Vampire Dating Agency (4 page)

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

The gearstick was shifting. The car
was changing lanes. The minute hand was spinning round and the seconds were
counting down.

After dinner
was finished and there was a brief interval where Haley wandered onto the beach
to gaze out across the waters to lands barely visible, it was back in the van
and back on the road. They did not have far to go this time.

During the
short ride the group explained to her that a fake profile and sign up form had
been created for Haley via the VDA website. Since it had been approved Haley
was instructed to go to a small club whereby transport would be organized to
take her to the VDA.

The van with
they were all traveling in wasn’t going to the club however, that was seen as
too risky. They drove into a train station car park, one stop away from where
she needed to get out.

There Haley
was given a new phone with directions to the club, along with a necklace to
wear with a built in camera. She was also given microscopic ear buds to insert
so the group would have a direct line of communication. She was advised that if
for some reason her necklace was confiscated she was to immediately abort the
mission. 

“Abort?”
Haley questioned. “What does ‘abort’ mean?”

“It means
make an excuse and get the hell out of there,” Jason said leaning against the
back of the van.

“And then
backup is coming right?”

Jason looked
to Maurice a moment. “If it’s required.”

“I swear to
God, don’t leave me hanging out there,” Haley exclaimed.

“At the very
least, I’ll come after you myself,” Jason said. “That much I can promise you.”

“Like that
counts for something,” Riley snorted.

“Cool it,”
Jason said. “We don’t need Haley getting worked up right now. She’s going to be
under a lot of stress. We should alleviate as much of that as we can now.”

“If it gets
too much, I’m walking away, whatever the situation is,” Haley said. “I mean, I
want to be a part of the team and everything, but not if it kills me.”

“I’m sure
you’ll be fine,” Jason said. “Really. You’ll make it through.”

“Thanks,”
Haley said. “I’ll give it my best.”

“Your train
is arriving in six minutes,” Maurice said. “You should get a move on.”

“Alright,”
Haley said collecting her handbag. “How do I look? Be honest.”

“Fine,”
Maurice said.

“You look …
you’re very attractive,” Jason muttered.

Haley blushed.

Riley leaned
into her ear. “You look like you’re gonna fuck some vampires.”

Haley turned
to her. “I hope you mean ‘fuck’ as in ‘fuck them up’. Not … get ‘sexual’ with…”

“Darling,
it’s gonna get sexual,” Riley laughed.

Haley looked
to Jason.

“I wouldn’t think
any of them would expect that from you,” he said uncertainly. “I mean, whoever
the guy is, it’ll be your first date after all.”

CHAPTER
TWELVE

The train was leaving the station.
Haley sat by the window watching Jason and Riley still outside the van … until
till they drifted away from sight.

Her eyes
twitched nervously around the train. She was frightened. She was afraid. She’d
been feeling that all morning – but back then it had been a welcome blend of
excitement to mix with the anxiety. Now, she was just flat out scared. Why …
why did she think she could do this? Because she did well on some stupid exams?
They were going to see right through her! And when that happened, they’d take
her by surprise and –

“Haley?
Testing … one, two, three … Haley, can you hear me?”

Maurice.

In her ear.

“Yes,” Haley
whispered.

“Okay, just
checking. Call if you need me.”

“Okay.”

Haley
straightened up in her chair. An old man was staring at her a few rows
opposite. As she made eye contact with him, he shook his head and looked away.

Haley ground
her teeth together.

Judgmental
prick.

She forced
herself to look away also … back out the window.

She couldn’t
believe she was going through with this. Would these guys really have her back?
Was Jason just playing off Riley with a good cop / bad cop routine? She
couldn’t tell. And she should be able to. If she couldn’t read those guys, how
was she supposed to figure out which of these vampires was the killer?

Haley closed
her eyes. Listened to the sound of her breathing.

She was going
to make it. She wasn’t
that
afraid. Just because she’d never seen a
vampire in real life … Just because … she was supposed to impress him…

Eyes open.

