Kiss Of The Butterfly Part 22

Bear looked in the coffin, paled and turned away gasping for air. 'Lord G.o.d, this is sick. This is so...oh G.o.d!' He looked at Steven, who was still doubled over, gagging. 'What the h.e.l.l's going on?'

In the coffin lay a man's body, stripped naked and white from lack of blood, his throat brutally torn open to expose the jugular vein and vertebrae. His genitals had been torn off and shoved in his mouth and other signs of torture were evident. It was Niedermeier, the bookseller.

Steven's vomit had discolored the otherwise clear water and portions of lunch floated on the surface. The smell of garlic-scented stomach acid pervaded the chamber. 'Oh dear Lord, oh dear Lord,' Steven repeated, breathing rapidly. 'Tell me this isn't happening.'

'What is it?' shouted Tamara, now hysterical. 'What's going on? Climb out of there at once. At once, do you hear me? Come back right now!'

Vesna's calmer voice also penetrated the chamber: 'Are you all right Stefan? Do you need help?'

Steven stumbled to the stone cross and held on for support.

Then suddenly there was a splash. Bear and Steven spun around to see the rope slowly coiling downward to the bottom of the pool.

Above them, Steven and Bear saw nothing except the edge of the hole and dim shadows from flashlights playing erratically off the tunnel wall above. They heard Tamara shout hysterically: 'What are you doing, you creep?' And then she screamed. 'You freak, get away from me!'

Vesna too began screaming, but it sounded somehow distant as though she was further away from the hole. 'Oh my G.o.d!! No!! Oh Lord have mercy! Oh, Lord have mercy.' It was both a scream and a desperate prayer for help. 'No, No! Oh my G.o.d, please help!' Her voice was hysterical and frantic.

Bear and Steven waded directly under the hole. 'Professor! Tamara! Vesna!' they both shouted loudly. They heard only the girls' panicked screams of terror and stood there, helpless.

Both girls fell silent, and the only sound came from the frantic breathing of Bear and Steven.

Then Stojadinovic appeared at the edge. As he looked down at them he smiled wickedly, his incisors elongated and sharp, blood dribbling down his chin.

'Ha...ha...ha...very funny,' Steven said. 'Did Vesna put you up to this?'

'Good one, Professor,' Bear called, picking up the rope. 'Catch.' He threw it up, but Stojadinovic made no move to grab it.

Stojadinovic licked his lips, raised his sleeve and wiped the blood from his chin.

'Professor,' said Steven. 'Please, not now.'

'Tamara, it's not funny,' Bear shouted. 'It's cold down here and there's a dead body. Stop fooling around.'

'Vesna, come on,' Steven called. 'Niedermeier's dead and this place is really starting to scare me.'

Stojadinovic simply stared.

'Professor,' shouted Steven angrily. 'Get us out of here. It's really not funny anymore.'

'Oh, my. You are in trouble, aren't you?' he taunted.

'Tamara, Vesna,' Bear shouted.

There was no answer.

Stojadinovic continued to watch them, nary a word leaving his lips. Then his eyes turned cat-shaped and began to glow red, like fiery coals.

And suddenly Steven understood everything: the professor's scarf, his night-owl behavior, his aversion to Steven's garlic stench, his apparent death a few years previously, and why Niedermeier had been convinced someone was feeding information to the DB.

'Oh, good Lord!' Steven exclaimed. 'you're not really...'

'Oh, but I most certainly am,' Stojadinovic chuckled. 'I apologize for leaving you here, but supper awaits. I'll return for you later when the garlic is out of your system. You shall make a lovely dessert.'

'Wha....?' Steven's shock was so thorough he couldn't even get the word out.

But Stojadinovic only grinned down at them, his incisors glistening moistly.

'Mother of G.o.d!' exclaimed Bear, his jaw open in disbelief. 'He's not really...I mean...there aren't...I mean...what the h.e.l.l is going on?' he grabbed Steven. 'You've got a stake. Is this real?'

'Stop playing with your food,' a female voice commanded from somewhere above in the tunnel, then laughed in tones that froze the marrow in their bones.

