She savored the harsh feel of the brittle winter air as it pumped through her lungs, the burn in muscles being worked to the maximum, and the thrill that her prey could turn on her at any moment and give her the fight of her life. There was nothing Eve loved quite so much as hunting Vampires. They were as smart if not smarter than humans, and far stronger. At least they were stronger than most. For some reason they fell more easily for Eve than for her fellow hunters. Finally, the Vampire halted, having hit a dead end of brick and metal. The city was her favorite place to hunt. There were so many places to corner them here.
Eve wasted no time in pulling the trigger, grinning a bit maniacally at the 'thwack' sound the wooden bolt made as it hit home and the metal claw at the end extended, making sure the bolt couldn't be pulled out. In her hands she held the rope, and started pulling the vampire forward, towards her. It was a struggle, but she was strong. She kept the blood sucker contained until the truck finally caught up to her. Damn city traffic.
"Hook her up Tim!" She yelled. Her fellow hunter did as asked right after she got the rope hooked up to the cage in the back. Once the sucker was good and captured she hopped in the back too, pushing the Vampire into the dog crate they'd procured for this purpose. It had been reinforced of course. She pounded on the roof of the truck and managed to keep her balance when Tim hit the gas. She grinned at the vampire who was busily trying to get the bolt out. "I'd leave it if I was you. You'll lose an awful lot of blood if you pull it out and no one here is feeding you."
The Vampire roared and pounded against the cage, until he realized there was no point. Eventually, His gaze went from cornered animal to intelligence as he studied her features.
"Don't I know you?" She raised a brow.
"I am pretty bad ass. You might've heard of me. But we never met." She smirked, taking an apple out of her pack and biting into it.
"Oh, but you look familiar. I have seen you..."
"This some sort of ploy to get out of dying?" She wondered, raising a brow. He'd be dead already if the Father didn't want one alive. "It won't work. I might shoot you with another bolt just to shut you the fuck up." She bit down on her apple again.
"Pretty Hunter, you remind me of someone." Now she was a little curious.
"And who the hell do I remind you of? We don't run in the same circles leech." She rolled her eyes, feigning disinterest.
"A dear friend of my Master. Jan Valek." Panic shot like lightening up her spine and before she could stop herself she'd thrown her dagger through the Vampire's shoulder much to his agony.
"If you wanna die quick, you better not say that name." She threatened, fixing him with her fiercest glare. It worked because the creature blanched and backed away, shutting his mouth. She shook her head, continuing her apple snack. Reminded him of Jan Valek indeed! If her Father had heard that the Vampire would be undergoing slow torture now. She pulled out a worn leather bible, tracing the gold filigree that spelled out Jack Crow. It had been a gift from her Father for being chosen as a Hunter by the Vatican. She flipped to a passage that she'd seen her father read thousands of times.
Deuteronomy 32;35
It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
Marking the page was an ancient illuminated pamphlet of a man shown in front of a brilliant sun. His aquiline masculine features and long jet hair were familiar to her. Not only had she seen the old pamphlet a thousand times, but she'd had nightmares about this blood sucker her entire life. She wanted to crush the ancient paper, but as always she couldn't quite bring herself to do so. Her Father knew of the darkness in her nature and that above any other reason was why he'd gifted his bible to her. It was her most precious possession and she knew much of the verses by heart. She was as devout as any other hunter. She sighed and immersed herself in the text, using the words as armor against temptation, for she desperately wanted to kill the vampire she'd been ordered to capture alive.
Hell, there were a great many things she desperately wanted that she had to deny herself. There was a darkness in her. That's what Jack had always said. Dear old Dad had recognized it early on and taken measures. He'd been strict with her, and very hard. But it meant she could be free to live life as a Hunter now and that was the only outlet she had, the only thing that she could indulge in. She ached to sin, and that was the truth she confessed to the priests time and again. He sinful soul longed for liquor, sex, and indulgence. To be honest, she'd have enjoyed her job as much had it been humans she hunted. Every single day was a study in self-denial and control for her. She closed her eyes, pretending to pray, but really she just wanted to avoid further conversation with the Vampire who'd compared her to her Father's arch enemy.
