man!" said Vincent. "But any effect manna has had on you we can use to our advantage. You can sense them, you can locate them. And when you do, we go in, clean up, and free any enslaved minds. And you'll be paid. Paid well for your endeavor. You'll also have a home. Security. I'll make sure you're looked after. Trixie here will always have your back as well. And you've seen how adept she is at rescue missions."
Dom glanced up at Trixie. She shrugged. "If I were you, I'd take the offer. I mean what else are you gonna do?"
"And you do want to make a difference, don't you, Dominic?"
Dom nodded. "Yeah, I do. But, I want to get rid of them permanently! Get the head of the snake."
Vincent patted the surface of the table. "Have faith. The children of Moroz think they'll have everything their own way, but I'm not so sure." There was a wry grin on his face.
"Why not?" Dom asked, unconvinced.
Vincent held a finger in the air. "For every prophecy they have, we have one of our own."
"We do?" Dom asked.
"Of course we do. And we have a survival instinct they cannot rival. We have no need to hide in the shadows. We are beings of light, they darkness. We won't be going down without a fight, let me tell you. But, for now, we must keep our powder dry. This is a war of attrition. Things are accelerating, yes, but there's still a way to go."
Silence then took over while Vincent gave Dom a sincere stare. A shiver raced up and down Dom's spine.
"So?" Vincent then asked. "Are you up for the challenge?"
Dom sucked in a lung of air and released it. "Okay, Vincent," he said, nodding his head. "I'll take the job."
Vincent's eyes lit up. He rapped the table with his knuckles. "Excellent decision, Dominic." He got to his feet and put out his hand. Dom stood and took it.
Vincent gave it a hearty shake. "Welcome to the family! Trixie."
"Yeah, welcome," she replied with a faux grin.
"Now, we've still got much to discuss to get you up to speed," Vincent told him. "So, if you'd step into the training area, we can begin."
CHAPTER SEVEN
V incent led Dom back out in the entrance hallway, Trixie following up.
"You're going to like this," Vincent said to Dom, rubbing his hands with glee. He stepped around to the back of the staircase, into the shadows. He stopped and turned to face Dom, who stared back at him nonplussed.
"What am I going to like, Vincent?" Dom asked.
"This," Vincent replied. He pressed a button on the small panel attached to the staircase and spoke into it. "This is Vincent Beauchamp; entrepreneur, inventor, savior of Mankind." He then gave Dom a look of sumptuous nonchalance.
In the next instant, a button on the panel glowed red, and a section within the back of the staircase slid open. Dom flinched back, his eyes widening.
Vincent laughed and clapped his hands. "Gets em every time!"
Dom glanced back at Trixie. She shrugged. "He's into his toys."
"And you're about to see just how much. Come on." Vincent stepped into the space beneath the staircase and began descending the steps beyond.
"After you," Trixie said to Dom. He took a tentative step through the opening.
Man, this is like Frankenstein's lair.
He looked down the steps to see Vincent was already halfway down them. He clapped his hands and overhead lights immediately blinked on, lighting up the staircase. He skipped down the last few steps like an excited child. Trixie rolled her eyes. Dom smiled. The old man was growing on him.
Vincent hopped down onto the floor of the hidden basement and spread his hands out. "Welcome to my secret torture chamber," he declared before taking a bow. "If you're a vampire that is!"
Dom looked up and around in an absent daze as he made it down the last few steps. He found himself in some kind of lab; everything shiny metal and white walls. Surrounding him was stuff; some of it bizarre, some of it intriguing. Bottles of different colored chemicals lined one of the counters, electronic devices were
Dom glanced up at Trixie. She shrugged. "If I were you, I'd take the offer. I mean what else are you gonna do?"
"And you do want to make a difference, don't you, Dominic?"
Dom nodded. "Yeah, I do. But, I want to get rid of them permanently! Get the head of the snake."
Vincent patted the surface of the table. "Have faith. The children of Moroz think they'll have everything their own way, but I'm not so sure." There was a wry grin on his face.
"Why not?" Dom asked, unconvinced.
Vincent held a finger in the air. "For every prophecy they have, we have one of our own."
"We do?" Dom asked.
"Of course we do. And we have a survival instinct they cannot rival. We have no need to hide in the shadows. We are beings of light, they darkness. We won't be going down without a fight, let me tell you. But, for now, we must keep our powder dry. This is a war of attrition. Things are accelerating, yes, but there's still a way to go."
Silence then took over while Vincent gave Dom a sincere stare. A shiver raced up and down Dom's spine.
"So?" Vincent then asked. "Are you up for the challenge?"
Dom sucked in a lung of air and released it. "Okay, Vincent," he said, nodding his head. "I'll take the job."
Vincent's eyes lit up. He rapped the table with his knuckles. "Excellent decision, Dominic." He got to his feet and put out his hand. Dom stood and took it.
Vincent gave it a hearty shake. "Welcome to the family! Trixie."
"Yeah, welcome," she replied with a faux grin.
"Now, we've still got much to discuss to get you up to speed," Vincent told him. "So, if you'd step into the training area, we can begin."
CHAPTER SEVEN
V incent led Dom back out in the entrance hallway, Trixie following up.
"You're going to like this," Vincent said to Dom, rubbing his hands with glee. He stepped around to the back of the staircase, into the shadows. He stopped and turned to face Dom, who stared back at him nonplussed.
"What am I going to like, Vincent?" Dom asked.
"This," Vincent replied. He pressed a button on the small panel attached to the staircase and spoke into it. "This is Vincent Beauchamp; entrepreneur, inventor, savior of Mankind." He then gave Dom a look of sumptuous nonchalance.
In the next instant, a button on the panel glowed red, and a section within the back of the staircase slid open. Dom flinched back, his eyes widening.
Vincent laughed and clapped his hands. "Gets em every time!"
Dom glanced back at Trixie. She shrugged. "He's into his toys."
"And you're about to see just how much. Come on." Vincent stepped into the space beneath the staircase and began descending the steps beyond.
"After you," Trixie said to Dom. He took a tentative step through the opening.
Man, this is like Frankenstein's lair.
He looked down the steps to see Vincent was already halfway down them. He clapped his hands and overhead lights immediately blinked on, lighting up the staircase. He skipped down the last few steps like an excited child. Trixie rolled her eyes. Dom smiled. The old man was growing on him.
Vincent hopped down onto the floor of the hidden basement and spread his hands out. "Welcome to my secret torture chamber," he declared before taking a bow. "If you're a vampire that is!"
Dom looked up and around in an absent daze as he made it down the last few steps. He found himself in some kind of lab; everything shiny metal and white walls. Surrounding him was stuff; some of it bizarre, some of it intriguing. Bottles of different colored chemicals lined one of the counters, electronic devices were
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