Seven
Finishing first meal, Jack glanced at Saul.
“You’re quiet tonight.”
His fork suspended, Saul looked at Jack, watching him closely, then Kwano, doing the same thing, and lowered the fork back to his plate.
“That short sentence had a lot of questions attached to it.”
Laughing, Jack nodded. “Yeah, it did. So. You and Dani. When did that happen?”
“From that first moment I saw her. It wasn’t conscious, I wasn’t looking for it, but her spirit sought mine and I’m lost. I admit it freely. I am still somewhat shocked, but in spite of how terrifying she can be, I believe she is my mate.”
Kwano looked surprised. “Wow. That’s amazing, Saul. Mates are difficult to find, and you two found each other easily.”
“Easily? I could have lost her that night before I even met her. And I’ve been unattached for a couple of hundred years, so, not that easily.”
“I misspoke. I did not mean finding your mate was easy, just that this relationship, this transition, wasn’t difficult.”
“It’s not a done deal yet. That’s one stubborn human woman.”
“Oh, yeah, she is. Good luck. Earth warriors can be tough.”
“I look forward to the challenge.”
“First, we have to face the one coming from our four vampires sporting a biblical name.”
“On that point, something happened before I came home this morning. With the threat obvious from Quattro, I decided to go past your house and check on Dani last night. He was there.”
“What? She’s all right?” Jack barked.
“I’ll say she is. As you can imagine, when I saw him, I was shocked, so he and I got into a fistfight. We were like little boys in a schoolyard, only a lot more vicious. He beat the shit out of me and I kicked the fuck out of him. Our little Dani had enough of that and showed us what she could do. She demanded we stop and when we didn’t, she pulled her power up and lifted millions of grains of sand into swirling tornadoes surrounding us. It was impressive and pretty fucking scary.”
“What happened?”
“Quattro left. Dani and I had words.”
“So did anything come out of this? Do we know what he has planned.”
“No. He whispered something to her that she didn’t reveal to me.”
“Why wouldn’t she?”
“She might have, I just forgot to ask her what he said.”
Saul pushed from the table with a grin. “We were a bit distracted after that.”
Jack, lifting his plate, rose as well.
“Oh. Yeah, that can do it. We’ll ask her tonight.”
Kwano began to clear the table.
“Let’s get to the office then.”
Later, the three vampires walked into their busy headquarters, heads swiveling as their eyes landed on each of the three industrious women.
Sanquinetta stopped long enough to place her hands on her hips in mock disgust. “Lazy asses. We been working this threat all this time while you were, what, sitting by the gentle sea downing sugared alcoholic drinks?”
“Cake, cookies, pie. Why? Looks like you gals got it handled.”
“Get your giant ass over here, Jack. Kwano, help Eva. Saul, you know where you want to be.”
He tried not to smile when the others got to work and he looked over to where Dani was keying something into the computer near the back of the room. Slowly making his way to her, he nodded casually.
“Good evening, Dani.”
She responded with the same professional tone.
“Good evening, Saul. Are you ready to do some research?”
Yes, I’m ready to do some research. There are parts of your body I haven’t yet explored. “Certainly. Shall I pull up a chair?”
“That would be a good idea.”
Across the room, watching their display of proper work etiquette, San, Eva, Jack, and Kwano sat or stood, frozen in place.
Finally, Sanquinetta broke it up. “Ugh. Save me from romance. All right, show’s over, let’s get to it.” She pointed to Saul and Dani. “And you two, try to get some work done. I have no tolerance for googly eyes.”
Offended, Dani leaned around the huge man who had just pulled up a chair beside her, blocking her friends from view.
“Googly eyes? Dear God, lady, no one in this room is fifteen. Yes, we’re exploring a relationship, to those who don’t know, but we’re capable of keeping it in our pants tonight.”
She shot her gaze to Saul, who she spied aggressively shaking his head.
“We’re going to be killed by these assholes because we can’t act like adults.”
Evaleigh laughed. “Hey, we’re just having a little fun. God knows I don’t have any.”
Leaning over, Jack hugged her. “Aw. Working on it, darlin’. We have some vampires to spare in Brazil.”
“Spare me. Okay, back to work. I’ve selected groups of surveillance cameras, private, public and city vids. If we can get an idea where they’re staying, we might be able to put together a workable defense. Other than that, we’re pretty much waiting for them to make the next move and, from a strategic standpoint, that’s not the best position to be in.”
The rest of the night was spent on computers, watching for any sightings of their targets. Facial recognition had already scanned most of the feed they would check tonight, but the technology could miss a lot of things that a discerning human eye wouldn’t.
After three hours, they stopped for snacks, coffee or chocolate, and the chance to relax both their tired bodies and overtaxed eyes.
Dani addressed the group. “Everyone, I know Jack clued you in to some of what happened at his house last night. Saul, it’s okay, I get why you told him, the visit was relevant, and so was the fight. Quattro showed up. He has plans for me, I think, but I don’t know how they fit into the battle he foresees for all of us. Okay, here’s the strange part. He and I share earth magics, and there seems to be some kind of symbiotic relationship between us because of those magics. What it means, how it plays out in the end, I have no idea. He whispered something to me before he left last night.”
