Another vampire victim was found in a back ally. The culprit is a young woman around her twenties. If you have any information on this woman, please call the number below. Authorities warn the public to stay indoors after sunset…

Ash sighed and turned off the TV. Vampire attacks were always a nuisance. It meant his men had to be careful when traveling after dark less a vampire bites them, or they get accused of being one.

Despite the media's portrayal, vampires were not undead monster or a species apart from humans. Vampirism was an illness that struck unexpectedly. It woke up a second conscience within a human that desired blood. The amount of blood needed to satisfy a vampire and cure them from their illness changed per vampire but most of the time it was close to an adult's human's amount of blood. There was some vampire who needed a smaller amount and their victim were able to survive while some vampires needed a greater amount and attacked multiple people. Unless they killed their victim however a vampire would only attack one person at a time. The biggest problem about vampirism was that when the illness took over every night the person's alternate personality would wake up and attacks their victim. In the morning the vampire would return to where they fell asleep and had no memory of their nighttime excursions. The end result was that arresting them became a horrifying and chilling experience. When a person learned that they had vampirism they could take it in many different ways. Some people were in denial while others became violent or afraid. Some broke down and started crying or turned themselves in. Other's attacked authorities in an attempt to get away.

It was also hard to prove someone was a vampire since there was no physical change during the day. The best way was to hold a suspected vampire overnight and see if they awaken. If they did then that person would be help prisoner by the authorities. This was basically a death sentence since the vampires couldn't take blood from IVs and needed it fresh. They would also not take blood from other people who were not their victims. These vampires would drive themselves crazy in prison while their day conscience lost all hope as they slowly waisted away. They usually lasted about week at most. Scientist from all over the world were working on curse but none were found as of yet.

In Ash's life he had been through two vampire pandemics. Both lasted a month and neither of them involved anyone he knew. Ash pushed himself off the bed and strolled to the window that overlooked the street outside. The apartment that his gang was using had boarded up windows which made it easier to protect. He would have to make sure to put more people on guard duty and to make sure that doors were locked at all times. The biggest problem was the building's located. Ash hated how the streets outside wasn't visible from his windows. The lighting was poor and left plenty of dark spaces for undercover travel.

"Hey boss?" a tentative voice came from the doorway. Ash turned his head slightly to glance at Alex who was standing at the doorway with a few other gang members "Did you hear the report?"

"Yes," he said eyeing them coolly, "We're increasing security. Make sure all doors are locked and no one leaves after dark by themselves." His boys nodded and scurried out of the room. As they left Ash sighed and sat down on the bed again. Although this was going to make his life more difficultm it was nothing to worry about. Like last time and the time before it was just a waiting game. It'll be over in about a month's time and he could go on with his daily life.

How wrong he was to think that.

…

"If you have any information on this woman, please call the number below. Authorities warn the public to stay indoors after sunset and to keep all doors and windows locked."

Eiji sighed and headed away from the TV in the window displaying, his shopping bags swinging in his arms. Although he lived through a few vampire pandemics back home they still made him nervous. He had always worried that someone he knew would become a vampire. He didn't know what he would do if his mother or father suddenly tried to attack him or his sister. Luckily, nothing like that had happened yet but still….

"Young man." A voice said behind him. Eiji jolted back to reality and turned quickly to find a police officer watching him. "It's getting late, you should return home." Eiji blinked a few times and looked up and down the street. It was nearly deserted with a few people still mulling around. The sun was setting in the distance and a few street lamps had started to come on. It apparently had taken Eiji a lot longer than hey thought to grocery shop.

"Do you need me to escort you back to home?" the police asked him kindly noticing the startled look on his face.

"No, I'm good!" Eiji said quickly. It wouldn't be good to lead the officer to Ash's headquarters. "I'm heading back now!" With that he rushed down the street. The subway station was only a block away and from there it was only a ten-minute ride and a ten-minute walk. If Eiji hurried he could make the next subway. As he turned a corner his phone started ringing. He slowed down a little to pick it up.

"Hello?" he said.

"Where are you?!" Ash's annoyed voice asked. "You went shopping a while back. What's taking you so long?"

"Sorry!" Eiji said, "I found somethings on sale. I couldn't resist getting them."

"This is not the time to channel your inner house wife!" Ash exclaimed exasperated. "How close are you?"

"I'm only a few stops away by subway." Eiji said. "I'll be back in the next twenty minutes." It was quiet on the other end. Eiji knew Ash was calculating how much time Eiji had before it got dark.

"I'll be back soon," Eiji promised. "Don't worry."

"You better." Ash grumbled. Eiji smiled to himself as he hung up the phone.

….

