Eternal life wasn’t the only characteristic that set vampires apart from humans, nor their need for blood. They couldn’t get sick, which wasn’t the most incredible super power, but must really save on doctor bills. They couldn’t get anyone pregnant or find themselves in the family way. I supposed that came in handy, as well, considering their nocturnal habits and erotic pursuits.
But they could die, and there wasn’t a special way to do it. An ax, gun, knife, icepick—or any other pointy object—would do the trick… to say nothing of a phone cord.
Slowly, I wound the cord up and set it on my lap with the photos.
Light faded outside the SUV’s tinted windows. Dust clouds billowed behind us as the vehicle’s tires spun across the high desert floor. Once we hit pavement, everything inside felt louder: the thoughts inside my head, my heartbeat, even my throat when I swallowed.
There was no music and no conversation between Hansen or the driver.
Juniper trees flew by along the road.
I closed my eyes and envisioned spruce trees dusted in snow and tall, skinny willows with their white and black bark. As I breathed in and out, I tried to imagine the crisp, clean Alaskan air filling my lungs.
For six months, I’d trained physically and mentally. Now it was time to prepare myself emotionally for the kill.
I was glad Hansen told me about the girls who wound up dead. That always helped. Take one life to save many. It made the whole thing feel like a moral responsibility. But the thought still nagged at me that if Jared hadn’t arranged my accident, I wouldn’t be saddled with the burden to kill.
I should have let Valerie shoot him while he was unconscious in Sitka.
That was before I’d discovered Jared had been behind the wheel of the vehicle that hit me and, more than likely, the one responsible for Valerie’s placement within the agency. It was before I knew he and Melcher were in cahoots together.
If Melcher knew Jared was a vampire, what else did he know? Did he know that Jared had gone out of his way to harm Valerie and me in the interest of the agency?
Nothing would surprise me at this point, and I couldn’t imagine Jared doing all this behind Melcher’s back.
Somehow, I needed to find out how much Melcher knew without coming right out and asking. He ran the show, after all, which made him even more dangerous than Jared.
And to find out, I needed to return home.
A little after eleven o’clock, we rolled into Bend. Our driver got off the highway at the community college exit. There weren’t any high rises. The city was comprised of cute little shops, restaurants, and neighborhoods. The streets looked clean and landscaped. Footpaths and bike lanes bisected the roadways.
We crossed a river, passing more neighborhood parks and juniper-lined streets. Farther up, we turned into one of the subdivisions. Now that we were on the right street, I didn’t need an address to locate the party. All of the street parking was bumper-to-bumper in front of a two-story brown home with green trim.
Volcanic rock lined the driveway.
“This is the place,” Hansen said.
I immediately sat up in my seat. “When do my fifteen minutes start?”
“The moment the front door closes behind you.”
What if I left the front door open? Somehow, I didn’t think Hansen would find that question clever.
“And when does the clock stop ticking?”
“When I see you come back through the door, after which Samuel here will confirm the kill and cause of death.” Hansen glanced at the driver, who said nothing in response.
I really only had about ten minutes to kill this vamp, if that. Five minutes to make an entrance, locate Jeremy, and pull him aside somewhere private. I also needed time to make my way out of the house and out the front door.
The kill would have to be quick.
How long did it take to strangle a vampire?
At least they’d prepared us for all possible scenarios at boot camp, but it was one thing to strangle a practice dummy, another to go at it hands-on with a live target.
Hansen raised a brow. “Any questions?”
I uncrossed my legs. “Can I go in barefoot?”
“No.”
“Well, then can I get an extra five minutes? These shoes on spikes are going to slow me down.”
“Tough,” Hansen said.
Jerk. What did wearing high heels have to do with killing a vampire? I didn’t need any extra handicaps tonight.
“Fine,” I said, unbuckling the seatbelt. “But as soon as I’m finished they’re coming off.”
I set the photographs on the middle seat and stuffed as much of the telephone cord inside my fist as I could.
After opening the car door, I slid down, careful to land on my feet. With a quick smile I said, “See you in fifteen.”
I shut the car door and headed up the driveway, which, for added torture, sloped to a steep incline. A gaggle of girls in front of me walked in without knocking, so I figured I’d do the same, but not before taking one final breath. Once I went through that door, the clock started ticking.
A watch would have been helpful… or distracting. Maybe I was better off without the hands of time flashing every second that passed.
Music pounded within.
Showtime.
At the door, I squared my shoulders, reached with my free hand, and let myself in.
2
To Kill a Vampire
The music hit me like a scream in the face.
I could probably thank the solidarity and order of boot camp for the sudden culture shock I experienced walking into a loud room packed with teenage and twenty-something civilians.
It seemed like ages ago that I’d been around boys my own age.
Couples grinded against each other in the living room. Just about everyone held a drink of some sort in a bottle or plastic red cup. No one greeted or noticed me. No one except a jock in a football jersey leaning against the banister, sipping beer and checking out my bare legs.
“Hey, babe. My name’s Cody.”
I took two careful steps toward him.
“Have you seen Jeremy?”
There was no time for small talk, and I certainly didn’t have time to go on a scavenger hunt of Find the Vampire.
