“I think I can force your change when I am in your immediate proximity. If this is the case, you will no longer be at the mercy of your cycle. But this depends on how close you are to me. If you move out of range—and I haven’t tested this range, so don’t ask—I will not be able to affect your change.”
“In that case,” Dylan said. “I am never leaving your side.”
Maggie laughed.
As the discussion tapered off, and everyone began to disburse, Maggie and Dylan entered into a more one-on-one conversation.
Randal headed out in search of his nightly meal.
David played with Gardner for a while, but when the hunger began to set in, he too headed out. Antony went with David.
A few hours passed, and the group slowly began to merge again. Randal had been the first to return, and he played with Gardner, giving Maggie a break. But the day approached, Maggie took Gardner back from Randal so he could hide from the sun.
When the vampires were all safe for the daylight hours, Dylan sought out Maggie. She was in the nursery with Gardner, cleaning up the toys Randal had left out.
“He may be a vampire, but he’s still nothing but a kid.” She smiled. Dylan smiled, too; but she could see there was something else on his mind. “What is it?”
“Will you go for a ride with me—you and Gardner?”
“Okay.” She was intrigued.
Dylan wouldn’t tell her what he had planned, but he drove the RAV4 out of Philadelphia. He took her back to Delaware—back to the group home where he had been living when Antony had first found him. He took her to the room where he had been staying.
The people in the group home, residents and worker alike, showed their surprise at seeing him again.
The social worker in charge of his care, Mary Butler, actually cried with tears of happiness when she saw him.
“Dill, you’ve come back to us.”
“Only temporarily, I’m afraid.” Dylan opened the door to his room. “I’ve found friends who are willing to take me in. I’m homeless no more.”
Mary hugged him. She then turned to Maggie. She cooed at Gardner, making the baby laugh. Dylan introduced his new friends to Mary.
Mary returned her attention back to Dylan. “I’m so happy for you. I have some paperwork for you to fill out before you.”
“Sure,” Dylan said.
Mary made one last face to get Gardner laughing and then walked away. Maggie followed Dylan into the room.
She looked around in shock and surprise. One whole wall of the room was covered in newspaper clippings and sticky notes with messages scrawled on them. There were maps as well, with red pushpins stuck to them and red yarn that seemed to depict pathways. Maggie studied it carefully.
“What is all this?” she asked.
“It’s everything I know about the movements and habits of the werewolves that killed my friends. The beasts that did this to me, to us. I’ve been hunting them for years, and I think I have finally tracked them back to their den.”
“Where are they?” she asked.
“I think they are in New Mexico. I haven’t quite pinpointed them down to an actual address, but I’m sure that’s where they return when they aren’t killing innocent campers.”
Maggie turned away from the wall and looked at him. “We’ll help you with all this. If that’s what you want.”
“It is. And I’ll be eternally grateful for any help you can give, thank you.”
She helped him collect all the material from the wall. They were careful not to disrupt the flow of the information. He had no names, but he had in-depth descriptions of all the werewolves in their human forms. He also knew that there was another werewolf that had not been at the sight of the attack on his friends. She was the allusive alpha She-wolf—a silver haired old woman.
Once all Dylan’s belongings were boxed up, he headed to the office to sign the paperwork Mary had requested of him. Maggie waited in the car. When he came back out to the car, they drove home.
Dylan took his boxes to his new room inside the house on Lansdowne Drive and Maggie took Gardner to the nursery.
When he was finished putting his things away, there was a knock on his door. He opened it and let Maggie into the room. She held a baby monitor in her hand.
“I’ve just put Gar down for a nap and now I’m bored.” She said tis in explanation of her presence there.
Dylan started to say, “I was thinking about what you said…” But he was forced to stop mid-sentence when Maggie began to kiss him. She led him to the bed.
“I said I was bored,” Maggie said. “And talk is boring.”
Dylan needed no convincing to get undressed, and he climbed into bed with her. He mounted her roughly, suddenly wanting to be inside her as quickly as possible. Maggie spoke softly into his ear and she calmed him down just a little. But quelling his eagerness was a losing battle, and she gave in to his harsh techniques, deciding that his painful nips and bites were quite arousing. She gasped as he bit into her shoulder. The sex was hot and frantic, and although it did not last long, the coupling was satisfying for both. They fell asleep entwined in each other’s arms, sweaty and panting.
Maggie woke when the baby monitor began to emit the sounds of Gardner stirring in his crib. Maggie pulled herself out from under Dylan’s sleeping form and found her clothes. Before dressing she examined the teeth marks all over her body. They were healing quickly. She picked up the monitor from the bedside table and carried it with her to the nursery.
Gardner played in his crib. She picked him up and carried him downstairs.
Night came and the vampires rose.
The minute David spotted Maggie he knew something was different about her. He asked her why she wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“It’s nothing,” she said. “Drop it.” Her tone was annoyed but she was smiling.
David sat down next to her. He played with Gardner even as he spoke to her. He spoke softly, so only she could hear him. “I take it you and Dylan had an interesting day together. I might even have to believe it was an exciting, energetic day. Did something happen that I might need to know about?”
