Jack had trouble sleeping that night. His mind ran laps around the memory of Quinn and his crew. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and he drifted off.
The next morning Jack was woken up by a strong sound.
A thunderous noise jolted him awake, the propelling thump of a helicopter outside his house. Jack shot up, rushed outside, and watched as the chopper landed just a few meters from his doorstep.
When the rotors stopped spinning, someone stepped out. Jack recognized the face instantly.
Joseph Fishermen.
His best friend.
Joseph grinned as he approached.
"You know your friend lives in another damn dimension when you have to book a chopper just to see their sorry face."
Jack chuckled. "It's not that far."
"Oh really? Then explain why I can't drive here," Joseph shot back with a smirk.
The two friends embraced, then headed inside.
Over coffee, Joseph handed Jack an envelope.
"What's this?" Jack asked.
"That's your degree, man. You left school before graduation, remember? So I took the liberty. You graduated with strong credits, smarty pants."
"It's nothing," Jack replied, brushing it off.
"Well," Joseph continued, "at least you get to be mayor now, with everyone kissing your boots and all. Meanwhile, I'm stuck following in my dad's footsteps in the FBI."
"Hey, being a federal agent isn't that bad. And honestly, I wish I were in your shoes right now." Jack said while sighing.
Joseph raised a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Jack hesitated, then shared everything—his encounter with Quinn and the vampires, the eerie glow in their eyes, the contract.
Joseph blinked, stunned. "You're telling me there are real vampires in this town? You sure they weren't just cosplaying to freak you out?"
Jack sighed. "I wish, Joe. But it wasn't just the eyes or the fangs. It was their presence. I could feel it, they weren't human."
Joseph leaned forward. "Where's the document they gave you?"
Jack pointed it out. Joseph grabbed it and started reading.
"You didn't read this?" he asked.
"Nah," Jack replied. "Guess I was too shaken to even think about it."
"Hm." Joseph's eyes scanned the pages. "Interesting…"
"What is?"
"Well, according to this, once a woman signs the contract, she gets monthly financial support until the baby's born. After birth, she keeps the baby for three months, then hands it over for three million dollars."
He gave Jack a sideways look.
"What?" Jack asked.
"I mean… it's not a terrible deal," Joseph smirked. "I thought this contract would be filled with blood rituals and sacrifice, but now I see why women in the past agreed. It's a straight shot to being rich."
"Yeah," Jack replied, frowning, "but at what cost? A baby is a human being. A soul. That's not something you can just buy with money."
"Tell that to the vampires," Joseph muttered with a dry laugh. "Only downside is the baby's never legally yours the moment you sign."
"You've got a week to find the girls, right?"
"Yeah. Why?" Jack asked.
"I know a library in Chicago. Massive. Has every kind of book maybe even something on vampires. We might actually learn what we're up against."
Jack stared at him. "Wait… you're saying I should go along with this?"
Joseph nodded. "Look, these things are evil, sure but you said it yourself: if you say no, you're dead. So play along for now. Meanwhile, we do our homework. Figure out how to fight back."
Jack thought it over. "Sure. Why not. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two."
---
Later that day, Jack packed up, and they boarded the chopper to Chicago. After spending the night in a quiet motel, they made their way to the library the next morning.
It was a massive, three-story building—a cathedral of books. Inside, it was quiet. Sacred.
At the front desk sat a woman with drooping eyelids. At first, they thought she was asleep. But then
"Good morning," she said flatly. "How may I help you?"
Joseph jumped. "Uh, yeah. Good morning. We're looking for books on… supernatural stuff. You know—magic, werewolves, vampires."
She pointed upward. "Top floor. Final section at the back."
"Thank you kindly, ma'am," Jack added with a polite nod.
---
The top floor was silent. Each aisle they passed was packed with readers buried in books. But when they reached the final row—
Only one person sat there.
Skinny. Tall. Wild hair. Round glasses.
When he spotted them, he sprang up like he'd been expecting them.
"Hi!" he said brightly. "You can call me the Book Keeper. No one remembers my real name anyway."
Jack blinked. "Uh… okay."
He glanced at Joseph, who leaned over and whispered, "This guy's a little off."
"Shut up," Jack whispered back.
"So why do you call yourself the Book Keeper?" Jack asked aloud.
"Well," he said with a grin, "first—it's easy to remember. Second—because I am the Book Keeper. I sleep here. Live here. My little room's at the end of this row."
"Then you must know a lot of the books in this place," Jack said.
"Most of them are boring," the Book Keeper replied, waving a hand. "Business guides, romance novels—bleh. But this section? The supernatural? This is my heart. People think I'm crazy, but these things are real. I mean, how else could someone write about them unless they knew?"
"You're saying you believe in vampires?" Jack asked.
"Absolutely."
Jack grinned. "Well, buddy… you're in for a treat. I met some. Two days ago."
"WHAT?!" The Book Keeper lit up. "Did they bite you? Are you one of them now? Turn me into one!"
"Whoa there," Joseph cut in.
Just then, an older man nearby—mid-50s, gray beard cleared his throat harshly.
"If you boys want to talk, take it elsewhere. This is a national library. Quietness is mandatory."
"Apologies sir," the Book Keeper replied quickly.
He turned to the boys. "Come with me. To my room. We can talk freely there."
---
In his cozy little nook, lined with ancient texts and half-eaten crackers, Jack shared everything—Quinn, Amanda, the glowing eyes.
The Book Keeper began pulling out thick volumes, scanning them carefully.
"Most books lie," he said. "Claim to have real lore, but it's nonsense. Still, some are legit…"
"You said all except three had different eyes?"
"Yeah," Jack nodded. "one had blue eyes. Her name was Amanda Driscoll."
"Ah, Ice Crawlers," said the Book Keeper, finding the entry. "Rare breed. These vampires can summon freezing atmospheres and can paralyze a human to death if they hold contact long enough—about five minutes."
"Damn," Joseph muttered.
"Now, green eyes… those are Green Night Vampires. Common. Super speed, strength. They can turn others with a single bite. But no shape shifting or powers stuff like that."
what about the slightly less green eyed one Quinn? Asked Jack
The Book Keeper nodded. "Lepacon Vampire. Turns into a massive bat-like creature. Claws, wings, insane raw power and speed. Can't turn humans—just kills them. But still not the strongest."
"Not the strongest?!" Joseph gawked.
"Nope," the Book Keeper said flatly. "That'd be the one with bright red eyes—The All Seeker. Can hypnotize, fly, turn into shadow, raise the dead, and command them. Has gravitational control and immense power. Could wipe out nations. Some believe Dracula was one… but many think he was just a myth."
Silence.
Jack and Joseph sat stunned.
"Guess you're lucky you didn't meet the All Seeker, huh?" Joseph joked, lightening the mood.
Jack laughed. So did the Book Keeper.
As they stood to leave, Jack shook his hand. "Thank you. This helped a lot."
"No biggie," the Book Keeper smiled. He handed Jack a small, clear bottle.
"What's this?"
"Holy water. Won't kill them. But it burns real good."
Jack nodded with a grin. "Thanks again."
And with that, they left the library—armed with knowledge, a bottle of holy water, and the chilling truth about what they were up against.