Undercover, trying to catch a serial killer, Detective Wayne Reeves encounters something more than he was expecting.

 
Picture credits: The pic is from the "Bloodrayne" video game series and all credit goes to the owners: Majesco and Terminal Reality. This is "not" a Bloodrayne fanfic. She's just hot and that's who I envision the lead character to look like.

Author's note and only warning: This is a vampire story. This equates to blood and sometimes violence. If this squicks you then you might want to find something else more to your taste. I even put the little "Caution" tag on, so proceed as you will.

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Part One
 
 
His touch set fire to my very skin. Even if I wanted to I knew that I wouldn't hold anything back from the man that chose me this evening. We danced forever at Club 216, writhing against one another, oozing sex on the crowded floor until neither of us could withstand our mutual teasing. He drove us to the Clairemont Hotel off of Louisiana Boulevard.

With my hand in his we entered the front of the hotel while a valet parked the sporty BMW. My face was flushed and my nipples hard when he pulled me into the elevator and we ascended to the twenty-seventh floor. His lips were cool against mine, but the taste of him sent more than chills running through me.

My mind was lost into a sexual fever like I had never known, lowering any of my standard inhibitions. I would do anything for him at that moment. Any base desire he held, any fetish, the worst of depravities were his to ask of me.

I arched into him as he caressed my breast and fondled my rounded hip. Little noises were mewed from my throat no matter where he chose to lay his mouth. It was like sparks of pure eroticism he delivered directly from his mouth, coursing along my skin.

I hadn't even realized that we were already in the bedroom and my dress was unzipped before I came to my senses even a little bit.

'What the hell am I doing?' I thought franticly.

He was behind me when he slid the dress down my arms. Holding on to my clutch purse for dear life, my breath shot out of me as he tossed me on the bed. I wanted to scramble away but my body wouldn't respond. Feeling his cool hands on my lower back and the movement of the bed, I knew he was nearing his goal.

My g-string was ripped away with ease and my legs spread as my face was pushed into the pillows and my head tugged to one side. God yes! But my tune changed when twin jolts of pain lanced through my neck. All awareness returned to me and what was happening. I was going to die, just like all the others.

I arched up and tried to pull away, but his strength was incredible as he sucked at my neck. His hand wrapped around my face as he struggled to enter me from behind. I yelled, screaming into his palm. It was nothing but the muffled struggles of the useless, and could easily be mistaken for cries of ecstasy.

It was then that he had found an unguarded hole and entered. I froze up, in total shock, the pain was unbearable for that was all there was. My life, my death would end in insufferable pain, drained from me.

His hand eased along with my resistance and I took the only advantage I had at the moment, turning my head and sinking my own teeth into his wrist. I felt a tearing at my throat, worse than before. It made me bite harder in reaction, ripping through flesh, tendon, and sinew. Blood gushed into my mouth as I tore deeper through to the bone. I got one measure of revenge for my death. I wouldn't let go of him, but my mouth was filled of his blood, so I swallowed.

My killer jumped back, withdrawing from me in shock, tearing his arm away from my mouth.

I heard the gurgling of my blood in his throat as he spoke in panic. "No…"

He tumbled off the bed as I gathered the last of my energy and snapped open my clutch. My eyes were growing heavy and the last of my adrenaline aided strength started waning away. I rolled and raised my hand slightly aiming my .45 Chief's Special.

"What have you done?" he spat as my blood spilled from his lips and down the smooth skin of his chest. His eyes dropped between my legs to see evidence of my maleness, then they widened.

That's when I pulled the trigger and saw his heart explode out of his back along the wall.

~O~

The burning was my life. I couldn't remember a time when there wasn't pain. My bones exploded, shards shooting through my muscles and skin. My insides melted from the intense heat. I could almost imagine them turning to the white hot magma that was obviously now a part of me. My senses were closed. I couldn't perceive of anything except my perfect sight. The times that I could keep my eyes opened I saw my brothers in blue scrambling around the room.

Next were the clueless rantings of people in green scrubs. Somewhere deep in my insanity I knew they were trying to help me, but there was nothing to help. I could only lash out at my invisible attackers, the ones that were reaching inside me, changing me, pulling everything out of me that was normal and good, replacing it with vileness and evil.

God, please let me die!

Darkness

~O~

"Wayne."

Everything sounded different: the air rushing through the conditioning vents, the buzzing of an errant fly, and the mechanical taste of Elliot Jameson's voice.

My thoughts were almost chaotic, but most of all of them wondered what was wrong with my partner.

"Wayne."

My eyes snapped opened and searched the sterile white room. I didn't really have any freedom of movement and knew I had been restrained. Instinct took over and I struggled at my bonds.

"Wayne, calm down, it's me Elliot! Jesus!"

I tried calling out to my partner, but almost choked at something lodged in my throat. Something was trailing up my nose and down into my throat, and it irritated me to no end. Putting everything I had into my arms I ripped free of the restraint and grabbed at my face.

"Wayne, calm the fuck down!"

I heard him, but couldn't take whatever was that they had done to me.

A tube taped down. I ripped at it and grabbed hold, pulling it away. I felt it sliding up and out of me the more I pulled. Eventually it fell, dropped away and I gagged.

My legs seemed to be stronger and tore away the remaining restraints as I fell off the bed. The abrupt stop on the floor didn't hurt as much as it should have. Arms and legs went off at their own accord as I half crawled to the corner and made myself into as small of a target as I could.

The feeling of the wall at my back quieted some of the panic that was jumping around in my head. My hands covered my head and entwined in my hair. With my knees drawn up I felt almost safe.

"Wayne, buddy. Can you understand me?" A pause for a moment. "Doc, is this fucking thing on?"

Some part of Elliot's voice made it into my head.

"El?" I croaked.

Another pause. "Wayne. You're really freaking me out here, man. You need to snap out of it."

The first real thing I noticed was my hair. That's what snapped me out of my stupor. I leaned my head back and pulled a strand of it outward. The length alone was weird. For the mission I had cropped it really short for the real-hair wig. An additional weird thing was that I could feel the tugging directly from my scalp.

I had apparently been unconscious so long that my hair had grown out well past my chin. Struggling to open my eyes once more I made note that it was a different color as well, almost a metallic dark orange-red. I could feel my face had gone to disbelief. What the hell? I had brown hair, mousey brown hair at that.

That's when I noticed my hands. The extended nails, the thin fingers, which led to the thin arms with only a dusting of almost invisible hair on top of my forearms.

I dropped my legs to the floor. They stuck out trim and smooth from underneath the hospital smock. They were not my legs… they were not even male legs.

Then the last thing that came into view were the pair of swells underneath the smock. I was in denial. There was no way…. My hands went to them and felt them. They were real, they were mine.

I was going to grab between my legs, but I stopped myself. I didn't want to know. 'God, please, I don't want to know.'

"Wayne, you there buddy?"

A disbelieving giggle worked its way up my throat and out into the room. Again, not my own; higher pitched.

"El, what the fuck?"

I looked up and I saw a clear window, an observation window against the far wall. The hospital bed was between it and me.

"Man, you got to keep it together. Some serious shit went down and… Jesus, Wayne."

I took a deep breath and let it out, trying my best to keep calm. I needed answers.

"Hey, buddy? You think you can stand up so we can see you? The bed's blocking the way."

I nodded, not even thinking if Elliot could see my answer. Setting my hand on the floor I got my legs under me and pushed up, sliding my back along the wall. My legs were surprisingly steady. That's when I saw movement from behind the glass.

There was Elliot and a few white coats, doctors obviously. What I wasn't expecting were the pair of SWAT extras heavily armed and looking like they really wanted to shoot me.

"What happened?" I asked. "Why the hell am I a chick?"

Surprisingly enough I received an answer. "Man, you changed." I found Elliot's eyes and my vision sharpened on him. "We got you out of the room and to the hospital. You were screaming your ass off and nothing they were shooting into you even slowed you down."

The pain. I remembered.

"Then you went down. Dropped like a rag doll… and then that happened."

I stepped to the side. There was a slight reflection off the glass which I approached in disbelief.

"Wayne, stop!"

My vision cleared and I saw the SWAT guys looking decidedly nervous, with large caliber weapons trained on me. "What?"

"You gotta keep cool, man. Do you remember anything from the Emergency Room?"

I shook my head. "Only the pain."

Elliot looked down and then back up at me. "You tore apart the doctors. Ripped their throats out."

Everything went still. "Blood."

Elliot nodded. "They figured that out. Once you passed out they tried sticking an IV in you, but it wouldn't work."

I spun around and looked at the bag hanging from the IV stand. In fact there were several bags hanging there. All of it was leading to one tube which they had shoved down my throat. That's what I had pulled out. They were feeding me blood.

My childhood was finally catching up to me. All the movies, and books I had read. The Ripper biting my neck, the sexuality he oozed, me biting his wrist and swallowing his blood and now the doctors feeding me the stuff. It all led to one seriously messed up conclusion. I was a vampire. I was a chick, and I was a vampire.

~O~

After the third day of being holed up in the room with only one observation window I was seriously starting to go stir crazy.

I was in control now. I hadn't spazzed since that first night. Elliot had talked me into sanity. Made me believe and remember what had happened.

We were, and I guess still are, cops. I was undercover. Being the only guy in the department that, given the right disguise, could pass for a hot chick. After the fifth murder, Elliot and I were brought onto the case. The vics were all the same. About 5'8 in height, blonde hair (dyed or not didn't make a difference), trim, and loved to dance. They were all found dead, with their throat cut out, and their insides decorating the room. The perp had serious anger issues.

So we baited the trap with me. I went out dancing for four solid weeks, every night, different clubs. Then last night came along and I met him.

I had no idea why in the hell I lusted after the guy. I was a straight arrow in the sex department, chicks only for me. But he had me wanting him from the moment I met his eyes. I would have let him fuck the shit out of me if he wanted to. Something about that is just so wrong.

Well, you know what happened next. Blood, death, sex change.

But what I want to know is what the hell is it with the freaking sex change?

I get the 'me being a vampire' thing. It's weird as hell, but I get it. I mean he sucked my blood, I drank his. That's how it works in all the books… okay, most of the books. Why do I have tits now? And yes, my dick is gone too. I checked later that night when they left me mostly alone. I'm a chick.

From what I know, and can tell by the wall clock in the observation lounge, is that I sleep about two hours a day whether I want to or not. Twelve till two in the afternoon. I drank blood, I didn't use the toilet and I never seemed to suffer from B.O. The doctors won't tell me jack.

I spent most of the day in the corner of the room, where they couldn't really see me, staring at my body. Whatever changed me, changed me right, or rather changed me to be a guy's wet dream. I didn't know about the 'right' of it.

My legs were graceful and muscular, but not in a weightlifter way, more of a dancer way. My hips had expanded plumping out my butt and they curved up to give me an overly trim waist. Girlish abs showed underneath, and that led to the B or C cup breasts. I couldn't tell proportions being as I had nothing to measure it to except for the door, the one exit from my prison.

I made a guess that I was about 5'6 to 5'8 in height if it was an average doorway. Apparently I had dropped a couple of inches. It was really aggravating to not even have a mirror so that I could see the full extent of my change. The most I could see was from a warped reflection in the observation window.

Now that kind of surprised me being that the old legends said that Vampires didn't cast a reflection, but I guess everything they said couldn't be right. I mean I obviously had a soul. I could still tell wrong from right and I had no desire to go on murderous rampages. I still had the same need to be a cop as I always had.

While I rambled away with my inner thoughts I heard the slat at the door open. It was kind of hard not to hear it. My senses, ever since the change, had increased five fold. I saw a bag being slid through. Breakfast time.

I was still putting away the blood, at least five pints a day. It quenched my thirst and them some. I'm sure I could have survived on much less, but something about an inner need made me want more. So I was a blood glutton. It made me feel energized and healthier with each bag I took, and if I was to ever get the chance to get out of here I needed all the advantages I could have.

I got up from my squat in the corner and moved across the room. I could almost smell the blood from the bag. It was sealed in its original container. They never let me have a mug. Since I had the teeth to bite into the bag I really didn't care all that much. I mean it would have been nice to be able to act a little bit more human, but the truth of it was that I wasn't human anymore.

No, vampires don't have three inch needle sharp fangs like in the movies. Or at least I didn't. My canines were a little more extended and they were sharp, that's about it. I've seen worse from the kids in Goth clubs that had their teeth cosmetically filed to look all vampish.

The one annoying thing about eating was that the white coats all felt they had the need to watch me. I hated people watching me eat when I was human. I mostly just turned my back on them and sat on the bed until I was done.

What does blood taste like, you may ask? Well to me it was like having a T-Bone steak meal with all the trimmings. I was in heaven every time I sank my teeth into one of these bags. It only took me a few seconds to empty a bag. I remember shooting a twelve ounce beer slower than it took me to finish a sixteen ounce bag of O positive.

"Miss Reeves."

I flinched as I was licking the last drops off my lips. Whenever they wanted to get my attention they always called me 'Miss'. It was annoying as hell. They knew damn well I wasn't a 'Miss'.

I slid off the bed and dropped the empty bag in a small pail they provided for my non-existent toilet. Since I never used for it's intended purpose I use it as a trash can.

I relaxed my set jaw. It wouldn't do any good to get all up in arms about anything if I stood a chance of getting out of here anytime in the next decade. Play nice.

I turned and made my way to the observation window with a relaxed stroll.

One of the white coats stood there with only one SWAT guy as escort. I approached and stood in front of the doctor giving him an expectant look.

"How do you feel Miss Reeves?"

"Bored."

A small, and I mean a very small quirk of his lips let me know that the guy was somewhat human. Most doctors I know aren't.

"Feel like getting out of there and to more humane surroundings?"

Okay, he had my attention. "Doc, if it involves actual clothes, I'll sit up and bark for you."

There was that tiny quirk again. Damn, I think the guy has the hots for me or something. Two reactions in as many minutes.

"We're going to transfer you to a different facility. One suited to test your new body. There will, of course, be medical tests, blood and skin samples, various scans, and the like. Would you be open to cooperating?"

It didn't take me long to figure out where this was leading. "I've seen the movies. There's probably some super secret government agency that's heard about me and once you get done with your tests I'll be secret agent girl with matching spandex tights and flowing red cape. That about the sum of it, Doc?"

His lips separated slightly and there was a long pause. "I can probably get them to hold back on the tights and cape. Maybe something in black leather?"

A joke… holy shit! A burst of laugher erupted from my mouth. I had a sexy, throaty, laugh. Well I was a vampire, what did you expect?

"You'll have my cooperation as long as there is no dissection involved."

He was smiling at this point and placed a hand over his heart. "I promise. I'll have someone drop off some temporary clothing so that you can travel in comfort."

With that he flicked off the microphone and exited the room. A few minutes later a chick opened the door to room and I get my first view of the hallway and two SWAT guys standing guard.

The chick was carrying a paper bag and stopped at the end of the bed. "I … we got you some clothes.

I moved toward the bed. "Cool."

She started, like I was going to go jump on her neck or something, so I stopped.

"What?"

"Sorry."

I shrugged. "You try sitting around for three days in this get up and see if you don't get a little excited for some real clothes."

A small smile crept up on her face and she dug into the bag sliding over a package of underwear. I picked it up and took a look of the picture on the front of the pack. Panties. Sporty style.

And the hits keep comin'.

I sighed and tore open the package. After innately figuring out which side goes where (hey, it's underwear, how hard can it be?), I slid the… panties… on underneath the hospital smock.

It was a start.

Next was what I recognized as a sports bra. Don't be surprised I know what these things are; I take'um off of women all the time. Or else I did take them off of women. That might be a thing of the past now.

I glanced up at the lady. She didn't really look like she was going to turn around or anything. What is it with chicks and them watching each other undress. Is it a Lez thing or something?

I reach around and undid the really ultra-classy pink hospital smock and tossed it on the table. In case you are wondering, yeah she was checking me out, but there was nothing sexual about it. It was decidedly clinical, like she was studying a new microbe.

The sports bra took a little bit of figuring out, but I got it in the end. It was black with little pink and white lines going across one of my boobs. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I still wasn't really comfortable saying 'my' boobs.

Next was a pair of leggings, which gripped everything from my hip bones down. It was skin tight, again with pink and white going down the outside of the legs. I was lastly supplied with a pair of socks and running shoes.

I almost felt human. Get it?

Lastly she set a sport cover-up for if I got cold. I hadn't really thought about it, but I haven't been affected by temperature changes. Yet another weird vampire thing.

I looked down at my outfit giving it an eyebrow quirk. So much for the no spandex promise.

"It's just until we get your current measurements. Then we can get you some more appropriate clothes."

Well, I guess that makes sense. "So are we outta here or what?"

"Follow me, please."

I grabbed the cover up and on the way through the door I eyed the lust-eyed guards. "Get an eye full there boys?"

We moved down the hallway and from the antiseptic smell I could tell I was still in the hospital. Well, no surprise there, I suppose. A quick trip in an elevator and I was led out of some back door where a blacked out SUV was waiting for us underneath a shaded awning. I was showed to sit in the middle bench seat so that there was an armed guard in the back and the front, while the chick that gave me the clothes was beside me.

At first I didn't think anything of it, but it was still daylight outside. I knew from experience already that I didn't have to sleep in dirt, in a coffin. I could move around during the daylight, but I still didn't know if I would burst into flame or not in the true light of day.