“Over there by the keg,” the guy said, sticking his chin out.
Following the direction of his eyes, I spotted Jeremy, a perfect match from the photos, standing with an arm hanging over a girl in white denim and a spaghetti strap tank top.
With steady steps, I walked over without stumbling. Looming deadlines could do that.
“Chug! Chug! Chug!” Jeremy’s group chanted at a guy in a prison-orange polo guzzling beer from a bong held over his head.
Maybe I’d skip the parties when I started college at the University of Alaska Anchorage. This really wasn’t my scene.
“Hello, Jeremy,” I called out flirtatiously.
One of the boys issued a catcall.
“Uh-oh, Jeremy,” another said, looking me up and down. “Who’s this?”
Jeremy smirked, obviously getting an ego boost out of the attention.
He removed his arm from the girl. She glared venom at me, but didn’t say a word. She looked cute, but her tight jeans and strappy sandals were no match for my mini skirt and stilettos. She ought to be thanking me for stepping in and saving her skinny hide.
“Can I talk to you upstairs?” I asked.
Jeremy folded his arms across his chest. When he looked at me, it wasn’t as a boy ogling a girl, but a predator eying his prey.
He didn’t like games. Well, neither did I.
“What makes you think I’m interested in talking?” he asked.
“What makes you think I’m interested in listening?” I returned in a saucy voice.
That earned Jeremy a slap on the shoulder, but while the guys around us chuckled, Jeremy assessed me with narrow eyes. He glanced at the girl who’d been under his arm seconds ago. She’d stuck around des
pite my interruption.
Maybe he didn’t like a woman with lip.
Panic gripped my heart. For the first time since entering the house, my legs threatened to wobble.
Jeremy smiled slowly. “I’ll be right back. You,” he said, addressing my breasts, “come with me.”
Was it that hard to get a vamp to escort a half-naked, willing victim to a private room? Jeremy certainly took his sweet time leading me across the living room.
He didn’t bother walking beside or anywhere near me, nor did he look back. If I weren’t about to kill him, I might have experienced a moment of outrage.
“Yo, Jer. How’s it going?” a guy with a shaved head called out as we passed.
“Billy boy! What’s up?”
Seriously? Tick, tock. Got a schedule to follow.
The guys fist-bumped and proceeded to make chitchat, ignoring my presence behind them completely.
The back of Jeremy’s neck called out from two feet away. I was tempted to strangle him on the spot.
Reaching forward, I gave his ass a nice firm pat, instead. It was a risk, one that grabbed Jeremy’s attention. He turned and grinned at me, finally beginning to look excited.
Jeremy placed an open palmed hand on his friend’s shoulder and said, “Good seeing you, man. Enjoy the party.” To me he said, “Let’s go.”
Jeremy returned greetings three more times on the way to the staircase, but he didn’t make any more stops. Walking over carpet in stilettos was about as reassuring as sand. The banister would have been helpful, but my nearest hand gripped the phone cord meant for Jeremy’s neck. I didn’t want to bring attention to the thing by switching it from one palm to the other, so I sucked it up and made it up the stairs, to the landing on the second floor without face-planting.
Jeremy led me down a hallway. We passed a closed door that barely blocked the sound of squeaking springs, screams, and a headboard banging against a wall. House party meets underage bar meets brothel. Charming.
At the end of the hall, Jeremy opened a door and motioned me inside.
Unlike the stairs and hallway, the room had a hardwood floor. Maybe “Jer” didn’t fancy getting blood on his carpet. My oh-so-charming host closed and locked the door behind me. The space was roomy—though not lacking in furniture—including a full-sized oval mirror framed in wood and attached to a moveable stand.
It was hard to keep a straight face when a vampire owned the biggest free-standing mirror I’d ever seen. My lips twitched as I fought back the smile.
I caught my expression in the mirror and sobered up. I had to get down to business, and I had to do it now.
Thick black curtains covered the windows. A sick sense of déjà vu came over me. The last time I worked alone was when Dante left me with Ivo and Patrick during my first mission in Fairbanks. I’d gone off to Ivo’s bedroom, and I’d killed him, but not before he tossed me around and bruised me up.
I could pass on the pre-kill beating. Jeremy needed to suck my blood so I could end his life without a struggle.
Speaking of the undead devil… I turned in time to catch Jeremy’s sleazy smile. Guess he wasn’t immune to my feminine charms after all.
“Who told you about me?”
He could only mean one thing by that. He’d made the correct assumption that I knew what he was.
“A friend,” I answered.
Jeremy smirked. Apparently that was good enough for him.
“I’ll suck you if you suck me.” He looked down at his crotch.
My nose wrinkled. God, I missed Marcus’ parties.
I inched toward him and bent my head to one side. “You first.”
Jeremy made no movement toward me. I tried not to tap my stiletto heel on the hard floor.
“My house. My rules. Get on your knees.”
Giving up all pretense of flirting, I full-on glared at the jerk. Guess things were going to have to get rough. But first, the stilettos had to go. I kicked them off. Not only did it give me better footing, but the action distracted Jeremy. He smiled slightly. Maybe he thought I was getting more comfortable before kneeling on the floor.
