“Who knows?” Guppy sat up with a grunt. “I doubt they have FDA approval. I’m sure Mal wouldn’t have given us so many if it wasn’t safe.”
Cort made it up to his elbows. “Man, I just wish they lasted longer. That’s quite a rush. Where to now?” He reached out his hand. Together the men helped each other up.
“Sid’s in trouble.”
“I know where she is.”
“Lead the way.”
Stiff limbed, the hardened veterans ambled along, completely unaware that someone was watching them.
CHAPTER 27
“That was a nice move with the sword,” Mason the minotaur said, “but it takes a lot more than that to kill the likes of me.”
“Playing possum, huh?” Smoke backed down the hall with the sword still in his hand. It appeared that Mason wouldn’t be a pushover. Smoke had dropped the monster into a deep chasm, yet he had still come back. In the back of his mind he wondered if anyone they killed was ever dead. One and all, it seemed, had come back. “So, if I can’t kill you with this sword, perhaps you wouldn’t mind letting me take a free shot.”
Mason’s hooves clawed at the floor. His wide nostrils snorted. The burly beast man with horns as wide as his shoulders said, “Go ahead. I’ll give you the first shot.”
“With the sword?”
“You can use your sword or your gun.” Mason stood straight. His head almost touched the ceiling. “But when I don’t die, then I get a free shot at you.”
Smoke eyed the bull man up and down. The hairy, husky man appeared as solid as any statue. Smoke knew an explosive bullet wouldn’t do it. A blue round would pass through one side and out the other, but if he couldn’t stop the beast with a sword, there was little chance that a bullet could. Why not. He dug the tip of his Arabian sword into the floor and leaned it against his waist, spat into his hands, and rubbed them together. He took the sword up in both of his hands.
“This is your bet. Stand still.”
Mason crossed his arms over his chest. “I will, rodent.”
Smoke walked right up to the minotaur and raised the sword over his head.
Mason didn’t budge a fraction of an inch.
He brought the sword’s razor-sharp blade down with wroth force. The steel split the skull dead center. It cleaved through the thick skull brain-deep before stopping between the eyes. He released the handle and stepped away, fully expecting Mason to drop.
“Boo,” the bull man said. Like an anvil on a block, he didn’t budge an inch. If a bull could smile, he made one. Mason grabbed the sword by the handle and wriggled it free, making a sickening squishing sound of bone and brain rubbing on metal as he did so. He offered the blade to Smoke. “Now it’s my turn.”
Smoke took the sword and sheathed it behind his back. He’d just taken the biggest gamble of his life. I should have chopped off his head. That might have done it. What was I thinking?
“Don’t second-guess yourself, John Smoke. Nothing you tried would have worked. Some of us can’t be killed. We’ll always come back.” Mason’s right hoof started to dig. “Now brace yourself — unless you want to chicken out.”
Smoke moved back twenty paces. “No, I’m a man of my word. A bet’s a bet. I took my shot, now you take yours.”
“A shame. You would have made an excellent brother. But now, you have to die.”
It was a gamble. Smoke figured if they couldn’t die so easily, then neither could he. If I survive this, I swear, I’ll never do it again. Stupid. Smoke prided himself on being able to escape anything. He could run, but to a point of fault, he kept his word. I live by my Word, and I’ll die by my Word. “Okay, fatty, give it your best shot.”
“With glee.” Mason charged. His steps shook the hall.
But when the minotaur was ten steps from Smoke, the flooring gave out.
Mason’s momentum shifted. He fought his way at Smoke with a dying head of steam. He plowed his rock-hard forehead into Smoke’s chest. The impact sent Smoke sprawling backward into the wall. He left a full-body impression in the drywall. The dark spots in his eyes didn’t clear. His chest felt like it had taken a direct shot from a cannonball. Stuffed inside the wall, he nevertheless kept his feet.
“NO!” Mason punched the floor. “I get another run at it!”
But Smoke had a problem. Even though he hadn’t gotten Mason’s best shot, the jarring impact had still paralyzed his limbs. I feel like I just got hit by a tank. Ugh! As Mason climbed to his feet, Smoke began wriggling his fingers. He pulled his shoulder out of the wall.
