Blood Ties

I approach the warehouse. My progression is super stealthy. Vampires have an incredible sense of hearing and smell, especially at night. Every random geek worth his salt knows that, so I have to be quiet, as quiet as the dead. Luckily, the sounds of midnight Lagos traffic make it not too much of an uphill task.

I check my phone; Adesuwa still hasn't returned my calls. Some days I worry about my baby sister. I am all she's got in this world, and I am not exactly what you'd call a present guardian. Ever since she gained admission into Yaba Tech, the cracks separating us have widened considerably. These last months I have been looking for ways to bridge that chasm. Be her big brother again. But she won't let me.

I sigh. She's a big girl now. I can't let myself become caught up in sentiments, especially not when I'm on the job.

You see, I hunt monsters for a living. Werewolves, sirens, vampires, chimaeras, gorgons and the occasional hell-hound, you name it. Those big baddies that go bump at night_ my job is to make sure they don't.

So when the rate of missing persons on Lagos Island went up in the last week, I smelled a rat. Or should I say, vampire? A little bit of digging, good old fashioned detective work, and some bribery got me to this place. From the faint reek on the balmy night air, I can tell that these bloodsuckers aren't even trying to be careful.

I have a soft spot for Lagos. I grew up on these streets, bled on these streets, got picked up by the Guild on these streets after my parents died and left me to fend for myself and Adesuwa. Lagos is my home, my turf. Given to me to protect by the Guild's potentate. A job I'll literally kill to enforce_ as these bloodsuckers are about to find out.

I creep closer, my eyes; trained to easily pierce the soupy darkness of night, my hand on the hilt of one of my favourite weapons, a hand-carved falcata made of pure Damascus steel and blessed by the pope himself. I am not overly religious; you don't have to be to join the Guild, but over time I have had cause to believe in a higher power. I've cultivated the habit of whispering a prayer before I battle the forces of darkness. I'll like to believe I had someone watching over me.

There is a displacement of air on my left. I duck just in time to miss getting beheaded by a vampire. Its claws make a swishing sound as they slide through the air above my head. I roll forward quickly to get clear in case it tries to double back and try again.

It doesn't. I hear it cackle as it disappears into the night. They know I'm here. This is bad_ really bad.

Vampires move in groups of three. Some theologists posit that it's a deliberate affront to the trinity. Me? I just think the poor vamps get lonely and need the company; living a couple of hundred years alone can drive even the most bloodthirsty of the lot suicidal.

I casually reach for the flare gun in my boot. My movement fluid, sure. Vampires, like every other predator, smell fear. They feed on it as much as they feed on blood. Fortunately, mastering fear was one of the first things the Guild taught us. The second thing was to see your enemy as he truly is.

I shoot the flare skyward. Its red glow immediately bathes the premises of the warehouse, creating a checkered pattern of shadows. I sense movement behind me. I turn smoothly to face them; my quarry for the night.

“He looksss… palatable” I hear one vampire hiss “I want first bite”

The light from the flare illuminates their eerie features. The one on the far left licking his lips is short and stocky. The one on the right trying to slowly flank me is a lot taller. He looks older too. The leader then. I'll have to take him out first_

And the third vampire, a young girl. She…..

"Holy mother of God!!!" it's not an exclamation. It is shock. It is horror. It is pain…

It is… it is fear; for the first time in a long time I feel fear. Naked terror squeezing my throat, so all I can do is whisper.

I gasp. My heart seems to shrivel in my chest and turn to dust. My body suddenly heavy with despair as I stare at the third vampire. This girl sporting a bloody grin and soulless red eyes.

“Adesuwa”

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