Slayers Inc.

by Brit Blaise

  "Perfect," I said and pulled the Glock up to shoulder level and, just for fun, printed a two-inch pattern over his head in the tree trunk behind him. The only thing missing was the apple on his head. To give him credit, at least this time Coop didn't eat dirt.

  Chevy had found a Jeep for us so we were in Santa Marta a little over a half-an-hour later. Coop gave up on the small talk after the first five minutes.

  What had I gotten myself into? Nobody said it was going to be easy, but I didn't expect it to be emotional shit. I also didn't anticipate a fling with a bad guy, so I deserved anything being shoveled my way.

  "Yam is still holed up at the hotel. We'll stop there first and stow some of our gear until we head for El Pajáro."

  I didn't say anything. If he thought he'd get me on a damned plane with Joe without a frigging battle, he'd soon find out differently.

  Yam seemed happy to see us when he answered the door. The Costa Azul Beach Hotel is four stories high with four rooms on each floor. We were on the second floor in room number three--my lucky number.

  "That was some dance. You didn't let me tell you yesterday. Sandoval and his mistress had a knock-down-drag-out after you and Coop disappeared."

  "It's nice to see you, too, Yam." I hadn't talked to him yesterday when he'd picked us up at the airport...and pissed me off in two seconds flat.

  "We'll be back to pick up this stuff," Coop interrupted and tossed our bags in the corner. "Right now, we have to find Jenna some clothes. We had to leave everything when we hiked down Pico Colón."

  "You didn't lose your dancing dress, did you?"

  "Sorry, Yam, but the dress is in a ravine in the mountains. If you want it, you'll have to get it yourself."

  Yam laughed. "Dancing naked would be a close second. What do you think, boss?"

  "She already shot at Chevy and me this morning," Coop advised. "I think you better save it for later."

  Yam motioned to the TV. "It's a soap opera. You're just in time to watch it with me."

  Great. Shopping or a soap opera in Spanish. What had happened to my luck?

  Coop took me to a little boutique with vine-covered, pink stucco walls and red trim right out of a fairy tale. If I thought I hated shopping in the past, Coop helped take the experience to a whole new level. I finally just told him to pick the clothes and left to wait in the Jeep. That lit a fire under him, and I regretted I didn't do it an hour earlier.

  "How about a bite to eat?" Coop asked as he joined me a couple of minutes later.

  I love shopping and eating in public after I've shimmied down the side of a mountain in the pouring rain, slept in a hut, had wild monkey sex and haven't had a shower. Too bad I don't get to do it more often.

  Chapter 8

  * * *

  "Jenna, I'm warning you," Coop shouted at me. "If you dare shoot at me again, I'll smash that plastic nightmare you call a gun."

  "I shot at you with my Glock, not this. And it's polymer, not plastic." I tried to hook the 1911 on my waist and almost dropped it. "I'm not holding it because I planned to fire at you again. I was trying to find a more comfortable place to carry. It's not easy to carry concealed in pink hip huggers." I hated the clothes he'd picked for me to wear.

  "You can always wear it at your ankle," Coop advised.

  "Oh, you'd love that. You know how hard it is to pull a weapon from an ankle rig. You did this on purpose. I've never seen such god-awful clothes. Were they having a pink sale? I guess I could wear the short-shorts. They may be cherry-blush, but at least they have a waist."

  "I didn't ask to buy your clothes."

  "No, you just kept tossing outfits over the dressing room door until I couldn't take it any more."

  "Joe has some of your things. Can you make the best of it until we get to El Pajáro? I was trying to be helpful."

  "Helpful? If I hear one more word about how unappreciative I am, I'll go ballistic. The only things you threw over the door were the kind of clothes a professional woman would wear. As in the oldest profession. If you knew me at all, you never would've insisted on taking me shopping. I hate to shop."

  Coop stood a step closer and puffed up like a blowfish. "Excuse me for not having John Wilson's impeccable taste and platinum card."

  Yam threw both arms straight into the air like a referee at a football game. "Touchdown."

  I can gesture, too. I flipped Yam off.

  "It's always about the money with you," I told Coop.

