“That’s one way of putting it. That room is better than I ever imagined. And you are an amazing fighter. You were holding your own back there.”
Craig shook his head. “JD was holding back.” He stuck his head through the doorway of the TV room as he passed. Katie had switched the film she had been watching back on, but stopped it once more when she heard Craig say, “It’s twenty questions time.”
Simon and Scott grabbed cans of drink for everyone from the kitchen then they all settled down on the sofas in the lounge.
“So now you have met most of us and seen the place, what do you want to know?” Craig asked her.
He could have predicted her reply. “Everything.”
I want you to train me
They answered all of her questions, starting with themselves. Craig had already told her a lot, but they filled in the missing details.
They were all born into vampire hunter families and started training as soon as they could walk. While most children are given toys to play with, they had swords.
Jonathon and JD lived at Sanctuary 3, run by their mother, and their father was the trainer there. Other than Scott, the rest grew up nearby so they did all of their training at 3.
From a young age, JD showed great potential so he was given special training. As soon as he graduated from high school he was made to take a gap year before going to university. None of those in the room could tell her where he was sent for that year or what happened to him while he was away as he never spoke about it and the adults would tell them nothing when they asked.
When he returned he had changed. All of the fun had gone out of him. He was serious, focused, intense. Some class him as the best fighter they have ever had and he was taught the most advanced methods of teaching others. He was trained to use a variety of different weapons and, other than the swords and the Bo, everything in the arena belonged to him. What he didn’t master in his year away he was teaching himself to use, going on to a new weapon as soon as he became expert enough to teach others, should any of them show an interest in learning.
When JD returned from wherever he had been sent to, he started studying to become a lawyer. In his spare time, he was given Simon, Craig, Katie and Jonathon to train, while his father continued to be the trainer for the older hunters and the youngsters.
Once he qualified and settled down in his job, the decision was made to give him his own Sanctuary. He was only twenty five. It was unheard of for anyone to become a trainer under the age of thirty five so everyone knew it would be hard to find a leader of a Sanctuary who would be prepared to take him on. Doc was leader of 14 at the time and volunteered. His trainer had just retired and he thought his son, Scott, would get on better with someone nearer his own age.
As the older hunters showed a lot of resistance to having someone so young train them, everyone at 14 was reassigned to different Sanctuaries, except for Scott.
JD had been training the others for a few years so it made sense to move them all to 14.
“We were all used to working together,” Simon said, “and Scott fitted in well with us, after a few teething problems, which we won’t go into now. JD is a remarkably good trainer and has turned us into an elite fighting team, probably the most efficient in the area, maybe even the country.”
“So are you all as good with a sword as Craig and JD?” Sarah asked.
Scott shook his head. “Nobody is as good as JD and we know we never will be. Craig, on the other hand, we can all easily beat.” He was smiling when he said this. The comment was just friendly rivalry.
“In your dreams,” Craig muttered.
“You said most of the weapons belong to JD. So you only use swords?”
“For hunting, yes,” Katie said. “And knives. We have those for backup just in case we lose our sword. It has been known to happen.” She glanced at Craig as she said this.
“It was only once,” he protested, “and the vampire I was fighting nearly broke my hand. I had no choice other than to drop my weapon.”
“That was a few months ago,” Sarah said, remembering when Craig had turned up to their lunch date with his hand bandaged up. “You told me you hurt it trying to break through a plank of wood at your martial arts lesson.”
“Well I could hardly tell you the truth, could I?”
“Back to the weapons,” Katie said hurriedly, afraid the two of them would start squabbling. “We mainly train with swords, but we use the Bo for fitness. There are two types. The heavier ones are just for the routines designed to strengthen our arms. The lighter ones are more flexible and we use those to attack each other.”
“Sounds like this is a fun place to live.” Sarah wasn’t being sarcastic; she meant exactly what she said. “So do all Sanctuaries have a resident doctor?”
“Most, but not all. Ours is the only one that’s run by one.”
Craig then explained about the running of the Sanctuary. There were a number of rules that had to be obeyed to ensure it ran smoothly. One of them was no alcohol. They were entitled to drink whatever they liked when they weren’t within the compound, but once they were through the gate, alcohol was banned. The necessity for this did not need explaining.
Though Doc, as everyone insisted on calling him, was the head of 14, Silvia actually ran the place. She was a fully qualified nurse and met Doc when they worked at the same hospital. She did not come from a hunter family, but accepted the life Doc led when he finally plucked up the courage to tell her. She gave up her career when her husband was asked to run 14 and now took care of everyone.
“Mom owns the kitchen,” Scott said. “She makes sure it’s well stocked and does all of the cooking. We fend for ourselves for breakfast and lunch, but we all eat together in the dining room every evening. She gets pretty mad if you don’t turn up without giving her prior warning.”
He went on to explain that they had a housekeeper to take care of all of the washing, cleaning etcetera and a gardener they shared with Sanctuary 9. Both came from hunter families.
