Night Falls

Note: This chapter takes place three days before the events of the prologue.

Chapter One:

Three Days Earlier

The desert shimmered a blinding white in the afternoon sun. Hailey watched through the windows of the ramshackle police station as the sun traced a path through the blue sky, rising to its full height before it began to descend. Sweat dotted her forehead and she glanced over at the ancient, tottering fan that shuddered in the corner of the room. "We really need to get that bloody air conditioning fixed," she muttered, her native English accent still lingering in her voice.

"What's that, Sheriff?" A young man asked, poking his head in the room.

"Nothing, Jack," Hailey replied, dismissing the deputy. Unscrewing the screw top of the bottle of beer sitting on the desk in front of her, she flicked the bottle top into a nearby trashcan without even looking. Sometimes she wondered why she had agreed to stay in a place that so closely resembled Hell; the shiny Sheriff's badge pinned on her black, leather belt reminded her of the reason. She was needed here. Hailey lifted the bottle to her lips and sighed contently as the cool, amber liquid slid down her throat. Propping her dust covered boots onto her desk, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

"Hailey?" Jack asked, wrapping his knuckles on the doorframe as he walked into her office.

"Can't you see that I'm relaxing?" Hailey asked jokingly. Jack smirked and tossed a manila folder onto her desk.

"Think you might want to look at that," he replied, taking a seat in a chair across from her.

Hailey opened her eyes and picked up the folder. Flipping it open, she scanned the document and photographs contained within for a moment before tossing it back onto the desk. "So you think it's a nest then?" She asked.

"Absolutely. It has all the signs," Jack replied confidently. Rising to her feet, Hailey grabbed a dusty, black cowboy hat from her desk and sat it on her head.

"Let's go kill some vampires," she said, as she picked up her beer and sauntered out of the office. Jack grinned and followed her over to the weapons locker. Sticking a worn key into the padlock, she twisted it and removed the lock. She opened the cabinet doors and grabbed a shining, silver handgun. "How many do you think there are?"

"About fifteen," Jack replied. Hailey nodded and grabbed several ammunition cartridges before moving out of the way so that Jack could grab his own weapon. "In other words," he said, "we should be home before dinner."

Hailey smirked. "I see you're adjusting to the job well," she replied, taking a swig from her beer. Jack had only been working for her for two weeks. Her previous deputy had been killed in a convenience store robbery.

"Killing vampires and occasionally handing out speeding tickets ain't a bad way to spend a day," Jack responded.

"I couldn't agree more," Hailey replied. "Lock up, yeah?" Hailey said as she and Jack walked out of the police station. Hailey continued on to a dilapidated truck a few yards away as Jack locked the front door of the station. Sliding into the driver's seat, she started the engine. Jack slid into the seat next to her and she sped off, kicking up a cloud of dust in the wake of the truck. Lifting the beer bottle to her lips, she tipped it back, letting the amber liquid infuse her senses.

"Hailey?" Jack asked, glancing over at her.

"Yeah?" She asked, placing the bottle in the cup holder.

"You do realize that it's against the law to drink and drive, right?" He asked.

"Arrest me," Hailey replied, smiling over at him.

"You know, when they told me that our town sheriff was a functioning alcoholic, I didn't really believe them," Jack said, in reference to the many rumors the people of Coyote Creek liked to spread about their mysterious and dangerous sheriff.

"Everybody's got something," Hailey replied, making a sharp left turn off the road and out into the desert. The truck rumbled over the uneven ground, bouncing its occupants with a powerful force.

"We'll be lucky if we make it there in one piece," Jack said, gritting his teeth to keep from biting his tongue as his head slammed into the top of the truck.

"Vampires really don't care about convenience," Hailey replied. According to Jack's source, the vampires they were hunting had been living in an abandoned mining building about ten miles outside of town. Coyote Creek, Arizona was a small town located in the middle of the desert, but surrounded by mountains rich with minerals. Thus, mining companies had always been the primary employer of the locals. However, Coyote Creek was also infamous for its vampire population. Until Hailey arrived, the townspeople ritually disappeared at dusk, barring themselves in their homes until the sun rose the next day.

