"It's not about winning now," Harper said softly. "It's about making sure this doesn't spread out of Phoenix. We have to contain the situation."
"For now, I must sleep," Miriam said. "I will use one of your rooms. When I awaken, we will figure out a plan. For now, stay out of sight, and be careful if you need to go out. You should be safe from the vampires. They'll be sleeping now. But be careful anyway. Don't let them find out our location."
Chloe frowned. She didn't like that Miriam had so easily become their leader. She wished Alec was with them. He would have known what to do. He wouldn't have just gone to sleep it off and hope an answer came.
She tried to get out of bed, but Brittney pushed her back down. "You have a concussion," she said. "You're not going anywhere."
Chloe scowled.
"I know, it sucks," Brittney said brightly. "But the good news is that we're alive. I'll stay here with you while you sleep."
"Fine," Chloe said.
Miriam took a room key from Harper, and led her crew out of the room. Harper glanced briefly at Conner, took a deep breath, and said, "How would you like to go to a movie, Conner?"
Chloe smirked at the expression on Conner's face. He seemed surprised but extremely grateful. It was a look that didn't often dawn on his face. She wasn't a love fairy like Wren, but she could still tell when something was forming between people, and it was.
"Yes," Conner said.
"Be careful," Brittney warned.
"Yes, mother," Conner said. He flashed her a grin, and winked at her. Then he put an arm around Harper's shoulders, and the two of them left the room together.
"I'm going to the gym," Sarah said.
"By yourself?"
Sarah nodded. "Don't worry. Any sign of danger and I'll transform and get the hell out of there. I'm not stupid. I know I can't take on the army alone."
Chloe wanted to argue but she didn't have the energy. She did have to admit that having some alone time with Brittney would be nice. "Keep your phone on," she said. "Call if you need us."
Sarah nodded, and slipped out the door.
Brittney perched on the edge of Chloe's bed. "And then there were two."
They both shared a laugh, and then Chloe frowned. "I don't like this, Brittney. I know we've been up against long odds before, but nothing of this magnitude. I don't think it's possible to take them on."
"But we have to try," Brittney said.
"I know," Chloe said, and then repeated what she'd thought earlier. "Running, it's not who we are. Can we trust Miriam and her people?"
"I don't know," Brittney said. "But I think we better try to. Because we've got enough problems without worrying about them turning against us last minute."
Chloe nodded. "What about the police? Someone shoots the front window out of a popular restaurant, that's bound to cause some sort of reaction with the police."
Brittney shook her head. "Miriam says the police are part of the army. They were there in the restaurant, that's what she said."
"Then it's worse than we thought."
Brittney sighed. "Yeah. But, hey, let's not focus on that right now. We're here together, in a hotel room, by ourselves, and there's a comfortable bed."
Chloe flipped the blankets over, and grinned. Brittney slipped into the bed next to her, and they kissed. The kiss slowly became more and more passionate as they explored each others' bodies with their hands and finally with their mouths. It was like nothing Chloe had experienced before, and nothing mattered but this.
Yet, as they each rolled over, sweating and pleased, she couldn't help but think of what Wren had said. There was something wrong here. Something rotten.
NINETEEN
Sarah changed into her gym clothes before leaving. She was on her way out, duffel bag in hand, when she nearly ran into Samuel.
"Where are you going?" he asked. "I thought we agreed to stay out of sight. And why are you dressed like that?"
Sarah considered him for a moment. Her first instinct was to say something snarky, but she swallowed that urge. "I'm not hiding out in my room," she said. "If I have to run, I can. But I need to hit up the gym."
"Ah," Samuel said. "Well, I guess I'll go with you."
"What?"
"Well, you shouldn't be going alone," he said. "Whether you can run fast or not, if you run into trouble, you're going to need backup."
Sarah sighed. "Why would you care if something happened to me?"
