ACADEMY OF THE UNDEAD; BOOK TWO Stand Together ... Or Fall Together
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Organised Negotiations

Everybody was up before the sun had fully disappeared, and Livinia said, “Let’s go, now!”

Three cars, fourteen anxious vampires, and the cars sped along with no respect paid to the speed limits, the driver’s intent on getting there as quickly as possible.

The cars pulled up outside a property secured by a brick wall that ran for more than half a mile, then the vampires filed out.

Livinia strode up to the gate and called out, “I am Livinia Crenwinkle, leader of the Mephistopheles Clan, and I wish to speak to Merle Gravate!”

A timid wind of no velocity fluttered aimlessly as the vampires stood in silence, waiting for a response. The early night sky gleamed a dark blue, and segregated stars offered almost apologetic twinkling, and Livinia took a step closer to the iron gates and called out again, “I am Livinia Crenwinkle, and I need to speak to Merle Gravate!”

The house was set back five hundred yards from the fence, although slowly as it was, the vampires saw figures gather at the entrance of the grand house.

A voice called out, “Why are you here?”

“I am Livinia Crenwinkle, leader of the Mephistopheles Clan, and I need to speak to Merle Gravate!”

“For what purpose?”

“One of my clan is missing, and I believe that your clan can help me replace her!”

After an uncertain moment of silence, the voice called out, “I shall speak to our leader.”

The clan pushed in tight behind Livinia as wasted minutes ticked away, then suddenly, figures emerged, a dozen figures marching down the driveway. A handsome man with dark hair said, “Our leader will see you, but leave any weapons outside the gate.”

“We come unarmed, we come in peace with the sole intention of replaceing our clan member.”

The man considered for a moment, then said, “Open the gates.”

Livinia led them through, then the dozen men, all armed with crossbows or swords, gathered behind them. “Move forward, Merle Gravate awaits you.”

Feeling uncomfortable about being escorted by vampires bearing arms, Isabelle glanced at Piper, and Piper, noticing the concerned glance, turned around and said, “We come in peace, we just need to replace our missing clan member.”

“Just keep moving.” a harsh voice said.

They walked up the steps, through the door, and the handsome man said, “Keep going, down the hallway to the back.”

In silence, they walked down the hallway until they walked through an archway, and once through the archway, they were greeted by a dozen vampires who stood silently and stared at them.

Isabelle looked around, noting that all the silent vampires were also bearing arms.

“Well, well, well, the new leader of the Mephistopheles Clan,” a voice rang out haughtily. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

All gazes swung to the voice, the voice belonging to a woman of middle-age, the woman sitting in a high-backed chair.

Livinia faced her and said, “Thank-you for seeing us Merle Gravate, but one of our clan was kidnapped, and we believe that the person responsible was from your clan.”

“Hmmm, I would say not Livinia Crenwinkle. Our clan can be roguish and impulsive, but we do not interfere with other clans unless they trepass on our territory.”

“Our clan member was kidnapped from her apartment, and her apartment is just outside the city.”

“Well, may I suggest that your dogs are barking up the wrong tree.”

“Vernon O’Brien.” Livinia muttered.

“I beg your pardon?”

“We believe that Vernon O’Brien was behind the kidnapping.” Livinia stared straight at her as she asked, “Is he one of yours?”

Merle nodded, then said, “Yes he is, but I can assure you that my people abide by my rules and regulations, and we don’t randomly kidnap vampires from other clans.”

“Can we speak to him?”

“First, tell me why you suspect him.”

“We have CCTV footage of the kidnappers, and we’ve, ummm … interviewed all the kidnappers, and the lead kidnapper gave us O’Brien’s name.”

“Interviewed him, or tortured him, Leader Crenwinkle?”

Livinia thought about her response, then replied, “The kidnappers were all given various options, although they quickly arrived at the conclusion that co-operating would be their best option.”

Merle Gravate, inwardly not pleased by this unexpected intrusion, yet conscious of her entire clan looking at her, said curtly, “Before I allow you to speak to him, I will speak to him, because nobody from this clan, and I repeat, nobody disobeys me.”

“Yes, that is only fair, but our clan member has been missing for two nights, and I’m sure that you’d appreciate that we are becoming quite frantic.”

