by Dawn Judd
Mack flew at the man, taking him down in an instant. I went for the other men, preventing them from helping their friend. I grabbed both their hands at the same time, breaking them and causing them both to drop their guns. I pushed one man down, and turned towards the other. He lunged at me, and I caught his head in my hands, turning it and instantly breaking his neck.
I turned back to his friend. He charged me, careful not to let me do the same thing I had done to his friend. He had pulled a knife out and was swinging it back and forth at me. I dodged his advances each time, but he was quick, and I could not get a hold of him myself.
In the background, I could hear Mack and the other man struggling. Suddenly, I heard a gun go off. We all stopped and looked towards Mack and the gunman. Both looked surprised, but neither was hurt.
“Mack.” I could barely force words from my mouth. It took only a second for his eyes to follow mine. There on the floor was Marlene, lying in a puddle of blood. The scream that came from him was horrible. I had never heard anything like that in my life. I just stood there. I didn’t know what to do. The gunman looked at Mack, his expression one of horror. It suddenly occurred to me that hadn’t realized that Mack was a vampire, and with his leverage gone, he was now very vulnerable.
A sharp pain suddenly brought me back to reality. I turned towards the man I had been sparring with. His blade stuck out my side, blood gushing out from the wound. He dropped his hand from the blade and stepped back. I grabbed the handle, and broke it off. I threw it on the floor and looked up at him. His eyes got big and he started hyperventilating as I approached him.
I was furious now, and was ready to finish this. I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him nearly two feet off the ground. I held him there as he struggled to break free. The more he struggled, the tighter I squeezed. After a few moments, he stopped struggling and his body went limp. I let go and his body crumpled to the ground. I turned back towards Mack and saw him cradling Marlene in his arms, the gunman’s lifeless body lying next to them. I quickly hurried over to them.
“Mack, she’s still breathing. She’s still alive.” But he didn’t hear me. He was sobbing uncontrollably. I tried to pry his hands from her, to check her wounds, but he was so strong. I couldn’t get him to budge. Finally I reached up and struck him across the face as hard as I could. Darren and Mike both rushed over, then, realizing they were no longer in danger.
“Mack, let go of her. We might be able to save her!” I was screaming at him now. Darren, careful not to get to close to Mack’s massive arms, tried his best to check Marlene’s vitals. Mike broke open the first aid kit hanging from the wall, pulling out whatever he thought might be useful. Mack finally came to his senses and loosened his grip on Marlene.
It was then that I saw the extent of the damage. She was in bad shape, and even if we could get her to a hospital right away, she might not make it. Mack could read my expression, and moaned out a long loud “noooooo”.
“Stop it. We can save her. Don’t you dare give up on her, you hear me?”
“There’s nothing we can do, Khallie. There’s not enough time. We’re in the air for Christ’s sake.” He was right. We were in the air. I looked at Mike, and Mike looked over at Darren. All three of us looked over at the cockpit door. Who was flying the damn plane?
“I’ll go check it out.” Mike offered, and got up to walk towards the cockpit.
“Wait, I’ll go,” I replied. “if it’s not my pilot, you could get hurt. Take care of her.” I nodded my head at Marlene.
“No, she needs you. Look, there’s a gun, I’ll take it with me. No problem.” Before I could argue, Mike was at the door, gun in hand. Darren quickly grabbed another gun and followed him. “Back up,” he winked at me.
I turned my attention back to Marlene. I could hear her heartbeat. It was slowing, and quickly. I looked up at Mack. His eyes were dull and lifeless. He was about to lose the love of his life.
“Mack, we could….” My voice trailed off. I didn’t want to finish the sentence. He looked up at me, just a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“You should do it, not me.” I whispered. “Don’t wait too long. She hasn’t got much time left.”
I turned away. I didn’t know if Mack would do it or not, but I felt that either way, they needed this moment, alone.
“Khallie?”
“Yes?” I answered, without turning around.
“Will she forgive me?”
