Jefferson's been quiet ever since. I want him to reassure me that I'm making the right call but I worry he'll say the opposite. Maybe his silence is preferable after all.
The van rumbles along as I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Hawk. It rings a few times before he picks up.
“Hey, everything okay?” he says.
“There’s been a change of plans.” I heave a sigh. “We got some new information on the vampires and we’re going to check it out. We won’t be back until tonight at least.” I don’t need to say anymore to know he gets the message. My anti-werewolf won’t be around for the rest of the day.
“Okay. I’m good, I promise,” he says without a hint of hesitation. “Well, Charlie returned to Duluth this morning after you left. I guess things have cooled down enough that Melody wants his help again. Oh, and Deputy Graham is putting together a capture the flag game tonight. If I’m not at the cabin when you get home that’s where I’ll be. Otherwise, it’s all quiet here. No more movement on the vampire front in Duluth.”
“Hawk, that game—” If he plans on shifting for capture the flag, things are going to get ugly fast. I still remember the way he had acted when he came home from Duluth after spending an entire day without me. And that didn’t include any shifting.
“I’m just refereeing,” he says quickly. “No need to panic. If things get . . . touchy, I’ll leave or take the serum.”
That’s surprising. “You will?”
“I know what I am, Nix. I don’t want to be trouble any more than you do.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“Where exactly are you heading?” he says and it doesn’t slip past me the quick change in subject.
I glance to the other agents in the vehicle. “A city in central Wisconsin. That’s why we won’t be back until late. I’ll keep you posted.”
“This is something dangerous, isn’t it?” His voice is wary.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” A lie. “It’s just a lead on why there are vampires in Duluth in the first place. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“You better.”
I hang up and tuck the phone into my pants pocket. When I look up again I find Jefferson staring at me.
“You didn’t have to make a bargain like that,” he says quietly.
“Yes, I did.” The rest of the words sit on the tip of my tongue but I don’t speak them—the words that say I owe him. I owe it to him to find his daughter for all that time he watched over me and my brother. I owe it to the people of Moose Lake, to Deputy Graham, to everyone who’s lost someone because of Dasc. It was my choice and one I’ll live with if it means repairing even a little of that horrific loss.
“He’ll eventually use that debt against you, you know,” he says, his voice dropping even lower.
I avert my eyes. “I know.”
The rest of the ride is carried out in silence for the duration of the two and a half hour drive. One of the agents cracks open a book and reads beside me. It reminds me of Charlie. Then another takes a nap with his head tipped back against the wall of the van and the woman next to Jefferson reads something on a laptop balanced in her lap. They’re all dressed casually in jeans and winter jackets. They’ll blend into the crowds and watch me from the shadows when I go in. Jefferson insisted on coming along as my second—which Dasc said is normal for this kind of meeting—but Director Knox refused, said I needed a young, spritely agent to watch over me against a pack of vampires. Yeah, Jefferson just loved that. So, instead I’ll have the man sitting beside me come into the meeting as my bodyguard. I don’t know him and that makes me nervous. I would rather have someone I trust being my backup.
He had introduced himself as Agent Oliver Brooke in Underground before we left. He’s quiet but nice enough, and he’s relatively young like the director wanted. I would guess he’s in his late twenties, early thirties. His strawberry blonde hair is short and he sports a handsome amount of stubble. His pale blue eyes focus intently on the pages of his book but every once in a while he glances my way with a sneaking smile as if to reassure me. It’s better than going in with a grump I suppose, and Director Knox assured me Agent Brooke is one of the best swordsman in the business which is pretty paramount considering you either have to stab a vampire through the heart or behead it to kill one.
Thinking about having to do either, I swallow and pat where I’ve got each of my weapons for the thousandth time to make sure they’re still there. I’ve got a machete in the lining of my jacket, a bio-mech gun in my back pocket, and two retractable blades tucked into my belt hidden beneath my winter jacket. If things go south, I’ll need to defend myself.
Bored and nervous, I read Agent Brooke’s book over his shoulder. It’s some science fiction story about aliens being discovered through a black hole. I try to stay engrossed in it and not let my anxiety get to my head. It works . . . sort of.
