Slayed by Amanda Marrone

collecting a fee.”
    “Dad,” I whine. “Do you really think it’s safe bringing a novice on jobs?”
    Mom pulls me aside. “Daphne,” she says through clenched teeth. “We need the money
and
the goodwill of the police department. Having the Harkers here has completely turned the game around. Besides, how long do you think a girl like that is going to last anyway?”
    I look at Kiki in her high heel boots and a micro-mini so short I know
Jennifer-Kate
would put her on the “Fashion Faux Pas” page at the back of the magazine.
    Mom’s right. Kiki won’t last a day.
    “Fine, she can shadow me tomorrow—and however long it takes until the town is clean.”
    Kiki beams and claps her hands. “I promise I won’t get in the way. And even though I don’t think it’s necessary, I will slice and dice heads if that’s what you tell me to do.”
    “You’ll just be observing,” I insist.
    “Okay.” She turns to the agents. “So, is there, like, some form or something I need to sign releasing the town from liability and swearing me to secrecy?” she asks nonchalantly.
    Agent Sloan’s face is a mix of relief and confusion. “Uh, yes, if you wouldn’t mind.” He turns to look at her car. “About your driver?”
    She waves a hand dismissively in the air. “I’ll give him a raise; it won’t cost you a thing.”
    Agent Sloan exchanges a quick look with Agent Brennan and I know they’re thinking they lucked out with Kiki.
    “We will have to contact your parents, though,” Agent Brennan says.
    She shakes her head. “I’m an emancipated minor so they don’t have to know anything.”
    If the agents weren’t trying so hard to play it cool, I’d bet they’d be high-fiving each other right about now.
    “We’ll follow you to the station in my car. Sam, are you good to drive?”
    “Yes, Miss Crusher,” he calls out.
    Kiki smiles at all of us. “It’s settled, then.” She turns to me. “So, what time should we meet tomorrow?”
    “Six a.m. will be fine,” Mom says. “That will give Daphne time to brief you and give some rudimentary instruction before we start house cleaning.”
    I smirk and suppress a laugh.
Go, Mom!
    Kiki grimaces. “Six? That’s a little early. I usually don’t get up before eleven. And what is this about house-cleaning? I thought we were hunting vampires.”
    “‘House cleaning’ is a euphemism for killing vampires in their lairs—or in this town, their vacation homes,” I tell her. “Vampires are less powerful during the day and easier to dispatch. How big of a list do we have?” I ask my parents.
    Dad walks over to the van and opens the driver’s door. He leans in and pulls out a folder. He opens it as he comes back our way. “We have ten houses identified for possible cleaning.”
    “We’ll definitely have to split up because the Harkers are
sharing
the job with us,” Mom says, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice.
    My mouth drops open again. “No way! We’re sharing the job? How does that even work?”
    Mom scowls. “We’ve agreed to forgo our usual fee. Instead, we’ll get paid for each vampire killed. If theHarkers beat us to the punch, we’re out of luck. But there are three of us and only two of them.”
    Kiki raises her hand. “Four!”
    “You’ll be in training,” I say without enthusiasm. “So that still counts as three.”
    “We’ve also agreed to take a pay cut for every witness, but there is a five-thousand-dollar bonus for whichever ‘team’ can get a definitive answer as to why the influx of vampires has coincided with whatever is preying on the kids.”
    “What’s wrong with praying for kids?” Kiki asks.
    “
Preying on
—as in hunting,” I say. “Something is sending kids to the hospital and it started around the same time the vamps arrived.”
    “We’re staying at the Water’s Edge Economy Lodge on West Side Road,” Mom continues. “We have only one vehicle so you’ll have to use your own transportation—is