Master of the City (A Kate Brokenshire Zombie Slayer Adventure Book 3)

by Garth Ono

  How long have they been watching me?

  Stealthily looking around, she spotted a pair of men next to the fence and facing the hotel parking lot. After ensuring there were no others hiding in the area, Kate went back around the building and got as close to Daphne as she dared. She was only a little surprised to see Brody sitting behind the wheel.

  Apparently, I didn't shoot him in the right spot, she thought. I won't make that mistake again. At least I took out Carl without turning him into a vamp.

  Returning to the Defender, Kate scooted down low to hide and called Daphne's number. It rang, before going to voice mail.

  "Daphne, this is Kate. Let's call a truce and talk," Kate said. "Call or text me. We'll set it up for right away."

  The vampire called her right back. She voice sounded too relaxed and casual.

  "Hey, Kate," Daphne said. "I was afraid you'd be mad at me. I didn't know Simon was going to attack you. I swear."

  "I believe you," Kate replied. It wasn't easy, since she knew the truth. "It was your intervention that saved me. Thanks."

  They chatted like that for a bit. Then Kate got down to business.

  "Where are you at right now?"

  Her friend hesitated. "I'm at Simon's new house. Why?"

  "Oh, I don't know where that is," Kate said. "I was going to suggest a meeting place halfway between our locations. I'm over south of Clayton."

  "Do you remember where the Saint Louis Galleria is located?"

  The Galleria recently closed due to the decline in business since the apocalypse. Most of the richest people in St. Louis and its suburbs had moved across the river to Illinois. That made Kate sad. It was her favorite mall, despite not being able to afford ninety percent of the merchandise.

  "Duh. You and I shopped there many times. Meet me at the intersection of Brentwood and Darst, across from Macy's and Nordstrom," Kate said. "Come alone. This is just between you and me. Okay?"

  "Absolutely!" she said. "I'm on my way."

  A moment later the Suburban raced past her. She watched them leave the parking lot, before she pulled out to follow. Kate tried to do a better job of following them than the minivan did with her. She stayed back, barely keeping them in sight. It was easier due to knowing their destination.

  There was a burnt out strip mall south of Darst, with some mixed retail and residential apartments overlooking them. Kate turned into the strip mall parking lot, and then drove behind the buildings. Halfway to Darst she parked the Defender right next to the building, and used the truck's roof to access the top of the building. She quickly moved up to the corner overlooking the intersection. Daphne's vehicle was parked right there below her.

  She watched one of Daphne’s minions go inside the store across the street. Another headed for the apartments overlooking the parking lot. And Brody hid behind the building that Kate waited atop.

  "All of the players are in place," she muttered.

  Kate was armed for vampire: Pistol, Lupara, kukri machete across her back. Any minions she killed would quickly rise back up as a drac. Probably a very angry vamp at that. At that point she would have to take his head or it was all over for her.

  Brody was set in his hiding spot. Kate didn't think either of the other two minions had time to find a good spot, but she knew there was the chance. Hell, she might've already been spotted since it was possible both were higher than her, but she suspected they had to be on the first floor to be able to offer quick assistance to Daphne.

  Another reason arguing for urgency was Brandy. That drac and her minions might be on the way. So Kate moved to a position above Brody. He was on one knee and looking around the corner at Daphne. So her friend was the bait.

  "Not today," she muttered and vaulted over the side.

  Kate came down feet first atop Brody. She left him sprawled and gasping. Before he could figure out what hit him, Kate hit him again. The second strike was to the head, using Lupara. He was out cold. She then used his belt to bind his wrists behind his back, and used his socks to gag him. Kate was just a little ashamed at how much she enjoyed stuffing a whole sweaty sock into his mouth, and using his other sock to tie it into place.

  She took off running around the corner and up to Daphne. Her friend cried out and turned a pistol on her. Kate held Lupara on Daphne. For a long moment they just stared at each other, fingers on triggers. Both were too close to miss.

