by Vivi Anna
A scream of terror echoed from the village square.
Kat’s hand fell away, and she grabbed her shotgun. “They’re here.”
Nodding, Hades retrieved his weapon from the ground but glanced at her once more. “Stay alive.”
“I always do.” With that, she turned and jogged to the side of the church just as two Dwellers came charging out of the trees.
5
Kat fired a round into a female Dweller as she came running and screaming toward her. The shell put a huge hole in the woman’s stomach, and she went down like a sack of hammers. The other one sidestepped his fallen comrade and ran straight toward Kat, his teeth bared and a long, lethal knife in each hand.
Without pause, Kat pumped another round into her shotgun and shot the crazed man just as he was about four feet away. Blood spray misted her face as the bullet went through his neck, nearly decapitating him.
Out of immediate danger, Kat risked a look behind her at Hades. He had just finished dispatching a Dweller brandishing a gun. The guy lay dead on the ground, half his face missing, obviously too slow for Hades’ quick reflexes. Hades glanced up and met her gaze. A slow, sexy smile spread over his face, and he winked.
Shaking her head, she wanted to laugh at his playful demeanor. But as her lips were starting to lift, more screams and gunfire broke into her thoughts. There was a war going on. The last thing she should have been doing was musing about how sexy Hades was and how she desperately wanted to be held in his arms.
Relationships. This was exactly why she didn’t have any. They muddled her brain.
Pumping more shells into her gun, Kat nodded to him. “I’m going around front. Sounds like we’re losing the fight.”
“Do you need more shells?” he asked, reaching into his jacket pocket.
She shook her head as she got moving. “Keep ’em; you might need them.”
“Kat.”
She paused and looked over her shoulder. She could see the anguish on his face, and it nearly made her turn around and run to him.
“Be careful.”
She nodded, unable to form the words she really wanted to say. They would be pointless now, she thought. Without waiting for a response, Kat ran down the side of the church and into the village square, where it looked like a bloodbath was taking place.
As she rounded the corner, she pulled the trigger and took down a Dweller just as he was about to bite into one of the gunmen kneeling in the dirt. When the assailant dropped, a big hole in his chest, the gunman looked up at her, his eyes glazed over as though he couldn’t believe what had just happened to him. She didn’t have time to explain, especially as two more Dwellers came rushing toward her.
She pumped another round and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. She pulled on it again. Still no bullet came rushing out. The Dwellers were barely six feet from her and grinning—they had realized her gun had jammed.
Letting her gun fall to the side, Kat wrapped her hands around two of her metal stars on her belt.
Lifting her arms quickly, she released the throwing stars, sure of her aim while under pressure.
Without watching where the lethal metal stars landed, Kat continued through the square, taking stock of the situation as she stepped gingerly over fallen villagers. She didn’t even pause when she heard the satisfying thud of two more Dweller bodies dropping to the ground.
She approached two of the villagers making their stand near the stone well in the middle of the square. One of them was the marshal.
He didn’t look up from reloading his rifle as she approached. It was obvious he had enough battle experience to know the difference between enemies and friends when they neared. If she had been one of them, the marshal would already be dead.
She turned and put her back to them, making a battle triangle with theirs. “How are we doing?”
she asked as she surveyed the grounds, taking in the few mutilated bodies that were once villagers.
“Six gunmen down. Five of us left, not including you and Hades.”
“Hades is still in back, hoping more don’t come out of the trees.”
“How many are there, do you reckon?”
Kat glanced around the square and to the surrounding buildings that made great places to hide.
“I’ve taken out at least six, Hades two, maybe; I see another four or five on the ground.” She grabbed the handle of her whip and uncoiled the leather, dragging it over her palm. “Another ten, maybe, give or take two or three.”
The marshal glanced over his shoulder at her. “By god, I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me, too.” Kat flicked out her whip, preparing for the next onslaught.
But the next assault didn’t come.
They stood in the square, the three of them, backs to backs, waiting for another rush of Dwellers to come screaming out of the dark. But it didn’t happen. They stood there watching and waiting for what felt like a half hour. Kat shook with nervous energy. What was going on?
“Did they leave, do you think?” the other lawman asked.
“No.” Kat said, peering into the black shadows surrounding them. “They won’t stop until they’re all dead or we are.”
As they waited, Kat could hear the pounding of the others’ hearts and smell their fear like a cloying perfume in the air. Afraid it might arouse her, she tried not to inhale, but she couldn’t hold her breath for long. The aroma of both men’s sweat and panic sent illicit shivers over her body.
Biting down on her tongue, Kat tried to focus on watching for any sign of an attack in the proximate area. She could feel pressure behind her top eyeteeth where her fangs threatened to pop out from the flesh on the roof of her mouth. Every moment proved to be harder and harder to resist the delicious smells emanating from her two companions and from the bloodied bodies nearby. Soon, she knew, the aromas would get the better of her, her fangs would descend, and she would need to satisfy her hunger any way she could, or she would go mad.
She wished Hades were near. He would keep her from going off the deep end. He would keep her sane.
