“Yes. Can I help you?” She was skinny, frail, and her voice shook slightly. The light from the porch made her skin resembled a golden raisin.
“Ma’am,” I questioned with a smile. “My name is Jessica with T&J Exterminations. This is my partner Gage.”
“Ma’am,” he nodded his head slightly.
Her shaky voice accelerated as she grew excited, “Yes, thank you for coming. Please come in.”
“We have a report you have had some problems on your land,” I explained as we entered the small home. It was a cute little sitting room with a fire place with a lot of pictures on the mantel. The home also held the scent of moth balls, hair perm, and a hint of bacon. She smiled before offering us something to drink.
“No, thank you, ma’am. Can you tell us about your problem?” Gage asked as he adjusted his large frame on the floral couch.
I was on the other end of the couch and she sat across from us on a recliner. “My husband John went out in the feed truck and found them scattered all around the land.”
“May we speak with him as well?”
“My husband is in the hospital.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“After he found the last cow, he collapsed from shock. You have to understand. This land is all we have and having something simply slaughter our livelihood is a huge blow. We have lost so much.”
My compassion grew for her even more. “Ma’am, I can only imagine. I do hope he makes a speedy recovery.”
“We have been together fifty years. I’m lost without him.”
“What was it he found?” Gage asked, leaning in a little closer. I thought his compassion for the woman was a little dry.
She rubbed her frail hands together in a nervous way before answering. “We have been dealing with this issue for weeks now,” she sighed softly. “We have lost over a dozen of our herd. We thought it was dogs but I’m afraid it could be something worse.”
“Can you elaborate?”
She dabbed the corner of her eye with a pink tissue, “It has to be the Woolly Man.”
“Woolly Man?” I couldn’t help but feel as if she was going to take a Bigfoot turn on me. I pinched back the grin as it would be unprofessional. I looked over at Gage. His expression was unmoving as he waited.
“Bigfoot,” she finally stated. I knew it. People had no idea what really went bump in the night.
“Mrs. Scott, I’m sure it is stray dogs, which we can handle with the city dog catcher,” Gage explained. “There are many breeders in this county alone.”
I nodded, “Absolutely. If you don’t mind, we would like to go out and survey the area. Maybe we can set some traps to catch whatever did this.”
“Do you have a trap large enough?”
“We can handle it, ma’am,” Gage replied with a kind smile and stood from the couch. I followed. She walked us to the door. “If it is not too late, we will stop by and give you an update.”
“I appreciate that.”
Gage and I got back into the truck. “The Wooly Man?” I snickered.
“Do you not believe in Bigfoot?” he grinned and turned the key. I rolled my eyes as the Hemi engine roared to life.
The property was relatively small at only thirty acres. Slowly traveling along the bumpy taurine, we noticed roughly a dozen cattle. They grew excited as we grew closer to them, thinking it was feeding time. Gage continued on slowly past them. With the cattle following us, we came over a hill.
“Do you see that?”
“I do,” he replied and we slowly drove down the hill toward the object. From a distance, it resembled a dirt mound, but the closer we got, I knew what it was. The cattle had stopped following us as we drew closer. Gage put the truck in park and we hopped out. The headlights provided enough light for me to see. It was a brown cow in a gruesome state. It had been there a while. This must have been the cow the land owner discovered before collapsing. Gage was inspecting it closely for bites, but my eyes were focused on the mutilation of the body. The throat had been ripped out and the innards had spilled out onto the grass. Chunks of flesh were missing as well. My stomach flipped. Something had fed on this cow, but vampires wouldn’t disembowel, or eat flesh.
“Why would a vampire go after cows? It’s too weird,” I said shaking my head in bewilderment.
“Maybe it’s a young one and was going after easy food.”
“They don’t do this sort of thing, Gage. Meat is missing as if something actually ate it.”
“We are already here. Might as well set up and wait.” He walking back to the driver’s side. “The top of the hill is a good vantage point.”
The cattle remained close to the truck when we returned to the top of the small hill. It was a good place to lay in wait. Gage lowered the tailgate and I hopped up onto it. There was a large covered box in the back along with a red gas can. I pulled my heavy jacket tightly around my shoulders as a cold breeze blew across the land. I thought it was pointless but I kept my hunting bag beside me. I watched the darkness closely for any sort of movement, but there was none. The condition of the dead cow told me we were dealing with something else.
“What are you thinking?”
“I have seen vampires do many things to their victims. Never, in three years, have I ever seen them go after livestock. Human blood is their drive. Why bother with animals?”
My partner adjusted in his spot, bouncing the truck slightly. “Yes, but you know if a new vampire will do anything for blood.”
“Why are you convinced this is a vampire attack?”
“I didn’t say it was, but we were called out. We have to investigate.”
“So, you don’t believe it to be a vampire.”
“If not a vampire, Jess, then what?”
I sighed and scanned the darkness again, “Is it possible that something else lingers out there?”
He bellowed a laugh which startled me out of my thoughts. The cattle which were practically begging to be fed scattered by the sound, “Did the old ladies story spook you?”
