(For the ones that don't know, this vampires are from 'The Strain', pretty good film)
As night fell, New York City was brilliantly lit up. A truck sped through the night, heading towards the bridge connecting New York and Manhattan.
Gus took a deep drag on his cigarette, glancing at the rearview mirror now and then. Through the mirror, he could see a large stone coffin.
The coffin was carved with intricate patterns, skulls, swords, and countless grotesque and terrifying monster figures, giving it an ancient and eerie aura.
"This is the last time…"
Gus's eyes flickered. He didn't know what was in the coffin, but he understood it had to be something illegal. Otherwise, Eichhorst wouldn't have entrusted a man with a criminal record to transport it secretly.
Seeing the overpass ahead, Gus felt a slight sense of relief. Passing through the checkpoint had scared him to death. If he were caught and sent back to prison, his mother would surely die in the hospital without timely medical payments.
That was why he helped Eichhorst—because of the Stoneheart Group's medical sponsorship.
Thud!
A strange noise from behind made Gus's eyes narrow slightly, but looking at the overpass ahead, he thought it was just the road bumping.
He was almost at his destination.
As the truck was about to leave the bridge, a figure suddenly appeared in the road ahead.
Fortunately, there was still some distance, and Gus managed to stop the truck just in time, right in front of the suddenly appearing man.
Anger flared in Gus's heart. He frowned, trying to suppress his unease as he stared at the man.
"Hello, Mr. Gus, my name is John. Nice to meet you!"
At this moment, wearing a black trench coat and smiling, John slowly walked to the front of the truck. Looking at the familiar face in the driver's seat, he couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. Eichhorst's choice of Gus was not without reason.
As a distinctive early character in the vampire series, Gus had strong combat instincts. With his leverage held by the Stoneheart Group, he had been doing shady work for them.
Facing Gus in person, John could sense the latent fierceness in his eyes.
No wonder he could face vampires up close and then successfully escape.
Gus's brows furrowed, and he forced a smile, looking at the approaching man and trying to stay calm.
"Is there something you need?"
"Good Samaritan, could you give me a ride to Manhattan?"
"A ride? Sorry, I have a job to do. I can't help you."
"Brother, to be honest, if you don't want to die a horrible death in the mouth of that monster in the coffin, you might want to consider my offer!"
"You know what I'm transporting?"
Gus's expression finally changed, his face uncertain as he looked at the handsome man before him.
But John walked straight to the truck, opened the door, and calmly sat in the passenger seat.
Seeing the blade pointed at him, John remained unflustered. He knew Gus's character well and was confident in his own combat skills to escape if necessary.
"You don't want your mom to lose you tonight, do you?"
John didn't look at Gus but stared at the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with a hint of horror.
Noticing John's gaze, Gus felt puzzled. The man didn't seem to be targeting him, which eased his tension slightly.
"The coffin contains…"
"Shh!"
John put his finger to his lips, his face appearing somewhat sinister under the pale streetlights.
Gus's expression grew serious. He realized that John seemed to be staring at the coffin the whole time, his pupils contracting as if wary of something. He glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing the coffin still quietly sitting there.
They drove in silence until Gus slowly reached the designated location. John quickly took out a UV lamp he had bought from a materials store.
Under Gus's surprised gaze, he got out of the truck.
"What are you doing?"
Gus frowned, not understanding the Asian man's intentions.
John handed him one of the UV lamps.
"If you don't want us both to die horribly, keep this lamp on the coffin!"
John then attached a small spotlight to his hat and switched it on, illuminating the area with purple light.
His eyes filled with urgency, and he reached out to touch the coffin.
Feeling the cold touch, a voice echoed in his mind, and John's eyes sparkled with excitement.
It really works?
"Deprive!"
John murmured softly, and an invisible wave spread from his hand to the coffin.
Gus, watching curiously, saw John place his hand on the coffin. The next moment, the coffin shook violently, the heavy stone smashing against the truck's metal floor, causing Gus to fall in fear.
John's expression darkened. Under the UV lamp's light, his face shifted as he felt the power surging within him. His hearing also sharpened, detecting the coffin's internal locks turning.
Damn! It's coming out!
He jumped out of the truck, and Gus, already outside, was running towards the gate in a panic.
The loud noise had terrified Gus. The 500-pound coffin seemed to contain something horrifying, and combined with John's earlier warning, he couldn't suppress his fear anymore. He ran with the UV lamp flashing around him.
Damn it! John regretted looking at the coffin. Feeling the power surging through his body, he panted and twisted his body, chasing after Gus with incredible speed!
This speed.
John felt ecstatic. The power surging through him was overwhelming, and this was just from absorbing part of the ability! Familiar with the vampire series, he wouldn't miss this opportunity. His innate talent glowed brightly in his mind.
Deprivation (Awakened): Effective on any unresisting character, capable of depriving beneficial traits.
That's why John took the risk to find Gus because this was the progenitor's most vulnerable moment! Unfortunately, his innate talent wasn't instant. He couldn't fully deprive the ability.
Feeling the power within, John felt like he was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. As he ran out the gate, his sharp hearing detected a loud noise from the truck's direction.
It's out!
John's legs moved frantically, creating afterimages as he quickly caught up to Gus.
(End of Chapter)