by Mary Abshire
"Donnie, are you okay?"
He breathed heavy. "Jessie, you have to help me." He sounded distraught.
Drake came to stand next to me, his body touching my side. Alan and Ryan fixed their attention my way.
"What's wrong, Donnie?"
"It's Gail," he replied, and I thought I heard him whimper. "I think…I think she's dead."
My heart raced. "Where are you?"
"The Fort Richardson graveyard in Anchorage." He sniffled.
"Ask him if he is alone," Drake said.
"Is there anyone else with you?"
"Jessie, please, help me," he said, his voice distorted.
"Stay—"
The line went silent before I could finish.
"What's wrong?" Dani asked.
"I can go and check it out," Alan said.
"No,"—Drake walked around the center island—"I'll go."
"I'm going too. They're my friends," I said, slipping the phone into my pocket.
Drake slipped his arm into his long coat. "You barely know them. This could be a trap."
"I may not know everything about them, but they're not bad people. I hung out with them," I said louder. "Why would they want to hurt me?"
"You're safer here," Drake said, zipping his jacket.
"I'm going if you're going and that's final," I said, heading for the garage.
Alan opened the door.
"Will you stay here, please?" I stepped down onto the cold concrete.
"Why?" Alan asked.
"There's no reason for all of us to go. It might turn out to be another crime scene and we don't need all the attention. Besides, Drake is stronger and faster. If someone is at the graveyard besides Donnie and Gail, Drake can catch the person quicker than you."
"Your excuse is lousy." Alan frowned and turned to Drake. "Let me go with you."
Drake stopped at the door and pulled his hat over his head. "She's right. I'm faster. You don't need to come with us."
Alan clenched his jaw.
I touched his shoulder. "Please, stay here and wait for us to call."
"Jessie, maybe the police should handle the matter." Dani stepped close to Alan's side.
"They're demons. I'm pretty sure I can handle the situation," I said. "And if not, Drake can."
"Let's go." Drake circled around me to get to the shoes in the corner.
I slid my feet into the tennis shoes I'd worn earlier. "We'll call you when we know more."
"I don't approve of what you're about to do," Alan said. "Let me send one of my men."
Drake opened the door. "I can handle demons, but if I need the cavalry, I'll call you."
Alan stormed away from the door. I had a feeling his temper would get the better of him and he'd find a ticket home as soon as he could.
I hopped inside the car as Drake started the engine. Dani stood in the doorway, holding her arms over her chest. Her fearful eyes faced me. As Drake backed out of the garage, I waved to her.
The car skidded when Drake turned onto the road. I braced my hands on the dash. "Easy now. We need to actually get there if we're going to help."
Drake gripped the wheel as he righted the vehicle. "Donnie said he thought she was dead. Who would've killed her?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, but she didn't seem like a troublemaker." I drew in a deep breath. "They wanted me to investigate the graveyard with them tonight, but I really wasn't interested. Maybe the call was a hoax to get me to meet them."
"Then Donnie deserves an award for his performance on the phone. I sensed fear and anguish. Those two emotions are difficult to fake."
My heart continued to thump fast. If Drake believed Donnie, then something seriously had to be wrong at the graveyard.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Drake found the graveyard using the Garman on the dashboard. Big concrete signs stood on each side of the entrance. A black metal fence surrounded the property. The dark driveway twisted and dipped, causing the SUV to fishtail a couple of times. Drake managed to control the car in time and avoid the large piles of snow on the side of the road. When we reached the back of the mortuary, I spotted a parked sedan near a building.
"That's Gail's car." I scanned the nearby area. Her vehicle was the only one in sight.
Drake parked behind the still vehicle, then cut the engine. Eager to find Donnie and Gail, I pushed open the door.
"Jessie," Drake said, stopping me from leaving.
I twisted to face him.
"Stay near me," he said. "I'm not going to risk losing you again."
While I didn't believe my life was in danger, I understood his request and agreed with a nod before sliding out of the seat.
