by Justin Sloan
Mid-transformation, everything went wrong. First there were voices closer than he’d expected, followed by a flash of light and a shock that sent him to his knees.
The transformation hadn’t happened!
He reached inside to trigger the transformation once again, but the light flashed a second time, sending another shock blasting through his body which spasmed, rebounding off the wall next to him.
He collapsed.
In a haze, he became aware of two figures walking out of the shadows from across the street.
One of the men spit off to the side, his voice distant, muffled. “We got ourselves a new recruit to the cause.”
Diego tried to get his limbs to work, but all he could do was twitch as his muscles seized over and over again. He couldn’t even work up the control to give them a middle finger salute.
“Welcome to the hunt,” the second one told him. Next the guy wrapped a bag over Diego’s head, it smelt of leather with the scent of rubbing alcohol, and everything went black.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Diego took the punch like a champ. Compared to the beating that bitch cowgirl had given him, these punches from two, large humans were like two toddlers playing. Not that they didn’t cause blood to fly.
He coughed, and then spit out blood from where he’d bit his tongue when one of the guys kneed him in his face.
“Why aren’t you registered?” the man demanded, for probably the twentieth time that night.
“I’m new here,” Diego coughed out. “Figured I’d see the sights before committing to staying.”
He tried to hold it in, but his smirk slipped out as he added, “It’s not every day you get to see Lady Liberty without her head.”
“It is for us,” the second guy interjected, earning himself a glare from his partner.
“Listen,” the first one spoke, his voice not so harsh. “You’re strong, you’ll make a great hunter. We just have to make sure you’re onboard.” He leaned down to view Diego’s face, tsking at all of the damage as he made a point at looking over the damage before looking Diego in his eyes, “So, are you?”
“Go eat yourself.” Diego spat blood in the guy’s face.
The guy’s face twisted, and he slammed his fist into Diego’s jaw, the bones cracking loud in his ears. The second punch got him in the gut. That one hurt enough to make him double over, but nothing they could do wouldn’t heal eventually, so he wasn’t bothered by it—a skill he’d learned long ago.
Well, scratch that. There probably was some stuff they could do that he couldn’t heal from, but if it got to that point, he was screwed anyway. And as of this moment, they didn’t seem interested in killing or permanently maiming him.
“Take him to a cell,” the first guy said. “We’ll let the hounds have him when they’ve returned from looking for the new vamp everyone’s talking about.”
Diego’s ears perked at that, but they said no more on the matter, just dragged him down a hall past someone whimpering in a cell, then tossed him in the next cell over and locked it.
“When the Hounds get back,” the second man said, leering through the bars, “you are in for a mighty good ass kicking, boy.”
Diego rolled over onto his back, “I’ll start practicing my grunts and groans now then,” Diego replied with a roll of his eyes while clutching his stomach.
The two men glared, then one nudged the other and said, “Come on, let’s see if they were able to get any real meat this time.”
“Hell to the yeah,” the second guy agreed, and they turned and disappeared down the hall.
Well this was a pickle, Diego thought as he moved himself over to rest against the cold wall. He hoped his wounds would heal faster than normal. They rarely did, but if he had the right meal, it seemed to happen sometimes.
It certainly didn’t look like he’d be able to repay the kindness of Franklin any time soon, and warning Valerie and Sandra was certainly out of the question.
Sandra… He didn’t know why, but her face kept popping up in his mind. The way she’d blushed around him made him laugh just thinking about it, bringing some joy to this dreary place.
A click of a door. Then someone saying, “Quiet, Ass-cat, or they’ll come back and give you some more.”
Ass…cat? He got up and dragged his hurting body to the bars, surprised to find Captain Bronson in the hall. Well, what once would have passed for the captain, but now looked like a bent and twisted version of him. This Captain Bronson had cuts along his arms and cheeks, one eye completely bruised shut, and worse perhaps, by the way he was holding his side.
Diego hissed, “Captain, what the hell?”
“No time to explain… suffice it to say, I’m getting out of here.” He looked around, then cursed.
Diego looked through the bars, trying to see up and down the hall, “What? Can you get me out too?”
“Sorry, that’s what upsets me. See, I only got out because one of my boys was able to bribe the guards. Got a message through the window, and the guard made sure to leave my door unlocked. But you, way I hear it, they just got in a new Were to help hunt the vamps… and they never let you guys go. Too damn valuable for your own good.”