We were under way when I offered to take the test. The sun was still pretty high in the sky so it wasn't coming through the windows. "Hey, can I crack the window for a sec?"

"Why?" the chick asked.

I pointed up. "In case you haven't noticed, it's daylight and I'm a vampire."

I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "Mike, crack the window about three or four inches, please."

The sun was over my right shoulder so if I stuck my hand out I should be able to feel the full effects of the sun, being that I was on the left side of the SUV. I rubbed my fingers together. For some reason I had a mental flash of sticking my hand over a gas stove on full burn.

I reached up and slid my fingers through, palm up for just a second. Nothing happened and so I went a little further and stuck the whole hand out. You know that feeling when you are at the beach and you know that you've been out in the sun for way too long. Yeah, that.

I jerked my hand back in expecting to see smoke rising off of my palm, but it was clean and normal… well for this body anyway. I flexed the finger and turned it over, nothing.

"Cool."

"Okay, Mike."

The window moved back into a closed position.

"Nothing happen?"

I shrugged. "Kinda felt like I was getting a sunburn, but nothing I couldn't take.

Her eyebrows quirked in interest. "Hmm."

The rest of the drive was boring as all hell. No radio, no casual conversation. Every time I brought up the simplest of subjects I was given one or two word answers that didn't really say anything. But it was great seeing the world again.

~O~

The new facilities were just on the outside of town. It was big. The big plaque that hung on the outside walls indicated OTO. That's it. Rumor had it that it was some sort of think tank. I don't think anyone actually had a clue. I could see evidence of ECM's, sorry, Electronic Counter Measures, lining the walls. It's so every Tom, Dick, and Harry couldn't hold up a parabolic microphone, or other common listening device and hear what's going on past the outside wall. It was common enough in the Tech industry or around government agencies. See where I'm going with this? No? Okay, here's a hint: I'm not a computer, so what does that lead you to conclude?

The buildings, I noticed, were formed in one big gigantic circle and we drove right down the middle. Before encountering the first building the ground opened up in front of us and we dropped down a ramp into what I guessed was an underground parking lot.

"I'm guessing you don't get a lot of stolen cars around here?"

Sigh. I'm surrounded by people with no sense of humor. This is going to be a really dull experience. I can feel it.

~O~

I was led to very large, think gymnasium large, room. It had workout equipment of every conceivable type scattered all around, and a curtained off area to the side. There were five white coats waiting for me looking like I was a real life caveman thawed out of a local glacial flow or something.

"Miss Reeves, right this way."

One of the doctors moved well out of the way and came around to meet my escort. I could easily hear, "It's been fed, right?"

That brought me to a halt. I turned around and stared him down. "Is that an offer, Doc?"

A flush ran to his face. Clinically, I knew what it was. Capillaries in the face are overrun by blood due to an emotional response.

But something in my vampire makeup saw deeper. My eyes focused on his face and then to the neck. I could almost see the Jugular veins, and Carotid arteries pulsing faster and faster. It caused a reaction out of me. My mouth dried and that in turn made my teeth ache. Yeah, those teeth.

Closing my eyes, I turned away and resumed following the others. I could scent his fear, and it was only making my mouth drier and drier.

"Someone get him out of here."

I didn't realize who said that until I stopped. It was me.

"What? I'm sorry Miss Reeves. Get who…"

I opened my eyes and the doctor who greeted me almost jumped back. "Perkins, get a unit of blood, quickly!"

His eyes moved past me. "Reynolds, out, get out."

The doctor who pissed me off was almost pissing himself.

"Walk," I said. "Don't run."

I knew for some reason that if he ran that I would be compelled to follow, to hunt. His fear fed every desire I was feeling at the moment. All of my senses expanded. I could smell the pungent garlic that the female who escorted me had for lunch, and I was at least ten feet in front of her.

My eyes tracked to the two men that were furthest in the lead. They were lovers. Their scents were all over each other. The head doctor had recently been to the restroom. Urinal cake smell clung to him. Footsteps and boot falls sounded around me while I tried my best to control an instinct to fight and flee.

"Here!"

Perkins stood a good ten feet away from me and tossed the bagged blood at me. My hand whipped out and snatched the bag from the air and I whipped it to my mouth. My teeth sank through the plastic and I squeezed, shooting it into my mouth. Less than five seconds later it was empty and I was sucking on the holes I created, getting every last drop.
 

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"Uh, where's the rest of it?"

Black and red leather pants and a matching… uh. I don't have a clue. It was small.

"It's called a bustier."

"Uh-huh." I backed away a single step. "I'm going on a hunt and kill mission, not dancing at a biker bar."

I could smell his fear and it shot through me, awakening feelings of a feral nature within the darkest recesses of my brain. What does fear smell like? Sweat, sweet and sour all at once, and it's mother's milk to one such as me. Panic is as well. The handful of people scrambling around trying to find makeshift weapons sent me into a frenzy.

The one closest to me, one of the men, was ambrosia as I snapped his neck back and sank my teeth into his throat, just for a quick mouthful. I mustn't waste my dinner; starving children vampires in China, you know.

The warmth of real blood, straight from the source flowed down my throat and a little down my chin. It was just enough to add to the now maniacal scene.

I crouched low and sprung twenty feet into the air in a wide arc, landing in front of the exit door that so many of my prey chose to run. Their screams were like adrenaline, the scent of spent urine almost an aphrodisiac. I liked them like this. I craved it, wanting to make it last, but I knew soon that their poor mortal hearts wouldn't be able to stand the constant pounding. Their minds would snap and then all the fun would be gone.

It was then that I caught the youngest of the men. Tall, firm muscled, fair of hair. He was captured by my gaze. My nipples hardened and I felt everything down below go warm and tight. His fear was gone, now, and in its place was a flow of lust. Ancient and raw was my need and along with it his as well.

My strength and the sharpness of my nails made his slacks a thing of memory. I shoved him roughly against the wall and cocked my leg on his hip, positioning myself for the plunge. Pulling his head to the side to bare his neck I watched as the tendons stretched and the pulse beat under the skin. Lowering my hips I felt him thrust into me and that is when I took his life.

"GAAAH!" I screamed as I woke from the more than vivid nightmare.

There was an ache from between my legs, an emptiness that nearly yearned to be filled, but I'll be damned if I'd do it willingly. Damned, yeah that was me. This was the second day in a row that I had that specific nightmare, and it was starting to grate on my nerves.

I was treated with kid gloves after that first day. I never saw Reynolds again. I don't know if it was because he was scared and wouldn't come back or if he was canned from dealing with me.

The doctors spent the day taking measurements, scans of all types. They nearly shit themselves with scientific orgasmic delight when they took an MRI.

Apparently I have four internal organs now. Yeah. Two lungs, a heart, and something that might be considered a liver. From what they can tell, the heart pumps about once every three or four minutes. The lungs seem to serve no purpose except to allow me enough air to speak; they shrunk, you see. They haven't figured out the liver thing yet. That's why I have virtually no waist and my ribcage seems to be a lot smaller. The biggest things on or in my torso are my breasts.

The thing I can't figure out is why? I mean breasts are for milk for when you have babies, right? I have no ovaries, thank God. So why do I need such friggin big tits? They're D-cup, by the way. Yeah, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I did find out that I lost an inch in height. I'm 5'8 now. I can curl almost 200 pounds with one arm, and my legs… well lets say you wouldn't want me to kick you in the balls. You might very well never find them again.

I can see at night almost as well as the day. And when I'm in a feeding hunger my vision increases to the point where I can count the peach fuzz hairs on the shell of your ear from fifty feet away.

Perkins, the guy who saved everyone's bacon with the blood, seriously needs to get laid. I can smell the virginity waving off of him and it's really starting to make me horny whenever I'm around him. Don't misunderstand me. I don't want him in any sexual way. He just smells good, and it makes my nipples hard just being around him. Who'd have ever thought I would tell anyone that?

'Hey, Elliot, my nipples are hard. Man I could sure use some lovin' right about now? No, not from you, just in general.'

No, not me.

One last thing and then I'll get off the subject. I found a mirror. Jesus H Christ on a popsicle stick! Where was I when I was a guy?

~O~

I got dressed in my stretch-o clothes. They still haven't gotten me anything normal. I was beginning to think the costumers around here are a bunch of pervs. How about some jeans and a t-shirt sometime? I also had a fridge stocked full with blood bags. As much as I could drink. It was pretty much a standing order if I wanted to walk around unescorted than I had to feed each time before leaving my room.

They did have little rest areas, small refrigerators with a few bags, at regular intervals around places I was allowed. It's not much, but I'm not entirely a prisoner. Apparently I got points the first day for not eating anyone.

When I finally got a move on I opened my door. That's when the bloodsmell hit me. If I hadn't just eaten I would have gone nuts. The corridor was empty, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. People tend to stay clear of me. Well, then I just followed my nose.

It led me to the big room, the gym. I prepared myself and cracked the door just a little. Yep, it was here. There was an obstruction behind the door that made it a little more difficult to open, so I pushed. A bloodied arm dropped to the side. I say arm, because there wasn't much else attached to it, namely a hand.

My eyes fluttered for a second, overwhelmed by the sight so much blood. Even satiated as I was it was still attractive. Kind of like a nice piece of hot apple pie after you finish a really good meal. I let the door close again and backed up to get my … whatever it was, under control.

Three or four steps away was a big red button. My guess? Either a fire alarm or a panic button. Either way the damn cavalry needs to ride up, pronto. I was there before I knew it and slamming the palm of my hand against the button. It cracked and broke apart, but it served it's life long purpose and made lots of noise and activated the pretty red lights.

Thirty seconds later armed shock troops were filling the halls telling me to freeze and other lame TV clichés. I pointed to the Gym and someone in charge decided it would be a good idea to check it out.

They found the same thing I did and one of them even came running back out to lose his lunch. I kind of know how he feels, in the exact opposite.

"Don't you move," said the lead guy.

Once the door closed I was able to clear my head a little.

"Yo, dumbass. Do I look like I'm covered in blood and gore? It wasn't me."

"Hastings, lower your weapon." My eyes didn't leave the trigger finger of the guy pointing his machine gun at me. But a white coat was pushing his way to the front of the party. It was Harris, the lead scientist, the one I freaked out the other day. "Go check the security cameras. Get a line on what happened." He turned to me. "Miss Reeves, come with me."

We filtered through the sea of heavily armed men and out of the wing where I had been held. The fresh air was a blessing. It cleared my head and let me focus on the matter at hand.

"What the fuck, Doc."

"Hold your questions until we are within a secure area, Miss Reeves."

Two really heavy doors later and we ended in a conference room straight out of the latest sci-fi flick. A dozen flatscreens lined one wall with a control panel underneath. There was a central conference table with a some type of heads-up display that showed the grounds, buildings and sub-levels. One in particular was flashing red. I'll give you only one guess which one.

Harris' fingers flew across an imaged keyboard and audio came over the speakers that surrounded the room. "Security."

"Harris authentication code Beta 5724 Epsilon."

A half second passed. "Go ahead, Doctor."

"Send me what you have."

"Acknowledged — sent."

The wall of flatscreens lit up and there was the Gym from about a billion different angles. There were two guys and a lady doctor in there running through the latest test results. Yeah I know this because I've been bored to tears watching them do this before.

The scene fast forwarded, stopped and rewound. "There."

My eyes centered on one of a dozen of sky lights as it exploded inward. Something blurred around the room and bodies literally exploded. My hand moved to my mouth. I have no idea why. Maybe to hold back the revulsion? At least I could see what was happening without the haze of bloodlust hovering in the back of my mind.

The last to die was the women. She was shoved, face against the wall, and her slacks were ripped from her. Oh Jesus. The guy pulled her head to the side and kneed up one of her legs. I turned away, because I knew what came next. I dreamed it after all.

This time I really did feel sick, and I didn't even have a stomach to empty. How's that for ironic?

"Miss Reeves."

I looked back. On the main screen in the middle was a blown up frozen frame of the killer, someone I thought long dead already. It was the Ripper, the fucker that made me what I am today.

My jaw was working but nothing was coming out. Well, until something actually came out. "I — I killed him."

Harris' voice got all sorts of calm, but focused. "This is the person that attacked you?"

I couldn't take my eyes off the face set in ecstasy as he just got through raping and killing the young doctor.

"Miss Reeves, focus."

I broke away and leaned into the conference table inadvertently setting off a few of its functions. "That's him."

"You said you killed him. What exactly did you do?"

I swallowed imaginary bile down my throat. "I tore a chunk out of his wrist with my teeth and shot him in the heart, point blank, with a .45 hollow point. "I painted the wall behind him with his insides, Doc."

He didn't waste any time digging for more. "What else?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I passed out. I was missing half my throat at the time. Sorry I didn't record the event for posterity's sake , Doc."

His fingers flew over the keyboard once again, replaying the scene in the Gym. Harris was freaking heartless, or he had a cast iron stomach.

"Elliot."

Harris stopped the playback. "What?"

"My partner. He was on scene. He'd know what happened to the body."

The doctor shook his head. "It was incinerated, Miss Reeves. There was incident at the morgue later that night. An attendant was killed. The killer known as the Ripper was shot once more and a higher power than me decided that the threat was too great. The Ripper was summarily incinerated and his ashes scattered."

Somehow I wasn't so shocked. Vampires: bullets weren't supposed to slow them down much. "Well how do you explain that?"

Harris looked casually to the screen and then back to me. "Would you like a chance to find out?"

~O~

"Oh, that's nice." I almost drooled at the display of bladed weapons hanging on the wall and the open display case of handguns. What the hell kind of secret government, superhero, black ops place is this. I know I kidded around with it earlier but damn!

"We weren't really ready for you," Harris explained. "Your physical abilities haven't been tested to their various limits, but judging from what I saw on the cameras and your tests to date I can make an educated guess."

"Uh-huh." Whatever. I was still checking out the … ohhhhh… daddy wants.

I reached down and withdrew the largest hand cannon I had ever seen.

"Smith & Wesson Model 500," Harris began with the tutorial. "Arguably the most powerful handgun in production today."

I flicked the cylinder open and noted it took five rounds. Well, if what ever you are shooting with this thing got up afterward you were pretty much screwed anyway.

"We have special ammo that will be useful, considering your target."

I really didn't care. "I'll take two, thanks."

A new voice sounded behind me. This really took me off guard considering how sensitive my hearing was. I must have really been focused… yeah, I think that's the word I'm looking for, focused. "Miss Reeves?"

It was the bag lady from the hospital. The one that gave me my stretchy outfit. "Oh hey… uh."

She was carrying a garment bag and a large box. "You may call me Suzanne. I have your uniform."

Oh, good, real clothes!

I set down my new toy and walked over to where she hung up the bag. I opened the box and there was a pair of matte black leather boots with a reasonably low chunky heel. Maybe two inches. Okay, that was cool enough. What she produced out of the garment bag was almost funny. Remember, what I said was, almost.

"Uh, where's the rest of it?"

Black and red leather pants and a matching… uh. I don't have a clue. It was small.

"It's called a bustier."

"Uh-huh." I backed away a single step. "I'm going on a hunt and kill mission, not dancing at a biker bar."

She rolled her eyes at me. "This uniform was developed for extreme treatment and durability in the field."

"Ye–ah, there's not enough material on it to tear. That makes it pretty durable in my book."

I could see her annoyance increase. Hell, she didn't have to wear the damn thing, I did!

"It's made specifically to contain your breasts, and provide support and shielding to most of your vulnerable areas." At that she apparently lost all patience with me. "Take off your top."

I groaned but complied. I took the smallish porno thing and put it on. Several clips in front were fastened and then she made some adjustments.

"Uh, Suzanne. I thought you said it was supposed to cover my breasts." It was nowhere near what Momma Reeves would consider cover since half of my tits were showing and there was a big V-neck that extended below my cleavage.

"I said contain, not cover." She stepped back and nodded then handed me the pants. "Okay bottoms off, underwear too."

She was enjoying this. Bitch.

I slid the leathers up my legs. It actually felt pretty good, but I don't normally get a happy from clothing. When I had them over my hips she folded the sides down and peeled back what looked like double-sided tape, but not really, and then folded them up.

Huh, I guess it was tape. Everything hugged my every curve. It was damn comfortable and not really tightish like leather normally is. It made me think this wasn't your average leather porno outfit.

"The uniform will withstand normal fire, and most small caliber and bladed weapons. Please stay away from laser based weaponry. You should have complete freedom of movement. Foot!"

I saw she was on her knees in front of me holding my boot. I followed her direction and once I was, what could laughably be called dressed, I stretched. Damn. She was right. The outfit was probably the best thing I ever felt and if it withstood what she said…

Harris was behind me slipping a holster belt around my waist for Suzanne to attach to the pants. It rode low on my hips so the grips of my revolvers didn't dig in my sides.

"Hey, uh, why leave so much skin in between bare?"

There was about four or five inches of midriff showing, and while sexy as all hell, it wasn't really practical.

"If you are going to be wounded, it should be there. You'll be able to heal almost any damage short of bisection."

"Uh-huh." Well that was comforting. "And you know this, why?"

Harris butted his head in. "Remember the guy we incinerated. You shot him through the heart."

Oh yeah, well use logic why don'tcha.

"Here, hold out your left hand."

