Victor Gischler - Vampire A Go-Go

“There’s information in it,” Allen said. “We’ve come too far just to let it go.”

“Let’s look around.” Amy headed for a cupboard against the far wall. “Maybe there’s something we can use for a weapon.”

She opened the cupboard, her hand going to her mouth to stifle a scream. She jumped back. Penny growled.

Allen’s eyes went big and round, his mouth falling open.

“Damn, that light’s bright,” said one of the severed heads in the cupboard.

Six heads. Three on the top shelf, another three on the bottom.

“It talked,” Amy said.

The wolf whined, hid behind Allen’s legs.

“What day is it?” asked one of the top-shelf heads, who had a thick black moustache and eyebrows. “Can you take me outside? I haven’t seen the sun in so long.”

“Stop complaining,” said the head next to him. “I’ve been in here longer than any of you.”

“You’ll have to excuse us, miss,” said a bald, bottom-shelf head. “It gets a little tedious in here. Hard to pass the time.”

“We could start the choir again,” suggested the moustache head.

“All you know are fucking Journey songs,” said baldy.

“Jesus,” Allen said. “Close the cupboard.”

“No!” all the heads said together.

“Let’s just leave,” Amy said.

“Wait!” said the freshest-looking head. “I know you, don’t I? London, about two weeks ago.”

Amy squinted at the head. “Pascal?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name.”

“Amy.”

Allen said, “You know him?”

“He’s a Society official,” she told him. “What happened to you, Pascal?”

“It’s a long story,” Pascal said. “You’ve got to get me out of here.”

“Us too,” said one of the other heads.

“Shut up,” Pascal snapped. “I’m talking to somebody.”

“We can’t leave yet,” Allen told the head. “Zabel has something of ours, and we need to get it back.”

“Where’s Zabel now?” Pascal asked.

“He said he was going to his office,” Amy said. “Maybe he’s still there.”

“Don’t go to his office,” Pascal said. “He’s got it rigged with subliminal messages. You’ll be helpless.”

Allen looked at the wolf. “How did you get in here, anyway? The front door?”

Penny shook her head.

“Did you find an open window?”

The wolf nodded.

“Can you get on the roof?”

The wolf nodded.

Allen scratched his chin, thought for a moment. “Okay, people, here’s the plan.”

Amy raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You’re making plans now?”

“Just huddle up and listen,” Allen said. “Amy, I want you on the street. At least one of us needs to get away clean. Head, you’re with me. I need inside information. Now pay attention. Here’s how it’s going to go down.”

They eased up the stairs from the basement. When they reached the ground floor, they split up. The wolf padded back to the kitchen to the open window she’d come through in the first place. Amy slipped out the front door, closed it behind her as gently as possible.

“Okay, head, it’s just me and you now,” Allen whispered. “Where’s Zabel’s office?”

“Will you stop calling me head? My name’s Pascal.”

“Why does your voice sound weird?”

“I have a stone in my mouth,” Pascal said.

“Why don’t you spit it out?”

“Because I’ll die,” Pascal said. “The office is upstairs.”

Allen started up the stairs with the head under his arm. He stopped every few steps to listen. Had Zabel already gone? If so, maybe he’d left the diary behind. Allen could do with a bit of good luck. They reached the second floor. Allen paused again but didn’t hear anything.

“Turn right,” Pascal whispered. “The office is all the way at the end of the hall.”

“You said there was a window that faced the street?”

“Yes, and a small balcony beyond, or maybe it was just a large flowerbox. I didn’t get a good look.”

“Okay,” Allen said. “Come on.”

He tiptoed down the hall to the office, pressed his ear against the door but heard nothing. He knelt, looked through the keyhole. He couldn’t see much. No movement.

“I don’t think he’s in there,” Allen said.

“Let me have a look,” Pascal said.

Allen held the head up to the keyhole.

“I think you’re right,” Pascal said. “His desk is right across from the door, and I don’t see him.”

Allen tucked the head back under his arm, tried the doorknob. Unlocked. He pushed it open slowly, stuck his head inside. Nobody there.

The Kelley diary sat in plain sight in the center of the desk.

“Sweet,” Allen said. “Let’s grab it and get the hell out of here.”

“Not so fast,” came a voice from behind Allen.

Damn . Allen’s heart sank. He turned very slowly. Zabel stood there, an automatic pistol trained on Allen.

“Damn your eyes,” Pascal said. “That’s my gun.”

“I saw no reason to throw it out,” Zabel said. “Looks like it came in handy. Pull the trigger on this end, and the bullet comes out the other end, right? Pretty simple.”

“You are a giant douche,” Pascal said. “Just look at me. This isn’t over.”

“I think I might take you up on the roof after this, Pascal. See what the crows make of you.” Zabel waved the gun at Allen. “Stand back. We’re going to have a little talk. For starters, I’d like to know how you got out of the basement.”

Allen sighed. “I’m sorry, Pascal.”

“Sorry for what?” asked the head.

“This.”

Allen tossed the head into the air. It went nearly as high as the ceiling, then arced toward Zabel, who titled his head back to see Pascal’s face screaming down at him.

Allen leaped on Zabel, a hand going to his gun wrist. They twisted, went to the ground. The head came down and bounced off Zabel’s skull. Zabel winced, let go of the gun.

Allen grabbed it and stood, pointed it at Zabel. “Hold it.”

Zabel didn’t hold it. He stood slowly, rubbing the top of his head. “That hurt.”

“I’ll be taking that diary now,” Allen said. “Nobody has to get shot here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Allen lifted the pistol. “You don’t think I’ll do it?”

Zabel stomped his foot, pretended to jump at Allen. “Boo!”

Allen yelped, thrust the gun at Zabel, and tried to pull the trigger.

But he couldn’t.

He looked at the gun, incredulous, pointed it at Zabel again. No matter how hard he tried to pull the trigger, Allen couldn’t make his finger obey.

Zabel laughed. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? I have protections all over my house to keep people like you from doing me any harm.”

“I told you!” Pascal was on the floor, facing a corner. “Damn it, what’s happening? Turn me around.”

“Lars, come here,” called Zabel.

“Oh, shit,” said the head.

Allen was still trying to pull the trigger. He couldn’t believe it.

“For Christ’s sake,” Zabel said. “Give me that gun before you hurt yourself. You can’t harm me, but you’ll shoot your own foot off if you keep-”

The window exploded behind him, the wolf leaping onto the desk amid a glittering rain of glass. Penny wore a torn strip of tablecloth around her eyes to protect herself from the subliminal spells.

Zabel screamed.

Allen, who’d known it was going to happen, screamed anyway.

“I can’t see,” yelled the head. “What’s happening?”

The wolf zeroed in on Zabel, snapping its jaws, growling. Zabel tried to retreat, but Penny’s powerful jaws clamped down on his upper arm. He screamed again, hit the wolf on the side of the head with his free hand. “Lars!”