HUNTERS OF DARKNESS

Wendy was quiet during the briefing, offering nothing and only listening absently. It seemed like the same thing every night, anyway.

This night found her at the same street corner working the same job she had for almost a year. Dressed in a short denim skirt, spike heeled boots that covered her legs almost to her knees and a white dress shirt that was tied just below her breasts rather than buttoned, she strode back and forth absently as her thoughts were otherwise an avalanche of decisions to be made, what-ifs and such. She had not slept and really did not feel the need to. Fatigue was not plaguing her, but that thirst for blood was beginning to. A little snack in a sealable drinking cup in her purse would tide her over later.

This was an uneventful night. Apparently the sting operation they had been performing there was working and fewer Johns were willing to take the risk to pick up a prostitute at this location. It was always a good feeling knowing that they had run off the bad guys, but this night Wendy simply could not enjoy it. She was not craving the thrill of the arrest or the excitement of the job, she was simply too preoccupied with another matter, that being her new life as a vampire.

Wendy wandered aimlessly back and forth, swinging her purse to and fro and was clearly not concentrating on her job. Not until she turned around and found herself face to throat with Ryan did she seem to snap out of her daze, and she looked up at him asked, “Something I can do for you, Handsome?”

“You don’t appear to be into this tonight,” he observed.

She turned her eyes down and admitted, “Yeah.”

“You had customers a few times,” he informed. “I couldn’t tell from over there if you were ignoring them or couldn’t see them.”

Nodding, Wendy offered, “Yeah, sorry, Dear.” She looked back up at him. “Just got a lot on my mind. I’ll do better.”

“Are you okay?” he asked with concern in his words.

She offered him a smile and assured, “Just peachy, Dear. I just have a few things to work out.”

As he turned to take his post across the street he looked back at her once more and offered, “Let me know if you need to talk, okay?”

She nodded and watched him jog across the street to resume handing his pamphlets out. So many times she had fantasized about dating him, about maybe building a life with him. She did not know him well nor much about him, but he was built like a tank and just so gorgeous! She released a cold breath through her mouth and went back to task, turning as a new looking Cadillac pulled up to the curb. Time to go to work.

She offered the passenger, a large man in an expensive looking blue suit, a flirty smile as she strode with seductive steps toward the car, greeting, “Hi there, gentlemen.” She froze, her wide eyes finally filling with recognition. She had seen him only the night before. This was the same man who had held that nickel plated revolver on her, the same…

Seeing him lift the revolver over the window and train it on her, she realized she was only about five feet away from the car, and the cannon-like maw of the gun was trained on her!

He sneered as he said, “Here’s a little memento from the family of Carlos Ortiz!”

The gun fired three times and Wendy stumbled backward, finally falling to her back as the car sped away. She had felt each of the bullets slam into her, pass through her body. They were perfectly aimed. It hurt, but the pain was quickly subsiding and she was barely aware of the squealing tires of the retreating car.

Someone who had been passing behind her also fell.

As Wendy lay there collecting her wits, people gathered around her, and someone knelt down and placed a hand over her bare belly, asking, “You okay, Miss?”

She blinked and looked up at the man who was looking her over for bullet wounds, and he seemed to be perplexed that none were found.

“I’m good,” she assured.

Ryan appeared on her other side, dropping to one knee as he took her shoulder and barked, “Okay, everyone get back!”

On the verge of being discovered, Wendy sat up and looked behind her, to the crowd that had gathered around the man behind her who had been hit. When she felt Ryan squeeze her shoulder, she turned her attention down to her own body, feeling around on her belly as if looking for wounds, then she blew a deep breath out through pursed lips and looked to her colleague. “Looks like he wasn’t as good a shot as he thought.”

Ryan hesitantly nodded. “Okay. It looks like we’re blown here. I’m calling for a ride. Are you sure you aren’t hit?”

“Well,” she replied, looking down at herself again, “I’m not leaking anywhere. I guess that’s a good sign.”

