Vampire
Hunter
Rammel
Hawking, Book
One
Victoria
Danann
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: 7th House
Date of Publication: January 18,
2016
ISBN:
ASIN:
Number of pages: 428
Word Count: 97k
Cover Artist: Victoria Danann
Book Description:
Ram’s book is partly My Familiar
Stranger retold from his unique point of view with chapter insights from other
significant characters. The story begins the first time he runs away to the New
Forest at age ten, follows his recruitment by Black Swan along with his
training to be a vampire hunter, and tells the story of the death of his first
partner.
Excerpt
Lan
(narrated by Ram’s first partner, Sir Lansdowne)
I had finished my
education and chosen to sign on with Black Swan. The ink wasn’t dry on the
paper before I was out the door. First assignment was Grunewald, the unit that
serviced Berlin. It was close enough by whister to patrol, but far enough away
to be secluded. The building was a renovation, or adaptation really, of an
eighteenth century grand house, set in the middle of a forest preserve that was
off limits to anyone not Black Swan.
Teachers are known
to go on every year about how you’d better get ready because the next year is
going to be so much harder. But it never is. It’s always the same thing. So
when I signed on to Black Swan for life and they told me it was about to get
real, I just smirked on the inside and thought, “Yeah. Yeah. I’ve heard it
before.”
He combined a grin
with a sly look that I’d come to think of as Ram’s trademark smile. “Spent a
lot of time alone as a kid. I suppose there was some pent-up party in me. Maybe
I’ve over-compensated. I would no’ want P.P. on my tombstone.”
Lan
(narrated by Ram’s first partner, Sir Lansdowne)
I had finished my
education and chosen to sign on with Black Swan. The ink wasn’t dry on the
paper before I was out the door. First assignment was Grunewald, the unit that
serviced Berlin. It was close enough by whister to patrol, but far enough away
to be secluded. The building was a renovation, or adaptation really, of an
eighteenth century grand house, set in the middle of a forest preserve that was
off limits to anyone not Black Swan.
I had seen a lot
of the world by then, but had never been to Berlin. I knew why we had a unit
there. Because wherever you find prevalent nightlife, you find active nests of
vampire. I didn’t have any personal experience with leeches at that time. But
you don’t have to experience a thing personally to believe people when they
tell you it’s nasty.
I had never heard
anything about vampire until six months ago. They trained our minds and bodies
to be precision instruments and occasionally said something vague about
protecting the innocent. But crap on a croissant. We had no idea we were
preparing to be the only barrier between humanity and monsters that turned out
to be real. Our story when we met civilian juvies was that we were in military
school. Hel. Close enough. Right?
Anyway, six months
ago they clued me in. There are vampire out there. I had two choices when I
turned eighteen. I could sign on as a vampire hunter or go home and keep my
mouth shut about everything I’d learned. I was told that, if I chose the first
option, I’d find that my training hadn’t even begun. I didn’t believe that. I
mean how much harder could it be? Really.
They said they
took the mouth shut part of option two very seriously. No threat was spelled
out, but it was certainly implied. I had six months to decide. So. Sure. I
thought about it. A lot.
The day before I
turned eighteen I still hadn’t decided. I returned to quarters around ten
o’clock, closed the door, switched on the light and nearly jumped out of my
skin.
My uncle was
sitting there in the dark waiting like some creeper from a film noir movie. He
laughed when I jumped.
“Right. Real
funny. What are you doing in this part of the world?”
His smile slowly
faded away. “Sit. I want to say something.”
Uncle Al wasn’t
the sort of guy you said no to. I sat in the chair closest to the sofa where
he’d parked his overbearing ass. He didn’t speak at first, just stared at me,
and I have to tell you it took every bit of the self-discipline I’d learned to
keep from squirming under that kind of scrutiny. But I knew it was some kind of
test. I was supposed to be patient and wait it out. So I did.
“You’re going to
be eighteen tomorrow.”
I smirked. “So I
hear.”
He nodded. “Are
you decided?”
I looked away.
“Honestly? No. I’ve been hoping for a sign.”
“A sign, huh?”
My uncle didn’t
seem to think that was a reliable approach to decision making.
