Chapter 1

A mysterious figure wearing a long trench coat, his hair hanging free and wild as it blows in the night's breeze looks over his shoulder as he walks into a dark alley. Turning back around he sees only shadows and trash strewn here and there. Three others follow him quietly but he knows they are there hearing each footfall and their faint breathing, his eyes search for others looking for the trap they have set. The faintest blur of movement on the roof tops above is his only warning. They attack as a group trying to overwhelm him before they believe he can react. Sidestepping the one that is leaping down from above he thrusts his arm forward into his attacker's back. Bone and flesh are sliced through easily as his fingernails like claws pierce his target's heart. His attacker sputters for a moment shock and pain covering his face. Blood froths forth from his mouth dripping down his chest as the life leaves his eyes and they become empty and cold as he falls to the ground as the stranger withdraws his arm. The others hesitate as they see their comrade fall all too suddenly. In that hesitation the lonely figure strikes taking advantage of the situation. Teeth bared he sinks his fangs into the closest one's throat and brings him to the ground as he wrenches his neck ripping his victim's throat open. The vampire clutches his throat dying as his blood spurts forth and covers the asphalt around him. The other two turn to flee but there is no escape. The last one doesn't even make it out of the alley as a blur of movement from the corner of his eye knocks him off his feet. A hand shoots out and grasps his throat. The hand of the stranger begins to crush his throat eliciting pain and suffering from the vampire. He struggles to free himself but does not have the strength to break the iron grip of the stranger. The vampire can hear his larynx being crushed and he tries to struggle one last time desperation fueling his movements. His actions prove futile and only serve to make the situation worse. Now the hand grips even tighter and, he can hear flesh and cartilage be squished in a sickening wet sound. Pain shoots through his body and his vision starts to blur for a moment as blood begins to be cut off from his brain. Looking down he sees the figure's face and knows that he will find no mercy there. The stranger's eyes look at him without a hint of compassion only pure hatred. When he realizes that the more he struggles the more the hand tightens he soon gives up and accepts the dark void that awaits him. At this unexpected reaction his killer pauses as if hesitating, but it only lasts a moment. In a quick jerking movement the stranger snaps his neck. Tossing the body aside Anthony's senses search for anymore vampires. They thought to kill him with this ambush but he proved to be far more than they bargained for.

It had been two years since Anthony had left L.A. that fateful night. He had left all that he had loved behind to carry out his father's dream of destroying the vampire race. Creating others like him from vampires he found and chose to turn, Anthony taught them how to kill vampire their former comrades. Sadly his hopes were misplaced in those he sired. The new blood drinkers became much like those Anthony hoped to wipe out. Instead of hunting down the vampires, most chose to live off them as parasites treating like cattle they feed on only a few. Mostly those few vampires that were lost went unnoticed in the great scheme of things. Even if the rest suspected something they could not find the cause. This was the same relationship that vampires had with humans. Those few who joined Anthony in his quest were now dead because they were too few in number, and were overwhelmed by their prey just as they had tried to kill him earlier. The vampire had superior numbers while Anthony and his allies were but a few largely on their own and because it was difficult to coordinate their efforts. Hunting them down one by one the vampire had killed them. Anthony himself was strong enough to survive, but just barely. He was now alone to fight his own war, and knew that he was not enough. Now his cause was hopeless even though he refused to give up, but Anthony soon found something else to worry about. It was Alexandra the first one he had sired who warned him that the Council was after his family. After seeing the Council's power when it set its mind to do something he headed off to rescue his family. His mind went over their conversation and how different Alexandra seemed since he had first met her and turned her into the creature she was now. "I will not make war with the others. They are far too many, besides your cause against the vampire race is useless and you can hope to win. We survive by hiding in the shadows and striking quickly against a few of their number and disappearing. If they knew how of us there really are and where we were hiding, we would die just like those that joined you." Alexandra said unable to look him in the eye. Turning her around so she was facing him Anthony replied, "If this is true then why tell me this. You know I will not sit idly by while my family is in danger. My going to L.A. will only cause further trouble, and if the others learned of your involvement you would still be in a lot of trouble. Why take the risk of telling me this?"