Tess and I spent the week making our new home a little more liveable. Fairy lights. A better bed. We had even found an antique laundry basin so I didn’t have to haul my dirty clothes almost three miles through a lightless, underwater tunnel to a coin laundry. We had even made a trek back to our old apartment. An emotional excursion, given the horrors we both had faced there. Retrieving our family photos had been worth it, though. Our framed wedding photo now adorned the wall of our off-shore home. I had been wondering how long it would be until Dawn called for her Vampire hunt when I woke at dusk to seven missed calls. Stupid. Of course they wouldn’t hunt Vampires at night. I knew all too well how vulnerable we were during the day. I had been having misgivings about truly joining the hunters, given my status as their primary target, but this clinched it. No way I could put on the guise of a hunter if I couldn’t go out in the day myself. Four of the missed calls had messages left. Three from Dawn, in an ever increasingly irate tirade.

“Hell of a temper on her,” Tess said.

The last message was from Daisy, and only a couple hours ago, “Hey Jane. Have you heard from Dawn? She and the others haven’t come back yet. I’m worried.” 

“Back to the cafe, then?” asked Tess.

“Yeah. We’re late, but the hunters are still our best bet at tracking down your killer.”

No music. No bouncer. A ‘closed’ sign adorned the unlocked door. I let myself in. An older man was yelling at Daisy, while she had her hands before her trying to calm the man down. I cleared my throat. Daisy gestured at me, and addressed the man. She didn’t yell. But she was still loud, “see!? I told you she’d get here!”

“What?” I asked.

The man was silent. At great cost, apparently, considering the vein visible on his forehead. 

Daisy strode over, and ushered me farther into the cafe, “this is Greg. Dawn’s father.”

The man, Greg, broke his silence with a yell, “YOU’RE GODDAMNED RIGHT I’M HER FATHER. And that’s why I’m going to go get her.”

Daisy jabbed a finger at his chest, “you’re too old to go alone! Jane’s here now! Go together!”

“I feel like I’m lacking context for this argument I’m apparently in the middle of.”

Greg started to answer. Loudly. Daisy shushed him, then answered herself, “Dawn and the team found—” Greg coughed, Daisy continued, “Greg found a Vampire nest. A big house outside the city. Dawn and the team went to check it out. They haven’t come back yet and now it’s after dark. And Greg here wants to go in guns-a-blazing.”

“And where do I come in?” 

“You,” Daisy said to me while glaring at Greg, “keep Greg from getting hurt, and find out what happened to Dawn and the others.”

I nodded. 

“Bullshit.” Greg said, turning to me, “how many hunts have you been on, girl?”

I scowled, but answered honestly. “One.”

“ONE HUNT!?” He whirled on Daisy, “you made me wait here for a fucking nobody?”

“Don’t be rude,” Daisy shot back, “I’ve got a good feeling about her.”

“Appreciate the vote of confidence,” I said.

“Fine. Fuck.” Greg said. “I'm driving, though.”

“That's fair,” I said. I didn't mention that I had walked here. 

Greg drove an old pickup. He had a crossbow jammed between our seats. 

“How far are we going?”

Greg glared at me, “Barrington Hills.”

Just shy of four hours. This was going to be an abysmal ride. And might get complicated. We should arrive close to midnight, and if we weren't on the way back before 0200, I'd be caught out in the sun. At least he was going fast. 

Halfway through our drive the awkward silence got to Greg, too. “So. New hunter. How’d you get in the know?” he asked me. 

I glanced at the rearview mirror, and made eye contact with Tess in the middle seat, “from what Dawn told me, same as you. Came home to a vampire in the middle of murdering my wife.”

“They turn her?”

“No.” 

“Lucky.”

“Is it?”

“Had to watch my wife die twice.”

“I guess. From that perspective.”

“And now you’re a hunter.”

“Apparently. Though my investigation has hit a dead end.”

“Investigation?”

“Trying to find the one in particular that killed Tess.”

Greg shrugged, “Just kill em all, you’ll get the one eventually.”