Her eyes slid to watch Saul as she continued. “He told me that destiny had placed us all here at this moment in time, and that he and I have a special mission.”
She knew how Saul read that message, and to be honest, considering the sexual responses she seemed to have with Quattro, so had she. That was all she was willing to consider.
Placing a hand on Saul’s thigh, she watched the rest of the group. “This bizarre scenario is only going to get more bizarre, but I still think we’re in danger.”
“Oh, you bet your hunter’s asses you are.”
The voice that came from the doorway shocked everyone as they turned to face Quattro, leaning against the opening as if he belonged there.
For long moments, no one moved, although all six were on guard, ready to defend themselves and this office.
Taking point as the accepted leader of the group, Sanquinetta stepped out in front. “Surprise. I guess the first question is, are you alone?”
With an amused grin Dani had found typical for him, his arms out to his side, Quattro stepped forward.
“I am alone. Here’s the answer to your as yet unasked second question. I’m here because we need to talk. The situation has changed, and if possible, you are in even greater danger than you were before.”
“I can’t think of any cogent reason to believe you.”
“She can vouch for me.” Tilting his head in her direction, Quattro indicated Dani.
Eyes wide, Dani glanced at her friends. “I…don’t…I mean, how can…” Her dark eyes shot to Quattro. “Well, in a way, maybe. When he came to me last night, I admit, there was no malice. I read him using my talent, so it isn’t just an opinion. Though why he’s here now, what he wants, I have no clue.”
“There. From one of your own.” Quattro moved past Sanquinetta, keeping his eyes on each hunter ready to pounce. “May I?”
He reached for one of the spiced coffees on the counter and sipped. “Good. You eat better than we do, but it makes sense as we spend much of our time on the road.”
Quattro leaned against the counter where Jack had leaned just moments earlier. “Well, we used to. I’m not exactly part of the group anymore. The Four Horsemen are now three.”
“What, you’ve quit the band?” Jack quipped, his shock gun resting loosely in his hand.
“More like I’ve been thrown out. My second, Felix, made it clear that he did not appreciate my methods in not going ahead and killing all of you. For that, you really want to say thank you.”
Refilling the mug of coffee he’d downed, Quattro coughed and took another sip. “Although you might want to wait until that second team puts in an appearance. Without me to rein in their chains, they’re far more dangerous than I was.”
Saul stood, his own shock gun palmed, a long dagger prominent by his side.
“You need to explain yourself better than that, horseman.”
Nodding, Quattro jumped up to sit on the edge of the break room counter like Ben used to do during hunter discussions.
“Then shall we sit? I have no idea when you’ll be attacked, although, knowing Felix, it’s unlikely now, and I will explain why. Please, everyone, you are safe with me. Dani, can you reassure them?”
“At the moment, I read no ill intent.” Dani kept her gaze on him, then continued. “For the moment.”
“Wow. Definitely going to need to work on those trust issues. Okay, listen, here’s the fucking weird truth. In its unexpurgated entirety.”
Sanquinetta made her way back to the table, her handgun ready, and watched as Kwano, Saul, Eva, and Jack leaned back to listen, everyone well-armed. Only Dani seemed at rest. She’d ask her later what was going on with this obviously dangerous, psychotic vamp.
“I’m fucked up. Always have been. I formed the Four Horsemen for fun and funds. At the time, killing was second nature to me. We became the vampire hitmen for anyone with the money. We were monsters, I admit it. We convinced ourselves that we performed a necessary service, and that most of the victims probably deserved to die. I even began to consider myself a hero. Now, here’s the twist. Somewhere along my journey, I got bored. I felt like, so deep into my long life, it had become dull and pointless. I began to search my soul for what I needed. Turned out, I was sick to death of killing people who had no chance of fighting back. It wasn’t sport, or justice, it was just…killing. Then, when Buck hired us to kill you all, the idea of killing vampires who killed vampires…ah, I knew, it was exactly what I needed.”
“Riveting autobiography so far,” Jack sneered.
“Isn’t it? Now, I have never fought a first blood. A gladiator facing a gladiator, equal strength, equal chance of winning, equal chance of dying. I wanted it. I could taste it.”
“Would you explain to me why we shouldn’t just kill you now?”
“Because you need me. Allow me to finish. Yes, I wanted to kill you, all of you, so I waited until you, new first blood, came back. Once you did, game on. In the meantime, I discovered Dani, my earth warrior, and knew that we were meant to fight.” His eyes shot to Saul. “And to fuck.”
Dani grabbed Saul’s thigh again and squeezed as hard as she could. “Stay.”
She watched his eyes, felt the rigidity of his muscles, as she tried to force him to listen and obey. Eventually, he did.
“Finish your stupid statement, vampire. Remember there are three vampires here and three strong women, and you are treading on thin ice.”
“Yeah, sorry. Couldn’t help myself. That boy just looks wonderful in red and green. So, anyhow, over the past few days, I’ve found myself rethinking things. Okay, I’ll admit it. My connection to Dani has somehow softened my desire to create this big epic battle with you. I’ve come to understand that it’s been my own issues of distraction and dissatisfaction with who I’ve become that fueled all of this. I’m not a bad man.”
Quattro paused for effect, made sure he had everyone’s attention, and finished. “But Felix is. And he’s coming for you.”
