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She had to come up with something to save herself, her husband and her children. Time was short and she needed an answer. “I can get you

parishioners,” she replied. “I have access to all that go to this church.”

“And why can’t I get them for myself? Why do I need you?” Bohdan asked.

“They will find you, and kill you. I can give them to you one at a time, keep them

guessing. If you take them yourself, they will find you, and they will kill you.”

Bohdan thought for a moment. “What guarantee do I have you won’t turn them on me?”

“My children, if I give you up you can take my children.”

“By that time it will be too late. I don’t see any advantage gained by saving you. I have a

plan to take out everyone in this town eventually and that plan doesn’t require any help

from anyone. Including you,” Bohdan replied.

“What are you? A vampire?” the pastor’s wife asked wit a sweet voice.

“Yes, isn’t it obvious?” Bohdan replied. He exposed his fangs for her to see.

“This is a church, how can you be in here? The crosses?”

“This is no church, it is a building made of wood to host a flock of hypocritical sinners.

Like you and your husband.”

“We are not sinners, my husband is the pastor!”

“Tell me why you are here in the evening? What is your husband doing that he can’t do

during the day?” Bohdan asked.

“He’s doing book work,” she replied.

“Book work, yes, cooking the books would be more accurate.”

The pastor’s wife stood dumbfounded, as if her secret had been exposed. “What are

you talking about? My husband has to keep the books, that’s part of his job.”

“I assume there is a church board, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“And he shows his books to the board, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“How much is he skimming off the church?” Bohdan asked.

“My husband is not skimming off the books, how dare you say that!”

“My powers are limited, but I can tell something isn’t right here. I would guess he’s

taking plenty, you can deny it all you want, but you know it’s true.”The pastor’s wife shook her head as if she was either in disbelief or just caught with her

hand in the cookie jar.

“This is all a moot point anyway, neither of you will live to see the dawn,” Bohdan said.

“And the town will be better off for it, as will I.”

Just then a door slammed open startling both Bohdan and the pastor’s wife. Standing in

the doorway, backlit from the candle light was the pastor holding a gun pointed at the

vampire. “I think you’ll be the one not seeing dawn,” the pastor stated as he stepped

between the pews.

“A gun, how quaint,” Bohdan said. “Everyone’s got one these days. Is that yours from

the war?”

“Yes it is, Eighth Regiment Kansas volunteer if you must know,” the pastor replied.

“Ever kill anyone?” Bohdan asked.

“Oh gosh yeah, lots of greybacks, couldn’t kill enough of them.”

“Did you hear I told your wife I was a vampire?”

“No, but there is no such thing as vampires, unless you escaped from the state asylum,”

the pastor said with a grin.

“No, I didn’t, I was in the war as well,” Bohdan replied.

“Johnny Reb?”

“Maybe, but that was ten years ago, times are different now.”

“You break into my church, accuse me of stealing, and then I come to find out you’re a

confederate? And a psycho as well? What a lucky man I am,” the pastor said.

“Once again, you do realize I’m a vampire,” Bohdan said.

“That’s what you say, what of it?”

“You can’t kill a vampire with a bullet.”

“I’d like to find out,” the pastor said.

“Do as you wish, this is your house. At least for now.”

The pastor took a few steps closer to the altar and pointed the gun square at Bohdan’s

chest. Then his wife spoke up. “If you kill him, how will you explain it?” she asked.

“He broke in, tried to steal from the church and kill us. I’m justified,” the pastor replied.

The pastor’s wife nodded her head in agreement.

Taking careful aim, the pastor pulled the trigger of his forty four caliber and shot Bohdan

in the chest with a pop and a poof of smoke that filled the air. As the smoke cleared, the

pastor could see that Bohdan was unaffected and stood his ground as before.

“Now do you believe me?” Bohdan asked.

The pastor took a look at his revolver and then back at Bohdan, he took aim and

squeezed off two more shots in his chest. Then one in the face. When the smoke

cleared again, it was obvious Bohdan wasn’t affected and there was no wound to his

face or anywhere else he could see.

“I know I shot you, I couldn’t miss from this far,” the pastor said.

“You did shoot me, I told you, I can’t be killed with a gun.”

“Then how do I kill you?”

Bohdan laughed and shook his head. “Are you kidding me? Do you think I’d tell you how

to kill me? How absurd.”

“There must be a way,” the pastor said.