Vampire Hunters: Vampire Hunters, #1

By Trudie Collins

Vampires really do exist. 

Craig is a vampire hunter. He risks his life regularly in order to keep humans safe.

JD is his trainer. He is a hard task master, but his training keeps his students alive and has turned them into the best hunting team in the area.

Sarah is Craig's best friend who, until now, is oblivious to his nocturnal activities. When Craig tells her the truth about himself, she wants to know more. When JD agrees to train her, little does he knew how much she will affect his life and disrupt the lives of everyone living at Sanctuary 14.

As she learns the fighting skills she will need if she is to survive a hunt, she also finds out more about vampires, the hunter society and how to keep her two worlds separate.

When one of the team is bitten, they know becoming a vampire is inevitable. It is a hunter's sworn duty to kill all vampires, but how can they kill one of their own?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trudie Collins
• Release date: Jan 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386134251

Book preview

DEDICATION

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This book is dedicated to Master Luke and the Nepean Wolves, for teaching me how to use a sword

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Thank you to Pete, Julie, Wendy, Terry and Tony for their feedback

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And also to Sensei Bob and Sensei David for teaching me about Bo and other weapons

Women hate being lied to

Breathe Sarah

I want you to train me

I’m going to enjoy bringing her into line

Just try not to break anything

You cheated

Uncle craig

Take a two week break

So you are scared of me are you

You really don’t want to do this

She’s in no condition to train today

Screw training

He doesn’t control your life you know

I have a proposition for you

Do you trust me

You’re playing with fire

Is she ready?

First blood

Didn’t you teach her rule 9

I’ll make damn sure I can

Does this mean you will let me off punishments

Simon you’re dead

I killed someone today

I don’t need his permission

I’m thirsty

Kill him and I will kill you

What the hell do you think you are doing

Can vampires father children

I enjoy the killing too much

I would not like to be in your shoes later

Your girlfriend is on a hot date with another man

Kirren killed himself this morning

Are all trainers evil

You need to keep away from me

JD invited me into his bed last night

The Sanctuary is under attack

Please don’t ask me to do this

You have no hope of surviving this

Craig’s dead christina

We have some vampires to kill

Women hate being lied to

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Craig sat down tenderly, wincing as he did so. His ribs were taking longer to heal than he had expected. He would have to speak to Doc if he was around later, just to make sure there was nothing wrong. Thankfully he hadn’t broken any, but they still hurt like hell.

Jonathon, seeing that his friend was in pain, smiled. Isn’t today the usual day of the week for your hot lunch date? he teased. What are you going to tell her this time? Injured yourself doing extreme martial arts again?

Craig sighed. No matter how many times they had this conversation, Jonathon still did not believe him. It’s not a ‘hot lunch date’. Sarah is just a friend.

You’ve been dating for a long while now. How come she’s still not classed as your girlfriend?

Why would he not let this drop, especially today? Do we really have to go through this again?

Obviously, Scott said.

Ignoring the food in front of him, Craig resigned himself to explaining his relationship with Sarah yet again. Firstly, she’s not my type. Yes, before you say anything Jonathon, unlike you, most men do have a type.

Hey, I have a type, he protested.

Only sleeping with women with large breasts is not a type, Katie said. It’s an obsession.

Secondly, Craig continued loudly before an argument could break out, the first time I met her she was introduced as Alex’s girlfriend and to me that is who she will always be. The fact he died is irrelevant.

So that explains why you allegedly don’t have feelings for her, Simon said. But why does she not want to take your friendship to the next level?

That’s easy, she knows him.

Jonathon, Katie scolded.

As I have explained time and time again, Craig said in exasperation at having to keep repeating himself. Sarah is still in love with Alex.

Didn’t he die over a year ago? Katie asked.

At least one of you listens when I talk.

Oh we all listen, we just don’t believe you, Jonathon said.

Craig looked around the table at his friends. They lived together, ate together, trained together and hunted together and had done for years. They were more like family to him than just friends and yet he still had no idea how they were going to react to his announcement.

As usual, JD, Jonathon’s older brother, was the only one not taking part in the conversation, though he was listening closely. It was JD that Craig was watching when he spoke his next sentence.

In answer to your earlier question, Jonathon, I intend to tell Sarah the truth.

JD showed no reaction, other than to look over at Craig, his eyes assessing him as if trying to gauge if he was being serious or not. What do you mean by ‘the truth’? he asked.

