Chapter 2: The Mission

Stanley Shepperd sat proudly at his desk, his Caucasian complexion covered in a thin layer of sweat, a black bowler hat rested tightly around his head as his judging brown eyes scanned over James, his lips thinking into an inherently creepy smile. Filing a few things away, the man stood and walked over to him.

“James, my boy, we have talked about this. Your manners have been lacking as of late. My goodness, lad, when was the last time you slept? You look like a vampire yourself,” he said with a laugh as he hugged the man in front of him.

James took a moment while Stanley spoke to scan the man's office. The dark oak boards lining the windows and door make the room feel claustrophobic. His messy desk and unorganized files made James grimace slightly as his eyes moved to the bookshelves lining the walls. There were some books, but most of the shelves were covered in expensive alcohol or meaningless trinkets. James tore his eyes from the room to look back at Stanley, forcing himself to hug Stanley back.

“Other than to judge my character and sleep schedule, what have you brought me here for, Shepperd?”

“So, you are in a bad mood. Fine. We will skip the formalities. James, I called you in for a high-stakes mission. There have been rumors of a possible vampiric infiltration within the town of Camberwell. The growing Nobles city has requested our help to swish out the scoundrel.” He tossed out a file on his desk towards James as he continued to speak. “This is our list of suspects and a few evidence pictures. And I can’t think of anyone more suited for the job than you, James. You can bring peace to these people.”

James looked down at the file and opened it cautiously. While glancing over everything, he only saw what looked like a few pictures of animals killed by a vampire, their carcasses being left near the city limits. The final picture of what looked like a servant holding some bags and seemingly waiting for someone to meet him. He raised a brow, and his green eyes shifted up to Stanley.

“This is all you have? This is the smallest case file I have ever seen.” The frustration in his voice was heavy and noticeable.

Stanley sat back in his chair with a thud as he rested a hand on his portly stomach. “I don’t know what to tell you, James; the man is like a ghost, no jokes intended. This is the only evidence we have. It’s barely enough even to call a real case, but this is enough evidence, according to the Nobles in Camberwell. And as sponsors of ours, I can't refuse their call to action.”

He reached out and grabbed hold of a crystal glass, taking a sip of the whisky he had. “I figured out of all of my people, you would be the most qualified for this job. But I understand if you don’t want to take it. I can always give you another child exorcism.”

James shook his head as his eyes scanned over a list of names. Some he recognized; Norfolk, Somerset, Richmond. Dukes and Nobles who inherited all of their riches. Then his eyes scanned over the name Edwin Lavant, and a shock of pain went through his head. He blinked it away.

“N-No, no, I’ll take the job,” he said before he could even process the words leaving his mouth, shocking himself for a moment.

Stanley grinned, a thin line of teeth spreading across his features, his smile and stress lines creasing as he nodded once.

“That’s a good lad,” he said as he pushed the file closer to James. “There will be a new car and driver out front for you. Tell him to bring you to Camberwell; he will take care of the rest. You will also be attending Lord and Lady Jules’s Masquerade, filled to the brim with Nobles. You can get some questions answered there if you haven’t found the vampire by then.”

James felt a shiver rush through his spine, a bad familiar fear swelling in his chest. “Right…” he said as he put the file back together and slid it into his black briefcase with the rest of his tools. “Is there anything else you would like to discuss with me about this case?”

Stanley shook his head as he stood and walked back around his desk, wrapping an arm around James’s shoulders, “Nope, just remember to keep your head out of those clouds, James, and I won’t have to intervene.” He placed the invitation for the masquerade into James’s coat pocket for him.

James felt a weight around his neck, and his mind became incredibly aware of his mother’s necklace once again. He knew what this meant; he felt threatened. And it wasn’t a lie; despite his snarky attitude, James has always been afraid of Stanley and the bureau.

“Of course… I promise to stay as focused as I can.” He lifted Stanley’s arm from around his shoulders, and he stepped away.

“Good. Now get going; you wouldn’t want to waste any more time and put innocent people in any prolonged danger,” he said with that same grin, a laugh escaping his throat before motioning for James to leave his office.

“Of course, until next time,” James said before quickly leaving Stanley's office.

Walking back down the hallway and down the stairs from before, James made sure to pass by the gawking people faster than he had walked in and burst through the front door.

James took a deep breath as soon as he was outside; the chilled London air filled his lungs as he put his free hand on his chest over his mother’s necklace. “I’m okay… I’m alright...”

He smiled slightly, feeling the warmth the glass bead emanated, and he slowly relaxed once again. Fixing his hair and coat, he walked back down to the side of the road up to a black car and entered into the backseat.

“Where to, sir?” he barely heard the driver ask as he adjusted into the seat to get comfortable.

“Camberwell,” James responded before looking out of the window at the world passing by him. He yawned slightly as he felt the car roar to life before pulling away from the curb and the bureau. “Countryside... Here I come...”