“What? Bigfoot?” I laughed slightly. “Hell no!”
His gray eyes landed on my face and I felt a shudder of excitement roll through me. My teeth were chattering from the cold and I wanted nothing more than to get closer to him in that moment. I wanted to take our alone time and use it for more exciting things. I was drowning in the gutter where Gage was concerned. I hated to make it a habit to involve myself with work colleagues, but only he and one other had my attention from day one.
“Ok, then what?”
“I don’t know but it was something…else.”
Midnight had passed with nothing to show for it. The cattle were finally sleeping and there was no sound, other than our breathing. We were too far away from the highway to hear the cars whizzing by. The silence was nice.
“So, how are you doing, Gage?”
“I’m okay, how have you been?”
I looked at him with a smirk on my face. I knew something was going on by the inside of his trashed-out truck. “Cut the crap. What’s going on?”
He looked at me with surprise, “What are you talking about?”
“I couldn’t help but notice the condition of your truck.”
He looked back at it with a pinched brow and back to me, “What’s wrong with it?”
I had worked with him several times and never seen it like that before. He had always kept it in prime condition. “It’s probably not any of my business, but it’s trashed.”
He waited a moment, “I found my girlfriend in bed with another guy, so I moved out.”
I could help but have pity for him. He seemed so hurt and I could relate with a blow like that, “Oh, Gage, I’m sorry.”
Looking at his gun in his hand he shrugged his wide shoulders. “It’s no big deal. She wasn’t the one for me. I have had someone else in my sights for a while, but the time has never been right.” He sighed. It was crazy to allow myself to become jealous, but I didn’t want his attention on anyo
ne else. “Why are you single, Jess?”
My breath hitched and all the color left my face. I was embarrassed and ashamed all at the same time. That’s what I get for asking such a personal question, for butting in. I regretted it. I didn’t want to talk about me. I swallowed hard and found my tongue was still functional.
“I had a similar experience, and I feel no need to have a man control me.” I was attempting to be delicate not knowing if I succeeded. My mind buzzed with the thoughts of my ex-boyfriend, and how much I would enjoy kicking him in the balls. I have also thought about gauging out the eyes of the bitch he was with for the hell of it. The horrible memory of my past before the breakup made a lump push its way into my throat. I opened my eyes wide to keep the tears from falling. I thought I was finished crying over that asshole.
Gage was quiet, but he never took his eyes off of me. I knew he could tell I was bothered by the conversation, so he didn’t say anything. He placed his hand on my back and rubbed it a little in a comforting way. It was a nice feeling, the human contact. I must have been cold because I could feel the heat from his hand radiating through my heavy jacket. I swallowed the lump of emotion from my throat. All I could think about was his touch and how his heat amazed me. My mind started to drift in the ways of the bedroom, and I wondered if his hands would feel like fire against my skin.
Movement out of the corner of my eye made me come back to reality. I turned my head and what I saw took me by surprise. I watched as a person walking onto the field of cattle slowly, not down the hill, but only a hundred yards away from us. It was a vampire. I could tell by the way its body was crouched and the cautious steps. I waited for more vampires to come out of the tree line but it was only the one. “I’ll be damned.”
“Come on. We can sneak behind it,” he whispered and hopped down slowly. I was taken by surprise when he wrapped his large hands around my waist and helped me down. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to relish in his burning touch.
We hid behind the truck and watched it move closer to the cattle. I had never seen anything like it before. The vampire slinked closer and jumped twenty feet onto an unsuspecting cow. As it bellowed a moo, the herd moved away. She hissed, exposed her fangs, and sank them into the thick throat of the cow. We moved cautiously down the hill out of sight in order to get behind the feeding vampire. I left my bag behind but I gripped my gun at my side, Gage did the same. As we walked into the foliage, he stopped me.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“Just listening,” he explained. “Come on.”
He was listening for more vampires. I could smell the blood from where we stood, salty and hot. When I could finally see her again, she was feeding greedily from the throat but not ripping into it like an animal. Maybe scavengers were the culprits to the disgusting sights. I wasn’t sure what, but it was something. I let Gage take the lead on this one. He was going to sneak out around her, gain her attention, and I was to shoot her. Simple enough, or so we thought.
He took ten steps slowly around the feeding vampire. She was too busy to see him. He whistled to gain her attention. She released her hold on the dead cow and hissed at him. “Oh, did I interrupt your dinner?” he sarcastically asked with a smile. She sprung, and in a second she was on top of him, biting the air as he held her off of him. I ran out to help but he didn’t seem like he was struggling with her at all. He had total control. He balled up his large fist and clocked her in the jaw.
I took aim and fired, hitting her in the side of the neck. The cattle scattered, even more, clearing the field in seconds. The vampire rolled off Gage, screaming.
“That silver burns, doesn’t it?” She was trying to claw the bullet from her flesh. Her sharp nails gashed her pale skin, causing the fresh blood in her system to leak out. Smoke was rising from the tiny hole in her neck.
She glared at me and began to speak, “Foolish hunter. We are not the only things you should be worried about.”
I aimed my gun at her face. It was covered in dirt. “What do you mean?”