“Well, I don’t
know what kind of sign you’re expecting. I thought I’d stop by. Won’t be here
tomorrow. So happy birthday.”
“Thanks.”
I stood when he
got up to leave. He turned toward the door, but turned back like he’d forgotten
something. I could almost see him mentally patting his pockets.
“Anything you want
to ask me?”
I wouldn’t have
thought so, but since he put it that way. There was something.
“I guess it’s
clear what choice you made. Any regrets?”
He grinned. It was
a thing so rare I couldn’t think if I’d ever seen him look pleased before.
“A good question
for a seventeen-year-old.”
“Almost eighteen.”
“Indeed.” He
nodded. “The answer is no. Not one. Hope that helps.”
I thought about it
for a second. “Would you feel the same way if you died tomorrow?”
His grin got even
bigger. “Definitely.”
With that he left
without looking back and, in fact, it did help. Immensely.
Teachers are known
to go on every year about how you’d better get ready because the next year is
going to be so much harder. But it never is. It’s always the same thing. So
when I signed on to Black Swan for life and they told me it was about to get
real, I just smirked on the inside and thought, “Yeah. Yeah. I’ve heard it
before.”
Looking back now I
could slap my little bratty self for acting like a punk. Even if I kept it on
the inside. For once the future of dread hadn’t been overstated. It had been
understated.
The next four
years were rigorous enough to make the first five look like a glide on a paddle
board over a smooth-as-glass lake. Naturally, once we understood that we were
going to be vampire hunters, and what that meant, we began to pay attention in
earnest. But here’s the bare truth of that. Nothin’ they can do or say can
truly prepare you for what it feels like the first time you are face to face
with a pale-eyed leech who wants to rip you apart with virus-dripping fangs.
My internship was
mostly served as backup to the Grunewald Unit knights. I went to Brazil for a
few months and did an awful rotation in Central America looking for Chupacabra.
Ew. Things give me willies when I think about them. Yeah. They’re even worse
than vampire.
I was always sent
back to Berlin though. Like it was home base. That was okay with me. There was
a lot of action and the Grunewald knights were good solid teachers. They taught
me about slaying vampire and they taught me about camaraderie.
Then, of course,
there were German girls. I mean, you’ve gotta love girls who have beer with
breakfast. Right?
It was a good
place to pay my dues and hone my skills.
Three years later,
I was told that I was being sent to Jefferson Unit. Rumor had it that I was
going to be a vampire slayer in New York, New York.
I wasn’t very
impressed when the jeep stopped in front of J.U. It was the farthest thing from
Grunewald Castle. A plain brick building with not a single window showing.
Looked more like a prison than a Black Swan facility.
Don’t get me
wrong. I don’t require frills to complete me. It was just an observation. I
stopped at the intercom.
“Knock. Knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Landsdowne.”
“Just a minute.”
I heard the buzzer
and pushed on the door. My first thought was that there was an awful lot of
activity for a place that looked so quiet on the outside. I hoisted my duffel
up higher on my shoulder and stopped a kid going by.
“Sovereign’s
office?”
“Down one level
and turn right.”
I nodded my thanks
and headed toward the elevators. The central area was impressive with its
three-story ceiling, modern gleam and polish. The place looked like a prison
from the front, but once inside it was open and light with a view to what
appeared to be a park on the other side of tall windows.
When the elevator
opened, I checked to make sure the down arrow was lit, stepped inside and
pushed S1. A couple of girls, well, young women I guess you’d say, got in after
me in workout clothes. One of them looked me over, taking in the duffel,
“Transferring in?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled. “I’m
Ellsbeth. I work in medical.” The elevator opened. When I realized they weren’t
getting off, I finally got the hint and exited. “See you around.”
The sovereign’s
office wasn’t hard to find. The reception area was glass to the hallway, but I
checked the plaque just to be sure. Sol Nemamiah, Sovereign.
There was a kid at
the desk, young enough to be a student. He looked up when I walked in and
dropped my duffel.
“Transfer from
Berlin,” I said.
“Go on in.” He
pointed to a closed door.
I opened the door,
hoping the instruction wasn’t a new-guy-hazing prank.
