Black Vampire Politics

"Vampire politics," Mohammed Osman said aloud, sighing as he watched the Execution. Three vampires, Ethan, Eileen and Malcolm were tied to a wooden post, and exposed to the light of day. The sun rose, bathing Ontario in its cold light, spelling doom for the condemned trio. Safely ensconced in darkness, in the depths of the Motherhouse basement, Mohammed watched the lawbreakers as they turned to ash. Let that be a deterrent to any vampire who thinks himself above the rules, Mohammed sighed.

For months now, three newbie vampires had been terrorizing the nightlife in places like Ottawa, Hamilton and Toronto. Ethan, Eileen and Malcolm had been vampires only for a few short years, and they thought themselves invincible. They killed humans, and were none too discreet, forgetting to clean up after themselves. The Supreme Council sent its Enforcers to catch the three ruffians, and thus, their reign of terror came to an end.

Mohammed was born in the Puntland region of Somalia in 1878, and became a vampire in the summer of 1911. Six feet tall, broad-shouldered, lean and athletic, with dark brown skin and a smooth shaved head, Mohammed is a fine exemplar of Northeast African masculinity...only Undead. Mohammed has wandered the planet Earth since joining the ranks of the vampires, and his travels brought him to the City of Ottawa, Ontario.

As it happens, the sleepy Capital of Canada is home to a sizeable population of vampires, and Mohammed is trying desperately not to run afoul of the vampire leadership. The Supreme Council, which rules from the Motherhouse in the suburb of Kanata, Ontario, has its tentacles in just about everything. Politics, business, commerce, the Supreme Council controls everything. Human or vampire, anyone who gets in their crosshairs gets taken out.

There are hundreds of thousands of vampires living among humans, hiding in plain sight. The vampires live in clans ranging from twenty to a hundred individuals, and all clan leaders are answerable to the Supreme Council, which rules vampire society. Mohammed Osman is a solitary vampire, one of those rogues who don't belong to any clan. Rogue vampires upset the order of things, and the Supreme Council likes to rein them in. Seriously, that's why Mohammed was visiting the Supreme Council. He wanted them off his back.

"Hmm, I wouldn't figure you as one for being squeamish," came a female voice, and Mohammed turned to look at Zainab Al-Husayni, the Regent of the Supreme Council. Tall and curvy, with dark bronze skin, long dark hair and lime-green eyes, Zainab is as smart and ruthless as she is beautiful. Born in the environs of Nabatieh, Lebanon, in 1716, Zainab became a vampire in 1746. The Lebanese vampire has roamed the world since then, and amassed much wealth and power along the way. Not someone to be crossed, at any rate.

"My dear Miss Zee, I take no joy in the pain of others unless I am inflicting it," Mohammed countered, and Zainab laughed. On that fateful morning, Zainab wore a long-sleeved red silk shirt, black silk pants and comfortable black loafers. Anyone looking at Zainab might mistake her for a former supermodel, or perhaps a successful businesswoman. Zainab was so much more than that. For Zainab is the Regent, the most powerful member of the Supreme Council, which rules the vampire world.

"Hmm, I'd like to inflict some pain on you," Zainab said, openly flirting with the somewhat hesitant Mohammed. Once upon a time, as a younger vampire, thinking with his you-know-what, Mohammed would have gone after Zainab with everything he had. Nowadays, after seeing so many friends and allies die needlessly due to the innate treachery of vampire politics and interclan conflicts, Mohammed wouldn't touch the likes of Zainab with a ten foot pole. The fanged Lebanese beauty was bad news...

"Miss Zee, there are lots of gorgeous ladies and fine men in this town, you don't need little old me," Mohammed said evenly, and with that, he walked away. Zainab stood there, her eyes burning holes in Mohammed's back as the Somali vampire walked away. Zainab was not used to being refused. Human political leaders and the leaders of various vampire clans bowed at Zainab's feet, and that's all there was to it. Zainab lives forever, and she's a multi-billionaire, who would be foolish enough to stand in her way?

"Mohammed, don't turn your back on me," Zainab hissed, and she pulled a silver dagger out of her purse, and Mohammed froze. The vampire turned around and looked at the enraged Regent, wondering if it had indeed to come to this. A lethal confrontation between two of the world's oldest active vampires. Mohammed tensed, and licked his fangs, ready to throw down if he had to. Zainab smirked, and caressed the silver blade in an almost loving gesture, in spite of the fact that silver burned her Undead flesh...

"Miss Zee, I've followed the rules and paid my way, and I respect your rules, but don't threaten my person," Mohammed said, locking eyes with her. Zainab held Mohammed's gaze for a moment, and then scoffed before putting the blade aside. Even though Mohammed hadn't breathed in over a century, he exhaled sharply and walked away. He left the basement, and got into his sun-proof, specially designed daytime van, and sped away from the Motherhouse.

Less than an hour later, Mohammed was back in his lair, a lovely townhouse located in the Rockcliffe area of Ottawa. He went straight to bed, hunkering down for the day. Slumber soon claimed Mohammed, though the Somali vampire did not rest easily. The Supreme Council and its shenanigans weighed heavily on his mind. Zainab was problematic, and the other members of the Council, Jonathan Okafor and William Fullerton, did absolutely nothing to hold her in check. Bunch of fanged clowns, Mohammed thought, as he rested uneasily.

Mohammed thought about the olden days, when he was a young vampire, and first crossed paths with Zainab. They'd run into each other in Marrakesh, Morocco, circa 1972, and at the time, the Supreme Council was housed there, and led by the legendary vampire Ismail Fahd, the one who turned Zainab, ages ago. Intrigued by the alluring Lebanese vampire princess, Mohammed became her lover, and for a time, they were happy.

Zainab was as ambitious as she was beautiful, and she was heading down a path Mohammed would not follow. Zainab orchestrated the death of her former master Ismail Fahd, and took over the Supreme Council. The rest of the vampire world bowed at Zainab's feet, and she had everything she could ever want. Zainab would reign forever as the beautiful, ruthless and immortal leader of the vampire world. Fed up with her viciousness and treachery, Mohammed split from Zainab, and has been paying for his defiance ever since.

"One of these days, I must do something about Zainab," Mohammed murmured to himself. Still lying in bed, he checked the clock, and saw that it was only three o'clock in the afternoon. This meant three and a half hours of daylight left, and this was no good. The Somali vampire rose to his feet, and did what many insomniacs would do in his situation, he watched television. Mohammed had grown fond of the endless stream of entertainment created by the mortals in this century.

Stifling a yawn, Mohammed licked his fangs and clicked the remote. He checked out Netflix, and saw that an old classic, The Godfather, was playing. Mohammed had been fond of actors like Marlon Brandon, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino when they were young men. The movie brought back many memories. The old guard must be removed to make way for new leadership, both humans and vampires understand that. I must be the architect of Zainab's destruction, Mohammed mused. It wouldn't be easy, but somehow, he would get it done. Eternity is a long time to hold onto a grudge.