Awkward silence followed. Victoria was done with Mike and his two associates. The typical next course of action was very clear. Jack would have already done it.
But it wasn’t her decision.
“Karen,” she said. “These men broken into your house. Adam, whether he’s the only one responsible, or if there are more, they’re after you. What do you want me to do?”
She didn’t understand what Victoria was referring to.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you want me to kill them?”
Her hand trembled as she brought it to her mouth.
“W-What?”
“Kill. Do you want me to kill them?”
“Do it,” Mike hissed, his gaze locked on Karen. “You bitch.”
Grabbing his hair, Victoria gave his head a slam on the floor. Not enough to kill him, but enough to send him back to unconsciousness.
“Hush.”
Victoria stood up, stretching her lean legs, and waited for Karen. The attention made her uncomfortable.
“I … don’t want to hurt anyone else. Not human. Not a vampire.”
“Huh? What?” Harold said. “Vampire?”
Victoria ignored him.
“Of course, you don’t, because you’re a good person. Karen, I’m going to deal with this the best way I can. I’ll find Adam, have a talk with him. But these men, they may come for you again. I might not be able to stop them forever.”
Karen stared at the men, and Victoria admired her. Victoria didn’t see an evil human as she watched her the past few weeks. She didn’t see a woman consumed with murder. Her life was ripped apart, and she made some wrong choices trying to recover. An opportunist had taken advantage, and wanted to throw her away as soon as her conscience emerged once again.
“Don’t kill them. Please.”
“Okay. But you’re going to need to keep out of sight for a while. You can’t stay here. Harold, can you help her? Do you have any hiding places?”
He smiled.
“Plenty.”
Victoria reached into her jeans and pulled out a stack of cash. It took her a moment to count out the amount. She folded the money into Karen’s palm.
“That’s five thousand dollars. It’s not much, but hopefully will get you both through until I’m done.”
“What are you going to do?”
The to-do list swirled through her mind. She didn’t have the clean-up resources that Jack had. She tried her best not to leave as much of a mess as he did. But she knew people. A few calls would need to be made. Karen’s attempted murderers needed to be moved, dropped off in another town somewhere. There was plenty to do, but she wanted to get to Eleventh Avenue.
The first task was an easy one. She looked Karen up and down, studying her figure.
“Can I borrow some clothes? Maybe your shower?”
CHAPTER 2
THE TOWN OF Boyd was quiet as Victoria circled Eleventh Avenue three times. The old metal workshop was exactly as Harold described. She could smell the stench from the street. Rusted metal, used clothes and urine. She parked a block away and smiled at a passerby as he walked his dog.
Karen’s clothes weren’t her size, but at least she was clean. A pair of tan shorts, a tee shirt that didn’t cover her navel. She squeezed into a pair of panties, but had to forgo a bra. Her shoes had a spot or two of blood on them, but there was no way she was slipping into Karen’s footwear.
Victoria continued using her nose as she approached the old metal shop. More scents came into focus. Oil, wood, rotten food. Quiet whispers touched her ears, and she froze in place. She could only pick out a word or two, but it wasn’t the conversation she expected vampire hunters to have. A man and woman talked about the weather, and how someone named Phil owed the woman two dollars.
The fence surrounding the metal shop had seen better days. There were plenty of gaps and sections missing. She chose a hole and stepped into the yard where workers once parked their cars. Stepping over a dog’s bowel movement, she crossed the lot and headed for the first door she saw.
The conversation grew louder as she approached.
“You have to be joking. Phil? You got a thing for Phil?”
“What’s wrong with Phil?”
“He’s an asshole.”
“He’s a sweetheart. You’re just jealous.”
“Have you smelled him lately?”
“You don’t smell so great yourself.”
