The evening was quickly descending upon the city, as though someone had draped a tattered blanket over it. Joan peeked through the window but couldn't spot the stars, only a grey, misty haze. She would have to get used to this kind of view and forget about the blue sky, and she hoped that would happen soon. She didn't have much time left—only a few months at most, the maximum she could allow herself.
"Shit," she muttered angrily as the ash from the cigarette smoldering between her teeth fell onto her T-shirt. The butt of the cigarette flew out the window, landing under the wheels of a passing hatchback. When Joan turned her head toward the windshield of her car, she caught a glimpse of someone who hadn't been there before sitting in the passenger seat. She barely suppressed a startled curse.
Her new passenger might not take kindly to that, and the last thing Joan wanted was to upset the lady in the tight black outfit and her two "sisters." A brief glance at the rearview mirror confirmed that the other two were indeed in the car.
Well, how do they do it? Joan didn't consider herself particularly observant, but she did have certain skills. After all, that's what they teach at police academies, and she had honed her surveillance skills quite a lot on the job. Maybe it was because these "sisters" weren't really human?
"You said you found them," the oldest of the women in the passenger seat spoke authoritatively, slightly arrogantly.
"Yes, they're in that café, on the terrace, near the far corner." Joan motioned toward the location.
The passenger leaned forward slightly and directed her gaze in the right direction. For a few seconds, her red eyes darted from table to table until they finally fixed on the target. The pale, almost blue lips of the lady curled into a satisfied, anticipatory smile.
Joan felt a shudder run through her but forced her feelings aside. She had known from the start what she was getting into. She knew exactly what her employers intended to do with the two young people she had been tracking for over a month.
But she pushed her conscience aside because she really wanted to get paid. This was her life's goal, really! She couldn't back out now, and it was too late to second-guess herself. She could have questioned things half an hour ago when she first dialed one of the "sisters'" numbers, but not now.
Turning back was impossible.
"Good, just perfect!" hissed the lady in the passenger seat, showing off unnaturally long fangs.
"How did you do it?" asked one of the women sitting in the back. "We've been looking for them this whole time, but we haven't had any luck, as you can see."
Joan had no doubt. Her new acquaintances and employers had many talents, or rather abilities, but none of them could replace the flexibility of a trained mind and the skills of a police officer. Not to mention her connections of a certain kind.
To Joan's surprise, the guy had been hiding so well that it seemed like his life depended on it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a trace of him. It was like he had jumped into the sewers and was lying low for the entire time! The girl, however, was much easier to track.
All Joan had to do was find the surveillance camera footage. The quality wasn't great, but her friends were able to identify her face and run it through the databases. Then it was just a matter of identifying her and checking for matches. She didn't even bother changing her name when she enrolled at the new school!
The hardest part had been following this particular private institution. It seemed like someone had a lot of pull, because getting any concrete information, or even finding anything useful, had been impossible. Everywhere she went, she hit a dead end.
And when she tried basic physical surveillance, it nearly ended in disaster. It was only by a stroke of luck that she managed to slip away without attracting the attention of the school's highly professional security! She had to find a new spot to observe from, using something almost like a telescope.
When a bus pulled up to the school, Joan saw it as a great opportunity to gather more intel. What she hadn't expected was to get so lucky. The kids were being taken on an excursion, after which Jubilee Lee met with Joan's main target. Not only did they meet, but they stayed alone together! The kids went off to explore, although they didn't stray far from Columbia University.
Once Joan was sure the young couple was unguarded, she took out her phone and dialed the required number before her conscience could even start to twinge.
"It doesn't matter!" the leader of the "sisters" interrupted, as though trying to dismiss the need for further discussion. "We've finally got what we've been searching for! The chance to avenge our ancestress! And this revenge promises to be sweet!"
Joan really didn't want to interrupt her employer's fantasies, but the sharp instincts of an experienced officer told her otherwise. After all, she couldn't afford to risk losing this chance. She doubted her new acquaintances would "ditch" her, but she feared they would meet the same mysterious fate as their ancestress—someone far older and more powerful!
"Can I request my payment?" she asked politely.
The leader of the sisters shot her a frustrated and angry look, but the elegant pale hand of the woman sitting behind her calmly rested on her shoulder, soothing her.
"She deserves it," the leader said with a resigned sigh. "After all, we didn't choose you by accident, Joan. Do you know why we chose you?"
"No," Joan admitted honestly.
"You share a name with the one who gave us new life. Now we'll do this for you."
"Hurry up," the leader hissed, clearly annoyed at the delay.
Joan felt the back of her seat shift ever so slightly as the creature behind her transformed its fingers into sharp claws and swiftly sliced through the headrest, before gently yet firmly tilting her head to the side. The last thing Joan remembered before plunging into a fiery fever was the almost imperceptible prickling sensation in her neck.