Here goes nothing, Massimo thought. “Hey, Afana! I was told you lived here now, and I thought I’d pop in for a cup of sugar. Oh, and do you have a Bee Gees album I could borrow? It has been years since I could listen to them, and I keep forgetting the words.”
Massimo felt Leandro’s tail brush the back of his legs as he moved around him, he was using the Mad for cover, which didn’t last long. Massimo’s voice woke them up, and they were going for Massimo and Afana.
Afana and Massimo made short work of killing the Mad. Bodies were thrown all around the level until there were none left standing.
Massimo caught a glimmer of Leandro’s eyes. He was at the end of one of the tunnels behind Afana, in place to attack.
An awkward silence fell between the vampires in the aftermath of the killing.
“What? Who’s that?” Afana asked in a dark, gravelly voice.
“It’s Massimo. Remember me? Your vampire buddy before the WWDE?” Massimo kept his voice light.
“Massimo?” Afana sounded confused.
Massimo laughed. “Yep. The one and only. I didn’t know you were alive. I thought Bethany Anne killed you when she was going around killing the Forsaken. I guess you were the Forgotten, like me.”
Afana strode forward. “Forgotten?” He huffed. “I’m not forgotten. Her kind is the reason I’m trapped in here!” Afana spat. His breath smelled like a washed-up rotting whale. Massimo did everything he could to keep from gagging.
“Well, I see you made the most of it with your cool bunker. Do you have any Bee Gees records?” Massimo asked. If he tells me, it will save me loads of time looking for them when he’s dead.
Afana was pissed off. “Why the hell of all records would I have the Bee Gees? I have class, unlike you. You always did have terrible taste in music.”
“Oh, Afana. In all our years I’ve heard you say some incorrect things, but that one has to go on top of the list,” Massimo replied.
Afana began to breathe in and out heavily. He was getting annoyed. Afana’s breath was still repulsive, but it was clear that Massimo's plan to unbalance the other vampire was working. “List? Bee Gees? What the hell are you doing here?”
Stalling time is over. I hope Ryder and the others have gotten to Level Six. Massimo dropped the act. “I’m here to clean out the Madness.” Massimo rushed at Afana. “And I’m here to take care of you!” He slammed into the other vampire. At the same time, Leandro leaped into the back of Afana’s legs, and the mutant vampire toppled.
Massimo took full advantage. He dived on top of Afana and began punching. Massimo was stronger than Afana, which took both vampires by surprise. Leandro dug his jaws into Afana’s legs, clamping down on them to stop him from struggling. He wasn’t going to let go, not while his Pops was winning the fight against the overgrown monster.
Afana flopped like a fish beneath Massimo and finally managed to free his arm. He began hitting back, but Massimo didn’t budge. It didn’t matter how many punches he threw, Massimo would be the victor here today.
Afana lashed out with his foot, kicking Fluffy across the room. Fluffy landed awkwardly and let out a whine to tell Massimo he was okay.
Massimo was enraged. “You will not hit my son!”
Massimo stood and dragged Afana to his feet, then hit him with a punch that came all the way from his toes. Afana dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Massimo leaned down to his son. “Leandro, are you okay?” Massimo’s voice was full of concern.
Leandro let out a howl. Luckily Weres healed fast.
Massimo waved his fists in the air and did a Mohammad Ali-style dance around Afana’s prone body. “And the crowd went wiiild!” As he cheered for himself, he felt a hundred years younger. No, that wasn’t true. It was more like two hundred.
“I said, the crowd went wild,” he repeated to the oncoming Mad, whom neither he nor Afana had two-tapped. Time to bust out the badass vampire again! Massimo got busy and two-tapped all of the Mad until there were no more red glowing eyes and he was sure that they weren’t coming back after the ass-kicking he had just given them.
Massimo let out a sigh; all this ass-kicking had drained his energy. No wonder Afana was weak, after all of the people he’d fought with.
Leandro growled. “What is it?” Massimo the scanned the room.
Massimo could just make out movement above them. That overgrown elephant turd was climbing to the next level through a hole in the ceiling. Before Massimo and Leandro could get to him, he shut the glass door and resumed climbing up the shaft. They would have to use the stairs to get to Afana.
“Ryder was right, he’s a cockroach! One I’m going to step on!” Massimo stormed over to the staircase and up to Level Three, which was still pitch-black, making it damn near impossible to spot him. Massimo had a feeling he knew where Afana was going. He needed to feed, and if he reached Level One and fed on one of the people there, he would be stronger than Massimo.
Massimo had to stop him.
Chapter Nineteen
Ryder and the others descended the stairs to Level Five. This was another floor on which the men lived, the one Ryder had lived on with Terrier.
Carter pushed open the door a little and stepped back, gagging. “What the fuck is that?” he choked. “It smells like a box of smashed assholes in there!” He covered his nose and mouth with a sleeve and led them into the level.
It was a place which none of them wanted to be near. We need some fucking lights, Ryder thought. The inky darkness of the bunker and the smell of death all around them was making the bunker even eerier, something Ryder hadn’t thought possible. We just need to get through this level, and then we’re at Level Six.
Ryder
