The Recruit

by Claudia Silva

  Rebecca stared at him battling a mix of emotions. She was scared, surprised, confused... she didn't know what to think of the strange man who knew her name. Was he friend or foe? Had the agency sent him? And if so, what purpose was he there to fulfill?

  “Who are you?” she exhaled, her voice barely made it out.

  The man fixed his ocean blue tie, clearing his throat to prepare for his introduction. His black shoes stepped on the slippery rocks with ease as he took one step after another in her direction. He was still several feet away when he stopped, his heels together.

  “My name is Anton. Anton Mayflower.” Then he bowed, one hand behind him when he did. He raised his head to meet her eyes again, smiling handsomely. “Wonderful to meet your acquaintance.”

  A vampire - a real vampire, that was all Rebecca heard. His silky voice made a shiver run down her spine. She was terrified of him, of what he could do to her. This flawless man looked more dangerous than anything she had ever seen in her life. He was intimidating, and his charm and self-confidence were making her unsure of her own power.

  It took effort, but she straightened up to confront him, regardless. “Why are you here?” She had to know. She hoped the answer would come just like he had replied with his name when she'd asked for it.

  Except, all Anton did was smiled in amusement, “Why do you think?”

  Rebecca gave a step back when Anton began to close the distance between them again. “You are part of this test?” She struggled to keep a brave face.

  “Right you are, Ms. Sawyer.” His smile as sweet as ever, “I must say, I am happy you have gotten this far. These tests provide me with much-needed entertainment and not everyone has the pleasure of my company, unfortunately. My last adversary did not disappoint and I have high hopes for you, Ms. Sawyer.” Rebecca wondered if he was talking about Jonathan Gonzalez. Then she considered Alan, who may have failed to meet this devil. No doubt he had chosen to stare at a screen all day, buried fourteen floors underground, instead. When Anton spoke again, Rebecca gave him her full attention. “Dylan tells me you have promise,” he continued. “I have my doubts, of course. A ballet teacher,” he said with disdain, his eyes studying her in silence. “Not an ideal candidate, are you?”

  The creature before her almost didn’t even feel human to her. Perhaps he looked and sounded human, but he wasn't. He couldn't be. He couldn't be like her; this was a different type of being altogether. Anton Mayflower could not possibly be what she was.

  “Do you work for the agency?” Rebecca needed more information. She needed the fear to stop, to be reassured she would be safe. Yet her body told her there was an imminent danger. Her body told her to run.

  The vampire's smile grew; his pose almost regal, his speech careful and elegant. “Mmh?” He raised his eyebrows as if he’d not heard the question. He had. “Do you think I do?”

  Rebecca opened her mouth to reply, but she felt weak at the knees. This creature posing as a man had to be an agent. They wouldn’t send a lunatic after her. “I have never seen you around before.”

  Getting a little closer to her, Anton cocked his head to one side. “I aim to stay away from that building,” he said. “Besides, my job keeps me busy elsewhere.”

  “Your job?”

  “Yes,” he said as he reached under his jacket to produce a long and clean knife with a gold handle. Rebecca opened her eyes in terror because she knew what the knife was for. Her heightened senses followed the knife from Anton’s hand to an inch from her feet, where it landed. Knowing the vampire hadn’t missed on purpose she wondered why he had given up his weapon to her. “I am a vampire hunter,” he revealed; Rebecca’s attention still on the knife.

  Vampire hunter, Rebecca said the words in her mind a thousand times before facing him again.

  “You are here to kill me?” she wondered out loud, terrified. Her mind thinking how she could return the knife where it would hurt him the most.

  The answer was delayed by a grin. Anton pointed to the tranquilizer gun she was still holding, “You won’t be needing that weapon with me. After all, like you, I am not human. It is a merely a toy to us, isn't it?”

  Rebecca knew he was right, the darts wouldn't do much to his system, his healing ability was as good as hers. Knowing it would only slow her down, she took the rifle from her shoulders and threw it to one side. Giving a step forward, she reached for Anton's knife, which waited buried between two rocks in front of her. In an attempt to hurt him and run, she threw the knife straight at his face. The vampire raised his right arm, stopping the knife by its blade a few inches from his skin. Instead of running away, Rebecca stopped in her tracks to stare in astonishment at this new challenge.

