Ray Blunt arrived at Brussels Central Station, Gare Central, exactly at six o'clock. The gaslights had just been lit. People on their way home began to flood in.
"What the hell is he thinking, getting a police inspector to do these menial chores?" Blunt grumbled to the middle-aged man wearing a similar uniform who was walking next to him. Blunts gaze darted around the station like a jumpy mouse. "Even if it is Count of Bruges, he should have sent someone else. This is just too much from Darsus. This just makes a mockery of my position."
"I wouldn't think too much about it. I'm sure His Excellency simply puts faith in your abilities as an inspector."
The two men approached the VIP entrance. The entrance had been installed so important visitors could be protected from the crowds, media, and potential terrorists. They showed their identity cards and went inside.
The middle-aged man, Marlet, tried to placate his superior: "I'm sure that His Excellency wanted to send a police inspector to show Count of Bruges that he was being as careful as possible. This is a good opportunity for His Eminence to get close to Count of Bruges. Right?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps he intends Bruges to inherit Count Four. In that case, meeting and greeting him might not be such a bad thing for me after all." Blunt had the grin of a rat that had glimpsed some discarded food. With renewed vigor, Blunt climbed the empty stairs. The two police officers reached the platform just as the specially commissioned train pulled into view. The platform was empty of even station staff
"Welcome to Brussels, Your Eminence Granwelle." "Thank you for coming to meet me," the young man stepping off the train replied politely. He was wearing a simple suit. His black hair was parted to the side, and he wore a pair of silver-rimmed spectacles. He looked like a capable but an inconspicuous official. If it hadn't been for the special train just for him and the ten formidable men that followed him, he could have been easily mistaken for a regular businessman on his way home.
Count of Bruges Gie de Granwelle looked up and addressed the men in front of him: "You must be Inspector Blunt. It is good to meet you. And who is this?"
"This is Chief Superintendant Marlet."
"Your Excellency. It's a pleasure. May I take your cases?" Marlet smiled and drew closer to the second member of Count Four. He reached his hand out to take the briefcase that Gie was holding, but Gie was not going to let it go.
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern. I would like to make haste to Count of Brussels, though. Will you take me to him?"
"Of course! We have a limousine waiting outside. We will take you to the airport."
The two police officers set off with purpose. They walked down the long corridor to the ticket barrier. The young vampire turned his eyes to the sky.
"You arrived earlier than we expected. We thought that you would come sometime after sunset."
"I didn't want to make it too late. That would be an insult to Count of Brussels." Gie replied. "Is there a problem with me coming so early?"
"Problem?! Not at all! It's just that this isn't the best time. There will be lots of commuters going home after a day's work, so the streets will be busy. We just don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"Ah, that's just how I wanted it. I was hoping that the streets would be busy."
Count of Bruges was the youngest of Count Four, but he was known as a calm and modest man. But his answer to Blunt showed that this young man was still the boss of a criminal organization.
"This Vatican assassin is still in hiding in Brussels. There is a possibility that I may be attacked. I think it necessary that there be plenty of human shields if that is the case."
"Oh my, Your Excellency! You are very clever," Marlet said in an impressed but exaggerated tone. "You really do have a good eye for strategy! I heard that you were a pillar of Count Four. They weren't wrong!"
"Odd." Gie was paying no attention to the superintendant as he babbled about Gie's greatness. Instead, Gie was looking at the empty ticket gates. "Why are there no Terran here?"
"Huh?" The two police officers had been too caught up in the greatness of the person whom they had come to meet to notice what had been going on around them. Blunt and Marlet opened their eyes wide when they saw. The entrance to the station, which had been packed with commuters only a few moments ago when they'd arrived, was now deadly silent. There was a police officer and a scruffy homeless man with a cart in the distance, but apart from that, the place was empty. There were no notices at the ticket gate. It was like they were in the wrong place.
"Huh? Marlet? This is strange..."
"Let's ask someone. Hey! Officer!" As his superior checked the area, Marlet called out to a young police officer who was arguing with the dirty homeless man. The other police officer looked up, irritated at first, but when he realized that it was the inspector himself, he forgot about the homeless man and ran over.
"Superintendent Blunt! Inspector Marlet! What are you doing here?!"
"Ah just a small duty." Blunt cleared his throat. "It doesn't matter about that. What is going on? Why is there no one here?"
"Huh? You didn't hear?" The police officer was now eyeing his superior suspiciously. He continued in a whisper: "Just a few moments ago, the Allied Government received a warning from the international terrorist, Hugue de Watteau. Apparently, there is an attack planned on central station... So, all passengers and staff have been evacuated. Please come this way. It's dangerous."
"A warning from Wa-Watteau?!" Marlet's eyes were wide open. Ignoring the tension of Bruges' entourage and the police inspector, he grabbed this young police officer by his collar and screamed: "What are you saying?! Why didn't you tell me something this important?!"
"But the official said..." The duty officer grimaced as Marlet's spit covered his face like bullets. "It was urgent, and we didn't want it to get out that it was Watteau, as it would cause a massive panic at the council."
"Ugh." Marlet bit his lip. "The warning was a trap! The station is safe! Get all the passengers back in here!"
Blunt was concerned. He could feel Count of Bruges and his entourage watching the scene from behind him. The superintendent was swinging his arms wildly. He then tried to make himself look capable. "Get officers in here! Watteau may be in the vicinity. Don't leave any stone unturned!"
"Huh?" The duty officer was now confused by Marlet's seemingly contradictory exclamations. At first, the station was safe; now, Watteau might be near. The officer had no idea what was going on.
A husky voice spoke from behind the police officer: "Officer... May I go?" When had the homeless man approached them? It was the same man that the duty officer had been arguing with when Count of Bruges and his bodyguards had entered the ticket gate area. He was probably just a bum, hoarding newspapers and magazines on his large cart. He looked up at the men from under his hood. "If you're finished with me, I'd like to get on my way."
The officer swung round, enraged that his conversation had been interrupted. "Are you still here?! Get out of my face!"
"But shouldn't you inform the superior of what I told you? The suspicious man I saw? His name was Hugue de Watteau. The infamous terrorist."
"Wait there, you..."
Gie and his entourage had not ventured to say a word while the humans spoke, but now, he decided to intervene. Gie glanced over the cart that the homeless man was pushing. "Show us what is in that cart. And take off your hood. Show your face," Gie said firmly.
"Oh my, Count..." Marlet was confused at the vampire's sudden demands. He smiled kindly, though. "What would you want with this filthy homeless man?"
"You haven't noticed, Inspector?" Gie muttered, ignoring Marlet's insipid smile. Gie pushed his glasses up his nose and continued: "The cart is full of newspapers, but the dates are all different. That's odd, don't you think?"