Drake strolled around the SUV, meeting me near Gail's parked sedan. Little pellets of freezing rain hit my head while steam from my mouth came out in large puffs. I breathed fast, anxious to find my friends.
"I only hear one heartbeat," Drake said, scanning the area. "It's from someone outside, behind the building."
One heartbeat? My gut tightened. "We need to find that person."
Drake stepped around me with his gaze pointed down. "We can follow the tracks." And he did.
I walked next to him, eyes staring at the snow. "How many tracks do you see?"
"Several. Since they're mixed together, I can't give an approximate number," he replied.
Several could be two, or three, or five. Not knowing only made me more edgy. One thing we did know, only one living soul was in the area.
I followed Drake to the back of the building. A security light enabled me to see a large, open field that backed up to a wooded area. Midfield, I saw a dark blur near the ground.
A knot in my stomach twisted. "Is that…"
"Come on," he said, wrapping his hand around my arm. "Stay close."
I didn't argue. In fact, I didn't say anything.
The snow deepened as we headed farther into the field. Drake stayed near the path, guiding me. I hiked my legs up with each step, but it didn't help to quicken my pace. As we drew near the dark object in the field, it moved.
"It's a demon," Drake said. "I can smell him, and fresh blood."
My mind raced. Why would Donnie stay out here in the middle of the field? Where was Gail? Why did he call me if someone had hurt her? Nothing made sense.
A few feet from the person on the ground, a small blue light illuminated. In that moment, I saw Donnie holding a phone in his hands, the light shining on him. And on the ground next to him, I saw a body.
"Donnie," I yelled.
He stood up. The light went out when he tucked the phone in his jacket.
Drake and I stopped a few feet from him and the body on the ground. Dark snow surrounded the upper part of the body, which faced down. When I saw the coppery hair, I knew it had to be Gail.
I looked at Donnie. "What happened?"
He wiped his arm across his forehead. "I tried to stop her. I told her not to talk about your gift, but she didn't listen." His voice was scratchy.
"She told someone about my ability to send souls to Hell?"
He nodded. "They said there were ghosts back here. She wanted to see them."
"Who are they? Who did this?" I asked.
He wrapped his arms around his ribcage. "I told her I had a bad feeling and we should leave."
"Who, Donnie?" I asked. "Tell me who did this."
The young man wasn't making much sense. Judging from his emotions, I guessed he'd witnessed Gail's death.
Drake put his hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw him looking at the building.
"A car is drawing near. It's slowing," he said.
I faced Donnie. "Who did this, Donnie?"
He lowered his head and his dark hair covered most of his face. A mournful cry spilled from him. "I didn't want to call you. They made me."
I stepped closer to him, snow crunching under my feet. Reaching out, I touched his arm. "It's okay. Tell me who did this."
"Jessie, two people are coming," Drake said.
> The pounding of my heart intensified. Had Donnie lured me into a trap? Why?
"Who did you call?" Drake asked in a deep voice hinting at hostility.
Donnie took a step back. "They said they would kill me and steal my soul of I didn't call you."
A loud pop echoed, then something whizzed by us.
"What the fuck was that?" I spat.
Drake rushed to me. He wrapped his body around mine. More snaps sounded. Donnie threw his body face down in the snow and covered his ears.
"Don't move," Drake said, holding me tight in his arms.
I wriggled my body, trying to twist. The pops continued, one after another. What the fuck was going on? Drake wouldn't let me move more than inch. His body was like a protective cloak around mine.
I gave up trying to move. “What's happening?”
Drake's body flinched a few times, but his firm hold on me never wavered. “Someone is shooting at us.”
Fear and adrenaline fueled my racing heart. Now I understood why he was protecting me with his body. He flinched again.
“The bullets are hitting you!”
"I'll survive," he said.
His words didn't comfort me. What if a bullet hit him in the head? No, I wouldn't lose him. I wriggled again, but his arms squeezed me.
“Stay still, you're safer.” He slipped into my head.
“But you aren't!”
The sound of snow crunching grew louder. "Don't move," said a man, his voice somewhat familiar. I'd heard it before. "I'll blow your fucking head off."
