by I D Johnson
Des Moines, Iowa, America, 1996
Janette Findley had continued work with the team, even though she was no longer a Hunter. She lived in a large Queen Anne in Des Moines, and Aaron spoke to her several times a day as she had volunteered to work as his assistant a few years ago as things began to grow and he had found it difficult to get everything done. Being the Guardian Leader with no Hunter Leader—as none had ever been appointed—was challenging in and of itself. Recently, there’d been more and more Vampire activity, and the team continued to face recruiting challenges to keep up with the need. It was more than one man could handle on his own.
Sitting on her sofa was calming, and for a moment, Aaron leaned his head back and relaxed, something he seldom had a chance to do, particularly since Christian had perfected and installed his Intelligence Assistance Communicators in everyone’s eyes. Now, any Hunter or Guardian in the world could reach him (or anyone else) at any time. While it was great during a battle or for planning, it made turning work off nearly impossible, even with the addition of an Off button, which Aaron never felt comfortable using.
“How are things?” Janette asked, sitting next to him, a cup of tea in her hand.
“Good,” he shrugged. “As good as can be expected.”
“Are you getting any rest?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Some. We’ve been busy.”
Setting her teacup on the coffee table, she patted his knee. “There’s always work to do. Don’t burn yourself out. Take time to maintain your health. Delegate what you can. You have some worthy teammates who can handle some of the small things.”
“I know,” he agreed. “I’ve been trying to do that. It’s difficult. It would be easier if we had a Hunter Leader, but so far, no one’s stood out enough for the Hunters to organize a vote.”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” Janette replied. She was no longer a Hunter and certainly did not have an IAC in her eye, but she did keep on top of things the best she could. “Hannah is a big help, isn’t she?” Aaron nodded. Hannah was very helpful. “And Elliott has come a long way.”
Thoughts of where he’d started out with the loud-mouthed Guardian made him chuckle. Over the last decade, they’d become very good friends, and he could rely on Elliott to have his back at every turn. Elliott had also gotten to know Janette, who was a relative of Elliott’s foster mom, and they had developed a good relationship. No one could run interference or tell a lie like Elliott could. He’d been a great addition to the team.
“Christian and Jamie are steady as rocks, yes?”
“Yes, absolutely. We have several all-star Guardians. Just no Hunters that are really standing out right now.”
“It’s a different job,” she reminded him. “In some ways, it is more difficult. A Hunter is always at risk each time he or she engages in battle with the enemy.”
“I know,” Aaron nodded. “I just wish we could find a few reliable Hunters.”
“I believe you will,” she smiled. Janette cleared her throat and Aaron turned to face her, realizing there was something she wanted to say that she wasn’t getting it out. “Aaron, I have a favor to ask of you.”
Rather than reminding her that he was still working on the last one, he asked quietly. “What’s that?”
“Well, as you know, my son Elijah and his wife Liz recently had a daughter. A baby girl.”
“Yes, I know. Congratulations,” he said, forcing a smile, unable to guess what that might have to do with him.
“I know that there are both Hunters and Guardians in Shenandoah watching over the families there. It’s been a safe place for our non-Transformed family members to locate for decades. I am quite certain my family will be safe there.”
“Of course,” Aaron nodded. “There probably isn’t a safer location for your family to live in, other than headquarters itself.”
Janette smiled. “Nonetheless,” she said. “I worry about this baby. I think… something tells me… she will do great things one day, Aaron. I know, I’m her grandma. I’m supposed to think that. But this one, she’s special. Her mother’s line is good Hunter stock, and her father, well, you know where he comes from. This child could be exactly what we need to finally gain the upper hand and put the Vampires back where they belong. For good.”
He knew what she was referring to. The balance between the Passels shifted and swayed through the years, and most believed they should work together in harmony. Recently, the rogue Vampires had come to outweigh the compliants, which needed to be corrected if the Passels were to continue in their intended form. Otherwise, some people, such as Janette, believed Vampires should be annihilated altogether. “What are you asking, Janette?” Aaron asked, his blue eyes narrowing in on the aged face next to him.
