Follow the Bloodshed (The Executioner Trilogy Book 3)

by Sowder, Kindra

  Chapter 5:

  Light amongst Chaos

  After getting a small arsenal together we walked outside. I stood on the lawn and basked in the sunlight, letting its warmth touch my skin. It felt like a warm caress and I could feel the heat from within making my skin glow ever so slightly. The beast was rolling around inside basking in the sunlight too, purring in delight. I had my eyes closed, breathing the smell of the grass and the fresh air from the rain the night before as deeply as I possibly could. It was refreshing. It was cleansing.

  “Honey?” I heard Gordon say from behind me. He placed his hand in mind, both of us entwining our fingers. That was the first time he had ever used any kind of pet name with me and I had to admit I kind of liked it. I opened my eyes and turned to him, still squinting past the light. I had been in the darkness for so long my eyes still couldn’t handle the light of the sun. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded. Of course I was ready. He gave me a weak smile and began to pull me to the driveway. There were two cars parked there that I hadn’t noticed last night. One was a very large truck with Ford in large letters on a completely black grill. The whole thing had been blacked out. The piece of machinery was a beast to say the least. I wasn’t sure what to think of it. I knew I would definitely need a running start to even get in it. Chase came around the front of it, large smile on his face. A slight chuckle escaped once he saw my expression.

  He placed his hand on the hood and said, “This truck has seen us through a lot of stuff over the last six months. It’s my baby. It’s a Ford F150 SVT Hennessey VelociRaptor. Best damn truck I have ever had.” He ran his hand over the smooth black paint and then looked to me again. “I think we have something that would be more your speed over here.” He cocked his head and walked back around. We followed, not knowing what to expect. Gordon squeezed my hand as we rounded the front of the massive truck. I felt dwarfed by it to say the least, even with Gordon next to me. He was at least triple my size, but I was in no way intimidated by him. If anything, we complimented each other. I was small, he was huge. I was fire, he was ice. Total opposites that were perfect for each other. On the other side of the truck, was an orange beauty of a car. One I had dreamt of. The BMW logo shone bright against the orange paint and I could feel my jaw trying not to fall off of its hinge and hit the ground.

  “Oh my god, “I said, dropping Gordon’s hand and practically running to close the gap between the car and I. The sun was reflecting off of it in such a way that it reminded me of those moments when my whole body was on fire, the flames licking at my flesh deliciously like a distant ache.

  “How did you guys get this?” I put my hands on the hood on either side of the emblem, coming to a kneeling position in front of it like I was worshiping a god.

  Beth came around the side, leaning against the driver’s side door. “We’re good like that, I guess.” She was smiling from ear to ear as she watched me admiring it. She had known this car was one that I wanted. It was like she knew for sure I would be coming back, and she wanted me to have something wonderful to come back to amid all of the chaos.

  “What kind of car is this? She is all over it,” Gordon asked. I took my eyes away from it long enough to look at him and explain what a beautiful piece of equipment this truly was.

  “This is a BMW 435i M Sport. A car I had only dreamt about until now.” I stood up and walked to the driver’s side and Beth moved away from it. I couldn’t stop myself. I had to get behind the wheel and when I opened the door the heat from the light flowing into it hit me like an invisible tidal wave, but the black and red interior peeking out at me was welcoming. It was beckoning me and I couldn’t resist its call. I lowered myself into the driver’s seat and placed my hands at the ten and two o’clock positions on the steering wheel. It was hot, but nothing I couldn’t tolerate. I felt a hum beneath my skin as the heat radiated into my body and I gripped the steering wheel, rotating my hands on the leather bound helm of the car. Then I sighed.

  “If you’re ready to drive you can follow us while we’re out on the run. That’s if you want,” Beth stated. She wasn’t going to make me go out just yet, but I could tell from the look in her eyes that she really wanted me to. She had been six months without me and she wanted her partner back. I couldn’t help but smile. There was a small flutter in my belly. Butterflies. I was nervous to go out, but so happy to know that they wanted my company and my help. Plus, there was something specific I needed to get while we were out.

