Ten minutes later, Jenny turned her little blue Toyota into another alley a few miles away from the first one. The buildings on this street were dark, rundown and looking quite abandoned. A perfect place to have a secret meeting. The alley opened into a small enclosed parking lot behind one of the buildings. Jenny parked the car next to four other, equally nondescript cars. A Harley-Davidson was parked next to the building. The others were already here.
As she walked to the door set into the wall, she automatically scanned the area for movement. If a vampire really was watching her, she wouldn't see him until he moved; vampires could hold perfectly still, unlike humans. If he did move, though, she'd be ready for him.
When she reached the door, she tapped twice, paused, and tapped twice again. A slot in the door opened and a pair of eyes stared down at her.
"The time has come," a voice said to her.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "For blood to run and the Execution to begin," she finished. The door opened, and she stepped inside. "Like you didn't know it was me, Gunther."
"Rules are rules," Gunther replied, following her as she went up the stairs at the end of the entrance hallway. The stairs were dark, but both had been up and down them so often, they didn't need a light. "Besides, you never know when one of them might be out there. Maybe even looking like you."
"Yeah, yeah." She turned and glanced at him over her shoulder. Gunther Bjorstrand was blond, blue-eyed, and big as an ox. Towering over Jenny by at least a foot and twice as wide, he looked like a bodyguard or a bouncer. Looks were deceiving though; he was quick on his feet and graceful with any weapon handed him. He almost never lost his temper, and was surprisingly gentle for a vampire hunter. "Am I the last one?" she asked.
Gunther nodded. "We've been waiting for you. Raina's getting impatient."
Jenny rolled her eyes again. Raina was always impatient with everybody. "Well, she's just going to have to wait a little longer."
"You aren't going to start anything again, are you, Jenny?"
Jenny grinned into the darkness. "I don't know, Gunther. Depends how I feel. And whether or not Raina's being a bitch."
Gunther shook his head. "Great," he muttered, not sounding at all reassured.
It was no secret that Jenny and Raina didn't get along. Besides a basic incompatibility, both were vying for the position of leader, a place Raina currently held. Jenny knew she had a good chance at being voted as the new leader when the next election came around. Raina had a bad habit of making people angry. Jenny had to admit, though, that when it came to hunting vampires, Raina was one of the best. They were all one of the best.
"They" were sitting around a circle in the dimly lit room when Jenny walked in. There were six of them, including Jenny and Gunther. Raina Montagano, of course, sat in the center, her brilliant red hair cascading down her back. Tall and slim, her presence demanded attention. She narrowed green eyes at Jenny when she walked in.
To Raina's left was Carl King, the newcomer to the group. Although Jenny still didn't know much about him, she knew Carl used to be a boxer, hence his well-built arms and chest. His dark skin shone in the lamplight as he smiled at Jenny.
Next to Carl was Mariko Kawaguchi, Mari for short. Short and petite like Jenny, Mari had emigrated to the U.S. from Japan with her parents when she was just a baby. Jenny had known her for years. They had studied the martial arts together, and Mari had a black belt in karate, which she put to good use when on assignment. Her quick moves had more than once gotten her out of a tight spot. Without hesitation, Jenny claimed the spot next to Mari.
On Raina's right, last but not least, was Michael Scherer. Michael actually fit the description "tall, dark, and handsome" perfectly. When standing, he was around six feet tall, a good seven inches taller than Jenny. His dark brown hair was so dark it looked black, falling in unruly natural curls over his forehead. Usually, he kept it short enough to be rid of the curl, but he hadn't cut it in a while. His eyes, black and bottomless, saw everything. He spent most of his time in silence, watching and listening, taking in everything. Nothing got past Michael Scherer. As usual, Jenny felt her pulse speed up when she saw him, but she paid no attention. The day when Michael showed any romantic interest in Jenny would be the day pigs would fly. Raina, Jenny knew, also had an interest in sinking her claws into Michael, but he didn't share the feeling. Much as Raina tried, Michael always blew her off.
Three girls, three guys. That was Jenny's gang. They were known on the streets and to each other as "The Executioners," a name they had given themselves. Their goal was to take out as much of the Night World's vampire population as possible. To each and every one of them, vampires were a curse on humanity. The only good vampire was a dead vampire. They had been fairly successful. In the year since their first official meeting, when it had only been four of them, they had managed to rid the world of 39 vampires. It might have been more, but for the fact that they were stuck in the Midwest, where the vampires tended to be more spread out and harder to find.
It also didn't help that most vampires were rule-abiding members of the Night World, a secret society of vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and werewolves. The Night World existed right alongside the human world, secrecy being their strictest rule. If a Night Worlder were to tell a human about the Night World's existence, the penalty was death. Thus, most humans had no clue they were living among monsters. They could go to school with, even be friends with a vampire or witch, and never know the difference. Some humans found out, through whatever means. The Executioners were some of the few who knew of the Night World.
That was what made everything so dangerous. If the Night World council ever found out who The Executioners were, they would kill them. When the gang hunted, they mostly went alone, and to deserted places where they might find a lone vampire, kill him, and get out of there before they were discovered. Jenny shuddered to think of what would happen if their identities were found out. She would have to flee, lose her identity. Like the Witness Protection Program, only without the aid of the government, and with a much greater chance of discovery.
Nevertheless, the six of them were willing to risk anything for the cause. Vampires were out there at that very moment, sucking the life out of some innocent human. They were some of the few in a position to fight; they had to do it, for humanity's sake.
Jenny ran a hand through her hair, and leaned back on her elbows, locking gazes with Raina. Raina glared at her.