“You forgave her, didn’t you?” I asked. I tturned away from him and walked towards the cockpit.
Chapter Nineteen
“Is she ok?” Mike looked up from the pilot’s seat, and waited for my answer.
“She’ll be fine. Mack is taking care of her. How’s our friend here?”
Vyktor’s pilot had been quite defiant, right up to the moment I walked through the door to the cockpit. Vyktor had taught him well what a vampire was capable of, and though I was not near the monster that Vyktor had become, he had warned his men that I was not to be taken lightly.
The man shrank back away from me, the color draining from his face. Darren grinned and leaned forward in his seat. Up to that point, the events of the day had been a little much for him, but now that we had the upper hand again, he was getting his cocky attitude back.
“Looks like clown-boy here has a healthy respect for you, huh, Kal? So what’s the plan?”
“I’m not sure. Has he said what Vyktor is up to?”
“Not a peep. Perhaps he’ll be more receptive to your questioning.” Darren grinned again. He was a smart-ass kid, but I liked him. He was definitely an asset to the Network. I sighed. The Network. What was left of it now? Everyone had left; went into hiding like they were supposed to. But Vyktor was still finding them. Using them to hurt me. How could I help these people? I didn’t know. The more I agonized over it, the angrier I became. People I loved were dying, and I wasn’t about to just sit there and let it happen.
I grabbed the cowering man and lifted him up off the ground. His feet dangled beneath him, as he struggled to break free from my grip. I squeezed just a little harder, letting him know that I was quite capable of squeezing the life right out of him. He stopped struggling and I lowered him just enough for his feet to touch the ground.
“Now, you are going to answer some questions, do you understand?”
He just stood there, not responding. I was starting to lose my patience. I struck him across the face as hard as I could, nearly sending him through the glass behind him.
“I don’t think you understand your predicament here. I don’t have to kill you. I can spend an eternity torturing you. And I will if you don’t answer me.” I wrapped my fingers around his collar bone and squeezed, causing the man to scream out in pain.
“Do we have an understanding?”
“Yes.” he whispered.
“What? I didn’t quite hear you?” I squeezed harder. I couldn’t control myself. I was so angry. I was angry at Vyktor. I was angry at the men who had shot Marlene. I was angry at myself for letting all of this happen. I wanted nothing more than to crush this man in my hands.
“Please,” he screamed in agony. “I’ll tell you what I know. Please just stop.”
I kept squeezing, seeing Raymond’s body, seeing Marlene bleeding in Mack’s arms. I wanted this man to feel the pain he and his friends had inflicted on me.
“Kal, stop. We need him.” Darren touched my shoulder gently, careful not to become a victim himself. I looked over at him, baring my teeth, and he shrunk away. I let go of the man, and backed away from him. I looked back over at Darren, who now looked just as terrified as Vyktor’s man had moments earlier.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered. I hadn’t meant to scare him. I was losing control. I looked back at the pilot, who was now curled up on the floor, his face twisted in pain as he rubbed his shoulder.
“Where were you taking us?” I demanded. He looked up at me, debating whether or not he should answer. I stepped forward and he quickly scoot
ed back farther.
“We were taking you back to New Orleans.” Ok, not surprised. “Yeah, I kind of figured that much, smart ass! How did you find us?”
“It was an accident. We didn’t know you would be in Dallas. We went to find your friend.” He nodded towards Mike. I looked at Mike then back to the man on the floor. I snarled under my breath. They hadn’t really meant to find Mike, so much as they meant to kill him. Just like they had killed the others. I kicked the man in the ribs. The distinct cracking noise brought a wicked smile to my face. The man spit blood onto the floor at my feet, and looked up, his eyes begging for mercy.
“Go on,” I growled.
“When your plane landed in the airfield, we decided to take advantage of the situation.” He was shaking now, as I stood there glaring at him.
“The others. He is sending his men after the others, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. How could I stop this? Vyktor apparently had deeper ties than we had imagined. He seemed to have a lot more resources than I could have ever thought. I opened my eyes back up and squatted down next to the man, looking him directly in the eyes.
