Evil's Unlikely Assassin_An Alexis Black Novel

by Jenn Windrow

  Nathan and I walked through the abandoned warehouses and factories with foreclosure notices pasted to the doors. The only thing we came across were a few rats, and stray cats. If there was any vampire activity in this area it wasn’t where I was standing.

  “It’s quiet around here,” Nathan pointed out.

  I stopped and listened. The usual background noise of bugs and birds was missing. The only sounds in the area were the rustle of leaves being blown across the asphalt by the fall breeze, and the grumble of the Chevelle in the background.

  But the lack of noise wasn’t the only problem. Where was the homeless population that usually frequented these areas? Had they moved on or been recruited?

  The Chevelle rumbled in our direction, Reaper waved his arm from the window. The car stopped next to us, and he kicked the passenger side open. “I need your nose.”

  “Just what a girl desires to be wanted for,” I said on my way to the car.

  After I closed my door, Reaper said, “I think I found something about a quarter of a mile north of here, but I can’t be sure.”

  We drove north, but not far, just a few buildings between where Reaper was sure he found something and where Nathan and I had been. Even with the windows rolled up the smell of blood and death permeated the inside of the car.

  The car hadn’t even stopped when I opened my door and stepped out. I gestured for Reaper to stay behind. There was no indication what we were up against, but I wasn’t taking any chances this time. He cussed me out from inside the car, but I didn’t care if he was upset that I had just regulated him to the kiddie table.

  He let out a string of profanities, but didn’t make a move to get out of the car. Had the other night scared him more than he wanted to admit? I put my Glock in my hand and unclicked the safety.

  Nathan floated next to me. “Want me to go in first?”

  With a shake of my head I turned in the direction of a grey stone building with three large smoke stacks sticking out of the top. There was blood in the building I was sure of it, but whether it was coming from a single creature or a mass murder I couldn’t tell. The wind kicked up the back of my duster and sent the smell of blood straight into my nostrils.

  Eddie woke, stretched, and came alive.

  Time to play?

  We’ll see. Be ready.

  The door sat slightly ajar so I nudged it the rest of the way with the toe of my boot. I took a look and stopped. Frozen. Horrified.

  “Bloody hell.” Nathan’s eloquent words were exactly what I was thinking.

  The walls looked as if Jackson Pollack was going through his red period. Crimson covered every single surface in the small room. Body parts and hunks of flesh laid in large clumps on the floor.

  The sight of gore caused bile to rise up the back of my throat and settle on my tongue. I swallowed it down and rushed out of the room for some fresh air and back up. There was no way I could face that room again without someone at my side. I leaned against the building and allowed the clean air to flow through my lungs and out through my mouth.

  Reaper came up behind me. “What did you find?”

  “Blood. Death. A fucking mess.” I took another gulp of air and then stood straight. My sonar wasn’t going off, so it seemed I was the only supernatural in the vicinity.

  Reaper followed me into the empty room of death, but after his first glance he ran back outside and threw up. He came back in wiping his mouth with the edge of his sleeve and walked deeper into the carnage, avoiding messing with the crime scene. “This was a slaughter.”

  “A bloody massacre if you ask me,” Nathan said.

  The wind kicked up again and the smell of fresh blood was accompanied by the stench of vampire. Eddie roared, scratched, clawed, and bit to get free. Forcing my feet toward the direction of the smell, through a maze of concrete, metal, and glass. I stopped in front of a large square building. It was nothing special on the outside, just one small door and no windows. But inside something dark and evil and horrible lurked.

  “Be prepared,” I whispered to Reaper. He pulled out his gun, and we opened the door.

  Tremors quaked through my body. The scene hit too close to home.

  Large meat hooks hung from the ceiling, only the typical pigs and cows you expected to see hanging from them were replaced with human bodies. Humans who hung by their feet, useless arms dangled, blood dripped from deep gashes across their throats. The red drops landed in bottles positioned on a conveyer belt underneath the unwilling donors.