  "When did you two get married?" Yam asked.

  "What?" We both yelled in harmony.

  "Shut the hell up," Coop added.

  "You two are doin' each other then." Yam made another juvenile gesture with his fist, which made me want to puke.

  "She'll shoot you," Coop warned.

  I might have, but not if Coop wanted me to. "We don't have a relationship the way you mean," I said. Once again I was reminded I'd fallen, head-under-ass, for a werewolf, who was a vampire hunter to boot. What were the chances?

  I needed some time to myself. I headed for the door.

  "I really don't think you want to leave right now. You might miss the special evening I have planned for us."

  "How special?" Earlier, while talking to Chevy, they'd said they were good-to-go at midnight.

  "About as special as it gets. Trust me...you don't want to miss it."

  As it turned out, Coop had been telling the truth about missing out on an important part of our mission, after he threw the clothes he'd bought for me back into both bags and dared me not to come with him. I grabbed my gear--guns. We headed to the marina, where Raul was waiting in a speedboat.

  "This morning we learned Micos Sandoval plans to spend at least part of his night on his brother's yacht, alone with a friend."

  I gave Coop a glare after he finished. "You could've told me this earlier."

  "We were waiting for nightfall." Coop and Raul did this guy-eye-rolling thing, and I had a vision of the two of them bobbing up and down in the water, while I smacked at their heads with an oar.

  Raul started the motor and yelled above the racket. "A couple of the guys are monitoring every move Micos makes."

  Coop leaned back in his seat and propped his right foot up alongside the windshield. He locked his hands behind his head in a completely relaxed manner.

  I should've known he'd have it covered. We'd gone over at least a dozen scenarios for every move we could possibly make in Colombia. He was not a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy. Except for the sex part. He'd been spontaneous enough about that.

  We pulled alongside the biggest and most expensive-looking of about a half-dozen yachts. Coop secured us while Raul cut the motor. Jorgé waved from above and started down to help me aboard.

  A yacht?

  "Welcome to the Emerald Lair." Coop emphasized his words with a welcoming sweep of his arm. We all went up to the capitan's steering place. The helm? I don't do boats.

  Coop picked a seat next to me and the yacht headed out to sea. "Jorgé is good at this. Fun, huh? Chevy, Estaban and Yam are near enough in a speed boat to get to us fast if we need them, but I don't anticipate much trouble. I haven't heard from Joe yet. He's probably on his way back to Santa Marta."

  "They should be coming any time. Get ready," Jorgé yelled.

  "We're about to have company," Raul said. "Sandoval is moving aft. Let's see if we can get his attention."

  Coop laughed. "Since this is his yacht, I think we already have!"

  We were in a stolen boat? In the next instant, we accelerated. Coop turned to me. "Let's see how bad he wants his boat back."

  I moved to the rail where I could watch Sandoval speed after us. When he trailed about a boat length behind us, out of nowhere a small and very fast boat flew between us. We had to swerve to the side to avoid a narrow miss.

  Yam?

  Could Yam be driving...steering...whatever?

  A second later, an explosion sounded and Micos Sandoval's yacht slowed to a stop. I could see the stricken look
s on the faces of both Micos and his friend even from a distance.

  When I heard the muted pop of a gun with a silencer, I ducked into a firing stance. Micos and the man with him disappeared.

  "No," I moaned. "Who's shooting?"

  "Raul," Coop said.

  "What does he think a gun will do?"

  "It may not be like silver bullets with werewolves, but it'll slow them down a little. Let's go get our vampire."

  I decided not to voice any of the doubts free-floating in my brain. I'd never actually seen a vampire get staked.

  Once we drew close to our prey's yacht, the guys jumped on board, one after the other. Coop gave me a stare and followed his men. I'd half-expected them to turn into werewolves.

  I figured Coop would try to stop me. I turned to glance back at Raul, who gave me a thumbs-up.

  "I'll have your back," he said.

  I jumped and moved fast. Raul and I worked together in perfect sync. We covered each other as we went. When we entered the small galley, I got vampire vibes, but I didn't see one. I signaled caution to Raul. There were two closed doors. I motioned to the stake Raul had at his waist and he pulled it out. I gave a nod. As I moved nearer to the first door and the vibes didn't get stronger, I reversed and inched back toward the other one. I planned to empty my gun into the vamp and let Raul take it from there.