“I like to think I’m a little more subtle than that.”

“Whatever. Just stay close when we get there. Don’t want you dying on your second fucking hunt ever.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t get overconfident. A vampire will jump all over that. Drain you dry.”

I wondered how that worked. A vampire feeding on a vampire. The ones in the tunnels had said they wanted to eat me. I was set on my decision to bag feed only with regards to human blood, but what about other vampires? I ran my tongue over my fangs. Something to consider another day. Something to talk to Tess about, too. Not wanting to disappoint her memory was a chief consideration in my decision to bag. 

Greg pulled to a stop near the entrance to a long driveway. Tall trees lined either side of the road. It was very dark. I hadn’t really had time to test if vampiric night vision was a thing, there was always some kind of light in the city. 

I met Greg by the driver's side of the vehicle. He pulled one of those dog catcher poles with the looped wire on one end from the bed of the truck, and passed it to me. 

“Careful,” he said, “vampires are a lot stronger than you, but you just need to hold them still long enough for me to get a stake in.” To add to his point, he pulled a spear from the bed as well. 

“That's a big stake,” I commented. 

“They're more dangerous up close. Stronger and faster. Don't look them in the eyes.”

“Why not?”

“Christ. We're fucked,” he said with a heavy sigh, “hypnosis. They can control you if they get a good look into your eyes. Windows to the soul and all that.”

“Huh.” Was all I said. Was that something I could do? Maybe Jules would let me try it out if I asked nicely. 

“You have a stake, rookie?”

I pulled open my jacket to reveal the length of wood tucked next to my holster. His flashlight illuminated it.

“Use the stake before the gun, kid. Bullets don't work on vamps.”

“Right. This the place?” I asked, gesturing up the driveway. 

“Yeah. Now stay close. No lights. No noise.”

He said no noise, but it was obvious he couldn't see where he was going, and cut through the bush by feel. I wasn't sure if I was just hearing better than I used to, or if this guy was as subtle as a rocket powered bull in a China shop. I stayed close, and picked my way carefully through the fallen brush. The bush ended abruptly at a well manicured lawn. Lights illuminated windows of a very large house. Floodlights, currently dark, ringed the property, I pointed them out to Greg, “probably connected to motion detectors.”

I could see the scowl on his face, “good eye.”

“Still young, yet.” I said with a small laugh, hoping the gentle ribbing would ease the guy's attitude. It did not.

The driveway ringed a large fountain in front of the house, two jeeps were parked on the far side of it. Close enough to the house the light made them visible to even human eyes, “those jeeps,” Greg whispered, “they're ours. But no way they'd be stupid enough to park that close. They've been moved up from the road.”

“Bad sign.”

“Fucking right.”

“I assume the plan isn’t to walk up to the door, and knock?”

“No. Fuck no. Are you stupid?”

I rolled my eyes, “just ruling out the obvious.” 

“We’re going to—”

I didn’t catch the latter half of his plan. Tess spoke over him with a note of urgency, “Jane, there’s army guys coming up behind you.”

“What?” I asked aloud on reflex.

“Weren’t you fucking listening?” hissed Greg.

Tess continued, “lots of tactical gear. Machine guns.” She was silent a minute. I felt her presence fade as she increased the distance between us. She returned, “at least a dozen.”

“Fuck.” I said. 

“What?” Greg asked. 

“Are vampires known for hiring mercenaries?”

“Fucking what?” Greg asked.

“Jane—” Tess urged. 

I hoped it was dark enough that Greg wouldn’t notice me disappear. I concentrated, and wrapped the shadows around myself. And not a moment too soon. A rifle barrel touched the back of Greg’s head.

“Don’t move.” A gruff voice told him, “where’s your partner?”

Greg’s head snapped to the side. He looked through where I was crouched, “Fuck,” he said. “I came alone.” 

