Chapter 5  The Vampire’s Lair

“Then we’ve got to find him,” said Natassia Green, also known as Nova.  “We don’t dare take a chance with such a monster.”  She was seated around a table with her three friends, Sun Lin, the Jade Dragon; Suzi Kendall, the Scarlet Falcon; and Kyla Smith, the Blue Avenger.  The other women nodded in agreement.  They were seated in a semicircle facing an elderly Oriental.  This was their mentor, Zhou Jin, the octogenarian Chinese martial arts master.  Following the strange assaults on Sun Lin and Suzi, the four heroines had decided to hold a joint counsel in Zhou Jin’s home.  This was convenient, as it was also the home of his adopted daughter Sun Lin.  It was a counsel of war, with Master Zhou acting as their spiritual guide and advisor.  They had hoped that the elderly martial arts expert would be able to shine some light on what had befallen the two heroines.  After listening to their stories and inspecting the twin puncture marks on the left breasts of Sun Lin and Suzi, the ancient master had delivered his verdict.  They faced perhaps the deadliest opponent they had ever come up against.  A vampire.  An undead creature of the night, possessed of superhuman strength and strange powers of the mind.  He might prove more than a match for all of them. 

“Be assured,” Zhou Jin had said, “that this creature will prove most difficult to destroy.  He can take the shape of any creature of the night, and is possessed of the strength of his past victims.  Each time he kills a little of their life force flows into him, giving him the power of ten men.  He is also possessed of immense hypnotic powers that he can project from afar, paralyzing  his victims before they even know he is there.  He is also very persistent.  Once he has selected a victim, he will come back again and again until he has sucked the life from her.  Sun Lin and Suzi have fallen into his clutches and they must be protected from him.  This will not be easy, as he  gains extra power over those he has victimized.  Sun Lin and Suzi will want to resist him, but they may find that they are helpless in his presence.  They will have to be closely guarded.”

“But,” protested Suzi, “that will mean we can no longer go on patrol.  We will be forced to hide from him in order to prevent him from taking us again.”

“That is so,” agreed Zhou Jin, “but that can be turned to our advantage.  The  Vampire will be drawn to Sun Lin and Suzi like a moth to a flame.  If we keep both of them here under guard we may be able to trap him.  There are certain things to which he is vulnerable.”  The assembled women went quiet while Zhou Jin explained.

“First, he cannot stand the sun.  Its rays are fatal to him.  He can only come out at night, and that is when we must be on the alert for him.  During the daytime we can engage in a search for his hiding place without fear.  Second, there are certain substances that are poisonous to a vampire.  We can use garlic as a barrier, as no vampire can tolerate its presence.  Also water that has been blessed by a holy man will burn him like acid.  He is also repelled by certain religious symbols, such as the Christian cross or Oriental yin yang.  We can use these things to defend ourselves.”

“Well,” said Suzi, “I guess we better get started.  I will work on some portable equipment that will help us if we track him down.” 

“I will attend to the defenses of this house,” said Sun Lin.  It is daylight now and I will go to the market and purchase as much garlic as I can find.”

“I’ll see about the Holy Water,” said Kyla.  “I’m Roman Catholic and should be able to persuade the priest to give me what we need.”

“I guess that leaves me to do the tracking,” said Natassia.  “I’m probably the only one who comes close to him in physical strength in any case.  The problem is, I don’t know where to start looking.  Metro City is a big place.”

“Be very careful,” cautioned Zhou Jin.  “Sheer strength alone is not enough.  A vampire can only be killed by exposing him to sunlight or by driving a stake through his heart.  That is not easy to arrange.  Also, beware of the powers of his mind.  I suspect that the Dragon’s Eye may protect you from his hypnotic powers, but there is no guarantee.” 

Natassia touched the large green gem that she now wore in a choker about her neck.  It was the Dragon’s Eye, the mystical stone that was the source of her great strength and other powers.  The mysterious jewel had saved her and her friends on more than one occasion. 