The first thing I
saw was a mess of blond hair. I knew he was an elf because he had some of that
hair tucked behind the ears. I guess he could have been fae, but I didn’t know
of any fae knights.
When he turned
around, I had three thoughts. That he was just about my age. That his eyes
sparkled with elf mischief. And that the only word to describe him was
beautiful.
Now don’t get me
wrong. I have a strong preference for the opposite sex and don’t usually think
about whether other guys are attractive or not. But this elf had it going and I
would have had to be blind to not notice.
I looked past him
to the man behind the desk. You could tell it was the Sovereign by the way his
jaw seemed permanently clenched. He pointed at the elf. “Rammel Aelshelm
Hawking, meet Basil Rathbone Landsdowne.”
The elf stuck out
his hand. I took it and shook. That’s when it registered. I laughed and blurted
out, “You’re P.P.”
“Excuse me?” he
said, with his brow knitting.
I looked at the
Sovereign and thought better of saying more. “I’ll explain. Later.”
“You two are
getting a try out as partners, attached to B Team, starting,” he looked at his
monitor, “Thursday. Mr. Hawking, Mr. Landsdowne’s quarters are next to yours.
Show him the way.”
“Aye,” said the
elf as he moved toward the outer office. He held the door open to the hall and
gestured toward the elevator. “Welcome to worm patrol.”
“Worm patrol?
Sounds like I should turn around and ask for reassignment.”
He laughed. “I’ve
been told that’s what they call rotation in the Big Apple.”
“Oh.”
Once inside he
pushed the third floor button and leaned back against the wall facing me. “So
what was the peepee thing?”
I grinned. “Not
peepee! P. P. Your reputation is widely known. Parties and pussy.”
He cocked his head
and gave a tiny smile. “’Tis what they say about me?”
“Yeah, man. It
could be worse. They could be sayin’ you’re a limp dick wanker who’s scared of
girls.”
He combined a grin
with a sly look that I’d come to think of as Ram’s trademark smile. “Spent a
lot of time alone as a kid. I suppose there was some pent-up party in me. Maybe
I’ve over-compensated. I would no’ want P.P. on my tombstone.”
Author Bio
New York Times and USA Today
bestselling author of eleven romances. Victoria's Knights of Black Swan series
won BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES TWO YEARS IN A ROW. Reviewers Choice Awards,
The Paranormal Romance Guild.
Her paranormal romances come with
uniquely fresh perspectives on "imaginary" creatures, characters, and
themes. She adds a dash of scifi, a flourish of fantasy, enough humor to make
you laugh out loud, and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. Her
heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they
are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, past life therapists. Her heroes
are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners.
**Usually.
Victoria lives in The Woodlands,
Texas with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.
Interview
Please welcome Vampire Hunter author Victoria Danann to Diane’s Book Blog.
What is your favorite part of VAMPIRE HUNTER,
Rammel Hawking?
I think my favorite
part of this book is the narrative by Ram’s belated former partner, excerpt
included herein.
If you were stranded on a desert island which
of your characters do you want by your side?
Rammel Hawking. He’s
not only resourceful, but he has the reputation among friends of taking the
party with him wherever he goes. Needless to say, he’s also the last word on
sexy.
What is your favorite book that you wrote?
Black Swan #3, A Summoner’s Tale. I’ve called this book
my masterpiece for several reasons. First, it was extremely complex and written
on a timeline with a lot of moving parts that had to come together in a
symphony of synchronicity. Second, I was able to use some of the graduate level
history I’d studied. Third, it was so emotional there were a couple of times
during the writing when I was crying so hard I couldn’t see the monitor screen.
What is your typical day
like?
Walk the dog. Discuss
business with my assistant, Sarah. Write, edit, or plan. Run errands. Dinner
and TV with spouse.
What do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or
ebooks?
I was a Kindle early
adopter. Had one long before Oprah ever heard of it. I used to take a backpack
on vacation with lots of bulky, heavy books. Now I take a device that weighs
less than a pound, is back lit, and holds hundreds of books.
Can you share a little of your current work with
us?
Lan
Teachers are known to go on every year
about how you’d better get ready because the next year is going to be so much
harder. But it never is. It’s always the same thing. So when I signed on to
Black Swan for life and they told me it was about to get real, I just smirked
on the inside and thought, “Yeah. Yeah. I’ve heard it before.”