Well, props to Greg. At least he didn’t throw me under the bus. His hands were bound with zip ties, and he was led towards the front door of the house. I couldn’t maintain the shroud while moving. Maybe with practice, but not yet. As they all crossed the lawn, the lights flashed on. The area was flooded. I waited for the group to get inside. “Tess. Are we alone?” 

“I think so. Can’t go too far, but no one close.”

I nodded. The front door clicked shut. I sprinted across the lawn. No way to get over without activating the lights, so my best bet was covering the distance before the lights went out. Reactivating them would be the obvious tell here. I kept my back to the wall and slipped around the corner. Just in time, too. Half the armed group exited the building. Presumably to resume patrol. A locked side door yielded to my picks. I let myself in and carefully shut the door. I closed my eyes and just listened. Taking in every sound. Creak of the floorboards. I couldn't hear anything close. Tess checked ahead.

“Next room is the kitchen, it's empty.”

I nodded, and pressed on. The kitchen was large and well appointed. A vampire wouldn't need this much food. The mercs must be on retainer. Other staff as well, like as not. Who would work for vampires? How? Did that come up in the interview? The hypnosis Greg mentioned? Voices came through the far door. Beyond was a dining room. The remaining mercs formed a half circle behind the kneeling Greg. Back to me, and face to Greg was a tall, lanky man. Cut suit that looked like it cost more than my car. He held Greg's spear. Inspecting the length. 

With a voice that sounded like silk running over velvet he spoke to Greg, “a fascinating tool. The spear. Thousands of years of evolution, and humanity cannot seem to move beyond the pointed stick.”

Greg spat at the man's feet, “if I had a fucking nuke, I'd drop that on you.”

“Crass.” the man said, “where is the one who came with you?”

“Already told your goons. I came alone.”

“Did you now? Hunters rarely do so alone.” The man replaced the spear on the table, and retrieved the pole hook, “and you were planning on using both this and the spear alone?”

Greg hesitated, “Rookie hunter. Chickened out. Ran off before we cleared the driveway.”

The man did not acknowledge the answer. He placed the loop around Greg's neck. He tightened it, “humans lie as readily as they breathe. There has been vermin enough here tonight. I do not want another crawling through my walls.”

Greg choked, though managed to utter through gritted teeth, “no lie. I'm here alone.”

I considered my odds. Not great. My revolver only held five rounds, and there were half a dozen mercs in the next room, and more outside. Not that I was too keen on taking them out, anyway. They were working for vampires, but they were still human. Thankfully the man loosened the loop before I had to make a rash decision.

“Put him downstairs with the others,” the man commanded. 

Greg was led away. Well at least the phrasing ‘others’ indicated the rest were still alive. Hopefully. 

The dining room was now empty. The mercs leading Greg through one door, the man left through another. I considered what I knew about this house so far. It was huge. That much was obvious. Four floors above ground. I pictured the house, trying to filter it through vampire logic. Where would I put a study? I'd get to the others soon. This was a rescue afterall. But I needed more information. I had been learning scraps. Bits of information here and there that did nothing but show me how weak I really was. If a vampire had a place this nice, they had to have a study. And studys had books. Books meant information. Information not drip fed from enemies and fair weather allies. I stalked carefully through the main floor peeking into what rooms I could. I was considering the risk of ascending creaking stairs to search the second floor when I found it. A room with a huge oak desk dominating the center. Bookshelves lined every wall. I closed myself in, and set to searching the shelves. Law books going back a century. A census dating back to the beginnings of Chicago. There. A thick leather bound tome. It looked hand written, and based on the dates on the first page and the last, it was written by the same person over the course of two hundred years. I slipped the book into my bag. I was about to leave when I saw it. A smaller book. Bound in the same leather, pressed flat against the back of the shelf held in place by the journal I had just removed. I quickly bagged that one as well. I turned to make my way to the door. It opened. Fuck. 

“Well.” The velvet voiced man from before said, “it seems I've found the final vermin afterall. You hunters are—” he cut himself off mid sentence. He sniffed the air. “You are no hunter. But you smell of them.” He stalked deeper into the room, circling.

