Crisis Alert (Divine Justice, 3)

by Mary Abshire

  “Wait, Anna!” he said.

  She’d already darted away before he finished calling for her. The woman had the determination of a pit bull. Although he admired her for it, he also knew it could lead to trouble. With five feet left to go, he gripped the rails of the ladder and removed his feet. He slid down the rest of the way. Before he reached the ground, his fingers on one hand rubbed over a screw sticking out. The sharp slice drew blood and he smelled it instantly. But he didn’t have time to worry about the cut as he shot after Anna.

  Hands clenched and feet pounding the pavement, he ran as fast as he could to catch up with her. Passing several small alleys, he began to get an uneasy feeling in his gut. When the man disappeared into a building around two hundred feet ahead of her, his worry grew.

  “Anna, hold up,” he barked.

  Of course, she didn’t listen. She flung the door open and then vanished from his sight. The clatter of her steps ended seconds before he reached the door. He rushed inside and found her facing a group of men. Panting, he stopped beside her.

  Seven men stared at them. Three had black eyes. The first night with his new partner was turning out to be quite an adventure, and not the kind he’d hoped to have with her.

  Chapter Five

  Hands balled at her sides, Anna stared at the men standing less than six feet away. Apprehension had stirred within her as she followed the young man down the backstreet. Still, she’d followed the man into the building. It was a stupid move, especially since she’d heard multiple heartbeats and hadn’t counted them. She could’ve walked into a trap with twenty demons. Fortunately, she only faced three and four humans. She really needed to have more patience.

  Zale’s heart thumped rapidly. His breaths were calming from the run. She’d probably surprised him by taking off after the man. She twisted to meet his gaze. Perspiration coated his forehead. He gave her a single nod. She smiled in understanding. She might have only known him for less than two hours, but he seemed to be on the same page as she was.

  The building they were in had little light. An amateur artist had spray painted the walls. Trash littered the floor. A desk had been turned upside down. The door to the back lay on the ground. She guessed the small surroundings had once been an office.

  One of the demons moved his hand to the waistband of his pants. He stood only a few inches taller than her and wore loose-fitting jeans. Her eyes widened when she spotted his gun. Although bullets wouldn’t lead to her demise, they could kill Zale. She hoped none of the others carried a gun or she’d have to switch gears and protect him instead of fighting.

  She slowly bent to grab a knife from within her boots. No need to divulge all her weapons yet. The man with the weapon pointed it at her.

  “That’s right. I’m the one you want,” she said as she took hold of one of the blades. She straightened slowly.

  “I hope you’re not going to kill any of them,” Zale said.

  “No, of course not. But I may have to maim a few.”

  One of the three demons ran toward her. Three humans on Zale’s side shot at him. The fourth human and the demon at the far end by her decided to join the fun and rushed toward her, but the one in the middle with the gun stayed still, pointing his weapon at her.

  Anna lifted her leg and thrust it at the demon coming for her. Upon impact, he stumbled backwards several feet before he fell and then slid on the floor. The human punched her face. The hit shot her temper higher. She didn’t return the blow since the other demon threw his fist at her face. She took a step back, missing the smack, and then swung her arm at him. She hit the side of demon’s head and the force of her blow sent him on a direct path to the wall behind her. His head hit it and then he crumbled to the floor.

  The human next to her punched her ribs twice. Irritated with him, she smacked his nose hard with her balled hand. His head flew back and his legs tangled as he tried to stay upright. His efforts failed and he fell. His head hit the ground with a thud.

  A loud pop stung her ears. In the next second, she felt a burning sensation in her chest. The demon she’d kicked stood again. He rushed toward her while the other demon pulled the trigger again. A second bullet penetrated her rib cage. The sting of it spread like vines on fire. Furious, she tossed her knife at the demon right before he reached her. As the blade sliced into his abdomen, another bullet pierced her shoulder. The demon with the knife in his gut groaned as he gripped the weapon. While he pulled it out, she snatched her other blade from her boot. Sneering and holding the knife, he came toward her. She tossed her other dagger and hit him a little lower than the first spot. The demon halted and fell to his knees.

