Chapter 82

The team broke up, though Sol took several more puffs out of his cigar before moving. Jamie wasn’t sure what to do. He’d never been to New York before, and he honestly had no reason to want to spend any more time with most of these people than necessary. Although Kit got his attention, she’d rushed out, likely to get away from Sol, and Jamie wasn’t about to chase her down. She was pretty and seemed nice enough, but Jamie was here to do a job, and he didn’t need any distractions.
He decided to go for a walk. The streets of New York weren’t too much different than Boston. Even though he tried to keep an even pace, he found himself speeding by many of the brick row houses, drawn for some reason toward the water. He remembered his father talking about the bridge they’d just finished a few years ago, a spectacle of engineering, he’d said, and Jamie wanted to see it. Likewise, just the year before, the giant statue the French had gifted the United States had also been dedicated. While he doubted he’d get all the way out to the island she sat on, he understood one could see it from the New York and Brooklyn Bridge.
He wound his way down Broadway Street to Columbus Circle before taking Fifty-Ninth over to First. Eventually, he could see the bridge in the distance. He followed whichever street looked like it went in the right direction until he found himself stepping foot on the expansive wonder. It’s granite towers soared into the air, and he marveled at the suspension cables. The walking path was down the center of the bridge, which he didn’t like as he would’ve enjoyed peering over into the East River, but just walking along the feat of engineering was awe inspiring. Though the science he had studied had more to do with biology than anything else, he was still impressed that man could create something that seemed to defy gravity.
Off in the distance, silhouetted against the night sky, he saw the outline of the woman, Lady Liberty, holding her lit torch. He wished that it was daytime so he could see her better, but he could imagine what she must look like. New York City seemed like an extraordinary place, and he was happy to have the opportunity to visit here, even though he had no idea what the rest of the night might bring. Something told him this plan wasn’t going to work, and even though he couldn’t come up with anything better—and Sol’s plan was even more ridiculous than Jeffrey’s had been—he wished there was a better way. Chances were, by the end of the night, Jamie would be putting someone back together. Hopefully, no one would get hurt too badly.
After a few minutes of wanderlust, Jamie turned and hurried back toward the hotel, grabbing some almonds from a street vendor along the way. He’d resented having to become a Guardian when it wasn’t his choice, but if being one allowed him to see such amazing places, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. His uncle had mentioned there were potentially other locations he might be sent to, even overseas, and the thoughts of visiting Europe, the wilds of Africa, or even Asia, made Jamie excited about the possibilities for a change, rather than hating what Margie had dragged him into.
Thoughts of his sister reminded him of how angry she’d been when Culpepper told her Jamie would be going to NYC, and she’d have to stay behind. Once again, she’d said life wasn’t fair, and Jamie was shown favoritism. She vowed that someday she’d travel to distant lands and start her own team, one that operated independently of everyone and specialized in hunting down the most despicable of monsters. Culpepper assured her that was a possibility if that’s what she wanted but convinced her she needed to stay with him a few more years. She had been more than a little irritated and hadn’t even wished Jamie a pleasant trip. Sighing at the memory, Jamie wadded up the paper bag his almonds had come in and found a trash receptacle, though it appeared he was the only one who used them, and hurried on his way.
He hadn’t been gone the full time; they still had almost an hour before it was time to meet, but he returned to the conference room, having nothing better to do. When he opened the door, he expected the room to be empty, but Kit was there, studying the blueprint, the same thing Jamie intended to do.
“Hello,” he said, offering her a small smile as she looked up at him.
“Good evening,” she replied, tracing the building with her finger. “Did you go for a stroll?”
Jamie wondered how she knew but assumed he must smell like the streets of New York, which probably wasn’t a pleasant enough scent that it would catch on as a perfume or cologne anytime soon. “I did.”
“It’s a lovely city, I think.” She didn’t look up this time, still studying the map. “I mean… it’s dirty, and people are horrid to each other. But the buildings, the architecture… it’s fascinating.”
