The Vampire Gene

"I'm going to need some stuff," I started, as he muttered something about hiring a van in the middle of the night.

"I can only imagine," said Fergus dryly. "Firearms? Body bags?"

"A van for starters."

"You and me both. I absolutely cannot fit this hard drive in the boot - it will have to go on the back seat. Lord alone knows where Marcus' stuff is supposed to fit. I will have to get a van. Give me twenty minutes. Anything else?"

"The names and addresses of the men who abducted Rebecca. One has a burn in the shape of a handprint on his wrist, as you know, and the other has a bite out of his right wrist."

"Hospitals then. Your young lady is getting feistier by the day."

"She was always feisty. But now she's a feisty vampire, and there are consequences for those who try to harm her."

"Clearly," said Fergus. "I bet some of those consequences are going to catch up with them tonight."

"Absolutely," I spoke softly, allowing the menace I felt to creep into my voice. "Twenty minutes?"

"Make it thirty," he said and hung up.

I went back to our suite. I dug around in my bag and found some black leather gloves and dark clothes, which I slipped into as quietly as I was able. The soft regular breathing from Rebecca's room reassured me that I had not awoken her. I considered taking the Glock, but decided I wouldn't need it. I was more than a match for any human. I slid a tub of iron tablets into my pocket - the only weapon I would need tonight.

I was back outside when Fergus phoned again.

"I am brilliant," he stated flatly. "A van will be delivered to you within an hour, and those two cretins were seen and treated at the local hospital. I'll text you their addresses. Have fun tonight, brother. And hurt them a little bit extra for me, won't you?"

"Will do," I grinned into the phone.

The van was delivered forty minutes later. I met it halfway down the long driveway, reluctant to alert the occupants of the house behind me. They did not need to know of tonight's activities. The driver of the van was a supremely disinterested young man with long greasy hair and a couple of facial piercings. He seemed pleasant enough, though, and rapidly explained the controls of the anonymous-looking dirty white van. He asked me for a quick lift to a nearby bus stop, where he was due to meet a colleague, whatever that meant. I obliged, and he thanked me politely as he clambered out of the vehicle, and gave me a cheery wave as I drove off. Nice kid.