  “I’d like that,” I answered. The smile was still plastered on my face as I heard Gordon walk to the passenger side of the car and get in. Chase and Beth were both smiling and Beth closed the driver’s side door with a slight thump. The door opened up again and Beth leaned inside, keys dangling and glinting in the sunlight.

  “You might need these.” She handed them to me. The metal was warm from being in her pocket and I was in too much of a hurry to start it up to hear it purr. As soon as the key was in the ignition I turned it, letting the power of it flow through my hand and into my arm, and through my body. It almost felt like the same thrum of the beast moving inside of me when danger was approaching. I couldn’t help but let out a contented sigh, closing my eyes and leaning my head against the head rest. I heard Beth chuckle and shut the door again. The cool air pushed out of the vents, circulating throughout the expanse of the car. The amazing air conditioning was one reason I wanted one of these cars. Another reason was the speed, the soft drone of the engine and, for a moment, I wished my father could see me.

  Chapter 6:

  Ghost Town

  Beth removed the barrier and put it back up once we pulled out of the driveway with ease. All she had to do was wave her hand and we were ready to go, our home tucked snug into a little bubble of protection. I watched as it shimmered into place. It looked like millions of tiny fireflies in the sunlight. Her power had grown in the last six months. Now my foot was pressing on the gas petal, applying enough pressure to keep up with Beth and Chase in front of us. Sam was still in shock, sitting against Chase’s bed and trying to adjust to life on the surface again. We weren’t driving extremely fast so we didn’t draw attention from crawlers. While they could be out in the daylight, they preferred the dark. I didn’t see a single one out in the sunshine.

  The BMW was extremely quiet and the ride was smooth, the suspension pliable. It made turns easier and smoother than any other car I had ever driven. I really wanted to push the pedal to the floor, but I knew better than that. We couldn’t draw them to us. They were Lilith’s eyes and ears during the day, but I wasn’t sure to what extent that was. As we drove I could feel Gordon’s eyes on me and I knew he could see the gears turning inside my head. I wanted to look over at him, but I couldn’t. Keeping my eyes on the road wasn’t just important to keep us on the road, but also so I didn’t miss any turns Chase made. That truck really was a monster.

  Music was playing softly, a perfect symphony of electric guitar and drums flowing through the car and caressing us. I could drive forever but I knew our trip was going to come to an end and, within mere seconds, we were stopped in front of a grocery store. There were beaten cars and stray grocery carts littering the parking lot. One cart was even still rolling across the asphalt like someone had pushed it and it hadn’t stopped moving since. I pulled the car right behind the truck in the fire parking zone in front of the store, put it in park, and turned the ignition off, the drone of the engine dying with a hush. As I put my hand on the door to exit, Gordon’s hand was on my shoulder and I turned to him. His dark eyes bore into me like the first time we had met and they were smoldering. I could feel the heat from his gaze creep into my face and spread through my entire body.

  “Please be careful,” he said. It sounded like he thought I would be reckless, but he had to have known better. Plus, he was going to be there with me, and Beth and Chase would be there. I was as safe as safe could possibly get.

  “Of course.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. Was there anything else to
say? Yes, I would be careful. We were going into unknown territory in a new world and I was carrying our unborn child, or at least I hoped I still was. He moved his hand to my cheek and looked deeper into my eyes. The sparkle in those black orbs left me breathless and his touch made my body react in such a way I wasn’t sure if I would be getting out of the car.

  “I need you to promise me. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. You and our baby are all I have, and I couldn’t go on without you.” He was running his thumb over my cheek in a soothing gesture like he could tell he had upset me, and he had. I wasn’t going to lie about it. It wasn’t like I was going to run in their guns blazing. I had too much to live for now. I had a world to save even if it didn’t seem like there was much of one anymore.

