Chapter 1

A full moon illuminated a nearly deserted street surrounded by the charred remains of old homes. Two figures were running down this former war zone, the lead a panting teenager, the other a growling and hissing man.

A third figure stepped into the dim light that a flickering street light was laying down. This figure was armed with a crossbow and a very powerful flashlight that he turned on when he saw the pursuing figure.

As the growling man was light by this special flashlight that glows a dull purple it caught fire. The creature ran off into the night, snarling and hissing as it went. The teen ran into the waiting arms of her savior, thanking him and praising the god of the sun, Apollo?

As the teen sobbed into his arms, Vincent recommitted himself to protecting humanity from “that which haunts the night,” as his friend Jerry used to say before he was killed defending a family in what was Texas. When the girls sobs quitted he asked, “Where do you live?”

“It doesn’t matter, I can’t go back, everyone is gone,” the girl sobbed into Vincent’s shoulder. “Can’t I come with you?”

“Yes, but I warn you there will be a lot of questions. Can you walk?”

“I think so.”

“Good, we’ve got a ways to go,” and with that he headed off into the night with a girl following him.

Forty minutes later Vincent entered the lighted circle of pyres that made up the perimeter of camp. “Who’s the girl,” Erin called from where she was crouching next to one of the fires, she hadn’t even looked up from the embers as they slowly turned from orange to red to black.

“Erin, you never cease to amaze,” Vincent said as he came over to her, carrying the now sleeping woman in his arms. “Someone I found wondering the streets; she said her family was gone before she clamed up. I figure the Vamp. That was chasing her is to blame.”

“Did you check for bite marks or perform the light test?” a gruff old voice called from the shadows on the far side of the circle. “I’ll bet a pack of cigs you didn’t.”

“I did, that’s what took me so long. That new flashlight, the UV thing, works well. I got two before rescuing her. Burned’em to ashes, it did.”

“The sun’ll be up soon, an hour or so,” Bo went on changing the subject quickly to avoid losing any of his precious cigarettes, “then we’ll see what’s left of this city.”

“Jerrimy and Alex should be back soon, then we can all get a little shut eye just like our new friend,” Erin said. “Speaking of whom, where will she be sleeping this evening?”

“She will have my cot for now,” Vincent said walking into the center of the low burning fires. “I never use it anyway, of all people you should know that by now.”

“I do, but you’ve never offered your space for anything before, why are you starting tonight?” Erin questioned.

“I brought her here, so that makes her my responsibility.” Vincent laid the sleeping figure on his cot and pulled a blanket from the pack next to it. He spread it over the girl, before sitting with his back against the foot of the durable frame, crossbow in his lap and sword leaning on his shoulder.

“How can he sleep like that?” Erin asked.

“Practice and a need to always be ready for a fight,” Bo answered. “And if you notice he never really sleeps deep dreamless sleeps like most of you, he is always alert enough to protect himself and what he holds dear.”

“Does he really think that keeping a weapon that close will help him in a surprise attack?”

“Vincent is of a special breed, a warrior with the soul of a child. He is two parts; on that knows of all the evil he has done and the other is one of pure innocence that is unstained by the works of the hands. This will eventually cause him to lose his humanity, that which it is. Think on this. Now get some rest, we have a long day ahead.”

“But…”

“No buts, go and get some sleep, I’ll watch for Jerrimy and Alex.”

The morning sun shone on the figures of Vincent and Erin who were standing on a hill overlooking the campsite. “So, what do you think, lets give them twenty more minutes?” Erin asked, a smile playing across her scared face.

“We’ll give them fifteen. Do you know where Bo went?”

“He didn’t leave a note, so if anyone know it will be Jerrimy or Alex; I guess Bo waited for them to return before leaving.”

“One would assume, if he could before the sun got to close.”

“You aren’t much for small talk are you?”

“No,” Vincent said before turning and heading down the hill.

When Erin noticed she jogged after him and called, “Hey. Wait up.”