I moved, too, keeping the desk between us. If he kept on, I might be able to break for the door. He must've caught my glance in that direction. He stopped. I was cornered. 

“Why,” he continued, “would kin fraternize with hunters?”

“We're not kin,” I snarled. 

He looked to the side. Took in the empty spaces in the bookshelf, “you will return what you have stolen.”

I hefted my bag. Made sure it was secure. “Don't know what you're talking about. Just got lost on my way to the washroom.”

The man laughed. It was— jarring. Sounded like someone took a recording of the screams of the damned, and remixed it into a laugh track.

“Dear kin, you lie as readily as the humans. Perhaps they are fit company for you after all.” He let out a heavy sigh. All for show. I knew our kind didn't breathe. “Did your sire teach you nothing of manners? Decorum? Family?”

His tone put enough acid on the last word, it might've burned for real.

“Ah,” I smiled, “my sire left for a bag of blood, and never came back.” 

“What?” A look of genuine confusion crossed his face, “wait. You must be the child that's been causing such a stir. I've heard about your foray in the freight tunnels. Turned by a monster, and follows in their monstrous footsteps, slaying kin.”

Fuck. Did this guy know who turned me? I glanced at the door again. Fuck. Can't pass up an opportunity like this. “You know my sire?”

“I do! I do, I do, I do. Truly a legend amongst the kin. Cruel to a rather impressive degree.”

“Right. Any idea how to find him?”

“No one knows! He comes and goes as the fancy takes him.”

“Got a name?”

“Many. And more!”

“Not helpful.” I inched towards the door, “I think I'll be going now, though. If you can't really help track the guy down. Thank you for the hospitality.”

The man lunged forward and slammed a hand on the desk, “you don't have to go. You can stay. Be with your kin. Learn our ways.”

I thought about it. It seemed like a pretty good idea, actually.

“Jane?” Tess asked, “hey! Jane!”

“What?” I asked. 

“You're being hypnotized, idiot! Eye contact!” Tess answered.

“Come. Feed. Learn.” The man said, gesturing to the door. 

Fuck. With Tess’ warning I caught it. I steeled my nerves. Blocked the man out. I put on a show. “Yeah. Feed,” I said dreamily. I took a step towards the door. 

He stepped closer to me. I could feel his presence close to my neck. My revolver was holstered for a cross draw. Behind me as he was, the barrel was pointed right at him. Impossible in life, but vampiric strength let me shoot the beastly revolver from that ungodly angle and still maintain a semblance of control. He yelled as loud as the explosion of powder, and the crack of the sound barrier. I had hit him in the hip. What remained of it no longer supported his weight. I drew my revolver properly, and pulled the stake free with my off hand. I drove it down, and through his chest. He stopped moving. Frozen in place.

“How many vampires live here? How many are home?” I listened for a response to the gunshot. My BFR was not a subtle weapon. The man didn't answer. Well. The stake really did lock vampires up. I pressed the barrel of the revolver under his chin, and pulled the stake free, but kept it hovering over the wound. His eyes were fire. I repeated the question. 

“Betrayer.” Was all he said. 

I drove the stake back in, and pulled it out, “wrong answer. Try again.”

“Six. Seven including myself. Three are out hunting. Three are toying with dinner in the basement.”

