Jadee gripped the wheel with both hands. The twisting dirt path someone had dubbed a road needed major repairs. She had to drive slow to prevent jostling the passengers in the back, easing over a big pothole. The highway was just up ahead.
She glanced at Peggy. She worried about her state of mind. She hadn’t talked at all since she’d climbed into the cab.
“How are you holding up?”
“I’m hanging in there. I’m so sorry about your dad, honey.” Peggy sniffed. “He tried to hook up the rig to the trailer to save it but the water rose too fast.”
“It’s okay.” It was a better story than the truth. She wished she could forget seeing Victor after his attack. Her dad hadn’t stepped inside the RV. It had been a stranger with his face and voice.
“It’s all gone.”
Jadee regretted trying to get Peggy to talk. “It’s going to be fine.”
“No. Everything is over. We should have stopped investigating this stuff years ago. I’m just so sorry. It shouldn’t have ended this way. I’m going to buy that place in Tennessee and try my hand at gardening.”
“That’s good.”
“I don’t think Mark is going to give it up. I’ve been thinking a lot about our relationship lately. I need a change.”
Lavos is good. She had to give him credit.
“Do you think it’s just the grief talking? I mean, we’ve been together for so long but I’m just not happy.”
“You deserve better.” It wasn’t the first time she’d said those words to the woman. “Mark is a tool.”
“He kind of is, isn’t he? I can’t believe he still plans to continue without Vic. It just isn’t right.”
“That’s Mark. You should retire and plant a big garden.”
“That’s what I think too.”
“Brent should go with you.”
“I’m sure he will. He’s as heartbroken as I am over the loss of Vic.”
Jadee sped up when the road finally straightened out, spotting a sign warning of upcoming cross traffic. She blew out a relieved breath. They’d hit the highway soon and get the hell out of dodge. Or Weirdville. She forgot the small town’s name but it might as well have been that. They have Werewolves.
“Do you think the guys are too cold back there? You should have rented an extended cab, Jadee. I don’t like that the men are in the back. It’s kind of dangerous and I’m not even sure if that’s legal.”
“I didn’t exactly foresee all of you needing a ride when I chose this. Dad said I should get something that would be okay off-road. This is what they had. As for having the guys in the back, this is an emergency. I’m sure Mark can rent a car and drive himself home if he doesn’t like the truck bed. You and Brent can ride with me all the way back to Washington. We’ll get you a nice flight home to California. Then you can go online to hunt for the cabin you always dreamed of.”
“I really want to do that. It’s important.”
“Good.”
Something ran into the road ahead of her. The headlights revealed the shape of a man with dark clothes and blond hair. He was directly in her path.
Jadee gasped, and her first instinct was to hit the brakes. She recognized him though as he turned to look at the approaching truck. It was the missing Vampire soldier.
She stomped on the gas instead.
Peggy yelled, “Stop! It’s a man!”
Jadee could see him—and planned to run him down. Three thousand pounds of metal slamming into him would at least hurt him enough for them to get away.
Peggy reached across the cab and grabbed the wheel. Jadee hadn’t expected that.
It happened fast. She had her foot all the way down on the gas, barreling at the monster trying to stop them. Peggy yanked hard and the wheels hit another pothole. The truck rocketed off the road to the right and the tree seemed to just suddenly appear in the headlights. They hit it hard.
Something smashed into Jadee’s face. It threw her back and she slammed against the seat. The horn blared. It cut off fast and Jadee opened her eyes, seeing the air bag deflating that had exploded from the center of the steering column. The headlights were still on, despite the engine being dead. One of the lights pointed up from the hood, crushed at an angle against the tree.
Something was on the hood, and it moved.
Mark groaned, shifting his legs.
Jadee was horrified, realizing in an instant that he’d been thrown forward during the crash, probably hit the tree, and had fallen onto the hood. It was too dark to make out how severe his injuries were but he was alive.
