Kiss Of The Butterfly Part 23

'Stefan?' Bear called again.

Steven looked up and nodded, then looked back at Stojadinovic. 'I'm not sure he's dead,' he called up to Bear.

'Huh? What do you mean? You just drove a stake through his heart. He's dead.'

'Yeah, but all the folk tales say you have to cut off the head and burn it.'

Bear's eyes widened. 'That's sick.'

'But what if he really is a vampire? What if the folk tales are right?'

Bear shuddered. 'Then do it. If the folk tales were right about the existence of vampires, then they're right about how to kill them.'

Steven began shaking from the cold and the trauma of killing a person that until just a few moments ago he had considered a friend and mentor. Yet he pulled a large knife from his backpack. 'Just in case,' Mrs. Lazarevic had said when handing it to him before he set out. 'Just in case.'

He flinched at the first cut, unable to watch. Then he sawed at Stojadinovic's neck, cutting rapidly through the flesh. The knife sliced easily, but slowed when he came to the vertebrae in the neck.

Steven hacked furiously, but the fresh human bone was resilient. Blood and sc.r.a.ps of flesh flew everywhere, coating Steven's face, hands and clothing. He pulled Stojadinovic's head back by the hair, stretched the neck, and then attacked a gap between two vertebrae. Finally the knife cut through and he held the head victoriously overhead, blood dripping from the severed jugular down his hand and sleeve to his shoulder. Steven withdrew the stake from Stojadinovic's chest and placed it, along with the knife and head, into his backpack and swam from the chamber.

Bear had placed both girls side by side and was kneeling over their pale bodies. Stojadinovic had savaged Tamara's neck, leaving the jugular gaping open. In contrast, the female vampire had left Vesna with two small neat puncture marks.

'They killed them,' Bear said in shocked disbelief. 'I can't believe they killed them. Those were real vampires.' And then he turned accusingly at Steven. 'You knew about this, didn't you? You knew vampires exist. You knew they'd be down here. That's why you brought the stake and ate garlic, isn't it? Answer me! How'd you know about the vampires?'

'Bear, I don't know...look, I'll...I'll explain later. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Let's get out of here before they come back. Can you carry Tamara? I'll get Vesna.'

Bear picked up Tamara's flashlight and looked around. 'Are they coming back?'

'I don't know,' said Steven. 'But I don't want to wait to find out.'

Bear picked up Tamara with a grunt, tossed her over his shoulder and headed back the way they had come. 'The door's locked,' he shouted as he reached the junction room.

Steven picked up Vesna, slid her over one shoulder and turned to follow Bear. Her body felt cold and her muscles stiff. He walked with deliberation, trying to convince himself that he couldn't have known...their tunnel expedition should have been simple and safe. Lost in these thoughts he felt a faint breath of warm air on his neck. Vesna moaned imperceptibly and then again a little louder.

'She's alive!' Steven shouted. 'I think she's alive.' He kissed her neck and whispered 'don't give up' in her ear.

Bear turned to see and smiled grimly. He placed Vesna's head between his large hands and kissed her gently on the forehead. 'How do we get out?' he asked.

'Stojadinovic didn't have a map. He just learned about this place by wandering around. There's a shorter way.' Steven pulled out the waterlogged map. 'Give me some light. My batteries are dying,' he said.

'Mine too,' said Bear. 'We need to conserve.' He switched his off and pulled out his Zippo lighter. They pored over the map and decided on a direction.

From the junction chamber Steven led them in the opposite direction of the secret door and through a maze of tunnels, using only one light to conserve batteries. Finally they came to a long tunnel that sloped upward. Steven and Bear sweated and struggled under their loads as they trudged up the slick, brick-strewn slope. They finally came to a junction with blue letters on the sign that told them they were on the third level.

Steven was almost as large as Bear, yet carrying the girls through the narrow, cramped tunnels was tiring, as he had the added burden of Stojadinovic's head and Slatina's journal in his backpack. He had to keep s.h.i.+fting Vesna to consult his map, all while holding the stake. From the third level Steven found a direct tunnel up to the second, and then a stairwell to the first. As they stopped to rest, Bear grabbed Steven and motioned for silence. Both stood there, puffing.

'Down here,' a hard male voice called from a tunnel to the right.

Steven motioned to Bear and both staggered into a bunker, hiding behind a wall with loopholes for muskets. They laid the girls on the floor and switched off their lights.

'Where now?' came another voice this time, nearer.

'Keep going straight. They're here somewhere.' The two friends heard the heavy tread of boots approach their hiding place. 'Keep your ears open. There are four of them...two guys and two chicks.' The footsteps neared the bunker and light from flashlights flickered through the loopholes. From the sounds there were at least half a dozen.

A low moan emerged from Vesna's lips, and Steven quickly clamped his hand over her mouth.