“Who is the clan member?”

“Taylee.”

“Taylee Crezinski?”

“Yes.”

“From what I’ve heard about her, the girl has made many enemies, and her possible abducters could be numerous.”

“Well, whatever the case, it’s not going to stop us searching for her.”

Merle looked at a man standing behind her, and she said, “Bring Mister O’Brien to my office.”

“Certainly, Your Holiness.” the young man replied as he scampered away.

“Your Holiness, Merle Gravate,” Livinia smirked, “Have you got your eyes on the Vatican?”

“I must admit that I would like to have a nibble on the Pope, but no, this part of New Orleans suits me fine.” Gravate replied, then she said, “I heard about your recent battle.”

“I’m sure that everybody has.”

“Yes, and it seems like some are misreading the battle and elevating you to legend status, although reliable sources tell me that the Pearl River Witches were the decisive factor behind your victory.”

“That is correct. I stand before you tonight purely and simply because of their intervention.”

“Interesting, you try and wipe each other out in the Vampire-Witch war, then you join forces?” Gravate smiled, “What a strange world we live in.”

“We had a common enemy.”

“Hmmm, Jason Cordeir.”

“Yes.”

“Your Holiness…” the young man said breathlessly as he scuttled up to her.

“You may speak.”

“I can’t replace him, and a few have told me that they haven’t seen him for days.”

Merle stared at the man, then turned to Livinia as she muttered, “It appears that we have a minor complication.”

“If he is not here, where does he go, where should we look for him?”

“He is our contact with several biker clubs, and he is also our contact with the local crime gang.”

Livinia was just about to ask for the addresses, when the young man said uncertainly, “You Holiness …”

“You may speak.”

He pointed at Giddy, then said, “Her, I recognize her.”

“From where?”

“There’s something different about her, but I’m sure she was in that nomad clan, and she, she killed Gavin and Chistopher.”

Livinia flinched when she heard the phrase, nomad clan.

Merle glared at the girl, then asked, “Young lady, what is your name?”

It seemed like everyone was looking at her, so she mumbled, “Giddy.”

“Have you ever killed anybody from my clan?”

Giddy hesitated, very conscious of the stares. Her life on the streets had taught her that you never give anyone up, and that included herself. She shook her head.

Another man strode forward and pointed at her as he said excitedly, “It is, it is her! I remember that she painted her face white and her eyes black, but it is her, she killed Gavin and Christopher!”

Beginning to fret seriously, Livinia bowed her face, although she was surprised when Merle faced her and said, “You have my permission to seek out Vernon O’Brien, although I restate that you must bring him to me before you do anything.”

Livinia nodded. With everybody staring at Giddy, a quick exit seemed like the best option, so Livinia said, “Thank-you Merle Gravate, and you have my word, when we replace him, I will bring him here.” Livinia then motioned to her charges, “Come, let us go.”

As a group, they began marching away, although Livinia tensed as the voice floated over. “Livinia Crenwinkle …”

Livinia stopped, bit her bottom lip, then turned to face her.

Merle was standing now, and with her hands in front of her robe, she said bluntly, “The girl stays here.”

Knowing what was coming, Livinia strode back and stopped two feet from her, then asked, “What are you saying?”

“Your clan may leave, but that girl stays here.”

“Merle Gravate, I need all my members available to help us replace Taylee, so maybe we can discuss this matter in the near future.”

“I’m afraid not. Do what you have to do, but the girl stays here.”

“For what purpose?”

“My intentions are none of your business.”

Time was their enemy, and this was a most unwelcome distraction. Livinia said solemnly, “I give you my word that after we our current dilemma is solved, I will meet with you to discuss any grievances.”

Gravate held her gaze and said bluntly, “She killed two of ours, so she is not leaving this property.”

“Merle, she was in Cordeir’s nomad clan, but she is now one of ours. What she did previously under a different banner would best be forgotten.”

“Leader Crenwinkle, I have a question for you …”

“Go ahead.”

“If a vampire from an opposing clan killed two of yours, what would you do?”

Gravate knew the answer to her own question, and Livinia racked her mind, then said with a hint of urgency, “The clan she was with is no longer in existence, and I have taken her in with us.”

