Chapter 10

"This is the warehouse?" Dante asked as soon as the three men arrived outside what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

"I believe so. This is the location." Alex answered looking down at the phone in his hand before looking back up at the building, "It is rather shabby looking, isn't it?"

"It's abandoned, Alex, of course it looks shabby." Victor commented making Alex give him a look.

Dante sighed, "Well, let's take a look around." Dante headed towards the large rolling door of the warehouse and held the large padlock in his hand. Two thick chains were wrapped around the handles and held together by the padlock, "Obviously, someone doesn't want anyone to enter." Victor smirked and Dante was about to rip the padlock off when a car honked behind them. Dante turned and watched as the car came to a stop and Detective Brian and Joeye step out.

"For the love of--" Dante muttered. Alex sighed out loud and Victor placed his hands into his pockets, looking all innocent.

"Mr Cabrera." Brian called out.

"I swear this guy loves my name." Dante whispered annoyed, looking away before turning back with a fake smile, "Detective."

"Funny finding you here." Brian said as he walked up to the three men, his partner beside him.

"Indeed."

"Shopping, are we?"

"Pardon?"

Detective Brian nodded towards the warehouse, "I heard the building was already bought. Are you interested in buying it now? Suits you style, doesn't it? Warehouses."

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're implying." Dante replied.

"Let's cut the crap. I know this building belongs to a Mr Remy Denery as did the one that burnt down a few days ago. Now, I don't know if you perhaps have a grudge against Mr Denery or what, but I just can't dismiss this as coincidence. So why don't you tell me why you're really here."

Dante was slightly taken aback by the direct words but took a few steps forward towards Brian, "Detective, I say what I said the last time we encountered each other with great concern, this isn't a world you want to get involved in."

"And I shall repeat what I said on our last encounter: What kind of world is that?"

Before Dante could answer, a loud bang sounded from behind them, almost as though something heavy ran into the warehouse door. Dante turned quickly upon hearing the sound then took a few steps towards the door and tilted his head to listen. With his hearing sharpening, Dante could hear a faint tapping sound, kind of like a bunch of people running on tile. Dante's eyes short open, "Get back!" but it was too late, the large warehouse door burst from it's frame, making dust spurt up into the air, and nearly fifty vampires ran out and began leaping into the air, as though they were trying to escape. The more dumber ones didn't get far before they became interested in the people waiting outside for them. The sound of sniffing amidst the dust could be heard by Dante's sharp ears.

"Alex!" Dante called out.

"I'm here behind you." Alex replied coughing. Dante breathed a sigh of relief but then realised that Alex wasn't the only human there, "Detective!" Dante yelled upon seeing Brian with his arm raised, covering his mouth. Brian turned around to search for Joeye but she wasn't there. Dante quickly headed over to Brian, Victor and Alex close behind.

"Joeye!" Brian called out. The four men stood frozen as they watch all the vampires return and form a loose circle around them. Dante heard Brian gulp from beside him when a high pitched giggle resonated through the air.

"You want to know what kind of world, Detective Brian?" the voice asked. Dante could not pinpoint from where the voice was coming from as he turned in circles trying to identify their opponent. A black swirl of mist formed in front of them and Cleo emerged holding Joeye in front of her. Brian quickly unclasped his gun and took aim.

"Ah, ah, ah." Cleo said, holding Joeye in front of her. Hesitantly, Brian lowered his gun, "Good boy." Cleo remarked.

"Cleo, what are you doing?" Dante began. Dante noticed the red irises staring at them, these were no normal vampires, these were hungry vampires.

"I'm waiting for my husband. When he comes, I'll stop my silly game, but I must say," Cleo bent her head towards Joeye's throat, "The game is becoming a lot more fun."

Dante threw his arm forward, casting his bats towards Cleo, but they were not fast enough. Cleo had already bitten Joeye and she disappeared before the bats could even touch her, and the moment she disappeared, the other vampires dispersed.

"Joeye!" Brian called out again and ran towards her. He slid across the ground as he reached her and he pulled her into his arms, "Joeye. Joeye?" Brian looked up towards Dante, "What are you?"

"A creature from a world you don't want to get involved in." Dante replied plainly.

"She was bitten, will she turn into a vampire?" Alex asked next a little anxious. Dante shook is head while looking at the floor, agony in his eyes,

"Cleo's venom is different. She can't turn people into vampires, her venom just kills them."

"What?" Brian asked, his eyes reddening.

"I'm sorry." Dante whispered.

"Is there something we can do?" Victor asked, to which Dante shook his head.

"Please--" Brian began but was stopped by Joeye's weak voice.

"Brian," she managed to say. Brian looked down towards his dying partner in his arms.

"Yeah?" he choked.

"I want to watch the sun set." Joeye whispered. Brian nodded as tears began to fall from his face and land on the pale face beneath him. He slowly lifted Joeye up and supported her back with his chest, and held her.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Joeye asked. Before Brian could reply, Joeye sagged in his arms. The evening air was thus filled with the soft sobs of Detective Brian.

***

"Tell them to take her to Doctor Cho." Dante told the paramedic on site, who nodded. The doors of the ambulance van shut before it drove away, taking one Detective Wheeler with it. Several police officers were cordoning the area off with yellow tape and investigating the interior of the warehouse. Victor and Alex were answering questions that another detective was asking them so Dante slowly walked over to Brian who was sitting on a large chopped log near a tree. When Dante was a few feet away, he cleared his throat,

"I'm sorry."

Brian took in a deep breath before turning to face Dante, "Who is she? That woman?"

Dante sighed, there was no point in lying anymore, the detective probably knew more than Dante thought, so Dante sighed, "She's my wife. Well, ex-wife, I guess"

Brian chuckled, "You sure know how to pick your women."

