Scott put his arms around Sarah and hugged her tight. He was kissing her cheek when JD walked in on them. “And what exactly are you doing with my girlfriend?” he asked.
Scott jumped back in fright. “Just thanking her, I swear.”
JD grinned at him. “I know. Now get out of here.” Scott fled.
“That was cruel,” Sarah said as JD took her in his arms.
“I know, but it was fun.”
————————————-∞————————————-
A few weeks later, the hunters were called out on a hunt. Sarah was babysitting, as she always did on a Thursday night, so wasn’t able to join them. JD called her to let her know he would be late getting to her place. He told her not to wait up for him as he would let himself in, but he was wasting his breath; she could never sleep when he was on a hunt. He could hardly blame her. He couldn’t sleep when she would be joining him later, no matter what the reason for her absence.
Everyone else was home, so the six of them took the two cars to the building address supplied by Sanctuary 7. They had been monitoring it for a few weeks and, while there was never a great deal of vampire activity there, it was regular, suggesting it was being used as a place for the vampires to live in and take their victims to.
Sanctuary 7 wasn’t expecting many vampires to be inside, so no other team of hunters had been sent out. They knew Sanctuary 14 preferred to hunt alone, even more so since JD had been turned.
No words were spoken as the group armed themselves and prepared to enter the building; they weren’t needed. Everyone knew what they had to do and how to do it.
Simon tried the back door and, when he found it locked, picked it. JD could easily have broken it down, but they wanted to avoid letting anyone inside know they were there.
JD watched his people enter the building, then followed them in. There were no lights on and he tried a light switch, knowing it would be pointless. The house had been abandoned for years.
They split into two teams, one taking the lower floor while JD led the other to the stairs and up to the second. It didn’t take them long to kill the few vampires they found and while JD, Jonathon and Katie went up to the attic, Scott, Simon and Craig headed down to the basement.
There was no sign of life, but a locked door had Craig concerned. There was light shining under it which, for a house with no power, was an anomaly that needed to be investigated. He took his small torch out of his pocket and shone the light on the door. It had a standard lock on it.
“Simon,” Craig said and stepped out of his way, leaving the torchlight on the lock. While they had all been taught how to pick locks, Simon was the most proficient. He quickly had it unlocked, then everyone braced themselves, ready to attack the moment Craig opened the door.
He slowly eased it forward, keeping as far back as possible in case a vampire rushed out. He quickly scanned the scene inside and cautiously entered.
The room was lit by an old-fashioned oil lamp sitting on a small wooden table. Two single beds were along one wall with stained sheets and thin blankets on them. Other than that, the room was empty. There was one other door and when Craig listened carefully he could faintly hear whimpering coming from the other side.
Without being told, Scott and Simon took up positions either side of it. Craig tried the handle. It easily turned, so he pushed the door open and stepped to one side in case anything came at him.
Inside was a dirty bathroom. The sink was cracked and covered in brown stains, the toilet looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years and inside the bathtub sat two women, both dressed in rags, hugging each other tight as they shook with fear.
“Katie,” Scott called out loudly. “We need you down here.” He lowered his sword. The bite marks on the ladies’ necks and down their arms showed that they were human. How long they had been held captive and used as a meal for the vampires who lived in the building, Scott did not even want to think about.
As Craig entered the room, Simon went to the base of the stairs so he could intercept the others when they arrived. He would appraise them of the situation before allowing Katie to enter.
Craig looked the two young women over carefully. He put them both in their early twenties, but it was just a guess. They could easily have been ten years older, or younger. They both had long light coloured hair, though it was so matted and dirty it was hard to tell if it was light brown or blonde. They were unhealthily thin and the blue eyes that stared at him from the face of the smaller of the two were filled with such terror that he had to speak to her.
Both of the women watched as he slowly bent down and placed his sword on the ground. He then held his arms up, showing that he was unarmed.
“We are not here to hurt you,” he said in a soft voice, keeping his tone as gentle as possible. He heard footsteps on the stairs then Simon’s voice as he spoke to JD, Jonathon and Katie.
“The others who have just arrived also mean you no harm,” he said to the two women. They looked so scared he wasn’t sure if they were even hearing his words.
JD went to the doorway, but did not enter the bathroom. “Come on out Craig. Let Katie talk to them.”
He did as instructed. Katie handed her sword to JD, walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
“What do we do with them?” Craig asked.
“Take them with us,” JD said. “But only if they are willing. I don’t want to forcibly remove them. They have been through enough already. Hopefully Katie can convince them to come with us.”
“I’ll go and give Doc a call,” Jonathon said. “Let him know we might be bringing strays home with us. He’ll need to examine them.”
JD sent Simon with him. Sanctuary 1 would soon arrive and between them they would be able to tell them where all of the bodies were.
Katie was in the bathroom for longer than JD had been expecting and he was beginning to worry. Finally the door opened and she walked out.
