The Buccaneer Chronicles:
Vampire Mutations
By Karen Dunn (Despite Interference by Keith Dunn, Andy Simpkins, Adam J Purcell and Tony Gallichan)
Chapter Seventeen - The Plan
“The force shield was an interesting idea but it’s only delaying the inevitable. Unless the Time Lord plans to live out the rest of his lives in that vile little town and his ship has an endless supply of power, all I have to do is wait. Once the shield is down, my children will feed until every man, woman and child have been sired. There are other settlements out there and they will all fall until every corner of this world is home to my kind - and I will be a god.”
The snow had started falling in earnest, swirling through the night sky and settling like powder on the forest floor at the feet of the vampire lord.
He stood facing the force shield, an army of the Turned at his back, fidgeting anxiously as if straining to be set free to hunt.
Stackmore ran his hand along the golden barrier smiled, “Very pretty.”
With a twirl of his cloak he turned, his feet crunching in the snow, and marched back towards home, his children slinking after him like wolves on the scent of prey.
*
The King’s Cruelty bar was packed, the air humming with excited conversation as the townsfolk swapped stories of battle.
William was darting from table to table, refilling tankards and bashing heads when enthusiasm threatened to descend into rowdiness.
Conor and Marco were at the door on guard duty, having drawn the short straw and despite their protests that nothing was getting through the force field any time soon.
Their annoyance wasn’t helped by Blanche, who insisted on ambling past taking deep, healthy slugs from a tankard of mead, “Can I get you something, boys…oh, I forgot - no drinking on duty!” And she wandered off.
Conor frowned at his friend, “You fancy that?”
Marco grinned, “Oh yeah!”
Blanche smirked to herself as she walked over to Mac, Rafe and Colin. They were seated round a table with the empty serum test tube in front of them. Cre’at was bobbing silently on air at Mac’s shoulder.
She plonked herself down next to Colin and nudged him along the bench, “Decision?”
Mac grunted and Colin said, “If you insist on curing those creatures we’ll need more serum.”
“Obviously. Can you make more?”
Mac looked up, “I don’t have enough to reverse analyse it. We’re going to have to find Eleanor’s notes and then we’ll need to find a way to distribute it without getting bitten.”
“And what about Stackmore?”
“I doubt it will affect him. He’s the corrupting element here. It would be like exposing you to an extreme dose of radiation - I could cure you but I couldn’t ‘cure’ the radiation itself.”
Blanche frowned, “So there’s no chance he’s just gonna turn out to be a good guy who wasn’t in control of his own actions?”
Mac snorted, “No, Blanche. He is what he is - he’s ancient, he’s powerful and he’s eating through this society like a cancer. We have to stop him.”
He shot an annoyed glance at Colin and Rafe, who had been muttering to one another in hushed voices, “Anything you want to share with the class?”
The men looked at each other and nodded Rafe leaned back in his seat and smirked at Mac, “If you and Metal Head get to Eleanor’s house will you be able to make more serum?”
“If her notes are adequate, yes.”
He squinted at Cre’at, “Colin tells me you’re capable of defending yourself, little friend.”
* Correct. *
“How?”
* I am equipped to emit an electromagnetic beam that will corrupt the circuits of certain weapons, I have laser technology, I can spit darts to a range of 80 metres, I can bounce on people’s heads to… *
Colin held up a hand to stop him, “Darts - as in poisonous.”
* I would need access to a supply of poison for that to be correct. *
“Or serum?”
* Correct. *
Blanche grinned and punched Colin on the arm, “You clever sod!”
He shrugged, “I have my moments.”
Macfadyan was glaring at them, “You expect me to prepare the serum, load it into Cre’at and let him buzz about shooting darts at vampires while…”
“While we get to Stackmore and take him out once and for all,” said Rafe, “Problem?”
Mac’s piercing gaze was met with one of equal strength, “No,” he said, “But I still say it would be easier to just wipe them out.”
Rafe sneered, “You’re all heart. I can see why these guys despise you.” And he called to Marco and the rest of his men to lay out the plan.
***
