CHAPTER 6

In a small loft apartment in Monmartre, Maurice Desjardins
was just getting out of the shower. Towelling off, he smiled
at his reflection in the mirror. Tonight would be a special
evening, perhaps change his life!

After shaving, he dressed in a black pullover t-shirt and jeans and entered his small living room. The room was furnished simply; one table, two plastic chairs and a futon sofa that converted to a bed. Maurice smiled, the futon was seldom made up as a sofa; he was pleased at the little extra space that he was granted.

Maurice had bought a small bouquet of mixed flowers and they sat in a used wine bottle on the table in front of the sofa. Directly across from the sofa was a small wall unit that he had found in the trash outside the building next door. Although made of plywood and somewhat rickety, it was strong enough to hold a small television and CD player. Maurice seldom watched television, except for football, but his CD player was always playing.

He had a passion for two things, opera and his painting. Softly playing in the background was Wagner`s romantic masterpiece, “Tristan und Isolde”. The prelude to Act 1 was so soothing, something that he needed to calm his nerves. Maurice looked out of his loft window at the streets of Monmartre, then turned his attention to the walls of his living room. Every inch of the walls was covered with his paintings.

Above the wall unit were his still lifes; fruit, flowers, vases in abundance. The works were rudimentary, following the style of Cezanne, and were his first attempts at capturing the riot of colors that he had seen in his mind`s eye as long as he could remember.

Maurice then glanced to his left. On the wall leading to the kitchen, and overflowing above the refrigerator were his landscapes. In this second stage of his artistic growth he was a slave to Monet; floral scenes, lily ponds, buildings; all were fashioned after the great Maestro. And yet, as he saw his later landscapes, the use of impasto brush strokes so extravagant, so expensive, he could begin to see his true soul emerging. Impressions became mere brushstrokes of color, shaping became geometric. This continued to excite him, just looking at his emergence.

Maurice poured himself a glass of cheap burgundy and reflected on his personal journey through the French Impressionist movement onward. It made so much sense to him, the logic that finally extended to his latest works.

Sipping his wine, he returned to the living room, studying the paintings above his sofa. Four large canvasses, the only paintings of his that were framed. Bursts of color, thick impasto strokes; all reality, all geometry gone! Ah, but to him, the beauty, the glimpse of his soul that emerged.

It is with these paintings that he hopes to impress the woman that he had met at the opera the previous evening. During the first intermission of Verdi`s “Rigoletto” he had descended from the cheap student seats to have a cigarette and a glass of wine. At the serving bar a young woman of obvious wealth had asked him for a light for her cigarette.

They had struck up a conversation about the opera, which led to books and art, and Maurice shared with her his dreams. The young woman introduced herself as the Countess Mondra Czermintek and stated that she was a patroness of the arts and would like to see his paintings.

When Maurice enthusiastically agreed, the Countess insisted on one condition, that Maurice tell no one of their meeting until she had the chance to see his paintings. Maurice accepted and a viewing time was set for the following evening.

So it is; here stands Maurice in his apartment, staring at his paintings, sipping his wine. He smiles and thinks to himself, “Ah, this evening will change my life!”

Maurice walked over to the CD player and selected the new Coldplay CD to play. He was very excited about their new music, the emergence of the lead guitarist. It seems as if marriage had loosened Chris Martin`s control of the group. Though still piano driven, the addition of U2 like guitar riffs had opened up their music.
As he started the CD player, he was startled to hear a knocking at his door. He rushed to the window to check for a limousine, but there were only the usual Fiats and Renaults, along with the many mini scooters favored in this student neighborhood.

Maurice crossed the room and opened the door. Countess Mondra stood at the doorway, smiling. "Good evening, Maurice. Aren`t you going to invite me in?"

Flustered, Maurice took two paces back and gestured an invitation. "Countess, it`s a pleasure to see you. I didn`t hear your limo pull up! Please, may I offer you some wine?"

"Thank you, Maurice. I seldom drink.....wine, but if you would do the honors, I`ve brought a Chateau Petrus. Perhaps I`ll have a glass with you to celebrate the occasion."

Maurice rushed to open the noble Gran Vin Pomerol and apologized for not having a decanter. The Countess gestured with her hand, no matter and asked, "What is this wonderful song that is playing?"

"That`s 'The Speed Of Sound', by Coldplay. Do you like it?"

