He took a moment to concentrate on his beloved, reaching out and touching his mind. He was still tense, and worry was also present, but what surprised him was a shadow of bitterness that was present around him. Perhaps he was misreading the emotion because their connection was new. He would see Korbin put down like the others, and he would return to his beloved and make sure he was comfortable and happy.
They parked the SUV and headed out on foot. “The rest of the team are two miles ahead,” Rawl informed.
“Let’s catch up. I don’t want them taking Korbin out before we arrive,” Bastian told him as he increased his speed.
“I agree, General,” Rawl said with a half-smile, and they headed towards the ridge.
…
Theo walked out of the apartment and out the side door of the Palace at the bottom of a flight of stairs that lead to the main living quarters of the Palace. It was definitely a service or convenience entrance, which he assumed led to the driveway. He found that if he acted like he knew what he was doing and did it right in plain sight, no one paid him any notice. The Lexus was parked beside the building, which was fortunate. He unlocked it and slid into the driver’s seat. So far, so good.
The drive from the Palace to the outer gate was tense, but he tamped down his reactions blocking off the presence of fear so the guards if they stopped him, wouldn’t pick up on it. He sailed through the first gate without incident but was halted at the second. Being mere yards from freedom was weighing heavy on him, and the urge to just floor it and take his chances was hard to resist.
“Does General DuFort know that you’re leaving the grounds?” The guard asked while pinning him with a hard stare.
“Yes, I’m meeting him at the Sheriff’s office.” He said and maintain a façade of cool detachment.
“I’ll have to call and verify.” He said, and Theo didn’t want him calling anyone.
“I don’t have time to waste.” He barked as if agitated by the delay. “I have his car for god sake. Of course, he knows where I am and where I’m going.” He hoped his appearance of authority worked, and it did. The guard nodded and stepped back from the car.
“Okay, sir, you may proceed.” Theo did not hesitate and took off in the direction of town, although that wasn’t where he intended to go. Once far enough away from the coven, he turned off of Highway 48 and headed north towards Korbin’s place.
He needed closure on this case, and although he couldn’t and wouldn’t report ninety percent of what he discovered here in Isabella County, he wanted to talk to Korbin. He was certain Korbin would give him the closure he needed. He wanted to know why Korbin wrote the letter.
Leaving Bastian was not easy, even after the discovery that his devotion was just all in a day’s work, nothing deep or meaningful beyond his duty to his Master. Their time together had been so passionate and real, or so he thought. Apparently, it was only real for him. Bastian was just playing a part, like the good General, and taking one for the team. Bonding with him just to secure his silence was a sacrifice for sure.
He pulled out his phone and called Lisa. He had to keep her informed, or she would get in her car and come here, and he couldn’t have that. No telling what the coven would do to her either marry her off to one of their guards or wipe her memory clean neither was a desirable outcome.
“Where have you been?” She launched at him as soon as she answered.
“Busy with the details.” He said cryptically.
“You checked out of the motel yesterday.” She said as a question.
“Yeah, I’m working out of my car at present. I had a feeling I was being watched at the motel. Probably just paranoia, but I decided to lay low for today and then check in elsewhere tonight or tomorrow.” He tried to explain without giving her the complete truth.
“Let me know where you’re staying.”
“Yeah, I’m checking out a lead on Arlo Korbin, so I might not be in range to be contacted. The service out here is spotty at best.”
“Okay, but don’t be silent too long, or I’ll come looking for you.” She was a good friend.
“I hear you.” He shot back good-natured.
“Will Korbin finish this case for you?”
“I’ve finished already. There is nothing here. I just want to ask him a few questions if he’s around; if not, I’ll write up what I have and be back by Saturday.” Theo said the words, but his heart clenched at the idea of walking away from here, away from Bastian.
“It’ll be good to have you back. See you Saturday.”
“See you Saturday.” He said and closed the call.