  “That was impressive,” scoffed the vampire. “But, come now,” Anton’s amused tone bothered her, “I give you a weapon, and this is what you do with it? Better be smarter than that.” Taking a long look at his own knife, he suddenly threw it back at her. He was not as kind, this time.

  The blade landed on her right thigh. She had seen it coming, and she had done nothing to stop it. Why? Grunting in pain, Rebecca fell on her knees to take the blade out with both hands. Of all the vampires she had met, Anton was her least favorite.

  “It’s your own fault,” declared Anton with an air of superiority. “You only get a free pass once. But, I will say this,” Rebecca’s hatred only grew, “I’m rather surprised at your self-control. You didn’t change at all; didn’t take the monster out of its cage.” He looked pleased, Rebecca couldn’t care less. “Yet, you still haven’t lived up to your reputation,” he sighed. “I’m afraid Dylan might have been exaggerating whenever he talked about you.”

  He was right, Rebecca was trying hard to control herself, something she now saw Anton didn’t care to do; his fangs grew long and fierce, becoming the vampire of nightmares - of her nightmares. She was sure she would dream of this moment for years to come.

  “I thought that wasn’t allowed here,” her attempt at boldness failed.

  “I can do whatever I want. I’m not the one being tested, you are. Besides, back in my day, we didn’t need this foolishness,” he revealed. “You, on the other hand, better keep the beast locked in if you hope to join our elite; I wouldn't be discouraged, you have gotten this far.”

  Anton gave a step closer and Rebecca gripped his knife with both hands, the pain on her leg now a memory. He’s a vampire hunter, she thought to herself, and I am what he hunts.

  “Well?” he said as he kept getting closer, “I would run if I were you.”

  Right.

  Sprinting to the opposite direction, Rebecca ran back to the safety of the trees. She left the clearing of the lake behind her as fast as she could, forgetting the woods were filled with the armed traps the human soldiers had prepared for her the day before.

  She hadn’t gotten very far when her foot got trapped by a hidden piece of rope, which moved with enough force to drop her to the ground and then drag her up over the trees, head down. She used Anton's knife to cut the rope, but she was already in mid-air and the force of the fall made her lose her grip on the knife.

  The vampire hunter was right at her heels, taking the rope that was still around her ankle. Effortlessly, Anton raised her up back in the air, tying her to a tree branch. How he had such power over her was beyond her. How could she be so unprepared?

  Clicking his tongue, Anton shook his head from side to side. Rebecca hung from the tree, upside down. Startled and confused by her inability to act. “Should I have given you more of a head start? No, that wouldn’t be right.” He pulled her closer to him, taking her leg, “I can see why Dylan likes you. You’re somewhat pretty, and you have soul - but you are weak!”

  “Let me go!” she protested to deaf ears.

  Anton must’ve felt amused by her demand because he laughed. “I don’t know, I think I will try you first,” he said, licking his lips over his sharp fangs. “I think it’s time you knew what a vampire really is.”

  “What?” Her
eyes grew wide as she struggled to get away, but it was hopeless, she wasn’t even thinking straight.

  Anton produced his knife; one he must have found when Rebecca had lost it seconds before. Cutting her leg free, he straightened her by the neck until his face was next to hers. “Just hold still,” the vampire commanded.

  Then he leaned over to bite her neck. Rebecca felt his warm breath over her face, she felt his cold skin. His wet nose touched her, and she felt the sharp teeth pierce her flesh, his lips curling around her neck. Glued to her neck like a leech, Anton Mayflower began to suck the life out of Rebecca Sawyer little by little. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was like to be bitten by a vampire. For months Dylan had tried to explain vampires weren't what fiction painted them to be, and yet here she was, seeing - feeling - the truth. Vampires were just as terrifying as she had always believed they were.

