Suburban Vampire: A Tale of the Human Condition -- With Vampires

Chapter 24

"That's none of your goddamn business."

"Was it Scott Campbell?"

"I ain't sayin' nothing."

"He got to you, didn't he, Ralph?"

Ralph did not answer. Jack peered into his eyes. Ralph tried to avoid Jack's gaze.

"Yeah, that's it, isn't it, Ralph?"

"What...what do you know about it?"

"More than you know, buddy, more than you know. But hey, why trouble ourselves about Scott Campbell? Instead, let's talk about Detective Montoya. She was here to see you, Ralph. What did you tell her?"

"Nothing! I told her nothing. I swear!"

"You sure? Because, oh, I don't know, maybe she's showing a bit of interest in our Mr. Campbell. That's not a good thing, Ralph. What did you tell her?"

"He...he sent you?"

"He? You mean Scott? Good gracious, no! I came here all on my own accord. But you need to tell me everything you said to Detective Montoya."

"I said nothing! Nothing! I swear to God!"

"Yeah, you do that. You know, Ralph, I believe you. I believe you didn't actually say anything about Mr. Campbell to the detective; indeed I do. Still. I think you may have said too much."

"Wh-what does that mean?"

Jack smiled at Ralph. "You know, forget about it. It's all good. You're fine. But hey, you know, look at the time. You know what time it is, Ralph?"

"N-no. What time is it?"

"Lunchtime."

"Okay, but I don't see any food."

"I do. I'm looking right at it. Guys?"

Jack motioned to the two corrections officers. Their faces twisted into monstrous forms, a monstrosity that Ralph had only seen hints of in Scott's eyes. Now the monsters had been revealed; now they would feed. Daggerlike fangs tore at Ralph's throat, ripping easily through his skin and into veins and arteries. Blood spurted from his gaping wounds. Ralph screamed at horrors beyond his imagining. Screams that echoed in the small room, screams that would not be heard anywhere else.

"Well, now, guys, that's just plain rude," Jack told the deputies. "Least y'all could do is offer to share."

Jack bared his own fangs and joined in the orgy of blood and suffering.

***

Elizabeth's investigation into the underground organization known as the Improvers had led her into places so unsavory that even the slimiest of slimeballs would not go there. Through some of her confidential informants—a couple of goth kids who considered themselves vampires and wanted to be actual vampires, but whose applications the House would never accept; still, they were pretty sure Elizabeth was the real deal and really wanted to impress their dark mistress—she found out about the existence of an underground club in Old Town, where darker pleasures could be had. The House operated its own underground nightclub, which catered to the bondage/sadomasochist paraphilia crowd. The forbidden pleasures conducted there included self-scarification and ritualistic bloodletting; controlled live feeding was one of the higher-price options for vampires who submitted to the House. The club Elizabeth learned of from her informants was a similar business, but cheaper and seedier, as if that were possible. It catered to a vampiric clientele that preferred to remain off the House's grid. This was naturally a place a member of the Improvers, or at least someone familiar with the movement, would frequent.