Beckman’s Folly: Tales of the Vampire Hadley Price

By W. J. Onufer

Fierce and fabulous. The fiery 400-year-old Vampire Hadley Price lives a very privet and passionate personal life with her lover, Nathan and adopted daughter, Svetlana, 200 years in the future on the planet New Melbourne. Her world is ruled by a few simple things: family, good manners, a protective blood lust for her victims, and her innate sense of justice.

When the delicate balance of that world is challenged by an invasion of zombies from another part of her universe, Hadley responds with a fierceness few have seen before. In an epic battle, Svetlana emerges as a force for good, with Nathan leading the charge to save the innocents – with disastrous results.

That battle also reveals Hadley’s unique gift -- one even she was not aware of.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Sep 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483436036

Book preview

BECKMAN’S

FOLLY

TALES OF THE VAMPIRE

HADLEY PRICE

W. J. Onufer

Copyright © 2015 W. J. Onufer.

Edited by Christine Piesyk

Cover image by M. Keith Wood

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3604-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3603-6 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 08/24/2015

CONTENTS

Prologue

Part One

They’re Coming

1.   A Cordial Conversation

2.   The Tasty Waitress

3.   Svetlana And Her Human Boyfriend

4.   The Betty Place

5.   Joe’s Bar And Grill

6.   Home

7.   Meeting The Legend

8.   Z

9.   The Incentive To Meet Any Challenge

10.   Nipple Hickey

11.   Family Conference

12.   Zombies Can’t Jump

13.   The Christians Served The Vampires

Part Two

The Vampire Ball

14.   The Invitation

15.   Brothers And Sisters Of Blood

16.   Make An Example Of Him

17.   The Watchers

18.   Bargaining With A Vampire

19.   We Need Them

20.   The Human Problem

21.   Svetlana’s Guest

22.   The Package

Part Three

The Silver Winds

23.   Howard Beckman

24.   The Unfortunate Human

25.   Those Who Ask The Questions

26.   Vincent And Claudia

27.   The Gift Of Forgetting

Part Four

The Out There

28.   The Hammer And The Cutie

29.   Shawn And Kate

30.   The Soldier

31.   The Landing

32.   Zombie Women From Outer Space

33.   The Woman And Her Three Spooky Friends

34.   Little Cat

35.   Be Nice

36.   David And Lilly

37.   The Cargo Surprise

38.   The School

39.   Desperation Play

40.   Heart

41.   The Dusty Lady

42.   Make Sure That Doesn’t Happen

43.   The Yoda Syndrome

44.   The Healing Place

Part Five

The Guardian Angel

45.   The Incident In Chicopee

46.   The Honor Of Being Asked

47.   Dinning With Lois

48.   The Boogie Woman

49.   Naughty Bits

50.   A Friendly Voice

51.   The Alley Sex Gentleman

52.   The Perfect Night

Part Six

The Return Of Jean Swan

53.   The Mysterious Transmission

54.   Jean’s Nest

55.   In The Spotlight

56.   Waiting

57.   A Dying Wish

58.   Not A Proper Lady

59.   The Killing Machine

60.   Charlie Brogen

61.   Discretionary Use Of Power

62.   The 80% Solution

Part Seven

Domestic Bliss

63.   Things Got Ugly

64.   Play It Again Betty

65.   Under Your Spell

66.   Forgiveness

67.   Family Reunion

Epilogue: Beckman’s Landing

For Christine

Great Minds Think Alike

PROLOGUE

H ave you brought her into your…activities?

You see her potential too then?

Yes.

She’ll be a force to be reckoned with in another century or so.

She’s a force to be reckoned with right now.

True. If possessing a level of power where all that was necessary, we would have brought her in with us. We would tell her all about it. But there’s more to it than that.

Does she know just how powerful she is?

In some respects, yes. She knows exactly how powerful she is. In other respects, she has no clue.

Indications are that she suspects her powers go beyond what she’s currently aware of.

May I count on you to oversee her progress and keep us informed?

