Now I get it, some of you must be very confused right now. “But Danny, if you’re a monster hunter, then why did you act so clueless in the beginning?” I hear you asking.
Well the answer to that question is a simple one, I had to keep my cover. From you guys, the werewolves, and my friends. Imagine how weird it would be if your friend suddenly knew how to battle the monsters that were holding you captive, the legit way and not based on some fairytale mumbo-jumbo. Back in that police station was not the right time for “The Talk” especially after Beck was turned. That’s why in the interrogation room I stabbed Beck in the back with the wooden leg chair- it was effective enough to neutralize him so Jess and I had enough time to escape, but it didn’t kill him. I already knew all about the holy water, and silver and sun allergies before any of this happened. The only real way to kill a vampire is by decapitation with a sharp silver object. Hence the specially made machete in my hands.
Look I’m sorry I’ve been a bit of a liar and an unreliable storyteller, but from now on I promise I’ll tell you guys the truth from now on, but you got to admit, I’m a pretty good actor.
Once I had figured out we’d accidentally stumbled upon the vampires it didn’t take long for the puzzle pieces to fit together about the missing people. Marcy’s testimony about killing the other council members for their greed just confirmed my theory. The first thing I did was tell Benny that I found the monsters responsible for missing people, or rather they found me. It was a brief and vague text, but it was enough information for him to know I was safe. I had been on a few hunts before with Benny and some other hunters, and figured I could handle a pair of vamps. Plans changed when the bastards got Beck, and after that my main priorities were getting Jess out of there alive, and human. Look how well that turned out for us, now it seems I’ve got myself in quite the predicament. I should probably google: How to convince my hunting mentor that I’m still human?
God I was so adamant about staying human back then, when in reality all I ever needed was this power flowing through my veins. Now all I want is for my friends and I to be free and stay safe. To do that my hunting days needed to come to an end, and so did Benny.
“What are you doing with the vamps, kid? You’ve been pretty radio silent these past few days too. You haven’t been turned have ya?” Ben asked, eyeing me up and down. I snuck a glance behind me to find a very pissed Bailey and confused Beck and Jess.
“No.” I answered confidently. “These bloodsucking shit stains infiltrated the police. We just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and this chucklehead and his partner over here pulled us over and abducted us. They turned them and kept me alive as a blood bag.”
Hey I said I was telling you guys the truth, not Benny (technically it was the truth, but more of a half truth than full truth).
“So you won’t mind if I-?” Benny said, readying his machete.
I held my palm out for him to slice with the machete. “I understand man, gotta do what you gotta do.”
My breath hitched in my throat as he dragged the jagged blades edge across my skin, tearing it open. When blood poured out Benny’s body eased. When my wound kept bleeding and hadn’t healed instantly he gave me a spare piece of cloth out of his pocket to wrap around my hand.
“Okay then.” He said, reassured. They knew well enough to hide it, but the peanut gallery was gob-smacked.
Well that was quite the neat little trick there, huh? I guess that’s one of the perks to being a hybrid. I somehow just knew if I told my body what to do, it would react the way I wanted it to.
“Take care of them would ya?” Benny asked motioning behind me as I wrapped up my hand.
Finally the opportunity had presented itself.
My non-injured hand gripped the handle of the machete tightly as a devilish grin found its way on my face. It was finally time to get some revenge. “Gladly.”
I quickly spun around and my sights immediately went to the fat lard, seedy looking, poor excuse for a vampire. Bailey’s eyes widened with terror as he realized his fate.
I swung, but he used his vampiric speed to dodge, the machete cutting into his forearm instead. “Hey, wait, we can talk about this!” He pleaded as he steadied himself again. He pushed Beck and Jess harshly out of his way to gain more distance from me and my lethal weapon.
“What’s the matter officer? Scared of a little discipline?” I twirled the machete in my hand. I was definitely going to enjoy decapitating this prick.
“Please, you probably don’t even know how to use that thing!” He said back, cockily. His life was about to end and he was still being a dickwad? Where did this sudden edge come from, wasn’t he just begging a second ago? The balls on this vamp.
“Oh really, wanna find out then?”
Bailey’s eyes illuminated red as he bared his fangs and hissed at me. He looked to the motel door and made a run for it. “Fuck this shit, I’m out of here.”
