Chapter 3

“Here we are,” Dane said, pulling into the parking lot of one of the city’s libraries. He was glad Jacqueline had located a place that Axel went to regularly. Axel often had lots of people at his house, so if they could get him after he left the library, they would have a better chance at taking him down without any collateral damage. “So what is he doing in there?”

“Reading?”

Dane smiled at Jacqueline. She gave him a smart-ass smirk back. He chuckled. “I probably shouldn’t ask but do you know what he is reading?”

“He reads everything he can get his hands on regarding swordsmanship and how to use a sword. He trains out with other vampires on his acreage. Once I got his name, because he had turned six humans against their will, I started researching him and watching the house from the acreage around his properties. A lot of woods surround the place so it was easy to observe from there without being seen. The vampires practice fighting in the evenings, blood bonds come and go, and then the vampires leave. Often, Axel goes with a few of the vampires and they’re out the rest of the night. Sometimes he doesn’t return at all.

“But then I found he goes to the library from nine to ten before they close on Wednesday and Friday nights regularly. I’ve been watching his movements for three weeks. It’s important to make sure that you know as much as you can about the rogue before you take him or her down, unless they’re about to murder someone and then it’s time to step in and eliminate him.”

“I agree,” Dane said. “I’m always diligent too on trying to figure out their routines and who they’re with and when. Recluses are often easier to take down. That’s what Mabon is. I’ve watched him for about three weeks also. He rarely has anyone over to his house except for blood bonds, no vampires, and he is a vampire that is considered a hitman—an assassin for hire. As far as the police could determine, he has assassinated ten people and had been hired to do so by the victims’ partners.”

“Brutal. I hope the partners are up on charges for the scheme of a murder by hire.”

“They are. The police just couldn’t go after Mabon safely so I got the call to take him down.”

“How many hunters have been assigned to take down Mabon?”

“Just me, as far as I know.”

They saw Axel leave the library dressed all in black, wearing a long black leather trench coat as if trying to embrace the whole vampire persona—as books and movies portrayed them to be—when in truth, they often dressed just like any ordinary citizen so they would blend in with the general population.

Hunters didn’t like taking a vampire down in a public place unless the rogue had targeted someone, and they needed to rescue the person before he or she became a victim.

“Oh, oh, he’s not going to his car,” Jacqueline said.

“Right, he’s on his way down the path through the woods right there.”

“And there’s a thirtyish-year-old woman, wearing blue jeans and a floral shirt walking on the path into the woods. She’s carrying a book. He appears to be headed straight for her,” Jacqueline said.

Dane watched the scenario, and he agreed it could be that the vampire had found his mark. “Come on. We have work to do.” Dane got out of his truck but before he could walk toward the woods, Jacqueline left the truck and vanished. “Holy shit.” He was already behind the eight ball on this. Vanishing as a vampire and reappearing somewhere else wasn’t something he’d practiced at much. It appeared Jacqueline had this down. He hoped he didn’t screw this up. He vanished and reappeared on the walkway, but Jacqueline rushed out of the woods, seized his arm, and pulled him into them to cloak them from view. He was usually a hell of a lot stealthier than this, but he just wasn’t used to teleporting like a vampire would. But he couldn’t have run on the path to catch up to Jacqueline either and he hadn’t wanted her to have to fight the vampire on her own. One fatal stab on the vampire’s part and she could be dead.

“They’re up ahead on the path. He hasn’t approached her yet. She’s headed for that bench, I think,” Jacqueline whispered.

Jacqueline might be right that Axel could be after the woman. It was isolated right here and no one else was around to witness anything.

They moved closer to where the woman was sitting on the bench, reading the book she had in her hand. Axel had walked past the bench, not even glancing at her as though he wasn’t interested in her.

Dane figured it was a bust, but Jacqueline and he were watching the vampire, making sure he wasn’t just pretending he didn’t have anything sinister in mind. Rogue vampires could be deviously sneaky.

Then the vampire suddenly turned and with a flying leap he was at the woman’s throat. Just as quickly, Jacqueline grabbed his shoulders from behind and threw him onto his back into the holly shrubs. The woman ran off toward the safety of the library screaming and Dane rushed in to kill the vampire. Jacquelin had the same idea and the two of them used their swords on him, hitting his heart at the same time. Axel disintegrated into a wizened body, leaving his clothes perfectly intact.

Dane said to Jacqueline, “Do you want to call the police?”

“Yeah.” She called them and let them know that she and Dane had eliminated Axel so they would get paid. Also the notification would go out to other hunters to remove him from their lists if anyone had recently picked him up to terminate.

Dane was just a little surprised that she had told the police that they both did the job. The police arrived in short order and took their statements and would dispose of what was left of the body. The would-be victim had also called it in, the officer said. Jacqueline grabbed the book the woman had dropped on the cement path and offered it to the officer so he could return it to the lady. But he shook his head and wouldn’t take it. He motioned in the direction of the library. “She’s back that way. The bounty will be paid to…?”

“Split between us,” Jacqueline said, motioning to Dane.

“Okay, we’ve got your information. You’re free to go.”

