“Delanie, if you walk out that door before this is resolved, I will send you back to headquarters,” Nevaeh said, and Delanie turned to face her. “Do not fight me on this.”
“If you try to send me back, I will search for him on my own,” Delanie snapped.
“And I will have you detained,” Nevaeh told her. “We know you care about Jackson, but you will not fly off on your own and get yourself, and possibly him, killed.”
“Nevaeh, I respect you, and I respect my place with the Huntresses, but if you try to keep me from searching for Jackson, I will stake you,” Delanie said through clenched teeth.
“Delanie,” Karma said from behind her before she grabbed her. “You need to calm down. I’m not going to let anyone pull you off the search for Jackson, but I will not risk his life, or anyone else’s, because you’re pissed off. We all love Jackson, and we all know he will do whatever he has to do in order to hold on to who he is.”
“Let me go,” Delanie said nearly silently as she tried to break Karma’s grip.
“Not until you calm down,” Karma responded. “No one is going to hurt anyone else, and we are all going to pull our heads out of our asses and focus on finding Jackson. Once we find him, we can face whatever else we have to face, but we will do this together.”
“What’s it going to be?” Nevaeh asked, looking her Huntress in the eyes.
“Let her go, Karma,” Dylan said as he walked in front of Delanie. Once Karma loosened her grip on the other woman, Dylan pulled her into his arms. “Thank you.”
“What?” Delanie asked, slightly bemused.
“Thank you,” he repeated. “You made me push my fear aside for a second and remember who Jackson is.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, still slightly bewildered.
“I’m serious,” he said as he released her. “I was letting my fear for Jackson, for what he may be going through, cloud my knowledge of who he is and what he’s capable of.”
“Jackson is a very intelligent person,” Nevaeh said and they both looked at her. “And he’s been doing some training with Karma these past few months, too, so he may give them more than they bargained for.”
“I’m sorry,” Delanie said, looking at Nevaeh. “I should never have disrespected you like I did.”
“Help us find Jackson, and all will be forgiven,” Nevaeh responded, knowing the young Huntress had feelings for Jackson, and knowing she’d have reacted the same if it were Harrison they were looking for.
“I can do that,” she responded and looked at the vampire in the room with her. “I do have one request though.”
“What’s that?” Nevaeh asked.
“If he has been changed, I want someone to change me, too,” she said, and Nevaeh looked at her for a second before shaking her head and walking from the room.
“I can do that,” Harrison said, and Delanie smiled at him. “But I want you to be completely sure it’s what you want before I do. Once it’s done, there’s no going back.”
“I am completely sure,” she answered. “Jackson and I had an instant connection when we met, and I don’t want to lose that.”
“I know exactly what you’re talking about,” Dylan said and looked at Karma.
“So do I,” Harrison added, and let his gaze drift to where Nevaeh was standing in the kitchen. “And I know Nevaeh will understand once you tell her.”
“I hope so,” Delanie answered and looked at her leader. “But if she doesn’t, and she kicks me from the Huntresses, I can always join the VEB.”
“Yes,” Karma answered with a chuckle. “The VEB is always looking for agents.”
“Speaking of,” Dylan said and cocked his head to the side. “Johnson is here with the human girl.”
“Baxter, Martin, and Jensen are with him,” Nevaeh added.
“Good,” Karma said as she walked to the front door. “Now we can get back to work.”
Chapter Fourteen
“What the fuck happened?” Crompton asked Hunter when he entered the house. “We lost an entire fucking warehouse. Thousands of dollars, gone.”
“It was the VEB,” Hunter said, and Crompton glared at him.
“I thought you said your men could handle them,” he challenged.
“They should have been able to,” Hunter countered. “I had thirty men on that warehouse. Last time I checked, the VEB only had about that many, total.”
“Seems you need a new contact in the VEB,” Crompton told him. “My guy tells me the organization has grown to around seventy, not counting the Huntresses. I’ve also been told they are working to recruit Hunters from around the globe and are working with InterPol to create an International division.”
“Fuck,” Hunter said and looked out the window at the ocean.
“I have contacts all over the world,” Crompton said and looked at the other vampire. “My plans will be carried out no matter what they do.”
“And what of Karma?”
“She shall be mine,” Crompton answered. “Turning the boy insured she will do whatever I want in order to save him.”
“Is the change complete?” Hunter asked.
“It is still in process,” Crompton answered. “You need not worry about young Jackson. Your only concern is the girl.”
“She is in your room, as you ordered,” Hunter answered.
“Good, good,” he responded and smiled. “I shall go have a chat with her before our guests arrive then.”
Crompton walked from the room and straight down the hall to his bedroom. He needed everything to be perfect for this evening, and the girl was a key part in that perfection.
When he opened his bedroom door, he knew instantly there was a problem.
Scenting the sea air, he noticed the window was open and the girl was gone.
“HUNTER!” He bellowed, rage at the younger vampire coursing through him.
“Yes?” Hunter called back, terrified something had happened.
“She’s gone,” he responded, nearly silently. “Find her. Find her NOW!”
“Yes, Sir,” Hunter said and fled from the house like the hounds of hell were on his heels.
