Vampire Nation Battles Zombies

"We have always existed in one form or another," said Ismail Khalid, President of the Night Council. The tall, dark-skinned and bald-headed African Vampire smiled at his colleagues seated at the table. Located in the basement of a Lutheran Church in New York City, the Council meets regularly to discuss matters of state. The heads of the Hundred, the great houses of the Vampire world, all send a representative to the Night Council to handle their affairs. Tension reigned over the vast chamber, which was not unheard of.

"We won't exist much longer if we continue to be complacent," said Natalie Aoun. The tall, bronze-skinned and dark-haired Lebanese Vampire licked her lips and stared hard at Khalid. Shrugging, Khalid took a deep breath even though he hadn't needed to breathe since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The Vampire boss had been around for a while but he knew better than to let down his guard in the company of elite bloodsuckers. The Undead as a breed put the most treacherous of humans to shame...

"Rumors about ghouls devouring people on the streets is pure nonsense," said Mikaela Golovko, representative of the Moscow Vampire Enclave. The tall, blonde-haired and slender Russian Vampire locked eyes with Natalie Aoun. The two female Vampires didn't care for each other in the slightest. The Russian Vampires had interests in Middle Eastern business and the Vampires of Lebanon often got in their way. Geo-political wranglings are definitely a thing in the Vampire underworld.

"Don't we have better things to discuss?" asked Clarence Adewale. The tall, dark-skinned and well-dressed Nigerian Vampire began to steeple his fingers, something he did when he was irate. Adewale was the newest member of the representatives. The Kano Collective, which lorded over the Vampires of Nigeria, sent Adewale to represent their interests in NYC. The Undead ambassador looked at his counterparts from around the world. Some of these beings had been alive for untold centuries. Oddly enough, they insisted on bickering like youngsters. Some of the Undead have no class...

"I have something to share," said Adam Yamamoto, representative of the Yokohama Magnates. The slender, bronze-skinned and dark-haired Japanese male Vampire looked barely twenty but he'd been around since the end of the first World War. Dressed in a sharp business suit and wearing stylish sunglasses, Yamamoto cut a cool, elegant figure. He fiddled with his cell phone for a moment and then clicked a button. Instantly, the other reps phones buzzed, and they looked at Yamamoto in alarm.

"What is this?" Mikaela Golovko asked, flashing her fangs. Yamamoto didn't reply and merely nodded at her. The Russian Vampire clicked play, and watched the video. The other reps did the same. The video began to play. On screen, a ghoulish-looking man lurched toward a couple in a park, somewhere in a high-tech Asian metropolis. Mikaela recognized Kyoto, which she visited a few years back on a business trip. The ghoul attacked the couple. The man fought, and got bit. The woman tried to intervene and got bit as well. The police soon arrived and found the ghoul munching on the couple. They arrested the attacker and sent the wounded couple to the hospital.

The video cut to a different scene. The three individuals from before, the ghoulish attacker and the couple from the park, lay strapped to observation tables in a sort of laboratory. A group of Asian men and Asian women in lap coats and medical masks observed them. All three individuals now looked ghoulish and roared like beasts while straining against their bonds. Mikaela looked up from the screen and held Yamamoto's gaze. The Japanese Vampire smiled at his Russian counterpart.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that the zombie apocalypse is upon us," said Yamamoto, and the Japanese Vampire crossed his arms and waited. A hush fell over the table. Ismail Khalid, the Night Council President looked at his colleague Gaetano Tartaglia. The well-dressed, middle-aged Italian Vampire had hitherto remained silent while the other Vampire representatives bickered. Tartaglia, representing the Blood Brothers of Sicily, finally spoke.

"Esteemed representatives, I wish to inform you that the zombie threat is real, the Blood Brothers have been studying this threat for weeks now, and it is credible, a threat to us and the humans," Tartaglia said evenly. The Italian Vampire looked around the table and let his words sink in. Natalie Aoun seemed pissed. Mikaela Golovko looked dumbfounded. Adam Yamamoto nodded gently. Clarence Adewale pursed his lips and nodded. Ismail Khalid took another deep breath before resuming control of the meeting.

"Thank you Mr. Tartaglia and Mr. Yamamoto for keeping us informed, we need to do something about this threat," Ismail Khalid said firmly. The Vampire council members looked upon their leader. As the U.N. is to the human world, the Night Council is to the Vampires. Unlike what is shown in the movies, the Vampires aren't a disorganized horde of blood drinkers and monsters but a secretive, well-organized society. They are quite picky about whom they recruit, choosing intelligence, loyalty and adaptability over looks and pedigree. Even the monstrous world of the Vampire must have its aristocracy...

"The ghouls lack a pulse, and do not breathe, but they crave human flesh, one bite is all it takes for them to turn a healthy human into one of them, most of the infected turn within hours," Yamamoto said sharply. Seated across from Yamamoto, Tartaglia looked at the Japanese Vampire and nodded respectfully. Real recognizes real. The zombies are a credible threat and the Vampire underworld must do something about them. If Humanity goes, so does the Vampire. The predator cannot survive without the prey. The new competitor must be eliminated and the flock must be preserved.

"What are the methods of disposal for these things?" Clarence Adewale asked. The Nigerian Vampire's tone was businesslike. Decades ago, prior to becoming a Vampire, Clarence had been a military man and fought everything from gangs to warlords on the streets of Nigeria's major cities. From Kano to Lagos, from Port Harcourt to Abuja, Clarence proved his mettle by leading military men and women into battle. This ferocious man, now Undead, is still a man of action.

"A bullet to the brain ends a zombie," Tartaglia said with a smile. The Italian Vampire didn't tell them that he had personally put down several zombies during an outbreak in Palermo, Italy, a while ago. The Vampires of Italy eradicated the zombies of Sicily and those on the Italian mainland. There were a few zombies wreaking havoc in Tuscany but there was a Vampire taskforce on the way to deal with them. In Italy, when it comes to dealing with threats, both mortals and immortals handle their business.

The Vampires meeting continued well into the night. In New York City, the city that never sleeps, the game was afoot. The intelligent, blood-drinking and night-dwelling Undead plotted against the dull-minded, slow-moving, flesh-eating Undead. The Vampires have always lived among Humanity. In Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Oceania, they have become the stuff of legend. What people laugh at while watching a movie, a television show or hell, a program being streamed on their devices. Tonight, they take on a different role. The Vampires must secretly fight for Humanity against a threat to both species. The Zombie Apocalypse is upon them at last.