Lawrence's POV

The group split up in different directs down the various streets. I'm hoping to find Mary Van Helsing before Dracula could. Father Uffizi was with me. Why was Annastasis here? It made no sense why she was here. I told the good Father what she was as best as I understood it. As she explained to me once.

"I don't think she works against God," I began. "She was too good at her job to not be blessed by him. For whatever reason she is here for, even though she is working for us, I believe she is continuing the work on her own."

Uffizi inquires more to get as much information than out of interest in me, "You said it was your fault. That they discovered what she is?"

"We were undergoing retraining," I didn't need to explain as Uffizi has been in the business long enough he no longer requires to be tested. When you start out, they give you an annual test to make sure our skills are still sharp enough to continue the work as we don't do field work as often and never alone. The final test was given a task to hunt down a capture but not kill a level three creature or higher. Then, each year, retraining requires two weeks of skill polishing and updated drills. Then, the level of creature gets two levels higher. Once you reach thirteen or higher, you are no longer required to take retraining. This task gets harder as the higher the level, the fewer of that being there are to hunt. Twenty is the highest level, but I don't think they are around anymore.

"You turned her in to buy pass retraining..." Uffizi stated as if this was a confessional.

"I was only required a nine or higher. But the rules do state that if you are anything higher than a thirteen, you automatically become an elite guard. I was having a hard time finding one, even harder time just capturing them. Three days is not a lot of time. So, when asked if I showed up empty-handed, I turned to her standing beside me. Technically, I was the one who got her to join the Guardians, so I brought her there. So, I revealed the glamour she had a fae place on her back to hide the feathers. She fought and ultimately escaped. Still, it counted, but I was still required I take retraining as the technicalities of the situation put me on rocky ground."

"So it wasn't very long ago," Uffizi contemplated. For a moment, I thought he was seriously intrigued by the tail. "What level did they determine her to be?"

"What?"

"What level is she?"

What is the punishment for lying to a priest? "I don't know. They couldn't tell the full scope of her power."

"So she made the conscious choice to flee instead of fight? She must at least be a fifteen if she was considered worth letting you stay over technicalities. Perhaps in hopes she'd return," I didn't like him suggesting I got to stay because I knew where Annastasis was, or in hopes she'd want revenge against me. "Is that why you are here? To capture her, not the vampire?"

"Of course not! I didn't know she was even around here." So this was an interagation. Despite my words, they didn't believe me. He stopped to pray, and I took it as a chance to get a moment to reflect on how I yet betrayal Annastasis again.

However, I ended up walking into a fellow, "Oh, sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

The man turned around holding a bouquet of flowers, "It's alright, mate. It happens to the best of us. Nice to talk to another Englishman among the Americans."

This made me laugh. "Of course, I run into the only bloody Englishman here! What brings you to America? A gal?" I gestured to the flowers.

"I...umm, guess you could say that. Yeah. What about you?"

"Work mostly. I'm Lawrence Stoker, by the way," we shook hands.

"Simon Sheppard. Anyway, I got to get going, mate, but it was a pleasure meeting you," Simon walked off with a simple wave.

"Yeah, you too..." I looked for a Uffizi who already was moving to follow Simon while I radioed the others.

We trailed Simon to a nearby hotel. Far to busy confronting the vampire directly. I managed to make note that Simon was going to a higher floor, but figuring out which one would be hard. By the time Kanir and Helena reached us, Uffizi and I still didn't have a plan.

"We wait until they come out or we make them come out. Set off the fire alarms, and everyone will go running. However, it's still daytime. The vampire can not escape," Before we could add any input, Helena walked over to a fire alarm and pulled it.

Uffizi was not impressed, "He could be hiding anywhere in this building!"

"Better get looking then," I ran for the stairs well and up the steps already flooding with evacuating people.