by Megan Hawke
"Shit!" Gabe cried. He fell out of his chair in the corner and turned to gape at me from the floor. I caught him on the computer. Porn site. I could see a video playing of a pair of black-haired beauties in nothing but garter belts and heels making out. I gave him a disapproving look. "Sabe!"
"In the flesh." I indicated the computer. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything constructive."
Gabe scrambled to his feet and headed for the closest rack of weapons. I took off after him. He wasn't fast enough. Almost, but not quite. Gabe pulled a sawed-off shotgun down and swung it around to shoot me. I caught the barrel in my left hand, and thrust-kicked him in the chest. I held onto the barrel as he flew backwards a good five feet.
Setting the sawed-off shotgun down, I watched him gasping for breath. Once he could breathe reasonably well, I watched Gabe's eyes do a slow climb up my body, from my feet to my face. The stench of raging desire filled the air, drenching my senses. I could feel his burning need and desire on a deeper, psychic level. Gabe was one horny man, and I couldn't help but wonder if that was his usual reaction to seeing pre-vampire me.
I slanted a frown at the computer, with its porn video still running. He was horny long before I got there, so it wasn’t really me getting him all excited.
"I need your help."
He looked me straight in the eye. Alpha werewolves couldn’t be mesmerized.
"Heh, Sabe, I see you aren’t wearing a bra or panties. Nice nipples.”
I ground my teeth. Was he taunting me? What was I thinking? Of course he was taunting me. That was the very essence of Gabe. He taunted, teased, and hit on every warm-bodied woman he met. I think I mentioned he was a pig.
"Stare at my boobs all you want, they still don't do any tricks."
"Bet I could make them do a few tricks."
Really? Like what?
"I have a job to do tonight. I need some serious vampire killing hardware. Do you still have those silver grenades?"
That got his attention. I smiled down at him, and offered a hand up. Gabe stared at my hand a long moment, like it was a pit viper or something, before he accepted it and I helped him to his feet.
He looked me up and down again. Twice.
"What about the grenades?"
"Let me get this straight." He stepped back and scowled at me. "You tried to kill me the other day, and did… um… something, to me, and now you want me to give you free weapons."
"First off, I did not try to kill you." Stepping up close, I jabbed an accusatory finger into his chest. "Other way around. You tried to kill me. You and the rest of my so called friends."
He looked like he would argue the point, then changed his mind. His eyes narrowed and he leaned menacingly over me.
"Okay, maybe you weren't trying to kill me, but you did something to me. I felt it when you bit me. What exactly did you do?"
I would’ve blushed if I was still capable of it. I couldn't look him in the eye.
"Nothing."
Gabe tensed up, held his breath and growled at me. Vampire or not, it kinda frightened me. Then uncertainty filled his mind as his eyes glazed over. I realized then how my link with him could give me an advantage.
His eyes widened, and locked on mine. "Vampire magic! I should've realized it!"
"What is vampire magic?"
"The love spell you put on me."
Love spell? Can vampires place love spells on people? Surely Boney would've mentioned something that important.
"I can entrance people with my eyes, but I can't cast magic," I said. "Besides, you're an alpha werewolf, so too powerful to be entranced."
He moved closer, forcing me to look up into his angry face.
"Bullshit. Since you bit me, and did … that thing to me, I've been obsessed with black-haired women. Every black-haired woman I see I stop and stare, heart racing, and wondering if it is you. I'm obsessed with you, and anyone who looks like you."
Leaning back, "Um, wow. Is Dane obsessed, too?"
"Yes."
"Oh," I said, strangely pleased. I bet Dane wasn't pleased, though. "Gabe, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe it is how you really feel about me."
"No, I'm not buying it. Tell me the truth."
"Honest, I don’t know what you mean." I mustered a coy smile. When he didn't appear to be buying it, I shrugged and acted embarrassed. I was afraid how he'd react to the truth. "I'm a new vampire. I do a lot of strange things I don't know how to explain. I felt it too, but I don't know what it was. You were the first person I ever bit."
