“I guess that makes sense,” she said, and looked at the lake too. “What else did you want to tell me?”
Sighing again, he looked away from the lake and focused on her. Her straight, black hair fell to the middle of her back, her nose was slightly crooked from being broken about a decade ago, and her eyes sparkled with a knowledge no human should have.
“I told you I saved your grandmother and your mother from my creator. What I didn’t tell you was that four years later, my creator and a few of her creations were hunted by the Huntresses. My creator’s second in command, the one who took over her organization after she was killed, is the vampire who killed you grandmother.”
“Okay,” Gina said and inhaled deeply. “What else?”
“My creator was killed in that same battle, and I was freed from her. After I was away from her, I made it my mission to keep your mother safe. I watched her, and when you were born, I watched you. When your fiancé was killed by a group of vampire that were trying to find me, I blamed myself. I watched you the day you buried him, but then I left and stayed away from you. I didn’t check on you. I knew you were pregnant when he was killed, but I never knew if the baby was a boy or a girl.”
“Jaxon was killed by vampire looking for you?” She asked, and he could hear the hurt in her voice.
“I’m certain they were looking for me,” he told her. “I killed the vampire who killed him, and the three others in the group with him. I couldn’t have them telling the one who killed your grandmother about your mother and you.”
“Wait,” she said and looked away from him to focus on the lake again. “You knew the ones who killed Jaxon?”
“No,” he responded quickly. “But I knew their creator, and he is on the VEBs most wanted list.”
“Who is he?” She asked, unsure if she really wanted to know.
“Simon Conrad,” he answered, and Gina’s head snapped toward him.
“He’s the one who killed my mother,” she responded, and her eyes filled with tears.
“I know,” he told her. “Nevaeh told me when she saw his name on our list of wanted vampire.”
“Why was he looking for you?”
“He’s the one who took over for my creator when she was killed,” he answered her.
“I think I need a drink,” she said and turned toward her small house.
“Can I come with you?” He asked, and she looked back at him for a second before she nodded and kept walking.
When she opened the door of her home while she was on the compound, she stepped aside and looked at Baxter for a moment before sighing. “Come in, Nathan.”
Smiling, he walked into her house and froze for a second. There were pictures of her grandmother and mother over the small fireplace, and pictures of Zora at various ages covering the mantel and walls.
“The pictures are the only things I keep,” she told him and looked around the place she’d called home for a little over five years now. There wasn’t anything other than the pictures that she couldn’t replace. “When we relocated to this area just after my mom was killed, I hung the pictures on the wall, and they’ve been there since. When we move again in a few weeks, I will take the pictures, my clothes, and Zora’s things, but everything else will stay with the house.”
“I know what it’s like to not have anything personal,” he said and thought back to the meager things he had growing up. What he missed the most from his childhood was his mama’s cooking. Her apple pie and peach cobbler won awards in the county fair every year, and until the war, there was nothing he liked better than hunting with his step-daddy. “After the war, after I healed, I left home with what I could fit in my rucksack, and didn’t look back. After I was freed from my creator, I went back to my hometown, but everything had changed. My mama and step-daddy had sold the farm I grew up on, and lived in the city with my oldest sister.”
“You know just about everything there is to know about me, but I know very little about you,” she said as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine from the cabinet above the fridge. “I was hoping this was still here.”
“What do you want to know?” He asked as she popped the cork on the bottle and sat it on the counter. “I will tell you anything.”
Before she could respond, alarms started going off around them, and Huntresses started running out of the buildings with their weapons at the ready.
“We’re under attack,” Gina told him softly before bending down and pulling a bag from under the counter.
“Who the fuck even knows this place is here?” Baxter asked as Gina pulled two Mini Shinai and several daggers from the bag.
“Don’t know, but get ready to fight. For the alarms to be going off, whomever it is has to be coming from at least two directions.”
“Fuck,” he said as he looked out the door and saw his agents and the Huntresses fighting vampire coming in from all directions. “Let’s go.”
“Zora,” Gina breathed when she ran out the door and saw the vampire surrounding the cafeteria.
“We will find her,” he assured her and took her hand. “Let me get you there quickly.”
“Okay,” she said and didn’t fight him as he scooped her into his arms and started running.
They had to get to Zora, and he would kill any vampire who got in their way.
Chapter Twelve
“Zora!” Gina shouted as they burst through the doors of the cafeteria.
“She’s safe,” Malinda said from the back of the room. “I got all the children into the saferoom when the first alarm went off.”
“Thank you,” Gina said as Baxter sat her on her feet. “Now, let’s kick some vampire ass.”
“Long as it’s not mine,” Baxter commented then darted outside.
“Fuck,” Gina said as she joined him.
“Yeah,” he responded, then jumped into the fray.
“Nice of you to join us,” Harrison said as he ripped the head off a vampire trying to get to Nevaeh.
“Fuck off,” Baxter responded with a grin before staking two vampire.
Harrison chuckled as they fought side-by-side. There were at least a hundred and fifty vampire who attacked the compound, which meant whomever had created them was violating several laws, and Baxter wanted to know who it was.
“Keep one alive!” He yelled out just as Karma let a Sai fly.
