Her copper hair gleamed in the morning sun as a woman stood up from her seat. “Looking for anything in particular?”
Adley nodded and tried his best to return her smile, “I’m looking for a baby seat for the car and some clothes, the cheaper the better at the moment.”
“Sure, how old is your child? Different ages need different seats.”
Adley looked at his watch and replied, “About an hour.”
“Oh, wow. A newborn.” Her eyes brightened. “I have just the thing you need and I was going to sell it cheap, too.”
She moved towards the back of the stall, leaving Adley alone. He glanced down at his watch, possessed by a need to hurry. They had a lot to plan. First he needed to move Eve and the baby somewhere safe, and then make plans to lure Edric Hasting to his death.
And then he’d let Jesus, or whoever was up there have the last say on things. He would never forget the moments he’d shared with Eve, traveling from one town to the next. They’d been the best times in his life.
The woman returned with a plastic car seat and two piles of second-hand clothes, one pink and the other blue. Adley was reaching for his wallet before she placed them on the ground. She placed a folded pile of cloth nappies and pins, as well as a few soft toys inside the rigid plastic seat before she straightened.
“Thank you, that’s perfect. Can I grab the blue clothes? How much do I owe you?”
“I reckon fifty for the lot. Is that okay with you?”
“Better than I’d hoped.” Adley handed over the money and grabbed the items before taking off toward the car. He still had to get fuel and food before he could get back to her. Eve would be surprised with the clothes and the nappies. In his mind he could almost see her smile as he carried them into her.
Her smile occupied his thoughts as he drove to the petrol station and then to a grocery store. He loaded the trolley with food and camping essentials. He planned to find Eve somewhere isolated to stay, where no one would find her and she’d be safe. He hurried to fuel the car. Every second away from her was a second too long.
Chapter 35
Edric
EDRIC STEPPED OUT of the shower, and turned to watch the last traces of blood disappear down the drain. The two bodies in the bedroom were unrecognizable. True to his word, Edric took his knife to the older woman, his movements slow and deliberate, until the man had cracked. But breaking him had taken a long time—too long, Edric realized as bright sunlight replaced the dirty yellow glow from the overhead bulb.
He still didn’t have a lot to go on. A few words the man overheard as the detective threw their bags into the car and handed back their key. An abandoned house close to the reservoir. The image of the weatherboard house in his vision came back to him. The knee-high grass and mound of mail at the bottom of the letterbox would stand out. Edric pulled on his jeans and stared at his shotgun-blasted shirt. He wrenched open the motel owner’s drawers and shoved the fat bastard’s clothes around. He grabbed the smallest T-shirt he could find and yanked it on. At least it wasn’t filled with holes. The set of car keys lay on top of the drawer, next to a roll of bills. He’d need time, money, and a place to keep the blonde bitch after today. He glanced around at the blood splattered room. Not here though, somewhere private, away from everyone and everything. He wanted to spend some time with her… he wanted to get to know her real well. He snatched up the keys and the money.
The beep from his phone had Edric spinning and searching the blood-soaked room. The green, illuminated display caught his attention and he strode over and snatched it up. God had called.
He wanted answers. He wanted the baby. Edric stalked out of the bedroom, while he imagined what it’d be like to be on his own. Ties would be cut, pain would follow. But he’d be on his own. He’d be free… free to hunt, just like old times and his own private supply of pure blood.
The car was parked behind the motel. The dark blue Camry was a lot newer than the old Ford he’d been driving. He needed to find the detective and woman, kill Adley Scott, and get the hell out of here without attracting attention. He unlocked the doors and slid inside, still thinking about severing the vampire ties he had. Maybe it was time for him to be on his own. Maybe it was time to find a different prey… God’s berating snarl came back to him, he nodded… maybe he’d finally found the ultimate quest.
At the intersection he made a left onto the main road heading back out of town. Edric searched for the billboard map of the town he’d passed on his way in, rubbing his arms and clawing at his neck. He was coming down off the high of killing and now the unbearable hunger was back. He gripped the steering wheel and whimpered, pressing harder on the accelerator.