…
Bastian and Rawl arrived at the narrow valley beyond the ridge and watched as the rest of his team and Coven soldiers were clearing an area within the circle of ancient oak trees. The scene looked troublingly familiar and harkened back to the days fighting with the Black Knight and the summoning darkness he used as a weapon. This felt eerily the same.
He walked up beside Silas, who was overseeing the men clearing the ground. “What is this?” He asked.
“We stumbled on this ceremonial set up while chasing Korbin’s scent. It looked suspicious and had an air to it that was sour, rotten. Magics were performed here, which probably explains the mutant shifters.” Silas explained as they moved closer to the trench being uncovered beneath the trees.
“What about Korbin?”
“He appears to have made it out of the woods to one of the main roads. Everyone is searching. Master DuCane is furious that he has gotten the best of us and is calling in the magics to aid in this search.” Silas shook his head as the first body was uncovered in the trench.
They both moved closer. “What are we looking at here?” Bastian was aghast at the discovery one after another ritually bound and slaughtered laid out side by side shifter and human alike, the killer didn’t care who it was, only that it was a life they could snuff out. Bastian watched as Silas shook his head and opened his phone and called the Master.
Master DuCane had set magics aside several years ago, believing that too much magics made you weak and destroyed your natural skills and aptitude. But he and his beloved were both well versed in the fields of magics and sorcery. If this was the course that Korbin chose to come against Louis and Coven DuCane, he did not choose wisely.
Finally, as the last was unearthed, they stood there, all of them staring down at a line of corpses nine in all, bound and bled out with ritual markings upon their flesh signaling a dark evil. It was gut-wrenching that such butchery had taken place in hiding without anyone being aware that such evil was rising among them.
He was overcome with a sudden need to go back to Theo to hold him and treasure what Fate had given him. He wanted him in his arms and to know that he was safe from this malignancy. The fear of losing his beloved was washing over Bastian as he took in the gravity of this moment and this terrible discovery. He never should have left; it was nothing but vainglory that brought him out here. He should be with his beloved.
He took out his phone and stepped back from the edge, and called Theo. He had to hear his voice had to know he was there. Before he was able to make the call, his phone rang. It was Ismael, and Bastian assumed he had orders for him concerning the brutal tragedy of the mass grave that lay before them.
“Yes, sir.” He answered.
“Theo Hawke has escaped the Palace. He left in the Lexus, and his whereabouts at this time are unknown.” Ismael’s words seemed incomprehensible. Theo was not gone, he was not missing, that couldn’t be correct.
“I left him in my quarters. He was settled. He was waiting.” Bastian rambled until Ismael broke in.
“He is gone, Bastian. Leave Korbin to Silas and his team and go find your beloved.” Ismael gave him permission to leave and to go after Theo.
“Yes, sir.” He closed that call and called Theo, who surprisingly picked up. It was both a relief and a shock. He motioned for Silas to trace the call.
“Where are you, sweetheart?” He asked,
the pleading in his tone clear to anyone listening.
“Not your concern.” Theo clipped. “I’m completing my report, and I’ll be out of your hair soon, and don’t worry, I won’t share your secret. My report will be basic and will dismiss all allegations. No one will know who you are or what you are. You have my promise.”
“I don’t understand; why are you leaving.” Bastian thundered into the phone.
“Oh, cut the bullshit, I heard you talking with your friend this morning. I know this entire love relationship was all a ruse to keep me from talking, just like Sawyer and Eddie, and even Joe Banks. I learned all about him too. All of us pawned off on a DuCane soldier to keep us quiet. All of this is just a form of assimilation; too bad you drew the short straw and ended having to bond with me. Damn, that really sucks doesn’t it.? Well, not to worry, you’ll be off the hook, and I’ll be home before you know it. Enjoy your life, Bastian.” Theo was cutting him to the bone. Where the hell did this come from?