“Why?”
“Felix is pissed at me and he’s disturbed. I truly think he’s absent a soul. The devil’s stepchild. And he won’t come after you in some sweeping gesture that might give you equal chance of beating him. He’s vicious and deceitful. He’ll come at you when you least expect it. One at a time. With no hesitation. For him, it’s all about the killing. Felix loves to watch blood flow, and it doesn’t have anything to do with feeding. You understand what I’m warning you about. The danger is much worse than when I posited meeting all at once, face to face, on the ultimate battlefield.”
“I get it.” Jack understood completely.
“I hope you do. He’ll come after the humans first. Worse, he’s clever and patient. So if you don’t get him first, he’ll succeed.” Quattro’s eyes went to Dani. “I’m afraid that you might be his first target, my little earth warrior. He’s pretty pissed at me and he’ll consider you the perfect way to get to me, because he knows you mean something to me. So, if you can find your way to trusting me, I’d like to join the gang to help protect you.”
“Not happening!” Saul was on his feet. “You’re still the enemy. You brought all of this down on us, so, thanks for the warning, and get the fuck out of here before I finish you. I’ll give you a ten second head start.”
A hand on his arm brought his attention back to Dani as she stood. “No. He’s right. My talent is clear. We need Quattro if we are to win this.”
“He’s an unknown. No, worse than that, he’s a proven threat.”
“People can change. I think Quattro’s motivations have been changing for some time. He has earth magic, and earth magic is essentially good. We can trust him, Saul. Everybody, we need Quattro’s help. He knows what we are up against with this creep. If you want to protect us, you’ll do this, Saul. For me if nothing else.”
Clever, Sanquinetta thought. Quattro used the one thing that would likely get all of them on board. A direct threat to Dani would mobilize them, even Saul.
Quattro jumped off the counter and carefully set his mug down. “I’ll get out of here and let you consider the bombshell I just dropped. If it is all right with you, I’ll come back tomorrow night and we can discuss this?”
No one spoke at first, all still reeling from the change in threat to the team as a whole and much greater threat to the humans on the team.
Still in her capacity as leader, Sanquinetta nodded.
“Yes, come back tomorrow. And Quattro, know that if you fuck with us, lie to us, hurt any of us, we will destroy you. That clear?”
“Crystal. Shall I bring donuts?”
“Get out.” Saul had had enough.
“Okay. Until we talk tomorrow, I suggest you stay on guard, and vampires, you might want to stay with the humans you value. I’m serious. They’ll be his first target unless you give him an easier one. Felix will be working with the other two, and while they aren’t first blood, they’re well trained and I think Felix has used compulsion to fuck with them. They’re likely to be little better than rabid animals by now.”
Quattro was gone.
Eva stood. “Whew! What the hell?”
Kwano weighed in. “This just got serious, folks. A deranged and violent first blood is as bad as it gets. You asked the other day if first bloods have mental issues. Yeah, they can. We’ve had two very violent situations in past centuries, both extraordinarily challenging to resolve. In fact, one of the vampires I mention has come through her insanity to become a treasured friend who may need to be called in to help.”
Dani nodded. “Tam. And Park. They’ve dealt with this before.”
“We’ll talk more with Quattro tomorrow and proceed from there. Dani, you’re sure he can be trusted?”
“He’s not lying. I’d know. Can he be fully trusted? That I’m not ready to sign off on, but I know that he’s worried for me, for us. I know that he’s certain that he’s in just as much danger. He doesn’t want this, none of it, not the battle, not the threat Felix has become. He’s kind of lost, guys. I think most of us can understand that. So, I do think we need him and we need to try to trust him.”
“Okay, then, we know what we’re doing.” Hand on the gun at her side, Sanquinetta continued. “I think we should all stay together tonight. Kwano, if we spell Ife’s house, I know that first bloods can get in, but is there anything we can do to make it more secure?”
“Not from a first blood. Felix could get in. Ideally, we should find another place, but on this short of notice, it’ll be hard. I think we can assume that the horsemen know where each of us lives.”
“I know somewhere.”
The team looked at Saul.
“It’s thirty minutes by lift-car, but it’s secure, light-tight, and nice. I stayed there about ten years ago. The house belongs to an old friend who was blood bonded to a vampire for seventy years. He’s fully human now, but he’ll take us in.”
“Let’s do it. Grab what you need and meet us back here. Jack, go with Eva. Kwano, keep me company. Dani, we already know Saul isn’t letting you out of his sight. Go, get what you need, go heavy on weapons, make sure you have your stunners charged and extra charges in your packs. This might sound ridiculous, but let’s lock up before we go.”
An hour later in Carmel, California
“Welcome, welcome. Nice to meet you. I’m Buddy. Saul has told me all about everyone. Please, I have four bedrooms downstairs, all vampire ready, so just go down and choose where you want to rest. When you’re ready, come back up and I’ll prepare second meal.”
Buddy was as tall as Kwano, although much thinner, but with well-defined muscles. He’d resumed aging once he left his vampire host, and now looked to be, physically, about seventy years old, but in excellent condition. His long iron-grey hair swept back in a single brown strap, dressed in an aloha print shirt and knee-length shorts, he achieved his desire to look like the twentieth century image of a classic beach bum.