"Yes, very much. A perfect background to view your paintings. Perhaps you could pour us two glasses and you can escort me through your gallery."

Very carefully, Maurice poured the Petrus into his two best glasses and handed one to Mondra. "To a wonderful evening, Countess. I never expected that you would come!"

"On the contrary, Maurice. I wouldn`t miss this evening for the world."

As Maurice led her through his gallery, Mondrian began to have second thoughts about her plans. The young man had definite talent.

She could feel the excitement he felt as he showed his framed paintings. He was quite confident in his description of the journey that had taken him to his present artistic vision; as he directed her to the final two paintings, he touched her shoulder to point out some detail. Mondrian felt conflicted; she had seen the handsome young man at the opera and felt she must have him. However, having seen his work, she thought of him as someone with a future, someone who might contribute mightily to the growth of artistic expression.

She remembered the many times Alucard had expressed profound regret over his killing of Mozart. How could she be as base? And yet, she hadn`t the strength to walk away.

Alucard had also noted that when a person was subjected to hypnotic control, his/her ability to sublimate their passion into the creation of art was severely limited. This left one alternative, something very dangerous, something that had caused her great difficulty in the past.

Since Alucard had attempted to destroy her in Scotland, she had vowed never to share her blood with one of her victims. The making of a vampire was a cure for loneliness, but it left one vulnerable, as a young vampire never seemed to be able to control his/her blood lust. Witness the "Jack the Ripper" murders, which were performed by her first vampire servant/lover. Witness her own existence, evidence of how a vampire could rebel against its maker.

Yet, this young man, so handsome, so talented! Should she take the chance?

Mondrian entwined herself around his left arm and led him to the futon. As they sat, she reached for the wine and poured a second measure into his glass.

"Maurice, I am very impressed with your work. It`s seems clear to me that what you need is time to invest in your work without financial or other worldly concerns. If you would permit me, I would like to relieve you of these worries. I have been blessed with a substantial family inheritance and it would be my pleasure if you would accept my support."

Maurice smiled and sipped his wine. "Countess, your appreciation of my work is more important to me than anything you can do to free me to pursue my Muse. But, if you`re serious, I will humbly accept your support."

Mondrian drew close to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She snuggled closer and kissed the lobe of his ear, then his neck. As she felt his breathing deepen, Mondrian opened her lips wider and sunk her incisors into his aorta. She drank deeply of his fresh clean blood, losing herself in the sexual thrill. Almost without thinking, she found herself bringing her left wrist to her mouth. She opened the vein pulsing inside her wrist and brought it to Maurice`s lips.

"Drink, my dear, and you will have eternal life!"

Maurice swooned, then suckled at her vein.

As Maurice collapsed on the futon, Mondrian contemplated what she had done. It would be easier for her to believe that she had been overcome by the heat of the moment but that was not entirely true. Mondrian had arrived at Maurice`s apartment secretly, as bat. She had also been very explicit in her instructions to him at their meeting at the opera, guarding against others knowing of their furtive appointment.

Mondrian sighed and gazed at Maurice`s framed paintings. He was much more talented than she expected. Once she had seen the genius and maturity in his art, she knew that hypnotic submission was out of the question. She could not willingly extinguish that creativity; Alucard had warned her of that unfortunate symptom that greatly diminished the power of an artist`s ability to sublimate his/her passion into creative expression.

In her discussions with Alucard, he had been much less clear about the effect of becoming vampire on creativity. He spoke of the work of Cartolome in painting, Fedinger in fiction, Valmouth in musical composition. Within the dark community, it was well known that these artists were vampires, yet they continued to produce master works for many years. In fact, each of them had to publish their later works under pseudonyms since they were still productive after a human`s normal life expectancy. In his musings, Alucard had greatly admired their work over a span of hundreds of years. Yet, thoughts of them generally led him to despondency.

When feeling depressed, Alucard`s thoughts always returned to the guilt he felt after killing Mozart. He had become viciously angry about the threats on his life from the Catholic Church in Roumania. When he received word that Mozart was at work completing a major religious work, the massive “Requiem”, he traveled to Vienna as Count Vlad Tepes and drained him of his life`s blood.

Alucard`s ruminations over this unthinking destruction of perhaps the greatest musical composer caused him great pain. If, instead of death, he had shared his blood with Mozart, made him vampire! Given an immortal life span, what could Mozart have accomplished?

It was with these thoughts that Mondrian had viewed Maurice`s paintings. And it was why she had made him vampire.

