Prophecy of the Undead (2 page)

She had a man in her life, though she didn’t see him very often. He was a businessman who exuded wealth and privilege, along with something under the surface that Yuri found distasteful when he got close enough to them one night to smell it. The man sensed he was being followed but Yuri knew how to avoid detection when he wanted to, so he was never seen.

It was only a minor matter to get the cooperation of one of her coworkers. He sidled up to him one night at the bar, bought him a drink, and proceeded to mesmerize him when he went to use the bathroom. Yuri hadn’t needed to use a bathroom for anything other than assignations for a long time, but they were good places for privacy. He convinced her co-worker that he was an old friend from his college days and accompanied him back out to the public area, so that he would introduce Yuri to the object of his interest.

“Hey, Keisha, I wanna introduce you to my old friend Yuri Kozakov. We had some classes together back in the day. He’s in town for that conference you spoke at yesterday. Yuri, this is Keisha Brown.”

Yuri bowed, “I am in awe at meeting you, Ms. Brown. I have read many of your papers and have long wanted to speak to you of a project near and dear to my heart.”

Keisha smiled in a distracted way while she craned her head around, searching the crowd. “Really? That’s cool. I’m waiting for my boyfriend to get back with my drink, so we won’t be able to talk long.”

Yuri grinned, “Ah, you suspect that I only want to meet you in order to pursue you, because you are such a lovely woman. That occurred to me but I’m such a nerd, Ms Brown. The real reason I wanted to meet you is to discuss your theories on molecular biology.”

Keisha turned her full interest to him and asked, “Oh? What do you find particularly interesting, Mister…what was it?”

Yuri indicated the seat across from her, “May I?”

Keisha nodded.

“Kozakov. What I want to discuss with you is your theory on the origins of intelligence and systemic functioning in regards to environmental stresses...”

With that, her interest was guaranteed and they spent the next few hours leaning close to one another to talk, trying to be heard over the loud music, yet fascinated with the subjects they were discussing. When her boyfriend did return with her drink, he tried unsuccessfully to insert himself into the conversation. Once Keisha got to talking about her research, there was very little that could distract her from her passion.

Yuri privately celebrated when the boyfriend shrugged and mumbled about seeing someone else he wanted to talk to before he left them to their scientific musings. He faced the bar, while Keisha sat across from him, facing the wall behind him. Only he saw the boyfriend accosted by a number of women, many of whom he danced with, and one of whom he followed into the bathroom.

No doubt for the privacy
, a part of Yuri’s brain mused. He had little time to spend condemning the boyfriend. His cognitive skills were absorbed with trying to keep up with the formidable intelligence on display from the woman he was becoming enthralled with.

They reluctantly stopped talking when the lights flashed hours later to indicate that the establishment was closing. Keisha hadn’t noticed that Yuri barely sipped at his one drink. Once she earnestly delved into her research topics, she stopped ordering wine and sipped only water. The boyfriend reappeared, loudly proclaiming that it was time for him to drive her home.

Before he left, Yuri stood and took her hand to bow formally and kiss the back of her hand. Keisha smiled shyly, as if not used to such polite treatment.

“Would it be presumptuous of me to ask for your telephone number, Ms. Brown? I would love to continue our discussions at a future date, after I have had the time to assimilate all that we have talked about tonight.” Yuri looked into Keisha’s eyes as he spoke.

The boyfriend sneered at him when he said the word date, “I don’t think that will be possible. Keisha is a very busy woman. What little free time she does have, she spends with me.”

“Don’t be silly, Dan. Mister Kozakov is a fellow researcher. I think we can learn a lot from each other. Here’s my number.” She scribbled on a napkin and handed it to Yuri.

He was amused by the anger and jealousy directed towards him by the boyfriend whose masculine sex hormones were mixed with the smell of his sweat, along with the female juices that had obviously been recently smeared onto his cock. Aware that only he would be able to pick up a scent as subtle as that, he never-the-less felt antipathy towards a man who would cheat on a woman as fascinating and desirable as Keisha.

* * * *

Yuri waited a couple of days, in order to not make the woman feel threatened. Then he called her and asked her to have coffee with him, so they could spend more time discussing her current research.

“Coffee? Yes, that would be lovely. I can’t wait to tell you what I’m on the brink of discovering. In fact, I might have the greatest success of my life to tell you about when we meet next week. I’m so very close that I expect to isolate the enzyme responsible for enhancing intelligence in the next day or so. Won’t that be fantastic?” Excitement was in her voice.

Yuri was surprised to feel his body respond in a way he thought himself incapable of recently. It had been so long since he felt any kind of sexual urge that he thought that was behind him for good. Now he realized with a start that the combination of frighteningly high intelligence with her striking good looks brought that part of him to life again. They made a date to meet for coffee after she got off work the following Thursday night— which was tonight.

Yuri smiled to himself in the dark as he remembered what she looked like. She was tall for a woman, with smooth
cafe au lait
skin that looked like fine milk chocolate. Her hair was very short but the natural curls suited her face. Yuri was surprised by the color of her eyes. The hazel color snapped with excitement when she talked about her research. The passion in her voice echoed the sparkles of yellow and green that flashed across her irises when she spoke. She had the features of what in the old days would have been referred to as a Nubian goddess, with full lips that accentuated her perfect, white teeth. Although she was not fat, she had the generous curves one expected in a beautiful example of a black woman, her hips gently rounded, and her breasts full and high.

