The white van was on its way to Parkers building and would arrive in a few hours.
“I like it when the roads are quiet.” The guard in the passenger seat looked out of his window.
“And our package has been behaving nicely. These jobs are the best, in, out and a nice, fat cheque to take home to your wife.”
“The best part is when the wives show their gratitude.” The two man laughed and were caught by surprise when their truck hit a bump in the road.
“(-), what was that? Do you think we hit something?”
“Something or someone. Go take a look.” They were mercenaries, payed to kill and who killed to get payed. Not because they liked it, but because it just so happened to be the only thing they had ever been good at. They had never killed anyone because they had a lust for blood however. Nor had they ever liked taking the life of someone less fortunate than them. So the man in the passenger seat nodded and left the car.
A little window in the side of the van was slid open. It provided little light into the cramped back. “Everything alright Charlie?” One of the men asked and thick, blue smoke emerged from the window. The smell of their favorite cigars and for them the job was already finished. Piece of cake, right? “We hit something, I'm going to take a look. I'll let you know if somethings wrong.”
“I had rather you didn't.” The man smiled and closed the window behind him.
In the middle of the road the truck had left behind lay a man, motionless.
Tire tracks ran across his chest and his face. Over sized roadkill, collateral damage.
“Damn it.” Charlie muttered, he might have had low values, but had a good heart overall.
“What's happening Charlie?” The man with the crooked nose and the glass shouted out of his window without looking back. He wanted to go, only a few more hours and they would have enough money for a whole lot of good beers and a couple of nice prozzies.
But Charlie didn't answer, he got down on his knees to examine the guy a little closer.
His lower jaw was shattered and thick mud and blood ran through his dark, purple fur.
No breathing, this guy was dead. Charlie averted his eyes and wanted to get up to walk back. This guy was dead and there was nothing they could do, or so he thought.
A vainy, purple hand shot up and closed itself around the young mans thick, muscular neck.
“Wa ih 'e? Wa ih 'onee?” The man uttered words that the young mercenary soldier could not understand. His jaw was smashed and his tongue hung out of his mouth like a sock puppet without a master. “''Ony, Ony 'ater'eck. 'e ih é?” The jaw started healing itself slowly, flesh crept up like the sea during a tide and covered the bones and blood.
The shattered sockets his eyes had sunken into restored itself and slowly pushed the eyes back up, all the time looking at the gobsmacked soldier, who was too stunned to utter a word.
“Tony Waterbeck, where can I find him?” Louie said when his jaw allowed him and he got up from the ground. Charlie finally realized he was holding a gun and he attempted to open fire on the vampire, but the monster in front of him was too quick and pulled the gun from the trembling hands of the soldier. “Bloodshed could have been avoided.” And with these words the vampire sank his teeth into poor Charlies artery. Blood gushed out of the wound and sprayed down Louie's throat, finishing the restoration process and restoring his strength.

The vampire had arrived at Neverberg Castle a little on the late side. The truck had barely left and he had to ask a demon for information. The red beast had only started talking when he was hanging upside down the lava.
After having burried the evidence of his visit he rushed after it.
A short journey later later he had found it and had placed himself in front of the tires.
From there on out luck would take over the direction of this plan. And so far, it had been on his side. He placed the body of the guard on the ground where he himself had been a moment before and covered it in mud and leaves. Then he grabbed the rifle and snuck up to the drivers side of the vehicle. The driver had just lit a cigarette and was waiting for his firend to return.
There was a quick tap on the window and the driver, who was under the impression that whatever the van must've hid was dead opened the door.
“About time Charlie, what did we hit?” Louie appeared in the door opening and pointed the rifle at the mans fance. “You hit me.”
He fired two quick shots, two men down. He grabbed the drivers gun out of his belt as well as the car keys and put them inside of the jacket that seemed far to warm for this time of the year.

Gunfire could be heard coming from outside.
“You three, go take a look and see what is going on there.” Tony sat silently between the two men that stayed behind to guard him. The coolness of the thick chains now soothed his many wounds and he closed his eyes in an attempt to focus on the voices he could hear outside.
The doors of the van opened and he could smell the sweet, pine trees. The smell of the forest and that of freedom. He heard men fighting for their lives outside, guns were fired and curses were yelled to go lost in the thickness of the forest. And then there was silence, a deafening silence. “Damn it, what the hell is going on out there.”
Louie jumped inside of the van and the man on the right of Tony raised his gun at him, but a quick and rather sudden move from Tony brought him down to his knees and made him bump his head into the ground. The other mercenary threw his weapon on the floor and walked past a growling Louie as he quietly begged for his mommy.
“It is good to see you Tony.” Louie smiled, the first genuine smile Tony had ever seen on his face ever since he met him in the house that now seemed so far away.
“It is good to see you too, Louie. Now, if you kindly.” He nodded at the lock that bound the chains together. “Ah, of course, of course.” Without a warning Louie fired a shot and scared the living daylight out of Tony, but he picked the lock clean off.
“I hope you can drive.” Louie handed Tony the keys, he felt bruised and broken, but his sudden liberation raised his spirits and he accepted them. “Lets see if we can find the others.”

(To be continued.)



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Well, I hope you liked it. I have another chapter coming up that is almost done.
All I have to do is edit it a little, type it into my computer (as it is written on paper) and find a suitable ending to it.
Anyway, expect to see it here soon and thanks for reading.