She turned her head, seeing Peggy sagging in her seat. Her belt had kept her in place but the dash over the glove box revealed the other air bag had deployed.
Something moved in the back, bumping against the glass between the cab and the truck bed.
“Peggy?” It was Brent. “Oh shit.”
Jadee remembered the blond monster about the time the truck was suddenly jarred. It felt as if something landed on it hard enough to shake the entire thing. Brent made a horrible gasping sound and the truck shifted again.
She turned her head but it was too dark to see. The glass cracked when something hit it. Jadee made out clothing for that flash of an instant.
She was pretty sure Brent’s body had just been used to spider-web the glass between the cab and the bed of the truck.
They were under attack.
Jadee frantically reached for her belt to release it, fumbling. It clicked open, releasing the pressure from around her waist. She stared at Peggy’s form in the dim interior lights from the dash that were still on. The woman’s head remained slumped but her chest moved. She was alive but unconscious.
Someone stomped on the roof of the cab. The metal protested and she looked out the windshield, watching as the blond stepped down onto the hood. He bent, grabbed Mark by his arms, and lifted.
Mark screamed but it was cut off as the thing attacked his neck. Red splattered the windshield. The soldier was killing him right before her eyes, drinking his blood.
Jadee blindly reached over and hit the lock button. It wouldn’t keep that thing out for long but it was all she could do. Her wrist brushed across metal and leather, reminding her of the holster strapped there, and the gun.
Peggy moaned, probably coming around. Jadee couldn’t look away from the horror taking place on the hood. Mark’s legs kicked out, jerking, but the thing had a firm hold on him. The red drops that had stained the windshield were slowly rolling down the glass, reminding Jadee of bloody tears.
Shocked into action, she struggled to get the gun free from the holster. Her left shoulder hurt, probably from the seat belt. She ignored the pain, glad her right hand wasn’t injured. She tugged the weapon free, realizing she’d have to shoot through the glass to hit the soldier. She paused.
Mark wasn’t moving anymore. The thing just dropped his body and turned.
She couldn’t make out the face of the monster at first. The lights were behind him. He shoved Mark right off the hood, crouched down, and peered inside. That close to the glass, his white face was ghastly with dark veins marring the surface. Blood covered his mouth and chin, running down his throat.
She lifted the gun higher, making sure he could see it.
He hissed and was suddenly gone, jumping off the side of the hood.
That made it worse. She frantically glanced around, looking for the blond. It was just too dark to—
Something slammed into the driver’s side window. The glass held but it was damaged. The thing punched at it again, making a hole.
Jadee pointed and fired three rapid shots. She yanked on the handle, twisted in her seat and kicked the door as hard as she could. It flew open and hit him, knocking him on his ass. She got out fast, keeping her gun on him. “Fuck you.”
He hissed at her, lifting his head. She could make out his face and those fangs. She shot him right in the mouth.
The impact sent him crashing flat to the ground. She swiftly dropped on top of him, straddling his chest, and grabbed his throat with her left hand, digging her nails in.
He choked a little, probably on the blood from the bullet wound through his mouth, rather than from her weak attempt to strangle him. She shoved the gun right below his nose. “Move and I will keep shooting until the top of your head is gone, you murdering bastard.”
He jerked once but held still.
Jadee was terrified. He would heal. She’d seen them do it. One of his fangs was gone though. She’d managed to hit it when she’d shot him. Lavos’s words came back to her. She’d give anything to trade her gun for a sword to behead the bastard. It wouldn’t get up ever again if that were the case.
A loud sound pierced the night, a combo between a howl and some kind of banshee scream. It sent chills down her spine and the thing under her grew totally lax.
“What was that?” She doubted he’d answer her but she still felt the need to ask.
He tried to shake his head, a reminder that she had a firm hold on him. But she was too afraid to let him go. He moved too fast. He could come at her from any angle if he got out from under her. She kept the muzzle of the gun pressed tight to his skin, surprised the primal scream hadn’t made her shoot him. No one could blame her for being jumpy.
