The lock on the villa door was easily opened. It had been almost as easy to cut the throat of the servant standing guard on the porch. He quietly slipped the sharp wooden stake out of his pocket and looked out the window. Just before dawn. Perfect. The ideal time to stake a Vampire. They didn't like taking chances and so they usually retired to their lairs well before dawn, so as not to be surprised by the sun. Well, this one would be in for a surprise of a different nature, though. Foul creatures. There would be another triumph for the Lord and his servants tonight!
The stair didn't even creak when he ascended it. No matter if it did though. The only thing that could happen was that a servant woke up, but he had his crossbow to deal with those. The door to the creature's lair wasn't even locked. Ha! Foolish creature! His ruse had apparently worked. Given the creature a false sense of security.
The monster's motionless shape lay on the bed, fully dressed in expensive silk, hands folded in a mockery of a blessed body before burial. Sacrilege! It would be a pleasure to stake this one and then open the shutters and wait for holy and purifying daylight to flood in, driving the abomination to the Hell it should have been imprisoned in a long time ago.
He gently shut the door and slowly advanced on the sleeping figure, stake raised and ready to be driven down into the monster's chest. In instants it would plunge down, through its vile heart.
He had reached the bed. His body tensed, two hands lifted the stake and he closed his eyes to channel the divine power and say a silent prayer before slamming the stake downwards and opening his eyes again. But when he did so, the bed was empty and the stake met no resistance. He overbalanced and fell into the bed as the stake dug into the mattress.
A gleeful laugh sounded behind him. He whipped his head around and saw the creature standing there – a rifle aimed at him.