Chapter Twelve: Maze Trap:

Doyle and Lauren made it to their room. He dropped her on the bed. The vampire leaned back and breathed out. Did she have to be deadweight when she was sleeping? He didn’t have time to think about that, though. His eyes shifted left and right in the dark room.

Okay, how many of you here?

One in the lobby. Two in either of the rooms. Possibly one in the ceiling above them. Doyle guessed about eight hunters here in this motel tonight. Fifteen humans were also here too. If he was alone with these hunters, he could take them out easily. But…

Doyle looked down at the sleeping Lauren. Maybe he could make this quick.

“I’ll be back,” he whispered. Doyle leapt up and disappeared.

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Where should he start first? Only the hum of the vending machine down the hall filled the silence. Doyle narrowed his eyes.

“Come on,” he whispered. “We know each other is here. I just want to talk. I know you’re curious as to way I can’t let you kill that girl. Well, I have my reasons. Why don’t you come out and see?” Doyle turned around with his sword in hand. A pale woman with claws came flying towards her. Her long black hair made her target made him think of snakes. He smirked as he shook his head.

“Guess not,” he said. Doyle turned around and swung his sword. The female hunter dodged, but not before getting nixed in the shoulder. She fell back, hissing. Her teeth cried for blood.

“Now, now,” Doyle said. “There’s no need to engage in rough-housing yet. I just want to talk.” The hunter leapt at him, but he kicked her in the face.

“Hostile woman, aren’t you?” he asked. Doyle used his hand to keep her down. The hunter clawed and screamed at him as she fought to push him off.

“Easy, easy,” he said. “Damn, you want to claw at me that badly, don’t you?” The standing vampire sighed. Might as well get this over with. He raised his sword above his head with his free hand. But then, he froze.

“Where is the rest of your party?” he asked.

“Right here!” a man yelled. Doyle turned to see another vampire with a sword in his hand. The blades clashed as he held down the female.

“I don’t have time for this,” he said. The female pushed him forward, sending Doyle and her partner falling backwards. She jumped up and pinned the target onto the ground. She hissed with her mouth wide open.

“Brenda!” her partner shouted. “He is not our target! Do not kill him!” The female vampire glared at her partner. The hunter put up his hand and shushed her. She hissed with her claws buried in Doyle’s clothes. Her pinned target looked up at her.

“You should listen to the man, you know?” he said. “Or at least close your mouth. Your breath stinks.” Brenda roared in his face as her claws tangled up in his jacket.

“Brenda, please,” her partner said. After about ten minutes, the female vampire calmed down. Doyle breathed out.

“Thank you,” he said. The standing vampire tapped him in the head with the tip of his boot.

“Why are you so interested in our target?” he asked. Doyle smiled to himself.

“Will my answer change anything?” he asked. Brenda hissed in his face.

“It would be best if you let me ask the questions here,” her partner said. “I don’t know how much longer I can control Brenda when she’s angry and hungry.” Their target sighed.

“Fair enough,” he said. “I don’t really have a motive. I just find her interesting.” The male hunter frowned.

“Is that all?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Doyle said, nodding. “There’s nothing surrounding my reasoning. I won’t really get anything out it. And I have no feelings for her. I just sensed her and sot her out.”

“Are you aware of the danger she poses to us all?” the hunter asked.

“What danger is that?” Doyle asked. “It could give us more power and advantage over the humans.” Brenda roared like a wild animal loud enough to wake up everyone in the motel. Her partner held out his hand, shushing her.

“Is that all she does?” their captive asked. The partner groaned and rubbed his forehead.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he asked. “She will have more hunters after our asses. We already have to deal with the news covering all of her messes throughout this area. Now, more and more hunters are trying to wipe us out.” Doyle managed to shrug under Brenda.

“That’s a price we all have to pay for evolving in the world,” he said. “With a little re-training and self-control, I think she will survive and breed a new species of our kind.” The male hunter gritted his teeth and kicked Doyle in the head.

“Ow, geez,” he said. “You don’t have to do all of that.” The pinned vampire paused as another thought entered his head.

“Can I ask you a question?” Doyle asked. Brenda roared in his face. Her partner rubbed his forehead.

“Why?” he asked.

“I’m just curious about something,” he said. “What happens to me if you kill her? Are you going to kill me too?” The male hunter lowered his hand.

“That will depend on you,” he said.

“And that means…?” Doyle asked. The male hunter glared at him.

“If you keep trying to interfere with us, we will have to kill you,” he said.

“I see,” their target said. He rested his body for a second before pushing Brenda off. The female vampire hit her head again the wall, howling. Doyle leapt to his feet.

“Sorry, gentleman and lady,” he said. “But if you want to kill us, you’ll have to catch us first!” The target leapt up in the sky. His attackers gave chase.

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Back in the room, a shadow cast over a sleeping Lauren. Another hunter drew out her knife and smirked.

“That prize is as good as mine,” she muttered to herself. The huntress raised her knife above her head and plunged it downwards.