Maggie blushed, looked at Dylan, and then back at David. “I don’t know what you mean.”
David’s voice became slightly louder. He might have been trying to allow Dylan to overhear. “I’m not saying there’s something wrong with the two of you getting friendly. I’m actually glad to hear it. I think you know I have strong feelings for you, but we also both know I can’t give you what you want. If he can, I’m happy for you both. That’s all I’m trying to say.”
“Thank you for that.” Maggie smiled and kissed his cheek. She then stood and walked out of the room, carrying Gardner with her.
David stood and walked over to Dylan. He smiled down at the cowering man.
Dylan started to speak. “Listen, I—”
“Don’t look so worried,” David said, interrupting him. “I approve.”
Dylan let out a long, sighing breath as David walked away.
26.
His name had been Milo Curtis once upon a time. But then the monster had come along and drained him of blood, allowed him to rise again as another blood drinking monster, and now he no longer carried the name Milo. He was now known as the Dark Master’s Number Seven. He didn’t complain about losing his name and becoming a number; he had seen firsthand what happened if he had.
And Seven understood the dangers of his new life. The creature that had created him was a tricky and volatile fellow, to say the least. Actually, he was a complete nut case. Number Seven had to tread very lightly around him, or else end up like the last fool who dared to challenge the Dark Master’s authority.
There had also been the mysterious deaths of those who would never wake again. A rash of unexplained deaths had rocketed through the Dark Master’s numbers like wildfire. Those deaths seemed to have stopped after the death of the female known as Number Four, however. And with any luck they would not start up aga
in.
Number Seven stood in his designated place in line as the Dark Master inspected the troops.
“The time to attack is drawing near. We have not yet located their lair; so tonight, and every night henceforth, we must go out into the night and search for their whereabouts. We know who they feed on, and we know how they do it. We just don’t know where. We must be diligent in our hunt. We must find out where they are hunting and how to track them. We will keep our vampire eyes and ears tuned to every bit of information we can wean from the townsfolk. Who is talking about killers and pedophiles going missing? Where are the stories most concentrated? Once we pin down their location we will close in and strike. Before heading out for the night, I would like to see you all working on your formation. We must first dazzle them with our footwork, and then we will close in for the kill when they least expect. I must go out now and find a lowly hobo to feed from, thanks to those interlopers. I so despise hobos. I long to return to the families I love, so let’s get this conflict resolved quickly.”
The group broke up to do what had been demanded of them, and the Master headed out in search of his own meal.
The minions dispersed. Underling Seven, in particular, knew something the others didn’t. He had been monitoring police reports for missing persons and unidentified murder victims that had been drained of blood and decapitated. Number Seven had originally looking for his own contribution to the list, but instead what he had found was a distinct and obvious pattern that led him to the steps of the Philadelphia Police Department. The FBI was investigating as rash of disappearances involving pedophiles. This made Number Seven curious. No one cared about the missing sex offenders, and even the FBI’s investigation stank of disinterest, but this investigation was unquestionably due to the work of the group his Dark Master hunted. The perpetrators of this serial crime were in no danger of being discovered, though. The FBI placed this investigation at their lowest priority rating.
For Number Seven, however; this was priority Number One.
Number Seven was using the authority’s information to track the pedophile hunters right back to their lair. He already knew they had been hunting heavily in the Allentown area. But the data suggested the group had moved on from there, heading south. He had tracked the group to western Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Philadelphia took him much too far from his own lair, and put him in danger. This limited his tracking time drastically. But being the quick thinker he was, Number Seven devised a plan. He raced to Philadelphia, hunted quickly, and took three homeless men who had been living in the sewer. Having satisfied the hunger, he then located an alternate lair. He found a hole in the ground that would do nicely. He used a cement slab to cover the hole, sealing him in.
Upon waking, he removed the slab. With the extra time the makeshift lair provided, Number Seven located an internet café and searched the FBI database for the required information. Once he was sure he had what he needed, Number Seven headed out to track his prey. Along the way he fed. The Master would possibly punish him for not returning as per regulations, but if Number Seven succeeded in locating the enemy, he was sure the Master would forgive his momentary lapse of protocol.
Number Seven began hunting the very pedophiles his enemy seemed to cherish as a favorite food source. His plan was to hunt what they hunted and thus bring him into their orbit. This was decidedly dangerous, but it was worth the risk.
And the risk paid off.
He spotted three of the monsters just in time to keep from being spotted by them. He concealed himself in the shadows and watched. The vampires were very good at what they did. He recalled hearing the Master tell the group about the small roped boy he had lost. And now he was seeing the boy with his own eyes. But this boy was no wild child the master had described. This boy had obviously perfected the craft of killing. He continued to stay well out of sight as he followed the monsters back to their lair.
Seven smiled devilishly. He had them.
Seven returned to the makeshift lair and slept. When he woke, he fed quickly and raced back to The Master. He was not greeted with the pleasantries of a returning friend.
