Darren:

"Billy, get to drivin'" Mike says.

"Yes, sir." Billy says and eases the car forward into the trees. He moves at a slow pace, following the directions of the navigation system.

"What's all that about?" I ask Mike. "The wolves. What are they doing here? Where did they go?"

He says nothing, not meeting my gaze, staring out of the window. I look at the others, but none of them say anything.

"Mike?" I say, raising my voice. I can't understand why there would be wolves coming to HQ. And I'm pretty sure they went in, there must have been an entrance somewhere by the fence for them. Where else could they have gone? But it doesn't make sense.

Mike is still quiet, saying nothing. "Billy. Take us back there." I say. "I want to know where the wolves went. We might need to warn them at HQ."

Billy shifts uncomfortably in the driver's seat, but doesn't turn the car. Damn it. I'm supposed to be in charge of this group. "That was a damn order!" I shout at Billy.

He flinches and I feel the car slow slightly. He doesn't stop.

"Leave it Darren." Mike says. Finally he's saying something. "We're not goin' back, and it'll be wise for you to leave it to rest."

"Leave it to rest?" I say, angry. "What aren't you telling me?"

Mike looks at me. "Leave it. You learned the same as the rest of us, we don't touch the wolves, we don't interfere with their wanderin', we leave 'em be." He says. His voice is quiet, threatening. There's a look in his eyes that gives me pause. Something dangerous.

Jack puts an arm on my shoulder. "Leave it Darren. Let's do what we're supposed to do and get back in one damn piece." He says.

Something doesn't make sense. And Mike knows something, hell he seems to know a lot of things. The others might know something too by the looks of them. They're all director's guards after all. I'm going to leave it for the moment, but I take a mental note to ask again, when the time is right.

I look out through the front window, the UV lights are shining alongside the headlights, illuminating our path through the trees. The rumbling engine drowns out most of the sounds from outside. The car is bouncing up and down as we drive over the rough terrain.

"So Billy, how long have you been here?" I hear Jack ask.

"Four years." Billy says, not taking his eye off the road.

"And how'd you end up in the director's guard?" I ask, turning my attention to Billy again. He glances over his shoulder at Mike. I don't catch the look that passes between them.

"Billy was picked." Mike says. "Picked for his loyalty, his hard work and his belief in the cause." He smiles at me, that sarcastic smile back on his lips and his cold eyes gazing at me.

I say nothing. What's he getting at? Is he hinting something? Loyal to what cause?

"What about you Mike, how long you been here?" I ask, holding his gaze. I'm feeling a reckless courage born of my anger and frustration.

"I like your courage." He says, after a thoughtful pause. "You got spine for sure." I don't take my eyes off his but say nothing.

"I've been here since it began... captain." He says.

"Since what began?" I ask. I'm not sure what he's talking about. He's not old. Older than me, sure, older than the others perhaps. But not old.

"All of this." He says, waving his arm to indicate his surroundings. "Everything you see. One day I might tell you about it." He turns away. I can tell that's all the answers I'm getting for now.

I feel like I've gone into some sort of nightmare since coming here. When I lived up in the City it was all stories, glorified in their telling. Tales of heroics, of battling an evil force. People have no idea what is going on down here. They can't have. Surely they wouldn't stand for it if they did.

I remember when my dad used to tell the stories. Stories of the hunters. Of their formation to protect mankind. And here we are, chasing after vampires. Shooting them with darts, surrounding them, hitting them when they can't fight back. There's nothing heoric going on here at all. And because the Hunters are so separate from the city, no one would ever know. The forest is out of bounds, off limits from the city.

When we come down here to join the corps, we stay down here. No one visits these days. Apparently they used to visit, but that stopped long ago.

I close my eyes and slip into a troubled doze. Images flash through my mind, images of cowering vampires, of padding wolves. And then John's mum, the vampire, yellow eyes filled with pain, trapped behind the bars of her prison. And John himself, lying bloodied on the floor.

Images flash faster, the prisoners, the humans and vampires alike. And the hunts I've been on, the writhing, screaming vampires. It rolls through my mind.

And then the girl, and her family. The ones that I let run. Her staring yellow eyes and black flowing hair.

The flashing images go faster, the faces and moments merging in a blur and I'm transported.

I'm standing in a cell, stone walls at my sides, dark and rough. It's dimly lit by candles, flickering and wavering in a cool, stale breeze.

