“How the fuck was Gareth Graytooth still alive!” Abner asked. He stepped into the elevator covered in blood.
“We haven’t been able to kill him he’s vastly powerful and a key component of Tal’davin’s operations,” Gerard said. “You look like you’ve been through hell.”
“I have and do you mean to tell me in the last almost five hundred years you haven’t managed to cut the head off any snakes in his operation? What kind of Hunters are you!”
“The underfunded and living in fear type,” Gerard said.
“I thought you said you had plenty of funding from Valdmire,” Abner said. “And if you’re not living in fear you’re not doing your job properly.”
“This is the most daring raid we’ve undertaken in recent memory,” Gerard said. “We almost didn’t make it out alive. We’re not like you who can do this day in and day out. We don’t have Vampire blood to help us.”
Abner rounded on the visibly older Hunter. “You what?”
“We don’t have Vampire blood to help us,” Gerard said.
“So that explains the clear lack of vials throughout your dens,” Abner said. “When was the practice stopped? That’s what made other Hunters on par with the Vampires or better than them.”
“Tal’davin outlawed any selling, producing or using of Vampire blood outside his own interests at least two hundred years ago. It was one of the first things when he first took full power of Taagras,” Gerard said.
“So, you’re fighting some kind of shadow war against him, yet you follow his laws like a dog follows its master?” Abner asked. “I’m amazed you’re still fighting at this point in time.”
“You might not know this Abner, but before the Sauriaan Huntrey fell under his boot, Gunthos commanded that we wait for your return,” Gerard said
“Gunthos lived through Tyrain’s fall? He was a good man.”
“Indeed, he did. Led the final battle in Sauria against Tal’davin. He and his wife, Tori had three children, all of whom were slaughtered in the battle,” Gerard said. “According to our records we lost the majority of our predominant families on that day. Then in the years that followed the rest were destroyed as well.”
“It’s time we corrected that trend,” Abner said.
The elevator bell rang out again and they had reached the ground floor. The doors slid open to reveal the lobby and their way to freedom. Apart from the Vampires in their way. The lobby was filled with them. Abner drew his sword and walked out towards them.
“Dale, open up the lobby!” Gerard said.
“Roger that!” Dale said.
The first bullet shot through the glass, mostly to the sound of silence, splattering a Vampire’s brains all over his fellow. The glass window shattered and fell to the floor in pieces. A second later, a hail of bullets filled the room, sending Vampires scattering in every direction.
Abner thrust his sword him into the first approached him, moving the blade through its kidney and out the other side, leaving it exposed from a shot from Paige. He grabbed a second Vampire, running from Dale’s shooting and hurled it back into the crowd, only for Dale to fill it with holes seconds later.
The Hunters dashed across the lobby unscathed and burst out onto the street, leaving the bloodbath behind them. Vampires on the street were all racing towards Dale far atop one the residential building across the road. They swarmed up the building like ants trying to crawl from a nest.
“Dale, you’ve got company, get out of there now!” Gerard said.
Abner looked up to see the tiny black dot that was Dale move his rifle back over the lip of the building. Paige began to pepper the Vampires with gunfire, clearing a path for Dale to climb down safely. He appeared again over the ladder the Hunters had climbed up originally and instead of taking it step by step, Dale shot down the ladder like a bullet. As he neared the ground he suddenly stopped. He cried out and then continued to fall.
“Shit!” Gerard said.
He ran across the street, leaping over a car bonnet to his fallen friend. Abner and Paige were seconds behind him, dodging the cars that zoomed past. Dale had fallen in a heap, his limbs skewed out at awkward angles. Most of his body had landed on the bags he had carried across his back.
“Throw me in the van and let’s go,” he said.
“You’re in no condition to move. You look like you’ve broken both of your legs,” Gerard said.
“Get the shit into the van, I’ll carry him in,” Abner said. “We need to move.”
Already the Vampires were turning and those that had reached the roof were making their way down the side of the building. Paige continued to shoot them sending no more than two bullet bursts towards them at a time.