The streets were dark by the time he got off the train. For some reason the subway had been almost 20 minutes late to arrive at the station. Half way through the journey it had to make an emergency stop because someone dropped their suitcase on the track. By the time he got off the train the streets were completely deserted, and all the street lights were flickering on around him.

Eiji hurried down the street feeling uneasy. He was only about 10 minutes away from the apartment. He needed to calm down and breath. Closing his eyes for a second, he took a deep breath and hurried down the street.

"I'm almost there." I thought to himself. "Stay calm." This was easier said than done. Ash had picked a pretty rundown part of the city to hide in. The old and mostly abandoned buildings loomed over him and his footsteps echoed eerily around him. As he passed an old boarded up building, he suddenly became aware of soft footsteps behind him. Eiji glanced over his shoulder and saw a tall middle-aged man with short brown hair walking quickly towards him. Eiji turned forward again and sped up slightly.

"Stay calm." He repeated in his head. This man was probably just going in the same direction as him. He probably just needed to get home and was on a late train as well. There was no reason to assume the worse. Three turns later however the man was still following behind him. He was closer now and Eiji could see a hungry gleam in his big brown eyes when he glanced over his shoulder. Eiji started running and behind him he could her the man break into a run. Eiji knew he was in trouble. There was no way he could outrun this man. If he was a vampire, and Eiji was sure he was now, he would be faster than an average person. Eiji spun around as he came to another corner and flung the two shopping bags at the man. The man batted them out of the way and Eiji slowed slightly down to pull out his phone. Before he could dial Ash's number the phone rang.

"Where are you!?" Ash demanded angrily, "You said you'd be back almost an hour ago!"

"I was delayed," Eiji panted, "I'm about five minutes away" There was a pause on the other side and Eiji knew Ash was picking up the fear in his voice.

"What's happening." He asked sounding alarmed.

"There's a vampire." Eiji gasped glancing behind him. The vampire's eyes were narrowed at the phone. Without a warning he lunged at Eiji grabbing his ankle. Eiji dropped his phone and smacked the vampire's arm with his fists. The man's grip loosened and Eiji scrambled to his feet again.

He could hear the vampire's footsteps only a few feet away and he knew he needed to do something fast. Glancing around he dove into an abandoned building on the right side of the street. He darted down the narrow musty hallway and crashed up a staircase on the other side. As he jumped up the stairs two at a time, he felt one of the steps break slightly under his foot. He hoped that the vampire would fall when he came to that step. The second floor was dark and Eiji stumbled forward with his hand on the wall. He came to a room and dove into it. Feeling around he found the door and slammed it shut. His hands felt a lock and he clicked it to the right.

He slowly crawled back as he listened to the silence. Down stairs he heard the vampire entering the building. The vampire slowly went from room to room searching for him. Eiji curled in a corner and hoped someone would find him soon. Even as he thought this a voice in his head reminded him that no one knew he was here, and his hopes fell. He heard a crash on the stairs as the vampire hit the loose step but unfortunately Eiji heard him make it to the second floor. The vampire walked slowly through the hall. Eiji covered his mouth and prayed that the man didn't hear his loudly beating heart. Did vampires have super hearing? He heard him enter one room and then another. Finally, the door of the room Eiji was in rattled. It was quiet for a moment then a soft voice came from the other side.

"Open up." The vampire cooed "You can't escape me. You should just give up." Eiji closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no way to escape.

BANG

The door in front of him gave an ominous creek as the man hit the door with his fists. Eiji felt around him and found a hammer on the ground. Picking it up he prepared to fight. As the door continued to break, he suddenly heard a voice yelling down stairs.

"Eiji!" The voice called and Eiji's heard skipped. It sounded like Ash.

"I'm up here!" He yelled and he heard hurried foot steps down the first floor's hall. As the footsteps climbed the stairs, he heard a horrible snapping sound followed by crashing and then silence. Eiji felt the blood drain from his face. Did Ash just fall? Was he alright? The vampire outside had also pause to listen to the intruder. After a few moments of silence however he went back to breaking down the door. Eiji held up his hammer again as he heard the door fall forward and footsteps enter the room.

….

Ash was frantic. After his first call to Eiji he had tried to stay calm. Eiji had reassured him that he was on his way back and would be back in twenty minutes. It would just be getting dark then so it should be fine. Ash was able to keep calm even when Eiji was late. Almost an hour later however Ash couldn't take it anymore and called Eiji again. The phone call was short and ended with the sound of a struggle, but Ash got the just of it. A vampire was after Eiji.

It took only a few minutes to gather his gang and send them out in groups of three to find Eiji. Ash himself went alone since it was faster than traveling with a group. He didn't care if he ran into a vampire. The first vampire that got in his way wouldn't last very long.

