After The Awakening | ONC 2023

Chapter One

Hell is empty and all the devils are here - William Shakespeare.

'Kowalski? Denvers? Come in,' the voice crackled from the car radio.

Agent Xavier Kowalski took his hand off the wheel and picked up the receiver. 'This is agent Kowalski,' he confirmed.

'We have a 287 in progress at the South Building on the Grange estate.'

His partner, Dylan Denvers, frowned and stared up at the clear blue sky.

'A 287?' she repeated.

'Dispatch, can you repeat?' Xavier asked.

'We have a 287 in progress at the South Building on the Grange estate,' the voice said again. 'Your orders are to neutralise the threat to the public. A team will be ready when you arrive.'

Xavier put the receiver back before flicking on the overhead red flashing lights.

'This seems off,' Dylan said. 'Why would vampires attack during the day?'

'It happens. When one of them gets desperate enough, they can't resist the urge to feed. They're forced out of whatever hole they've curled up in.'

'But it's only 11am.' She checked the time.

'You've seen what hunger does to them. Not even a little sunlight would keep them at bay.'

'It's more than a little sunlight. It's midday, in summer, during a heatwave. We're missing something.'

Silence fell between them as Xavier sped up along the motorway, weaving past cars and shooting down the exit ramp.

'You're still thinking about it,' he stated, taking the turn into the estate.

They could see the two multi-storey buildings ahead. Big, ugly, dominating. Not an uncommon combination on the old council estates. They'd been built to house many, not to beautify the area. It was one of only a few left as the city of London committed to their promise to refurbish its social housing.

'I know about their hunger, but sunlight burns them.'

'But it takes long exposure to kill them,' he reminded her, as though she was still a rookie rather than a fully qualified agent going on five years of service.

'Still, it would have been painful and they don't heal quickly from sunburns.'

'A vampire in the throes of hunger won't care about it being painful.'

Dylan stared out of the window, thinking over what she knew. 'You're right. We've seen our fair share of vamps driven practically insane with hunger, but something still feels weird about it.'

'Well, we're about to find out.' Xavier beeped his horn to disperse the crowd of protesters and regular gawkers in his way. 'Bloody vamp lovers. They're going to get themselves killed,' he muttered, locking eyes with a few protesters who shoved placards at his window.

'They're still hung up on the old moves before the Awakening. Vampires were pretty then. Desirable. I bet none of them would go running into the arms of one if it stalked them in the night.'

Police officers spotted their red lights and pushed the crowd back, allowing them to edge their way through. An officer flagged them over to a police car made blockade.

'You're the agents from the Bureau?' he rushed as they stepped out of the car.

'That's us,' Dylan confirmed.