Yes. Of course.

Place: The Planet New Melbourne

The Planet Earth

And locations known and unknown

Time: The Twenty-Third Century

PART ONE

They’re Coming

~ CHAPTER ONE ~

A Cordial Conversation

S omewhere on the planet New Melbourne…

Hello, John.

Hello, Hadley. He took his hat off and bowed to her slightly. He purposely wore a hat so he could do that. It’s been a while.

Eight years.

I like the long hair, he said. I’m glad you didn’t color it. The natural redhead is so you. The short hair you wear sometimes is cute, but the long hair is kind of sexy.

Nathan thinks so.

Yes. Nathan. And where was Nathan? John thought. Normally Hadley and Nathan were inseparable. They were always together.

And you? Your hair is completely gray now, Hadley said.

He may have gray hair now, she thought, but the man still had the body of an athlete. Not a pinch of fat anywhere. Every move he made showed the cords of his lean muscles.

Time marches on for everyone, he said. Well, not you, but everyone else.

You wear it well.

Always the charming Vampire, aren’t you, Hadley?

It takes a perceptive Human to see that, John.

Are we going to try and out-compliment each other here, or what?

They both shared a guarded smile at that.

So, Hadley said, to what do I owe the pleasure of the company of one of the most bad-ass Vampire Hunters anywhere?

If I’m so bad-ass, he said, why are you still around? I’ve tried. My father tried. My grandfather tried. My great-grandfather tried. And you’re still here. They warned me about you.

Warned you?

Yes. You’re the most powerful Vampire they’ve ever encountered. They all said that. They also said you could charm the birds out of the trees. Most of the time you don’t need to kill anyone to get what you want. You just need to smile. And most men will just melt in front of you.

Hadley Price was not supermodel perfect. She was better than that. Hadley was girl-next-door gorgeous. The woman wore very little make-up. She didn’t need a lot. She didn’t need any. Her big beautiful green eyes, cute cherry lips and creamy white skin made her strikingly pretty.

Girl-next-door gorgeous. Man kryptonite.

John wondered- and not for the first time in his association with her - what of that was the natural charm of this women and what of it was some sort of Vampire hocus-pocus. Hadley was so good at it that even gay men and straight women weren’t immune. That smile had saved lives.

And ended a few.

She smiled.

Oh stop it! he said.

John was always on his guard. But even he wasn’t totally unaffected.

My grandfather talked about you all the time, he said. His second wife hated you.

Nina was a bitch, Hadley said. Clay Watts deserved a woman a lot nicer than she. So, how many wives are you up to now?

Just the one.

How is Sharon?

She’s good. I want to thank you for never going after her.

Family, Hadley said. If you ever went after my family, I’d kill you in a second. You never did. I’m just returning the favor. Let us, you and me, continue to do that favor for each other.

The Vampire in Hadley came out. John had to admit, it was really damn intimidating. To have her speak like that, with those words, in such a calm, even tone, gave him the willies. She wasn’t asking for him to agree. She wasn’t looking for consensus. Hadley was telling him the way things will continue. And she did it with such genteel subtlety that it took him several seconds to realize the threat behind it.

So, he said, "I’m one of the most bad-ass Vampire Hunters anywhere?"

Maybe ten years ago, certainly twenty years ago, you were the man. But you know, you have that grey hair now, she said, teasing him, her voice whimsical, not dark like it was a moment before. There must be some young buck coming up in the ranks that has you looking over your shoulder.

Yes. There’s this one. His name is Clay.

And this…Clay, Hadley said, is he named after his great grandfather?

He might be.

After decades of dealing with Vampires, John learned a thing or two about subtlety. The son of a Vampire Hunter was now a Vampire Hunter. The tradition continues. And the message was clear: We’re watching you, Hadley Price. We’re always watching you.

Hadley, you’re the ideal woman. John said. You have no flaws. None at all. If you had just one, I’d throw it in your face right now to get you back for the whole grey hair thing. He paused, looked down at her, laughed to himself, then said, No…wait a minute. There is one.