  Eddie vaulted to life seconds before the vampire walked in. Shotgun aimed at my chest.

  “You don’t belong here.” His finger stroked the trigger.

  One single vampire left to guard the room, and judging by his appearance and the way his arms shook, a newly turned one.

  “I’ve got this.” Placing one foot in front of the other I approached our little friend.

  “Stop walking.” His words trembled like a kid who was afraid of the dark.

  For once I listened. Instead of walking I ran to where he stood. I wrenched the gun out of his hand, turned it around, pulled the trigger, and gave him a second mouth, this one located in his throat. He fell to the ground, clutching at the wound, gagging on his own blood. I leaned down and rammed my stake through his heart. His body convulsed, and then burst into flames.

  With my head held high, I listened for anyone coming through the door. Nothing. We seemed to be alone, except for the dead humans hanging from the ceiling.

  “What the hell are they doing here?” Reaper couldn’t even begin to hide the disgust in his voice.

  “It’s a blood bank,” I answered. “I’ve never actually seen one, but I’ve heard about them.” I stepped closer to the row of dead bodies and bile rose in my throat. “When the vampires were forced back underground they started places like this. They provide food and income. Too bad it requires torture and death to run one.” I turned in a circle and stared at the carnage surrounding us. “The Sovereign body had them outlawed years ago though.”

  Seeing the fear frozen on the faces of the innocent bums and beggars hanging from the hooks brought a rage to the surface I didn’t even know I was capable of. My blood boiled, heating my body from the inside out, taking my rage to a whole new level of pissed off. The anger pushed long buried memories to the surface, forcing tears from my eyes and panic in my steps.

  I ran over and hopped up on the conveyer belt and tried to lift the closest person off the hook. But the hook went through the anklebone and without help I couldn’t get him off.

  “Reaper, help me.” Panic coated my words.

  He came over, but instead of climbing up he placed his hand on my foot. “We need to contact the authorities.”

  “No. We have to get them down.” I tried lifting again but only managed to make it worse.

  Nathan floated close. “Alexis, you can’t help them anymore, they’re dead. Let Reaper contact the VAU. They know what needs to be done, how to contact their loved ones.”

  Listen to your allies. Eddie sounded as sad as I felt.

  They didn’t understand, could never understand what memories these hanging lifeless bodies brought back. My mother and father hanging in the barn, allowed just enough air to keep them alive, to keep their blood flowing. Four vampires below feasting from their calves, and inner thighs. Xavier holding my head, forcing me to watch the life leave their eyes as the blood left their bodies. The horse’s reins around my sister Lysette’s neck while they prepared her for the same fate. Xavier forcing me to choose, my life for hers. But it wasn’t death he offered me. How I wish it would have been.

  “No. I can save them. I can help them. Just help me get them down. I’ve got to try.”

  “They’re not your family,” Nathan said.

  For the briefest moment, my gaze locked on his, and then my hands fell to my side in defeat. I climbed down. Sank to the ground. And gave up.

  Nathan followed. “The only way to help them is to find Terrance and shove
that dagger of yours up his arse.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair, composed myself, and finally forced myself up off the ground. “Call Coleman.” I headed to the door. “I don’t want to be here when he arrives.”

  “Give me a moment and I’ll meet you at the car.”

  “You stay. I’m going to walk.” I opened the door and stepped out into the cool night.

  Nathan popped up beside me, but didn’t talk—he knew me. Knew my need to be alone. My need to drown in the memories. My need to work through the demons of the past.

  So I walked. When I got tired of walking I jogged. When I got tired of jogging I ran. And it felt good.

  But it didn’t erase the demons.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Underground. Sixty-two miles of tunnels buried forty feet below the city of Chicago. When they were in use, between 1906 and 1959, they were delivery tunnels that took goods to the surface. Today they housed a supernatural den of illicit activities. A den of illicit activities that Reaper, Nathan, and I were about to enter.

