Dustin drove the bus as fast as he dared down the twisty roads which led from the village back to where the boat was moored. A break in the weather might be the only chance the pack had of leapfrogging Sanders into Mexico. It was a long shot, and they were taking it with both hands. Gabriel sat silently with his head rested against the glass of the bus. He looked out over the trees below them, but he never took in any of the scenery. His mind was on how the ritual had ended, and he wasn’t any further forward.

Mila said it’d make things easier, but one word kept rallying around in his mind. Actually it was a question…

How?

The lights on the coast where Miss Behavin’ was hopefully still wedged on the beach were working, so normal life was getting back to normal. Cars were still zigzagged across the streets, although by the way Dustin was able to step on the gas, quite a few had been removed by their owners. Dustin giggled to himself while he pictured the owner of the bus stood in the middle of the street scratching his head and wondering where his vehicle now was.

His attention was grabbed when the bus started to splutter. He glanced at the needle on the fuel gauge. It showed just under half full. Dustin slammed the side of his fist against the glass, and the needle dropped into the red zone.

“We’re out of gas,” he yelled, now slamming the bus into neutral and free-wheeling it down the hill.

The bus picked up speed, and he feathered the brake so as not to lose too much momentum. The headlights began flickering once the old battery started to give up its life. They fell into darkness.

Dustin tuned into his wolf senses while he maneuvered in and out of the debris on the road. They were still a good way out from the harbor, and there was no way they could make it by rolling. The bus slowed once it reached the outskirts of the town. It was a mile or two from the boat where the bus came to rest, finally.

“Everyone out. This is the last stop, and we need to go on foot from here.”

The pack unloaded from the bus and took their bearings. Captain Andy pointed in the direction of the sea. The pack walked briskly under the odd street lamp which worked, and the early morning darkness which fell in-between. Noelle linked her arm tightly around Declan’s and mumbled away sleepily while he held her up.

“It’s a good thing we aren’t on a sightseeing trip, we’d be well-disappointed,” she remarked.

“You can say that again. It’s supposed to be really nice here, but with the storm hitting, it looks like a damned war zone.”

Gabriel walked with Sascha’s arm linked through his; a conversation between the two was slightly muted compared to the muffled chattering ahead of them. Sascha wanted to talk about what had happened. Gabriel didn’t and so she waited for him to say something before she mentioned it.

They neared the end of the street, and they could make out the tops of the palm trees above the buildings, and the sounds of lapping waves against the sea wall which filled the air. The roar of tractors cut through the babble of water when they crossed the street.

Captain Andy pointed to the coastguard and some of the locals who were in the process of hauling Miss Behavin’ back into the water. He jumped onto the damp sand and walked across to where a team was working on his boat.

“Mucho gracias,” he called.

“Senor Andy, we put your boat back in the water,” the head coastguard replied. “We got a call from Tapaste, they say you’re in a hurry. Yes?”

“We are, we need to get moving very quickly, and this makes things so much easier. Thank you.”

Miss Behavin’ finally got her sea legs back and bobbed on the water of her own free will. The large mooring ropes now tied onto the jetty, rather than around a handrail holding her steady. The coastguard mentioned they’d checked for damage. The boat was stable and there was no sign of any leaks.

The pack climbed on board and cleared the deck of windswept debris which fell while the boat was beached. Andy and Dustin gave the engines a once-over to make sure they were in good working order.

Gabriel remained silent, and his head swam. He was working on autopilot and not paying much attention to what was going on around him.

“You should get some rest,” Declan said. “You can’t keep up with us in your current state.”

“You mean human?” he said.

“I didn’t want to rub it in, but yeah,” he replied. “Don’t worry, Gab, we’ll get it sorted for you.”

“Will you now? Do you believe it? Do you really after all these failed attempts?”

“You’ve got to look on the bright side. At least this priestess didn’t end up dead before the ritual was performed.”

Gabriel huffed before letting out a huge sigh. “There is that, but the end results have been the damn same. FUCK ALL has happened that’s of any use.”

Sascha opened the door to go below deck as the low rumble of the engines vibrated the boat. It wouldn’t be long before they were on the way, and the shores of Mexico would be approaching them, not long after sun-up. Sascha opened the cabin door and stepped inside. The bunk sat against the wall and was covered in a creamy white cover. A small porthole lay over the cot and allowed them to peer over the shimmering ocean. She turned to face Gabriel when she heard the thud of his boots hitting the wooden floor.

He sat on the bunk and looked up. The dull thud of footsteps echoed through the ceiling of the cabin while the pack members walked around on deck. He heard Andy’s voice yelling to loosen the ropes, and they were fueled and ready to hit the open sea. Gabriel lifted his legs and swung them onto the bunk. Sascha needed to do something to take his mind off the chance of being human for a while longer.

Gab, you need comforting. And I know just how to comfort you.

