Zara took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Tonight was a full moon, which meant there would be hundreds out tonight. They were rats, pests, human-sized mosquito's. They were there to kill all of those bloodsuckers.
The van had stopped in the middle of a darkened alleyway, deep in their city, close to Miami. She looked to Ray. "Make sure you have some other ammo, this time." She teased him. He groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I know... I won't make that mistake a second time."
Zara placed a gun on her ankle, along with a knife, and reached to her back, making sure her sheath was on. Yes, it was. Good. "Okay, guys," she turned around, facing them. "We have a lot to do tonight. Not only do we have to make sure we get at least 20 tonight, we have to go to Villa's to make sure no one comes in tonight."
"Villa's?" Ray asked. "I thought we were going to–"
"No," she interrupted. "Villa told me that a lot of people were disappearing from there, the last couple of nights. She told me she could also smell blood on some of the people that came in, but was too afraid to do, or say anything. She's an older hunter, so, I don't blame her for that... but we need to be there tonight. I don't want anything happening to her, or anyone else who gets drunk in that bar." They all smiled.
"We meet back here at 1. Okay?" She looked down to her watch. "It's 11:29. We have an hour and a half. Mark where you get your targets, and always watch each others backs. Same teams from Thursday night." They all nodded and climbed out the back of the truck.
Zara closed the door, placing her handgun in the holster at her side. She couldn't exactly just walk around with a gun in her hands. It would attract trouble, not only the undead, but law agencies and officials. She let out a breath and smiled to Ray as they started down the back of the alleyway.
"How many do you think you'll get tonight, Z?" He asked, his eyes scanning the dark and moist walls of the alleyway.
"...I don't know. About as much as you..."
"Yeah, but–"
"Shh..." She turned around for a moment, her instincts going haywire. Something was out tonight, stronger, than before. She didn't know what yet, maybe it was just more of them? The Full Moon always did this to her. It bothered her. Why couldn't her family be a line of accountants, or... ballet dancers? Not fucking vampire hunters. She turned back around to Ray and grabbed her gun. She pointed towards the other wall of the alleyway.
"Already getting something, huh, Z?" He whispered, pulling out his own handgun.
She cocked a brow at him, shook her head, and moved forward. Blood was in the air, she could taste it. She paused for a moment as a shadow danced on the walls and onto the roof. "We got a live one." She placed the gun at her side and grabbed a light post, quickly pulling herself up and jumping onto the rooftop.
He was running... fast. He was a newly turned blood-sucker, she was sure. The way he was breathing, and running, gave it all away. She nodded down to Ray and turned to run as fast as she could. He growled and threw boxes in his way to the ground. She laughed almost and simply jumped over them. They were stupid, of course, they weren't human anymore. She didn't know if they could think, if they could react like humans could anymore. Blood was like heroin to these type of blood-suckers. They twitched and screamed as if they were freaking out on withdrawal, their eyes bloodshot as the red irises grew bigger.
She ran faster and tackled him to the ground, placing a gun to his chest. "Read the shirt." She said as she pulled the trigger.
The wind caught her hair, and the gray dust that she was now straddling. It threw some of it in the air as she stood and walked over towards the edge of the building looking down to Ray. She smiled down to him.
"Did you get him, Z?" He asked.
She nodded and looked up to the moon. "Yeah," she said calmly. She sighed and reloaded. She jumped down from the rooftop and landed beside Ray. "...His friends have to be around here somewhere. He was just turned, I could even see the markings on his neck. He wasn't a freak. He was a full-blown vampire."
"Fuck me," Ray said.
She laughed and looked at him. "No, thanks."
Ray laughed as they walked through the city. A lot of them were out... a lot. She let Ray get a few, but she just had to pick the hardest one, didn't she?
"UGH!" She groaned as the bastard threw her against the wall. She had stabbed the fucker through the neck and in the chest a couple of times, but the bastard was moving so fast she was sure she hadn't gotten him in the chest.
He rushed up and slammed her against the wall, licking her cheek. He was the master of this cluster of vampires. Ray was over somewhere, fighting off a couple of them. She growled and kicked him off, grabbing the knife that was on her ankle and threw it at him.
He dodged and she cursed as he picked her up and threw her against the adjacent wall. She licked her lip. Heh, he had made her bleed. She looked up and he was rushing at her, mouth open. "Bye, motherfucker." She said, grabbing her other gun from her ankle, and as he grew closer, she shot him in the mouth.