“I’ve managed to convince them to come with us. Telling them that we’re taking them to a doctor helped. They’re refusing to talk, other than to tell me they are sisters and the date they were first taken. They’ve been locked down here for nearly two years.”
“Jesus,” Craig exclaimed. Vampire victims had been rescued in the past, but they had only been held captive for a few months. No Sanctuary had ever reported a captive being held for so long.
“Grab blankets,” JD said and Craig went to the beds.
“These smell really bad,” he said as he handed one over.
“I’m sure the ladies won’t mind. Being wrapped in them might make them feel a little less vulnerable.”
The two young women did not resist as the blankets were placed around them and they were lifted out of the bath. JD took the taller of the two, who wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. He could feel her trembling as he carried her up the stairs and out of the house.
He placed her in the back of one of the cars and made sure her seat belt was secure before climbing into the driver’s seat. Craig placed the other sister beside her then took the passenger seat.
“Get the others back as fast as you can,” JD said to Scott before he closed the door. “We will take things a little slower.”
Scott nodded his head then got behind the wheel of the other car. As soon as the other three were in, he drove off.
The gate was still open when JD arrived back at the Sanctuary. The women had remained silent throughout the journey. The front door opened as they approached and Craig and JD carried the ladies directly to the medical unit. They were then promptly thrown out by Doc and Silvia.
All six hunters cleaned their swords then showered and changed. As soon as JD was in clean clothes, he phoned Sarah to let her know he was on his way. He left instructions with Jonathon to call him as soon as Doc had an update, then drove to Sarah’s house, where he gave her full details on all that had happened.
It was nearly an hour later w
hen Doc finally left the medical unit and went in search of the rest of the household. He found them all in the lounge, still discussing the hunt.
“How are they?” Katie asked as soon as he walked into the room.
“Other than being malnourished and traumatised, they are both surprisingly healthy. Neither of them are speaking still, but that isn’t really a surprise. At least they are clean now. I gave them something to knock them out then put them both in one of the spare rooms. Hopefully Silvia will be able to get through to them in the morning.”
“What will happen to them?” Scott asked. “After what they’ve been through, will they ever be able to go back to their old lives?”
“I don’t know,” Doc replied. “I really don’t know.”
————————————-∞————————————-
JD had just finished telling Sarah all that had happened on the hunt when his phone rang. Doc gave him an update, which he then passed on to Sarah.
“You look tired,” she said when he had finished speaking. “And thirsty.”
“I am,” he said. Sarah moved her hair away, exposing her neck, but JD shook his head. “I’ve been taking your blood far too much recently.”
“I’m fine. Besides, it’s been nearly a week. You worry too much.”
“I’ll always worry about you,” he said, then he kissed her. “Are you sure?” She nodded and he was about to sink his teeth into her neck when she suddenly pulled away.
“You did give this address to Sanctuary 7 didn’t you?” It was the first time he had ever fed outside of Sanctuary 14.
“They will know it’s me. We won’t suddenly be disturbed by a group of hunters knocking on the door.”
“Good. Because I have plans for you later that I can guarantee will take your mind off rescuing damsels in distress.”
————————————-∞————————————-
The next evening, the two rescued damsels made it into the dining room for dinner. Silvia had raided Sarah’s and Katie’s wardrobes to find something to dress them both in and they looked like completely different people now they were clean.
Doc did the introductions. “JD, Sarah, this is Natalie and Christina. They will be staying with us for a while. Until they’re ready to move out.”
JD was not pleased to hear that. “Is that really a good idea? They might be better off in one of the other Sanctuaries. Away from me.”
Doc smiled. “I appreciate your concern, but they have been told what you are and are not scared of you.”
“They’re the only ones in the room who aren’t then,” Craig said not quietly enough.
“I will see you in my office after we have finished eating,” JD said.
“So you are the one who rescued me,” Christina said. JD didn’t like her phrasing or the way she was looking at him.
“My team rescued you and your sister,” he said.
During the meal, Doc told the sister’s story on their behalf. Natalie, the younger and shorter of the two, never spoke. She looked around timidly, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. She reminded JD of a mouse that had just been rescued from the clutches of a cat.
Christina, however, was less frightened and seemed happy to answer any questions posed to her. Her eyes, however, never left JD and by the end of the meal he was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
Natalie and Christina weren’t locals. They used to live on the other side of the country. One night, Natalie had gone partying with her university friends and had a little too much to drink so she phoned her big sister to pick her up. On the way home their car broke down and a stranger pulled over and offered to take a look for them. He had his wife with him so they saw no danger.
The next thing they knew they were both being attacked. The couple were vampires and took advantage of the fact that they were on a quiet road.
Instead of killing them, however, they took them back to their house and held them captive for a few months, feeding off them whenever they wanted to. They sometimes held parties for other vampires and used their two captives as the desert. The couple kept the two young ladies well fed and clean, treating them almost like pampered pets.