Stojadinovic joined in the laughter. 'Poor Steven...so naive...so trusting. I must go now. Supper awaits. Enjoy your stay down there. Bye-bye.' And then he was gone.

Again the female voice echoed from above as it said something unintelligible to Stojadinovic.

'But...' Steven spluttered, his jaw open, paralyzed with the realization that he had just seen a vampire.

'What the h.e.l.l is this? Is he a vampire?' Bear demanded, shaking Steven.

'How the h.e.l.l am I supposed to know?'

'You're the expert! You're Mr. Vampire. You know everything. You're the one who brought us here. What the h.e.l.l is going on? Answer me! Is he a vampire?'

'Yeah,' Steven answered vaguely, as in a trance, staring at the hole above them.

Shaking his head, Bear began mumbling the Lord's Prayer: 'Oce nas, koji si na nebesima...'

'The lock,' Steven said pointing to the wall and shaking Bear. 'Maybe we can open it.'

'Where?' Bear asked.

'Over there.' Steven waded rapidly towards the wall, pus.h.i.+ng waves of water with each stride. 'It's just like the lock on the top door.' He waded quickly to the Maltese cross and pressed it as before: top, right, left, bottom, middle, then the two round stones. Nothing happened.

'Hurry,' urged Bear. 'He's killing them!'

Steven's hands trembled as he tried the combination again. 'Nothing!' Maybe he had it wrong. Top, left, right, bottom, middle. Again nothing.

'Stojadinovic, you son of a wh.o.r.e, I'll screw your mother and your father and your whole family in order!' yelled Bear. 'Come on Stefan, come on!' He shook Steven by the shoulders. 'Remember! You can do it!'

And then Steven remembered Slatina's instructions. He pressed the combination in the opposite sequence of the top lock: middle, bottom, left, right, top.

There was a small silent pop from behind the wall. Bear grabbed Steven, hugging him tightly. 'You did it, you did it!'

Without warning the brick wall burst open with tremendous force, propelled by a surge of water that ripped the hidden door from its hinges and sent a large wave across the room. The wave caught Steven and Bear in its grip, sweeping them under towards the center of the room. Steven held his breath and tried to paddle as best he could, but the stake in one hand and flashlight in another made swimming difficult. The weight of his clothes, backpack and boots dragged him down and the chilled water slowed his muscles. He finally struggled to his feet, gasping for breath. The water was chest height and rising rapidly. He made his way half-swimming, half-bouncing towards the cross in the center of the chamber.

Bear, with no stake or backpack to weigh him down, was already at the cross. Water continued to surge through the doorway. Bear held out a hand and pulled Steven towards him. The water was now almost six feet deep and still rising. Clinging to the cross, they watched the top of the door disappear under water. Soon they were sitting on the crosspiece, then kneeling, then standing.

Several inches below the top of the cross, the water stopped rising. Steven and Bear looked at each other, both breathing heavily and s.h.i.+vering.

Attracted by the noise, Stojadinovic appeared above the hole, the lower part of his face a mask of blood. 'Oh, my, what have you done? Please don't drown before I'm ready for dessert,' he snickered and then disappeared.

'Stojadinovic, you treacherous son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h,' Steven yelled loudly. 'I swear I'm going to kill you with my bare hands!'

'If you do anything to Vesna or Tamara, so help me G.o.d...' Bear yelled.

The ceiling was at least three meters above them and a coffin b.u.mped into Steven.

'We can get out,' Steven said. 'The water's stopped rising, so it's reached equilibrium with the staircase. If we swim through the door we'll get to the staircase.'

'Okay,' Bear grunted. 'But I'm not sure my flashlight is waterproof like yours.' Already the bulb seemed dimmer.

Steven placed his stake and backpack on a coffin. They pushed the coffin towards the wall, hanging on its sides for flotation. At the wall, Steven looked at Bear, murmured 'Good luck,' took several deep breaths and dove down towards the doorway, his flashlight dim in the silty water, and pulled the bulky pack behind him as he furiously breast-stroked and frog-kicked. His buoyancy pushed him towards the ceiling, which quickly began sloping upward. It was slow going as he pulled the heavy pack through the water. He had swum ten meters and his lungs were about to burst, when his head finally broke the surface of the water and he felt air against his face. He gulped deep breaths of fresh air and paddled furiously towards the steps, where Bear sat, waiting.

