I didn’t know Greg all that well, but I had a feeling we were going to get along just fine.
“Vampires,” I interjected before Hayley could muster up a sharp-tongued reply. “Revere was attacked by vampires. And before you tell me that’s impossible, save your breath and look around. They slaughtered an entire town overnight. An entire town.” I let that sink in for a minute before I continued. “You saw they did to people. What they did to our friends and our neighbors and our families.”
“But how do you know they’re vampires?” The question, asked in a snide tone that made me want to grind my teeth together, came from Becca, Hayley’s second-in-command. We’d had a few run-ins before. Suffice it to say we didn’t exactly get along.
“Because one of them bit me.”
With a collective gasp everyone recoiled as though I’d just admitted to carrying the bird flu. Even Hunter stepped a few inches to the side.
“You touched me!” Hayley cried. “Does this mean I’m going to turn into one of those – into one of those things?”
For God sakes.
Was this how I’d acted when Maximus first told me about the drinkers? If so, then no wonder he’d treated me with such disgust.
“There has to be an equal transfusion of blood.” Duh. “Listen, I’m only going to say this once and I don’t really give a shit if you believe me or not.” Taking my time, I made a point to look at each one of them in turn. Some – like Becca and Lacey/Livy – refused to meet my gaze, but the rest at least made a half-hearted effort to return my stare. “They’re called drinkers. Or at least that’s what they call themselves. They have silver fangs and their eyes turn bright blue when they’re getting ready to attack. They can only come out between sunset and sunrise, but they’re quicker than humans. Stronger too. They need to drink blood to survive, but they also enjoy killing just for the fun of it.”
I took a deep breath. My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty. I brushed them off on the sides of my shorts. “The one who bit me was named Angelique. She’s the one I killed. One shot to the head and one shot to the heart. That’s the only way to take them down.”
“Tell everyone why they’re here,” Hunter murmured.
I shot him a look. “I’m getting to that part.”
“Before she died,” I said, raising my voice so that it echoed down from the ceiling, “Angelique told me that Revere was some sort of test to see how quickly they could wipe out an entire population. They’ve done it before, in cities and towns all around the world. But this time they’re taking it one step further.”
“What – what do you mean one step further?” Rose asked. It was the first time I’d heard her speak since I’d entered the gym.
“This time they’re not stopping at one town or two towns. This time…this time they’re not stopping until they exterminate the entire human race.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Golden Boy
AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED, my announcement did not go over very well.
I was pretty sure Rose and the teacher believed me. Hunter did too. But the Jocks were on the fence and the Barbies – led by Hayley – flat out laughed in my face.
Bitches.
I bet they would be singing a different tune if one of them had been bitten by a drinker instead of me. Not that it mattered. I had done my part. I had said my piece. It wasn’t my job to convince them or make them see the light. They weren’t my responsibility. Which was exactly what I told Hunter when he tried to stop me from leaving.
“Lola, wait a sec.” Jogging down the hall after me he caught up just before I shoved open the custodial door.
“What?” I said flatly. “I have places to be and stores to loot. Let me go, Hunter.”
“Are you coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lola…”
“No, okay?” My black braid struck my cheek as I whirled around. “No, I’m not coming back. And you know why? Because I’m not going to sit around in a gym waiting to die. Those kids in there have no idea what they’re up against.”
“So help them understand. It might take a little while, but you can do it. I know you can.”
“Stop it,” I snapped.
He took a step back. “Stop what?”
“Stop looking at me with your puppy dog eyes. And put the damn dimples away. That shit might work with Hayley, but it doesn’t work with me.”
His smile deepened into a grin. “You don’t like my dimples? Girls love my dimples.”
“Guess I’m not a girl then. Listen Hunter, I can’t help you. I know you think I know what I’m doing, but I don’t. If I did my best friend would still be alive and my dad wouldn’t be missing.” And I wouldn’t have fallen for one of the bad guys. Turning away from him I pushed open the door. Light flooded the hallway, causing me to squint and shade a hand over my eyes as I stepped outside. By my estimation I only had a few hours left before the sun went down. I still needed to pick up my stuff from the grocery store, stock up on supplies, and find a safe place to bunk down for the night. Standing around chatting it up with Revere High School’s football captain was so not on the agenda.
Unfortunately, it seemed no one had bothered to tell him that.
“Are you following me?” I demanded when I glanced over my shoulder and saw he was only a few feet back.
“Yep,” he said cheerfully.
“Why?”
“Because it occurs to me that there’s a pretty good chance I’ll die tonight, and I don’t want that to happen without getting to know you a little bit first. Do you know we’ve been in the same homeroom for three years straight?”
“No we haven’t.”
“Sure have.” Breaking into an easy jog he caught up to me just as I reached the empty parking lot. “You always sat in the back with that red-haired kid. Trevor.”
“Travis,” I said testily. “His name is Travis.”
“Sorry.” Hunter’s grin fell away. “Travis. He’s your best friend, isn’t he?”
“Was.” I was staring so hard at the pavement I wouldn’t have been surprised if it cracked wide open. “He was my best friend.”