Ram gave me a tour of the
facility. He was thorough when he was on a mission, left no corner unexplored.
He introduced me to more people than I could remember then took me back to the
Hub.
At that point, I thought he
was mostly bluff and bluster, but it turned out that he could have had a new
sexual experience every hour if he’d wanted. Girls did things trying to get his
attention that made me feel embarrassed for them. The notice he got for being
beautiful made it hard to be inconspicuous, which is what works best for
vampire hunters. He took to wearing a black knit hat that covered the ears and
most of that blondeness. Seemed like those two things combined were like catnip
to women. But you know what? After a couple of days I couldn’t even imagine
another partner. When Black Swan put us together, they must have used some kind
of magic. They knew what they were doing. We complemented each other’s
strengths and weaknesses. And it’s no small thing that he made things that
should have been drudgery or tedium seem like fun.
Lan
I had finished my education and chosen
to sign on with Black Swan. The ink wasn’t dry on the paper before I was out
the door. First assignment was Grunewald, the unit that serviced Berlin. It was
close enough by whister to patrol, but far enough away to be secluded. The
building was a renovation, or adaptation really, of an eighteenth century grand
house, set in the middle of a forest preserve that was off limits to anyone not
Black Swan.
I had seen a lot of the world by then,
but had never been to Berlin. I knew why we had a unit there. Because wherever
you find prevalent nightlife, you find active nests of vampire. I didn’t have
any personal experience with leeches at that time. But you don’t have to
experience a thing personally to believe people when they tell you it’s nasty.
I had never heard anything about vampire
until six months ago. They trained our minds and bodies to be precision
instruments and occasionally said something vague about protecting the
innocent. But crap on a croissant. We had no idea we were preparing to be the
only barrier between humanity and monsters that turned out to be real. Our
story when we met civilian juvies was that we were in military school. Hel.
Close enough. Right?
Anyway, six months ago they clued me in.
There are vampire out there. I had two choices when I turned eighteen. I could
sign on as a vampire hunter or go home and keep my mouth shut about everything
I’d learned. I was told that, if I chose the first option, I’d find that my
training hadn’t even begun. I didn’t believe that. I mean how much harder could
it be? Really.
They said they took the mouth shut part
of option two very seriously. No threat was spelled out, but it was certainly
implied. I had six months to decide. So. Sure. I thought about it. A lot.
The day before I turned eighteen I still
hadn’t decided. I returned to quarters around ten o’clock, closed the door,
switched on the light and nearly jumped out of my skin.
My uncle was sitting there in the dark
waiting like some creeper from a film noir movie. He laughed when I jumped.
“Right. Real funny. What are you doing
in this part of the world?”
His smile slowly faded away. “Sit. I
want to say something.”
Uncle Al wasn’t the sort of guy you said
no to. I sat in the chair closest to the sofa where he’d parked his overbearing
ass. He didn’t speak at first, just stared at me, and I have to tell you it
took every bit of the self-discipline I’d learned to keep from squirming under
that kind of scrutiny. But I knew it was some kind of test. I was supposed to
be patient and wait it out. So I did.
“You’re going to be eighteen tomorrow.”
I smirked. “So I hear.”
He nodded. “Are you decided?”
I looked away. “Honestly? No. I’ve been
hoping for a sign.”
“A sign, huh?”
My uncle didn’t seem to think that was a
reliable approach to decision making.
“Well, I don’t know what kind of sign
you’re expecting. I thought I’d stop by. Won’t be here tomorrow. So happy
birthday.”
“Thanks.”
I stood when he got up to leave. He
turned toward the door, but turned back like he’d forgotten something. I could
almost see him mentally patting his pockets.
“Anything you want to ask me?”
I wouldn’t have thought so, but since he
put it that way. There was something.
“I guess it’s clear what choice you
made. Any regrets?”
He grinned. It was a thing so rare I
couldn’t think if I’d ever seen him look pleased before.
“A good question for a
seventeen-year-old.”
“Almost eighteen.”
“Indeed.” He nodded. “The answer is no.
