by Nikki Drost
“What the fuck is going on?” Blondie asks.
“Calm down, Jesus it’s just a storm,” Phelps says, but the fear in his voice is unmistakable.
“Actually it looks like a hurricane to me and since my brother is dead it can’t be him, which only leaves one other possibility. It appears I was correct about the Angels wanting revenge.” Landon smirks.
A mixture of rain and hail begins to pound against the glass in rapid succession. The lightning is so close the hair on my arms stand at attention. The wind sounds like a freight train. With each passing moment, the storm gains more momentum and that’s when I notice something strange. Thick fog begins to form and swirl out of thin air. It seems to be rising as it surrounds the woodland areas. It’s Adam’s brothers, it has to be. It’s the only explanation for this random storm.
“I’m fucking out of here,” Blondie says as he pushes his way out of the room. The other men take one last look at the impending storm and join in the retreat.
“Get the fuck back here,” Farron yells to no avail. The hallways are complete chaos as men run in all directions and yell commands to secure the building.
“I guess the old saying is true. If you want something done you have to do it yourself.” Phelps raises his gun and begins to open fire.
Landon spins and throws himself on top of us shielding us from the bullets. Pain radiates thru my left calf and I realize I must be hit. I bite my lip to keep from crying out. Tears stream down my face as I try to ignore the pain. Kelsey begins to scream as the gunfire ceases. The sound of the coyote retreating is music to my ears. Something warm soaks my clothing and I realize Landon isn’t moving.
“Oh god, Landon!”
I roll him onto his back with Kelsey’s help. She has blood streaming down her right arm. I quickly check it and realize she’s just been grazed. I ignore my leg as I assess Landon’s injuries. He has several wounds in his back and shoulders, and his shirt is completely soaked with blood.
“Go…find…help,” he pants. Blood starts to trickle from his mouth, which means he needs help, now. I grip his shirt and pull until it’s completely ripped open.
“Kelsey I need your shirt.” She quickly complies and I place it over the worst of the wounds. “I need you to keep pressure on this while I look for supplies.” If I don’t get the bullet out, his lungs they will fill up with blood and he’ll suffocate.
“Are you crazy? You can’t go running around out there.”
“If I don’t he’ll die, Kelsey.” I push my way to my feet and begin to hobble out of the room. There is no way in hell I’m going to let Adam’s brother die, not after everything that he’s done to protect us. I can’t lose him too.
“Be careful,” Kelsey calls out.
I peek my head out of the room and check both directions. The hallway is empty and the only noise is from the raging storm outside. I use the wall for leverage and make my way left. It takes me a while, but I eventually find a supply closet and thankfully, it’s unlocked.
“Jackpot!” I quickly gather what supplies are left, it’s not enough, but it will have to do. I make my way back to the room as fast as I can. Luckily, the few men I ran into completely ignore me as they scrambled to leave the building. Landon’s olive skin has turned gray and his breathing is shallow. The mattress underneath him is completely drenched with his blood.
“Kelsey I’m going to need your help.” I start laying the supplies out and begin to pray. I hope this is enough to keep him alive long enough to get him some real help.
“Just tell me what I need to do.”
I give her instructions and get to work on removing the bullets. I start with the one that’s near his lung.
“I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.” I wish I had some pain meds, but then again Micah said they didn’t work on shifters. Landon nods his head as I grab the scalpel. He cries out as I cut into his open wound. Once the opening is large enough, I swallow the lump in my throat and insert my finger into his side. He grits his teeth as I feel around for the bullet.
“Got it,” I slowly begin to pull the object out as more blood pours out of him. His breathing changes as if he’s fighting for air. Shit, blood must be filling his lungs. I grab a piece of tubing and insert it into the wound. Blood instantly fills the clear tube and his breathing slowly starts to go back to normal.
“I can see…why my brother…loved you,” he pants.