“We’ll be safe here. There isn’t a chance that Felix knows about Buddy. We can relax, at least, until we figure out what is really going on.”
“Thanks, Saul. Okay, so, four rooms. How do we want to divide them?” Jack looked directly at Dani.
She knew what he was waiting for, but this was all just happening too fast. Sanquinetta saw her face and jumped in.
“One vampire to each room, the three women can share the fourth. We don’t have to sleep all day, and we probably won’t. That way we don’t disturb you guys. Sound okay?”
Rolling his head around, Jack looked sideways at Saul.
“Are you good with that?”
“Of course. We know San is law, anyway,” Saul agreed, but when his eyes landed on Dani, aware she was uncomfortable with the situation, he nodded. “It’s fine.”
“Okay. All set. Get your gear and let’s see what Buddy put together for us.”
Thirty minutes later, impressed by Buddy’s second meal buffet, everyone was seated at a round table on a large deck near the ocean, relaxed and enjoying cocktails.
“How long were you blood bonded, Buddy?” Eva asked.
“I served with Harland for one hundred and twenty two years.”
“Wow. I mean, I can’t imagine living that long. And you walked away after all that time?”
Buddy nodded, his face thoughtful, serene. “There comes a time, beautiful lady, when one needs to see it through. Even though we remain healthy and young, the human body was never meant to last that long. I’d seen my family and friends pass on, and eventually, I knew I wanted to live out my normal life. That was thirty years ago.”
“Well, you look incredible.”
“It’s a remaining gift of vampire blood. I’ve never been sick, and while I’m aging, it’s kinder than it might be otherwise. I’m happy, though. I’ve good friends here, and I can finish the rest of my journey with them.”
Sanquinetta raised her wine glass up in a mock toast.
“That’s beautiful, Buddy, and maybe the best anyone can hope for. A well-lived life and a peaceful passing.”
Scooting his chair back, Saul stood and leaned over Dani’s shoulder. “Would you take a walk on the beach with me?”
“Uh, yeah. Okay.” Dani looked at the others around the table, all eyes on them. “Excuse us.” She picked up her own glass before she followed Saul down old wood steps to the sand below.
Sipping her wine, Dani watched Saul’s silhouette as they walked away from Buddy’s beach house. “It’s a quiet night,” she finally commented.
Saul nodded, his head still silhouetted as he looked away from the rising moonlight. “It is. It might not have been if we’d stayed in our homes.”
“No.”
“Dani, you trust Quattro.”
“Yes, Saul, I do.”
“Are you…” Saul trailed off and didn’t start again.
“Ask your question.”
“Are you interested in him? Sexually? I know that you two have some kind of bond, but, is it sexual? Romantic? Damn it, Dani, do you want him?”
Stopping, she grabbed Saul’s left arm and stopped him too. “No.” Then a few seconds later, she repeated the word, but Saul sensed something different. “No. But. Saul, I can’t explain how I feel about him, it’s kind of complicated. He’s sexy, anyone can see that. I can tell you, that when it comes to sexual and emotional attraction, it isn’t Quattro I want.”
Saul thought he might fall on his knees in gratitude to the universe. His next question was equally important.
“Can you see yourself spending your life with me?”
“Shit. I’m not ready to answer a question like that.”
Dani walked down the beach, moving quickly away from Saul. Then he heard her seconds later. “Yes, I can.”
He had her in his arms before she could take another breath. “That will do for now. We don’t have to say another word.”
“Good. I’m all talked out.”
Dragging him down the beach, she pulled him into a cutout in the landscape that looked like a shallow cave.
After pushing him down, Dani lowered herself on top of him, his hands trapped under hers while she started to bite his neck. That simple act set him on fire and Saul was ready to roll her over when Dani held a hand up to stop him.
“Uh,uh. It’s my turn.”
Sliding down Saul’s hard body, her own grateful for the contact, Dani slipped her hands under his pants and tugged them with her as she went. A strong yank pulled them past firm buttocks and let his cock pop free as she finished by yanking the pants down to his ankles.
“Now, where was I? Ah, yes…”
Fingers clamping muscled thighs, she moved back up Saul’s body, her eyes on his cock, which he now held upright, slowly massaging the head.
“Let me see that,” she whispered, patted his hands away, and ran her own fingers from top to bottom, spiraling quickly until she leaned over, using her teeth, gently nipped all along the wet slit as he had done to hers last night.
His groan fired her and she dropped down to give the begging organ what it wanted.
“Just stay still. I don’t need your help.”
Saul did as asked, although he stayed up on his elbows so he could watch Dani’s lips and mouth make love to him. That she was there, so intimately biting and licking him, pulling him into her, he could barely hold on, an orgasm building too quick under Dani’s skilled attention. Far too soon, and not really soon enough, he exploded, pumping all over himself and Dani, warm, slick, generous.
“I think I accomplished my goal,” she whispered, laughing, her eyes back on Saul’s face as she crawled over his body to drop against his bare chest.
“Saul…I hope you can tell, it’s only you I want.”
Saul barely heard her whisper, but when he realized what she said, he pulled her closer. Dizzy suddenly, small vibrations began to move through his body.
