“I kind of wish holy water would work. What about garlic?”
“Nope. Hang on to your wooden stakes and be sure to keep them in there when you cut off their heads. All else fails, use the flamethrowers.” Sabine pointed to their packs.
John’s eyebrows raised. “Flamethrowers? Why don’t we just use these in the first place?”
“One, because it’s arson and there are innocent humans around that they keep for feeding. Two, we’re going into one Rhapsody. We don’t want to attract the Orchestra.” Sabine hoisted her pack over both shoulders and sighed. “What? Why are you giving me that look? I didn’t make up those fucking names.”
The laughter that came out of John’s mouth sounded rough and dry. Almost humorless. “Yeah, it’s um … kinda lame.”
“Kinda. But they fancy themselves immortal musicians. Their world is the Orchestra, and each Rhapsody is part of its makeup. They have Symphonies, Brass, blah blah blah. One Rhapsody’s called Bohemian. Kid you not.”
John shook his head. “Someone liked Queen.”
“Guess so. But the other terms aren’t a modern invention. Anyway, it’s almost three. They’ll be settling down to feed about now, so now’s the best time to strike. Feeding time is when they’re at their most vulnerable.”
John nodded. “So we kick down the door and start staking.”
“No. We sneak in and start staking. Make sure you hand each human a towel and tell them to put direct pressure on their puncture wounds. Otherwise they’re gonna bleed to death. Got it? Stake, kill, save. Stake, kill, save.”
“Fine. But how do we sneak in, though?”
“We pose as bait, dumbass.” Sabine scowled at him.
“With flamethrowers on our backs, dumbass?” John tapped her arm. “Where do we put these?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll show you. Remember, these are a last resort. I’ve been watching this Rhapsody for a year now. Vampires love routine whether they admit it or not. They’re creatures of habit, just like humans.”
to be continued…
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