The thing under her grabbed her leg and she fired instinctively. The bullet tore into his mouth and he bucked under her. It almost unseated her, so Jadee squeezed her legs as tight as possible around his rib cage and dug her heels a little under his hips. She prayed she had more bullets as seconds ticked by while he began to heal.
“I said not to move, dumb-ass.”
He made a sickening gurgling noise in his throat. She lowered the gun to right above where her thumb split from her fingers, placing it tight under his jaw.
“You don’t have a brain so let’s go through your neck to your spine. That put Victor down for a few minutes. Do you know what you can’t come back from, asshole? Having your head taken off. While you’re out, that’s what I’ll do. There’s a shitload of glass around here thanks to you. Don’t move again.”
She’d have to do something soon. “Peggy?”
The woman groaned from inside the truck.
“Damn it, Peggy!” Her voice rose. “Wake up. I need you.”
“Jadee?”
“Yes. Get out of the truck.”
“I’m hurt.”
The man under her suddenly tensed and grabbed at her again. She fired the gun and he went still, his arms dropping away.
“What was that?” Peggy’s voice seemed a little more alert.
Jadee knew the blond would recover fast. They’d both be dead if Peggy didn’t do what she asked. “I need you to find something sharp, maybe some metal in the front of the engine area.”
Peggy needed to find her something she could use to behead the bastard. It was a disgusting thought but she wanted to survive that bad. She already regretted not carrying a knife or something else sharp enough to cut with.
“Peggy! Damn it, find something sharp and get over here. We’re dead if you don’t.”
“What happened?”
“Peggy! Do what I said!”
It was promising when she heard the passenger door open, since she couldn’t see inside the cab from the ground just next to the engine area, where she’d jumped on the blond creature.
“Hurry, Peggy.”
The thing under her began to recover. She felt his body tense.
“Don’t attack me. I’ll shoot you again,” she warned, just hoping she had another bullet left. She’d lost track of how many she’d fired and she didn’t have another spare cartridge. Otherwise she would have already reloaded just to be certain.
“Where’s Brent? Mark?”
“Find something sharp, Peggy. Hurry up, damn it!”
“Who was that man in the road? Did we miss him?”
Jadee’s frustration swelled. Peggy seemed to be moving around the back of the truck, taking her sweet time.
“Brent! Oh my God!” Peggy wailed. “He’s here! I found him. He’s not moving, Jadee!”
The thing under her picked that moment to buck wildly, and it knocked Jadee off his chest. She slammed into the ground and pulled the trigger just as her other hand tore free from his throat.
The gun clicked but it didn’t fire. There were no bullets left.
I’m screwed.
Pain exploded in the side of her face and she realized he’d smacked her. It hurt like a son of a bitch and she struggled to breathe. It felt as if her cheekbone could possibly be broken.
She expected him to rip out her throat next—but it didn’t happen. Instead a scream rose from Peggy. Either the soldier was going after her or she was freaking out about Brent.
The gun was still in Jadee’s hand and she lifted it, trying to sit up. She couldn’t just lay there or she’d die for certain.
Peggy’s sobs came from the back of the truck. They were broken, raspy cries. Jadee managed to get to her feet and stumble in that direction. The gun was useless but she could hit the bastard with it. She was willing to club him but didn’t think it would do much damage.
She froze when a new sound reached her, and she turned, wondering what other horrible thing was coming. It panted, whatever it was. Loudly. She braced for impact, gripping the gun tighter. It seemed to be coming right for them.
A big, dark shape suddenly came into view, dashing on all fours as it broke from the woods.
It wasn’t a Vampire or a soldier. She wasn’t sure what the hell it was.
It loomed bigger and she threw up her free arm, trying to protect her face and throat. The impact would probably kill her. She even closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more.
The thing passed by so close she felt it brush her leg.
I’m still alive.
She opened her eyes, the image of that beast stuck in her mind. Werewolf?