“Dani?”
“I feel it. Saul, it’s magic. My earth magic, moving around us.”
“Why? Are you all right?”
“Yeah, um, I’m not sure…this hasn’t ever happened be…”
The vibrations intensified, curling through both as they lay wrapped close, holding tight onto the other, afraid to let go. It was that closeness, that connection, which completed the earth-based magical bond between a child born of the chosen protectors of earth, first bloods, and a child born of the earth itself in Dani.
Slowly, the vibrations calmed, leaving Saul and Dani still holding each other, skin to skin.
“I’ve, uh, experienced a lot these past two years since I became an earth warrior, but this…this is different.”
“Whatever it was, I still feel prickles running inside me.”
“It was a bonding of some kind, Saul.”
Dani smiled and pulled away to look into his eyes.
“Earth magic seems to have decided that, for some reason, we are meant to be together. I feel the prickles too. Magics like this usually have a purpose. I’ve learned not to question them, just embrace them.”
Lying beside Saul, their eyes locked, Dani saw his begin to glow. “Saul…”
He slipped a finger along her lips. “Maybe it’s telling us something we already know.”
As Dani studied Saul, she realized that she wouldn’t want to wake up another day in her life without seeing that beautiful face.
“Yeah…” Dani whispered, and leaned down to kiss the man she knew she would spend all the remaining days of her life with. The kiss was deep, tender, and when he rolled her over and pulled her into him, every touch a lover’s touch, both knew that this bond made by love and magic was unbreakable.
Arriving back at Buddy’s house, their fingers intertwined, Saul and Dani watched light crawl up the sky behind the house.
“I guess I’m done for the day. Are you coming in?”
“I’d like to watch the sunrise, but I won’t be long.”
“Okay. Well, sleep tight. See you tonight.”
“Okay.”
After Saul was gone, Dani wandered back down the deck stairs to walk along the beach as the sky changed from scarlet to orange to golden, then faded away to cerulean.
She hadn’t expected this, hadn’t expected Saul. To fall in love with no warning at all. Wasn’t that supposed to happen gradually as, over time, two people begin to know they were a good fit?
This sudden odd relationship fit perfectly with the crazy nature of her life for the past two years and for a moment, watching golden light steal across sparkling water, she wondered if she could trust it. They really didn’t know each other, anything about each other. How could they call this love?
Now seated in the sand, her knees pulled up and arms resting on them, Dani had to admit that none of that seemed relevant. She’d watched Saul’s eyes as she walked into a room, seen the glow, the pleasure he couldn’t disguise. She’d felt trickles of joy when he touched her and at the thought of sex with him, arousal came hard.
Glancing back at the house, she knew he was in a room by himself, tired and naked. As she released a soft sigh. That’s exactly where she needed to be.
Pausing a few more minutes before she went inside, she lingered to enjoy the final moments of the sunrise. There wouldn’t be many more in her life.
Past the stairs, she saw four doors coming off a wide hallway, the first door the only one open, and when Dani peeked in, she saw San and Eva lying on a large bed.
“Hey, there. You can sleep here with Eva and I’ll take the cot if you’d like.”
Dani hesitated for a few moments and before she could answer, Sanquinetta pushed Dani’s travel bag toward her with her foot. “Or, you can get out of here and join that hot vamp in Room 2, the next one down on this side.”
“You knew of course.”
“Sweetheart, no one in their right mind should turn down that handsome hunka hunka. Particularly if they’re falling in love.”
No answer, the girls already knew Dani well enough. Picking up her bag, she glanced at friends who had saved her life as often as she’d saved theirs. “I love you guys, you know that.”
“We do. We love you right back, but get out of here before Saul goes into that deep daytime sleep.”
Out the door, closing it behind her, because she knew the girls were done for the day too, Dani opened the door to the second room. A tiny ambience light glowed along the perimeter, just enough for her to see Saul, on the bed, a sheet dragged low exposing most of his naked body.
The door closed behind her and Dani stayed, leaning her weight against it, this moment likely one of the most defining in her life. The man resting in that bed, beautiful, loving, gentle, powerful, vampire, was hers and she was his. From this day for the rest of her life, they would be together, navigating the years, laughing, loving, crying, sharing it all.
She watched him roll over and the sheet slide down to reveal his cock at rest, snuggled up next to him.
“All mine,” Dani whispered, set her bag aside, walking toward him, she dropped her clothes and slid in beside Saul.
Moaning, but not waking, he rolled toward her and pulled her to him.
Home in his arms for the rest of her life, Dani’s last thought before she fell asleep was a thank you to the universe. He was worth the wait.
A cloudless dark sky covered Buddy’s deck as he presented first meal for the first time in so many years, he couldn’t remember.
“Haven’t seen a vampire in a long time, guys and this has been nice. So, this is the last of my store run. If you plan to stay tonight, I’ll head to Seaside Market and resupply.”
Crunching on fried fish, Jack shook his head. “Naw, Buddy, you’re hosting us. I’ll make that trip for you. Yeah, if it’s okay, this is a safe location until we figure out what the hell is going on, we’d love to stay if we’re welcome.”
“Of course, of course. All right, then, after we eat, I’ll show you where the market is.”
“Perfect. Then we need to head back to our office to meet someone.”
