I probe further, curious as to where this is leading. I have my inclinations, but I’d rather not lead him.
“Such as?”
Lucian glances outside of the room again in search of curious ears.
“For instance, how did your stomach heal so fast? How are you able to move as quickly as you do? It doesn’t seem natural.”
I stand there and soak in his questions like a sponge. My right brow slightly tilts into the air as I can see the wheels of curiosity chugging along inside his head. There is not a simple response I can give. The answer is more complicated. Mainly because I don’t know myself. At least, nothing concrete. Just hunches based on events that have transpired throughout my tormented life.
“To be honest, I don’t know why I healed as quickly as I did, and how I’m able to do any of the things I do. I’m just able to.”
Lucian rolls his eyes, and glances away from me. He bends down to retrieve his bag from the floor. He slings it over his shoulders and secures it in place.
“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. Just do me the common curtesy of just saying that instead of giving me some lame, bullshit response.”
He walks past me.
I grab his arm.
Telling people my backstory generally goes one of two ways; either they accept it, although a bit skittish at first, and move on or they freak the fuck out and either try to kill me or bolt.
“I’m not giving you a bullshit answer. I truly don’t know why I am the way I am. And you’re right, it isn’t natural. But, like you said, this isn’t the best time or place. When we get to Black Fields, I’ll tell you everything if you want to know. I have only my backstory to share. You can draw whatever conclusions you want from that.”
Lucian tugs at the straps of his pack as he stands there deep in thought.
“I just want to know who I’m hanging with through all of this. If it was anything else, I wouldn’t care. But from what I’ve seen of how fast you heal and how you fight, there is definitely something more going on with you that isn’t natural.”
I release his arm. I understand why he has the reservations he does. After all, I haven’t heard of or seen any other humans that can do what I can. I’m just as apprehensive of folks as he is of me.
His stern and rigid demeanor flattens out. He runs his hand over his face as he grabs the top of his hood and pulls it up over his head.
“To be honest, it just kind of freaks me out. You move like them at times. The vampires. I’ve never seen anyone like that. It’s just a bit jarring.” He pauses, then sighs. “I’ve had a jaded past with the demons. They’ve taken so much from me. Parts of my soul have been dead inside for years. Until I take my final breath, I’ll do my part to take out as many of those creatures as I can.”
We’ve all lost people and will lose more before this is over.
“I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about,” I calmly reply.
Lucian nods, although his face is still clouded with a certain amount of uneasiness.
“I promise you I’ll tell you everything I know later,” I say.
He exits the room, disappearing from sight. I hear his bulk move over the aging floor of the building. The wooden planks creak with every step he takes.
I take a moment to gather myself and hone my thoughts. The past twenty hours have been a constant barrage of stress that have kept us in a heightened state of preparedness.
My unkempt fingers run through my matted hair. I expel the tension pumping through my body. I secure the kukri in the sheath. The faint whisper of a grumbling engine captures my ear.
It stops me cold. I listen for a brief second. It could be nothing. Then again, it could be something.
Cutting my head over my shoulder, I spy a window that is covered up. The hint of sunlight plays off the walls to the left and right of the thick, black tarp that is draped in front of it. The wind whistles and slaps against the tarp, causing it to subtly bulge out.
I make my way across the room, stepping around the dead bodies on the floor. My fingers grab the dense material. I pull down, yanking it free from the wall.
Planks of wood are nailed into the wallboards. Large swathes of light beam in through the spaces between the cracked boards. I peer out through the openings, and glance down to the street below. It’s difficult to make anything out with this obtrusive barrier in my way.
Piece by piece, I break the rotting wood in half. I discard the broken boards to the floor without care of how much noise it’s making. At this point, it doesn’t really matter.
More light floods into the room as the gusting wind whips my hair about wildly. I survey the streets below.
Feet pound the floor and charge this way.
“What was that noise?”
Lucian’s voice is thick with concern. He walks toward me as I lean forward on the windowsill.
I cock my head to the side and listen closely. The noise seems to be coming from our right. I cut my eyes down the street and find a caravan of vehicles charging this way.
The palms of my hands press into the wood. My fingers dig into the boards. Our brief moment of not having anyone trying to kill us has ended.
EIGHTEEN
“We’ve got raiders inbound.”
I move away from the window as Lucian rushes past me.
He pops his head out and glances to the right.
“How do you know they’re raiders?”
“I don’t, but who else could it be?” I pose. “Old City isn’t exactly a mecca for humans to thrive in. Minus us, I doubt anyone else would be foolish enough to come through here. Even in the daytime. Besides, do you want to take the chance that they’re not?”
Lucian mutters some words that I can’t quite make out from under his angered tone. He turns away from the window and walks toward me.
“The buggy isn’t too far. We should be good if we haul ass now. I don’t particularly want to find out who is out there.”
Alex and Cindy approach.
“What the hell is that sound?” Alex probes. “Are those, engines?”
I nod.
“Yeah. I think it’s more raiders. Not sure how much time we’ve got so we need to leave now. Grab your shit and move.”