Yuri hadn’t pleasured himself for many years and he wasn’t about to begin tonight. Instead he planned a strategy that his first order of business was to get the bewitching Keisha to agree to do the research he wanted her to do, to answer his questions. Very soon after that he would make her forget the unfaithful mortal Dan. There were many pleasures and delights that only he, Yuri Kozakov, would be able to introduce her to. He smiled.

As he dressed for their date, he took special care in his appearance—choosing a black silk shirt that emphasized his preternaturally blond hair and white skin. If she was a Nubian goddess, he was the epitome of a Russian god— perhaps what one would imagine the Norse gods must have looked like: tall, well-built, fair-haired with surprisingly dark brown eyes. He made sure to choose pants which hugged his body so that even she couldn’t help but notice his powerful thighs and the unmistakable bulge that thinking about her produced against the zipper.

With a final look at himself in the mirror, he winked and set out on what he hoped would be an eventful and productive evening.

Chapter Three

Yuri tapped his finger against the table for the umpteenth time and then looked at his watch yet again.

She’s already two hours late. I know she’s a dedicated scientist who might have lost track of the time but she hasn’t answered the texts I sent or picked up her phone when I left a message
.

He shook his head at the waitress who stood in front of him with the coffeepot. Instead, he resolutely got up and paid for his coffee on the way out the door.

I know where she lives. I know where she works also but that is a guarded installation, so it would be easier to see if she is at home. Perhaps she forgot about our date. Or I can wait around outside until she returns home. Either way, I need to feed first.

Taking a slight detour into a nearby alley, Yuri found a homeless man whose heartbeat he heard as he passed. The man was muttering to himself and so didn’t hear when Yuri crept up behind him to quickly take what he needed. Yuri left the man snoring loudly next to the dumpster he searched in for food. He’d wake up the next day after having dreamed all night of eating everything that he liked in the finest restaurants in the city. Yuri liked to repay what he took in an effort to assuage his conscience and to contribute good karma to an often cold and unfeeling world.

Yuri found the apartment complex easily and, despite the security protocols, within a few minutes he walked down the hallway towards her apartment. He knocked loudly on the door before trying the handle. To his surprise, it turned in his hand. He opened the door and entered the apartment. He drew in an unaccustomed breath in surprise and anger as he looked around.

There had been a fight. Quite a violent one by the looks of things. Furniture was thrown around, lamps and glasses were broken. There was blood on one of the pieces of glass. Yuri’s fangs descended as he bent to pick up the object and smell, then taste the evidence.

It was not her blood.

Where is she? She must have been set upon by someone, or perhaps more than one person, who snuck into the apartment while she was already in it. Did she enter it to find them here? Either way, she’s gone. No wonder she didn’t make our date tonight. The blood tastes old...quite a few days old. So she has been gone for days? To where?

He quickly searched her apartment for anything that might give him any clue as to where she might have run to. Then he remembered the boyfriend.

Of course. She’d have run there first. Now where is her computer? I can break into it and hopefully find an address or phone number for him.

It didn’t take him long to find what he searched for. With one final look around, he promised the air that he would make someone pay for the damage done to her piece of mind.

If she’s been harmed, I’ll tear the limbs off of the persons responsible and laugh while they bleed to death.

A few minutes later, Yuri scaled the side of the building Dan lived in, up to the penthouse. He stood on the balcony watching and listening as Dan made a phone call.

“Is it done yet?”

He listened, and then responded in a petulant voice.

“You said it would be done already. I know you are just waiting until they call you to tell you it’s done. Every minute that she’s still alive is another minute she could find someone to believe her about what’s been going on. That would jeopardize the plan.”

He listened again and then sighed heavily.

“Fine. Just let me know when it’s done, alright?”

Yuri felt the growl start somewhere deep inside of his soul. He watched until the perfidious boyfriend turned his back to the balcony to pour some brandy into a snifter. He didn’t have time to turn around before Yuri sank his teeth into his neck to sip the blood while he delicately sorted through the recent memories.

Two men were pursuing her. They chased her for days. They found her today. They are driving her to a desolate place so they can kill her. She knows too much. We can’t let her ruin all of these centuries of planning.

With a start, Yuri broke off the contact to stare at the man who collapsed at his feet.

Centuries of planning? He’s mortal and too young to have even seen a half a century. What is this all about?

“Danny-boy? When are you coming back to bed?” Two naked blond women stood in the doorway leading to what apparently was the bedroom. They stared in shock at Yuri standing over the object of their desire.

Damn.

Throwing himself across the room, Yuri grabbed a wrist of each of the girls and twisted, forcing them to kneel in front of him.

“Look at me,” he commanded aloud, while exerting enough mental force to capture their minds but not to destroy them. He created the memory of watching as Dan collapsed while pouring himself the brandy...no one else was in the room.

He let go of them both, then turned and walked back to the balcony. Determined, he gathered his strength and took a deep breath, then imagined himself riding the night breezes out of the city. And he did.

A short while later, Yuri stood in the middle of a road in a desolate part of northwestern Illinois. He knew the men who kidnapped Keisha were headed out into the country. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the unique sound of her heartbeat, which had imprinted itself on his memory when they leaned close to one another to talk in the crowded bar. Then he opened his mind and listened to all of the sounds of the night. It was hard to do, with all of the night creatures moving about, rustling leaves, hooting, chirping, feeding, and fighting. He was sweating blood, wiping the red drops off of his forehead repeatedly as he searched for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

If I have to stand here until the sun rises to scorch me to a cinder, I will. She can’t be dead already. I have to find her. Wait. Is that? Is that...her? Yes. Keep breathing, Keisha. I’m coming.