“Please, Steven?”
“We’ll see.”
Joe, still lying on the floor, groaned. The man stank of piss and blood. His slow heart revealed his weakened condition. The three feedings Brandon took from him along with the loss of blood from his fingers supported his state of frailty. Too much more stress and death would greet Joe.
“What about him?” Brandon extended his arm toward Joe.
“We leave him.”
Brandon moved closer to the dying man. “Shouldn’t we finish him off?”
“No need to. He’ll be dead before sunrise.”
“So the plan is we pick up Debbie, kill the Dillinger woman and her friend, then leave for New Mexico.”
“We’ll need to stop at the police station one last time and make another mind sweep.”
Brandon scratched his chin. “Right. Right.”
The phone in Steven’s pocket vibrated. “This should be him.” He rose and dug the cell out. A glimpse at the screen showed Chaz’s number.
“Chaz, what have you found for me?”
Steven strode out the living room and headed down the hall to the bedrooms. Passing the room with the young Jennings girl, he glanced inside. The young beauty lay naked and tied to the bed. He might have to taste her and satisfy his cock before leaving. Continuing, he stepped into the bedroom at the end of the hall. He’d set up a laptop on the desk after they’d first arrived at the orchard. The dark screen waited for his touch to bring it to life.
“One of the numbers isn’t registering. I ran the numbers on the other two a half hour ago after I woke up, then waited to see if they moved. They didn’t.”
No movement was good news for the soon to be dead women. On the other hand, the news sounded bad for Debbie. The sun had set an hour ago. Why hadn’t she called or moved? Was her number the one not registering? If it were, Brandon would not take kindly to the news.
Steven sat at the desk, in front of the computer. Brandon hovered nearby like a lost puppy. He surmised the young vamp wanted to hear Chaz’s every word.
“Got a pen and paper?” Chaz asked.
Steven pressed a button on the keypad and the screen in front of him flashed to life. He picked up the pen lying on the tablet. “Hang on.” He squeezed the phone between his shoulder and ear while he flipped the pages up to find a blank one. “Go ahead.”
Chaz read digits corresponding to each telephone number and Steven jotted them on the paper.
“I looked at a map and the number for Debbie appears to be…I don’t know. At a farm maybe. The second one is a hotel. The third one isn’t giving any signal. If I had to guess, the chip has been destroyed. Even if it were charging, it would emit a signal.”
Steven bounced the end of his pen on the tablet. The third number belonged to Katie’s phone. Maybe she’d accidently broke it. No matter, he had Julie’s number and their location. It was a hotel. Since he’d spoke with Katie on Julie’s phone, he surmised they were both together at said hotel. Perfect.
Brandon pointed to the digits near Debbie’s number on the paper. “He thinks this is a farm?”
“And you checked these coordinates twice?” Steven asked.
“Sure did. That’s why I’m calling late. Thought you’d want to make sure of the location before heading out. Sure, they can change at any time, but since they haven’t for the last thirty-five minutes, I think you can find whoever you’re looking for within the next half hour.”
Steven held the phone with his shoulder while he typed on the keypad. “If I need to call you with updated–”
“I’ll be here for the next couple of hours, two tops. Then I’m out for a bit.”
“Understood. Thanks, Chaz.”
He placed the phone on the notebook while a map of Mishawaka loaded on the screen. Then, he entered the coordinates Chaz had given him. The map refreshed with a closer image. When he recognized the location, his eyes widened.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Brandon took a step back, shaking his head. “No fucking way. Something is wrong.”
Steven entered the numbers again, then pressed the enter button. The map showed the same location as the one before, which was Kyle Brown’s property five miles from the orchard.
“I’m going there right now.” Brandon took off down the hall.
“Brandon wait!” Steven roared in a deep tone, then rose.
The young vamp stopped, then spun around. His fisted hands and glowing eyes revealed his unhappiness. “I need to know what the fuck is going on.”