Kwano wandered out, barely awake, wearing only wildly striped briefs. “Buddy, I slept like the dead. That bed is fantastic.”
“You haven’t slept on a Zentastic mattress before? Damn, I wouldn’t sleep on anything else. They’ve been on the market for about six years. That is one of the things with you vampires. You’ve been around so long, you miss some of the new things. Old habits, I guess, whether human or vampire, rarely change. We’re all vulnerable. Yeah, Kwano, you all have to get one.”
“Never slept more comfortably. As soon as we fix our current problem, I will. Thank you, Buddy, for hosting us. You are a kind man.”
“Aw, no worries. This is a kick. I love my human life, I do, but it’s great to spend some time with vamps again. No one knows how to enjoy life better than you guys.”
“A long life is miserable unless you’re having fun, right, Saul?”
Saul, alone, walked out of the house, sliding a white tee shirt over thick arms.
“Completely agree. Damn, nice spread again, Buddy.”
Saul dropped into a chair and started filling a plate. He’d topped off an impressive mound before Sanquinetta leaned across the table. “Where’s Dani?”
Saul lowered his head, trying to hide an emotional smile. “Um, still asleep.”
Always naughty, Sanquinetta nodded. “Wore her out, did you?”
His eyes hit hers, and Sanquinetta saw moisture. From that first moment she’d accepted Saul as a part of the team, she’d seen his tender heart. He was in love, and she knew from their conversations in the past that it was the first time. Even she began to tear up.
She slid a hand across the table to touch his.
“I’m happy for you, my friend.”
He nodded wordlessly and went back to his plate.
Evaleigh’s considerably smaller portions nearly gone, she looked up at Jack. “I’ll come with you when you hit the store. I need a lino cable and a few more tap lines to set up my computer here.”
“Cool. After we eat, we’ll make a quick trip.”
Half an hour later, at Seaside Market, Jack began to select large quantities of food as Evaleigh walked past him.
“There’s an electronics section near the rear, Jack. I’ll get what I need and join you in a few minutes.”
“All right. Just send a Vtex to find me when you come back.”
“’Kay. See ya.”
Moving through the Tak aisles where people chose goods with a wand connected to their account, she was pleased to see that the electronics section displayed the actual items so she could handle them personally.
Tak systems showed multiple aisles lined with 3-D images of products, the shopper would wave their purchase wand over its scanner, and then go to the front of the store to pick up all the items they’d chosen, already packaged and ready to go.
Some items, though, a shopper would need to see to choose, and electronics fell into that category.
Selecting a high-tech lino cable she needed to gain full access to the Web at Buddy’s house, she moved on to find the tap lines.
A young man with a Seaside Market badge that said Nathan saw Evaleigh wandering in his section.
“Can I help you find something?”
“Hi, yes, tap lines?”
“Over here.”
He led her around the next aisle, and stopped.
Evaleigh looked at the items, all software products, but no tap lines. “Um, sorry, where are they?”
“Not in this aisle.” Nathan didn’t move. “I was just supposed to bring you here.”
Looking around, Evaleigh’s right hand slid down to her waist to rest on her shock gun. “What? What do you mean you were supposed to bring me here?”
“Just that. I don’t know why.”
Compulsion. Yep, it was time to go.
Alarms going off in her head and gut, Evaleigh palmed the shock pellet gun that could stop a vampire, and moved through the aisles looking for Jack. Hidden behind a panel, she took a moment to send a quick Vtex, but he didn’t answer.
“Oh, we’re fucked,” she whispered. Jack would have answered. Somehow, this was going sideways fast.
Somehow, the enemy had found them.
She kept to the side of the building, her back protected by the wall, eyes scanning for any movement. An older woman using her wand to choose her groceries passed Evaleigh, giving her a strange look as Evaleigh lowered her gun, but remained on guard. Around another corner, eyes shooting around the space ahead, she started to move toward the front with a burst of speed when hands grabbed her head, hard, biting into her skull.
Eyes downcast, she tried to bring her gun up to fire, but something hit her hands with such force, pain splintered up her arm, nearly collapsing her.
“Give up, pretty little hunter. You can’t win.”
Don’t let him compel you, you’re lost if you do.
She tried, oh fuck, she tried, but he forced her head upward, her eyes closed, she was lost when he squeezed, squeezed, squeezed, bones in her face ready to crack.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
Finally, because the pain was too awful and because Evaleigh knew he could, and would, shatter her skull, she opened her eyes and let him in. Once compelled, she knew that it was over.
Her eyes moved over his face, recognized him from the vid images she’d recovered, and matched a voice to him. Handsome, sure, long dark hair pulled up into a man-bun, eyes coal black, he grinned. “You will do everything I tell you to do and you will not try to leave my side.”
Yeah, it was done. Vampires had gotten another vampire hunter.
“Felix! I’ve got her!”
Peele hurried toward the front of the market, Evaleigh close behind. He was grinning, thrilled that they were finally getting these vampire hunters. This one, the gorgeous blonde with attitude, this one, by the Gods, was his. Ultimately, yes, she would die, along with the other hunters, but not before he had his fill of her. He glanced back at her pretty mouth. And she had her fill of him. His cock twitched. Fuck, he loved being a vampire!
