The quiet hum of a stretch limousine's engine purred as the vehicle in question drove down Crowsnest highway, twenty minutes away from entering the town of Creston itself. It was 7:30 pm, not quite time for a hunt, but it was getting close.
The interior of the limousine was exactly what one would expect from a modern day luxury vehicle. Full leather seats, drinks and food, a state-of-the-art miniature television, as well as enough leg room to remain comfortable, all highlighted several light beams that were dimmed for the safety of the driver, so that he could see where he was going.
The individual who sat in the rear part of the limousine was alone, and had hardly touched any of the amenities in the vehicle. Not because he did not want to, but simply because he was too deep in thought. Given the information he was given, tonight was going to be a long one.
The individual, an 18-year-old man, sat with one leg crossed over the other, and his hands knit together in his lap. He was dressed in a pure white outfit, consisting of a pair of white jeans, held up by a white belt. He wore a grey, button up waist coat, underneath which was a white dress shirt. Over his shoulders he wore a white trenchcoat, which he wore over his shoulders and kept his sleeves off.
Usually, he wore a white top hat with a black ribbon. However, because he was in the vehicle, and because that was rude, he left it packed in one of his suitcases. The same with his weapon. After all, he was a Vampire Hunter. Granted, he was only an apprentice, but this was his first solo mission, and his mother expected him to conclude it with at least one vampire corpse trailing behind him.
After all, if he didn't, it would be a disgrace to the Helsing name.
Viktor Van Helsing, son of Veronica Maribeth Van Helsing. Heir to the Helsing fortune, and The Helsing Organization. Since he was young, about seven years old, he had been trained to hunt vampires. Not the most idealistic childhood, but it was what had been required of him. After all, his mother had been 55 years old when she had him, and now that she was nearing her 70s, she needed someone to replace her.
Viktor rose to the call, unlike the rest of his siblings. They didn't believe mother when she spoke of the vampire scourge. But Viktor did.
Viktor had seen one before.
Viktor had killed one before.
But because that had been before his induction into The Helsing Organization, it didn't count for his rank. When his mother had found out, rather than being horrified, she had been proud of him.
And then, of course, he was trained. Trained in the ways of fighting vampires. It was different from traditional martial arts, most of those kinds of techniques would not work on creatures of the night. No. Every attack had to be a kill shot. If not, then your chance of dying was much higher.
"Remember your mission, my son. There are five vampires in the town of Creston. Although, our recent sightings have said there are now six. Regardless. You must kill one of them before you can leave. Once you have done that, you will finally be rid of that demeaning title of apprentice. Now go, and do not disappoint me by dying."
Those were the last words his mother said to him before he left. Some would say it was cold and heartless. But, in those words, there was a common understanding that love was mutual between mother and son. They did not need to say it to know it was there. It might not have been obvious, but that was just how the Helsing family behaved. Especially since it was a family of warriors.
Even if Viktor's siblings were cowards in that regard.
"Master Helsing," a voice came over the speaker. It was the driver. Viktor pressed the button next to him, speaking as he did.
"Yes, Greyfield?" Viktor spoke, his voice containing a hint of a British accent.
"We are arriving at the hotel. The Ramada Inn, sir."
The Ramada Inn. Not the fanciest, nor was it the best, but it was the best he was going to get in a small town like Creston. He had a mission, and that was all that mattered to him.
"Very well. Thank you, Greyfield," Viktor replied before letting go of the button. He glanced out the window on his left, and scowled. Creston was a border town between The United States of America and Canada. It was a tourist spot, more than anything. It didn't have the best infrastructure, and it wasn't the wealthiest town. But, what it made up for in money and other amenities, it did so in hospitality and kindness.
For example, He called the mayor Arnold DeBoon before he arrived, and had informed him that he was here on official Helsing Organization business. Granted, the public was not fully aware of the existence of Vampires. But, considering that the Helsing Organization was considered a branch of NATO's security force, they allowed him in without any issues.
Of course, there were questions. Why was he here, and what jurisdiction did he have to operate in Creston? Was the Premier made aware? All of those were valid questions, to which he replied with "Top Secret", "Federal" and "Yes, the Premier knew he was here", which were all true. He was here on Federal business, and the premier was very aware of his visit.
