by I D Johnson
“Not the way my father constructs them. He infuses the steel with the silver so that the Vampire is still met with significant silver poisoning and the bullet holds up.” She picked up the weapon and slipped it back into her hiding place. “Jeffrey doesn’t like for me to use it, so I haven’t in battle yet. He says it’s too dangerous, that I might strike a person or another Hunter. Or a Guardian.”
Jamie shivered. He knew Hunters could kill Guardians; that wasn’t news, but he didn’t know any Guardians who had actually died that way. And while he’d heard of Hunters and Guardians using guns, he’d never heard of using silver bullets before. They were usually used as more of a stunning weapon so that a Hunter could close in on a startled, perhaps pained, Vampire. If Hunters had guns, it would be much easier for one to accidentally shoot a Guardian and end them.
“Well, do be careful,” Jamie warned. “I hope you don’t have to use it.”
“I hope so, too,” she nodded. “But if I have to in order to save myself or someone else, I will.”
She said the words with such conviction, Jamie had no doubt she told the truth.
Chapter 15
New York City, New York, USA, 1887
Sol had gotten a concession or two tossed his way. The turncoat Vampire had managed to procure the two rooms right across the hall from the ones the other Vampires were using, so Jeffrey had staged his two teams in respective locations so that the second the bloodsuckers came in for the evening, the peepholes would reveal all. He and Jamie would still tail them into the building and set up position down the hall, one on either side so that no matter which way the Vampires may flee, they would come face to face with a Guardian. Jamie was still not thrilled with this plan.
As they waited downstairs, out amongst a pair of trees that stood between the front of the hotel and the muddy streets, Jamie studied Jeffrey. He was a man of few words, nice enough, but very much in charge. He often stroked his handlebar mustache in deep thought. Jamie wondered if he realized Kit had her gun. He thought, perhaps, he should mention it, but it seemed impossible to break the silence. Surely, he knew. She was on his team, after all. He had to know what she was up to.
It wasn’t quite 1:00 in the morning when noise down the street caught their attention. Off in the distance, Jamie could see a party of eight or so people loudly making their way toward the hotel. Jeffrey grabbed his arm, and the two of them took off for the shadows between the hotels, hoping the Vampires would be so busy with their prey they wouldn’t notice Guardians in the area.
As he came to a halt about twenty feet from the entrance of the narrow alleyway, Jamie glanced behind him. Deep in the darkness, he saw four more figures. These were the other Hunters and Guardians Jeffrey had collected to help his team out should the Vampires leap out of the third story windows.
The noise increased as the revelers drew near. They were walking quickly, but as they passed by the entryway, Jamie got a glance at them. They walked four abreast, two men and two women in each set. On the outer edges of each couple, the Vampires were evident. Though they walked at the same pace as their would-be victims, their skin was paler, their eyes blacker, their laughs more sinister.
Once they had passed by, Jeffrey waited a few minutes before elbowing Jamie and heading back to the front of the establishment. They didn’t need to trail them too closely as they already knew where they were headed, and letting the Vampires know of their presence wouldn’t do any of them any favors.
Jeffrey had made it crystal clear that they weren’t trying to save the humans the Vampires brought with them tonight. If it could be done, that was fine, but otherwise, they could be expensed. The main objective was to ensure this was the last party the Vampires threw at this hotel--or anywhere. While Jamie disagreed with the decision, there wasn’t much he could say. His role here should be a minor one. Patch people up if they needed it, and cut Vampires off if called upon to do so. By the looks of these monsters, he’d be quite happy if none of them made a run in his direction.