Bailey was at the door in a second, but Jess and Beck had used their speed to flank him.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Beck asked as he crossed his arms.
“Move! I am your elder and you will do as I command!” Bailey yelled as I took a step ever so closer, readying my weapon.
“What you are is a coward!” Jessica spat.
“And the bastard that did this to us!” Beck added in.
Bailey tried to push them but they wouldn’t budge. He reeked of desperation. I loved it.
He turned around, quaking in his boots as he stared up at me in terror. “Please!” He begged. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please don’t kill me, I’ll do whatever you want!”
I stifled a laugh as he got on his knees and began praying to me. This all was giving me a much needed rush of serotonin. I was beginning to find I liked it when they begged.
My eyebrow rose as I began to ponder,“Whatever I want?”
“Yes, whatever you want! Just spare me!” He started to look relieved as I entertained his idea.
I looked to Jess and Beck who were giving me this “Dude, you seriously aren’t considered this?” Look.
I chuckled before saying with finality, “What I want Officer Bailey… is for you to die.”
His eyes fell open in shock as I swung the blade down upon his neck. In one fluid motion his head went flying as his limp body fell to the floor, where it landed right next to Bradshaw’s. How cute. How fitting.
I let out a deep sigh as content filled me. I felt a million times better knowing that that piece of scum could never hurt anybody ever again.
Beck let out a breathless laugh as Jess cheered in excitement. They were just as happy to see Bailey dead as I was.
“What are you doing Danny?” Ben asked from behind me. I turned around to look at him.
“What?”
“Finish them off.” He motioned to my best friend and girlfriend.
“Ben, they just helped us! What are you talking about?”
“Yeah dude, what the fuck?” Beck chimed in.
“Listen Danman, I know they were your friends, but that’s not them anymore. They need to die.” Benny said as he put his hand firmly on my shoulder, giving me this pitying look. “It has to be done.”
Marcy suddenly started cracking up in her chair. “Well god damn! Isn’t this more interesting than what’s playing on the tv?!” She pointed her clawed finger at the old television set playing a cheesy and random telenovela.
“Shut it, whore!” Benny yelled behind him as he flung his machete with great force. It narrowly missed her neck and instead landed in the wall, wobbling a bit.
Marcy kept her composure. If that freaked her out, she sure didn’t show it. “Well now, I do have a high body count, but that’s just no way to speak to a lady.”
Ben scoffed. “Lady? You ain’t no lady. What ya’ are is a blood sucking bottom feeder.”
While Ben and Marcy got into a pissing match, I took the opportunity to take some silver handcuffs out of Benny’s duffle bag.
“What are you doing?” Beck whispered as I gently grabbed his wrists.
“Do you trust me?”
“What of course we do, but Danny what the hell is going on?” Jess whispered as she eyed my mentor.
“I-it’s a lot and hard to explain. Just- do you trust me?”
They both nodded their heads and I nodded mine back. I cuffed Beck and Jess and had them sit down on the clean bed without a decapitated vampire corpse on it.
Ben took notice of what I was doing. “Danny, what in the Sam hell are you doing? I told you to kill them.”
“They aren’t a threat to us right now. Besides, they’re restrained, they won’t be able to do anything to us.”
“Unless they show us their pretty little fangs and try to rip out our throats!”
“Ok then, well here.” I grabbed a pair of pliers out from his duffle bag and pushed Beck down on his back. Instinctually he bared his fangs and hissed. I used the pliers and pulled his fangs out while he wailed in pain and shock.
“It’s okay they’ll grow back.” I whispered into his ear.
After I was done with Beck I moved onto Jess. I made sure I was as gentle as possible with my girlfriend’s fangs, but I had to sell it for Ben to believe me.
With two pairs of vampire fangs in my palm I shoved it into Ben’s face. “Now they really can’t hurt us and we’ve just scored some extra cash. Happy?”
“Tch. Whatever Danny. They can live for now.”
“Awww! Well, isn’t that sweet?” Marcy said, clicking her tongue.
Ben walked over to the wall and pulled his machete out and steadied himself, clearly annoyed. “Start talking, Sire. You’re going to tell me everything I want to know.”
Marcy hissed, eyes glowing red and fangs coming out to play. “More will come looking for me.This operation is bigger than you think. You’re toast.”