I smile as I gather a needle and thread. “Don’t be too impressed, I’m just doing my job.” As I wait for his lungs to empty, I check out his other injuries. Most of the bullets are lodged in his back. “Once I close this up I’m going to need to roll you over and check out your other wounds.”
He shakes his head. “This was the worst one. We need to get out of here before all hell breaks loose. I’ll be fine, Andy, I promise.”
I roll my eyes. “Are all shifters this stubborn or is this a family trait?”
His perfect lips twist in humor. “Maybe a little of both.”
I stifle a laugh as the last of his blood drains from the tubing. I make quick work of stitching him up.
“Help me up and let’s get out of here.”
We help him to his feet and each of us wraps an arm around him for support. We make it to the doorway when we hear a deafening, grinding noise.
“What the hell is that?” I ask. The sound is unnerving, like grinding metal. Before anyone can answer the sound of snapping steel fills the air, the building begins to shake with such force that it knocks us off our feet. We cover our heads as the windows shatter spraying shards of glass in all directions.
Landon begins to laugh. “I think our back up is here.”
Chapter 22
“I need you to promise me something.” I turn to face my best friend as he steers my car toward our destination.
“Name it.”
I take a deep breath and let the words roll off my tongue. “Promise me if it comes down to saving them or me you’ll choose them. I need to know they will be safe.”
Jamie scrubs his hand over his tired face. “It’s won’t fucking come to that, brother, but I’ll get them out no matter what.”
I sigh in relief and stare out the windshield. Now that that’s taken care of, I can focus on killing that son of a bitch. Jamie reaches over and turns the radio on. No doubt, he’s trying to drown me out before I make him promise anything else. He laughs when he hears the song “Wanted Dead or Alive” pump through the speakers.
“It’s got to be fucking fate,” he says as he turns the volume up. I can’t count how many times we’ve sung this song together before or after a fight. Cass and Micah have grown so sick of it they said they’d stab one of us if we ever sang it again. Good thing they’re not in the car. As I sing my heart out next to my best friend some of my anxiety leaves my body, it’s replaced with determination and confidence. I don’t know how or why, but I know everything will be fine. Even if I die, I know my family will take care of Andy. She will never be alone. A few minutes later the song changes to “Rock You like a Hurricane” and I’m struck with an idea. A huge smile spreads across my face as I formulate a plan.
“Man what’s up with you?” Jamie asks.
I nod toward my radio. “I just figured out how we’re going to make our entrance.”
My brother begins to laugh and bumps fists with me. “Fuck yeah let’s do it.” I turn the music off when we reach the one-mile mark. We pull over and I bring Cass and Micah up to speed with my plan. Of course, they are all for it. We quickly spread the word and make our way into the woods. Once the abandoned hospital is in our sight everyone around us shifts into his or her animal forms. The vampires hiss like cobras as their fangs lengthen and their eyes change to an unnatural silver color. Silence surrounds us as I strain my hearing, I need to figure out the approximate area they are being held. I pick up the sound of my brother’s voice. They are on the top floor. I continue to listen to Landon as he explains how frightening Angels can be. That’s it l
ittle bro, keep them distracted.
I close my eyes and begin to summon a huge storm. The air sizzles as the temperature drops several degrees with our combining powers. The clouds collide and begin to churn. Thunder rumbles as lightning flashes, the wind picks up to an alarming rate. The sound of tree’s bending and snapping brings a smile to my face. Those fuckers are going to be scared shitless.
A huge boom cuts throw the noise of the gusting wind. Jamie has just blown the transformer and sparks are flying in all directions. Nice touch, I decide to take it a step further and blast the power lines, snapping them from their poles. Rain and hail begins to fall from the sky in rapid succession. It’s coming down so hard and fast it’s almost impossible to see your hand in front of you. Fog appears out of thin air and rises toward the top of the trees. Cass is trying to give us more cover, God bless him.