I did and Suzanne slipped a really, really long fingerless glove up my arm. After doing the double sided tape thing again it was secure at my shoulder. She did the same thing to the other arm as well. After that she snapped thick black Wonder Woman bracelets on my wrist.

Standing back she took me in. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

I rolled my eyes. "Nipple rings?"

She opened the box the boots came in and pulled out a strip of material. "Pull your hair out of the way."

I gathered up the mop on my head and she put a form fitting collar around my neck. Hanging from it was the company symbol. I finally remembered where I had seen that logo. "Oh crap. You're them."

She gave me a soft laugh. "As you already know, being a former detective. If anyone sees you with that, you're given free reign, a get out of jail free card. It also acts as a two way radio and GPS so that we can keep track of your movements. I heard a small click and it was secured.

I figured this was as good a time as any to ask. "Why are you trusting me not to just run off and eat people at random?"

Harris fielded that question. "That collar you have around your neck? If you go rogue then I send out a signal and it explodes. There's no hiding from us."

My hand blurred as it shot out and I grabbed his throat. "Take it off!"

He gurgled a little.

I heard Suzanne shift away out of reach. "Once it goes on, there's no taking it off. It would take hours."

Applying enough pressure to make him really feel it, I dragged him to me. He was close enough to hear everything that I whispered to him.

"You better pray to whatever god you worship that I never get this thing off. Because when I do, you're a dead man."

"Uurp," he replied.

"I served this city, and look what happened to me. I'm a fucking vampire and I had my masculinity taken away from me." I watched as his face turned a nice shade of red, going on into purple. "I can deal. You don't hear me crying or complaining over something that I can't change. I volunteered to help you, and you are seriously fucking me over. Think about it, Harris."

By this time his eyes were starting to roll up in his head and I let him go. He dropped to the floor and wheezed roughly. Suzanne was eyeing me with extreme caution as I made my way over to the gun counter.

"Ammo." I snapped.

"Underneath," she replied shakily.

I saw a little finger hole and pulled up on it. Beneath the cover was a box of ammunition for the hand cannon I admired earlier. One by one I slid the massive cartridges into the five empty holes in the cylinder.

"You said these were special. In what way?" I swear I wasn't trying to sound supremely pissed, but when someone snaps a bomb on your body, normal people tend to take it hard. Maybe it's just me.

"They're thermal rounds."

I nodded appreciatively, closed the cylinder and holstered the weapon. Then I did the same thing with another and holstered it on the left side. I was feeling slightly Gunslinger-ish.

Suzanne seemed to have revived the good Doctor Harris enough to where he was kneeling on the floor instead of wheezing and rolling around grabbing his neck. "I have a coat for you. I didn't have enough time to make one to your specs, but it should work well enough."

I looked back at her while I perused the rest of the weapons. I wanted to stay as light as possible for speed since I hadn't really had a chance to test this body out as of yet, so I ignored all the fancy automatic weapons and instead looked at the bladed variety.

Taking a look down at my boots I saw that there was a knife on the outside of both. I slipped one of them out and then replaced it. Suzanne was there holding out the coat like I was going to bite her.

"You didn't just start making this crap did you? I mean this uniform."

She looked a little nervous. I saw the blood rising to her face in reaction to being near me. "I…I've had the material it wasn't that hard once I had your specifications. A lot of this stuff is standard uniforms for our field agents.

I gave her a steely glare and gestured to my tits. "This is standard?"

She shrugged with a slight wince. "Well, not the top."

I snatched the coat out of her hands and put it on with a flourish. It seemed like a fairly standard female-style trench coat. It settled around my knees and cut in at my waist to show off my figure even with it being as billowy as it was. I went back and grabbed the ammo box for the cannons, found a pocket and dumped them in. It was only another ten rounds, but they were freaking huge.

"Uh…"

"What." I snapped.

"You have sleeves on your belt for the extra cartridges."

I reached back and felt along the belt. "Oh, cool."

I loaded them up and was able to add a few more from another box. Now I was loaded for bear, hippos, large elephants, maybe a sperm whale or two. You gotta love America and their obsession with making things really freakin' big.

I grabbed a nice hunting knife that would make Rambo proud, and slid it and it's sheath into a coat pocket. "Oh, sweet, I want the bent machete."

Suzanne reached up and withdrew a two foot long blade. "It's a Falcata."

I reached out for it. "Whatever, gimmie."

"It's specifically made to dismember your opponent."

"Sweet." I was a kid in a candy store.

"Grenades?"

I actually thought about it. "Nah, that's a little overkill, don't ya think?"

She looked down at the massive guns on my hips and blinked. "Yeah, overkill."

Suzanne shook her head slightly and turned to Doctor Harris who was smartly keeping the conference table between me and himself. Still rubbing at his neck and giving me a 'look' he slid over a billfold. His eyes tracked to Suzanne and she explained.

"Your identification should you need it." Opening the billfold she showed me a building pass to get onto the grounds, a credit card for incidentals in the field, and my I.D.

"Rayne Reeves?"

She looked at me and her eyebrow arched slightly. "You expect to be called Wayne with those breasts?"

I pursed my lips and grabbed the billfold, stuffed it in my jacket pocket.

~O~

The only way how I knew to start this thing, besides going downtown and picking up the case files again, was to use what vampiric gifts that were given to me, namely scent.

An elevator at the end of the hall took Suzanne and me to the service level. Harris decided to wait until I was gone to depart into hidey holes unknown. We entered a locked doorway that held a single ladder that led up and deposited us onto the roof of that particular building.

Luckily the sun was behind a layer of clouds that covered the entire sky. Maybe some rain later in the evening, who knows?

I spotted the skylight that had been smashed. My keen detective skills were at work here, don'tcha know. Upon approach I waved Suzanne back and closed in on the area in question. His scent was still strong. I recognized it, because to me it was unmistakable. It was the cologne the Ripper wore.

A little chill ran down my spine as I briefly flashed back to the elevator at the Clairemont and the effect the rat bastard had on me. I don't think I'd ever forget his smell. At the same time it revolted me it made lower parts of my anatomy react. Now I'm truly squicked.

I followed the scent trail to the edge of the building and took another deep whiff. He jumped, or flew. I wondered if I could turn into a bat.

After scanning the horizon on the off chance the psycho was out there, I turned back to Suzanne.

"I need wheels or cash for a taxi."

She gestured to my jacket. "Inside left pocket. You've got two hundred. Right outer pocket are keys to two vehicles that are waiting for you in the parking garage."

We retired to said garage and I stood there looking at the choices I had. A Chevy Impala, which if you are a cop, is pretty standard fare. It had the Interceptor package installed, which basically means it's durable and fast. Cool enough.

I also had a motorcycle. It was a BMW so don't go all, 'oh coooool'. It was a K1200RS with all the bells and whistles. The engine was obviously modified, at least in my eyes. It would be a lot faster than the regular German ride. I was tempted to take the Impala just for familiarity's sake, but I need to track a scent on the move.

Suzanne motioned to the saddle pack at the rear of the bike. "That's a cooler. You have a single day's worth of blood in there. You'll need to return or make arrangements elsewhere."

Arrangements. Food for thought, no pun intended.

I straddled the bike and withdrew the keys.

"Good luck, Rayne."

I winced at the name. It sounded too close to my own, just with a little Asian accent at the beginning. That was going to take some getting use to.

I circled the perimeter until I found his scent and then picked up speed. I didn't make it three city blocks before the trail came to an end at an outdoor parking lot. Obviously this guy had a car and I was at a dead end.

I did find some footprints in the gravel, but I already knew what the guy looked like. I had his face, body and scent burned in my mind for eternity. There were too many tire tracks around to determine exactly which one his car belonged to so I was back to square one. That only meant one thing.

~O~

2nd Precinct was located off of Pierce Street downtown. It was my stomping grounds as of last week. I didn't necessarily own the place, but I wasn't an unknown either. I wasn't exactly sure of what might happen when I returned, but I needed information and they were the ones most in the know.

I parked the bike in the visitors lot, made my way around front and up the stairs. With a cleansing breath I pushed open the door and almost immediately sighed.

The scents of familiar surroundings assaulted my nose. Old burnt coffee, sweat, gun oil, cheap perfume; it was like coming home.

The front of the house was as noisy as ever, but since it was late in the day things hadn't really picked up to what I normally used to see at night. A quick scan around and I saw a number of faces I recognized. The duty officer at the front desk, Reilly, two beat cops at the coffee machine, Smith and Yates, the twitchy street kid sitting in waiting, Myerson.

Reilly's eyes were on me the second I walked in the door. Why not put him out of his misery and let him know he didn't have a chance getting me in the sack? I walked up to the main desk. My boot falls made almost no noise on approach.

"May I help you?"

It was hard to tell if his eyes were on my OTO medallion or on my tits. I guess that's why they put it there.

"I need to talk to Detective Elliot Jameson."

I could tell it took supreme effort for Reilly to drag his eyes away and pull up El's current location, but they were right back in place when he got his information. "He's just in. I'll call him up."

With a scowl I lifted my hand up and snapped my fingers in his face a couple of times. "Up here, Reilly. My eyes are up here." How do chicks with tits like mine deal with it? I'm gonna get my revenge on Suzanne for this stupid outfit. I really am.

I turned and paced to the side, leaned into the counter and then realized it did nothing but make things worse, so I crossed my arms. Have you ever tried crossing your arms with massive breasts? It's impossible. You'll look ridiculous and it's not exactly comfortable. So I tried crossing them underneath the mounds, which did nothing but push them together and emphasize things even more. Jesus!

Twitchy Myerson was watching me out of the corner of his eye. Forget going undercover ever again. I was like a freaking beacon to the male species. Sex on heels, waiting to make every perverted fantasy of theirs a mind blowing reality. I might as well been holding a sign up in the air screaming, 'fuck me, fuck me right now'.

I heard the squeak-clunk of the Pit door open to the side, and turned to see my former partner exiting.

He didn't even have to inquire who was asking for him. It was either me or Twitchy and he is a Detective.

"May I hellll, holy fucking shit!"

I gave him hard eyes that basically told him to shut the hell up. Reilly's face broke and he was about to laugh at the foot El was shoving into his own mouth.

Elliot got it together, but couldn't take his eyes off of me. Thankfully they weren't solely locked on my breasts, but I did notice they found their way there a few times. I needed to break the ogle-fest.

"Can we talk somewhere, privately?"

His jaw was working and then his voice finally kicked in. "Uh, yeah, come on."

He led me into the Pit, basically a bullpen of cubicles where the lower end detectives who really hadn't made a name for themselves were regulated. Only the ranking officers actually had offices of their own. It looked like any office that you may have been underprivileged to have seen in your life. It's not like the cop shows on TV anymore.

We made our way to his particular cubical and I looked around. We were relatively alone in the general area, but I had the gaze of every male in the room who was standing up and a few who's heads were popping over their own spaces to see what all the hushed whispering was about. I'm now the official starter of departmental hubbub. My increased hearing also let me in on the fact that my ex-partner still hadn't gotten laid since the last time I saw him. That makes his chastity streak almost six months in duration. Isn't office gossip a bitch?

We both took a seat and I subconsciously crossed my legs. El leaned into his desk, weight on his forearms. "Jesus, Wayne, when did you get out? And what the hell is with the outfit?"

I kept an ear out for any eavesdroppers that might be brave or horny enough to listen in. "It's Rayne now."

"Rayne?"

I rolled my eyes in agreement. "They aren't very original at the OTO.

His eyes dropped to my medallion. "You're one of them now?"

I nodded. "Reluctantly." At his inquiring look I explained. "They were helping me figure out what happened and what I can expect with this." I gestured to my body. "But then something happened and I'm now an agent trying to fix it."

"Is that why you're here?"

I nodded. "It's the Ripper."

El's eyes widened, but confusion took over his features quickly after. "He's dead. They cremated him. I saw the ashes after."

I heard something to my right, an eavesdropper, and from the smell of him it was Sullivan, the head office gossiper and occasional pain in my ass when I was male. I kicked at the wall of the cubical. "Fuck off, Sullivan."

The sound of shuffled shoes made their way back to where they came. I shook my head. "He's either not dead, or he's got a pissed off identical twin running around, because he killed three people about two hours ago."

Elliot jerked upright. "What? I haven't heard anything!"

"It was at the OTO facilities out on Baypark. Apparently they take care of their own problems." After a minute's thought I added, "I think he was tracking me, El. Taunting me. He killed three scientists and I was right down the hall. He could have easily tracked me, surprised me, and killed me, but he didn't."

He mulled that over for a few moments. "You're here for the case file." It wasn't a question. He knew why I was there. We had learned to think alike. We were partners for a couple of years; it happens.

With a jerk of my head in acknowledgement he got up. "Come on, it's in Closed Case."

Right before I stood he grabbed my arm. "Hey, uh… Rayne."

I looked down at the hand on my forearm and he withdrew it. I wasn't being pissy and he wasn't offended. I just wasn't used to being touched recently when there wasn't a needle involved.

He looked a little embarrassed. "That fucking rumor is still going around."

I grinned a little. "Still haven't gotten laid, El?"

He grimaced at me. "I told you last week that I got some at the Mayflower."

"Hookers don't count, El. You know that."

His face flushed even more. "It wasn't a hooker."

"Uh-huh."

Elliot looked to the side. He knew he wasn't going to win. "Look, help a brother out here."

I hadn't gotten what he was asking. It actually took me a second to figure it out. With a roll of my eyes I looked down and then shrugged out of my trench coat. "If we're going to do this, then let's do it right."

He turned back and his eyes lit up in muted excitement. "Holy crap, what the hell it that!"

Yeah, he was looking at the hand cannon strapped to my left thigh. I grinned and withdrew it from the holster, flipped it around and handed it off. "S&W 500. They give me nice toys."

He took the offered grip and I let go. His hand dropped visibly in the air. Well the thing did weigh almost five pounds.

"Christ, I'm getting a hard-on here."

My grin widened. "I noticed." I did notice, and it wasn't from my elephant gun. I knew what I looked like and I also knew he hadn't had sex in a while. I could smell it on him. I'd know.

He flicked open the cylinder and withdrew one of the cartridges. With a low whistle he slid it back in and handed it back to me. "Need some company?"

We both had an appreciation for fine weaponry. I really didn't know if it was this body or the 500 that he was more attracted to. Maybe he was thinking about using me to get one of those guns? What are the odds?

I slung the trench coat over one forearm and stood. "Come on let's get this farce over with. But I'm warning you. If your lips come anywhere near me, I'm drawing down."

He laughed appreciatively. "Deal, and Wayne, thanks for this."

I shook my head as we stood. "It's Rayne now. Don't let these assholes know I'm a chick."

He cocked his arm and I slid my hand through as he led me through the Pit, the long way around, to the stairs on the opposite side of the room. He had a shit-eating grin on his face and I tried my best to look sexy and dangerous for all the tongue-waggers. It wasn't very hard.

Her thighs were clamped to my side, making it impossible to go for my guns and I felt her nails already digging into my throat. Something told me that it wouldn't be any problem whatsoever for her to rip my head right off of my shoulders.

I wasn't worried or interested in the plethora of evidence gathered at all the other crime scenes prior to my attack. My only concern was the final box of evidence gathered when the Ripper was 'killed'. Elliot led me through rows of shelves in the Closed Case storage room located in the basement of the 2nd Precinct. He found the place that he was looking for and without any fanfare pulled a box out of a stack that took up an entire shelf. Like I said before, the Ripper was busy.

He lugged it back to a set of tables specifically put aside for examining old evidence. It had a nice sickening pair of fluorescent lights hanging above. I'm sure my already pale complexion glowed, making me positively vamplike. Not that I gave a crap. Elliot knew what I was. Or at least I think he did.

"Still… you know?" He pulled his bottom lip back making little sucking sounds, and held out two fingers hooked downwards. Leave it to Elliot to reduce me from being a creature of dark fantasy to comical fang gestures.

"Yes, El," I replied dryly. "I'm still a cursed dark creature of the night."

"Cool, so does that make you immortal now? Do you feel all gay and Emo, and curse your existence, or are you like a good vampire riding around on a motorcycle armed with the latest in high tech weaponry killing hoards of vampires while being on the run from local law enforcement?"

I flipped off the cardboard top to the box while giving him a curious look. "Where do you come up with this crap?"

Though the last one was scary close to being the truth except I'm not black, I don't have a dozen tattoos, and I'm not a half vampire.

"Dude, how often am I gonna get the chance to ask these questions with them actually pertaining to reality?"

I ignored him. If I took him seriously I'd never get out of here. "Tell me about what you found on the Ripper."

He pulled out a wooden chair and threw himself back as his feet crossed on top of the desk. "Clarence Spangler. The ID we found on him led us to an apartment in Woodbridge."

I found his wallet and flipped through it as Elliot ran on.

"Absolutely nothing noteworthy. No trophies, no address book, no friends, the neighbors rarely saw him, and thought of him as 'quiet'. The gimp was boring." He leaned his head back and I heard a small crack along his spine as he stretched out. "I personally don't think he really even lived there."

Nothing with the wallet so I set it aside. "Why?"

"The place was too sterile, too Spartan. His bed barely seemed used. The fridge was empty and unplugged. He didn't even have an answering machine."

"But he had a phone," I noted.

With a nod, Elliot continued. "Yeah, phone records led to nothing. I'd be surprised if he ever used it."