The front of the market featured its food items, busier by far than the area where he’d captured his target, so he weaved between various shoppers, fully confident that his capture would stay right with him as commanded.
Felix was supposed to be waiting in front with the vampire named Jack, but he didn’t see him.
“Still working on it, I guess. Come on, huntress, we’re going to our lift-car. You’ll strap in the back and you won’t move for any reason.”
Out the door into the efficiently lit parking area, he led her to a luxury lift-car, pushed her inside, and into a seat near the rear.
“Do as I commanded. I’ll be back soon.”
It wasn’t necessary for him to watch Evaleigh’s furious face as she lifted the strap and secured it in place.
Fuck. Jack should have been the easy one. He hadn’t been. Just a made vampire, Felix expected to overcome him with little to no resistance, but Jack had seen him a split second before Felix was on him, and while it hadn’t been enough of a head start, it was enough to allow Jack to attempt to elude him.
No fucking way!
Pursuing the vampire through the market, he realized that Jack would only head one direction; toward the back because he knew they’d be after his little human friend. He couldn’t have been more obvious. And that was how he’d do this. Those emotional weaknesses brought down more men than anything else in history. Wars could be won by simply waiting for ridiculous attachments to fell the pathetic.
Watching Jack try to outrun him, a first blood, Felix smiled as he flashed around the next aisle he anticipated Jack would race toward, where they had seen the female earlier, poor idiot Jack thinking to protect her. He intercepted him easily, and they stood, Jack with his weapon drawn, Felix used air displacement to close the distance. Jack’s desperate attempt to find his girl had placed him in a bad spot, locked in this small space with a superior force. Felix, because the element of surprise gave an incredible advantage, had the weapon on the floor thirty feet away, and, using first blood strength, smashed Jack onto the floor, unconscious and bleeding.
Easiest way, Felix thought.
When that wretched Peele called out for him across the busy market, he rolled his eyes. What a sad excuse for a vampire that one made. When this was finished, he would continue the Four Horsemen, he liked the name and what it stood for, but he would create a new group with new members handpicked by himself.
At least Peele had performed his duty in securing the female.
Lifting Jack over his shoulder, Felix moved him out of the building, and across the parking lot, when he saw Peele starting to leave the lift-car they’d commandeered earlier tonight.
“Stay, Peele,” he demanded, as he got the unconscious Jack to the entrance to the car. Felix quickly set him down, grabbed Jack’s face, and held it toward his own. Moments later, Jack began to come around, and when he did, he opened his eyes and looked directly in front of him, straight into Felix’s eyes.
“Got ya. Stay. Don’t speak. Get into the car next to the woman and strap in. From here on out, you will do only what I command you to do. You will follow orders given by my lieutenants. Peele here, is one of my lieutenants.”
Still fuzzy from the hard blow to his head, Jack crawled into the lift-car and did as requested.
Outside, waiting for Peele, Felix looked up at the sky, still visible in spite of the parking lot lighting. Dark up there, the stars trapped behind black clouds tonight. Sadness invaded at the loss of the closeness he’d shared with Quattro. It wasn’t a relationship he wanted to end, but Quattro had been changing, and had no idea why he was.
Felix did though.
At his core, Quattro had never been the killer he believed himself to be, and Felix had always known that one day, they would come to this.
Quattro believed in the sanctity of life. Felix believed that the short lifespans of humans made them negligible in the full scheme of the world, made them little higher than the beasts of burden that had fed the world for all of its history. Just like mayflies. Brief with limited purpose. They were food, sex, and service to him.
“Two down,” Felix commented as he joined Peele in the cockpit of the car. “Take us back to the Pit.”
“To the Pit, boss.”
Flying over landscape too dark to see details, Peele brought them in close over what looked like a low hill, guiding the car to the back side and bringing it down to a soft landing.
“Secure them. Send Monsta to me. And the two new vamps.”
“Booger and Broomhandle.”
“What? No. No stupid nicknames. I specifically chose enormous men to convert because I need a formidable army. You’re ridiculous, Peele. Just fucking send them to me.”
Scolded, Peele watched Felix disappear into the odd circular bunker they’d found between Seattle and Carmel. At one time, it had likely been built as a fallout shelter for the possibility of nuclear threat, but that had long ago been eliminated. It was, however, almost impossible to find, below ground and light tight.
“Come with me.”
Evaleigh looked at Jack. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? I got caught too, Eva. We’re not at fault, we’re just unlucky. How the hell did they know where to find us?”
“I don’t know. Probably some hidden tech. New shit is always coming out, and my security scans could miss it. Goddamit, Jack. I’m sorry. I should have kept us safe.”
“All we have to worry about now is how to get out of this. At least they didn’t kill us instantly.”
“Yeah, well, you know what that means for me.”
As they jumped out of the car, Jack knew what it meant. She would become a sex slave for Felix and his crew. The woman was beautiful, her breasts full, and that long blonde hair enticing. Had he not been with Ife, she would have been hard for him to keep his hands off. Felix and the others wouldn’t.
“There’s no way to warn the others.”
“Oh, they’ll know. As soon as we don’t come back, they’ll know why. We just have to try to survive until they can rescue us.”