  I let the sincerity enter my eyes and my voice and said, “I promise.” That little bit of reassurance was all he needed, but I could still see a small hint of hesitation. He smiled weakly at me and put his lips to mine, kissing me like it was the last time we would see each other. Now, I was breathless and slightly trembling. Somehow I managed to find the door and open it without falling. Chase and Beth made a beeline to the trunk of the car, asking me to pull the lever to open it. I was in shock by what was inside.

  The trunk was spacious, but you couldn’t tell because of all of the guns, ammo, and weapons. I didn’t want the gun. I wanted my silver tipped machete along with my bow and arrows that had been so elegantly placed off to the side, away from the guns and ammunition. I put on the holster that held the machete down my spine, slipping it into the leather with a metallic hiss and slung the bow and quiver over my shoulder. The bow felt light in my hands. I had missed it so much in Hell, but I had missed the blade even more. It was my favorite weapon. Once we were all armed we began to stalk through the entrance of the store, the automatic doors sliding open. I was surprised they still worked. Granted, it had only been six months, but the store looked so run down I was astonished anything worked at all.

  Boxes of cereal littered the floor in one aisle and I could see rotted produce on the floor across the way, but nothing intimidating so far. I took a bow out of the pouch and cocked it. Always be prepared. My mother taught me well but there were only so many things you could be prepared for. At least danger was one of them. We moved quickly through the store, but I had no idea where we needed to be going. I knew where I needed to go, but I was sure there were more important items they had in mind.

  “Where to first?” I whispered. We had no idea if there were any crawlers inside of the market, but I knew for sure I didn’t want to draw them to us. I could hear my boots squeaking on the linoleum floor and tried to quiet my steps as much as I could while still moving efficiently. It was dead quiet inside the store, but I was sure that would change. From the way it sounded when Beth and Chase talked about them, crawlers were everywhere. They must be hiding. That was the only explanation I had for the lack of crawlers. A part of me was even beginning to doubt their existence. Not that I didn’t trust Beth, but the world was beginning to look more like a ghost town than anything.

  “I’ll head to the canned foods and see what we can find. Chase, you come with me. You guys are free to look for anything we could use.” Beth delegated these responsibilities while wheeling a small grocery cart away from a cash register. Chase followed and both of them were off. There weren’t any more carts at the front of the store so Gordon and I began walking towards the aisle where first aid, feminine supplies, and shampoo were located. There was at least one thing I needed out of this and that was where I was going first.

  Gordon followed, keeping a pistol to his side and watching for anything suspicious or dangerous. I had my eye out with the bow in hand, arrow still cocked and ready to fly if need be. I walked in between two cash registers and scanned the rows of candy that were placed there specifically for impulse buys. A few candy bars were still in the boxes that lined the shelf, but even more of them were on the floor, scattered about like someone had picked up a bunch of them and threw them into the air. The intense craving for chocolate hit in that instant and I reached into a box, plucking out a bar of dark chocolate. I would eat that as soon as we were back inside of the car and on our way home and out of imminent danger. I pushed it into my back pocket. It would be melted by the time we left I was sure, but I didn’t care. I scanned the signs hanging from the ceiling for the feminine hygiene aisle and as soon as I saw the words in bold white letters I made my way there.

  We were at the opening of the aisle when Gordon asked, “What are we getting down here?” His eyes were wide with terror that it would be something other than what we had talked about. I rushed down the aisle and stopped once I saw the line of pregnancy tests on the shelves. There were too many to choose from and I wasn’t sure how many to get. I also knew Gordon wouldn’t be much help. This would be the first time I would ever use one of these and I was terrified. My heart was hammering against my ribs and the beast inside of me was shifting uncomfortably as I took at least thirty seconds to scan the front of each box, all stating that they were ninety-nine point nine percent accurate at detecting pregnancy. Some even had adorable babies on them and a part of me wanted to imagine what our baby would look like. As I stood there my hand traveled to my belly and stayed there. I could sense the life within me, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up just in case it was a residual feeling from my time in Hell. I wanted to be one hundred percent sure, but ninety-nine point nine percent would be good enough.