Gunshots and the sound of a woman’s scream catch’s my attention. Jamie and I advance, but are halted by our brothers. Fear grips me, but I remain in place, this could just be a trap and I can’t risk it so I wait. Several shifters appear on the roof, guns in hand. More of them pour out of the front door and scan the area. Landon really put the fear of Angels in them. It fills me with pride to know my brother kept his wits about him. I focus on the third floor and pick up my mate’s voice. Thank god, from the sounds of it, she and Kelsey are okay, but my brother is not. Rage violently courses threw my veins. That fucker is going to pay for this.
Micah nods and steps forward. His emerald eyes are full of hatred. He grinds his boots into the mud and the ground instantly begins to shake. The Omegas are visibly nervous, but hold their positions. I watch as Micah rolls his head and cracks his knuckles. He twists his right foot into the earth sending a shockwave toward the building. Screams ring out as some of the Omegas fall from the roof. His arms extend over his head and the sounds of twisting and grinding steel ring out.
Holy shit he’s going to blow the roof off, literally.
The concrete and metal holding the roof together explodes into the air and crumbles toward the ground, his hands curl into fists, and every window in the building shatters. He punches his arm at the air in front of him blasting a gigantic hole in the side of the hospital.
“That should do it,” he chuckles.
I shake my head in awe and send a silent thank you to heaven that this man is on our side. I grip two of my knives from my belt holsters and advance through the fog. Shots are fired in our direction by a group of shifters. I blast a surge of air at them sending them to the ground. I ignore them, knowing someone will take care of them and head toward the opening of the building. It’s complete chaos inside. Shifters of every kind storm the building and begin attacking the enemy. Vampires race in and easily rip apart the Omegas. Man we need to recruit some of these guys, their speed, and power would come in handy. I scan the area for one shifter in particular. He’s the only one I’m interested in fighting. The four of us advance on a large group of coyotes. Jamie tosses a few fireballs while I hit them with a blast of air sending random debris crashing into their bodies. The grinding sound of pipes being torn from the ceiling coupled with water hitting the tiled floor catches my attention and I realize Micah just made water accessible for Cass. Several coyotes advance, but quickly find themselves frozen in place.
“Nice job, Cass,” I say as I grab one of the werecoyotes by the scruff of his neck. He snaps his teeth inches from my face, I respond by shoving a knife into his ribs. The coyote yelps and shifts back to his human form. I’ve never seen him before, but that doesn’t matter. If he’s here then he’s an enemy.
“Where is Farron?” I growl. I grip the man’s blonde hair and pull back causing him to cry out in pain.
“I don’t know where he is.”
Not good enough, I twist the knife an inch and ask again. “Tell me where he is or I’ll carve you up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”
The coyote’s breathing becomes labored and I know then that I’ve punctured his lung.
“Third…floor,” he pants as blood trickles from his mouth.
I maneuver his face so I can stare him in his eyes. “Thank you,” I say as I remove my knife from his ribs and slam it into his heart. He screams as I twist several times, the light fades from his eyes, and I drop his body to the floor. My triumph is short lived as several more armed Omegas race toward us. Micah throws out his arms and the tiled floors explode, I cover my eyes to shield them from the dust. I turn back toward our no doubt advancing enemies, but stop in my tracks at the scene in front of me. Instead of just shattering the tile, Micah turned the floor into huge spikes, which have impaled the four males.
“Jesus,” I whisper. I’ve never seen him be so creative. I’m brought out of my musing when a fireball whizzes by my head.
“Keep your head in the fucking game, kid,” Jamie yells.
His target lights up like a roman candle and his screams join in the chorus of the others who are losing their lives. He’s right. I whip my head around wildly looking for the stairs.
“Dad, they’re on the third floor,” I yell to my father as I race for the stairs with Jamie right on my heels. Three men step in front of the door blocking my way to my mate. I release a growl as I use my powers to send them crashing through the ceiling. I rip the door off its hinges and take the stairs two at a time.
“Easy, son, we don’t know what we’re walking into.”
