Undercity: Manifest

Chapter Twenty-Five

Wind whirled around Sadie's face and the rain pelted down like falling bullets as she ran. She could see the flapping tail of a jacket hanging open off a set of broad shoulders that disappeared into a blackened alleyway after making a sharp left turn. Ben's footsteps pounded into the pavement behind her. 

The vampire they were chasing fit the description of one who was seen attacking an elderly homeless man just after nightfall that evening. Ben and Sadie were on the late shift, two months after she had been told about the initiation, when the call came in. When they had arrived on the scene, they were met with a restaurant owner who had witnessed the attack wrongly thinking it was a mugging. The vampire had been spooked enough to take off into the shadows created by streetlights reflecting off the nearby buildings.

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Fearing the vampire would come back to dispose of the witness, Sadie and Ben had left the homeless man, after establishing that he was okay, but decided to track him from a distance. They had followed him to the doorway of an apothecary shop where he bedded down for the night.

An hour later, the vampire returned. He approached the man with preternatural stealth, appearing at first to be bending to put money in the upturned hat the elderly man had left on the floor by his feet. 

Ben had managed to put one arm on the vampire's shoulder before he could attack when he turned feral. His face was contorted as he threw Ben backwards onto the road with unmatched strength. His snarling visage displayed two elongated canines overshadowed by his narrow eyes. It was the first vampire Sadie had seen in person. She was momentarily taken aback by the raw animalistic presence of him. 

She recovered from her initial shock as the vampire took off running. Without a second thought, she pursued him, and it didn't take Ben long to catch up. She didn't need to look back to check he was okay, his speed told her he was fine. 

'He's heading to the docks.' She shouted behind her. 

The docks to the far east of the Southern district hosted a known vampire den. They mostly kept to themselves, and would likely turn the vigilante vampire over to them if he sought shelter. Vampire attacks were rare due to the Coven ensuring a legal supply of blood was available to them. Mostly, they would frequent late night clubs and bars to pass the night before returning to the safe space of their homes during daylight hours. 

'Split up and cut him off.' Ben suggested as he ran slightly in front of her. 

Ben carried on after him. He disappeared from view behind a large shipping container. Sadie veered off to the right cutting around several other smaller units to cut him off as he emerged. 

She made it to the front of the container as the vampire came into view. She couldn't see Ben yet. She crouched down beside a stack of wooden pallets and waited. It only took a few seconds until she heard the slapping of his trainers on the wet surface of the loading bay. Sadie dug her feet down and used the ground to launch herself sideways. He shoulder connected with his waist and she tackled him to the ground with ease. 

The extra training and conditioning in preparation for the Initiation had made her stronger. Mindful of his mouth and protruding fangs, Sadie thrust her forearm into his exposed neck and used her knees to pin him to the ground. He released a frustrated snarl, snapping his mouth like a wild dog at her as he thrashed to throw her off. His strength was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold him for long. 

She was faintly aware of something being knocked over and noises that sounded like a scuffle between two people. She wondered for a moment if Ben had run into another vampire. The slight loss in focus was all it took for the vampire she was pinning to launch her off him and onto her back. She felt the wet seep through her uniform as the material clung to her legs and torso. She reached for her stake, which was concealed as a standard issue baton, and pulled the protective casing off to reveal a wooden dagger sharpened to a fine point.