Just as she thought of him, she heard his voice loud and clear as he came running around the side of the building. “They’re going for the church!”
The sound of shattering glass and an ear-piercing feminine scream confirmed his dread-filled statement.
Kat moved like lightning toward the wooden building. As she raced up the front steps, Hades was there trying to knock down the door.
“It’s still barricaded from inside.” He kicked the door again. The wood splintered but showed no sign of giving way.
Kat ran around the side. Two of the stained-glass windows about eight feet up were shattered.
Pieces of the colored glass crunched beneath her boots. Without waiting for help, she scrambled up the wall, finding hand-and footholds in the logs of the building. Once at the broken window, she glanced down. Hades was making his way up the wall to the other opening.
Cradled on the window ledge, Kat waited for him. They would go in together, just like old times, guns blasting, knives flinging. She smiled, remembering the last time they had made a stand together. It hadn’t been pretty, but they had managed to cut down the bad guys and make their escape.
“Having a good time?” he asked as he tried to stuff his wide, powerful frame into the window’s small opening.
“I was just thinking about the last time we had this much fun together.”
Hades grinned, his dimples winking. It made Kat’s heart trip. “Yeah, good times.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, thinking not of the actual battle but of the afterward, when they were alone in her run-down room in the dilapidated warehouse. She had let her guard down then, letting him in. Their lovemaking had been fierce and passionate and laden with unspoken emotions neither one had the guts to voice.
Then she had left him.
Just as she was sure she was going to do again. Their relationship was impossible. Too many horrific things had come between them, the
biggest being her slow transformation into the very creatures they were about to slaughter. Well, hopefully slaughter.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Always.”
With slow, awkward movements, he turned on the ledge and looked down into the church.
“Now, let’s get in there, kill some Dwellers, save the people, and then I’ll take you to Inferno City to find the fucking cure.” With another saucy grin, he winked. “Any questions?”
Before she could voice her arguments, Hades jumped through the smashed window into the church.
Bastard, she thought. He always manages to get the last word. With that, she unsheathed one of her daggers, spun it in her hand, and followed him down into what she was sure was a waiting ambush.
When she landed, Hades was already up and blasting away at two Dwellers rushing toward him.
This gave her time to survey the situation.
Another two vampyres had the group of women, children, and elderly cowering in the corner near the front altar. Two torn bodies were behind the attackers, lying like forgotten waste on the wooden floor, blood still oozing from their horrific wounds.
The sight of the savaged women made Kat’s stomach roil in disgust and anguish and, God help her, a little bit of hunger. She lifted her gaze from them and caught sight of something that gave her some hope, if only a slight glimmer.
Mary stood at the front of the villagers waving a hefty piece of wood at the approaching Dwellers. The wood was bloodstained. That lifted Kat’s lips in a smile. Obviously the woman had gotten in a few good shots. She was brave; Kat would give her that.
Taking a step forward, Kat yelled at the two growling creatures. “Hey, assholes!” She unraveled her whip and snapped it on the floor. “Why don’t you come over here and play with me for a while.”
They turned and grinned at Kat. Not a good sign.
Before Kat could even take another step, one of the Dwellers ducked under Mary’s swinging stick and grabbed her around the neck, pulling her away from the other villagers and into the aisle where Kat had positioned herself.
Shit.
Kat hadn’t expected the move. It was so unlike them to actually think. They had a hostage. One she was not sure if she could sacrifice to get to them. Were they able to sense her feelings? If Baruch were there, he would have no doubt of her emotional state and would have picked Mary for that exact reason.
“Hello, Hell Kat,” the Dweller holding Mary whined, little pointed teeth sticking out between his thin, cruel lips. “Remember me?”
Kat stared at the little ratlike man as memories flooded her head like water through a tap. Oh, yeah, she remembered him all right. Sometimes she could still feel his fingers inside her mouth.
And taste the blood rushing down her throat when she had bitten off two of his fingers.
“I thought I killed you, little man.”
“Baruch resurrected me.”
“How lucky for us,” she said, trying to keep his focus on her and not on Hades as he inched his way along the side.
Sar’s partner was busy growling and hissing at the cowering villagers like a demented cat and not at all concerned about what was going on.
“I’d tell your big boy to stop moving unless he wants me to rip out this bitch’s throat.” Sar squeezed his hand tighter around Mary’s neck, purposely digging his long nails into her flesh.
Fresh hot tears leaked from Mary’s eyes as she implored Kat with her terrified expression to rescue her. I’m trying, woman, Kat thought.
Hades stopped midstride but never lowered his shotgun. He glanced at Kat, and she could see the rage in his face. She had a bad feeling this was not going to end well for any of them.
“What do you want?” she asked Sar, knowing he hesitated to slaughter the rest of the villagers for a reason. And that reason, she was sure, had everything to do with her.
“You, of course. Baruch wants you back,” he sniveled.
Just hearing his name sent shivers down her back. She remembered too well how it felt when his hands had been upon her body. She cringed inside. Not from fear but something far more dangerous….
Desire.