"Because, you guys are our only hope of getting out of this alive," he said. "Look, I know you don't like us because you don't like what we were planning. The truth is, none of us liked it except Miriam. But she was -- is -- our leader, and we follow her orders."
"You shouldn't follow the orders of a madman," Sarah said.
"She's not mad," Samuel said. "Just a little obsessed. She's been around so long, and she sees so much happen that can't be stopped that she just wanted to do something bigger and greater. I'm not defending it, alright? I'm not trying to justify it."
"But if you knew it was wrong--"
"--Your leader is that girl, Brittney."
"No," Sarah said automatically. She could have kicked herself. It was too late to refute it now, though. "No, our leader isn't with us. He's a vampire, like Miriam. He's trying a different angle to get at the army."
"Oh," Samuel said. "Well, imagine he believed in something so great, so wonderful, such an ideal situation that you couldn't just talk him out of it. And he wanted your help. He begged for it. Wouldn't you do it?"
Sarah shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted.
"They're my family," Samuel said.
"I do know about that," she said. "The crew, my crew, they're my family. I have a sister out there, but we hardly talk, and both my parents are dead. I've never met other people like them. They're good people."
"They seem like it," Samuel said. The two of them started walking again, heading towards the gym. "So do you work out a lot?"
"Yeah," Sarah said. "I like to stay in shape. It helps with my transformation."
"Can I ask you something personal?" Samuel said.
Sarah nodded. "As long as you know that I reserve the right not to answer."
"Fair enough," Samuel said. "Did you know what you were? Before you started transforming?"
"No," Sarah said, surprised by the question. She had expected something more about the group. "One day, I just... changed. I didn't know what happened. Honestly, I thought I might be going insane."
"Thank God," Samuel said. "Someone else who understands. I didn't know what I was either. I was out in the yard one day, and suddenly I was this giant dog. I didn't know how to turn back. I freaked out, ran around the block, came home, and suddenly I was human again; human and naked."
Sarah laughed long and hard at that. "It took me forever to learn to transform with my clothes," she admitted. "And if I'm drunk... then it still does."
Samuel smiled at her. "What all can you change into?"
"A panther and a wolf," she said. "I can turn into a fox too, but when I come back, I'd be naked. Haven't quite mastered that one yet."
"You know, I don't think I'd mind seeing that," Samuel said.
Sarah arched a brow at him. "You know..." she said slowly, "we don't have to go to the gym."
"No?"
"We can always go back to my room."
"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Samuel asked. "I only ask because I don't want to make assumptions."
"You're not making assumptions," Sarah said. "Sometimes people get a little lonely. Chloe has Brittney. Harper has Conner. I don't mind being alone, but sometimes I need a little break from that you know, just for a bit."
Samuel shifted from foot to foot. "We hardly know each other."
Sarah shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not asking you to marry me," she said, "I'm just asking you to take me to a hotel room, buy a bottle of wine, and begin the day with some good old-fashioned fun."
"I'm not usually the type for one-night stand
s," Samuel said.
"Well make an exception."
"I don't know," Samuel said.
Sarah sighed. "What's wrong with you? Is it me? Don't you find me attractive enough?"
"God, yes," Samuel said. "I don't think I've ever met a woman that I'm attracted to as much as you. But what if I want more? What if I want to take you out to breakfast first, and get to know you?"
Sarah shook her head. "I'm not looking for a relationship."
"Why not?"
"Well, for starters, you're right. We barely know each other. Secondly, I live in Las Vegas--"
Samuel shrugged. "I can travel," he said mildly.
"And thirdly," she continued, as though she hadn't heard him, "I don't do relationships. It's just not my thing. I like my life just as it is."
"And that's why you're trying to get an almost complete stranger into your room?" Samuel said.
Sarah frowned. "Well, now I'm not."
"Don't be like that," he said. "I like you. We have a lot in common."
"Like what?"
"Well, for starters..." he smirked at her after repeating her line. "We can both transform. We both learned it as almost a mistake. We both work on teams that work to keep the underworld under control. And we both work out more than we breathe. How's that for stuff in common?"