“I’m sorry. I lost my best friend too, you know. On the first night. He was at Chubby’s with a few other guys from the team. I should have been there with them, but I was running late. Mandatory dinner with the parents. My mom’s always been weird about stuff like that. I was cutting across the old baseball fields to save time when I heard the screaming. It seemed like it came from nowhere and everywhere all at the same time, you know?”
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “I know.”
“By the time I got to Chubby’s they were all dead. Every single one of them. They…they had been ripped apart. Limb from limb. I threw up,” he admitted. “I’ve never done that before. Not unless I was sick. And I tried to call my parents, but my phone wasn’t working. I went straight back home. When I got there all the lights were off except for one. I could hear my dad yelling. He never yells, so I knew something was really wrong.”
I didn’t know why Hunter was telling me all this. We weren’t buddies. We barely even knew one another. But I guess sometimes it was easier to pour your heart out to a stranger than your best friend.
“I tried to open the door,” he continued, his voice flat and monotone, as though he was reading out of a text book, “but it was locked. We keep a spare key in a plastic rock. The really fake looking ones you see on the infomercials, you know? When I stood up to open the door I saw my mom in one of the windows and she…she had blood all over her face. She looked so scared. I’ve never seen her look so scared in my entire life, not even when I broke my leg at practice freshman year. I wanted to help her. I wanted to help both of my parents, but she looked up and she saw me and she told me to run. She begged me to run.” Hunter’s voice cracked as he dragged a hand through his hair. “So I did.”
Oh boy.
“There was nothing you could have done except get yourself killed.” Becaus
e he looked like he needed it, and because his story had touched me more than I cared to admit, I took Hunter’s hand. His palm was cold and clammy, but his grip was strong. “Your mom died knowing that she saved you. That has to count for something.”
“Maybe.” He cleared his throat. “Maybe not. I haven’t been able to make myself go back to the house since it happened. I don’t even know if their bodies are still in there.”
We’d reached the end of the parking lot. My hand still entwined with Hunter’s I stepped up on the curb. A light breeze toyed with my hair, brushing it away from my face as I struggled to think of the right thing to say. Except there wasn’t a right thing to say. Not really.
When someone dies in a car accident people blame the other driver or call it fate or say it was God’s will. But what about when someone is literally ripped limb from limb by a blood-sucking monster? What then? It wasn’t as if Hallmark made a ‘sorry your loved one was killed by a drinker’ card.
“It’s good that you haven’t gone back,” I said finally. “We need to move forward, Hunter. All of us.” I looked at him, half expecting to find his eyes glazed over with tears, but instead of sadness I saw a bright, burning anger so intense that it took my breath away.
“Hunter?” I said uncertainly. “Are you okay?”
“I want to kill them, Lola. I want to kill every single one of those murdering bastards.” His grip on my hand tightened to the point of pain. Wincing, I yanked my hand free and flexed my fingers. Golden Boy was just as strong as he looked.
“That’s a good idea in theory but–”
“You’ve done it,” he said simply.
I bit my lip. “About that–”
“I want to kill them, Lola,” he repeated. “And I want you to show me how.”
HUNTER FOLLOWED ME ALL the way to the grocery store. There was no way I was getting rid of him now. Not after what he had said. Because the truth was I wanted to make the drinkers pay for what they’d done every bit as much as he did. Maybe even more.
But I couldn’t do it alone.
Like it or not, it looked like I was going to be joining Hunter’s high school monster mash. We’d even struck up a deal of sorts. If I taught Hunter how to shoot he would help me find my dad. Since it would be literally impossible for one person to search the entire town, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
And yes, that was totally a reference to The Godfather.
Another benefit to teaming up with someone else? I could carry double the amount of supplies. When Hunter and I were done raiding the grocery store we had two shopping carts filled to the brim with an eclectic mix of his version of food (any fruits that were still salvageable, soup, and canned veggies) and mine (chips, cookies, and crackers – the three essential food groups). We loaded the bottom of our carts with water and headed back to the middle school with an hour or so to spare until sunset. It was cutting it a little close for my comfort, but Hunter seemed confident that once we reached the school we’d be perfectly safe in the gym and I had no choice but to trust him. After all, it wasn’t as if I had anywhere else to go. With the hotel off limits and my apartment completely ransacked, I was officially homeless.
“So what’s the deal with you and Hayley?” I asked as we pushed our carts side by side down the middle of Main Street. Of course my cart had a squeaky left front wheel and the high-pitched sound was driving me nuts.
“What are you talking about?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t play dumb with me, Billings. I saw the way she was looking at you. And the way she was looking at me when she thought I was looking at you.”
Hunter’s dimples flashed as his mouth stretched into a grin. “Were you checking me out, Sanchez?”
“As if. Hate to break it to you, but you’re not my type.” On the one hand it felt totally weird to be having a flirty conversation with Revere High School’s future prom king (although I think it was pretty much safe to say senior prom was completely out the window at this point), but on the other hand it felt completely and blessedly normal. After Maximus’ betrayal and Travis’ death and Dad’s little disappearing act I needed this.
