Chapter 1

Infestation

She walked down the dirty streets of Chicago, black heels scraping against the sidewalk. She hugged her black coat close to her body as another cold wind blew from behind her. She walked on, despite the looks from other people she was getting.

Two men saw her as an attention-grabber and followed her silently; subtly stalking her. The young woman turned a corner and they followed, eyes gleaming in excitement. One of the men gestured to two others and they closed in.

The woman had turned the corner to enter a small store and she soon came out and was instantly surrounded.

The first man, wearing a grimy sweatshirt and jeans with many rips and tears, grabbed her by the wrists and dragged her away from the store. The other followed closely, grinning savagely.

"Let… go… of me!" the woman protested while struggling.

"C'mon little lady…" the man said. "Don't you wanna have some fun?"

"We won't hurt you…" another said. "Much…"

"Phillips," the leader growled. "Take her by the head."

Phillips did so, taking her by the hair and exposing her bare neck. The leader grinned, baring his teeth and exposing white fangs.

The woman's mouth hung open in shock. This couldn't be happening…

The leader leaned forward, ready to take a bite when he felt something explode in his abdomen.

He looked up to see a sword planted through his abdomen. The steel sword with a gold handle rested in the hand of the woman. She then quickly turned around and slashed Phillips' head off.

The leader and Phillips fell to the ground instantly. The other two charged at the woman, fangs bared. The woman whipped around, throwing off her coat which blinded one as she decapitated the other. The remaining struggled with her coat until she grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

"Where are they?" she growled, her brown hair waving in the wind.

"Wh-who?" the vampire asked, shaking with fright.

"The old hunters of this town," she pressed. "What have your people done with them?"

"We did nothing!" the vampire insisted. "It wasn't my tribe!"

"Who was it?" the woman pressed. No answer. "WHO?" she asked loudly, pressing the edge of the sword to the vampire's neck.

"I-I dare not say…" the vampire said with a shiver. "They have ears everywhere… If they found out… If they were discovered, we'd all be dead… They'd kill my tribe and then try to find you next… I may live off of humans for food but… I don't wish their wrath upon anyone…"

"One last time…" she pressed. "Who was it?"

"I can't say!" he shrieked. "They'll kill me! They'll kill you! They'll kill everyone!"

The woman saw she was getting nowhere.

"Fine…" she sighed. "You get off this time…"

She turned and disappeared into the shadows.

Luke Magis sat at his computer, scanning all information on the city they were in, when she walked in.

"Well, Catheryne, how did it go?" he asked.

She was silent and walked off into another hall. The sound of glass breaking could be heard.

"That bad, huh…?" Luke sighed.

"She'll cool off in a few," Kiernyn Calrain reassured him. "She's just frustrated."

"What's so important about being here anyways?" Luke asked. "This whole thing has gotten her tied into knots…"

"Her old friends went missing here…" Kiernyn said. "They were hunters like us."

Hunters… That was right. Luke thought back to when Catheryne first found him. He was from a different world, galaxies away from Earth. His home world had been the root of war and villainy until he had formed a rebellion with a few others of his kind. With victory, he and a small squadron of people set out to catch the fleeing villains when he was shot, sent rocketing into the rest of space. In that way, he came across Earth and crash-landed there, hoping to find help.

Instead of help, he ran into evil beings that thirsted for his blood. That's when she came, killing them all off and saving his hide. Catheryne brought him back to her shabby little base in a town outside of Chicago and he became part of her team of hunters. They hunted things like vampires so that mankind could be safe from their blood-thirsty cravings.

"So… what about these hunters?" Luke asked.

"They were old friends of hers," Kiernyn explained. "All hunters have met each other at least once. They lived in New York for a while and were always fighting off vampires. Then one night they went to do some 'exterminating' and never came back. She's been very worried."

"I can see…" Luke said. "Do we have any leads?"

"Don't ask me," Kiernyn said, rolling her eyes. "She's the one out on duty."

"I think she might need to be alone for now…" Luke said with a grimace, looking warily at the hall where Catheryne has gone.

"Chicken." Kiernyn teased.

"I am not-"

"BWRAAAK!" she flapped her arms. "Chicken!"

"Fine!" Luke spat. "I'm going! Damn!"

He got up from his seat and walked down the hall and turned the corner, entering the room Catheryne was in. She lay on the bed, her brown hair fanned out below her and her dark suit wrinkled from the tussle she was in earlier.

"Hey…" Luke greeted awkwardly, stepping in. "Did you… find anything out?"

Catheryne slowly turned her head towards him and stared at him blankly. Then she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Almost near to nothing," she grunted grumpily.

"But that means something, right?" Luke asked, sitting next to her.

"I interrogated one of the gangsters," she responded. The vampires of the towns were split up into cliques, like normal humans. There were gangsters, punks, and many more. "He knew who had a hand in those hunters' disappearances but he wouldn't say who."

"Were they vampires?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Catheryne said. "But I don't know what group they were in. Apparently, they are formidable foes for that one vampire wouldn't mention their name in fear of being killed…"

"We'll just have to find out, won't we?" Luke said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But it'll have to wait. You need rest and you stressing out over everything won't give you a clear enough mind if we encounter these mysterious vampires."

"You're right…" she sighed. "But tomorrow, I'm starting again…"

"Okay…" Luke said softly, getting up. "But at least you'll get some rest before then."

"Mmm-hmm…" she murmured, lying down beneath the covers.

"Goodnight," Luke whispered, smiling softly and exited the room silently.