“When?”
He paused, as if he were scared to answer.
“When?” I asked again, calmly.
“Now.”
I stood back up, and slammed my hand into the panel behind me. Both Darren and Mike jumped.
“Give me the phone!” Darren grabbed his phone and handed it to me, questioning me with his eyes.
“We have to do something. I can’t get to all of our people fast enough. We have to bring them to us.” I started dialing numbers as fast as I could, hoping to find anyone.
“Won’t that be dangerous?” Darren looked confused and panicked.
“No, it won’t.” Darren looked up at me with a puzzled look in his eye. I didn’t have time to explain, so I ignored him and started dialing.
I managed to get a hold of as many people as possible. It wasn’t an easy task. Most had left. Their numbers disconnected; their homes abandoned. They disappeared like they were supposed to. If I thought they were safe, I would leave it alone. But some of the men who had been killed by Vyktor’s people were supposed to be safe, too. They had dropped off the radar, yet he had found them. I figured he had found them long before we had sent out the alarm. He had them followed, and they weren’t safe like they thought they were. I wondered how many more he had found already. I should’ve shut the network down sooner. Why did I wait so damn long?
I was desperate to find the rest. I had ways of finding my people, and did what I could. Those I was capable of finding would come to me, and I would keep them safe. I would have to hope the others were better at disappearing than the men Vyktor had already found. When I was satisfied that I found as many of my people as I could, I instructed Mike to take us to the New Orleans airport.
With the cockpit as crowded as it was, I decided it was best that we move everyone back into the cabin and let Mike do his thing. Darren nudged the man up off the floor, and I lead the way back through the door. I expected to see Mack and Marlene sitting there, waiting for us. What I saw instead sent panic through my whole body.
“Mack?” My voice was shaking as I approached him, falling to my knees before I got there. I ran my fingers over Marlene’s dark curls and looked up at Mack. I searched his eyes for answers and found none. His eyes were dark and distant. I looked back down at Marlene. Her lifeless body lay limp in Mack’s arms. Tears welled up in my eyes and I fought them back. I couldn’t understand why Marlene was not up and walking around. Why had he let her die?
“Mack?” This time my voice was stronger, and this time he looked up at me. I could see he was a broken man. He wasn’t crying. He couldn’t. There was nothing left. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I reached up to touch his face, my hand shaking. He let out a long, low moan. I closed my eyes as the tears ran down my face. He didn’t have to say it. I knew. I had been there before. She had made her decision. He honored her wishes.
I stood back up, and walked back over to Darren, helping him secure our guest. The rest of the ride to New Orleans was quiet, and uneventful. I spent a long majority of it thinking quietly to myself, while staring at the pool of blood where Marlene had fallen. I had come to a decision. This would all end, one way or another. I just hoped I was making the right decision.
Chapter Twenty
Our little friend had given us what we needed to find Vyktor and Jake. He had verified that Vyktor did in fact have Jake and was holding him for a “very special reunion” with me. I wanted nothing more than to rush right to Jake and rescue him, but I knew we needed a good plan of attack first. That, and I had to take care of Mack and Marlene. Mack was hurting, and I needed to help him.
I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to be there for him. He had been my rock through so many things. He had been there for me and had taken care of me when I needed it most. I owed it to him.
I stood there waiting while he said his goodbyes. He had decided to leave Marlene’s body on the plane for the authorities to find. I tried talking him out of it, but he thought it would be better for all of us if we didn’t talk to the authorities ourselves. He made an anonymous call to the local police, insinuating a hi-jacking gone wrong.
I sent Darren and Mike on ahead of us while Mack and I watched to see that the authorities took proper care of Marlene’s body. I stood behind Mack, as he watched them carry her out of the plane and into the ambulance. I kept my distance. I was feeling guilty. I knew what the life of a vampire was. Wanting to fit in, wanting to be human, but always there, on the outside, looking in.
