REDEMPTION - Blood Bond
by ‘Teresa
Devereux’
REDEMPTION - Blood Bond
by ‘Teresa
Devereux’
Nine months have passed since we began our plan to entrap Vissago. In many ways it has been like anticipating the birth of our hard work. So much has happened while we planned for this night.
Van Myers and I have systematically ensured that Marie has accompanied us on our staged ‘stakeouts’ of the apartment complex, then dominated her to believe it is the haven of Mica Benedict. We can’t be sure if Vissago has been reading her mind, but we both feel confident that she completely believes what we have told her.
Van Myers business dealings have picked up since the Pentax stock fell. His business was on the edge for a time, but he seems to have had remarkable luck on the stock market since then. While he isn’t very forthcoming in expressing himself, he seems more relaxed,.......for a business man.
Marie hasn’t been as plagued by her waking ‘nightmares’ courtesy of Vissago. At least not that she has made us aware of anyway. She seems more at peace with herself, perhaps because she has been channelling so much of her energy into her art, sculpting at a hectic pace. She has even arranged to have her own gallery exhibition.
In my own time, I have been studying Doctor Greenslade’s journal. He was the scientist from the college that Van Myers had encountered and subsequently killed. It relates to his study of a vampire he held captive for over five years. From what I have read, the scientist was mentally unstable, an unfeeling sadist the likes of which even Hitler would have cringed to meet. He kept extensive records of all he did, and I have learnt much about the physical aspects of being a vampire, and more still on the inhumanity of so called ‘humans’. It pains me deeply to think about what his ‘medical experiment’ went through. Nowhere in the journal does it even refer to the vampire’s name. One way to ‘dehumanise’ what they did to him, referring only to the ‘subject’ reaction this way or other. I have come to the conclusion that a beating heart is not a prerequisite for compassion for ones fellow beings. But I digress......
We notified Vissago that Mica would go out and feed until 4 am, when he would return and retire for the day. They were couriered the special security card and pin number to gain entry to the building.
We arrived at the apartments, and waited in the limo outside. Van Myers had his remote surveillance monitor set up in the back, so we could simply sit back, watch, and wait. We had hidden gas lines in the main bedroom of our fake haven, with a cleverly disguised metal fire door, and metal sheeting in the walls. Inside the room we planned to trap and incinerate Vissago, putting an end to his evil. We could only hope everything fell into place when the time came.
On cue, Michael and four of his offsiders arrived. They looked around outside first, but we were far enough away not to arouse suspicion. We watched them enter the apartment, and look around. They appeared to be making themselves comfortable, lounging over the furniture and watching TV while they waited for Mica’s arrival.
We watched on the security monitors, knowing it was too soon to proceed with the lock down part of the plan. We had to wait for Vissago to arrive. Michael went back to the foyer, and appeared to be talking to himself. Van Myers and I were looking at the monitor intrigued. We didn’t realise until it was too late. Marie had opened the car door, and was walking in a hypnotic daze towards the building. Van Myers turned to me,
“It’s Vissago. He’s in there. That’s who Michael is talking to! Quick, get her back here, before she wrecks everything!”
“I’ll get her. Just make sure the plan goes off.”
As I reached Marie, Van Myers prematurely set off the trap. Vissago may not have been in the room as we originally planned, but the building was engulfed in a fireball from the explosion. The force of the blast throwing Marie and I backwards and onto the road. Marie was screaming out Vissago’s name, desperately trying to pull away from me, to enter what was left of the building’s foyer. Somehow I managed to hold her back, and dragged her to the car. Bundling her in, Van Myers hit the accelerator to get some distance between us and the carnage.
We had only made it to the end of the block, when a burning body fell from the sky and onto the bonnet of the car. The clothes were on fire, and even thought the flesh was black and smoking, I recognised Michael’s face. To my horror, he was staring back at me, his eyes carrying a look of twisted pain, and insane pleasure at finding us.
'Michael. Michael. Michael. It is fortunate that I am up here and not down there,' Vissago mused to himself as the enraged Lasombra landed on the hood of the speeding car and punched through the windshield. The beleaguered occupants swerving dangerously in order to dislodge him. Vissago smiled as the attempt to brake suddenly left Michael with his hands around the startled Van Myers throat.
Pulling him through the windshield Michael snarled at Van Myers, bringing him closer to his fire blacked face. In his wild state, Michael spat his fury upon the struggling Van Myers with an oath to the Dark Ones. Not comprehending the fate about to befall him, but sure of the frenzied vampire's threat, Van Myers continued to struggle, kicking and gouging trying to dislodge the vice like grip.
Through Marie's frightened eyes, Vissago watched her reach through the void left by the shattered windshield with her little dagger and try to cut Michael. Theresa, moving outside, started towards the front of the vehicle.
Michael was rage incarnate. His burnt, bloodied mouth screamed hate and fury in Van Myers face shaking him in an attempt to break him in two, and then with the frustration of Van Myers daring to stay intact. Van Myers was helpless in the grasp, and desperately tried to form a plan, some type of escape. He felt the Beast well up inside him, yet on an instinctual level, he understood that the Beast within could not help him here. He needed a clear head - one not clouded by the red fear.