I move towards the bars and grip the cold metal. Solid, unyielding metal. I pull with all my strength but I'm trapped. Panic grips at me and my heart pounds in my chest.

"Hello!" I call. My voice echos through the cavernous hallway, bouncing from wall to wall.

A malicious, cackling laughter reverberates in response.

"Who's there?" I call back, but the laughter continues.

"Who's there?" A voice mimics my own. "Keep asking, boy."

I hear footsteps, getting louder, coming closer and I step back in surprise as my cell door swings open. There's no one there to open it. I gather myself and peer out of the cell, looking left and right. The laughing continues, merging with the pounding footsteps, but still I see no one.

"Who's there?" I call again, stepping out of the cell and walking towards the footsteps.

Three figures appear round a corner, walking swiftly towards me. Mike at the front, but he's flanked at either side by two vampires, one is the girl, the vampire I let esccape, a grim expression on her face. The other is John's mum, equally grim.

"Ah, Darren." Says Mike, fixing his signature smile upon his face. "You got out."

They stop in front of me, inches away. I step back, but the two vampires spring forward, grabbing my arms and holding me firm.

Mike leans forward and looks into my eyes.

"Nowhere to go now, boy." And his face changes, no longer Mike, he's now Jack.

"Jack? What's happening..." But then it's John, and the director. And then Mike is back. Only now his eyes are glowing red, his hair has become long and his fangs are exposed.

"Surprised?" He says. I feel my heart beating faster than it has ever beat, sweat forms on my forehead and my body starts to shake. Terror courses through it as the hungry red eyes stare into my face.

"It shouldn't hurt too much." Mike says, only his voice is gentle, soft, hypnotic.

He leans in, as my head is pulled back by one of the vampires holding me. I see her yellow eyes, cold and dispassionate staring into my face as Mikes fangs sink in to the throbbing pulse in my neck.

"No!" I shout, opening my eyes suddenly. I'm in the car, jostling around.

"What in the damn hell's happened?" Jack says, looking at me.

"Captain have a little nightmare?" Mike says from the back. I look round at him, but he looks the way he always does. No fangs, no glowing eyes, no long, flowing hair.

That was intense. It felt so real. I feel my heart beating loud and fast, and feel the small tremor of my body still shaking.

"Must have dozed off." I say. "Had a nightmare." Forcing the calm into my voice.

"Dozed off? You've been asleep for hours!" Jack says.

"Hours?" I say. Can't be. I look at the navigation system and see we're almost at the point we'll have to get out and walk. I look outside, it's still dark, but only for a few more hours.

"Damn, why didn't you wake me?" I say, annoyed. It was all a dream. A very vivid nightmare more like. It felt so real, almost realer than life. But Mike's there and he's not a vampire.

"No need Captain. Nothing to be done. Plus some of the boys had a nap too." Mike says. I look at Mike again, satisfying myself again that he is actually human.

"Got somethin' on my face, Captain?" He says.

I look away but say nothing. Damn it.

"Don't worry, Darren." Jack says. "I was watching. You didn't miss a damn thing."

I feel the car slow and stop. Looking at the on-screen map I can see we're still a distance from the area of extra darkness, the area we're supposed to be going to. The area we'll apparently find our target.

"There could be vamps around here." Mike says. "We're better to walk from here, keeping an eye out, while Billy drives slowly. In about 2 hours we should make camp in time for the daylight and then we can move into the perpetual darkness tomorrow night find ourselves a vampire."

"Ok." I say. "But how will we find her? It's still quite a big area in there."

"Oh don't be worryin' about that, captain. We'll find her." Mike says.

I push open the door and it swings out easily. I jump down from the car and look around, the cold, crisp air on my skin feels good, it's refreshing me. I turn and look into the trees. The glow of the lights illuminates for 15 feet in every direction. I hear rustling creatures fleeing from the light. They must be confused by the premature daylight.

"Guns at the ready I'd say Darren." Jack says. The front and back door of the car slam in quick succession. Everyone's out except Billy.

"Definitely." I say. "We'll walk half on each side of the car, keep your eyes peeled for any sign of vamps."

"You three, you heard the captain, go round the other side." Mike says to the other three director's guards. Andrew, Percy and Frank make their way around the car to the other side.