I had condemned Mack to that life. He had spared Marlene from that life. I had tried to argue my decision in my head many times, but the fact of the matter was that I had not given him that choice. I chose it for him. And now he would watch the people he loved die, just like I had so many times before. I knew it would not get easier. We waited for the ambulance to leave. Mack turned back towards me, his eyes dull and lifeless. He was a beaten man.
“Khallie, don’t do this. Just go. Go far from here and never look back.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“What about Jake? What about the others?”
“You can’t help them, Khallie. It’s too late.” Mack’s gaze penetrated mine, and I wasn’t sure what to say. He reached up and held my face in his hands resting his forehead on mine.
“It has to stop, now, Khallie. If you stay, he will keep trying to hurt you. He will keep hurting the people you love. Just leave. Let’s just leave.” I felt a sharp pain and I gasped as he reached down and pulled the broken blade from my side.
“Look at this Khallie. You can’t just go on living like this. It will always be like this if you stay.”
“Mack, I can’t just leave Jake. You know that.”
“You can’t save him. Go with me Khallie.”
pI pulled away from him. “Mack, Jake asked me to marry him. I said yes. For once in my life, I said yes.” A look of shock spread across Mack’s face; that, and something else. I didn’t know what it was.
“Then you will have to do this alone. I can’t come with you. I can’t watch you die too. I can’t watch Jake die too.” And then he was gone.
I stood there for the longest time. I wasn’t sure if I was really standing there or if this was some horrible dream. For a fleeting moment, I thought about leaving; about running, like he had said. But I knew I couldn’t do it. I had brought those people here. I was responsible for whatever happened to them next. I was responsible for Jake. I had promised him I would come back. I had promised to marry him. I wouldn’t leave him. I couldn’t leave him. I turned and started walking towards the small warehouse on the edge of the city. My entire life had led up to this moment. It was time to clean up the mess I had made.
I walked slowly, my mind still trying to comprehend what had happened. Mack was gon
e. He was gone! How could this happen? By the time I finally made it to the warehouse, the sun had already started to come up, and I was exhausted. I could see the tire tracks coming in and out of the front gate. They were there, waiting for me. The Network. My people; my family. I stepped up my pace and made it to the door in a matter of seconds. A hush came over the small crowd as I walked in the door. All eyes were on me, waiting my command. They would do whatever I told them. Of that, I had no doubt. But I couldn’t give them this order. It was not my decision to make.
I stayed all day. If I was going to save Jake, I needed to at least try to get some rest. Everyone from the Network stayed there with me. I had hoped they would all decide to leave, to never look back, and go on living happy lives. I had hoped, being given the opportunity, they would decide to cut all ties with me. I had underestimated them all, however. We were a team, a family, a force to be reckoned with. I wasn’t the only one who lost friends. But I couldn’t let them fight my battle.
So when the sun started to set once more, I snuck out of the warehouse. I still felt tired and drained, but I had to make this part of the journey alone. I had to face Vyktor alone. I knew he would be returning soon. I now knew where he was keeping Jake. I decided to travel on foot. I needed to feed, to build up my strength, and I needed to come in, undetected. I headed South, towards the gulf. The saltwater would mask my scent from Vyktor. I took a deep breath and plunged forward into the cool night.
Chapter Twenty-One
A light breeze drifted in from the gulf, carrying the scent of the salty water with it. There was something else in the air; a storm. Clouds blocked out any hint of moonlight leaving the sandy beach in an inky darkness. I moved quickly and quietly, avoiding the occasional obstacle here and there.
As I neared the spot where Vyktor’s pilot had told me Jake was being held, I leapt up the embankment and ran towards the fence of the compound. I slowed as I approached the fence. Vyktor’s men would be expecting me, I was sure, but there was no need to alert them to my arrival. I wanted as much advantage as I could get. I crept around the perimeter of the fence, noting that there seemed to be minimal security, except near the front entrance.