Edric slowed when he caught sight of the sign, and jerked the wheel to the left pulling up alongside the billboard. The reservoir sat on the western edge of the town. The streets looked small and winding. He’d need to drive slow and careful—he wanted to catch them quick. Kill the cop and then spend time with the woman. He scratched at his face and his teeth punctured his lower lip. He was so close now… so fucking close he could almost taste her. He spun the car around and turned right.
He knew God wanted the child, but all he cared about was this woman—he’d finally get justice for Mercy and pure blood to satisfy his appetite. His plan was simple, kill the detective and the child, and take the bitch hostage. She’d be his personal supply of pure blood—until he tired of her anyway. He’d have to be careful not to bite and infect her. He could bleed her into a cup and then wait for her to heal before he sliced her again.
Before he knew it, the reservoir loomed ahead. The massive concrete tanks cast shade across the clusters of houses below. Edric slowed the car and turned into the first street. If the old yellow house was here, he’d find it. At first they all looked the same, the grass an ensemble of weeds that hadn’t felt the cut of a blade in a while. Children’s bikes and broken swing sets littered front yards and children of all colors ran from one side of the street to the other. The tightly-packed houses seemed like housing commission properties, unkempt and unloved. Finding one run-down house amongst these would be harder than he thought.
He’d been cruising the narrow streets for over an hour when he first spotted the faded yellow house. He hid the car behind an old semi-trailer and sat, watching the area before opening the door and climbing out. He was sure this was the place. In his vision the colors seemed brighter, cleaner… but as he surveyed the filthy windows and flaking paint he knew that this was the place.
Chapter 36
Adley
ADLEY SWUNG THE car into the driveway and pulled up at the back of the house. He grabbed the bags of supplies and made for the door.
“Eve. It’s me, open up.”
The door flew open and Eve stood there gripping a broom handle, the end carved to a point. Her eyes were wide. He could see the pointed shaft shaking and his instinct pinged like sonar. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“He can’t find us here, can he?”
Jesus. Her voice sounded so small and strong at the same time. His heart ached inside his chest. “Why?”
“A car just crept past… it freaked me out.”
He dumped the bags onto the counter and rushed to the front windows. “How long ago and what kind of car was it?”
“A second before you pulled in. It was a dark color… blue or black maybe. I don’t know what kind, I’m sorry.”
He touched her arm, trying his best to calm her. “It’s okay. It’s probably nothing, you know. But just to be safe, I’ll check.”
Would Edric Hasting still drive the same car? Adley wouldn’t if he was a wanted murderer. He’d be changing it all the time, swapping plates, always on the move. He was almost to the windows when a shadow cut across the front of the house. Adley’s heart exploded in his chest. He drew the gun, his hand shook as he followed the shadow which stopped at the door. Eve… “Grab the baby! Eve take the car, run!”
The front door exploded inward, knocking Adley
off his feet. His head smashed into the opposite wall and he went down as Edric Hasting lunged for him. He couldn’t focus on the blows because all he was listening for was the bang of the back door and the sound of his car. Just give her a chance to get away… give her a chance to run.
The back door slammed shut. Eve was gone. Adley rolled to the left and lashed out with his feet, driving them into Edric’s ankles. Feeling them buckle under the force of his blow, he kicked with all his might, sweeping Edric’s feet from beneath him. The vampire fell to the ground and immediately used his hands to push his body upright.
Hasting no longer looked like the killer he’d once been. His hollowed face was badly misshapen. One eye was white and the socket drooped open, the same eye he’d emptied his gun into the day before. He looked sick and desperate. A dangerous combination in anyone, let alone a vampire.
Edric’s smashed Adley on the side of his face. He felt bones crunch in his jaw as the force of Edric’s return punch smashed him into the wall. He gripped the Glock, even when he fell. Adley took aim as best he could and pulled the trigger. He fucking fired until empty clicks replaced the crack of gunfire. His world narrowed to just him and Edric. His training took over.