Back at camp Erin got breakfast ready while Vincent woke Jerrimy and Alex, then he woke the girl. “How do you feel?” he asked when she opened her eyes.

“Fine,” she answered. “Where am I?”

“You are in my camp. You fell asleep while I carried you back.”

“You’re the one that saved me from that crazed man last night, thanks.”

“I thought that ‘thank yous’ went out of style with the fall of…. Never mind. My name is Vincent, what’s yours?”

“Rayna, but they called me Ray.”

“As in ray of light?”

“I guess,” Rayna answered as she stood up to stretch.

“Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, there is a small stream at the base of the hill over there if you’d like to wash up,” Vincent said pointing toward the small rise that he and Erin had stood on. Rayna nodded and Vincent went back to where Erin was cooking.

“Remember Erin, there is an extra mouth now,” Jerrimy said when he saw Vincent. “So what’s her name?”

“Rayna,” Vincent answered.

“Hey, Alex,” Erin said, “did Bo say anything last night?”

“He was gone when we got back,” Jerrimy answered.”

“He left as we came into camp,” Alex said, ignoring Jerrimy. “He did leave a note with my stuff, he’ll meet us where the stream meets the river he called the interstate. He says that Vincent knows what that means.”

“I do,” Vincent said, “and it will not take an overly long time.”

“Then we should head out after we eat,” Erin chimed in.

“So, where is this ‘Ray’? Jerrimy asked.

“She’ll be back from the stream in a minute,” Vincent answered.

“What’s she like?” Alex asked.

“Ya, is she as hot as she seemed?” Jerrimy asked.

“She seems nice,” Vincent said. “Someone I’d like to get to know.”

“She looks like someone I’d like to know,” Jerrimy said.

“You lay a hand on her and I’ll….” Erin said.

“Quiet, something is… no never mind, its only Rayna,” Vincent interrupted. “Ray, come on over the food is ready.”

Rayna came over from Vincent’s cot. “So whets good?” she asked.

“The food, the company, the conversation, it’s all good,” Jerrimy said. “And I think it just got better.”

Rayna quietly walked over to the fallen log that Vincent and Erin were sitting on, and found a seat on Vincent’s left, while Erin inched closer to him on his right. Vincent stood and fixed Rayna a plate. He resettled himself between the two girls after handing Rayna her plate. She ate hungrily, almost as if she’d not eaten in a few days. He sat a steaming mug of coffee by her feet.

After a few minutes of awkward silence Alex said, “Rayna, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?”

“Well, I’ve lived in Kingsville all my life. After the ‘Fall” as its called around here, I moved in with my neighbors because after my dad died my mother was a wreck. Everything was okay, but then Jack brought that man-thing into the basement and it… it killed them, and… and I just ran until I found Vincent. He scared the thing off.”

“And I brought you back here,” Vincent added.

“Ray, I just realized that we haven’t introduced ourselves,” Erin said, leaning forward to look around Vincent. She then introduced each of the group going around the small cooking fire.

“Its nice to meet all of you,” Rayna said after Erin was finished.

“So, Rayna how old are you?” Alex ventured.

“I’ll be twenty-two come this fall,” Rayna answered, she was starring into the fire, holding the still steaming mug.

“If we are going to meet Bo, we should get going,” Vincent said after a second unnatural silence. “We leave in ten!”

As Erin, Alex and Jerrimy hurried to gather their equipment Vincent and Rayna walked back to his cot and bag. There Vincent pulled two canteens and an extra knapsack from his. He handed these to Rayna before pulling out a pair of boots and saying, “They probably wont fit well, but they’re better then nothing. We’ll stop and get some supplies on the way, they should have some better clothes and a better fitting pair of boots for you.”

“Should I go fill these up?”

“No, we have to go that way,” Vincent now had the cot folded and attached to his pack. He swung it onto his shoulder and headed back to the cooking fire, Rayna following.

Erin, Alex and Jerrimy were waiting when Vincent and Rayna arrived. Without a word passing among them, Vincent started off to the stream; each one filling their canteen there before heading off.