“And Silvia also makes our hunting suits,” Katie added.
“Hunting suits?”
“Skin tight suits made from a leather hard enough to protect us but soft enough to not hinder our movements,” Simon said. “They have attached scabbards on the back for carrying our swords.”
“Surprisingly they’re quite flattering for the figure,” Katie said. “We look good in them. Most of us anyway.” She glanced at Simon when she said the last bit.
“Hey, I saw that look.”
“Why do you have untraceable cars?” Sarah asked, remembering what Craig had told her before they had left the garage.
“That should be obvious. If we’re ever arrested, we don’t want the cops knowing who we really are.”
“We also have fake driving licences for the same reason. We never take our real IDs with us when we go on a hunt.”
Sarah was amazed that everyone was being so open and honest with her. “Are you sure you should be telling me all this?”
“Craig vouched for you,” Scott said. “If you tell anyone anything about us, he’s the one who will be made to suffer.”
There was one more question she really wanted answered before she got onto the subject of vampires. “Is Jonathon really as bad as Craig makes out?”
“Probably worse,” Katie replied. “If I know Craig, he has tried to be polite about us all. Even Jonathon. He is absolutely gorgeous though.” She saw Craig rolling his eyes. “Well he is and you know it. Sarah is going to be smitten the minute she sets her eyes on him.”
“So how does he afford a Ferrari at his age?”
“Never let him know I said this,” Katie continued, “but he’s a shit hot accountant. He gets paid extremely well for someone so young, but his firm knows he’s worth it.”
“Also,” Craig took over, “those of us who live here have to pay ten percent of our salaries toward the running of this place which, if you think about it, isn’t a lot. Other than clothes and persona
l items, there isn’t much else to spend the rest on. Most of us invest; Jonathon decided to buy a flashy car.”
“It must cost more than that to run this place surely.”
“It does,” Simon said. “Let’s just say that we have some very well off benefactors. I won’t name names, just in case you can’t be trusted, but money is never an issue.”
At that moment they heard the front door opening and two people walked past. Hearing voices, they turned around and entered the lounge.
The man was of average height and build and his neatly trimmed hair was turning to grey. He looked so much like an older version of Scott that he had to be his father. The lady standing next to him was short and plump, with rosy cheeks and a carefree smile.
Scott stood up. “Mom, Dad, meet Sarah.”
Sarah started to rise, but Doc waved her back down. He held out his hand, which she shook. “Doctor Frank Duggan. The kids just call me Doc. And this is my wife, Silvia.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you both,” Sarah said as she shook Silvia’s hand.
“Nothing bad I hope.”
“Are you staying to dinner?” Silvia asked.
“Yes, she is,” Craig said before Sarah could comment.
“Do I get a say in this?”
“No.”
Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “In that case, I would love to stay for dinner, if that’s alright with you.”
“Of course it is.” Silvia was about to walk away when she had a thought. “You’re not vegetarian or anything are you?”
Sarah reassured her that she wasn’t and that she ate almost anything. The older couple then left the ‘kids’, as Doc had put it, alone.
The talk moved on to the subject of vampires. Craig had already told her a lot so she didn’t have many questions. While they each destroyed their fair share, more often than not they just ‘killed’ them, leaving them in a temporarily comatose state so Simon could perform the decapitation. He was much stronger than the others so was better at it. And he enjoyed doing it.
“So what happens to the bodies?” Sarah asked. “I’m pretty sure I would remember hearing a news story about headless corpses being found.”
“Sanctuary 1,” Scott said. “They have methods of disposing of bodies. They have vans made to look like they belong to mortuaries so it’s unlikely anyone would question why they contain corpses if they were ever pulled over. They attend every hunt and take away the dead vampires.”
Sarah thought about asking exactly how the bodies were disposed of, then decided she would rather not know.
“Craig said that vampires can make new vampires by injecting their venom into someone. What happens if a hunter is infected?”
“We try to pump the venom out by giving the victim a blood transfusion,” Katie said. “It’s one of the reasons we don’t go on a hunt unless Doc is here; just in case we need his expertise.”
“If it’s not a stupid question, where do you get the blood from?”
“We store our own,” Craig replied. “We have found a way to keep it for longer than normal, but we still have to donate a pint regularly. You get used to it.”
The conversation continued to flow until they were called to dinner, which was a fun meal. Simon and Katie enjoyed telling Sarah some embarrassing stories about Craig when he was growing up and Sarah reciprocated by sharing some of the things he had been up to on nights out with her and Alex. Scott joined in by talking about the multiple times Craig had managed to injure himself while hunting. Silvia and Doc added things where they could, but JD remained quiet, listening to the conversation but not joining in. He couldn’t take his eyes off Sarah. He found her strangely captivating, especially when she was laughing.
Once the meal was over, Doc had to leave for work. The table was cleared and Sarah offered to help wash up, but Silvia practically threw her out of the kitchen and told her to go have fun with the others.