  Chapter 25

  "We don't have much time," Kate said, glancing at the store across Darst Court. "Your minions will be here at any second."

  "What do you want?" Daphne asked, taking a step back and taking aim at Kate's head. "You have ten seconds." She gave Kate's sawed off shotgun a contemptuous look. "That thing won't bother me at all."

  "You might be surprised," Kate said, and then silently cursed herself for escalating tensions. "Look, I still love you like a sister. You've been my best friend since before I can remember. I want to help you."

  Kate estimated they were three big steps apart. She could get to Daphne in a flash, but her friend might shoot her, too. Despite being the daughter of a cop, she was not a gun person before becoming a vampire, so she might miss.

  "I'm dead, Kate. Accept it. There's nothing either of us can do about it," she said.

  Kate moved closer. Slowly. Cautiously, while showing Daphne only openness and concern. She stopped when Daphne's eyes narrowed.

  "But you don't have to follow Simon. You can be your own woman. Serve your own best interests, and not the interests of a power-hungry monster."

  One of the minions charged out of the store. They were less than fifty feet apart. Kate glanced at him, and then noticed the smirk on Daphne's face. Was her friend too caught up in vampire politics and that hedonistic lifestyle to be saved?

  "I've made my choices," Daphne said. Her finger tightened on the trigger. "Now it's time for you to make a choice. Surrender to me or… Become a zombie right here and now."

  The minion was seconds from tackling her. Kate ducked and jumped to the side. Daphne fired and missed, while the slayer turned Lupara on the charging minion and shot him in the thigh. He screamed like a banshee.

  Daphne jumped back, a look of surprise on her face. Kate moved without hesitation, charging up and twisting the pistol out of her hand. The vampire backed against the Suburban, shaking her head.

  "I have no intention of doing anything to hurt you," Kate said. "Listen. If you help me, and help the city of St. Louis in doing so, then you will be seen as a hero. I really think I can get all of your rights restored and you can live in normal society again. The police will protect you."

  "The police?"

  "I'm talking to them about this. If you help us by Calling the zombies in to be killed, then you will receive a full pardon, amnesty, and whatever else is needed so there is no longer a death sentence hanging over you," she said. "Though, I think the police might expect you to continue to help them fight and round up zombies."

  Daphne actually perked up. "I'd be a police officer?"

  Kate never knew she had aspirations for a career in law enforcement. Not too much of a surprise, her father, and both grandfathers were police officers. Her father's father was a St. Louis cop for thirty years. Daphne still had family in the city.

  "If you're interested, I can talk to them about it," Kate said. "But you have to leave Simon and help us. Help me." The other minion appeared, racing towards them. He had a pistol. "Think about it, Daphne! Brody's in back tied up." Kate removed the magazine from Daphne's pistol, and quickly half-disassembled it. She tossed the parts in different directions. "I'll call you."

  She took off running. The minion started shooting as soon as she was away from the vampire. She pulled her pistol and returned fire as she ran. He was too close for her to go straight to the back of the strip mall. Kate headed to the first space between buildings, but the minion proved much faster.

  "Stay back or I'll kill you!"

  Her pistol was empty, and she failed to bring a spare magazine.
His weapon was also empty, the slider locked back. The minion dropped his weapon, and that seemed to allow him to run faster. He was gaining too fast and Kate struggled to come up with a plan.

  "Good. I'll become a vampire," he said. "And you'll be my first minion."

  "Over my dead arse," she growled.

  "You mean undead," he said.

  Kate holstered her pistol, took Lupara in both hands, and stopped running. She lunged straight back at him, swinging the sawed off 12-gauge like a club. He dodged aside, but turned and put a shoulder into her ribs. They hit the pavement and rolled. He grabbed her left wrist and braid, jerking her head to one side.

  Daphne was running toward them to help. Panic began to set it. It was all over if Kate didn't stop him before the vampire reached them. So she heaved with all of her might, throwing him over her head. Kate rolled to her knees, swung Lupara around, and shot him in the chest.