The two of them bolt to the left with a worried expression clouding their faces. Their heavy footsteps pound the floor as Lucian and I flood out of the room. I race to the window in the main living area and peer down to the street that runs parallel to the structure we are in.
It’s void of activity. No signs of raiders or thralls scurrying among the mounds of rubble and debris.
Alex and Cindy have most of their gear clutched in their hands or latched to their backs. They lug the bulk toward the door.
“We still have some supplies in there that we can’t leave behind,” Cindy says.
Alex sighs heavily through pursed lips. He turns to face her.
“It’ll be fine. We have the most important items here. Everything else can be scavenged again elsewhere. I don’t want to run the risk of being anywhere around this building if it is the raiders. Especially now that we’ve been compromised.”
I point in the direction the buggy is in as Lucian dashes back into the room to check on the inbound vehicles.
“We have a ride just a few blocks north of here. It’s only got three seats and probably won’t hold all your gear, but we can try to make it work.”
Alex shakes his head.
“Thanks, but we’ll be fine. We know this city pretty well. Besides, we have a truck stashed about two blocks to the west of here. Just a couple days ago, I managed to scrounge up enough gas to make it worthwhile.”
“They’re a block away, and still heading in this direction,” Lucian calls out.
Alex bolts out the door with Cindy close behind. Lucian dashes past me as he heads out the door after them.
In the hall, I race passed Alex and take point. Lucian covers the rear as we retrace our steps back down the structure. I
pull the kukri free of its sheath and hold it taut in my grasp.
We sprint down the hallway. The gear Alex and Cindy are hauling bounces and shifts wildly. They grunt with each laborious step they make.
I pause briefly at the corner. My head sneaks around the bend. The coast is clear.
The stairwell is close enough for us to make it to quickly if we run. We shuffle out into the wide hallway, and sprint toward the entrance. One of the vampires we killed lays face down on the tattered carpet with half its body visible.
The darkness from the stairwell slows my stride. I approach with the kukri up and at the ready. I try to pierce the veil of blackness, and listen for anything that may be lurking within the vast abyss.
My back hugs the cool metal interior of the opened door. I slither along the smooth surface toward the entrance. I crane my neck while stepping over the rotting corpse. My eyes shift up, darting from left to right before drifting downward.
Alex steps alongside me. His breathing is labored. He speaks in a low muttered tone.
“What’s wrong?”
I move further in, stepping gently onto the landing.
“Just making sure there aren’t any surprises waiting for us in here.” I shuffle toward the railing and peer down the stairway to the lower level. I see no movement or any hint of the demons. “I think we’re good. Come on.”
In a single file, we race down each flight of stairs. Pockets of darkness consume the enclosed space. The report from our rushed footsteps echoes throughout.
A strong stench of death is thick in the air. The smell of burnt flesh attacks my senses and suffocates me. My face contorts in disgust.
“Christ almighty,” Alex cries out in disgust. “And I thought they smelled horrible when alive.”
A fraction of light clashes with the darkness, bringing the silhouette of the dispatched vampires into view. Their bodies lay discarded on the steps. Nothing more than a contorted jumbled mess of limbs and dark splotches fill our gaze.
“Watch your footing. There’s bodies scattered on the stairs.”
We maneuver over the blobs of motionless meat. So far, it appears that the vampires have completely retreated, and left the structure for the safety of their nest.
Light from the hallway filters in through the opened door just below us. The landing is painted red with shards of busted wood dispersed over the metal façade. One by one, we zip down the remaining flight of stairs and pour out into the hallway.
The grumbling mass of engines plays in our ears through the busted window at the far end of the elongated hallway to my right. What was once a low humming of steel and metal has grown to a roar that echoes through the hollow, cavernous buildings around us.
Alex shuffles past me with Cindy in tow. He motions to her with his hand to pick up the pace.
“Move it, Sis.”
“I’m moving as fast as I can with all of this shit I’m lugging,” she says.
Lucian clutches my arm and gently tugs, diverting my attention away from the incoming raider party.
“Come on.”
He releases my arm and runs after the others as I give chase and close the gap. We fly down the wide berth of stairs to the lobby area of the building.
The cacophony of the engines thundering this way grows to a boisterous pitch through the silence of the dead, defunct streets of Old City.
Alex pauses briefly. His attention hones in on the gaping hole in the building’s front that gives a view of the street.
He moves about in place. His hand runs over his head as a deep sigh escapes his lips. Uncertainty floods his sweaty face. He whips about and faces Cindy.
“Get to the truck and stow your gear. Make sure all of the gas has been emptied into the tank.”
Her eyes widen.
“What? Are you not coming with me?”
He places his arms on her shoulders.
“I’m going to buy us some time. I’ll be along shortly. I promise.”
Cindy knocks his arms free from her shoulders.
“Screw that. We’re not splitting up. We stick together. No matter what.”
I step up to the both of them.
“The two of you haul ass to your ride, and get out of here. We can handle this.”
They stare at each other briefly as if they have a say in the matter.