She'd grown up knowing Jan Valek's name. Every hunter knew it. Every hunter feared it regardless of how dead the Master Vampire was. It was still only spoken in whispers, except by Jack Crow, who uttered it as if it were the vilest of curse words. Finally, the truck came to a lurching halt and she stood, grabbing the rope and jumping down once the back doors opened. The rope was attached to a winch and some of the acolytes reeled the vampire inside the holy place. As soon as he crossed the threshold it was clear the creature suffered. It was brilliant really. The priests wouldn't need to get their hands dirty. Just breathing sanctified air was torture to the creature. The Hunters were dismissed quickly but respectfully and told to make themselves at home. That meant food. She rabbit punched Tim in the arm, getting a chuckle from Eric and Dobby. (so named for his giant ears.)
"That means food bitches! Last one there washes dishes." With that she was sprinting for the mess hall, with the men hot on her heels. She beat Tim there by a fraction of a second and did a ridiculous victory dance that never failed to make everyone around her laugh. Eric was last in and had to endure their good natured ribbing about how he was slower than molasses and how they'd be checking the dishes for dirty spots while he cleaned them later. She scarfed down her food faster than everyone else and good thing too because it didn't take long for an acolyte to come to her side.
"Miss Crow? The Father wishes you to be present for the questioning."
"On my way." He nodded and she stood up, pushing past him, walking to the depths of the seminary college. She was admitted with no hold up and she only hesitated a little when she saw what condition the vampire was now in. He looked like he'd been at the mercy of madmen for weeks rather than an hour. "What's up?" She questioned, moving to stand next to Bishop Donovan who was head of the church here.
"Our new friend here says you remind him of Jan Valek."
"Obviously he's lying." The Bishop studied her intently.
"I can see a resemblance, still I must ask, have you been bitten?"
"Definitely not padre. I'm clean and Valek is dead." She shrugged, wondering why they were having this conversation.
"We think he is dead my dear. That doesn't mean he is."
"With respect, my Father killed him. When Jack Crow kills something it stays dead." She insisted. The Bishop chuckled and patted her shoulder affectionately. She raised a brow. If anyone else did that they wouldn't have hands. He was lucky he was a Prince of the Church.
"It is endearing to know you have such faith in your father. That is as it should be. But remember that he is human. The only perfect father any of us has is in Heaven. Jan Valek was the first vampire and we do not know all." She nodded, trying to act properly humbled even though she thought the bishop was full of shit. "Now as for why you're really here, this is not the first whisper we have heard that Valek lives. His Holiness wishes to confirm once and for all so as to quell any disquiet or unrest the rumors may cause. Of course, were your Father alive still, he would have been called to service, but we thought it fitting given the history of your family to entrust this mission to you." She nodded, blood firing at the prospect of facing a legend like this one, even it were just symbolic.
"Anything specific I should know or am I starting from scratch?"
"We have managed to glean from this unfortunate creature, and the others your team has brought in, that Valek should he live, resides remotely in the wilderness around Betaket. It's a tiny fishing village in northern Alaska. This is a solo mission given its sensitivity. If you find he lives you are to observe and not be caught out. Learn what you can of why he is there, how he survived, and what his plans may be. Once you have learned all you may, you will report directly to Rome."
"Understood. When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow. I would prefer you arrive and establish yourself during the day when any Vampires will be hiding away. "
"Agreed. I'm honored to be chosen for this task. Thank you for your trust in me."
"You earned it my dear." He patted her on the shoulder which she bore with a bit more internal grace than before and made her way to her tiny room to get some rest. The bishop watched her go and one of the nuns came to stand beside him.
"Does she truly not know?" The nun's voice was curious and gentle with inquiry. The Bishop sighed.
"What? That she was not picked for her ability or the trust we have in her but rather because she is the only being living that could track Valek if he lives?" The nun nodded. She was a transfer and new to how this group was run. The group of hunters she ran with had been chosen to help her hunt, yes, but also to keep an eye on her. They were given the most difficult tasks for a reason. The only person who didn't know how unnatural their success was, was Eve herself. "No my dear. She has no idea, and the longer we can keep her in the dark the better it will be for all of us. She can barely resist temptation as it is." The nun nodded and said a hail Mary.
"Let us hope that if Valek lives, she manages to resist it now."
"Amen." He seconded. It was a calculated risk sending her alone, especially if Valek lived. But it was a risk that had to be taken. He cast his eyes upward. "God let me have made the correct choice."