Exsanguination Read online

  Joe shrugged. “Comparisons have been made, yes.”

  “Christ on a bicycle!”

  “If that’s what it takes, do it,” Vanessa said, not looking particularly happy.

  Joe pulled out his mobile and dialled.

  “Susan? Joe from the Mail.”

  Pause.

  “Yeah, I know I got fired but I have something for you. Something very big. You know that murder that happened? The thing with the vampire they can’t find?”

  Pause.

  “Yeah, yeah, that’s the one. How would you like to interview a vampire on live TV?”

  Pause.

  “She’s the real deal, Susan and she’s a countess living just outside of London.”

  Pause.

  “Absolutely she can prove it and I’ve seen her in action.”

  Pause.

  “Great! The day after tomorrow. We’ll be there at six.”

  Pause.

  “No, I’m not going to let you down but I’m asking you to keep it civilized, okay? You really don’t want to piss this woman off.”

  Pause.

  “Excellent. See you then.”

  He ended the call and looked at Vanessa. “You’re going live at seven, the day after tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this, dear? Once you go public, there will be no going back,” the concern on Phillip’s face was evident.

  She nodded. “I know, but it’s definitely preferable to having thousands dead in the streets.”

  “Can’t disagree with that,” he sighed.

  XV

  “For this much publicised live broadcast, we are here with the Countess Vanessa Smythe and her partner, Phillip. The Lady Vanessa claims to be a vampire and has agreed to come on the show in the hopes that she can calm the madness and panic that is beginning to pervade London,” the interviewer turned to Vanessa. “Thank you very much for your presence here this evening.”

  “Delighted,” Vanessa smiled slightly.

  “First off, you claim to be a vampire. Is that correct?”

  “It is, indeed.”

  “And when did you decide that you were a vampire?”

  “I didn’t decide. I was turned by a man who found me attractive.”

  “Turned? You mean changed in some way?”

  Vanessa nodded.

  “And when did this occur?”

  “Thousands of years ago.”

  The woman was unable to suppress a smile. “Can you be a bit more precise?”

  “The beginning of the first dynasty of Egypt.”

  “Wow. That’s amazing.”

  There was some chuckling in the audience.

  “And you’ve been drinking blood ever since?”

  “I have.”

  “Well, you’ve had quite the long life it seems.” There were more audible chuckles from the audience.

  “It seems that my claim is in some doubt.”

  “Well, you must admit, it’s a bit much just coming out here and claiming to be some mysterious blood-sucking creature.”

  A crooked smile crossed Vanessa’s face. “You’d like proof, is that it?”

  “Anything that might support your claim,” Susan smiled confidently.

  “Do you startle or become frightened easily?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve been doing this for years. Believe me, I am like a rock.”

  Vanessa disappeared from her chair and leaned down over the interviewer’s shoulder. “Are you sure?” she whispered.

  The woman screamed and fell out of her seat. Vanessa walked casually back and sat down next to Phillip. There were shocked gasps from the audience and the interviewer tried to compose herself as she climbed back into her chair.

  “I . . . I don’t know what to say,” she stared at Vanessa, wide-eyed.

  “Well, you have notes,” she gestured calmly and casually to the woman’s clipboard.

  The interviewer shuffled through her notes, looking quickly back and forth between them and Vanessa.

  “Please, madam, do try to compose yourself. No one here is in any danger including you.”

  Vanessa waited, smiling, for two or three minutes before the woman finally spoke again.

  “Well, it seems that you are what you say you are.”

  Up in the control booth, the producer barked at a man. “Play that back! Frame by frame!”

  “I have! In one frame she’s sitting down and, in the next, she’s behind Susan! The speed must have been incredible!”

  Susan frowned at Vanessa. “Why expose yourself like this?”

  “Because we are on the verge of being persecuted. People fear what they do not understand and, with the exposure through a viral video, panic threatens to set in. With panic comes violence and no one wishes that.”

  “You say ‘we’. There are other vampires?”

