by Smith, I. J.
“I...I…Can’t!” Ambrose stuttered.
“Yes, you can! We wouldn’t be here now, if it wasn’t for you,” Rico told him proudly.
Damian unloaded the rifles from a locked box, he handed one out to each person.
“Tate, you’re the leader of the Pack. How do you wanna do this?” Abigail asked.
Tate checked his rifle first. “Only one entrance, so we go in the front door,” Tate replied.
Rico laughed, “Love the classics.”
“Let’s go!” Tate ordered everyone.
As Damian opened the back doors, he climbed out quickly followed by the others. As Tate was about to jump out, Abigail called to him, “Tate, a word.”
He looked at his team who, were waiting for him outside, “I’ll be right there.” He said, as they walked away, Kate glanced at him with worry on her face.
Tate turned to Abigail, asking, “What is it?”
“You’re entitled to have fun, but don’t let it distract you.” She replied.
“Excuse me?” he replied.
With a sigh she continued, “Relationships within the team are a bad idea.”
Tate simply grunted, “Is this really the time?”
Abigail stood silent as Tate disembarked.
“Good luck,” she muttered.
∞
As the Pack approached the church with care, Ambrose took note of the full moon. Coming to the heavy church doors, Tate took the lead. Pushing at one door, it opened with a cracking noise.
With their rifles raised, they moved in. A candle burned away on the floor, a large velvet curtain hung in their way. Just as Tate was about to move in, Rico grabbed him. “Don’t move!” Rico said quietly.
A confused Tate looked at him. Rico tip his head in the direction of the floor. A trip wire ran below the curtain. Damian searched the length of the cable, it led to a block of C4 that flashed a red light.
Speaking quietly, Rico muttered, “Vampires use C4?”
Suddenly Abigail could be heard over the ear piece. “You have movement behind you.”
Ambrose turned to see five Half-Breeds standing in the open doorway. “Fresh blood,” one of them said.
“Fire!” Damian yelled out.
Before Tate could react, he was grabbed from behind and dragged behind the curtain. Thrown across the room, he hit a stone wall. Raising his head, he looked at the army of vampires around the room. Candles surrounded the room, dozens of Half-Breeds approached him. Getting ready to fire his rifle he felt a cold hand around his throat. Lifted two feet from the ground Tate was faced with the vampire he met inside the Order.
“You!” Tate exclaimed.
Maddox smiled, “Hello again.” Tate took notice of the healing scars on Maddox’s face.
“That’s a bad sunburn!” Tate commented.
Laughing, Maddox threw Tate into the center of the room.
The sound of heavy gunfire echoed around the room, Tate looked in the direction of the entrance. All he could see was the flashing light of bullets being fired.
A Half-Breed approached him, blood dripping from its mouth. Tate jumped to his feet and began to fire his rifle. Bullets hit the chest of the vampire. Firing in the same spot, a hole began to appear in its chest.
A blur appeared across Tate’s path, his rifle torn from his hands. He watched as a beautiful woman smashed the rifle over her knee. Gripping his new Dead-Cutter, he smiled. “Let’s play!”
Two Half-Breeds attacked Tate and with two swings, their heads rolled from their bodies.
The female Pure-Blood jumped at Tate, taking him from his feet. Sitting on top of him, she looked deep into his eyes. “You know death. I knew it the first time I laid eyes on you!” She ran her tongue up his face.
“Aliana, stop playing with your food,” Maddox said to her.
“Let me keep him!” she replied.
Maddox stood over them, the Half-Breeds circling. “You know the deal, they all have to die!”
Aliana sexily smiled at Tate. “But I have seen this one fight, he is not like the others.”
“A deal?” Tate asked. “So, someone from the Order is working with you!”
Before Maddox could reply, he felt a blade stab him in the chest. Tate looked as the blade shined. He punched Aliana in the face, forcing her to fall back.
Jumping to his feet, Tate watched as Ambrose led the Pack to his rescue.
A battle erupted.
Blood splashed through the air. Kate dropped her rifle and began to use her Dead-Cutter, severed heads of the Half-Breeds rolled onto the floor.
Emily had switched to her handguns, with both in her hands. She fired into the bodies of those ahead of her. Rico had turned to his own weapon of choice, a small, silver-edged axe. As he swung, it sliced through the bodies of the Half-Breeds like butter.
Ambrose turned back towards the velvet curtain, as Damian crashed through, fighting a Half-Breed hand to hand. He fired his rifle into the head of the vampire, pushing it back long enough for Damian to bury his knife into its throat.
Before long the Pack stood in a pile of bodies.
A loud clapping noise echoed out. Maddox walked around, clapping at the efforts of the Pack. Aliana stood giggling.
