The City of Darkness and Blood

Chapter 26

The following day, I sat on a bench in Solomon Park, checking the time on my phone--12:39 pm. Glancing around, I couldn't spot the person I was supposed to meet. Where is she? She should've been here by now. I idly played on my phone while I waited. Suddenly, Kendall approached me. She knows that this isn't a social call, especially after we parted ways after Chloe's death. "Hey," she greeted cautiously. "Hey," I said with a mix of dryness and coldness. She sat next to me, and our conversation began. "What's wrong? You said you had something important to tell me," she said. "Yeah, I do," I said, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. Kendall watched me smoke, clearly surprised. "Since when do you smoke?" she asked. "Is it relevant?" I shot back. Before she could answer, the detective cut straight to the point. "Silver got you into smoking, didn't she?" she asked, her tone accusatory. "I don't need your opinion," I said tersely.

"Why do you bother hanging out with her?" Kendall pressed.

"Will you focus?" I snapped, irritated by her questioning, "I spoke to one of your boys in blue: Detective Dullman."

"Why were you talking to him?" she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Because he turned Brian Borne into a vampire," I said, exhaling smoke from my cigarette.

"A vampire? Tell me you're joking," she said, her disbelief evident. I remained silent, but my expression confirmed the truth. "Okay, you're not joking. Wait, the autopsy report. The coroner said he found human blood in Brian's stomach, and he elongated canines. That explains how he killed his victims. But wait, why did Dullman turn him into a vampire?" Kendall's voice rose with confusion and alarm.

"He said someone hired him. Whatever he ejected Brian with must be part of some kind of experiment," I explained, taking another drag from my cigarette.

Kendall shook her head in disbelief. "An experiment? This sounds like something out of a horror movie."

"I know, and I'm worried they're maybe other victims," I continued, my concern deepening.

"I'll see if I can get a trace of that phone call," Kendall said, determined in her voice. "What about you?"

"If I could get a sample of Brian's blood, maybe I can analyze it to see what was in his bloodstream," I replied, thinking aloud.

Kendall's phone buzzed, and she checked it. It was a message from her partner, Tim Singleton, wondering where she was. Kendall understood the urgency. "I have to go. Tim and I have to protect Mr. Parlor for the election. Wanna come?" she asked, already knowing my answer. I gave a noncommittal expression. "Oh yeah, you're into politics. I'll let you know what I find and get you that blood sample. I just hope they didn't cremate his body," she said as she walked away. She paused for a moment when there was else I had to tell her. But she was not going to like it. "Wait," I said, as Kendall stopped and looked at me, "Silver's a vampire." Kendall's mind was blown. She couldn't believe her ears. "Wait a minute, Silver Bloodborne is a vampire? Oh, I knew it! I knew there was something off about her. Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. I remained silent, and then something seemed to click in her mind. "Did you... Are you sleeping with her?" she asked. My silence answered her question. "Oh my... Wow," she said, shaking her head in disbelief before immediately walking away.

That went slightly well, considering. I got up and left to head to the gym. While I was walking, I began to ponder something. Suppose someone is possibly conducting experiments on cancer patients and turning them into vampires. Could they also be responsible for the disappearances of Death Row inmates and the harvesting of their blood? The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. If someone had the resources and the audacity to turn people into vampires, it wouldn't be a stretch for them to abduct condemned criminals for their twisted experiments. This could explain the increasing number of missing inmates and the strange occurrences linked to them. As I entered the gym, the familiar sounds of weights clanging and people grunting brought me back to the present. I needed to stay focused and gather more evidence. Only then could I uncover the truth behind these sinister experiments and bring those responsible to justice.

I returned home from the gym, muscles aching from the intense workout. After locking the door, I tossed my bag onto the couch and headed straight for the kitchen. I grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge, downing half in one go. The cool liquid was refreshing, but my mind raced with the day's events.

I turned on the TV in the living room and sank into the couch, flipping through the channels until I landed on the live coverage of the mayoral election. Gregor Parlor was up against his rival, Daniel Hastings, a seasoned politician with a strong following. The tension was palpable as both candidates finally appealed to the voters.

I watched as Parlor, with his characteristic charisma, addressed a crowd of supporters. The camera then cut to Hastings, who spoke at a similar rally across town. The screen split, showing both candidates side by side, each trying to outshine the other. As the coverage continued, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I leaned forward, my attention fully on the screen when chaos suddenly erupted at Hastings' rally. The camera shook, and the audio was filled with screams and shouts.

The news anchor's voice cut in, trying to make sense of the situation. "We're getting reports of an incident at Daniel Hastings' rally. It appears... it appears that Hastings has been shot." My heart pounded as the camera focused on the stage where Hastings had been standing. His body lay motionless, blood pooling around him. People were scattering, trying to find cover as security personnel rushed to the scene. "A sniper," the anchor continued, the shock evident in her voice. "It looks like a sniper shot Hastings." I stood up, gripping the remote tightly. This was no random act of violence; it was an assassination. I tried to call Kendall, but she wasn't answering. I would happily help with the situation, but it's daylight, and I could be easily spotted. The cops would arrest me on sight after what I did to Brian. I better sit this one out. So I turned the TV off and went upstairs to shower while I thought about the assassination and the experiments. Someone is behind this and I am going to find out.