The Master gripped him by the throat as he entered the nest. The others watched with interest. They enjoyed a good execution.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t just bend your neck right here and end you for disobeying my direct order to always return to the nest at dawn?” the Master asked.
“Because if you do, you won’t know what I know about those you seek,” Number Seven replied.
The Master released him unharmed.
“Tell me,” The Master said.
“First promise me that you will allow me to be the first to attack.”
“Done.” He said. “Now tell me.”
Number Seven relayed what he knew, then walked away, to be questioned by the others. They were curious to know how he had done what they could not.
The Master turned to his Number One. “Poor sap,” the Master said and laughed.
“What do you know?” Number One asked.
“I know that the first one through that door is going to be the first to die.”
Number One smiled, and nodded in agreement.
27.
Maggie had been fixing a cup of tea when the image hit her. She dropped her cup and gripped the side of the counter. His presence hit her like a hammer in her head the minute he entered within range of her power. When she felt steady on her feet again, she rushed into the living room. “He’s coming. And he’s not alone. I count twelve with him.”
“Okay, we are prepared for this,” Antony said. “Randal, as much as I know you will want to be here to confront him; you must protect Gardner. You will take Gardner to the house in New Jersey.”
Randal frowned, but nodded his acceptance.
David said, “Do you know when they will get here? How much time we have?”
“No more than a half an hour at most,” Maggie said.
Half an hour? Not a lot of time, David thought.
Preparations were started. Randal and Gardner were sent out. Randal was a prime target for the vampire and Gardner was too vulnerable, so there was no way either of them could be there when the confrontation started.
Maggie was confident she could control the transformation of her wolf, and Dylan’s as well, when the attack came. To be safe, however; Antony requested that they stay out of sight while still in their human form. Until they were wolves and could protect themselves, he wanted them out of the way. The werewolves agreed that it was a good idea. It would also be a major surprise when the Dark One learned that the vampires would not be fighting alone.
Antony set out bear traps around the house to slow the attackers. He was not sure if any of this would be effective but he needed to try. He reminded David and the others to avoid the traps.
Antony wondered what the others knew about him, and his group; how much intelligence had they acquired? Did they know about David and the werewolves? And what about Randal and Gardner? Were they heading into a trap? Antony forced these questions out of his head. Instead, he concentrated on what he could control. The Dark One knew about Maggie and her abilities, and would be prepared for that, but did he know about the werewolves? Antony had to assume that the possibility existed that the enemy knew more than just their location.
Within the hour everything was set.
All that was left to do was wait for the attack to come.
The air in the room was stale and dry. Dylan coughed, and everyone looked at him. He shrugged apologetically. The room grew quiet again. No one moved. The ticking clock on the wall was the only sound. It was deafening.
Maggie closed her eyes and then opened them again. “They’re here.”
She and Dylan headed to the basement.
Moments later the first vampire to attack destroyed the door with one massive kick. The solid oak door was the first casualty. It blew inward and shattered into pieces against the far wall. David had to duck out of its way as it flew past him. The
kicker stormed through the threshold and promptly walked into Antony’s waiting arms. The vampire’s head was torn from its neck. The poor creature never even saw it coming.
Then the house was suddenly full of vampires. Four of the creatures lined the front of the room, near the broken doorframe. Antony had stepped back to stand next to David. David unsheathed his katana with a flourish. The vampire closest to David smiled, winked, and then motioned for him to bring it on.
In all, eleven vampires flooded into the house. The creatures moved in unison, stepping forward, then to the side; and then stepping back again. It was a well-choreographed formation and worked to disrupt the two defenders as they tried to keep track of who was standing where. To David it looked like a bazaar country line dance.
“Nice moves,” David said and swung his katana, forcing a vampire to dodge the blade. “I can cut you in half no matter where you’re standing.”
The vampires then broke into three groups: two groups of four, and one group of three. Apparently, the gap in the third group’s formation was for the headless husk still resting in front of the door. The defenders were clearly outnumbered, but still the attackers did not make a move; they simply continued circling the front of the room in their macabre, synchronized dance.
The last vampire to enter the house was their leader, clad in a brown trench coat and cowboy boots. He carried his ivory capped staff as he weaved in and out of the undulating horde. David stepped forward brandishing his katana in front of him like a shield. He watched as the smug look on the tall vampire’s face faltered.
“I know you.” He sneered. “I killed you.”
“I survived,” David said.
“I should have decapitated you. Well, you won’t be able to make that claim for long.” The Master turned his back on David. He stepped into his group of vampires. “Kill them all.”
A wave of vampires rushed forward. David kept his attackers at bay by swinging his katana, cutting and chopping at the air, and driving back the advancing horde. Antony was standing to his left, and any vampire that tried to duck under the blade would have to deal with him. David now displayed a few moves of his own, and twisted to the right. He quickly spun back to the left, rolled over Antony’s back, and then popped up on Antony’s other side. He decapitated the unsuspecting creature standing there.
Immortal Coil: A Novel (Immortal Trilogy Book 1) Page 21
