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might even be the only logical solution, the only way to survive in the long term. People understand the logic, the fact that they need us to survive. But could we ever be their equal, I mean truly their equal?’
    Jake hung his head a little lower and stared intently at the grey dust that covered his boots as if he’d only just noticed how dirty they were.
    ‘I don’t know. Max doesn’t think so,’ he half mumbled.
    Behind him, unseen by Jake, Trent smiled, despite himself.
    ‘Heck son Max wouldn’t agree with you if you said it was always a bit dark outside.’ His smile retreated into a frown as, with no response from Jake, he was left still staring at Jake’s back. Desperate to break through, he tried another change of tack.
    ‘Jak e, why don’t you go on the meet, they could do with your help you know?’
    Seemingly ignoring him, Jake picked up a small grey pebble and tossed it absently into the darkness. He listened as it tick, ticked across the hard ground.
    ‘I’m sure my brother can handle it .’
    Behind him a flash of frustration showed on Trent’s face. He looked at Jake, wanted to grab hold of him, shake him and tell him to grow up. Instead he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them and spoke again Jake could feel the exasperation in his voice.
    ‘Son, he might need you just a little bit more than you think; more then he’d like to think himself, for that matter… always has… always will. Trent sighed giving up, his voice growing softer again. ‘Just give it some thought, okay?’
    For a second longer Trent just stood there, staring at Jake’s still immobile back, before he turned and limped away. Jake listened to the sound of Trent’s receding footsteps as they faded into the night, before he settled back into his uncomfortable seat. Silence slowly washed over him and his eyes closed, trying to hold back the single tear that trickled down his face against his will.
    Suddenly, in the distance, somewhere between China Town and Little Italy, an unearthly cry went up and Jake was catapulted back twenty years -
     
    - Standing together, two small defenceless figures, trapped in the ally beside the Amato theatre . The young Jake hears his brother’s scream echo in his ears. Before them the Vampire looms, pure evil. Its empty eyes stare into Jake’s, its teeth bared as it prepares to attack. The younger boys’ eyes are squeezed tight shut as he waits for the inevitable end. Jake stands protectively in front of him. A gesture he knows is futile, but despite that, despite the fear that sinks into his every bone, deep into his core and despite legs like jelly desperately wanting nothing more than to buckle, he stands proudly, facing the demon; and somehow manages to stand tall.
    Softly, Jake begins to whisper the Lord’s Prayer. His voice cracks and breaks a little due to the fact that his mouth is bone dry.
    ‘Our... our Father who art in Heaven…’
    The creature cocks his head to one side and a lopsided smile of pure insanity crosses its face. Then, without warning, it leaps. Jake tenses, his breath held tight like a vice contracting around his chest as he sees the thing coming at him through the air, almost in slow motion. Although he wants to, he can’t tear his gaze away from those mad, cold, piercing eyes.
    Jake jerks back in anticipation of the impact. But it is an impact that doesn’t happen. Instead, with the creature still in mid-air, its hit hard from the side by two figures that arrive out of nowhere. Suddenly all around men spill out of the darkness, shouting and screaming. They pour on top of the vampire, knives, swords, guns and stakes; an assortment of weapons in hand.
    It fights like a caged animal, its strength immense. Jake watches as men are torn apart, thrown aside like rag dolls. But , even despite the horror, more and more men charge out of the shadows, like termites swarming over a corpse, until there is a cry, an inhuman cry, one not of this earth.