When the shots stopped, I wondered if the person had run out of ammunition.
"Demons," Drake said.
"Don't you fucking move!" the man yelled. His voice sounded closer.
Pressing my lips together, I tried to think where I'd heard that voice before.
Drake's hold on me lessened. "Stay close."
I twisted in his arms to see around him. Terror rushed through my veins when I saw a bald man and a thin female with dark hair running toward us.
"Let me handle this," Drake said.
My thoughts raced, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. All the pictures of dead bodies appeared mummified with their mouths open. Why? A demon sucked out their souls. But what demon could make them so stiff, so lifeless? A memory of Gabe at the restaurant when I first met Leon, the bald demon, flashed in my mind. Leon froze Gabe with his touch.
Before I could warn Drake, the two demons were a few feet away. Leon was ahead of Julie. We couldn't outrun them in the snow. We had nowhere to hide. Three giant leaps later, Leon's hand smacked Drake's shoulder.
"Don't get any crazy ideas, buddy." Leon tossed his gun in the air while keeping his hand on Drake.
Drake didn't move, couldn't move. His eyes stared at the demon while the rest of his body stood stiff as statue. “Run, Jessie!”
I took a step back. “No, I won't leave you.”
“Run!” His thoughts screamed at me. “I can't protect you! Run!”
"No," I said softly, taking another step back. Fire blazed deep in my belly as I stared at the demon. He’d murdered innocent people. "You killed them."
He laughed. "Not quite, darling."
I balled my fists. I wanted to tear him limb from limb. And I wanted his soul.
Julie stopped next to Leon. "What do we have here?" She pulled out a large knife from her boot.
Anger fueled the inferno flaming within me. Did she kill them? Did she take their souls? A wave of understanding came over me. Leon froze the bodies while she stabbed them and stole their souls. It all made sense. How sick, twisted, and perverted they were.
"You?" I asked.
She grinned at me and shrugged. "A girl's gotta have some fun every now and then."
Fun? Where did she come from? She was fucking psycho.
“Jessie, leave now.” Drake shot into my head.
“No, I won't leave you so they can take your soul.”
Julie pointed the blade at me. "I hear you send souls to Hell. Is that right?"
"I only send evil souls to Hell," I said.
A devilish grin spread across her face. "And you think that makes you better than me?" She stepped closer.
I backpedaled. "I don't murder people."
She chuckled. "We all die someday." She took another step toward me.
"You're stealing souls and preventing them from traveling to their final destination," I said, stepping back.
"You are too."
My hatred for her intensified. Did she really believe we were of the same caliber? What a fucking nut job.
"Those who have murdered, raped, and committed horrible crimes deserve to spend eternity in Hell," I said. "The souls you take have committed no crime."
She gripped the knife tight in her hand and held it up to my chest. "You are a fool to believe they haven't done anything bad. Everyone steals, cheats, and lies to their loved ones, bosses, and friends. People are greedy and full of lust. They don't give a shit about anything except their own arrogant asses."
Psycho bitch really was crazy. She must have had a horrible childhood or someone had hurt her. A miniscule part of me felt sorrow for her. Then I reminded myself she made a choice to kill. No one forced her.
I glared at her. "You're wrong. Not everyone is bad." My eyes jumped to Drake.
She laughed. The sound of her irritating voice echoed in the night. "Do you believe this shit?" she asked as she moved closer to Leon.
"You should've killed her when you had the chance. She's worthless," Leon said.
So, she was the one who had stabbed me at the gas station. I’d gone to Hell because of her? I clenched my teeth, despising the bitch more and more by the second.
Julie lifted the knife to Drake's chest. "I've never killed a vampire before. After I finish with her, I may have to play with Mr. Vampire."
The inferno in my gut reached a new level. Sweat poured from me, rolling down my face and forcing my clothes to cling to me.
"Touch him and you die," I said.
Julie jerked her head to face me. "Is that a threat, bitch?"
