Shadow in the Night 666 The Venom

Alex stepped in the office. His fellow hunters followed him. Behind the great oak desk sat an old man. His hair was grey, and wrinkles covered his face. Yet, he looked intimidating, sitting in his great leather chair. He was reading through some papers, but he laid them aside.

"Mr Alex, I presume? And are these people mr Dodonpa, mr Saturos and miss Menardi?"

"You are correct." Alex said, trying to sound as professional as possible. "And you must be mr Babi."

The old man nodded. "Now, what you have told me on the phone was that, apparently one of your vampires have escaped from Europe and moved here. Then why, oh why, would you follow him and not leave it up to our hunters here. As you are aware, the vampire victims here are lower in numbers then in Europe?"

"You misunderstand. It is not a regular vampire we are talking about. This one-"Babi interrupted "Let me guess. A lord of a clan? Someone working for the queen? Am I close?"

"Far from it." Alex snapped. He did not like this man's attitude. "The reason why our death numbers are higher then yours are because of the likes of him. A Higher Vampire."

"Ridiculous, those are myths. Nothing more." "I assure you, they are not. They don't live here anymore, because they leave this continent to the lower ranks. The Queen resides in Europe, and there the others stay."

Babi stood up. "Is it really true? Then why would he be here?" Alex sighed. Pleased tat the man believed him. "He is here to find a new partner, I suppose. They always work in teams of two. We have killed his previous Master, so now he searches for a friend, mate or something like that. He or she will become his pupil and they will once again be a team of two. Then we are back where we started."

Babi understood. "Kill both, and there will forever be two less of them? It sounds good. Tell me more."

Alex told the man everything, occasionally assisted by Dodonpa, who was after all the killer of Felix.

"So, he will be looking for a new one first. And because this Felix taught him everything he knows, Isaac is most likely going to take his time. But we must not take any chances. Felix killed his last Apprentice himself for the sole purpose of darkening Isaac afterwards. Isaac might act like that too, changing a person in a Vampire as a failsafe."

Babi nodded. He turned on his intercom. "Estelle, send in Iodem." Not a minute later, the doors opened and a man with black hair, and a small beard entered.

"Greetings, sir. You called me?" "Yes I did, Iodem. Sit down, dear boy. Lady and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you all, Iodem. My right hand. Iodem, mr Alex, Dodonpa, Saturos and miss Menardi."

"Charmed." Iodem said, his English accent was clear. "Now, how may I help you."

Dodonpa stepped forwards. He pulled out a slip of paper. "For starters, you could bring this formula to the science division. You do have one, don't you?"

Iodem grinned. "The best one in the entire state. Why, what is this?" "The formula of the lethal Necro 3 Venom. We are going to need a full vial to begin with."

Iodem looked at the piece of paper. He wasn't head of the Science Department for nothing. "I believe this is incorrect, my good man. This potion does not work on Vampires at all. There are certain complements and procedures that should go with it, before the chemicals will even start a reaction that destroys a vampire's inner systems.. An incubation time of an hour in a moist, oxygen rich fluid at a temperature of at least...no!"

"I see you have found out how to insert the poison in the vampire?" Dodonpa smiled.

"Iodem, is something wrong?" Babi asked. Iodem stared at the paper. "Sir, with all due respect. You can't ask me to make this venom. Do you know how it is used?"

Babi shook his head. "Enlighten me." "Sir, it is injected into humans. After the vampire drinks, the venom has become docile and will kill the vampire. This would require killing a human. Any human that comes in contact with this poison."

"Incorrect." Alex corrected the man "Any human that has it in his or her bloodstream inserted."

"Then what is the problem? A few humans in order to get such a vampire. It could save hundreds of lives in the long run. Iodem, tell the scientists to start making this immediately!"

"Yes sir." Iodem said, his head low. How could this have happened? They didn't use such methods before. "What have we become. Are we no better then them?" He shook his head to clear himself of such thoughts. "No, lord Babi is right. He has never had anything but the best in his mind for mankind. It is the vampires that are responsible for these deaths. I can't start doubting sir Babi."

Iodem ignored the tiny voice in his head that told him not to, and delivered the papers to his assistants.

They moved all their other project aside, hearing this chemical poison was a nr 1 priority. Some didn't understand it's purpose, others noticed the full procedure but ignored it. Their jobs where to simply make it. How it was used was not for them to bother.

"Soon you will have your venom. Now, how to inject it?" Babi asked. Saturos spoke up first. He was the number 1 hunter, after all. "First of all. Have the killings moved somewhere else, or are they still located at this...Central Park?"

Babi nodded. "Just last week another five deaths occurred there. We have sent some scouters to check it out, but the tracks stopped close to the first building. At first we didn't understand how, but since I now know we are dealing with a slightly stronger vampire, it begins to make sense. I suppose they truly have flying abilities?"

"Somewhat." Alex agreed. "But not like the legends. He doesn't change in a bat at all. He can jump extremely high and float. Even levitate a tad. But I doubt it is like a bat or bird, using wings of some kind. We haven't seen such a thing yet."

"Very well." Babi finished the conversation. "You are dismissed. Karst and Agatio are waiting outside, I presume. Tell them to bring you to the guestrooms numbers 712, 713 and 714. And we will have the Lady brought to nr 731, since that is our only single room available on that floor." "No, I will share a room with Saturos, if you do not mind. He is my fiancée."

Babi was surprised by this information, but smiled. "It seems not all hunters are obsessed with hunting alone. I am glad for the two of you. Good luck. Then, take room number 710, and forget 714 and 731."

"Thank you." Saturos turned his mouth into what seemed like a smile. The four left the office, leaving Babi to reread his documents and files. Outside, Agatio and Karst stood waiting as Babi had told them. Karst received the slip of paper.

"710? Hey, Agatio. Room 710, isn't that a double room?"

"Well noticed Karst." Menardi told her sister. "I haven't gotten the chance to say it, but Saturos and I are getting married."

Karst her face brimmed. "Congratulations!" she shrieked, hugging her sister.

"Thanks Karst." Menardi managed to say, while trying to breath in her little sister's death grip.

After a whole lot of hugging both Saturos and Menardi, Karst finally let go and lead them the way. This, however required Agatio's constant prodding and reminding her that they had a job to do.

Alex was the last to reach his room. Nr 713. He closed the door, not bothering to wish either Karst nor Agatio a goodnight. He took of his shirt and began meditating immediately. Clearing his head of any thought, he breathed in and out. In and out. In, and held it.

Alex opened his eyes. Thoughts had began to seep back into his head. There was something not right. Why would a vampire, looking for a partner, stop at a place, whereas something like him could have easily moved to the next city.

Unless...Alex his eyes widened slightly. He had already found him or her. It was now only a matter of time. Tomorrow, he would inform his friends, but for now...

Alex opened his case and pulled out his staff. Glancing at the wooden point at the end for a moment, he decided that it was sharp enough. Time to do some hunting, to clear his mind. He wouldn't have gotten any rest this night anyway.