Once they were certain the Vampires would’ve reached the third floor, Jeffrey gave him a nod, and the pair headed up the wide, winding staircase. This hotel was even nicer than the one next door, but Jamie didn’t have time to take all of it in just now. They reached the third floor in time to see the doors of the Vampires’ rooms shutting. With a nod from the leader, Jamie headed off to the other end of the hallway. Surveying the area, he saw there were two more halls here, one that led off in either direction. The one to the right was a dead end into a wall, other than the respective rooms which should be locked. The one on his left led to a stairwell. Jamie realized the Hunters and Guardians outside were all on the same side of the building because they were watching the windows. If any of the Vampires got past him and to this alternate escape route, as far as he knew, there wouldn’t be anyone down there to stop them. They should’ve noticed the stairs in the blueprints, but either they hadn’t been included or everyone had overlooked it.
He hadn’t been in position too long before the doors directly across from where the Vampires disappeared came open at almost the same time. The team closest to him, led by Sol, approached the door across from them. Kit turned and caught Jamie’s eyes, even though she was at least thirty feet away. She looked determined. He hoped she didn’t do anything to irritate Sol and everything worked out all right for both of them.
Jamie couldn’t see the other team, but he knew when the doors to the Vampires’ rooms came open because the next thing they heard was a flurry of screaming and furniture being shuffled about. Jamie wanted to run and see what was happening, but he couldn’t leave his post. There was a shattering of glass from one of the rooms, followed by a Vampire shriek from the other, a sound Jamie knew all too well now. It meant one of the Vampires had been dispatched.
A few hunched figures ran out of the room furthest from him, headed toward Jeffrey. Jamie recognized them as two of the humans who had been brought up. Jeffrey must have known this as well as he didn’t stand in their way as the man and woman fled for their lives. A few seconds later, a shriek sounded from the room closest to him. By his calculations, that mean there was only one living Vampire still in one of the rooms, assuming the glass shattering was the sound of a beast hurling itself from the window. Surely, the team of four below would’ve gotten that one.
As Jamie peered down the hall, waiting to see what might happen next, a flash of a figure came careening out into the hallway. Without pausing, it turned to its left and headed in his direction. He knew this was one of the Vampires, and as it headed toward him, he made out the face of a young man. Though pale with sunken black eyes, he was well-dressed, despite some rips in his suit Jamie assumed were from the fight. He came tearing down the hallway knowing full-well this was his only chance at escape.
Jamie was ready for him, though. As the man neared the end of the hallway, he must’ve seen the Guardian waiting for him there. He slowed a bit, and Jamie took that opportunity to hurl himself at the monster. They connected, and the creature went flying back into the wall where the two halls met. He hit hard and fell to the ground. Jamie jumped on top of him, hoping Sol or someone was on their way. This bloodsucker was strong, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold on, much less decapitate him.
The Vampire was struggling to flip himself over so that he would be on top and could break free of Jamie’s grasp. The doctor kneed him hard in the stomach, trying to subdue him, but he just wasn’t strong enough to stop the monster, and as Jamie heard footsteps behind him, headed in their direction, the Vampire got the better of him, rotating so that he was on top. At that instant, a shot rang out in close range, and Jamie felt a sharp sting in his left shoulder, followed by an exclamation. Looking up, Jamie could see the Vampire seemed just as shocked as he was. He grabbed for his right ear, which was no longer there, and then hastily jumped up off of the doctor, running for the exit.
“Come back here, you bastard!” Jamie heard Sol exclaim as he followed him toward the ex
it. There was a loud noise that sounded like both of them must’ve fallen down the stairs. Abel and Joseph both took off after Sol, and Jamie felt confident they’d get the last bloodsucker.
“Oh, my God, Jamie! Are you okay?” Jamie turned to see Kit hovering over his head, the derringer in her hand.
Having not taken the time to assess himself, he tried to pull up to a sitting position and realized she’d shot him. His left arm was almost useless, and it was a struggle just to lean against the wall. Looking down, he could see the entrance wound, blood seeping through his white shirt into his suit jacket. “Holy hell,” he muttered.
“I’m so sorry,” Kit said, dropping to her knees and discarding the gun. “I was trying to hit him.”
“I know,” he replied. The pain was sharp, but he knew it was high in his shoulder, nowhere near his heart. He would survive, so long as he could stop the bleeding. Gesturing toward his shirt, he said, “Can you… unbutton?”