The most important part of making a fresh vampire subservient to the making vampire would occur shortly. Mondrian smiled at her remembrance of Alucard`s secretiveness on the subject.

In laying the groundwork for her emancipation from Alucard, she had made her first vampire in London over one hundred years ago. It had taken her many decades of growth as vampire to plan and execute her escape from Alucard`s domination.

In planning for the evening on which she seduced Alucard to share her blood, Mondrian had already selected Adrian Greene to be her first vampire slave. As she lay with Alucard in his coffin, feeling him succumbing to their sharing, finally relaxing his ever-alertness, she left his coffin in the last hour before dawn.

She immediately flew to Adrian`s home in Knightsbridge where her dirt filled coffin was waiting. She was free of Alucard`s domination but hadn`t known the secret to her submission.

Mondrian was therefore very confused when it became evident to her that the vampire Adrian had not followed her instructions about feeding and was responsible for the “Jack the Ripper” slayings that so enraged the citizens of London. Although she was forced to kill Adrian in order to escape the clutches of the police, his treachery forced her to spend many months and a good portion of his fortune acquiring vampire lore. Through this research, she had learned of the imperative not discovered by human researchers until 1935.

It was in that year that the Swiss ethologist Konrad Lorenz published his seminal work on the imprinting of ducks and goslings on humans. His research only corroborated what all master vampires had known for centuries; for full imprinting of the slave vampire, the creator had to be present at the slave`s awakening into eternal life.

Mondrian sat on the futon, patiently awaiting Maurice`s awakening.

CHAPTER 5

Edvard Munch "VAMPIRE"


Back at the apartment in Philadelphia, Sean opened a bottle of Martell cognac and poured two measures, handing one to van Helsing. Sean lit a cigarette and shook his head. “Bram, this is really confusing. According to your debriefing of Alucard, he was quite sure that Mondrian had transformed only the one person to vampire while in Scotland. Do you think he could have been wrong?”

“I don`t believe so, Sean. Any vampire transformed by Mondrian would have had some of Alucard`s essence. It would have been impossible for such a vampire to hide from him. And yet, the evidence strongly suggests that an active vampire has made its way from the moors of Scotland to Paris over the past four years.”

Sean sipped his cognac and questioned, “That`s the other confusing thing, Bram. If this vampire wanted to go to Paris, why did it take him four years to get there? There was no need to cover his tracks! No one, including Alucard, had any idea of its existence. Why go to all that trouble?”

The Doctor smiled, “You have asked the critical question Sean. But suppose there was a vampire, almost as powerful as Alucard, one who had spent hundreds of years with him. And suppose that vampire was aware of how Alucard had escaped from my grandfather a hundred years ago. If you remember Bram Stoker`s account of that adventure, my grandfather was sure that he had vanquished Dracula, yet he escaped as mist, leaving that broken body behind.”

Van Helsing leaned over to pour each of them a second cognac and paused to light a cigarette. “Further, suppose that this vampire had lured Alucard to Scotland with the intent of killing him, never realizing that Alucard would not be thrown off guard; that there was never a real chance to defeat him. And yet, if this vampire had the strength, the will to confront its maker, perhaps it also had the knowledge and ability to escape as mist, leaving its wolfen body as evidencs of its demise.”

Sean stood, pacing the floor. “Are you suggesting…?”

“Yes, Sean, I believe the evidence suggests that the vampire we are searching for is Mondrian Bluczek, Alucard`s companion and lover for hundreds of years."

CHAPTER 4

In Redicz Castle in the Carpathian Mountains of Roumania sat a very bored Count Vlad Tepes. It had been five years since his transformation to humanness but the people of the Carpathians could not easily forget the havoc he wreaked upon them as Alucard. The vampire Alucard was feared by all, treated with the utmost respect. Not a man would dare approach his castle!

Yet, he had noticed, on his weekly attendance at Sunday Mass, there was a certain lack of deference. Just last Sunday, as he entered the church, he found himself jostled by other communicants. Until the past few months, no one would dare enter the church at the same time as him. He was further disturbed to find the pew behind him occupied as he took his place in the front pew. The temerity! How long before someone had the courage or lack of respect, to sit near his pew?

These were very troubling thoughts for a man who had been vampire. Vlad had tried to express these feelings to his local priest in Confession, who did nothing more than express his concern about the sin of pride! Vlad did not feel especially prideful, but, after all, he was the Count Tepes and was entitled to the respect that the title had earned over many centuries.