Shit. Maybe I shouldn't have held off the rescue. I pushed the stake home one last time. Next step was to cut off the head. Greg had the big knife. All I had on me was a multitool. Booted footsteps were getting close. No time. I pulled the trigger and hoped the mess counted as ‘removing the head.’ I backed into the wall and clicked off the lights. I wrapped the shadows around myself once more as the door burst open and the mercs cleared their corners. One of them had a flash bang on their belt. I pulled it's pin and dashed through the door, holding it shut until I heard the muffled ‘whoomph.’ Even so, they wouldn't be out long, and more were on the way. I ran in the direction I had seen the mercs take Greg earlier. The basement was easy to find. The steel door stood out like a beacon against the otherwise beige walls. There were brackets on the wall that seemed to be there to block the door shut. The bar was nowhere to be found. By the sound of it, the mercs were still near the study. The door wasn't locked, and well oiled hinges made no sounds. I stepped softly on the stairs, trying to find the balance between speed and stealth. A shirtless man stood at the base of the stairs, his back to me. The pallid, rubbery texture of it marked the man as vampire. And one not bothering to make himself look alive. Well. What better way to introduce myself to the party. I grabbed his occipital and frontal bones. I twisted. Snap. The man dropped like a sack. I stepped over him, and took in the room. The tiled floor, drain, and the headless hunter draining blood into a basin showed the room's use. The remaining hunters were kneeling against the far wall. No mercs down here. The other two vampires had turned to me at the sound of the body hitting the floor.

“Fancy buying some girl guide cookies?” I asked.

The vampires, these two both women, did not speak, they only looked at me. Hungry. They looked past me.

“JANE!” Tess yelled, just in time for a solid steel bar to crack into my side.

Well then. It turned out a vampire could heal a broken neck in just that many seconds flat. I slammed against the wall. Ribs were definitely broken. I groaned as I hit the floor, and rolled onto my back. Small miracles, I landed near the end of the row of hunters. I fished my multi-tool out of my pocket, and slipped it into Dawn's bound hands. I stood, and retrieved my hat. I dusted it off and replaced it on my head. The vampire with the bar and freshly healed neck stood in the middle of the room, wielding the bar like a sword. The guy looked like a nosferatu from the old movie. The other two were eying up the hunters. Fuck. I wished Tess could throw a punch. I had, technically, faced worse odds. But I had the feeling these weren't New Gen like the ones in the tunnels. This room was tight. Too cramped for a fight. No room to move, and an excess of vulnerable targets. Worse still, I hadn't had a chance to reload my revolver before coming down here. Three vampires, three shots. One of the female vampires in the back moved first. She grabbed a cleaver off a tray and ran for the nearest hunter. I got my shot off, and the bullet shattered the vampire's shoulder. The one with the bar took the opening with a downwards swing that connected with my forearm. I felt the bone crack as I dropped my gun. I charged, getting a shoulder into his gut, and ran him football style towards the back wall, knocking the headless hunter to the floor, and tipping the bin they were draining into. Blood flowed. Everywhere. Everyone was soaked. Dawn had said vampires were the most dangerous when they were injured. Frenzied. I was reminded of the state of my hunger after the fight in the tunnels. I was hurt again. I could feel the frenzy pushing at my conscious mind. Resisting made harder for the fresh blood soaking my coat and pooling at my feet. The scent was intoxicating. I left the big one tumbled over the basin and dove for the hunters as the one I had shot lunged for an exposed neck. I managed to get my arm in the way, and fangs sank to already cracked bone, I screamed in pain. You'd think being technically dead would dull that sense. I punched the vampire in the temple, and she let go of my arm. I grabbed her around the waist and suplexed, driving her head into the tile. I scrambled to my feet, slipping in the blood as the steel bar crushed the tile where my head had been.

“DAWN?” I yelled. A mix of panic, and barely restrained frenzy, “FREE YET?”

In answer, the boom of my revolver shook the room. The vamp with the bar fell, half his head misted from the .45-70. I dove forward. Gracelessly, given the slick footing. My stake pierced their chest cleanly. The dropped cleaver glistened in the sea of blood. The handle had been wrapped in hockey tape. Thank fuck, because this much blood would've made it impossible to hold otherwise. A single chop removed the remainder of the vampire's head from their shoulders. I heard the click of the revolver's hammer being pulled back into place. Another boom, another misted vampire skull. The one I had suplexed scrambled for the stairs. Another click of the hammer, followed by another click, impotent, as the hammer struck an already spent primer. No rounds left in the big gun. I grabbed the bar and swept the vampire’s legs out from under her. Dawn and I finished them the old fashioned way, then set to freeing the other hunters.

Dawn handed me my revolver grip first. “Damn. I'm sorry I made fun of you for that thing.”