What?

You’re…short. A real shortie.

And…?

And…short. Just really-really…not-tall.

Anyone who knew Hadley Price knew she was a petite woman. Likewise, anyone who knew her, knew not to underestimate her because of her small size.

John knew her.

But you wear it well, he said. Damn cute. Clever disguise.

Hadley laughed. It was a laugh shared between two people who’ve know each other over a length of time.

John, it’s good to see you again. I’d go over there and hug you if I was certain you wouldn’t try to kill me.

If I knew you wouldn’t try to kill me, I’d hug you in return, he said. Maybe pat your butt.

What? Hadley said. And run the risk of getting your wrist broken?

Literally broken, he thought. This small woman was quite capable of grinding all eight wrist carpals on either hand into useless bone dust. Not a pleasant thought. It’s a good thing she’s smiling when she said that.

That’s Nathan’s property, she said. You don’t get to touch that.

Alright. No butt-patting.

Okay, Hadley said, maintaining a distance from him, kiss-kiss, hug-hug. No hands on my butt. Consider it done.

Woo! I think I need a cigarette now, he said in that distance.

They turned to walk together, yet never got closer to each other than a good three meters. One swipe of his concealed sword through her heart and she would be dead. One lightning fast leap by her toward him and his neck would be in bloody shreds. They had a long-term rapport, something akin to a love-hate friendship, but the truth was, Hadley Price was a Vampire and John Watts was a Vampire Hunter.

Word on the grapevine is, someone wants you dead Hadley.

Only one? she said. How insulting.

Don’t be insulted. There’s a few out there. But one in particular is actively trying to make that happen.

Why are you telling me this John? Vampires dying would be something you’d like. Makes your job easier.

Cards on the table here. No joking. Serious stuff.

Okay.

We tend to give certain Vampires…wide berth.

Oh?

Yes. They do minimal damage in the Human world and their influence tends to keep other Vampires in line. You’re one of them.

Me?

Yes. You and your family. Nathan. Svetlana.

Well, don’t I feel special.

Don’t let it go to your head, John said. You’re not that special. If you start to become…a problem…we’ll target you for execution.

Any lingering smile left Hadley’s face. This got John’s attention. Hadley always had at least a hint of a Mona Lisa smile, even when she wasn’t smiling. She looked at him with a vacant, emotionless stare. It was a stare of something that wasn’t Human. It was the stare of something that was selecting one of many ways it could kill him.

You’re welcomed to try, she said, opening her mouth just enough to see her fangs. Pink-ness colored her eyes.

A Vampire with red eyes, John thought. Not good. Very not good.

They held each others’ gaze, neither of them blinking or turning away.

Hadley broke off the eye contact first.

She laughed. I so look forward to our conversations John. Don’t you? Don’t you just love it when we get together and threaten each other? It’s so much fun.

Yeah, he said. A bucket of yucks.

He was relieved when she drew her fangs back into her jaw to conceal them. Her eyes returned to a very Human-looking white.

The moment of tension had not passed. But it was significantly de-escalated. At the very least, neither one of them would die at the hands of the other at that moment.

So who wants me dead? Hadley said. Vampire? Human? Alien?

Vampire.

Let me guess, Hadley said. Her name is Jean Swan.

How did you know?

Jean Swan and I have history.

From what I hear, she has a few years under her belt. She’s no slouch when it comes to being a Vampire, but she’s not in your league, Hadley. No one is. But this woman could cause you some grief.

I haven’t had that much contact with her over the years, but whenever I did, she always caused me grief.

Hadley, you’re…nice.

Nice?

Yes, nice. For a Vampire. And that’s kind of strange.

Oh? Why?

Because of that whole Heroine of Victoria thing. That’s what Vampires call you, right? The Heroine of Victoria? You’re supposed to be some sort of frightfully powerful Vampire warrior. But in person, you’re friendly, nice.

Always the proper lady. My mother taught me well.

How is Lois?

