Carter glanced over his shoulder when he realized the person wasn’t coming to sit with him. “Your loss. Close the door you’re letting a draft in.” He turned to see who it was. “Oh shit!” He jumped up from the sofa when he saw that it was Javier, and his eyes were glowing red. “Fuck fuck fuck!”
Carter was aware of the change before Javier, who looked at him blankly. Carter took advantage of Javier’s brief moment of confusion to look around for his axes. They were on the dining room table where he’d left them when they’d cleaned the table after eating. Javier stood between them, blocking him from getting them.
“Mad!” Carter yelled at the top of his voice, and the others jerked at the rude awakening. He also kicked the feet of the people closest to him.
Javier lurched toward Carter, but the couch blocked him. He banged into the couch, his mind so consumed by the need to feed on flesh that he didn’t register the idea of walking around it to get at Carter.
The others sprang to their feet, horrified that one of their friends had gone Mad.
Javier didn’t have any cuts or bites, and he didn’t have the awful smell yet. He looked very much like himself except for the glowing red eyes and slack, needful expression as he grasped fruitlessly for Carter. There wasn’t even any blood on his clothing.
Graham worked his way slowly around to Carter. “What the fuck happened to him? It doesn’t look like he was bitten.” He was right; there were no signs that he’d been bitten. Everyone glanced at one another, even more scared now.
The movement brought Javier to his senses, and he shuffled forward with his arms outstretched as he grasped for the nearest person to bite. The moment Javier moved they all rushed around to the table, stirring their Mad friend into action. Everyone grabbed their weapons quickly as Javier darted around the sofa to get them.
However, the Madness had Javier now, and he wasn’t going to stop even with everyone pointing their weapons at him.
“Javier, stop!” Willard had his knives pointing right at Javier. Javier paused for a brief second as though he recognized his friend, but that wasn’t the case. It was more that Koda was closer to him and weaponless.
Willard snagged one of the loaded guns from the table. He took the safety off and aimed at Javier’s head. “Javier, stop!” he cried again, to no effect. Willard sighed and steadied his hands.
“Don’t shoot him there,” Carter pleaded.
“Where would you like me to shoot him?” Willard snarked. “I don’t want him to suffer. He was my friend.”
Carter pointed at the TV. “I meant don’t shoot him there. I need to see what happens at the end of the movie.” He waved his arms to get Javier’s attention. “Javier, dinner is this way.”
The others looked at Carter as though he’d lost his mind.
“Here, Javier, there’s a good Mad…” Carter drew him away from the precious television one step at a time. “Come on, Javier. You know you want a bite of my tasty flesh. Koda’s all bones; you don’t want to eat him.” Carter moved closer to Javier, who pivoted and lurched at Carter since he was now the closest. Carter’s plan of getting him away from the TV had worked a little too well. Javier was in front of Carter within seconds.
Carter dodged Javier’s snapping teeth and shoved his grasping hands away.
“Duck,” Willard yelled.
Carter did just that. You listen to a man with a gun when he tells you to duck.
“I’m sorry,” Willard apologized as he squeezed the trigger and let the bullet fly into Javier’s head. Javier’s gaping mouth filled with blood as his last gurgled breath came out in ragged starts. “See you on the other side,” Willard finished.
The room fell silent as Javier collapsed to the floor.
Then the door flew open. Everyone pointed their weapons in that direction and then dropped them, since it was Ryder and Fluffy. They’d been woken by the gunshot. Ryder was armed and ready to fight. A door creaked on the other side of the house, and Vicky appeared with her shovel in her hand. Her hair was as wild as she looked. All these cool weapons, and she still had the shovel.
Carter grinned. “Nice of you three to join us, although we could have done with you a few moments ago,”
Ryder walked barefoot toward Javier. “What happened to him?”
“The Madness got him,” Carter told her.
Ryder scanned until she spotted Willard by the door. “Willard, how did he get the Madness?” Ryder asked. “Was he bitten? Are there more out there?”