I intend to tell her everything. About me, about us, about what we do. Still JD did not react. I’ve already received permission from Doc, Craig continued. I just need the okay from you guys. Technically, he didn’t. If Doc had said he could tell Sarah, then that was all he really needed, but it was an unwritten law of Sanctuary 14 that nobody did anything that might adversely affect the others without getting their approval first.

Craig turned to Katie. Of all those present, he was relying on her to back him up. Well? What are you thinking?

I thought you liked this girl, she said. Tell her the truth and she will never speak to you again. Great. That was just what he did not want to hear.

JD chose that moment to check his watch. I need to leave. I have to be in court at nine thirty. Dressed in a dark grey suit with his almost black hair neatly trimmed, he looked exactly what he was; a ruthless lawyer who won more cases than he lost. He stood up and walked over to the door, pausing before exiting. Craig. Craig raised his head in anticipation. You’re doing the right thing. Women hate being lied to.

How do you know anything about women? his brother asked.

I work in a law firm, he said, as though that explained everything. Speaking of women, if the trial finishes today I probably won’t make it home tonight so I’m leaving Craig in charge of the 5am training session. Groans reverberated around the room. They had been hoping for a morning off if JD wasn’t going to be present, but Craig would obey his orders.

Craig breathed a sigh of relief. If JD had given his approval, the others would sooner or later.

So back to your girlfriend, Jonathon said once JD had left. Craig rolled his eyes.

————————————-∞————————————-

Craig was shaking when he walked into the café. Sarah had already arrived and was studying the menu. She smiled up at him as he approached, but the smile soon vanished when she saw the pain he was in when he sat down.

Another injury? I think someone needs to have words with your Sensei.

He took a deep breath. It was now or never. I have something to tell you.

This sounds serious.

It is. I’ve been lying to you. I don’t do extreme martial arts. I never have. And I don’t live alone in an apartment in Church street, which is why I have never taken you there.

He looked across at her. She was staring at him, her face unreadable. He held her gaze as he continued. I live with a group of friends, people I grew up with, and my injuries are caused by hunting vampires.

She continued to stare at him, not moving, not blinking, hardly even breathing. She didn’t notice when the waitress arrived and he ordered for both of them. They had dined there together so often he knew what she would have. Why she had been reading the menu when he arrived he had no idea as she always ordered the same thing.

It felt like hours passed and still she didn’t say anything; she just continued to stare at him.

Eventually she spoke. Go on.

He then told her everything, becoming more and more animated as he went along.

The place I live in is called Sanctuary 14. There are Sanctuaries all over the world, especially near the bigger cities, and each houses its own team of vampire hunters. Ours is run by doctor Frank Duggan and his wife, Silvia. We just call him Doc, basically because he actually is a doctor. A surgeon to be precise. The whole back wing of the house is a fully equipped medical facility.

Food arrived, but neither felt like eating as Craig continued. Sarah was glued to every word he was saying.

Their son, Scott, is the youngest member of our team. He’s only twenty one and is still at uni. Our leader is JD. He’s a lawyer. At twenty eight, he’s the oldest of us hunters, but that isn’t the reason we class him as our leader. He’s also our trainer so we have to obey his orders. That just leaves Jonathon, JD’s younger brother, who is an accountant, Simon who does some sort of biochemical research and Katie, who is a vet. Except for Doc and his family, we all grew up together so it made sense to send us to the same Sanctuary.

And you hunt vampires? Sarah asked when Craig finally stopped talking.

Yes. Mostly in the evenings. Sanctuary 7 has some way of monitoring vampire activity and they notify the nearest hunting team whenever they pick anything up. Vampires can go out during the day, but usually they hunt at night as it’s easier for them to attack their prey unnoticed by the general public.

So tell me about vampires. They really exist? She sounded sceptical, but wasn’t calling him a liar. At least not yet.

Yes, they really exist. No, sunlight does not kill them. Nor does garlic or holy water. No, they can’t fly and they definitely do not turn into bats. No, they are not immortal; they age just like we do. Just about the only thing fiction has right is that they drink blood. They are not horrible monsters. They eat and drink like normal humans, other than also needing blood, of course. They look just the same as you and me and go about their normal lives, the same as they did before they were turned.

Turned? Sarah asked. She was picking at her food, moving it about the plate, but not actually eating it. Craig could understand why.

