He braced his hands on his knees and pushed his way to his feet. After a swift pivot around the couch, he quietly returned to the bar. He searched under the counter and produced a bottle. Some things might change, but liquor always stood the test of time. I recognized the label immediately. It was my old friend, Mr. Daniels. Carter reached for two shot glasses. Holding the rims between his fingers, he returned to his place to take a seat.
“Now.” He put the glasses side by side and poured the amber liquid carefully into each. “Vampires might have been weak during the day, but they slaughtered at night. Trained soldiers were sent to all the largest neighborhoods, and a worldwide curfew was established. Soon, humans and vampires were playing cat and mouse.”
He handed me a glass, and I took it. He threw his shot back, swallowing hard, and shook his head. He immediately poured another shot and set the bottle on the table. The gesture gave me a small amount of relief. There was no way he’d drink something tainted.
At least he was honest in that respect.
“Then the war on bloodsuckers got a new weapon. Something so accessible anyone could have it—TRV—The Renfield Vaccine. It was engineered from vampire blood, and the way it worked was simple. You got the vaccination and if a vampire bit you, the vampire died. It seemed like an easy solution. Leaders from around the world showed a united front, televising the summit where they received the injection themselves. Before the end of the month, over three quarters of the world population had the shit floating around in their systems.”
He downed the next shot and poured a third.
“It took almost thirty years for side effects to occur. People started aging rapidly, their cellular levels going completely off the charts. They died within hours—men, women and the children who’d been vaccinated and were now adults. The only populations that remained untainted were the third world countries that didn’t have access to dependable health care, and we lost contact with them years ago. Since the first people to inject the tainted shit into their systems were the world’s leaders, it was only a matter of time before the entire infrastructure combusted. Without leadership, humans started dropping like flies.”
Eyes wide, I exhaled softly. “Jesus.”
Carter smiled and I could see the bitterness in his face. “It was only weeks before what was known as the Renfield Syndrome wiped us out. When vampires started scouting for survivors, those who decided against receiving the vaccine got word there was a safe haven here in New York, which is where you currently find yourself. That was thirty years ago, and things still haven’t changed. People are still fighting for the right to live, and vampires are still hunting them down and forcing them into slavery.”
“So people are slaves?” I spoke slowly, thinking, How does that work, exactly?
“They are nothing more than primped and preened cattle the vampires keep as pets. They try to fool you into believing you can live a normal life, saying you can have a home, family and children. They clothe you, they feed you and they protect you. But you’re never free. You’re expected to provide what they need. Trust me, I know.”
I twirled the glass between my palms, looking down at my hands. “Would it be too personal to ask how?”
“Someone here will tell you eventually. It’s probably best you hear it from the direct source.” He reclined in the seat. “A few years after we arrived here, my older brother started getting cabin fever. Each day Patrick ventured out, traveling farther and farther into the city, and one night he didn’t come home. It was difficult, but we made our peace with the fact he was gone. When he showed up several years later, he was…” Carter paused, frowning. “He belonged to one of them. I won’t go into detail, or explain why it was so reviled among us, as it’s irrelevant. He claimed they only wanted to help rebuild society and that’s when we learned they only demanded one thing in return—loyalty and servitude. He was lucky to make it out of the building alive. If he wasn’t my brother, he wouldn’t have.”