“Let me check this other location, then we’ll leave together.”
“I need–”
“You need to fucking calm down and start thinking with your head instead of your dick.”
Brandon lowered his head and shook it, not liking he had to wait.
Frustration rushed within Steven. The young vamp knew how to push his buttons. Stupid vamp. Rushing out to the unknown was one way to loose a head. When would they ever learn?
He typed the numbers into the box on the screen and waited for the page to load. Brandon came to stand next to him. The map finished refreshing and the location matched Chaz’s description.
Brandon peered at the monitor. “I know where that is. We passed it the other night. It’s off the interstate, not far from the bar we stopped at.”
Well, well, Ms. Dillinger. Prepare for a visit.
“Can we go now?” Brandon asked, back stepping toward the hall.
Steven lowered the screen on the laptop, then picked up his phone. “Grab Joe’s cell in case we need it.”
The young vamp disappeared around the corner. Steven slid his phone into his pocket and proceeded down the hall. He paused near the open doorway to look at the young Jennings female. Her heartbeat was strong and her blood warm. He could smell it along with the fragrant scent coming from between her legs. His cock urged him to stay while his mouth watered.
“I’ll meet you in the car,” Brandon yelled, then his feet thudded on the staircase.
Steven inhaled her scent, then strode down the hall. He’d come back for a feast and fuck before leaving for New Mexico.
Brandon drove fast down the country road to Kyle’s property. For the life of Steven, he couldn’t figure out why Debbie would be there. The house burned down. Nothing remained.
“Slow down,” Steven said.
“Why?”
He pointed. “There’s a cop waiting in the driveway.”
“Right.” The young vamp obeyed, slowing the vehicle. When they reached the driveway, he turned and came to a stop next to the police cruiser.
Brandon lowered his window, then leaned over the edge. “Evening officer.”
Steven peered to the side and watched the cop stare at Brandon.
“Has anyone been here today?” Brandon asked.
The cop held an impassive expression and simply shook his head.
“No one at all?” Brandon pressed.
“My shift started at seven. Jacob was here before me and said no one had been here, but he did catch some teens speeding by.”
“Thank you, and don’t mind us. We’re not even here.” Brandon twisted back in his seat. He pressed his foot on the accelerator, then turned to Steven with a worrisome expression. “He’s telling the truth. Nobody was here.”
“Maybe she dropped her phone.”
“Not possible. I saw it with her the last time I saw her.”
Then why would Chaz give him coordinates matching Kyle’s house? By the look of the rubble, nothing had changed since the last time they drove by two nights ago. Confusion racked his mind. What the fuck was going on?
Brandon parked sideways in front of the crumbled farmhouse. They left the van, slamming their doors behind them. Steven headed toward the rubble and came to a stop several feet away. A quick scan of the area revealed no sign of life, other than the usual bugs whizzing and chirping in the fields.
“We can’t dig through that,” Brandon said, stopping next to him.
“You got your phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Call her number.”
Brandon drew his phone out as fast as a cowboy in an old west movie, withdrawing his gun for a shoot out. He held the phone and quickly moved his fingers over the screen. “Got it.”
A melody rose from the distance, somewhere behind the massive pile of wood and mortar.
“Behind the house,” Brandon said, then took off running.
Steven clamped his jaw tight, irritated by Brandon. Although he hadn’t picked up any signs of life, trouble could still be waiting for them. He jogged after Brandon.
The stench of burnt wood lingered along with something else, something foul and decaying. Steven met up with Brandon at the back corner.
“Damn it, the ring tone stopped.” He had his head tilted toward the phone in his hands. “The call is going through, but I don’t hear her ring tone.”
Steven passed by him and scanned the area near the rubble. The sound from her phone had given them an idea where to look, but they no longer needed it to guide them. They had superior sight and hearing. Surely, they could find the cell, or her body. He pressed his lips together, resisting the desire to tell his partner in crime what he thought about the decaying odor. If Steven was right, Debbie was the source of the scent.
