After Teresa explained the plan, sergeant Novik stood in disbelief. What did he agree to?

It all seemed so simple. He gives a lift to Teresa, Ana and Daaniel to the park, there they feed on Daniel's blood, thusly invigorated they head out to hunt for the vampire who should embark on his nightly quest, while the sergeant waits with Daniel in the police car. Very simple, if he manages to ignore the thoughts of the thousand things that could go wrong.

He decided to put all his trust in the two vampires. Two very deadly vampires. The last time he asked them to take care of someone, five young men lost their lives, their bodies burnt to ashes along with the old factory.

Sergeant Novik hated that part of his job. He despised himself after he made the call, asking them to take care of the problem. Convincing himself that he had no choice, that he had to obey the mayor's wishes, didn't help. He knew, should he refuse, the mayor would make sure he was replaced. Sergeant Novik loved his job, it was in his blood. There was nothing he'd rather dedicate his life to, however, sometimes he felt like the mayor's puppet.

This time it wasn't the mayor who asked him to let the two vampires do something they weren't allowed to legally do themselves, but he knew it was only a matter of time before the question of why there was a murderer loose in their quiet town would arise.

The sergeant looked at Daniel. They were alone in the living room as the two women were getting ready for the venture ahead. Daniel sat in the armchair, with eyes closed. Looking at him, Novik couldn't help but feel deeper respect for the young man who, on the day he found out he was seriously ill, offered himself as a sacrifice to save others. That wasn't something anyone would do. But that was something Sergeant Novik did.

After Teresa explained that drinking someone's blood does not mean that the person would die, or worse, turn into a vampire, the sergeant suggested that one of them feeds on his blood.

"No way!" Daniel said. "After Teresa took a few sips of my blood to heal herself, I was in a haze, like my body got temporarily disconnected from my brain. If something gets messed up, we're gonna need you up and ready."

Like it or not, the sergeant had to agree that it would be unwise to render himself incapacitated in the situation they were in.

The sun hasn't set yet when Teresa and Ana joined them in the living room. Both dressed in black, they were ready to go. Ana's chestnut hair was tied in a tight bun at the back of her head. Teresa carried a large dark bag tossed over her right shoulder.

The darkness began holding on to the tree canopies when the police car pulled over at the side of the desolate road near the park. The sergeant was correct to assume that its presence would chase away the shady guys who used to gather at that part of the city at night.

"It would be best if you waited outside," Teresa said to sergeant Novik, and he, knowing what comes next, did not oppose.

Daniel sat on the back seat of the car, Teresa to his left, Ana to his right. Were it any other occasion, he would be thrilled to be with two gorgeous women, but tonight, instead of excitement, fear lined with terror grew inside him.

He was the one who suggested them to feed with his blood, yet he found himself unable to slow down his heart beats.

"Ready?" Teresa asked.

He looked at her, pale, but brave. "As ready as I'll ever be."

He closed his eyes, and tilted his head to the right, exposing his neck to Teresa. He felt Ana gripping his hand a moment before sharp teeth pierced his skin.

It was all over in a matter of minutes. While his mind was still in a haze, someone's palms cupped his face and turned his head to the left. A soft whisper touched his ear, followed by a shiver down his body as he felt another bite to the neck.

Soon the car doors opened to each side and he was left alone. His head felt heavy, his eyelids even heavier. One of the car doors closed immediately, the other one a bit later as the sergeant returned to the vehicle.

"Are you okay?" he asked Daniel as he sat beside him on the back seat.

Unable to speak, Daniel slowly nodded his head without lifting his head from the headrest. Opening his eyelids proved to be quite the feat, but once he achieved it, sergeant Novik's face surfaced in front of him, blurry.

The sergeant's eyes were examining him closely, finding two small puncture wounds on either side of his neck, surrounded by redness, but not bleeding. Daniel was breathing slowly, as if he were sleeping.

"I'm fine," he managed to utter. "Just... tired."

The sergeant reached for something he left at the front seat; a juice in a colorful small carton box. He removed a rigid white straw and pulled it out of its sheer plastic covering. He then punctured the carton before bringing it up to Daniel's mouth.