Sarah found herself getting more and more irritated. She didn't want to have anything in common with Samuel. She'd come here viewing him as the enemy. Just because they were now fighting on the same side didn't mean she suddenly wanted to start dating him. She just wanted a good time in the bedroom before all the stress started again.
She was beginning to wish she'd never said anything in the first place. She could have ditched him at the gym, hit up a bar, and found a guy willing there.
"Let's just go to the gym," she said.
"I'm taking you to breakfast," Samuel said.
"No."
"Yes."
Sarah sighed. "You really don't know when to stop, do you?"
"I'll tell you what," Samuel said. "Fight me for it."
"What?" she asked.
"Sure," he said. "Fists only, no morphing. Whoever ends up on the ground first loses. If you lose, we go to breakfast. If I lose, we go to the gym."
Sarah sighed, and dropped her duffel bag. She put up both fists. Samuel did the same, and they began circling each other right there in the halls. Samuel landed the first blow, clipping the side of her jaw. She retaliated by kneeing him in the stomach. He took a step backwards to catch his wind, and she came at him quickly, punching towards his chest, wanting to end the fight.
He was faster than she gave him credit for, though, and caught her wrist. He twisted it. She yanked it free, and threw a fist at his face. He caught this one too, and the landed a solid blow to her stomach. She doubled over briefly, but didn't collapse. When she came back up, she threw another punch at him. This time it clipped him in the shoulder.
They went back and forth for nearly five minutes. In the end, they both stood back, out of breath, their hands balanced on their knees. They both had a shimmering layer of sweat, and their hair stuck to their heads in messy bunches.
"God, woman, you can fight," Samuel said.
"So can you," she admitted.
"So what happens if neither of us can win?" Samuel asked.
Sarah, who had prided herself on her fighting abilities, was pleasantly surprised by Samuel's style. She thought there might be something to learn there. More than that, she found she was interested in him; how he got to be the way he was and what he did in his free time.
"You know what?" Sarah said. "Let's forget it. You're buying breakfast, though. I left my wallet in my room."
TWENTY
Alec sat completely still on one of the moldy couches in the living room of the farm house. He had no reception, so he had no idea what was happening with the rest of the crew. He didn't even know if they were alive.
He should have stayed with them, he realized. He should never have gone off on his own. It was difficult, sometimes, to remind himself that he was part of a group and that they had to work together, not separately.
He didn't know if he could have changed things if he'd been there, but he knew if they died, he'd never forgive himself. Or Jeffrey.
The young vampire sat across from Alec, his knees bouncing up and down, and his hands clenching and unclenching. Finally, he spoke. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"
Alec looked up at him. He studied him for quite a long time, trying to decide what to make of him. He'd obviously been planted on the street Alec was walking on, and his attempt on the woman was just real enough to draw Alec in. Then he'd brought Alec out of the city, away from his group.
"You know they're not going to create utopia, right?" Alec asked.
Jeffrey looked down at his legs. "They are," he said. "They're going to spread out and stop the crime and wars and--"
"--What they're going to do is kill," Alec said. "They're going to kill and feed and feast, and that's it. They aren't going to be interested in justice or stopping the bad guys. These aren't comic book superheroes. They're demonic, undead creatures who crave the blood of the innocent."
"No," Jeffrey said. "It'll be different..."
"You told me yourself that this new leader isn't Miriam," he said. "Even if she did what she promised, it wouldn't have worked, but now there's not even that glimmer of a chance, because the new leader just wants power. You told me that."
Jeffrey shook his head. "We can take him out, we can put Miriam back in charge..."
"You really think they let her live?" Alec asked. "She's going to be as dead as my friends. They aren't going to let her get hold of the hearts of the army again."
"Then someone else," Jeffrey said wildly. "You! You could do it!"
Alec let out a loud bark of laughter. "Me?"