  In the next second, a fourth bullet hit her and she yelped. She was ready to attack the demon until Zale whizzed by and shoved him. The demon ran into the wall. Zale charged at him, but the demon shot at him first. Worry flooded her as Zale continued to fight the demon. She stopped short of helping him when two bullets pierced her back.

  She spun and found the demon she’d thought she’d knocked out standing and holding a gun. He fired again as he stepped toward her. The bullet hit her chest. She backed up a step to keep distance between them. Following another loud pop, she felt a sting below her breasts, and then another. For each step he took forward, she took one back. Her body burned from all the wounds. When he lifted the gun to her head, her eyes widened with fear.

  In a flash, Zale shoved the demon. Anna ducked a split second before the demon fired the shot. The demon fell to the ground. Before he could recover, Zale approached him with a gun in his hand. He fired it at the demon’s thigh. The man screamed in pain and reached for his leg. Zale took the opportunity to strip the weapon from the demon.

  Anna ran to Zale. The scent of blood thickened the air. She noticed a dark red spot in his shirt. “You’re hurt.”

  Sweating, he held both guns and surveyed her body. “So are you.”

  It wasn’t the response she’d expected to hear.

  “Bitch, you’re gonna die,” the demon on the floor said.

  She dropped to her knees next to the injured demon. “I’m still here, but you might not be for much longer. So tell me who your master is.”

  “Fuck you,” the demon spat.

  “Should I put a bullet in his other leg, or how about a foot?” Zale asked.

  The demon groaned. “You’re all going to die. We’re going to rid the Earth of you.”

  “If I had a dollar for every time one of you said that to me, I wouldn’t have to work,” she said. “But you know what? I enjoy my job. I like sending you and your friends to Hell.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” The demon turned his gaze to Zale.

  She shot up and met Zale’s gaze. “Get out. Now.”

  A demon could switch bodies if he or she knew the right words. Since Zale had been shot and was loosing blood, she didn’t want to risk the demon possessing him.

  “What? Why?” Zale asked.

  The demon started laughing.

  Anna pushed his arm. “Go back to the car and wait. Please. Just do it.”

  “And leave you—“

  She pushed him harder as he stepped toward the exit. “Yes. Go. They can’t hurt me, but they can possess you. Go now.”

  “Damn it.” He took the hint and headed for the door.

  Once he left, Anna returned to the demon laying on the ground. Blood continue to pour from his leg. His heartbeat was sporadic. If she didn’t exorcise him soon, he’d die from shock.

  She knelt beside him and put her hand on his wet head. He tried to pull away from her.

  “You have one last chance to tell me who your master is.” She reached for her cross hanging from her neck.

  “Never.”

  She had a feeling he’d resist, so she decided not to wait any longer. Rubbing the blessed necklace, she started saying the holy words in Latin. Revertentur de quo egressus es. Vade exit daemonium. Non revertentur. Et hoc pertinent ad corpus.

/>   The demon’s heart gained beats. She repeated the words. He squirmed under her touch and gripped her forearm with his bloody hand. His efforts to stop her were in vain. As she recited the lines a third time, a black mass rose from the human’s arched body. The shadow grew as it hovered. She said the phrase again and the dark cloud began to disintegrate. Within seconds, it was gone and the human passed out.

  Hearing the heartbeats of others, she scanned the room. Zale had knocked out the three humans who’d attacked him. The one she’d punched remained unconscious on the floor too. The other two demons, the one she stabbed and the one Zale had fought, were still alive also. Her demon lay curled up, whimpering, while Zale’s demon sat unconscious with a bloody face, head to the side, and back against the wall. Although she doubted she’d get any information from them, she had to try. But she had to hurry. She didn’t want anyone dying, including Zale. He’d taken a bullet to save her from getting one in the head. If anything happened to him, she’d never be able forgive herself.