“Fuck him.” She tightened her hold on the whip, preparing to strike. “And fuck you, too.”
“We’ll let the rest of the villagers live if you come back with us,” Sar said in a rush, probably worried that Kat would initiate an attack and he would have failed bargaining with her on Baruch’s behalf.
Kat let out the breath she was holding and swore. Why did it always have to come down to this?
A life for a life. Well, in this case, hers for several, including the woman Sar still held deftly by the throat, blood starting to trickle down the side where he had dug in his nails.
Glancing at Hades, Kat tried to read his thoughts. He met her gaze, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She could see the anger in his face, but she wasn’t close enough to see his true emotions in his eyes. Would he tell her to sacrifice herself for the villagers? People he had come to know and like? She knew that if it were Hades, there would be no question, no hesitation. He would easily give himself up to save the others. He was selfless like that, even if he didn’t want to admit it. But was she?
In the past she would have said no. Now she couldn’t be so sure. Somewhere along her last travels, she had changed. For the better? Possibly. But it wasn’t helping her out personally in any way.
She turned her gaze back to Sar. He was bouncing from foot to foot anxiously, still squeezing Mary’s throat in a long, taloned fist. Damnit! Was there any way she could save herself and these people, too? She really didn’t want to go back to Baruch. She didn’t know if she’d be able to escape this time, not with her mind or body intact. He was too powerful, too seductive. What if being with him again made her transformation complete and she turned into a Dark Dweller, feeding on the blood of the innocent?
She needed more time to think, more time to plan. There had to be a way out of this. She could take the two of them out before they could hurt anyone else.
Before she could formulate a definite plan, Sar’s loopy partner put a shiny piece of metal in his mouth and blew. A loud, piercing sound blasted through the church. Kat cringed at the earsplitting noise. What was he doing?
It took only a few moments before she knew.
Several more Dwellers jumped into the church through the broken windows. It was no longer a fair fight. She had just run out of time.
“You have ten minutes to decide.” He leaned into Mary’s hair and took in a deep breath, smelling her. “Or this bitch and everyone else dies. And I’ll still take you to Inferno where Baruch is waiting.”
Inferno. Baruch was in Inferno City.
Kat dropped her whip. “You have a deal.”
As she spoke, she looked at Hades. He was beseeching her, shaking his head. She glanced away from him, not wanting to witness the agony in his face. It ripped at her heart. She knew what she was doing. She hoped.
Grinning, Sar released Mary, pushing her to the ground. Kat watched her slump on the wooden floor, struggling for breath, blood still trickling down her neck to drip on her skirt. The woman lifted her head and met Kat’s gaze. Mary didn’t need to speak for Kat to know the relief she felt.
She could see it in the woman’s wide, tear-filled eyes.
“You know, you’re not as tough as I thought you were,” Sar snarled as he scurried toward her like a cockroach. “I thought for sure you’d refuse the offer and fight to the end.”
“Well, I’m happy to disappoint you, dickhead.”
When he was close to her, she snapped at him with her teeth. Flinching, he nearly fell to the floor in fear. That brought a wide grin to Kat’s face. The little rat was definitely afraid of her.
Hopefully that would aid her in the future. She didn’t plan to remain a prisoner. Just long enough to get to Inferno City.
“Hold out your arms,” Sar demanded when he gained his composure.
Kat
raised her arms to the sides, knowing that was not what he had in mind when he asked.
The slap across the face came so quickly, she didn’t have a chance to duck. Blood trickled down her cheek to pool at the corner of her mouth from the cut near her left eye. Kat licked it away and grinned. It wouldn’t take much to antagonize Sar and force him to make a mistake. She filed that interesting piece of information for later, too, where she knew she would need it.
“Put them together,” he snarled.
Letting her arms fall back to her sides, Kat then lifted them straight out in front of her. Sar took another step toward her, but he stopped, wide-eyed with a look of outrage on his pinched face.
She guessed he wasn’t expecting the two throwing stars launched from her hands that found their marks perfectly, downing two Dwellers. That was his first mistake.
His second was not seeing the boot coming toward his groin. It served him right for not paying attention. She almost smiled when he went down to his knees, his hands uselessly trying to soothe his pain.
Screams of terror from the cowering villagers echoed around her. But she blocked them out. She had to if she wanted to finish what she started. Nothing would stop these foul creatures from killing the villagers. It was their nature to destroy without thought or feeling. To trust them now would be foolish.
Unsheathing her knife from her thigh strap, Kat moved like the wind toward Sar. Grabbing his hair, she yanked up his head and put the knife to this throat, preparing to slide it in.
But something gave pause to her hand.
Glancing up, she spied Hades in the corner, three Dwellers holding him down and a gun to his head.
“Let Sar go and we won’t blow his head off.” This from the vampyre jamming Hades’ own shotgun into his temple.
Still gripping Sar’s hair, Kat glared down at him. Blood beaded on his neck where her blade pushed in. Oh, how she wanted to jab it in, to see the light from his beady black eyes go out. She could almost taste the kill on her tongue like freshly churned honey. Sweet. Delectable.