She’s good. Put her on your list, John.

List?

My family. Wide berth.

John didn’t say anything one way or another. He just nodded his head. He would see to it that the Vampire Lois Elkin was on the wide berth list. John was fairly sure she was on the list already. Pretty much everyone in Hadley Price’s inner circle were on the list. Well, he thought, maybe not that Bobby Crocket Vampire guy. That dude was involved with some dangerous people- both Vampires and Humans and a few assorted Aliens. Strange that Hadley would have someone like him around her.

In either case, I’m curious, he said.

About what?

If you’re so nice, what did you ever do to this Jean Swan woman that she wants you dead? Who does she think she is that she can get away with threatening the Heroine of Victoria?

If you’re looking for some epic Vampire saga, I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you.

Oh?

Yes.

Alright. Amuse me. What’s it all about?

It’s about Nathan.

Your husband, Nathan Hughes. What about him?

"The fact that he’s my husband."

Oh-h-h… John said, drawing the word out. So Jean Swan is…an ex-girlfriend of his?

Yes.

Really? I was joking.

No joke. It’s true.

Oh! That’s rich! John just broke up laughing. He had to stop walking. He bent down and slapped his knee. What is it with Nathan anyways? John asked. How does he attract beautiful women? I mean, Jean Swan is a real looker. Have you seen pix or vids of her?

I’ve talked with the woman, face-to-face, Hadley said. She’s my husband’s ex-lover. She and I are acquainted. And I can tell you, yes, she’s not totally ugly.

And Svetlana? Your daughter? he said. "Talk about a looker. But forget about them. Nathan managed to attract…you. How does he do that? How does he get beautiful women to come to him? What is he? Hung like a horse or something?"

Being hung like a horse is only one of the many charms of the Vampire Nathan Hughes.

Okay, John said. T-M-I.

You asked.

They started walking again.

So that’s what this all comes down to? John said. "It’s all about a jilted ex-girlfriend?

I told you you’d be disappointed.

Disappointed? Oh hell no! I haven’t laughed this hard in years!

It is funny, Hadley admitted.

You Vampires think you’re so above us Humans. But look at you! You’re just as petty as we are. Take a little nothing and turn it into a big something. Jean Swan is quite the drama queen. Hadley, did you know that she’s approached not one, not two, but five of the most powerful Human crime families in this solar system, trying to hire a hitman to take you down?

I’m flattered. When do they show up? I’ll bake a cake.

They won’t.

They won’t?

Nope. Not a single one of them took her up on her offer. The one here on New Melbourne couldn’t shove her out the door fast enough.

The Jadira Clan?

You know about them?

Yes. I live here. Of course I know about them. Nathan, Svetlana and I feed on them all the time. The rank and file are a bunch of no class hooligans, but their leadership are a few very smart people. I’m frankly surprised that they haven’t figured it out.

You know Hadley, a full 99% of all Humans laugh at the mere suggestion that Vampires are real. These days, Vampires seem like quint, melodramatic ghost stories from pre-spaceflight Earth, things that go bump in the night.

There is that, she said. Strange, since, even with our ability to travel between the stars, from planet to planet, there are still things that go bump in the night. Nobody bumps like I do.

I’ve heard that about you, he said, joking with her.

There were slutty Vampires out there. Hadley Price was not one of them. In fact, one of the biggest parts of her reputation, John thought, was that she was absolutely faithful to Nathan.

Not surprisingly, he thought, that made Hadley Price all the more sexually desirable. Yeah, like she needed any help in that department to begin with.

Shut up! she said, smiling, accepting the banter good-naturedly. Didn’t Milo teach you any manners?

My father taught me the ways of a gentleman, if for no other reason than to interact with you.

Really? she said, not joking. There are so few true gentlemen these days. I knew there was a reason why I let all the men in the Watts family live.

They laughed at that. Yeah, right, John thought. Not being killed. Hilarious.

And Clay, she said, is he a gentleman?

Yes. He’ll pull out the chair for you at the dinner table.