'Did you hear something?' asked one of the men.

'Yup, it's probably a ghost,' laughed another nervously.

The light flickering through the firing ports illuminated Vesna's face. Her eyes opened briefly and looked at Steven as she tried to form words with her mouth. But no sound emerged and she closed her eyes. Steven bent closer to her face until he could feel the faint breathing from her open mouth. She felt so cold.

From the other side of the firing port came the sound of someone opening a metal lighter. 'Cigarette break,' said a voice. More lighters opened and closed and the smell of tobacco wafted into their hiding place.

'What are these holes for?' someone asked. 'What's behind them?' An arm reached through one and fingers fluttered inches from Bear's head. He flattened against the wall to avoid them.

'They're for firing muskets,' another voice answered. A flashlight shone directly through one of the loopholes, illuminating the wall just above Steven's head.

'Let's see what's behind this...'

'What the h.e.l.l are you doing?' a new voice interrupted. 'Move your lazy a.s.ses down to level four. The boss wants those kids found. Now!'

There was angry grumbling as boots stomped out cigarettes. One glowing cigarette flew through a loophole and landed on Vesna's jeans leg, smoldering. The boots marched away heavily, accompanied by grumbling. 'We don't even have a map. Where are we going?'

After the sounds had echoed away, Steven switched on his light, only to be met with a faint beam. 'It's dead,' he muttered.

Bear switched on his. It too flickered dimly and began to die. 'd.a.m.n,' he said, pulling out his Zippo.

With Bear lighting the way, Steven led them along a tunnel in the opposite direction, which they followed for more than a hundred yards, with frequent stops for the lighter to cool off. They struggled up a sloping tunnel that turned into steep stairs. At the top of the stairs a large wooden door barred their way. Steven and Bear set down the girls and threw their shoulders into it, splintered the wood around the hinges and knocked the door down with a dull thud. Fresh air rushed at their faces, and beyond the door they saw the night sky, lit by a brilliant full moon... and something else.

A hundred and fifty meters away the headlights and revolving gumball of a dark blue Zastava police car illuminated five dark SUVs parked near the powder magazine of the St. Elisabeth bastion, near the main gate to the Labyrinth. A policeman stood guard, keeping back gawkers. Bear and Steven set the girls down and rested, watching as more police cars pulled up and discharged their occupants into the tunnel.

'Where's your car?' Steven asked Bear.

'Over there,' Bear motioned in the opposite direction of the vehicles. Under cover of darkness they carried the girls to Bear's Yugo and loaded them awkwardly into the back seat. Steven was about to get in when a very loud and bloodcurdling shriek came from inside the backpack.

'Stop!! Stop!! You over there,' the policeman at the tunnel entrance shouted. 'Stay where you are!'

'Drive,' Steven yelled as he jumped in. The backpack shrieked again and Steven dealt it a heavy blow. The shrieking stopped.

Bear stepped on the gas as the policeman came running towards the Yugo. The clutch wouldn't engage and Bear jiggled the stick s.h.i.+ft frantically. The policeman ran closer and drew his pistol. 'Halt!' he cried.

Bear finally threw the car into gear and started forward, accelerating as quickly as the old Yugo could manage, bouncing across the gra.s.s. The policeman was gaining and he fired a shot, missing.

'Go!' shouted Steven.

'Where?' Bear shouted back. 'Those SUVs mean we're screwed.'

The Yugo had reached gravel and was now putting distance between itself and the policeman, who stopped, out of breath and fired off several more shots, all missing the Yugo. He turned around and ran back towards his car.

'Faster!' Steven shouted. 'And turn on your headlights or we'll hit something!'

Bear accelerated, pus.h.i.+ng the Yugo to its limits as they raced towards the fortress gate.

'Drive down to Wa.s.serstadt!' Steven said. 'I'll show you where.'

As Bear gunned the old Yugo down the b.u.mpy cobblestone road towards the bottom of the hill a column of black SUVs raced up the hill directly towards them, blue lights flas.h.i.+ng through their grills, followed by old blue Zastava police cars with rotating lights.

'We're dead!' said Bear.

But the SUVs ignored Bear's battered old Yugo and continued up the hill onto the fortress.

'Faster!' cried Steven.

'It's going as fast as it can. It's a Yugo, not a Lamborghini!'

At the bottom of the hill Bear made a quick left and trod heavily on the gas, the small motor racing at top speed.

'The cop's coming down the hill,' Steven said looking back. 'I can see his lights.'

As Bear steered the old Yugo through the Belgrade gate into Wa.s.serstadt the police light disappeared from view. He quickly swung into a narrow side street and cut the motor and lights. Both he and Steven ducked down and waited. After 20 anxious seconds, flas.h.i.+ng blue lights illuminated the surrounding buildings. When they had pa.s.sed, Bear sat up, and then immediately ducked again, pus.h.i.+ng Steven down, as more flas.h.i.+ng blue lights appeared and then disappeared.