“I’m saying, I want you to personally check on my granddaughter. I want you to keep an eye on her. Oh, not every day or even every month. But I want you to watch over her, ensure her safety, make sure that no harm befalls her before she has a chance to show us what she may become.”
The demands of his job were already overwhelming; however, if it was that important to Janette, he would do as she asked. “Of course,” he replied, patting her hand.
Janette let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she said, smiling. “I know you’ll keep her safe. Someday, you can expect great things from my granddaughter. You wait and see what Cadence Joseph Findley can do.”
Aaron returned the smile, hoping she was right, but for now, he just wanted a Hunter who could do his or her job well, without complaining, or getting in the way. Whether she was the superhero her grandmother predicted or not, if Cadence could manage those few things, he’d take her.
Chapter 16
New York City, America, 2000
The Blue Moon Nightclub was a popular destination for humans and Vampires alike. While the NYC team had always patrolled it closely, recently a well-known European Vampire had taken a liking to the place, and Aaron’s old friend Morris, now the Area Leader, had called him for help.
The Vampire was what they commonly referred to as “ancient” even though she wasn’t one of the original Vampires, which were the true ancients. Still, she’d been around for centuries and her power had grown strong over the years. Likewise, she had hundreds of children—their term for the minions Vampires created by infecting others. While Morris had a strong team, he was certain he couldn’t handle this on his own, and so he’d called Aaron in, hoping that if they couldn’t defeat her, at least they could run her along.
Aaron assembled his strongest team members and flew them on one of LIGHTS private jets to NYC to assess the situation and see how they could help. He finally had a strong Hunter on his team, a blonde by the name of Laura Comer, and he was confident in her skills, although recently there had been some issues while they were engaged in battle; she didn’t listen to instruction nearly as well as she had last year when she’d first joined the team. Aaron knew that was mostly his fault. After years of casual dating, humans only, he took a chance and went on a date with the beautiful Hunter. Now, six months later, they were a couple. It was the first relationship he’d been in since Aislyn, and it turned out he still probably wasn’t ready for it, and neither was she.
Sitting next to Elliott on the plane, he looked through maps of the nightclub through his IAC and concentrated on the facts he had at hand. He knew where Holland preferred to hang out. He knew her longtime boyfriend, Carter, was absent, and she was surrounded by several of her children each night. So far, she’d been on fairly good behavior, but she had committed enough atrocities over the years that they could take her out the second they saw her without a word and be fully within their rights.
“You doin’ okay, bossman?” Elliott asked. “You’re lookin’ a little constipated.”
Aaron shook his head, not sure how to respond to that. “I’m fine, thanks. Just coming up with a plan.”
“Good idea. Here’s a plan. Break up with Laura.”
Aaron looked up at him and then away.
“It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“Nah. It’s simple. You say, ‘Hey, Laura, let’s be friends.’ Works every time.”
“I like her,” Aaron reminded him. “She’s nice. She’s funny. She’s really pretty.”
“She argues with you, distracts you, and makes you lose your mind,” Elliot pointed out. “You know, Jamie tells me of a magical time when you had no girlfriend, were not dating at all, like for a really long time. Let’s go back to that time, shall we?”
Aaron scoffed at the idea. “It’s a little more complicated than that. I had my other hang-ups, you know.”
“Yeah, well, at least we didn’t have to listen to her squeaky voice shouting at you through the IAC. I tell you what, if she doesn’t do exactly what you say this time, I’m gonna go kick her ass. I don’t care if she is a chick. She needs to toe the line.”
“All right,” Aaron said, attempting to calm his friend down. “She’s assured me this time she will do a better job of listening.”
“Yeah, well she better—or else you cut her off. Cut that bitch off. No hanky panky for her!”