She’d glimpsed something shiny hanging around the thing’s throat. The memory of the necklace she’d seen with a silver ring hanging from the chain flashed through her head next…
Lavos!
A shriek hurt her ears, and snarling followed.
Something slammed into the truck hard enough to make metal groan.
Jadee tried to decide what to do. It only took her a second. She jumped inside the cab of the truck and dropped the useless gun. She closed the driver’s door then lunged across the seat, having to stretch to close the passenger door. She got it shut and hit the lock button. Sounds of a vicious fight filtered into the truck, reminding her of the hole in the driver’s side window, so she scooted over, getting far from the opening. She shoved the broken piece of what used to be the housing for the airbag on the passenger side out of the way.
It took effort to get the jammed glove box open and she gripped the metal flashlight the rental guy had pointed out to her. It was heavy and solid. It would help her see and she could use it as a weapon. She wished she had a shotgun in the truck.
She straightened, bumping her knee on the dash as she curled her legs up. She turned the flashlight on and twisted in the seat, trying to find the source of the fight. It definitely still raged, based on the repeated shrieks and snarls that filled the night.
Jadee found them. The big beasty thing was on top of the blond about twenty feet from the tailgate. It had the soldier pinned to the ground, one of its meaty arms swinging, claws slashing at the thing’s throat. Blood sprayed across a nearby tree.
She watched until it was over. The blond’s head actually rolled away from the torso.
The beast paused and stared her way. It looked like some kind of messed-up huge demon dog. It wasn’t furry like a wolf and it had a more muscular body. She studied his shoulders. They looked more human in shape than canine. Her gaze traveled over the rest of his body. Those thighs were too thick to belong to a dog and he wore black underwear. The small amount of material hid the area between his hips to a few inches down his thighs. She also spotted a tail. The shorts in the back were lower than they should have been, probably to accommodate it.
And she’d seen correctly—a chain with a ring hung around its throat.
She glanced up at the creature’s face again. It had the extended jawline and sharp teeth of a wolf but the eyes were wrong. They were more human looking. Their bright blue color and the fact that they glowed caused a sharp pain in her chest. It is Lavos.
Beasty version of Lavos stepped off the still body of the soldier and looked away from her, moving toward something out of the line of her flashlight. She moved the beam, following him.
Peggy lay face down and not moving.
Grief struck next. Peggy’s normally blonde hair had been turned a bright red and appeared wet. It was blood, so much of it that Jadee knew she was dead without needing to inspect the body.
Lavos sniffed at her then lifted his head again, staring at Jadee. He did a very human thing by shaking his head slightly from side to side to let her know Peggy’s fate.
Jadee turned off the flashlight and slumped in the seat. She didn’t want to see any more. Tears filled her eyes. Lavos had saved her but no one else had survived. She’d heard Brent being attacked and watched Mark die on the hood of her truck. They were all dead.
Pain lanced through her as she hugged her knees and huddled on the passenger side of the cab. She didn’t know what to do…and wasn’t sure if she even wanted to do anything at all.
At least the blond monster was dead too. The last soldier had been found. She focused on that bit of good news.
Lavos checked on the three humans, or what was left of them. None of them had survived being attacked. He lifted his head and watched Jadee. She remained inside the truck, unmoving. He put off going to her as long as he could, and then shifted back before slowly approaching the driver’s side door. He tried the handle but discovered it locked. He reached inside the broken part and grabbed hold of the inner handle, popping it open.
“Jadee? It’s Lavos.”
“I know.”
He bent down, staring at her. Her eyes were closed, and she held a flashlight as if it were a child’s toy, clutched to her chest with both hands. The interior lights of the truck weren’t bright but he knew she could see him if she’d just open her eyes. She might be too afraid.
“I’m back to normal. It’s safe to look at me.”
She did. He expected to see horror or revulsion in her eyes, but not the tears. It made him want to climb inside the truck and pull her into his arms. He might have done it except he had blood coating his skin. He glanced down, grimacing at the sight. He probably looked just as bad in skin as he had while shifted.