Not one. Hope that helps.”
I thought about it for a second. “Would
you feel the same way if you died tomorrow?”
His grin got even bigger. “Definitely.”
With that he left without looking back
and, in fact, it did help. Immensely.
Teachers are known to go on every year
about how you’d better get ready because the next year is going to be so much
harder. But it never is. It’s always the same thing. So when I signed on to
Black Swan for life and they told me it was about to get real, I just smirked
on the inside and thought, “Yeah. Yeah. I’ve heard it before.”
Looking back now I could slap my little
bratty self for acting like a punk. Even if I kept it on the inside. For once
the future of dread hadn’t been overstated. It had been understated.
The next four years were rigorous enough
to make the first five look like a glide on a paddle board over a
smooth-as-glass lake. Naturally, once we understood that we were going to be
vampire hunters, and what that meant, we began to pay attention in earnest. But
here’s the bare truth of that. Nothin’ they can do or say can truly prepare you
for what it feels like the first time you are face to face with a pale-eyed
leech who wants to rip you apart with virus-dripping fangs.
My internship was mostly served as
backup to the Grunewald Unit knights. I went to Brazil for a few months and did
an awful rotation in Central America looking for Chupacabra. Ew. Things give me
willies when I think about them. Yeah. They’re even worse than vampire.
I was always sent back to Berlin though.
Like it was home base. That was okay with me. There was a lot of action and the
Grunewald knights were good solid teachers. They taught me about slaying
vampire and they taught me about camaraderie.
Then, of course, there were German
girls. I mean, you’ve gotta love girls who have beer with breakfast. Right?
It was a good place to pay my dues and
hone my skills.
Three years later, I was told that I was
being sent to Jefferson Unit. Rumor had it that I was going to be a vampire
slayer in New York, New York.
I wasn’t very impressed when the jeep
stopped in front of J.U. It was the farthest thing from Grunewald Castle. A
plain brick building with not a single window showing. Looked more like a
prison than a Black Swan facility.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t require
frills to complete me. It was just an observation. I stopped at the intercom.
“Knock. Knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Landsdowne.”
“Just a minute.”
I heard the buzzer and pushed on the
door. My first thought was that there was an awful lot of activity for a place
that looked so quiet on the outside. I hoisted my duffel up higher on my
shoulder and stopped a kid going by.
“Sovereign’s office?”
“Down one level and turn right.”
I nodded my thanks and headed toward the
elevators. The central area was impressive with its three-story ceiling, modern
gleam and polish. The place looked like a prison from the front, but once
inside it was open and light with a view to what appeared to be a park on the
other side of tall windows.
When the elevator opened, I checked to
make sure the down arrow was lit, stepped inside and pushed S1. A couple of
girls, well, young women I guess you’d say, got in after me in workout clothes.
One of them looked me over, taking in the duffel, “Transferring in?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled. “I’m Ellsbeth. I work in
medical.” The elevator opened. When I realized they weren’t getting off, I
finally got the hint and exited. “See you around.”
The sovereign’s office wasn’t hard to
find. The reception area was glass to the hallway, but I checked the plaque
just to be sure. Sol Nemamiah, Sovereign.
There was a kid at the desk, young
enough to be a student. He looked up when I walked in and dropped my duffel.
“Transfer from Berlin,” I said.
“Go on in.” He pointed to a closed door.
I opened the door, hoping the
instruction wasn’t a new-guy-hazing prank.
The first thing I saw was a mess of
blond hair. I knew he was an elf because he had some of that hair tucked behind
the ears. I guess he could have been fae, but I didn’t know of any fae knights.
When he turned around, I had three
thoughts. That he was just about my age. That his eyes sparkled with elf
mischief. And that the only word to describe him was beautiful.
Now don’t get me wrong. I have a strong
preference for the opposite sex and don’t usually think about whether other
guys are attractive or not. But this elf had it going and I would have had to
be blind to not notice.
I looked past him to the man behind the
desk. You could tell it was the Sovereign by the way his jaw seemed permanently
clenched. He pointed at the elf. “Rammel Aelshelm Hawking, meet Basil Rathbone
Landsdowne.”