All too soon, the agent at the front announces, “ETA five minutes to La Crosse. Get ready. I’ll drop the first couple of you at the end of the bridge heading into Wisconsin.”
There’s some shuffling and Agent Brooke tucks his book into a bag at his feet. The others straighten. The woman hits the guy snoozing and he jerks awake to roll his head around his shoulders.
Jefferson reaches across the space to touch a few fingers to my knee. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve got Mr. Brawny with me.” I jerk a thumb in Agent Brooke’s direction, who crosses his well-built arms over his chest and smiles faintly. “And you won’t be far away. It’ll be fine.”
“The second there’s trouble,” he warns, “you call us in.”
“Let’s not blow the operation open too early,” Agent Brooke says. “We’ll do what we have to, Agent Barnes. We can handle a little trouble.”
The agent’s response makes Jefferson look grouchier than ever, but he doesn’t reply. The van glides to a stop and Jefferson and the woman hop out. I briefly catch sight of cement dividers and slush before the doors close and the van moves along again. Shortly after, we stop again and Agent Brooke shuffles to the back and holds the door open for me. I follow him out and go to stand on a cement sidewalk lining the massive bridge I find myself on before the van continues on with the remaining two agents who will stay on patrol further in the city.
The Mississippi River surges beneath the steel and cement bridge that marks the divide between Minnesota and Wisconsin. I lean over the railing and watch my misty breath drift away like the rushing current far below.
“Let’s do this,” Agent Brooke says.
At his word, I tug a red ribbon out of my pocket and tie it to the frozen steel railing. It flaps in a chilly breeze but holds. Agent Brooke and I walk down the bridge towards the Wisconsin side. Traffic rushes by us as we amble along and eventually stop fifty yards away from the ribbon I tied to the railing. I tuck my hands into my pockets and alternate between watching the roadway and the dark river. Agent Brooke leans against the railing and surveys the scene like he’s simply out enjoying the weather.
“Remember the plan?” he asks casually.
“Yup.”
“Good.”
We’re silent after that. The wind knocks us about until I can’t feel my face and I start to shiver, but we continue to wait. Eventually, when I look back at our red ribbon I spot a black one next to it.
“There’s our signal,” I say. A vampire must have slipped over when we weren’t looking and tied it to the railing next to ours. According to Dasc, that means they’ll be at the meeting point at the time and place we specified with the red ribbon.
“Time to move,” Agent Brooke says and I follow him off the bridge.
It’s a twenty-minute walk to the meeting location. Our breath mists before us and salt and slush cover our shoes. Turning right after we reach the first intersection, we keep moving into a section of La Crosse that’s mostly brick office buildings and warehouses along the river. Daylight is already starting to fade in the short winter day.
We come to a set of train tracks like Dasc said we would and turn left into an old gray building surrounded by a clump of silos. We each slow our pace and keep our eyes peeled. We pass under an enclosed walkway and enter through an unlocked backdoor into the building.
“We’re here,” Agent Brooke whispers for the benefit of the rest of our team listening in.
“We’re in position,” Jefferson responds. “Going radio silent.”
We’re early by about an hour but that’s the plan in order to clear through the building beforehand and make sure there aren’t any traps waiting for us. The place is quiet and our footsteps are muffled by a layer of sawdust covering everything. The sheet metal walls are dirty, boxes of wood sit around every corner, and the stale air smells of oil and wood chips. It’s a large warehouse and we hasten our footsteps to cover the entire place before it’s time for the meet. What is it with vampires and warehouses anyway? Agent Brooke leads the way with a machete drawn and I flick open my retractable sword to sneak along in his footsteps. There are two floors that appear mainly disused. A walkway on the second floor circles and looks down on the main level, supported by massive steel beams thrust into the floor. The catwalk’s rusted metal railings creak as we pass.
“Looks like we’re good to go,” Agent Brooke says once we complete our sweep and then hang out near a wall on the main floor. He pulls back his sleeve to look at his watch. “Time to sit tight.”