  I moved to stand directly in front of the door with my SIG cocked and aimed. I nodded and Raul jerked open the door.

  The vampire came flying toward me, while I emptied my gun and when down on my back still firing away. The blast of my gun deafened me in the small space. Gaping holes blossomed on the vampire's chest. Blood flew. He stood in place for a moment, as if he couldn't comprehend what I was doing to him. Each round made him jerk, but he didn't go down.

  Raul tackled him to the floor. Next thing I know, the stake went flying by me.

  Not good.

  I dove for it, then swung back to where the vampire already had Raul pinned. His teeth were bared as he went for Raul's neck, which seemed to splitting, with fur pouring out. The sight of Raul shedding his human form rattled me for only a moment. I had no idea if I could drive the stake through the vampire's back to reach his heart.

  I didn't have time to worry. I drove the stake inside him, then pounded it with the butt of my gun.

  The vampire disintegrated with a blast of air, blood and gore. Black dust filled the air. When it settled, Raul was covered in the powdery sand and other more noxious substances. I didn't know if some of them came from becoming a werewolf.

  It all happened so fast the adrenaline had hit me like a nuclear bomb. I started to shake.

  I'd had no choice!

  I'd just killed someone with a stake. Even if it was a vampire, it still made me queasy.

  I'd worry about it later. Raul, frozen between man and beast, didn't speak. His skin slowed the fur's growth and then covered it. I turned my head. I wasn't ready to see this shit.

  "I owe you one." His voice was my cue. I could safely turn back. Raul reached up to touch the side of his head, where blood covered his ear.

  "Can you stand?" I asked.

  He shrugged and reached for my hand. I ducked under his arm and helped him to his feet.

  "Jenna!" Coop's voice echoed down the corridor and the sound of running feet told us we'd soon have company. Raul straightened, but groaned.

  Since I still held my empty gun in my free hand, I shoved it into my waistband, surprised to find it hot against my skin. Coop rushed through the doorway, with Yam and Chevy right behind him.

  Coop looked down at the remnants of vampire and back to me. "You feel better now?"

  "She probably saved both our lives," Raul said.

  Yam trod through the dust and muck to give me a hand with Raul. "I never doubted it for a second."

  "What happened?" Coop looked at Raul for the answer, as if he didn't trust my version.

  Unbelievable. No--Jenna, are you okay? Did he hurt you, Jenna? Jenna, can I kiss a boo-boo? Fuck, no! "You can read my report," I snapped and started to walk with Raul. "Right now we have an injured man. Jerk."

  "I'm okay," Raul insisted. "Just a little dizzy. Give me a minute and I'll be good as new."

  Coop gave a nod. "We still need to find Micos." Yam took off, and Coop motion for Raul and I to follow him. We hadn't gone too much further into the interior of the boat when I sensed another vampire. I needed ammo. I released my clip, slipped another from my pocket and slapped it in place. I didn't hesitate to pop one into the tube.

  I pointed to the right, and Raul nodded. For a second, Coop hesitated. I moved to the right, and they followed. It was a bedroom. Dark. Too dark for a human to see. But these guys were werewolves.

  The vamp was so near. But there was nowhere to hide. Coop and Raul searched and found nothing.

  "Not here," Coop said.

  But he was. I couldn't be wrong. I was positive. The vibes were much too strong. Like we were right on top of him. I looked down. Nothing. I stamped and the floor sounded hollow. What could it hurt? I emptied an entire round into the floor. A scream told me I'd hit something.

  It didn't take long to find the almost-invisible door in the floor. When Coop swung it open, a vamp lay, writhing as if in pain. Micos. I remembered his face from the attack in Phoenix like it was yesterday. He'd killed John Wilson's brother.

  It was an emotional moment for me.

  "He's riddled with shards of wood from the floor. One must be near his heart." Raul pulled another stake from the pouch at his side. "This one's for you, Jenna."

