Chapter One

"It gives us a very special, secret pleasure to see how unaware the people around us are of what is really happening to them."—Hitler

Rustling Heinkel's robes and filling her nostrils with the pungent odor of fish, the winter wind made her shiver despite her best efforts. Cursing under her breath, she glared at Seras, whose undead status rendered her immune to the cold (regardless of the skimpy uniform the vampire insisted on wearing).

For a moment, the draculina met her gaze, blue eyes imperturbable; and Heinkel wondered if the other woman sensed her thoughts. Then again, if Seras knew the extent of her hatred, the Hellsing whore would never have agreed to work with her in the first place.

Spine straightening, Heinkel refused to look away from the vampire's implacable stare, even as her heart began to race. Victoria was usually an open book; and her uncharacteristic composure made Heinkel nervous. One hand straying to the gun holstered at her side, she kept her gaze locked on her partner, expecting the vampire to attack at any moment. It would be a relief to see the draculina's civilized facade crack…

Finally, Seras blinked, shattering the tension between them. Even as adrenaline coursed through her veins, her body tensed in preparation for combat, Heinkel forced herself to relax. Much as she longed to strike the monster down where she stood, there would be plenty of time to smite the heretic later; fighting Seras now would not only be unwise but unprofessional. After all, they were on a mission; and Heinkel always finished what she started (though she was seriously tempted to abandon this particular endeavor).

"Guess I should have picked a warmer spot." Seras remarked, gesturing to the darkened street on which they stood: an uninviting location, to say the least. The streetlamp beneath which they stood was broken, the ground littered with cigarette butts and fast food wrappers. Another gust of wind whistled past; and a McDonald's receipt came to rest at Heinkel's feet. Wrinkling her nose, she kicked it aside.

"I'm fine." She snapped, unwilling to seem weak in front of a bloodsucker, even one so seemingly innocuous as Victoria. All it takes is a single moment of vulnerability, and I'll become one of her meals.

Her voice wistful, Seras continued as though Heinkel hadn't spoken. "I'm not used to having a partner. Master always said I could handle things on my own..."

Even the mere memory of Alucard sent a chill down Heinkel's spine; and she stifled a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold. Good riddance. She thought fiercely, allowing the anger to smother her fear. Bastard got less than he deserved.

If it were up to Heinkel, Seras' sire would burn in hell for what he'd done to Anderson. Unfortunately, the vampire's lack of a soul meant death had ended the fiend's suffering. Yet although it infuriated her that Alucard had perished without proper penance for his sins, part of her was grateful he was dead. For while she would have been honor bound to avenge Anderson had his killer survived the Blitz, Heinkel wasn't foolish enough to believe, even for a moment, that she would have would survived the encounter. Even Walter, the Angel of Death, was no match for Vlad Tepes…

In an effort to escape her gloomy thoughts, she turned her attention to Seras, who stood motionless, eyes fixed on the entrance of the building where their target currently resided. Despite the city-wide curfew, the club—an unimpressive structure whose flickering sign enticed prospective customers with the promise of 'Girls, Beer, and Music'—vibrated to a blaring beat that made Heinkel's head ache even from across the street.

Blowing on her cupped hands to warm them, she scowled at the realization that she was more likely to freeze where she stood than see any action. They'd been waiting for hours now; and boredom coupled with frustration had stretched her patience to the limit. Ordinarily, Heinkel would have marched into the building without hesitation, but Integra had forbidden them to take any action that might endanger civilians—never mind that this could be their only chance to capture the target. At this point, Heinkel was seriously considering disobeying orders for the first time in her military career.

And then the club door opened: expelling flashing lights, throbbing drums, and a couple holding hands. Fools. Lip curling, Heinkel reflected that, while she had encountered plenty of idiots over the years, the extent of human stupidity never failed to amaze her.

Did they care nothing for the ghouls still roaming the city? Strippers and stale beer were hardly worth becoming a monster's meal. Not to mention the London authorities—what remained of them, anyway—wouldn't look kindly on anyone caught breaking curfew. As if to answer her question, the girl giggled: a breathy, high-pitched sound that made Heinkel's stomach churn. Now she wished the ghouls would eat them.

Hand in hand, the lovers strolled down the street, oblivious to the destruction surrounding them. The girl swayed, teetering in her stilettos, but the man caught her before she could fall, pulling her into his arms for a kiss. She laughed again, pushing him away. "Not here! Someone might see us."

Heinkel rolled her eyes. It's a little late for that. Her gaze darting to Seras, who watched the couple with narrowed eyes, she recalled the mercenary—Captain Bernadotte—who'd sacrificed himself for her. Though Bernadotte's heroics were purchased rather than spontaneous, Heinkel couldn't help being impressed with the courage he'd displayed in the face of death. Was Seras remembering her former lover, or was she simply aggravated by the duo's moronic behavior?

Giving her head a sharp shake to rid it of such idiotic notions, Heinkel turned her attention back to the couple, who'd halted not far from their hiding place. Was it her imagination, or did something about the man seem...off?

"Let's go to my place." The woman clutched at her partner's sleeve, narrowly managing to remain upright. (Heinkel could practically smell the alcohol from here.) "It's so cold...I could use something to warm me up."

At that, Heinkel couldn't resist retching. For a moment, the man glanced her way and she flattened herself against the wall, even though he couldn't possibly have seen her; the shadows were too thick. Unless...

Confirming her suspicions, he grinned: displaying a set of unnaturally sharp teeth. "Why wait? I can warm you up right here." Then the vampire buried his fangs in the girl's neck. For a moment, she thrashed in her attacker's grip before her knees buckled; only the man's viselike grip kept her upright.

Before Heinkel could so much as draw her weapon, Seras was already moving; slamming into her fellow vampire, she sent him sprawling. The girl tumbled to the ground like a puppet with all its strings cut, the bodice of her too-tight dress askew and the puncture wounds in her neck bleeding freely. Heinkel nudged her, but she was out cold.

Oh, well. One less thing to worry about.

After a moment, though, the girl moaned, her eyes fluttering open. "Where am I? What's going on?"

Planting her boot firmly on the man's back, Seras turned to face her. "Look at me." When the girl obeyed, the draculina's eyes glowed crimson, her voice becoming eerily smooth, almost musical. "Everything's going to be fine."

The girl nodded mechanically, her own irises now tinted a light red. "Everything is fine." She repeated, her voice a dull drone that made Heinkel's skin crawl.

Seras smiled, fangs gleaming in the dimness—though the girl, in her trancelike state, didn't react. "That's right. You're going to go home and forget everything that happened tonight. Oh, and stay out of the clubs from now on."

Still nodding, the girl walked away, now balancing perfectly in her heels. Staring at Seras in disbelief, Heinkel resisted the urge to shake her head. Why bother with a mere bystander? Their prey was all that mattered…Luckily, he had been foolish enough to deliver himself right into their hands. At this, her smile was enough to make even the most hardened soldier uneasy.

The vampire laughed, a raspy sound which belied his polished appearance. "You think that'll do any good, blondie? If I don't get her, someone else will." His eyes scanning Seras appreciatively, he murmured, "But I'm willing to forgive the interruption…"

Her patience exhausted, Heinkel squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet into his leg; the vampire howled, flirtation forgotten.

Seras said sweetly, "It's you who should be asking for forgiveness. Tell us everything you know about Millennium—or my friend here will finish what she started."