Once he was gone, Crompton walked to the window the girl had escaped from and looked up and down the beach. She was smart enough to hide her tracks in the sand, but she hadn’t been able to completely mask her scent.
It was fading, but Hunter should be able to catch up with her quickly, and tonight’s festivities should still happen on schedule. If not, Hunter would be replaced.
Thinking about the different ways he could make Hunter suffer if he failed to bring the girl back, Crompton walked from the room and straight out the front door. He needed to feed, and he thought the beach would be a nice place to enjoy a late afternoon snack.
****
“Okay, we’re going to spread out and search every warehouse from here to the ocean,” Karma said, just loud enough for the vampire she was talking to, to hear her. “If Jackson is here, we will find him.”
“And if he isn’t?” Agent Henderson asked.
“Then we will move to the next area with train tracks,” Baxter answered. “Now let’s move out.”
“Isn’t this a lot of time and manpower for one human?” Henderson asked Jensen as they headed toward the warehouses.
“Do you have a problem tracking down a member of the family?” Jensen asked, wanting nothing more than to punch the vampire in the face. “Plus, finding him could lead to us finding Crompton.”
“He’s just one human,” Henderson said and shrugged when the other VEB members around him looked at him. “What? Can you all honestly say you haven’t thought the same thing?”
“Yes,” Jensen answered without hesitation. “Jackson is part of Karma and Dylan’s family, therefore he is part of the VEB family. And I know they would do the exact same if it were someone we cared about. Now, if you have a problem following orders, you can be reassigned, and an agent who will follow orders can be brought in.”
“I
don’t think that’s necessary, Sir,” Henderson responded and looked at the other agents around him.
“Good,” Jensen said and nodded toward the warehouse in front of them. “Then get to work.”
As they cleared the first warehouse, Jensen kept an eye on Henderson. He suspected the newer agent of working for Crompton, they all suspected it, but they needed proof before they could accuse him.
“Anything?” Baxter’s voice came across the radio.
“No, Sir,” Jensen responded. “We’ve only searched the first, and headed toward the second now, though.”
“Keep me updated,” Baxter said and signed off.
“Why didn’t you tell him about Henderson?” Agent Watson asked.
“I will,” Jensen assured her. “But I won’t do it while Henderson can hear me.”
“Right,” she said as glanced over to where Henderson was looking around and acting like he wasn’t listening to them.
“Let’s move on to the next warehouse, and stay alert. We never know who could be hiding in the shadows,” Jensen called out as they headed toward the next building.
After clearing that one, and a third, Jensen was beginning to believe this place was a wash.
“Do you hear that?” Watson asked, as they approached the fourth building in their search area. It wasn’t a warehouse, more like a large out-building, but someone was inside.
“Yes,” Jensen responded, and signaled for them to be silent.
As he approached the building, he caught the scent of a human, and frowned. It wasn’t Jackson, but the scent was somewhat familiar.
“Human,” he said nearly silently and the agents behind him relaxed a little.
When he opened the door, a stream of blonde hair streaked past him and straight into the arms of Watson.
“Let me go!” The girl shouted as she beat on Watson’s chest.
“Calm down, kid,” Watson responded, loosening her grip on the frightened child. “We aren’t going to hurt you.”
“Bullshit!” She shouted and tried to pull away from Watson. “Let me go, I have to get to Jackson.”
“Did she say Jackson?” Jensen asked. “Young lady, do you know where Jackson Murray is?”
“They are hurting him,” she sobbed. “I couldn’t stop him.”
“We have something,” Jensen said through the radio. “Karma, Dylan, we found someone who knows who Jackson is.”
“Did you say Karma and Dylan?” The girl asked.
“Yes,” Jensen answered. “You seem to recognize the names.”
“Jackson talked about them. He said they would find him,” she said and flinched a little.
“Can you tell us your name?” Jensen asked, just as Karma and Dylan approached from behind them.
“Caia,” she answered. “Caia Murray. Jackson is my brother.”
“Brother?” Dylan asked, causing Caia to jump.
“Dylan?”
“Yes,” he answered, looking at the girl who looked so much like Jackson. “You said Jackson is your brother?”
“Yes,” she answered. “Jackson and I were being held in the same place until two days ago. The evil one, Crompton I think, had me taken away, and he said he was going to turn Jackson.”
“Fuck,” Dylan said and covered his eyes for a second before looking back at the girl. “Can you show us where you were being held?”
“No,” she answered as tears streamed down her face. “A vampire named Hunter carried me away from there, but I didn’t see much. I was trying to get away from him and back to Jackson. Crompton is changing him, and says once he’s changed, he can control him.”
“Let’s get her out of here so we can talk in a more secure area,” Karma said and looked around them. “There are far too many places here for a vampire to hide and listen in.”
“Are you Karma?” Caia asked, looking at her.
“I am,” she replied. “Why?”
“Crompton. He said everything he’s doing is leading up to having you. He wants you and is going to use Jackson to get you.”
“I’ll kill him first,” Karma told Caia and the girl shook her head.
“He said he could control Jackson after he changed him.”