  With the blood flowing out of her body, she felt reality slipping from her grasp, although it was the shock that paralyzed her. Rebecca knew she needed to think of something or this would be the end. Part of her doubted Anton would kill her; if he was friends with Dylan, he wouldn't stand for it. Yet, she could be hurt and manhandled to this vampire's whim for as long as he wanted. She remembered she had dropped the golden knife, but that wasn't the only knife she had. Reaching to her heel, she took out the small pocket knife she had stolen from the soldier. While Anton drank, his attention would not be on the knife being buried in his chest.

  Rebecca used her remaining strength to bury the short knife right where his heart was over and over. She heard at least one of his ribs crack by the impact of her fist on his chest. Anton must've been surprised by the action, because he let her go. As soon as she had reached the ground, Rebecca sprinted away from the danger with whatever energy she had left. Her neck pounded where Anton's fangs had pierced her skin, and blood still dripping from it. Monstrous.

  Why hadn’t Dylan told him about his friend? Had he known they would send him? Would he have prepared her for him?

  She spotted the first trap and jumped to a tree trunk. It would be a faster way to travel to run away from the psychopath that pursued her. Above, the darkness was changing color to a hue of purple and pink. Dawn was approaching, how many more hours until this was all over?

  She needed energy. She needed to take back what Anton had taken. Rebecca knew she needed to hunt for animals to get blood back into her. Once fed she would need to hide. If Anton was like Dylan, superior in skill and ability, she was no match for him. If only she could unlock one of those cages to lock herself in. Then she would be safe. Anton wouldn't hurt the human soldiers. Too bad the cages had locked and she didn't have the key.

  She could still try.

  Running west, Rebecca got to a place she had never been to before, she ran beyond the three sheds where the soldiers were trapped. The shelter of the trees ended, and before her, Rebecca stared at a field of tall grass that ended in the concrete wall that surrounded the camp. She didn't want to lose the shelter of the trees, but her hearing warned her Anton was closing in. She couldn't go back, she needed to circle around the grassy field and then head Northeast until she reached the caves again. Perhaps if she wasn’t so scared she could think of a better plan. There was no time.

  Decided, Rebecca ran towards the field, struggling to run between the dry yellow grass that reached her shoulders and knowing that with every movement, she betrayed her location to the vampire that followed her. She had to stop moving. Once she was a smart distance away from the forest, she knelt down on the field. She couldn't see in front of her, but she could see the clouds clearing, letting the morning sunrise. It was almost six in the morning when she took a glance at her watch; she still needed to survive four more hours. It was an eternity. By the time the test ended, the crazy bastard would have destroyed her.

  Was she going to fail the test after all? She could not go back to her hometown and pretend she wasn’t a vampire for the rest of her life. What would Dylan do, then? Abandon her while he went to look for someone that could be his partner? Unless… unless failing this test meant death.

  She pushed that thought out of her head. They wouldn't let her die. The vampire secret agency was a force for good. She refused to believe they had gone into all that trouble to recruit her only to kill her in an elaborate game. Or was that reality?

  No. It had to be a test. A test to make sure she could survive in the most unlikely circumstances.

  Waiting for Anton to reach the field, Rebecca thought things through. Why was she so afraid? This vampire they had sent may be more experienced, but she had proven to be pretty resourceful herself. Anton's greatest weapon had to be the fear she felt. It was because she feared him that her rational mind didn't use her body as the weapon it was designed to be. She had proven herself time and time again when she trained with Jonathan. Even Dylan had told her how he had chosen the right partner because of her abilities. He trusted her, he believed in her. He hadn't looked worried about this day at all because he’d known she’d prevail. And if he had known Anton would show up, then he must've known she would survive even him.

  Taking out her small army knife, still smeared with Anton’s blood, an idea came to her. In and out, the blade had penetrated his chest and hopefully had reached his heart. That hadn't killed him, but it had made him angry. It didn’t matter; if she let him suck her blood again she was done for. She hadn't fed on any animals yet, and the only other source of blood was... Anton.

  Yes. Let him come. Let him try.

