Jason's assurances didn't slow the rattling tail, nor did the huge snake avert his gaze. Those beady eyes of intensity frightened me.
"He's here to escort me." I pulled myself within the snake’s sight. I didn’t think hiding me was going to give Jason a good rep.
The diamond-head jerked in my direction like it hadn't seen me. My bladder screamed for release.
"You've brought compensssssation." The skin-walker's long, smooth lips curled at the ends.
Jason pulled me behind him. "My humble compensation is treaty."
A forked tongue waggled and disappeared.
“But I haven’t eaten live meat in ssssooo long.” The snake sniffed in a very human way and turned its chin to better cast a disdainful eye.
I didn’t step forward, but said, “Then you haven’t seen—”
Jason squeezed my hand so hard it lost all sense of feeling and I bit my lip harder this time.
“Ow,” I whispered.
"Bring me compensssation, or I will collect it from you later."
Jason nodded. "Namaste."
He bowed again, then he turned his back and took us away.
We stopped in front of a branchless tree. Carved in the wood was a semblance of a bear.
"A totem pole?" I looked the length of the artifact. Wings spread out at the top, but I couldn't make out the other creatures.
Jason removed a small figure from his pocket, a stone cat, kneeled down, and placed the figurine on the ground. "Let's go." Jason rose. "Slowly."
We strolled away from the camp like it was a lazy Sunday.
“Rattler’s” persistent shaking tail made nonchalance a bit hard. I wanted to walk a little faster than Jason allowed. When we could no longer hear Rattler’s tail, Jason allowed me to slow and walk normally.
Our hands never found their way apart and it was nice to pretend someone cared about me.
“Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again.” Jason scowled.
“Maybe he’d seen Yiran.”
“Noir, skin-walkers might eat Yiran.” He blew out a breath but didn’t take one in.
After another half-hour of walking, a faint glow peaked over the mountain range and I glanced over at my vampire.
He slid his glance down to me and gave me a firm nod. He removed his pack, unzipped the top, and pulled out a canvas bag. He tossed it over the branch of the nearest red oak and climbed up the trunk.
The canvas bag extended into a tent of sorts. Only instead of four square pegs, it was a sack. A light tight bag, up in the highest tree branches, it would disguise us from zombies. Brain-eaters might be strong and fast, but they were dumb.
"Toss me yours," Jason said. For being up in a tree his voice sounded close.
I opened my pack and threw the canvas sleeper.
He was cutting this tight. The sun stopped for no vampire.
"Come on." Jason’s hand swung in front of my face.
Ass-wad swayed upside down, holding onto the lowest branch with the twist of an ankle and the top of his foot. He was showing off. Oh, the poor human can't climb a tree. Ass-wad deserved a lesson in humility.
I grabbed his hand and tugged down. Vampire strength not only prevailed but lifted me firmly up the trunk to the fourth rung of branches. He pushed me against the trunk and smirked.
I pushed at his chest. A big fat load of good that did. He didn't even budge. His smile dropped and his gaze fell to my lower lip.
"You're bleeding."
"Because you squeezed my hand too hard." I stared back. "And just so you know, I don't scream."
Ass-wads’ lips twitched.
His voice toned down to a scant breath. "Not a screamer, eh?"
My face warmed and I looked away.
He shoved me in the bag and zipped me in so fast my eyes didn’t have time to adjust. Complete darkness always sharpened my ears, yet I heard no scuffling, shifting, or any indication that Jason was in his sleeping bag. Only the sharp zzzzzhh of a zipper.
Trying to breathe heavy musty air became a second anxiety. I was suffocating in this dark cocoon. What if we didn’t find Yiran?
There was only so much time Jason had before he needed to feed.
A small part of me bubbled in my chest, the part that's always right said we would find Yiran.
Strength resonated inside that inkling. It was enough to let the walls of slumber-land fall in.
My eyes were open but I couldn't see a damn thing. And the air was touching me. I startled and nylon whispered a greeting. I calmed, knowing I was inside a tree-hanging sleeping bag. What time was it? I unzipped the top and light beamed in, scattering my claustrophobia.