How chivalrous, she said. I look to meeting him some day.

My son, he thought, coming face-to-face with Hadley Price? I can’t exactly accuse her of threatening my family. But the woman has a gift for saying the simplest things, yet implying multiple meanings. Threatening meanings.

Anyways, John said, Jean Swan threw around a lot of Indigos to get any takers. There weren’t any. As far as we can tell, none of those families know you’re a Vampire. But your reputation has crossed over into the Human world. They know the name Hadley Price.

Tell me something I don’t know.

Jean Swan is starting to attract attention. he said. The wrong kind of attention.

Human attention?

Yes.

And you’re not too happy about that.

You shouldn’t be either.

Good point, she said.

Initially, I wanted to speak with you to tell you that we were going to put her down. But knowing what I know now, would you prefer to deal with that yourself?

I don’t need your permission to deal with anything.

You’re such a stubborn woman, Hadley.

She smiled.

That smile. Damn.

Is that really necessary? she said. Yes, she’s not a very nice person. But she doesn’t deserve to die.

Always the class act, aren’t you? We see it differently. She’s talked with entirely too many Humans about...you.

Can’t you just scare her a little? Instill a little respect for what Vampire Hunters can do?

Do I sense a little respect in the way you said that?

Don’t get cocky, she said. I can go over there, break both your legs, walk away and not feel bad about it.

John moved one side of his long trench coat away from his body and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Stop and think about that John. This is a cordial conversation. Let’s keep it that way.

He smiled. It was a smile with a swagger. One part humor. One part Vampire Hunter panache. If it was anyone other than Hadley Price, he would have cut that Vampire down and watched it bleed out.

Why didn’t he? Was he afraid of her? She was, after all, the Vampire Hadley Price. The Heroine of Victoria. The Legend. In the flesh. She was easily the most powerful Vampire on all of New Melbourne. There was plenty to be afraid of.

Or was it that he simply…liked her? If she really wanted me dead, he thought, it would have happened. Years ago. Maybe she sort of likes me too.

Fear? Friendly affection? He had to admit, the reason he stayed his hand, was a little of both.

John brought his trench coat back over his sword and moved his hand away from it. Always the class act, Hadley.

Seriously, Hadley said, we might not have to kill her. With the right motivation maybe she’ll straighten up and fly right.

I don’t think so. I’ve had a psycho ex-girlfriend or two in my time. Not recently. Before Clara. They don’t quit. Jean Swan is a psycho woman and a pissed-off Vampire.

Doing a little profiling there?

Damn straight. Only a psycho woman would go up against you, Hadley. It would be enough if it was only that. But really, what does she expect to accomplish? She kills you, then what? Nathan will go back to her? I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but you and Nathan are the poster children for the perfect Vampire couple.

Really?

Yeah. Freakin’ Romeo and Juliet with fangs, you two are. Like a girlie romance novel.

The Always Love, Hadley said under her breath.

Huh?

Nothing.

Nathan Hughes is a powerful Vampire and a married man, he said, who has no interest in any woman beyond his wife. And that wife is Hadley Price, the Heroine of Victoria, a Vampire legend. Jean Swan is out of her mind to go against all of that. By definition, a psycho woman.

You’re a damn poet, John, Hadley said. I’ve been aware of Jean for a couple of years now. She’s annoying as hell but harmless. You’ve said it yourself that no one is taking her seriously. Sure, her behavior over the last couple of years has gotten our attention -- and yours as well. We’ve both considered eliminating her. But the woman is all talk. A huge poser. She hasn’t really done anything that is a serious threat to us or you Humans.

True, he said. But we both can agree that we don’t want that kind of Vampire out on the streets. It’s not good PR for either one of us.

Do you have time for a cup of coffee, John? Hadley said. I know a place nearby.

She changed the subject. She wasn’t worried about Jean Swan.

I wish I did, John said. The truth is, several of my people surround us right now, just in case you tried anything. I should relieve them. They may be needed elsewhere.

