Chapter Five
Fifty bodies lay in the field of a deserted stretch of land in New Orleans East. They had been mutilated the same as the others and drained of blood, with their hearts and eyes missing. Malcolm Boudreaux vomited only once this time but the police officers and paramedics were having a rough time. The police had not found one single clue from the previous murders but this time the culprits had been careless, and left behind one of their symbols. It reminded him of something he’d seen in a voodoo book. That had to be it. These people were sacrificed by voodoo worshippers.
“I think it’s time to call in the professionals,” Malcolm told Anthony. “Call PAK and ask them if they would give us a hand.”
The brother and sister team came to New Orleans after paranormal activity was discovered there a couple of years ago. PAK—a thirty person operation which included physics, mystics, and an assortment of clairvoyants—worked together to rid the world of evil.
The governor looked at him oddly. “You’re not serious are you? They’re a bunch of kooks. I wouldn’t be surprised if we found out that they’re responsible for this.”
“I highly doubt it,” Malcolm said in defense of his choice. “The Petres come highly recommended and there’s been less paranormal activity in town since they arrived.”
“I don’t believe in paranormal activity,” Governor Harrison answered honestly. “It’s crap someone made up to draw tourists to this town.”
“Maybe so,” Malcolm said as he called for his car. “But until we find the real culprits, they’re all we have.” He said goodbye to the Governor and got into his car.
“Where to Sir,” the driver asked as they drove away from the crime scene.
“The French Quarters,” Malcolm answered. “Rampart Street.”
* * * *
Less than fifteen minutes later Malcolm sat in the PAK headquarters in the office of one of the Petre siblings drinking tea.
“How can I help you, Mister Mayor?” Joshua Petre asked him.
“We need you and your people to join us in a hunt for these murderers,” Malcolm said, after he’d told them why he was there.
“What do you want us to do?”
“I don’t know,” Malcolm confessed. “Consult your physics…see if they know anything about voodoo cults.”
Joshua laughed. “This is Louisiana, Mayor. There’s bound to be a few voodoo cults here and there.”
“I’m serious, Petre. I know you have someone in your little organization who knows a thing or two about voodoo.”
“I think you’re referring to Isabella Denning.”
The mayor nodded. “That’s her. I read about her family. Her grandmother is supposed to be this big-time high priestess.”
“Then shouldn’t you be talking with her grandmother?” Joshua asked.
“I would if I knew her by name and how to get in touch with her.”
“So, you figure Isabella can act as a go-between?” Collena Petre asked. Up until now she had been very quietly sitting and sipping her tea.
“Yes. Will you ask Isabella to help us?”
“I’ll see,” Joshua answered. “Isabella has been very busy lately.”
* * * *
Jake knew there would be trouble the minute she walked into his club. Light brown complexion, shoulder-length curly black hair, large almond shaped eyes and full, chocolate brown painted lips.
She was clad in tight black leather which molded to her body like a second skin, and she walked gracefully in a pair of black high-heeled boots that added more inches to her tall frame. All eyes were on her as she made her way in past the seated guests and the dancers. Women looked envious, while the men all paused, each probably wishing she was with them instead of the well-built black gentleman who followed her in through the door.
In a way the two of them were a bit out of place. This was a club for the children of the night, the young and restless youth with too much money and free time. The couple found a table and ordered drinks. A few minutes later they were on the dance floor dancing to a saucy Latin beat.
Jake and the other patrons watched her slender hips undulate to the music. She danced uninhibited and free, keeping up with the moves of her partner who was no slouch on the dance floor.
A few rowdy young men made lewd and lascivious remarks which she ignored. A few of the young women migrated to an adjacent corner, and were probably making some unkind comments about her. This group of girls had caused trouble in his bar before. In fact, they nearly wrecked the place once. If they started anything, his money would be on the newcomer. She looked like she could handle herself very well.
“Who is that?” Sal, his partner asked as he approached the bar.
“I don’t know,” Jake answered.
He and Sal had been in business together for years and he knew the man very well. Sal had an eye for the ladies and the big brawny Italian usually got what he wanted. He came from a family with money and most of the young men in the bar worked for him.
“She came in with the man she’s dancing with.”
“Like that matters,” Sal said arrogantly. He left the bar and headed for the table where the young woman and her companion had returned to.
The club grew silent as everyone turned to watch. Jake used his keen hearing to pick up on the conversation.