“Enough! I don’t know what you heard, but I have never done anything with you that I didn’t want to do, and bonding with you was the greatest moment of my life so far. You, Theo Hawke, are my life. You will not dismiss me as too much bother. Tell me where you and tell me now!” Bastian was on the edge of losing his damn mind. Korbin was still on the loose he was standing on the edge of a mass grave, and his beloved had decided to leave town.
“Goodbye, Bastian.” Was all he said and closed the call.
“Theo! Theo!” Bastian’s voice boomed across the acreage, drawing everyone’s attention.
“I sent you the coordinates of his phone just before he hung up.” Silas told him and tossed him a set of car keys. “Take my vehicle; it’s right over there. Go get him, and good luck.”
“Thank you.” He said and raced to Silas’ heavy-duty vehicle and headed out. The map indicated he was on County Road 131, which was South of his current location. If he was on 131, that damn fool was looking for Korbin.
Theo wasn’t aware of how dangerous Korbin was because he hadn’t taken the time this morning to tell him. Hopefully, Korbin was far from here if the trackers were correct, he was on his way North towards West Branch. Thank goodness that Theo was in no danger of encountering that deranged animal, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t stumble into some other danger. He seemed to have a knack for attracting trouble.
He tried to call him again, but it went directly to voice mail. He’d turned his phone off. Bastian went back and forth between the need to redden Theo’s beautiful ass to needing desperately to hold him in his arms and feel that this man, who was his heart and soul, was safe. He’d brushed too close to death twice, and the fear of losing him to one of those beasts was unthinkable.
…
Theo kept glancing over at his phone in the passenger seat and wondered if Bastian was still trying to call. He’d turned it off so that he could concentrate on where he was and try to figure where Korbin might be. He wouldn’t have gone back to his cabin since the DuCane people were crawling all over it. He realized he was driving blind, and the stupidity of it finally struck.
He had no idea where to look for Korbin. He could have left the area by now or be held up in a motel somewhere. Shit, what did he think would be gained by driving out here other than maybe running into another one of those creatures? The mind fuck that Bastian gave him was really playing havoc with his logic and reason. He needed to get on 75 and go home. He could be home in a few hours in his own apartment in his own bed. Fuck this. He turned off 131 onto a sideroad that would eventually take him to the highway.
The road proved to be a little more desolate than he would have preferred, but that was just his nerves playing with his mind. He started to wonder if Bastian would come after him or just let it lay where it was. The idea of never seeing him again caused another flash of pain to radiate through him. His heart was bleeding for this man. Why couldn’t he just let him go?
The love he spoke of Theo knew to be false, and yet that word echoed on repeat in Theo’s mind. The more he drove, the more he wanted to return to Mt. Pleasant and call Bastian. Would he come to him if he called? At that moment, he was struck by six words that called to him, filling his mind, and they were, I will always come to you. Bastian was reaching out to him. Part of him wanted to block it out, but his heart was fighting to listen.
Before he had a chance to decide, a shot rang out, and he felt the Lexus pulled to the side and begin to swerve wildly on the dirt road with its ruts and loose gravel. He tried to get it back under control, knowing that stopping was not a smart idea if someone were out there shooting at him, but another shot sealed his fate.
He lost control, and the car veered off the road and down into a deep ditch. There would be no getting out of there, so he quickly exited the vehicle with his gun and phone and took off into the woods. Whoever shot out his tires would be on his trail fast enough, so he didn’t waste time looking back or finding cover; he just ran flat out as fast as possible, hoping to put some distance between them. Unfortunately, he came to an abrupt halt when two of those creatures came lumbering towards him. They weren’t charging him as the others had. They seemed almost in a trance as they kept advancing.
He shot at them, but like before, they appeared to just absorb the bullets and kept walking. He remained aware that there was still a shooter behind him, so he tried to move to his right, keeping his eyes on the creatures and what might be coming from behind.