When a vampire bites you, he or she can just drink your blood or they can choose to inject their venom into you. That is how they create new vampires.

So a vampire can drink some of your blood, but leave you alive and still human? Her voice was filled with doubt. It wasn’t going as well as he had hoped, but it could have been going a lot worse, so he continued.

Yes. Some vampires keep humans captive just so they have a constant blood supply handy.

So why do you kill them?

It was a good question, when you took into account all she had been told so far, and he hoped he would be able to make her understand. Some behave as I have just described, often kidnapping innocent people and feeding off them whenever they get thirsty, but most kill, choosing a victim almost at random and drinking so much of their blood that they can’t survive.

And you are a hunter? A killer? A murderer?

It was at this point in the conversation that Craig began to doubt that he was doing the right thing by telling Sarah the truth. That’s not how I would put it, but yes.

How many have you killed?

We don’t keep count, but to give you an idea, the local teams kill hundreds rather than dozens each year.

Sarah gave up pretending to try to eat and put her fork down. So if sunlight, garlic and holy water have been ruled out, how do you kill a vampire? Stake through the heart?

Not exactly. You can severely wound one the same as you can a human. They are alive so stop their heart beating and they’re almost as good as dead. But only almost. They heal very quickly so the only way to make sure they stay dead is to cut their heads off.

Cut. Their. Heads. Off. Sarah pronounced each word as though it was a sentence. How exactly do you do that?

With swords.

Swords? Craig could hear the doubt in her voice becoming stronger. What sort?

You’re taking Korean sword lessons. Our swords are like those, except much much sharper. They’re a little heavier and are properly balanced.

Swords? she said again as though she was having trouble taking it all in. You don’t use guns?

Craig shook his head. No. For some reason they don’t stay dead for very long when they get shot. They heal so fast their hearts start beating again after just a few minutes if you shoot them whereas a sword through the heart can keep them dead for a few hours. Long enough to decapitate them.

Alright, let’s assume, just for one moment, that I actually believe you. Why are you telling me this now?

Craig sighed. Despite her words, she didn’t believe him. I was sick to death of lying to you, so I asked permission from everyone at the Sanctuary to tell you the truth and, surprisingly, they gave it.

He watched her carefully as she drank some of her water. She would not meet his eye. After a few minutes of silence he could take it no longer. Tell me what you’re thinking. Please.

Did Alex know? It was the question he had been expecting.

No. He had no idea. I had to lie to him too. If I had said anything to him, he would have told you. He always told you everything.

Again Sarah went quiet for a while. Then she slowly raised her head and looked at him. So when do I meet your friends?

Breathe Sarah

So how did it go? Katie asked as they all sat down to dinner that evening. Does she think you’re insane?

Not exactly.

What does that mean? Jonathon asked. Did you chicken out of telling her?

Of course not, Craig replied. He was more nervous about telling everyone about Sarah’s request than he had been about telling Sarah the truth. He placed his hands on the table when he noticed they were shaking. She wants to come here and meet you all.

Everybody stopped what they were doing and stared at him, some with forks half way to their mouths. Even Silvia and Doc seemed surprised by his comment.

Could you please say that again, JD said.

Craig took a deep breath. This conversation was going to be difficult. She has requested that I ask permission to bring her here.

We never bring our dates here, Scott said. You know the rules.

She’s not my ‘date’.

Everyone started to speak at once, but Doc silenced them. Alright. Let’s discuss this. Firstly, can she be trusted?

Would I have told her about all of us if she couldn’t? It was a good point and nobody questioned the statement. I trust her with my life.

But do you trust her with ours? JD asked.

Yes, Craig replied without hesitation.

Why does she want to come here? Simon asked.

She’s an important part of my life and you are my family. It makes sense that she would want to meet you.

Then let us meet her somewhere else, Scott said. Anywhere but here.

Craig shook his head. That’s not what she wants.

And does she always get what she wants? Jonathon asked.

Craig ignored the question. She takes Korean sword lessons and is very interested in weapons. She’s particularly excited about seeing the arena. He looked at JD as he spoke. The arena was his domain and nobody entered it without his permission.

As usual he showed no reaction when he responded. You will not use our training arena as a way of getting a girl into bed. Craig noticed that he said ‘our’ training arena not ‘my’. He was giving the others a chance to voice their opinions.

Craig remained calm. As I have stated many times, she’s not my girlfriend and I have no interest in getting her into bed.