Ash darted down one street and then another, listening for any sounds. As he sprinted down one of the side allies into a larger road, he heard a loud crash coming from one of the abandon buildings. Rushing in he paused and heard smashing from the floor above him.

"Eiji!" He yelled. It was quiet for a moment then he heard Eiji yell back. Ash's heart started pounding as he charged down the hall towards the staircase. As he jumped up the stairs his foot suddenly fell from underneath him. A quick glance around showed Ash that there was no way for him to grab onto anything. He tensed up and waited for the impact. He hit the floor hard and broke through it. Ash fell into darkness and hit cold cement. His breath was knocked out of him as he fought to stay conscience. Through his haze he heard the sound of a door smashing two floors above him and then he heard no more.

Ash woke up to find himself sprawled on the concert cellar of the abandoned building. Morning light streamed through the hole in the celling where he had fallen through. Ash gave a grunt as he dragged himself off the floor. He was covered in cuts and blood from his fall, but nothing seemed to be broken. As he staggered to his feet his memories of last night came flooding back to him. With a gasp he charged for the staircase that led to the first floor. He spun around the corner and started up the second-floor stairs, jumping over the missing step that caused his fall. On the second floor he rushed from room to room. The third one he entered he found the floor covered in blood and a dead man in the middle of the room. The man was middle aged and tall with short brown hair. His wide brown eyes stared blackly up at him in horror. His neck was bent in a weird angle. Other then him however the room was empty. Ash frowned and headed back down the hall. He knew he heard Eiji's voice last night, but he didn't seem to be in the building. Did he leave the building or did the vampire get him? If the vampire caught him, he would be hidden somewhere close. Vampires hid their victims to make sure no one found them. Vampire venom kept their victim drowsy all day which prevented them from escaping. Ash took a deep breath and pulled out his phone. If Eiji had managed to escape the building, he would be back at their apartment now. He went to contacts and called Bones.

"Boss!" he yelled when he picked up. "What happened! I tried to get in contact with you all night! Have you found Eiji?" Ash's blood went cold. So Eiji hadn't returned. That could only mean one thing.

"No," Ash said shortly, "I ran into some trouble and was out for most of the night. I'm in a building on the corner of Hems and Rock street. Get the others and come here. Eiji was probably taken by a vampire so he should be in the area."

"Yes boss!" Bones said and hung up. Ash took a deep breath and started his search. He pulled up any lose floorboards, broke down any closed or locked doors, tore apart boxes, and smash in any wall the seemed to have a space behind it but Eiji did not appear to be in the building. Ash's heart was hammering harder than ever, and his mind was going blank. What should he do? It was already past noon and if they didn't find him before sunset the vampire could move in to another hide out. He could keep doing that until Eiji ran out of blood. Ash's mind suddenly flashed to the news reports that he had seen during pervious vampire pandemics. Bodies of people shriveled, and pale found in trash cans or in rivers. All of them had pained expressions on their empty face and many had cuts and bruises. Ash wouldn't let Eiji become one of those corpses. His phone rang and he picked it up quickly.

"What." He snarled more aggressively then he intended to.

"We found Eiji!" the nervous voice of one of his gang members stammered. "He was in a side alleyway behind a dumpster. Ash hung up and charged down the stairs and into the street again. He saw his gang gathered around one of the allies and headed over. They parted as he approached until he was in the middle. Eiji was lying there pale and limp. His eyes,, which were usually bright and wide, were dull and half-closed staring blankly up at the sky. Ash put a hand on Eiji's chest. It was still warm, and he could hear Eiji's heart pounding beneath it. Ash gave a sigh of relief.

"Water." He said. "Get me water and call 911." His gang rushed off to do so and Alex returned a moment later with a water bottle. Ash gently propped up Eiji and put the bottle in his mouth. Water was one of the few things that diluted vampire venom. It aloud the vampire's victims to come out of their stupor. Eiji's mouth closed on it and he took a few small sips. After a couple of moments Eiji stared drinking quicker and his eyes fluttered open. Ash took away the water bottle as Eiji's eyes darted around looking scared. They landed on Ash and a look of terror crossed his face. Ash guessed he was probably reliving last night.

"Calm down." Ash said soothingly. "Eiji it's just me. You're alright now." He gently ran his hand through Eiji's hair and held him closer. Eiji tensed up at his touch and closed his eyed. After a few seconds he let out a long breath and his limbs became less tense. His eyes reopened and they were full of determination.

"Ash," he croaked.

"Shhh, it's alright." Ash said. "We'll get you to the hospital soon. Just relax for now. You can tell us about the vampire later." Eiji opened his mouth again then closed it and nodded. He leaned into Ash's arms and after a few moments started drifting off to sleep.