Mason was on the move again, gaining a full head of steam. Luck wasn’t going to stop the juggernaut this time.
At the last possible moment, Smoke broke away from the wall.
Mason dipped his head in an attempt to gore Smoke, but the minotaur’s momentum carried him onward. Tripping over Smoke, he busted through the brick wall.
Smoke groaned. A hoof had caught him full in the ribs. He crawled away, got onto his feet, and began running.
Behind him came an angry roar. Hooves stomped the floor. The enraged minotaur gave chase at a fast and steady speed. “I will crush you, Smoke! There’s no escape from me!”
I should have cut off one of his legs! That would have done it, John. But no, you had to go for the kill, didn’t you?
Holding his side, Smoke ran as fast as he could. Mason continued to gain. There weren’t many places to run. The offices ran along the halls, all of which crisscrossed the building. Smoke lowered his shoulder into one of the fire escape doors that led outside. It didn’t budge.
Laughing started up over the loudspeaker. “Run, Smoke, run! Watch him go, viewers, as the minotaur closes in. How much more does this cursed do-gooder have left in him?”
Smoke wheeled around into the next hall. A knot of redcoat deaders were crammed in there, four men deep. Mason rounded the corner. There was nowhere to run. Great Dane.
“Surprise, John,” Kane said. “It looks like your heroics are up in smoke.”
CHAPTER 28
One screen showed the generator room full of burning deader bodies. Another showed that Sam, Russ, and Mal had found safety near a storage shed. The view that had Sid’s heart racing was of Smoke. He was in the thick of things, battling the Minotaur.
“Mason Crowe lives,” she said, wheezing. Her breathing was a forced effort by design. The constriction in her lungs had begun to ease, but she wasn’t letting on. “That’s impossible.”
“The word ‘impossible’ is not in our vocabulary, Sidney.” Frank laid his hand on her head. He stroked her hair. “Such a sweet child, who only knows what she sees and has been told. That’s why the likes of the Drake are so successful. No one wants to tell you what’s really happening. You only see what the powers that be want you to see.”
“Please stop touching me.”
“Oh, get used to it, little pet. Be smart and let your owner care for you. Enjoy the simple life that we are trying to provide for all.”
“I had the simple life with Kane. It didn’t work on me then, and it certainly won’t work on me now.” She pulled her head away. “Keep your damn hands off me.”
Frank slapped her. It felt like she’d been hit by a sandbag. The heavy-handed strike tipped her and the chair over.
Lording over her, Frank said, “I’m not a violent person, but I don’t take kindly to abrasive tones used against me. It shouldn’t, but it does, anger me a little. It seems there is still a spark left in this centuries-old frame of mine.”
“It’s not a spark. It’s just evil.” Sid lost her view of the screens. “Are you going to just leave me here? Pick me up.”
Frank’s long neck eased back and forward again. Reaching down, he pulled her up by her head of hair. Fibers of hair ripped out of her skull as he did so. “Behave yourself, or no more television for you.”
“So far, all my friends live, Frank. They’re beating the odds. I don’t think that’s an accident.” She had a view of Cort and Guppy coming down the hallwa
y that led to her location. “I think visitors are coming. Would you like me to prepare something?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I think I can manage. Sherry, would you please fetch our other guest out of the server room?” The undead woman disappeared through a concealed panel door beside the monitors. Frank picked up the communication link and the earpiece that went with it. He fit it inside Sid’s ear. “Tell them you’re heading back to the parking lot.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, then someone very dear to you is going to die.”
“You’ve played that card plenty of times already. And no one has died so far.” Sherry returned, but she wasn’t alone. “Megan!”
Held fast in Sherry’s grip, the little girl was unresponsive. Her wavy blond locks were in tangles. Her complexion was ashen. The clothing she wore — jeans and a pink unicorn t-shirt —looked like it hadn’t been changed in months. Megan held a brown teddy bear in her arms, but her eyes were on the floor.
“Megan, it’s me, Aunt Sidney. Come to me, Megan, please.”