"Sure," Jeffrey said. "You seem to understand it, this curse. You could teach the others. You could teach them to be different, to not be violent towards those who don't deserve it."
"No, it's too late for them," Alec said. "If they're following... what'd you say his name was?"
"Thomas."
"If they're following Thomas, they're as good as dead," Alec said. "Because I won't back down. I will hunt each and everyone and put a stake through their hearts."
Jeffrey winced.
"Damn it," Alec said. "You're just a kid. You really had no idea what you were getting into, did you?"
"No, I didn't," Jeffrey said.
"I'm not going to kill you, yet" Alec said. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do."
"I'll do anything!"
"Good to know," Alec said. "I think I'm going to need your help. You know where the real dwelling is?"
Jeffrey nodded.
"You're going to go to them," he said. "You're going to join their numbers, and watch when they're meeting. And when you find out about a large gathering -- and I mean, large large, as in everyone who can come will be there -- you're going to tell me."
"Why?" Jeffrey asked.
"What happens next is going to be very bloody and very violent," Alec said. "You don't want to stick around for it. I'll give you some cash. Buy a plane ticket out of here. Go somewhere so far away that nobody would ever think to find you."
"But my family..."
Alec shook his head. "You're dead," he said. "In their eyes, you're dead. You can't go back to them, Jeffrey. Do you have siblings?"
"Two little sisters."
"Do you want to make a mistake and kill them?" Alec asked. "Do you want to see what their blood tastes like? Because you will. There will come a day when you just can't resist any longer, and you'll turn against everyone you love."
Jeffrey swallowed a lump in his throat and said nothing. Alec felt a little bad for him, he was laying it on a little thick, but he needed to get through to him somehow.
"Find a night job," Alec said. "Keep yourself busy. Don't date, not at first. Get comfortable first. Make a lif
e for yourself, and use that life as a shield against the hunger."
"Is that what you do?" Jeffrey asked.
"Every single day."
He looked away again.
Alec sighed. "Well, we can't go out now. It's too sunny. If the vampires are smart, they'll have guards posted looking for me. And for you."
"Why me?"
"Because you're a loose end."
"Then how am I supposed to get into their meetings?" Jeffrey asked.
Alec leaned forward and said. "You're going to try very, very hard, Jeffrey. Like nothing you've ever done before. You're going to convince them you're on their side still, and you're going to get me that information. Because if you don't..."
"You'll kill me," Jeffrey said flatly.
Alec shimmered and assumed his true nature as a vampire. He leapt off the couch and pinned Jeffrey against the wall. He lowered his mouth to his ear.
"No," he said. "I won't kill you. I'll start with your sisters, and then your father, and when I'm done with them, I'll take your mother. Then I'll go after everyone you've ever known: best friends, ex-girlfriends, everyone. And that blood will be on your hands, and it'll never wash off."
Jeffrey was shaking so badly that Alec could almost hear his knees knocking together. He let him go and Jeffrey slumped down on the floor where he was, putting his arms around his legs and pulling them close.
"I'll get in," Jeffrey said. "I'll help you."
"Good," Alec said. "Now, try and get some sleep. It's going to be a long night."
TWENTY-ONE
When Harper and Conner left the movie, they were both laughing and enjoying themselves. They'd seen a comedy and Conner had spent the entire time murmuring the lines in a goofy voice into her ear.
It was afternoon by the time they left the theater. "You know, we haven't heard from Alec in a while," Conner said. "I mean, at least I haven't. Have you?"
"No," Harper said. "But he's probably busy. He's infiltrating their cult, right? I mean, he can't exactly call and update us with a bunch of vampires listening in."
Conner nodded. "I guess not," he agreed. "But I'd still feel better knowing where he's at and what he's doing. He doesn't even know we're working with Miriam and her crew now. None of us have wanted to text it in case it's seen by someone else."
Phoenix Under Fire (Afterlife Book 5) Page 12