A Bloody London Tale (Book 2): The Epidemic Read online

  A Bloody London Tale 2

  The Epidemic

  By Cornelius Prichard

  Also by Cornelius Prichard on Amazon

  A Bloody London Tale: Unrest Rising http://www.amazon.com/Bloody-London-Tale-Unrest-Rising-ebook/dp/B00T5DHWLI

  Copyright 2016 by Cornelius Prichard - All rights reserved.

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  Amalia

  Another attack happened in the night and everyone was scared. Most people refused to go out, but I knew better than to let my fear get the better of me when there was something out there hurting people I cared about. Some said it was a vampire. It seemed the most likely explanation, so I’d gone around asking the elders for all the stories they knew, while they looked at me as though they believed I wasn’t good enough a hunter. Maybe they were right. Maybe I wasn’t good enough to kill the vampire, but I was going to do my best. Especially as I knew there would soon be more than one. Far too many of its victims were in the hospital in a critical condition and when they died I knew they’d rise again. That was the way things were. That was why I was going to kill the mad vampire as soon as I could, even though there was too much town for me to patrol by myself. There were other hunters, but I didn’t believe they were good enough. It was the way things were.

  “You need to stop going out at night.” My brother was in the doorway, giving me a look. “I know what you’re trying to do, Amalia, but you’re not the person who’s going to kill the vampire. Leave it to the hunters. They’ve done this before.”

  “I haven’t seen any of them when I’ve been out.” I studied him. “How can you be certain they’re even out there, Miron? I’m not, so I’m not going to rely on them. The only person I know for certain I can rely on is myself.”

  “Getting yourself killed will just lead to you coming back as a vampire. I’m not letting that happen to you. I’m not letting you become one of those bloodsuckers.”

  “This isn’t your decision to make.”

  “Papa will tell you the same thing I have.”

  Laughing probably wasn’t the response Miron was expecting. “I’ve already spoken to Papa. He knows what I’m doing and he gave me Grandpapa’s good luck charm. When I told him what I wanted to be doing he smiled and told me I was just like Grandpapa.” I wiped a tear away. Thinking about Grandpapa always made me cry, because I still missed him, even though we didn’t always agree on things. “Our family have always been hunters, little brother, and I’m just following in their footsteps. There’s nothing bad about that.”

  “I don’t believe you. How can Papa be willing to let you go out there alone?”

  Unable to stop myself I followed Miron down to the kitchen. “Amalia says you know she’s going out at night and you haven’t done anything to stop her.”

  “Why would I?” Papa looked between the two of us. “She knows what she’s doing. I don’t doubt she’s better than the other hunters out there, because she’s just like I was when I was younger, but I’m far too old now to be out hunting this creature.”

  “You used to hunt, Papa?” That was new. I went to sit down opposite him. “You didn’t tell me.” Their eyes met and I knew why. “Who was it?”

  “My sister.” He sipped his tea. “Papa had been called away. We aren’t the only town that’s dealt with vampires, but it’s never been as bad as this. This one… he’s not trying to keep hidden the way the other ones were and that’s not a good sign. However the vampire I was hunting was clever. He seemed to know where I was and stayed away from me. It wasn’t until I was talking with Liliana I realised the vampire had been here. By knocking on the door and telling her he was trying to escape the vampire he managed to get her to let him in. As she knew I was out hunting it she thought she was doing her bit to help. Unfortunately her decision led to her death. I believe he was trying to change her, to make her into one of them, and I came in at the wrong time. I staked him, but I was too late for Liliana. She died in my arms.”

  “That’s not the end of the story.” I sighed. “Oh, Papa.”

  “Every one of those people in the hospital, if they die from their wounds, will become a vampire. There is a chance they will even if they died a natural death, but it’s most likely now. You need to be ready for that.” He looked at Miron. “I’m not going to stop Amalia from doing what I did. There’s no reason to. She has the strength to be able to fight the creature and I believe in her. If anyone is going to be able to put a stop to it it’s your sister.”

  “Miron, do you want to help me?”

  For a moment I could see how tempted Miron was, but then he shook his head. “I’m not putting my own life at risk. Those people were stupid enough to go out at night, so they can live with what their choice has led to.”

  “How can you say that? They didn’t know they were going to be bitten by a mad vampire and I don’t believe we should walk away from those who are choosing to live their lives.”