A further problem to being human was the sexual feelings that bubbled up within him. Since the evening he spent with Carrie that made him human, when the papal documents had been proven, he had had no further intimacies with women.

As someone of royalty he could only be seen in the company of ladies born to the purple and the pickings were few. On his trips to Bucharest for the opera season he had attempted to fit into society.

Although he was treated cordially, none of the families had approached him about their unmarried daughters. For an unmarried man of royal blood it would be expected that a young single woman would be assigned as his dining partner at any of the Balls he attended. But for the former Alucard, this was not to be.

The fear that he had engendered as vampire could not be erased and he sat in his box at the opera, alone. As vampire he had learned to deal with loneliness, especially after killing Mondrian, but as man it was not so easily defended. Ah, but at least he had the music!

CHAPTER 3

It was evening in Paris. On the third floor of the Sevinne townhouse, the present occupant was standing at a bedroom window, a silver goblet in her right hand. In the background, she could hear Wagner`s “Siegfried” playing softly. She had many recordings of the Ring Cycle, but to hear the wonderful Spanish tenor Placido Domingo sing Siegfried was a special pleasure.

Mondrian Bluczek, now known as the Countess Czermintek, sipped her drink as she looked out the window at Place Voltaire. It was so wonderful to be here in Paris; the past year had been the most relaxing of her life. It was now over five years since her narrow escape from certain death at the hands of the vampire Alucard.

She could still remember that fateful final evening in Scotland. She had been sitting in her bedroom in her home on the Isle of Lewis when she felt Alucard`s presence at her window. Mondrian had led him to herself by commenting in his on-line journal, using the thinly disguised pseudonym of Monblu. She knew that he would track her down to kill her but she had grown weary of waiting for this confrontation.

Although vampire, Mondrian realized that without foreknowledge of his approach it would be impossible for her to defeat the one who had transformed her. Mondrian could see the lust in Alucard`s eyes as he sat next to her and when he kissed her she made herself wolf in order to destroy him. As wolf, she attacked, only to feel Alucard`s silver dagger at her throat.

Knowing certain death, with a last act of her will she transformed her essence to mist as Alucard decapitated her wolfen body. She had prepared for the possibility that she could not defeat Alucard and had remembered how he had escaped from death at the hands of the first Dr. Abraham van Helsing. Mondrian had spent countless hours working on the wolf-mist transformation and Alucard`s subsequent actions in leaving her wolfen body on the moor, then tracking her vampire servant to the United States, made her quite confident that he believed that she was destroyed.

Mondrian reflected on the four years it had taken for her to reach Paris. She had never had any doubt of where she wanted to live, but she thought it prudent to take her time in arriving at “The City of Lights”. It had taken her two and a half years to work her way through Scotland and England before she arrived in London. Money was not a question; Mondrian continued to have access to her numbered accounts in Switzerland.

However, she must, at all costs, conceal her living vampireness from Alucard and the present Dr. van Helsing. These two beings would go to any lengths to destroy her if they deduced that the wolfen body found on the Scottish moor was not her essence. Mondrian wisely spent another year in London and six months in Le Havre before settling in Paris.

Throughout these five years, she had lived with one further prohibition; she had not shared her blood with any of her victims and therefore had made no new vampires. The two times she had made vampire in the past showed her the folly of attempting to control the rash, risk-taking behavior of a newly created vampire. Mondrian simply didn`t have the patience or inclination to spend the hundreds of years that Alucard had invested in her unworldly education.

Therefore, in London, Mondrian had interviewed several young men for the position of her private secretary and house manager. She hired Brian Woodson, a young M.B.A. freshly minted from the University of London, after she found him particularly conducive to hypnotic manipulation. She now had a servant under her control who could interact with the world during those daylight hours when she must be undisturbed. Woodson had arranged through a “dummy” company to obtain a continuing supply of fresh blood plasma for her and she would in the future hunt for human prey only when she was overwhemed by the need for the kill.

Mondrian finished her goblet of plasma and sat, attuning herself to Placido Domingo`s singing. Ah, life was good!

CHAPTER 2

In the eleventh arrondissement of Paris, not far from the town hall, is a small park named Place Voltaire. Situated on the Rue de la Roquette, the relaxing area is an oasis in the middle of a bustling urbane Parisian neighborhood.

