Hunter: Eclipse

Chapter 23

Checking out of the hotel, I ignored the looks from the staff and concierge. My eyes were red and puffy and keeping my head held high, I walked out of there like everything was completely fine; like I couldn't feel their stares or hear their not so subtle whispers. I carried my bag around the corner and down into a dark alleyway where it suddenly disappeared, my clothes changed and I prayed I managed to make myself look much more presentable before locating Meghan.

She said nothing as I appeared, too focused at the building at the base of the hill she and a few others had spaced themselves out along. I thought I saw someone on the roof, but couldn't find any sign of them as I kept watching. Everything felt unnaturally dark, and looking up there were no stars or moon in the sky. A light breeze brushed by us and the only light was a dull orange glow coming from inside. We were out of the city, there were no streetlights or other buildings around. If there was, I couldn't see them.

Just as I was about to talk, the lights of two suv lit up the side of the building as they came from seemingly nowhere from the other side. Colourful graffiti covered the metal walls. Abandoned tires sat in a pyramid by the door that opened with a loud screech, of metal on metal. The two cars drove in with a third soon arriving that positioned itself to block the doorway. Vampires were soon swarming like ants, large heavy duty rifles kept close and I didn't doubt they weren't loaded. The skin on the back of my neck prickled, and four more vampires came out to join them only they had no weapons that we could see. We both held our breath as they looked our way, their voices too far and quiet for us to hear what they were saying. Two walked off further down the side, one staying by the corner as the other disappeared and another two came out and did the same on the other side.

"They're patrol is weak and too late. We are already here," Meghan whispered to me, shaking her head slightly.

"Those guns look impressive though," I tell her.

She snorts. "Perhaps, but don't think the people holding them are. My guess, vampires."

"You're right. It's all I can sense coming from down there."

We shuffled a little further down and I followed her lead as we stopped by some small shrubs. It became the perfect cover as a white van and a tow truck turned up. The sound of an owl sounded from somewhere behind us, and Meghan let out a small sigh as the five cloaked figures went inside with two rather large vampire guards.

"Nessa has seen the stones," She tells me.

Another call.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"Just confirming they're there."

The figure on the roof reappears long enough for me to know I wasn't imagining it this time. Was that Nessa? The woman does a series of hand gestures to the left of us and then goes back into the darkness again.

"Watch this," Meghan nudges me and we peer out from behind the bush.

The wind picks up once more, stronger now so that the leaves rustle around us and loose bits of rubbish below are pushed away from their resting places from the force of it. The stampede of litter rushes by one of the vampires who watches it with more interest than I would have done, and kicks a can as it goes by. They all stop to look at him with the sudden noise making most of them jump and he simply shrugs, right before a shadow slips by and all that remains are their guns which are piled up on the hood of one of the cars.

The wind stops.

Two Valkyrie now stand by the gun pile, while another slips around all the cars and checks inside them before giving the all clear. Disarmed, they abandon the weapons just as a scream sounds from inside.