by Mary Abshire
The EMT and two officers rolled me into an elevator. After the doors closed, I glanced at each guard standing at my sides. Eyes staring ahead, they kept a hand on the stretcher. The EMT waited by the control panel.
I lifted my head. "Is the other woman riding in the ambulance with me?"
The EMT looked at me. "No, she'll ride in a separate one."
A tiny bit of relief calmed my elevated anxiety. With the vamp in a different van, I might have a chance to escape from the controlled humans.
The ding of the elevator gave way to a rise in my pulse. The doors opened, then the EMT led the way down a long, empty hallway. Each guard at my side pushed the gurney. Strapped to the stretcher, I had no hope of breaking free.
A frosty breeze skimmed over me. My heart gained extra beats. After we turned a corner, I spotted a man waiting near the exit. The guards stopped me in front of him. When I saw his dilated eyes, I feared any chance of getting away from the vamps was getting slimmer by the minute.
The bloodsucker had long brown hair. His beard and the creases near his dark eyes made him look old. He met the EMT's gaze and said, "You can wait in the back with her. I'm riding with the driver."
His accent reminded me Dimitry, a Russian member of the VETOV. The Russian vampire had been cold and cruel down to the bone. If the vamp before me was anything like Dimitry, I was in serious trouble.
The EMT stared back at the vamp and gave a nod.
"And give her something to sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us," the vampire said to the EMT before he faced the guards. "Secure her inside."
The guards spun the gurney around before they rolled me out of the doorway. Several feet away, I saw an ambulance, but we were heading away from it. We were in an alley next to the arena. A parking garage was on the other side of the street. Pushing my head back, I saw another ambulance ahead of us. Panic crept into my soul, but I tried to push it out. I still had time to make a break, but I couldn't do it with so many humans around.
The EMT climbed into the ambulance, then the guards shoved the gurney inside. After they closed the doors, one of them tapped it. Fear took hold of me and I jerked on the restraints.
"You have to get me out of this. I can't leave," I said panicky.
The EMT moved from behind me to my side. He opened a drawer, then withdrew a tiny bottle.
"Please. Just loosen the straps," I said as I watched him collect a syringe from the same drawer.
He pressed the needle into the small jar filled with a clear liquid.
Heart thudding, I tugged harder on the restraints. "Let me go! Please!" I yelled.
"Relax, Jessie," said the vampire behind me.
I twisted and looked over my shoulder. The evil bastard was watching from behind a barred window that separated the front of the vehicle from the back.
The EMT placed his hand on my arm and I quickly shifted my attention.
"Don't move," he said before he pressed the needle into me.
Fists clenched, I pulled as hard as I could against the straps. But in little time, he'd injected the fluid, then removed the needle. I screamed as loud as I could.
"We can go now," I heard the vampire say.
I twisted and tugged while I bashed my head against the thin cushion underneath me. They had me. The evil fuckers had found a way. I wanted to destroy every one of them, but now I'd never get that chance.
A gentle numbness coursed through me. My strength was dwindling, but I kept up the struggle.
"This is wrong," I said to the EMT.
"Try to relax. We'll be there soon," he said.
The engine came to life with a deep, low hum. I pulled on the straps, but my arms felt useless. They barely obeyed me. My mind felt cloudy, weightless.
A click from the door brought me back to earth. The door opened, then a man with black hair entered. Heat spread over me as if I'd stepped into a sauna. The man gently shut the door before he came to sit next to the EMT.
"I'm family. I have to go with her to the hospital," he said softly to the med tech.
After he got a nod of approval, the dark-haired man placed his hand on my forearm. His hot touch flowed through me and instantly raised my temperature. "Don't worry, Jessie. I'm with you."
The numbness had spread and weighed me down. Otherwise, I would've been overjoyed to see the demon.
The van moved, swaying us gently.
I tried to keep my heavy eyelids open. "He gave me a shot," I said in a near whisper.
The demon looked at the EMT. "How much did you give her?"