Adley swung, pounding his fist into the side of Edric’s jaw. Flesh came away from the vampire’s face, sticking to his knuckles and Adley felt himself lifted and slammed into the wall. The room blurred and then sharpened before he was hammered again. He heard something inside his head crunch from the impact of Edric’s fist and he had to find a way to break his fall… if he went down there’d be nothing between the people he loved and this fucking monster. In that second it took him to reach out he reminded himself of something which made him smile. The house was empty. There was only him and the vampire left.
His Eve was safe.
Adley took on Edric using every move he’d learned. Every combat lesson he’d endured came back to him. Get on the outside, don’t let him hold me down and attack. He moved as fast as he could. He pummeled the vampire with quick jabs before he gut-punched the bastard.
All his skill made no difference. Adley may as well have been blowing kisses. His face, go for his face. Adley changed tactics. Using his fingers like spikes, he drove them into the vampire’s eye. The membrane burst. He dug his fingertips deeper. A trail of white mucus slid down Edric’s face.
The vampire screamed and lashed out before he reached for his eye. “My fucking eye!”
Run for the stake. Adley turned and raced for the kitchen. He made maybe two steps before he was wrenched back. Searing hot pain lashed his shoulder, the same one the female killer had torn the day Edric escaped from his custody. Adley felt sharp spears puncture his shoulder, slicing through the muscle like a sharpened blade. He’s bit me! Adley howled. His knees buckled. The image of Eve came back to him. She shimmered on the horizon, small and ferocious, charging toward him, with a stake in her hand like a spear.
Screams tore through his head, but they were not his screams. Howling, high-pitched screams that reverberated through Adley’s body. He fell forward. His arm buckled. He had nothing left. His body was ripped and ruptured. His vision blurred red, bit he blinked, trying to breathe through the pain and saw delicate hands reaching for him.
Eve wasn’t a vision. She was real and she was here. He pushed her hand away, his words a slur. “Go… leave me. Run…”
The stake hit the ground beside him. Her face came close to his as she gripped him under his arms. “Come on. Please, Adley.”
She was strong, so strong for such a little thing. In a way, she was stronger than he was. Adley struggled to help her lift him, setting his aching jaw and willing his knees to lock. The nauseating smell of old blood and flesh smothered him. Using her as a crutch, he hobbled toward the kitchen and the back door.
“I’m going to fucking murder you. You fucking bitch!”
The sound of Edric’s screams urged Adley to move faster. But his efforts weren’t enough. He barely stumbled through the kitchen door when he felt the vampires’ arms encircle him like bands of steel, wrenching him away from Eve. She flew out from under him. He came to rest with his back against the microwave. Edric moved into his field of vision, although he was a blur.
“I’m going to fuck her copper, and then I’m going to gut her. And when I’ve ripped that kid from her stomach, I’m going to fuck her again and again until she… is… dead.”
Adley tried to block out the images Edric’s words hurled into his mind. He already knew what waited for Eve. Instead of the blonde woman he’d found the day before, it could’ve been Eve who lay in that empty house. Eve, on that floor sliced open with the tiny hand of his son protruding from her stomach.
“I’m gonna take my time with her, when you’re gone.” Edric’s jerked his head toward Eve. “I can almost taste her blood.”
Adley closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. He could hear Edric walking toward her. He could hear her whispered breaths “No. No. Stay away from me… get away from me… Adley… Oh, God… Adley!”
With his good arm, Adley pushed his himself upright and turned away from them. The red canisters of butane gas lay beside the microwave. He’d bought them for the gas stove. To cook and care for her, and now… now… now she’d be dead if he didn’t do something.