He paused, and then stepped back.
"That's how you found me!"
My heart started to race. I was losing control of the situation.
"What? You're crazy and paranoid. I found you because I was looking for you." I gave him a hard look, then shook my head woefully. "You told us all you had a new armory up around here, and I drove up Harry Hines until I spotted your pickup parked out front. Easy."
Gabe closed his eyes and ground his teeth a long moment.
"I knew I should've parked it in a bay."
I was losing him, so I stepped up closer.
"I know where Clive Honeywell lives." My voice was husky. His dark eyes brightened with a cold glint. I had his full attention. "I killed one of his vamps the other day. Hector Lopez. I want to attack them again tonight and kill some more. You know, put the fear of God and Sable in their bones."
He glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's still early."
The wheels were turning in his head. Such possibilities.
"Gives you plenty of time to outfit me for this attack."
Gabe’s emotions were all over the place. I found that odd, since before I didn’t think he felt much of anything but a lust for women and killing vampires.
"You're not going to just prance in there, are you? They'll kill you."
"Probably." I smiled roguishly at him. "But maybe not."
"Why?"
"I'm still a vampire slayer." I enjoyed the surprised look on his face. "Are you going to help me?"
"Are you going to try to kill me?"
"Never. Ever."
Gabe sighed with relief. He believed me. I was afraid his hatred of vampires would keep him from listening to me. For once, Gabe was being reasonable, but I could feel his ardor growing via our link.
"My stuff isn't cheap, and you're not part of the team anymore." He gave me a hard, cold look. "How are you going to pay for it?"
"I have money."
"So do I." He glanced at a rack of swords, his face fierce. "Clive is too big for you to take down alone. We'll do it together."
Surprise me. "I thought you'd want sex."
He barked a laugh. "I do." He wagged his brows at me. "First things first, Sabe. Let's go slaughter some vamps."
I didn’t like the way he looked at me. His eyes were full of wicked glee, and I felt nothing but lust coming through our link. I suspect he'd say anything, do anything, risk any fate to get between my legs. Yeah, that was Gabe.
I smiled back. “Then we're friends?”
The prospect of regaining his friendship excited me much more than killing Clive Honeywell. I did not want Gabe hunting me.
"Oh, we’ve been friends, sweet tits. Now we’ll have some additional benefits with that friendship."
Benefits? Did he mean what I thought he meant?
"Good. Don't ever call me 'sweet tits' again." I suspected I agreed to something more than what I wanted, but I’d worry about that if I survived the night. "Now it's time to get armed for battle."
Chapter 18
The Mustang rumbled to a stop on the dark, tree-lined street. To the human eye this stretch of road would've passed for a country lane in the woods. The trees were that thick. The really rich in that part of Dallas liked to hide behind thick foliage.
I could smell the stench of blood in the air. That's all I needed to confirm I had found Clive Honeywell's mansion. Good thing, since I could barely make out the house through the brush.
Cruising the nearby side streets, I looked for the perfect place. Two streets over I found it; an empty house with a For Sale sign in the front yard. I could sense the neighbors; all seemed blissfully asleep, as I parked next to the garage. Stepping behind the car, I opened the trunk and started arming myself.
Gabe outdid himself. I pulled out an Army surplus belt and harness thing Gabe referred to as "web gear." It was designed to carry nasty stuff into battle. Basically, it looked like a wide belt with a set of suspenders on them. Your shoulders carried most of the load, and I had quite a load.
The suspenders part had two wide, padded straps down the front. They formed a kind of triangle around my neck, dropping down to clip to the utility belt. A narrow strap dropped down my back and split above the belt to connect to it in two more places a few inches apart. From the left front strap hung two smoke grenades. On the right strap a heavy, silver-cased Bowie knife was duct taped hilt down. The utility belt was loaded with pouches designed to hold Uzi Submachine gun magazines. I had eight pouches, with two magazines in each pouch. The magazine pouches alternated around the belt with smaller cloth pouches that held silver hand grenades.
