Crimson † Chess (Vlad Dracula)

Calm (5)

Gabriel sat on an old couch in a detective's office and answered questions in German. She spoke German best then French. The detective noticed the dark lines under her eyes and how much noise she made eating.

"You have been on the run for three or four days now?"

"Yes, since the night my friends were taken by that man from Altered Realities," Gab replied.

"Do you know his name? Describe him?"

"I can draw a sketch and I think his initials are V.D. like Vlad or something," Gab said then finished her sandwich. "Thank you so much for the food. Can I call my mom?"

"Don't think that's a good idea..."

"I got a burn phone I haven't used yet and my old phone is somewhere between here and Vienna,"Gabriel said with a smile.

The detective picked the phone up, "You know that couple found in Vienna and red BMW missing? The girl we just brought in that's being pursued by a serial killer. She placed her phone in their car."

The detective turned to Gabriel "What hotel did you check into?"

Gabriel told him and what room. The detective spoke on the phone again. "There is two brothers reported missing from that hotel. They were employees and last seen this morning."

The detective hung the phone up. " You better make that call and then I need to get you to a safe place."

"Detective there is no safe place with this man. I'm safer here in your station not a safe house location," Gabriel tried to convince him

The girl sketched Kazikli Voyvode and handed to the detective. "He's delusional. The man told me he was Kazıklı bey."

"What is that name?" the detective asked as he frowned at the sketch.

"It's Ottoman Turk for Sir Impaler, rough translation."

"You're fucking telling me this man is Count Dracula? Bullshit!"

"He thinks he is Vlad III Drǎculea, Voivode of Wallachia. I told you, most likely delusional but obviously quite capable of organized kills,"Gabriel said in a serious tone.

"How would you know?"

"My dad is a behavioral analysis specialist for the F.B.I. He hunts these kinds of killers,"Gab sighed.

"You know you could have been the intended target when you got to London," the detective replied.

"He didn't know my name until he started texting me from my friend Sheri's phone. I have the texts and images he sent me before i got rid of the phone. Shit! I got that couple killed! He told me he would kill anyone that helped me!"

"Easy! You're in a major European city and a police station. Are you sure you're not the one who thinks he's Dracula from Stoker"s book?"

"Stoker's, in theory, was an altar boy to this man..."Gabriel said wearily "I would be happy if I was going a little crazy as long as he gets caught."

"Call your parents and try to sleep. I have calls to make and evidence processed to figure out the next move."

Gabriel turned her phone on to call and dialed her dad's work phone. She really hoped he would answer. Gabriel wanted to hear her dad's voice right now.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Daddy it's Gab! I'm in a police station in Amsterdam. I'm so scared! I ditched my phone on a car to Vienna and he killed the couple. Two employees from the hotel I stayed at are missing."