"Maybe just a bolt hole." I set a handful of credit cards aside. "Anything on these?"

He eyed the cards. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Clothes stores, bars…"

I cut him off. "What bars?"

"Everything off of Richmond. He seemed to be hunting in that area alone."

Richmond was a three mile stretch of road that had every kind of club imaginable lined up on either side. It didn't surprise me.

"What's this?" I held up a very long thin key with numerous teeth lined up in random places along the ridge.

"That, that's a key."

Why do I even try? "Thanks, idiot. Did you ever find out what the key opens?"

He shook his head. "No, bank, train/bus/airport stations use that design. Even the locksmith I took it to didn't know what it was used for. His best guess was that it was custom made."

For those of you that watch movies, or cop shows on TV, this is what we in law enforcement call -- a clue. It's usually the one piece found in an evidence pile that leads to the ultra secret lair of the villain. If I hang on to it, I'll probably discover its use in the near future and it will inevitably save my life. Or it could just be a key to his locker at the local gym where I'll find a pile of dirty socks. "I'm taking it."

"You know the routine."

I grabbed the cardboard lid and made note of the item on a sheet taped to the inside. I almost signed as 'Wayne', but caught myself and just made it 'Rayne — OTO'.

I dropped the key in my jacket pocket and continued my search.

"His clothes were off the rack. I swear the guy…"

"Oh ho!" I interrupted because I found jewelry, specifically a class ring.

Elliot leaned forward and squinted a little. "Oh, that. We checked it out. There was no Clarence Spangler at Met U around the year noted on the ring, so we also know that the ID was crap."

"Tell me you checked the yearbooks."

Elliot nodded. "Dammit. I can't catch a break!"

I sifted through the rest of the crap, but my search was futile to say the least. So I had a key, and a class ring to a college that didn't have the guy on record. Squat. I replaced everything back in the evidence box and placed the top back. Then a thought occurred to me.

"You didn't happen to notice if there were any bars on or close to campus, did you?"

Elliot searched his memory for a few seconds. "There was a non-alcoholic club at the Student Union and I think two right off campus."

Met U was on the other side of the city, almost to the suburbs. It wasn't our normal stomping grounds and neither of us were familiar with the layout in that area.

"I'm going clubbing tonight."

Elliot's eyebrow's raised in interest. "Think he might go back to an old haunt?"

I shrugged. "There's little else to go on. I'm just shooting in the dark." Picking up the box I returned it on the way out.

He escorted me back up and out into the parking lot. It was full dark now, and to me the city was just waking up.

"I fucking knew it. You have a motorcycle!"

I straddled the bike and smiled, showing him my tiny fangs. "Yeah, but I don't have a shotgun that shoots silver stakes. It was a trade off."

He shoved his hands in his pockets looking dejected. "You need any backup?" he asked hopefully.

I slid the key in the ignition and sat back. "El, you see what happened to me. You want to take the chance of turning into this?"

For emphasis I reached back and opened the storage compartment. When I pulled out a blood bag, he stopped himself from answering and watched as I bit into it. I kept my eyes trained on him while I emptied the bag, and it was informative. He wasn't so much disgusted as he was interested. When I finished, I licked my lips and felt a quick rush of energy course through me. He still stood there after I threw the empty back in the cooler and started the bike up.

Without another word I backed it up and broke eye contact with him. It was hard to think that El might shun me, but it was harder to think that he might just actually want to be like I was.

~O~

On the way over to Met U, I rediscovered just how perverted the nightlife is in the city. I don't know exactly how many propositions I received en route, but lets just say that I could have had my dance card filled for the next month, and I'm not talking about the fancy kind of dancing.

I did have a couple of Harley Choppers pace me for a while on the freeway, but with the flick of a loosed button my trench coat flew backward almost like a cape to reveal the 500's. They didn't stick around for long after that.

After finding out where the Student Union was via a campus cop, I pulled into a nearby parking lot and killed the engine. I still had about three hundred yards to walk so I took my time sniffing around on the way in. Hey, you never know. He might be living in an underground lab beneath one of the buildings? It could happen.

While I didn't come across Clarence the Ripper (snicker), I did scent a variety of smell that I normally take for granted: fresh cut grass, a dozen different brands of beer smuggled on campus via the breath of a group of fraternity guys I passed, sex — from the same group of guys — oddly enough from the same girl. That brought a nagging thought of sexual assault, but I was here on a different case. Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye, ear, and nose out for a possible victim just in case.

Anyway, I made it to the short line of giggly girls and overly horned boys that were outside the club as they paid their cover and entered. I felt ridiculous standing there in my super-hero costume while the others were dressed to party, but hey, what else am I gonna do?

Once I got to the front I whipped out my ID. "OTO, I need to ask you a question."

The girl behind the counter gave me an odd look. "What's an OTO?"

My eyes thinned. "Law enforcement." It was the only way I knew to explain. How, exactly, am I supposed to get anything done if I don't have any power to get anything done?

I didn't let her get the next question out and instead cut her off. "I'm looking for a guy: about six feet, dark hair, athletic, late twenties…" Hell, I need a picture of this guy.

She giggled at me. "Lots of guys fit that description. Five dollars."

I went ahead and paid her. With a sigh I opened the door to the interior and resolved myself to give the club a quick once over and then move on to the next. Pop based dance music seemed to be the theme of this particular club. Somewhere so the students to blow off a little steam without getting stupid on beer and cheap shots, not to mention a place to satisfy their sexual urges.

The first thing that I noticed was the assault on my nose from the overflow of testosterone and estrogen in the air. It smelled like a bedroom after about five hours of heart pounding sex. I blinked and tried my best to filter it out, or at the very least see if I could pull out any other scents among the oversexed masses.

It wasn't packed, but it wasn't slow either. The dance floor was busy and a number of the tables were occupied with laughing coeds and overly unimpressive males. I walked the interior and came to the conclusion that my hunches were crap. The Ripper hadn't been there, and I had serious doubts whether he had even been on campus at all. Maybe he just liked the color of the stone on the class ring when he ate somebody.

I left in a huff and made my way back to the bike. That's when something different crossed my path. It didn't smell right. It wasn't the Ripper, I knew that right away, but it was something similar.

The half moon that stood in the sky showed more than enough illumination to make it seem like broad daylight for my eyes as I scanned the area. There were too many cars around. Anything could be hiding anywhere and I wouldn't know it until it was too late. May hand itched to feel the grip of the 500at my side. I wasn't afraid, but I was on edge.

When I couldn't find anything visually I caught the edge of the scent and circled for a minute to see which way it was headed. The parking lot emptied onto a grassy area adjacent to a building, I'm guessing was dorm related since it looked vaguely like a hotel. The scent didn't even pause. Sounds weird, doesn't it?

A pause in scent would be a small concentration, like they rubbed up against something to leave a little bit more of what made them, them. This was just a constant, like the person was running, but not full out. It's hard to describe unless your nose is like ten times more powerful than the average person. I know what I smell, let's just leave it at that, okay?

I increased the pace and then noticed a six foot tall wooden fence right in the path. Whatever it was, jumped over. Note that I said jumped, not climbed, like your average human would have to do. It was a vampire I was tracking!

I'm sure my heart was thumping away, in its on way. Maybe a beat every two minutes. What are the physical ticks of an excited vampire? I don't have a clue. I was just excited.

I hadn't tried it yet, so I took a couple of steps back and then forward at a quicker pace, then I leaped in the air.

I may have misjudged the amount of power my legs actually have. I cleared the fence along three parked cars on the other side. Well, I almost cleared the third. It was a stupid Hummer, so it didn't count. After picking myself up off of the asphalt I shifted to the side until I found the scent again.

It didn't take me long to figure out where it was going to lead. The Coven was a Goth club, and the vampire I was tracking led me right to the front door. Lucky me.

The line was stretched about fifty feet back with tortured twenty-somethings that missed being harassed in High School so much that they continued their self-deprecation well into their college years.

The bouncer took one look at me, or my tits, and waved me up. I didn't bother thanking him; I still had a vamp to find. Throwing five bucks at the vampire wannabe behind the counter I followed the scent through the black velvet curtains into the club, proper.

You know how most clubs have the flashing lights, maybe a disco ball or seven, they play dance music and everyone is sweaty with smells of unreleased sexual tension. Yeah, well The Coven wasn't one of those places.

It was more of a big gigantic circular room with the bar dead center, kind of like a big black velvet donut with red and black light everywhere. Mostly it was a bunch of Goths, Witch, and Vampire fanboys and fangirls standing around chatting their dark thoughts out loud to each other. Recorded Emo music was playing over the speakers and the cigarette smoke was rather thick.

Half the club had booths lining the wall, filled with handfuls of people petting, making out, being social, you know, like every other club in town. Well, except for a few. I focused in on one booth and watched a girl holding a razorblade on her arm, not to slice her wrists, but to cut herself just a little. Great. Yes, it was for her imitation vampire boyfriend. Now I knew exactly why the vampire I tracked came to this place. It was for the free all—you-can-eat buffet!

The scent led along the arc of booths and I followed it, checking each booth as I passed, just to make sure my nose wasn't playing tricks on me. It wasn't. The blood smell hit me as I passed the human guy and his suck-toy, but when I reached the booth past it the scent trail came to a stop.

It wasn't Clarence the Ripper. It was a chick and she had her mouth clamped on some made-up, pasty-faced, raccoon-eyed guy that had a look on his face like he was about to lose his load any second.

I drew one of the 500's and pulled back on the hammer, then I cleared my throat. She reared back slightly, all I could see was the back of her mound-o-bleached-blonde hair, but I knew she was smelling her surroundings. Her head bobbed a little bit. Jesus, she was licking his throat.

Her hand came up and brushed over his eyes. I heard her whisper, "Shhh, forget."

"Back off nice and slow, lady," I insisted. "I have a real jones to use this thing right now."

She turned and followed instructions pretty well. Hey, maybe all vampires aren't insane-o.

Her eyes fell on the 500 and flickered a little. "Yeah," I said. "Big, ain't it?"

"Size isn't everything," she countered with a slight French lilt to her voice.

I shrugged. "Yeah, but I really know how to use it. It's all in the hips." I nodded over to her donor for the evening. "Why don't you let him go and we'll have ourselves a nice little chat."

Her eyes narrowed at me for a moment and then she leaned over to her boy toy. "Richard it is time for you to go."

The guy, Richard, twitched like he was waking up from a nice nap. His eyes blinked for a second, unfocused and then found his vampire cutie. He smiled lazily. "See you next month?"

She leaned in an kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you, darling boy."

Okay, what the hell? Next month?

Richard didn't even bat an eye at the gun, slid out of the booth and oozed to the bar.

"Where is your Maker, Neophyte?" Blondie seemed a little perturbed.

"Neo-what?"

She scanned me again, but something different crossed her features this time; a certainty. "You do not know who your Maker is, do you?" Her eyes rolled and her demeanor changed to one of annoyance. "Holster your weapon, Neophyte and sit. You have nothing to fear from me."

I wavered for a second. It was like having a cool wet cloth laid over my eyes, calming me, letting me know that everything was okay. I put the 500 away and sat on the other side of the booth. A blink later I was back to myself.

I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. "What the hell was that!"

Her eyes trailed around the room like a panther overseeing its hunting grounds. "That was me putting you at ease. We will accomplish nothing until you are ready to listen, Neophyte."

Regardless of the vampire lady's influence over my perceptions I kept my hand on the grip of my weapon. "I have a name. Why are you calling me Neophyte?

"You are no more than six months made, am I correct?"

"About two weeks, actually."

He head snapped to me and her gaze intensified. "Rubbish. Do not lie to me."

I leaned into the table and half-pulled the 500 out at the same time. "Weekend before last. On a Saturday night. He held me down, ripped out half my throat and I returned his kindness before blowing his heart out of his back." I didn't mention the rape. I really didn't feel like sharing that much.

She seemed to ease back a little. "And the blood exchange? Your tale indicates an unwilling turn."

"He made the mistake of trying to muzzle me with his hand. I ripped into his wrist."

Disbelief dropped across her face. "What you are saying doesn't make sense, Neophyte. Even the most undisciplined of us exude enough power to control the strongest of minds. You should have been amidst euphoria at the time."

Who the hell was this chick?

"I was. He had me clouded right up until before he bit me."

"Curious."

Okay, screw this. Time to bring the conversation back to my side. "Who are you?"

"You may call me Mistress Sophie."

Pretentious much? "Fine, Sophie. I'm tracking the guy that did this to me, he's a killer and I'm going to put him out of my misery."

"You do not kill your Maker, Neophyte. There are rules."

I finished pulling out the 500 and laid it on the seat next to me as I leaned back in the booth. "Yeah, and I was a police detective before I got attacked and changed into something against my will. He's been killing girls around the city, ripping their guts out to decorate the surrounding walls." With a huff I finished. "He broke the rules first."

Sophie's body language tensed. "Describe your Maker."

"Six feet, dark hair, athletic, mid-twenties, calls himself Clarence Spangler."

Her eyes fluttered closed and her jaw set.

"You know who it is, don't you?" I accused.

"This is the killer in the papers — your Ripper." With a nod from me she deflated. "Then it's true."

"Talk to me, Sophie," I said empathetically. "I barely know what I'm doing here."

One of the crowd approached the table. A young brunette in dark loose fitting clothes, but not quite the regular fair of the club. "You called, Mistress?"

Sophie nodded once. "Close the club for the evening. Chose three volunteers to remain for special services. This Neophyte and I have council business to discuss. Alert Nicholas, and Rhys that I require their presence immediately."

The brunette nodded and bowed slightly. "As you wish, Mistress."

I didn't even get a chance to ask what she was doing. "Tell me what you know, Neophyte, about your turning and what you have become. I will fill in the missing pieces, for now."

I was kind of torn. I had a mission. I had to kill a murdering bastard on the loose out there, but I didn't know if I'd get another chance to find out what I needed to know about being what I was.

"I…"

Seeing my inner turmoil, Sophie offered something of herself. "Child, there is a government of sorts among our kind. A ruling body. In every major city in the world, there is a presence to keep order. Nicholas is the local magistrate. Think of him as judge, and jury of this city. Until he arrives we will have a discussion about your new life."

She said it so matter of fact. There was no room for discussion. Like she was queen of her domain.

"Uh… okay."

Her face lighten slightly. "Good, now put your weapon away and let us talk."

Now it was my turn to twitch. There was no way she could have seen that I had it out. The table totally obscured her view.

"Neophyte, look up."

I did and cursed myself. "Fuck." The ceiling was mirrored.

A tinkle of laugher ran across my spine like warm champagne poured down from my neck. I shoved the 500 in its holster and watched as the club lights went up and an announcement that they were closing was made.

"No more games. We are on a limited time frame."

~O~

I told her about the investigation into the murders, my going undercover, how I met the Ripper, and the effect he had on me. Then the final act.

"All I remember after that was the pain. I woke up the next day a vampire and I had these." I motioned to my tits.

Sophie nodded. "The turning facilitates a change in your base self. It is a defense mechanism of a sort. It will change the color of your hair, and various traits of your body so that you do not resemble your previous self in any way."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "There have been many theories that you may choose from. What I subscribe to is this: In the old days people such as you and I lived in small villages often knowing the people that surrounded us and also in surrounding villages. If it were known that a person died, would it not be mysterious to see them walking around as if nothing ever happened?"

Okay, I could kind of see that. "Then why in hell would it change my sex?"

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"My sex," I shot back. "My gender. I was a guy before this happened."

The table shot forward and she was on me in a half a second. Her hand was at my throat, above my collar, and her eyes tore into mine. "Be very careful of your next words, Neophyte, on pain of your very life."

Her thighs were clamped to my side, making it impossible to go for my guns and I felt her nails already digging into my throat. Something told me that it wouldn't be any problem whatsoever for her to rip my head right off of my shoulders.

I'm sure she could see my acknowledgement easily.

"You say you were male, correct."

I nodded slightly.

Her breath was soft and her tone very threatening. "None of us are homosexual, Neophyte. It is a fact of nature. So your story is ringing untrue. And if you have lied about this then what else have you lied about? Hmm?"

"I was undercover," I whispered, not wanting to set her off any more. "In disguise."

She watched every move of my face, taking it all in. "Are you saying that you were dressed as a female, Neophyte?"

I nodded again.

"And he fell for your act?" She moved to the side and closed in, almost touching my cheek to her own when I felt her cool breath along my ear. "You must have been very convincing to pull off this masquerade, for it is one of our most sacred rules not to feed off of a person of the same sex."

Sophie leaned back slightly, letting her lips trace the slightest trail along my cheek passed my own. Her tongue darted out to run along my bottom lip and she fell back with a delighted grin on her face.

"It has been decades since I have encountered one of you."

The second she released my neck I shoved her forward, away from me and spun to the side to put more room between us. I drew both weapons and had her in my sights, but the bitch was on the floor giggling.

Okay, I've had my requisite mind-fuck for the day. Well fuck her. I pulled the trigger and watched as the barrel shot a two foot flame out the end accompanied with an ear shattering retort and I saw the potion of the booth she was previously sitting in, pretty much explode in flames.

Thermal rounds. Excellent.

She rolled out of the way, but I followed her. "Nobody fucks with me a second time, Sophie." I let loose another round two feet to her right and a large table shattered into flaming pieces.