Willard came in and placed the gun back on the table before dropping onto a chair. He stared at the gun, unable to look at his friend’s lifeless body.
Ryder walked over and took a seat beside Willard. The others gathered around the table to find out what had actually happened.
Willard held his face in his hands for a moment, then looked at them all with guilt-stricken eyes. “We had split up. I was watching the front of the house, and he was watching the back. I was determined not to fall asleep again, not after last time and what happened to Javier. I was walking around to keep myself awake when I heard him talking to someone. I thought it was one of you guys so I ran around to see, but there was no one there. He was talking to himself.” Willard paused and looked around at everyone listening intently to him. “I asked him who he was talking to.”
“What did he say?” Carter asked.
Willard shook his head. “He said I was the one going crazy, that I was hearing things. I thought he must have been right because I was worn out, like my mind was playing tricks on me or something?” Willard shrugged. “I walked back around the front of the house again. When I did the loop around back he wasn’t there so I circled the house again, but he’d gone. That was when I came into the house, to tell him to get his ass back outside. But I can’t now, can I?” He finally looked at Javier’s body.
Ryder listened to everything Willard had said. “So he wasn’t bitten?”
Willard shook his head. “I don’t think he was. He would have told me if he’d been bitten earlier in the day. There were no Mad bodies outside that he’d fought off.” Willard met Ryder’s eyes as he searched for the answer. “He just turned. I wish he had been bitten. Then there would at least be an explanation.”
Everyone was silent for a moment. Ryder had feared that this would be the case after she and Massimo had spoken about it. The mystery surrounding Javier’s infection proved that there was an invisible killer among them. Maybe the Madness had been there all along, just lying dormant. But why now?
“I’m sorry, Willard.” Ryder rested her hand on his arm, which was cold. “You can take Leandro’s bed if you like and I’ll go on watch,” Ryder offered.
Willard shook his head, “I can’t sleep now. Besides, the fresh air will do me some good.” He got to his feet.
“I’ll come with you, mate.” Carter put his arm around Willard’s shoulder, and Ryder smiled at him. He really was a good guy. They all were.
Carter stood in the doorway for a moment, then stepped back into the house and pointed. “Massimo is one lucky fucker. Javier must have turned as he entered the house or he would have gone after Massimo. He’s dead to the world out here.”
Ryder and the others left the house to see what Carter was talking about. Massimo was still sitting in the rocking chair on the porch. Was he still deciding whether to drink my blood? Ryder wondered. He was asleep, and the glass was empty.
He’d drunk it.
Ryder looked at him for a moment. He looked like he had fewer wrinkles, and it was hard to tell in the light, but she could swear some of the silver was gone from his hair. She rubbed her eyes. It was working. Maybe that was why he hadn’t woken up with the commotion and the gunshot… Or maybe I’m just seeing what I want to see.
There was a little chill in the air. Massimo must be cold, Ryder thought. She wondered whether to wake him and turned to Carter. “Carter, could you keep an eye on him? I don’t think we should wake a vampire.” She shrugged.
Everyone a
greed with her. Even Fluffy nodded his shaggy head.
Carter shrugged. “Yeah, totally not a good idea to wake a vampire. I don’t know much about them, but Massimo is totally a badass when he’s a vampire. I saw him fight with the locals.”
Ryder went back into the house for a blanket. She carefully wrapped it around Massimo, trying not to wake him.
Carter and Willard stayed outside to watch the house and Massimo, and the others headed back inside.
Ryder thought about what had just happened, and how quickly things could change. “I think we should check Javier’s body for bites and see once and for all whether he was infected by a bite. We need to know what we’re up against. If we can turn into one of them at any point, that’s some scary shit. Then after that, Vicky, can we borrow your shovel? We’ll give him the burial a true warrior deserves.” Ryder bowed her head soberly at the thought of digging a grave for one of her new friends. She wished Carter were here to liven up the moment. Maybe that was why he’d left with Willard; because he knew he couldn’t.