“Noir?” Jason's voice sounded muffled and concerned.
"I thought vampires slept during the day."
"I'd rather you not venture out right now when I can’t leave this bag."
Ass-wad was right, of course, it was not wise to go around without big muscled vampire protection, but I needed air and a stretch of the legs.
"What time is it anyway?" I struggled to get my feet under me. Free hanging bags are not ideal platforms.
"Too early for me to get out of this bag and escort you around."
"I'm fine." I grabbed the top of the bag and pulled myself up.
"Noir! If you get out of that bag, I will—"
"You'll what?" Finally my shaky legs balanced and held. “You’ll jump out of the bag and I’ll be having crispy living dead for lunch.”
Fresh air, a cool breeze, and the afternoon sun greeted my escape from the hanging cave. It was magnificent! I raked my fingers through my damp scalp. My hair was a tangled mess. But since I’m a prepared girl I broke out the hair brush and started taming the mane.
“Noir?” Jason’s bag twirled in the breeze.
“Oh, everything’s—” My brush caught on a particularly tough tangle and I lost my grip of the handle. My only vain utensil tumbled—and hit a face.
Not a particularly alive face either. The expression was unfocused. The eyes a jaundiced yellow hue. Its mouth gaping and looking up with a dumb expression. The face was connected to a zombie and he had three friends.
I froze. “Jason.”
“Stay calm.” His voice held the agony of anyone helpless and forced to watch a friend die.
My hands trembled. A scream lodged at the top of my throat. Maybe they didn’t see me. If I sat back down, I might…
The one that got hit in the face blinked. Recognition slid across his face and the gaping maw turned into a snarl filling the air with a hiss.
His friends caught on.
Rock climbers would be impressed by the way they rappelled up the trunk.
“Oh shit!” I jumped up.
Clinging to the ropes around the branch that held my sleeper I went up. I had to get higher. Away.
A zombie leaped from the trunk and clutched the bottom of my bag. Nylon ripped as he climbed his way up my sleeping cave.
“I don’t think so, asshole.” I reached around to my pack and pulled out my stainless-steel, hand-forged eating knife and cut the rope.
Both my belongings and the zombie fell two stories.
A zipper opened.
Jason’s hand caught the first zombie that passed. The sun-exposed hand started to smoke, and then pulled the zombie inside. I didn’t have time to see the rest.
Black teeth and yellow eyes crawled closer. I teetered backward until the branch couldn’t hold us both.
I let go and tried to land on the branch below. The drop was maybe eight feet. I made it, but I was followed.
The inertia and wobbly tree scrambled my balance. I fell backwards. Floating in air, I wondered if there would be any branches on my way down. My back hit earth. Oxygen was gone.
Beside me an arm squirmed. The appendage was not attached to a body.
That’s right. Things could be worse. I could be that guy.
A leg landed next to the arm and the hand started grappling with an unattached thigh. Another arm hit t
he ground. By the looks of it Jason and his invited guest were not doing well in their “get along” shirt.
Three zombies hit the ground one on top of the other. The crack of a bone rattled my teeth. Manny, Moe, and Curly were alive and well. Their reincarnations moved toward me.
Something brushed my side. I screamed.
Gripping the arm attached to my t-shirt, I yanked. The hand waved about in search of something to squeeze.
Manny lunged for me. I shoved the arm, hand first, into my attacker’s mouth.
The unattached arm and hand latched on to Manny. Hand to tongue tug-o-war commenced.
Curly ran forward.
I scrambled. My feet didn’t gain traction. He’d be on me before I could gain ground.
A torso and head fell on top of zombie Curly.
God bless a vampire for his timing.
I stumbled forward. Mama raised no fool. I was outta there.
In no time, three zombies would be in pursuit. I could run, but they could run forever.
I looked back to see how close they were.
A soft tree collided into me. I fell on my ass and looked up. Reptilian eyes twinkled. Damn. Wasn’t zombie rule number seven never look back? Same as a horror flick.
