Mama Lou pulled her shoulders back and stood up straight. She was staring into the face of the devil, but she didn’t flinch. This was her level. She was here to protect the girls, and that was what she would do. “Afana, what an honor to have you on Level Six. How may I assist you?”
“Where is Sergei?”
“Down this way. I was just speaking to him. Please follow me.” Mama Lou forced herself to remain calm. Afana had never been down to this level in all the years Mama Lou had lived here, which was a long time. When he wanted a woman an advisor came down to collect her, and Mama Lou never saw her again.
Afana’s shadow was as menacing as he was, and it hovered over her like a demon as they walked. Mama Lou quickened her pace so she wouldn’t be in his company for long. He seemed like he was in a hurry anyway.
Sergei was down the hall in front of them, about to enter one of the rooms. He was clearly still searching for Terrier.
“Sergei, Afana is here to see you.”
Sergei’s head whipped around, and the blood ran from his face at the sight of Afana. Their leader was standing behind Mama Lou, making it look like she’d called in the big guns to punish Sergei for trying to attack her earlier.
Mama Lou smiled at Sergei and stepped aside. “May I assist you with anything else?”
“Are his men here?” Afana asked.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Round them up for me,” Afana told her.
“As you wish,” Mama Lou murmured respectfully. She dipped her head before hurrying away.
Afana marched over to Sergei. He hated that the sight of him made people freeze. They were his possessions, and they should come to him when he wished it. Then again, cattle were supposed to fear their killer.
He jabbed a finger into Sergei’s chest. “Did you cut off Ivan’s head?”
The hunter flinched. “Yes.”
“Why?” Afana had watched Sergei over the years, and he was very good at reading a person’s body language. He would know if Sergei was lying.
“He went crazy on us and wouldn’t die,” Sergei said.
With that, Afana knew this wasn’t like the last virus. It was something different.
Something worse.
Mama Lou and Peter returned with Pavel and Yegor, who both looked pale and frightened.
Afana turned to address them. “Where is the rest of your group?”
Pavel and Yegor were too stunned to speak. Sergei stepped forward to answer for them.
“Ryder turned traitor this morning and ran,” Sergei stammered. “Terrier did nothing to stop him. We planned to give chase, but Terrier said he knew where Ryder was going and that he would tell only you. We brought him back to the bunker, but the guards attacked us for Ivan’s head.”
Afana nodded at Sergei. He liked obedient animals. This one was stupid but useful. Terrier didn’t know where Ryder was going. Terrier had used it as a distraction tactic.
“Where is Terrier now?” Afana asked.
Sergei gestured around them. “He’s here in the bunker. Decso said he was down here, so we came to find him. Then bring him to you, of course.”
“And the other man?” Afana asked. “Where is the sixth hunter?”
“Nestor is down here looking for Terrier, too,” Sergei said, even though he wasn’t a hundred percent sure about that.
General Murray and Advisor Robert joined the group, both out of breath from running down the staircase. Robert looked as if he were never going to get his breath back.
Murray shook his head at the man’s condition. If he dies on me, I’ll kill him. I’m not running this shit show on my own.
Murray looked at his son Martin, who was standing near Afana. The vampire saw the concern in the general’s eyes. To him, it looked like weakness.
Afana looked at the men. There was no sign of the virus on them yet, but this was different than the last outbreak. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for.
“Give Sergei your guns,” Afana commanded. Murray, Martin, and Peter did as instructed and handed Sergei and the others their guns.
“Find Ryder,” he said to Sergei. “No more fuckups, or I will brand you as traitors and hunt you down for sport.”
Sergei and his men took this as a pass to get the hell out of the bunker, and they hightailed it up the stairs before Afana could change his mind.
“General Murray, collect,” I fucking hate their names, “the two guards from the rooms and bring them to Level One. Robert, they will be your test specimens.”
Afana turned to face Mama Lou. Afana knew Terrier came down to Level Six with Ryder every free moment they had. Mama Lou was friends with Terrier. She had to be hiding him.
“Where is he?”
21
The church door clattered open, and Massimo dragged himself to his feet, ready for another fight. Kelvin stood framed in the doorway, and his eyes weren’t glowing. Massimo retracted his fangs and let out a sigh of relief.
Kelvin knew Massimo was a vampire, and so did the others in Pinewood. Massimo found that his life was easier when they knew. That stopped all the questioning about how he’d been alive for so long. Leandro hadn’t shared with the town that he was a Were, however.
Kelvin ran up to Massimo. “Andrew’s supposed to be in here,” he panted, looking around. Then he glanced at the floor and saw Andrew lying on it. “Oh.”
Massimo nodded sadly. “Indeed. There are two more in the side room as well.”
“Is one Annie?” Kelvin asked, looking at Massimo in shock.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Tightwad saw her follow Andrew into the church.” Kelvin looked down at Andrew’s lifeless body, grimacing at the sores on Andrew’s face and the blood around his mouth. “What happened to him?”
“I don’t know. It’s like some type of disease, I think. Jason also had the sores.”
“A disease?” Kelvin gulped.