Before I put on the web gear I strapped on a double shoulder holster, which had a strap that crossed my upper chest above the swell of my breasts. It held both of the Berettas snug to my body. I wouldn't normally wear something like that, since the straps and holsters were impossible to conceal with an open jacket, but I wasn't trying to conceal anything.
After the web gear, I strapped a katana across my back. I stuck three roadside flares under the belt, and then I pulled my hair back in a ponytail, and put on a pair of reflective glasses. There was a chance Yuri would be there. He would not get the opportunity to capture me with his eyes. I like to think I learn from my mistakes. There’s some compelling evidence that I don't, but I try.
Picking up the Uzi and the crossbow, I closed the trunk and hid the key under the driver's seat. Not too difficult to find if someone really wanted to steal my car, but enough to keep the honest folks honest.
It was a lovely night, with scattered clouds. I swear, my new vamp eyes could pick out even more stars. The night sky was a glorious sight.
I paused to rack the Uzi while still on the street, before moving into and through that band of forest between the street and Clive's mansion. There was only twenty feet of woods, but it was thick with underbrush and clingy vines.
The lawn beyond was manicured perfection. I wouldn't expect anything less. The mansion was a Tudor style and two stories. Not the largest mansion in Dallas, but I've never lived in anything larger than Yuri's four bedroom, three bath. Suffice to say, I was impressed.
Someone's doing quite well in the vampire business, I thought. I looked at the cars parked in the drive. I guess they're having a party. Good, more vamps to kill.
There were two undead guards out front. One next to front the door and the other coming across the lawn. The roving guard was closest, just thirty feet away. Dropping to one knee, I set the Uzi down and took aim with the crossbow.
Reaching out with my senses, I located Gabe coming up behind the house. We suspected some vampires might try to escape out the backdoor when I charged in the front. I convinced him that he could pick off more vamps with a bow and arrows than he could kill inside the house. Gabe’s always looking for the maximum kill angle.
“Go to Hell,” I whispered just loud enough to get the rover’s attention. His head whipped around, and I pulled the trigger. The wooden bolt, with a silver head, transfixed his heart. As he dropped to his knees, the door guard looked his way. I was recharging the crossbow, knowing it was a race. I took aim on his chest as he figured it out, and turned toward the door. I pulled the trigger. “Gotcha.”
Leaving the crossbow, I picked up the Uzi and walked straight up to the double front doors. I thrust kicked them as hard as I could, and both doors crashed open. I heard feminine screams and angry shouts. I counted six vampires right off. I had hit the undead mother lode. Rushing through, I started by spraying the crowd in the entry with Uzi fire. Truth be told, I did more damage to priceless Chinese and European antiques than to vampires and minions, but I pumped silver into a bunch of them.
Another automatic weapon went off, and I felt fire along my left side. I was hit six times between my left knee and shoulder. Lead or steel bullets. The pain vanished within seconds. I slanted an annoyed look at the stunned man. He was easily six eight, probably close to three hundred pounds. Big man. He wore an expensive looking charcoal gray suit with a bright red tie.
"Vampire!" he cried. "We're under attack by another fucking vampire!"
I swung the Uzi around. "Ah, a trained observer, I see. Now die."
Big Boy didn't hesitate. No deer caught by headlights act for him. He dove to the side as I started shooting. Rolling and scrambling, he raced back through a door. I ran after him. Another burly goon stepped into the doorway, saw me, and shouted a warning before slamming the door shut.
"Locked!" I shook my head woefully. After I left my little hit and run tonight, the surviving vampires would feast upon those cowards.
A dozen vampires rushed into the room. None were part of Clive's group. I only recognized three. The mayor and two members of the city council. Strangely enough, four foot eleven, chubby, middle-aged Mayor Loeb was their leader and the most frightening of all. One just had a hard time wrapping the mind around such a creature. Little sweet grandmother types weren't supposed to be vampires.
"Mayor Loeb," I said, ejecting the empty magazine and slipping another in. I let the empty magazine skitter across the floor. I racked the Uzi's charging handle and raised a brow at her. "You don't have to do this. Fight them with me."