Kit complied at once, and when she had the top three buttons undone, he slid his hand under his shirt and put pressure on the wound. He could already feel the healing process starting before he even touched it, but having his hand there made it work that much faster. He thought he’d be fine in a few minutes, though he’d likely be exhausted. He prayed no one else needed his services.
“Damn it, Kit!” Jeffrey exclaimed, stopping behind her. “I thought I made it pretty clear we are not using any guns on my team.”
“I’m sorry, Jeffrey,” she said, her lips trembling. “I just… I didn’t think I’d have a chance without it.”
“And here we are with the only man who can save anyone bleeding out all over the damn floor!”
“I’ll be fine in a minute.” Jamie could hear the weakness in his own voice. He could heal himself, but it would take all of his energy.
Muttering another string of curse words under his breath, Jeffrey headed down the stairs. A few minutes later, Jamie noticed Kit’s face was getting rather blurry. He closed his eyes hoping when he woke up, somehow, he’d be back in his own bed in Boston.
Chapter 16
New York City, New York, USA, 1887
Opening his eyes, Jamie wasn’t sure where he was. He strained to sit up and was startled by a figure rising from a seat next to the bed, offering to help him. In the dim light, he didn’t recognize her at first, but then it all came flooding back to him. It was Kit, and by the looks of it, she was still crying.
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “I’m fine.” She released him, and he finished pulling himself up. His jacket was off and there was a large blood stain on the front of his shirt. He was certain it was mirrored on the back. There was also a nice, black hole. “I guess I won’t be wearing this shirt anymore,” he muttered.
“I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a new one.”
“It’s all right,” he insisted, even though he wasn’t sure that it was. If her aim had been a bit lower, she could’ve killed him. He didn’t think even he was talented enough to heal a gunshot wound to the heart, and he hoped he’d never have to find out.
“Sol is hurt. Jeffrey wanted me to let him know as soon as you awoke. He’s next door.”
Jamie jumped up, no longer tired. “Take me to him.”
Kit nodded and headed toward the door. Jamie followed, and a few seconds later, she pushed through the door in the adjoining room. Sol lay on a bed much like the one Jamie had just vacated. His leg was propped upon a stack of pillows, bloody rags wrapped around it. His face was almost as pale as the sheets they’d used to make a tourniquet.
“Oh, Jamie, thank God,” Jeffrey said when he saw him on his feet. “His leg’s broke. Clean through. Can you fix it?”
“I can,” Jamie nodded. “It’d be easier if I had my medical bag, but since that’s back at the headquarters, I guess I’m on my own.” He had considered bringing it with him, but Culpepper always said it got in the way, so he’d been in the habit of leaving it behind. Perhaps from now on he would bring it.
“Is it bad, Doc?” Sol asked, his voice just a whisper.
“In a word, yes,” Jamie replied. “But I can fix it.”
“Hurts… real bad.”
“I can imagine.” Turning to Jeffrey, he said, “Why don’t the rest of you clear the room and give me some space, hmm?”
Though Jeffrey didn’t seem to like that idea, he nodded and gathered up Kit, Joseph, Abel, and one of the twins, though Jamie didn’t know which one, and left the small room. Jamie wondered where the other twin was, but he didn’t ask aloud. He really didn’t care at the moment, assuming she hadn’t actually gotten injured.
He grabbed his knife and cut through the team’s feeble attempt to stop the bleeding. It had helped, but the deeper he got into the wrapping, the more obvious it was just how much blood Sol had lost. Eventually, he came to the source of the problem. Sol’s femur was protruding at least three inches out the front of his thigh, just above his knee. It was a jagged break, and he couldn’t imagine the amount of pain Sol must be in.
“I’ll need to set it first,” he said, catching the Hunter’s eyes. “It will hurt. A lot.”
Sol gave a small nod, barely conscious at this point.