  “Do you even remember where the entrance is?” Reaper asked in his ever so doubtful tone.

  After the Eradication, the remaining vampires fled back into the shadows to survive. The Underground seemed like the best place to stay out of the public eye, so the local coven helped spell the front doors to keep the unwanted out. It may have been five years and one angelic contract since I entered the Underground, but the green mage magic, that marked its location, still lit up the night sky like a homing beacon.

  I continued to follow the glowing green path, hoping my lack of response was enough of an answer.

  “The VAU would make me Chief of Police if I helped them find this place.”

  You can’t let him lead the VAU here. Eddie poked, prodded, and pleaded.

  I stopped walking and turned on him. “Promise me you will never lead them here?” My hands on my hips, feet spread wide and narrowed eyes were enough of a hint that we were not moving forward until he made that promise.

  After a pregnant pause that made me wonder if he would ever speak the word, he mumbled, “Promise. Not that it should matter to you.”

  True, it was my job to hunt and kill the supernatural population, but the Underground represented a place of safety, security, sanctuary and I wasn’t going to be responsible for the massacre that would take place if the VAU ever stepped through the doors.

  We stepped closer to the entrance and magic zipped through my body.

  I stopped in front of a non-descript metal door, placed my hand on the beat up knob and waited for the tiny pinprick that would test my blood. I’d never tried to get in since I accepted Caleb’s offer and a part of me worried that my tainted blood would trigger the alarms. Four nail biting seconds later and the knob glowed green, right before the door clicked and opened.

  Only a select group of humans—who wanted to mingle with danger—went in the Underground. They paid for admittance with money, sex, blood and sworn loyalty to the vamps, weres and witches who ran the show.

  And because my partner threatened to end my ‘bloodsucking life’, his words, not mine, if I refused to let him help, tonight Reaper was my guest. A guest I hoped wouldn’t get eaten.

  I pulled the door wide for my partners and stepped aside. “Ready for this?” Reaper brushed past me, followed by Nathan.

  We entered a large room with two staircases and walls made out of corrugated metal that smelled of a mixture of piss, beer, and blood. Eddie stirred, but stayed deep in the abyss. Competing bass rhythms snuck out from under each of the doors that guarded the tunnels. The staircase on the right led to the human side of the club. The staircase to the left led to the freak side.

  I took a step to the right, due to my need to kill anything of the non-human variety; I would be hanging with the humans. “This is where we split up. Nathan, go with Reaper and come find me if there are any problems.” I wasn’t comfortable with sending Reaper into the Underground without back up, but I had lost the argument back at my place.

  I started walking to the staircase on the right, but before I got halfway there Nathan stopped me. “Wait, before you go I want to try something.”

  Nathan stepped close. Too close. His hand touched mine, his feet touched mine, his chest touched mine. Purple and blue sparks filled the air around us. He took another step forward and disappeared right into my body.

  I heard his thoughts, he hoped this would work. Sense his emotions, worry, fear, and elation. Felt the beat of his ghostly heart, just like my own that stopped beating so long ago. It was like we were one. It was also creepy and a complete violation of my personal space. I needed him out. Wanted him out. Had to get him out.

  I started to bounce up and down, and flapped my arms like some epileptic chicken. “Ugh. Ick. Ick. Ick. Get out.”

  PWOP. When we separated it sounded like a bubble burst. Nathan stood in front of us, but he wasn’t transparent anymore. He looked solid, corporeal, human.

  “What did you just do?” Reaper walked around Nathan poking him in various places, his fingers landing on flesh instead of going straight through. “I can see you without Alexis touching you.”

  “I leached some of her energy.” Nathan’s shit eating grin said he was proud.

  “Shouldn’t you have asked first?” My grumpy tone outlined I was pissed.

  He shushed me with a wave of his hand. “Before you get brassed off, I have a theory.”

  “Better be a good one for that invasion of the body snatcher routine.”