The signs
were flashing.

The next
station was approaching.

Haley got up
out of her seat and moved to the area beside the doors.

When the
train stopped, she pulled the doors open and stepped out onto the platform,
walking bristly. She merged into the rest of the crowd for a bit, before
breaking out into the road. She walked off to one side and opened up her
handbag, taking her phone out and scrolling through the directions. She had to
cross the road, walk straight ahead for a bit, and then turn right. At that
point it would be almost six p.m. she’d be ready to go.

Haley put the
phone away and then walked up to the crossing.

She stood
there for a bit, waiting for the red man to turn green.

He came too
soon.

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Haley had reached the club.

She stood at
the edge of the car park, her eyes fleeting with the heavy traffic moving
across the road opposite her, wondering if it was too late now. Too late to
just rip the necklace away and ear buds out and start running.

She knew she
wasn’t going to do that, but she also knew she might come to regret that decision
later.

“You’re right
there, Haley,”
Maurice
said in her ears.
“Just move to the side a little.”

“Yes, I’ve
seen it,” Haley replied. “I’m just … wondering if this is the right thing…”

“We’re here
for you, Haley,”
Jason
said.
“Just remember that. We’ve got your back.”

“Where are
you?” Haley asked, looking around. “Where?”

“Just focus
on the matter at hand,”
Maurice answered.
“Never mind about us.”

Haley waited
to see if Jason was going to speak.

He didn’t.

“I swear you
guys…” Haley grumbled.

She took a deep
breath and walked into the car park, and approached the club’s entrance.

A burly
bouncer was standing outside of it. She tried to not make eye contact before
heading in.

“Sorry Miss,”
he said, blocking her path. “I need to see some ID.”

“Oh…” Haley murmured.
“Just a minute…”

“There’s a
fake ID in your purse, Haley,”
Maurice advised her.
“Just get it
out and show it to him.”

Haley fumbled
about the purse and found the card.

She showed it
to the bouncer.

“In you go,”
he replied handing it back to her.

“Thank you,”
she murmured.

Haley entered
the club.

The front
part of it was deserted.

A large dance
floor with spinning lights was left unattended, whilst a few individuals were
seated with drinks, some right up at the bar. No one her age. No one who looked
friendly.

“Go talk to
the bartender,”
Maurice
said in her ear.
“Tell him you’re here for a meet up with the VDA.”

Haley looked
down and saw she still had the ID card in her hand. The picture had been taken
of her today, just after Luna had finished putting on the makeup. She hadn’t
realized what it as for.

Her real name
was on the card too, though it said she was twenty-two.

“Just up
ahead. You see the bar?”

“Of course
I’ve seen it,” Haley grumbled. “You can see it, can’t you?”

She put the
card away and walked up to the bar.

A woman in
her twenties walked over. “What can I get you?”

“I’m … I’m
supposed to meet with something to do with…” Haley stammered.

“The VDA?”

“Yes! That’s
it.”

“Just go
through that exit door in the corner. There’s some people out there at the
moment. You better hurry, they might be leaving soon.”

“Thanks,”
Haley beamed.

She headed
across towards the exit door.

“VDA,”
Riley
breathed into her ear.
“We’ve only said it a hundred and fifty times today.”

“Shut up, Riley,”
Jason
snapped.

“You shut up
–”

She was cut
off.

“Sorry about
that,”
Maurice
said.
“You’re doing a great job, Haley. Keep going.”

Haley winced.

All these
voices in her head were starting to give her a headache.

She pushed
through the exit door which lead out to a small ramp outside. She strolled down
it casually and found a small group of six or seven dressed up women mingling
near the edge of the road.

“My
goodness,” Haley said to no one in particular. “Am I the last one here?”

A few of the
women glanced over at her.

“Who are
you?” a tall blonde one demanded. “I haven’t seen you before.”

“I just
signed up,” Haley said. “Isn’t there an influx of sign ups every … week … or –”

“Point taken.
I’m Melanie.”