“He will be here soon.”
“Who?” Before she could finish, Gage walked up behind me and sliced her head off. “Why did you do that?”
“It’s our job.”
“Didn’t you hear her?”
“Her? You speak of it as if it were human. Jess, vampires are filth and not worthy of listening to.” He was wiping the vampire blood from his blade with a bandana he had pulled from his back pocket. He was right, but maybe she had some information on what else was out there. Also, who the hell was she talking about? “Well, that was easy.”
“Yeah, almost too easy.”
“It was only one.”
“True,” I said placing my gun back into my holster. “That lone vampire almost had you by the way,” I teased with a smile.
“I can handle one vampire. I was taking my time so you could get some much-needed action.” He grinned and wiggling his brow slightly.
My face grew hot, “What is that supposed to mean, mister?”
He grinned, “Nothing.” I watched him walk away, and what a sight it was. His ass was nice in the tight jeans he wore. Moments later, he emerged from the trees with an abundance of tree limbs in his strong arms. He set them down on top of the vampire’s body. I fetched the gas can from the bed of the truck and doused the pile. Gage pulled out a pack of matches and the instant the flame touched the soaked wood, it burst into a raging blaze. I welcomed the heat, though the scent of roasted flesh and burnt hair was revolting. Most things this job entailed were bearable but this was not one of them.
As I shivered against the nightly chill, he put his arm around my shoulders, and we watched the fire. The color of his eyes danced to the rhythm of the flames. He was so warm. He seemed a lot hotter than he was a few moments ago. The excitement of the kill must have gotten his blood flowing. I wanted to get closer. I wanted him to hold me tighter to his body. “We should have brought marshmallows.”
I pulled away slightly, “That’s nasty. You can’t be serious.”
“No, but, it was funny to watch your reaction,” he snickered and pulled me back against him. “Hunting is always fun with you, Jess.”
“Yeah, I aim to please.” The second I said it, I cringed. That came out all wrong.
“Are you hungry?”
“Call me crazy, but I can’t imagine eating after cutting a vampire’s head off and burning them to a crisp.”
“I’m starving,” he stated. “We can pick something up in town.”
“That’s fine, as long as I get to go home.”
The longer I was with him the more my interests peaked. This man was a mystery and I wanted to find out more about him. We got back into the truck and drove back to the old farm house. He turned on the heat and looked over at me before stepping out. “Stay here, I’ll let her know we are finished here.”
“It’s a little late, isn’t it?”
“We said we would be back, and the light is still on.” He stepped out, closing his door behind him, and walked to the back. He opened the tailgate. I watched as he uncovered a huge cage and inside was a sleeping coyote. When he pulled the cage, the animal hopped to its feet. My partner lifted the cage as if it were nothing and carried it up to the door. He then knocked. The little old lady nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of the creature in the cage. Her hand went to her heart. I hope she didn’t have a heart attack. He shook her hand, returned back to the truck, and loaded the cage back up.
At T&J, Jay charged for trappings and exterminations, but people had no idea what their money really went toward. At first, I felt like I was somehow cheating these people out of their money. Jay explained how they were paying for their safety like they would with a security system. It did make sense. We couldn’t tell them what they were really paying for. We would never get another work call again. I found out later, Jay and Gage both have actual exterminator certifications. I thought at one time I should go for one, but bugs and I don’t mix. Gage got back int
o the truck and put on his seat belt.
As we headed back toward my home, I thought about how it felt to have his arm around me, how I wanted him to do more than hold me. The deceleration of the truck broke into my thoughts. It came to a stop and Gage put the truck in park.
He looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes, “I figured we could cuddle some more before we headed back,” he wiggled his eyebrows. I looked at him with wide eyes and he started to laugh. “Relax, Jess. I need to let our little friend go,” he snickered but scanned me once more while licking his lips. I was sure he didn’t mean for me to see it, but I did.
He stepped out onto the dirt road and walked to the back of the truck. I scanned the dark fields around us. Crops of cotton and wheat were the only things for several miles. He lifted the latch on the cage door and open it. The coyote jumped from the cage and hit the ground running. Gage closed everything up and climbed back in the warm cab with me.
“Ready to eat?”
“I guess I could go for a shake or something small.”
“Good,” he smiled and started down the dark road again.
CHAPTER
3
At the fast-food restaurant, I ordered a chocolate shake and a vanilla cone in a cup. Gage gave me a strange look but didn’t comment. I was also sure to get an order of chicken strips. He ordered himself a triple-stack onion burger with cheese and chili fries.
“You are welcome to eat at my place.” It was all I could think of. I wanted to talk to him alone in the solitude of my home and find out more about him.
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
I smiled, “If I minded I wouldn’t have said anything.” He insisted on paying for all the food and we headed out. We pulled up in the driveway behind my house and next to my old faded red truck. The brakes squeal, the shocks were going out, and it sounded like a dying dinosaur, but it was mine. I stepped out of his truck onto my sore feet and we walked up to the house when I heard Tank barking. “Do you like dogs?”
Hunting Jessica Page 2