I struggled against the cloud wanting to invade my mind by focusing on the demon. He had an oval face, an average build, and wore a tight black shirt. His beefy muscles reminded me of Jeremy.
The EMT informed him of the amount, then the demon looked at me. He held up five fingers, then mouthed, "Minutes maybe."
I closed my eyes and bit my tongue. Pain would help me fight against the drug coursing through me. Whatever it was, the EMT probably only gave me a standard dose—standard for humans. Given I was half-demon, the substance wouldn't survive for long in my system. Maybe five minutes if the demon had guessed right. And I hoped he had because we had to somehow overtake two humans and a vampire.
Chapter Ten
The ambulance shook every time it hit a bump. Given the consistent throttle of the engine, I gathered we were traveling at a fast speed. Items in the cabinets rattled, helping me stay alert. I chewed on my tongue, trying to stay conscious and formulate an escape plan. After we'd been on the road for a few minutes, I wondered how much longer I had before I would be normal again. Flexing my hands, I discovered strength had returned, but not fully.
"We can remove these," the demon said quietly as he unbuckled the strap from one of my wrists. "She's not going to jump out of a moving van."
The EMT put his hand on top of the demon's, stopping him. "It's not safe to move her without the restraints."
The demon reached behind his back, then withdrew a gun. He pointed at the med tech's head. "Say another word and I'll shoot."
I lifted my arm and the strap fell off. While the demon held the weapon steady at the EMT, I unfastened the other strap. After I'd freed my wrist, I reached for the band over my legs.
The ambulance turned sharply and the two men swayed toward me while I slid to the other side. The demon's arm moved just enough for the EMT to take action. He grabbed the demon's wrist and forced him to point the gun up.
"He's got a gun! He's got a gun!" the med tech shouted.
"Fuck!" the demon said, then jerked his elbow into the EMT's nose, not once, twice.
The med tech's unconscious body slid to the floor. I sat upright as the vamp's face appeared behind the bars. He said something in a foreign language that I didn't understand. Then he shouted to the driver to turn.
"So much for the element of surprise," the demon said before he headed toward the door in the back.
The ambulance turned again, then came to a quick halt. I nearly fell sideways on the gurney. Doors from the front clicked upon opening.
"Come on," the demon said as he pushed the handle to exit the back.
I stepped over the EMT on the floor, then followed the demon out into the night. I jumped from the van and landed on wobbly legs. They still felt a little weak, so I leaned against the ambulance for extra support. The demon stood close to the vehicle, his back against it, holding the gun near his chest. He inched closer to the edge, then looked at me.
"Ready?" he asked.
I nodded even though I wasn't sure what to expect next.
The demon darted from the ambulance, gun pointed in front of him. "Let him go."
"Drop it or he dies," the Russian vamp said.
I peeked around the corner. The bloodsucker held the driver by his chin and had his other arm across the driver's shoulders. It would take only a second for the vampire to break the man's neck.
"You'll kill him either way, vampire," the demon said as he slowly moved toward th
e two. "And if you think help is coming, you're wrong."
I moved away from the ambulance and stood a foot from the demon.
The Russian laughed. "Are you telling me you destroyed the three vampires in the ambulance that was following us?"
I swallowed and glanced behind me. No other vehicles were in sight, but it was somewhat difficult to see since we were in an alley wedged between two tall buildings.
"Newsflash, asshole, they've been taken out of the picture." The demon stepped closer. "You're just too slow to have noticed."
"How's this for slow?" The vamp twisted the man's head and it snapped.
"Shoot!" I yelled.
The vamp rushed at us before the body fell to the ground. Loud pops blasted, one after another. The blur of the vampire caught up to the demon and he yanked the gun away. The demon pressed his hand to the vampire's chest and the vamp tensed. He stood, wide-eyed, shaking as if currents of energy were flooding him.
"Bet you weren't expecting that," the demon said.