Megan’s head turned slightly, but she didn’t look.
“What did you do to her, Frank?” Sid yelled.
“Things have been so hectic of late that she’s been given a mild sedative. Besides, she’s a prime candidate to become a shifter like her mother.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, your most lovely sister Allison has become something quite beautiful. Her daughter will thrive just as well, or, like yourself, die. But as you can see, I don’t think the young one has it in her to resist.” Frank held the comm link in Sid’s face. “Now tell your comrades you are heading back to the parking lot. You’ll meet them there.”
“Or what?”
“Or Megan will die.”
“I thought you said she was a candidate?”
“Yes, and she’ll have to die first. Now, Sid, I suggest that you do as I say. I don’t bluff.” He touched the link to her lips. His voice became gritty. “Tell them.”
There was a little crackle in her ear. “Guppy, can you hear me?” She watched Guppy stop in the hallway and grab Cort’s arm with his hand. “Guppy?”
“Sid,” Guppy replied. “Where are you?”
“I’m out. The control room was a dead end. I’m heading back to the parking lot. We need to regroup.”
“What about Smoke?”
“I don’t know, Guppy. Let’s regroup. We have to gather all the resources we can muster. He’s in here somewhere, but I’ve got to get out. I can barely breathe.”
“Yeah, yeah, Sid. The parking lot. Stat.”
Sid watched Guppy talking to Cort in the hallway. Cort was pointing down the corridor where Command Central waited. They bickered back and forth a bit, but Guppy appeared to prevail in the argument. They headed back in the direction from where they had come. The monitors tracked their every step.
“Well done, Sidney. Well done.” Frank took the Bluetooth plug from her ear and set it aside with the communication link. “Cooperation is an important part of building strong relationships. When the deed is done, perhaps you will become one of my most masterful creations, much like your sister and niece. Along with Smoke, you can be one big happy family.”
Sid kept her eyes fastened on Megan. She’d never seen her niece look so pitiful before. She was dark and jaded now. The vibrant marrow of her had been sucked out, leaving her hollow. Panting, she said, “How could you do this? She’s just a little girl.”
“I consider it mercy. Just think, she won’t have to face all those nasty trials and tribulations that plague your corrupt world. She’ll be free of that struggle and bondage.” Standing behind Sid’s chair, Frank rested his spade-sized hands on her shoulders. He started to rub. “Soon, you will be free of it as well. Sherry, kill the girl.”
“What!” Sid said. Sherry produced Sid’s knife and pressed it against Megan’s throat. “No, Frank, no! Stop this! I’ll do anything!”
“Sorry, it’s too late for that. Sherry, do it.”
CHAPTER 29
Redcoats. They looked like costumed freaks at a bad Halloween party. With bayonets and sabers at the ready, the sunken-eyed men stayed their advance. Sealing Smoke off at the other end was Mason, with murder in his eye.
Smoke’s thoughts were clouded. He didn’t have a plan other than self-preservation. He was like a cornered animal. Fight or run. But there was nowhere to run. Fight or die, more like.
Don’t lose it, Smoke.
“End of the road, jerkoff.” Mason pounded his fist into his meaty hand with a loud smack. “I’m going to turn you into a pile of mush. I can’t wait.”
Smoke fought to find words. He had none. His mind was swirling. Clutching his head, he staggered on wobbling knees.
Focus, Smoke! Focus!
He needed to rip something apart. He ran straight at the deaders. Their bayonets advanced. Smoke leapt high, clearing the jabbing soldiers and gliding over them with his back brushing the ceiling. A strong hand caught him by the ankle. Down he went into a sea of rotting people. His raw savagery was unhinged. Sharp weapons jabbed and poked. His bearish strength broke bones and shattered faces. Joints were pulled from their sockets. Sunken eyeballs were wasted. Smoke hit them with everything he had.
Mason waded into the turmoil. He ripped Smoke out of the deaders that clung to him like flies on tape. Holding Smoke by the nape of the neck, he punched him in the gut. “I will break every bone in you!” The punches kept coming. Mason mashed Smoke’s face into the wall. He hoisted him over his head and pounded him into the ceiling like something one would see in a comic book.
