Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

7

       He walked right up behind Lincoln, towering over him. "What do you want?" Lincoln grumbles. The man responds in a gruff voice. "I heard you guys arrange your little date. I decided to meet you here" he says. "So you stalked us?" Ronnie asked. "No," he says, "I got here first, didn't I?" He steps to another chair, pulls it back, and sits down. "I would like to talk with you. Both of you. Firstly, Mayor, I wanted to discuss these new ordinances that you've established. You're making us lock up our doors and windows before sundown? Why is that?" Ronnie Anne is visibly distressed. She may be good at handling herself while in office, but when it comes to direct confrontation, she breaks down quickly. This is the first time that Lincoln is seeing her distraught to this degree. "I-I-I'm just trying to keep people safe! From thieves and such." The man glares at her. "I've never heard of a thief in this town. Actually, I'd argue our little Stark County has no need for concern. Locking both doors and windows... who are you protecting us from?" She swallows and her throat struggles so much that it's audible. "And you, Lincoln. Is it true that you're a vampire hunter?" At this, Lincoln reacts with extreme hostility. He lunged over the table and gripped the man by his shirt, pulling his face up close to his. Doing this knocked over several wine glasses and plates, shattering them on the ground. Patrons of the restaurant start to watch the scene, and Lincoln does not notice this, as he's too focused on the man in his grip. "Who told you that?" Lincoln asked. He smiled, lying limp in his grasp, and that smile told Lincoln everything. He bore fangs.

       Lincoln growls, but the man attempts to calm him down. "You're not being very polite here. How about we both sit back down in our seats and talk like gentlemen, shall we?" Lincoln grips his shirt even harder. "Why would I talk with a vampire?" Lincoln asks. He laughs, then reaches into his pants pocket, pulling out a photo, which is hard to see at first, as it's obscured by the dim lighting of a candle. Upon closer viewing, the image becomes clear: It's a photo of a woman tied up. Lincoln is surprised, but Ronnie Anne is far more disturbed than him, and she soon verbalizes why. "That's Jackie. She's my secretary." The vampire smiles, happy to see the proper amount of distress being instilled. "Excellent, so now you see that we do have something to discuss. If you kill me, then I suppose you won't be able to find the dear girl. At least, that's my assertion." Ronnie can't move, and she's starting to lose that mayoral composure she usually upholds. All she can mumble to him is, "What do you want? Is it money? Is it blood?" He scoffs. "Blood? Honey, no, I'm not looking for you to sacrifice anybody. I'm looking for another kind of sacrifice. More accurately, the sacrifice of top-secret information." Her fear dissipates, and she now holds a more serious countenance. "What are you hinting at? I'm assuming if you're requesting something like that, then you must have in mind exactly what information you're looking for." He nods almost complacently. "But of course. What I'm seeking is easily achievable for someone in your position. I want details on men; the addresses of every priest within the boundaries of your blessed town." Lincoln throws himself forward to throw a punch, but Ronnie Anne stops him with an extended arm. Her focus unbroken, she asks "And if I provide that, you'll free her?" He rests his head in his arms. "Yes. Your secretary will be freed." Lincoln slams a fist down, and the silverware bounces with an offensive clatter. "That's idiotic! You sick bastard, that's not a fair trade at all! Offering the lives of multiple priests in return for one secretary? Are you crazy or just impressively stupid?" A gross black smog begins to rise from beneath the table, enveloping the man as he speaks his final words with a grin. "I only showed you one photo. Don't think it that's simple, Mayor." Wrapped inside the thick smoke, he vanishes from sight, and when the air begins to clear, he has already vanished.

       "Damn it, he's lying! If more than a secretary went missing, I'm sure people would notice!" Ronnie Anne stands up from the table, too anxious to relax like she'd wished to. "They do notice. You would know that if you attended more town meetings, Lincoln." He looks at her, irritated by her comment but choosing to stay silent. "Don't worry," Lincoln says to her, "I'll find that bloodsucker and nail him to a wall." She grabs him by the arm, and Lincoln can observe the concern in her expression and her voice. "No, you can't. If he finds out you're coming after him, there's no doubt in my mind that he'd kill Jackie. Please, this time, let the vampires win. I'm not going to allow anyone to get hurt, and I'm going to need your cooperation to ensure that, okay?" He stands up as well, pulls out a cigarette, and puts it to the candle's flame. It burns with its smoke wending upward towards the ceiling. He takes a drag and exhales like an angered dragon. "Fine. But if that scumbag comes anywhere near me again, I'll saw his pale head off and hollow it out for Halloween." They both leave the building, saddened that neither of them got to enjoy an expensive meal and relax together. As they leave the moon ascends into the sky and shines down on them, adding a whole other layer of emotion and pensiveness.