Vampire Hunter: Corey Crowgarden's guide to killing vampires for fun and profit.

Lesson 3 part 5

"So, Bobby," the voice said calmly, "Are we armed today?"
"Yes," he admitted," I have an old HP35 in a shoulder rig under my left arm."
"Lola?" the voice said and she started pawing around his chest.
"Unzip the pocket," Bobby said "and be careful, it's loaded."
"HP35, huh?" the voice said.
"Ya, a classic. Like my girlfriends father uses," Bobby replied.
Lola drew the pistol, holding it like one might hold a dead mouse. She handed it to the man in Bobby's periphery.
"Vivian, hold the pistol on Bobby here."
The man in his periphery pointed his HP35 at him and then handed his pistol to someone else. He heard the pistol being unloaded.
"Silver bullets, huh," the voice said.
"They seem to work best," Bobby said.
"Oh? What do you shoot with them?" the voice.
"Vampires, ...occassionally," Bobby said.
"Really," the voice said. "When was the last time you shot one?"
"Last night," Bobby said.
"What did it look like?"
"Can I put my arms down now?" Bobby asked.
"Sure kid," the voice said. "Lola gave you the pat down, you aren't a fanger and no way they'd let you run around with silver bullets if you were tainted."
"A little early in the day for a fanger." Bobby said.
"You'd be surprised," he replied.
"Yes, I would. Now that we are friends and all can you have the blond point your pistol a little less... at me?"
He took back the pistol from her and holstered it, technically he just stuffed it into the pocket an old eighties pattern combat coat.
"Tell you what, kid," he said, handing back the unloaded pistol. "Buy me a beer and pay Vivian for the table dance and I'll answer what questions you got."
"Sure, can we do it out of this little closet and back in the room. I'm with some other people."
"Sure kid," he said.
"Thanks, Harry."
Bobby walked out and towards the table followed by Harry. He was old, maybe fifty but look like the road had not been a paved one. He was still large in the shoulders, but probably a bit larger in the belly than he once had been. The buttons were all done up on his coat and the epaulettes were less sun faded than the rest.
"Did you enjoy your dance?" Carrie said to Bobby.
"Not as much as you might think," Bobby replied. "This is Harry," Bobby introduced him and he sat across from Bobby with his back to the stage but where he could see the doors.
"I recognize you two some," Harry said as he extended his hand and shook theirs.
"Did you ever wonder how handshaking began?" Harry asked. "I was told it was what people did to make sure that people weren't holding a weapon and maybe that's true, but did you ever notice you have to take your gloves off to shake. I think they wanted to feel the warmth of the flesh so they knew they were dealing with a person."
Harry waved to waitress, who nodded and turned towards the bar.
"So," Crystal said, but Harry raised his hand. "Beer first, answers second."
The waitress came with his beer and Harry's face lit up a bit. He took a nice long sip.
"So, you were saying..." Harry said.
"Yes, how do you know us?" Crystal said.
"You're obviously Nigel's daughters," Harry said.
"Nigel?" Carrie said. "Our dad isn't named Nigel."
"Relax kid," he said, "My name ain't really Harry."
"It's pretty standard insurgency cell name protocol," Harry said.
"Insurgency?" Bobby said. "Are we at war?"
"God damn right we are," Harry said. He looked at each of them and said, "You don't know the first thing, do you?"
"No, I guess we don't," Carrie said.
So he slowly laid out the first three lessons, more or less like you've seen them.
"We break in to one of their little petting zoos," Harry said. "And we save who can be saved."
"Where does the cash come from?" Bobby asked.
"Don't know. Don't care," Harry said.
"Where was the last place you hit," Carrie asked.
"We don't generally talk about bowling night," Harry said.
"My father and my husband are missing," Crystal said, maybe just a bit too loud. "If you're saying they can do everything you've suggested then they will crack my families mind open like an egg."
"Once that egg is fried they'll be coming after you next, Harry."
He swished the last of his beer around. "Give me another beer," he said. "This is too long of a story on a dry throat."
Bobby nodded and another black ale appeared.
"Listen, it wasn't always this way. At least I don't think so. Back when there was jobs and prosperity and shit. This was a great city. Everybody was working and then it all changed. The jobs and the money were gone and that prosperity too. Anyone that got into to trouble was watched and then they were gone. Everyone said it was drugs and maybe some of it was. Lord knows that took a lot. Then one day all the junkies and the pushers and the hookers and streetwalker were gone. Like the street was swept and no one knew who did it, or how."
He took another long swig.
"But those were people, man. Ya, they were screwed up
broken people, but they had hearts and minds. People loved them, people missed them and no one said anything, because there was nothing to say. Maybe if you said something you were in the next batch."
"I know you don't care about all this, you just want your Dad and your husband back, and I get that. Because I want my sister back because her going missing from some crack house just about killed my mother. It was a place in Niagara Falls, On the edge of town." I'll send yo the map and the Op O, but delete my contact. I got yours but I'll be changing mine as soon as I leave this bar."
An alarm went off on his watch.
"That's four thirty, all. Ths sun is getting low and it's time to barricade myself in. I suggest you get out of dodge."
He stood, slammed his glass on the table with authority and winked at Vivian, then he turned and walked back into the fading sunlight.
"Let's go see mum," Carrie said.