Vicky’s usual snarky demeanor was absent. She patted Ryder on the shoulder a little awkwardly. “Sure. I’ll start digging.”
Ryder had to hold her emotions in check. “Thank you, Vicky.”
Vicky nodded wordlessly and left.
They inspected the body, and Willard was right—there were no bites on Javier.
The Madness was spreading another way.
9
Massimo stretched his legs. He’d fallen asleep in the chair on the porch, and his bones were aching a little from sleeping awkwardly. The sun wasn’t up yet but would be soon, so he needed to wake the others.
Today was going to be a day he wouldn’t forget. He was going to stand up for those who were weaker than him. He got to his feet and stretched his arms out above him. “That feels better.” Massimo looked at the empty glass on the table by his chair. I drank Ryder’s blood, and I don’t feel like draining anyone. Massimo was relieved. He’d been very afraid that the blood would change him, force him into becoming a monster like the Forsaken of old.
His hands went to his face, which felt smooth. Then he looked at his hands, which were less wrinkled. Massimo looked at his reflection in the window. It was hard to see clearly, but he totally looked younger, taller, and more handsome.
Giddy, Massimo winked at himself and headed to the bathroom to check himself out properly.
Ryder heard a commotion in Massimo’s living room. It sounded like everyone was talking very quickly. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but Ryder knew it was time for them to go since they’d planned to get to Afana’s bunker just after the sun was up. That way they’d have most of the day.
Fluffy pawed at the door, asking Ryder to let him out.
“Sorry, Fluffy. I’m coming now. How’s your head?” Ryder slipped on her boots, grabbed her weapons, and headed over to let Fluffy out. She knelt beside him and ruffled his head. “Have you got a hangover?” Ryder grinned. Her head was okay, thankfully. Last night with Javier had sobered her and the others right up. Everyone had fallen to sleep after they’d laid Javier to rest.
No one came to wake me for my turn to watch the house, she realized. Part of her wondered why, and another was grateful as hell because she’d taken such a beating yesterday. She was in a lot of pain from yesterday’s fight, but she knew she could fight through it to free everyone. She would worry about recovery once it was all over. The adrenaline would keep her going for as long as she needed it to.
Ryder wrapped her arms around Fluffy and rested her head on his, and he nuzzled his nose under Ryder’s chin. He was warm and…well, fluffy. “Your name suits you, you know.” She winked, and for once Fluffy didn’t growl back.
Ryder looked into Fluffy’s big orange eyes. “Thank you for waking me last night. It’s nice to know you’re always here, Leandro.” She smiled, then got to her feet and opened the door.
Fluffy headed quickly toward the bathroom.
Ryder went straight down to the living room, where everyone was talking excitedly. “What’s going on?” she asked Clint.
“It’s Massimo. He’s no longer an old man,” Clint answered. “Look.” He pointed at an unfamiliar man with black hair who wore the clothing Massimo had been wearing last night.
“Massimo?” Ryder asked, and the man turned around. Massimo was no longer hunched over. His spine was straight, his hair was black, peppered with a few gray strands, and he was radiantly handsome.
“Yes, Ryder?” Massimo’s face was glowing.
Ryder was gobsmacked. “Shit, Massimo, apparently my blood is the good stuff!
Carter stood beside Ryder with his mouth open. He was as shocked as she was. Everyone in the room was staring at the man, trying to work out if it actually was Massimo.
Fluffy came back into the room and walked over to him. He sniffed Massimo and looked up at him, then went over to Ryder and sniffed the bandage around her forearm. Fluffy wagged his tail. He knew what they’d done.
Carter shrugged. “Well, if Fluffy approves, it must be Massimo,”
Fluffy growled at Carter. He still hated being called Fluffy, especially by Carter. Thanks to him, everyone called him Fluffy now.
Massimo smiled. “I’m an upgraded version. Massimo version 2.0, you could say.”