This means a lot to you, doesn’t it? Craig stayed focused on JD as he nodded his head.

I have no objections, Katie said. It will be nice to have some female company here.

Craig forced his focus away from JD and looked around the table. One by one they all nodded their agreement. Doc? he asked. If Doc said no, nobody else’s views would matter. He ran the Sanctuary so his permission was essential.

Alright, but make it this Saturday. I will be working in the evening so it’s unlikely you’ll be called out on a hunt.

Craig breathed a silent sigh of relief. One down, one to go. He had permission to bring Sarah to his home, but he still needed the okay to show her the arena.

JD said nothing, waiting until he was sure that Craig’s attention was solely on him. Don’t make me regret this, was all he said.

Thank you, Craig said. Everyone. One last thing. Jonathon, I don’t want you here.

Why not? he asked.

You know why. Find yourself a girl for the night. I’m sure it won’t be too hard.

Jonathon grinned at him. I’ll have to meet her eventually.

I know, but later rather than sooner is preferable.

————————————-∞————————————-

Sarah was nervous as Craig drove her closer and closer to his home. On the way he had told her more about the people she was about to meet. She understood that he thought of them as family rather than friends, making this an even bigger occasion than she had first imagined.

You will like them all, I promise, Craig said. JD takes a little getting used to, but everyone will make you feel welcome. They’ll all be there, except for Jonathon. I’ve asked him to keep away.

Why?

He’s a player. He goes through women like water. Trust me, it’s best to get to know the rest before experiencing him.

Sarah was intrigued. It sounds like you plan on this not being my only visit.

I certainly hope it isn’t.

A short while later Craig pulled off the main road and followed a wide drive up to a set of gates. Pulling over in front of them, he entered a code into the keypad and they swung open.

Welcome to my home, he said as he drove past the house and around the back to the garage.

Just how many cars can you store here? Sarah asked, noting the number of doors in front of the car.

Lots. Craig pressed a button on his keyring and one of the doors opened. As he slowly drove in, Sarah looked around her at the collection of cars already in the garage.

Craig switched off the ignition and opened the door. Before leaving the garage, he pointed out the other vehicles. Katie drives the Mazda, Scott the Ford. Simon has the BMW, Silvia’s is the little Fiat, Doc has the Range Rover and the Merc is JD’s. The only one missing is Jonathon’s Ferrari.

Ferrari?

He likes to show off. There were two non-descript cars at the far end of the garage. From that distance Sarah couldn’t see what make they were. Craig pointed to them. Those two are the ones we take when we go hunting. Fake number plates. Completely untraceable.

Sarah didn’t ask why they needed untraceable cars; she wasn’t sure she would have liked the answer.

He smiled at her. Come on. It’s time to meet the crowd. Nervous?

A little.

Don’t be. He took hold of her hand and led her toward the house. It looked like a mansion.

This place is huge. How many rooms does it have? Sarah asked.

Doc and Silvia have the back suite above the medical unit. Other than that there are eighteen bedrooms, all ensuite, a dining room, lounge, TV room, games room, kitchen and a number of offices. And the arena, of course.

The building looked more like a place for a romantic getaway than the home of a group of friends who spent their spare time hunting vampires. It appeared to be old, but well cared for. Ivy covered the front, trees surrounded it and there was even a pond to one side. It seemed quiet and peaceful, but Sarah was expecting it to be very different once she was inside.

Craig unlocked the front door and led her in. The hallway was warm and well lit. There were a number of doors on each side, most of them ajar.

One of the rules of this place, Craig said, pointing to the doors. If the door is open, you can go in. If it’s closed, you have to knock. As you can imagine, there isn’t a lot of privacy here. Following the rules helps.

He chose a door on the left and took her into the room. Inside was a bank of televisions and every type of games console on the market. Only one was currently in use. A young man with scruffy hair and a week’s worth of stubble was glued to the screen, frantically tapping a controller with his fingers. The words ‘game over’ appeared and he looked up at his visitors.

Hi, he said. I’m Scott.

Scott, this is Sarah. Sarah, meet the baby of the family.

So you are the ‘friend’ we have heard so much about. He used his fingers to put inverted commas around the word ‘friend’. Craig rolled his eyes. Everyone had promised to be on their best behaviour. He should have known they were lying to him.

Friend? Sarah asked, mimicking the gesture and raising an eyebrow at Craig.