“I don’t think that’s your business,” Aaron said, trying to change the subject. If Elliott knew that was half the problem, maybe he wouldn’t be so quick to cast judgment on Laura. It had been difficult enough to date again after Aislyn passed; sharing more was a struggle he continued to face even though he truly cared about Laura. Her patience was wearing thin.
Hopefully, this hunt would go well, and then they could take some time off together and work through their issues so the rest of the team didn’t have to suffer through their petty spats.
The music was pounding, and even at 3:00AM, the club was still packed. A meeting with Morris and his team had led to a solid plan, and Aaron was certain his team could trap Holland and end her once and for all.
Morris had ten of his best team members spread throughout the club. While he would be running operations on the ground, Aaron would direct from a perch on a second story balcony where he could see most of the floor below. Because of the huge crowds and the potential for numerous witnesses, Elliott was stationed on the roof outside, his key job being to look out for cops and news reporters. While LIGHTS carried badges and were authorized to do whatever necessary, most local jurisdictions did not know this, and it was easier to avoid them than explain.
Jamie was stationed nearby in case anyone was hurt and Christian was also there, as well as Hannah and Laura. That made sixteen of them, and even though Morris had voiced his concern about another Vampire who was spending most of his time with Holland, sixteen on two seemed like pretty good odds to Aaron.
“I’ve got eyes on them,” Christian said through the IAC a few minutes after they moved in. “They don’t seem to have noticed us yet.”
“Affirmative,” Aaron replied. There were dozens of Vampires in the location, but thanks to the tracker system, many of them were tagged so that the team knew exactly who they were dealing with. It was now mandatory for all new Vampires to turn themselves in to be tracked, so technically there were several Vampires at the club that night who could’ve been destroyed for not following protocol, but getting Holland and her “son” Giovani was of utmost importance, so that’s where the team was focused for the moment.
“Is everyone in position?” Aaron asked. Responses came back from everyone except for Laura, so he shot her a personal message. “Laura? Are you in position.”
“No, not yet,” she said. “I’m getting there.”
“Let me know when you are,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. She was young. She hadn’t been doing this very long. But she was also the best Hunter they had on the ground right now, and the rest of them were counting on her.
“I will let you know,” she said back, her voice showing agitation.
“We’ve got movement,” Christian said. “They are out of my view.”
“Copy that. We’ve got them,” Morris said from his location in the back, his best Hunter, Nelly, alongside him.
Aaron could see Holland and Giovani now, though they were at a distance, and it seemed like they were aware of the Hunters, too. Morris had reported that he was certain they had known his team was there several times and had made no move to leave or attack. They had simply found a way to disappear at the end of the night before he could move in. Tonight seemed different, however. Holland was looking around, as if she was looking for someone in particular. And then her eyes stopped; she was looking right at him.
They’d met a few times before. Aaron had been called in to help out in France where the redheaded woman originated and preferred to spend her time. Despite her odd name, she was a former Frenchwoman and she didn’t take kindly to having LIGHTS members on her turf. She’d been with her longtime beau, Carter, every other time he’d come into contact with her, and since he hadn’t been running the operation, there hadn’t been much he could do to prevent her escape. Tonight, he would do everything he could to make sure that was different.
“What is she looking at?” Morris asked.
“Me. She’s looking at me,” Aaron replied. “We need to move.”
Holland and Giovani took off, but it wasn’t for an exit. Instead, they began weaving in and out of the crowd, wreaking havoc and chaos wherever they went. They were moving quickly, and the humans had no way of knowing what was going on. They would only feel a bump or a splash of liquid as a drink hit them. The effect was a whirlwind of motion.
Not only was it confusing to the people on the dance floor, Aaron realized his team was also becoming rapidly confused. His teammates began to call out locations, talking over each other, and acting irrationally. It was as if Holland was sending out some sort of a scramble signal that was clouding their judgment and preventing them from doing their jobs. The only people he knew for sure were still with him were Hannah, who had her own emotional powers, Elliott, who seemed to be out of her range, and Jamie who could also fight her off. Even Christian began to make incoherent statements that made little sense.