Hailey had intended to pass through the town on her way to Phoenix. However, just before she reached the end of the city limits, her truck ran out of gas. Forced to walk back to the town's gas station, she found herself surrounded by vampires on Main Street. Several people witnessed her dust the band of vampires with relative ease and persuaded her to stay by offering her a job as the town sheriff. The salary was not much to brag about, but Hailey liked the isolation that the desert provided. Killing vampires on a daily basis was simply an added bonus.

"This is it," Jack said, pulling Hailey out of her thoughts. Hailey slowed the truck to a stop and killed the engine. The building looming in front of them had been constructed in the 1950s, but had been abandoned shortly after several night workers were brutally murdered. The windows had been painted black and though the building had not been regularly maintained since it was abandoned, Hailey saw that someone – or something – had been working to keep it from collapsing upon itself.

"Let's get this over with," Hailey said, opening the driver's side door and stepping out onto the compacted sand of the desert. Tingles ran up and down her spine as she loaded her gun. Though she knew exactly what she was doing, she always felt an uneasiness creep through her stomach the moment before the fight began. Reaching through the opened window of the truck, she grabbed her beer. "Come on," she said, walking over to the building. Jack followed her, his face set with grim determination. She knew that he was afraid. Jack had killed many vampires since she employed him, but the fear would always be with him, just as it was always with her. Taking a swig from her drink, she glanced down at the bottle before throwing it with all of her strength at one of the windows. The bottle crashed through, breaking a hole in the window. Sunlight streamed into the building and they could hear screams of pain as vampires scrambled to escape the light.

Hailey stepped forward and kicked in the building's rotten, wooden door. Pieces splintered, sailing through the air as she and Jack stepped inside, holding their guns out in front of them. The nearest vampire laughed, his face morphing into its demon form. His fangs glittered white and his yellow eyes fell on Hailey. "Don't you know those don't work on us, little girl?" He asked condescendingly.

Hailey smiled devilishly. "You're assuming that these guns are loaded with lead based bullets," Hailey explained mockingly. "They're actually loaded with UV bullets."

"What?" The vampire asked in surprise.

"Flying sunlight, mother fucker," Hailey replied. "See you in Hell." Squeezing the trigger, Hailey sent a bullet flying straight at the vampire's heart. It slammed into his chest and he staggered back several feet, looking down in shock at the gaping hole in the front of shirt. Bursting into flames, the vampire crumpled into a pile of smoking dust. Hailey smiled victoriously as the others backed away in fear. The room filled with smoke as she and Jack emptied their guns into the vampires. When the smoke cleared, they were the only ones left.

"That went well," Jack said easily.

"I'd say," Hailey agreed. "Almost sunset," she said, looking through the broken window at the sinking sun. "I'm on patrol tonight."

"Drive me back to the station, will ya?" Jack asked. "I've gotta take off early tonight."

"Sure," Hailey replied conversationally as they walked back to the truck. The first day Jack was on the job, Hailey left him in the middle of the desert after they disbanded a nest as an initiatory joke. Ever since, he made sure to confirm that she was planning to drive him back. They both climbed into the truck. Throwing it into gear, Hailey sped off into the desert. They arrived at the police station just as the sun sank below the horizon. Jack climbed out of the truck and turned, resting his arms on the partially opened window.

"Be careful tonight, huh?" He said. "I don't want your job."

"But it's got so many fringe benefits," Hailey joked back. "Say hi to Jenny for me," she said as Jack nodded and walked to his car. Hailey waited until he had left before pulling back out onto the road. Patrolling meant driving back and forth through town until the sun rose, ensuring that the people of Coyote Creek remained safe, now that they were venturing out of doors at night. Clicking on the radio, Hailey settled into her seat, preparing for the long night. Sighing to herself, she muttered, "Wish I hadn't thrown that beer through the window."

……………………..

Hailey tossed her keys and cowboy hat onto the table in the foyer of her small, Spartanly decorated house. It was constructed in a pueblo style with a red tile roof and a walled, dirt backyard, where a couple of hearty cacti grew. The morning sun was just peaking over the mountains, which surrounded the town. The night had been fairly uneventful, with only one vampire complaint. Hailey had been the sheriff of Coyote Creek for nearly a year and had noticed a considerable decline in vampire activity during that time. She dreaded the day that vampires decided to cross Coyote Creek off of their must see lists.

Walking over to her answering machine, she pressed a button and the house filled with a mechanical voice. "You have two new messages," it said. There was a slight, static filled pause, and then a woman's voice spoke.