  Vanessa nodded. “Many.”

  Susan tossed her clipboard on the floor, realizing the notes and questions were useless in the face of the truth.

  “So, you go out in the night and ambush people? Sink your fangs into them and bleed them?”

  Vanessa shook her head. “No. Like most of us, I have a lover and I feed on him every night or every other night. Just a couple of ounces is all that is needed.”

  “That would be,” Susan extended her hand, “Phillip?”

  “She feeds off your blood?” she asked incredulously.

  Phillip had hoped that the interview would be directed exclusively at Vanessa but now he found himself in the spotlight.

  “She does,” he nodded.

  “And you’re willing to endure that?”

  “Endure? It’s not a matter of enduring.”

  “What’s it like? Feeling your blood draining from your body.”

  “I no more feel my blood draining than you do when you go in for a blood test, but I can tell you what the entire process feels like.”

  “Please. Yes.”

  “There is a split second of pain as Vanessa’s fangs penetrate my throat and that is replaced by pleasure beyond anything you could possibly imagine,” he began to relax. “Think of the most intense orgasm you’ve ever experienced, multiply that pleasure by ten and extend its duration for almost fifteen minutes.”

  “Wow,” Susan whispered, slowly shaking her head. “Doesn’t that deplete your blood after a while?”

  He shook his head and smiled. “I take iron pills as a hedge,” he held up his hand. “Joke.”

  That broke the tension in the audience and there was laughter.

  Vanessa stood, faced the audience, and spoke. “In so many ways, we are just like you. We go clubbing, sometimes we sit at home eating pizza while watching a movie. We sleep, we laugh, we cry, we do all the things that you do. You’ve no more to fear from us than you have to fear from each other. Yes, I’m old but I’d like to think I wear my age well. I don’t have horns or a tail and I’m no more evil than any of you,” she reached into a pocket and drew out a silver cross, holding it up to the audience. “See?” she pressed it to her forehead. “Nothing devilish or demonic. I am different, that’s all,” she could sense more relaxation in the audience. We are, in fact, a different species. We are not human except in general appearance,” she could feel some apprehension in the audience. That and anticipation. She returned to her seat.

  “So,” Susan resumed, “you wouldn’t start smoking if I doused you with holy water?”

  “No. I’d become annoyed and demand you pay my dry cleaning bill.”

  Laughter erupted and Vanessa realized that it was a good thing.

  “So you eat pizza?”

  “And fish and chips, steak, a whole variety of things.”

  “And a coffin? You sleep in a coffin?”

  “No but it’s funny you should mention it. I read Dracula,” she held up a finger. “Stoker was an amazing man – absolutely brilliant but a bit dark.” she chuckled. “I decided to try the coffin experience and found I couldn’t turn over on my side in the damned thing so
I went back to bed.”

  “This is marvellously fascinating! How did you two meet?”

  Phillip spoke up, relating the story for her. Vanessa looked at him lovingly as he told the tale.

  “That is so romantic! And your drinking his blood doesn’t turn him into a vampire?”

  Vanessa shook her head. “No, not at all.”

  True to her calling, Susan kept thinking ratings, ratings, boost the ratings!

  “What about sex? Do vampires have sex? Do they do it with humans or just other vampires?”

  Vanessa laughed. “Yes, and yes.”

  “I don’t want to offend in any way but . . . would you consider . . .” she gestured toward her own neck.

  Vanessa slowly smiled. It might not be such a terrible idea, she thought.

  “You’re serious?”

  She nodded nervously and Vanessa could hear her heart racing. Standing up, she walked slowly to the woman.

  “Reclining would be ideal,” she smiled.

  Stagehands brought out a sofa a moment later and, as Vanessa leaned over her, Susan could feel her breath on her throat. She was terrified.

  Susan heard the whisper. “You’ll never go back to humans for pleasure.”