“Paige, get in, we’re leaving!” Abner said. He picked up Dale and dragged him towards the back of the van. Gerard popped the locks on the back of the black van and Abner backed into it dragging Dale by his good shoulder.
The first Vampires dropped to the ground as Gerard climbed into the van with Abner and Dale. He flicked one of the pistols out of its holster and fired, leaving an orange hole in its chest. Gerard grabbed one of the doors and slammed it shut as another Vampire grabbed on to the roof.
“Paige, get us out of here!”
“Got it!”
The van took off, turning out onto the street, throwing the Vampire onto the ground behind them, being left covered in the Hunter’s exhaust fumes. Gerard slammed the other side of the van shut and sat down beside Abner.
“Dale, you didn’t listen to me, you dumb fuck. Now look at yourself,” Gerard said.
“Berating him won’t help him heal,” Abner said. “You don’t have any Vampire blood do you?”
“Told you, we’re not allowed to,” Gerard said.
“Well you’re about to start,” Abner said. “Get to the front, I’ll heal him but this won’t be pretty.”
Gerard crawled through the van and took a seat alongside Paige. “We were lucky to get out,” he said.
Abner unsheathed his sword and began to work. He stabbed Dale in the leg, making the Hunter cry out in pain again. Abner then cut his own hand with the blade and held it over the wound allowing blood to spill into it. Dale started to quiet, and he stopped moving, falling into an easy sleep.
“What did you do to him?” Gerard asked.
“Vampire blood has many amazing properties and can help strengthen us,” Abner said. “That’s why Tal’davin stopped anyone from using it outside his own inner circle. He doesn’t want you to be better.”
“Alright so what do we do with Dale now?” Gerard asked.
“He’ll be fine, he just needs rest and something to close the wound. Do you have any bandages?” Abner asked.
Gerard rummaged through the front of the car and pulled a white bandage from one of the compartment areas. He passed it back through to Abner who then lifted Dale’s leg and began to wrap it around the gaping wound. Once he was finished, he then used what he could of the bandage to make a sling, temporarily holding Dale’s arm in place while he slept.
Paige turned into the drive of the den and the garage opened for them, to find Gabriel standing there waiting with Ansel. He had a look of concern on his face and the boy also mirrored his expressions. When they were parked, Gabriel walked to the back of the van and opened the doors, looking down at the unconscious Dale.
“Did he pass out or did you put him to sleep?” Gabriel asked.
“Put him to sleep,” Abner said. “He didn’t lose any blood, I made sure of that.”
“Good, that’s one less thing to worry about. Help me carry him inside,” Gabriel said.
“He needs to see a doctor,” Abner said. “I managed to quicken the healing process with my blood, but I don’t know whether or not I did it properly.”
“You used your blood? What madness possessed you?” Gabriel asked.
“I heal faster than any other human alive. Have you never been injured and had Valdmire do the same for you?” Abner asked.
&n
bsp; “No, Gabriel said. “I take care of them, I am a doctor. We don’t know what Vampire blood does to humans. It appears those secrets were lost with the Hunters of old.”
“Evidently,” Abner said. “Grab his legs and I’ll take the rest.”
They shuffled into the den, ensuring not to run Dale into any walls. Gabriel led the way, leading Abner into a dark room towards the back of the den. He flicked on the lights to reveal a medical table and numerous pieces of medical equipment.
“Put him up on the bed,” Gabriel said.
He grabbed a tablet from a workbench and flicked it on and began running it over Dale’s lifeless body. A blue light came out from one end, revealing Dale’s skeleton through the clothes.
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!” Gabriel said. “I can already see some of the breaks beginning to heal themselves. I haven’t seen this fast a healing process since your brother stayed with us after he suffered his injuries at the hands of Tal’davin.”
“Brother? Do you mean Zarazenih?” Abner asked.
“He said his name was Zara, yes,” Gabriel said.