The elf stuck out his hand. I took it
and shook. That’s when it registered. I laughed and blurted out, “You’re P.P.”
“Excuse me?” he said, with his brow
knitting.
I looked at the Sovereign and thought
better of saying more. “I’ll explain. Later.”
“You two are getting a try out as
partners, attached to B Team, starting,” he looked at his monitor, “Thursday.
Mr. Hawking, Mr. Landsdowne’s quarters are next to yours. Show him the way.”
“Aye,” said the elf as he moved toward
the outer office. He held the door open to the hall and gestured toward the
elevator. “Welcome to worm patrol.”
“Worm patrol? Sounds like I should turn
around and ask for reassignment.”
He laughed. “I’ve been told that’s what
they call rotation in the Big Apple.”
“Oh.”
Once inside he pushed the third floor
button and leaned back against the wall facing me. “So what was the peepee
thing?”
I grinned. “Not peepee! P. P. Your
reputation is widely known. Parties and pussy.”
He cocked his head and gave a tiny
smile. “’Tis what they say about me?”
“Yeah, man. It could be worse. They
could be sayin’ you’re a limp dick wanker who’s scared of girls.”
He combined a grin with a sly look that
I’d come to think of as Ram’s trademark smile. “Spent a lot of time alone as a
kid. I suppose there was some pent-up party in me. Maybe I’ve over-compensated.
I would no’ want P.P. on my tombstone.”
The elevator car stopped and
the doors opened. He held his hand on the door seam while I hoisted my duffel
and stepped out. I walked next to him down the wide hallway. It was carpeted
with a rich red pattern, like a five-star hotel. The plus column features of
J.U. were definitely all on the inside.
“So,” he continued as we
walked, “your name is Basil Rathbone…”
“Landsdowne. My mother named
me after some famous swordsman.” I chuckled, looking down at the carpet. “Maybe
she set me up for this gig. You think?”
“Could be. I met a guy named
Rathbone when I was thirteen. He recruited me. Big fella. No’ quite a giant,
but really big.”
“Yeah. That was my uncle.
He’s not that big. Matter of fact
he’s just about the same size as you and me.”
“No shit?” he asked. I
nodded. “I guess things looked bigger when I’d just turned thirteen.” He
stopped in front of a door with my name on the plaque. “This is you. That’s me one
door down,” he said as he pointed down the hallway.
“Okay.” I waved my new ID in
front of the sensor and heard the internal click.
“Dump your stuff and I’ll
show you ‘round.”
“Sure. Give me five.” The
place was a lot bigger and nicer than I expected. In fact, it was a step up. I
could stand being called “worm patrol” if all the perks were like that.
I followed the elf’s
suggestion, dumped my duffel, looked around and walked back out. He was leaning
against the wall facing my door looking at his fingernails. He seemed to read
my thoughts when he said, “’Twas exactly my reaction when I was moved up here a
day ago. ‘Tis the big leagues. Compensation for risk I guess. If we pass
probation, we’re goin’ to be knights.”
I let that sink in.
“Knights,” I repeated.
I’ve been lookin’ at that
plaque on your door. “What do you go by?”
“Basil.”
“Noooooo.” He drew the word
out, shaking his head. “That will never do. Try it on for size. ‘Hold the
fucker at bay, Basil.’ ‘Basil, jump back. He’s goin’ for your dick!’” I had to
laugh. It looked like I’d scored a partner who was entertaining. “See? It just
will no’ do.”
“So you want to rename me?
What do you suggest?”
“Shorten your limey last
name. Lan. I like the sound of it. Girls will, too.”
“Oh, yeah? What do you go
by?”
He smiled. “Ram.”
I nodded, somehow knowing
that it suited him perfectly. “No promises but I’ll try it out for a couple of
days.” Walking out of the elevator into the Hub, I said, “Have you met the guys
we’re paired with?”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t elaborate. So I
decided to save the interrogation for later.
Ram gave me a tour of the
facility. He was thorough when he was on a mission, left no corner unexplored.
He introduced me to more people than I could remember then took me back to the
Hub.
Opening his arms as if he
was embracing the space, he said, “The perfect end to the comprehensive tour.