“I guess so,” he confirmed, and the suspicion in his words was not lost on Wendy.

He did not speak to her the rest of the night. Before leaving the station, she caught up to him in the parking garage as he was walking to his beat-up old truck with long strides and she grasped his shoulder to stop him.

“Hey, Handsome,” she called to him. “Wait up.”

Turning his eyes up, he finally stopped, but he did not turn toward her.

“It’s okay,” she assured. “The guy he shot is going to be fine, they caught Carlos’ men three blocks away and nobody else got hurt. Come on. Loosen up.”

“He didn’t miss you,” Ryan growled. “I saw you get hit at least twice.”

“Really,” she challenged.

“Yeah, really.”

Lifting her shirt, she asked, “Do you see any extra holes in me?”

He finally turned around, folding his arms as he looked down at her. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Raising her brow, she also folded her arms and admitted, “Okay I confess. I find you really sexy and I’d kind of like to—”

“You know what I mean!” he barked. “What happened to you last night? Where did you go?”

“I went home,” she replied with an impatient tone. “Remember when I told you I wasn’t feeling well?”

“I remember following you down an alley you were chased down with no other way out. I remember finding Cindy lying there dead with her neck chewed open.”

Wendy looked away from him, mumbling, “Yeah, I heard about that.”

“You know more than you’re letting on,” he accused.

Looking back up at him, she asked, “Why would I withhold any information about her death? She was a friend of mine, Ryan. Don’t you think I want to know what happened to her, too?”

His jaw clenched and he looked aside, and he did not respond.

“Exactly what are you trying to say?” she snapped.

He finally looked back down at her and observed, “You sure are pale.”

She slowly reached up and touched her cheek, unable to take her eyes from his. Thinking quickly, she reminded, “I told you last night that I ate something that didn’t agree with me.”

“And you were lying then, too,” he accused.

Her eyes flared. “What?” Poking him in the chest, she snapped, “Look, buddy, I—”

“Keep denying it,” he challenged. “We both know what happened to you last night.”

She folded her arms again. “Okay, so what happened?”

Gently taking her chin in his hand, he turned her head, then nodded as he informed, “The scar from that first bite will never completely go away.”

Wendy pulled herself from his grip and hissed, “What are you talking about?”

“Who made you?” he demanded.

She had just the hint of a smile on her lips as she raised her chin and replied, “My Mommy and Daddy made me during an all night back seat grope-fest.” Leaning toward him, she whispered, “I’m the reason they had to get married.”

He clenched his jaw again, and finally asked, “Have you fed?”

Holding her brow up, she countered, “You asking me out?”

“Wendy, this is serious.”

“And I guess you’ll expect me to rock your world afterward, huh? Be very careful what you wish for, Officer. We redheads can be wicked crazy in the sack.”

“It may not be too late,” he informed, “but it will be after you’ve fed.”

“You aren’t making sense,” she accused.

He took her shoulders and pulled her in close to him, hissing, “When you’re ready to admit to me that you’re a vampire then we’ll have something to talk about. In the meantime, you’d better watch your step and remember who and what you are.” He shoved her away, quite brutally, then turned and continued on to his truck.

She watched him go, rubbing one of her shoulders, and before he disappeared she shouted, “You’re crazy, Ryan!” He did not even break stride so she added, “And you have a really cute butt!” How he knew about her being a vampire was a mystery, and why he even suspected was an even deeper mystery. One thing was certain: If Sebastian was right about what the ruling vampires would do to her if she was discovered, it was time to formulate some kind of plan to deal with it.

She closed the door to her apartment and threw the keys down on the table near the door. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead as she leaned her head back against the door. This was all happening too fast. She was a vampire, nobody was supposed to know, and yet a colleague, another police officer, had somehow sniffed her out. Now she had warnings from both sides to contend with. Groping along the wall, she finally found the light switch and flicked it on, and when she opened her eyes she barked a scream as she saw the tall, black clad form standing a few feet away from her.