"You're wrong, bitch. My master wants you dead. I will take him your head, and toss your body into the sunlight tomorrow."
"Whoa Nelly. Backup now, Grandma. Someone's been overindulging in the ole Compulsion jar."
No one even cracked a smile. I swear, no one got my sense of humor. So I leveled my Uzi and pulled the trigger. Mayor Loeb did a little involuntary jig as a full magazine of silver bullets ripped into her pudgy little body. She looked surprised. Guess no one's ever shot her before.
I ejected that magazine as they started moving towards me. The mayor was the only one not moving. She was still dealing with all that silver burning her inside out. I understood her pain. I shoved another magazine home, then grabbed a silver hand grenade.
I pulled the pin. "Party's over, boys and girls." Bending over, I rolled it into their midst. "Go to Hell."
"That won't kill us anymore than bullets, girl," Jorge Sousa said. He was the Councilman from where I now lived. I don't think I'll be voting for him in the next election. "Surrender, and —"
That's all he had time for. The grenade exploded. A dozen or more small pieces of blessed silver shrapnel sprayed my body. Oh, it hurt. Hurt bad. Punched several holes in my shiny PVC catsuit, but it did a number on the new vamps. Not a single one remained standing after that blast of silver. None were quite dead, but they were all on the floor writhing in agony. That was a good start.
Pulling the katana, I rushed forward and lobbed off Councilman Sousa's head. Then I dropped the Uzi and went to town. I cut off all of their heads and tossed them out the door, saving the mayor for last. She hissed at me before I decapitated her. It made it easier. I pulled a flare and walked over to the nearest window. Igniting the flare, I used it to light the drapes. Then I went to the next set of drapes, and the next and the next, lighting them all.
I heard screams and curses out back, and then car engines turning over and revving up out front. People, whether mortal or immortal, were making their escape. Some people had no stomach for battle, but at least Gabe was having a field day.
After tossing the flare onto a couch in an adjacent sitting room, I returned to the entry and found a short Hispanic woman holding my Uzi. She was wearing a blood red satin corset that pushed her boobs up, and a black satin skirt that dropped t
o her ankles. Maria Teresa Lopez looked ten times better in person.
She looked thinner than her picture. Her black hair was cut to shoulder length, and she had bangs. It emphasized her youthful appearance. The Spanish noblewoman was only twenty when Clive Changed her, and her new hairstyle made her look seventeen. Unless you looked into her eyes, which were ancient and cruel.
"Are you the vampire called Sable Hart?"
"Yes."
She pointed the Uzi at me.
"You killed my husband? You killed Hector?"
"Right after I fucked him." Her body tensed, her dark eyes narrowed, and she pushed the Uzi a few inches toward me. I dove to the side as she pulled the trigger. "Aaaiii."
Maria Teresa could handle an Uzi much better than me. Despite my evasive action, every single bullet hit me. Those sinister rounds ripped through my body. The pain was incredible. She emptied that full magazine into me.
"That was stupid," I said.
It left me stretched out on the floor in agony. I was a bloody mess. The PVC outfit was beyond ruined. The bullet wounds were barely leaking blood, and beginning to heal. The pain would last a lot longer.
She gave me a smug smile as she tossed the Uzi aside. "I don't think so, Señorita. You're the stupid one."
"I know, muy loco. That's me. I should've never left the Uzi like that. I won't make that mistake again."
"I agree. That was your last mistake." Maria Teresa was walking towards me. "You are going to die now."
"Really?"
"Sí. I'm going to eat your heart."
I needed more time. She wasn't going to give me the time I needed, so I pulled one of my pistols and shot her.
"Keep shooting, Señorita Sable. That just stokes the fire of my rage. The more you shoot me, the slower and crueler I'm going to kill you."
"Great. Slower means I live longer." I needed some bravado. My bullets didn't seem to affect her. All she did was grimace and keep stalking towards me. "After all, I took my time fucking, then killing Hector."