The lounge. Off limits to students. What’ll you have?” he asked, sitting down
at a table near the double-sided fireplace and gesturing at the bar attendant
at the same time.
“What do you suggest?”
Ram grinned. “Keep it
simple. Irish whiskey.”
“Oh, no,” I said, shaking my
head. “I haven’t eaten in a day. No alcohol on my empty stomach.”
“Great Paddy, man! What kind
of a shit host am I?!?”
“Well…”
“Let’s get you some food. What
do you…? Hold on. Let me guess.” He tapped his fingers and jiggled his right
knee, his brows knitted like he was trying to divine my food preferences. “I’m
guessin’ you’re a French dip man.”
It wasn’t something I would
have thought of, but once he said it out loud, I couldn’t imagine wanting
anything else.
“Yeah.” I grinned. “That
actually sounds great.”
“With tomato soup.”
“Okay.”
The bar attendant arrived.
“I’ll have my usual. My friend, Lan here, will have a cup of tomato soup,
Caesar salad, and a French dip. Do no’ dawdle and do no’ be stingy with the
beef. The lad is hungry and very likely still growin’.”
I had my doubts that I was
still growing, but I had no doubt that I’d been partnered with a force of
nature. But that was okay because he gave every indication of being a force of
good nature. It was too soon to judge, but I was already feeling like, when it
came to partners, I could have done a lot worse. Only time would tell, but I
might have won the lottery. And I might just survive Black Swan, with a guy
like him at my side.
“So take your mind off your
empty belly by tellin’ me about yourself. For starters you sound American. You
from here?”
“Born in Santa Clara. You
know where that is?”
“Everybody in Black Swan
knows where that is. Crawlin’ with vampire. Where did you do secondary school?”
“San Francisco. You?”
“Berlin.”
“I did my internship there!
Must have just missed each other. Es ist eine seltsame Welt.”
“Aye. ‘Tis a strange world.”
“How do you like it here so
far?”
“Think we might have landed
on our feet.”
“Yeah. Seems alright. So
far.” The attendant set a whiskey down in front of Ram and put a water down for
me. “So. About the other two assigned to B Team?”
Ram shook his head. “Met ‘em
briefly. My first impression is that they come with sticks up their asses.
Sittin’ up just a little too straight if you ask me. One of them is a
berserker.”
“No way! I thought they were
all gone. Stuff of legends and all that.”
Ram was shaking his head.
“He’s real and big as life. And I mean big!
I guess you’ll meet them soon enough if they’re sendin’ us out startin’ day
after tomorrow.”
“Kinda hard to believe.
Goin’ out unsupervised, I mean.”
“I hear you. But we have a
day to fatten you up for the leeches and maybe get laid a few times.”
I spluttered into my water.
“A few times?”
At that point, I thought he
was mostly bluff and bluster, but it turned out that he could have had a new
sexual experience every hour if he’d wanted. Girls did things trying to get his
attention that made me feel embarrassed for them. The notice he got for being
beautiful made it hard to be inconspicuous, which is what works best for
vampire hunters. He took to wearing a black knit hat that covered the ears and
most of that blondeness. Seemed like those two things combined were like catnip
to women. But you know what? After a couple of days I couldn’t even imagine
another partner. When Black Swan put us together, they must have used some kind
of magic. They knew what they were doing. We complemented each other’s
strengths and weaknesses. And it’s no small thing that he made things that
should have been drudgery or tedium seem like fun.
We needed that
counterbalance because there was plenty about our lives that was not fun.
It turned out that Ram was
kind of right about the other partnership that made up B Team. Storm and Kay
were straight arrow types, but I didn’t object to that. Straight arrows are
predictable. Well, I mean, so long as they don’t let their berserker out.
Certainly everybody can’t be
Mr. Party like Ram. Sometimes a situation calls for a serious attitude. Vampire
hunting is one of those situations. The most serious one of us, Storm, was the
one we started listening to, like our lives depended on it. And I guess they
did.
Ram was technically the most
senior member of B Team because he’d arrived a couple of hours ahead of them,
but it wasn’t a distinction he cared about. He seemed more interested in
getting the job done and staying alive than being in charge. So I had no
problem with his priorities.