“I agree.” He walked around the table and took a seat one of the twins had previously occupied. He’d never be able to tell them apart even though he was usually very good with faces. Theirs appeared to be exactly the same to him except a slight height difference. “I went to have a look at the new bridge over the East River and the statue, though I could hardly see her in the dark.”
“Oh, she’s lovely.” Kit looked up at him now. “You simply must see her in the daylight.”
“I will make a note of it. Hopefully, I will get the opportunity before I leave.”
“And when will that be?”
Her eyes were lovely, dark like her hair, and her lips pursed together as she asked the question, as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. Jamie caught his breath. “I’m honestly not sure. My uncle asked me to come and help out with this particular hunt. Beyond that, I suppose it just depends upon whether or not Jeffrey still needs me.”
“And when he doesn’t, you’ll go back to Boston?”
“Yes, I believe so. Although, I shouldn’t mind going somewhere else.”
“You don’t care for Boston?” She tilted her head to the side, as if she genuinely took interest in what he had to say, and Jamie wasn’t sure what to think of her. He’d never caught the attention of someone so lovely before.
“I love Boston. I’m extremely proud of my hometown. I always have been. But… I think I should like to see more of the world.”
“Me, too,” she nodded. “I grew up in a small town north of here. Tarrytown. Have you heard of it?”
“Yes, during history class,” Jamie nodded.
“Of course. At any rate, I’ve just joined the team a few months ago. As you can see, I still don’t get on with everyone the way I should.” She stared at the empty chair where traces of cigar smoke still lingered. “I think I should’ve found a different team to join, but my father had contacts who knew Jeffrey, so I traveled here.”
“Is your father a Hunter?” Jamie asked, wondering what it might be like to grow up the child of someone actively fighting the undead.
“No, but my grandfather is. He’s the head of the Washington, DC, area. My father chose a different life and thought I’d fair better on a team away from family for a while.”
Jamie nodded his head, knowing all too well what both of those ideas were like. “So you don’t like this team then?”
Kit averted her eyes and shrugged. “It’s fine, I suppose.” He could tell she wanted to say that she didn’t like it but was afraid to.
“Well, hopefully, this plan goes according to schedule,” Jamie said, glancing down at the blueprint, even though it was upside down from his vantage point. “These Vampires sound very dangerous.”
“Yes, I know. That’s why I have this.” Kit leaned over and pulled a small object out from under the table. It was hard to tell, but her actions made it seem as if it had been in her boot. She placed it on the table.
Jamie gasped. “It’s… a derringer.”
“Not just any derringer. It shoots special bullets, ones my father especially designed. They’re laced with silver.”
“Silver?” Jamie echoed.
“Yes, silver destroys Vampires, don’t you know?” she asked, nodding matter-of-factly.
Jamie offered her a small smile. “Yes, of course I know that. I just didn’t know one could make a bullet out of silver. Won’t it melt upon firing?”
“Not the way my father constructs them. He infuses the steel with the silver so that the Vampire is still met with significant silver poisoning and the bullet holds up.” She picked up the weapon and slipped it back into her hiding place. “Jeffrey doesn’t like for me to use it, so I haven’t in battle yet. He says it’s too dangerous, that I might strike a person or another Hunter. Or a Guardian.”
Jamie shivered. He knew Hunters could kill Guardians; that wasn’t news, but he didn’t know any Guardians who had actually died that way. And while he’d heard of Hunters and Guardians using guns, he’d never heard of using silver bullets before. They were usually used as more of a stunning weapon so that a Hunter could close in on a startled, perhaps pained, Vampire. If Hunters had guns, it would be much easier for one to accidentally shoot a Guardian and end them.
“Well, do be careful,” Jamie warned. “I hope you don’t have to use it.”
“I hope so, too,” she nodded. “But if I have to in order to save myself or someone else, I will.”
She said the words with such conviction, Jamie had no doubt she told the truth.