Sophie landed in a crouch, almost on all fours, a look of anger and panic swept her face, but I was watching her eyes the most. The iris had gone red. Now I knew what Harris saw last week when I went all feral on Reynolds. Her eyes shifted slightly and I focused my hearing behind me. Without missing a beat I swiveled on my heel and leveled one of the 500's on the girl who was at the table earlier.

"NO!" Sophie screamed.

She was less than an inch away from the end of the barrel. At this range there probably wouldn't be much of her head left if I were to pull the trigger.

A strong smell of spent urine rent the air and I realized the girl had lost bladder control. Hell, if this thing was in my face I'd probably do the same… if I had a bladder anymore.

"What's it gonna be Sophie. Are you going to keep fucking with me?"

"Neophyte, I will strip the skin from your bones slowly if you harm one hair on her head." Her voice told me everything I wanted to know about whether that was the truth. It was.

I lowered the gun to the girl's chest. "Don't move. I'd hate to shoot you on accident." She nodded nervously and I turned my head back to Sophie. The vampire was on two feet again, her eyes passionate for the girl.

"You were saying something about my bones?"

Sophie's eyes reverted back to the green-hazel from earlier. "She is my only living kin, Neophyte. Leave her be."

I really didn't have much choice. I wasn't going to kill a relative innocent. "What do you hold sacred, Sophie? You said I had nothing to fear from you and you threatened to kill me a minute ago, so you're obviously a liar."

I watched as she stiffened, her lips drew taught.

"So what assurances do I have that as soon as I let her go that you won't try to skin my bones?"

"She can offer you a blood pact," a new voice said from the general area of the front door.

"Nicholas," Sophie almost spat. "Stay out of this."

I turned my head back to see an older looking man, maybe in his early thirties, wearing a very expensive suit. He took a step forward. "A blood pact, young Neophyte, is a bond between two of us to honor terms of an agreement." He made his way near us to a booth two down from where Sophie and I originally sat and took a seat like a spectator. "It is simple enough and is not revocable under… well lets just say that it would hurt quite a lot if your word were broken."

Sophie was almost in a snit. "Nicholas, she shot at me in my own club and now she threatens my grand-daughter."

"Pfft," I returned. "If I was to shoot at you, you'd be dead already. You almost tore my head off, so I almost blow yours off. As far as I'm concerned we're even."

"And my grand-daughter?"

I shook my head. "I just didn't feel like getting jumped. But now you're all in a huff and well, you see my dilemma."

Nicholas crossed his legs and leaned back. "Sophie, offer her the blood pact. I have better things to do this evening."

If she could spit fire, I'm sure she would.

"I need a knife. May I move without you harming her?"

I holstered one of my guns, the one that was pointing at Sophie, and reached into my jacket to withdraw my own knife. "Slowly, please."

I held it out to her, hilt first. She approached and took it. "Hold your hand out."

She cut into the palm of her right hand, almost to the bone, and blood welled up. "I agree to withhold hostilities, either personally or through a surrogate for a period of twenty-four hours if you agree to the same."

"I agree." She took my hand and repeated the cut then clasped her hand to mine. A flare of pain shot up my arm and I could see it affected her as well. Then she stepped back. I heard a breath being released behind me. The girl knew she was safe now. I holstered the other 500 and Nicholas clapped his hands together once.

"Excellent, another catastrophe averted. My work here is done."

Before Nicholas stood Sophie had released my hand and turned to him. "Anthony has turned blood-sick."

I looked down at my palm and the wound had sealed itself up, the blood in dried flakes falling off my skin. Who the hell was Anthony?

The male vampire looked stricken. "What? When?"

I'm slow sometimes. It was obviously the Ripper they were talking about, so I piped in. "Have you seen the news recently? Heard of the Ripper?"

At that he closed is eyes and ran a hand down his face.

"That's not the worst of it, Nicholas. Anthony turned this Neophyte. She was a male at the time."

Now Nicholas' attention was on me. He stood and strode toward me. "You were male?"

I nodded.

"Out loud, Neophyte. I must know if you are telling the truth."

"Yes, I was male. He turned me."

Nicholas stopped before me. I don't know if it was some freaky vampire thing or not that they were lie detectors of some sort. But he saw or sensed the truth of my words. However, he pressed further.

"The turn was voluntary?"

"No." Definitely not.

He put his hands together behind his back and walked around me, judging me? checking out my ass? I have no idea.

"He stripped you, fucked you, and turned you without your approval?"

Uh, sorta. "I was undercover at the time, trying to find the Ripper. I was dressed as a woman. He seduced me, raped me, and ripped out my throat."

He was behind me when he asked the next question. "Did he know you were male at any time?"

I shrugged. "After I bit him back, right before I shot him, he saw."

"Then I cannot condone his final death."

I spun around. "What?"

"He turned you unknowingly. It was in your own self defense that you were turned. He was merely feeding, and while it is against our laws to feed on the same gender except in times of great need, he again, did not know you were male. He will not suffer punishment for those crimes."

I stepped up in his face. "He killed and mutilated a number of innocent women!"

It was the next second that I found myself across the room with my chest hurting like I'd been slapped across the body with a large tree. Ooowwww. I hadn't even seen the man move. I was seriously outclassed here.

"Do not challenge me, Neophyte," Nicholas' voice echoed in my head.

Sophie looked rather happy at my slapdown. Bitch.

"Anthony will be dealt with for the blood-sick, but he will not die because of humans."

Another voice joined the party. "What'd I miss?"

"Rhys," Nicholas said, as I lay there trying not to move. "Alert the hunters. They are to find Anthony and bring him to me. Be aware that he is most probably blood-sick."

"What do you want done with her?" asked Sophie.

I looked up at that, ready to draw down on the three of them and die in a blaze of glory or whatever.

Nicholas stood there in silent contemplation for a few moments. "Anthony will be secluded for a time. She will need a surrogate until he is sane again. That will be you, Sophie."

That brought both of us to voice, "What?"

Nicholas strode toward the exit. "Neophyte, Sophie will teach you what you should need to know in order to survive. Disobey her at the cost of your life."

Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, fucker.

When we were alone, Sophie walked up to me and offered a hand up. I reluctantly took it. My chest still wasn't a hundred percent yet. What the hell did he hit me with?

"You will return here tomorrow night after sunset if there is not sufficient cloud cover to come earlier."

"Fine," I grumbled. Now I get to be taught by a vampiric Stevie Knicks. Can my life suck anymore than it already has?

I tried, I really did, but I found out when the thirst takes control there's not really a whole hell of a lot you can do. I felt tears roll down my face as my lips met his flesh and my canines sank into his neck. He jerked slightly but then went limp, and a sigh of ecstasy escaped from his mouth.

Just a copyright reminder for the pics: Picture credits: The pic is from the "Bloodrayne" video game series and all credit goes to the owners: Majesco and Terminal Reality. This is "not" a Bloodrayne fanfic. She's just hot and that's who I envision the lead character to look like.

---

 
Part 4
 
Can my life suck anymore than it already has? The answer to that little question would be a resounding, YES!

"Rayne?"

I nearly jumped out of my boots as I was making my way back to my bike. The caved-in feeling that was sucking at my chest still hadn't abated, and I really wasn't in the mood to deal with anything else tonight except maybe nursing on a bag or two of blood and watching reruns of Seinfeld. Yes, I'm shallow. Leave me alone.

"What?"

I spun around looking for where the voice was coming from.

"Rayne, depress the icon on your necklace to communicate with me."

Oh. It was the evil Doctor Harris. See how my life can get worse?

I followed instructions. "What?"

"Progress report."

I continued on my merry way. "Well I just got my ass handed to me by a vampire with a sheriff complex. How's your night going?"

"Was it the target?"

I hopped the fence and flinched when I landed. Ouch. "No, I met up with the local vampire hierarchy. We had words. I got pounded, but on the plus side the thermal rounds for the 500's… excellent. Blows shit up real good!"

"I'm so happy that you're pleased," he said dryly. "Now on to a different subject. Is there any reason that you gave Detective Jameson our phone number?"

Huh? "What the hell are you talking about. 'I' don't even have your phone number."

After a brief pause he continued. "I have him on the other line wanting to talk to you."

The motorcycle was within sight. "Well then put him through."

"Please refrain from using this line for your personal business."

"Hey, Harris?"

"Yes."

"Don't forget. I'm gonna kick your ass for this necklace. Don't think I've forgotten." Always leave them thinking you're pissed. Trade secret. Shhh.

A quick burst of static and I heard someone on the other end of the line humming the tune to Sound of Music. Sometimes I wonder about Elliot. "El, what's up?"

"It's a direction, the opposite of down, but that's not why I'm calling."

"Talk to me."

"We've got another one."

Crap. "Where?"

"Regency Hotel, Suite 537."

A slight mental calculation later and I answered. "I'll be there in about twenty."

I clicked the necklace and disconnected. Once I made it to the bike I grabbed a bag-o-blood and sucked it down. Oh yeah, baby. Tossing the empty in the cooler I grabbed another. By the time I finished, my chest felt normal again. Okay important note: blood heals.

I slapped the cooler closed and tore out of the parking lot.

~O~

The Regency was one of the hoity-toity hotels downtown. Fifteen floors of unmitigated rich-boy opulence. They have good pillow mints too. I usually grab a handful whenever I have to drop by. That practice is in the crapper now that I don't eat.

I parked the motorcycle right by the front doors and flashed my ID to the beat cop that was taking names of everyone entering. The hotel was on lockdown. Standard procedure. Had to make sure the guests weren't involved in sucking the blood out of girls and ripping them apart for a little Nuevo dark art fair in Room 537.

The night manager was behind the desk looking mildly freaked out and dealing with irate guests. I flashed him a grin as I strode past to the only working elevator. Also standard procedure. Limit the ways your killer can escape, buy putting guards on all possible modes of egress.

The guard had the door opened for me when he saw my approach. Aww, Elliot told them I was coming. Wasn't that thoughtful. Ten dollars says that he's waiting outside the door to the room. He always had a weak stomach. What he was doing in Homicide was mind-boggling.

I hit the fifth floor button and leaned back against the wall listening to … the Sound of Music soundtrack. Okay, so El isn't a freak. Damn muzak.

Okay, I was standing there minding my own business, not bothering anyone since nobody was actually in the elevator with me, right? Then why were there finger puppet shadows on the wall?

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and decided discretion was the better part of valor. I ducked and jumped forward narrowly avoiding the ghostly finger puppets that were in actuality, hands coming down from the maintenance hatch on top of the elevator.

"Bloody fuck!"

The hands, clawed hands mind you, withdrew in a blur of speed and a high-pitched shriek sounded above. I drew one of the 500's and aimed right at the gaping hole in the ceiling.

"Alright, come out with your claws and fangs high, Anthony–Clarence–whatever the fuck you're calling yourself now."

The Elevator jerked and the alarm sounded. Great I'll never hear anything through all the racket.

I leaned hard against the door, because any second it would open. Aaaany second. Openopenopenopenopen. A mighty crash sounded above the clanging of the alarm, and a fist shot through the ceiling and made a grab at me. Of course having super vampire speed myself, I ducked and whipped around with the 500 to let off a single shot right into the arm.

Note to self: Shooting a hand cannon off in a tiny enclosed space isn't conducive to good hearing.

I flinched at the loud report, but the plus side was that there was a flaming piece of arm now laying on the floor. Excellent!

The doors were opening! I dove through to the nice solid floor in front of me and whipped out the other 500. My hearing popped back into existence. I love vampire healing! The elevator doors started to close again and I jammed my foot in the way.

"Rayne!"

I didn't even bother looking. "He's on top of the fucking elevator, Elliot!"

Elliot came to a stop right beside me, with his Glock drawn. "Holy shit! Is that an arm?"

I could still hear shrieking from above. "Dammit. He's gonna get away. Screw this. El, hold the door and plug your ears!"

He followed direction, sticking his foot in the way, and I crouched. Taking aim with both 500's I popped off two shots with each, dead center. The elevator lurched, so I shot one more with each, but one of the guns clicked empty. Shit, I hadn't reloaded from earlier! Luckily that was all that was needed, because the cable was snapping.

Cops were all over the place behind me. "Someone reload this! They're on my belt. Elliot grabbed it and pulled my coat out of the way. That's when the elevator dropped. And there goes…hold on, that wasn't Clarence the Anthony Ripper falling to his death.

Screw it. Fucker was trying to kill me. I stepped forward, leaned over and unloaded the other 500 into him on the way down. Vampires blow up real good!

"Here."

I grabbed my freshly loaded baby and took a gander up the shaft. I learned my lesson. Always look up. There was nothing, so I looked down again at the flames. I holstered the loaded gun and popped the cylinder on the other. After reloading, I holstered the remaining 500 and turned to Elliot. "Hold the fort. I'll be right back."

"What? Where are you…"

I leaped for the dangling pair of cables in front of me and pulled myself up the line. I already had a sneaking suspicion about who it was that tried to kill me. Hand over hand I flew up the cable to the top and saw an open maintenance door. I was about to swing myself out, but I heard voices.

"…hear that? She's got to be toast by now."

"What's keeping Antonio then?"

"Can you see anything down there?"

Two voices and one of them is about to…

Yep, he stuck his head inside the door. I grabbed him by the jacket and pulled, tossing him down the shaft. A screech sounded on his way down and I knew I had about half a second before the other one came to investigate. I pulled one of my guns and luckily a head appeared… and then disappeared in a blaze of flame and cordite from yours truly.

I looked down and focused my gaze. The vampire I gave the long step down was twisting on the cable below. Lucky bastard was able to stop his fall. Loosening my grip on the cable I started sliding at high speed. OW! THAT BURNS! I targeted his hands on the cable and let loose another blast from the 500. Oh shit.

The two cables, that were actually one cable, snapped. Okay, that probably wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had. All the tension in my cable dropped. This is gonna hurt. I bounced off of the back of the shaft scrambling for purchase and saw light ahead so I reached out and grabbed for anything to slow me down. A sharp blow to the head, from somewhere, had me seeing stars. My hand hit the fifth floor landing that Elliot, bless his freakin' soul, was still keeping open.

My nails dug into the steel lip and it felt like my arm just tore out of my shoulder socket. Tears squirted from my eyes and I thought I was going to grind my teeth to powder, but I was stopped. Screams were still coming from the vampire who's hand I shot off. That had to hurt like a bitch. Not to mention the additional four and a half floors he fell.

I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Rayne!" Elliot yelled in shock. "What the hell?"

"Hold on a sec." I pulled the 500 with my free hand and emptied it in the pathetic creature below. Okay, can I pass out now?

Elliot and another cop pulled me to safety. I didn't think I had the strength to argue. "Jesus, Rayne, you weigh a ton."

My gun clattered to the side as I tried to make sense of what was happening. It felt like I was totally drained.

"Someone open the door to that room," ordered Elliot. He picked me up with a grunt. No, he's not a sissy. Elliot is six-two and hovers about two hundred pounds, most of that being muscle. I'm just that heavy now. Something about amazing muscle density. I looked skinny and frail, but these thin arms can bench press four-hundred and fifty pounds according to the evil Doctor Harris.

My arm was dangling kind of weird like. Was it supposed to bend that way? Elliot laid me on the bed and told the others to get out. I blinked and then the pain started to radiate through my shoulder joint.

"You're arm's dislocated, partner."

My eyes finally found his.

"Oh shit. Dude, your eyes are red. Is that normal?"

I ground my lids closed. "Pop it back in, El. Hurry."

I turned my head away from him and felt one hand grab my wrist over the thick bracelet and the other braced underneath the injured arm, on my ribcage. A clean jerk later and I screamed. I don't give a crap about how much you see the tough guy grimace and bear the pain with a slight whimper on TV. Relocating a dislocated shoulder hurts like a bitch.

"Shit, are you okay? You're a vampire, aren't you supposed to be with the instant healing?"

White-hot pain lanced through my shoulder and all I could say was, "Blood, I need my blood."

My eyes were still squeezed shut. I didn't want him to see me going feral. "Get out El. Get everyone out, Hurry."

My throat burned and I wanted to feed. It was eating its way through me and I knew if there was anyone in the way, they'd be dead. My bike was too far away. I'd never make it to the lobby and out front before I ate someone and I wasn't about to let that happen. My good hand was halfway to my necklace to let Harris know to blow the collar when I felt something grab my wrist.

My eyes snapped open and Elliot, the stupid fuck, was hovering right over me. My eyes found the pulse point on his neck and I could almost see his blood flowing underneath the skin.

"Do it Rayne, just try not to kill me."

I pushed him away. Apparently I had more than enough strength to cause his body to dent the wall. Oops. Well, I had to try to make it to the lobby, before this idiot sacrifices himself. I stumbled across the room and grabbed the doorknob and ripped it right off the door.

Why the hell was I so uncoordinated? It was just a dislocated arm. Crap, now how was I supposed to get out of here.

I turned around letting my back lay against the door as I tried to see if there was another way out. There was always a door connected to another suite, right?

Elliot was on his hands and knees wheezing a little, like he had the wind knocked out of him. I took two steps and I knew I wasn't going to make it. The burning intensified and now all I could smell was… oh God.

I saw Elliot rubbing the back of his head and pulling his hand away. My eyes locked on the smear of blood coating his fingers.