  “People sometimes don’t have a choice. The days are getting shorter, Miron, and not going out after sunset is difficult as most people don’t finish working until then.” Papa studied Miron. “Our choice is to protect the people who don’t have one. Like the girl who was bitten the first day, when there was no knowledge of their being a vampire. Did she deserve what happened to her?”

  “Well, no, but…”

  “There are no buts. We do what needs to be done. That’s the job of a hunter and it always has been. You, my son, weren’t born to be a hunter. Amalia was, which is why she’s the one out there putting her life at risk to save those who need her. You… I understand why you’ve made the choice you have. My sister made the same choice twenty years ago. I just hope you don’t live to regret it the way she came to.”

  With that Papa took his tea and left the kitchen. “I don’t want you going out there, Amalia. I want you to stay home tonight and leave it up to those who’ve trai
ned to be hunters all their life. I want to know you’re safe from the vampire.”

  “Sorry, Miron, I wish I could.” I stood. “I’ve been hunting vampires for the last year and I know it’s something I can do well. You might not accept that as the truth, but it is, and I would appreciate it if you helped me with this. You don’t want to go out hunting. I accept that. What I could do with is someone helping me work out who this vampire might be. If I can find where they’re sleeping I might be able to stop them there, instead of trying desperately to find them in town. There is a chance he’s come from one of the outlying villages. Finding out for certain would keep me safer.”

  For a moment I was certain he was going to turn me down, but then he nodded. “I can help you find out who it was.” He bit his lip. “I understand why you want to be out there, but you’re my sister and I don’t want you to end up like those people in the hospital.”

  He was gone before I could reply. “I’m not going to.” I sighed. “I know what I’m doing, little brother, and I’m not going to let a vampire hurt me.”

  Gareth

  Stepping off the plane wasn’t an easy thing to do. Everything was moving. People were walking past me, giving me that look, but I wasn’t drunk. I hadn’t had anything to drink on the plane that wasn’t water and I wished I could say something to someone. Finding my voice was far more difficult than it had ever been before. When a hand took my arm I looked over to find one of the stewardesses was helping me. “Thank you.”

  “I saw what you were drinking.” She tightened her grip as someone pushed past them. “Are you unwell?”

  “Possibly.” Slowly they made their way into the airport, travelling down the same corridors I’d been down when they weren’t moving by themselves. “I was fine when I got on the plane, so I’m not certain how it started, but I definitely don’t feel right now.”

  “Where are going?”

  “Home.” I wasn’t entirely certain where home was, but I knew that was where I needed to go. “I’m sure I must have something on me that tells me where home is.” Carefully I put my hand into my pocket, not certain I’d be able to stay upright, doing my best to find some form of identification. “My driving license, maybe.”

  “Will you be alone?”

  “Yes. I think.”

  “In that case you’re coming home with me. You’re going to have to sit in the airport for a little while, but I think that’s better than going somewhere you don’t know by yourself.”

  “I can’t.” I swayed a little more. I felt like I was drunk, but I knew I wasn’t. Maybe having some cold and flu pills would help. “You’re very kind, but I don’t think staying with you would be the best idea. I don’t know who you are.”

  “Polly West.” She tightened her grip on my arm again and I was certain that was because I’d staggered left unexpectedly. “I’m not going to do anything to hurt you, but I am going to make certain you have someone there to look after you. The very thought of you going home by yourself worries me.”

  “Thank you, Miss West. I do appreciate the offer.”

  “You’re either coming with me or I’m taking you to hospital. Pick an option.”

  “Hospital?” I shook my head. “I don’t need to go to hospital. I’m fine. Absolutely fine.”

  Laughing, Polly led me to one of the seats and I sat down. “You’re not fine. You wouldn’t have been able to get off the plan if it wasn’t for me, Mr. Thompson. Now I’ve told you want your options are. Pick one.”

  For a long time I stared at her. “I pick going home with you.” I didn’t want to, but it was better than going to hospital. They’d been somewhere I’d avoided ever since… no, I wasn’t going to think about that. “How long will you be?”

  “About twenty minutes. Do you think you’re going to be okay for that long?”

  I nodded. “I’m going to drink some more water and hope I start feeling more normal.”

  Polly smiled. “That sounds like a good idea. Don’t go anywhere. If you’re not here when I come back I’m not going to start hunting for you.”

  “I promise I’ll stay here.” I might even have had a little nap while she was gone. “Just don’t be too long. Someone might kick me out for being drunk.”

  “They won’t if you’re not being disorderly.”