  Chapter Six

  Each step Zale took brought a world of pain shooting down his leg. The bullet had hit his hipbone. Although he was bleeding, the shot wasn’t life threatening unless he failed to have it treated. All he needed to do was have the bullet extracted and then change into his wolf form. Healing would expedite after he shifted.

  He walked down the alley, heading back the way they’d come. He disliked leaving Anna with the demon. Sure, the demon didn’t appear to pose a threat with a bullet in his leg. But the possessed man had pulled a gun at the last moment and then tried to shoot her in the head. Demons were tricky suckers. What if he was hiding a knife and waiting for her to get close? Zale shook the thought from his mind. She was a vampire. Immortal. If she could handle multiple bullets, she could withstand a slice from a small blade.

  What was wrong with him? Why was he worrying about a vampire? She was highly trained and the best the DS had to offer. Still, he cared about her as he would any partner, any comrade who valued the same beliefs as he did and fought for human lives. He respected her. Okay, he admired her too, and not solely for her beauty.

  He gazed at the guns in each of his hands. The image of the demon holding one to her head sprang to his mind. He’d never seen or heard of a vamp surviving a bullet to the skull. Maybe they could, but he didn’t want to risk Anna’s immortality to learn the answer. Fear had motivated him to act fast. After he’d stopped the demon and taken the weapon, he couldn’t resist shooting the man. His prompt action surprised him. It seemed instinctive and reminded him of the way he’d felt chasing her. He wanted to protect her. If he was willing to hurt a possessed human, did it mean he could kill one?

  He shook the notion from his head. He didn’t kill humans.

  Approaching a dumpster, he decided to get rid of the weapons. The only heartbeat in the area was far enough away. If he guessed right, it belonged to the cop. He couldn’t let the officer see him with the weapons. Questions would rise and he didn’t have time to give an explanation. He also couldn’t leave the guns in the open for demons or anyone else to find. Decision made, he stopped at the trash bin and disposed of the weapons.

  With less than a block to go, Zale thought of a story to provide about his soiled shirt. Since he had blood on his hands, he could say he cut himself while searching in the warehouse. As long as he covered the hole in his jeans, he suspected the cop would believe him.

  Gripping the edges of his button-down, he tugged them apart. Buttons popped off and fell to the ground in soft clacks. He removed his arms from the shirt one at a time. The cool air pleased his hot and damp flesh. He wiped the cloth across his forehead, clearing the sweat, before he wrapped his hand. He held it near his wound, concealing the hole.

  Zale walked down the small pathway between the buildings. The stench of urine and feces poked at his gag reflex. He held his breath until he reached the sidewalk.

  Smoke drifted from the area near the entrance to the warehouse. Although he couldn’t see the officer, he could hear the beat of his heart and the puff of air he took. Smoking was such an unhealthy habit, and a stinky one.

  Clacking from the distance behind Zale gave him pause. The taps were moving closer. He had a sneaky suspicion his vampire partner was on her way back.

  Zale continued toward the entrance. As he reached the cutout in front of the doors, the cop dropped his cigarette.

  “Sorry,” the officer said as he stepped on the butt.

  “It’s fine. My partner is coming. She’s finishing up.”

  The officer’s eyes widened as he approached. “You’re bleeding. How did you get hurt?”

  Zale held his hand close to his hip. “We were digging around, thought we found some evidence. I was using my phone as a light, but I didn’t see the glass bottle. It sliced me good. My partner is taking me to the hospital. I’m certain I’ll need stitches.”

  “Damn, I’m sorry about that.”

  “It’s my fault. You can call the morgue and have them take the bodies and heads for DNA testing. I’ll inform my boss.” Zale started to head toward his car.

  “Sure thing.”

  “Thanks again.”

  Zale continued to the Explorer. The pain in his hip made his entire left side tingle. He really needed to get the bullet out soon.