The looming of the engines is so close that the noise grows louder with each second that ticks by.
I lean in closer.
“I’m not asking. Get out of here, now!”
Alex nods, and Cindy mouths the words “thank you” as they sprint away. They disappear through a doorway in the rear of the building, leaving just Lucian and me standing there.
We bolt out through the front half of the structure, stopping on the sidewalk. I glance to my right and spot the mass of vehicles rolling this way. I count roughly four large all terrain modified transports bulldozing through the city streets.
They come to a grinding halt in front of the bank. The grumbling of the engines subsides as the steel carriers idle roughly.
Lucian and I take cover among the ruins of the debris that lays scattered over the sidewalk and street. With our backs flush against the jagged edges of the busted brick and rebar, we remain still and silent.
He leans in close to me.
“What’s our play here?”
I shrug. To be honest, I’m curious as to what is happening seeing as they stopped in front of the bank.
“Well, they obviously haven’t spotted us yet since they haven’t continued on over here.”
“That is good. I wonder what they’re doing?”
I shimmy along the rigid edges of the stone. I turn to my side, and scoot to the outer edge. Craning my neck, I carefully peek out over the mound in the raiders’ direction.
Lined up in a single row, the door to the lead transport splits apart and opens wide. A man emerges from the cab with a rifle clutched in his grasp. His body is draped in a brown leather trench coat that reaches down to the tops of his boots. Smoke plumes from his mouth as he removes a cigarette from his lips. He glances in our direction. The sun reflects off his tinted sunglasses as I duck out of sight.
“Well?” Lucian inquires.
“Doesn’t seem as if they know where we are.” My hand stays taut around the handle of the kukri.
Lucian moves away from the rubble and stays kneeling down.
“You think it’s safe to move? Might be a good opportunity to slip away since they don’t seem to know our location.”
I carefully peek around the mound once more, only this time the raider has brought his rifle to bear. The right side of his face rests on the stock. He peers through the scope mounted on the top as he sweeps from left to right.
My body quickly deflates back behind our cover. Lucian stands up just far enough to be able to peer out over the top. The sharp report of gunfire crackles in the sky, followed by the incoming rounds pelting the mess of rubble.
“Christ!” He drops down, and falls back on his ass. He scoots toward the rubble with his arms hovering over his head. “Looks like they’ve spotted us.”
“Looks like.”
I stare straight ahead in the direction of the buggy. There is a gap in the buildings that we can slip through, and hopefully put some distance between us and the raiders.
“We make for that gap there.”
Lucian follows my finger.
“Can we make that?”
The only problem is, there isn’t any cover for us to use. We’ll be exposed for a short time.
The gunfire has temporarily ebbed. The rambling of the transports’ engines revs up. The ground beneath us quakes.
“We don’t have a choice,” I respond. “Either way, they’re coming.”
NINETEEN
“Stay low and move swiftly,” I advise.
The large steel beast heads toward us with a thundering rapture that rattles the ground. The winding of its gears plays over the defunct city’s cold, dead si
lence.
We bolt from our cover, and make for the gap within the building before us. Our boots pound the street. We stay low, hunched over, as the crackle of more gunfire echoes through the corridor of buildings.
The incoming rounds zip past us with a low buzzing sound. They crashed into the concrete around us. Chunks of the fallen structure’s exterior spew into the air.
My gaze sneaks over my right shoulder. The two smaller trucks in the caravan break to the right, and disappear down the street that runs parallel with the building next to us. The lead transports break to the left and dart down an alleyway.
The fulmination of crunching metal spurns us to move faster. We slither through the tight maze of busted concrete and rebar that sticks out in our path.
The vehicles’ throaty engines diminish to nothing more than a faint groan on the wind.
Lucian cuts to the left, nearly losing his balance. We’re a bit lost, running blindly through the remnants of Old City. All of the buildings and structures all meld together in a heaping pile of destruction and rubble.
We enter into another building and keep our sprinting pace. We dash past turned over tables and chairs. Glass crunches under our boots as we make for the opening on the far side of the wall.
We emerge in an alleyway. Lucian stops. The palms of his hands rest on his knees as he gulps in copious amounts of air.
“Are we lost?” he inquires with a wheeze.
I pant. With a glance to our right, I point at the street.
“I think we’re still a few blocks away.”
More gunfire erupts from down the alleyway to our left. We duck and run toward the street as the vehicles continue on. We hook a left and dash down the sidewalk, sidestepping any trash and debris in our way.
About a block ahead of us is the toppled over building that we traversed when we first arrived. I draw Lucian’s attention to it with my hand.
“The buggy should be on the other side of that structure.”
“I hope so,” he says.
We scurry up the rubble while trying to be as cautious as we can. The sharp edges dig into our palms as we maneuver over the contorted steel beams and busted rock. The humming of the engines giving pursuit stay nestled inside my ears. Although I don’t think they know where we’re heading, we maintain our brisk pace.
Tainted Hunter (The Huntress Bane Book 1) Page 12
