The Division of the Damned (12 page)

Outside, as the sun’s clawing rays touched his window, Michael caught the agonised howling of the vampire soldiers caught in the morning sun. He knew all about them and, on hearing their fiery death, he clasped his hands and prayed harder.

Chapter 16

The men were woken at dawn and, as they washed and had breakfast, Von Struck went over to find Rasch. There was no answer at the front door, so he walked in and went up the stairs.
As if by magic, Marik appeared and led him to Rasch’s room.

"Rise and shine, Herr Doctor.
What’s the agenda for today?” Von Struck said, startling Rasch awake.

Rasch hurried to put
on his wire framed glasses. “E
r, I don’t think we need the men today, Standartenführer. We’re not meeting the
c
ount
until later this evening and I don’t have anything for them."

Von Struck could hardly suppress the smile that rose to his lips as Rasch stumbled around in his night shirt, bed socks and night cap, trying to find his uniform. He turned to leave him but was stopped by Rasch.

"Just a minute, Standartenführer, I need to talk to you about, er, well about what we’re going to do tonight.”

Von Struck looked for a seat and sat down. "I’m all ears, Herr Doctor.”

Rasch sat down on the end of his bed, took his glasses off and polished them. "Standartenführer … Markus, there are some things on this earth that no man can explain. I have seen things recently that have turned everything I believed on its head. Before we continue with the mission, I need to give you all the facts, and I mean
all
the facts. I’m not sure how I can put this to you without making myself sound ridiculous, so I’ll just tell you the whole story and, if you want, we can discuss it. How does that sound?” He’d slipped his trousers on while talking and had regained a bit of his poise.

Von Struck was taken aback by the doctor’s use of his Christian name. He nodded
.
"I’m listening, Herr Doctor. Please continue.”

"Quite a while ago now, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler ordered me to do some work for him. A lot of my work was done at a cellular level. That is, I worked at a microscopic level, trying to figure out why the Jews were subhuman and why we were above the Negroes and the Slavs, basically trying to prove our racial theories with science. I didn’t really think that all the measuring of skulls and other body parts would prove anything, so I decided to go deeper. Are you with me so far?”

Von Struck wasn’t one hundred percent with him, but he’d got the gist of what the doctor had tried to explain and he said so.

"Good. The work was hard but rewarding and I, that
is
my team and I, developed microscopes that could see into individual cells and much, much more. What I discovered is a state secret and will never be published but the meat of my report went to the Reichsführer SS. He was interested in our methods. No, that is not true, he was fascinated,
and based on what I had achieved,
he
gave me a task to perform. This task, Standartenführer, is what I will now relate to you. I don’t need to have to tell you that this is all Top Secret.”

Von Struck was interested and nodded that he understood.

"The
c
ount
’s soldiers have a problem. They can’t fight in daylight." He paused to let that sink in and carried on. "At night they strike terror into Ivan’s heart and their successes have proved their usefulness beyond all doubt. Every mission they’ve been given has been a triumph for Deutschland and has invariably cost the head of one of Ivan's higher-ranking generals, literally. They have, up to now, brought back the heads of seven Russian generals and those of many other lesser ranked leaders. However,
”
he sighed. “T
he dayl
ight, unfortunately,
kills them. The sun’s rays quite literally burn them to a crisp. It seems that though they are perfectly adapted to the night, the day is lethal for them.”

"I take it that it was your job to find a cure for this disease? I ca
n see why they call themselves v
ampires now.”

"No, Mar
kus, no, they call themselves v
ampires because they are vampires. They feed on blood, Russian blood, and they all belong to the
c
ount
. He controls them with the power of his mind. They have no free will; they are simply slaves to his bidding and their own bloodlust. He truly is their Master and they are truly obedient to his every order.”

Von Struck looked at him in stunned disbelief. Was this what Himmler had been so excited about?

"Markus, we are here to help build a vampire army.
Count
Blestamatul is a vampire in the true sense of the word and he has taken the call of the Fatherland and promised, with our help, to build an army that will win the war in the East for us.”

Disbelief, anger and despair merged into one as Von Struck was struck dumb. How could that madman Himmler, and all his cronies, believe this drivel? Germany’s solution to the Russian onslaught was to indulge in Himmler’s childish fantasies and make-believe? It was madness. He slowly shook his head, appalled at the folly of it all.

"I see you have a problem believing my words, Herr Standartenführer," Rasch observed disdainfully.

"You think that German
y can be saved by a bunch of
—
"

"Standartenführer, the
Count
is himself German. He has offered his services and the services of the Siebenberger Sa
xons
—
" H
e noticed the look on Von Struck’s face
and stopped to correct himself.
"I mean his services and that of his soldiers to help fight the Bolshevik menace. Herr Standartenführer, let me tell you, I do know what the situation is at the front and I can assure you I will do everything in my power to recruit all the help the Fatherland needs. Tonight, Herr Standartenführer, tonight you will see the
c
ount
’s soldiers. I urge you to be prepared and I
urge you to prepare your men. The last thing we need is a squad of hysterical SS men acting like a class of school girls at the sight of the
c
ount
’s vampires.”

