LETTERS FROM HELLSING XXXVI

"Playing our Ace are we?"

"Walter?" Alucard turned to him, looking mildly surprised but immensely pleased. "You wish to join us? You wish to join the game?"
"If I must." He said. "Release Mr. Anders and we'll discuss it shall we?"

"Oh Walter." Alucard breathed. "It's been so long since we had a real game you and I." His grin broadened. "Are you sure you're up for it old man?"
Walter's eyes flashed but his face remained totally impassive as if they were merely discussing the weather. "We shall see. Mr. Anders, Alucard?""Playing our Ace are we?"

"Walter?" Alucard turned to him, looking mildly surprised but immensely pleased.  "You wish to join us? You wish to join the game?"

"If I must." He said. "Release Mr. Anders and we'll discuss it shall we?

"Oh Walter." Alucard breathed. "It's been so long since we had a real game you and I." His grin broadened. "Are you sure you're up for it old man?"

Walter's eyes flashed but his face remained totally impassive as if they were merely discussing the weather. "We shall see.  Mr. Anders, Alucard?"

"Oh yes, him." Said Alucard dismissively waiving his hand as if shooing a gnat. Anders collapsed the rest of the way to the ground whimpering quietly. He still looked frightened but he no longer seemed to be in pain. "Shall we?"

Walter nodded and gestured towards the entrance to the cave. His face was an emotionless mask but his eyes glinted with some strange unreadable emotion.

"Oh Angel, you have made me so happy."

"Nooo! Nem. Nem neki! wailed the voice in my head.

Oh my God, what have I done?

How many long years had Walter suffered under Alucard's thrall? Playing his games sacrificing his humanity before finally breaking away only to have me drag him back into it? I knew that look now. It was the look a recovering junkie gives the needle heading towards his arm. A combination of need and revulsion, desire and disgust. It was the look Seras got when she broke down and drank blood. The same look I am sure I had when Alucard whispered to me how delicious he found my fear.

What have I done?

Az én katona. Nem én farkas. Nem újra! Screamed the voice. You will stop this. You will stop this now!

"What stakes shall we play for Walter? My Angel? The Police Girl? I am not certain I wish to give them up. You will have to make it worth my while." He said heading for the exit.

Now!

Damn straight now.

"No." I said, climbing to my feet. It wasn't loud but it was there.

Alucard glanced at me then dismissively turned his back to walk away.

"I SAID NO!" This time the command rocked and pulsed through the cave. Walter, Seras and the men looked startled. Alucard looked annoyed.

"You dare?"

"I dare. No more Alucard. No more strangling me until I almost pass out. No more drowning me, no more rats, no more setting me on fire and most of all, no more threatening those around me. Period."

"Or else what? We've been through this Angel."

You have to mean it. And I did. Every last word.

"Or else I will break my promise to you and to God." He looked as if to say something derisive but I raised my hand and continued. "I will leave. I will walk out this door and take the next flight back to the U.S. and I will never look back. And if you try to find me, I will sense you coming. I will sit in the bathtub and open my wrists and give my life's blood to the bay. I swear on all that is holy, the hellbender and the horseshoe crab will feast upon your 'gifts' to me before I ever allow you to use those I love against me again!"

Alucard pulsed and stretched, tendrils of him rolling like mist over the water towards me wrapping me in a black fog. A score of small, red eyes opened to look at me in the mist and a mouth full of sharp, dangerous teeth spoke. "What makes you think I will let you leave this house alive? Why shouldn't I just kill you or make you into a ghoul?"

I crossed my arms and shrugged. "Then kill me, turn me. Either way, the game is over."

The fog tightened around me growing denser. "Last chance Angel." Said the sharp mouth moving closer.

"I know."

The sharp mouth chuckled as Alucard coalesced in front of me. He brushed the hair from my face then circled his hands loosely about my neck. "No more strangling?" He asked playfully tugging me toward him.

"No."

"But I do so enjoy it."

"No."

He sighed wistfully. "Agreed." He placed his forehead on mine. "But I still get to break your arm then."

"No! No arm breaking!"

"That wasn't part of the deal. You said; strangling, drowning, rats, burning, and that love nonsense. You never mentioned personal injury."

"I'm mentioning it now."

"You can't change the agreement once it's made."

"You do it all the time."

"True. Then I get rats back. It's only fair."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"We could always go back to my killing you."

"Fine." I said disgustedly. I know to quit while I'm ahead.

He laughed and whirled me around to face the cave entrance.

"You see Walter? You see why I adore her so?" Anyone else I would have just killed or called their bluff but she meant it Walter. She meant it! Not a glorious death in battle but her soul lost to damnation all to protect them. To protect you.

She's ready now Walter. You can train her up. Put her in the field."

"To do what exactly?"

"Oh, you'll see." Said Alucard grinning. "You can put her with that one for now." He said waiving in Anders' general direction. "I don't want to risk her on the front lines. Besides, it will serve him right for wanting to shoot her."

He spun me around to face him again. "Ah Angel," He said. "We'll show Walter and the master such amazing things. Things you do not even know yet that you can do. You will call them Angel. You will call them to you and you will free them and you will not be afraid."

I frowned, puzzled. This was the second time he had mentioned my calling "them" but I still had absolutely no idea who "them" was and what I was to do with them once they were there. "I don't.."

"Shhh. Later Angel. It can wait" He said pressing his finger to my lips. "For now your off to bed.

A girl your age should know better than to be cavorting around at all hours drinking and dancing with men of low caliber. Your setting a bad example for the Police girl. She was quite well behaved until you came along you know. Really Walter, you should be keeping a better eye on them."

He Released me after one final bone jarring shake and a playful bruising squeeze (Alucard's notion of play is often that of a terrier's with a rat) and turned to Walter. "Come Walter, let's have a real discussion." He said striding over the bridge towards the exit. "I have such plans. The master, I think, will be pleased." He strode out the exit never looking back but he took one last departing shot at me. "I know your secrets Angel. I know your heart. You have no power that I don't allow you. Push me too far one day and I will destroy you. Useful or not."

Walter paused before exiting, eyeing me, weighing me again, reassessing. He looked up to Capt. Burnadett who had come up behind me with my robe and was helping me into it.

"You will of course wish to discuss this Captain. If you will allow me to see to Alucard first?"

"Oui." Said Burnadett.

"Would you please be so kind as to see Ms. Doyle and Miss Victoria safely back to their rooms?"

"Of course." Said Burnadett, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. Some unspoken message seemed to pass between them.

Walter nodded. "Thank you." He said. He bowed slightly to the room then left to "see" to Alucard.