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THE RECKONING
A TALE OF THE VAMPIRE OF SIAM
By
Jim Newport
Ramonne Delacroix – the enigma. 175 year old French vampire. Resident of the kingdom of Siam and modern-day Bangkok. Murderer with countless victims. Witness to history in three centuries. Hitman.
The vampire travels to Paris to carry out a gangster’s vendetta. In the course of the execution he uncovers a secret and the pure innocence of a child. It is the child that he has been ordered to kill, but he cannot. Instead he allows the boy’s father a rare gift – a look into the dreams of his sleeping son – and then he takes the father’s life.
Before leaving Paris, Ramonne makes a pilgrimage to the academy where the journals, records and maps of the historic journey that he made in 1858 with Henri Mohout to Southeast Asia are kept. Here he finds and takes with him, his very own journals.
Back in Bangkok he studies the journals and drawings. He relives his youth in Marseilles and the romance with his wife Giselle. He experiences again the voyage in the tall ship around the Cape of South Africa and on to Malaysia. As he travels through the streets of Bangkok he recalls the magical kingdom that he and Mohout experienced when they first set anchor in the harbor.
Martin Larue, rich expat whose life was changed forever by his encounters with the vampire, has taken his soul-searching a step further, and with his girlfriend Areeyah, has founded an orphanage and school in Cambodia. He rescued 12 orphans from a life of scraping through a giant rubbish heap outside Phnom Penh and took them to the hamlet of Siam Reap, outside the gates of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. His ‘brood’ as Martin called them, soon became everything to him.
In Bangkok, the hunter becomes the hunted as Ramonne finds himself being followed. Easily ensnaring the gray-haired American, he learns that it is Professor Kaestle, noted entomologist whose studies of vampires once led an American vampire-hunter to Ramonne and his subsequent destruction (like a cat – Ramonne has many lives.)
In a vain attempt to gain immortality the Professor had injected tainted blood from the vampire’s victim. Rather than gain the desired effect, he had found himself suffering a debilitating disease similar to HIV. He came to Bangkok to plead with the vampire to complete the transformation. Ramonne, now quite astute in vampiric science studies Kaestle’s condition and tells him that he can only be granted conversion from the ‘source’ – and it is not he.
The source – of both Ramonne & Dr. Kaestle’s condition rests deep in the Cambodian jungle. In Angkor Wat. With Zhoupeng, the thousand-year old Chinese vampire that Ramonne originally encountered in 1860.
In Cambodia Martin’s idyllic life includes regular social visits with Julianne & Justin – two French archaeologists working on the restoration of the temples. Julianne introduces him to Antoine, newly arrived French/Cambodian overseer of a small (3 man) team to investigate- prevent-the looting of the structures which has been going on for centuries – but recently have intensified. Antoine let’s slip the fact that there is a serial killer in the area – preying on the native’s superstitions and beheading its victims. Martin is horrified by the news as the area described is right where his school/orphanage is located.
He returns to the schoolhouse and ‘locks it down.’ However Jane – Canadian schoolmarm employed by Martin – insists that she needs to go to town and pick up the latest shipment of books. Reluctantly Martin gives in and watches the formidable woman and two of his students make the trek into town.
Unfortunately – they never return.
Martin’s worst fears become reality when he finds the bullet-riddled truck & Jane’s body along with one of his students. One boy survived, but suffers severe trauma.
Ramonne makes Dr. Kaestle his servant, and as both their destinies seem to lie with Zhoupeng in Cambodia, makes preparations for his departure to Cambodia. He suspects that a confrontation with his former mentor is forthcoming but he knows it is inevitable. He seeks ‘closure’ and only by confronting his past will he achieve it.
Martin goes to Antoine to seek answers. He gets few. Antoine knows that a gang of smugglers has descended upon the temples – but his information is all rumors – Khmer Rouge, ghosts, and mumbo jumbo. Martin angrily tells him he’ll protect his family – no matter what.
Zhoupeng is currently known as the ‘Naga’ – believed by the natives to be the reincarnation of an ancient Khmer King who was transformed into a giant serpent. He has operated as a ‘puppet master’ to the evil Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot and now seeks the assistance of its few remaining soldiers in a plot to ‘sack’ the great temples of Angkor Wat and use the resulting wealth to fund his mission of domination of the world’s evil forces. He seeks the complete elimination as the worlds indigenous peoples as the great opening of the portal to the alternative forces.
Ramonne arrives in Cambodia. His first encounter with Martin is not unsuspected, Martin & he are telekinetically connected, and Martin is relieved he’s there - for as Martin says – He needs a savior.
Martin goes about protecting his family – he buys guns & commissions Antoine to show him how to use them (Areeyah - ‘tomboy’ daughter of a cop - proves already a skilled marksman) and waits for the worst.
The temple site is pillaged. Massive equipment rolls in and removes priceless relics. Julianne is devastated & in a clandestine meeting she tells Martin & Antoine that she wants to leave. Antoine tries to reassure her that help is on the way – a contingent of military police will be here shortly.
Martin simmers as he figures it’s just another example of ‘a day late – a dollar short.’
Ramonne reappears and whisks Martin & Areeyah to the temples. His power of transcending the present and projecting the past is mesmerizing and they visit Angkor Wat, the gates to Angor Thom, and eventually – the temple of Bayon - the scene of Ramonne’s transformation. Here Ramonne & Kaestle encounter Zhoupeng as time warps from the past to the present.
The police that are sent to encounter the thieves are led into a trap by Antoine, who turns out to be a ‘double-agent’ and they are massacred. The convoy with its contingent of Khmer Rouge guerillas and its cargo of stolen relics arrives at Martin’s schoolhouse. Martin valiantly defends his brood in a furious firefight, but is doomed until Ramonne arrives to personally challenge the evil Naga.
The battle between two powerful demons is a battle with dire consequences for the world. The Naga - Zhoupeng, now not only drinks the blood of his victims but he has learned through studies of the ancient Khmer sorcerers texts, to consume their souls – allowing him to grow incredibly strong. His evil reign will soon know no bounds. If he is to defeat him, Ramonne must eventually rely on the sacrifice of ‘one with ultimate innocence’ – One of Martin’s children must die.
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