  He opened the door on the passenger side. Before getting in the car, he dug his phone and keys from his pockets. Hearing footsteps on the pavement drawing near, he lifted his gaze. Anna appeared from around the corner. She looked paler than before. Since she’d worn dark clothes and a red sweater, he couldn’t see blood on her. Holding her jacket together, she waved at the cop as she strode by him. Since the officer was busy speaking into the device on his shoulder, he responded with a nod.

  Zale struggled to sit. The movement of his leg and hip magnified his agony. He felt as if a hot poker was pressing into him. By the time he finished, Anna had reached the driver’s side.

  “How bad are you hurt?” she asked as she climbed into the seat.

  He set the phone in the cup holder and then handed her the keys. “It fucking hurts worse than anything I’ve felt before. Sorry about cursing.”

  She started the engine. “First time shot?”

  “Yes. I didn’t even get shot during the outbreak.”

  “First time for everything.” She shifted the gear.

  He chuckled. “Clever.”

  She grinned as she pulled away from the curb. Her little expression helped him ignore the pain and gave rise to his erection. She impressed him, and in more ways than one.

  “Were you able to get any information from the demons?” he asked as he removed his hand from the shirt.

  “No, and I couldn’t risk the one with the bullet dying. I exorcised his demon and the other two as well. I need to get a team out right away to attend to the two injured humans.” She sped down the street, glancing in every mirror. “I’m sorry for practically shoving you out the door. I was afraid he might try to possess you since you’ve been injured.”

  He pressed his shirt to his hip. Zings of fire shot through him and he winced. “I trusted your judgment. And thanks for thinking of me. I’d rather die than be possessed.”

  “I’ve heard stories about supernaturals retaining the memories of the demon who had possessed them after it had been exorcised.”

  “After the last outbreak and the UoJ had resumed operations, Gordon informed me one of the agents had been exorcised. He told me and other agents to watch him. In a matter of weeks, he started talking to himself and acting violently. We tried to talk to him. He told us stories that would make you sick. His partner and a few others noticed he’d been more aggressive toward people for no reason. Gordon made him take a leave of absence. I heard days later he’d almost beat his girlfriend to death. The Alpha of his pack decided he was unsafe.”

  “That’s so sad. I wonder why non-humans keep the memories if they drive the person insane. It doesn’t seem fair.�
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  “I don’t know, but I can’t imagine living with the thoughts of an evil soul. For the record, you have my permission to kill me if a demon possesses me.”

  “Let’s hope it never comes to that. I’m not a killer, Zale,” she said in a glum tone.

  He grunted and winced when she turned a corner too sharply.

  “Hang in there,” she said.

  “I hope you’re not taking me to a hospital. I’ll be fine after I get the bullet out and then change.”

  “I’m taking you to the DS headquarters downtown. It’s closer and we have a clinic.”

  He ran his gaze down her body and still couldn’t see any bullet holes. But her skin had tightened around her bones, especially her fingers. He smelled blood on her. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Sure, but do you hurt?”

  “Of course I do, but I ignore the pain. I’ll survive. It’s you I worry about.”

  Her last few words made him smile. “So you care about me? We’ve only known each other… What, a few hours?”

  The curve of her lips grew. “For a partner, you’re not so bad.”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  She rounded a corner so fast the tires squealed. “Sorry. We’re almost there.”

  Zale had never been to the DS headquarters before. He had no idea where it was downtown. Gordon had never mentioned the location either. “Do you think your boss will let me into your office? Do you need authorization to bring me in?”

  “You’re an agent of the UoJ. It’s fine.”

  “What will your peers think?”

  “My coworkers will probably be curious.” She glanced at him. “Are you worried about your safety?”

  Now that she’d brought it up, he realized he would be in a nest filled with hundreds of vampires.

  “You have nothing to fear, Zale,” she said. “We’re the good guys. I trained many of the agents myself. No one will hurt you. And if it makes you feel any better, I can take the bullet out myself.”