I nod at my father and slow my pace. The enclosed stairwell is quiet, but that doesn’t mean we’re alone. For all I know this is another trap and I’m letting my emotions get the best of me again. I take a deep breath as I peer through the window in the door of the second floor. It’s just as chaotic as the first floor. Bodies lay on the ground broken and bloodied and I can only hope that they’re our enemies and not any of my friends. I push the thought aside as I glance toward the top of the staircase. It appears to be empty, but I continue at a cautious pace.
Back at the cabin, we had decided to break up into teams, each having at least one vampire that way if Andy or Kelsey were hurt, they could be healed instantly. My group consists of myself, Jamie, my father, my uncle Zach, and a Russian vampire named, Alex. The man looks like he eats glass for breakfast. I pity anyone who tries to take that vamp on.
I finally reach the third floor and the eerie silence sends a shiver of fear over my flesh. It shouldn’t be this quiet.
“Allow me, Enforcer.” The Russian moves in front of me, his eyes cast a silver glow against the faded pastel walls. “It could be trap.”
I nod my head in understanding. He has a better chance of surviving than I do. I back up and crouch low to the ground, the grip on the hilt of my knives is so tight I’m sure my knuckles are white. He reaches for the handle and slips inside, instantly gunshots ring out followed by several gurgled screams. The door opens and Alex gives me a smile that’s all fangs.
“Told you.” His shirt has a few bullet holes, but the silver has already extracted itself from his body allowing his wounds to heal almost immediately.
Must be nice.
“Thanks, Alex.” I bump fists with him and slip through the doorway. I venture to the left. The long hallway is littered with scattered debris, but otherwise empty. The sound of my mate’s voice hits my ears and I race forward.
“ANDY!” I yell out. She has to be here somewhere.
“Adam?”
The sound of my brother’s voice echoes off the walls. I follow the sound until I reach the last room on the right. The three of them are huddled in the corner, but scramble to their feet when they see me. Relief washes over me as I slowly advance into the room.
“Angel, god I was so fucking worried.” I step closer, but the look on her face stops me in my tracks.
“Is it really you?” Her bottom lip trembles as tears stream down her pale cheeks.
“It’s me, luv, I told you nothing, not even death would keep me from you.” I race forward and lift her into my arms. She wraps her arms around my neck and begins to sob
.
“I thought I lost you forever.”
I hold her close with one hand and smooth the damp hair from her face with the other. “I will never leave you, do you hear me? No matter what evil comes my way nothing will stand between me and the love of my life, even when I die, angel, I will always be with you, watching over you, laughing and crying with you, waiting until the day we can be reunited.”
I lean down and place my lips to hers, I pour every ounce of love I have for her into our kiss. My body stirs to life as my desire for her washes over me. I need her, but this is not the time or place. With a growl, I release her placing her back on her feet. That’s when I notice all the blood.
“Are you hurt?” I franticly run my hands over her trying to find the source of her wounds.
“The blood isn’t mine, it’s Landon’s. He shielded us as much as he could, but I was hit in my leg.”
I drop to my knees and inspect her injury, it’s not life threatening, but the thought of her being hurt makes me see red. I take a few deep breaths and try to calm my rage.
“Alex can you heal her?”
The vampire in question inspects her wound and lucky for him he keeps his hands to himself. “Нет, ve must first get bullet out.”
Fuck, I need Micah for that. “Okay, but will you once it’s out?”
He nods his head and I’m grateful for his presence.
I turn toward my brother. “Landon.” I grab my little brother and hold him close. He cringes, but doesn’t release me. My hands are instantly covered in warm liquid. “I will never be able to repay you, little brother. Thank you for keeping her safe.” I owe him everything, if it wasn’t for Landon god only knows what would’ve happened to them.
“It was my pleasure big brother, but don’t ever scare me like that again.”
I release him as Jamie comes jogging into the room. He stops in his tracks when he takes in Kelsey’s appearance. She’s missing her shirt and has dried blood covering her body. No doubt, it’s my brothers.