Sebastian stared back at her without expression.

“How did you get in here?” she snapped.

A smile touched his lips and he replied, “One of many secrets we hold, my pet.” The expression on her face told him that she was very annoyed, but this only made him smile a little broader. “Haven’t fed on the living yet, have you?”

Wendy pushed off of the door and stormed past him, snarling, “Get bent,” as she strode toward the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she pulled out the half empty jug of blood and set it on the table before turning to get a glass from the cabinet. When she turned back, she shrieked as she came face to face with him, and had not even realized he had followed her. Shoving him out of the way, she retrieved a glass and slammed it down onto the table.

He watched her fill the glass with blood and raised his brow. “I suppose that is one way to deal with the hunger.” As she picked it up, he took it from her in a fluid motion and raised it to his nose, taking a sniff, then he tasted it and grimaced. “Oh, Pet. It is so much better when it is fresh and still warm.”

She took her glass from him and gulped it all down, then set the glass on the table and folded her arms. “So I found out I can’t eat regular food anymore. Do you know how cranky I get if I haven’t had my chocolate fix at least once a week?”

“You’ll get used to not having it,” he informed.

“I don’t want to get used to not having it!” she countered. “I like my chocolate! I like a lot of things I can’t have anymore thanks to you!”

“Like being shot three times and just walking away?” he asked. “I’ve been watching you, Pet, and it appears that I’ve saved your life twice now, doesn’t it.”

Her eyes widened and she loudly reminded, “Hello! I’m dead now!”

“Undead, we like to say,” he corrected. “You cannot be harmed or killed unless someone knows specifically how to do it.”

She looked away from him. “That kind of takes the thrill out of what I do.”

Closing the distance between them with two strides, he reached to her, gently stroking her hair as he said with seductive words, “You will find far more thrills now, my Pet.”

Wendy grabbed his wrist and twisted it away from her as she loudly ordered, “Do not call me that again!”

Much stronger and quicker than he looked, he wrenched his wrist from her grip and seized her throat, driving her backward into the cabinets behind her and arching her over them. With his teeth and fangs bared, he hissed, “I made you, little girl, and I can kill you just as easily.”

Bearing her own fangs, she shouted back, “Then do it!”

They glared at each other for long seconds.

He ended the standoff with a smile, still showing her his fangs as he released her throat and gently stroked her fiery locks again. “There is no way to cage one like you, not in body or spirit. You are as wild as the wolf that stalks the deepest forest.”

“How poetic,” she sneered.

With a regretful breath, he looked down and took her hand, caressing it with the back of his fingers as he softly said, “Look. I don’t want us to be like this. I really don’t.”

“Then you probably should have asked before doing this to me,” she spat.

“Agreed,” he sighed, looking back to her eyes, “but I was running out of time.”

She leaned her head, allowing him to slowly caress her hand. “Okay, so what is that supposed to mean?”

“Your investigation into matters concerning Carlos Ortiz,” he explained. “You got too close to too many of our…” He considered the rest carefully and finally went on, “Carlos was someone who worked for the Organization. He was working toward the privilege of being turned and, well, he was getting a little cocky.”

“The hookers he killed,” she said softly.

Looking back down to her hand, Sebastian corrected, “He didn’t kill them. He hired them and brought them to a Gathering. They were not supposed to be found and he was supposed to be more selective about the girls he chose. Your digging into that issue jeopardized the safety of many vampires in this city.”

She shrugged. “Just doing my job.”

He nodded again. “And that was what almost got you killed. It took great effort to get him acquitted and many risks had to be taken.”

“Why didn’t you just let him rot in prison?” she asked.

Raising his brow, he looked to her and admitted, “He was too close to us. He had done too much for us and, well…”

“He knew too much,” she finished for him. “Why would you have a sleazebag like him with you anyway?”

“Necessity,” was his answer. “With you digging into the issue with the Gathering… I was there to make sure Carlos killed you.”