  Raul didn't overthink his method. He reached down and drove a stake into the vampire's chest. Again, another blast of particles and gore hit the air.

  I coughed and swiped the ooze from my face. Damn. Next time I'd remember to close my mouth and stand the hell back.

  "Hey, boss, we got trouble!" Yam yelled from outside the stateroom door.

  Coop turned to run the way we'd come. I followed on his heels, holding my second empty gun since I hadn't reloaded. I'd come with three extra clips. As I reloaded, I reminded myself of that fact. The adrenaline began to pump again.

  "This way," Yam said when we reached him. "It's about as ugly as it gets."

  We followed Yam down another flight of stairs, where we stepped over another pile of gore. Had Yam or Coop done it?

  "Through here," Yam said. "It's not pretty."

  "Fuck," Coop whispered as soon as he stepped through the doorway.

  I couldn't see over his wide shoulders, but the smell said blood. Lots of blood, mixed with other, more noxious body secretions and lots of it.

  When Coop moved aside, I saw the most gruesome sight I'd ever seen, or hope to see as long as I live. A young woman was roped to a chair at the arms and ankles. The only reason I knew it was a woman was the fact she still had one mutilated breast halfway attached. Her head listed to the side at a grotesque angle and was a bloody pulp. She had a gaping slash under her chin from ear to ear, which almost looked like a wide, smiling mouth.

  I had no doubt the woman had been dead for some time. Besides the putrefying stench, her blood had congealed to near black in some places.

  My heart sank when I looked at Yam, Raul and Coop. "Chevy's Manuela?"

  Coop looked back at me and nodded. "Can you find him and let him know?"

  I swallowed hard and felt a lump in my throat. "I'll find him."

  I looked away before I began to tear.

  It took me less than two minutes to find Chevy. I'm not good with this sort of thing. "Raul found your cousin below."

  Chevy got wild-eyed on me and fixated on the gun in his hand. Shit. I hadn't thought of that.

  "Where is she?"

  "You don't want to see," I said. "She's been gone a long time. It's fucked. Now we have to be strong to get back where we need to be. We got Micos and we'll get Carlos."

  Chevy wouldn't listen to me and had to see for himself. Even covered in a sheet, the smell of Manuela's decomposi
ng body was more than I could endure. I'd been at death scenes before, but this one surpassed them by a mile. Coop and Yam manually hauled Chevy from the room and asked Raul and me to see to her.

  We found a couple more sheets and wrapped her with as much respect as we could muster. I didn't like the idea of transporting a decayed body, but she deserved a proper burial. When we realized there were parts of her still on the floor, I didn't know what to do.

  Raul found a glass and put her severed fingers in it. I didn't want to think about what had happened to her missing breast. It took a long time for the two of us to get her topside. I had to stop so I could throw up, twice. I made Raul promise not to tell Coop. Since he barfed, too, he agreed.

  I kept thinking of Rosa. How would I feel if Rosa had been tortured and dismembered like this poor woman? I couldn't stand it. Once we all gathered, I had to know. "Did this happen because of us?"

  No one answered.

  "Fucking vampires," Coop said.

  I shuddered and turned to him. "So what do we do now?"

  "I'll sink both yachts and make it look like an accident. That'll give us time to work some new magic," Yam said.

  Coop nodded after a long pause. "EOD."

  Coop didn't have to explain EOD. Explosives Ordinance Deployment. Yam sure had me fooled.

  Chapter 9

  * * *

  The sinking of the two yachts made me look at Yam differently. I had new respect for his ability.

  "Yam, did you ever consider taking on an apprentice?" I asked once we'd gathered on one of the speedboats for the trip to Santa Marta and then on to El Pajáro for our long overdue connection with Joe. Lucky for Joe, he'd missed all the excitement.

  My question elicited a knee-jerk reaction from Coop. His face turned cold, his eyes beaded to pinpoints of steel and he opened his mouth to respond.

  I reclined in my seat and closed my eyes. Right then I didn't want to deal with Coop.

  * * * *

  "Jenna, it's time to disembark."

  I opened my eyes to see Yam leaning over me. Did he say it was time to barf? "Don't do it. I don't have that many pairs of shoes left."