I retract the blade of my sword and tuck it loosely into the band of my pants so I can pull it out quickly if needed—hopefully it won’t come to that. My breathing is a little unsteady and there’s too much time to think. There’s still at least one vampire loose in Duluth and its buddy was torn into little pieces. Are those the kind of monsters I’m about to face with only one person beside me? I clench and unclench my hands, and repeat what Charlie told me last night. I’m in control. I have power and it’s mine to wield.
All too soon I hear a door creak open and shut on the opposite side of the building. Agent Brooke pushes off from the wall where he had been leaning and comes to stand over my shoulder. We share a nod and then walk to the center of the room. I do my best to look intimidating but it’s hard when all I can think about is if we’re going to get out in one piece. I stand with my arms loose at my sides with my weapons within easy reach.
From out of the gloom on the other side of the room two figures emerge. They both wear hoodies that are pulled up to hide their faces from the light of the fluorescents overhead. There’s nothing human about the way they walk. They stalk forward like predators because that’s really what they are in the end. Once we’re standing fifteen feet apart, they lower their hoods in sync, remove their sunglasses, and I stare into the bloodshot eyes of two vampires. We all size up each other and Agent Brooke moves subtly behind my shoulder, angling himself more towards me defensively.
The two male vampires are pale as death and their white skin glows oddly under the flickering lights. The first smiles and his elongated canines sit on his bottom lip. The other doesn’t move from his rigid stance except to cross his arms over his chest. Since he stands behind the other’s shoulder like Agent Brooke does for me, I assume he’s the bodyguard. The one in front with shaggy black hair that only accentuates the paleness of his skin drops his smile.
“Is red the color of war?” the lead vamp asks.
“It’s the color of the blood I’ll shed in victory,” I respond as Dasc instructed.
It’s enough for the vampire. “Why are we here?”
Good. Let’s get right to it. “The better question is, why are some of your degenerates in Minnesota?”
His eyes narrow. “We haven’t crossed the border. The truce is still intact.”
“Lie to me again,” I snarl and take one menacing step forward, hands clenched into fists at my sides. I need to threaten and be cold. I’m Dasc’s representative despite how much I hate the thought of it. “I’ll rip your throat out with my teeth.”
His bodyguard shows his fangs and hisses but remains where he is.
“I’m surprised Dasc doesn’t have the balls to come here and deliver his threats himself,” the vampire says and shares a look with his bodyguard as though unimpressed. “I didn’t realize he’d send one of his Whispers.”
A Whisper? Dasc never mentioned anything of the like. Typical. I keep my expression the same and don’t allow myself to show my confusion.
“A threat is still a threat, no matter who it comes from,” I say.
“Well, I want to hear it from Dasc, or is he otherwise occupied?”
That’s just great. “He sent me. That’s all you need to know.”
The vampire’s hands twitch at his sides. “So you spoke with him personally, then?”
He’s reaching for information on Dasc, that much is obvious. Are they searching for him like the shapeshifters from Werevine were? I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.
“I said that’s all you need to know. You’ve royally ticked him off.” I take another step closer. “You’re going to remove your vampires from Minnesotan soil or we’ll send them back to you in pieces. You don’t touch any of ours. The next move you make on us will be your last.”
The vampire laughs. Pixies, this is not going the way I had been hoping.
“If Dasc was really threatening us, he’d have done that already and brought their heads here as evidence. He would have come out by now. So where is he?”
This is more than just reaching. They want him. They want Dasc. A pit forms in my stomach. The puzzle pieces come together in my head. Dasc wasn’t faking when he reacted about vampires going after Ashley. He would have gone and ripped them apart if he wasn’t currently sitting in a cell. These vampires know it too.
Oh, sweet piping Pan. They sent the vampires into Minnesota to lure Dasc out.
This is a trap.
I bring my hands up to my waist, getting them close to my hidden weapons.
“Why do you want him so bad?” I ask.
He snaps his teeth together. His fangs stick out and the ruddiness in his eyes brightens with a fresh shot of red. There’s a subtle creak above us and I know there’s someone on the metal walkway overhead.
“Do you ever get lipstick on those fangs?” I say loudly. Hopefully Jefferson caught our panic word of “lipstick” and will be breaching the doors at any second.