  Rebecca didn’t have to wait long for her wish to come true. By now the rain had gone and the sun illuminated the horizon. Quietly, she peeked her head out of the tall grass enough to get a view of the forest in the distance. That's when she spotted him. Anton stood on a tree branch, one hand on the tree's trunk. His white shirt had the red stain where he had bled from the knife wounds. He still wore his jacket, and his hair, while disheveled and wet, looked combed, somehow.

  “Come on,” she whispered, realizing it had been a mistake. Anton turned his head in her direction like a hawk. Heightened hearing, how could she have been so stupid? She was such an amateur! Shut up, Rebecca, she said herself.

  She watched Anton jump from the tree; his landing flawless, as if gravity could not touch him. He walked straight to where she was hiding, determined. She wondered if he could use her beating heart as a beacon to find her. Adrenaline was at its limit. In her panic, she considered running away again, perhaps she could still escape him.

  No, she couldn’t run forever. She couldn’t hide forever. She decided to stay and consider her options.

  Rebecca looked at the facts knowing it was pointless to run. She couldn’t let him drink any more of her blood. No, she had to fight him. But, how to defeat him? As she pondered her situation, she realized why he had drunk her blood in the first place; it was an easy way to make her vulnerable. He wanted her to fail, not to end her. Dylan had said it himself, to kill an innocent was a crime. It was the law. Anton couldn't kill her. That wasn’t his job. The test was all about trying her limits. Anton wanted her to grow her fangs and change the color of her eyes to prove she wasn't ready to go back out into the real world.

  Enough thoughts. She needed action. She needed to believe she could beat him. Rebecca had already decided. It was funny how her position had changed in such a short time; with the soldiers, she had been the hunter, now she was the hunted. She had been more powerful than they were, she had thought she had been invincible and now… Anton Mayflower was a vampire, an experienced vampire, superior to the three human soldiers together; did she even stand a chance? Well, she wasn’t an ordinary vampire, either, was she? Not according to Dylan and everyone that had seen her natural ability at the agency.

  Rebecca took the small knife in her hand and waited for him.

  "You decided to fight, I see," Anton was still several feet away, but his silky voice was just for Rebecca’s ears.

  She would not hide anymore; it would se
rve no purpose. Standing up, Rebecca left the sanctuary of the grass to face Anton as he walked towards her. He stopped when he saw her, cocking his head to one side as he tried to decide what to make of her.

  “Don’t worry, I’m unarmed.” He opened his jacket and showed his gun holster empty under it; the knife was also missing. “See? No gun. And I rather miss my gun, I should say. I hate that they make me leave it behind.”

  “Where is the knife?” Rebecca frowned, confused.

  Anton smiled, she couldn’t smell blood or fear from him, just the lingering scent of his aftershave. If she focused, Rebecca could hear his steady heart, telling her he didn't think he was in any danger. He might as well be taking a stroll in the park.

  “I have done this for centuries, darling,” Anton said. “You are a but a babe compared to me. As powerful as you were led to believe you are, you don’t have my years of experience behind your fangs. You are young, Rebecca Sawyer. You will not defeat me and you will fail.”

  Anton kept planting seeds of doubt in her. If only she had more confidence, she would swat his words away. Why did she keep doubting herself? Dylan had chosen her for a reason. She knew she could do things she never imagined she would do, she had seen others marveled at her talents. She had to be worthy, she had to be special! She couldn't let this handsome (and terrifying man) get into her head.

  Rebecca held the pocket knife in her hand, looking at her opponent through her slanted brown eyes.

  “Well?” Anton said. “Attack me.”

  Nothing happened. Anton took off his jacket. Rebecca watched in surprise as he continued with his tie and shirt. His clothes rested on the grass next to him, swaying from one side to the other as they settled down. His chest was even paler than his face, but it was perfect. It was hard to look away from the perfect killing machine that he was. This man was a weapon, born to hunt his own kind.

  Rebecca braced herself, holding the knife, and ready to defend herself while Anton walked determined to end her. The time to prove her worth was here, it was unavoidable.