordinary human, you'd have let him kill?" I gasped.
"Yes." Steve's eyes were hard. "If sacrificing one person means saving many more, I will. If I hadn't caught a glimpse of your face as you left your lady friend's, I'd have let Hooky kill you."
That was a harsh way of looking at the world, but it was a way I understood. Vampires knew the needs of the group had to be put before those of the individual. It surprised me that Steve was able to think that way most humans can't but I suppose you have to learn to be ruthless if you dedicate yourself to the hunting and killing of ruthless creatures.
"That's about the bones of it," Steve said, pulling his dark overcoat a notch tighter around his shoulders, suppressing a shiver. "There's plenty I haven't mentioned, but I've covered most of the major stuff."
"Are you cold?" Harkat asked, noting Steve's shivers. "I can turn up the heat."
"Wouldn't do any good," Steve said. "I picked up some kind of germ when Mr Crepsleytested me all those years ago. I catch colds simply by looking at someone with a runny nose." He plucked at the scarf around his throat, then wiggled his gloved fingers. "That's why I wrap up so much. If I don't, I wind up confined to bed for days on ends, coughing and spluttering."
"Is that why you smell?" I asked.
Steve laughed. "Yeah. It's a special herbal mix. I rub it in all over before I get dressed every morning. It works wonders. The only drawback is the stench. I have to be careful to keep downwind of the vampaneze when I'm tracking them one whiff of this and they'd have me pegged."
We discussed the past some more Steve wanted to know what life in the Cirque Du Freak had been like; I wanted to know where he'd been and what he'd got up to when he wasn't hunting then talk returned to the present and what we were going to do about the vampaneze.
"If Hooky was acting alone," Steve said, "my attack would have driven him off. The vampaneze don't take chances when they're alone. If they think they've been discovered, they flee. But since he's part of a gang, I doubt he'll run."
"I agree," I said. "They've gone to too much trouble preparing this trap to walk away the first time something goes wrong."
"Do you think the vampaneze will know it was you who saved Darren?" Harkat asked.
"I don't see how," Steve replied. "They know nothing about me. They'll probably think it was you or Mr Crepsley. I was careful not to reveal myself to Hooky."
"Then we might still get the better of them," Harkat said. "We haven't gone hunting for them since Mr Crepsley left. It would be too dangerous, just the two of us."
"But if you hadme to go with you," Steve said, reading Harkat's thoughts, "it would be different. I'm accustomed to vampaneze hunts. I know where to look and how to track them."
"And with us to back you up," I added, "you could work faster than normal and cover more ground."
We gazed silently around at one another.
"You'd be taking a big risk, getting involved with us," Harkat warned him. "Whoever set us up knows all about us. You might tip them off to your presence by pitching in with us."
"It'd be risky for you too," Steve countered. "You're safe up here. Underground, it's their turf, and if we go down, we're inviting an attack. Remember though vampaneze usually sleep by day, they don't need to when they're sheltered from the sun. They could be awake and waiting."
We thought about it some more. Then I stretched forth my right hand and held it out in front of me, palm downwards. "I'm up for it if you are," I said.
Steve immediately laid his left hand the one with the scarred palm on top of mine and said, "I've nothing to lose. I'm with you."
Harkat was slower to react. "I wish Mr Crepsley was here," he mumbled.
"Me too," I said. "But he's not. And the longer we wait for him, the more time the vampaneze have to plan an attack. If Steve's right, and they panic and switch base. it'll take them a while to settle. They'll be vulnerable. This could be our best chance to strike."
Harkat sighed unhappily. "It could also be our best chance to walk straight into a trap. But," he added, laying a large grey hand on top of ours, "the rewards justify the risks. If we can find and kill them, we'll save many lives. I'm with you."
Smiling at Harkat, I proposed avow . "To the death?" I suggested.
"To the death," Steve agreed.
"To the death," Harkat nodded, then added pointedly, "but not, I hope,ours !"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WE SPENTSaturday and Sunday exploring the tunnels. Harkat and Steve carried arrow guns. They were simple to use load an arrow, point and fire. Deadly up to a range of twenty metres. As a vampire, I'd sworn not to use such weapons, so I had to make do with my usual short sword and knives.