She stared at him with disgust as he placed his hands around his neck, choking on the silver that was shot down his throat. "Die, mother fucker." She said, placing the gun to his head, and pulling the trigger.
The demonic scream was heard across the city, making damn well sure every other bloodsucker in this godforsaken city hear it.
After Ray had taken care of his own problems, he walked over to her and pulled her chin up, making sure she was okay. She brushed it off. "Don't touch me." She said, walking away from him. She looked down to her watch, it was 12:54. It was time to get back to the van and drive to Villa's... but she was so goddamn tired now! How were they supposed to work until 7 in the morning?
They were getting stronger now... and she didn't know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. If they were getting stronger, it meant that they were getting through the lower generations, but they would be harder to kill... like that last bastard.
Damn, she thought. Ugh, her neck hurt like hell... but some whiskey would make her feel good. That was the best part about going to Villa's and working for the night. They got to drink whatever the fuck they wanted, as long as they didn't get shit faced drunk, and got paid to do it! It was great. How else would they pay for supplies though?
She sighed and slammed the door as she got into the passenger side of the Van. Ray got in, and looked over to her. She didn't look too happy, though she hadn't for the passed couple of weeks. This life was wearing down on her, he knew that. She knew that. But she still wouldn't stop. This was what she had to do.
After they all returned, they had concluded they had terminated 19 bloodsuckers. Zara shrugged. It was good enough for the night.
She looked over to Ray. "Villa's. Now." She told him. She closed her eyes as the van started to move. Maybe she could get some rest. It was about a 10 minute drive from here. Yes, that would be nice.
Alucard laughed as he watched the van pull away. Zara, he thought. She was feisty. And she was a good fighter, though she wouldn't stand a chance against a lot of the vampires out there. Of course, that's what she had him for. His eyes narrowed.
He wondered if she'd remember him. She had grown a lot, and by the looks of it, she had grown too much for her own good. What was she? Twenty, maybe? Twenty-one? Poor child, he laughed.
He turned away and looked up to the moon as his body started to fade. "...What a beautiful night." He laughed again.
Villa's was crowded. No wonder she was so worried. As soon as they got there, she could tell there were a few vampires in the crowd... some freaks too. She took a breath and dropped all the weapons, but the two guns and one knife in the van. She needed something if something started. She walked in and everyone in the bar turned around to face her. Some of their eyes bugged. They were going to leave soon. Good, the other hunters of the city could deal with them.
She walked towards the bar, with the boys behind her, and crawled beneath it. "You need some help, Villa?" She called to the older woman pouring a couple of drinks. Her hair was pure white and tight in a long braid. She smiled a thankful smile and nodded. "Go take care of those tables!" She motioned for the tables near the billiards. She nodded as the boys went around the bar and sat... waiting for her to give them the drinks. Ray worked too, but... she'd give him a break, she guessed.
She looked over to the door as a couple of them tried to walk out casually. Casually, my ass, she thought. She laughed and grabbed a pad and pen, and walked over to take the drinking orders. Two whiskey's, a concrete shot, and two doubles shots of Captain Morgan Silver. Mm, all of that sounded pretty damn good to her right about now... but all of that would get her drunk off her ass.
She grabbed the drinks and placed them on the table. "Is there anything else I can do for you guys and girls?" She asked.
"Yeah," one of the girls said. "Stop playing this ol' country music, and play something good!"
Zara agreed. "I'll play a couple of things for you, but this is Villa's place. Her rules, her music." The group laughed as she walked away. She sighed and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and placed it in front of Ray. "Drink up boy, because that's all you're getting tonight." She winked and walked back towards the bar.
Villa sighed and she smiled to her, sitting in one of the bar stools in front of her. "Thanks for coming tonight. There were more here before you came, I'm surprised a fight didn't break out."
She looked over to her. "Don't worry about it. We have to work, and we need a couple new guns and more ammo."
She nodded. "I'll pay you a little extra, because, pfft, I know how it is."
Zara smiled. She wasn't going to argue with her. Once Villa made up her mind, there was no changing it. "Thanks."
Villa smiled and shrugged. "No big deal. Now, go get them tables girl!" She ordered playfully. They both laughed as Zara dragged herself off to serve some of the other tables.
The night was going on fine, until something raced over Zara like a blanket of poisonous spiders. She turned slowly towards the door as a shadow entered and swallowed her breath. Her eyes widened as her eyes danced up and down the red-clothed figure.
"...Alucard."