“I think so,” Massimo said. “We’re going to have to check everyone in Pinewood to make sure it isn’t spreading.”
Jessica pulled at passing leaves as Carter carried her on his shoulders. Ryder thought they looked cute together as she heard the girl giggling.
As soon as Carter had caught up with the other kids, he started to sing a song, and the kids joined in. He was good at distracting them.
But Ryder wasn’t distracted. “I thought you said the town was fifteen minutes away. That was twenty minutes ago.”
“It took you long enough to catch on,” Carter replied. “I know you guys from the bunker aren’t too bright.”
I hate it when he talks like that, like I am the same as the others in the bunker. I’m nothing like them. I know Carter can see how much his comments piss me off. Then why does he keep making them?
“Relax,” he soothed. “I can’t lead you straight to it, can I?”
Ryder tried to hold in her frustration, a skill she’d learned living in the bunker, but everyone had a breaking point. “Carter, I don’t have time for your kiddie games. My friends need my help.”
“And what type of person would I be if I led you straight to our settlement? I don’t think you’re here to make trouble, but I can’t take the risk. It’s not worth their lives.” Carter nodded toward the kids walking in front of them. “They’ll take them first.”
Ryder sighed. She understood, but it didn’t help her get back to the bunker any quicker.
Jessica leaned around Carter’s head, and he pretended her weight had unbalanced him. He stumbled sideways, then back the other way. Ryder raised her arms at one point as she thought they were actually going to fall.
“He’s just being silly.” Jessica laughed. “I want to get down now.”
Carter gently set her on the ground, and she ran off to be with her friends.
“Do you normally hang around with all these kids, or just today, because of all this happening?” Ryder asked.
“Yeah, I hang out with them. They’re smarter than some of the others in the s
ettlement.”
“So you’re like the daycare around here?”
“Nah, more like a fun big bro. I suck at giving them rules or scolding them. I leave that to the boring people in the settlement.”
It sounded like he had a good deal with the kids, much like the one Ryder and Terrier had with the kids in the bunker. They went down there to tell them funny stories, sing songs, and play games that they remembered from before they lived in the bunker.
Ryder made sure the kids weren’t in earshot before she asked, “Was that Jessica’s mom?”
“Yes.” Carter’s face went serious. “She was one of those people who went berserk, but Jessica kept her hidden from the rest of the settlement, saying she had a cold. Jessica is a very good actress, but every actress has a bad day. Her mom turned and went for her. That was when we heard the screams and knew what had happened.”
Ryder watched Jessica’s blonde hair bounce as she played with the other kids. She really was a good actress. I don't think I could have been as strong as she was, but love makes you do funny things.
Ryder hadn’t seen much love in her life, other than from her own mom, Mama Lou, and Terrier, but that was more than most people got.
“How long have you lived in the bunker?” he asked.
“Hey, it was me asking the questions.”
“Has anyone told you that you suck at having a conversation? It’s supposed to go back and forth. We take turns asking questions.” Carter raised his eyebrow and winked.
He must be gay. Ryder knew he was right about the conversations, though. She wasn’t used to anyone asking her about her life. She’d learned to be on guard. If she wasn’t, the lapse might cost her life.
“I was taken when I was six.”
“Damn,” he cursed. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t take me.” She sighed. I really need to work on my people skills, but there is no fucking way I’m going to admit that.
“You know what I mean.”
“How old was your sister?” Ryder asked.
“Six,” Carter replied, his voice creaking.
“How long ago?” Please say a week. Then there is hope that she hasn’t become one of the men’s toys.
“Fifteen years ago.” The concern in Carter’s voice broke Ryder’s heart, and with good reason.
They were both silent for a while, awkward and not sure what to say. Ryder broke it. “No bullshit this time. How far away is the settlement?”
“Five more minutes.”
Mama Lou was terrified that Afana knew that she knew where Terrier was. She’d hoped the cameras hadn’t caught him. If they had, he wouldn’t be asking, would he?
“I haven’t seen him,” she lied.
“Don’t play games with me.” Afana was huge. Mama Lou had thought that her guard Peter was big, but he looked tiny compared to Afana.
“I’m not lying. I haven’t seen him.” Mama Lou’s voice quivered; her nerves were getting the better of her. Pull yourself together! “I can show you where he normally goes.” Terrier, you better be still hiding down the tunnel.
“Take me there.”
“This way.” Mama Lou was pretending there was nothing wrong. Afana followed her, and she wasn’t sure where to take him. She clicked her nails together as she thought. She decided to take him to the kids’ room.
“This is where Terrier likes to visit,” she said. “May I first announce you to the kids? They will be excited to see you since this is the first time you’ve been down here to visit them.”
Afana knew she was doing it to prepare them for the monster they were about to see. “If you warn Terrier, I will have your head.”
“I understand.”
Mama Lou scurried into the kids’ room, and the kids ran toward her, excited. She did everything she could to make sure that while the kids were down here, their lives were filled with laughter and love.
She hoped that Afana wouldn’t take that from her.
“Hello, kids. We have a special guest today.” The kids fell silent—as well as kids could. They were excited, asking who was coming. “Hush, kids. It is Afana.”
