Darren:

I step into the common room. Room is an understatement for this place. It's a massive hall, stretching almost the full length of HQ. It's underground too, so there are no windows. But it's well lit. The walls are the same rough stone as the rest of the building.

This is where we spend our free time. It has chairs and couches at one side for resting, there's a mini-library filled with books of all kinds. There's a fitness area for those who like to train and build their strength.

I look around, I'm looking for Mike. I see Chuck, the driver, over in the fitness center, he's bare chested. His rippling muscles and dragon tatoo make for an intimidating sight. John's nearby, talking to someone I don't know. I'm still limping and my face is throbbing. I don't want to see him, so I move in the opposite direction.

"Boy, where you going?" I recognise the voice. It's Jack. I look around and see him. I've reached the library section and I can see him through the shelf, sitting at a little reading table. Mike's sitting next to him.

I walk over and join them at the table. The section amongst the shelves is somewhat sectioned off. It feels like a small study or office. The library has four sections like this nestled in between bookshelves. There's no one else in here.

"Hi Jack, Mike." I say. I'm hesitant. It's death for treason and I can't be sure I'm not being tricked.

But my curiosity is strong. I've realised that I need to have more courage. I need to do something. I can't live the rest of my life like this. I hope there's a way to be smart about it and survive.

Mike's smiling at me. It's a mischevious smile. Jack's looking at the ground, solemn as usual. The silence between us fills the air. Despite all the background noise in this place, the library sections manage to dampen it a lot.

"So, Darren." Mike says. "You want to know a thing or two?"

I nod, but say nothing.

"But you're cautious. Good man. You can't be too careful in a place like this."

"How's your face?" Jack interjects. "Dunno what that damn fool was trying to prove!"

"It's ok. A bit sore, but not bad." I say.

I feel better, a little. He'd made the first comment that might get us into trouble, criticizing John.

"So, tell me." I say, looking at them both, one after the other. "Are we doing a good thing?" I've asked it before, but I'm curious what they'll say now.

Mike's smile broadens. "Good question, my boy. Good question."

Mike looks around the space. I assume he's checking for listening ears. He seems satisfied and starts to talk again.

"First, your question is not easily answered. It's not a question of good or bad. Doesn't work like that. We're not getting into that now." He pauses and I nod.

"Second, your boss, John. He's an asshole for sure, but there's a story, like I said. I said I'd tell you, but I'm not going to. Not yet. Just know, he's got reason to hate the vamps."

"How d'you know so much?" I ask.

"I find out." He says. He says it simply, but I can tell I won't be getting any more about that yet. I'm nervous, but curiosity wins out. The face of the vampire girl flashes in my mind. Why did I let them run? Mike pulls me back out of my head by speaking again.

"You wanted to know where the vamps go. I'm gonna show you. But be warned, this is risky. D'you still want to know?"

I nod my head. I do want to know. When I joined up, I joined up to protect mankind, to keep the city safe from the monsters. That's what we've always been taught about the Hunting Corps.

I know they're not just animals, not just monsters. I know it now I've seen them. That's what they taught at the cadet school. The school facility up in the city, where we're trained before coming down here for the real deal.

"Alright. So listen up." Jack's talking now. "We're going out of here. Do what you're damn well told, when you're told. Right?"

"Ok, Jack." I say. I trust Jack. I know he doesn't take pleasure from the job either. Now I think about it I don't know anything about Mike. I know he's from a different group, but I don't know which and I don't know his history. Can we trust him? Jack seems to think so.

Mike seems to know what I'm thinking. He speaks before I can say anything.

"There's much more to know, but now's not the time." He gets up from his chair. I get up too.

"You follow behind." Mike says. He grins. I can't read his smile. It's not friendly. There's something about it, I'm not sure what. It's something in his eyes.

"I thought you didn't know what happened to the vamps?" I ask before getting up, remembering the conversations we had at lunch.

"Can't be too damn careful." Jack says. Mike says nothing.

He steps out and moves toward the exit. We're in free time, so we're technically allowed to wander, as long as we don't go to the out of bounds areas. But they're locked and guarded anyway.

Nonetheless, it feels strange. Most soldiers spend their time in the common room that we're leaving. Wandering around definitely feels odd.

I follow Jack and Mike through the exit, looking over my shoulder. No one seems to be paying us any attention. Mike leads the way up the hallway towards the ground level of the compound. There's no one around, at least not so far. We reach the windowed hallway, but I can't see the city through the darkness of the night.

We've arrived at the door to the outside. "Can we go out now?" I ask, keeping my voice to just over a whisper. I've never gone out except to hunt or to work. Jack looks round at me.

"It's free time." he says and continues out the door.

There are soldiers patrolling around the compound every night. They are a separate group, not hunters. The Director's own guard. I don't know any of them, but I've seen them around. Two of them were walking past toward the door we just came from.

"What are you doing?" One of them calls out. His voice is deep, commanding. He's well built but his face is unclear in the darkness.

"Out for a stroll is all." says Mike. His voice shows no concern.

The guardsmen have reached our spot, but they don't stop their patrol. "Don't get shot then." he says as he passes. His gun glints in the light spilling from the doorway. The compound building has floodlights all around, but they're switched off. They are UV lights and would be used if the vampires came.

Once they move off a ways Mike speaks. "Let's go." he says and starts to walk away. I follow and we go around the compound towards the front. The forest looms up at this side, dark, swaying trees. The breeze is cold, a mist is shimmering, clinging to the tree-tops.