A sort of calm came over me when I dropped to my knees and he looked in my eyes. His face went slack and he fell forward slightly. I grabbed him and pulled his body to me like he weighed nothing. His head lolled to the side exposing his muscled neck.

I tried, I really did, but I found out when the thirst takes control there's not really a whole hell of a lot you can do. I felt tears roll down my face as my lips met his flesh and my canines sank into his neck. He jerked slightly but then went limp, and a sigh of ecstasy escaped from his mouth.

My canines withdrew and I made the slightest of pulls spilling his lifeblood into my mouth. My throat convulsed sending his donation to wherever my body stored and distributed the hot liquid. It was so much better than the bags OTO provided for me. I could almost feel the energy shocked into my system, repairing my damaged shoulder and replenishing what I had used in battle, killing the others.

My nipples grew tight and hard, and the emptiness between my legs ached with need. It was all part of feeding, I knew instinctively. Sex and death. Death.

Elliot shuddered and the smell of his spent seed sparked something inside me, awakened me to what I was doing.

My eyes snapped open and I jerked away. The wound was still leaking quickly and I almost panicked. But I remembered what Sophie did last night and I bent forward running my tongue across the two puncture wounds over and over again until I couldn't taste the blood anymore.

I felt Elliot move under me. His arm moved up and his hand threaded through my hair. I pulled back just enough to see if the blood had indeed stopped.

"Rayne," he whispered.

I turned my head to his face and his lips met mine. I froze in shock, but Elliot had other intentions as his tongue entered my mouth and played silent battle with mine. Damn, that felt good. He tasted so good. His blood coursed through me, strengthening me and now we would finish the act. I would take him into me, make him mine and mine only.

I reached for his belt and felt his free hand on my breast. We were going at it like crazy. I wanted him inside me so bad. My tongue was stinging. I tasted blood again. My blood.

I pulled away like I was stung and half threw myself across the room. "Jesus!" My fingers went my injured tongue. I must have cut myself on my own damn fangs! But there was almost nothing there. A drop, maybe.

"Rayne?" He sounded confused and needy. Fuck, I had to get out of here.

I got to my feet and almost ran to the door. I saw the knob missing and I'd be damned if I stayed in this room a second longer. With a slam of my fist, the door splintered, releasing the catch, and I threw it wide.

I turned halfway back, seeing Elliot on his knees, by the bed. "I'm so sorry, El."

I saw my gun still on the floor by the elevator, scooped it up and ran like Satan was on my heels, to the safety of the stairwell and freedom from whatever instincts made me want to fuck my partner and best friend.

~O~

The wind tearing at my face was almost cathartic, but not quite. I flashed my ID at the front gates of OTO and then parked my bike in the underground garage, next to the Impala. Grabbing the last bag of blood from the bike I made my way to the elevator and down the hall to my room. I sucked down the bag's contents and tossed it in the trash before going to the bathroom.

Like I said before, I don't sweat, but that doesn't mean that I don't shower, or in this case, run a hot bath. I just wanted to soak away the last few hours. The superhero outfit was a pain in the ass to take off. The double sided tape was really sticky, but I managed without cussing too much.

The bath was just what I needed. I sank up to my chin and closed my eye, concentrating on a big black nothing. After jelling for a few minutes I dunked myself and washed my hair, then I reheated the water and went back to not thinking about how much different blood from the source is than blood from those sanitized plastic bags.

I was definitely not thinking about the heat and the lack of bitter aftertaste that I'm told is the small amount of anti-coagulant they put in bags so stored blood doesn't …coagulate.

I was also not thinking of the soothing feeling that coursed through me knowing that Elliot wanted to be taken, or the orgasm I gave him just by using my teeth, lips, and tongue.

Nope I wasn't thinking of that for sure.

And you can be damn sure I wasn't thinking about his lips or the hardness I brushed against along with the desperate need to have it fill me to the… GGNNNNNNHHHHH!

Wave after wave rode me, centering from my hips and flowing outward leaving me in a dizzying rush.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Dammit!

My right hand jerked away from between my legs. I wasn't jerking off, really. I mean I can't jerk off. Missing vital parts here to do that sort of thing.

"Come in," I yelled. "I'm in the bath."

I reached over and closed the connecting door before pulling the stopper to end my bout with sexual frustration. After drying myself I brushed my hair out and put on a terrycloth bathrobe before exiting to the room.

Suzanne was at my closet and was just closing the door. She turned around and flinched in surprise. I'm a little sneaky sometimes.

She got over it and smoothed out her blouse. "I've added to your wardrobe a little. Just two more similar outfits and a couple of dresses off the rack."

I gave her my best disbelieving look. "I don't do dresses. The superhero get-up is bad enough. Maybe some jeans and a sweatshirt wouldn't go amiss?"

She was caught a little on the defensive and acted accordingly. "Rayne, you'll have to get used to the fact that you are a woman now. Dresses, makeup, men, they all come with the territory."

I tossed my brush on the bed and approached her. I was still several inches taller than Suzanne, so intimidation was easy. "So all the women out there on the street that wear pantsuits, jeans, no makeup, that date women — they aren't real women?"

She shrugged and backed away a step. "I just wanted to make your transition easier? It must be hard going from being a guy…"

I interrupted her abruptly. "So having my tits on display is you trying to make the transition easier? Making everything skin tight is making it easier?" I crossed to the closet and opened it up. I spotted the black evening gown that she had put there and grabbed it out. Holding it up I actually laughed at how little there was of it. "Look at this. The sides are cut up through my hips, and again with the tits hanging out. This is helping me, how? I really want to know?"

Suzanne looked to the floor and saw my discarded clothes. She bent to pick them up. I recognized the attempt to busy herself to deflect the question until she could think of something worthwhile to say.

"Think of it as immersing yourself in the role. Go out on the fringe and then you can back away to something more comfortable, natural." She stood with an armload of outfit not counting the boots or weapons.

I hung the dress back and went to sit on the bed. "I've got news for you, sister. I am not in the least bit normal. I'm a vampire with female plumbing. Whereas two weeks ago I was trying to figure a way to get into a girls panties, now I'm wearing them. That's not anywhere near normal."

That seemed to shut her up. She fidgeted for a second before heading for the door. "I'll have these cleaned and returned to you tomorrow."

~O~

Two O'clock the next day sprung on me before I realized it. With a little struggle I was able to attire myself in another one of Suzanne's superhero costumes, a twin of the one I wore the day before. I found my way to the armory and refilled my belt with fresh ammo. While perusing my way through the odd weaponry hanging on the wall the door opened and Doctor Harris stood there with a cautious look on his face.

At a raising of my eyebrow at him he stepped inside and closed the door. Brave little worm, isn't he?

"Where are you off to tonight?"

I turned my attention back to the wall. "Back to The Coven. They are my best bet to find out more about Anthony."

I noticed his nod out of the corner of my eye. "I thought it best to inform you that the Detective that called yesterday, Jameson, he called again while you were asleep."

That peaked my interest. "What'd he want?"

"To join our team."

Stepping forward I picked up a stiletto off of it's hook and examined the blade. "And you told him no?"

Harris still hadn't moved more than a foot from the door. "Actually I thought it best to include you in on the decision, since you know him better than I."

Huh, he was being considerate. I guess a death threat was all it took. "I'll talk to him tonight and feel him out. I can already tell you I think me partnering with a human on this case would probably wind up getting him killed."

"We can outfit him, give him all the protection of our regular agents."

I snorted and turned to him. "Harris, if one of these things hit him like I was hit last night, he'd already be dead from a sucking chest wound. Anything short of steel plating isn't going to do any good."

He spread his white lab coat and pocketed his hands. "You could always make him like you."

My grip on the stiletto tightened and I set it back on the hook. "That's what you want, isn't it? Your own little army of vampire commandos?"

The scent of his fear rose in the air. "I wouldn't go that far, but perhaps a small group of three or four, even, would aid you on your missions? Think of it for a moment before you dismiss the idea."

My hands fisted and I put them behind my back as I turned to him and listened.

"We now know that there is a secret society of vampires out in the world. Where does it stop? Werewolves, goblins, faeries, any matter of a hundred different supernatural creatures could be in existence." He stalled for a second to let that sink in. "What chance do we humans have against the supernatural. With a small squad of friendly vampires we could…"

"No."

"Rayne, if you would only consider…"

"I've considered the idea. My answer is no."

~O~

I checked the trunk of the Impala to see what there was to see. Pretty much standard law enforcement equipment, not to mention a cooler for my blood. It was stocked with a few more bags of blood per my request. I hadn't really noticed before but the windows were all tinted, heavily, even the front. While it was seriously against the law for the average human, I could see perfectly well, and it protected me from the annoyance of the sun. So it being a bright and sunny day outside proved little hindrance to my mobility.

I dug into my coat pocket and withdrew my new OTO issued cell phone that Harris provided as to keep my personal business off of official channels, and dialed Elliot's number.

It didn't even ring once before he picked up. "Rayne."

He said it calm, and not expectantly, as if he were anticipating my call.

"Elliot."

There was that uncomfortable silence, and he waited until I made the first move. "I'm sorry."

"We need to talk," he said as a matter-of-fact.

"Yeah." Resigned to what fate put in front of me I told him, "I'm sitting out in front of your apartment."

"I know."

Okaaay.

"I'll be down in a sec." He hung up and I flipped the phone closed and replaced it in my pocket.

Dread crept up my spine as I knew the coming conversation was going to include me groveling and trying my best to put our relationship back in the 'partner' category. I wasn't looking forward to it in the least. Movement from the side made me turn my head. I saw him exit the pedestrian gate. He was dressed down today, in jeans a tight blue t-shirt and a sport coat as cover for his weapon.

A pang of emptiness sat low in my belly when I watched him approach. With solid knowledge I'd never be able to return to my life I took a solid breath and let it out. He opened the passenger door letting bright sunlight shine inside. I flinched a little, squinted and then relaxed as he slipped inside and closed the door.

He looked around briefly and smiled slightly. "Can you actually see out of the windows?"

I snorted at his joke and looked away. "Yeah, it's still pretty bright to me."

"Ah."

We sat there, each of us not knowing what to say, until he broke the silence. "I told you to do it."

I shook my head. "It doesn’t matter. I've never even tried to feed off of a human. I could have killed you."

He made light of the situation with measured ease. "And yet here I am, a little light on the gas, but the engine's still running."

My hands increased pressure on the steering wheel making it protest with a crackling sound.

"Rayne, something's happening to me."

My head snapped around. I looked at his neck and saw the barest of marks. If I didn't know any better I'd say he just nicked himself shaving the day before. His color was good and he didn't act out of sorts, other than being incredibly at ease sitting in the same car as a vampire who had bit him the night before.

"What? What's wrong?"

I hadn't realized it yet, maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me or something of the like, but his scent flooded my nose. It was something familiar, safe. My body wanted nothing but to lean over and… Fuck! I'm still male where it counts! Shut it down you stupid …

"I knew you were calling before." He looked at his hands for a second. "I mean, my phone never rang. I just picked it up and there you were. Just like I knew you were near, here in the street."

Frustration filled me. I ran a hand through my hair and leaned back. What have I done?

"Just like I knew it when you went back to the OTO last night and took a bath."

I closed my eyes and if I could have blushed my face would have been scarlet. Please God, don't let him say it.

"What's happening to me?" he almost begged.

I closed my eyes. "I have no idea, El, but I'll do my best to find out."

He straightened up and withdrew the seatbelt, clicking it into place. "It's not so bad, Rayne. Kind of comforting in a way."

A pair of cool tears ran down my face and I immediately wiped them away. Leaning into the wheel I started the Impala and entered traffic. I'd find out how bad I've fucked you, partner. I'll make it right. I promise.

~O~

The parking lot of the Coven was empty, barring the stray cat that scrambled to avoid getting run over as I pulled into the parking space closest to the front door.

"What's the play?" Elliot asked.

I pulled out my cell and flipped it open. "If they fuck with you don't wait to defend yourself. Don't warn them. They're fast, El. Just shoot them in the head or the heart. It'll slow them down enough for me to deal with permanently."

He released his seat belt and straightened his coat. "Serious?"

I nodded. He pulled his Glock and chambered a round and releasing the safety he holstered the weapon while I got connected to the Coven through Information.

A flunky answered the phone.

"Tell Sophie that Rayne is out front. Open the door."

With an acknowledgement we disconnected.

"Follow my lead, El. Try not to say anything. They can tell if you're lying."

He nodded. The door cracked open a little and then went still. After I pulled up the collar on the coat I opened the door and made a quick walk through the front door with Elliot on my heels.

The granddaughter was there at the door, closing it quickly after we cleared. I popped my collar down and saw the expression on her face. It was something akin to surprise, but not in gawking way.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Follow me, please. The mistress is waiting."

We crossed the big velvet donut to the other side. I noticed the booth that I blew up had already been replaced, along with the table. Efficient little minions she had. A door on the far wall was closed when we approached. The granddaughter paused and stood in front expectantly. I looked back at Elliot who shrugged at me. As if responding to some prearranged signal she stepped forward and opened the door.

It was a fairly large apartment, elegantly furnished in dark woods, cushy arm chairs, and a gigantic couch.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. The mistress will arrive shortly."

With that the granddaughter exited, closing the door behind her. We barely had time to look the room over before another door opened at an unseen portion of the apartment. "Neophyte, you have been busy, I hear."

Sophie appeared from around a corner dressed in a glaring red Stevie Nicks outfit. I began to truly wonder if she wasn't a product of the seventies.

"Busy?"

She crossed the floor taking me in and then she took a special interest in Elliot. "Oui, you've gone and killed Rhys' hunters last evening."

I let my hand rest on one of the 500's just in case. "They tried to kill me. I just returned the favor."

She neared Elliot and it set my nerves on edge. Getting no closer than a couple of feet away, she circled him scenting the air. Her eyes took him in and she even made an appreciative nod after looking at his butt. I didn't even recognize the growl after it left my lips.

Sophie looked up at me. I knew that my eyes had gone red. I was able to read the signs now. An amused smile quirked at her lips. "I will not harm your Companion, Neophyte." She said Companion like I knew there was a capital C at the beginning. "I must tell you that I am impressed with your development thus far, considering you have had no formal training."

She stopped in front of him, measuring Elliot in some way. "Tell me, how many marks have you given him?"

Elliot quirked an eyebrow.

"Get away from him." The low rumbled order escaped my from my throat. The threat from my tone was more than implied.

Sophie spun in a carefree way and eyed me. "Watch your tone with me, Neophyte. I am your mistress until you are able to care for you and your own. Disrespect me and I will have you put down."

"Rayne," Elliot warned.

My eyes found his and I felt a wash of warmth fill me, caressing places that hadn't been touched in a while and places that had never been touched since the change.

Sophie continued like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "For the term of our arrangement what is yours is mine. It is the cost of your training." She turned around and took in Elliot again. Her tongue slid out to lick the corner of her mouth.

The calm that was present vanished again as I drew the 500 at my side and pulled the hammer back. "Step the fuck back, or I will end you. He's MINE!"

Sophie halted her movement and tilted her head at me. I was beyond warnings, beyond hate for the little bitch that was trying to put a claim on what was mine. It was raw fury eating away at my insides now. I was only able to keep myself in check because Elliot was so close to her. The slightest twitch from her, if she even looked at him, I'd pull the trigger. But now the little vampire bitch knew I was serious. I could see it in her eyes. She knew she was the closest she'd ever been to a true death in decades.

"Elliot, come to me." I said through gritted teeth.

Without pause he was behind me. A single hand slid around my waist and I felt his hand splayed over where my stomach used to be, just under my breasts. My left hand found his and covered it easing the anger I felt. Everything was as it should be. The heat of my fury melted away with his touch.

"Just the first mark, I see," said Sophie quietly, like she was trying her best not to spook me.

"What do you mean, mark?" Elliot asked. I was still too far gone for coherent conversation.

Sophie clasped her hands together in the front and asked, "She has fed from you and you have tasted of her blood, but not enough to promote the turning?"

His fingers moved slightly against me, pulling me to him. I could feel his erection pushing against me between the mounds of my behind. He nodded and replied, "Yes."

"And you have not partaken of her flesh as of yet?"

"No."

My head was clouded. I wanted nothing more than to grind against him.

"Then you must do so. The second mark will occur then. Until that time the young Neophyte will be quite useless."

"Why?"

Sophie smiled with just a hint of sadness. "I have inadvertently awoken her protective instincts regarding you. Once that is done she will be very destructive. As long as you are in contact with her she will be subdued, but if she feels you are threatened in any way… well, you see for yourself."

I could feel the tension in his body. "You know she was once a man?"

She nodded. "It matters, not. We are a very heterosexual race. Her body is female, so her desires are female as well."

I heard them, I saw them, but I couldn't process the information. It was like I was just floating there.

With an indication of her head she nodded to our right. "Through that door are several chambers for guests. You may choose one to your liking. Take her flesh, Companion. She will be in danger until you do."

My left hand was then covered by his and he helped me holster my 500. He then dipped and slid a hand under my knees lifting me into his arms. My head lolled for a moment and then rested on his shoulder.

Elliot chose the first room we came to and kicked the door closed behind us before laying me on the bed. Something felt vaguely familiar with this scene, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what.

My boots were slipped from my feet and I felt him lightly massage the arches. I grinned at the feeling and squirmed slightly. My eyes closed and I just enjoyed every sensation his hands made. I was freed of my belt and soon thereafter the leathers. Mewing sounds escaped my throat at the feel of his rough hands moving along my legs, separating them.