In his undead dreams.
I moved around him swiftly. The phone cord unraveled from my hand in spirals. Quick as a whip, I wrapped the loose ends around each wrist. My arms lifted above his head, in a forward rowing motion as though pulling an invisible hood over his face. There was no time to hesitate. I pulled back.
Jeremy let out a shocked breath followed by a weird slurping sound.
With the element of surprise in my favor, I pulled the cord around his neck tighter.
Expelling a grotesque gag, Jeremy took a step forward. I moved with him, keeping a death grip on the cord even as it bit into my palms.
Jeremy tried to shake me off by moving side to side while I attempted to follow his every gesture.
Reaching back, he slapped at my side. He probably meant to punch me, but couldn’t quite manage it with my body molded against his back and his windpipe blocked off.
Suddenly, he stopped smacking me and pushed back with all his weight, which was considerable. Thank god I’d chucked the stilettos. He would have had me on my back in a heartbeat, then guess who’d be backed against the floor with an angry vampire’s hands around her neck?
Not much of a multiple choice question. Answer: A—Aurora.
I held on as though my life depended on it. To allow Jeremy to break free would not only guarantee a fail, but worse, possible death. In other words, failure was not an option.
I crossed the wires and pulled as though tying a bow around a present.
The choking noises increased. The sound simultaneously filled me with sickness and encouragement.
Hurry up and die already!
Taking a slight step back, I stretched my elbows and pulled the wire taut. Jeremy’s fingers flew to his neck, where he scratched at the wire. I pulled back harder.
Just when I thought the ordeal was almost over, Jeremy grabbed a clump of my hair and yanked.
Yelping, I nearly dropped the phone cord. It remained in my hands, but my grip loosened enough for Jeremy to gulp in a breath, push back, and slam me against the wall. Air left my lungs on impact. A quick taste of what I was inflicting was enough to get a grip on the cord and retighten the line even as Jeremy crushed me against the wall.
Jeremy rammed his back into me repeatedly. I couldn’t pull on the cord as tightly when I was holding onto what felt like a bucking bronco on steroids.
Why couldn’t he have sucked my blood?
Wishing wouldn’t make it happen.
Jeremy threw his shoulder blades into the next wave of assaults. My head slammed back against the wall.
“Ow!” I cried.
This had to stop.
I tried to knee Jeremy in the groin, but access wasn’t ideal from the rear. My kneecap ended up bouncing off his butt.
This was ridiculous. I wasn’t letting some sleazy, murderous vampire make me miss my first day of college.
I screamed and yanked back the two ends of the cord. A definitive “snap” followed. Unfortunately it wasn’t Jeremy’s neck.
The cord broke in two.
Well, crap.
Jeremy gasped, taking in large gulps of air, his body pitching forward.
Boot camp had taught me to expect the unexpected. Always have a Plan B, C, and D.
It sounded good in theory.
At the moment I had a couple seconds before Jeremy regained his breath enough to come after me.
I still had two pieces of phone cord. Although considerably shorter—like, by half—either piece would still stretch across Jeremy’s neck. I dropped the shortest of the two halves. There was barely room to wrap the cord once around each of my palms. I’d just have to hope I had enough for Jeremy’s neck.
I slipped the cord around his neck when he doubled over, hacking. The coughing stopped and gagging resumed.
Killing a vampire was never easy and, unfortunately, didn’t get any easier w
ith practice. I didn’t care how much the instructors made us run or how many obstacles and scenarios they put us through. Murder didn’t come naturally. At least not to me.
Jeremy didn’t fight back as hard the second round. There wasn’t enough cord left to cross wires. I held my fists together just behind his neck, not letting up for an instant.
This isn’t by choice. You’re the one killing guests. Couldn’t just suck their blood and send them home. You brought this on yourself.
I’d found myself having more and more conversations in my head since starting boot camp. Definitely time to get back out into the real world.
It took me a moment to notice that Jeremy had stopped struggling. In the next instant, he fell forward, me with him. I landed on his back with an “umph.”
Even as Jeremy lay on the floor motionless, I kept hold of the line just in case.
Sitting in silence until I couldn’t take the stress any longer, I released one end of the cord and checked Jeremy’s wrist for a pulse. Nothing.
Next I put my hand over his mouth to check for breath. If he bit me, it was his funeral.
Nothing there, either.
Death confirmed, I leapt to my feet. I scooped up the second phone line and the stilettos before bolting from the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I raced down the hall, down the stairs, and across the living room, not caring who I bumped along the way, until I reached the front door and threw it open.
Once I reached the porch, I walked the rest of the way barefoot to the SUV waiting across the street.
I yanked open the door and jumped inside.
“How was my time?” I asked.
“Twelve minutes, twenty-three seconds,” Hansen answered.
Gee, I could have grabbed a wine cooler on my way out.
The driver, Samuel, turned around and looked at me for the first time. His light brown crew cut and green eyes looked more Ken doll than GI Joe.
“Where’s the body?” he asked.
“Upstairs at the end of the hall, door on the left.”
Bad Blood (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 3) Page 2