“We’ll do what we can,” Karma said back to him, then ripped the head off a female going toward Lexie. “Pick on someone your own size, asshat.”
“Way to keep them alive,” Baxter said and chuckled when Karma stuck her tongue out at him.
“Real mature,” Harrison shouted. “Watch your back.”
Karma turned in time to grab the vampire going for her and toss him to the side. When she straddled him and pressed her Sai to his heart, she grinned. “Who the fuck sent you?”
“Fuck off, Bitch,” he responded.
“Maybe later,” she said then pressed the Sai into his chest. “Tell me who sent you.”
“Burn in hell,” he responded this time and she grinned before pushing the Sai through his chest and piercing his heart with it.
“Nice,” Dylan said and blew her a kiss before throwing a dagger and eliminating another vampire.
“Thanks,” she said then turned to help Gina, who had managed to get herself backed into a wall.
“Fuck,” Baxter yelled when he saw the direction Karma was heading.
He reached Gina before Karma could and took out two of the five surrounding her.
“Thanks,” Gina said as she took out a third.
“Any time,” he responded and decapitated the fourth with little effort.
When the fifth charged, Gina threw a silver dagger and embedded it into his chest.
“Fuck!” He yelled then fell to the ground.
“That was the last one,” Nevaeh said and looked around at the compound. Several of the buildings were in pieces, and there was blood covering a large part of the grass, bu
t it didn’t look like any of the casualties were from their side. “Check for any wounded and take them to Jill and Malinda. We have a vampire to interrogate, and a compound to secure.”
“Yes ma’am,” the Huntresses closest to her responded and walked off to do what she’d ordered.
“Let’s take this trash to the saferoom off the main building so we can see what he knows.”
“I’ll never tell you anything,” he said through gritted teeth.
“That’s what they all say,” Gina responded as Baxter hauled him to his feet. “But none of them have been able to withhold once we get started.”
“I will,” he told her.
“We shall see,” Gina told him. “We shall surely see.”
****
Baxter and the others stood guard as Gina secured the vampire with silver ropes.
Once he was secured, Gina walked around him and stood in front of him.
“Tell us who sent you,” Gina said, and he grinned at her, showing his fangs and causing Baxter to growl.
“I’m not telling you a fucking thing,” he said, and it was Gina’s turn to grin.
“I normally don’t participate in interrogations because I’m not always on board with the methods, but, seeing as you and your merry band of asshats attacked my home, and endangered my family, I’ll make an exception.”
“Do your worst. I’ll never tell you anything,” he told her, and Gina’s grin grew.
“Can I tell you a little secret?” She asked and leaned a little closer to the vampire. “Bigger, tougher vampire than you have folded under Huntress interrogation. You’ll be no exception.”
“Bring it, bitch!”
“I’m not a bitch, but I am a mother and you endangered my daughter. There’s nothing more volatile than a mama bear when her cubs are in danger,” she told him then stepped away. “Why don’t we start with something simple. What’s your name?”
“Ben,” he answered, and Gina looked at Karma. When she nodded, Gina focused back on Ben.
“Good, now, tell me why you attacked our home.”
“I was ordered to,” he answered honestly.
“By whom?” Nevaeh asked from where she leaned against the wall.
“My boss.”
“Well, thank you Captain Obvious. We kinda determined you weren’t the one making the decisions or giving the orders, considering you’re not too bright,” Baxter said and shook his head. “Do you even know who you attacked?”
“Boss said it was a group of humans who wouldn’t sell him this land. Said we’d be able to eliminate them without any problems.”
“And how’d that work out for you?” Gina asked and rolled her eyes. “Tell us who your boss is, and I’ll make sure your death is swift and painless.”
“Just kill me,” he said and looked around at the Huntresses and agents surrounding him. “I’m dead either way.”
“True, but you telling us what we want to know will be the difference in a long, drawn-out, painful death and a quick, painless one,” Gina told him. She was starting to tire of his games.
“Do your worst,” he responded.
“As you wish,” she answered and looked at Baxter for a second before focusing on the vampire in front of her. “Karma, may I use your bag of goodies?”
“Sure,” Karma responded and handed Gina a black bag. “There are a few things in there that I haven’t tried yet, so have fun.”
“Thanks,” Gina said as she sat the bag on the table beside Ben. “Now, Ben, before you say it, I know silver won’t kill a vampire, unless it’s injected directly into their blood stream that is, but let’s see what it will do, shall we?”
He didn’t respond as he watched her pull several items from the bag and examine each one before placing it on the table and reaching inside again.
When she pulled out what looked like a pear of anguish, she quickly placed it on the table and kept digging.
“Ohh, I think this will be fun,” she said and pulled a silver rod from the bag. It was long and thin with several thorn type spikes running up and down it.
“What the fuck are you going to do with that?” Ben asked, not taking his eyes off the rod.
“Nothing if you answer my questions,” she told him and gently touched the top-most thorn.
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I will slowly slide this into the tender flesh of your stomach, and twist it so your intestines wrap around it. Then I’m going to leave it in your stomach while I take a silver dagger and carve the ancient symbols of my people in your flesh. When I finish, I’m going to pull this back out, and I truly hope it rips through your intestines instead of pulling them out, because I do hope you survive that so I can make you burn until you answer my questions.”