Get used to it, he said. They’re probably all going to be making comments like that. They seem unable to understand that there’s nothing going on between us.

He turned his attention back to Scott. You could at least have made an effort to tidy yourself up a bit.

Scott shrugged. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a t-shirt. I’m a student. This is my uniform.

You weren’t much different at that age, Sarah said.

That’s not the point. Come on, let’s find the others.

I think Katie is in the TV room. Simon is still training with JD, Scott said.

Thanks for letting me come over, Sarah said as she was dragged out of the room.

Craig opened the door to another room and Sarah’s eyes fell on a slim young woman with long dark hair who was stretched out on the sofa, watching some sort of romantic comedy. She switched it off as soon as Craig led Sarah into the room.

Finally one of the boys has brought a girlfriend home, she said.

Craig looked at Sarah. I told you.

I’m not his girlfriend, she said.

Yeah right. I’m Katie. She held out her hand and the two young women shook. You’re the first outsider ever to visit here. I hope you don’t let the others make you regret it.

I’m honoured, Sarah said with complete sincerity.

Can I ask you one question? Katie continued. Did you believe Craig when he told you about us or did you only ask to come here to call his bluff?

He has never lied to me before, other than about where he lived and how he got his injuries, so of course I believed him.

You really are insane.

Are JD and Simon in the arena or outside? Craig asked.

Arena I think.

Come on, Craig said as he took Sarah’s hand once more. You’re going to love this.

He led her down the corridor to a set of stairs. Up goes to the bedrooms, he said. Down leads to the arena. This door goes to the balcony. The doors into the arena are locked when it’s in use, for safety reasons, so we’ll have to watch from up here until JD and Simon have finished.

He was about to open the door on their right when he heard movement from below. Good timing. It sounds like they’re just leaving.

Two men walked up the stairs. One was tall, athletic, extremely well-toned and rather attractive. The other was shorter and broader, but full of muscle.

The smaller of the two was the first to spot Sarah and Craig and he grinned. You must be the enigmatic Sarah we have heard so much about.

Don’t believe everything Craig tells you, Sarah said with a smile.

Don’t worry, it’s all been good. I’m Simon. He held out his hand and they shook. Please accept my apologies, he continued, but I need to shower. I’ll see you later. He then ran up the stairs and disappeared from sight.

Craig turned to the other man. JD. This is Sarah. He sounded nervous. Sarah looked at him, surprised by his tone. She didn’t notice as JD looked her up and down, assessing her. He, too, had heard the worry in Craig’s voice and understood the reason. Although he had been given approval to show her the arena, he was concerned that JD might still change his mind.

JD took Sarah in in one quick glance, noting her long, shapely legs, her almost too thin waist, her small but adequate breasts and her strong arms and shoulders. She had a fighter’s body and he was impressed.

He then glanced at Craig. His fit lean body was the perfect match for Sarah’s. She was wearing thigh length high heeled boots, making her almost the same height as him. They looked good together.

He returned his gaze to Sarah, noting that she kept her long blonde hair tied back out of the way so it wasn’t hiding her face. She was pretty, but not to the extent that it would be distracting. Going by looks alone, JD could understand what Craig saw in her.

Then his eyes met hers and he almost gasped. He felt a jolt inside and he knew, instantly, that he wanted this girl. He had never felt anything like it before and had to quickly look away. It wasn’t lust and it certainly wasn’t love; love at first sight was just a myth created by romantic fiction writers. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he was afraid that if he looked into her eyes again he would feel the same rush.

Come on down, he said and turned his back on them both before Sarah or Craig could notice how uncomfortable she was making him feel. Craig grinned at her and they followed JD down the stairs.

At the bottom were two sets of doors, a smaller one to the left and a large one to the right. It was this one that JD opened. He and Craig walked into the room, leaving Sarah standing on the threshold, staring in in amazement. The arena was large, much larger than she had been expecting, and the walls were lined with every hand weapon imaginable.

Her eyes flicked from a bow and quiver of arrows to some Nunchucks, from a pair of Kama to a set of Sai. There was a line of different types of knives and axes. Dragon stars and Shuriken occupied a small section of one wall, underneath a Flail and a Mace. There was even a Slingshot and a Boomerang. The list was endless. A large urn stood in the corner, containing a number of Bo staffs.

One entire wall was taken up by dozens upon dozens of swords. All were the same type, but the handles and sheaths were of differing patterns and colours. The only thing missing seemed to be guns.