“Good evening,” Sal said to the woman and completely ignored the man. “Welcome to Club Victory. My name is Sal and I’m one of the owners.”
The young woman extended her hand to him. “Thank you, Sal. My name is Valencia and this is my date, Lucky.”
Sal shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Lucky,” he said to the woman’s date. Sal still hadn’t taken his eye off the woman. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No,” she answered.
Her voice was so deep it made Jake tremble.
“We’re from Florida. We’re on vacation.” She paused. “We were just passing by when we heard the music and thought it would be nice to come in.”
Sal snapped his fingers and the waiter approached. “Get me a bottle of our best champagne.”
“That isn’t necessary, Sal,” the young woman said to him.
Sal gave her back her hand and, as was customary, pressed his business card into the palm. Sal did this so often it was routine.
“It is my pleasure, beautiful lady.”
The waiter returned with the champagne icing in a bucket and two glasses. He popped the cork and poured the fizzy liquid.
“Have a pleasant stay in New Orleans,” Sal told her.
The waiter put the bottle back into the bucket and walked away.
Sal waved to the young woman and walked back over to the bar and high-fived him.
* * * *
“You think if I take you to a bank ,they’ll give us some money?” Ernie asked Isabella, as they watched the two men at the bar.
Isabella laughed. “Sal pressed his business card into my hand.”
“Should I be jealous?” Ernie asked playfully. “After all, I’m posing as your date.”
“I don’t think your wife would like that.”
Ernie laughed. “Did you see the way he was looking at you?”
Isabella nodded. “Like he could eat me right up.”
Ernie stopped laughing. “How many have you counted?”
“About twenty,” Isabella answered. “They have us surrounded.”
“Only twenty? I’ve seen you take on more than that by yourself.”
Isabella took a sip of the champagne. “Don’t drink too much of this stuff. It might be drugged.”
“Why would you say that?” Ernie asked sipping the free champagne and then putting the glass down on the table.
“Because no one gives away champagne without a reason. Sal’s one too. He’s not very old…maybe fifty or sixty years old. He gives the champagne to people he’s interested in embracing.”
“That would make him a newbie. I think I can kick his ass,” Ernie bragged.
Isabella giggled at his joke. “I’m not worried about his ass.”
More people entered the club. It was only seven in the evening and the place was packed. Everyone was drinking to excess and someone was arguing. No sooner had she heard it when a chair went flying across the room.
Two young men squared off. It was obvious both of them were drunk. Before long they were wrestling around the floor while their friends stood by, egging them on. The next thing she knew everyone was fighting all over the place.
Sal and the man from behind the bar tried to break up some of the fights, tossing some of the guys out of the door.
“I think we should be going,” Isabella said to Ernie. “Nothing much going on here. We can always come back tomorrow to ask questions.” She rose. Ernie followed her out of the club and into the street.
Two of the girls from inside the club approached.
“Where are you going, bitch?” one of them, a bleached-blonde, asked Isabella, blocking their way.
“To my car, bitch,” Isabella replied stepping around the young woman. They were around the same height but that’s where it ended.
The blonde pulled Isabella’s hair.
The red-head with her pulled a knife from her boot but Ernie got into her face.
Isabella spun around and kicked the blonde across her knees. The girl fell to the ground but quickly got back onto her feet and charged toward her. Isabella waited and then hit her with a side-kick that knocked her to the ground.
The red-head came to her friend’s aid, helping her up. “You think you can handle both of us?” she asked.
Their faces started to change. Fangs appeared where teeth once were.
Isabella pulled a cross from her pocket and the two women stepped back quickly. “Yeah, I think I can handle both of you.”
“You came prepared, mortal. How did you know?” the blonde asked.
“I can smell a blood sucker a mile away,” Isabella bragged.
“You take her,” the red-head told the blonde. She sidled up to Ernie. “I’ll take him.”
The blonde charged Isabella again, landing a punch against Isabella’s jaw that rocked her a little.
Isabella retaliated by kicking her opponent in the stomach. The young woman went down on her knees but recovered quickly.
Ernie kept the red-head at bay with his cross. Ernie wasn’t into hitting women but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t.
A crowd of people had come out of the bar and were placing bets against them.