“And he’s still alive?” Abner asked.
“Yes of course, we have a tracker in embedded in his system. We didn’t know when or if you would return. It seemed like he only wanted to work with us when you had returned,” Gabriel said.
“Where is he now? Can we find him?”
“Of course,” Gerard said as he walked into the room. “For the most part as far as we know your brother has been hiding out in the wastelands not far from the city. He’s escaped our capture multiple times, yet Tal’davin toys with him, treating him like a rabid dog chasing him from one side of Taagras to the other. It’s a miracle he’s survived so long.”
“Tal’davin more than likely sees value in him,” Abner said. “That’s why he’s survived so long. It’s the only reason why I’m still alive or not a lackey. He holds no connection to Tal’davin anymore, is that correct?”
“Couldn’t tell you,” Gerard said. He grabbed Gabriel’s tablet from his pocket whilst the doctor continued to examine Dale. A map opened up, appearing to be the terrain and wilderness kilometers south of the city. A red dot pulsed on the screen every few seconds. “Yep he’s still alive and kicking. On the run again by the looks of how fast he’s moving. I want to bring him in again to see if he’s willing to help us.”
“Your call, Gerard,” Gabriel said. “Don’t envy the fool that gets in his way like last time.” He rubbed his shoulder, remembering a painful memory.
“I’ve stopped him once before, I can do it again,” Abner said. “How are we going to get to him?”
“I’ll put a call into Valdmire,” Gerard said. “He’ll get us what we need.”
14
Brothers Reunited
The able-bodied Hunters gathered on the roof of the den a short time later, all waiting for something. Gerard had a small smirk on his face as he looked to the skies. Moments later, Abner heard a buzzing sound which grew louder with each second that passed, turning into a rumble. He saw a red and black longer, version of a car hurling through the sky towards them, suspended by what appeared to be a large propeller swirling above it.
“What the fuck is that?”
“That’s a helicopter, Abner,” Gerard said. “A good way to get around if you’re needing to make an early exit, like you will be. Stand back!”
The helicopter turned side onto the Hunters and came to land in front of them in the circle marked on the roof. Abner covered his ears, the noise almost unbearable until the rotors came to a stop. Gerard motioned the Hunters forward and climbed into the machine from the side. Abner and Paige followed him, ducking inside.
“Greetings, children!” Valdmire waved from the cockpit. “Welcome aboard. Let’s go catch a wolf, huh?”
Gerard and Paige lowered a headset down over their heads and motioned for Abner to do the same. The rotors fired up again and the helicopter began to shake under Abner. The doors slammed shut on either side of him, trapping them inside. Valdmire lifted the helicopter into the sky and turned towards the southwest. Mountains laid stretched out before them and Abner could see the untamed mess that was the wilderness.
“You got an ETA until we come across Zarazenih?” Valdmire asked.
“Won’t be long,” Gerard said. “A little longer if he keeps heading the way he’s headed.”
“We’ll catch up to him don’t stress,” Paige said. “Have you got the rifle ready?”
“Would have been good if we’d had Dale to take the shot,” Gerard said. “But shit happens, I guess.”
Paige looked down at the tablet she held in her hand. “We’re closing on him and rapidly. Abner are you ready to make the jump?”
“You want me to jump out of this thing?” Abner asked.
“Well yes, we don’t want him running away from us or attacking us again. First contact is all on you,” Gerard said.
The helicopter zoomed over the fields and the blinking that marked Zarazenih’s location continued to increase. They flew over a mountain and before them on an open plain half a dozen trucks chased after a speckle of white in the distance.
“Explains why he was running then,” Paige said. She pulled a bigger rifle down from the weapons rack and checked the under barrel, inserting a grenade into it. “I’m ready to go.”
“Get us in between them and the wolf!” Gerard said.
He got out of his seat and moved back to join Abner and Paige. Paige grabbed another rifle and passed it to him. Valdmire flew over the chase, Zarazenih, looking up barely paying attention to them. He changed course and continued to run, heading towards the mountains.
