Benjamin and Rory sat together at a long table in a relatively barren room, minus a single flat screen T.V. that hung from the adjacent wall. The walls were the same plain cement that made up the rest of the compound. Emer sat across from them with two women on either side of her. Both of them had notebooks open and were reading. Emer was silent as she stared off in thought, seemingly unaware of her company.

Benjamin had to fight the urge to keep staring at her. Even if the room hadn't been so empty, all he'd want to do was look at her. Every time he averted his eyes, he had to fight the impulse to turn back. It was a nagging need that irritated him, and yet he could not deny his desire to keep it; to keep wanting her. 

He sighed and decided to examine the two women sitting with them instead—anything to keep from looking pathetic. He supposed he should call them humans now, for he was suddenly aware of how annoyingly different they were. They seemed to radiate a welcoming heat and Benjamin found a new challenge in keeping his focus, else he be lost to their heartbeats and the sound of air wheezing in and out of their nostrils.

If he bit into their throats, blood would flood their passageways and they'd finally shut up... He shifted uncomfortably at the thought and then looked up to find Emer's thoughtful purple eyes on him.

A man in a black military-type outfit stepped into the room without warning. His hair was peppered with gray, but he had a strong, tall build, and an authoritative presence. Benjamin remembered him as General Thompson.

He wanted to shout at the General the moment he saw him, wanted to demand a lawyer, a phone call, something... anything... but his body tensed as if he were back in restraints and a wave of anxiety passed over him. Benjamin looked at Emer with pleading eyes, but she turned away, uninterested.

Rory was calm and quiet beside him. Seeing his steadiness, Benjamin resigned to sit and listen, despite himself, and felt his body relax. An uneasy thought fluttered in his mind, a feeling that while he was no longer bound in a chair, he was still on a leash.

The General picked up a small remote and waited as images loaded onto the large screen before speaking, "Here's the footage. Our team took multiple videos of the mission. The nest was located just outside of Fergus, Ontario. Casualties were minimal." He selected a video to play and then sat down at the head of the table and looked at his phone. 

The video had been taken with some kind of night vision tech, but it was advanced and easy enough to follow. The image shook as the cameraman positioned themselves, but the camera adjusted and finally came to focus on Emer. She was clothed entirely in black and her moonlit hair was tucked neatly under a black toque. She stood outside a decrepit looking barn with a sword strapped to her back, and she held a small black shield in her left hand. Boards were missing from the barn and the outside was covered in overgrowth, as if the forest had intended to hide it.

She crossed the length of the barn and pulled a large door off its hinges, before tossing it and entering, all in a matter of seconds. There was snapping, crashing, and screaming. Benjamin could hear the heavy breathing of the camera person as they adjusted and watched the door.

A naked woman came running out impossibly fast. She was covered in dirt and so filthy her hair was partially dreaded. The cameraman shouted, "On your ten!" The sound of automated gun fire range in the air and took her out. Benjamin watched with sick interest as her body convulsed in the grass.

Another person ran out of the barn yard, followed by a second. They were both men, filthy, yet mostly clothed. "Ten and two!" the cameraman yelled. Shots fired, but one of the men got past them and came straight for the cameraman. The video swung and the night became a blur of black and green as he attempted to shoot his assailant. Benjamin gripped the table, his teeth ached as he listened to the heavy breaths and the guttural screams of the cameraman. 

The feed cut off. General Thompson cleared his throat and selected another video.

The view this time was from the far left of the barn. Benjamin could see the two people who'd been shot earlier, moving sluggishly on the ground. They bled from multiple bullet wounds, but still seemed intent on escaping. Periodically, another shot would sound, causing their bodies to jolt and still, before they attempted again to crawl away.

Emer stepped out of the barn and looked down at the people pawing at the dirt. She walked patiently over to the naked woman and held out her shield and readied her sword. With a single swing, Emer lopped off her head. When she was finished, she did the same to the man. Blood sprayed and their bodies stilled. 

Benjamin had caught Rory stiffening every time Emer lifted her sword. He wondered if Rory was horrified or—was excited as he was. He knew they should both be appalled, that he should be disgusted and terrified, but all he could think was: I want to see her kill again.

"The other one is in the woods. On your twelve!" a soldier shouted to Emer.

She stood in the clearing, close to the open barn, and waited. She looked bored. 

A bestial screech came from the woods where the first cameraman had died, "Ee-ahhhhhh!" The man came full speed at Emer. His hands were raised and his fingers were out like claws. His eyes were black pits, and he moved like a rabid animal, with spit and blood foaming at the corners of his mouth.

Emer cut him down, quickly and quietly. She had been so fast, Benjamin hadn't seen her move. One second they were both standing, the next, he was falling down in pieces and she was sheathing her sword behind him.

When the video was finished, General Thompson stood up and placed both hands on the back of his chair. He looked down thoughtfully. The two women on either side of Emer said nothing as they began writing in their notebooks. The one woman adjusted her glasses, but didn't take her eyes off the paper. 

"The nest was cleared. There were seven vamps in total, but you reported there was no sign of a noble?" The General asked, studying Emer. 

"No noble would live in that squalor. These were hardly vampires, they were either from a weak line or they were transitioned by a young fool. Amongst my kind, we call these creatures ghouls."

"I don't give a shit what they're called, as long as they're dead. Asset Six, I want some real results—or your purpose at this facility will be under review. For the past eight months, you've had me wasting my time and man power on clearing these small, insignificant nests. It's been two years since you've bagged me a noble." He paused, his scrutinizing gaze falling on Rory and Benjamin. "You argued for a larger team, now you've got one. Get these two into fighting shape and do your god damn job." 

Benjamin fought back a growl at the General's tone, but Emer looked at him coolly, her reply a mere nod. 

The General rolled his eyes. "Jesus Christ, you're so cryptic. Harley, Monique, does this suffice?" He waived at the screen behind him.

"Yes, we'll expect financials on the mission and the autopsy report on the fallen soldier," the woman with the glasses replied. 

"Great, I'll have that to you tomorrow morning. I'll be in my office. Asset Six, get these two fed. I don't like the way they look. I don't need rabid dogs in my compound," the General spat. 

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