Dante smiled, "I was a different man back then."

"You make it sound like it was a long time ago." Brian said turning away from Dante again.

"Because it was." Dante replied bringing Brian's attention back to him. Dante looked at Brian with a serious look upon his face. Dante breathed out slowly, "Look, you might not believe what I am about to tell you, but listen up anyway. I'll tell you everything I know."

After a long conversation with Brian who looked up at the towering monster before him, a police officer approached them,

"Detective, you need to see this." Brian got up to follow the officer but he turned quickly to face Dante again,

"Don't go anywhere."

Dante smiled softly, "I'm right behind you." Brian nodded reassured and carried on walking, Dante behind him, as promised.

The officer led the two men into the warehouse, the walls were full of spurts of red which Dante identified as blood. There was glass bottles strewn across the floor and several empty crates that were broken, as if they've been tossed around. There were also several chains and hooks hanging from the pipelines stretching from one wall to the next. The officer then led the two men down a flight of stairs and hesitated before going further, "I just want to warning you, it's not a pretty sight." After receiving a nod from the men in front of him, the officer gained enough courage to keep descending.

Brian immediately clasped his hand over his mouth and nose. The foul smell of decaying corpses swam in the air and into Dante's nose. The sight before them was horrendous, so much so that Brian began to shed a few tears. Bodies were strewn across the floor, their throats ripped out, eyes swollen and bruises littered their bodies.

"What on this good earth--" Brian whispered. Dante sighed and combed his hand through his hair. Brian turned to face Dante, "We need to stop this. Who knows how many more victims their are or will be."

"What do you think I've been trying to do?" Dante replied, exhaustion in his eyes.

"That man, Remy Denery, is he a vampire too?"

"Shh!" Dante exclaimed looking around to make sure no heard them, "Yes." he whispered.

"Then, the other warehouse, the one that burned down," Brian whispered, "Was it like this one?"

"No, the humans were still alive. The voluntarily let themselves be fed on."

"Why? Who in their right mind--"

"Vampire venom can be very addictive. The humans don't get fully drained of blood when they are fed on, that's why they come back. They get the ecstasy they want and the vampires get fed." Dante answered softy. Brian let out a breath,

"We need to find this guy."

"We will."

*-*-*-*

"Where are you? I called like a hundred times!" Nicole's angry yet anxious voice sounded on the other side of the phone.

"I was a little preoccupied." Dante replied.

"Oh I bet!" Nicole said sarcastically before she sighed, "Where are you?"

"Outside your apartment. Are you home?" Dante asked.

"Pfft, it's not like you can't hear my heartbeat or anything." Nicole scoffed.

"I'm just trying to be normal." Dante replied defensively and heard the smile Nicole made.

"I'll be right down." Nicole hung up the phone.

Twenty seconds later Nicole exited the apartment building. A grey cardigan wrapped around her body and her short hair was tied up into a messy bun atop her head. Nicole stopped in front of Dante who had his hands inside his jacket pockets.

"When did you get home?" Dante asked.

"A while ago. Apparently some detective was killed." Nicole replied with a click of her tongue. She looked up at Dante and saw him looking at the ground, as though it was out of guilt. Nicole gasped, "You didn't."

"What? No, of course I didn't." Nicole felt her cheeks flare up from embarrassment. How could she suspect Dante of something like that. He had told her that he doesn't feed of humans.

Wait a minute, if he didn't do it, then who? Nicole thought to herself, "So then, who was it? A rogue vampire?" Dante shifted uncomfortably on his feet before looking at Nicole.

"It was Cleo."

"What?"

"She thinks she's playing some sort of game. She's probably just being used by the real person behind this."

"Why are you defending her, Dante? She killed someone!"

"I know--"

"No, I don't think you do, but I guess you can't see the monster she is because you're exactly the same." Nicole left.

There is was, the only word ever associated with Dante: monster. Nicole had a point, he was a monster. What kind of person would play off someone's death as a game another was playing? There was too much at stake here, too many people could get hurt and too many were hurt already. As the creator of this nightmare, Dante had to be the one to fix it, even if it meant taking all the lives of the people now turned in vampires, even if it meant it would make Nicole hate him. It had to be done. Dante was about to leave when someone spoke behind him.

"You don't deserve to be with someone who considers you a monster," Dante turned and saw Cleo standing there, her hands held behind her back and her head tilted sweetly, "and nobody gets to call my Drac a monster."

"Leave Nicole out of this, Cleo." Dante warned.

"Why? She might just be the most fun game yet." Cleo replied but then cleared her throat when Dante's eyes turned red. Cleo looked away for a second before looking back with a sweet grin on her face, "Fine then. I'll stay away, for now, but you should remember: I don't like sharing."

A clattering of a bottle nearby made Dante and Cleo turned to face the sound and they saw a drunk man stumbling down the road. Cleo smiled and made a dash for the night's meal. Cleo barely was able to stretch out her hand to grab the man when suddenly she was shoved against a wall in an alleyway, Dante pinning her in place.

"We haven't been this close in a while. Isn't that so Drac?" Cleo said. Dante's eyes turned red again and he quickly shut them, when he opened them again they had turned back to their brown colour, "See, my Drac is almost here."

"You need to stop this Cleo. It's not too late." Dante countered making the smile on Cleo's face disappear into an expression of hatred.

"It is too late," Cleo spat, "I'm going to take everything from you, just as you did to me." with that Cleo disappeared into the shadows.

Dante sighed and made his way back to Nicole's apartment building. He looked up at the window of Nicole's bedroom before turning away to begin his walk back home. Unbeknownst to him, Nicole watched him leave from that very window.