Granted, only the Prime Minister was aware of why he was here. The world leaders were aware of the vampiric threat that existed in the world, even if most of them believed it to be utter nonsense. However, with the backing of the United States Government, The British Royal Family, and over half of the European Union, the Helsing Organization was practically untouchable.
It was rather convenient, if Viktor were to say for himself. It also made dodging murder charges rather easy, especially since, to most normal people, vampires appeared to be plain old humans getting murdered in rather gruesome ways.
Either way, it didn't matter. What mattered was that he found the vampires, exterminated them, then moved to the next location. That was the only thing he needed to do.
Of course, because he was still of schooling age, if he wanted to attract minimal attention, that meant he needed to be temporarily enrolled at the local highschool. Something his mother was able to get arranged. He had already spoken to the councilor over the phone, and they were able to squeeze him into a few classes to ensure he was able to graduate.
Not that he expected to be here for longer than a week, but it was the thought that counted.
"Master Helsing, we are here."
Without a word, Viktor stepped out of the limousine. When he did, he walked over to the trunk as it popped open. Inside, there were two suitcases. His clothing and other trinkets, and his weapon suitcase.
Unlike most weapons that Vampire Hunters used, his was inconvenient to say the least. But, it was extremely effective. He wielded it like a hammer, but it could also cut and slash. Meaning it was a blunt tool, but also something that could cut and rend his targets to shreds. It was truly one of the more effective weapons the organization's blacksmith put his effort into.
It also didn't help that it was inspired by a fictional weapon from a videogame that his brother had played around him. It had given him ideas, to say the least.Entering the Inn with his suitcases in tow, he was greeted by the receptionist. They were a nondescript young woman, with curled blonde hair. He didn't really pay attention to what she was saying. He was just ruminating on his thoughts.
"Let's see here… Mister Viktor Van Helsing? Ah, your room number is 323. Here are your keys," the woman said, before placing a set of keys in front of him. Viktor nodded, picking up the keys, before sliding her a $100 bill.
"A tip," Viktor said, as the woman stared at him, eyes wide and taken aback, prompting his leave to the third floor. He knew, of course, that he might have been a little overtly generous, but to the same end, it was the least he could do.
After all, slaying Vampires was no meager thing. Their battles typically ended in a lot of collateral, and the stronger the vampires were, the more devastating the battles typically were.
And if the rumours of there being one of the fabled Vampiric Knights lurking around the town, all the more to be generous to the townsfolk.
As Viktor found his hotel room, he found himself stepping into a rather comfortable, if not somewhat cramped room. Two king-sized beds awaited him—not that he needed two of them, but it was the best money could buy in this small tourist town, so he took what he could get.
There was a grey recliner chair in the corner, a small flat-screen TV, and a dresser to hold clothes in. Not that he was going to be doing that. His clothing was special. It was woven with a specific kind of steel fabric that allowed him to absorb more physical attacks. A trademark of The Helsing Organization.
The rest of the room wasn't of any particular note for Viktor. Beige coloured drapes, stainless-glass windows, and decent enough carpet. Closing the hotel room door behind him, he walked over to the bed on the right and placed both suitcases down, opening the one containing his clothes.
He swapped out his current attire for something comfortable to sleep in. After all, he had just been on a long car drive, and while he respected his mother to the utmost, he wasn't about to go hunting half asleep and starving. The moment he touched down in the airport within Cranbrook, he immediately had to get into the limousine, and from there, the drive, while short, was still a bit overlong for his liking.
Once he was done getting changed into his sleeping attire—a simple white shirt and light blue pyjama pants—he walked over to the light switch, turning out the lights, before slinking into bed. He propped up his pillows just the way he liked them, even if they weren't his pillows, before promptly getting comfortable and closing his eyes.
Tomorrow was going to be a rather busy day. After all, tomorrow would be a Sunday, specifically, the 26th of October. Sunday was the day to go to Church, and he had a specific service in mind. While it wasn't the Church that he belonged to, it was the place to follow up on the lead for one of the vampires he was looking for.
That place being The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.