Chapter Text
The wind whistled loudly in Jesper's ears as he trudged through the swampy woods. His boots, now filled with mud, squelched with each step, causing him to wince at the noise. Kaz shot him a quick glare. There was too much riding on this job for him to mess it up with one careless step.
They had been in the badlands for six days straight now and Kaz wouldn’t let them break except to eat and sleep. He insisted that they’d have them in just another day or two. Just a little longer of sore dirty legs and exhaustion creeping in his bones. Just a little longer till his pockets were heavy with kruge and he was wealthy enough to live in luxury for a short time until he inevitably lost it. A week ago Inej had picked up a tip about a job, perhaps the most dangerous—and rewarding—they had ever taken. They were going to take down the vampires once and for all, hit them where it hurts, and kill their leader.
They reached a small portion of dry land and Jesper couldn’t help but to sigh in relief, his whole body ached and his muscles were stiff and sore. Somehow Kaz looked unaffected, even though it really should be him struggling the most. Jesper watched as Kaz wiped his cane clean of the mud, and followed his gaze up to the trees. Inej was up there somewhere, silent, deadly, keeping watch for an ambush. Kaz was clearly expecting trouble. He tried to keep a neutral expression, but Jesper hoped he could read his friend well enough to see his discomfort, or maybe Kaz was always a bit uncomfortable.
"They should be here by now," Kaz grumbled. "The Van Ecks never let people get this far into their territory."
Jesper stayed quiet. He never knew what to do when Kaz wasn’t sure of himself, so he did his best to give a reassuring smile that said ‘we must be lucky’.
Inej hopped down from a tree a few minutes later, sheathing her daggers and pulling down her hood. She looked grim.
“Anything to report, Wraith?” Kaz asked.
“Fresh carcasses just a short ways from here, we’re close” Inej responded
Jesper shuddered
“You know, we could always…turn back? Take an easier job? Not put ourselves in terrible danger?” He meant to say it in a lighthearted tone, but his voice came out shakier than intended.
“Not that I’m scared but…”
Kaz shook his head
“There’s no turning back now.”
Snap
All three of them jumped into action, Kaz steadied his cane in front of him, Inej gripped two of her knives in white knuckles, Jesper cocked his guns and aimed.
The forest was silent. No sign of whomever had broken the branch. It was eerily quiet, no birds sang, no crickets chirped, even the trees seemed to have stilled. Jesper felt alive.
A rustling came from behind them, Jesper spun on instinct and let off three crisp shots into the still air, a body fell limply to the ground in front of him, grasping at the blood flowing from its chest, it looked up at Jesper, shocked, then collapsed.
The creature had pale skin and ashy blond hair. It looked completely human until you saw its eyes. They were bright red with no visible pupils, and they seemed to glow softly. Kaz approached it and grunted.
He had just barely opened his mouth to speak when Inej gasped, causing Jesper and Kaz to come alert, when Jesper saw what she had seen, he froze.
Several dozen vampires had somehow managed not only to sneak up, but surround the three most skilled hunters in Ketterdam. Their impossibly wide smiles and violent red eyes were locked in on them. Jesper was frozen for only a second, before gathering his wits and putting his back to Kaz’s. Inej was already gone, high above in the trees somewhere. Kaz and Jesper circled, keeping a sharp eye on the monsters around them.
“Have a plan?” Jesper whispered to Kaz, he just stayed silent. If the two of them attacked, they might be able to take a couple of the vampires down with them, but they'd be killed before they'd have the chance to do any real damage. Kaz’s eyes drifted to the trees above them and he seemed to think for a moment before nodding.
Two knives shot down from the canopy of leaves and struck the closest vampires, one gasped and pitched backward with only the quiet hitch of Its breath marking Its demise. The other shrieked as the knife buried itself into Its eye. It dropped soon after.
Jesper swung his guns up and fired before the other creatures could react to their companions, he let off four quick shots,and watched as the silver bullets tore through one monster's throat and another's chest. The other two bled from different points on their bodies, this, finally, caused the vampires to move.
They all rushed into motion and began fighting. Kaz moved with speed that would surprise anyone that didn't know him, and shoved his wooden cane into one of the vampire chests, before swinging it around and hitting a vampire's skull with a resounding crack. Two more silver bullets left Jesper's guns with a whistle in the air.
They fought well together, bullets and knives whizzing through the air, Kaz finishing off any wounded vampire before it had the chance to recover, but it didn't last forever. Soon they were outnumbered and Inej seemed to have run out of knives.
The vampires closed in, the scent of blood in the air making their eyes even more crazed. He let off a couple more helpless shots, but there were just too many. Jesper was quite prepared to die right then, when the creatures split and a tall vampire with a regal air about It, walked through the middle of the group. It paused a few feet away from Kaz and Jesper.
“Where’s the girl?” It asked calmly. Unconcerned with the bodies and blood that surrounded them.
“I don't know,” Kaz responded evenly, “If she wants to be found she will be.”
The creature grunted
“If she decides to attack, I'll have you both dead before you have the chance to raise your weapons.” It glanced at Jesper's guns. “Put them down”.
With a nod from Kaz, Jesper gently placed his prized revolvers on the ground, suddenly feeling naked without them. He rocked back and forth on his toes, his nervous energy coming back to him.
“And the cane.”
Kaz silently dropped his cane to his feet, he seemed incredibly unconcerned about the situation they were in, and Jesper hoped he had a plan to get them out of this.
“What business?” Kaz asked
“I have a job.” the creature responded. Jesper had an increasing suspicion that he knew who this vampire was.
“Like we’d ever work for you, Van Eck.” Kaz’s gravelly voice shot out. Yep, there it was. Jesper had never been particularly lucky, but being cornered by the most notorious vampire, the one they were sent to kill, was a new kind of misfortune.
“Oh, but I think you will, you’re far more useful to me alive than dead, Brekker, and you'll learn that I am a master of persuasion.”
Two pairs of hands suddenly grabbed Jesper from behind and dragged him away from Kaz. He kicked and flailed wildly. But the vampires were stronger than him by a mile. A gag wrapped around his face, cutting off his shouts. Kaz hadn't moved a muscle in all of this.
“You overestimate how much he means to me” Kaz stated. Jesper wilted, he knew his and Kaz’s relationship was simple, they were colleagues. But hearing Kaz say it aloud stung more than he would like to admit.
“Perhaps, but I suppose we’ll know for sure in two weeks. If you fail to kill Pekka Rollins in that time. Then your unfortunate companion will be dead” Van Eck said.
This finally got a reaction out of Kaz. His eyes narrowed at the name of the hunter.
Rollins was by far the evilest man in the barrel, Kaz had long loathed him. He was also their employer. Pekka Rollins was in charge of all the vampire hunters in Ketterdam, and got a cut of each of their pay. A corner of Kaz’s mouth twitched.
“I'd have a bounty on my head if I even attempted that” Kaz was smiling as he said it, as if Jesper's impending doom was a big joke. But there was no humor in his eyes.
“It’s up to you,” Van Eck stated. “Do what you wish, but don't expect to see your friend again if you fail.”
At last, Jesper stopped struggling and slumped to the ground. He sent one last pleading look up into the trees, hoping Inej would come down to save him. The branches were still, there was no sign of her. His captors had bound his wrists behind him, and they were slowly dragging him away. Kaz didn't look back at him once. He was on his own.