Sarah stood transfixed, her mouth hanging open as she took everything in. She momentarily forgot that anyone else was present until she heard Craig walk up beside her and say, Breathe Sarah. She hadn’t realised that she had been holding her breath.

I think I have died and gone to heaven, she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Craig laughed.

You can come in, JD told her and, without being asked, she slipped off her boots before entering the room. Almost in a daze, she walked around the walls, her left hand not quite touching the weapons within her reach.

JD walked up to Craig as they both watched her. It’s a pity for you that you don’t want to get her into bed.

Why?

Because you would have just succeeded. I’ve never seen a woman react like that to a room full of weapons.

Not quite what you expected, is she?

Unique is definitely a word that springs to mind.

She completed her circuit and returned to where they were standing, close to the door. Do you have licences for all of these? I’m sure some are illegal to own.

Don’t be stupid, Craig replied.

So what would happen if the police ever visited?

Watch this. Craig pressed a concealed button in the doorframe and decorative wooden panelling slid down to completely hide all of the weapons. Soon only the staffs could be seen.

Impressive.

Craig pressed the button again and the panels rose once more.

Sarah walked forward, stopping in front of the swords. Why do some of them seem to be in pairs?

Because they are, Craig said. Once we pass our assessment, we’re each given our own swords. One of the set is always razor sharp. We call them live blades, kind of like shooting live bullets instead of blanks. We use those for hunting. Its partner is blunt. We usually train with those. Less likely to kill ourselves, or each other. The rest that you see here are for use by visiting hunters, if they don’t bring their own with them, or for those in training who have yet to be assessed.

She extended her arm forward, but didn’t touch any of them. May I? she asked JD and he nodded his head.

Her hand reached for a white one. It was stunning to look at and was by far superior to any of the others. Before her fingers came into contact, however, Craig grabbed her arm.

Not that one. That’s JD’s. Nobody is allowed to touch a trainer’s sword except its owner.

Nodding in understanding, she took down a different sword, one without a partner, and removed it from its sheath, admiring the design etched into the blade. She then spun it round a few times, getting a feel for the way it moved.

You’re right Craig, it is heavier than mine. Then she realised what she had said. Hang on a minute, how do you know how heavy mine are?

Craig refused to look at Sarah as he answered. I may have tried one when you weren’t in the room at some point.

After I expressly asked you not to touch them? Craig nodded. We’ll discuss this later, she continued. Unless, of course, you show me how good you are. She handed the sword to Craig, who glanced at JD, silently asking his permission.

Instead of answering, JD took down his own sword, unsheathed it and returned the sheath to its place on the wall.

Don’t worry, he said to Craig, unable to keep the smile off his face. I promise I won’t show you up in front of your girlfriend.

She’s not my girlfriend. I’m not his girlfriend, they both replied at the same time.

Craig locked the door then JD pointed at Sarah. You, up there. She had been so transfixed by the weapons that she had failed to notice a balcony above her running around half the arena. In the corner were a fireman’s pole and a set of steps. She climbed up and watched as the sparring began.

They were good. They were very good. Their movements were fluid, their weapons seemed like extensions of their arms and their speed stunned Sarah. She didn’t realise that she was holding her breath until she began to feel dizzy.

Every foot placement was precise, every stroke perfectly controlled and every block well timed. These two men were professionals and every movement showed it. Their ability far exceeded anything she had ever seen. They looked like they were trying to kill each other, though Craig was smiling; he was enjoying himself. He was good, but JD was better. Every now and then Sarah could detect where Craig overextended, blocked a fraction later than he should have done or slashed at slightly the wrong angle, but JD never took the advantage this gave him. He had said he wouldn’t show Craig up and was keeping his promise.

Sarah soon found her attention was solely on JD. He did nothing wrong; every movement he made was perfect.

Enough, he eventually called out and stepped away from Craig, who was breathing hard. JD looked like he had barely worked up a sweat.

He looked up at Sarah. Craig says you know how to use a sword. Come down here and show me what you can do.

I can’t do what you just did, she protested. That was amazing.

JD shrugged. Craig usually does better than that. I think having you watching was putting him off. Now get down here. I won’t tell you again.

Sarah glanced at Craig, who nodded his head. It’s always best to do as he says.

Reluctantly she climbed down the steps and Craig handed her the sword he was holding.