“You didn’t answer my question, but let me answer it for you. Under all the principles and rules that we live under, that girl, having killed two of ours, now belongs to me.”

Scarlett suspected that this conversation could end up going around in circles, so she strode up next to Livinia and said firmly, “Merle Gravate, if you give your word not to harm the girl, we will leave her with you.”

“Hmmm, Scarlett O’Hara.”

Scarlett knew that the pompous bitch was having a dig at her, so she replied testily, “My name is Scarlett Davidson, and I want your guarantee that if we leave the girl with you, you will not harm her until we discuss the situation.”

“And if I don’t wish to give you that guarantee?”

Scarlett bristled, then replied threateningly, “If you don’t give us the guarantee, you will be responsible for what happens next.”

“Is that a threat, Scarlett O’Hara?”

Scarlett glared at her and said, “Yes, it is.”

Merle swung her gaze in a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree arc, looking at her clan, then she turned her attention back to Scarlett as she said quietly, “All of mine are armed, and you dare to threaten me?”

Livinia gazed around at the gathering, then she turned back to Gravate and said, “Merle, we have no wish to fight you, all we ask is that the girl is not harmed until we can discuss our options.”

Merle gazed around smugly, pleased that her entire clan stood at attention, most with swords or stakes at the ready. “I fear Livinia Crenwinkle, that you are in no position to bargain.”

Scarlett did a quick head count, twenty-five against fourteen, the twenty-five all weaponed up. Scarlett knew that every moment was vital for Taylee, and she also realised that if a battle broke out right now, the Mephistopheles Clan would be wiped out. She tried to reign in her growing anger, because she knew that under the time-honoured vampire code, Gravate had a solid foundation to take possession of the girl, although to Scarlett, a more important principle usurped the claim. The Mephistophles Clan never gave up one of their own, and even though Giddy had been one of their enemies, she was now one of theirs, so the principle still deserved to be upheld. “Merle Gravate, I say again, we will leave the girl here as long as you guarantee that no harm will come to her until the situation can be discussed.” Scarlett stated.

“And if I refuse?”

Becoming increasingly agitated, Scarlett pushed her chest out and said resolutely, “You will die on this evening.”

“Haa!” Gravate laughed as she looked around her. “You are on our hallowed grounds, and we have greater numbers, and we have weapons, and again, you dare to threaten me?”

“If we fight, you will beat us, I have no doubt about that,” Scarlett said as she took two paces forward to be right in her face, “But I will instruct every member of our clan to attack you, and you will have fourteen vampires coming straight at you, so you will be the first to die!”

With swords drawn, two men strode up to be right by Gravate’s side.

Gravate saw the fire in Scarlett’s eyes, and she dithered. The woman looked like a model from a fashion magazine, although Gravate had heard stories about her fighting ability. If a battle began right now, her clan would slaughter the intruders, although the fashion-magazine-model was standing barely two feet from her, her face clenched in a determined frown, and alarmingly, the pale blue eyes shone with a steely resolve. If a battle did begin, she herself might be the first casualty. Gravate turned her focus to Livinia as she said, “Leader Crenwinkle, I will give you two nights, no more, and if you haven’t presented yourself before then, the girl will be executed.”

Livinia nodded, then turned to Giddy. “We shall do everything in our power to get you out of this.”

Giddy bit her bottom lip, then she tensed as one man walked behind her and pulled her arms behind her, then he snapped the handcuffs on her wrists.

Scarlett rested her hand on Giddy’s shoulder, then said, “Stay strong Giddy, we will come back for you.”

Giddy nodded weakly, then the men prodded her into motion and marched her away.

With sinking spirits, the Pistols watched her stumble away, then Aleisha called out, “Giddy, we will, we will come back for you!”

Struck with a feeling of helplessness, Aleisha swung her gaze back to Gravate, and she said through gritted teeth, “If, if you even touch a hair on her head …” then she swung her gaze to take in all of the armed vampires as she said with intent, “If anybody harms her, if anybody touches her, I will spend the rest of my life hunting you down.”

Livinia frowned, then said, “Aleisha, everybody, let’s go.”

Aleisha glared at Gravate, then pushing her chest out, she held her head high and fell into line with the others as they marched away.