The van was cruising down the freeway. The tail end of the storm finally gave up the ghost and receded, and they were well out of its reach. Drake slept in the back with Juanita (who snored) while Lizeth’s head rested on Sanders' shoulder. They had a few hours to go before the sun came up, so there was nothing to hold them back. It was a clear road to Mexico, apart from a fuel stop every now and again.

“Did you send some of our people to the locations I gave you?” he asked.

Tanya lifted her head from resting on the window. “We did. We messaged them, and the reply was that they’ve been very busy. There should be quite a strong following when we arrive.”

Sanders smiled, and his head nodded. You think you can outsmart me? I’ve covered all the odds. Let’s see how you deal with what I’ve got in store for you.

He lifted his hand and brushed the hair from the side of Lizeth’s face. She dozed and looked so peaceful. She was much better to grace his arm than Megan. A queen in the making.

Tanya watched, although she never let it bother her. Megan, on the other hand, peered through a scrunched up eye and felt the envy rising up inside her body. She knew the queen’s position should be hers, and she’d been ousted by someone who was now far prettier than she. Sanders would find another excuse for it, but that’s how she saw it, and she saw it very clearly too, even if she was blind in one eye.

“How long before we hit the border?” Sanders asked the driver. The driver poked his finger at the GPS system. A jagged line showed on the screen which symbolized the wall between the two countries.

“A couple of hours. Maybe three max, because we need to gas up before then.”

“We need to stop then when the sun comes up. Just make sure you’re the other side of the border before then. I don’t want any complications. Once we’re over, we are free to do what we please.”

The driver acknowledged Sanders’ request because the speed increased. The freeway was empty, and there weren’t many cops around in the middle of nowhere. Megan rested her head again, and after looking around the cabin of the vehicle. The low rumble of the tires and Juanita’s snoring were the only sounds. She looked at Tanya who was fast asleep. Her eyes rolling behind her eyelids. Megan saw that Tanya was dreaming…

The land was dry and dusty. Tanya walked along the track toward the old village. The sky overhead was dark, and the moon sat behind dark clouds. She heard the sounds of laughter and could smell cigarette smoke and heard the clanking of glasses. She walked along the first street which led into the old town.

“Hola senorita,” she heard from a street table filled by locals.

She turned to face them. One sat and was sipping from his glass of tequila. He smiled and bared the glint of his gold filling. His free hand teased the end of his penciled mustache. To Tanya, it appeared he was the type of guy who thought his luck was going well for the evening.

She nodded and carried on walking. “Come join us,” she heard his voice call out from behind.

She knew it wasn’t wise to look back and send the wrong signals. If she did look back in his direction, he’d definitely think his luck was in.

More bars lined the old streets. Half of the tables were full where vlads sat among the villagers. Their eyes turned the golden-honey color when she passed. It appeared in Mexico it was easy to convert people. The first vlads had been very busy.

Music blared out into the street when a bar door opened and a tall figure walked out in front of her. Tanya stopped and gasped.

“I thought I’d bump into you again at some point,” the voice said. The figure stepped into the light.

“Gab, what’re you doing here?” she asked.

“I’m on the hunt,” he replied. “I’m on the hunt to find the shaman before you and Sanders do.”

Tanya stepped back a little. “You know it isn’t possible. He can’t be outsmarted. Whatever you think, he’ll have already thought of it.” Gabriel smiled. He was never one to shy away from adversity. He stepped forward. Tanya took another step or two backward in response.

“Being complacent brings everyone to their knees in the end.” Tanya’s back hit the wall of the building. She pushed her hands flat against the wall. Gabriel slammed the palms of his hands on the brick at the side of her head while he towered over her. “Are you going to be brought to your knees?”

Gabriel looked deep into her eyes. Tanya possessed the upper hand while Gabriel was human. She never used it because his imposing sexual prowess made her knees buckle. She wanted to feel him one last time. Gabriel stared deeply into her eyes. She sucked in short panting breaths.

“Don’t even think it,” he whispered into her ear.

“Think what?” she replied.

Gabriel pulled his head back. “You know exactly what. You left me for dead in the forest. You wronged me and took advantage.”

Tanya tried to explain, but the image of Gabriel started to fade.

Gabriel…

Gab…

“Gabriel,” she screamed.

Tanya opened her eyes. Megan, Sanders, and Lizeth stared at her. She looked at Sanders and expected him to go off the rails about screaming Gabriel's name. The name of the enemy.

“Sorry. It was a crazy dream.”

Sanders knew precisely what she’d been through. He’d had his own dreams, and he knew they could be pretty alarming.

“It’s okay. I understand,” Sanders said.

“The border’s a couple of miles ahead. I’m going to gas up before we make the crossing,” the driver stated.

“Good. Then make sure to find somewhere to stay.”

Tanya leaned to the driver and whispered into his ear. “Make sure it isn’t a small village. Please.”

“When your back’s against the wall, call one and all.”