Chapter 11
Wearing a long trench coat and a hat pulled low over her eyes, Sonya sat in the corner of the bar, watching everyone’s movements.
Three men sat at a table talking quietly over their beers, two younger men were at another table talking more loudly, and two women sat at the bar nursing their cocktails.
Wearing a daring red dress, Yolanda arrived as planned and as she waited for Zwick, she had time to drink three cocktails and had just ordered her fourth. Watching her giggle as she spun around on her barstool, Sonya feared Yolanda might overdo it.
“Oh, Zwick!” Yolanda let out with a loud hoot when the man arrived. “You’re such a nasty boy.”
She was drawing a little too much attention from the men in the bar. She giggled and flirted and displayed just how drunk she was.
Tone it down, Sonya wanted to say.
Yolanda quieted down and finally told Zwick she wanted to end it with him.
His reaction was immediate and easy to see, even from a distance.
He downed his drink, slammed the empty glass on the bar top and stormed out.
Moments later, teetering on her heels, Yolanda prepared to leave the bar.
She struggled to get her purse strap on her shoulder and giggled when she finally decided to simply hold the bag in her hand.
The men ogled her, some openly contemplating following her out. She was easy prey, whether for a vampire or any man who tried to get close.
Sonya hurried out behind her and went to stand in the shadows across the street from the bar. Seconds later, the young woman came out and swayed from side to side as she crossed the street and headed to the studio lot.
Following her, Sonya kept her eyes open, looking for any movement nearby. Despite the men’s interest in Yolanda while in the bar, none of them had ventured out.
Then, from the depth of the shadows, she saw it; a large, dark figure that crept up behind Yolanda. It followed her, silent and difficult to see. It got closer, the young woman oblivious to the impending danger.
Sonya couldn’t wait anymore. She stepped out of the shadows to rush to Yolanda, but she was quickly held back.
“What are you...?” She looked to the man on her right, holding her arm with both hands. To her left was another man, also holding her arm tight.
“Come with us,” one of them said.
“That young woman is about to be...”
“This way, Miss,” the other man insisted.
“I don’t think so.” Despite their firm hold on her, she reached up to grab both of them by the collar and brought them to collide against one another in front of her. “You boys picked the wrong girl to mess with.”
Both of the beefy men looked at her with open bafflement. When one of them tried to reach out to choke her, she roared, her fangs ready to sink into his flesh.
Whether brought on by hunger or by anger, she couldn’t tell, but she dug in and drank of his blood, then tasted the other man’s flesh as well. Sated, she tossed them aside like discarded ragdolls.
The men had barely touched the ground when a blinding light obscured Sonya’s vision as she tried to locate Yolanda.
“Well, look at that.”
Though she couldn’t see anything beyond the light in her eyes, she recognized the voice. “Yolanda?”
“Sonya Song. I discover the truth at last. From the very first time we met, I knew there was something special about you. So small and fragile, yet so powerful. I would not have expected more from China’s Empress.”
Sonya wiped the blood from her mouth then swiped the flashlight out of Yolanda’s hand.
“Tsk,” Yolanda groaned. “Have I upset you, Empress?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, really. Don’t think me so stupid, Miss Song. I’ve seen pictures.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a small black and white photo. “Look at that. It doesn’t just look a bit like you. It is you. Yes, you’re a little paler now, your hair a little simpler, but you are the Empress.”
Sonya stared at her. No words came.
“And I don’t know all that much about being a vampire, but I suspect you need to feed a little more than you have lately.
I serious doubt those two men will do the trick.
” She glanced at the discarded men on the ground.
“Tsk. A recent vampire such as yourself really does need to drink as much as you can.”
Sonya felt like a fool. While she’d suspected something was up with Yolanda, she had never suspected this. “You say you don’t know much about being a vampire. And yet, you’re the Bat.”
“Ha!” Yolanda let out. “I wish. As it stands, I am a simple and humble servant to the great and almighty Bat.”
Sonya was somewhat relieved to learn that Yolanda wasn’t the Bat after all. “Then, you’ve known all this time who the Bat really is.”
“Do you really think I would have come out here and play along with your little plan if I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into? No, dear. You’re sweet and I assume you're smart, but I wouldn’t lay my life on the line for you, honey.”
“Who is he? The Bat?”
“My master.”
“Then, you are not a vampire?”
“Not yet. I do aspire to be turned sometime soon.” Yolanda held her hand out, as if to block Sonya from approaching. “But not by you. I do appreciate you, but you’re a simple vampire. No. The Bat is the ultimate vampire... so powerful. You can imagine the honor of being turned by him.”
“And in the meantime,” Sonya said. “You’re out here looking for the Empress of China.”