I moved closer, behind my new friend. He removed his touch and the vampire fell to his knees. The demon stepped around the vamp, withdrew a dagger from a sheath on the side of his pants, then placed his palm on top of the vampire's head. The bloodsucker trembled again. Blood vessels in his eyes burst. The demon moved his blade closer to the vamp's neck.
"Wait," I said. "I need information from him."
The spasms lessened, but the demon kept his hold on the vampire and the knife to his throat.
"Ask him what you want," the demon said.
The vampire's bloodied eyes lifted to meet mine.
"Where's Drake?" I asked.
He grinned. When he didn't reply, I looked at my demon friend. The vampire started to twitch again.
"Don't worry, he'll talk," the demon said.
After a minute of convulsing steadily, the vampire's eyelids started to close.
"Hold off a second," I said.
The demon grasped a handful of hair, then jerked the vamp's head back. He pressed the sharp edge of the blade deeper, cutting into flesh. Blood dripped down the bloodsucker's neck. "Answer the lady's questions and this will end quicker. Otherwise, I'll keep pouring electric shocks into your body."
I stepped closer and glanced at the dead human's body in the middle of the alley. He'd done nothing wrong, but had died in a flash because of some evil fiend. Said monster was within my arm's reach. I met the vampire's weak gaze and felt nothing but anger and hatred. For all the lives he took, he deserved no mercy.
"Where's Drake?" I asked coldly.
"The easiest place for you to find him," the bloodsucker answered.
Puzzled, I looked away. I had no idea of the location for the VETOV's headquarters. All I knew was Drake went to Europe each time he went to meet them. There was only one place I'd met the VETOV. Surely, they wouldn't have taken him there.
"Alderney?" I asked.
He smiled. "He's been waiting for you."
Shocked, I stared in the distance. All these years, he'd been in France, at the same Fort we'd visited to learn my fate from the VETOV over five years ago. It seemed too unreal. Too diabolical. They were waiting for me.
The furnace in my gut ignited and my body warmed quickly.
"Have you got what you need?" the demon asked me.
I looked at the vampire. "You're evil and deserve to spend eternity in misery. I hope my father treats you well."
I lifted my gaze to the demon and gave him a nod. Gripping the vamp's head back, he sliced deep into his throat. Blood rushed out as the demon cut through the meaty flesh. When he scraped bone, he jerked his blade and tugged on the vamp's head. The body fell to the side and the demon tossed the head near the bloodsucker's feet.
The vampire's soul rolled away from the body. He landed on his stomach, then pushed himself up with his forearms. I stepped over the corpse, then pressed my foot against his back before he made it up any further.
"You're weak against me," I said, pinning him to the ground. Then, I sat on top of him. "Enjoy eternity in Hell."
Fire in my gut blazed. I opened my mouth and sucked in air. His soul shook as it headed toward me. I breathed in deeply, letting the power of my inferno consume me. His spirit flew inside me and brushed over my tongue. Tasting of rot and blood, I had the urge to retch. I pushed the feeling aside and focused my thoughts on the evil monster before me.
Inhaling, more of his soul disappeared down my throat. He twitched, trying to resist my call, but his fight ended quickly. I moved onto my hands and knees over him. Bit by bit, his essence flowed into me. The furnace within my belly generated more heat. I breathed and more of his soul evaporated. His battle had ended. He was going to the place best suited for him. I hoped the devil made him suffer for the next two hundred centuries. When the remains of his soul dissolved, I pressed my lips together and lifted my head.
"That was fucking amazing," the demon said, standing a few feet from me.
Sweat poured from me. As I rose to my feet, I scrubbed my arm across my forehead. "Yeah, I'd missed doing that."
My stomach churned and a slight cramp pained me. I gently smoothed a hand over my belly. The side effects of sending his soul on were minor compared to those from Alexander, the first vampire I'd sent to Hell.
Tires screeched in the alley behind the ambulance. I spun to find a pair of headlights pointed at us. Shielding my eyes, I tried to see who it was. A wave of heat hit me while my skin tickled.