“As to where you should look,” said Suzi, why don’t you check the city’s land registry to see if there is anything a vampire might like to have that has been sold in the last few months?”

“And what do you think a vampire might like?”

“Sun Lin and I were attacked near the Great Cathedral.  Why don’t you start your investigation in that area?  There might be a suitable property that has changed hands near there.”

“Good idea,” Natassia replied.  As she finished speaking she bowed to Master Zhou, and then pulled on her jacket.  The other women copied her and soon all four young women were going about their appointed tasks.  Together they were going to defeat the monster that had dared to molest two of their number. 


It was easier than Natassia had thought it would be.  Suzi’s suggestion turned out to be inspired.  There were a dozen properties within a four-block radius of the Great Cathedral that seemed to be strong possibilities as a vampire hideout.  It shouldn’t take too long to check them out.  She was using her bright red roadster as transport.  It was a easy way to get around.  It had taken her a couple of hours to check the land records, and it was now just after one o’clock in the afternoon.  With any luck she should be able to check out all the possible sites before dark. 

The first six locations she investigated were a waste of time.  They were all occupied by stereotypical Metro City families.  All of the houses had one thing in common.  They were all quite large and expensive.  It was Natassia’s guess that a creature as powerful as a vampire would not live in a dump.  As a result, the houses had live-in servants that she could question.  It took a bit of time to check out each one, as she couldn’t be too obvious.  She posed as a journalist doing an article on the historical homes of Metro City to have an excuse to talk to the inhabitants of each house.  One by one she eliminated them.  The seventh house, however, took her longer to check out, as did the two after that.  In these cases there was no one at home and she had to resort to quizzing the neighbors to gather enough information.  Finally satisfied that none of the three was housing a vampire she moved on.  That took her to the tenth house.  It was later than she had planned.  The sun was going down as she pulled up in front of what was a truly imposing mansion. 

The house was a huge three story brick structure built in the Victorian style.  It was surrounded by a porch on two sides.  Large and ornate columns held up the porch roof and framed the doorway.  Turrets gave the house an almost castle-like appearance.  “Looks like a good place for a vampire to live,” muttered Natassia.  She looked at her watch and then at the reddened sky of the setting sun.  “Perhaps I should wait until tomorrow,” she thought.  Then she changed her mind.  She was after all a superheroine.  She got out of the car.  “I’m here.  I might as well check it out.”  She strode up the walk.

She had to ring the bell twice before she heard anything from the interior of the house.  The door was opened by a most dignified looking elderly man dressed in formal attire.  “Good evening, miss.  Are you expected?”

“I’m doing a story for Better Homes America on the prestige homes of Metro City.  I am interested in discovering the history of this home and possible doing a photo-shoot on it with the owner’s permission.  Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?”

The man bowed.  “I think that might be arranged.  Please come in.” 

Natassia entered and followed the man to a small comfortably furnished room just off the main entrance.  “Please wait here, Miss…?

“Jones, Carol Jones,” Natassia improvised.  She sat down in one of the well-cushioned chairs. 

The man, left the room.  Natassia got up.  Should she wait?  She could be entering a trap.  On the other hand, the likelihood that she had stumbled upon the vampire’s hideout on the first day of her search was remote.  She might as well wait and see what developed.  She sat down again.  A few minutes later a tall man entered the room. 

“Miss Jones?” said the man bowing deeply.  Welcome to my home. My name is Jan Mitlos, I understand you would like to do a story on it.”  The man was darkly handsome and his voice had the tinge of a European accent.

“Well,” replied Natassia, “it’s just one of many that I am investigating.  But if it meets the criteria I would certainly be interested in following it up.” 

“Would you like a short tour?  I will not show you all of the house, just enough to determine whether or not it is worth your time.”