There are two more guards standing as we turn the corner at the front of the building. They watch us as we pass by but say nothing. The front of the compound faces the forest. There's a fence all the way along that connects into the main fence at both sides. The large gate is closed and locked. This is where the cars come in and out from the hunts.

The front of the building has an entrance for depositing the vampires, and there's a separate doorway that we leave from to Hunt. When we bring them in, we desposit the vehicles and the Director's Guard takes over. That's the last we see of them. If we're going to try and go in there I don't think it's going to work. It's too well protected.

There are more guards in front of the doorway. Mike walks right past them. We're not going in there. I don't want to ask. It feels too quiet, just the rustling branches and quiet moaning of the wind. The sky is black and clear. Stars sparkle and the moon shines at half-mast.

We walk until we are out of ear shot of the guards. There will be more guards nearby, but not where we're standing. Mike stops.

"We're going over there." he says quietly. I look at where he's pointing. It's a small supply shed, about ten feet away, towards the fence.

"To the shed?" I ask. I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't some sort of joke, or trick. They don't put the vampires in the shed.

Mike nods and steps towards it, making a point of looking around. The soldiers guarding the door are looking ahead, towards the gate. They know we're here but aren't paying us any attention. "Why aren't they doing anything?" I ask, quietly.

"We're not doing a damn thing wrong." Jack says. "If  we're in the compound there's no problem."

I nod. We've reached the shed. It's a plain wooden structure, only slightly taller than me. It's about seven feet long and has a black roof. Mike steps around to the opposite side, nearest the fence. We're blocked from view here.

I look but there's nothing there, just the timber wall and the fence up ahead. I'm watching as Mike crouches, running his hand through the grass. What's going on? I glance around, nervous, not sure what to think.

There's a click. "Got it." says Mike. I'm amazed now, he's pulling up a trap door. The top is covered in grass and soil, made to blend perfectly. He pulls it over and reveals a ladder going down into the darkness.

"I'll go first." Jack says and starts to climb down without hesitation. He disappears from view into the gloom.

"You next." Mike says, that signature smile on his face.

Nothing to lose I suppose. I clamber into the hole, holding tightly to the ladder and make my way down into the darkness. I listen closely but the silence is thick. I can just make out breathing below. There's another click and a beam of light shines up at me.

I stop climbing and look down. The light blinds me and I can't see.

"That you Jack?" I say. I can hear the slight tremble in my voice.

"No, it's the damn cookie monster." He says.

I continue to climb and my feet reach hard ground. Mike isn't far behind. We're standing in a tunnel. I can't see very much, with just the torch beam, but there's only one way to go.

Mike leads the way. He knows where he's going. We walk through the tunnel and turn a corner. As we round the corner I see dim light ahead.

It's a door and it's closed, but there's a small glass panel letting the light through. Mike peers through the glass and then pushes the door. It opens. I'm surprised that it's unlocked.

"Where are we exactly?" I ask. Mike puts a finger to his lips to quieten me. Through the door we enter a hallway, its lit by dim lamps hanging from ancient, black brackets. The walls are an uneven, rough stone. Shadows dance in the dimness, giving it a ghostly feel. I shudder.

Ahead I can see another door. It's on the right. Mike walks towards it. Jack and I are right behind him as he pushes it open.

The room is huge, wide and high. On either side are cells. Prison cells with thick bars from floor to ceiling. Each is dimly lit. And each has someone in it.

Mike steps into the room and I follow looking from side to side. Are these the vampires we've brought in? The room, now I can see it properly, is more like a long, wide hallway of cells. It reminds me of a kennel. My eyes are adjusting to the dimness.

Mike strolls forward, saying nothing. I look at Jack, his face is set, staring straight ahead. I open my mouth to speak, but think better of it and say nothing. I look at the first cell on my left. In it is a woman. She's sitting, cross-legged, on the floor, gazing at me. Human. She has long black hair, her eyes are blue. Even in the dim light they shine. I look away at the cell opposite her. There's a tall, slender man standing at the bars. His face is serious. I feel myself shudder again. It's not from the cold.

Each cell has an inhabitant, each human. At least they look human. I feel something twisting in the pit of my stomach and my head begins to ache. Guilt. We are filling these cells. But why? The questions are running through my mind. I don't want to break the silence to ask them.

I drag my eyes away from the cells and I can see Mike and Jack have gone ahead. I jog to catch up. A barking noise takes me by surprise and I jump in fright. I stumble, almost falling and look round. A man is staring at me, lips curled in a malicious grin.

"Scared you, boy?" He says, his voice hoarse and rough. He begins to laugh, a deep, rumbling laugh that echoes, bouncing from the old stone. He's rocking back and forth.

Mike and Jack have stopped ahead and look round at me. I'm scared. Terrified in fact. But I mask my emotions, like we're trained to do. I jog forward, away from the laughing towards the others.

Mike turns and they continue walking. The man's laughter is still echoing, almost following us. I cast a nervous glance back over my shoulder and then fix my gaze on Jack's back, avoiding looking at the cells.

Mike stops.

Something's changed. The room has darkened. I feel my heart beating faster. Beads of sweat have formed on my forehead. I look into the nearest cells and step back in surprise. Red, gleaming eyes are staring at me, through me. The pale face is almost shining.

"What?..." I start to say.

Mike cuts me off. "Look in 'ere." he says, I can see his smile as he points into the next cell.

I move forward and peer into the cell. It's another vampire. She's tall, pale with her yellow eyes glowing.

Mike steps closer to me. "I told you there was story to your boss, John." He says, that unfathomable smile still on his face.

"Meet his mum."