We started with the area where Steve had first spotted 'Hooky', in the hope of finding some trace of him or his companions. We took the tunnels one at a time, examining the walls for marks of vampaneze nails or hooks, listening carefully for sounds of life, keeping within sight of each other. We moved swiftly at first Steve knew these tunnels but when our search extended to new, unfamiliar sections, we advanced more cautiously.
We found nothing.
That night, after a long wash and simple meal together, we talked some more. Steve hadn't changed much. He was as lively and funny as ever, although he'd sometimes get a faraway look in his eyes and fall silent, perhaps thinking about the vampaneze he'd killed or the path in life he'd chosen. He got nervous whenever talk swung round to Mr Crepsley. Steve had never forgotten the vampire's reason for rejecting him Mr Crepsley said Steve had bad blood and was evil and didn't think the vampire would be glad to see him.
"I don't know why he thought I was evil," Steve grumbled. "I was wild as a kid, sure, but never evil was I, Darren?"
"Of course not," I said.
"Maybe he mistook determination for evil," Steve mused. "When I believe in a cause, I'll commit to it wholeheartedly. Like my quest to kill vampaneze. Most humans couldn't kill another living being, even a killer. They'd rather turn them over to the law. But I'll go on killing vampaneze until I die. Maybe Mr Crepsley saw myability to kill and confused it with adesire to kill."
We had lots of dark conversations like that, talking about the human soul and the nature of good and evil. Steve had devoted many long hours to Mr Crepsley's cruel judgement. He was almost obsessed with it. "I can't wait to prove him wrong," he smiled. "When he learns I'm on his side, helping the vampires in spite of his rejecting me That's something I'm looking forward to."
When the weekend drew to a close, I had a decision to make regarding school. I didn't want to bother with Mahler's it seemed a waste of time but there was Debbie and Mr Blaws to consider. If I dropped out suddenly, without a reason, the inspector would come looking for me. Steve said this wasn't a problem, that we could switch to another hotel, but I didn't want to leave until Mr Crepsley returned. The Debbie situation was even more complicated. The vampaneze now knew she was connected to me, and where she lived. Somehow I had to convince her to move to a new apartment but how? What sort of a story could I concoct to persuade her to leave home?
I decided to go to school that Monday morning, mostly to sort things out with Debbie. With my other teachers, I'd pretend I was coming down with a virus, so they wouldn't suspect anything was amiss when I didn't turn up the next day. I didn't think Mr Blaws would be sent to investigate before the weekend missing three or four days was hardly unusual and by the time he did, Mr Crepsley would have hopefully returned. When he was back, we could sit down and establish a definite plan. .
Steve and Harkat were going to continue hunting for the vampaneze when I was at school, but agreed to be careful, and promised not to engage them by themselves if they found any.
At Mahler's, I looked for Debbie before classes began. I was going to tell her that an enemy from my past had found out I was seeing her, and I feared he planned to hurt her, to get at me. I'd say he didn't know where she worked, just where she lived, so if she found somewhere new for a few weeks and didn't go back to her old apartment, she'd be fine.
It was a weak story, but I could think of nothing better. I'd plead with her if I had to, and do all in my power to persuade her to heed my warning. If that failed, I'd have to consider kidnapping her and locking her up to protect her.
But there was no sign of Debbie at school. I went to the staffroom during the break, but she hadn't turned up for work and nobody knew where she was. Mr Chivers was with the teachers and he was furious. He couldn't stand it when people teachers or students didn't call in before going absent.
I returned to class with a sinking feeling in my gut. I wished I'd asked Debbie to contact me with her new address, but hadn't thought of that when I'd told her to move. Now there was no way for me to check on her.
The two hours of classes and first forty minutes of lunch were some of the most miserable moments of my life. I wanted to flee the school and dash round to Debbie's old apartment, to see if there was any sign of her there. But I realized that it would be better not to act at all than to act in panic. It was tearing me apart, but it would be for the best if I waited for my head to clear before I went investigating.
Then, at ten to two, something wonderful happened Debbie arrived! I was moping about in the computer room Richard had sensed my dark mood and left me alone when I saw her pulling up outside the back of the school in a car accompanied by two men and a woman all three dressed in police uniforms! Getting out, she entered the building with the woman and one of the men.
Hurrying, I caught up with her on her way to Mr Chivers' office. "Miss Hemlock!" I shouted, alarming the policeman, who turned quickly, hand going for a weapon on his belt. He stopped when he saw my school uniform and relaxed. I raised a shaking hand. "Could I talk to you for a minute, Miss?"
