Preys and Predators Part 1 Chapter 52

 

52 The duel

 

The professor, aka Rady, stood there facing his brother, Count Vlad. The latter was still in pain from the blood he sucked from the Super Warrior.

“I asked for grounds to settle my differences with my brother. Either of shall reign supreme or die together.” Lord Vlad motioned to the others to withdraw. He was in pain from the sunlight while the professor was still under the tent.

“Does it hurt, Vlad? You might want to join me here.”

It was then the hunters shot at the tent canopy to allow sunlight in. The professor cursed out at them.

“No matter. He will die before I do.” The professor laughed.

“Radu, do you want my blood like before? It will heal you faster.” Count Vlad staggered towards the tent. He felt the sunlight on his exposed skin, but his anger was more than his pain.

“You are my minion. You could heal, but with mine, you will heal faster.” Count Vlad hand out his right wrist. “I am your master.”

“Called not as my master. I have none now. The Sultan’s dead, and his empire collapsed. I am my own master. My own destiny. The Syndicate is mine.”

“Is it, Radu? Do you think it was your work that the syndicate exists? Have you ever thought that it was my doing? All of them knew you as the professor but not the master. I am that master.”

“Mary Pleaste works for me. She was told to form an alliance with the others to stop you. She was almost there, but you got her removed. Do you think by displaying their corpses will deter the others? No, they are enraged. They want your blood.”

“The Syndicate is my new empire, ruled by vampires and operated by minions like yourself. I came here to see for myself the work you had done. It was an excuse of mine to seek cure. Why should I do that? I have been a vampire for generations. I hold immortality inside of me. I offer immortality to the ones who are loyal to me.”

“My mistake was you. You swore an oath to me that you would manage my empire while I remained in the valley; for that, I saved your life, but you built an empire thinking it was yours, but overshadowed by mine.” Count Vlad laughed.

“Radu, you are a fool. A super-ego fool.”

“You ought to learn from the professor you imitated.” Count Vlad laughed louder. “The impersonator cannot be better than the original.”

“Die now, my brother. Die forever.” Count Vlad had reached the edge of the tent. He pulled at the pegs and pushed the tent down. He then charged at the professor. The shots rang out, and the count was on his knees. He felt every shot into his body and the pain that followed.

“Chain them all.” Mycroft ordered his men. “We will take them into custody.”

“That would not be necessary, sir. We, the Naval, take care of our own.” It was Commander Edgar Wallace who arrived with the huge group of sailors. “The Admiral is my under my care.”

“Thank you, son. Now kill them all.” The admiral was thankful for the arrival of his son.

“Admiral, you are held on the charges of treason. We will place you in the brig till your court martial.” Commander Wallace instructed his sailors to take the Admiral while the latter was cursing on the lapse of ranks.

“Mr. Holmes, the others are civilians and will be left for you to hand. Good day, Sir." Commander Wallace took a glance at the lifeless lady in the wheelchair. Jekyll was treated next to the wheelchair by the doctor. He felt the reluctance to approach the wheelchair. Daisy, or rather his Daisy, was dead. He remains then Jekyll’s lady friend. Holmes returned the rifle to Mycroft. It was not fired at all. He took the walk back to the woods alone. Mary Reid had covered the nude body of Rosa with part of the tent cover. The servant lady was dying, and the medic orderlies carried her to the laboratory to treat her.

“She needs blood, and that is available there.” Doctor Manfred offered his assistance. “I can save her.”

Jon Rexton took his own leave to the wagon with Ermir and men. They were to go back to the city. Jon was told of another expedition with Professor Challenger to some remote land where dinosaurs still dwell.

“Bloody monsters to dinosaurs... I guess that will change. They eat plants and vegetables, as I was told.” Jon mumbled to Ermir, who was whistling to himself. He and his men had looted some silverware from the castle; that completed their needs.

That evening, the clubs were all quiet except for the selected hunters, who spoke of their hunting exploits with numerous versions of them.

“Olaf, did you get any heads back for us to mount as trophies?”

“It is Olad. I am no O’Laugh. No, I did not get the heads. They would not fit in here with fangs out; it might haunt the place.”

Mycroft’s men knew when to say anything but kept their sanity with the extra pint and an eye towards the dark during full moon. No one knew for sure what happened that day, and the prints were told that Lord Dennis was dead’ killed by mercenaries, and the estate was taken over by the government.

“You died, and you lose your castle.” The prints were out, and the news sold. No one asked about the monster and murders. It was also at Baker Street.