Victoria pushed open the door marked Receiving. A cloud of dust and a cobweb attacked her as she stepped inside. Her vision shifted, pushing the darkness away with gray. A fire crackled in the distance, behind some old machinery, as the man and woman arguing about Phil held sticks with unknown food to an open flame. She couldn’t identify the food, and that frightened her. There were ruined desks littered about. Wires were strung about the open floor with sheets hanging from them, creating separation or rooms. The scents of blood and sex were also in the air, two scents vampires were very familiar with. They often went hand in hand.
“Hey, I think someone’s coming.”
“What? Are you hearing shit again?”
“No. Over there.”
She willed her vision to return to normal. She didn’t want to terrify two humans by approaching with glowing red eyes. Flashing a bright smile, she pushed her way through the makeshift bedrooms and stepped over several old computers from twenty years ago.
“Hi,” she greeted.
The two squatters drew back, defensive. They weren’t like Harold, smiling and easygoing. Suspicion flashed through their eyes. They looked to be about Harold’s age. Despite arguing over Phil, they stepped closer to one another and held hands, as if protecting one another.
“What do you want?” the man said sharply.
“Nothing at all. I’m just looking for something. Is this place occupied often?”
“What do you care?”
Victoria clenched her fists, frustration finally seeping in. Obstacles, every step of the way. Was it so difficult to answer a simple question without resistance?
Her disarming disguise of a thirty-year-old human cracked. Her smile faded. The four-hundred-old vampire bubbled to the surface.
“Have you or any of your friends ever seen anything suspicious here? Maybe multiple vans? Armed men? Please, answer with a yes or no.”
They recoiled slightly, the fear apparent in their eyes. The change was subtle, but they could see Victoria was not just a woman that had gotten lost on the streets of Boyd.
“Yes.”
“Go on, please.”
“Sometimes people come here. Dressed like you, to be honest. All nice and pretty.”
Victoria smiled. If she saw Karen again, she’d compliment her choice in clothing.
“What do they do?”
“Nothing. When they see us, they leave. We don’t talk to them, they don’t talk to us.”
“They. Describe they.”
“Oh God, I don’t know. Just men. Some are rough looking. I’m pretty sure a few of them had guns. Others were more geeky, like they’d never touched a woman in their lives.”
“Hmm. I’m going to have a look around, if you don’t mind. Thank you for your help.”
“Uh, sure.”
She searched for an hour. The two residents left after twenty minutes, giving the place to herself. The feeling of foolishness crept over her as she searched. Perhaps she should have broken Mike’s other wrist, squeezed more information out of him. But she guessed he didn’t know much, only what Adam told him.
She made her way to an old supervisor’s office. Her red eyes cast a soft glow through the room. Shattered picture-frames were spread across the carpet. An old monitor sat busted in the corner. She nearly left when something caught her ear.
A quiet, short cough.
Freezing every muscle, she reached out with her senses. The only scent was the decay of the metal shop. She heard nothing.
But it wasn’t her imagination.
Victoria turned the office inside-out. She threw the desk out through where the glass window used to be. Turned over an old file cabinet. Grabbing a corner of the carpet, she ripped it from the floor.
There it was.
A wooden door was built into the floor. The door was new, as were the metal hinges holding it in place. Normally, Victoria would have smelled the fresh scent of lumber with no issues, but the surrounding stench interfered. It was a shame she’d made no werewolf companions over the centuries.
She gave the door a light tug, but it wouldn’t budge. A latch held it in place from the other side. Gripping it tighter, she pulled firmly, but quietly. The metal creaked as it bent. The wood splintered, revealing a ladder leading into a mass of darkness.
She moved cautiously, keeping her senses sharp and her eyes moving. The ladder groaned as she descended. There was a light switch off to the side, but she didn’t dare flip it.
It was more of a hallway than a room or basement. There were shelves on both sides, with nothing but dust and cobwebs. A string of lights ran along the ceiling. A closed door waited for her at the end, almost beckoning. Light spilled from underneath.
A shadow moved across the gap. Victoria wasn’t alone.