“Bullshit. You’re bluffing.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you killed off your entire counsel. It’s just you now and you know it. You’re all alone now sweetheart.”
“You tattled on me?!?” Marcy yelled in my direction, appalled.
“You made me your personal plaything! What else did you expect? My undying loyalty? As a blood bag?” I added that last part in haphazardly.
“Yes!”
Benny then bitch slapped Marcy and grabbed her cheeks, making her lips pucker like a fish. “Stop acting so childish! I want to know where the rest of your nest is! I know more than half the missing people weren’t there at the raid, so where are they?!”
“Thewe in thwe Bahwamwas.”
“What?!” Benny let go of her face.
“I said,” she licked some saliva that fell out of her mouth with her tongue,” their in the Bahamas. Sipping Mai Tai’s and getting their tan on.”
“Listen, I don’t have time for games. Tell me where the rest of your nest is!”
“So what? You can kill me?!? No thanks.”
“You’re going to die anyway, so just give it up already! The jig is up. You lost.” Ben yelled, starting to lose his cool.
“Did I? It seems you have more to lose than I do judging by your reaction. Now sweetie, why don’t you untie me so I can make your death quick and painless. Or maybe not. I mean you did just kill half my children. Revenge is a dish best served covered in blood, you know?”
“Fine then, Marceline.” Ben sighed defeated as he plopped on the other twin bed behind where Marcy was restrained.
Marcy eyebrows rose as she was called by her full first name. She looked intrigued, but mostly smug.
Suddenly Benny shot up off the bed, machete in hand. It was so quick and sudden that it startled me too. “If you won’t bring us to them, I’ll just bring them to us.” A loud squelch rang out from the room as his blade cut through skin and bone. The first hit didn’t take quite well and Benny had to remove the machete before he hammered it back into Marcy’s neck where it fell off and rolled to the floor. Comically, a final dramatic sting played from the television as the telenovela ended.
I took a step back as I fully processed the view in front of me. Marcy’s shocked dead eyes stared deeply into my soul. She was a bitch don’t get me wrong, but all Marcy was trying to do was survive. I mean she killed her counsel because they took more than what they needed. She died trying to protect her nest. I’ll give her respect for that.
I took a step back as Benny wiped his machete clean with a cloth before tossing it back into his duffel. I tossed him mine and he did the same.
I turned around to face Beck and Jessica as I put my hands to my hips taking in the carnage in the hotel room. Benny had taken out these vamps, except for Bailey, and now I had to figure out a way to take him out. Maybe it didn’t have to end this way though, if I could just figure out a way… I’m really not trying to be a monster. It’s not like I want to kill the guy, he’s actually pretty decent and a good friend to me, but that’s the problem. I know him. His ideals, his history. He’s not the type of hunter to let his prey go. I wasn’t going to be either, so I understand him. But I just want to live. Survive.
I snapped out of my thoughts. Ben was probably going to make me clean up the bodies and hotel room so nobody got suspicious about what just went down here. Just like I’ve done after every job since becoming a rookie hunter.
“So, Benny, where do you want me to-“ a sudden chill crawled down my spine as my body went tense. Something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what.
I noticed Jessica’s expression first then Beck’s. They were wide eyed and terrified. Jess’s voice caught in her throat as she brought her hand to her mouth, tears starting to leave her eyes. She was too stunned to say anything.
“Danny, look out!” Beck shouted, trying to warn me, but it was too late.
The loud bang of a gun going off sounded from behind me as I started to turn behind me. It wasn’t long after that a bullet pierced the back of my skull. I felt liquid drip down my face as my brain got all fuzzy. My eyesight started to go dark as a sharp burning pain radiated from the back of my head.
I had been shot.
I woke up on the musty floor of the motel room with a pounding headache. I rubbed the back of my head as I picked myself up off the floor. I had face planted on the ground. After wiping away the stray strands of drool off my face, I looked around to find an empty room. The vampire bodies were gone and so were Benny, Beck, and Jessica. God, my head was buzzing.
I quickly found the source, it was my cell phone. I’m guessing the incessant buzzing is what woke me up. A little bit dazed, I answered the phone, not bothering to check the caller I.D.
“Tell me something Danny,” Benny’s hoarse voice rang out,” do you think I’m an idiot?”