“You stupid fucking idiots, did you really think it was going that easy?” Maddox said.
Aliana gave out a loud whistle.
Tate stood alone, a sudden scream from Emily making him turn. A large man stood behind her, with his hand around her neck. Within seconds, every member of the Pack had a Pure-Blood holding them by the throat. Only Tate stood alone.
Out of breath, Tate watched as male and female Pure-Bloods filled the room. Glancing around gripping his Dead-Cutter, he looked for an opportunity to react.
“Did you think these pathetic creatures represented us?” Maddox asked.
“They are nothing but servants,” he continued as he kicked the severed head of a Half-Breed.
Aliana skipped over to Tate, he held his blade towards her. “On my word, break their necks!” She demanded.
“No!” Tate responded.
She raised her hand and moved his blade, moving closer to face him.
In his ear, he heard Abigail say, “I’m calling in back-up, try to buy time.”
Aliana moved within a breath of Tate. “You can save them, I will let them go.”
“How?” Tate asked.
Abigail spoke again, “No, listen to me. Don’t listen to her.”
“How?” He asked again.
Aliana kissed his cheek, “Join us!” She replied.
Closing his eyes, Tate dropped his weapons. “Let them go, I will stay.”
She looked at those holding the Pack, “take them outside and release them.”
“TATE!” Kate screamed.
“Damian, get them out of here!” Tate ordered.
As they were dragged towards the entrance, Tate glanced at them and nodded. “It’s OK.” Aliana grabbed him and prepared to sink her teeth into his throat.
As the tall Pure-Blood reached the curtain, he was stopped on his tracks. Kate looked on in shock. A white hand had buried itself into the vampire’s chest. With one pull the heart was ripped from its chest.
As the pure white hand held the heart, it still beat. With one squeeze the heart burst through its fingers.
Two figures moved forward from behind the curtain.
“Oh my God!” Ambrose said.
“Ancients,” Damian muttered.
Abigail spoke frantically over the radio. “What? Did you say Ancient?”
“Welcome!” Maddox greeted them with open arms.
A pure white female Vampire stepped forward, her hair long and pure white, eyes like pure snow.
“Karina, wait,” the male said.
“Druid, we have waited long enough,” Karina replied.
Anger grew in Tate, he attempted to break free, but Aliana’s grip tightened. Karina stepped towards them. “Let him go!” Karina commanded.
Al
iana looked confused.
“Sister, we are happy to share,” Maddox offered.
“He is not to be harmed,” Druid told him firmly.
“He is ours, they all are,” Aliana said angrily.
Druid smiled, “So be it.”
Karina rushed at Aliana and with one shot removed her head. Holding the decapitated head in her hands she smiled. Karina looked at the blood dripping from the eyes, squeezing her thumbs inside she forced her hands together and crushed the head like a grape.
Maddox roared.
Druid and Karina moved with incredible speed and slaughtered the Pure-Bloods. With his white skin drenched in blood, Druid held Maddox by the throat. He grabbed his mouth with both hand and began to push. The Pack watched as Maddox was spit in half, the sound of breaking bone echoed. Blood, intestine’s, internal organs all began to drop from his body. Finally, as Druid held up the two halves of Maddox’s body and smiled as he threw them to the ground.
Karina grabbed Tate, “Don’t be so eager to die, we will not always be there to save you!”
“Let him go bitch,” Kate shouted out.
Karina smiled, pulling Tate close, she kissed him. “Hmm, just as I remember.” She said, before throwing him at the Pack.
Dazed and confused the Pack attempted to get to their feet. Once up, they realized the white vampires were gone.
Standing silent, Tate looked on in shock. Damian touched his shoulder, “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”
The Pack looked at the carnage that laid before them.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
WHAT NOW!
“I did not authorize this mission!” Casey said angrily.
Abigail stood with him, outside her father’s old office. “Come in,” Casey told her.
“I...I…Can’t,” she stuttered.
Casey looked at her, “I’m so sorry! Of course; I wasn’t thinking!”
She gave a hint of a smile, “It’s OK. We had information and it was all very last minute. If we hadn’t moved, we would have lost the opportunity of surprise.”
“Surprise, how would you have lost that?” Casey asked.
“Just between us, we think someone within the Order was working with them.” She replied.
Casey stood looking shocked, “My God, I can’t believe it!” He looked Abigail in the eyes, and tells her, “Thank you for trusting me!”
She gave a wide smile, “You’re like family to me!”
He moved in and embraced her, “I’m proud of you! Maybe you didn’t follow protocol, but tonight you avenged our fallen.”
Abigail backed away replying, “The Pack did all the work!”