'Hurry!' Bear said, his flashlight now flickering dimly.

Steven quickly removed the stake. 'We've got to kill Stojadinovic,' he said grimly.

They ran up the curved staircase, pulled the brick wall open and raced into the tunnel, Steven first, stake in hand. They came to the junction, turned left down Communication Gallery 500 and stopped, unprepared for what met them. There lay Tamara, Stojadinovic kneeling over her, gnawing the left side of her neck.

'Get away from her you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!' Bear shouted, unable to get around Steven in the narrow tunnel. Stojadinovic looked up, startled, as he wiped Tamara's blood from his lips. He rose to his feet, his body bloated from feeding.

'You think to challenge me while I feed? Do you not know what I am? Do you not fear my power?'

In the gloom of the tunnel behind Stojadinovic a shadowy figure knelt over Vesna. Startled by the commotion it looked up. Its long raven hair framed a pale face and lips tinted red by Vesna's blood. Steven thought he had seen the face before, but it couldn't be...in a portrait on the wall of Slatina's study in La Jolla...in his dreams...on the wall of Slatina's house in Budapest...a woman whom Slatina married more than 300 years ago...a woman who should be dead...yet here she was, sucking the life from Vesna's throat.

'Natalija!' blurted Steven in disbelief.

Her red feline eyes blazed with shock at being recognized, then struck Steven with a gaze that rooted him to the spot. He was stunned by her beauty and something else, as she rose, slender and graceful. 'Take them!' she commanded in a hissing voice.

Instantaneously Stojadinovic's face elongated as long hair sprouted from his skin, until it metamorphosed into a blunt canine snout with glistening razor-sharp teeth in an open mouth. Thick fur covered his skin and his fingernails elongated and thickened to become sharp claws. His stature remained the same, but fur now protruded from his s.h.i.+rt collar and s.h.i.+rt cuffs. The mane of newly-sprouted fur nearly covered his red eyes.

Steven froze as fear gripped his sinews and stopped his heart. Then something inside snapped and took control of him. As though propelled by an unseen power he rushed forward and grabbed the werewolf by the throat with his right hand. The suddenness of Steven's charge took the lycanthrope by surprise, driving it backwards until it tripped over Tamara's prostrate form and fell to the ground with Steven on top. Steven clenched it by the throat and raised his left hand high overhead, the stake ready to strike.

Growling, Stojadinovic fought furiously, grabbed Steven's left arm and stopped the stake from descending. His sharp claws ripped Steven's s.h.i.+rt and flesh, leaving painful gashes on his arms and chest. But Stojadinovic, repelled by Steven's garlicky stench, didn't try to bite him. Flailing claws made it painful for Steven to maintain his hold on the werewolf's throat, so he let go and jumped off.

Stojadinovic arose and swatted at the stake, growling: 'I'm going to disembowel you, boy!' He then screamed in pain as his paw touched the Hawthorne wood of the stake and his fur sizzled.

Steven parried the blow, wielding the stake rapier-like. He feinted a thrust, and as the werewolf lunged to swat it away, Steven kicked it firmly in the crotch. Stojadinovic dropped to his knees, clutched his groin with one hand and clawed blindly at Steven with the other, while emitting a horrible high-pitched yelp. The professor struggled to his feet and lashed out wildly. Steven feinted again with the stake, causing the hairy beast to step backwards towards the hole and lose his footing. As Stojadinovic teetered on the edge, paws wind-milling wildly, Steven thrust the stake at his chest. Sensing an opening, Steven quickly s.n.a.t.c.hed Stojadinovic's scarf with his right hand and pulled. The loose scarf slipped easily off the werewolf's neck.

The werewolf howled loudly and instantly transformed back into human shape. Steven thrust directly at Stojadinovic's sternum. This time the stake penetrated the skin slightly, making a noise like a heated brand on cattle hide as smoke arose from the sizzling flesh. Stojadinovic screamed, stepped backwards, lost his footing, flailed his arms violently and toppled backward into the hole. There was a loud splash.