Then Jacqueline and Dane walked back to the library on the brick path. “Quick reaction,” Dane said, “and your vanishing act is really great.”

“I’ve been practicing, figuring it could give me an edge.”

“It does. I need to practice at it more.”

“You do. Being able to move like that can be a real benefit to us in the fight against the rogues.”

They saw the woman shaking, crying, sitting in the ambulance and they joined her. Jacqueline gave her a hug and Dane thought the world of her for being so caring.

“They…they say he’s dead,” the woman said, wiping away more tears.

“Yes, and good riddance.” Jaqueline handed the woman her book. “Here. You dropped this.”

“Thanks so much,” she said. “And thanks to both of you for coming to my rescue. I didn’t want to be turned.”

“Which is why the vampire was on our terminal list,” Dane said.

“Thanks again,” she said as a blond-haired woman wearing nurses’ scrubs rushed up to see her and hug her. She looked like a sister.

“Are you okay?” the blond asked her.

“Yeah, the hunters took down a vampire that tried to turn me,” the woman said.

Hunters, Dane was thinking. They were no longer just hunters. How would the woman feel if she had known that they were both vampires also now? That was one of the things he hated. That he wasn’t all hunter any longer. He wondered if Jacqueline felt the same way. In a way, meeting up with her and doing this together with a hunter turned gave him a gratifying feeling—that she didn’t look at him with disdain for using a vampire’s abilities, just like he was glad that she had them and could use them so successfully.

Then Jacqueline’s ex-fiancé showed up and Dane knew he had come for Axel. Dane figured Van wouldn’t have any other reason to be here at this time. Dane didn’t believe in coincidences.

“Ohmigod, don’t look now,” Jacqueline said, and pulled Dane into a hot embrace, the breeze making her silky red hair wrap around him as she lifted her face to him and kissed him like they’d been lovers for months.

Okay, so he could really get into this, though he knew the reason why she’d kissed him like that. And it had nothing to do with really wanting to kiss him, but more to aggravate her ex. Maybe. But truly, he was all for it.

She finally pulled her mouth away from Dane’s, but he wasn’t ready to part company with her yet. He kissed her this time, initiating the delicious mouth-to-mouth contact, wanting to prolong the interaction between them, but not because her ex was here.

Just then her ex got a text message, read it, and frowned at them. “You killed Axel?”

“Yeah, before he turned the woman who is sitting in the ambulance right now,” Jacqueline said.

Van glanced at Dane and then back to Jacqueline. “That was quick.”

Jacqueline shrugged. “Just like you going after my best girlfriend was a fast turnaround for you.” She took hold of Dane’s arm and headed for the parking lot.

Dane wasn’t used to a woman taking charge of him, especially one who had acted disinterested in him when they were at the therapy session. Well, except at the meeting when Stacey grabbed his arm but that hadn’t been welcome. But with Jaqueline, this certainly worked for him.

But Van headed in the same direction, probably to his own vehicle in the parking lot.

“Did you get anything from informant Green last week?” Dane asked him, still wondering if one of the hunters the informant spoke to had anything to do with his being ambushed in that alley with Lucilla and her vampire friends.

“Yeah, about a vampire named Carrel, but someone else got the vampire.”

“Not anything about a Lucilla?”

“No. Green never mentioned anything to me about her. Why?” Van asked, frowning.

Dane shrugged. “I was just wondering. He told me he sometimes worked for you too.”

“Yeah, he does. I…didn’t know he worked for you also. I hope it doesn’t cause any difficulties for you,” Van said, sounding arrogant, like he didn’t care if it did or not.

It made Dane wonder if maybe Van had something to do with Dane being targeted in an ambush. But why? He barely knew Van.

Then Dane and Jacqueline headed for his pickup, and she said to him, “What was that all about?”

“I still think someone might have set me up and that’s why I was ambushed. I can’t imagine the informant Green would have done it on his own.”

“The vampiress then?”

“Or another hunter who Green works for.”

“Like Van? Oh, that would be awful,” Jacqueline said.

“Yeah, I know.”

“What would be the reason though?”

“If I ended up taking down a rogue vampire who paid a really big bounty, maybe? Lucilla was a huge bounty.”

“Oh, wow, why didn’t I hear about her so I could have gotten the case?” Jacqueline asked.

Dane smiled at her. But then he turned serious. “Then you would have been ambushed.”

“Yeah, and turned. That would have been awful.” She was being facetious. “Is there any specific reason why you feel that a hunter was responsible?”

“Lucilla said a hunter was the one who set me up. Now of course, she might have just said that to make me distrust other hunters, but still, I have to consider it’s a possibility.”

“For sure. I would take it seriously until I determined it wasn’t true. Are you ready for the next mission?” Jaqueline got into his truck.

“Yeah, sure. I’m always ready to take down a rogue before they kill any more innocents.” He liked that she seemed dogged to get the job done. He wasn’t sure she would be ready for another one tonight, but he was ready to share the bounty on this one with her after she had shared the bounty on Axel with him like she had said they would.

“Okay, so you’ve got his address, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, using GPS now to check on it. It’s out in the country on the north side of Dallas. Thanks so much for sharing the bounty with me, by the way.”