Directly across the rue from the park is an eighteenth century stone building of three stories. The building has served as the Parisian home of the Counts Sevinne since first being built and it had been only at the dawn of the twenty-first century that their profligate lifestyle had forced the present Count to consider renting the family townhouse.

The home is luxuriously appointed and very expensive to maintain and Count Sevinne had been most grateful to rent it over one year ago to a young woman of independent means. The young woman had not quibbled over price, only requesting that she be given six months advance notice if the Count had plans to reoccupy the home. Since the Count could no longer afford this luxury in addition to his family estate, he was only too happy to grant this provision.

The lease was drawn and Count Sevinne presented the keys of the home to Countess Mondra Czermintek. Her financial credentials had been verified by a prestigious Swiss bank and the Count had felt great relief in finding a long term tenant for his personal albatross. And, who knows, he thought to himself, if the Countess remained here long enough, he might finally have found someone to take it off his hands at his exhorbitant asking price.

The Countess had recently paid a second year`s rent in advance and Count Sevinne had casually let her know that the home could be had for the right price. The Countess had thanked him and replied that she would consider his offer. Perhaps they would talk further at the end of the year`s lease.

Respecting her privacy, the Count agreed, gathered his mistress, and set off for a month`s vacation in Monaco. The gaming tables at Monte Carlo beckoned!

CHAPTER 1

Everytime Sean opened his eyes in the morning, he felt the grin on his face. Then, the scent of Carrie, lying next to him. He felt her, spoonlike, lying under his left arm. Snuggling closer, he buried his face in her blonde hair, then kissed the nape of her neck. Carrie touched his hand, pulling it tighter around her, and fell back to sleep.

Sean had never been so happy in his life. They had met and fallen in love during the search for the murderer of Carrie`s husband. The pursuit of the vampire Alucard had led to their meeting with Dr. Abraham van Helsing and Sean`s eventual hiring by the Doctor as the United States` consultant to Interpol, reporting directly to van Helsing. Their division of the international police agency was devoted to the solving of crimes of a serious nature that cross international boundaries.

The work was challenging and invigorating, its only drawback the amount of time he had to be away from Carrie and his family. Carrie had three children, two girls approaching their teen years; Amie and Ann, and a four year old son, Wolfgang.

The girls` father was James Corgan, whose murder by the vampire Alucard had brought them together. It was the father of the boy that had caused them such great difficulty. Their pursuit of Alucard was resolved by his transformation to being human after sharing the kiss of a pious woman. It had been quite troubling to Sean that the woman who shared her humanness with him had been Carrie. His jealousy had further erupted when she shared with him the news of her pregnancy by Alucard.

They had spent many hours with Carrie`s psychologist, Dr. Elaina Koss, and Sean had shared many an evening with van Helsing and his friend Lieutenant John Kelly, who had shared the Alucard pursuit. With their support, and Carrie`s unquestioned love, Sean was finally able to accept Wolfie`s parentage and open himself to the wonderful life with which he had been blessed.

Sean, Carrie and the children lived in a large old farmhouse overlooking the Delaware River in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Carrie had sold the Corgan farmland in up-state Pennsylvania and they had used some of the proceeds for the down payment.

Sean had insisted that the remainder of the sale money be kept in Carrie`s name in trust for the three children. In his old-fashioned way, Sean had been anxious about using any of Carrie`s money in setting up their household but relented when he saw the joy in her eyes when first viewing the house. Amie and Ann had grown up in a farmhouse and Carrie had hoped their new home would help make their transition easier.

A month before Wolfie`s birth, on a beautiful spring day in May, Carrie and Sean were married on the rear lawn of their new home. Carrie`s parents and Sean`s family joined the celebration, which was presided over by the parish priest of Carrie`s parents. Lieutenant Kelly escorted the bridesmaid of honor, Lucinda Williams, their friend from Interpol who was an integral part of the Alucard pursuit.

There had never been any doubt of their choice as best man. Abraham van Helsing arrived from France with his usual five minutes to spare. After the girls had a chance to greet their Uncle Abraham and check his pockets for gifts [he reassured them of something left in the limousine with his driver], the marriage ceremony was performed on their new lawn.

As his gift to the new couple, van Helsing had hired the Black Bass Inn for the reception and the happy group left for the celebration. Sitting between Sean and the Doctor in the limousine, Carrie kissed her husband, then gathered van Helsing`s hand in hers.

