“Maryl? Can I please kill Draven?”
Maryl came out of her trance. “No. I gave Draven my word I would leave him be if he told me the truth. He did his part, and I will do mine.”
“May I ask why?”
“I have this duality about me. The other side kicked in and decided to show him mercy.”
Alexa knew better than to ask her what she was talking about. She turned around in time to see Ray the Conqueror approach with a staggering deployment of O positive vampires coming out of their cars, trucks, vans, and even three dozen semi tractor-trailers, it was a sight unlike she had ever borne witness to before.
“Um, Maryl? Take a look behind you,” Alexa said in a mixture of awe and fear.
Maryl walked to the edge of the porch and looked over the landscape. “I knew they were here. I smelled them a few minutes ago.”
Alexa observed Maryl. She wanted to see if Maryl displayed any signs of trepidation, fear, anything. Instead, surprisingly, Maryl smiled and waved to Ray as if they were best friends.
Ray saw her wave and waved back with a smile.
Alexa was confused. Maryl didn’t seem afraid of Ray and his more massive and formidable army than theirs, but she showed unease about cave diving equipment?
Maryl walked down the stairs and strode toward Ray. Vampires of both blood types moved back to allow them room.
“Ray! Thank you for coming so soon,” she said as she gave him a warm hug.
“Anything for my sister's blood type!”
Maryl did not like how he phrased her kind but opted to remain quiet. His troops were essential if her plan were to be executed.
“With all of the cars and semi’s, did you have any trouble getting here with the local, state, and federal authorities?”
Ray pointed to the first row of vampires. “You see them? They are the local, state, and federal authorities.”
Maryl smiled. “Come, let’s dine on some red wine!” Maryl said as she put her arm inside Ray’s and led him to her porch arm in arm to display unity.
“Do you have O positive blood? I am stronger with my own type of blood!” Ray commented lightly.
Maryl stopped, grabbed Ray by the arm, and squeezed tightly.
“Oww! That hurts, Maryl! What do you think you’re doing? You’re embarrassing me in front of my troops!”
“I invite you to my abode, and you have already made two insulting remarks! Who is embarrassing who?” Maryl hissed.
“What? What did I say?” Ray asked as Maryl let go of him.
“You referred me as your other blood type in a condescending manner, and then you wanted your own blood type to drink at my place? Frankly, I’m insulted!”
“My humble apologies! I am excited to proceed with our takeover, that’s all.”
Maryl smiled. “Apology accepted. Now, let’s drink some blood, make some toasts, and not bicker over the type of blood since I can only have my kind, and you can have both yours and my blood type.”
Maryl and Ray sat at the table on the porch. Alexa came and put a red table cloth on top of the table, and poured their life juice into two wine glasses.
“Fancy,” Ray said as he gulped down the red fluid.
Maryl sipped her red liquid slowly. She put the glass down. “Do you want to hear my plan?”
“Your plan? I thought we were going to an A or B community and wreak havoc?”
“We can do that after they are caught off guard.”
Ray looked puzzled. “How can we catch them off guard if they can smell us from far away?”
Maryl nodded to Alexa and Draven, who were close by. They sped away and came back, each holding a shoulder-fired missile.
“A shoulder-fired missile, Maryl? Really? A lot of good that simple weapon would do!” he said with sarcasm. “The artillery won’t pierce their thick skin. We tried in previous skirmishes twenty years ago.”
“Ah, but this shoulder-fired missile is special!” Maryl said with excitement.
Ray took one from Draven’s hand and studied it. He turned it entirely around before saying anything. “No offense, Maryl, but it’s just a shoulder-fired missile. They can’t go further than 300 meters, which is less than two-tenths of a mile.” He handed it back to Draven.
“My engineers were able to modify and enhance the range to two thousand meters.”
“Say I believe you, which I don’t necessarily, it’s still only one and a quarter miles.”
“Alexa, bring the prisoners from the chambers.”
Alexa departed and came back a few minutes later, with a half dozen men and women vampires chained to each other.
Ray studied the vampires being led outside. “How are those vampires unable to break free of their chains?” He asked with intense curiosity.
“They are comprised of A’s, B’s, and one AB positive vampires. Since we don’t have their blood type on my premises, they are in a weakened state, and we did not allow them to nourish themselves from my kind of blood. Even if I did have their blood types, I wouldn’t give it to them. Nor did I give them any human food. A week ago, my guards found them lurking on my grounds and quickly surrounded them. We had a twelve to one ratio. Naturally, they surrendered without incident. I have kept them here for a demonstration, and your amusement.”
“And that’s where the shoulder-fired missile comes into play, I presume?”
“Yes.” She sipped the last of the blood. “Alexa, you know what to do.”
Alexa pushed the prisoner that was in the back of the line, which forced the others to move forward.
“When Clayton hears of your treachery, Maryl, he will make you pay!” one of the prisoners yelled.
“Oh, I doubt that,” she said, as she licked a drop of blood that was on the outside of the glass. “Alexa, measure one and a quarter miles, and leave them there, please.”
Alexa forced them out in the distance. She gave a slight nod to Maryl and sped back up the