  He hit me with a steely glare before he continued. “For some reason, Alexis and I are able to do remarkable things when we touch and tickle. I wanted to see what would happen if I jumped into her being. Possessed her if you will. Could I bring some of her energy with me so I could manipulate objects in the outside world?” He gave Reaper a shove in the shoulder knocking him off balance. “And it seems my bloody theory was correct.”

  “So, what was the purpose of this little science experiment?” I asked, still not convinced it was necessary.

  “That was just the first part, to see how useful I can be.” He walked over and picked up a soda can off the ground. “Next we have to see if I can leave your side.” He turned and walked out the door and didn’t come poofing back. Instead he walked through again with a Cheshire cat grin on his face. “I’m useful now. Although, I’m not sure Papa Vlad was happy to share his portion of your body with me.”

  Nathan had a point; even if I wasn’t happy about the way he proved it. When we got home we were going to have a long talk about personal space and ick factors, but for tonight having a ghost who could now touch things with Reaper would alleviate some of my worries.

  I tossed him a stake and he caught it. “Looks like you’re going into the vampire den of debauchery with Reaper.” I put my hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “Good plan. Next time ask.”

  I turned and walked into the stairwell. The door slammed behind me and the loud bass of the techno music vibrated the rickety metal stairs. Multi-colored lights flickered on and off. The stench of cigarettes, pot, and various kinds of alcohol wafted up from below, not a pleasant odor, but at least it wasn’t the smell of blood, death, and decay. My foot hit the concrete at the bottom of the steps and I walked into the first tunnel.

  Bodies writhed in time with the music, blocking my way to the bar. I wound in and out, hoping they didn’t brush their sweat on my leather, and headed to the back of the room. Plopping down in the nearest bar stool, I watched.

  “What can I get you?” the bartender asked.

  “A beer.” He left to fetch my drink and I laid a twenty on the bar top.

  I needed to continue on through the tunnels and look for Terrance, but a few moments spent pretending to be human wouldn’t kill anyone.

  The bottle clicked on the fake marble counter when the bartender returned. I picked it up and held it up to my nose, took a big whiff of barley and wished I could actually drink it. But the ability to enjoy anything o
ther than plasma was stolen from me when I became a vampire.

  Why do you pine for a human life of weakness?

  I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You chose to become a monster. I was forced to become one.

  What you call monster, I call superior.

  That’s one reason we don’t see fang to fang.

  Fifteen minutes of observing the human world was all I would allow myself, and I continued on deeper into the labyrinth. Instead of stopping in each tunnel and looking for Terrance, I wandered through the halls and let my nose do the searching.

  When I hit the entrance to the fourth tunnel Nathan popped in. He looked like he had seen a ghost, which was ironic considering.

  “You’ve got to get in there.” He pointed to the exit.

  “Trouble?”

  “That’s a bloody understatement.” Nathan snorted. “We were searching for Terrance, when out of nowhere, that bloody partner of yours takes off like a bloomin’ duffer, yelling, “I’ll kill you.”

  Without another word, Nathan and I ran towards the exit, back up the stairs and toward the Supernatural entrance. My hand closed around the door handle, and I practically wrenched it off the hinges when it clicked open. I took the stairs two at a time as I flew into the deep carnivorous blackness, not caring what would happen to me once I encountered a full room of non-humans.

  My body started bumping to a beat, but not the one that blared over the speakers. The brand flared to life, the beast woke up, and my blood thumped, burned, and pulsed like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I staggered to the nearest wall and leaned against it.

  Four deep breaths in. Four deep breaths out. Again. And again. And again. Until they calmed me, controlled me, centered me. Just enough to stop the mini earthquake causing my legs to shake.

  I felt around in my pocket for the needle Julian had dropped off, and pulled it out. The orange liquid glowed in the black light. I didn’t want to stick myself, but if I entered the room without some way to control Eddie, Reaper would die. Along with any other vampire, werewolf, fairy, or witch I came across. Time to find out if Julian’s wonder drug worked on me.