Several of my people surrounding us as well, Hadley said. Not that I don’t trust you or anything. I hope they didn’t injure your people too badly. I’ve suggested that they not kill anyone today.

John knew that Hadley was in no official position to order Vampires to do anything. But a suggestion by the Heroine of Victoria was taken quite seriously.

That was nice of you. Thank you, he said, half-joking, half-serious.

They both took a brief look around. Their people, both hers and his, did their jobs well. Not a single Vampire or Vampire Hunter in sight.

Hadley turned to walk away.

John turned in the opposite direction, then looked back at her.

One more thing, he said.

What’s that?

Have you ever heard of a place called Beckman’s Folly?

No, Hadley said, What is it? Some sort of vacation destination?

Hardly. I’ve heard a rumor about that place. A rather creepy rumor. You might want to look into it.

What’s so creepy that John Watts, Vampire Hunter extraordinaire is passing on it?

Zombies.

Zombies?

Yes. They’re kind of outside my jurisdiction. I kill Vampires. Zombie killing is someone else’s job.

Beckman’s Folly, huh? Hadley said. My curiosity is peaked. I will look in to it. She paused then said, Thanks for the update, John. You take care now. Say hi to Sharon for me.

Thank you Hadley. Give my regards to Nathan.

~ CHAPTER TWO ~

The Tasty Waitress

H adley brought her coffee cup to her lips and took a sip. The restaurant was the place for authentic Earth food. Hadley and Nathan were trying it for the first time. So far, they were impressed.

Most of the patrons at the surrounding tables were Human, with a few odd aliens. One did not need to have visited Earth – or be a sentient spices from there – to like Earth food. People liked Italian food but never went to Italy.

Hadley and her lover originally came from Earth. They knew what the food was like there. As such, they appreciated this dining spot all the more.

Great cuppa joe, Hadley thought. Real Earth-grown coffee. She held the cup to her face after drinking from it, inhaling it’s fragrance.

The Vampire Nathan Hughes heard what was in her mind and thought, so, you really like it, huh?

What I like, my handsome man, she thought, is you. Good-looking and you find the best restaurants.

Flattery will get you everywhere, he thought. If you keep this up you just might get your way with me.

Hadley smiled. You tease, she thought.

So what are you doing for the next thirty years or so? Hadley asked Nathan out loud.

I’ve thought about going to Beckman’s Folly. Come with me. It’ll be fun.

Beckman’s Folly?

Yeah. There’s a rumor going around, Nathan said. An urban legend about that planet.

I haven’t heard. What is it?

They sort of have problem with…zombies.

Zombies, huh? Hadley said. Come to think of it, I have heard something about that.

In her initial research, based on John Watt’s mention of the place, Hadley learned the basics. Beckman’s Folly was a planet on the outer reaches of known space. The frontier. Words like remote or desolate were kind euphemisms for how isolated, how set apart Beckman’s Folly was from everything.

So, Nathan said, Zombies are real?

Yes.

In all outward appearances, Nathan looked fifteen, maybe twenty years older than Hadley. He was a tall man with a jet black goatee and matching long hair tied back in a ponytail. His brooding charm and smirking grin made him quite the handsome man. Hadley was small, petite, with big beautiful eyes and long shiny red hair. She smiled often, particularly when she was with Nathan. It made her appear friendly, approachable. It also concealed the fact that she was one of the most powerful individuals of the Vampire race.

Hadley had been a Vampire a good deal longer than Nathan. The man who appeared to be older often inquired about it all to the woman who appeared to be younger. Somehow he managed to keep the irony of the age difference in check. Nathan may look older, but Hadley was older. She had much more experience.

Vampires exist, Nathan said. I get it. I am one. You brought me in, remember? But zombies?

"It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, my love. One of the best decisions we’ve ever made"

Nathan laughed. Yes, sweetheart. I’m so glad that you did. It was the only way I could keep up with you.

Keep up with you? She smiled. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

His comment was made more as a generation-gap joke than as any