Von Struck had heard enough. "If this is all the Third Reich has to fight against Ivan, Rasch, then God help Germany. And, judging by the record of our deeds, I don’t think he will, Herr Doctor." With that, he stood up walked out.

"We don’t
need a Jewish God, Von Struck!
" Rasch shouted at his back. "We need soldiers who believe in the Third Reich. We need discipline, obedience and fai
th in our cause. We need heroes
—
”

But Von Struck had already left, leaving the door open.

Chapter 17

Michael woke Smith up just before noon with a tray of black bread, salami and onions, and watched as Smith ate ravenously.

"Now we talk, English. Or, better said, you listen.”

"Whatever it is you want to tell me, it can’t be as shocking as what I’ve learnt these last couple of days." Smith carried on eating but kept his eyes on Michael.

Michael continued. "Throughout history there have been mythical figures that have cropped up time and time again. They seem to float from one civilisation to another, causing mayhem, fear and, more often than not, catastrophe. With each reincarnation, they seem to get fiercer and fiercer. The names vary but they are always the same character, always the same evil." He paused to make sure Smith was listening
and  carried
on. "The demon Lilith or Lilit, or Lilitu or Belit-ili or Baalat, is identified in several ancient texts. She is as old as the Bible, probably older, because she is mentioned in the Mishna, the scriptures that explain and define the old Jewish law as it’s found in
the Pentateuch
—
”

"The what?
I’m sorry but I didn’t follow you.”

"The Pentateuch are the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament, and the
Mishna attempts to clarify the l
aws that were laid down by Moses. Lilith is mentioned in the Mishna. She is mentioned in
the Gilgamesh Epic and a whole
—
”

Smith stood up
.
"Talk sense to me, Michael. You’re wittering on like an idiot. What the hell has this got to do with
my situation? What are you
—
”

He was stopped in mid-sentence as Michael grabbed him by the shoulders. "
Listen
you, bloody fool. Don’t you see? Maria is Lilith. The entity known as Lilith has taken over Maria.”

A confused silence passed between them as they stood facing each other.

"What?”

"English, sit down. I know it’s a lot to digest, so just let me finish and then you can make up your own mind. You know that there’s something strange going on, don’t you?”

"Well, I … I’m not sure of anything anymore, to be honest.”

"Please sit down and hear me out. Please.”

Smith sat down, not convinced but, then again, not unconvinced. H
e nodded and Michael carried on.

"The entity Lilith has been recorded and described throughout time, as I’ve already said. According to ancient Hebraic folklore, she was Adam’s first w
ife. She was cast out of Eden
—
or she fled
—
because she
was too dominant,
sexually and socially. She was replaced by the submissive, and thus more acceptable, Eve.”

Smith raised his eyebrows and nodded for him to go on.

"She is said to have scorned God and fled Eden. She is immortal because she left Eden before the fall, that is before Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. She is supposed to have flown to the shores of the Red Sea where she apparently mated with demons and gave birth a hundred times a day.”

"Good grief! I bet that hurt," Smith huffed.

If Michael detected Smith’s sarcasm, he didn’t let it show and he pushed patiently on
.
"Indeed. As I said, no wonder she wasn’t included in the Bible. Legend has it t
hat she can only exist at night
—
it isn
’t true but that’s the legend
—
and that she lives on the blood of children and animals. It was also said that she drank the blood of Abel after his brother slew him. So Lilith is the first recorded Biblical vampire and she’s also the first name in the Book of Blood.” Michael paused for effect before moving on. "Lilith is among us now, right here in the castle, and her powers are gathering strength. Do you or, better said, can you believe me?”

Smith sat in mute contemplation. How had he landed in this madhouse? How could he extract himself from this insanity with the least friction or fuss? "Go on. There must be more
.” H
e sighed.

"There is. But do you understand what I’ve said up to now?”

"Not really, no
,
” Smith answered with the air of a man just marking time until he can get away.

"Major Smith
,
I know it’s a lot not only to take in but to believe, but it really is important. I have traced the history, and I’ve studied scrolls and tablets and stone carvings to get this far. I have a mission and I need your help to see it through. I know it seems unreal but, believe me, you’re in it up to your neck and you need to choose a side before the side chooses you.” He sat back in his chair and looked at Smith frankly.

"You’ve got to admit, it’s all bloody queer, isn’t i
t?" Smith answered him defiantly.
"What would you say if this was all suddenly thrown in your face, eh?”

"I never had that luxury, I was born to it. My father was in the Order, as was his father, ad infinitum.”

Smith looked at him and tried to puzzle him out. Why was he making such an effort? He didn’t seem mad but
what he was saying was madness,
complete and utter madness.

”Where are you actually from, then?" he finally asked.

Michael shrugged and tiredly said, "I’m not important here. The important thing is for you to know who everyone is, so stop interrupting and let me get on with what I’ve got to say. Can you do that?" A smile flashed through his features as he said this and the tension was once again broken.

"Fair enough, I’ll listen. But I want answers when you’re done. Is that
a deal?”

"That’s fine with me
;
that’s exactly what I want. I want you to know what’s going on," he answered, putting out his hand to seal the pact. Smith took it.

"Where was I? Ah, Lilith. Now this is where it starts getting complicated. Lilith is also to be found in the ancient Sumerian legends.”