“Stop.” Someone shouted from behind, and the creatures stilled to remain silent and staring. Theo stood behind a tree. It was large enough to provide cover but not large enough to hide him from what was out there. He watched as a man with a long gun came through the woods into the clearing where the creatures now stood. It was Arlo Korbin looking rough and unclean as if he’d been living in the woods for a while.
“Come out and face me, whoever you are.” He stated with humor in his tone. “You have no hope of escape. Don’t make me kill you so soon. I’m a marksman with this thing.” He waved the gun around for effect. “We both know a vampire can survive a lot of things but not a headshot.” He laughed. “Come on, I won’t wait for you. I’m anxious to have you join me.”
Theo stepped out from behind the tree and stood there several yards from where Korbin and his creatures stood. Korbin looked surprised and then started laughing when he realized who Theo was.
“Oh, fucking perfect.” He laughed. “You’re driving one of DuCane’s cars. I thought you were one of them. Shit, I was looking forward to killing one of those smug bastards. But instead, I get Agent Theo Hawke, a human, but I guess you’ll have to do. I don’t have the time or the patience to wait any longer.” He turned away from him and started walking then motioned for his creatures to make sure Theo followed.
“So, Sheriff Korbin, you’ve completely lost your mind. Is that what’s happening here?” Theo asked, flippantly wanting to get him talking and hopefully less focused on killing him.
He barked a laugh but did not stop walking. “All I’ve lost is the restraints that kept my kind on the bottom level of the supernatural hierarchy. Shifters should rule this world, not vampires and definitely not humans.” He snorted his contempt for both species.
“Why the letter? It just put a spotlight on what you’re doing here.”
“Not me, the spotlight was on DuCane, just where I needed it. I had to keep him busy while I completed the task set before me.”
“And what task is that?”
“You’ll find out in a few minutes. You’re about to become part of it.” He stopped for a second and looked back over his shoulder at Theo. “Your blood may be too weak to finish this, but I’ll just kill one of these two if you prove less potent than what the spell requires.” He jerked another awkward laugh and kept walking.
Theo stole a glance at the creatures on either side of him, wondering if they heard what he said and if it would affect them, but it didn’t. He’d read somewhere that evil sorcery was the maximum to which
power could corrupt, and he feared that was where Korbin had gone.
“They’re swarming all over my altar, so I can’t bring you there, but no problem, I’ll just bleed you out here and deliver your blood to the scene. You see, the bodies are inconsequential; it’s the mixture of ten that is the key to this spell, and you make number ten. I was going to use one of them, but you’ll add a dimension that I think the power will welcome. So nice of you to happen alone, Agent Hawke.” He rambled on as they kept walking.
“My death will not go unnoticed. You will have the Federal authorities coming down on you. You won’t get away.” Theo pointed out in an attempt to save his life.
“I don’t intend to get away.” He said softly and stopped near the truck of another ancient oak. “Showtime.” He shouted and laughed as the creatures picked up Theo and stretched him out on the soft ground, held him there and began to strip him.
Fuck, this was not how he wanted to go out. A ritual sacrifice, number ten in Korbin’s hit parade, no he refused to die this way even as they began to slice him. Theo focused on Bastian and sent him the vision of where he was and who he was with. Help me, he formed the words in his mind and sent the plea to his beloved.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bastian was frantically trying to contact his beloved when the sharp stabbing pain of panic struck him. Something was terribly wrong. His beloved was panicked and running. His heart was tearing out of his chest as he tore down the road in search of Theo. He couldn’t even consider what would happen to him if he failed to save his beloved. His life would be over, dark and over for such a failure was insurmountable. Losing the one man meant only for him a gift from Fate. He would not survive the loss.
He turned off 131 onto a dirt road feeling the pull of his beloved and floored the heavy-duty truck he was driving. He didn’t have time to waste, his beloved was in torment, and he had to find him and to reach. Then it hit him the communication he’d been waiting for.
Blood Sacrifice: Vampires of Blood and Bones Page 10