Hustling out to the cars, Elizabeth was distraught that they had abandoned her new friend on enemy territory, so she asked hesitantly, “Livinia, they won’t hurt her, will they?”

“Sweet child, Merle Gravate has given us two nights, and she is a Leader who sticks to her word, so my hope is that we will return tomorrow night.”

Elizabeth understood that replaceing Taylee was the priority, so she said, “A, a guy at the biker bar that I was at recently said that they were protected by the Mammon Clan.”

“Where is it?”

“Out a bit, off Cordner Highway.”

“Okay, everybody follow Elizabeth.”

The cars sped through the night, then pulled into the western car park, the car park packed with cars and motorbikes. Rock music blasted out, and laughter and loud voices rang into the night.

“Scarlett, Elizabeth, come with me, the rest of you stay out of sight and wait for instructions.”

Livinia, Scarlett and Elizabeth walked towards the entrance, and they were greeted by two large, beefy men wearing dark sunglasses. A man with a beard said, “What you want?”

“We want a drink.” Livinia replied.

The other man folded his huge arms across his chest, then he said, “You can’t come in because this is a private bar.”

Both of the men’s sunglasses were focussed ON Scarlett, so she said, “We’re thirsty, so …”

“So what?” the man with the beard asked.

Scarlett relaxed for a moment, then braced herself as she swung her left fist viciously, and the punch sent the bearded man crashing into the wall. Before the other man could move, she hit him with her right fist and sent him crashing into the other side of the entrance. Stepping over the bodies gracefully, Elizabeth said drolly, “So, to answer your question, we are going in.”

The dimly lit entrance hallway led straight to the main area, and Elizabeth walked through and looked around. To her right, a scruffy looking band were belting out a Rolling Stone’s classic, and in front of the band, twenty people bopped away on the dance floor. Tables were on either side of the dance floor, and most tables were occupied. Doing a quick head count, she guessed there was between sixty to seventy people in the bar, almost two-thirds of them men. She saw Johnno behind the bar, and she strode straight up to him.

Johnno recognised her, and he frowned as he asked, “What do you want?”

Glaring at him, Elizabeth shouted over the music, “Vernon O’Brien!”

He shook his head and said, “What are you talking about?”

“Tell me where Vernon O’Brien is, or else!”

“I, I don’t know any Vernon O’Brien.”

Scarlett closed her eyes as she produced her fangs, then she bared them as she snarled, “You’ve got five seconds, and if you don’t tell us, I’m going to rip your throat open!”

“Hey lady, have a look behind you,” Johnno said shakily, “The boys have got guns, and they ain’t toys.”

“Everybody, come in now!” Livinia yelled.

The vampires stormed in and spread out in a line, the line stretching from the entranceway, around the bar, and down to where most of the tables were.

Surprised, men stood and glared at the figures, and people on the dance floor stopped dancing and looked over. Confused, the band stopped playing, the guitars whining down to a halt.

Scarlett took a moment to appreciate the complete silence, then she glared at the bartender and said threateningly, “If any gun fires, everyone here will be dead inside five minutes.”

Sixty odd people, two thirds of them bikers, and Johnno knew that most of them would have guns. He noted the vampires dress, the bullet-proof vests worn on the outside of their clothes, which could only mean that they had come prepared for a fight. If the bikers started firing, they could damage a few of the vampires, although as he gazed around at the ring of vampires, his mind started subtly heading in a survival direction. Sure, if they began firing, they could damage a few of them, or maybe, disastrously, enrage them.

With his head hung low, Johnno called out meekly, “Scotty …”

A big, broad-shouldered man standing by a table asked, “What?”

“Where is he?”

“Who?”

“O’Brien, Vernon O’Brien.”

“What, you gunna give him up?”

Scarlett raced at Scotty, and so quick and unexpected was her advance, that she had him lying flat out on a table before anyone realised what was happening. The after-reaction was immediate though, and twenty guns were ripped out and pointed directly at Scarlett. The vampires moved liked lightning, fists flying into faces, knees crunching into groins, and the arms of gun-holding hands were snapped like twigs. In the brief frenzy of activity, twenty bodies lay on the ground, groaning or screaming in pain, and Scarlett carefully rasped her fangs across the man’s throat, then she said grittily, “No ass-hole, he’s not going to give him up, you are!”