When Smoke’s body was used up like a sock full of cue balls, Mason started beating the deaders with his frame.
Somehow, Smoke squirmed out of Mason’s iron grip. He snaked into the deaders that threw their bodies at him in a wave. Catching them off balance, he pushed them in Mason’s path. Surprisingly, Smoke’s body held together. His bones seemed malleable in a unique way, something like how rats could squeeze through tiny holes. All he knew was he still lived. A movie quote crossed his mind: “Bats are excellent survivors.”
“Where are you going, Smoke? Stop running! Start fighting!”
Smoke picked up a deader and flung the man at Mason.
Mason shrugged it off with his horns. He gored another through the head, making for a nasty crunch when he slung it aside.
Before Mason could gather another head of steam, Smoke ducked underneath his crushing arms. Using his own long arms, he scooped up Mason by the legs, lifted the massive shifter up off his feet, and slammed him on the floor. Wild with rage, Smoke attached himself to Mason’s body and pummeled him in the face. He jammed his thumbs into the minotaur’s eyes. He raked Mason’s face with claws. His fists pounded the minotaur’s chin.
The flurry of attacks had Mason flailing and kicking. “Get off me, pest!” Mason rolled back on top of Smoke.
Smoke pulled his knees up into his chest and planted his feet in Mason’s abdomen. He flung the minotaur over his head, sending him crashing into more deaders. Without looking back, Smoke ran back the way he came.
Come on, Smoke! Think! You have to think!
Shifter or not, there wasn’t much more he could take from Mason without his body shutting down. Even worse, he was losing control of himself. His sharp mind had dulled. He clung to his humanity. The inner struggle was worse than the outer one.
Mason’s powerful voice echoed down the hard walls of the hall. “You can run, but you can’t hide. We own you, rodent.” His footsteps were thunder. The pounding thuds grew louder as he picked up speed. “I am strength! I am doom! I am invincible!”
Rounding the next corner, Smoke couldn’t make an argument against what Mason stated. The shifter was a juggernaut. Smoke had tried everything, and nothing slowed the monster. He needed a weapon like the one he had used on the giants. He had nothing. In times like this, he usually used strategy, but his mind was so fogged that he
couldn’t dig anything up. All he wanted to do was fight. Kill.
Keep it simple. What’s the mission, Smoke? Keep it simple.
He ran down one straightaway after the other. A single thought kept with him.
Kill Kane. Where is Kane? Kill Kane.
Smoke knew the layout of the entire facility top to bottom. He’d been through every room. He fought to get his bearings. Where was he? Where did he need to be? He was on the third floor. Kane was on the third floor in a concealed location that took extra security to get to. There was only one way in and one way out. No doubt it would be heavily guarded.
“Quit running, Smoke. It’s only a matter of time before I catch you!”
As he ran, Smoke caught names on doorways. God, help me put this together. Like puzzle pieces, they came together. The layout that was broken mended. A clear blueprint formed in his mind’s eye. He knew where he needed to go. Where he had to be. Kane, I’m coming!
CHAPTER 30
“Megan, get away from her. Get away!” Sid shouted.
Sherry pressed the knife to the young girl’s throat.
Sid’s stomach knotted. “Noooo!”
“So sorry, Sidney,” Frank said with his strong fingers keeping her wriggling form held fast. “One life ends and a new life begins.”
The knife slashed a line across Megan’s throat. The cute little girl didn’t scream or gasp. She didn’t even bleed.
With her entire soul haunted, Sid gasped. The horror of what was happening only compounded her confusion. “What, what, what?” she panted. Her heart was racing. New blood rushed behind her temples from a fear-provoked rush of adrenaline. “This is madness. Megan, talk to me, Megan.”
Megan’s eyes narrowed in mockery. Something devious took over. Devious and familiar. Megan snatched Sherry by the hand. She hip-tossed the undead woman over her shoulder as if she were a man twice her size.
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files Collector's Set: Books 1-10: Urban Fantasy Shifter Series Page 126