"Hailey – it's Marissa. My husband's going to be out of town this week. I don't know what you're doing, but it could be me. Give me a call, baby," the woman said, her sultry voice filling the empty rooms of the house. Hailey smiled and shook her head.

"Be still my heart," she muttered to herself. Marissa was just another girl in a long line of girls, but Hailey did not mind wasting an evening with her. Silence filled the house again before another voice filled the void. It was an old man's voice. Hailey stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the man speak.

"Hailey, it's your father. I know it's been a while. I got your number from the Coven. Listen, something big is happening and you need to be involved. I've called a meeting for all Council members in London for three days from now at five o'clock in the evening. I know we haven't always agreed, but a faction of the Council strongly believes in your methodology. I hope you'll come. I'll be looking for you," the voice said hesitantly. Hailey could hear emotion in her father's voice, but could not tell if it was sadness, anger, or frustration.

She moved over to the couch and sat, running a weary hand over her face. She had not spoken to her father in five years – after she entered a substance abuse rehabilitation center and left London. Her father was a staunch traditionalist. He firmly believed that a Slayer should be armed with nothing more than a wooden stick when facing every sort of evil in the world and that she should be a lone warrior with no ties to anyone but her Watcher. Hailey found the entire proposition to be absurd. While attending university, she met a physics student who was particularly adept at making weapons. Within a year, he had been able to create a UV bullet that killed vampires in the same way as sunlight. When she had introduced the idea to the Council, the modernist faction had eagerly embraced the idea, only to be silenced by her father and the tradionalist faction.

Their difference in ideas was the final blow to an already tattered relationship. Her father had never approved of her inclination towards the fairer sex, or her extracurricular activities. He had been so excited when he found out that she was a potential Slayer. However, his excitement soon turned to disappointment as time wore on and it became abundantly clear that his daughter would not be a Chosen One. Hailey had only been trained to do one thing – hunt vampires – and after flunking out of university, she decided to put her skills to use. She left London and traveled the world, killing as many vampires and demons as she could. Eventually she made her way to the United States and Coyote Creek.

Hailey was ripped from her thoughts by the shrill sound of the telephone ringing. Moving over to the phone, she picked up the receiver and placed it against her ear. "Hello?" She asked. Silence greeted for a second before a voice spoke on the other end. Hailey recognized it at once, though she not had heard it for many years. "Giles," she declared, her face brightening immensely.

"Hailey, I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice," Giles said sincerely. "It's been a long time – too long. Unfortunately, this isn't a social call. I must ask a favor."

"Anything," Hailey replied instantly, eager to help her former childhood friend.

"Do you still have access to the Watcher's Council vaults?" Giles asked with baited breath. Hailey could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Yes," she replied. Giles breathed a soft sigh of relief.

"Good. Listen to me very carefully. The First Evil is trying to destroy the Watcher's Council. Its minions have been slaying Watchers and potential Slayers around the world. I'm surprised they haven't come after you yet. I fear the Council itself will become a target," Giles explained.

Hailey felt her breath catch in her throat. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as fear flashed through her. She too was surprised that the First Evil had not found her, though she knew that her movements were not easy to track. The only people who knew her exact location were the elders of the Coven. "What do you want me to do?" Hailey asked, her curiosity defeating her fear. Hailey listened carefully as Giles explained his proposition. It was a dangerous idea. If the Council found out what she was doing, daughter of Quentin Travers or no, she would be executed.

"Can you do this?" Giles asked desperately. Hailey knew that she did not have any choice but to agree. If the Council were destroyed, with the items in the vault along with it, than the world would have lost a great deal of historical documents, as well as mythically powerful artifacts.

"I'll be on the first plane to London," Hailey replied before hanging up the telephone. Moving over to her laptop, she booked the earliest flight to London as was possible. Her plane would depart later that morning. She would arrive in London a day before the meeting that her father had called. It was perfect timing. While her father and the rest of the Council were locked away in some conference room, Hailey could access the vaults without anyone knowing.

Moving over to the telephone, she knew that she had a final call to make before she started packing. Hitting the first speed dial button, she waited as the phone rang. Finally, a groggy voice answered. "Jack, sorry to call so early," she said. "But something's come up."

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, immediately alert.

"I have to leave town for while. You'll have to take over for me. And Jack," she added, after a slight pause, "I may not be coming back."