"The cavalry has arrived," the demon said as he came to my side.
A cluster of men strode forward. I counted at least five, some of them overly robust. I assumed they accounted for my hairs twitching.
"Need any help?" one of the big boys said.
"We've got this, but we could use a ride back," my demon friend said. He looked at me. "Ready to head back?"
I counted my accomplishments. Drake's location acquired. One soul sent to Hell. I hadn't been stabbed or shot. The evening had been successful even if the plan hadn't gone as expected.
"Yeah. I'm more than ready."
Chapter Eleven
I sat in the back seat next to a werewolf named Sam, scratching my arms gently. He was a large man with huge muscles and a big automatic gun sticking up between his legs. Shortly after the first SUV arrived, so had another one with three more well-armed werewolves. Jeremy hadn't been lying when he said a lot of men were going to help us.
Shawn, the demon who'd helped me in the ambulance, sat on the other side of Sam. He'd finally introduced himself before we left the alley. I couldn't stop thanking him for hopping into the van at the last minute to come to my aid. If a few more seconds had passed, well, I hated to think what would've become of me.
A walkie-talkie from the front chirped. The werewolf sitting in the passenger seat answered, "Code thirteen, go ahead."
"Ashes to ashes," said the other person on the line.
The driver chuckled. "No more vampire."
With a deep breath, a small trace of relief coursed through me. The body of the vamp was gone, but a human one remained. I disliked the thought of leaving it there. It seemed so disrespectful, but we couldn't exactly go to the police and deliver a dead body.
"Meet us back at the arena," the werewolf said into the walkie-talkie.
"Roger that," replied the receiver.
"What's code thirteen?" I asked Sam.
"The suite you were in was thirteen," he said.
Shawn leaned forward. "It's also a number associated with the supernatural, usually demons."
"I thought that was a myth," I said.
Shawn grinned. "People still believe it." He leaned back and I couldn't see him anymore, thanks to Sam's large frame.
The streets of Pittsburgh were busy. Traffic on the way to the arena brought us to a stand still.
"Is the game over?" I asked.
Sam sighed. "It's over."
I clasped my hands together. "Who won?"
No one answered.
"Rangers," Sam finally spoke.
"Oh no," I said grimly.
"It had to be done," Shawn said. "I don't like it as much as anyone else here, but he had to do it."
I bent forward to look at Shawn. "What are you talking about?"
"Didn't he tell you?" Shawn asked.
"Who and what?"
"Jeremy."
I gazed at the two in the front. They were keeping hush-hush. I leaned back and noticed Sam refused to look at me.
"Jeremy didn't tell me anything other than he had to play tonight," I said. "If anybody knows something I don't, I'd really appreciate it if you could fill me in."
"Care to elaborate, Shawn?" the driver asked.
I scooted up so I could see him. "Just tell me."
"He threw the game. He did it to gain favors and, if I had to guess, those favors were for you."
My heart started to feel heavy. "What?" The word came out as a whisper.
"He's the reason the Penguins lost," the driver said with a hint of irritation in his tone.
I slid back against the seat while I contemplated what I'd learned. He'd purposely made the team lose. Their season was over. I could only imagine the type of deals he'd made for such an incredible loss.
"I had no idea," I said.
"It happens," Shawn said. "It's not the first time a demon has thrown a game for some type of favor. In fact, it happens more often than you think."
"It does, but not on a game that could lead to the end of the season," the driver said.
I quickly gathered he was more than a little upset about the Penguins’ loss.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I don't like it and, if I had known, I would've talked him out of it," I said.
"Which is probably why he didn't tell you," Shawn said. "I wouldn't have told my wife."
I veered my attention his way, but Sam blocked my view. Why had Shawn said I was Jeremy's wife?
The walkie-talkie beeped again. "Code thirteen, have you got an ETA?" the person on the other end asked.
"Code thirteen, stuck in traffic. Five to ten minutes," the werewolf in the passenger seat replied.
"Hostels waiting. See you soon."