CHAPTER ONE:
HUNTER FOR HIRE
Jasik gripped the photograph in his hand and scanned the face of the boy. Except for his pale complexion and clever eyes, no one would suspect the teen was anything other than human. But Jasik knew differently.
"This is him, then?" He looked up to the man behind the desk, who nodded once.
"Vladimir Tod." The man's voice was hoarse and raspy.
Jasik slipped the photo into his shirt pocket and cleared his throat against his fist. "I will need provisions, of course."
"I will provide whatever you need." The man wore a bitter, pinched expression on his face.
Jasik crossed the room and looked out the window to the city streets outside. It was dark, despite the many streetlights. People moved like ants on the pavement below, avoiding the small pools of light. There was almost no telling which were human and which vampires. Jasik wondered briefly if the sun suddenly rose and bathed them all in light, whether they would scurry away and seek their darkness elsewhere. "Might I ask how you came to know of my services?"
The man behind the desk coughed into a handkerchief before answering. When he removed the cloth from his lips, it was stained with glistening red. "Let's not play games, Jasik. I've known for many years that your…talents…can be bought. Will you hunt this boy, or not?"
Jasik glanced back at the man and smirked. "My talents are expensive."
"I assure you, there is no price that I am unwilling to pay."
The man behind the desk leaned forward and flipped open his checkbook. After scribbling for a moment, he paused and nodded to Jasik. "All you need to do is provide me with the number of zeros."
Jasik faced the desk and glimpsed the check. The ink had not yet dried before he said, "Three more and you've got a deal."
† 
"NINTH GRADE SLAYS is creepy, thrilling and hilarious! Heather Brewer is the natural successor to Joss Whedon!" ~ Jonathan Maberry, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of DEAD MAN'S SONG and BAD MOON RISING