Chapter 32

After Mark wrapped the corpses with a grimace, he turned to Stella. "Where are the guys now?" he asked curiously.

"They're already in the general store, but the whiteout has cleared, they're still undecided if they wanted to make a run for it," she replied, slightly concerned.

"Tell them to wait for me. I'll be there shortly," Mark said. She nodded and informed Eben via the walkie-talkie. He then gently kissed Stella's nose before guiding her towards Denise and Kirsten, who were waiting in the corridor, looking queasy from watching him deal with the remains. Together, they all headed for a hot bath.

Following the hot bath, the girls assisted him in getting ready. Mark bid them goodbye and stepped outside, greeted by the aftermath of the whiteout. The town, still shrouded in an eerie silence, the air heavy with the scent of snow and damp earth

Snowflakes, gently drifted down from the sky, adding to the town's ghostly atmosphere. Mark hurriedly made his way through the snow-covered lanes, his rapid footsteps crunched in the quiet night as he moved towards his destination.

Meanwhile, inside a house, Zurial and another vampire silently stalked through the hallway. They separated, each moving in different directions, their eyes scanning the place for potential prey.

Unbeknownst to them, their eerie cries sent chills down the spines of a family huddled inside the cramped closet near the hot water heater. The husband and wife clutched their two children, all of them trembling, holding their breath, when they heard Zurial's footsteps and his haunting hunger-filled cries getting closer.

After a horrible moment that felt like an eternity, the footsteps slowly faded away, and the keening ends. The husband let out a sigh of relief, hoping they were safe from the vampires' clutches.

However, in the hallway, Zurial abruptly tilted his head , his eyes narrowing as he sensed something. He saw the cloud of the husband's breath escaping from the closet, betraying their presence. A flicker of malevolent delight crossed Zurial's face as he advanced toward the hiding spot.

Zurial violently wrenched the cabinet open, revealing the terrified family huddled inside. Their screams pierced the air as the husband instinctively shielded his wife and children. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged at Zurial, attempting to push the vampire away. But Zurial, unmoved and reveling in the defiance, looked at the man mockingly before cruelly breaking his arm.

A scream escaped the husband's lips, the pain etched across his face. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he urged his family to run, his voice a mix of agony and determination. The wife and children, terrified but driven by survival instinct, scrambled out of the closet, their cries of fear echoing through the house.

The husband, now on his knees, pleaded through gritted teeth. "Please, spare them. Take me instead." The desperation in his voice mingled with a defiant resolve.

Zurial, finding twisted pleasure in their fear, smirked evilly. Effortlessly, he seized the man by the collar and pulled him up, his eyes fixated on the vulnerable part of his neck, heightening the family's anxiety. The children clung even tighter to their mother, their faces marked with sheer horror.

In the midst of this, Zurial's partner, lured by the noise, showed up. Hunger gleamed in its eyes, and the prospect of more victims made it visibly excited. Just as despair seemed to tighten its grip, the sound of loud footsteps reverberated through the tense air. All eyes, including the terrified family's, shifted their gaze towards the source of the approaching sound.

And there he was, making deliberately loud footsteps to ensure the vampires had his full attention. With a casual nod and a cheeky grin directed at Zurial, Mark strolled into the unfolding scene.

"Sup, mind if I join the party?"

Both vampires recognized him. Sensing they were outmatched, Zurial dropped the husband aside. Before he could signal the other vampire to run, it unexpectedly lunged at Mark like a mindless beast, seemingly unheeding of the lessons it should have learned.

Without waiting for the vampires predictable outcome, Zurial forcefully propelled himself into the wooden wall, crashing through it, then hastily sprinted away while emitting loud keening cries to summon reinforcements.

Swiftly dispatching the vampire and sending its head rolling, Mark glanced at the opening Zurial had made. Shaking his head in disbelief, he then gave his attention to the family. Their eyes reflected awe and gratitude. Responding with a disarming smile, Mark approached the kids.

Gently patting their heads, he handed each of them a pack of Oreos, a small gesture to ease the lingering tension. With a reassuring demeanor, he comforted the family and guided them toward safety, leading them to a new hiding place.