“But you killed him instead,” she pointed out.

“They think he is still on the run,” Sebastian informed. “The others don’t know yet. My clan made sure his body will never be found.”

“Um…” she stammered, “if you’re supposed to make sure I get killed…”

“I couldn’t bear the thought,” he replied. “Wendy, I’ve watched you for months. It was my efforts that misled you during your investigation of Carlos and the prostitutes.”

“In that case you’re under arrest,” she teased. “Tampering with a police investigation? How could you? Now I have to take you in.”

He smiled, then raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers ever so gently. “I’ll bear that in mind.” He stared at her for a moment, then offered, “I’m sorry about showing you my anger. It won’t happen again.”

Wendy’s eyes narrowing, she warned, “It had better not. We wouldn’t want me kicking your ass, now would we?”

Laughing under his breath, he confirmed, “No, we wouldn’t. So, my dear, will you be coming to the mansion with me tonight?”

She just smiled and shook her head. “Don’t think so, sweetie. I’m not that easy.”

With a little nod, he conceded, “As you wish.”

“I guess one of us should take care of closing the case with the dead prostitutes, huh?”

“Already done,” he assured.

Seeing strain in his eyes, Wendy’s narrowed and she turned her head slightly, guessing, “You’re in all kinds of trouble from the other vampires for turning me into one of you and not killing me, aren’t you?”

He looked away and shrugged slightly. “Relative term. I’ve been on their bad side before, so it’s not exactly new territory for me.”

“Why would you risk yourself like that for me?” Wendy had a feeling she knew, but it would not hurt to ask, anyway.

“As I said,” was his reply. “I’ve been watching you.”

She nodded. “And you like me, anyway. I guess I’m doing something right after all.”

“Of course you are.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers and announced, “I should go. There are a few things for me to attend to. Oh, and there is a Gathering in a couple of days, one that you must come to.”

“And… What if I’m busy?”

“That would be bad,” he informed. “All of the newborn vampires will be required to be there, so I’m afraid you really have no choice.”

“And if I don’t go I’ll be…”

“I’d rather not think about what they would do to you.”

“They who?”

“The Roeskellov Clan. They are the oldest of us, an ancient line. They are also the most powerful of us and make up the head of the table of the ruling body. I don’t know if the Supreme Master will be coming this time or not, but either way you must be there to be presented.”

“You sure you shouldn’t keep me secret for a while?” she asked. “You know, you were supposed to kill me. How would they feel if I show up a vampire?”

“The order to kill you was made on a local level,” he informed. “The Roeskellovs probably know nothing about that, but by now they know you’ve joined us.”

“Word gets out, huh?”

“They can feel you. They can feel all of us. I should go. I’ll give you a call tomorrow and send a car for you when it is time to go to the Gathering.”

Drawing her head back, Wendy asked, “You’re sending a car? Why don’t we just turn into bats and fly there?”

He raised his eyebrows. “You must be joking.”

“No! That’s how they do it in the movies.” She set her hands on her hips, a little mock anger in her voice as she barked, “You mean we can’t turn into bats?”

“I’m afraid not.”

She huffed a breath and shook her head, looking past him as she grumbled, “That’s all kinds of messed up! I tell you, this vampire thing is getting less and less appealing.”

Sebastian patted her cheek and turned toward the window in the living room. “You’ll get used to it, I’m sure.”

“Wait,” she bade, and when he turned toward her she asked, “What if someone finds out about me?”

His expression hardened and he replied, “See to it no one does.”

“But if someone does, what do I do?”

He answered straightly, “Kill them.”

Wendy nodded and watched him open the window. “Um, I have a front door.”

Looking back at her, he smiled and countered, “Now where is the magic in that?”

As he disappeared into the darkness outside, she folded her arms and watched after him for a moment, grumbling, “Don’t think this changes anything, Bucko. I’m still taking you down for this.” A realization hit her and she snapped her fingers and declared, “Damn it! He still has my cell phone!”