"Drink," he said.

Daniel took a sip to what his face grimaced. "I hate prune juice," he whispered.

"Ana said it would do you good, so you'll drink it all." The sergeant was in no mood for discussion, so Daniel had no choice but to comply.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While the sergeant was taking care of Daniel, Teresa and Ana reached the ruins blanketed in vegetation. There was no doubt that it was the spot Daniel had described: tall, partially demolished wall which was being engulfed by ivy, slowly but steadily, and a stone arch just recently liberated from the hug of the climbing plants.

The two vampires just briefly glanced at each other, after which Teresa silently lowered the bag as dark as the darkness surrounding them. She unzipped it, revealing several pieces of cold weapons. She grabbed a crossbow and tossed it over her shoulder. She strapped a small, rigid quiver with three arrows to her thigh. Her right hand reached for the jagged dagger.

Ana bent down to empty the bag, picking up another dagger with the jagged edge which she tucked to her waist and two short, double-edged swords which she kept in her hands. After another brief glance at Teresa, they both headed to the dark arch, towards the underground.

The darkness that surrounded them jealously tried to hide the world from the view, but in the eyes of the vampires settled the amber glow which could penetrate straight through it. Two women wouldn't see the stone stairs clearer even in the bright daylight. Step by step, they descended slowly, not making a sound.

Teresa reached the door first. She gave it a gentle push, but they wouldn't budge. Preparing to use stronger force, she lifted the dagger. Behind her, Ana lifted her short swords. Teresa's eyes flashed in Ana's direction, she nodded once, and then pushed the door. The old hinges let out a sorrowful moan when the door opened.

A whiff of stale air and moisture that was trapped inside for possibly a century, escaped the basement. Amber eyes of the two vampires observed the underground room. It was quite large, divided by a wall into two spaces. Dense cobwebs adorned every corner, like curtains weaved by countless arachnids. The stone floor was covered by a thick layer of dirt which was clinging to it thanks to the moisture. And in some places, footsteps were imprinted to it.

Both vampires allowed their gaze to follow the traces on the ground. Some were clear, their shapes distinct, others were smeared, as if someone dragged their feet when they made their way further into the room.

Ana was the first to lift her eyes off the ground, therefore she was the first to encounter the amber glow that did not come from Teresa.

"Well, hello there," a velvety voice said from the darkness. "I was hoping I would get a chance to see you again soon. Though, I have to say, I do wish the circumstances were more pleasurable."

Teresa cast him a toxic glance. "You should have left when you had the chance."

"And deny myself the honor of making Dimitri immensely happy? The vampire in black clothes laughed. In the pitch darkness of the basement, only sharp eyes of the two vampires saw pointy tips of his fangs. "I already sent him a letter, informed him I was arriving with presents."

Teresa felt the rage rising inside of her like the tide. If he sent out a letter, then it was only a matter of time before Dimitri comes searching for them himself or sends someone more capable than this lost cause they were looking at.

The vampire reached into his coat pocket and took out a box of matches. He slowly lit one, brought it up to the candle lodged into an ancient, rusty holder on the wall.

"That's more like it," he said. "Makes the place more homely."

What kind of a dump do you usually crawl into during the day, Ana wondered, but didn't say anything out loud. Flickering candlelight allowed her a clearer view of the walls built out of solid rock. Shadows danced on its surface with the swaying of the flame, changing the features of both the heinous vampire and her friend. She didn't overlook his stare.

"I see you brought your primitive toys." He sneered. "I prefer something more contemporary."

He flicked the side of his coat to reach for the gun he carried tucked at the waistband of his pants. He pointed it at Teresa only to slowly shift it over to Ana. Teresa gritted her teeth, and Ana tightened the grip on her swords.

"I wouldn't want to use it, you know." Amber flashed in his eyes, and his face got distorted by a sinister smile when he placed his finger on the trigger.

Thank you, my dear readers for reading my story. 

The vampire has been found. What do you think, will he overpower Ana and Teresa?

Share your thoughts with me, constructive criticism is welcome. 

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Until naxt chapter...