As he saw the look of concern in her eyes, van Helsing squeezed her hand and smiled. Leaning close to her, he spoke, "My dear, no fears. The unborn is yours and Sean`s. There is no room here for thoughts of Count Vlad Tepes. He is no longer part of your life."

When they arrived at the Black Bass, just above New Hope, PA, the happy newly weds were swept away by the many guests at the reception. Amie and Ann joined a group of children at the side of the Inn where a flock of ducks were begging for food.

Van Helsing entered the Inn and turned right into the small bar. It was a modest-sized room with a few tables and a piano. Besides the bartender, it was unoccupied, as the main serving bar had been set up on the terrace overlooking the Delaware River.

The doctor sat at a stool in front of the famed pewter serving bar, which had been purchased many years ago when Maxim`s of Paris had undergone extensive renovations. He greeted the bartender and ordered a vodka martini, reflecting back to memories of earlier times at the Inn.

As he sipped his drink, he felt someone standing behind him.
”Bram, is that a vodka martini that you`re having?"

Van Helsing turned to face Dr. Elaina Koss "Ah, my dear, it`s been so long. Would you please join me, for old times?"

Elaina nodded, then drew close to him, kissing him on both cheeks, "And what else would I drink here, Bram?"
The Doctor helped her onto a stool, then took her hand. "You look wonderful, Elaina. Do you have a picture at home that ages? How else could your beauty only continue to flower?"

"Aw, thank you, Bram, I only wish that were true! How long has it been since we`ve been here together?"

Van Helsing smiled back on his memories, "It was Christmas, nine years ago. You wore a silver lame blouse and a long black skirt; a simple necklace of pearls. It was the last time we were together."

"Oh, Bram, you remember! And do you remember how much we were in love?"

"Yes Elaina, I remember our love; it still sometimes haunts me."

Ten years before, Elaina Koss had won a fellowship to the University of London to spend one year as an Instructor in Residence in the Department of Psychology. Her duties were to offer a course in the difficulties inherent in growing up disadvantaged. The rest of her time was free for continuing education.

Elaina had interest in forensic psychology and she enrolled in the lecture series being offered by Dr. van Helsing. She found herself enthralled by his lectures and summoned the courage to meet him and offer herself if he had need of another assistant.

Within weeks, it was apparent to both of them of their mutual attraction. One evening, as the two of them were working late in the Forensics Lab, Abraham took the opportunity to address his mounting emotions.

He explained to Elaina that he had been married for seventeen years and had never felt such attraction for another woman in all that time. He had always been faithful to Cassandra, had never even considered being unfaithful. If only circumstances were different, he felt that his attraction for Elaina must be consummated if she felt the same for him. However, his wife was suffering from cancer and he knew nothing good could come from their going any further. Tearfully, Elaina agreed, and the rest of the year was spent trying to keep their passions in check.

Shortly after Elaina returned home to Pennsylvania, van Helsing was called to New York for a forensics consultation and he took the opportunity to call her and arrange to meet her for dinner. Perhaps it was the distance from his family, perhaps it was fate, but the two became lovers that night.

They spent the next week together, ending their time with a last dinner at the Black Bass Inn. That was their final time face-to-face until Carrie and Sean`s wedding. Cassandra had died three years before and it seemed both of them remained shamed by their unfaithfulness to this courageous woman. However, here they were together once more, at the Black Bass.


Their sharing a drink at Sean and Carrie`s reception was the last time Elaina and van Helsing were to meet until four years later when the Doctor arrived back in the United States to consult with Sean.

Although they continued to correspond in long Emails, the death of van Helsing`s wife after their affair continued to cast a shroud over their relationship. Their future together remained in stasis, though neither of the Doctors seemed able to emotionally distance themself from the other.

Since van Helsing had hired Sean as a consultant to Interpol, they had worked together on many cases that had repercussions in the United States and the Doctor had great confidence in allowing Sean freedom to work independently in the United States.

It was highly unusual for van Helsing to travel there for face to face meetings; his schedule forbade such travelling and Sean would fly to Interpol Headquarters in Lyon, France when personal meetings were necessary. It was therefore with some trepidation that Sean was driving to Philadelphia to meet with the Doctor. Whatever case had driven van Helsing to fly here must be of singular importance!

As Sean parked his car in the garage below the building at 15th and Locust Sts., his thoughts returned to his first adventure with van Helsing; their pursuit of the vampire Alucard. It was here that he first fell in love with Carrie during their adventure and it was also here that the Doctor offered him his Interpol consultancy.