“Hi. Um…
Haley.”

Her eyes
shifted over the other women. They offered no such greeting.

“So how did
you hear about it?” Melanie asked.

“About what?”

“The VDA.”

“I just …
came across it…” Haley improvised.

“You know
it’s not a joke right,” one of the other women said. “They’re fucking real
vampires.”

“I know,”
Haley nodded.

“How many
have you been with?” Melanie asked.

“Me? What
with –”

“I can tell,”
Melanie said. “You might not have been here before, but you’ve been somewhere.
Haven’t you? Tell me I’m right.”

Haley looked
up into the corner of her eye, hoping Maurice would offer some assistance.

No such luck.

“I … may have
had one or two encounters …”

All the women
suddenly turned in her direction.

“Who with?”
one of them asked.

“I …” Haley
began. “I’d rather … not say…”

A few of them
rolled their eyes, disappointed.

“I get it,”
Melanie said. “My vampire would kill me if I said his name to strangers.”

“Would he?”

Melanie
frowned.

Haley bit her
upper lip.

A bald man in
a suit carrying a clipboard walked forward.

“Okay, the
bus is going to be leaving soon,” he announced. “Can I have everyone in a
straight line please?”

Haley took a
few steps back so that she was last, behind Melanie.

A shuttle bus
drifted into the car park and drove until it was within range of them. Another
similarly dressed man got out of the bus and conversed with the first guy.

Then they
both walked over to them.

“Haley
Watkins?” the guard called out. “Which one of you is Haley Watkins?”

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Haley couldn’t believe they’d said
her name. They couldn’t have. That’s not what she heard. She was … projecting
her thoughts outward. This was really –

“Haley
Watkins?”

“This one’s
Haley,” Melanie said singling her out.

Haley looked
from Melanie to the approaching men, her lips twitching nervously.

“Are you
Haley?” he asked of her.

Haley slowly
nodded.

“Listen,
since you’re new, we have to go over a couple of things okay?”

“Oh,” Haley
said. “Okay.”

He pulled her
to one side. Then addressed the rest of them. “You can board now.”

He turned
back to Haley. “Says you signed up today, just a few hours ago. What’s your
thinking there?”

“My
thinking?”

“Break up
with some boy? Trying to get back at him?”

“What?”

“You
understand this is private business and its run in a particular way. We need
you to be polite, courteous. Speak when spoken to. That sort of thing. Don’t …
don’t bring in any illegal substances. Are you carrying?”

“No, I swear
–”

“Can I see
your bag?”

Haley gave it
to him.

He crouched
down and spilled the contents out onto the pavement. His hands maneuvered
around the items until he reached a small vial of perfume. He sprayed it in the
air and sniffed it. Then looked up at her.

“This is
acceptable.”

“Well.
Alright.”

“Just follow
our lead and you’ll be fine. But…”

“But what?”

“Don’t
back-talk anyone, okay? Best behavior.”

Haley nodded.

The man
smiled. “Good girl. Off you go.”

Haley stooped
down to collected the contents up into her handbag. Then she hurried onto the
bus.

Melanie
motioned for her to sit with her.

Haley walked
through and obliged.

“Thanks for
ratting me out back there,” she muttered under her breath.

“Sorry,”
Melanie said. “What did he want? Just giving you a talking to?”

“Something
like that.”

“Don’t sweat
it. I was worried you were an undercover.”

“An – a
what?”

“Undercover.
Paranormal Police.” Melanie leaned back and looked over the other girls.
“They’ve been trying to get someone in the VDA for ages. Could be any one of
them.”

“I thought …
I thought you knew those women…”

“At this point
no one is safe for suspicion,” Melanie confided. “I heard there’s a massive
crackdown in progress. Someone’s leaking information. They’ve got to be
stopped.”

“Okay, that’s
us then,” the man said getting onto the bus. “On we go, driver.”

The bus drifted
back out of the car park.

Haley held on
tightly.