He placed kisses on the inside of my thighs and then I felt it. His mouth between my legs. God, that felt… Mmmmm. Fleeting thoughts flew in my head as to why that stupid rumor was going around the precinct about his lack of sexual prowess. Fucking idiots, the lot of them. I lifted my hips to allow him easier access, and access he did. A sharp scream tore its way from my mouth with pleasure. Mini waves cascaded through me. But then he stopped.

His skin against mine was keeping the fire ignited, but I wanted his mouth.

Elliot popped the snaps to my bustier freeing me for more of his gentle ministrations. His teeth founds my hardened nipples, each of them, and then my neck, and then my mouth.

"Rayne," he breathed after pulled back from my mouth. "Look at me."

I opened my eyes seeing my Companion above me. He smiled and I returned it before he slid inside me.

My mouth opened at the intrusion. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. After the initial entry he slowly eased himself inside and I pulled him to me and struck.

Warm blood gushed in my mouth and I heard him yell in ecstasy as I came once more.

~O~

I don't remember passing out or falling asleep, but there I was, in bed. Something was somewhat different this time though. Laying on my side I felt a strong arm draped over me, along with the feel of a much larger body behind, spooning against me. Aw Christ.

Everything came flooding back to me, and not in a good way. My body knew what it wanted but my head was still firmly planted in the 'I'm not attracted to guys category.' So in other words, I am seriously fucked if I'm going to live like this for any length of time.

I eased Elliot's arm off of me and slipped out of bed, and grabbed my gear, slipping into the bathroom to clean up and get dressed. Oh by the way. What's with the damn mess? Once I seemed to have gotten the majority of Elliot's man goo out of me I dressed and silently made my way out of the room. We vampire's can move pretty stealthily when we want.

Sophie was sitting in a armchair reading a somewhat thin book, or paging through it. It was a little of both.

"Come, have a seat, Neophyte."

I was surprisingly energetic. I'm am absolutely sure it had nothing to do with having sex with my best friend. Really. I'm pretty sure anyway.

"Would you please call me Rayne?"

She smiled and nodded. "Of course. After your training I will call you whatever you wish, Neophyte."

I sat on the couch and propped my leg up a little, almost lounging.

"Your Companion sounded quite satisfying from the level of your screams."

My eyes narrowed at her teasing. The girl loves to get a rise out of me.

She stood and took two steps toward me, setting the book on the table and sliding it over. "You will study this and memorize. But most important, over anything else, is on page five."

I took the hint, and opened the book.

"Under pain of death do you break any of the laws listed on that page. Let us review. I want no visit from Nicholas stating that I did not review these with you."

I traced a finger to the first. "Your Maker is your Lord or Lady, you shall not kill your Maker nor drink of their blood."

Well, I'm pretty much screwed on that one since it's my mission to do just that.

I dropped down to the second. "You shall not feed on the insane, or the diseased. Nor shall you feed on children."

I stopped and looked up. "Why? Can we get…"

Sophie looked at me. "Sick? Yes, Neophyte. This is where the blood-sick comes from. Judging from Anthony's erratic behavior it seems he has fed on someone that is insane."

Oh, goodie! "So he has to die."

She shook her head. "Not right away. He will be cured of his illness and then it will be determined whether or not he was careless in his feeding habits or if it was accidental. If it is carelessness then he will be punished."

"How can we tell? I mean some people act perfectly normal and they are whacked out of reality."

Sophie sat again, crossing her legs. "You must first gain entry to their mind and see first hand. Of course sometimes the bloodthirst can be demanding or injury prevents one from being able to concentrate long enough to ascertain a meal's suitability."

I assume I'll learn how to do the vampire mind trick soon enough, so I moved on to the next Commandment. 'Thou shalt not wear a cape and act Romanian!' Kidding. "You shall feed on the opposite gender alone, except during times of great need."

Ah, there's that loophole.

"You shall not turn a member of the same gender."

Because we know what happens if you do, don't we kiddies?

"You shall provide for and protect your Companion."

That was the end of the page. Five big time laws to live by, and I'm going to break a big one if given the chance. "You mind explaining what the hell a Companion is?

Sophie's smile widened as she knew there was a subject which she gained endless pleasure from: my torture.

"They used to be called Servants or Human Servants in the old days." She scoffed. "The political correctness of some progressive old ones are quite annoying." Waving away the thought she continued. "They are your eyes and ears of the mortal world, your protectors while you sleep, your lover, your constant companion in whatever you do. In a lot of ways they are your spouse."

She grinned wickedly at my discomfort and twitching. "The first Mark is to test the union, to actually see if you have true feelings for each other. You will experience an opened awareness of the other, and in times of perceived danger you will act on that and protect them accordingly. So you see, the first Mark was true for you and your Companion."

I stewed in my juices at her having fun.

"The second mark is given through the taking of flesh and another exchange of blood as before. You can expect a higher lever of awareness of one another. You will catch glimpses of what the other sees, if desired. You will experience their pain, their desires, their needs."

Sophie stood and walked over to a shelf of books. "He will be harder to hurt as he will leach your power at times of need. His life span increases. He will age slower."

When she found the book she was looking for Sophie handed it to me. "The third and final mark will bond the two of you together. But that has a ceremony, Neophyte, so there will be no accidental bonding for you. You must choose to take him forever into your soul, and you to his. He will be very hard to kill by mortal means and he will live as long as you, along with a few other niceties. You'll find what you need in that book."

She walked over to the door leading to the velvet donut room. "Now, if you will excuse me I have a club to open."

I nodded in silent contemplation. Well, pretty much silent. There was a minor curse or seven I included. Then I felt it. Loneliness. Confusion. Satisfaction. Elliot was awake.

---

 

"Rayne, kiss me."

I looked at him fully now, face to face. "What?"

"Kiss me," he repeated. "Now, while there is nothing making you. You aren't under some vampire spell. It's just us, sitting here. Kiss me."

I set both books down on the table and looked toward the closed door leading to the room where Elliot, my Companion, was laying in bed, while I was trying to make sense out of what Sophie told me, and my on mental bout with homosexuality… sorta.

Yes, I already know that I'm a woman now. The turning didn't affect my mind, however. While I wasn't checking out every girl that crossed my path for possible sex, I wasn't checking out the guys either. I was lost somewhere in between. I just wanted to do my job and live whatever life I had left. Is that so wrong?

Why did my body betray me?

I closed my eyes and rubbed the heels of my hands as deep as they would go in my sockets. I nearly jumped at the vision that came to me. I saw a flash of the bedroom and Elliot pulling up on his jeans.

"Rayne." Elliot's voice eased through my body tweaking at all the sensitive parts.

Jerking my hands away, I blinked rapidly. "Fuck!"

A handful of seconds later he was at the door holding his jacket. His t-shirt stretched tight over his chest, and the memories of that same chest were burned into my mind, except it was bare and I was running my tongue across its broad width.

"Dammit!" I was to my feet and almost to the door that led to the velvet donut room.

"Rayne, wait."

I stopped, my hand on the knob. "There's nothing to say, El."

"Quit being stupid."

I spun on him. "Me? I'm stupid? I'm your partner, Elliot, and you just fucked me! Do you not see anything wrong with this scenario?"

He laid his coat across one of the chairs and took his time walking across the room. "Don't you mean that you used to be a guy and I fucked you?"

My lips pursed in frustration. "Yeah, well, same thing."

"Not even close."

"Fuck you, Elliot."

His mouth turned up. "I'm up for it if you are."

The glare I returned wiped it right back off.

"Rayne, you were my best friend, you still are. Except, well, you're a girl now. It kinda puts things in a certain perspective."

I shoved my hands in my jacket pocket. I wanted to pace, but the only place to go would lead me right to guy I just got through riding at a gallop.

"Do you think you'll ever change back?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I get the impression this is for good."

"Well then…"

"What?" I snapped. "Okay, Wayne's a girl now, time for a pornothon? I don't work that way, El."

"Why not?"

"Dude, two weeks ago I had a dick!"

"And now you don't and probably never will again."

I wanted to take my 500 out and shoot him. Okay, not really, but he was frustrating the hell out of me. "Sorry, I'm not ready to play Susie-homemaker just yet."

He chuckled. "And I'd hate it if you did."

I looked down at my boots, not wanting to see his eyes for the answer to my next question. "What are we gonna do?" I almost whispered.

I saw him close in and I braced myself. He took me by the shoulders and pulled me into his chest. I released the breath I didn't know I was holding and just let him hold me. I didn't move to do the same to him. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. But here, for now, it was enough.

~O~

"Uh oh."

We were pulling into the Precinct 2 parking lot so Elliot could turn in his badge. It was a already a foregone conclusion. We were joined already in some freaked out metaphysical way, and we had been and still were partners, regardless of where we worked. On the plus side, Elliot was psyched about being about to carry around a much bigger gun.

"What?" I returned.

"We didn't… I mean, I didn't use a condom."

I pulled into a parking space and turned in my seat to give him my best stone face. "You're changing the diapers."

I don't think I've ever seen him looked as spooked as he did right then.

"I… I…"

"I'm kidding. I don't have the right plumbing, El. You're safe."

He went boneless into the headrest with a relieved sigh. I rolled my eyes and pulled the keys. "Come on, Doctor Phil, I'll help you carry your shit out."

We made our way through the Pit to his cubicle and he told me he'd be back after he talked to the Lieutenant. I looked around for a second before I was able to find an empty cardboard box and started loading Elliot's four years of accumulated crap inside.

"Hey."

I cocked my head around and saw Sullivan, the office gossip, standing there.

"What?"

"So, you and Jameson, huh?"

I stopped what I was doing and turned around to lean my butt on the desk. "What are you talking about, Sullivan?"

He seemed rather pleased I knew his name. "You and Jameson. Word is his turning in his badge for the easy life."

Jesus, it's been what five minutes? Gotta hand it to him, Sullivan's good. So, just to play along, ya know, for the fun of it… "Yeah, it's true. I'm knocked up. Daddy's pissed. Now, Elliot's gotta join the family business so Daddy can keep an eye on him."

Sullivan's mouth could have hit the floor. I could see him biting at the bit for more info. "Family business?"

I nodded and looked at my nails, try to give my best vapid impression. "Tampons. Daddy's the Tampon king of the Gulf Coast."

Sullivan's face started turning red. I couldn't tell if it was embarrassment for himself, Elliot, or just the plain old-fashion giggles. I determined it was the giggles when Elliot returned with a great big smile on his face and Sullivan saw him. He couldn't hold it any longer and busted a gut as he stumbled away.

He eyed Sullivan wearily and then turned back to me. "What did you do?" Huh, he sounded kind of serious now.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Don't look at me."

His eyes thinned. I turned my back on him and pulled open the final drawer in the desk. After a quick inner snicker I pulled out the current month's copy of Penthouse and waved it at him. "Keeping this?"

He snatched it out of my hand and whipped it behind his back. "Uh, it's not what it looks like."

I crooked an eyebrow at him. "It looked like a stroke mag."

"Uh."

Wells another detective in the Pit stopped by. "Hey, congratulations you two!"

"Elliot," I warned.

He looked to Wells and held out the magazine. "Uh, Harry. I can't hold this for you anymore. Movin' on up and all that."

Wells smiled wide at the gift and then at me. "Right, um, thanks for holding on to this for me."

My eyes shifted back and forth between them. Then Wells rolled the magazine up. "You're tons better looking than any girl in here anyway." He pounded Elliot in the shoulder. "Lucky bastard." After a second's worth of shuffling around Wells turned and patted Elliot on the back. "Good luck with those tampons, man."

"I'll be in the car," I said rather quickly and made a hasty exit.

~O~

I punched the necklace radio and waited for someone to answer.

"Harris."

"Yo, Doc!"

"Yes, Rayne, what do you have to report?"

"Elliot Jameson's coming on board. Work some of your mojo and hook him up with ID. We'll be there in a little bit."

I could have sworn I heard Harris sigh, but it could have been static, maybe. "Take him to Suzanne to have him outfitted. I have some things to show you when you arrive. I'll be in operations."

"And that would be, where?" What? Nobody's told me the names of the stupid rooms yet.

"It's the room with all the pretty TV's and big conference table," he said with a touch of sarcasm.

"Ah, gotcha. Operations. Cool." I didn't think I liked his tone. "Hey, Doc?"

"Yes, Rayne?"

"I've been thinking about how I'm gonna punish you. Do you think if I just tore the skin off of your legs that would be enough?"

The necklace went dead. Huh… guess it would.

Full dark hit before Elliot made his way out, carrying two boxes. I reached back and opened the rear door for him. He slid the boxes in and made sure they were secure.

"Oh, by the way, you suck," he said in passing.

I didn't let it bother me. "That's what you get for fucking me on first date."

He shut the door and walked around to the other side. I smirked at him, but doubted he could actually see me through the tinting.

~O~

He was like a kid walking into an amusement park for the first time. I actually thought he was going to get whiplash from all the looking around he did at the OTO.

"This is my room." I opened the door to let him have quick look inside.

"Bed's kinda small."

I smacked him in the arm. "We're not sleeping together."

"Hello, Rayne," came from behind. Oh, surprise. It's my tailor.

"Suzanne, Elliot. Elliot Suzanne."

They shook hands while she smiled warmly at him. "Pleasure to meet you. Doctor Harris alerted me that you'd need to be suited up."

I waggled my eyebrows at that. "Yeah, give him the works. Maybe green tights and a codpiece, big yellow cape or something."

She rolled her eyes at me and took Elliot's arm to lead him away. He's so screwed. At least I get a good belly laugh for a while. Ah, life is almost good.

I took off down a different hallway to Operations. Harris was behind the conference table fiddling on an illusionary keyboard.

"Hey Doc. You ready for that leg skinning? Or maybe later."

He was so engrossed with whatever he was doing he didn't hear me enter. Remember, I'm sneaky. He jerked and the pretty holo-image disappeared from over the table. Awww.

Hey, I'm allowed to have a little fun. Today's been really weird.

With a mild curse, Harris brought up the image again and tried to distract me from the flailing I had planned. "Your report yesterday bore fruit." Before I could make a joke he cut me off. Bastard! "I was able to track down Clarence Spangler, or at least the name. It was quite well hidden in transactions layered though several holding companies."

Okay, he did good. I'll let him slide for the time being. "What do you have, specifically?"

"Look here," he said while pointing out a tree of companies branching out off of Clarence the Ripper's name. There were dozens of addresses. Apparently he was pretty well off.

"Now, we might not have much luck with the companies themselves, but they do hold a few houses across the U.S. and in Europe."

"Anything local?" I asked, trying in vain to get him to get on with it.

"Three specifically. The small apartment that you were at yesterday is one. There is a Condominium in the Ten Towers building and a house in Breckenridge."

Breckenridge wasn't that far away from OTO, but Ten Towers was only fifteen minutes further. "Can you pull up utilities for both places?"

"One moment."

Okay, I was getting a little antsy until separate images pulled up beside each residence. A third grader could see which one was currently active. "Bingo."

"I'll alert Gamma team to act as back up."

I was about to say something bold and lone-wolf, but fuck it. I'll take a platoon if it gets this guy dead.

"I'll grab Elliot. He should be in the Armory by now."

I couldn't wait to see him in his own skimpy outfit… and not for the reasons that you might think. I just about had enough of being the only one walking around like an extra in a biker movie. It's time someone else got to feel the pain.

I swiped my keycard at the door and it clicked open. Yep Suzanne and Elliot were inside. I could scent them. And there he was.

"Awww, that is so NOT fair. How come he gets the X-Men costume?"

Suzanne was quick off the mark. "It most certainly is not an X-Men costume. And Elliot is a regular human being. He needs more protection."

It was a full on leather looking outfit. The same type of material as mine, but the only skin showing were the tips of his fingers and his head. Okay, Suzanne's next on the 'to be flailed' list. Dammit, it wasn't even tight like mine. What the hell!

A jolt of excitement ran through my body and believe me, I wasn't excited about anything at the moment, so it had to be from Elliot. I watched as he moved in to the heavy guns portion of the Armory. He gingerly picked up a large machine gun looking weapon and then said, "I didn't think these were available yet."

I made my approach and looked at the barrel of the weapon. "Is that a shotgun?"

"It's an AA-12 Combat Shotgun." I heard the reverence in his voice. "300 rounds a minute, Rayne. Drum fed 12-gauge shells. Oh my god…" He looked over to Suzanne. "Do you have the Frag-12's?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

Elliot pouted briefly and then looked at the wall. He pulled down the largest drum he found and set it on a nearby table.

"What's a Frag-12?"

Suzanne pointed at a case of shells for Elliot and explained. "In short, it’s a fragmentation grenade that was developed for this weapon."

In other words, big booms, short time span. Elliot was about to orgasm as he was feeding the shells into the drum. I noticed that he already chose a Glock similar to what he had on the force as well as a combat knife.

"Well load up, El. We have a house to raid."

He looked up at me. "You found him?"

I shrugged. "We found a house that's been used very recently. It's his, so maybe."

It didn't take too long getting down to the garage and into the Impala before we were on the street again following the GPS/Nav system to the address in question. It led to a hoity-toity neighborhood where each estate was a couple of hundred yards wide and double that in depth. The house wasn't gigantic, but I'd be hard pressed to imagine living in such a place that probably had ten bedrooms and a six car garage.

