Jacqueline "Jack" Crow is a Vampire Hunter. She and her team of hunters are sent to all corners of the world by the Catholic church to cleanse the world of vampires. On one particular successful hunt, she notices weird occurances; flashes of a life...
The car ride back to New Mexico was weird. While my compatriots were celebrating the kills we had made, I was still freaked out by the vision I had. The image of the man kept flashing in my head. I couldn't shake it off. I was scared, but I tried not to show it. I grasped the necklace I had around my neck. It was the necklace of St. Michael, the archangel. It belonged to my father, and it was given to me by the priests who raised me after my parents died. I had more memories of my father than my mother. I was always told that my mom died in childbirth but that she was a brilliant fighter and an intelligent woman. My father was a vampire hunter as well. The Crow family tree has been in the vampire-hunting business since my great-grandfather on my father's side. I look at my friends, who are excited about what they want to do after we speak to the Church and their plans; I look over at Nickolas and see how happy he looks. When I saw Nickolas smile, it made me smile. I placed the idea of the man in the painting out of my head and cranked up the song on the radio. "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. How ironic. I could see the welcome sign for Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before we got our drink on, we had to stop quickly. Our first stop was at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church to give a detailed report to Cardinal Giovanni Russo. Cardinal Russo is one to whom I must report my kills and check in with the other teams in the U.S., Europe, and other continents. Currently, I am the youngest hunter who has run the New Mexico territory. Most of the leaders are male and have many years under their belt. I was at a point in my life where I didn't care that I was bashing the norm of the Church.
My team and I arrived at the Church. After passing by a statue of the Virgin Mary, my team and I walk towards a conference room. Then, guards greeted us, who insisted that we leave our weapons at the door. I dropped my bag along with the other members and waited to greet the Cardinal. Aside from being the leader of this Church, Cardinal Russo also raised me from the time I was seven years old. After my father died, instead of taking me to an orphanage, he decided that he and Father Emmanuel would take care of me. Since I obviously couldn't stay with the men at the Monastery, I stayed with the nuns at the Carmelite Convent, where I was taught how to speak other languages, cook, sew, and even treat medical wounds. I was nine years old when I was chosen to join the Convent or become a Vampire Hunter for the Catholic Church. I chose the latter. I could see the Cardinal walking towards me. He wore a green vestment, had blond hair, and his greenish eyes blended well with his clothing. His Austrian accent sounded melodious when he would say hello to me.
"Hello, Jackie."
"Hello, Cardinal Russo," I reply.
The Cardinal extends his hand so that I may bow and kiss his hand as a sign of respect for his position. Unfortunately, the meeting is only for me, and my lieutenant, Nickolas, and my team must go to another room. As I walk towards the table, I see another priest there. He has wavy brown hair, piercing brown eyes, a slim build, and a white bandage over his hand. He sees me, and his eyes instantly widen. A smile appears on his face, and he rises from his chair to shake my hand.
"You must the famous Jacqueline Crow. Your kills have ascended to the thousands, from what I hear." He says. As I shake his hand, I then reply,
"You heard correctly. If I may ask, how do you know me?"
The man chuckles and says,
"I'm Father Leonides Ramirez. I was sent by the Vatican from Monterey, Mexico. My parish is the Iglesia Nuestra Senora del Roble.
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Father Leonides Ramirez
I have never seen a hot priest in all the years I have been a hunter. I did catch myself staring a little too hard. Nickolas knew me so well that he cleared his throat loudly, and I stopped staring. Nickolas and I take a seat next to each other. While Father Ramirez and Cardinal Russo are conversing in another room, I can see that Nickolas is bothered. Even though nothing was happening between me and Nickolas, I could tell he might have a thing for me. I won't lie; it feels good to be looked at. Nickolas is a little older than me, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about him and how he can pin to a wall any day. I started giggling softly, and Nickolas began to speak to me in German. He only speaks in German when he's upset, and he sounded pissed off.
"Ich kann nicht glauben, dass du mit ihm geflirtet hast." (I can't believe you flirted with him) Nickolas says to me in a harsh tone.
"Geflirtet? Das war noch nicht einmal ein Flirt!" (Flirted? That wasn't even considered flirting!) I say in a hushed voice.
"Darüber reden wir später." (We'll talk about this later.) Nickolas says to me.
"Es gibt nichts zu besprechen, es sei denn, wir sind in einer Beziehung, aber das sind wir nicht! Ich kann starren, wenn ich will." (There's nothing to discuss unless we're in a relationship, but we are not! I can stare if I want.) I say back.
Nickolas then turns his whole body as if he wants to say something to me, but he doesn't. He stares at me, and his eyes wander up and down at my body.
"Seien Sie froh, dass wir in einer Kirche sind, und ich kann nicht...Vergiss es! Du bist meine Wut nicht wert." (Count your blessings that we're in a church, and I can't... Oh, never mind! You're not worth my anger.)
Nickolas and I don't say anything. He and I had been friends for almost three years, and there have been times that I've looked at Nickolas and imagined things, but I'd never acted on them. I've never seen him so angry over something minor. Finally, Father Ramirez and Cardinal Russo walk back inside. Cardinal Russo then says,
"Jack, congratulations to you and your team. I understand that you wiped out one of the major vampire hives found in Arizona. While that is a thrilling accomplishment, you mustn't forget that there are also several other hives to exterminate. For now, we can rest easy knowing that there won't be any vampires appearing for quite some time."
"Okay, if we can rest easy, why is he here then?" Nickolas says abruptly. Father Ramirez stares at Nickolas.
"The reason I'm here is not your concern. You deal with the killing aspect of this business, and I will handle the diplomatic terms of the Church," Father Ramirez says condescendingly.
Nickolas growls softly like a wolf. I chuckle softly, and I say back,
"You know, Cardinal, I thought the policy of the Church was to share everything. And right now, you aren't sharing. Would you care to tell us why Father Ramirez is here?"
Cardinal Russo looks at Father Ramirez and then back to me.
"Jackie, it's not important. It only has to do some cataloging for the Parish. It has nothing to do with you or your team."
That said, I looked at Nickolas, and we decided to leave. Cardinal Russo and Father Ramirez shook our hands and left the conference room. After all of that, I felt something was off between us. It felt weird because I would typically get another tip on a vampire hive and head towards that location, but since we did an excellent job on the previous hunt, he decided not to mention anything. I took my phone out and sent a group text message to the team:
"DRINKS ARE ON THE CHURCH!!"
I could hear whooping from my team in the other room. The thought of what occurred in Arizona, with the vision of the painting, didn't cross my mind to mention because I didn't want Nickolas or the other priest to hear what happened to me. I know I will eventually have to tell someone, but I only have one thing in mind: Jack and Coke in a tall glass.