In another corner of the town, Marlow and Iris stalked the houses. Marlow's frustration grew by the second due to the absence of prey, fueling his resolve to burn the town and force the hiding residents out.

("Call them,"} he instructed Iris. In response, Iris let out a loud, keening howl that echoed through the snowy streets as they resumed their search. Despite their efforts, there was no sign of Marlow's followers appearing.

A moment later, a distant keening call reached their ears. Marlow's face broke into a sinister smile, thinking that his brood had finally heard them. They turned to see Zurial sprinting towards them.

Zurial briefed him on the earlier events. Marlow remained silent, his demeanor chilling. The gritted teeth revealed his intense anger. With palpable disgust, Marlow ignored Zurial's presence, choosing to let Iris continue calling his brood.

{"I think there's no one else besides us,"}Zurial said timidly. Marlow halted his steps, giving him a cold stare.

A familiar, beckoning howl echoed in the distance. Marlow scoffed at Zurial, and they all redirected their attention to the source.

In an attempt to mimic their distinctive howling, Mark let out a vampire-esque howl that echoed through the air. As Marlow, Zurial, and Iris stared at him in disbelief, Mark waved cheerily, a mocking grin playing on his lips.

"You three are the only remaining vampires in this town. No need to waste your time on pointless howling," Mark remarked, fixing his gaze on them. He winked at Iris, eliciting a screech from her. Both she and Zurial waited, anticipating Marlow's reaction. Marlow, recognizing Mark, hissed vindictively, a venomous sound with a promise of retribution.

"You dare mock us, rat?" Marlow sneered, his voice a guttural rasp, dripping with disdain. "Always scurrying away like the plague you are. But your luck won't last forever." A sinister smile escaped his lips as he envisioned the fiery spectacle he'd create once the rat escaped again.

Taking a deep breath and adopting a serious expression, Mark steadily walked toward the vampire elder. Marlow appeared confused, surprised by his enemy's approach without apparent preparation. Iris and Zurial readied themselves, but brood leader cautioned them back with a wave of his arm. He didn't need them, didn't want any help dealing with a pest. No, this would be a pleasure.

As Mark moved closer, Marlow's eyes gleamed sinisterly, a malevolent smile gracing his lips. In the quiet before the impending showdown, he looked forward to the awaited confrontation, relishing the idea of facing Mark, the elusive foe who had eluded him for far too long.

He could almost vividly picture Mark's dying moments, envisioning sinking his teeth into him, draining every drop of blood. The thought of tasting the warm blood of the foe who had single-handedly destroyed his brood excited him. Marlow planned to savor every drop until Mark was reduced to a mere husk of his former self.

Frowning, Mark shot a disgusted look at Marlow's drooling mouth. Without hesitation, he rushed forward, swinging the summoned axe with force. The blade arced through the air, aiming for Marlow's neck.

Marlow, caught off guard by Mark's sudden aggression, barely managed to evade the swinging axe. The blade whistled through the air, missing its target by a hair's breadth. With a predatory snarl, Marlow retaliated, his claws extending as he lunged towards Mark.

Darting aside, Mark evaded the vampire's lunge. In a swift motion, he replaced the axe with a shotgun and unleashed a point-blank shot at Marlow's face. Marlow's eyes widened as he hastily shielded his face with his arms. The blast echoed in the night, causing Marlow's black blood to burst, and his skin peeled momentarily before swiftly healing, leaving only superficial trauma.

Roaring in anger, Marlow, undeterred by the gunshot, launched into a swift run, moving with the grace and speed of a wolf. Mark continued firing, but Marlow expertly weaved and evaded some of the shots, displaying his supernatural agility.

The relentless exchange continued, with Mark changing the shotgun to his unlimited ammo glock, while maintaining a barrage of shots and keeping his distance, and Marlow, undaunted, expertly dodging the bullets while relentlessly pursuing and launching sporadic attacks.

As Mark and Marlow clashed in the snow, Iris and Zurial observed with intense focus. Their expressions shifted from anticipation to a subtle realization. Marlow, though still formidable, seemed to slow down slightly, his movements affected by the continued loss of his blood.