Kay got stuck with the
nickname Ram gave him, just like I did. Not that I’m complaining. I wore the
name “Lan” like I’d never been called anything else and the fucker might have
even been right about guessing that girls would like it better than Basil.
Yeah. Storm and Kay were
good guys that I learned to love and they did their share of snatching my hiney
from the jaws of death.
Until they didn’t.
When probation was over, the
four of us went through the knighthood ritual together. The hardest thing I
ever did was to get through the ceremony without laughing. Every time Ram
caught my eye he’d give me a look that made me want to double over in giggles.
So much for decorum and solemn occasions that call for reverent behavior.
I remember how much pride I
felt the first night on rotation as a fully fledged knight of Black Swan. I
think my chest swelled to twice its normal size when someone called me Sir
Landsdowne. It’s a fine thing to be a titled part of such an old and honorable
organization, but guys who do what we did need sweet perquisites. ‘Cause
nothin’ about it was easy.
Three nights a week we’d
report to the roof Whisterport and catch a ride to Manhattan, which was
infested with vampire like maggots on a carcass. They were so thick it was hard
for me to understand how people could be oblivious. It’s amazing that human
minds allow people to see only what they believe in and ignore everything else.
Even though the four of us
learned to work together almost telepathically, like part of a single machine,
morale was slipping. None of us wanted to be the one to say it. So we kept
quiet. But Black Swan was losing the war against vampire and we all knew it.
Sometimes I wondered why
they didn’t send more knights to Jefferson Unit. I guessed it was that
everybody was having a problem with escalation. I could guess all I wanted.
Decisions about such things were way above my pay grade.
I just knew that any night
that ended with us waiting for the cleanup crew to come dispose of a corpse or
two felt like a victory. You might think that’s kind of a sick way to live.
After all, you could spin it that the leech had once been human and was turned
through no fault of his own. But it was just fucking impossible to feel sorry
for vampire.
Sometimes we waited for
cleanup over what was left of the body of a woman. Those were the nights that
were really depressing. The remains had to be disposed of without notifying
anyone, which meant there would be no graves or memorial services and their
families and friends would simply never know what became of them, would maybe
even hold out hope that they’d come back. I used to think that, in a sense,
that was more merciful for them than knowing the truth, but still, it’d be
hard.
It started to seem like for
every one we took out, two more took his place. The population of young men was
being thinned by being infected by the virus. The population of young women was
being thinned by being killed by vampire.
People were afraid. The
smart ones were trying to leave New York like refugees. People with families
tried to keep their kids on lockdown at night. But those at greatest risk were
also the most reckless and least likely to believe something bad might happen
to them.
As for the job of trying to
give young humans a chance to live long enough to gain some wisdom, well, at
the time I would have said it bites. We’d chase down vampire only to have them
vanish. Poof. Like magic. We couldn’t find where they were hiding and it was
becoming increasingly frustrating.
Let me tell you, it’s not
easy to maintain a state of alert vigilance for hours at a time, every muscle
tense, every synapse firing, unless there’s an apparent reason for it.
Victories weren’t nearly plentiful enough to keep us at a safe state of
readiness. I know that sounds like excuse-making, but the only way we could get
a break was to divide the team, trying to stay close enough to provide backup
for each other without making it apparent that we were together. Ram and I had
perfected the art of splitting up. Or so we thought. We got to be good at looking
like we were alone, while never losing sight of each other. For one thing, we’d
usually be on different sides of the street.
At six feet tall, Rammel was
the smallest of us, but he was also very quick. And very lethal.
Three times he risked
himself by pulling a leech off one of us a second before we were on the way to
Palesville. Twice more he interrupted an abduction in progress and sent young
ladies home to rethink being out at night. Every time Storm wrote him up in a
report that resulted in some honor or another, but Ram always declined formal
decoration.
It was strange that somebody
so charismatic shied away from notoriety, but I knew he had his reasons.
It makes me laugh to myself
to say it, but his heroics were the one and only
thing he was humble about. The thing is, he had plenty of reason to think he
was all that. I never told him,
because his ego certainly didn’t need inflating, but I couldn’t imagine a
better friend and I was so proud to
be his partner.
I wish I’d said that when I
could have.
Giveaway
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