“I expect a full mission report tomorrow. Also tell Damian I need to see him.” Casey informed her.
“Of course, Damian is still on site arranging the clean-up. But the moment he returns, I will send him to you.”
Casey smiled, “Now go have a drink and celebrate.” He told her before walking into his office.
Closing the door, he stood behind it, angrily saying, “Fucking Bitch!”
∞
In his room, Tate stood in front of the sink. The hot water was running, he stared into the mirror. His face was stained with the blood of the vampires. His door opened, Kate walked in calling his name.
“Tate?”
“In here,” he replied.
She walked in to see him washing the blood away. Glancing at her, he smiled and told her, “You look nice.”
Looking up and down at her clothes she laughed, “These are my sweatpants and baggy shirt!”
Tate nodded.
Kate moved over to him. “You OK?”
“I honestly don’t know.” He answered as he turned the tap off. “Why did they save us? What do they want with me?”
Kate moved to stand in front of him, lifting herself up to sit on the edge of the sink. “Look at me!” She ordered him, placing her hands on each side of his face.
“Whatever it is, we fight it!” Kate told Tate.
“You’re not scared?” He asked.
She smiled, “I’m petrified. But tonight, I watched someone offer their own life to save us. That scared me more, because I’m not ready to lose that person.”
With a sigh, they rested their heads against each other.
∞
Damian patrolled the church. The clean-up group was busy inside. With his rifle by his side, he walked the perimeter. As he passed the rear of the church, a rustling noise from a nearby bush caught his attention. Raising his rifle, he investigated.
Approaching slowly, he asked, “Anyone there?”
There was no reply, after a short silence the rustling noise started again. With the tip of his rifle he moved the branches of the bush. Two bright eyes jumped towards him. As he stepped back, he swore, “Oh, shit!” He aimed his rifle, just in time to see it was a fox.
He chuckled to himself and turned around, walking into the chest of a white vampire.
Damian stepped back, dropping his gun to his side. “Don’t do that!” He said with a startled voice.
Karina appeared behind him, “Boo!” She said loudly.
Druid laughed, asking, “Surely you’re not afraid of the dark?”
Looking around in a panic to make sure they were alone, he turned to Druid and asked, “What are you still doing here?”
“We needed to check that Tate was unharmed.” Druid answered.
Damian shook his head, “He’s fine! So am I, by the way.”
Karina placed her arms around him. “Oh sweetheart, we would never let anything happen to you!”
“OK, so what is so important about him?” Damian asked.
Druid stepped closer, “That’s not for you to know. Just know he is important to us, to our people. Keep him safe!”
“That might be difficult, he’s an operative now, the leader of the Pack,” Damian told Druid.
“His own strength will keep him alive, just make sure the others in the team never let him down,” Druid replied.
“He’s special to you?” Damian asked.
Karina kissed him on the cheek, “More than you will ever know! So, if he dies; so, do you. And our little deal disappears.”
Damian nodded, Karina and Druid vanished into the darkness.
∞
Back at the Order, celebrations were underway.
Emily and Rico danced as the music thumped. Abigail stood with Ambrose, laughing. Kate and Tate entered the room, rushing to get themselves a bottle of beer.
Abigail moved to turn down the music.
“Everyone! I just want to say something to you all.”
They all stopped to listen.
“I want to thank you! All of you! My father now rests in peace, because of what you did tonight. Thank you!” Abigail told them.
Emily began to clap. Everyone looked at her and laughed.
“So, what now?” Rico asked.
“Well there no more lessons. You are officially Unit 3…” She stopped, “I mean you are the ‘Pack’!”
Before anyone could raise their drink, Tate interrupted. “No, we are the Pack.” He pointed his bottle towards Abigail.
“Here! Here!” Kate added.
Tate joined Abigail, “How you feeling?”
She smiled at him, “Better.” She paused to take a drink. “Tomorrow we are headed to Ireland, there is a new outbreak there.”
“Always wanted to visit.” He replied.
He watched as the rest of the Pack celebrated, this time Emily had dragged Ambrose to dance. Tate smiled, watching him laugh.
“We are the Pack!”
THE END
FOR NOW,
THE PACK WILL RETURN
INFORMATION
Thank you for reading my latest book the Pack.
Here is a list of other work and a link to the fan-page.
I hope to speak with you soon.
Fan-Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/897713173670908/
Amazon Page
&
nbsp; https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00YF1KATQ
BOOKS
Dead & Alive Series
Survive
Sacrifice
Broke
Outbreak (Short)
Raven (Short)
Reaper
Terror
Oasis
Black Angels
War (Coming soon)
Final Stand (Coming Soon)
Infinity
Legend, Love, Honor.
Return of the Legends
Knights of the Dead