While it would help if he had some pain medication, there was none of that around either, though the half empty bottle of whiskey behind him was an indicator someone had tried some unconventional treatment. With a deep breath, Jamie put his hands in position, and with no more hesitation, he grabbed hold of Sol’s broken bone and pushed it back into place. The man let out a guttural shriek like none Jamie had ever heard from a full-grown man before, but he couldn’t blame him. “The hard part’s over,” Jamie assured him. He used his hands to begin to heal the torn skin, knowing that would stop the bleeding and allow Sol to begin to regain his strength. His healing power would seep down into the man’s muscle and put the bone back together as well. He’d already seen the ends beginning to regenerate before he even released the protruding portion of the femur.
After about five minutes, Jamie felt himself becoming quite tired again. He hated the idea of passing out twice in the same night, but he knew there was nothing that could be done. As much energy as it had taken for him to heal himself, it might take even more for him to fix Sol.
Seeing a chair propped against the wall behind him, he grabbed it with the toe of his boot and dragged it over. Settling into it, he leaned over Sol’s leg. He could tell by the even breathing that the man had finally either passed out or fallen asleep. He hoped for the latter but was fairly certain it was the former. The amount of pain he must’ve been in when Jamie pressed that bone back into position had to be horrific. Jamie hoped he never had to go through anything like that himself.
By the time he was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open anymore, Jamie assessed his work. The skin was healed nicely, only a thin river of scar tissue gave away the fact that there had ever been a wound. The color was back in Sol’s face, and his leg seemed to be the right hue now as well. Jamie had no doubt the fearless fighter would live to hunt again. Once more, he found himself losing consciousness.
Chapter 17
New York City, New York, USA, 1887
“Jamie? Jamie?”
He blinked a few times and realized someone was shaking him. Opening his eyes fully, he found himself back in the same bed he’d vacated before going to help Sol, looking into the same pair of dark blue eyes. The only difference was that sunlight streamed through the window, and he still felt like he’d been struck by a trolley.
Rubbing his eyes, he pushed up so that his back was against the headboard. “How long have I been asleep?” he asked, knowing however long it had been, it wasn’t enough.
“Only a few hours,” Kit replied. She was sitting on the edge of his bed. “I’m sorry to wake you. It’s just… I wanted to say goodbye to you before I leave.”
That had his attention. “Leave? Where are you going?”
She cleared her throat, and it was obvious she’d been crying. Her eyes
were swollen, her nose red. “Jeffrey has decided I’m no longer a good fit for his team. He’s sending me to a smaller city, one where I may get into…” she cleared her throat, “less trouble.”
Jamie assumed that last part must’ve been a direct quote. “Well, that’s too bad,” he said. “I mean, I would never have asked him to do that.”
She looked hopeful, as if she had thought he might be angry at her over what happened. Of course, he wasn’t exactly happy about it, but he knew it was an accident. As much as they all wanted to pretend they were perfect, none of them were. What happened to Kit could well have happened to anyone who had a weapon capable of such destruction.
“I’m so sorry I shot you,” she said, staring at the gold and brown patterned carpet. “I just… when Sol wouldn’t even let me in on the Hunt, and then, the Vampire got right past him, I was pissed.” She covered her mouth with both hands, as if she couldn’t believe she’d said a curse word in front of him. “I was angry.”
“I don’t blame you for being pissed about that,” he replied, smiling at her innocence. “So how did he keep you out of the fray?”
“With a look, I guess. He got the first one rather quickly, decapitating her, and then turned to the second, staying me with his eyes. When he got away, my attitude switched to ‘I’ll show you.’ The Vampire had tossed him against the wall, so it took him a few moments to untangle himself. That’s when I took my chance. I should’ve run to you, tried to decapitate him. But I knew that Vampire was too strong, too powerful, for me. So I decided to shoot it instead.”
Jamie continued to nod. “Well, there was no harm done this time, Kit. That’s the important thing to remember.”
“That’s true. But there could’ve been.”
“But there wasn’t. I do think there are some possibilities with guns, that your father was on to something. But we need to do some more research.”