I only know routines. I have never fought anyone, she said. And compared to what you two just demonstrated, to say I’m an amateur is an understatement.

Don’t put yourself down, Craig said. Once we’re on the balcony, just do what you did at your last grading.

I need a belt and the scabbard, she said, hoping she could get out of doing what JD was asking.

Not for your last routine you don’t. She swore at Craig under her breathe and watched him leave the arena floor.

Once both of the men were safely out of her way, she went through a couple of practice swings to get used to the feel of the sword. Then she closed her eyes, going through the routine in her mind. She slowed her breathing and forced herself to relax. She felt strangely nervous.

When she opened her eyes once more she didn’t look up to where Craig and JD stood on the balcony. Instead she looked directly in front of her and performed her routine.

It wasn’t perfect, but was not far off it. As soon as she had finished, Craig slid down the pole, closely followed by JD.

Sloppy footwork, weak arms and ineffective blocks, he said as Craig took the sword out of Sarah’s hand and returned it to its place on the wall. But your handling of the sword is good and you can control it equally well with both arms. Your balance is adequate and your eyes are where the enemy is, not where your sword is. Not bad for an amateur.

From him, that’s a compliment, Craig told Sarah before she could react to the criticism.

Playtime is over boys and girls, JD said. Get out of here.

As Craig unlocked the door and led Sarah from the arena, JD watched them. He had liked seeing her with a sword in her hand more than he cared to admit and, despite the flaws in her training, she showed a lot of potential.

Thank you for letting me see all of this, she said before Craig dragged her out of sight.

Did you enjoy that? Craig asked as he led her to the lounge.

That’s one way of putting it. That room is better than I ever imagined. And you are an amazing fighter. You were holding your own back there.

Craig shook his head. JD was holding back. He stuck his head through the doorway of the TV room as he passed. Katie had switched the film she had been watching back on, but stopped it once more when she heard Craig say, It’s twenty questions time.

Simon and Scott grabbed cans of drink for everyone from the kitchen then they all settled down on the sofas in the lounge.

So now you have met most of us and seen the place, what do you want to know? Craig asked her.

He could have predicted her reply. Everything.

I want you to train me

––––––––

They answered all of her questions, starting with themselves. Craig had already told her a lot, but they filled in the missing details.

They were all born into vampire hunter families and started training as soon as they could walk. While most children are given toys to play with, they had swords.

Jonathon and JD lived at Sanctuary 3, run by their mother, and their father was the trainer there. Other than Scott, the rest grew up nearby so they did all of their training at 3.

From a young age, JD showed great potential so he was given special training. As soon as he graduated from high school he was made to take a gap year before going to university. None of those in the room could tell her where he was sent for that year or what happened to him while he was away as he never spoke about it and the adults would tell them nothing when they asked.

When he returned he had changed. All of the fun had gone out of him. He was serious, focused, intense. Some class him as the best fighter they have ever had and he was taught the most advanced methods of teaching others. He was trained to use a variety of different weapons and, other than the swords and the Bo, everything in the arena belonged to him. What he didn’t master in his year away he was teaching himself to use, going on to a new weapon as soon as he became expert enough to teach others, should any of them show an interest in learning.

When JD returned from wherever he had been sent to, he started studying to become a lawyer. In his spare time, he was given Simon, Craig, Katie and Jonathon to train, while his father continued to be the trainer for the older hunters and the youngsters.

Once he qualified and settled down in his job, the decision was made to give him his own Sanctuary. He was only twenty five. It was unheard of for anyone to become a trainer under the age of thirty five so everyone knew it would be hard to find a leader of a Sanctuary who would be prepared to take him on. Doc was leader of 14 at the time and volunteered. His trainer had just retired and he thought his son, Scott, would get on better with someone nearer his own age.

As the older hunters showed a lot of resistance to having someone so young train them, everyone at 14 was reassigned to different Sanctuaries, except for Scott.

JD had been training the others for a few years so it made sense to move them all to 14.

We were all used to working together, Simon said, and Scott fitted in well with us, after a few teething problems, which we won’t go into now. JD is a remarkably good trainer and has turned us into an elite fighting team, probably the most efficient in the area, maybe even the country.

So are you all as good with a sword as Craig and JD? Sarah asked.

Scott shook his head. Nobody is as good as JD and we know we never will be. Craig, on the other hand, we can all easily beat. He was smiling when he said this. The comment was just friendly rivalry.