“Are you okay to stay and watch a film with us or do you want to get home?” Craig asked.
“I’m fine to stay if nobody minds,” Sarah said.
Craig took her to the TV room where Katie was in the process of putting a film into the player. Scott and Simon were already there; the only person missing was JD.
“JD not joining us?” she asked.
Craig shook his head. “He does not socialise with us much, not since he became a trainer. He usually spends the evenings working in his office or training in the arena. I may show you later. Seeing him work out is a real eye opener.”
He sat on the sofa and pulled Sarah down after him, placing his arm around her as he did so. They cuddled down together and looked so comfortable they obviously did this regularly. Katie raised a questioning eyebrow at Scott, who shrugged his shoulders. They were both thinking the same thing: Sarah is definitely his girlfriend.
The credits started to roll and Sarah stared at them in surprise. “Abraham Lincoln! You can’t be serious. We’re going to watch Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?”
Katie grinned at her. “We see it as a comedy.”
“Do you guys realise how surreal this entire day has been so far?”
“I never promised you it would be normal,” Craig said then they settled down to watch the film.
When it was finished, Craig stood up and helped Sarah to her feet. “Come on, let’s see if JD is training.”
“He won’t be happy if he catches you watching him,” Simon warned.
“Then I won’t let him catch us.”
Craig led her to the door to the balcony and eased it open as quietly as possible. Putting his fingers to his lips, he entered the arena, pulling her along with him.
Music was playing and Craig hoped it would hide the sound of their entrance. They moved to the rail and looked down. JD’s movements were perfectly in time to the beat. And they were fast. Very fast. He had been good fighting Craig, now he was mesmerising.
JD heard someone enter onto the balcony and knew who it would be. Ignoring his audience, he continued his workout. At one point he glanced up and saw Sarah gazing down at him, a look of wonder on her face. It would have made him feel good if Craig hadn’t been standing behind her, resting his chin on the top of her head, with his arms encircling her waist.
He felt anger rise through him and glanced away, forcing it down. Craig had obviously lied to him about his relationship with Sarah. He would have to speak to him about that later.
He continued his routine, putting as much effort in as he always did and by the time the song finished his muscles were aching.
“The show is over Craig,” he called out without looking up at them.
“That’s my warning that I either have to get out of here or join in,” he heard Craig say to Sarah.
“Any chance you can join in?” she asked.
“No way.”
JD looked up at them, watching as Craig took Sarah’s hand and led her from the room. He was suddenly filled with an emotion he had never felt before: Jealousy.
It was time to get Sarah home, so Craig said his goodbyes to everyone and Sarah thanked them for allowing her to come over.
“So what do you think of them all?” he asked as soon as they got into his car.
“They certainly made me feel welcome and are very enthusiastic and forthcoming about what you all do.”
“So you will come back?”
“If they will allow me.”
“They will.”
Meanwhile, JD finished his workout then showered. Once he was dressed he went in search of the others. Other than Doc, who had gone to the hospital, he found them all, even Silvia, in the lounge, discussing Craig and Sarah.
“He’s certainly different around her,” Katie said. “More relaxed and carefree. She makes him happy.”
“So what’s the real story about those two?” JD asked as he walked into the room.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Simon replied. “They both insist they aren’t in a relationship, but the way they cuddled up on t
he sofa suggests they’re lying.”
“Then let’s find out,” JD said and took his phone out of his pocket.
————————————-∞————————————-
Craig and Sarah were almost at her house by the time she plucked up the courage to ask the one question she had been wanting to the entire journey.
“Do you think JD will let us borrow the arena?”
“Why?”
“You’re very good with a sword. Better than good. You really impressed me today.”
“And?”
“I want you to train me.”
“No.” The answer was so unexpected and so abrupt that Sarah stared at him in surprise. “Let me explain,” he continued. “I’m good, I won’t deny that, but I’m not good enough to train you. Only JD can do that.”
“Will he?”
Craig decided to be truthful. “I have absolutely no idea. All I can do is ask him. Why do you want to be trained?”
Sarah thought about the question for a while before answering. She wanted to make sure she worded it right. “Ever since Alex died I’ve had this feeling that I’m just drifting. I need something to do that will ground me, give me something to work toward. I think this is exactly what I’m looking for. I’m not saying I expect to be able to hunt vampires with you. I’m sure I’ll never become good enough for that, but I want the opportunity to try. Do you understand?”
He did, but before he had chance to say so his phone rang. He pressed a button on his steering wheel to answer it and said, “Craig speaking.”
“Craig, it’s JD. Come and see me when you get back after dropping Sarah home.”
“I was planning on staying the night at her place.”
“Then change your plans.” JD hung up before Craig could argue.
“Looks like I get to ask him tonight,” Craig said to Sarah.
“You’re not actually going to obey him are you?”
“I have to, he’s my trainer. We always have to do everything our trainer tells us to.”
This didn’t feel right to Sarah. “What stops a trainer abusing the situation and making you do anything he wanted you to?”
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