“Just your blood,” the lead vampire growls.
There’s another creak above us and I glance upwards. Beyond the glare of the fluorescents I spot at least four bodies. The explosive sound of a gunshot blasts through the expanse of the warehouse. The next second I’m shoved roughly to the side as Agent Brooke moves me out of the path of gunfire. I trip over my own feet by the force of his push and he grunts in pain as I stumble away, trying to regain my feet while getting out of the middle of the death trap.
Turning about, I bring up my bio-mech gun to cover Agent Brooke so he can escape as well—only I find myself being bull-rushed by the vampire bodyguard. He’s on me before I can let off a single shot and catches me around the middle. I squeeze the trigger instinctively as the breath is knocked out of me and the pulse goes high, hitting the catwalk overhead. The vampire and I hit the ground hard, me taking the brunt of the blow on my back. His hands quickly wrap around either side of my head and yank me hard to the side, exposing the flesh of my neck so he can snap forward like a snake and bite down.
I let out a cry of pain as his teeth rip into my skin. I manage to bring my arms up beneath his hold and shove as hard as I can. His head jerks back and his hands release my face. Warm blood coats my neck and runs into my jacket as I grab him by the collar and force us to roll, losing my bio-mech gun somewhere in the process.
Another gunshot echoes and the sound scrambles my hearing. The vampire I roll with shudders and then there’s dark blood flecking the side of my face. I’m pretty sure the idiots accidentally shot their own vampire and his blood spurts out the back of his jacket as I force us to roll over once mor
e to seek cover behind one of the huge metal supports. Sawdust covers my arms and face, sticking to my blood and getting in my eyes. Blinking fast, I clear my vision just as the bodyguard tries to bite my neck again but my forearm across his chest keeps him at bay. There’s nothing human in that face. Only a monster.
My fist meets his face when he extends his fangs towards me for another go of it. My knuckles throb and split as the bones in his face crumple inwards. He gurgles, not able to even yell properly, and slumps to the side off of me. More shots sound and bits of the ground fly up around me at their lousy aim. I scramble to crouch in the shadow of the support beam and avoid the reckless fire. In the chaos, I have a split second to wonder where the heck Agent Brooke is. Crap, I hope he hasn’t been shot. Maybe he engaged the lead vampire. I need to find him and get out of here.
I press a finger to my earpiece only to find it’s missing. Well, that’s just great. Where is the rest of the team? We could really use them right now. Since this is a trap, I guess they could have been jumped outside. Crap. Crap, crap, crap. One thing’s certain, though. I can’t stay here. If I don’t move, I’m going to be pinned down and swarmed.
My eyes latch onto my bio-mech gun on the ground not ten feet away in the middle of the dusty floor. As I wait for some kind of lull in the firing, a sharp whistle grabs my attention. Agent Brooke stands tucked in the safety of the hallway entrance to the room and waves a hand urgently to get my attention and beckon me over to him. He’s back far enough that the vampires up top can’t get a bead on him but his sharp whistle drew their attention and they fire in his direction anyway. Their focus is momentarily off me. Now’s my chance.
Leaping forward and tucking into a roll, I grab the bio-mech gun and in two seconds have it aimed up at the dingy light bulbs. Two well-aimed pulses send a hail of glass shards raining down and throws the room into darkness to cover my escape. As soon as the lights are out, I run blindly through the darkness in the direction of the entrance. There are a couple of thuds behind me and before I get very far, angry claws for hands grab me from behind, trying to tear my arms out of my sockets. My right arm is twisted so hard that my fingers can’t retain their grip and the bio-mech gun slips from my hand for the second time tonight. Panic surges up my throat as another set of hands in front of me find my neck in the dark. Sharp nails dig into my skin and start to choke the air out of me. I plant my feet and throw my body to the right. The grip on my arm from behind loosens, so I ram my elbow backwards into the gut of my attacker then punch forward into the ribs of the one in front of me. My knuckles throb against the hard curves of the vampire’s ribs that crack under my blow. He screeches and his hands drop away.
The Bite of Winter (International Monster Slayers Book 2) Page 25