  As she bit, Vanessa covered the woman’s mouth with her hand to muffle any scream. She removed it as she began to suck gently. The audience was breathless with shock and anticipation. One could hear a pin drop. Susan moaned, groaned, whimpered and almost wept, arching her back until it appeared her spine would snap. The camera zoomed in as her eyes rolled back in her head. The audience was riveted. Vanessa, without changing position, locked eyes with Phillip as Susan writhed in exquisite pleasure for about five minutes before Vanessa’s withdrawal. She whispered in her ear. “That’s what a mere two ounces feels like.” Wiping her mouth with a tissue and then pressing it to Susan’s neck, she stood and turned, with a smile, to look at the audience.

  “It may take a few minutes for Susan to recover her senses sufficiently to resume the interview. The experience is incredibly intense. The only after effect is a sense of extreme euphoria. For all of you in the audience and,” she shrugged, “whoever may be watching this broadcast, please do not show up at my home requesting I duplicate this with you. We value our privacy.”

  Susan slowly sat up and Vanessa helped her back to her chair.

  “Words cannot begin to describe the experience,” Susan said to the audience, looking slightly loopy. She turned to look at Vanessa. She’d seen that look before. The woman wanted more.

  “So,” she slowly returned to her role, “is that something you get pleasure from as well?”

  “Vanessa smiled. “Absolutely.”

  “Nice to know,” Susan replied breathily with a smile.

  “You have other questions?”

  “Yes,” she responded, composing herself, “the case of the man who was killed – the one in the video. What about that?”

  Vanessa’s face was serious as she nodded. “That was very sad to see. When a vampire chooses to turn someone, he or she takes on an enormous responsibility for that person. Someone who is newly turned must be taught how to behave, what to do and what not to do. The individual who committed murder – after all, that’s what it was, went against his training and teaching. It is my sincere hope that he is apprehended and brought to justice. He was an aberration.”

  “So, something like that is not likely to happen again?”

  “This is the first time it’s happened in hundreds of years. No, it’s very unlikely to recur,” Vanessa decided for a subject change and she crooked her finger at Susan. “I’ll tell you a secret,”

  Susan stood, still a bit unsteady, and walked to Vanessa, leaning over to put her ear to her lips. A second later she stood straight up, eyes wide.

  “No! No!” she cried out in delighted astonishment almost jumping up and down. She quickly turned to the audience.

  “Ladies and gentlemen. Mainly the ladies. I am privileged to share this stage with a woman who had dinner with none other than Jane Austen!”

  Roars of approval and excitement came from the female portion of the audience. When a measure of calm returned, Vanessa spoke.

  “She was one of the sweetest and kindest women I’ve ever met. A truly wonderful person.”

  “Did you meet Mr Darcy?” Susan asked.

  “A complete fiction, I’m sorry to report.”

  The audience, or at least the women in the audience, groaned in disappointment and Vanessa spoke again.

  “Thomas Paine, on the other hand, could be a good deal less pleasant. Many nights we spent arguing about politics, half drunk.”

  “Did you . . .? Susan tapped the wounds on her neck.

  Vanessa nodded. “Very often it was the only way I could distract him enough to win the debate. Rather underhanded of me, I know,” she smiled.

  Susan stared at her. “Do you realize, with your intimate knowledge of people, long dead, what a treasure you would be to historians?”

  Vanessa shrugged. “I suppose. I’d never given it any thought.”

  “So, back to the vampire topic. Can you turn into a bat and fly?”

  Vanessa laughed softly and shook her head. “I can do neither.”

  “Well, My Lady, we seem to be out of time. Will you come back to us at some future date?”

  “We’d be delighted, Susan,” she smiled as she stood. The audience was on its feet and the applause continued for several minutes.

  As they went backstage, the producer approached them.

  “Your Ladyship, I have an enormous favour to ask of you.”

  “Yes?”

  When you moved from your seat to stand behind Susan, our cameras couldn’t catch it. If you’d be willing to demonstrate that again, I’d really appreciate it. I have a high-speed camera.”

  “I’d be glad to,” she smiled indulgently.