Carter scratched his beard. “Oh, yeah, that’s definitely Massimo.”
Ryder grinned. “Damn! You said you were better-looking than Leandro, but I didn’t know you weren’t exaggerating.” She turned to Fluffy. “Only joking.” She winked. “Carter, looks like you’ve got some competition on your hands with this hot stud in the gang.” Ryder loved the fact that Carter believed he was the best-looking guy here. It was so easy to wind him up about it.
Carter turned to Graham with an exaggerated expression of remorse. “Graham, you’re dumped, mate. I’m sorry, there’s a new man in my life now. No hard feelings, yeah?”
“Nothing is hard anymore,” Graham deadpanned.
Carter winked at Massimo. “What do you say, good-looking?”
Massimo basked in the compliments. “You’re making an old man blush.”
Ryder chuckled. “You’re not an old man anymore, Massimo. The upgrade looks good on you.”
A few of the men looked at one another, Ryder knew what they were wondering—how the hell did it happen?
“How do I get an upgrade?” Carter asked.
Massimo pushed his hand through his black hair. You could tell he liked the feel of it, “You have to be a vampire.” Massimo told him matter-of-factly.
A few of the men weren’t too happy with the answer. I can’t have them thinking Massimo was sneaking around stealing people’s blood. “I gave Massimo some of my blood last night,” Ryder told them. “We needed a strong vampire. A vegetarian vampire wasn’t going to cut it.” The men looked at her bandage. “I dripped my blood into a glass and gave it to Massimo. It was my idea. Massimo didn’t want to do it, but I’m grateful he did.”
The men nodded. Clearly, they were happy to have a strong vampire on their side as well.
“Is everyone ready to kick the shit out of some pricks?” Ryder said.
“Fuck, yeah!”
Leandro waited patiently for Ryder to wake up. He wanted to get out of his bedroom, but Ryder had closed the door before she went to bed, and because he was a wolf there was no way he could open it. Only now did he truly miss his thumbs. Also, his common sense. He’d been a wolf for one night and gotten hammered.
Still, he had good reason to want to drown his sorrows.
Last night while everyone was in the house eating, drinking, and reliving the day’s events, Leandro had sneaked away to a quiet place to try to turn. He’d lain on the ground and thought hard about turning back into his human form, but the hours had ticked by and nothing had changed.
He’d surrendered to the idea that he wasn’t going to be able to turn back to his human form. He had to accept that he was no longer a werewolf; he was only a wolf now. Part of him wa
s okay with the idea. He did love being a wolf, but he also missed being able to speak with Massimo and Ryder. He had decided last night to drink away the pain of that, and this morning he was paying for it.
His head was pounding. That was no way to start off his first full day as a wolf. They were going into the fight of their lives. What had he been thinking?
That was the problem. He hadn’t been thinking.
Leandro wanted to go to the bathroom. His bladder was full to bursting from all the alcohol he’d consumed.
He had a vague memory of licking Ryder’s face. Oh, Leandro! That’s the most wolf-like thing I could have done. Where has my dignity gone? He’d feared turning into a wolf would make him lose part of himself. He just wasn’t expecting that part would be his sobriety. That’s it, I’m never drinking again! Why do people drink when they know they’ll feel like shit the next day? Leandro shook his head when he noticed Ryder getting to her feet. She must have heard what was going on in the living room.
Leandro sat at the door like a good pup and waited for Ryder to open the door. She looked down at him fondly. Maybe she didn’t remember last night? Please let her not remember.
Then she said the words that let Leandro know she remembered last night just fine. “How’s the head?”
Leandro wanted to curl up into a furry ball on the carpet and pretend like last night had never happened. He wanted to at least say he was sorry for his actions, that it was the drink, but he couldn’t.
Instead, he lowered his head in shame, which was greeted by Ryder’s hand pushing through his fur. Oh, that’s good. Don’t stop, Leandro thought. She was massaging the hangover right away.
Escaping Madness: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Live Free Or Die Book 3) Page 6