All that changed when the wife was killed. The husband sold the captives to another vampire, who was a traveller. They were taken from town to town, never staying in one place for long until he eventually settled down with a group of vampires living at the abandoned building that the hunters from Sanctuary 14 raided.
“Have you thought about what you want to do now that you have been freed?” Katie asked.
It was Christina who responded. “It has not yet sunk in that we’re free. I’m not really sure how we can go back to our old lives. At least not for a while.”
“I’m never going back,” Natalie said so quietly only those sitting next to her could hear. “I won’t feel safe.”
Though he was on the other side of the table, JD heard the comment. He said nothing, but as soon as the meal was over, he took Doc aside.
“Keep an eye on Natalie,” he said. “She’s very vulnerable right now. She needs to feel protected.”
Doc nodded his head. “Let her see a training session,” he said. “Seeing how good you all are might help.” JD agreed. It was a good suggestion.
As soon as he left Doc’s office, he called Craig into his own. “Your comment was not called for,” he said. “We need to put our guests at their ease, not scare them. You will be training with me and Sarah tomorrow morning.” Craig knew better than to argue.
It took a while, but eventually JD persuaded Natalie to also attend, but only as an observer. He wasn’t happy when her sister insisted on tagging along, but could find no reason to refuse her. He worked Sarah and Craig hard, pushing them to their limits. When the session was over, he addressed the balcony.
“This is what we do. And we are all very good at it. Nothing and nobody can hurt you while you are here. Understand?”
Natalie nodded and almost smiled. The message had been received and understood. Christina remained silent, her eyes never leaving JD.
“If she does not stop looking at me like that I’m going to have to do something about it and I can guarantee she won’t enjoy it,” JD said to Sarah once they were alone in their room.
She placed her arms around his neck and went onto tip toes so she could kiss him without having to pull him down to her level. “Give her time. She has been through a horrific experience and, in her mind, you saved her from it. She may be suffering from a bit of hero worship. Don’t worry. It will probably wear off.”
“Probably?”
“Well I can understand if it doesn’t. You are, after all, a very desirable man.”
He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “As long as you keep on thinking that, I really don’t care about anyone else’s opinions. Now how worn out are you?”
Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. “I still have a few energy reserves that I can tap into.”
“Good, because we’re going hiking this afternoon. I need to get out of this place.”
“And I thought you had something else in mind.”
“Well we do have an hour of the morning left.” He threw her onto the bed and found ways to keep her occupied until it was time for lunch.
Your girlfriend is on a hot date with another man
Weeks passed by and the two sisters slowly settled into life in the Sanctuary. Silvia took Christina shopping for clothes, but Natalie refused to leave the safety the Sanctuary provided her with. They got used to the alarm going off, and what it meant, and to the routine and rules of living there. They weren’t told the unofficial rules about dealing with JD; it would be a long time before anybody trusted them that much.
Natalie started to come out of her shell, but remained shy. While she was happy to join in with whatever the hunters decided to do to entertain themselves each evening, she didn’t immerse herself into the group the same as her si
ster tried to. She preferred to be on the outside, more of an observer than a participant.
Christina, on the other hand, seemed to settle down very quickly and put her experiences behind her. She continued to watch JD a lot and often wanted to view training sessions, but JD would not allow her to.
The subject of JD being a vampire came up during dinner one evening and Christina was curious as to how he kept himself supplied with blood. Jonathon explained how they took it in turns to let him drink from them and Christina surprised everyone by volunteering herself.
“No,” JD said quickly. “That wouldn’t be fair on you. After what you have been through, the last thing you need is another vampire feeding on you.”
“But this will be different. I will be doing it willingly. Besides, surely it’s better to take blood from me than a hunter, who might need all of his or her strength to go on a hunt.”
JD wanted to argue, but could find no reason to do so. She seemed too keen on the idea for his liking and he definitely didn’t want to become indebted to her. She was becoming too friendly with him as it was and, whenever nobody else was around, she was almost flirting with him. She wasn’t going far enough for him to justify taking any steps to stop her, but she was close to crossing the line.
“It makes sense,” Doc said. “Especially if it means taking less blood from Sarah. We need to build up our stocks of her blood.”
JD glanced at Sarah, who shrugged. She had no objections, but wasn’t prepared to verbally agree to the idea.
“I will help as well,” Natalie said quietly. JD was sitting next to her and took her hand; he made sure he never sat near Christina.
“Natalie,” he said. “You don’t have to do this.”
She raised her head and looked at him. It was the first time she had ever looked him in the eye when she spoke to him. “Yes, I do. It’s about time I faced my fears and this will help. I need to put what happened behind me.”
JD smiled at her. “In that case, I gratefully accept.”
Later that evening, Christina went to JD’s office, sat on the edge of his desk without being told she could and offered him her neck.
Vampire Hunters, #1 Page 35