“You don’t have the balls for that,” he told her, but she could see he was afraid she actually did.
“Oh, really?” She asked, and looked over her shoulder at Nevaeh before turning back to him. “Guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
“I’m not scared of you,” he said, and Karma chuckled.
“Keep telling yourself that,” she said, and he looked away from Gina to focus on her.
“I know you,” he said.
“Really? Cause I don’t know you,” she responded. “I would remember meeting a coward such as yourself.”
“You’re the halfling who told the world about vampire. You’re the one who killed Vincent.”
“Well, I guess you do know who I am,” Karma said and grinned. “Now maybe you can tell me a little about yourself.”
“No,” Ben responded and looked back at Gina. “Bring it on, bitch.”
“As you wish,” Gina said, then took a silver dagger and cut his shirt open. She then pressed the rod against his stomach. When she pushed it through his flesh, he jerked against the bindings and hissed.
“Hurt a little?” Nevaeh asked, and Ben growled at her.
“There’s no need for that,” Gina said and looked at Ben. “Who sent you to attack our home?”
“Never,” he hissed, and she smiled at him then turned the rod.
His screams filled the room as she turned the rod three times then stopped.
“Wanna tell me now?”
“Fuck you,” he breathed through the pain. The silver had to be burning through his blood stream, but he was still holding out.
“No thanks,” she responded then turned the rod three more times. When she stopped, his body was starting to shake, and his eyes were glazed over from the pain.
Unlike the other Huntresses, she was taking no pleasure from torturing him, but she knew it needed to be done.
“Conrad,” he breathed out. “My boss is Conrad.”
“Simon Conrad?” Baxter asked, and looked at Gina.
“Don’t know. Only know him as Conrad,” he said as blood started to trickle from the corner of his mouth.
“We have what we need from him,” Nevaeh said and nodded toward the large knife on the table.
“Yeah,” Gina responded and picked up the knife. She sliced through his neck with little effort, then dropped the knife at his feet and walked from the room without looking back.
Chapter Thirteen
“Gina,” Baxter said softly as he walked up behind her at the lake. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she told him, but he could smell her tears before he approached her, and the catch in her voice wasn’t something she could hide.
“I remembered something while you were interrogating him,” he said, and she turned to look at him.
“What?”
“In the months I have been working with y'all, I have never seen you involved in an interrogation.”
“That’s because I don’t get involved in them,” she responded. “Not because I’m weak, but because I don’t always agree that torturing someone is the best method we could use to gather information.”
“Normally, I would agree with you, but with some of these vampire, we have to prove to them that we ar
en’t afraid to do whatever is necessary to save the human race.”
“I don’t agree with that. Using violence in answer to violence, usually leads to more violence.”
“Sometimes it does,” he admitted then took a step toward her. “And sometimes it gets the answers needed to prevent more violence.”
“Yeah,” she said and sniffed.
He reached out and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks before bending down and softly kissing her.
“Everything will be okay,” he said softly before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest.
“Yeah,” she said again, but snuggled into his embrace.
“Do you want to finish the conversation we were having before all that happened?”
“What I would really like to do is take a shower, get my daughter, have some dinner, and play checkers until she falls asleep,” she answered, and Baxter grinned into her hair.
“Then, go shower and do that. I have a few things to do around here, and I’m going to start helping with the cleanup. After Zora is asleep, if you want to finish our conversation, call me.”
“Okay,” she said and lifted her head from his chest. “Thank you for not telling me I’m weak or stupid for crying over what I had to do.”
“I would never tell you you’re weak or stupid. You’re one of the smartest, strongest women I know. Crying over death, even the death of someone evil, isn’t a sign of weakness, even if it’s someone who tried hurting you. And, crying because of what you did isn’t stupid or weak. It means you have compassion, and are caring, and loving, and is a sign of empathy. There is absolutely nothing weak or stupid about any of those things. Those things set you apart from most other humans. Those things are what make you, you. Those things are just part of the reason I’m falling in love with you.”
“What did you just say?” She asked and tried pulling from his arms, but he held her tight and kissed the top of her head.
“I said, I’m falling in love with you,” he repeated. “And before you say it, I don’t think it’s the bond. I had the bond with your grandmother, too, but I never fell in love with her. I was protective of her, and wanted to keep her safe, but she never awakened this side of me. When I’m with you, I see myself wanting to be gentle, wanting to be caring, like I never wanted to be, not even when I was human. My dad was killed in World War One. I was only two and never knew him. There were six of us kids, and my mama remarried when I was four. The man she married was a wonderful man, who loved us kids like we were his, and even though I loved him, my mama, and my sisters, there was always something missing in my life. I never wanted a wife and family like most of my classmates did, I never wanted anything other than to join the Navy and make my daddy proud of me. Other than my family, I have never loved another. Since meeting you, I know what my mama used to tell us kids about. Meeting the person you’re meant to be with will change you. You’ve changed me, Regina Whitecloud, and I’m more than okay with that.”
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