Clapping his hands in delight, Vissago put them to his lips, and marvelled at the scene. Marie, his wonderful Marie, had actually stabbed Michael in the leg, causing Michael to throw the wretch of a Ventrue across this street and reach down to engage Marie.
“Do not kill her Michael,” warned Vissago, though Michael couldn't have possibly understood his mental command in his frenzied state. Vissago winced as Michael snapped both Marie's arms like a wishbone. Shrieking in terror Marie threw herself back into the vehicle kicking all the while. Vissago was beside himself. This beautiful creature was fighting to the last! Oh what a marvellous addition she would be, he thought to himself as the Gangrel moved to attack Michael with her claws - her Clans legacy.
Michael laughed as the lamb with the wolf's claws tried to hit him. Go back to your library, he hissed, facing her ineffectual attack with his dreaded gaze. Hatred coursed through his veins like the quickened vitae that spawned his un-life and poured from his soulless eyes. The Rotschreck consumed her and Theresa began to run in terror - the instincts of the wild taking over as she fled the presence of her tormentor.
Within his eyes, she saw her damnation. Michael was no longer a cursed creature from crimes committed eons before - there was something else, evil. Pure evil. Theresa ran from it it, Marie's soul flinched from it, and Van Myers now faced it - Alone.
Michael reached up to his face and tore his flesh from the bone. Screaming in agony he called forth a curse and hurled the blight upon Van Myers. Grinning, Michael saw Van Myers' leg fold back upon itself, shattered in a thousand places. Van Myers starred in horror at the attack. Michael's cheek flesh hung limp and bleeding in his claw-like hands. Looking at him, Van Myers saw that an eldritch fire surrounded Michael framing him in its hellish green glow. Flame burst forth from Michael's mouth and eyes, searing the flesh of Van Myers, and burning his very psyche.
Reeling from the physical and psychic assault, Van Myers fell backwards and tried to crawl behind a parked car for some succour, some sanctuary from this fiend, but to no avail. Michael's wrath was beyond comprehension and the assaults continued. Each new attack signalled by some form of masochistic self mutilation by Michael, as though he was channelling his pain into his spells. Blights, open wounds, broken bones and searing fire all smashed into Van Myers' helpless form.
“Oh my, Michael you have been a busy little boy” mused Vissago from his rooftop perch. He leant forward on his toes, leaning out further than humanly possible, his toes seemingly curled upon his ledge like some carrion bird waiting for some tasty morsel so that they might feast.
Vissago wondered to himself, as his face was briefly illuminated by yet another flash of bale fire, “where did you learn these dark powers?” and “what does it mean for me”, he added in his mind.
Marie couldn't believe it. Her arms, somewhat healed now, dragged herself through the windshield, onto the hood of the car. How was Van Myers still moving? She was stunned yet again by the defiance of Van Myers as he stood, somehow, and moved forward, dragging his ruined leg. His face a grim picture of pain and determination.
Theresa, watching from the shadows with her darksight, saw this macabre scene. She had been told of the supernatural resilience of the Vampire, yet she did not posses it to this great degree. A mixture of fear and excitement filled her as he moved forward to engage Michael. She was praying that Van Myers would vanquish this hell-spawn yet something inside her told of darker portents about the thought of a Vampire that couldn't be killed. Van Myers had already shown a lack of empathy for her or Marie, what if he were to suddenly turn on her, as Marie had to her would be captors so many nights ago? Would she be able to stop him? The sobering thought chilled her, and again she heard the call of the wild tug at her periphery, urging her to leave now before that question needed an answer.
Vissago began to think that he may have underestimated the Ventrue. This creature had been only hinting at the power he truly possessed. To withstand this assault and not fall to the final death? Vissago's mind raced. Perhaps a new stratagem was needed. The council must be informed. We may...the thought was cut short in Vissago mind as something truly remarkable happened.
Michael, deep in the raptures of his dark arts, didn't register at first that something was wrong. Only when the creature, with whom he struck his unholy agreement stood before him, was he aware of his error. He had expended too much energy in this battle, and his hold over this bargain had slipped, now the dark being was here to claim its prize. Struggling with his reason, Michael didn't feel the blow of Van Myers blade as it slid through flesh and bone. Michael wasn't aware of the twisting blade as it was thrust once again into his body. Michael only knew that he had failed and that his true pain was only just beginning. The daemon smiled as it pulled the last thread of Michael's cursed soul apart and took it to add to the many that had tried to bargain with him before.
Buffeted by the explosion, Van Myers managed to stay standing as Michael descended into some darkened pit of hell. He shook his head to clear it from the fog of pain. Swaying in place, he tried to heal himself with what precious little blood he had left . It would be sometime before he would be completely healed, and feared that he would forever have a limp.
He absently wondered what Michael was looking at when he plunged his cane-sword into him, but quickly dismissed the thought. It was obvious that the creature had completely succumbed to his madness. Marie moved closer to the pile of ashes that was once Michael, and saw a small pendant, something that looked familiar to her. Looking nervously at Van Myers, she quickly retrieved it while his attention was on Theresa and healing himself. Putting it safely in her pocket, it's warmth once again reminding her that he was near, and she wouldn't be alone for much longer.
Story 2 - “Blood Bond”
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