  I turned to Gordon and saw the relief flood his face. He didn’t have anything to be scared of just yet. That part would come eight months later during delivery. If he was scared now, he would definitely be terrified then. Strangely enough, even though I would be the one delivering, I wasn’t scared of it at all. Not even a little bit. If anything, I was extremely excited about the whole thing. The first pregnancy scare of my life and I couldn’t be happier about it. We had been standing there for all of five minutes while I tried to decide on a test to use. I settled on two brands, each containing two tests. I was sure I would only use one from each, but it couldn’t hurt to have an extra two. Like I said, I wanted to be one hundred percent sure. I opened the boxes, removed the tests, and stuffed them in my pockets. Thank goodness for cargo pants or I wouldn’t have anywhere to put anything. I didn’t need anyone but us knowing about these tests until I saw those two lines.

  He then walked away; a smile plastered on his face, and grabbed the nearest cart all the way down the aisle. That was when I realized we could use a lot in this aisle. First aid was on the next aisle and Beth could definitely use feminine supplies. Of course, I will need them at some point. We may as well just stock up on everything. The only time we should need to go out is for more food or to take Lilith and her massive vampire army down. That would be the extent of it if I had my way. I could hear Gordon whistling softly as he picked up things and put them in the grocery cart. I walked over to him and picked up a bottle of shampoo, placing it in the cart along with the bars of soap and other goodies he had already put in there. The cart was one quarter of the way filled with supplies and we were just about to head over to the next aisle to take care of our first aid needs when noise erupted form the other side of the store. It looked like we were about to meet the crawlers.

  Chapter 7:

  Crawlers

  Screams, growls, and howls sounded and standing there clueless wasn’t an option. I looked at Gordon and then we were both off. My heart thudded against my ribs, the beast roared inside of me, and the sound of my boots against the floor echoed loudly. The adrenaline coursing through my veins caused me to pump my arms faster as we ran to Beth and Chase’s aid. I could hear Chase yelling and Beth screaming. It caused the beast to beat against me; trying to get free from the prison I tried to keep it caged in to let it completely free. I was so much more powerful now than I had been and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was capable of.

  My body couldn’t move fast enough, and as I heard Beth’s scream
s I began to push myself harder. I felt like I was running at lightning speed, my boots thumping loudly on the floor and reverberating through my head and ears. It just wasn’t quick enough. Then loud crashes as shelves were pushed over, causing a domino effect. When I heard the roar the beast truly flared to life. Gunshots rang out and bounced off of the walls, taunting me and saying I wasn’t going to make it in enough time to save them. My stomach turned at the thought of losing Beth and Chase, and I resolved I would do anything within my power to save them from death. Anything. I knew what there was beyond this and I didn’t want them to suffer the same way I had. Not if I could help it. The glowing fire within began to spread through my veins as I ran and as I neared the fallen shelves I could see items strewn across the floor, like they were trying to run away from the struggle.

  I slid to a stop at the mouth of the aisle and froze when I saw the sight before me. The beast was roaring and beating inside of me, but I couldn’t move and I knew these must have been the creatures Beth and Chase were talking about. Crawlers. And there were at least three of them that I could see. The first thing I noticed was the blood, old and new, all over their hands, mouths, throats, and clothes. One had turned to me and the other two had Chase and Beth. Beth was lying on top of one of the fallen shelves, screaming while attempting to get her gun out of her holster amidst the attack. Chase had a machete out and ready to strike. The crawler that turned to me was slightly crouched, black veins working their way through her gray skin. Her eyes were black in the center and bled out to a crimson red that matched the gore all over her clothes. She was almost skin and bones and nearly anemic. You could see the bite marks from where they had been turned, the black veins leaching out from them.