My Reinforcements

The bar was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone watched the vampire's pitiful face, now reduced to a quarter of what it had been, crumble into ash under the sunlight.

And the vampires Alvin had mentioned had been living right beside them? That was a shock!

Kingpin was the first to recover. "So, Boss Alvin, you came here just for this sort of thing?" he asked, his tone a little dismissive.

Alvin nodded, his expression grave. "Don't underestimate them. Without sunlight, they're very hard to kill. Silver weapons only work if you hit them with one. They're also incredibly fast and pretty strong. If you don't believe me, ask Bullseye, that idiot."

Alvin ignored Bullseye's dagger-like glare. The guy had looked like he was facing death when he arrived. He must have taken a beating.

Kingpin didn't ask. He could tell from Bullseye's expression that Alvin was right.

"So what do you want to do?" Kingpin asked bluntly. If these things survived by sucking people's blood, then they were natural enemies. The only outcome was to take them out. There was no need to ask anything else.

Gang bosses were decisive like that. The moment Kingpin nodded, everyone else eagerly agreed. The vampires lived right among them. What if they or their families got bitten to death one day? That would be a rotten way to go.

Sometimes, Alvin really liked doing business with these gangsters. Once you convinced them, they got things done better than many Fortune 500 companies.

Alvin smiled. "It's simple. Hell's Kitchen isn't big. My three big dogs can cover it in a day. Split up and follow them. Drag the vampires out into the sunlight in your own territories!" He pointed at Kingpin. "You don't like me coming to your turf, so I'll head back to my restaurant and wait for good news. Remember, ordinary weapons won't do much. Use silver weapons."

Everyone exchanged uncertain looks. What were they supposed to do? Where could they find silver weapons?

A tall, bald Russian man with a thick beard reacted quickly. He grabbed a silver candlestick from behind the bar and waved it around. Without the candle, it would make a decent weapon. He gestured to Alvin.

Alvin gave him an approving thumbs-up. He knew the man, a Russian gang boss who sold weapons named Alexei. Alvin had bought his first P226 pistol from him. He hadn't expected Alexei to be so quick-thinking.

After a moment's thought, Alvin said, "Buddy, I remember you've got a bullet reloading setup at home. Melt down some silverware and make bullets. You'll make a fortune over the next couple of days. Everyone here can afford it!"

Alexei laughed heartily and gave Alvin a hug, thanking him for the idea. Then he immediately called his men and told them to gather all the silverware in his home, melt it down into bullets, and use it to reload ammunition. A big deal had just landed in his lap.

With the immediate problem settled, everyone relaxed and started discussing where to begin the search. There were only three Ghost Wolves, after all, and everyone wanted to find and kill the vampires in their own territory first.

Alvin left them to it. Kingpin would naturally organize everything, and though Alvin no longer lived in Hell's Kitchen, he still had to contribute both money and effort.

Bored, Alvin wondered if he should leave and head back early to make lunch for Ginny.

Bang! The bar's front door was slammed open.

Everyone looked over, wondering who had the nerve to come looking for trouble at a time like this. The bodyguards brought by the various bosses slipped their hands inside their jackets, ready to draw their guns at any moment.

The one who had smashed through the wooden door was a black Giant Wolf. A little girl of five or six, dressed in a waiter's uniform, with a cute face and tousled hair, was sitting on its back. She'd charged straight inside.

Facing the gang bosses' stares, the little girl sat atop the Giant Wolf without flinching. She wrinkled her nose, bared her teeth, and let out a childish growl. Her fists clenched, she looked like a wolf cub guarding its food, ready to fight at any moment.

"Whoa!" Alvin hurried over and scooped her up. "Ginny, what are you doing here? Where's Jessica?"

Even in Alvin's arms, Ginny kept staring at the bosses in the bar and waved her hands at them threateningly.

At his question, she answered without turning around. "Dad, fight. Ginny help Dad. Thor help Dad."

Alvin's nose tingled. That's my girl. She already knew how to help her dad fight, and she'd even brought Thor along as backup. She was going places.

He planted a hard kiss on Ginny's cheek. "Ginny, you're Daddy's good girl. Such a good girl. How did you know I was here?"

Ginny waved her little fists with great authority. "Old Kent said, Dad talk. Ginny help Dad fight."

Alvin was thrilled. The little girl could barely talk, and she already knew she had to help her dad fight. He'd definitely raised her right!

Alvin soothed little Ginny and held her against his chest, proudly surveying the gang bosses around them. "See? This is my daughter, my last line of reinforcements!"

The people around them paused, then burst out laughing. It was a misunderstanding, but the scene was genuinely funny.

Alexei, who had just benefited from Alvin's advice, took a silver cross set with a ruby from around his neck. He held it out to Ginny, inviting her to take it.

Ginny froze and looked at her dad in confusion. She'd come to fight, so why were they giving her a present?

By then, Alvin was so happy he'd forgotten his own name. He smiled at Alexei and nodded, telling Ginny to take it.

Ginny obediently accepted the silver cross and hung it around her neck. It would be inconvenient to fight if she had to hold it.

Alexei played along and gave her a Knight's Bow. "Welcome, my Princess!"

Alvin grinned and shook Alexei's hand. "Buddy, believe me, Ginny deserves to be called a princess." Then he looked coldly around at everyone present and said with conviction, "I said so!"

The gang bosses weren't about to make an issue of a title and fall out with Alvin. They all politely applauded Ginny. The little girl really had guts. If it had been their own kids, they'd have wet themselves by now!

Kingpin, tall and broad, could barely contain the envy in his eyes. He walked slowly over to Alvin and looked at Ginny, his expression like that of a kind, honest Black elder. His thick lips spread into the most sincere smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, little princess of Hell's Kitchen."