“Sure. I’ll do whatever I have to do.”
Down a damp hallway and down several more steps made of concrete, long metal stairs took them deep underground.
“Where are we?” Jack asked, praying Peele was just dumb enough to answer.
“Fallout shelter. Your guys’ll never find it. Or you. Don’t even waste your time hoping.”
“Why haven’t you killed us?”
Blunt, Jack had no reason not to ask.
“Felix has his reasons.” Peele stopped moving to shove a hand under Evaleigh’s shirt, squeezing a nipple.
“And I have mine.”
He continued to lead them down the stairs, Evaleigh so furious, she was shaking. Could there be a way to defeat compulsion? Now, with her body feeling so strange, she wanted to investigate that idea. If it was possible, and she could pull it off, she would smash that fucking smug-ass bug in front of her.
Jack followed from the rear, in recon mode, and committed everything he could to memory. Getting out of this alive was going to take some serious motherfucking skill and luck.
At Buddy’s house
“Yeah, Kwano, something’s wrong. Fuck, I need Eva to hack into the market’s security feed. Let’s just get there and see what’s happened to them. Now, people!”
Sanquinetta barked orders to her team and within ten minutes, they were packed and ready to go. Jack and Eva were missing and they couldn’t be reached by fone.
Buddy watched the four remaining members of the hunting team load into his borrowed lift-car. “Good luck. I’ll see if my friend K.C. can come and help. He’s also a genius with computers.”
Pitching a bag of extra ammo into the car, Saul turned to his friend.
“Thanks, but Buddy, if they found Jack and Eva, they know where we are, and if they do, they’re likely to come here, so you need to clear out for a while. Any chance this K.C. can let you stay with him until we see what’s going on?”
“Sure. He’s a big partier and used to overnight guests. I’ll head over right now.”
“Good. We’ll keep in touch.”
Saul climbed into the car, taking a seat next to Dani, and pulled the door closed as Sanquinetta lifted off, spun and climbed into the air so fast, even if Saul had taken the time to put on his seat belt, he’d have been flung against the door.
He glanced at Dani, rigid, belted into her seat, worried, and ran his fingers over her arm. “We’ll find them, just as we did with you.”
She shook her head. “It’s not the same. Saul, you recognized my kidnapper. You had a good idea where to find them. With Felix, we don’t know where he’d take them. How could he have known where we were?”
“That I don’t know, but we’ll find out. First, we need those security feeds to verify what we think we already know. And we need to know if they…”
Saul trailed off, but Sanquinetta, brutally honest, finished for him. “If they killed them. It’s possible, based on what Quattro says. God. On that point, we need to find out what he knows about this.”
Dani leaned toward the front seats. “He can’t be guilty. We didn’t let him know where we were going. But he might know where we can find Felix. I’ll call him now.”
“You have a number to reach Quattro by?”
Laying a hand on his cheek, Dani tilted her head and smiled. “Yes, Saul, I do. This is a good thing.”
Punching up the number, Dani waited and nearly jumped when Quattro’s graveled voice came through the speaker.
“Quattro. It’s Dani. We have a problem. Jack and Eva went to the market today in Carmel, and they’ve disappeared. We are on our way there, but I need to know if you have any idea where Felix is.”
“I’m sorry, Dani, I don’t. I went back to the hotel we had been staying in last night, and they’ve cleared out. Fuck. Please, let me help search for them.”
Kwano suddenly looked at Dani. “He knows Felix’s life signal. He’s known him for a long time. Tell him to search for it.”
“What?”
“Hand me your fone. Quattro, first bloods have the ability to search and find certain life signal’s over long distances. Do you know how to do it?”
“No. I didn’t know that was a skill we had. Felix and I learned everything we know about first bloods piecemeal over the past centuries after we discovered what we were.”
“Ah. It’s simple, but it takes practice. You may need a conduit to help at first, and Dani would be capable. Quattro, can you come to us?”
“Sure. Let me know where to meet you.”
“At the Seaside Market in Carmel. I’ll send you details. Hurry, though. We have to find Jack and Eva as soon as possible or it may be too late.”
“I’m on my way.”
Kwano handed Dani’s fone back. “You heard what I told him. A first blood who is familiar with another first blood’s life signal can track it. Younger vampires usually have yet to learn the skill, but Dani, I think you can help him magnify and find Felix.”
“Tell me what I need to know. Anything for Jack and Eva.”
Saul sat quietly in his seat, prepared to do anything to find and protect his friends, too, but not thrilled that it involved close contact between Dani and Quattro again.
He felt her hand on his and looked into her eyes.
“I’m right here, Saul, always. Right beside you. You understand?”
When she had crawled into his bed this morning, he’d felt more at peace than at any other time in his life. Like he was walking down the right path and that finally, he wouldn’t have to walk that path alone. Dani’s hand on his reminded him that Quattro was no threat.
“I’m fine, beautiful. I’m actually amazingly fine.”
“So am I, Saul. Tonight, if we have reason to celebrate, I’ll show you how fine I am.”
For so many reasons, the right ones and the crazy ones, he needed this to go well. He loved Jack like a brother and felt a special bond with Evaleigh.
“We won’t lose them.”
Dani intertwined her fingers with Saul’s. “We won’t.”