Debbie asked the officers if she could have a few words with me. They nodded, but kept a close watch on us. "What's going on?" I whispered.
"You don't know?" She'd been crying and her face was a mess. I shook my head. "Why did you tell me to leave?" she asked, and there was surprising bitterness in her voice.
"It's complicated."
"Did you know what was going to happen? If you did, I'll hate you forever!"
"Debbie, I don't know what you're talking about. Honestly."
She studied my face for a hint of a lie. Finding none, her expression softened. "You'll hear about it on the news soon," she muttered, "so I guess it doesn't matter if I break it to you now, but don't tell anyone else." She took a deep breath. "I left on Friday when you told me. Booked into a hotel, even though I thought you were crazy."
She paused. "And?" I prompted her.
"Somebody attacked the people in the apartments next to mine," she said. "Mr and Mrs Andrews, and Mr Hugon. You never met them, did you?"
"I saw Mrs Andrews once." I licked my lips nervously. "Were they killed?" Debbie nodded. Fresh tears sprung to her eyes. "And drained of blood?" I croaked, dreading the answer.
"Yes."
I looked away, ashamed. I never thought the vampaneze would go after Debbie's neighbours. I'd had only her welfare in mind, not anybody else's. I should have staked out her building, anticipating the worst. Three people were dead because I hadn't.
"When did it happen?" I asked sickly.
"Late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The bodies were discovered yesterday afternoon, but the police didn't track me down until today. They've kept it quiet, but I think the news is breaking. There were news teams swarming around the building when I passed on my way over here."
"Why did the police want to track you down?" I asked.
She glared at me. "If the people either side of the apartment whereyou lived were killed, and you were nowhere to be found, don't you think the police would look for you too?" she snapped.
"Sorry. Dumb question. I wasn't thinking straight."
Lowering her head, she asked very quietly, "Do you know who did it?"
I hesitated before replying. "Yes and no. I don't know their names, but I know what they are and why they did it."
"You must tell the police," she said.
"It wouldn't help. This is beyond them."
Looking at me through her tears, she said, "I'll be released later this evening. They've taken my statement, but they want to run me through it a few more times. When they release me, I'm coming to put some hard questions toyou . If I'm not happy with your answers, I'll turn you over to them."
"Thank" She swivelled sharply and stormed off, joining the police officers and proceeding on to Mr Chivers' office "you," I finished to myself, then slowly headed back for class. The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch but to me it sounded like a death knell.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE TIMEhad come to fill Debbie in on the truth, but Steve and Harkat weren't keen on the idea. "What if she informs the police?" Steve screeched.
"It's dangerous," Harkat warned. "Humans are unpredictable at the best of times. You can't know how she'll act or what she'll do."
"I don't care," I said stubbornly. "The vampaneze aren't toying with us any longer. They know we know about them. They went to kill Debbie. When they couldn't find her, they slaughtered the people living next door. The stakes have risen. We're in deep now. Debbie has to be told how serious this is."
"And if she betrays us to the police?" Steve asked quietly.
"It's a risk we have to take," I sniffed.
"A riskyou have to take," Steve said pointedly.
"I thought we were in this together," I sighed. "If I was wrong, leave. I won't stop you."
Steve fidgeted in his chair and traced the cross on his bare left palm with the gloved fingers of his right hand. He did that often, like Mr Crepsley stroking his scar when he was thinking. "There's no need to snap," Steve said sullenly. "I'm with you to the end, like I vowed. But you're making a decision that affects all of us. That isn't right. We should vote on this."
I shook my head. "No votes. I can't sacrifice Debbie, any more than you could let Hooky kill me in the alley. I know I'm putting Debbie before our mission, but I can't help that."
"You feel that strongly about her?" Steve asked.
"Yes."
"Then I won't argue any more. Tell her the truth."
"Thanks." I looked to Harkat for his approval.
The Little Person dropped his gaze. "This is wrong. I can't stop you, so I won't try, but I don't approve. The group shouldalways come before the individual." Pulling his mask the one he needed to filter out the air, which was poisonous to him up around his mouth, he turned his back on us and brooded in sullen silence.
Debbie turned up shortly before seven. She'd showered and changed clothes the police had fetched some of her personal items from her apartment but still looked terrible. "There's a police officer in the lobby," she said as she entered. "They asked if I wanted a personal guard and I said I did. He thinks I came up here to tutor you. I gave him your name. If you object to that tough!"