  Killed him dead.

  Undead.

  The minion sat up a second later, and revealed fangs when he smiled at her. Kate released Lupara, pulled her machete, and swung as she drew it. The minion's head came off, and Daphne cried out in anger.

  Kate loaded two more shells into Lupara, and braced herself against Daphne's attack. The vampire stopped a dozen feet away.

  "Wise decision," Kate said. She grabbed the dead vamp's head. "Think about what I said. The offer stands, but I have other dracs interested, too. I want you, though. Please consider it." She backed away, holding Lupara in her right hand, the vampire's head in the left. "You have my number."

  Daphne didn't follow. Kate returned to her vehicle, bagged the vampire head, and placed it in back. Then she drove onto Brentwood and drove past Daphne's vehicle still parked at the intersection at Darst. Her friend and Brody were working on the other minion's wounded leg. Kate headed for Simon's house.

  The Galleria bordered the southside of Clayton Road, and the city of Clayton was on the other side. So Kate wasn't far from Simon's house. Daphne's earlier comment about Simon having a new house was a bit concerning, but she felt it was a lie to throw her off.

  Kate returned to the abandoned house she'd visited earlier. She setup in a front window, watching through partially open blinds. Daphne's vehicle returned to the house minutes after Kate's arrival. She watched some pretty minions swarm the wounded minion and help him inside. Daphne hesitated before going inside.

  Dread of telling Simon she failed to capture me again? Kate thought. Or is she considering my offer?

  The silver minivan pulled up shortly afterwards. Brandy, a black woman, a white male, and Hispanic woman got out. All minions of Simon or Brandy? Probably. Kate had the impression everyone in Simon's house was either a vampire or a minion.

  She considered how best to get to Simon. He had armed minions guarding the doors, front and back. There was a house full of hot young women, all very fit and strong, who obeyed him to perfection. Anyone trying to kill him would be swarmed and captured, and become his minion shortly thereafter.

  "I have to find a way to get him out of that house," she muttered. "I don't think Daphne's strong enough to break free as long as he is alive." She smiled. "A fire would get him outside real fast."

  But he'd probably be surrounded by his minions. Kate needed to get Simon alone.

  "Operation Kill Simon has begun," Kate said as she stood. "Your head is mine, Simon."

  Chapter 26

  The alarm when off at midnight. Kate dragged herself out of bed. Going to bed so early hadn't worked too well. At best she had a fitful evening sleep after a bit more research and planning.

  Kate quickly showered and dressed in all black. She checked her e-mail and phone messages. The police actually replied to her request for information, telling her what she suspected. Whoever was letting in the zombies cut holes in the fencing did so down in Mehlville every time, usually every other night. On the other nights, zombies were usually encouraged to swim the Missouri River south of Earth City or further north in Old Jefferson.

  "I like that 'encouraged to swim' part," she muttered. "Even with vampires they want to err on the side of political correctness. Everyone knows the zombies are Called across the river by a vamp."

  Zombies could swim as well as anyone. Since they didn't tire and couldn't drown it could be argued they were better swimmers than mortals. Any zombie not missing a limb could swim the widest sections of the Mississippi. Fortunately, zombies rarely chose to swim across a river. Their simple minds preferred the path of least resistance. Most experts believed they only swam when they saw someone on the other side.

  If the undead culprit stayed true to form, then it would be Mehlville that night. Kate was convinced Simon was the one bringing the zombies in. Her only actual evidence was Mordred really didn't need to do it. She thought the Calling was an act of desperation. There was no evidence the Zombie Mafia was even trying to claim any of the invading rotters, so that scratched Valentine and Xavier off the suspect list. That left Simon and Indigo.

  Indigo was nothing but a phantom threat to Kate. Like the Zombie Mafia, she seemed to be staying out of that mess. Kate felt Indigo would be out and about, or her minions at least, if she was involved. That left Simon. And she felt he was the most unsavory of all the city's vamps, just from personal history.