“Open it up!” Valdmire said. “Abner get to work!”
Gerard slid one of the doors open and opened fire, the first of the grenades falling just short of the first truck. Abner with his toes over the edge looked down, having flashbacks to the Renori Arena many years ago. This was nowhere near the fall, yet still sent shivers down his spine. Gerard saw him hesitate and with a push had sent the ground rushing up to meet him.
Abner tucked his legs up under him and slammed into the first car, his weight collapsing the bonnet. He ran up the windscreen and attacked the Vampire sitting behind the net launcher that was sticking out of the roof of the vehicle. The Vampire stood in a cut out and a second later Abner was in his place. He turned the launcher and fired at the next truck in line.
The net wrapped itself around the truck, the driver over compensating, turning it into a spin as the net was wrapped up under its two front wheels. It flipped and took out the truck beside it. Abner let out a yell, as he felt Vampire claws rip across his leg. He ducked down into the cabin and reached forward grabbing the wheel, swiping at the Vampire.
He sent the truck into a spin, one behind it smashing into the rear. Abner smashed into the seat as the Vampire’s head went through the glass window. Abner recovered and kicked out the side door. He picked himself up and shot out the back as the Hunters from the helicopter fired another shell. A third truck exploded and now Zarazenih turned to see the chaos behind him.
The wolf let out a howl and charged the closest truck to him only to have it explode as he drew near. Valdmire swung the helicopter around again, with Paige and Gerard both firing a single shot, reducing the remaining trucks to smoldering ruins. Zarazenih came to a stop before Abner and began to shift into the massive white haired human form Abner remembered. Much like his brother, Zarazenih hadn’t aged a day save for several scars that ran around underneath his jaw. He wore a torn leather jacket and long black pants.
“Ah brother, you’ve come back to the world at last,” Zarazenih said. “What took you so long?”
“Our father kept me trapped in an underground facility. Can’t remember anything that happened until I woke up,” Abner said.
“Well you’re back and that is the main thing,” Zarazenih said. He smiled and stepped closer to Abner with his arms outstretched.
Abner returned th
e embrace, being crushed against his brother’s much larger frame. “It’s good to see you too, Zarazenih. These last few days have been insane.”
“I can imagine,” Zarazenih said. “It’s been over four hundred years since you’ve graced this world with your presence and now I’m confident we can stop Tal’davin.”
Abner frowned. “You know that he rules the fucking world right? And I’ve only got so many Hunters at my disposal.”
Zarazenih looked up at the helicopter that was now coming into land. “Ah of course, the Sauriaan contingent. There’s not very many left is there?”
“I intend to return the Huntrey to its former glory,” Abner said.
“I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you,” Zarazenih said. “I spent time with Gunthos after Tyrain fell and fought with him in Sauria. He said that when you returned and found our world in this state you’d do the right thing and bring the Hunters back into the fold.”
A gun shot rang across the plain and Abner turned to see a Vampire fall to the ground. Gerard walked towards it with his rifle pressed into his shoulder. He fired another two shots into the turned over truck.
“Area clear!” he called out.
“Ah, the last remaining Sauriaans,” Zarazenih said.
“That’s us wolf,” Gerard said. “I’m pleased to see you’re still alive.”
Zarazenih laughed. “We were Tal’davins first proper experiment. He wouldn’t destroy me unless he thought there was no purpose for us anymore. The rest of my brothers are still thrall to his will.”
“Wait there’s still more of you?” Abner asked.
“Ah of course, you had quite the trouble with us in the past. I hope you’re ready to make the Huntrey great again, brother. I can handle my kin for you, but we’ll need to dismantle Tal’davin’s operations and we can only do that with numbers. Even if you manage to find humans who are willing to take up arms with you, none of them will be good enough.”
“We can start harvesting Vampire blood again if we need to,” Abner said. “I have no problems with overstepping the line and breaking the law.”
The Toldar Series Box Set Page 67