She smiled. “You earned it.”

“I guess your ex had the same mission as us.”

“Yeah, and I know him well enough to recognize he was pissed that he didn’t get the score.”

“I’m glad we got there before him, but mainly because we saved the woman. Actually, you did most of the saving. We worked in unison to take him down after that.”

Jacqueline glanced out the window at the dark sky. “How do you feel about humans believing we’re just hunters still? Does it bother you?”

“Yeah. I hope to get over that feeling someday. But for now, I feel aggravated because we were the ones taking down rogues. Now people who have experienced trauma at their hands, or teeth, could feel we’re just like them even though we’re the good guys.”

“I feel that way too. I guess that’s why we still need to go to meetings.”

He looked at her. “Yeah. I thought I would try one out and if it wasn’t for me, I would just attempt to figure it out for myself.”

“Oh, me too. What do you think of Stacey?”

He smiled. “She’s hot to trot and not my type at all. You’re hot, and definitely my type.”

“Could you use help in figuring out who might have set you up?”

The question surprised him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to accept her help should the person be a hunter. He had a couple of people in mind. But he didn’t want her to be in harm’s way if it turned out to be a hunter. He wasn’t sure with their changed status if they could eliminate a hunter who had tried to have another hunter murdered…or in his case turned. He might have to have his brothers take care of it.

“Forget it. I’m helping you if you’re willing to take down my…‘master,’” she said.

“Okay, you can help me learn the truth, but I think my brothers will have to take the hunter down.” He swore he heard her growl a little.

“Because we’re part vampire,” she finally said.

“Yeah, and by law, vampires can’t kill a hunter, no matter if hunter is a rogue or not or they’re on a terminal list.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll help you learn the truth.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

They finally reached Mabon’s house, surrounded by trees and acreage, pulled off onto a side road leading out into the country, and parked.

She got out of his truck before he did. She was quick, he had to give her that.

He quickly joined her and then she vanished. Shit. He wished she would give him a heads-up. He wanted to know where she was going. Suddenly, she reappeared, seized his hand, and vanished with him. They ended up in the woods off to the south of the house and he felt totally disoriented, not like when he teleported himself on his own.

But at least they were together, and he was glad for the partnership again, even though he would have gotten the bounty for himself. There was something to be said about having someone along with him to help if they had to fight a rogue.

They saw a light on in the main living area and they crept closer to get a look. All the blinds were closed, but they would see if they could find an unlocked window.

He saw a balcony to a dark room on the second floor and was about to mention it to Jacqueline, but she had the same idea and vanished and reappeared there. He immediately followed her and ended up on the balcony.

She tried one of the double glass doors on the balcony and the door opened. Mabon probably figured that no one would try to enter his house from there. Jacqueline was clever.

They slipped into the room that was large and opulent, featuring a king size bed with a gold headboard and the rest of the furniture was golden, 18th Century Italian Baroque. Dane only knew because he had learned about Mabon and his hobbies and collecting antique furniture and decorations was one of his things.

Dane moved to the bedroom doorway, the door open and they heard Mabon on the phone downstairs. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

They moved down the hallway to get closer to where Mabon was, and Dane began recording the conversation just in case the caller was contracting a hit. The police could track it down to the caller, and hopefully this time, Mabon wasn’t in the process of killing anyone.

“Your husband has an insurance policy of a million dollars and a five-million-dollar estate, a two-million-dollar cabin, a yacht. Yeah, I do my research when someone wants to hire me for a hit. I want the money from the insurance policy.” Mabon hesitated. “If you want to pay someone else less, be my guest. With me, it’s a guaranteed hit.” He paced across a tile floor. “Okay. So when does Mr. Dunlap get home from work? Seven. Be sure and have a good alibi. Do not be there when I am.” Some more pacing. “Between seven and eleven. Hell, I don’t know. Have a ladies’ night out with a bunch of ladies, but don’t make it look like you’re trying to create an alibi. I want the money as soon as you’re able to access it. If I don’t get it…well, let’s just say you will no longer be needing it.”

Dane and Jacqueline began making their way down the stairs, glad it wasn’t creaking. They heard Mabon in the kitchen opening the fridge and then pouring something into a glass. Jacqueline disappeared and reappeared next to a dining room hutch. Only Dane could see her. They had to be careful not to get too close to the vampire until they were ready to attack. Otherwise, he could hear their hearts beating, though they could hear his also when they were close.

Dane joined her and then the phone on the counter rang and Mabon picked it up and said, “Yeah? All right, Jerome. That’s tricky. Your business partner has a penchant for blond hookers. Yes, I know all. I’ll make sure he has one for the night in question…tomorrow night? Right, between eleven and two the next morning. So be home with your wife and make sure she can verify you’re with her for the entire time…” He paced again. “I don’t care if she goes to bed early. You need to have an alibi that proves you’re home when your business partner meets his untimely death…no, that wasn’t me. All right. Send the money to my account and when I have it, I’ll make this happen.” He set his phone on the counter. “Business is good,” he said out loud to himself.

But Mabon’s lucrative business was finally coming to an end, Dane was thinking.