“Oh, so many things. But I don’t think we have time for that. But like I’m cute, so I can get away with being slightly unstable. Besides, I’ve got nothing on my partner. Who is probably coming, by the way. He is definitely a more shoot now, ask questions later type of person. So, have fun with that. Oh, but when he does ask questions…” Foxx smirked. “They often come with pain. So, you’ll enjoy him.”
The priest growled and then began to pray.
Foxx could feel the power of the words, but one priest praying over him was different than a bunch of them doing it. Like, yes, one priest had hurt a lot when he’d been severely injured and in the hospital. But he wasn’t severely injured at the moment. Weakened and bound by chains that would eventually burn him? Yes. Close to death? No.
It did still hurt. He could still feel it. Not to mention, his back felt like it was on fire due to the holy water. As he was currently lying on it, the whole thing was not feeling that great. But overall…the effects of the prayers…eh, it was about a four on his pain scale.
So instead of the groan of pain he kind of wanted to let out, he laughed.
“Oh, yeah, no. One of you is not strong enough to hurt me with your stupid prayers. It hurts, but like, come on. How old do you think I am? Clue…nowhere close to what’s on my ID card. Not that you can prove that.”
The prayers stopped. “I figured you were older. Most vampires we came across wouldn’t have been able to move with so many of us around, yet you fought back. No matter. We have other options.” The man walked behind him, so he couldn’t see what he was doing.
Foxx flinched back when something swung towards his face. He eyed the poker held in front of him. Its tip was flaming red and in the shape of a cross. Oh…Foxx didn’t like where this was going.
“Silent now, are you?”
Foxx smiled. “Talk, shut up, talk, what do you actually want me to do?”
“I want you to tell me the names of your associates. Of other vampires.”
He scoffed. “Nothing you could do would ever make me tell you anything.”
“Have it your way.”
Foxx glared, unflinching as the end of the poker moved closer and closer to his face.
* * *
Honestly,if Harlow had a dollar for every time he found himself crouched in a bush for work… Well, he wouldn’t be rich, but he would at least have a hundred bucks.
Thiswas,however, the first time Tony had been next to him in a long while. And it was the very first time he’d ever done it with not only a bunch of hunters, but vampires and a few werewolves too.
Santiago, who was next to him, took a deep breath in. “There are ten men inside who were also in the clearing. Not to mention, the bodies of a few of the ones who died there.”
Tony grunted, “Good to know,” before Harlow got a chance to respond.
He cleared his throat. “If a fight breaks out, try to capture them for us. Wouldn’t be good if they ended up unconscious or dead…yet.”
Tony snorted next to him. The man looked like he was about to comment but their ear pieces clicked, alerting them to someone about to speak.
A woman’s voice came over the line. “Vampire team in place.”
Harlow didn’t recognize the voice, so he wasn’t sure who it was. Vampires generally avoided walking inside places that were blessed by the Christian God. Churches and monasteries being just a few of those places.
Theycouldwalk into them. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience. On realizing that the priests here likely would have weapons that worked against vampires, they’d decided it was best to have them stay outside to block any escape attempts, over them joining the frontal assault. At least they wouldn’t be starting the fight weakened that way. They would likely need them there, as this place was made up of multiple connecting buildings.
Tony tapped his head piece. “Roger. Humans and wolves. Standby.”
Harlow stared, whispering, “Why not go now?”
His boss rolled his eyes and didn’t respond. Instead, he stared down at his watch, just waiting. At exactly 7am, the man tapped his ear piece again and yelled, “Go! Go! Go! Try to avoid loss of life, but put your life first.”
Tony didn’t have to tell him more than once. Harlow was already up and running at the first ‘go’, heading towards the front door that he knew would lead him into an entry hall, before taking him to the church. Other hunters ran beside him, Iggy included, along with the wolves. Apparently, they decided to stick close to him, since his team was on the front door, while others were on the sides.
As they burst through the wooden double doors of the church, at first they saw nothing, and then suddenly priests started rushing out all around them. They were either corralled there by the hunters who had entered from other buildings, or drawn there due to the noise. Most looked shocked, some looked confused, while others had expressions that were suspiciously closed down.
The priests were all dressed the same, giving off no hint of a hierarchy, yet one man stepped forward before all the rest. He was an older man, who was probably in his seventies. “What is the meaning of this?! You have no right to burst in here. We have rights.”