I considered options with two demons threatening Drake, Donnie, and myself. Donnie whimpered behind me. I doubted he had the nerve to fight. With Leon's hand on Drake, neither one could fight. The good news, if any, left Julie for me to battle. After the training I'd spent with Jeremy months ago, learning how to fight, I wagered my salary for the rest of my life I could beat the bitch.
"Yeah, it's a threat, bitch." I put my hands on my hips. "Got the balls to fight an unarmed woman?"
Heat radiated from her, melting the snow near her feet. "You want to see balls? How's this?"
She lifted her hand. Gripping the knife, she turned to face Drake. Blood rushed to my head and, for a moment, my heart stopped. I rushed at her. As she lowered her hand, I grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked. The knife slid down Drake's jacket, slicing the leather as if it were soft butter.
Julie twisted, trying to regain her balance. She swung the knife at me. I let go of her locks and leaped out of the way.
"You fucking bitch!" she spat. "I'm going to slice you into pieces."
She charged at me with the knife up. I held still, waiting. When she brought the blade down, I swayed out of the path. The knife missed me by inches.
Fist tight, I punched her jaw. Her legs wobbled like noodles and she lost her balance. I didn't waste time. I swung at her again and hit her eye. She dropped the knife in the snow as her hands reached for her face.
"Julie!" Leon yelled.
I rushed toward her and thrust my hands at her shoulders. She screamed and flailed her arms in the air as she fell backward into the snow. If she thought she could beat me, she was sorely mistaken. I’d trained with a great demon fighter, battled and destroyed a centuries-old vampire. She had no idea what my capabilities were.
Before she pushed herself upright, I pounced on top of her. I sat on her abdomen and punched at her face. After the second blow, blood from her no
se and lip smeared on my hand. I continued thrusting my fist at her.
"Stop!" Leon yelled. "Stop it right now!"
Rage consumed me, boiling my blood and feeding the fire deep in my gut. I couldn't stop beating her. Truthfully, I didn't want to. The demon part of me wanted her soul, wanted the killing to end, wanted retribution. Bashing in her face wouldn't give me what I wanted, knowing her bones would heal, but I sure felt good seeing her in misery.
"Stop!" Leon yelled.
I paused, my arm midair, and turned to him. Leon's hand gripped Drake's shoulder, keeping my vampire lover motionless. Concern and anger tightened Leon's features. "If you fuck her up, I will make sure your vampire pays."
“Kill her, Jessie. Don't worry about me. You have to kill her.” Drake's words slipped inside my head.
Kill her? Could I do it? I'd never killed anyone before. I'd destroyed a vampire, but he was already dead. I'd never taken a life. And what about the souls she stole? I wanted to set them free. If I killed her, would they stay inside her? I recalled Paul had said I would be able to free them.
I panted from exerting so much energy. How could I release the innocent souls she held in her body? I couldn't suck them out the same way I took evil souls because then they would flow into me and end up in Hell.
She moaned and moved her head. Being a full-blooded demon, her broken bones would heal fast.
"Get up, Julie!" Leon shouted.
“Don't let her up, Jessie.” Drake pushed into my head.
I sat in the middle of a crossroads, unable to decide what to do. Glancing around, I saw the knife lying in the snow not far from me. I had the perfect chance to grab it and shove it into her. But what about the souls?
During my hesitation to act, Julie shot up. She wrapped her hands around my neck. "You fucking bitch!"
I fell sideways. Her hands tightened around my throat, cutting off my oxygen supply. I rolled onto my back. Gripping her wrists, I tired to pull her hands away. Panic seized hold of me when she climbed on top of me and squeezed my neck.
"Die, you fucking cunt! Die!" she growled with feral eyes.
My heart raced. I couldn't breathe. Why hadn’t I killed her when I had the chance?
"Kill her, Julie! Take her soul!" Leon shouted.
Realizing I couldn't pry her hands from my neck, I clawed at her face. She screamed and tried to bite me as I dragged my nails over her eyes and down her cheeks. My effort to stop her intensified her anger. I couldn't breathe. Pain stabbed at my heart as if it were straining. Each second without air fueled my fear. Damn it, I couldn't die. I couldn't let her beat me.
