Chapter Two
"Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"Didn't you say we were staying away from myths and legends?"
"Yeah. The truth is scary enough."
"Ok. So...why are we walking around a graveyard in the dark?"
"Because this area in exactly central to all eight deaths; they fan out from here like the spokes of a wheel. Draw lines between them, and you wind up here." Steve shrugged. "And - it's the only thing we have that remotely resembles a lead. Gotta start somewhere."
"How 'bout somewhere less creepy - like a morgue? And if we're gonna go this route, aren't we supposed to come here at midnight?"
"That is a myth," said a young female voice, from behind them. Its owner was thin, blonde, and no more than 16 or 17. She stood with her hands on her hips, not the least bit intimidated by Jaime or Steve. "You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous after dark. Come back in the daylight for your souvenirs."
Steve shook his head in amusement. "I think it's past your bedtime, little girl."
"Oh," the girl responded, "You're Feds. Sorry. But you should know that this is my turf."
Steve looked at Jaime. "Reminds me of you at that age - all mouth."
The girl was becoming annoyed; they were keeping her from her job. "Look, I'm not trying to cause trouble, but I know what I'm doing. Do you?"
Steve raised his eyebrows, no longer amused. "Look, little girl, this is serious -"
"No shit!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with desperation.
Jaime could also see a lot of herself in this girl. She remembered all too well what it was like to have no one take you seriously because you were young, blonde and female. Something told her that maybe this girl had a reason for being here. She elbowed Steve in his ribs. "I think we should listen to her," she told him.
The girl smiled. "Thank you." She looked at Steve, then decided she'd rather talk to Jaime. "First, that midnight thing, that's only for certain holidays and special occasions. Otherwise, any time after dark is all the same to them."
"Them?" Steve asked skeptically.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Well, duh - the vampires." She turned back to Jaime. "Your friend isn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, is he?"
Jaime put an arm lightly around Steve's waist in a show of solidarity. Their eyes met, and both jumped almost imperceptively at the sudden spark. "He's a good guy, though," Jaime told the girl.
"Whatever. Look, I like you, and I'm not sure why, but I'm gonna help you." She took a pencil and paper from her purse, wrote something down and handed it to Jaime. "Be at this address at noon tomorrow, and I'll introduce you to someone who might be able to help you. That is, if you tell me your names."
Steve eyed her carefully. "I'm Steve, this is Jaime, and you are...:"
"Buffy - Buffy Summers. See ya tomorrow.
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"Are you sure that girl isn't a distant relative of yours?" Steve joked. "I mean, the physical resemblance is uncanny, but she's also got your mouth and your attitude."
"Ha ha, Brightest Crayon." She smiled at him, finding it next to impossible to unlock her eyes from his.
Steve, too, was being surprised by unexpected emotions. Every second they stood there, he wanted more and more to pull her tightly into his arms and kiss her, and from the way she was looking at him, he doubted she'd mind. He also knew, though, that if he did that, they'd never make their noon appointment. He took a deep breath. "I'll grab the newspaper," he told her, regretfully tearing himself away. He opened the hotel room door, picked up the paper and froze in stunned disbelief.
"Steve? What's wrong?" Jaime reached behind him to close the door. Her arm went around him almost automatically as she leaned around him to try and see what he was staring at. Once she did see it, she wished she hadn't. "Oh, no." The headline seemed to take up half of the front page, and although it was in black ink, the words seemed to jump out screaming at Jaime and Steve in bright, bold neon colors.
'Vampire Killer bites two more'.
Jaime looked at Steve, her eyes wide with fear. He pulled her close in a comforting hug, and she clung to him, knowing that once they let go, they had to go back on the hunt for a maniac. When she was finally ready, Jaime handed him the piece of paper with the address on it.
Steve took it, stared at it for a minute, and put it in his pocket. "Let's hope Little Miss Buffy really does know what she's talking about."
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