The urge to close his eyes and sink into blessed oblivion overwhelmed him. But he held on. He gripped the counter with his raw, bloody hands and stabbed at the microwave door. With a focus that came from hearing Eve’s whimpers he shoved the gas canisters inside, slammed the door closed and pressed, start…
“He was only six.” He kept his voice steady. “Matthew Scott one of your victims. He was only six. He was also my nephew.”
He used what strength he had and lunged for the vampire who now had Eve pinned to the ground. He wrapped his one good arm around the murderer’s neck and fell back, yanking Edric off her.
Edric fought, thrashing his legs, gouging into Adley’s side with claws that seemed made of metal. Adley’s knee buckled and he fell on the unforgiving linoleum, but he took the sick son-of-a-bitch with him.
The beep of the microwave sounded like a starter’s gun. He was on the downhill run now. This sacrifice wasn’t just for Eve. It was for those twelve unsolved cases that now sat underneath a pile on someone else’s desk. It was for his Matthew. The kid’s freckled face and curly brown hair haunted him, but not for much longer.
Adley dug into the floor with his heel. He wrenched his body inch by agonizing inch closer to where the oven hummed. Adley prayed that the end wouldn’t be long now… He took one last glance at Eve… His Eve who pulled herself backwards, bloody red scratches on the side of her neck and he used that image to hold onto the animal in his grip. Edric shoved upwards, taking Adley with him as the vampire stood.
The red butane canisters were swollen now. The metal sides were bowed out by the pressure. As Adley swung the vampire around to face the microwave he saw the first sparks of gas ignite.
The fireball exploded around him. Shards of tempered glass ripped through his flesh. Get up, he demanded. He opened his eyes and pushed up on his elbows to find the vampire writhing at his feet. Get up and finish it. But Adley could do no more and he closed his eyes. There was no pain… not anymore… there was no anything.
“Adley… Adley, are you alive? Jesus, please tell me you’re alive.”
He could hear her. But his mind told him no, it was a dream—a beautiful dream.
“Please.” He wanted to open his eyes and see her. But he was so afraid she wasn’t real. “Please don’t die on me. I love you.”
The sound of her voice pulled him from the brink of blessed oblivion. He forced his eyes to open, they seemed stuck, swollen. But he could see enough, and he watched helplessly as the burning body of Edric Hasting shuffled to his feet behind her, looming over her tiny frame. Adley tried to reach for her, forcing his hand to move, only to feel the wisp of bright hair fall through his fingers when Edric yanked her away like a rag do
ll.
His son’s screams fought through the shut-down process threatening to drag him back into unconsciousness. He forced himself to focus and his vision cleared. He watched as Eve flailed, striking the vampire with heels that seemed made of rubber, so easily did her small feet bounce off the bastard’s shins. She fought and the vampire roared.
Edric shook her, looking like a child throwing a temper tantrum with a baby doll. Her hair flew about her face, her arms and legs snapped back, time and time again. Adley clawed the slick floor, inching forward, desperate to reach her. His soul cried out as he stared helpless. His Eve tore at what was left of the vampires face until he jerked her against him, stifling her blows. Adley screamed, but it was too late. The vampire wrenched her head to the side. Edric’s long incisors sliced the delicate skin on her neck like paper.
Her blood shot high, arcing into the air until Edric fastened his lips over the crimson stream. Eve’s screams tore at Adley’s soul. He dragged himself forward. The vampire sank to the ground, taking Eve with him. Edric flayed her neck, opening the wound wider. The whole time he gnawed at her like a rabid rodent, he was moving, maneuvering his body so he knelt between her splayed legs.
“No!” Adley screamed, pushing his body along the floor with his feet. “Get off her!”
Edric raised his dripping face from her neck and Eve’s limp body draped backward, falling over his arm like a worn-out winter coat. “Yeah!” Edric screamed. “Fuck, she tastes good!”
Adley reached the vampire just as Eve moved. She grabbed her neck and lashed out with her feet, kicking Edric squarely on the jaw. That’s my girl, Adley thought, keep fighting Eve. Just… keep… fighting.
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