“What is your type?” He glanced sideways, green eyes thoughtful as they studied me beneath a tousled fringe of blond hair. “The only guy I ever saw you with was Travis. Were you two…you know.”
“Me and Travis? No way.” For the first time in a long time I actually laughed. “We were best friends. He wasn’t my type either.”
“So? Who is your type? Everett James?” His grin turned sly. “Don’t look so surprised. I saw you two hooking up behind the bleachers during a few football practices. You weren’t as sneaky as you thought, Sanchez.”
“We weren’t trying to be sneaky.” I rolled my shoulders back. They were starting to stiffen up from pushing the cart. “What do you care, anyways? I didn’t know you were so fascinated by my love life.”
“Not fascinated,” Hunter corrected. “Just curious. You’re an interesting girl, Lola.”
He had no idea.
“Can we stop for a sec? I need some water.” Shoving my cart up against a blue pickup truck I pulled out a water bottle, popped the top, and retreated to the sidewalk. After grabbing his own bottle of water Hunter did the same.
“Move over,” he said, nudging my thigh with the toe of his sneaker. “Don’t be a shade hog.”
“A shade hog?” I tilted my head back and lifted a brow. “In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s more than one tree.” Like most of the streets in Revere, Main Street was lined with dogwood trees spread out every twenty feet or so. In the spring they were covered in pink blossoms and in the winter the town always loaded them up with white twinkling lights. It was pretty, I guess, if you were into that kind of thing.
“I don’t want to sit over there. I want to sit here.” And without waiting for an invitation he sat down right beside me, so close our naked calves brushed before I quickly moved my legs out of the way.
One thing that goes by the wayside during a vampire apocalypse?
Shaving.
“Good idea to take a break. I always forget how hot it gets during the summer.” Hunter wiped his forehead with the bottom of his t-shirt and I couldn’t help but stare at his flat, golden brown abs. If I’d thought he was in shape before, it was nothing compared to what he looked like now. Running for his life had definitely done his body good.
“Like what you see, Sanchez?” he said, grinning as he caught me oogling his six-pack.
“Yeah,” I said without a hint of shame. If I was going to die tonight – always a distinct possibility – what was the harm in treating myself to a little eye candy? I was a healthy teenage girl with raging hormones. Drinkers or no drinkers, that wasn’t about to change. Unless of course one of them killed me. That would probably put a dent in things.
“Me too.”
I would have thought Hunter was being conceited, if not for the fact that he was looking straight at me when he spoke. And boy, could he look. I never thought eyes could really smolder, but Hunter’s did.
My stomach erupted in butterflies as a slow, suggestive smile curved his mouth and he started to lean in closer…and closer…and close–
“Did you hear that?” A cat sprayed with a hose couldn’t have jumped up any faster. My water bottle went flying as I whirled around and stared hard into the bushes framing a two-story brick colonial with blue shutters and a bright yellow door.
“Smooth, Sanchez,” Hunter said dryly. “Real smooth. If you didn’t want to kiss me you could have just–”
“Shut up!” I hissed. I heard Hunter’s sharp intake of breath when I pulled out my gun. “I think I heard something from inside that house.”
Hunter’s longer shadow fell over top of mine as he stood up beside me. “Are you sure? I didn’t hear anything.”
“I’m sure.” Or at least my gut was, and after ignoring it one too many times I was more than ready to listen to it now. “It sounded like something got knocked over.”
In an instant my mind flashed back to the night Travis and I had tried to steal a car out of some yuppie’s driveway. We’d heard a crash then too…followed by a blood-curdling scream. It was a sound I would never forget.
“Do you think someone’s in there?” Hunter asked. I could all but feel the waves of tension vibrating off his body and suddenly I was very, very grateful that he’d come with me to the grocery store. Facing the unknown was hard but facing it alone was even worse.
“Only one way to find out.” Holding the gun in my right hand, I used the left to open the fancy wooden gate at the end of the walkway. Hunter followed me, his sneakers lightly slapping against the gray paving stone.
Every hair on the back of my neck was lifted as we approached the front porch, but I was more aware than frightened. After all, it was still daylight and the drinkers couldn’t come out in the daylight which meant whatever was moving around inside the house had to be human.
Or so I told myself.
If I had been paying attention – really paying attention – I might have had some idea of what waited for us on the other side of the door. Unfortunately, small details weren’t exactly my strong suit.
“Do you want to knock or should I?” I asked Hunter.
“Are you sure we should knock at all?” He eyed the doorknob as though it was a rattlesnake coiled up and ready to strike. “We don’t know who’s in there.”
Was I sure?
No.
Was I still going to do it?
Absolutely.
“It could be a doctor or a policeman or someone who actually knows what the hell is going on. Or a poor dog that’s slowly starving to death. Either way, we should find out.”
There was an equal mixture of apprehension and admiration in his green eyes when he looked down at me. “Okay. Let’s do it. But stand over there behind the door. If someone is in there chances are they’re going to be a little surprised to see us and I don’t want them to shoot you by accident.”
“Looking out for me?” I drawled, batting my eyelashes. “What a gentleman.”
The Lola Chronicles (Book 2): A Day Without Dawn Page 5