Yolanda frowned. “Originally, no. Everyone thought you were dead. No, believe it or not, we were interested in you, Sonya Song. From the start there was something about you that didn’t quite fit with the Hollywood scene. From the start, we’ve been wondering who you’re working for.”
“Working for?”
“The Russians?”
Sonya chuckled, caught off guard by this new accusation. “You think I’m a spy?”
“Admit it. A Chinese singer just happens to come to this crappy studio to audition for a silly movie being produced by an idiot of a producer; it didn’t make sense. Something else brought you to Hollywood.”
“And what do you suspect that is?” Sonya said.
Yolanda shrugged. “I don’t know yet but spying seems to be the most logical answer.”
“And what about you? Didn’t you come here to make a name for yourself. Weren’t you hoping to be the next big star?”
Yolanda laughed. “No. I’m fully aware of the fact that I can’t really act, nor can I really sing. Anyway, not the way you can. Actually, I’m here to serve the Bat, and to weed out some of the Bat’s enemies.”
“Zwick? Is that why you’re so close to him? He’s the Bat.”
Yolanda almost choked on her laughter. “That buffoon! Oh, please. Zwick is to the Bat what hot dogs are to prime rib. He has nothing on the Bat.”
“I thought you regarded Zwick a little higher than that.”
“I guess I’m a better actress than I thought,” Yolanda said with a sly smile. “I even managed to convince Zwick that I thought he was brilliant. What a joke. He’s an idiot and he doesn’t know it. However, he did turn out to be a useful idiot.”
“But if the Russians are using him as a spy, surely he has some qualities.”
“Hubris. That’s Zwick in a nutshell. He really thinks everyone believes he’s a big time Hollywood producer.
He thinks he’s convinced them all. And as for the women he uses and tosses aside, as long as the women talk and give him information, the Russians are happy.
They give him the funds to keep up with this charade, he makes one flop after another, but he sends back the information they want. Everyone is happy.”
“But what about your boss? The Bat? What information is he interested in? Why would this supreme vampire want information from a Russian spy?”
“Because he was...” She stopped suddenly and clamped her lips tight. She fidgeted, unsure of herself.
“What is it?” Sonya said. “What did I say?”
“Nothing. It’s just that...” She stammered and looked around nervously. The confident mask she’d put on was fading away.
“You can tell me, Yolanda. I won’t betray you.”
She shook her head ever so slightly and swallowed loudly.
Sonya realized Yolanda hadn’t been telling the truth, but for some reason, this last question about the Bat’s request for information left her silent and unsure.
“Do you trust me, Yolanda?”
“I don’t know,” she said, once again looking all around her.
“Look at me, Yolanda. Look at me.” Sonya leaned in closer and looked directly into the young woman’s eyes. “Do you see my eyes?”
She nodded.
“Keep looking into my eyes, Yolanda, and trust that I wish you no harm. You trust me?”
Again, she nodded.
“We’re locked in together.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me, Yolanda. I have control of you now. You’re talking to me, Sonya, and as a vampire, I’ve put you under hypnosis. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Her eyes were glazed over, seeing nothing in front of her.
“And everything you will say from now on will be the truth, won’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me who you really are and tell me what you want from the Empress.”
“My name is Yolanda Yee from the Guizhou province of China.”
“Do you have a sister?”
“No. I am an only child.”
“Do you work for the Bat?”
She shook her head.
“What do you know of him?”
“I’ve been looking for him. He is a mythical creature with extraordinary powers. To get our hands on him would allow us to use him as a weapon.”
“And why are you looking for the Empress? Why are you after Sonya Song?”
“It has been rumored that she may have become a vampire. If this is so, our government may be able to use her, were I unable to find the Bat.”
“Your government has used you as a spy,” Sonya said.
Yolanda remained silent.
“Okay. I think you’ve done enough.” She grasped the young woman’s shoulder and inched closer, their noses almost touching. “Tell me that you understand and will obey the following.”
Yolanda nodded.
“You will not remember seeing me as a vampire.”
“Yes.”
“And you will not remember this conversation.”
“Yes.”
“You will forget that you ever met me, Sonya Song.”
“Yes.”
“You will forget that you came to this studio to audition for this movie.”
“Yes.”
“You will forget everything that has happened to you here, or the fact that you were once a spy.”
“Yes.”
“Go now, child. Go and live a happy and simple life. Go work for a beauty salon or get a degree. Whatever you will. Live your life with no ties and no memory of China.”
“Yes.”
“Leave Hollywood. Now. Go.”
Sonya stepped back and snapped her fingers.
Yolanda looked at her and her surroundings. “Oh, pardon me. I must have been daydreaming. I think I took a wrong turn.” And she turned around and walked away.