It was night. Night was his element. But, it was also theirs. Michael Stone felt absolutely comfortable in the dark. He knew his way around in it. He could see through it, hear around it, and feel beyond it. And, because the vampire hunted at night, Stone hunted as well.
Michael pulled the rental car into a parking lot a few blocks from the WaterWorks. He approached the dance club on foot. As he neared, he could feel the bass reverberating through the building. He paid the $8.50 cover fee and went inside.
The WaterWorks was like most disco techs he had ever been in. It was too loud and too dark, with the occasional flash of garish disco lights and laser beams. On one side of the interior of the large building were a giant water slide and several small pools. Young men and women scantily clad in bathing suits dove and frolicked in the water. Some sat quietly in the whirlpools sipping drinks. The other side of the building contained the dance floor. Stone made his way toward it.
A few ladies caught his eye with seductive smiles as he made his way through the crowd. Stone was dressed in a black Armani, with a blue silk shirt underneath. Just because he was a hunter did not mean he had no style. Concealed within his sock was a tanto knife with a seven inch blade. There was another surprise, too. A compact and slim-line Glock 36 with a full six round magazine of .45 ACP ammo was tucked into a leather inside-the-waistband holster. The ammunition rounds were special. The bullets were based on the famous Ballistic Tip by Nosler, but these were formed from a special alloy. Once the Teflon cone was compacted into the core, the bullet virtually exploded into hundreds of fragments. It was an effective vampire stopper, provided one remembered to aim for the head.
Michael neared the dance floor. He stretched out his ki through the smoke and darkness. Something told him that he would find her there. He scanned the writhing bodies that danced across the tiled floor. They moved and swayed to "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails. His eyes came to rest on two women, one a blonde, the other with hair as dark as obsidian. The blonde he recognized immediately. He had met her intimately last night. He still remembered what it felt like inside of her.
The two danced with each other, grinding their pelvises together in a rhythmic joust. The dark haired once was taller. Her full breasts were pressing into the blonde's neck as they moved. She turned her head, and Stone saw her green eyes from across the room. Her full, crimson lips, and her pale skin seemed to call out to him. She was the most beautiful creature Michael had ever seen. He immediately knew that she was a vampire.
Stone stood quietly at the edge of the dance floor. The dark haired one withdrew herself from the blonde. She took the blonde's hand and pulled her toward Stone. As the pair neared him, the blonde smiled knowingly at him. They walked past him, the raven-haired vampire giving a small smile and a "follow us" motion with her head. Michael turned and followed.
They had walked outside. Michael took a breath of fresh air, trying to force the smoke from his lungs. The pair of female vampires walked away, down the sidewalk. The blonde, who was in the rear, turned her head to make sure Michael was coming. Stone followed them away from the building.
When they were well away from the noise of the club, they slowed and allowed Michael to catch up with them. Stone was now walking on the dark haired one's right. He noticed that the blonde was on her left and their hands still clasped.
"Good evening," the tall one said, "I am Anita." She smiled at him. "I believe you have already met Lena." Lena smiled and gave a little wave. Stone thought he heard a quiet giggle.
"Michael Stone," he said, nodding. They continued their walk, coming to the same parking lot where he had earlier parked his car.
"Michael," Anita said, "like the Archangel." Stone nodded. They had stopped at a sleek, black Porsche 911. "Would you care to accompany us home?"
Stone looked at her for a second. She well knew the implications of what she asked. If there were any hint of betrayal, he would kill them without a second thought. He did not need to voice this.
"Lead the way," he said. He watched them get into their car. He entered his own and pulled onto the street behind them.
It was a long ride to the country. He finally pulled the car from the road onto the driveway of the old country estate. He followed the Porsche up the winding path. The black car parked in front of the house. Stone parked behind it and got out.
Lena held the door open for him. He stepped inside, allowing her to move ahead as he closed it. Anita was waiting for them in the parlor when they entered.
"Drink?" Anita asked him.
"No," he said. Anita sat down on the old sofa. Lena sat in a straight-backed chair to his left. Stone remained standing.
"Please sit," Anita said to him.
"No," Stone replied. "Tell me what you want," he ordered.
Anita raised her eyebrows at him. "You are direct, aren't you Senor Stone?" She shifted her legs, and as she did, the slit in her black skirt opened to reveal white skin over taught muscles. "I am Anita Consuela Sanchez Ramirez. I was born in Spain over four hundred years ago. I am a vampire."