  Kate ate the six-inch sub she bought on the way back from Simon's earlier. It was a club, with three kinds of meat. Her favorite. Most important, the sub filled her up. She was in for a long night, so made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She also packed some high energy, caffeine-packed drinks to help keep her awake and ready.

  She armed up and headed out. She got about three steps before Axl stepped out of his room to block her passage. He was fully dressed and armed to the max. And then Rocco came out into the hallway, also ready for action.

  "What are you blokes doing?"

  "Coming with you," Axl said. He grinned. "We figured out you have something big going down."

  "We want a piece of the action," Rocco added.

  "You already have a piece of the action," she replied. "We all do. Zombies galore. I've earned almost a year's pay in four days. What more do you want?"

  Axl stepped up close, towering over her. He was intimidating, but she kind of liked it from him. She didn't feel threatened, but didn't want partners either.

  "Everyone knows you turned in a drac head today. It's all anyone could talk about at the beer garden," Axl said.

  "We checked your window, and it was dark. Your truck was in the lot," Rocco said, pressing up behind her. "We figured you were sleeping to get a middle of the night start, and that couldn't be to score zombies heads. Night hunts are for vampires."

  She looked back and forth between them. They were determined. Her first thought was to pretend to accept their help, but then shake them once on the road. But then she considered how hard it would be to take Simon alone. The vamp would have minions helping him, if not other vamps.

  "We split the bounties fifty-fifty," she said.

  "You're a funny girl," Rocco said. "We split all bounties, zombie and vampire, three ways."

  "I did all of the prep work."

  "We're bringing muscle," he said. "Your take-home might not be quite as much, but your chance of survival is tripled with us helping."

  That wasn't something she could argue. In a way, she was kind of relieved to have some help. Axl and Rocco might be wild and incautious, but they were successful head hunters. She guessed they were taking twice as many heads as her, each.

  "What are we dealing with?" Axl said as he turned toward the elevator.

  Kate fell in beside him. She told them about Simon, her history with him, and that she knew about him in the city because he tried to recruit her.

  "And he has at least two dracs working for him," Kate said. "Daphne was my best friend growing up. She might have pink or green or purple hair. It changes all of the time. Do not kill her. Period. She's more victim than anything. The other vamp I know about is Brandy. She
's a pretty blonde, and can be vicious."

  Before they got to the parking lot, Kate told them about the minions she'd seen and knew about. And she laid out her plan. It wasn't until she told them her plans that she realized just how sketchy they were.

  Kate led them over to the abandoned house. They parked in the rear driveway off the alley, and watched Simon's place from the second floor. While they waited she and Rocco worked out a plan to trail Simon without betraying themselves. He called it a leap frog approach, with them taking turns trailing him. It made her nervous, but since she had a good idea where Simon would go, she agreed.

  "We have movement out front," Axl said. He was watching through a passive light scope. "At least two dracs, male and female. Two minions, both big males."

  Kate rushed over to study them with her binoculars. The front porch light was on, so she saw Brandy's blonde hair. The other vamp was Simon. Daphne was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed her friend was out looking for her. They were getting the minivan ready.

  "Let's go," Kate said. "You guys hurry up to I-64. I'll stay back and follow them, and if they decide to head north I'll let you know."

  They had a message group setup on all three phones. She waited for them to leave, and then sent them a message to test it again. Axl replied immediately. So when the minivan finally pulled out at 2:45 AM, Kate ran down to her Defender, mounted the phone on the dash, and sent a message by speaking. "Vamps are on the road. I'm following."

  Send.

  we r in position, Axl responded.

  "The game's afoot," Kate whispered and grinned.

  Chapter 27

  She was ecstatic that Daphne wasn't with Simon. It might not be possible to save her friend from Axl and Rocco if Daphne tried to defend her vampire master. Of course, it worried her not knowing where her friend actually was, and what she was doing. Daphne might've been sent to Call zombies elsewhere. Or she might've gone ahead to scout out the best site on the perimeter.