1 Are you sure it's a vampire?

    I was everything my parents had brought me up to be. I went to the biggest, most influential Hunter Academy. Graduated top of my class, if only by a few points. I had killed easily upwards of a hundred contracts with assistance and just over a dozen completely by myself. And that was all since graduation, almost a year ago. I was already on my way to be the best. My goal was a Golden Licsence, like my father. A free for hire Hunter, paid sometimes millions of dollars for a single contract. Only the best of the best of the thousands of kids who applied to the school, graduate to get a bronze licence. A silver was even better still, rare even among accomplished hunters. A golden? Well, they were practically a legend, unheard of. 

    Well, I was bred for combat. Both my parents managed to get a silver licence at a young age, although only my father was considered good enough to get a Gold Licence around the same time he married my mother at age thirty two. Everyone expected me to take after my legendary father, to be the next hunter with a Golden Licence. I was every bit as good as he was at my age. Others that knew him say I was even better than he was at my age. I was a natural with a sword. I was the best with a bow. No one could beat me in hand to hand.

    They said I was born to be a Hunter. Born to take over my father's legacy. Born to take the lives of the monsters that ran over our planet. Born for greatness.

    But, sometimes, life has different plans. Life was like that, it toys with things that it finds nice, and apparently I was shiney.

    "Too cheap." I say, handing a contract back to Michelle, "I'll leave that one for someone else. I don't want any small fry." It was a vampire fledgling, newly turned and too easy to kill. Practically a newborn baby. Plus a bounty of three hundred was far too cheap. I'd have to be starving to go after a one star. 

Michelle looks through the stack again. There were only about half a dozen of them in the immediate area. Most police officers had the basic training on how to deal with vampires. If any of the small fry were seen by a police officer, anyone with basic hand to hand skills and a wooden stake would have a fighting chance. Plus, get a large bonus in their check if it had a bounty on its head. 

After looking through them, Michelle scowels, shaking her head, "That's the biggest bounty anywhere near us." She says as I scowl back. 

Michelle graduated in the same class as myself almost a year ago. But, she wasn't nearly as skilled as myself. She barely graduated. I had even stayed after school to help the girl with her melee combat and swordsmanship. Both of which she was terrible with. She could dance like it was no one's business, but as soon as you gave her a sword, or expected her to fight, she would simply fall apart. She would turn into a sloppy klutz of a girl. I had used her love for music and dance to make her somewhat acceptable. Even if her fighting style looked like she was doing the tango. 

But, she was fantastic with a bow. She wasn't at first, but after hitting the center once, she rarely ever missed. It was that and her constant training with me, that had gotten her through the final trials. They didn't care how you fought as long as you could kill your target. I had been more than happy to help the girl, even if I felt as if she didn't belong in a college that taught people how to kill monsters. But everyone who entered had their own reasons. 

Michelle pauses, and begins tapping away on the computer. "Hold on a sec." She says, staring intently at the computer, tapping away. Suddenly she smiles, "I just remembered that I sent Isaiah for a two star. High profile. Four thousand dollars. Isaiah is the fifth person I've sent after it, and he, like all the others, ended up in the hospital. I just checked my emails, and just as I thought, he couldn't finish the contract, like everyone else. Although I'll give you the same warning I gave Isaiah, I suggest you don't go alone to this one." 

"Hospital?" I question, ignoring her obvious doubt in my skill. "Not dead?"

"No, that's why he's a high profile. He doesn't change anyone into a vampire and he hasn't killed anyone yet. I figured when I sent Isaiah out he would end up in the hospital. Some of the police officers in the area say the target is a royal." She scoffs, "If it was a Royal, Isaiah and all the police officers that have been going after him would be dead. Although they didn't come out unscathed, they never had any injuries that might have killed them, and even though many of them were bitten, none of them had any signs of any venom."

"Are you sure it's a vampire?" 

Michelle shrugs, "Everyone says it is. Last I heard it went by the name Fletcher." 

"Who learned its name?" I ask, grabbing a paper as it prints from her computer. I scan over it, noting the three stars at the top right corner of the paper. "I thought you said it was a two star?"  I ask.

"Looks like it was recently modified, adding a star and a couple more victims on the map, and some information. The name was added by an officer Denault a couple weeks ago." She says, not taking her eyes off her computer. 

The contract had a full description including silver eyes, black hair, and an estimated height of over six feet, though not by much. It even had a place of residence, I note, with shock. Even if the house at the address was boarded up after a terrible fire, they normally don't find a place to hide out in one place. I flip the paper over to see a black and white map with a bunch of red dots scattered in downtown. First spotted was four months ago. 

"None of this adds up." I say, looking over it again. "If he's strong enough to stay in one place, why isn't he killing people? Why are all of its victims still alive? If there's only" I count the red dots, "Twenty two victims, It would be dead. There aren't enough victims to sustain it, especially if it isn't draining any of them. I have to talk with Isaiah about this one. Also, you said an Officer Denault?" 

She nods, "Yeah, an officer from downtown. Also, If you do speak with Isaiah, tell him I'm sorry." 

I turn to go but pause at the last bit, "Sorry? For what?" 

Her eyes are cast down at the ground, "I had a feeling he wasn't capable of taking Fletcher on alone. There is something wrong about this whole thing. I feel like it's my fault he's in the hospital. I was the one who gave him the contract. I'm not going to make the same mistake with you, either. Take either David or your friend Savannah with you. Hell, take both. Just, please don't do this one alone."

I look back down at the contract in my hands, and smile at her, "Like I would go after a high profile three star by myself." I answer with.

She stares at me, "Look, I'm trusting you with this one. I didn't know it was bumped up to a three star. It's probably Isaiah who talked them up to another star. Look, I know he's leagues beneath you, but he's by no means a weakling. If he says Fletcher is dangerous enough for another star, I believe him." 

I wave off her warning, "Don't worry so much, Michelle. I don't plan on letting no blood sucker take me down." I state matter-of-factly. 

"No one ever does, Quinn!" she calls after me. "But shit happens!" I close the door, shrugging off her warning. I liked Michelle, but she was always so cautious. How could you get better, if you don't push yourself? I rarely came from a fight unscathed. Although, I rarely ended up in the hospital either. I almost always ended up with some sort of injury. If I didn't, it was considered a boring fight, and those are no fun.

I head for the hospital first, her warnings falling on deaf ears. I wanted to get Isaiah's take on this vampire. I wanted to hear what happened and see how bad his injuries were. If he wanted it bumped up to a three star, he must be pretty banged up.