We passed it up and then u-turned to park caddie corner across the street. There was a new moon or it hadn't risen yet, so visibility was crap for regular humans. I could see just fine with the available starlight.

Elliot had his AA-12 set between his legs pointing up to the roof of the car stroking it a little. Yeah, I caught a bit of the action.

"Hey, El?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you not jack off your new toy?"

He flinched just a little bit. "I wasn't…"

"Dude, I can feel you doing it. It's giving me the creeps."

He tried for an abrupt subject change. "See anything?"

I grimaced a little. "No. No lights, no nothing."

"What are we waiting for?"

"Back up. They should be here in a couple of minutes."

We sat like that while I eyed the estate and listened to the ticking of the cooling engine.

I heard felt him shift in the seat before I scented Elliot moving closer to me. I didn't bother facing him. "What are you doing?"

"Um, getting comfortable."

"And that includes invading my space?"

"Hey," he whispered.

I cocked my head slightly in his direction. He was really close. I was of two minds about it. One: It really helped me to relax, having him near me like that. I have no idea why. Two: We just fucked a little more than an hour ago and I'm really weirded out by that.

"What?"

I sort of froze up a little when he fingered the hair out of my face and bared my neck. It wasn't a second later that I felt his warm breath at the nape.

"Elliot," I whispered. "No."

His tongue followed right after sending little jolts of electricity along my spine. My body immediately responded to him, the tightness of my nipples, the heat building between my legs.

I reached my hand up and ran my fingers through his hair. It just spurred him on. He nipped lightly on the sensitive skin right below and in back of my ear, and I almost moaned, but at the last second I pulled on his hair, tugging him away.

"No, not now. We're about to…"

"Rayne, kiss me."

I looked at him fully now, face to face. "What?"

"Kiss me," he repeated. "Now, while there is nothing making you. You aren't under some vampire spell. It's just us, sitting here. Kiss me."

I released my grip and pulled away. "We aren't going to do this right now."

"Why not? I know you want me just as much as I want you. I can feel it through our connection."

I cringed. I swear I was going to kill this Ripper guy slowly for putting me through this crap. "Move over to your side of the car, now."

He heard the edge to my voice and backed off.

"Sorry." He sounded like a whipped puppy.

I breathed out and gave myself an internal eye roll.

I noted Gamma team was parked further down the street in a SWAT van with OTO insignia on the outside. Elliot and I made our way to the back of the van and was allowed access after they saw who we were.

A couple of the guys looked a little fidgety when I got near them. I guess they remembered the slaughter in the Gym pretty well from the other day. It was a seven man team, decked out in X-Men uniforms much like Elliot's. Four of them were checking out their weapons while one guy was behind a surveillance unit sweeping the area with what I guessed was infrared equipment.

It would help tell us what exactly was in the house. According to Harris, vampires, or at least me, had a lower body temperature than the average human. I was floating around eighty-five degrees except when I fed, then it would move up to around ninety. Don't ask why, I don't have a clue. Suffice it to say that there is a discernable difference between me and you.

"What do you got?" I asked the only guy standing, who was probably the team leader.

"Nada." He replied. "Looks empty."

"Any security I need to worry about?"

He shook his head in the negative. "The only thing he has listed is standard door, window, and motion detectors which we already took off line through the security company."

I nodded once. "Okay, Elliot and I are going in. Hold back here unless you see some activity. I can smell this guy coming a mile off, you can't, and you've already seen what he can do."

"I'd like to set up a perimeter around the house. We need to be able to get to you guys if he shows up," the team leader stressed.

I didn't like it, but he made sense. "Fine, teams of two. I don't want anyone by themselves. If he shows let me know immediately. Head shots or heart shots. Anything else is just libel to piss him off."

Unlike the majority of the houses in the neighborhood, Clarence — Anthony, whatever, didn't have his whole estate lit up like he was expecting to be robbed at a moment's notice. I figured anyone stupid enough to rob a vampire's house deserved what they got, which was probably eaten.

Elliot and I hopped over a low fence in a darker portion of the estate and made our way to the rear of the house. I listened at the door and didn't hear anything. So, I placed my hand right at the latch and gave it a pretty good shove. The wood splintered and I made sure there wasn't a loud piercing alarm sounding before I stepped inside.

Anthony's scent hit me right off. This was his place alright, and the scent wasn't strong enough for him to have passed this room anytime within the last hour. It was the kitchen. If I didn't know any better I'd swear it was right out of some home improvement show. He had all manner of cooking paraphernalia hanging around like he used it everyday or something. I checked the refrigerator and it was fairly well stocked. Dammit, this meant that humans were around. Maybe a Companion or some type of servant. The thing was that I didn't scent anyone else.

I pulled one of the 500's and made my way to a pair of swinging doors that led deeper into the house when I heard Elliot close the back door.

"It's still clear," he whispered low enough for even me to barely hear.

I nodded and pointed to the doors. He brought up his AA-12 to keep me covered. With the toe of my boot I pushed at the bottom of the door and edged it open. Hallway. We made our way down and Elliot kept his attention to our rear and above. I kept it to what was in front of us and to either side. Having done this dozens of times over the last few years we were a well oiled machine. I don't know what I would do without him at my side.

I shook the thought away and concentrated on sweeping the rooms we encountered along the way. Nothing. I wasn't really expecting anything, but when entering the home of a psychopathic Count Chocula it's best to expect the worst.

We had made our way up front and encountered a wide set of stairs that led up to the second floor. I seriously doubted that he'd be up there. But we gave it a sweep on the off chance. On our way back down my necklace chirped once. I punched it.

"What?"

"I saw you were on your way down, Rayne. Didn't find anything?"

It was the guy out in the van.

"No, he's been here recently, but I can't tell how recently."

"So it's the Ripper then?"

There was no doubt in my mind. "He's alive. I don't know how the hell he managed it, but he's walking around again."

Elliot tapped me on the shoulder. "Ask him if there's a basement in this mausoleum."

The voice came over the necklace before I had a chance to ask. "I heard the question. There's a wine cellar, but nothing else. It's off the main dining room on the south wall."

"Dude," I remarked. "Do I look like I have a compass with me?"

"Sorry," was his reply. "The front of the house faces north."

"Right." I disconnected with him.

Elliot already took the lead, which I wasn't happy with, considering I can take a hell of a lot more damage than he can, but I still remembered what it was like being a guy. I didn't want to insult his ego by making him take the sidekick role.

We found the main dining room and the door we overlooked the first time around, mainly because it wasn't a door. It was a tapestry, or rather it was behind the tapestry.

Hidden door. Yeah.

"El, maybe I should take the lead."

I saw the second's worth of hurt on his face, but he understood why in the end and nodded. It didn't have a doorknob so I gave it a push and it clicked open. I looked down into almost total darkness. Okay, here's the thing. A vampire's vision is kind of like a nightscope. It uses the ambient light, stars, match light, hell, glow in the dark sticks would work. But if there's nothing to work with then we are almost as bad off as humans. I could see well enough to tell that there wasn't a light switch within reach and that the stairs were the old fashioned kind that had no kick-backs to them.

You know the kind that's at your grandparent's house when your mom tells you to go down into the basement and get some canned peaches? You're only nine years old and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the monster underneath the stairs will grab your ankle and rip you through the steps and eat you? Well it's those kind of steps, and there actually 'was' a monster.

If I had a bladder I would be peeing all over the place. Thank God for small mercies, I guess.

"Um, El… you wouldn't happen to have a light on you?"

"Shit," he whispered.

'Okay,' I said to myself. 'You're a freaking vampire.'

I took hold of the barrel of his AA-12 and pointed it straight down behind me. "If something grabs my ankle, fucking blow it away."

I know he saw the fear in my eyes. He nodded and I turned around.

"Rayne," he whispered.

I turned around and didn't even get the chance to ask what he wanted before he grabbed the back of my neck and pressed his lips on mine. My mind went blank for a second, but it was long enough for his tongue to do a little happy dance with mine. He broke away just as fast and I was left there blinking. Okay, now I'm scared shitless and horny.

It kind of took the edge off… just a little.

Holding up the 500 I descended the stairs. They squeaked and creaked. The wood was old and I had my doubts about its reliability. I scented the air. It was musky, and something smelled rotten. You know those styro-packets that steaks come in? Those little meat maxi-pads that they always put on the bottom to soak up the blood from the steaks. You know how if you leave then in the trash for more than a day it reeks? Yeah… that.

This wasn't making my state of mind any less panicky. God, there was something down here. I could feel it right on the edge of my senses, but I couldn't narrow it down as to what it was.

I was halfway down now. Elliot was two steps behind me and I knew all of his attention was on the monster under the stairs. He'd make sure I wasn't eaten. He'd make sure.

That's when the steps collapsed. Well one step anyway. It cracked and my foot went through it almost throwing me forward, but Elliot's hand shot out and grabbed my shoulder at the last second. Fuck!

I pulled my boot back out and stepped to the one below. Two more and I was on solid ground. I ran my hand through the air searching for a lightswitch, hanging cord, a bit of string. That's it. I'm taking up smoking the first chance I got. What was it gonna do, kill me? My kingdom for one freaking match.

"I got it." Elliot announced. Oh, thank fuck. I shifted out of the way and averted my eyes so as not to go totally blind when he clicked it on.

It was about six inches away from my face. I screamed and jumped back pulling up my 500 and just about pulled the trigger when I realized what it was. A kid, hanging upside down, tied to the ceiling by his ankles. His throat was cut from ear to ear with a visage of terror frozen on his dead face.

"Oh Christ!" I covered my mouth feeling a ghost surge of nausea and bile in my throat. Elliot pulled me away and held my head to his chest for a moment so I could pull myself together. I breathed evenly for a few second and patted his chest.

A quick scan around the cellar and I concluded we were alone. I holstered the 500 and turned back around to find Elliot kneeling down behind the body, so I took a closer look. The kid was stripped naked and his hands bound behind him. He looked like he was in his late teens. There was a bucket sitting to the side with a coating inside I deduced was blood. It had been emptied. My guess, probably a late night snack for Anthony.

"Find anything?" I asked.

"Wallet. He was Stephen Sinclair."

Elliot looked puzzled.

"What?"

He shook his head. "I know that name from somewhere."

Something hit my nose. A scent that I was familiar with. Then the squeaking of door hinges. Elliot dropped the wallet and grabbed his shotgun. I spun around to the stairs and pulled both 500's.

I know I stopped breathing in that second. My senses were at the highest I had ever known.

"You have found me, pet."

It was Anthony.

"What took you so long. I left such a trail for you."

Elliot made his way around me to the other side of the stairs.

I swallowed. No words were coming to my mouth.

"And you've brought me an offering. How nice."

I blinked and then knew he was talking about Elliot.

"Does this mean you have reconsidered your dislike of me?"

I couldn't take it anymore. "Oh shut the fuck up." I pulled both triggers and unloaded two shots each into the door. It exploded outward in flames.

Elliot hit his communicator. "Gamma team, he's in the house. Hold positions."

Laughter erupted from the top of the stairs. "Missed me."

I gave Elliot hand signs that I was going up, and to cover me. He shook me off like I was insane, but I thumped him in the chest. It wasn't hard, but he got the point. I reached up and switched off the light. If I couldn't see down here then Anthony definitely couldn't see.

I took two steps back and aimed right for the door when I jumped. It wasn't pretty, but I made it. I took a shoulder roll and came up firing. Anthony was quicker than he looked. He dove to the side behind one of the old chairs while it exploded. Two of my shots went wide. I had one shot left and I had to make it count. I holstered the empty gun and reached to my back for the falcata.

The two foot blade slid easy from its sheath.

I smelled blood and it wasn't mine. Maybe I got lucky and winged him.

"I don't hear you laughing Clarence. Cat got your… "

The entire dining room table, all eight feet of it lifted off the ground and flew at me. I fired right in the middle and it exploded in two spraying me in wooden splinters. The bulk of it missed me, but I did get hit by enough to stagger me backward and make me drop my gun. Well, fuck it, it was empty anyway.

Anthony didn't waste any time moving on me. I felt a pickup truck hit me across the chin and I went flying, slamming into the wall. Stars flashed across my eyes, and I dropped the blade. Before I even had a chance to shake my head I felt his hand at my throat lifting me against the wall. White hot pain lanced through my midsection and I screamed, then three loud explosions rent the air.

I heard Anthony hit the wall beside me and bounced to the floor. After that it sounded like a war zone with Elliot's voice screaming at the top of his lungs. Glass crashed and the thunder came to a stop.

"Oh Jesus, Rayne!"

I finally opened my eyes and the world swam.

"Baby, don't move, Christ!"

I looked down and I was hanging a foot above the floor with my own fucking blade stuck to the hilt in my stomach holding me there. Is it shock that makes you not feel anything? I couldn't remember.

"Gamma team, move in, move in! You'll be okay, Baby. You just need a little blood and everything will be cool, right."

Elliot sounded awfully panicked all of the sudden.

"I gotta get you down. Hold on to me."

I felt him swing my arm over his shoulder and wrap his arm around my back.

"On three, okay."

His face was kinda blurry. "One…"

The pain came back, worse than before. I know I screamed louder this time than last.

"It's out, Rayne. You hang the fuck on!"

He picked me up. I know because everything was sideways. I must have blacked out for a second because I don't remember laying in the grass before, leaning up against Elliot.

"Drink, Baby. Drink. Come on."

I felt blood trickle into my mouth and I clamped down on the plastic bag sucking on it for all it was worth. After it was empty another was in my mouth before I could even groan.

"Harris!" Elliot yelled. "Pick up you fuck!"

"Yes, Elliot. Status."

"Rayne's down, Gamma team is dead. I need medical now!"

~O~

The sterile smell of hospital flooded my nose when I woke. I felt a hand in mine and looked to the side to see Elliot sitting there, half on the bed asleep. I almost gagged when I realized that there was another stupid tube up my nose and in my throat. With my free hand I peeled the tape away and tugged the tube out. There has got to be a better way to feed me blood other than this.

The sound of the tube hitting the floor woke Elliot. He blinked at me and then jerked fully awake. "Rayne! How do you feel?"

I took a quick inventory and for having a really big freaking blade stuck in my gut I felt pretty good. "Uh, okay, I guess."

He grabbed the call button and punched it.

"Yes?" a female voice answered.

"She's awake."

"We'll be right in."

"I'm fine Elliot. I just…"

He raised a hand to me and pointed. "You — shush," he said rather rudely.

I gave him the fish eye. "What?"

"Shush, you don't get to say anything after pulling that stupid assed super-hero bullshit."

I was about to reply when he gave me one of those, 'I mean it' looks. Whatever.

A nurse came in followed by Harris. Elliot stepped to the side but still hadn't let go of my hand. Harris looked at the gesture and then back at me.

"How are you feeling, Rayne."

I looked over at Elliot and smirked. "Fine Doc."

He pulled down the sheet covering me. Great, pink hospital smock again. After raising the smock he peeled back the tape covering my stomach.

"Oh, excellent."

I looked down and there wasn't even a scar. So I gave Elliot another satisfied smirk. He still raised a finger at me.

Harris poked around, pushing down here and there, I guess were the wound was.

"No pain?'

I shook my head.

The doc looked pleased. "Well then I guess you're discharged. If you notice anything out of the ordinary let me know."

Fucking excellent! That was the shortest hospital stay I ever had. Being a vampire rocks! After the doc and nurse left I started to get out of bed and Elliot stopped me.

"Wait. We need to clear the air about something."

Aww, hell.

"Can I at least sit up?"

He nodded and I did.

"You almost died last night, Rayne."

I shrugged my head to the side, not really wanting to hear it.

"Fine, you want to treat it like another day at the office, that's great. But you're not going to die without hearing something from me."

I took a breath and looked him in the eyes. "Fine, what?"

"I love you," he said as a matter of fact.

My jaw loosened a little.

"That's right, I love you. I have ever since we walked out of the station when you came back looking for info about the Ripper."

My mouth opened to say something. I had no idea what, but it was open anyway. I never got the chance.

"You were my partner, my best friend, and now you're amazing fucking hot, and you're still my partner and my best friend."

He put his hands on either side of me, on the bed, and leaned in. I shrunk back a inch or two.

"You see that over there?"

I looked to where he indicated and saw one of the books that Sophie had given me. It was the one about Companions.

"I've been doing a little reading on what's going on between us." He smiled a little. "That first mark you gave me. It didn't mean all that much. Kind of like test driving a new car, see if you like it or not."

This, I already knew.

"But the second mark? It wouldn't have worked unless you felt something for me, something other than friendship."

I swallowed, hard.

"So all of your bullshit bravado is over. I know." He stood up and I tracked him. "You can fight all you want and tell me that you are an All-American male inside, but you and I both know it's bullshit."

He stepped back and retrieved the book and his jacket. "I'm going to your room to take a shower now." He motioned to a closed door to the side of the room. "I left you a change of clothes and there's a shower in there."

When I looked back at him his face was set, determined, confident. "When you come to the room I'm going to make love to you. I'd really like it if you wouldn't fight this anymore. And I'd really like it if you wouldn't take too long. I didn't get much sleep and I'm beat."

With that he turned around and left.

"Well, Jesus Christ on a pogo stick," I said sarcastically to nobody in particular. "That went well."