“Captain, you can’t leave me like this,” Diego’s voice a little more urgent.
“I know, but…” The captain looked around, confused. Dread filled his voice when he turned back to Diego, “Where are the girls?”
Diego shrugged, “They escaped, I’m fairly sure of it. Why?”
The captain sighed. “Let’s just say they might not be too happy to see me any time soon.”
“Well, you’re going to have to find out. I need you to get to them, tell them where I am, and then help them break me out of here,” Diego demanded.
The fear in the Captain’s eyes wasn’t for the situation in the jail. “You’ve lost your damn marbles!” The captain turned to leave, but paused when Diego called out for him.
“Captain, need I remind you, you and your crew only survived because of me and those women?” he hissed, a small note of pleading insinuating itself into his comment.
The captain hung his head, then turned to look Diego in his face. “I’ll find them, tell them where you are… and then my honor is clean, you’re on your own. Got it?”
Diego nodded, “That’ll be good enough for me.”
***
It was midday when a commotion rose in the hallway near the entrance to the underground hideout. Valerie had healed quite well, so when she sat up, her mind was clear and she could easily pick out the sound of Captain Bronson’s voice.
The hunters in the hotel had indicated that the Captain had sold her out. So now what? Was he here to finish the job?
She threw back the covers, strode out her doorway and dashed up the hallway, and caught sight of the Captain. He was standing with a couple Weres and went wide-eyed and terrified at the sight of her—as he should’ve been. Before asking him anything, she picked him up by the shirt and slammed him against the wall, his feet dangling above the ground.
Her eyes spat anger at him.
“You’ve got two reasons you shouldn’t be here,” she snarled, his eyes darting back between both of her fangs.
His fear kept him standing tall, for several seconds, until his shoulders finally slumped. “Do it, if you have to. I deserve worse.”
She considered it. Oh boy, did she consider it! But the way he was acting, and the bruises and cuts on him, something wasn’t right.
Her eyes narrowed. “They wanted the blood vials, didn’t they?”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t have talked, but they threatened to cut off my legs next. It’s not a valid excuse after what you did for me and my men on the ship back there, but when it became a choice between walking again with my wife? Well, I convinced myself you’d be able to hold your own.”
She lowered him slowly to the floor. “You were right, at least. I fought them off. I’m safe, so… no permanent harm done, I guess.”
“I
won’t let myself off so easy,” he said, bowing his head to Valerie, “but thank you.”
“We found him lurking outside the green door, asking questions,” one of the Weres spoke up, and Valerie turned to see Cammie had joined them.
“That so?” Cammie asked, nodding to the captain. “This is your friend, Val?”
Valerie looked back at him for a second, then nodded. “In a way.”
“And these questions you were asking out there?” Cammie turned back to Captain Bronson, waiting.
“I was asking if anyone had seen anyone by the description of these two,” he said, gesturing to Valerie and Sandra, who’d finally caught up to the group. “To let them know I have a message, and I know where to find Diego.”
Sandra gasped, and Valerie felt suddenly very happy she hadn’t sunk her teeth into this man’s throat in a fit of rage.
“Take us,” she told the Captain. “And then find a way to get back to your family and leave this cursed land forever.” Valerie turned to Cammie. “Get a team of your best ready.” She started walking back toward her bed, and her sword. “We’re about to spring some of these Weres you’ve been talking so much about,” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared.
“Where, exactly, are we going?” Cammie asked, surprised at the quick turn of events. Valerie was coming back down the hallway from her room, buckling on her sword with a look of determination
“Up by old Central Park,” Captain Bronson answered. “Urvant Headquarters.”
Cammie licked her lips and just stared at him, then swore and walked away. Valerie wasn’t sure how to take that, so she told everyone to stay put and jogged to catch up. She found Cammie in the bathroom, looking like she was going to hurl.
“I take it you didn’t like the captain's answer?” Valerie asked.
Cammie glanced up, her face a mixture of fear laced with sickened irritation. “It's less the answer, more the idea of going back to that rot-infested nest.”
“This is where you escaped from?” Valerie pushed.
For a moment Cammie was silent. Then took a step and kicked the wall beside the sink, putting a small dent in it and causing the mirror to shake, one side falling and then moving back and forth like a pendulum.