Another quiet cough, and she heard two voices talking. She couldn’t make out the words. A quick laugh. Two men.
She approached the door and listened. To her surprise, the doorknob turned without a fuss. She pushed it open.
Her eyes traveled across the room. It was a lab of some sort, a jarring sight. It was unlike the mess she had to walk through to get there. Bright white lights. Microscopes and exam tables everywhere, all organized. A collection of guns and crossbows hung in the back. Desks and computers were lined up along one wall.
On various exam tables, there were piles of dust. Victoria felt her heart sink. She knew what those piles were. On another table, a man wearing only underwear lay prone, a wooden stake protruding from his chest.
Two men leering at pornography over a computer looked up at her, their conversation and laughter stopping. One man sat at the desk, wearing a white lab coat. He frowned in confusion at the sight of Victoria.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
His companion hovering over his shoulder asked no such questions. He reached behind him into his waistband.
Victoria moved, but wasn’t quite fast enough.
He shot her three times, as she closed the distance. Once in the shoulder, and twice in the stomach. The agony gripped her. She’d been shot many times, by every type of firearm. It was never fun, but she’d live. There were only a few ways to kill a vampire, and gunfire wasn’t one of them.
Her pace slowed, but didn’t stop. The fourth shot went into the ceiling as Victoria gripped his arm and pointed it upward. Wounded or not, she was stronger than any single human. The man in the coat tried to sprint past to safety, heading for the door, but Victoria kicked him hard. He tumbled and fell, crashing into one of the exam tables. Vampire remains fell all over him as he collapsed to the floor.
The distraction was enough for the henchman to strike. Victoria turned just in time to see a flash of metal, then felt a sharp pain as he jammed a blade into the side of her neck. Her eyes went wide, feeling the cool knife touching her windpipe. She pushed back, almost wildly, shoving the henchman over a desk. Victoria collapsed to her knees, feeling her strength leaving her. She watched the blood pour from her throat into her hands.
The henchman recovered. He stepped forward, having unsheathed another blade. He aimed his gun and shot Victoria in the thigh. His movements spoke of experience. He’d fought vampires before. She tried to cry out, but it came out more of a gargle as more blood sprayed. Falling on her back, she stared up at the white lights. Everything hurt.
Her attacker grabbed a wooden stake and a mallet from a nearby table. He sneered as he dropped and pinned Victoria’s right arm under his knees.
“Just more dust for the pile,” he said.
She reached up with her free hand and grabbed his throat. With one twist, she violently ripped it out. Her plan to lure him closer worked, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt. Every movement was hard, and she could feel consciousness slipping away.
Some delicious nectar would fix all that.
She ripped the knife from her neck and pounced on him. Locking her fangs into his fatal wound, she drank all she could. Her latch wasn’t as tight as she’d prefer. Some blood escaped here and there. It wasn’t elegant and graceful like she was used to, but any feeding was a good one. His body shook. She wasn’t sure whether it was from his approaching death, or whether he was trying to escape. She locked her legs around him and gripped tighter.
The bullets popped from her flesh. Wounds knitted, her throat closed. Although he was dying, the henchman’s body reacted like any other from a vampire feeding. He let out a grunt as he ejaculated.
Victoria didn’t release him. His heartbeat and pulse slowed, until it stopped.
Only then did Victoria roll onto her back.
She nearly jumped to her feet, feeling like a new woman. Blood dripped from her fangs to her shirt. The soaked fabric stuck to her skin. Every nerve ending in her body was awake, charged.
Looking at her hands, she smiled. Crimson covered her once again.
“I should have just stayed naked,” she said.
The tech was nearly to the door, pulling himself along the floor. Victoria stalked him. She grabbed him by the ankle and pulled him back. He begged and cried, but she paid him no mind. She dragged him to the exam table where the lone vampire lay, comatose from the wooden stake.
With one easy heave, she gripped his shirt and hauled him to his feet.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
The human could barely speak. His lips shook, and Victoria knew it was only a matter of time before the urine came.