“I was tracking the soldier into town when I realized he’d turned this way. I came as fast as I could. I had hoped you’d made it to the highway.”
“I might have, but the blond jumped in front of the truck. Peggy grabbed the wheel.” She released the flashlight with one hand, jerking her thumb toward the front. “I was intent on running that bastard down but instead got a tree.”
He tried to make sense of it. He could see damage to her left cheek. She had struck her head at some point. It worried him.
“Running him down?”
“He stood in the middle of the road, probably thinking I’d stop. I stomped on the gas instead. I figured a three-thousand-pound weapon versus one shithead would be a win for the good guys. Why did Peggy have to grab the wheel? We could have made it. I know it. I would have run that bastard over.”
Jadee once again proved she was braver than most. “He would have just jumped at the last second and landed on your truck instead.”
“Oh.”
“There was no real way to avoid this. I’m so sorry. Your friends are gone.”
“I know.”
“Are you hurt?” He leaned a few inches forward, trying to get a better look at her face. He didn’t see any other injuries but she was kind of curled into a ball on the seat.
“He smacked me hard.” She tilted her head to show him the red mark. “Better my cheek than my throat, right? I guess he figured I was down for the count so he’d go after Peggy first. Poor Peggy. She didn’t deserve to die that way. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked her to get out of the truck to find me something sharp. I thought I might be able to take off his head.”
Her words stunned him, and it must have showed in his expression.
“I know. I was desperate and out of options. The front end was messed up good. I saw that much. I thought it might work to, you know…slash through his throat. I probably would have had an issue when I hit bone, though.”
She was in shock. It was obvious. He hesitated, not sure how to deal with that. He needed to get her out of the truck and somewhere safe. The motor home came to mind. It was the closest sound structure. He slowly reached for her jean-clad leg. He’d wiped off as much blood as possible in the grass before he’d shifted back.
“Jadee? None of this is your fault. You didn’t kill your friends. That soldier did.” She didn’t flinch away from him when he curled his fingers around her knee. “We need to get out of here. Can you walk?”
She licked her lips. “I think so.”
“Good.”
“Are we just going to leave them out there? Will they turn into one of those things? I don’t want that. Seeing Victor as a monster was bad enough. I couldn’t take that. Maybe Mark. He was always an asshole so I wouldn’t feel bad about having to kill him again, but Brent and Peggy would be rough.”
“They aren’t going to turn.”
“You’re sure?”
“I only smelled their blood on the bodies. Not his. He didn’t try to change them over.”
“Being bitten doesn’t do it?”
“No. Otherwise the world be overrun with Vampires and soldiers, since they feed off humans. They have to exchange blood.”
“Good to know.”
She was so pale that he worried. “Did he bite you?” He sniffed but didn’t pick up any blood coming off her from an open wound.
“Nope. I was just bitch-slapped by him.”
“The motor home is a few miles back. That’s where we’ll go.”
She shook her head, fear showing on her face.
“It’s the closest thing to us. Kar is there too.”
“So is Mitch.”
“He’s probably dead by now.”
“Kar was going to kill him?”
“He’s tired of dragging him around. We just needed every detail we could get about the Vampire who made him. I’m sure Kar was motivated enough to get those answers by now.”
“I could walk to the road and hitchhike out of here. I’m sure a car would come by at some point.”
“We don’t know where the master went. He could be in the next town. That’s why I suggested you not make any stops for as long as possible. It’s not safe. I want you to survive this, Jadee.”
She blinked back tears. “Yeah, I want that too.”
“Let’s go back to the motor home. I’m sure there’s food there, and the soldiers couldn’t break into it. It’s a safe location. I have things to handle and not a lot of time.”
“Clean up.”
“Yes. I have to come back here to bury those bodies and dispose of this truck.”