  I still watched her stop to talk to the gate staff, obviously to tell them what was going on, before going back the way they’d come. I took a bottle of water out of his carry-on bag and sipped it as I looked for my wallet, which should hold my driving licence. Not knowing where home was made me uncomfortable. It was something I should know. I’d only been in Romania for a week, so the loss of my memory was unexpected, but then if I had the flu… I sighed as I finally found my wallet in my inside pocket. I was Gareth Stephen Thompson, of 39 West Street, Maidstone, Kent. I shook my head. That was a long way to go. Maybe it was better to stay with Polly for a little while, to sort myself out, before I made the journey back. Slowly I went through the rest of the things in my wallet, my fingers clumsy, trying to work out whether I was going home to someone or not. If they were expecting me I should ring them to tell them where I was.

  “How are you doing?” Polly’s voice made me jump. “I’m sorry.” When I looked up she was smiling at me. “What have you found out about yourself?”

  “I live in Kent.”

  “Then it’s just as well you’re staying with me.” She smiled. “Is there anything else in your wallet? I know I keep all sorts of weird things in my purse, although the worst thing I do is collect receipts. Some days I do get annoyed with them all and toss them out, but it doesn’t happen anywhere near as often as it should, even though I tell myself over and over to just get rid of them. I don’t need them.”

  “I can’t find any receipts. I think, maybe, I cleaned out my wallet before I made the journey to Romania.” I sighed. “I wish I hadn’t. I want to remember more about myself. It’s weird. I can remember where Maidstone is, but I remember barely anything about who I am.”

  “Did you hit your head at all?”

  “Not that I remember. I don’t remember much about Romania at all, to be honest, even though I know I was there for a week.” I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I did hit my head. Maybe it’s whatever this affliction is affecting my memory. Have you ever heard of things like that happening?”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t heard of much, though, so that isn’t saying much. I think it’s entirely possible you’re not feeling well and your mind isn’t working as well as it normally would. The last thing I suggest you do is push it when it’s obvious the best thing you could do is sleep.” Gently Polly pulled me into a standing position. “I’ll get the spare bed sorted out as soon as we get to mine and then we can go from there, okay?”

  I let her lead me in the direction of what appeared to be the exit as I nodded. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Lena

  “Stay in England.”

  “Why, Grandpapa?” I’d been looking forward to going home for the holidays. “I’ve got flights already booked.”

  “Yes, I know, but we’re having some issues here. It would be better for you to stay where you are. Coming home now wouldn’t be safe.”

  “At least tell me what the problem is, please.” Staying in London when I knew my family wasn’t safe would be difficult, but as I knew it was what Grandpapa wanted me to do I had some leverage. “I promise I won’t come back if you tell me what the problem is.” He was silent. “Is it…”

  “Don’t say the word, Lena. You know better than to do that in a place where no one knows about them. We’re having an issue with one vampire, which I’m certain will be solved soon, but I still think it would be better for you to stay away. The last thing I want is to lose you to those creatures as well.”

  Nodding, I brushed a hand through my hair. “I understand.” Just hearing the word vampire sent a tremor of fear down my spine, because I remembered what happened to my pa
rents. I’d watched it happen, but the vampire hadn’t bothered with me, and they could only assume it was because I was too young for him to have any interest in. “Stay safe, Grandpapa.”

  “Of course, darling. I’m not going to make things harder for you than they already are.”

  He hung up on me, the way he often did, and I wandered into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea before I went to see if I could cancel my flights without losing all the money I paid for them. Marie was there, making her own cup of tea. “You look disappointed.”

  “I was meant to be going home for the holidays and now I’ve been asked not to. My grandmother’s ill, so she wouldn’t be up to dealing with me being there.” Lying about things was far too easy, but then people in London didn’t believe vampires were real. They read stories about them, though, often falling in love with the creatures. It was stupid. “I might be able to get some of my money back.”

  “Maybe, if you’re lucky.” Marie smiled. “At least it means someone will be here for the holidays. I hated the thought of leaving the flat empty for two weeks while we all went home.”

  I wasn’t, but then all I cared about was being able to get away from the life I’d created for myself in order to be my normal self for a little while. It wasn’t until I couldn’t I realised how much I missed it. “Home alone.” I smiled back, even though I didn’t think it met my eyes, and got my mug out of the cupboard. “I might have a party.”

  “Yeah, right.” Laughing, Marie shook her head. “I’ve never known you do something like that and I doubt it’s ever going to happen. You’re fair too sensible to have a party when the rest of us aren’t here.”

  “One of these days I’m going to do something to surprise you.”