The soft ground gave way with each step Steven took. Near the mid section of what was once a home, a large pile of debris stuck out from the rest of the rubble. Drawing closer, he spotted something round impaled by a piece of wood. He ran toward it.
“Did you find it?” Brandon yelled, running to catch up.
Steven came to a quick halt upon reaching the source of the decay. He took a step back and covered his nose. Debbie’s charred head, impaled by a plank, faced them. Her body sat perched against the rubble. Dried blood covered her clothes and her skin looked burnt to a crisp. She’d spent the day in the sun. Her jacket hung from one of the pieces of wood sticking out of the rubble.
Brandon fell to his knees. “Oh no.” He held his hands to his head. “No, no, no.”
Steven surveyed the nearby area, looking for clues. The pile of debris looked like ordinary wood strewn about from a disaster. He reached for her jacket, hoping he’d find something.
“What the fuck?” Brandon moaned. “What the fuck?” The second time he yelled.
Steven patted her jacket and dug inside the pockets. He found her phone and a wad of cash.
“Are her knives on her?” Steven asked.
“This doesn’t make sense,” loverboy groaned.
“Are her knives on her?” Steven asked louder.
Brandon crawled closer to her, then patted her calves. He moved his hands up her legs, then lifted her arms. “No, they’re not here.”
Steven took the cash, then tossed the jacket to her lap. “Come on.” He withdrew a lighter from his back pocket.
“What…” Brandon saw the silver Zippo. “What are you doing?”
“Destroying evidence.” He flicked the cap up and it made a soft clink.
Brandon rose as Steven bent. A flame flew up from the lighter with one click. Steven held it to close to her boot until the fire took hold and spread. He stepped around, then lit the shirt. Lastly, he set the head ablaze.
He strode away to find Brandon staring at the fire, his hands on top of his head. “I’m going to rip apart the person who did this. They have no idea who they fucked with.”
Side by side, they stood and marveled at the flames as they grew and devoured the corpse. Steven considered two possibilities at play. Either Katie was a vampire, or there was another one in town. Only a vampire could’ve chopped off Debbie’s head, and only a vampire would’ve known the sure way to destroy one. Katie might know, but her human strength wouldn’t allow her to do it. If another vampire was in town, then another problem bothered Steven. Why did this person leave the body? All vampires knew to clean up traces of their existence.
“Who would’ve done this?” Brandon lowered his hands.
“I don’t know. Her clothes were soiled and the weapons she had are gone. But someone left her money.” He handed the wad of cash to Brandon.
“Do you think Kyle’s girlfriend is a vampire?”
“It’s a possibility, but Debbie was a good fighter. Most men couldn’t beat her.”
Brandon snickered. “Yeah, you don’t need to remind me.”
“An eye for an eye would seem fitting, but Katie had no way of knowing Debbie was your girlfriend, let alone anything about us. The police report said she was distraught. It went so far as to mention she vomited. My gut tells me she’s human.”
“Then who did this?” He extended a hand toward the flames.
Steven withdrew his phone. “I’m not sure, but a vampire wouldn’t have left the body for anyone to find.”
“This isn’t making any fucking sense.”
Steven pressed the phone to his ear. “I agree. We need to find the answers fast.”
The phone rang while they walked around the house, heading back to the van.
“What can I do for you?” Chaz answered.
“Can you put a trace on the number with the area code 574?”
“Sure thing. Did you check on Debbie’s number?”
“Yes, and it appears she is no longer with us.”
“Are you fucking shitting me?”
“I shit you not.”
“Who would’ve done that? Didn’t she know some fancy Tae Kwon Doe or karate shit?”
“She knew how to fight well. I don’t know who could’ve beat her, but Brandon is eager to find out.”
Chaz chuckled. “I’m sure he is. All right, I’ll call you back in ten with the coordinates.”