The rasping fangs had produced a small cut on his neck, and after looking into her wild eyes, Scotty mumbled, “He, he’s with two of our girls.”

“Where?”

This obviously wasn’t a social call, this was a clan of vampires looking for answers. Scotty saw a few women run toward the front entrance, and a few bikers scampered away as well. Johnno just wanted them out of there before they destroyed the place, so he said hesitantly, “If he’s with our girls, he’ll be in the building behind us, in the rooms.”

Aleisha strode up to Johnno and asked, “Description, what does he look like?”

“Ummm, blond hair, looks mid-thirties, slightly overweight.”

“What colour eyes?”

“Fuck, come on, I don’t normally gaze into his eyes.”

“How tall?”

“About the same as me, and I’m just under six foot.”

The vampires followed Scarlett as they walked toward the rear exit, and Elizabeth noticed more patrons running for the front exit. Before walking out the door, Scarlett whispered, “If he’s here, no talking okay, because he’ll hear us; just watch me for directions.”

They walked out the rear exit and saw the building a hundred yards away. Seven cars were parked in the parking bay, and all vampires heard the hushed pantings normally associated with sexual activity. Scarlett tapped Piper on the arm, and together, they walked into the building. Two large men dressed in black looked up in surprise. A man with a shaved head asked, “Evening ladies, what can we do for you?”

“We’re looking for a man.”

“Errr, you got the wrong place sister.”

“We’ll just have a look around anyway.” Scarlett replied.

“No you won’t Honey,” the other large man said, then he smirked, “But if you’re looking for a man, I mean a real man, I can help you.”

Scarlett hit him so hard, that he was unconscious before he hit the ground, and Piper released a vicious back-hander that flung the other man into the wall. Piper scurried out and motioned for the others to come in. Two hallways greeted them, one running east-west, the other south, and unfortunately, the two hallways had plenty of closed doors on either side. Scarlett dispersed the team, and they scampered off, opening doors.

Vernon O’Brien, the new, fabulously wealthy Vernon O’Brien, thought that this was a grand way to celebrate, lying on his back and engaging with two hotties who knew what they were doing. A nubile blond crouched over him giving him head, while an exotic Latino squatted over his face. Close, close to exploding, although O’Brien cocked his head when he heard a crash, then an even louder thud, and not long after, he heard surprised voices yelling out. He shoved the Latino off, and the girl gasped, “What the fuck man?”

Men yelled in anger and surprise, and O’Brien pushed off the bed and crept up to the door.

“What ya doing man?” the blond asked.

Carefully, O’Brien opened the door, then the two naked girls screamed as they saw him flying back into the room. Aleisha hit him so hard that her fist stung for a moment, and as soon as he hit the ground, Ruby jumped on top of him and pinned his shoulders with her knees. O’Brien, momentarily dazed, hissed at her, then bared his fangs.

“Vampire here!” Aleisha called out excitedly.

Everybody raced to the room, and Scarlett saw the terrified girls. Pointing to the door, she said gruffly, “Go, go now.”

The girl’s lingered until the blond said shakily, “He, he hasn’t paid us yet.”

Scarlett picked up his trousers then pulled out a large wad of notes which she handed to them. The girls looked at the large wad of notes in surprise, then they mumbled a thank-you, gathered their clothes and scampered away.

Pressing down on his shoulders, Ruby asked, “Vernon O’Brien?”

O’Brien looked at them, more than a dozen of them and his anxiety multiplied. The one who punched him must be a vampire, because she’d sent him flying fifteen feet through the air, and the one crouched over him had to be a vampire as well, because he couldn’t throw her off. “No, no, my name’s Charlie.” he mumbled.

“Blond hair, maybe six foot, slightly overweight, you’re fitting the description of Vernon O’Brien ass-hole” Piper sneered, “And Fuckwit, your fangs are out.”

O’Brien rocked and tried to throw Ruby off, so Scarlett dropped down next to him and said quietly, “One more move O’Brien, and we’ll rip your eyes out.”

O’Brien steadied, then said meekly, “M-my name’s Charlie.”

“Well Charlie, tell us where she is!”

“Who?”

Scarlett didn’t answer him, instead she looked behind and instructed, “Richard, Alan, lean on his shoulders, Piper, Vicky, hold his legs.”