I didn't answer. Couldn't. Hunger was the only thing on my mind. I replaced the spent cartridges with live rounds, and holstered the gun. The mechanical motion helped. I was still injured. Still surrounded by a pool of blood. Half a dozen pulses slammed against my ears. It was all I had to stop myself from dropping to all fours and lapping it up off the ground. Tess grabbed my hand and squeezed. The touch gave me a point of focus. Like the other vampires, I didn't need to breathe, but I forced my lungs through the motions anyway. 

“Jane?” Dawn asked, “you okay?”

“No.” I said. I steeled my nerves, “but I'll manage. I have to. We're not out of the woods yet. There's still the mercenaries or whatever upstairs.”

Tess, still holding my hand, “will you be okay if I let go? I can check out upstairs.”

I shook my head. I was so hungry. I needed blood. It was all around me, and I couldn't take any. 

Dawn tried to find space in the room free of blood to stand. She was unsuccessful. “The mercs were human. We're not equipped to fight humans.” She looked around. Every hunter had been stripped of their gear, “or to fight anything for that matter.” 

I handed her my stake. Or rather returned the one she had given me earlier in the week. “It's something at least.”

She accepted it graciously, “any big plans for the mercs?”

I took in the sight of all of us. Blood. “I was kind of hoping we could intimidate our way out.”

“Fair plan.”

“Besides,” I said, “I'm reasonably certain I took out the one that signs the checks.”

“Really?”

I shrugged, and looked at Greg, “same one that was talking to you. Were they the head vamp in charge?”

Greg nodded. The man looked a little in shock, “Yeah. The rest will restructure soon enough. But until then—” he trailed off, taking in the gory scene. 

No one else was seriously injured, some bruising aside. We made our way up the stairs. I kept my gun holstered. Having it out and ready would be a sure fire way to get shot. I'd be fine. Probably. But I was already pushing the limits of what could feasibly be capable of humans. The mercs had apparently been following orders to stay out of the basement. They had formed a half circle around the door. I stood facing down a dozen rifles. The two I had flash banged had removed their helmets. All the hunters were behind me. I decided to gamble. I bared my fangs at the only merc with rank insignia, “Move.” I growled the word. The threat only slightly diminished by the squelching sound my boots made in the blood pooling at my feet. We stared. Seconds ticked. I was surrounded by the pounding of hearts. I could feel it. Practically taste it. Tess squeezed my hand a little harder. The merc held up a fist, then gestured down the hall. The mercs shifted, opening the hall leading to the foyer. They kept their guns on us, but the way was clear. In a line we exited the house. The hunters fired up the jeeps. Dawn, Greg, and I walked down the driveway to his truck. The drive back to Chicago was fucking miserable. The truck technically sat three, but I was crammed tightly into the middle seat with Greg on one side, and Dawn on the other. I was still fucking famished. And I was still covered in fucking blood. And the two on either side of me still had fucking pulses and I wanted to fucking stop that. And I was still fucking famished. And—

Tess caressed my mind, “calm, love. Relax.”

I closed my eyes, and pretended I couldn't hear the pulses of the living so close. 

We reconvened at the Holy Grounds. Daisy wasn't there. But I slumped onto a stool at the bar anyway. I had to get home. I needed to feed. I'd have to make my excuses here. 

“Jane?” Dawn asked, “how's your arm? Saw you take a bite. That was a close one.”

“I'm fine.” I snapped. I was so hungry. She was right there. I— “Sorry. I'm— I'm fine. Just a little beat up.”

“Are you fine, though?” Dawn asked, “really?”

“Jane?” Tess said. The urgent tone in her voice drew my full attention. “I think they might be on to you.”

Fuck. 

Tess continued, “Dawn has the stake behind her back. There's another one behind you. About six feet off with a shotgun.”

Fuck. 

“Jane,” Dawn said, “thanks for getting us out there. What you did was incredible. It was—” She paused, her tone changed to a threat, “inhuman.”