“Hello, friend of Jayssssooon.” The skin-walker resembled a tree in every way except those scales. He lowered his head and hovered over me.
I clawed at his underbelly. “Zombies.”
The snake jerked his head forward. He wrapped the bulk of his body around me, squeezing me into his donut prison.
Leaves crunched under footsteps. Rattler lunged and struck a zombie.
Trapped in the spring of his coil, arms pinned at my sides, all I could do was watch.
The one he bit stammered back. The other two stopped when they saw Rattler.
Interesting.
Rattler re-bunched and remained coiled. I was in the center.
“They’re afraid of you.” I was doomed. Zombie bait or snake food. My choice.
“No. Not afraid.” Rattler tasted the air with his tongue. “Thingsss that don’t fffeel pain don’t fffeel fffear.”
It made sense. Zombies didn’t even have the good sense to run from fire.
The zombie that Rattler struck convulsed to the ground.
The skin-walker struck out at another zombie.
When the snake leaped, the zombie opposite lunged for Rattler’s neck. The scaly body around me straightened. I rolled to one side and the massive tail thrashed against the attacking zombie’s hands.
Rattler's head spanned the length and width of a person. With a zombie at his neck, he wouldn't be able to strike the undead.
I picked up the nearest broken branch, hoisted it, and brought it down on Zombie Moe.
Rattler slithered his tail between the zombie and his own neck and pushed.
For my troubles, I was knocked down and pinned underneath the undead.
Rattler struck the thing on top of me. I felt the concussion of the bite through the zombie’s body. A rib bone snapped. Not mine, thank you Lord.
Dead weight crushed me to the forest floor. The body on top of me twitched. I had to get out from under him. I used my legs and leverage to roll Zombie Moe off.
The skin-walker hover-danced over his first victim. Rattler lifted the zombie's head with his tail, cradling him as one would a small child. The wide reptilian mouth opened and I had to disagree with him when he said zombies don't fear. The look of terror in the zombie’s eyes said Rattler lied.
Rattler’s markings stretched while his jaws accommodated head, shoulders, and then the body of the zombie.
Lifting his serpent head towards the sky, zombie legs, scruffy shoes and all, slid down Rattler’s throat. The snake was going for zombie number two before the first one became a lump in his long, thick body.
"You eat zombies?"
Rattler finished choking zombie Curly down and wrapped his tail around the last guy. I almost felt sorry for the things.
Finally free, I scrambled backwards into the safe harbor of a tree. I turned to get the hell out. It was a miracle that I was leaving without a scratch. I didn't want to wait around for my luck to change.
"Thhanksss for the compensssatttion."
Yeah, no problem buddy.
As the sun faded, the best place to be was with a prince of the night who needed you to keep himself alive.
Jason's sleeping bag twirled lazily in the wind.
On the ground, a leg and two arms grappled with each other. Gross. The head and torso of a zombie wiggled nearby.
"Just fucking die already." If I was brave enough to kick the thing, I would. Instead I searched our scattered belongings for the rope ladder. The zombies wandering second leg spasmed around the fisherman’s rope wrapping itself into knots.
I picked the leg out of the rope and tossed the appendage.
From there I tied the rope around a branch and started climbing.
The closer I got to Jason, the less forest noises I could hear. The creepy part of it was watching the wind blow and not hearing the sway of the rope or the shift of nylon.
"Jason?" I knew I said the words. I could even feel my throat vibrate. But my voice didn’t come out.
"Jason!" Again nothing. "Jason!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and still I made no sound.
I hit the bag not where I thought it would hurt, but enough to get his attention.
Sound popped back and Jason's head-ripping growl thundered past the bag’s material.
"Jason!" I scolded.
"Noir?" His voice cracked and my heart tore in two.
"I'm fine. No bites, no blood." I needed him to know I hadn't been zombiefied.
"Noir." Outlined against the bag was a hand. It was just his five fingers and a palm outstretched over nylon, but it was a symbol of friendship, protection, comfort.
