Everyone in the car heard the scream. Sheila and Sylvia turned to Klaus at the same time.
"Boss!"
"I know. The screams are coming from the same direction as where Roach found the vampire. Quickly go to Elm Streets. It's about two blocks from here," Klaus replied calmly.
Sheila nodded. She put her laptop onto the porch and stepped on the gas pedal. The rear wheels screeched before the car took off.
Klaus was glued to his smartphone, reading the message from Roach. The bald man said he and his men found the vampire while it was preying on its victims.
The car stopped on a deserted road. A group of people were huddled at the mouth of the alley. Some were lying down and curled up with their hands holding their ears. Klaus quickly got out of the car and broke into the crowd. He found Roach crouched next to a woman's corpse.
"We were too late," Roach said. Regret sounded from his words.
Klaus saw the corpse's state. She died with her hands holding her neck, still oozing blood. Her eyes were wide open, showing the horror of what she saw before she died.
Sylvia and Sheila arrived. They covered their mouths as they looked at the body.
"Is she dead?" asked Sylvia.
"What do you think?" asked Roach rhetorically. "I found that fucking monster while eating its dinner. One of my men shot it, and then it started to fucking cry out. The screams were so loud, and some of my men became deaf."
Klaus squinted. "It's weird."
After listening to Roach's story, Klaus found some odd things. Vampires were powerful monsters.
There was no way a monster with a highly regenerated body and immune to magic would run away from weak humans. Instead, these blood-sucking creatures would kill them even if they were alone. Klaus was sure the monster that killed this poor woman was not a vampire.
Besides, vampires never used screams when in battle.
"What does the monster look like? Is it humanoid like us?" asked Klaus.
"Hmm." Roach stroked his chin. "Yeah, you can say it was humanoid. But it was ugly. It was like lumps of flesh wrapped in skin, disgusting and creepy."
"Ah, I see."
Now, Klaus was even more convinced. Vampires were just like elves or humans. They liked aesthetics. There was no way these blood-sucking monsters would take on an ugly form.
They were hunting other creatures.
<I can help you, my liege. That monster hid in the shadows and fast.>
"No need. I know what it is," Klaus muttered through his telepathy.
Meanwhile, Sheila clenched her fists.
"I have a plan," Klaus said.
Everyone turned to him instantly. Their faces painted a curious look.
"What is it?" asked Roach.
"It's not a good plan. But I believe it's effective."
The bald man opened his ears to Klaus.
Those blood-sucking creatures had targeted. They only attacked women and children but did not prey on men even though they were not awakeners.
The monster Roach and his men faced was only one. With just a scream, it could paralyze them and finish them off. However, instead of killing them, it ran away.
He was convinced that the monster was a coward. Roach and his men would never be able to catch it if they kept chasing after it.
Klaus suggested to Roach to set a trap.
"A trap? How?" The bald man frowned.
"Prepare a place and put the bait in it."
"What bait?"
"What else, its prey, of course."
Naturally, Roach opened his mouth. So did Sheila and Sylvia.
The bald man pursed his lips for a long time, considering Klaus' advice. Meanwhile, Sylvia and Sheila openly disagreed.
"I think this plan is quite excessive, Mr. Morgan," said Sylvia.
Sheila chimed in. "That's right. What if the person we put as bait dies, boss?"
"Nope, Mr. Morgan is right," Roach said. "We failed to catch the monster because it ran away every time we found it. I think his advice is worth a try."
"Okay. We'll use this method. Gather your men, and prepare a place and bait. We'll surround the damn monster." Klaus immediately ended the discussion before it got any longer.
Klaus left for the car without saying anything, while Sylvia and Sheila were at a loss. They then followed him.
As those two women got into the car, they immediately protested to Klaus.
"Putting women and children as bait? Seriously?" The red-haired woman could not hide her annoyance.
"Boss, I've always agreed with your plan. But not this time. I want to help Roach to capture the monster so that Miranda and the orphans are safe. I don't want someone else to die in their place."
Hearing them complain, Klaus sighed. He looked into the eyes of those two women in turn.
"Calm down. We need bait, not sacrifices. You two don't have to worry, and I won't let them die." Klaus said firmly.
Still, Sylvia and Sheila seemed unable to accept it.
"Should we go that far?" asked Sylvia.
"We must," Klaus replied firmly. "I'd rather risk one life than let dozens die in the future. There is no right or wrong when we make decisions. It all depends on how we look at it."
They couldn't say anything else. They could only bow their heads and wring their hands silently because they had no solution.
Klaus could see the disappointment in their eyes.
Anyone who heard Klaus's decision would think he was cold-hearted and didn't value life. They were right on the second point.
Klaus did not see every human being as equal. In his eyes, human lives were not equal. One person to another was different depending on how valuable they were to someone's life. Klaus did not hesitate to sacrifice all humans in this world to save his family.
People would consider his action immoral. However, for Klaus, morality was nothing more than self-interest. They would only stand up for what they thought was right.
Humans would never be equal as long as they were alive. Only death could make them equal.
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