Isabella counted many vampires amongst them in the crowd and prepared to be ganged. The blonde rushed her. Isabella grabbed her by both shoulders and tossed her onto her butt. The young woman howled, causing the red-head to take her attention off of Ernie. She never saw the stake he pulled out and pushed into her chest. Her body quivered a little and then exploded into a pile of dust.
There was a sudden pause in the air and all the noise ceased. Then the rest of the vampires in the crowd headed toward them.
“Party time,” Isabella told Ernie as she took the blonde out easily.
A young man appeared to take her place. He showed his fangs. Isabella spun around and landed a high kick to his forehead. Another one grabbed her from behind and she staked him in the chest without looking. Then she staked his friend.
Ernie was sandwiched between two more vampires. He grabbed both of them by the necks and slammed their foreheads together. This angered them considerably and they flew at him, knocking him to the ground.
Isabella staked one of them while Ernie sent the other into the brick wall of the club.
Sal and the other man from the bar had come out and stood close to them.
“Something is not right,” Sal said to the other man. He transformed and headed over to Isabella. He slapped her across her cheek and sent her sprawling onto the street.
“You’re not playing with the kiddies anymore,” he said, pulling her to her feet by her hair. He rammed her face first into a car and blood squirted from her forehead.
Isabella shook her head to clear her thoughts and then looked over at Sal and his gang. The others had retreated back to a safe distance.
“You’re not just any pretty face are you?” Sal asked her as he charged toward her.
Isabella moved quickly and Sal slammed into the car, nearly moving it onto the curb.
Isabella pulled a pair of nunchaku out of her jacket and waited.
Ernie staked his opponent and then rested aside their parked sedan focusing on her and Sal.
Sal flew at her, unafraid of the weapon in her hand. It was a bad assumption on his part. Isabella whipped the nunchaku around in her hand and landed a hit against Sal’s face. He didn’t appear stunned by it so she kept it up until he bled.
Sal growled, caught the nunchaku and pulled them out of her hand. He tossed them aside, picked Isabella up by her shoulders and flung her into a brick wall.
Isabella’s entire body ached and she felt like she’d been hit by a truck. Unfortunately for her she had felt like it many times before. The pain in her body wasn’t the problem…the vampire was. She regained her composure as Sal approached.
“Who are you, girl?” he asked.
“Your worst nightmare,” Isabella answered as she threw something in his face.
Sal’s face began to smoke. “You bitch,” he screamed, clutching his skin. He ran toward her angrily.
Isabella was ready. She hopped to her feet, pulled a stake from the waistband of her pants and drove it into his chest. Sal exploded into dust right before her eyes.
Ernie signaled for her. Isabella ran to him with the other vampires hot on her heels. They hopped into their car. Vampires climbed on the hood and trunk as Ernie started the engine. The speed from the acceleration threw vampires off leaving them sprawled in the street.
“That was intense,” Isabella said. Her heart beat fast in her chest and there was blood dripping from her forehead.
“Only you would think that,” Ernie said. “Are you okay?”
“Other than an intense overall body ache, yeah.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a tissue to clean the blood away.
“You are so crazy.”
“Such is the life of the slayer, Lucky.”
“Lucky? How the hell did you come up with that name?”
Isabella laughed. “It popped into my head. I do look like a Valencia, don’t I?”
Ernie shook his head. “No, that’s the name for a nice safe orange. You are the Vanquisher and there’s nothing nice and safe about you. Isabella suits you just fine.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” She sighed. “God, I’m starving.”
Ernie drove to a nearby café, ordered them some food and then drove her home. He took the keys from her, and entered first, checking to make sure no intruders were lurking. She still had a contract on her head so she couldn’t be too careful.
Isabella entered. Her eyes registered on a blinking red light on her answering machine. She closed the door behind her.
“You have a message,” Ernie replied as he flicked on the light and entered her bedroom. He came out a few seconds later. “No vamps.”
Isabella pushed the button.
“Isabella, this is Joshua. I need you and Ernie to come to the office, pronto. All hell has broken loose in Jefferson Parish. There’s been some kind of cult/serial murder thing again and the police need your help. It’s chaos around here.” The message ended.
“I thought I was going home and resting,” Ernie replied.
“Let’s go,” Isabella told him.
“Sometimes this job sucks,” Ernie stated as he followed her to the door.
“A mass invasion of vampires, werewolves and ghouls would suck more,” Isabella told him. “Now let’s get our asses back to work. Dawn hasn’t arrived.”