"So glad you decided to join us, Jenny," she said frostily. "Can we get on to business now?"
Jenny shrugged. "Don't let me stop you. I was only out staking a vampire. Nothing important." Mari gasped and grabbed Jenny's arm.
"Were you really?"
Jenny nodded, and gave Mari a high five. Carl gave her an open-mouthed gape of jealousy.
Raina ignored Jenny and glanced around the circle at the rest of the gang. "Alright. I've been keeping my ears open for any new activity, but I haven't heard anything. Have any of you found anything new?"
Shrugs traveled around the circle. They looked at each other with disappointment. It had been a few weeks since they'd had any major action. They were all getting a little antsy. The occasional staking of a lone vampire just wasn't much to talk about, although it did make Jenny feel good that she had just done it and Raina hadn't. War with Raina meant scraping for every point you could get.
"Well, actually . . ." Mari began.
"What, Mari?" Jenny asked, excitement kindling in her stomach.
"Yeah, what?" Gunther grinned wildly. "Did you find a new club or something that we can storm?"
"Wait a minute, Gunther," Raina interrupted. "If it is a new club, there is no way in the world we would storm it. You know better than that. After what happened the last time . . ."
Carl looked interested. "What happened?" He had only been with the gang for three weeks, so he had only seen action once. The club incident had been before he arrived.
Jenny laughed. "A few months ago, we got word about a new Night World club on the south side of South Bend. We were all so excited, we didn't really think of a plan first."
Gunther looked indignant. "It would have worked, if you would have let me go in first."
"It would not have," Raina sighed. "We went rushing into this club, swords and knives waving in the air, and of course the vampires were on us in a second. We barely got out alive."
"The only reason we did get out was because of Michael," Jenny added, throwing a glance in his direction. He raised an eyebrow and shrugged it off. "He stayed outside, and as soon as he heard Raina screaming, he circled around back and came in behind the vampires." Raina gave Jenny an icy glare, but Jenny ignored her. She felt exhilaration coursing through her veins as she thought about that night. It had been scary, but also really exciting. In the middle of a pack of wild vampires, taking them down one by one with her trusty knife, Jenny had known she had been born to be there in that moment, and to be a part of the gang.
"Michael started going at them from behind, and they thought there were more of us, that they were surrounded. Half of them turned and ran out the door," Mari recounted, a grin on her face. "We got the ones that were left."
"And that," Raina finished, with a pointed look at Gunther. "Is why we never just 'storm' into a situation. We got lucky, but it might not happen that way again."
Jenny turned and grinned at Mari. Mari grinned back. She had as much fun as Jenny that night. "So, what was that news you had?" Jenny asked her. That caught the rest of the gang's attention.
"Yeah, tell us, Mari. I'm dying to know," Gunther said.
"Well, I was in the bathroom at school today, and this girl walked in." Mari paused for suspense. Jenny laughed. Gunther was clearly going crazy wanting to know.
Raina gave Mari a look that clearly said to get on with it. Mari smiled and continued, "Anyway, this girl was new. I've never seen her before. And I knew the moment I saw her that she was one of them. Lamia, in fact, by the looks of her."
A look of understanding crossed Gunther's face. "And where there's one new vampire . . . "
"There's usually more!" Jenny finished. She clapped Mari on the back. "Good job, Mari."
Carl hooted. "Alright. Finally I get to kick some vampire butt!"
Raina held up a hand for quiet. "So what we need to do is find out more about this girl."
"One or two of us should make friends with her. That would be the easiest way. Maybe she'll let something slip," Jenny suggested. Mari nodded.
After a moment, Raina nodded too, a bit grudgingly. "Yes. Who wants to do that?"
"Definitely not Raina," Jenny heard Carl mumble to Mari. "She would probably scare the girl off!" Raina opened her mouth to say something nasty back, but Mari quickly interrupted.
"I will," she volunteered. "Jenny can help me if she wants."
Jenny nodded. "Sure."
"Good idea," Michael said, one of the rare times he said something at a meeting. "Everybody wants to get to know Jenny." Raina bristled and Jenny looked at Michael in surprise. He smiled at her.
"Thanks Michael," she said, smiling back, enjoying the look on Raina's face. Score one for Jenny. "I guess that's all for tonight then, right Raina?"
Raina looked disgusted. "Yeah, whatever. If no one else has anything to say, then we're done."
The group looked at each other for a second. After nobody said anything, they stood and headed for the door, Raina first. Jenny hung back, waiting for Michael as he casually picked himself up off the floor. When he saw her standing in the doorway, he stopped.
"I just wanted to say thanks again," she said. He nodded. "I mean, the look on Raina's face . . . it was priceless."
Michael grinned at that. "She just can't seem to get it through her head that I don't want her."
"She thinks everybody should want to worship her, that's all. That's why she doesn't like me, because I don't fall to my knees every time I see her. Talk to you later." Jenny gave a small wave and turned to go. She glanced back at him one more time. He stared thoughtfully at the floor for a second, then leaned over and blew out the lamp.
Jenny made it to her car before her legs started feeling weak. She got in quickly and sat for a second. Leave it to Michael to turn her legs to rubber. She was hard as nails going up against vampires, but two words from the man of her dreams and she was reduced to a quivering mass of Jell-O. She leaned her head on the steering wheel and groaned. "Michael, get out of my head!"
Sighing, she gathered herself together and pulled out of the parking lot, resisting the urge to check the rearview mirror every two seconds to see if he was behind her on his Harley. The first drops of rain splattered on her windshield. She turned on her wipers and glanced at the clock on her dashboard. It read 1:14 a.m. Great. Her foster parents were going to kill her for being late. Again.