“That would be very nice of you,” said Natassia.  She knew that she was taking a chance.  Mitlos fitted the profile of the vampire.  He was tall, European, and his eyes were a shade of yellow.  She had never seen anyone with eyes like that.  But it was now difficult to back out.  “May I use your phone?  I should call in to the office.  I was due back an hour ago.”  If Mitlos denied her the use of the phone that would give her an excuse to leave.

“By all means, there is one in the library.”  Natassia stood up and followed the man out of the room.  They went down the hall and turned into a room lined with hundreds of books.  On a desk in the center of the room was a telephone.  “I will leave you here to make your call.  You may join me in the main hall when you are finished.  Stefan will wait in the hall to escort you.”

“Thank you,” said Natassia.  As soon as Mitlos left the room she phoned the Jade Dragon.  “Jade, I’m at 326 Kensington Drive.  I thought I better call in.  I haven’t found anything today and should be with you in about an hour.  This is my last stop.”

“Be careful, Nova.  It’s after sundown.  The vampire will be at full strength.” 

“Right.  I’ll be vigilant.  See you in an hour.”

She put down the phone and left the room.  Stefan, the elderly butler was waiting for her in the hall.  He gestured that she should follow him and moved down the hall.  He escorted her to a large set of ornately carved  double doors, bowed and then turned away.  Natassia entered the room.  Mitlos was waiting for her, a grim smile on his face.

“Are you ready to begin the tour, Miss Jones?  I regret that I cannot show you the entire house, but I have a few rooms that I think you will find interesting.”

“Yes.  I must say that what I have seen of the house so far is quite impressive.  This room is magnificent.”  Natassia looked about the large room.  It was impressive indeed.  An enormous stone fireplace dominated the far end of it, and huge windows let in the yellow light of the street lamps.  Everywhere, the room was paneled in ornately carved dark wood. 

“It is more than magnificent, Miss Jones.  It also hides a secret.  Mitlos stepped to the fireplace and touched a concealed lever.  With a rumbling sound the back of the fireplace swung open, revealing a dark passageway.  “Not every room has a secret passage.  Would you like to take a look?”

Natassia hesitated.  The cover story she had chosen seemed to be pulling her deeper and deeper into the mysterious house. 

“Do not worry,” Mitlos smiled, “I have checked in myself.  It is perfectly safe.”  He bowed as he spoke and swept his hand toward the passage.  Natassia took a breath and stepped into the fireplace. 

She found that she was at the top of a flight of stairs.  Mitlos flicked a light switch, providing enough illumination for Natassia to see that the stairs spiraled deep into the ground.  A feeling of apprehension took hold of her.  Mitlos stepped beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder.  “Don’t be afraid Miss Jones, It is perfectly safe.  See, I will go first.”  And he descended the staircase, soon passing out of sight as the staircase turned.  Natassia took a deep breath and followed.

The dark stairway went down at least thirty feet underground.  Every step Natassia took filled her with misgiving, but somehow she could not stop herself from following Mitlos.  She could hear him descending, just a few feet in front of her. 

At the bottom of the stairs she found herself in a large room.  It was entirely lined with stone, and there was a distinct chill in the rather dank air.  The room was completely empty except for a strange metal wheel in its center.  It was about ten feet in diameter and was suspended in mid air by two axles attached to opposite sides of its rim.  More than anything else, it resembled a medieval instrument of torture, although it was one that Natassia had never seen before.  A cold feeling settled into the middle of her stomach, but Natassia forced herself to walk up to the gigantic wheel.  And then she saw the coffin. 

It was against the far wall and behind the wheel.  It was a simple wooden coffin with a hinged lid.  The lid was open, and she could see that the interior of the coffin was filled with earth.  She turned to look at Mitlos and saw that he had moved to the bottom of the stairs, cutting off her retreat.  “Welcome, Nova,” he said menacingly.  “I hope you like this room.  You are going to spend quite a bit of time here.”

Natassia swallowed.  She realized that she had found what she had been looking for – the lair of the vampire. 

 

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