“More than that,” Cammie admitted, leaning against the wall, arms crossed as she stared at the floor. “It wasn’t just me that led the fight out of there, it was my father and brother as well… but neither of them made it out alive.”
Valerie had an image of Donovan trying to fight his way out of some building, reaching out to her for help, and her slicing his head off in response. It was hard to relate to, on a personal level, but she got it.
She pursed her lips. “Then we’ll make those bastards pay.” Valerie pointed to Cammie’s feet. “Bring those boots, because you’re gonna need them for all the ass kicking.”
A skeptical look was soon replaced by a smirk from Cammie. “Damn straight…. but you know our chances attacking that place and living aren’t the type to put money on?”
“I’m on the team,” Valerie told her. “Add that to your equation.”
Cammie nodded, breathed deep, and then said, “I’ll get everyone ready for the time of their lives.”
URVANT HEADQUARTERS
Valerie stepped out of the first pod, followed by Cammie, Sandra, and two large Weres. The rest would follow at their signal, but for now they were supposed to check the perimeter and make sure this wasn’t an ambush. They had agreed a pod would take the Captain where he needed to go in order to find a ride back to Europe.
Ahead, a guard shack and wall defended the outer area, but the building itself didn’t appear to have any guards. At least none that she could see.
Inside? Well, that was likely a different story.
“We got a plan?” Sandra asked, kneeling beside her former Mistress.
“Charge in, kill everything that gets in our way,” Valerie replied as she studied the area in front of her.
Sandra chuckled, then a look of unease came over her as she chewed the inside of her mouth.
“What’s gotten into her?” Cammie asked Sandra, in a whisper low enough she hoped Valerie couldn’t hear. “I mean, I like it, but…?
“This is how she used to be,” Sandra replied. “Her attitude, anyway… but it kind of changed when she saw innocents being killed, and then the whole thing with her brother.”
“Ladies,” Valerie said, pointing to their destination. “Maybe we don’t try to psychoanalyze the crazy vampire chick right now and instead get down to business?”
Cammie blushed a little, then chuckled as she double-checked to ensure she had her pistols, one at her waist and one on her hip, and her kali sticks strapped to her back. “That works for me.”
Sandra had a sniper rifle, which she held nervously, but nodded. Valerie felt that was the best role for her here. She’d been trained with one back in France, to be ready to support the defense of an outpost if ever attacked. Plus, this way she was mostly out of danger.
Valerie just had her sword and a single pistol at her waist. At the moment, the dusty breeze reminded her of back home when, in the heat of July, they’d marched in victoriously to set up a new outpost. That’d been just one of many she had celebrated, never understanding the price.
Never again.
From now on, she’d always be front and center in any attack, and she’d bring justice to those who hurt the innocent.
Just like she’d bring justice to these who’d taken Diego and others of the UnknownWorld. And, just like she’d bring justice to Donovan. He’d finally show up with his army, ready to follow his dream of conquest, and she’d be waiting right there with a sword in one hand, and pistol in the other and a smile on her face.
Donovan would have charged through the front door, shooting up the place and taking blood to keep his energy up as necessary, not worrying about his followers being shot. But Valerie had a different way of thinking. ‘Charge in’ could just as well mean they would charge in undetected, only starting the slaughter when it came to it.
They’d have to move fast.
“The Captain said third floor, facing the old park,” Valerie remarked. She glanced over to the area she’d been told had once been Central Park—now it was a wasteland of half-demolished buildings, squatters and trash. A shift in the breeze reminded her where they were.
“Who builds a headquarters here?” Sandra asked, noticing the smell.
“Someone who uses that headquarters as a front for hunting vampires and extracting their blood, along with other nefarious activities,” Cammie replied, surprised to see the two waiting for more information. She shrugged and added, “The city survives on drugs.”
“Drugs and vampire blood,” Valerie said, gripping the hilt of her sword in anticipation. “The new American dream. This guy doesn’t strike me as someone I’m going to get along with.”
And with that, she signaled for them to move out, only pausing for a moment to tell Sandra to be ready if needed, but otherwise stay low.
“Be safe, Valerie,” Sandra told her, a worried smile the best she could do.
The Weres were fast in their approach, but she caught up with them and was past them in a moment. She slammed to a stop, her sword flashing in the night, cutting down the guard before he even knew what hit him.
