As Daemon walked towards the house at the center of the old mill, he passed by a van and a small garage with a four-door car inside. The silence of the night was broken only by the sounds of their footsteps.
Glancing over his shoulder Daemon noticed that some cartel members were breathing heavily. "Slow down your breathing and try to slow down your heart," he whispered.
The cartel members instantly obeyed, they understood that a vampire's senses were three times sharper than a human's, while they tried to quiet their rushing hearts. Daemon achieved a near-meditative state, slowing his heartbeat to a single beat every five seconds.
'While the others might slow their hearts with meditation, creating art taught me how to flow with the rhythm, to listen only to the sound of my heart, doing whatever my body needs in return,' Daemon thought.
As they got closer to the house, they suddenly heard multiple bloodcurdling screams from adults and children alike. The cartel members' hearts skipped a beat, but Daemon and Jason remained calm. Through a window, they saw a child running before a man leapt towards them.
Then suddenly the house was in completely darkness.
'They have already begun to attack..." For what reason are they killing? For amusement or revenge?' Daemon pondered.
A few moment after, Daemon heard footsteps approaching. Jason also heard it too but he was unable to identify the source. Leaning against the house's wall, Daemon listened closely.
A head peeked around the corner; it was a vampire drawn by the panicked cartel members. Before the vampire could react, Daemon grabbed its head and snapped its neck. The vampire dropped to the ground, lifeless.
Another vampire sprang off the roof before the others could respond, tearing out the eye of a cartel member with its razor-sharp two-inch nails. The victim shot his weapon wildly while screaming in pain. The vampire was shot by multiple bullets, one of which pierced its heart and quickly killed it.
The cartel members began to panic, running and screaming in terror while still trying to fight off the chasing vampires.
"Everyone group up together!" Jason ordered loudly.
Obeying Jason's command, the cartel members quickly formed a circle around him. The house was silent for a moment, then the sound of breaking glass filled the air as multiple vampires jumped out of the windows, closing in on the group. Jason's face was tense with worry.
Mortis muttered, "Remain alert. Strike the head or the heart."
Jason gave a nod. "Got it."
Out of nowhere, a voice resonated through the night. "Kill them all!"
While hearing the voice but having no time to focus on it Daemon fired at an oncoming vampire, the silver bullet piercing its heart, the vampire let out a blood-curdling scream before disintegrating into ash, when one was coming from behind Jason appeared covering his flank taking down two vampires with headshots their bodies collapsing into ash.
Though Daemon had never used a gun before besides practicing the previous day, he already felt accustomed to it. To him pointing a pistol was similar to aiming a paintbrush you had to choose the ideal place to aim and manage the trajectory all the way to the finish.
Jason grinned as Mortis found a way to kill the vampires with ease. "That's two for me," he counted, thinking back on his time in the military.
While Daemon didn't want to engage in this, he needed to maintain his disguise. "Keep count. We'll compare later," he said to Jason.
The other cartel members managed to kill a couple of vampires but were not as skilled. Six of them fell quickly, overwhelmed by the vampires' speed and ferocity. Their screams echoed through the mill, the vampires exhibiting superhuman strength, speed, and agility, making them formidable in combat and nearly impossible to outrun.
As the cartel members split up, Daemon noticed a vampire sprinting in the direction of one of the cartel members as they parted. With a dash, he jumped onto a precarious ledge and opened fire on the vampires below. With each shot precisely targeted at the heart, the majority of his bullets found their targets. Only when he heard the roar of a vampire leaping from behind did he realize what it was. Daemon shot, spinning in one smooth motion, the silver bullet penetrating its skull and reducing it to ash.
Jason at the side fought with a similar intensity but his movements a blend of raw power and calculated precision, he kicked a nearby vampire into a rusted gear, the vampire body slammed into it and got impaled on the jagged metal. Jason then quickly fired at it the silver bullet tearing through its chest and ending its existence.
Jason was able to see in the dark better than the other cartel members due to his military experience. "We need to thin them out faster!" he shouted because he knew that if they were overwhelmed, they wouldn't stand a chance.
While the vampires could see perfectly in the dark, making them perfect nocturnal predators. Daemon swiftly reloaded with practiced speed, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene. He spotted a cluster of vampires converging on their remaining team members. With a determined expression, he rushed forward, his pistol blazing. After fifteen shots, some hitting bodies instead of hearts, he managed to reduce the vampires to ash, giving the team members a fighting chance.
The frame of the mill creaked under the weight of the conflict. People slammed into beams and gears, which creaked and snapped. Daemon used the environment to his advantage kicking a vampire into a pile of rusty barrels by taking advantage of his surroundings. Two more vampires were eliminated when the barrels fell, crushing them and setting off a chain reaction, quickly moving past, he ended them with precise shots.
Daemon noticed that not only had the majority of the men he had arrived with decreased by more than half, but the vampire group had also decreased and they were beginning to withdraw. "Advance! Keep them from leaving!"
Jason followed Daemon's lead, using the mill's machinery to his advantage. He shoved a vampire into a massive, rusted cogwheel, the creature's body getting crushed in the mechanism. He fired at another vampire that leaped at him, the silver bullet ripping through its skull.
The remaining vampires, sensing their numbers dwindling, became more desperate. They attacked with a feral intensity, but Daemon and Jason's training and coordination proved superior. Daemon ducked under a vampire's swipe and fired upward, the bullet tearing through its chin and exiting through the top of its head.