"Nice to see you too," I smiled, holding out my hands to take her coat. She ignored me and walked into the apartment, stopping short when she caught sight of Steve and Harkat (who was facing away from her).
"You didn't say we'd have company," she said stiffly.
"They have to be here," I replied. "They're part of what I have to tell you."
"Who are they?" she asked.
"This is Steve Leopard." Steve took a quick bow. "And that's Harkat Mulds."
For a moment I didn't think Harkat was going to face her. Then he slowly turned around. "Oh, my lord!" Debbie gasped, shocked by his grey, scarred, unnatural features.
"Guess you don't get many like me in school," Harkat smiled nervously.
"Is " Debbie licked her lips. "Is he from that institute you told me about? Where you and Evra Von lived?"
"There is no institute. That was a lie."
She eyed me coldly. "What else have you lied about?"
"Everything, more or less," I grinned guiltily. "But the lies stop here. Tonight I'll tell you the truth. By the end you'll either think I'm crazy or wish I'd never told you, but you have to hear me out your life depends on it."
"Is it a long story?" she asked.
"One of the longest you'll ever hear," Steve answered with a laugh.
"Then I'd better take a pew," she said. She chose a chair, shrugged off her coat, laid it across her lap, and nodded curtly to let me know I could begin.
I started with the Cirque Du Freak and Madam Octa, and took it from there. I quickly covered my years as Mr Crepsley's assistant and my time in Vampire Mountain. I told her about Harkat and the Lord of the Vampaneze. Then I explained why we'd come here, how fake forms had been submitted to Mahler's, how I'd run into Steve and what role he played in this. I finished with the events of the weekend.
There was a long pause at the end.
"It's insane," Debbie finally said. "You can't be serious."
"He is," Steve chuckled.
"Vampires ghosts vampaneze It's ludicrous."
"It's true," I said softly. "I can prove it." I raised my fingers to show her the scars on my fingertips.
"Scars don't prove anything," she sneered.
I walked to the window. "Go to the door and face me," I said. Debbie didn't respond. I could see the doubt in her eyes. "Go on," I said. "I won't hurt you." Holding her coat in front of her, she went to the door and stood opposite me. "Keep your eyes open," I said. "Don't even blink if you can help it."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"You'll see or, rather, you won't."
When she was watching carefully, I tensed the muscles in my legs, then dashed forward, drawing up just in front of her. I moved as quickly as I could, quicker than a human eye could follow. To Debbie it must have seemed that I simply disappeared and reappeared before her. Her eyes shot wide and she leant against the door. Turning, I darted back, again faster than she could follow, stopping by the window.
"Ta-da!" Steve said, clapping dryly.
"How did you do that?" Debbie asked, voice trembling. "You just you were there then you were here then " "I can move at tremendously fast speeds. I'm strong, too I could put a fist through any of these walls and not tear the skin on my knuckles. I can leap higher and further than any human. Hold my breath for longer. Live for centuries." I shrugged. "I'm a half-vampire."
"But it isn't possible! Vampires don't " Debbie took a few steps towards me, then stopped. She was torn between wanting to disbelieve me and knowing in her heart that I was telling the truth.
"I can spend all night proving it to you," I said. "And you can spend all night pretending there's some other logical explanation. The truth's the truth, Debbie. Accept it or don't it's your call."
"I don't I can't " She studied my eyes for a long, searching moment. Then she nodded and sank back into her chair. "I believe you," she moaned. "Yesterday I wouldn't have, but I saw photos of the Andrews and Mr Hugon after they'd been killed. I don't think anyone human could have done that."
"You see now why I had to tell you?" I asked. "We don't know why the vampaneze lured us here or why they're playing with us, but their plan is surely to kill us. The attack on your neighbours was only the start of the bloodshed. They won't stop with that. You'll be next if they find you."
"But why?" she asked weakly. "If it's you and this Mr Crepsley they want, why come after me?"
"I don't know. It doesn't make sense. That's what's so frightening."
"What are you doing to stop them?" she asked.
"Tracking them by day. Hopefully we'll find them. If we do, we'll fight. With luck, we'll win."
"You've got to tell the police," she insisted. "And the army. They can"
"No," I said firmly. "The vampaneze areour concern. We'll deal with them."