Scarlett squatted over him and placed a hand over his heart, and she could feel the raging heartbeat as she burrowed the sharp fingernail of her right index finger into his bare chest, just to the right of his heart. He screamed as her finger chiselled through his flesh, the finger then spearing in between his ribs. “I can squeeze my whole hand inside you and pull your heart out before you’ve got time to draw your next breath,” Scarlett began, “So just tell me where she is.”

O’Brien could feel another of her fingers squeezing into the wound in his chest, both of the fingers stirring and widening the wound, and he fretted that he was only a denial away from being no more. If she wanted to, she could rip the flesh away and squeeze her whole hand through the puncture in his chest and then pluck his heart right out. This was as close as he had ever been to death, although maybe he still had a card to play. Breathing uncomfortably because of the hole in his chest, he stuttered, “If, if I tell you, you’ll let me go?”

“I’m not interested in you, I’m only interested in replaceing her.” Scarlett replied abruptly.

“I, I don’t where she is, but I dropped her off to a vampire-hunter, Clinton Stanley.”

Scarlett closed her eyes and blew out a frustrated breath. If a vampire hunter had her, there was every possibility that Taylee was no more. She opened her eyes and glared at him, then said, “What’s his address?”

“No, no, I don’t know, honest.”

“You’ve obviously met this vampire hunter, so where did you meet him?”

“When I, I first met him, it was here, at this bar, and when I dropped her off to him, it was in an industrial area.”

Two people had confirmed that she was dropped off in the industrial area, so maybe this vile creature didn’t know where the vampire hunter lived, all the same, Scarlett was going to extract every bit of information that he had. “Okay, tell me how I replace him, or else there’s going to be a gang of angry vampires draining every single drop of blood out of you while you’re still alive.”

“No, I don’t know!”

Scarlett pulled her two fingers out, then she started slicing the skin around the cavity, and slowly, she began peeling the flesh towards her. O’Brien screamed, and Richard pushed down on his mouth to muffle the sound. Snorting Richard said, “Give us a lead, point us in a direction, or else she’s going to pull your heart out fucker.”

“I don’t where he lives, but, but …”

“What?”

“This vampire hunter, Crezenski killed his wife, and then, then …”

Scarlett waited anxiously for him to continue, although as he seemed to freeze, she yelled, “Talk!”

“The vampire hunter, he, he had his wife resurrected.”

Scarlett motioned to the girls. “Piper, Vicky, chain him and take him back to the Academy.” She turned to Livinia and said, “It sounds like the Laveau Voodoos, and we’re not really on good terms with those zombies.”

“The chances of them allowing us onto their property are minimal, although I will contact Apollonia.” Livinia advised.

“Is she tight with them?”

“Put it this way, I’m going to replace out.” Livinia replied, then she faced Aleisha. “Do you have Apollonia’s number?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Contact her please.”

Aleisha called, then Apollonia’s bright voice cooed, “Ohhh Pretty Pretty, what a pleasant surprise!”

“Hi, unfortunately this isn’t a social call, one of ours has been kidnapped.”

“Who?”

“Taylee, but hang on, I’ll pass you over to Livinia.”

Livinia took the phone. “Sorry to disturb you Apollonia, but we believe that Taylee has been kidnapped by a vampire hunter. It appears that Taylee killed the man’s wife, and then the man had the woman resurrected.”

Apollonia ran it through her mind, then said, “Hmmm, the Laveau Voodoos.”

“Can you get us in there to speak to them?”

“Errr, we have an uneasy truce with them, but we don’t have much to do with them. If you like, I’ll gather my troops and meet you out there.”

“Great, we’ll leave now.”

“Livinia, take the whole gang.”

“What do you mean?”

“Round up as many of yours as you can.”

“Do you think that’s necessary?”

“Yes I do,” Apollonia replied, “The zombies are shit scared of vampires, so if you want those fuckers to talk, you need to show them what they’re up against.”

“I’ll get everybody and then meet you there.”

“Certainly, and Livinia …”

“What?”

“Just in case things don’t pan out, have your troops battle ready.”

“Funnily enough, we are ready.” Livinia ended the call and said to Ruby, “Grab Piper and Vicky and tell them that they’re coming with us.