\u201cSee, I told you it stinks,\u201d Vicky muttered as the team made their way down an alley, clinging to the shadows, hoping to ferret out a Vampire who might be willing to talk. Though most were not willing to work with \u201cthe enemy\u201d occasionally they\u2019d find one who was willing to provide information for the promise of safety.
\u201cSmells like flowers to me,\u201d Edmund, a Guardian who was born and raised in London and was fairly new to the team remarked, flashing his charming British smile at her.
\u201cNah, that\u2019s just me you\u2019re smelling,\u201d Vicky replied with that delightful grin, and Aaron felt the muscles in his stomach tighten.
\u201cLet\u2019s just focus on the task at hand and put the odors out of our minds, shall we?\u201d he asked, though the rest of the team would take it as an order. Technically, he was only in charge because Ward had given him the file, and he took it upon himself to organize the exploration, but it seemed that more often than not, if Aaron was out in the field and Ward wasn\u2019t, the teammates looked to him for direction. Sometimes, even when Ward was present, he found himself giving instructions, which were quickly followed.
\u201cThere\u2019s movement up there,\u201d the fourth member of their team, Frank, an older Hunter with a thick cockney accent, pointed out. \u201cI got butterflies.\u201d
\u201cMe, too,\u201d Edmund agreed, which was an indication that they may have stumbled upon a Vampire in their first try, but when the noisemaker emerged from the shadows, it was only a stray cat.
\u201cPerhaps it is a feline Vampire?\u201d Vicky offered.
\u201cThere is something nearby,\u201d Aaron said, though he wasn\u2019t certain where the feeling was coming from either. Not only did he have the same nervous sensation in his stomach that his teammates described, he could sense fear. Wherever the Vampire was, he knew they were there, and knew what they were.
He had discovered his special talent a few years after he first started training with Ward.
At first, he thought he had none, but as his Guardian skills began to increase, so did his ability to sense the emotions of others. Though he wasn\u2019t sure how it worked or even how to describe it, he somehow knew when others were fearful, happy, sad, or in some cases, lustful.
The team continued on, traipsing their way through narrow alleys and down broad streets. Though they were dressed all in black, there was nothing particularly unusual about them, and the humans they passed paid them no mind.
It wasn\u2019t until after they split up that he and Vicky made a discovery between two apartment buildings. \u201cA Vampire\u2019s been here recently,\u201d she said. \u201cI can smell it.\u201d Her special talent, a particularly sensitive nose, allowed her to pick up on the scent of their enemy, though she had to be in fairly close proximity.
\u201cAre you sure that\u2019s not just Stinkytown?\u201d he asked, teasing. He could sense it, too. It was the same Vampire as earlier, and as they closed in, the fear intensified.
\u201cThere\u2014up ahead in the corner,\u201d Vicky whispered without moving.
Aaron saw it too, the shadow of a man hunkered against the wall, trying to crouch in the darkness.
From here, the alley appeared to dead end into another building, but they couldn\u2019t be sure there wasn\u2019t another narrow passage that led off to the side; nor could they be certain he wouldn\u2019t attempt to break through one of the glass windows of an apartment building. Before he even took a step forward, Aaron raised his hands so that the Vampire could see he had no weapons. \u201cWe just want to talk to you,\u201d he called, his voice clear but not overly loud.
The form didn\u2019t move, and for a moment, Aaron thought they may have a chase on their hands, but a few seconds later, the man unfolded himself and began to cautiously move forward.
\u201cI didn\u2019t do nothin\u2019,\u201d he shouted as he stepped out into the middle of the alley, his hands in his trouser pockets.
\u201cI believe you,\u201d Aaron calmly replied, taking only two steps forward, Vicky behind him. He didn\u2019t actually believe the Vampire was innocent; after all, why make such a statement if it were true? Nevertheless, he did not believe this was the person responsible for the recent deaths in the area that had made the newspapers. \u201cWe are just looking for information.\u201d
\u201c\u2019Bout what?\u201d he called, his left foot twitching as if he might turn and run at any second.
Aaron and Vicky took two more cautious steps forward. There was still a good twenty feet between them. \u201cAbout the murder last week, the one where the lady had her throat cut.\u201d
\u201cShe weren\u2019t no innocent,\u201d came the reply, the left foot still twitching. He wore a long jacket and a cap, and with the sporadic movement, the hat jiggled on his head. \u201cShe was a streetwalker.\u201d
\u201cWe know that,\u201d Aaron nodded, two steps closer. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re just looking for information. Do you happen to know if it\u2019s even our concern?\u201d
The man clearly understood his meaning\u2014was it a Vampire who was responsible or a human? There was a lengthy pause, and eventually he said, \u201cYeah.\u201d
Aaron felt Vicky\u2019s hand on his arm, her way of hiding her excitement that they\u2019d gotten an answer to a very important question. \u201cWhat about the first two?\u201d he asked, still keeping his distance. They could hear each other easily now without shouting.
\u201cYou mean the one last spring with the pipe? Nah. We don\u2019t work that way. You know that.\u201d
\u201cDidn\u2019t think so,\u201d he replied. \u201cAnd the stabbing victim? Early August?\u201d
\u201cNah, I dunno,\u201d he shrugged.
Aaron filed that information away. If that one was a Vampire, it wasn\u2019t the same fellow who was responsible for the death last week. \u201cYou know him?\u2019
\u201cNah. Not yet. But I will. We all will.\u201d
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d Vicky asked, no longer able to stay silent.
The Vampire startled at the sound of her voice, and Aaron put his hand up to still her.
\u201cI dunno,\u201d he shrugged again. \u201cI gotta go.\u201d
\u201cNo, wait,\u201d Aaron said, hoping he would give just a bit more clarification. \u201cWho is he?\u201d
\u201cWho is he?\u201d the man echoed. Then, he broke into maniacal laughter which bounced off the sides of the brick building around them, filling the space with the sounds of insanity. \u201cI\u2019ll tell you who he is. He\u2019s the Ripper.\u201d
With that, the man turned and bounded down the alley, disappearing somewhere in the shadows near the end where the other building stood guard.
\u201cThe Ripper?\u201d Vicky repeated. \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he admitted, \u201cand I\u2019m not sure I want to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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