Van Helsing had subsequently leased their apartment in this building as a permanent "safe house" for Interpol and Sean often used it as an office when involved in Interpol business. However, it was very unusual for the Doctor to travel here to meet him solely on business for the international police organization.

Sean took the building elevator to their apartment and opened the door. A smiling van Helsing looked up from his computer and crossed the room to greet him.

"Good morning, Sean. It`s so nice to see you in person again. It must be four months since I`ve been able to break free and come here to see you and your family. How are Carrie and the children?"

"Everyone`s fine, Bram. The girls seemed to have developed a keen interest in boys and Wolfie just gets bigger and smarter each day. They`ll really be disappointed in missing you this trip."

"As I will, Sean. Please give them all my love and would you take the gifts I`ve brought for them when you leave?"

Sean shook his head, smiling, "As always, Bram. You know you`re spoiling them?"

The Doctor escorted Sean to a chair in the living room. "Ah, Sean, forgive an old man his pleasures."

Sean nodded and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Now, Bram, what case is so important that you have come here from Lyon to discuss it with me?"

Van Helsing lit a cigarette, begging for time. "Sean, there has been a series of mysterious deaths in Europe that may have implications for your family. I thought it prudent that we meet privately to see if you agree with me."

Sean leaned forward on his chair. "Do these deaths have something to do with Alucard? Has he reverted back to vampire?"

"No, Sean. As soon as I was informed of this cluster of murders, I had Lucinda contact Interpol in Bucharest. Count Tepes is still living in Redicz Castle and we have no reason to believe that he has ever left Roumania. As a matter of fact, he seldom ventures outside of the Carpathian Mountains, save for the opera season in Bucharest."

"Well then, Bram, what could these killings have to do with my family?"

Van Helsing poured two cups of coffee and continued. "Perhaps it would be best for me to explain what my research has discovered. About a month ago, the Surete police in Paris asked for Interpol consultation into a series of murders that seemed very likely related. Over the previous year, there had been six unsolved killings which had the stamp of a psychopathic predator. The first three had been of prostitutes and bore eerie similarities to the Jack the Ripper slayings of a hundred years ago. The bodies were found with their throats and abdomens slashed, with very little blood at the scene. The police originally attributed the lack of blood to the bodies being moved from their killing grounds, but when the bodies of the next three victims were found, police were on the scene very quickly. The bodies were of two men and a woman of moderate to rich circumstances and the police were forced to redouble their efforts into the investigation of the deaths."

Sean lit a cigarette and questioned, "And there was no blood at these scenes either?"

"Exactly, Sean. I requested more detailed autopsies of the last three victims, especially of the throat wounds. The results were just as you might suspect. The neck slashings were an attempt to cover puncture marks in each of their throats. I feel certain that these murders were committed by a vampire!"

Sean replied, "And how do you relate these killings to my family? It doesn`t make sense! Neither Carrie nor I have ever been in contact with any vampire other than Alucard. And since his transformation over four years ago, he has lived an upright life and has not even attempted to leave Roumania."

Sean stood and paced the floor. "Bram, what other information have you gathered? How are you relating these killings to me or Carrie?"

Van Helsing waited until Sean had sat down, then continued. "After I felt convinced that the Paris murders were committed for blood, I asked Lucinda to contact the member European countries for any evidence of similar unsolved murders. What I found was very disturbing and is the reason I asked to meet with you. With the help of French police and the British Secret Service, I have been able to verify thirteen additional deaths over the past four plus years."

"Two years ago, there was one in Le Havre, France and three in London. Three years ago, bodies drained of blood were found in Northampton, Nottingham and Leeds, England and three in Edinburgh, Scotland. The year before that, two bodies were found in Perth and three in Inverness, Scotland."

Sean shook his head, having difficulty following Van Helsing`s logic. "How do these murders tie together, Bram, other than the draining of blood from all of the victims?"

Van Helsing opened a map of Western Europe that was lying on a table between them and pointed to a dark line he had drawn in ink on the map.

"Sean, it was over four years ago that we discovered that the vampire that killed Carrie`s husband had been infected by Alucard`s lover, Mondrian, on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. As you can clearly see, the killings from that time until now can be directly traced from that area to Paris. For me, the only question left to be answered is the identity of this vile killer, this thing that calls itself vampire!"