In your dreams, Craig muttered.

You said most of the weapons belong to JD. So you only use swords?

For hunting, yes, Katie said. And knives. We have those for backup just in case we lose our sword. It has been known to happen. She glanced at Craig as she said this.

It was only once, he protested, and the vampire I was fighting nearly broke my hand. I had no choice other than to drop my weapon.

That was a few months ago, Sarah said, remembering when Craig had turned up to their lunch date with his hand bandaged up. You told me you hurt it trying to break through a plank of wood at your martial arts lesson.

Well I could hardly tell you the truth, could I?

Back to the weapons, Katie said hurriedly, afraid the two of them would start squabbling. We mainly train with swords, but we use the Bo for fitness. There are two types. The heavier ones are just for the routines designed to strengthen our arms. The lighter ones are more flexible and we use those to attack each other.

Sounds like this is a fun place to live. Sarah wasn’t being sarcastic; she meant exactly what she said. So do all Sanctuaries have a resident doctor?

Most, but not all. Ours is the only one that’s run by one.

Craig then explained about the running of the Sanctuary. There were a number of rules that had to be obeyed to ensure it ran smoothly. One of them was no alcohol. They were entitled to drink whatever they liked when they weren’t within the compound, but once they were through the gate, alcohol was banned. The necessity for this did not need explaining.

Though Doc, as everyone insisted on calling him, was the head of 14, Silvia actually ran the place. She was a fully qualified nurse and met Doc when they worked at the same hospital. She did not come from a hunter family, but accepted the life Doc led when he finally plucked up the courage to tell her. She gave up her career when her husband was asked to run 14 and now took care of everyone.

Mom owns the kitchen, Scott said. She makes sure it’s well stocked and does all of the cooking. We fend for ourselves for breakfast and lunch, but we all eat together in the dining room every evening. She gets pretty mad if you don’t turn up without giving her prior warning.

He went on to explain that they had a housekeeper to take care of all of the washing, cleaning etcetera and a gardener they shared with Sanctuary 9. Both came from hunter families.

And Silvia also makes our hunting suits, Katie added.

Hunting suits?

Skin tight suits made from a leather hard enough to protect us but soft enough to not hinder our movements, Simon said. They have attached scabbards on the back for carrying our swords.

Surprisingly they’re quite flattering for the figure, Katie said. We look good in them. Most of us anyway. She glanced at Simon when she said the last bit.

Hey, I saw that look.

Why do you have untraceable cars? Sarah asked, remembering what Craig had told her before they had left the garage.

That should be obvious. If we’re ever arrested, we don’t want the cops knowing who we really are.

We also have fake driving licences for the same reason. We never take our real IDs with us when we go on a hunt.

Sarah was amazed that everyone was being so open and honest with her. Are you sure you should be telling me all this?

Craig vouched for you, Scott said. If you tell anyone anything about us, he’s the one who will be made to suffer.

There was one more question she really wanted answered before she got onto the subject of vampires. Is Jonathon really as bad as Craig makes out?

Probably worse, Katie replied. If I know Craig, he has tried to be polite about us all. Even Jonathon. He is absolutely gorgeous though. She saw Craig rolling his eyes. Well he is and you know it. Sarah is going to be smitten the minute she sets her eyes on him.

So how does he afford a Ferrari at his age?

Never let him know I said this, Katie continued, but he’s a shit hot accountant. He gets paid extremely well for someone so young, but his firm knows he’s worth it.

Also, Craig took over, those of us who live here have to pay ten percent of our salaries toward the running of this place which, if you think about it, isn’t a lot. Other than clothes and personal items, there isn’t much else to spend the rest on. Most of us invest; Jonathon decided to buy a flashy car.

It must cost more than that to run this place surely.

It does, Simon said. Let’s just say that we have some very well off benefactors. I won’t name names, just in case you can’t be trusted, but money is never an issue.

At that moment they heard the front door opening and two people walked past. Hearing voices, they turned around and entered the lounge.

The man was of average height and build and his neatly trimmed hair was turning to grey. He looked so much like an older version of Scott that he had to be his father. The lady standing next to him was short and plump, with rosy cheeks and a carefree smile.

Scott stood up. Mom, Dad, meet Sarah.

Sarah started to rise, but Doc waved her back down. He held out his hand, which she shook. "Doctor Frank Duggan. The kids just call