“I’ve never heard about anything like that,” Karma said and looked around at the agents with them. “But I know someone I can ask. Let’s get her somewhere safe, then I need to make a few calls.”
“We will stay behind and search the rest of the area,” Baxter said as Karma and Dylan led Caia toward one of the Huntress vans.
“Thank you,” Karma called over her shoulder. “Call if you find anything.”
“We will,” Baxter promised.
“Let’s get her to the house,” Karma said as she started the van.
“Where are you taking me?” Caia asked, looking around as Karma drove through the streets of Orlando.
“To the house we’re renting,” Dylan answered. “You will be safe there.”
“And what about Jackson?” She asked, hating not knowing what was going on.
“We will find him,” Karma told her. “We will find him, and kill every vampire who had a part in this.”
Chapter Fifteen
“What the fuck is this?” Baxter asked as they entered a warehouse that was set up like a jail.
“It looks like a jail,” Johnson answered, and Baxter rolled his eyes.
“I can see that,” he responded. “But what the fuck is it doing here?”
“I bet this is the place Maggie was telling us about,” Johnson replied. “She said she could hear a train from where she was. The tracks aren’t far from here and this would be a place people wouldn’t stumble upon easily.”
“It also isn’t that far from the ocean, and Crompton always likes to have water access,” Analia pointed out.
“What’s that?” Jensen asked as his eyes landed on something laying in the floor of one of the cells.
“Jackson,” Delanie said, as she picked up the small, silver charm Jensen had spotted. “This is Jackson’s. He showed it to me back in the panic room. Dylan gave it to him the day he graduated high school. It was their Mother’s and he said it was the only thing he always kept with him, no matter what.”
“Do you think he left it here in case we showed up?” Nevaeh asked.
“No,” Delanie answered and frowned. “I think he left it here because it’s silver, and he’s no longer human.”
When a crash sounded from outside, all heads turned toward the door.
“Who are you?” The large vampire asked, looking at the small group in the warehouse.
“VEB,” Baxter said and held up his badge.
“Fuck,” the vampire cursed and turned to flee, only to be stopped by the agents standing in the door.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Baxter said and nodded toward Delanie. “Cuff him.”
“You should know handcuffs won’t hold a vampire,” he said as she slipped the cuffs on his wrists.
“These will,” she said and grinned. “Silver gets them every time.”
“Fuck,” he said again. “Guess you catching me is better than what Crompton would have done to me.”
“Wanna bet?” Delanie asked and chuckled.
“Fuck,” he said for a third time, and Delanie chuckled again.
“This is going to be fun,” she said as she walked him from the building surrounded by VEB agents.
“Fuck you,” he said and tried pulling from her grip.
“I don’t think so,” she told him and held him tighter. “I may be a mere human, but I’m not weak.”
“Fuck,” he said, again and the agents around them chuckled.
“You really like that word, don’t you?” Delanie asked as she stopped beside an SUV. “Jensen, want to help me get him in?”
“Sure,” Jensen grinned as he lifted the vampire and tossed him in the SUV. “Where we heading?”
“The house,” she told him. “I know Karma wants us all back there to regroup and talk to t
he girl.”
“Caia,” Jensen reminded her. “And okay.”
“Yes, Caia,” Delanie commented and looked around at the agents with them. “Umm, I also know Karma doesn’t want everyone knowing where the house is. Maggie is there, and now Caia, and we want to keep them safe.”
“Right,” Jensen said and looked back at Baxter.
“Agents,” Baxter said, and all the agents looked at him. “Head back to the hotel and stay there until you hear from me. Jensen, Johnson, Martin, and I are going to help Delanie get this vampire secured, then we will be there to relay what the next step is.”
“Straight to the hotel,” Jensen said and glanced at Henderson. “Watson, I’d like a word with you before you head out.”
“Sure thing,” Watson responded and walked over to where Jensen was standing.
“Keep an eye on Henderson. Have him ride back with you, and do not let him out of your sight until we get back,” he told her nearly silently.
“Yes, Sir,” she responded and walked back to the SUV she was driving.
“Let’s roll out,” Jensen called out before he climbed into the SUV Delanie and the vampire were already in.
“Do you think Henderson is going to cause trouble?” Baxter asked, as he started the SUV.
“He was questioning why we were looking for Jackson earlier,” Jensen answered.
“A couple others have questioned it,” Baxter told him. “What did he say, exactly?”
“He pointed out that we were taking a lot of time and manpower to find one human, and then said Jackson was just one human,” Jensen said and glanced at Delanie. “He wasn’t too happy when I pointed out that finding Jackson could lead to finding Crompton.”
“You’ll never find Crompton,” the vampire said quietly.
“Oh?” Delanie asked with a grin. “Because I think you’re going to tell us exactly where he is.”
“Never,” he responded. “I ain’t no rat.”
“We’ll see,” Delanie responded. “How well do you like pain?”
“Pain ain’t nothing compared to what Crompton will do to me,” he responded.
“We shall see,” Delanie chuckled.
“You’ve heard of the torture skills of the Huntresses, right?” Johnson asked.
Delanie's Fury (Vampire Huntress Saga Book 3) Page 7