Jason spun and shot another vampire in mid-air, the bullet catching it between the eyes. He then delivered a powerful kick to a third vampire, sending it flying into a wall, where Daemon quickly finished it off with a precise shot to the heart.
A sudden loud shout resonated through the night. "You will not leave here alive!"
A slightly larger vampire appeared on the house roof, charging at Daemon with incredible speed and strength. Daemon stood his ground, his eyes cold and unwavering. As the vampire closed in, Daemon fired multiple shots, but the vampire dodged with supernatural agility. It reached Daemon and slashed at him, but Daemon blocked with his arm blocking the attack.
Jason rushed to help firing at the vampire, but the vampire was relentless moved out the way and It managed to knock Jason's pistol out of his hand and lunged at him. Daemon noticed and quickly grabbed a nearby piece of broken machinery and swung it at the vampire, his now makeshift weapon smashed into its side and momentarily staggering it.
Jason got up, panting. "Thanks, Mortis!" he said.
"Finish this!" Daemon commanded.
Jason retrieved his pistol and fired at the vampire's head that was already back to the fight. The bullet found its mark, but the vampire regeneration was swift. Daemon took advantage of the distraction, aiming his pistol at the vampire heart. With a steady hand he fired a single shot.
The silver bullet pierced the vampire's heart, and with a final agonized scream the vampire disintegrated into ash. The remaining vampires, leaderless and demoralized, were quickly dispatched by Daemon, Jason, and the surviving members of their group.
"That's it," Daemon said.
Just as he spoke, he heard fast footsteps behind him. He quickly turned around and shot a vampire in the leg, dropping it to one knee. He then shot the other leg, ensuring it couldn't rise again.
When he saw it wasn't getting back up, he said, "Get up."
A few seconds later, the vampire's body healed and stood back up. Daemon quickly repeated the process, shooting it down again, a grim smile starting to form on his face. However, before he could react further, a sudden gunshot rang out and his deathly cold gaze shot toward Jason, who had shot the vampire.
Before he could do anything.
"Ahh!"
The shriek directed both of their attention. It was the cartel member who had earlier had his eye gouge out by a vampire. Jason assisted the man by rushing to his side.
"Calm down, calm down..." Jason said softly.
"Manager? Manager?" The man whimpered.
"Yeah... I'm here," Jason replied.
"I can't see," the man said, panic evident in his voice.
"I know, I know," Jason soothed.
"I'm useless... you have to leave me," the man pleaded.
Jason grasped the man's left hand in his because the Blood Oath was taken there. "No, I'm not going to abandon you to the vampires. "I am able to arrange for you to lead a typical life," he urged.
The bond Jason shared had with these men was forged over years of friendship and trust. The Blood Oath of the Iron Chain Cartel, where new members would mix their blood with a senior member's, symbolized their unbreakable loyalty.
"But... I won't have a normal life again," the man said, despair creeping into his voice.
"He's right. Leave him," Daemon chimed in coldly.
"Shut up!" Jason shouted, pushing Mortis away. "Are you happy now? This is what you wanted, right?"
"No, I'm not happy... in this organization, sacrifices will happen," Daemon said, his expression stone-cold.
Jason's eyes burned with rage as he gave Daemon a glare. "I told you that the vampires were more powerful than we were. Even though there were many losses in the previous attack, you persisted in going. We now have half of our members deceased. Are you happy now?"
"No, I'm not happy," Daemon repeated, his tone icy. "In this organization, sacrifices are inevitable. This is the reality of our world, Jason. Sacrifices will happen in our line of work."
"But I told you this would happen! You didn't listen, and now there have been unnecessary deaths," Jason said, his voice rising with frustration. "These men trusted us. They trusted you. And now they're dead because of your arrogance."
"I don't care about their trust," Daemon retorted, his voice cold. "Nothing will stop me from getting what I desire."
Jason's face contorted with rage. "How can you be so callous, so dark-minded? We thought you would build us back up, and now you've torn us apart. This wasn't supposed to be a suicide mission."
Daemon took a step closer, his eyes locked onto Jason's. "You think I wanted this? Do you think I relish in their deaths? This is war, Jason. Casualties are inevitable."
Jason shook his head, disbelief etched into his features. "No, this isn't war. This is madness. You're so blinded by your ambition that you've forgotten what it means to be human."
"Human?" Daemon sneered. "Being human makes us weak. We need to be stronger, and if that means sacrificing a few to move past humanity, then so be it."
"You're playing with lives like they're pawns in your game," Jason said, his voice shaking. "These were real people with families, hopes, and dreams. They weren't just numbers."
Daemon's eyes hardened. "This world doesn't care about hopes and dreams, Jason. It only cares about power and survival. And I intend to survive."
Jason stepped back, his fists clenched at his sides. "At what cost, Daemon? How many more have to die for your vision? When does it end?"
Daemon looked at him for a long moment, then turned away. "It ends when I say it does," he said coldly. "You're either with me or against me. Make your choice."
"Mortis, don't walk away from this!" Jason shouted, desperation creeping into his voice. "You can't just abandon the people who believed in you."
"I'll do whatever it takes to get my revenge, no matter the cost. Sacrifices must be made, and I won't hesitate. The price of my desire is steep, but I'll pay it in full, even if it means others must suffer." Daemon paused but didn't turn around. "I haven't abandoned anyone. I'm doing what needs to be done. If you can't see that, then maybe you're the one who's lost."
Jason watched as Mortis walked away, his heart heavy with anger and betrayal, as he looked at the surviving cartel members, he realized that the path forward would be fraught with danger and hard choices. But one thing was clear he needed to prepare for the war that was coming.