Steven looked around for the female vampire, only to see an orange and black b.u.t.terfly with white spots flutter upwards into a ventilation shaft. Was it the same one that had been at the tunnel entrance? Had she transformed into a b.u.t.terfly?

Behind him, Bear gently lifted Tamara's head, cradled her in his arms and began to sing her a lullaby in between sobs, as he tenderly rocked her lifeless body. 'You'll be okay,' he whispered, rea.s.suring himself. 'You'll be okay.'

Steven rushed to Vesna and felt her pale neck for a pulse, bent over her mouth and listened for breath. Nothing. The vampire had sucked all life from her. He hugged her as anguish and guilt harrowed up his soul for bringing his friends down here and exposing them to this horror. 'Why didn't I come alone,' he asked himself. 'Why'd I drag them down here with me? Why'd I do this to Vesna?'

He stood, walked to the hole and s.h.i.+ned the light down on the water to find that Stojadinovic had climbed into the casket with Niedermeier's body. Upon seeing Steven he cried out: 'My shawl! Give it back to me!'

Steven looked at him coldly. 'What's it worth?'

'Anything you desire, anything!'

'Where's Natalija?' demanded Steven.

'I can't tell you.' Stojadinovic wailed. 'She'll kill me if I do.' There was fear in his eyes.

'Who's Natalija?' Bear whispered.

'I'll kill you if you don't,' Steven threatened, ignoring Bear.

'First give me my shawl. I'll give you all my wealth.'

'I'm not naive.' Steven sneered at Stojadinovic. 'If I give you the shawl you'll turn into a b.u.t.terfly and fly away. Bear, have you got a cigarette lighter?'

'Yeah,' Bear handed him a silver Zippo. 'Why?'

Steven held the scarf above the hole for Stojadinovic to see, and then he lit the lighter and moved it close to the scarf. 'Where's Natalija?' he demanded. 'Tell me or I burn it.'

'No, please, I beg of you. No,' Stojadinovic implored. 'Please stop. She's at Debauchery. Go to Debauchery and ask for her. Please, don't burn my shawl. Pleeeeease!'

Steven looked at Bear. 'What's Debauchery?'

'A night club.'

Steven turned to Stojadinovic. 'Where are the twelve?'

'What twelve?' Bear looked at Steven, bewildered.

'Where are they?' Steven repeated, ignoring Bear once again.

'Nooo. Give me back my shawl. I told you where Natalija is. She's one of them. Ask her.'

Steven set the scarf alight, causing Stojadinovic to writhe and howl in the coffin. 'Stop it. Stop it. Nooooooooo.'

Stojadinovic's scream sent chills through Steven's and Bear's hearts. When the shawl had burned nearly up to Steven's fingertips, he dropped it and watched the last glowing remnants as they wafted towards the water.

Steven looked at Bear and said: 'He's not going anywhere. Vampires suck in water.' Stake in hand, Steven jumped feet-first through the hole, landing with a splash. He plunged deep under the water and when he broke the surface he saw Stojadinovic in the coffin only a few feet away, rocking in the waves. He quickly paddled towards the coffin, gripping the stake. Inside the professor lay weeping and trembling.

Steven reached the edge of the coffin and grabbed the side for leverage. 'Why'd you burn my burial shroud?' Stojadinovic sobbed self-pityingly, immobilized by the trauma of his loss.

'This is for Vesna and Tamara!' shouted Steven angrily as he braced himself against the side of the coffin, raised his left hand and plunged the stake into Stojadinovic's bloated chest and through his heart. As the sharpened wood met flesh, a large geyser of blood spurted upward and sprayed Steven's face, while a column of smoke, ripe with the stench of seared flesh rose upward. Stojadinovic's dying shriek echoed interminably and sent dust falling from the ceiling, rippling the dark surface of the water. The Hawthorne tip had pierced the professor's back and the rotted coffin bottom beneath.

'Stefan,' Bear called down. 'Are you all right?'

Steven shuddered. Was he alright? He had just killed a man...if Stojadinovic could be called that. Or had he? Had he murdered Stojadinovic? Or a vampire? He struggled with what he had just done, still unable to believe vampires existed and that he had just killed one with a stake.