And then the road was clear.

Interlude X: Belgrade: 17 May 1992 Ten sat on the terrace of the White Palace in the leafy Belgrade suburb of Dedinje, enjoying the view across a still-dark valley in the waning hours before dawn as Igor played a mournful tune on his accordion.

'Where is she?' demanded Rastko, the doctor from Montenegro, dressed in the garb of a New Age mystic. 'She's kept us waiting all night.'

'She will come,' said Tarik, now a secret policeman for the Bosnian government. 'Have patience. What do you have that's so urgent? Naptime?' The others chuckled.

'Screw you,' Rastko replied.

'I have something new regarding the Vlach,' Lynx said.

They all looked at him.

'I have a hostage who claims he knows his whereabouts. I'll let you know if he has anything useful.'

'You know how many of these false alarms we've had,' muttered Mihailo, fingering the reading gla.s.ses on his nose.

'Yes, but this one knew what I wanted before I asked.'

A large gla.s.s-paneled door swung open and Natalija walked onto the terrace.

'You're late,' said Rastko.

Lynx jumped to her defense, his baby face glistening. 'Shut up,' he growled. He stroked a baby wolf on a leash by his side.

'We're eleven,' said Stanko, now a DB official. 'Tell us what happened.'

'Our secret is discovered,' said Natalija.

There was an uproar among the eleven as they hurled questions at her in rapid order. 'What? How did this happen? Who? Didn't we cover our tracks...'

'Stop, stop! One at a time,' Natalija's manner was haughty, as though born to privilege. 'Let me tell you what we know. It started with a university student from America...he claimed to be here to study ethnography, but he showed an unhealthy interest in Djordjevic's works and we had to cover our tracks and remove the book.'

'And the librarian,' added Igor, now attired in the uniform of a Croatian Army general.

'And her son,' exhaled Mihailo.

'We thought that was the end, until the bookstore owner became too nosey. So we had to deal with him. But the American still kept poking his nose in things, so Stojadinovic lured him and his friends into the Labyrinth. Somehow the American had a complete map of the underground. I don't know where he got it, but he had it. He found the upper entrance to the chamber and he knew how to manipulate the lock. He carries a Hawthorne stake.' This last remark caused another uproar and looks of consternation.

'May I continue?' she asked. 'Yes, a Hawthorne stake. It looked old, as though used many times. I need not remind you that such a weapon gains power with each kill. He impaled Stojadinovic...Wait, wait...Stop talking... He killed Stojadinovic...and knew to cut off his head. He has taken it with him and I a.s.sume he has burned it. Prior to killing him he took his shroud and taunted him, then burned it. He clearly knows what he is doing.'

'No!' Ivan said, shocked.

'You shouldn't have let Stojadinovic have the bookstore owner,' said Branko, wearing the uniform of a general in the JNA. 'He was too crude and hungry. He lacked talent. That is the problem with young...'

'Let me finish,' Natalija said. 'Stojadinovic drained one of the girls, and I started on another, but she still lives...her blood calls me and I must finish her.'

The others nodded in a.s.sent.

'But who are they? Who is this American?' asked Stanko. 'Is he a vampirovic?'

'I think not, otherwise he would have discerned Stojadinovic long ago and killed him. But he has discovered our secret and is dangerous.'

'Who sent him?' Stanko asked. 'How did he come to this knowledge?'

'I am uncertain. Stojadinovic thought the American was getting instructions from his professor in America, so if you can have your DB look into that it will help. I don't yet have the professor's name, but we'll find out. Go to the university and the apartment where the American lived and find out where he is and who he a.s.sociated with. We must hunt them down.'

All nodded their a.s.sent.

'Is the Venetian behind this?' asked Lynx.

'We've had no sign of him or his Order since we broke free,' answered Branko. I can't imagine he is still alive, but then again, a vampirovic is immortal, unless he fell in love in the meantime...'

'Which would be exactly like him,' snapped Natalija.

'What do you think, Natalija,' asked Lazar, who until now had remained silent. As he stood an SPS party lapel pin glistened in the moonlight against his expensive Italian suit. 'You know him best. Is the Venetian behind this?'

'Somehow, the American knows my name and...please, calm down! Only Marko could have told him this. So there is no doubt that Marko is behind it. The question is how? I know Marko and the way he operates. It is so like him to send someone in his place. If it is Marko, he will remain in hiding until the end and will never expose himself unless absolutely necessary.' She looked around the group intently as the sky began to show the first streak of grey on the horizon.

'We must smoke him out,' said Stanko, a large Cuban cigar and a snifter of cognac in his hands. 'You must set a trap.'

She nodded.