“Laura?” Aaron called, hoping he could get her to stay with him since she had yet to say anything, not even announce that she’d arrived on location.
“I said I’d let you know when I’m in position!” she shouted back.
“Where is she?” Hannah asked, moving out of position. “I don’t see her.”
“She’s headed to the front door, towards Laura’s position,” Aaron responded. Hannah was nowhere near there. She couldn’t get there in time. Neither could Jamie. “Laura?”
“I’m there, okay! I am in position!” she shouted, so that everyone could hear her.
The rest of the team was sending so many irrelevant, nonsensical statements now, it was hard for Aaron to communicate at all. “I’m the pretty princess. Look at my sparkly dress,” Morris said.
“Who’s the turkey now? I repeat, who is the turkey now!” Nelly demanded.
Another New York team member added, “Four. Four foot six.”
“What the hell is she doing?” Elliott asked.
Elliott could see what Aaron could see through the IAC, but it was different than being there, and Aaron had no answer for him anyway. The IACs were relatively new; he’d never had one in when facing Holland before. Somehow, she’d managed to infiltrate their system. At first, he thought perhaps she was sending the signals herself, making it seem like they were coming from the team members, but when he saw Christian’s lips move along with the message, “I’m a funny little monkey,” he realized the problem was more than just a glitch in the technology.
“Laura, she’s headed your way.”
“Okay,” Laura said. She had not sent any bizarre messages, so he was confident Laura was still functioning.
Holland and Giovani continued to spin up trouble as they weaved to the front entrance, laughing and holding hands, stopping for the occasional kiss, which seemed highly inappropriate since Giovani referred to her as his “mother,” but Vampires were weird that way. Aaron ga
ve the order for all team members to close in, and Hannah and Jamie dropped their positions and made their way as quickly as they could, but at this rate, they would never reach her in time. It was up to Laura now.
“Laura! Stop her!” Aaron shouted as Holland drew even closer to the Hunter.
“Damn it, Aaron,” Laura shouted, “shut up and let me do my job! I’ve got this.”
However, even as she made the statement, the two Vampires slid right past her and out the door, into the night. “Son of a bitch!” Aaron said, watching it happen and realizing ordering Laura to give chase would have little consequence. She was continuing to rant about how he needed to trust her more, and he decided it would be best to turn her feed off completely.
As soon as Holland left the building, everyone’s ability to speak coherently returned, and most of them had no idea that anything out of the ordinary had even happened. “Where did she go?” Morris asked.
“She’s on the sidewalk out here, hailing a cab,” Elliott replied. “Want me to see if I can get her?”
Elliott was on the top of the four-story building that housed the club. He could likely jump from there, but it would be a tough fall. “Negative,” Aaron replied. It wasn’t worth the risk at this point.
“And… she’s gone.”
By then, Aaron was on the floor with Jamie and Hannah, Laura in the entryway behind them, pacing, her arms crossed.
“Well, that was weird,” Christian said as he came up behind them. “What the hell happened?”
“Let’s go,” Aaron demanded and headed out toward the vehicles they’d driven in only an hour ago. He needed to cool down before he was willing to discuss this with anyone. Especially Laura who didn’t appear to be suffering from Holland’s influence—she simply seemed unable to take direction. From him at least.
A few hours later, Aaron was seated on the balcony of his hotel room looking out at the Manhattan skyline, three fingers of whiskey in his tumbler next to a half-empty bottle, pondering how things had changed in the last hundred years. He could see the East River from here, and the Brooklyn Bridge—which he had jumped from that night so many years ago back before it was called the Brooklyn Bridge. Back then, things were so much more difficult. They didn’t have the technology or resources they had today, and yet it seemed they worked so much better together. Maybe it wasn’t the technology or the personnel. Maybe it was the leadership.