  “Oh, God bless you!” his hand quickly went to his mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry, was it inappropriate of me to say that?”

  “Not at all,” she laughed and wagged her finger. “No devils, remember?”

  An hour later, the technician shook his head while looking at the producer.

  “Look at this. It’s two hundred-fifty frames per second. In this frame, you can just see the slightest bit of motion. Well, it’s not exactly motion. It’s more of a fading out. In the next frame, she’s already at her target destination.”

  The producer shook his head. “That’s just not possible!”

  “Yet, there it is,” the technician sighed.

  As they walked into the morning room, Vanessa and Phillip were greeted by cheers. The TV was on and the recording of the show was being replayed. Antoine had gathered about twenty people to greet them. Phillip was amazed. He’d never seen so many vampires clustered in one place. He leaned into Vanessa.

  “If a bunch of birds is a flock, what do you call a bunch of vampires?”

  “A fang.”

  “You’re joking,” he responded, wide-eyed.

  “Of course I am, darling,” she chuckled and kissed his cheek.

  Apparently, Vanessa hadn’t seen many of them for quite some time and the assembly took on the aspects of a class reunion. Phillip actually saw some of the swarthy, Balkan types, their hair slicked back, Dracula style. As he looked around the room he saw a woman who looked distinctly middle-eastern. She looked directly at him, smiling slightly. An exotic beauty, he thought she looked startlingly like Angelina Jolie. He found himself walking toward her. Her smiled widened invitingly. She tossed her honey blonde hair in a measured gesture and spoke as he reached her.

  “You are Phillip,” her accented voice was sultry and smooth.

  “I am.”

  “I watched you on the television. You are a very handsome man, Phillip.”

  “I . . . uh . . .” he stuttered.

  “Doesn’t Vanessa tell you that? Maybe she doesn’t appreciate you as I would.”

  “Azar, I haven’t seen you in quite som
e time,” Vanessa was standing immediately behind the slightly smaller woman.

  “Vanessa, I was just telling this handsome man that he might be underappreciated in his current situation,” she responded without turning.

  “Still poaching humans?” Vanessa’s eyebrows went up.

  “You should share,” she pouted while still looking into Phillip’s eyes.

  “Well, I don’t have any intention of doing so. Walk away.”

  Azar sighed and then smiled. “Some other time, Phillip,” she said invitingly and merged back into the group.

  Vanessa put her arm around Phillip. “You don’t have a wandering eye, do you?”

  “No. No, of course not.”

  “Good. Azar tends to be a bit rough on her men. First, using compulsion, she strips them of any free will. At that point, they exist for one thing – to please her. Any one of them would throw himself from the top of a building if she told him it would provide her with amusement and I just got the impression you might consider joining their ranks,” she looked at him questioningly.

  “Jesus Christ! Hell no!” he gave her a horrified look.

  She laughed softly and kissed his cheek. “I’m just having you on. She’s quite the alluring beauty though, I’ll give her that.”

  “And yet a monster inside.”

  “Look!” someone yelled. “Right there! She’s soaking wet!”

  The video was paused and Vanessa walked to the front to have a look. Susan’s pants were a dark tan but the stain on her crotch was slightly darker and, as the video play continued, it could be seen spreading as Vanessa helped her to her feet from the couch.

  Antoine nudged her. “It looks like she really enjoyed your attentions, Countess.”

  The partying lasted until about an hour before dawn when everyone returned to their homes. Vanessa pressed the button at the side of the foyer to close and lock the gates. As they walked upstairs, Phillip waved his hand.

  “Turn off your phone if you want to sleep in.”

  “Why?”

  “Exposure of this kind tends to bring publicity with it. I think you’ll be getting phone calls out the yin-yang. People and companies making offers to endorse products, and others wanting exclusive interviews in your home. Hell, I’ll bet you’ll be asked to endorse toothpaste!” he laughed. “On balance, it might cure any cash flow problem you have,” he laughed. “I’ll bet you five quid you’ll be called for an audience with the Queen herself!”