Chapter 1

Some time earlier

One of the problems with being a mercenary was the constant stream of work available in the big city. It'd only been a matter of months since Kaden had been sent to help the renegade infestation in Saint Peters. He'd have rather stayed on the countryside taking care of the few stragglers that manifested. But the elders had insisted that his group relocate. He flicked his cigarette on the ground stomping it into the neglected wood of this sorry excuse of an amusement park. Of course no one else was here yet, as a matter of fact no one was here. He cursed softly to himself kicking the butt over the edge into the black swirl of water in front of him.

"Probably the only good thing about this hell hole" he scoffed and began his search.

They called it The Order. The group of his kind, that sought to out the bad blood, so to speak. The renegades, that had tasted human blood and decided in their weak minds that they needed more than that. Humans often called them "vampires". He couldn't understand why they did. Besides the fangs, desire for blood, and hatred for sunlight, they weren't similar at all. Hell, he wasn't even pale as that disgusting human portrayal of that Nosferatu character. And he'd spent hours at the gym every day working on the muscles that rested under the thick black coat. Most human females sought him out, as if he was the same as any actor. But the overwhelming number of renegades spawning around the area had increased over the past couple months had The Order on their toes. They couldn't risk humans knowing that their numbers were as alarmingly high as they were.

He forced his bangs from his face and strode forward. Besides him, Ward and Avery should have been there by now. Not that he'd expected any more from them. Avery spend more time in the legs of a female then anywhere else. And Ward couldn't drag himself off his computer. None of them wanted to be in this shit town searching for plague. But they sure as hell found it. They'd been tracking a reject for weeks, finally pinning him to the outskirts of the town frequenting the local carnival for prey. Rumors had spread that he had fancied an unfortunate woman here before the blood-lust corrupted his mind. Though after the fade sets into play their minds go fast. So it was only a hunch that the corrupted SOB would come here for his next meal.

The air here reeked of stale blood, so Kaden knew it was only a matter of time before he'd found the target. With or without the other two he was going to end this. Following the stench was easy enough, though judging by the trail of blood that lead his way, he couldn't prevent the causalities. He brushed his nose and scoffed again. Disgusting vermin had no sense of taste, going for whatever they found. He'd never snoop that low. Call it having standards, but he'd never feed off of anything that wasn't pure. Someone of his standing wouldn't dare. He'd been born unto his condition, be it a blessing or a curse. His family was what was considered noble. He was an only child though it had never felt that way. Avery and Ward had been there since as long as he could remember. Probably a good thing since he'd lacked any acknowledgement other than the bloodline bragging his parents had done. They hadn't cared about him at all. Moving to isolation had been his proudest moment. And being in the city had only rekindled his need for his seclusion.

The gnawing sound reached him, dragging him from his trance. The vile stench of rotten meat mixed with the musty oak that the renegades, almost caused him to gag. Within seconds he'd found his target. A tall wooden gate stood behind the ghastly blob that used to be a man. His face was buried into the neck of a helpless brunette. Her once white puffy coat did nothing to shield her from the torrent of her own blood as her jugular was ripped open. She was still alive, whimpering, grabbing helplessly at the thick arms of her attacker. It was pointless, as her cries were softening. She was already bleeding out.

"That was easier than I'd expected" he cooed mockingly shifting his weight slightly, slipping his hand past his jacket, his fingers wrapping around the grip of the Beretta resting in the holster at his waist. He'd drawn it out in the blink of an eye, aiming it with the precision that he'd mastered after years of practice. A grin had spread across his face as he slipped his finger along the trigger. He'd always enjoyed the final moments of his hunts. Or maybe it was the feeling of a victory.

"Bingo"

Somewhere in the distance there was a faint thud, somewhat similar to a closing door. The creatures head jerked sharply towards the direction of the noise. Kaden cursed lightly, immediately pulling the trigger, sending a bullet ripping straight through leg of the thing in front of him. The sound in the distance had caused him to hesitate for only a second, but had gave amply time for his target to move. Though the bullet had ripped straight clean the leg of the target, that much was clear from the howl of rage that replaced the silence. It turned to glare at Kaden. it's face covered in white veins protruding against the over stretched skin. His bloodshot eyes lacking any sign of life. They were the eyes of a walking dead man. Well, former walking dead man. It's leg had shot to the other side of the platform. But if it had a chance to feed it would without a doubt come back quickly. The creature wasted no time and bounded past the gate, leaving a trail of black blood in it's wake. Kaden cursed himself for the lapse in judgment and bolted after the trail.

He hadn't gotten very far when a strange sensation overwhelmed him. He slowed to a jog, glancing to his right at the crumbling stand to his right. The soft essence of vanilla reached his nostrils. There was a female here. He darted up to the iced over window glancing quickly to discover the room empty. There had been a female here. And she was out in the open with a monster. He broke into a sprint following the lingering aroma. He couldn't let there be another causality.

His eyes skimmed his surrounds, quickly resting upon the blinking lights of the still turning Ferris wheel. He pivoted and flung himself straight towards the towering attraction. If there was another human around they would likely head for it. He had to cut them off before the renegade found them.

He stopped abruptly, his eyes locked on the crouched terror feasting upon a fresh corpse. The once missing limb had sprouted a new. His ability to heal had already finished. He had to end this before the creature had a chance to regain it's strength of he might not be able to finish on his own. His luck tonight had been outstanding. This renegade had been new to his transformation and lacking any senses for danger. All the better for the mission. But that strange vanilla sweetness swirling in with the putrid, like a foul bouquet of Kaden's failure to save another innocence. He drew his gun with reckless abandon, squinting slightly down the front sight and fired a single shot. With a loud bang, he watched the explosion that was once a beast's face.

The silence was instant. Kayden ran his hand through his bangs, slipping the Baretta back in it's holster and tread to his conquest. A sickening irk in his stomach had stopped him from acknowledging the remains of the unlucky human. Mercenary or not, he couldn't stand the causalities of those rejects. He squatted, careful to avoid getting his black jeans any more soiled then they already were. He stared blankly into the bloody heap that was his mark. Giving a smirk at the fact that this bastard had gotten what he'd deserved

"That's for the people you killed, you fucker" with that he lobbed the skull roughly to the ground and began to stand once more. A brittle gasp to his left. He stiffened, turning calmly to look over the witness.

The girl stood, her body rigid, her eyes a clear shade of blue widened in terror as her hand latched to her mouth trying to silence the already silent. Her face was pale, probably from the shock of the spectacle, but her high cheek bones caste farther shadow making the fullness of her lips stand out even more. The wind had blown the strands of black silk that was her hair to cover her face. Her body drowned in the black fleece jacket she wore and the jogger pants she wore let Kaden know that she probably didn't care about her appearance. Not that it would matter, because it was obvious from the way her cerulean eyes practically bore through his soul, that any man would fall for her. He straightened his back, standing, and brushed some debris from his jacket.

He spun to face her only to find that she had booked it in the other direction, running from him. His hand reached through the air as if to grab for her before cursing to himself and chasing after her.