The kids’ smiles quickly turned into frowns and fear. Natalie was back in the kids’ room, and she whispered to Mama Lou, “Why is he here?”
“He’s looking for Terrier.”
Natalie placed her hand over her mouth. “Why?”
“I can’t talk now.” Mama Lou waved her hand. “The kids. We have to protect the kids.” Mama Lou raised her voice again to make sure the children were listening. “Now be quiet and answer all his questions. And smile.”
She took a deep breath and opened the door. Afana looked annoyed, and Peter widened his eyes as if to say, What the hell took so long?
“Children, please give Afana a warm welcome.” The kids clapped their hands to welcome their master, but the clapping quickly stopped when they saw Afana. They’d never seen anything like him, and they began to cry.
Afana looked around the room at the fear on the kids’ faces. They made him feel like the monster he’d become, so he quickly exited. He didn’t want to be down there anymore.
“Find Terrier,” he told Peter. Then Afana retreated to his perch on Level One, away from the children.
22
Sergei, Pavel, and Yegor had followed Afana’s orders and were looking for Ryder’s trail. Sergei was looking forward to chopping off that smug prick’s head.
The men were walking through the forest outside the bunker. Sergei was leading, trying to keep them moving quickly. He didn’t want Afana to brand him a traitor as well.
The other two hunters were behind him, keeping pace. They’d heard Afana’s warning, too, and they also wanted to keep their heads.
Yegor ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch. “I wonder where the hell Nestor went?”.
Pavel shook his head in annoyance. “I didn’t see him in any of the rooms on Level Six. Lucky bastard gets to stay out of the heat while we’re doing this bullshit for Afana.”
“Did you see the size of Afana’s arms?” Yegor asked in amazement. “Fuck the size! Did you see the shape? Totally overgrown muscles.”
“He has muscles on his muscles,” Pavel said.
“Shut up, you fools,” Sergei growled. “We’re supposed to be hunting. Ryder could be anywhere. Do you want arrows in the backs of your heads? Let’s take care of this bullshit and be done with it.”
Yegor and Pavel cheered at that, and the pack of hunters did what they did best. They went hunting.
Ryder’s heart was pounding. Carter hadn’t been lying when he said the settlement was five minutes away. Now that she could see it ahead of them, she was nervous. She really hoped they wouldn’t give her any shit, but the chances of avoiding that were low.
The wolf walked beside her. He was no longer scared that she’d try to kill him. He liked the way that she stroked his fur, but he didn’t like it when she called him Fluffy. At some point, he was going to have to reveal his true nature, but he had no idea how or when. The longer he stayed in wolf form, the weirder it would be for him to transform for her.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Carter asked.
The kids had already run ahead to the settlement. It was made up of wooden shacks. There was a central fire blazing and a pig cooking over it. Ryder wanted some of that. She was starving.
“I’m sure.” Ryder knew that she couldn’t get Terrier out of the bunker on her own.
“They’re not as welcoming as me. Last chance to turn back.”
Ryder pulled up her collar as much as she could to hide her bunker tattoo and walked toward the settlement. “I’m not turning back.”
Her mouth was dry, and she wanted some water, but that wouldn’t be the best idea. She needed a clear head.
People were going about their business as if Ryder weren’t there. The kids were running around, having fun. I’d like to live here, or in a place like this, one day.
Carter smiled at some peopl
e and said hello to others. When they noticed Ryder, they looked at her fondly, like Carter. Makes sense. They don’t know me. Then people started to talk to one another in whispers and raised voices came from behind them.
“It’s one of Afana’s men.”
Fuck. I did a shit job of covering up my tattoo. The voices got louder, and the kids were pulled into the wooden shacks by terrified parents. Ryder had seen that look on her own mother’s face. They were right to fear Afana’s men.
Fluffy started to growl, but Ryder’s hand stroked his spine, calming him down. They couldn’t afford to scare someone and start a fight.
A smaller man planted himself in front of them. His face was covered in wrinkles, lines of wisdom; he looked like the leader here. “Stop there. What the fuck are you doing, moron?”
Carter flashed the man an innocent grin. “Maxwell, it isn’t what it looks like. He needs our help.”
Maxwell told some of the other men to check if there were more of Afana’s men around, and they darted in every direction to scout around.
“So, you’re telling me you didn’t just bring one of Afana’s men to our settlement? After the nightmare we went through yesterday?” Maxwell’s face was a mask of fury and disbelief.
“The timing does suck,” Carter said. “And, well, maybe it is what it looks like.”
Ryder turned and looked at Carter. He sucks at this! If he keeps going like that, he’s going to get me killed. He is a moron!
“Maxwell, I mean you no harm.” Ryder raised her hands. “I want to free some people from Afana’s bunker. Some of those people are from this settlement.”
“You’re as stupid as Carter. There is no way we can get them out of the bunker.” Maxwell moved closer to Ryder with some larger men at his side.
“There is a way,” she insisted. “I can show you. I can help us get in.” Ryder’s eyes pleaded with him. She was a fighter and knew she could escape, but that wasn’t the plan. She needed their help.
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