My hand lined up with his. Fabric separated us but I could feel the coolness of his body. Tears welled in my eyes. Oh great, melancholy at this hour. My eyes were going to look a mess.
The wind picked up after the sun sank over the mountain. When the last ray no longer helped keep the chill off my body, a zipper cried out.
Jason slipped out of his sleeper more graceful than I ever could. He unceremoniously took a hold of my face, wiped away my hair, and began inspecting my neck and arms. He went for my t-shirt.
I gripped his wrist. "I'm fine."
Knuckles brushed against my stomach and I jolted from the contact.
Jason's sort-of-smirk flashed. A frown replaced his fleeting humor. "When the zombie virus first came, humans used to hide their ailments until it was too late. They'd bring down half a dozen with them before we could do anything about it."
"You just want to see boobs."
"That was never in question." Jason tugged at the shirt. "But I'd like to see for myself that you're unharmed."
Ass-wad being candid with me. It had to be serious. "How about you take my word for it."
Blood-shot rimmed eyes scorched the rebel right out of me.
"In your panic, do you think you would've noticed?” Jason said. “What about your son? If we do find him and you've been contaminated, do you want him to become a zombie by your hand?"
My face flushed. I narrowed my eyes. "Fine." I ripped my top over my head and clung to my bra.
Cool hands smoothed over my skin. Fingers and eyes remained detached and professional while his palms probed my back, shoulders, belly, my under arms. He made sure to keep his fingers away from my chest, and his eyes did a cursory glance.
Jason's methodical inspection sent ripples of lust down to my crotch. Ass-wad wasn't beautiful like some of the others. He was tough and mean with no reason to hurt someone other than if they looked at him wrong.
If he'd lived in a cro-magnum man time period, he'd fit right in. But his touch was unexpectedly tender. His hands roaming my body were more intimacy than I’d known in weeks.
He pulled at the top of my pants. "Off."
&nb
sp; "Oh for the love of Pete!" I stripped down to my panties.
"I don't have much love for Pete." Jason stretched my legs, examining while balancing me on the branch so I wouldn’t fall. One hand held my ankle while the other smoothed over my inner and outer thighs.
Exposing myself made me feel like a hussy. Yet, I wanted to lay back and let him explore all he wanted. His hand skimmed under the waist of my cotton undies and retreated.
For all his bad biker persona, Jason was a gentleman—of sorts. Too bad. My lower lips were ready.
“You’re clean. Let’s go.” Jason took down his sleeping accommodations, folded, then stuffed them inside his pack.
That was it? He just touched me in the most knee-jellying way and then off we go? Confusing.
The vampire jumped down from the high perch.
Great. My climb down was slow and clumsy with a rope ladder that gained elasticity the lower I went.
“Any plan to find Yiran?” I picked up my sleeping bag. It was trashed. Slashes everywhere.
Jason walked over to the head and torso zombie that was using its chin to propel itself toward me.
“Yeah.” Jason bent his knees and grabbed stubby by the chest.
I thought he would bash the thing into a pulp.
Instead, Jason flipped it around, held Stumpy out at arm’s length and swept the zombie from left to right like a homing beacon.
Of course! Zombies had some weird internal compass that always pointed toward human.
The zombie bit and snarled at air and Jason walked forward. When the zombie’s head turned, we turned.
It wasn’t a perfect science. We backtracked once because we couldn’t—or rather I didn’t want to—rappel down a cliff during the dead of night.
Stop gaps aside, the zombie seemed to be making a straight line for humans. Hopefully Yiran was with them. We knew we were getting close when stumpy wiggled in Jason’s hand.
Jason’s arm slashed out, stopping me from going farther. He then brought a finger to his lips and pointed down.
I dropped to the ground. One does not question a vampire’s higher senses.
Jason threw the zombie and covered me.
“Perennials.” Jason whispered.
“You’re afraid of flowers?”
“Shhh.”
Ass-wad.
Escape To Vampire Dam (Dark Heart Heroes Book 1) Page 3