“It’s a rental. I have to tell them I hit a tree, file an insurance claim and—”
“Stop.” He halted her rambling. “We can’t leave any sign of what happened. There’s blood all over this vehicle. Don’t worry about anything, Jadee. We’ll handle it all. I’ll send Kar to where I left my Jeep and he can drive until he gets a cell signal. More of my people need to come here to wipe away any traces of what really went down. We have some experience at covering all our bases, unfortunately.”
“You’re going to get help from more Werewolves?” Her heart rate increased and so did her breathing. “They’ll come here?”
He wanted to correct her but didn’t. It was better if she knew as little as possible. “That’s why I want you inside the motor home. You’re safest there. I’m going to have you lock in and stay there until they’re gone.”
“They won’t find it?”
“I’ll make sure you’re safe. Are you sure you can walk?”
“Yes.” She squeezed the flashlight she still held with one hand. “Can I bring this? I’m tired of being blind at night.”
“Sure.”
He didn’t mind if that helped her cope with the situation. It would mess with his night vision a little but it would get her moving. Dawn wasn’t far off since it was summer, and traffic on the highway would increase during the daylight hours. Someone could make a wrong turn onto the dirt road and come across the truck and the bodies. He couldn’t allow that to happen.
“We need to go, Jadee.”
“Okay.” She straightened in the seat, turning on the flashlight. She opened the passenger door.
He hustled to reach the other side of the truck before she walked to the back section. He used his body to block her view of the carnage as much as possible. He didn’t even want to see them again, and he’d been raised in an entirely different reality than she had. Violence and death weren’t new to him.
She walked slowly but didn’t complain as he led her back to the motor home.
Kar pushed away from the front of the RV when they finally approached. The soldier wasn’t with him. His friend arched his eyebrows, staring at Lavos’s underwear then at Jadee. He uttered a soft curse under his breath.
“Damn. You went after her? I thought I heard gunshots.”
“The soldier changed direction and attacked them on the road before they hit the highway.”
Kar winced. “Where are the rest of them?”
Lavos shook his head. He didn’t need to say they hadn’t survived or go into details. Soldiers were killers and they’d already seen what they were capable of.
“Your clothes?”
“I had to shift to run faster to get there in time.”
Kar sealed his lips, not looking happy. He glanced at Jadee then Lavos again. There was a questioning look in his eyes.
Lavos nodded. Jadee had seen him when he’d changed forms.
“Shit. This just gets better and better.”
“I’m taking her inside. Did you get the information we need?”
“Yes. Full description of the asshole who turned him. It’s not a lot to go on though. The suckhead didn’t spend much time with him or say much. No name was mentioned either.”
“It’s done?”
“Yes. His ass is ashed. I guess all those injuries he sustained helped that along, for one so new. No waiting for the sun to rise like the others.”
New soldiers left remains behind unless they were rotting faster than normal. Jadee and her bullets had probably helped Mitch get in that shape, since he hadn’t been able to feed. Full Vampires turned to ash when they died, but most soldiers needed to be weeks old.
“Give me a few minutes then we’ll talk.”
“Let’s talk now. What’s the plan?” Kar directed another glance at Jadee.
“She’s going to stay here where she’s safe. I’m going to return to where the truck is to take care of that location. I want you to get Garson. It’s time to place that call to my brother. We’re going to need some help with this mess.”
“No shit. We’ve got bodies and we’re going to need a few tow trucks. Do you think we should call Lord Aveoth too?”
Lavos shook his head. No way did he want the GarLycan leader involved. He’d never allow Jadee to return to her world with her memories intact. Since she seemed immune to mind control, the other options weren’t good.
“Remember what I said about using the head above your shoulders to think with? I’m saying it again, my man.”
“Shut up, Kar. Get Garson and drive until you find a cell signal. Call Lorn. I left the keys to my Jeep in the ignition.”
“What do you want me to say to him?”
He paused. “Give him all the facts. Tell him I’m calling in that favor he owes me. He’ll understand.” He jerked his head. “Go.”