I walked steadily down the garden path, the two guards at the front door watched me steadily, it was obvious they regarded me as a threat, if not an active one. Then again in full body armour and armed to the teeth they must have reached the conclusion that as I had arrived in plain view I must not mean harm.

Reasonable logic but completely wrong.

"I'm here to see the boss." It was flat, emotionless.

"And you are?"

"The one who sends you your paycheck every month."

"Sorry, sir! But -" I heard a slight click and dived to the floor, the crossbow bolt buried itself into the the wooden paneling around where my head had been a second ago.

"Damn it, just get me in before the bastard reloads." They got me through the door with just minor grumbling.

"Tell Schist that I'm here to inspect his security, if he wants confirmation of id, give him this." I handed a carefully folded piece of paper to the guard on the left. They were both made vampires. How did I know? Because I genuinely was employing them.

I was playing of both sides and if anyone ever found out they'd have to make a new timescale below the pekosecond for my life span.

5 minutes later I was in Schist's office, it was bleak, grey and dreary with a no nonsense air to it. In other words my kind of person. Shame really, considering what I'm here to do.

"Schist." I say as fast as possible whilst still sounding coherent and harsh.

"..." He opens his mouth then closes it, before eventually resorting to, "sir." he makes it sound polite but without acting like I am a superior. If honest I'm impressed not many manage to get back on equal footing quite so fast.

"I am here to review your security."

"And?"

"All correct, I naturally tried to get in and it wasn't till someone tried to kill me that they let me through the door."

"Good." Schist smiles slightly at my answer before turning back to his desk to deal with the paperwork, now or never.

" Sorry Schist but I also have to -" My ominous tone makes him turn, I wait till he's turned all the way before decapitating him. Although wood is effective against vampires some methods of killing are universal, a bullet between the eyes and the removal of limbs are highly effective.

"A sad waste." I shake my head and sit down in Schist's chair removing the corpse and throwing the shriveled remains onto the floor. Five minutes later I take out a mobile, turn it on and make a call.

" He's dead, take out the guards outside I'll deal with inside, you have the patrol plans complete with exact species and training specification? Good, now get on with it."

I get up and put the cadaver back on the chair then carefully balanced his head back on his neck and walked out, closing the door behind me.

The next half an hour was bloody and grueling, with a domplete knowledge of patrols, emergency procedure and individual fighting styles it was even more like a normal job than usual, just ceaseless, mindless toil.

Something was nagging at the back of my mind as I launched a throwing knife between the eyes of the last guard but for the life of me I hadn't a clue what it was. Something to do with this job obviously, ok, twelve guards inside, eight outside, two personal bodyguards and two at the door, all working in pairs. Emergency procedure was that upon discovery of an attack the two bodyguards would take Schist to a the nearest of the three panic rooms. Whilst the bodyguards patrolling would if the threat was inside go to the scene of emergency, if external it was to line the corridor outside the panic room. The outside guards were really supposed to be just a deterrant. The really good fighters were all inside.

Of course the guards were all at the most attentive as I'd scheduled a review for some time this week, oh god, the reviewer.

I ducked. A throwing knife grazed my scalp but failed to embed itself in my skull. I span on the ball of my left foot already drawing a throwing knife, this particular knife was a special with a heavy rounded pommel but still retaining the careful balance I ensured in all my knives. I threw it, it span slowly and lazily but travelled the distance quickly till it hit my attacker in the head, pommel first, the assailant slumped the knife embedding itself in the floorboards an inch from their head. Another throwing knife slipped from their grip, they were fast. Secondary objective complete

With my attacker now unconscious I collected both my knives before taking all five of hers along with a rather sharp bokken, I preferred my metal katanas but each to their own, after all even if I didn't use them I could always flog them to another slayer, they always needed equipment so would accept a reasonable price.

I turned my gaze to my captive, instantly I began calculating and assessing:

Female

Looks around 18-20

Probably lamia (when stabbed through left hand with a wooden weapon the wound did not heal ruling out werewolf, shapeshifter and witch, I say probably lamia as there is no haunted or hunted look in her eyes which you usually get from made vampires)

Adept at throwing weapons

Hand-to-hand combat skills unknown but should be assumed deadly

Probably of medium rank in Night World society (this can be assumed by grade of equipment which is high but she is still working meaning she is not upper class, this is rare and highly impressive as females rarely make it far in the Night World)

All in all someone to be very wary of.

And beautiful says a small part of my mind. Shut up, none of that on the job thank you very much says the rest of my mind. It's strange arguing with yourself, I'm not mad, well not in that way at least, it's just that I sometimes need a conscious effort to steer my thoughts in the right direction.

Back to the job at hand, for I live for the job, it is my reason to be, I am the master manipulator in twin circles of lies and hatred. Sadly of course being a vampire hunter is rather expensive. So with at least fifteen minutes before my captive regains consciousness I collect up the weapons belonging to the now deceased security and place then in the corridor with myself and the unconscious lamia.

I turn the radio back on.

"Your lot finished yet?" I asked.

"Yes." The reply was in a tone of what I felt was undeserved animosity

"Good, you'll find me in corridor 13 b, I have a prisoner, bring my money and both my empty suitcases."

No reply but I knew she'd carry out the order anyway.

It took them five minutes, around this time she had regained consciousness, with nothing to restrain her with I currently had a katana and a wakazashi pressed to her throat.

"Good to see you, as you asked me take a captive I presume you have some form of restraint?"

"Of course."

"Then could you please apply them so I may resheathe my blades and pack my salvage."

Wordlessly Vicky applied them then to my astonishment kicked the helpless lamia in the gut. It took less than the space of a second to place both blades to her throat.

Author's Note: So what do you think? And what do you think will or should happen next?