“Thanks, man.”
Steven lowered the phone, then returned it to his pocket. “We’ll go back to the orchard. Assuming there is a vampire with her, we may be better off waiting for her and her friend to come to us. Keeping our actions secret in a hotel may be difficult.”
“Then we need to prepare, because I’m going to rip this fucker to shreds for destroying Debbie.”
For once, Steven agreed with Brandon. They needed to prepare for one vampire and two humans. They could beat this stranger and the humans just as easily as they took care of Kyle. Another question irritated him that he couldn’t comprehend. Why would a vampire hang around with Katie, a mere human among plenty? He’d ask the question right before Brandon would sever the vampire’s head.
20
Katie sat across the table from Jules. Her best friend held a fry between her fingers and nibbled on it while she stared blindly at the television screen. Jules’s state of emotional unrest didn’t surprise Katie. One minute she had accepted and planned on Joe being dead. The next, she knew he was alive, suffering and on the road to meet death. What a change of events.
She picked up a fry and chomped on it. The mushy potato tasted bland, yet she pushed the rest of it in her mouth. She hadn’t eaten much all day and neither had Jules. While Katie had Kyle’s blood still active in her system to keep her energized, Jules didn’t have anything of the sort. If she didn’t get some food in her, she wouldn’t have much physical or emotional strength left.
“How are you feeling?” Riker asked.
He sat at the end of the sofa, farthest from them. The suite they had was much nicer from the last hotel room, but this was the Marriott. Near the sofa, a door led to a large room with two queen size beds and a spacious bathroom. On the opposite side, facing him, a door led to his suite. He had yet to venture to his side of their cozy sleeping arrangements.
“I’m fine.”
“You exerted a great deal of energy in the last twenty-four hours.”
“I’m good. Maybe a little tired, but no aches or pains yet.”
“You should try to rest. It will help sustain your energy.”
Rest would help, but she had too much to do. They needed a plan to handle two vampires and save as many lives as possible. Then, Jules and Katie
each needed a shower. The longer she wore a damp bra and underwear, the longer she’d feel uncomfortable and ready to rip her clothes free from her body. Once those two necessities were out of the way, she had to prepare for battle and strap as many knives to her body as she possibly could.
Katie wiped her fingers on one of the napkins. “We need to work on a plan, and I think I have one.” Knowing Riker didn’t want to meet the vamps at the orchard, Katie had considered her options during the drive to McDonald’s where they’d picked up their dinner. Although she liked what she formulated, she doubted he would. Still, she wanted to discuss her idea.
Riker pursed his lips. “Let’s hear it.” His voice lacked any hint of enthusiasm.
Jules leaned back in her chair and continued taking child-sized portions of her food.
“Jules and I show up at the police station and notify them of a hostage situation at the Jennings orchard.”
Jules’s eyes enlarged and she stopped chewing.
“Are you out of your mind?” Riker asked.
She raised her palm up to him. “Hear me out.”
Shaking his head, he waved her on.
“Jules and I tell them we were together roller skating this evening, then we returned to her house and found two of Joe’s fingers in the kitchen and a dead dog in her bathroom. We didn’t report it right away because we didn’t know what to do. We were in shock. Then the kidnappers call us and demand a meeting. The police will undoubtedly want to check out our story first. They’ll find the proof we mentioned at her house and that will suffice.”
Jules dropped her cheeseburger on the plastic bag. “I can’t eat with the image of those fingers and my neighbor’s dog in my head.”
“Sorry.”
“Go on.” She lifted her drink and sipped through the straw.
“Why would you want to inform the police of a hostage situation?” Riker asked.
“Because they have the manpower to show up there and surprise them. Plus, they might be able to save Joe and the Jennings, assuming they’re still alive.”
“You would do more than surprise them. I’m sure it would royally piss them off.”
Katie lifted a shoulder. “So they get mad. What’s new?”
Immortal Revenge Page 20