“R-Rian.”
“Rian. Look at your friend on the floor over there.”
“He’s not my friend.”
“Whatever. Do you see him? Do you want to end up like him?”
“No.”
“Then stay perfectly still. Okay? Don’t move.”
Rian trembled as Victoria released her hold. She turned her attention to the vampire. Physically young, somewhere in his thirties, but his true age was a mystery. Dark hair, medium build, the typical pale complexion all vampires shared. It took two pulls to free the stake from his chest.
His eyes shot open.
Victoria grabbed Rian’s arm and offered it to her fellow vampire.
“No—!” Rian shouted.
The vampire lashed out, nearly in a state of bloodlust. He gripped Rian’s arm and pulled him up onto the table. Fangs exposed, he reared his head back and clamped down. Rian struggled at first, but then the fight left him. His body slid from the table. The vampire held on at an awkward angle.
“Stop,” Rian protested weakly. “You have no right … ”
“Slowly,” Victoria encouraged. “I need him alive.”
The vampire released him. Rian slumped to the floor. Victoria held up the vampire by the shoulder, but it wasn’t necessary. His strength was returning. He took a few deep breaths as he licked a drop of blood from his fangs.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, thank you. I’m feeling better.” He looked up, and drew back at seeing Victoria covered in red. “Holy fuck. Are you okay?”
“I’m feeling quite awesome. I’m Victoria. Who are you?”
“Travis.”
She took a step back.
“Really? You’re Travis?” She smiled. “I know a lady who’d probably like to talk to you.”
He sat upright, regaining his posture. He flashed a confused look.
“Karen,” she said.
His confusion turned to anger, sadness, disappointment.
“Karen. She’s the reason I’m here to begin with.”
“Yeah, well, she’s the reason you’re getting out, too. She had a change of heart, bec
ause of you. Did you two have something special?”
“I thought so. Until those men broke into her house. I thought they were burglars, at first, until I saw the look on her face.” Travis’ eyes darted around the room, and fear took over. “We can’t be here. We need to get out. Now.”
Victoria shook her head.
“I have to know what this place is—”
He gripped her shoulders.
“No. You don’t understand. They’ve made some kind—”
The lights in the room changed. A quiet hum emitted from somewhere. Travis stopped mid-sentence, and his body froze.
Rian spoke from the floor.
“There,” he hissed. “How do you like that? You blood-sucking motherfuckers.”
He held something in his hand. It took a moment for Victoria to realize it was a simple smartphone. The latest model from Samsung. Confused, she took a step back from Travis. His hands were still outstretched from when he held her shoulders. Everything was still. Eyes, cheeks, muscles.
He couldn’t move.
She recognized the light that bathed them. Ultra-violet. His flesh should have been blistering, but it wasn’t.
Rian’s smile faded when he flipped onto his back and saw Victoria moving.
“How?” he said.
She wondered the same thing, along with other questions that began with the letter w. Snarling, she reached for him. He tried to crawl away, but didn’t get far. She grabbed the back of his coat and hoisted him to his feet.
“What is this?”
“F-Fuck you.”
Slamming him against the wall, she lifted him as far as her arm would allow. His feet dangled off the ground. He tried to grab her arm, to break her grip, but he’d find that was impossible. Victoria assumed her most menacing look. Full fangs and red eyes. The anger helped, as she was losing her composure.
“I’ll ask one more time. What is going on here?”
“It’s called science. Have you ever heard of it? Or are you too busy feasting on us?”
Victoria popped a claw on one finger. She moved it toward his right eye. He tried to pull away, turn his head, but he had nowhere to go. Ever so slowly, she moved it closer and closer.
“It’s a weapon!” he shouted. Victoria’s hand stayed. “Ultra-violet, with harmonics. Do you hear that noise?”
Damned and Cursed | Book 10 | Fallen Skye Page 3