"Call if you see anything." I say. It's my hunt, I at least want to try and be in charge. I slap my hand lightly on the car. "Let's go Billy."

He nods and starts inching forward, the engine roaring back to life and then settling into a quieter thrum. "Turn on the speakers." I say.

The speakers on the car start playing the forest sounds. Rustling leaves, creaking branches, padding feet and the calls of birds. It merges perfectly with the nocturnal world around us.

I grip the handles of my gun as we march forward in solemn silence, slowly eating the darkness with our blaring lights, chasing away the night. I look behind me and see the darkness returning as we move away, slithering back into place.

I hear a flutter up above and look up suddenly. Orange eyes stare down at me from a high branch. An owl. It lets out a hooting sound, like a mourning cry. It continues to stare at me and I look away, uncomfortable.

As though in answer to it a howl fills the night. Wolves. More damn wolves. I stop walking. Jack and Mike stop too and then the car.

"Damn wolves." Says Jack.

"Wolves means vamps." Says Mike. "Bound to be, and them howls don't sound so far away."

I stare around, straining my eyes to see beyond our light and into the darkness. I imagine shapes moving, darting back and forth. Pin pricks of light appear and disappear. Red and yellow like vampire eyes. But it's probably my imagination. There shouldn't be anything that close. The howl came from further away.

"Somethin's a'creepin boys. Get yourselves ready." Mike says.

I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something feels off, not right. I don't know why I am so worried though, the vampires flee from us, from our armour and our guns. Maybe because there's less of us than usual. I don't know.

An object flies forward and hits the car with force. A rock. It bounces off the protective cover of the lights. No damage done. Another rock flies in and bounces hard against the windscreen glass with a crash. Three more rocks crash against the reinforced, armoured car. No damage is done.

I look from place to place to find the source, but see nothing. Whatever or whoever is there is standing just beyond the light, just out of sight.

"Who's there? Show your cowardly selves!" Frank shouts from the other side of the car.

A shape appears up ahead, stepping lightly, soundlessly into the light.

"Cowards, are we?" A voice says. It's quiet, but powerful. Carrying over the distance without difficulty. The vampire stands tall, black hair rippling, red eyes glowing. No shred of fear upon his face. Mike raises his gun and levels it.

I see movement at the corner of my eye and see another form appear.

"There's more round here!" Andrew calls from the other side. Mike turns and looks behind the car.

"There's some back here captain." He says. "We're surrounded. I make seven of them."

Seven? We're outnumbered. But we outgun them, and they're weaker in the light.

I address the one standing ahead of me. "Leave us be and we won't hurt you." I say. "We're looking for someone specific, no need to get involved."

He smiles, a wicked grin and his eyes seems to brighten.

"On the contrary my dear human, there is every need to get involved. You see, we came for you." He says. His voice is silky and commanding, entirely untroubled.

I'm fascinated by this creature. I've never seen them stand against us before. Why would they do that now, when they are taken down so easily with a dart. The feeling in my stomach is growing stronger. Something is very definitely off about this. I glance round at Mike and Jack, looking for reassurance, or guidance. Mike nods his head at me. I don't know what it means.

The vampire takes a step forward, and then another.

"They're moving in Captain." Says Andrew from the other side.

"Stop!" I shout at the vampire. But he simply smiles and takes another step closer. I level my gun, aiming is squarely at his chest.

"I said stop!"

Another step forward. I don't hesitate. "Fire!" I call as I squeeze the trigger. I hear the other guns fire and watch, as though in slow motion, as the feathered dart shoots towards the vampire in front of me. The smile never leaves his lips and he makes no motion to move.

Just before it hits his chest, perfectly on target, the dart swerves to the side of its own accord and lands in amongst the trees harmlessly.

"Damn it!" Jack roars. I hear triggers being pulled again.

"They're not landing!" Frank calls from the other side of the car. "The darts are not landing!" There's a note of panic in his voice.

"What in the hells is happening?" Jack shouts. I step back towards the car as the vampire continues to advance.

"I don't know." I say. Panic is gripping at me, taking over my body.

"Stop!" Another voice calls out from the darkness. The vampire in front of me stops and looks behind him. Two yellow eyes appear as she steps quietly from the trees and into the light.

"My lady?" The vampire says.

My stomach drops. It's her. The one I let run. The one I'm supposed to catch.

Thank you once again for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please vote and comment!