Gage whispered in the vampire’s ear, “I don’t think so.” Gage was enraged. Something was different about his eyes. They looked bigger somehow. I couldn’t place it, and I didn’t have time to. Another male vampire was coming up the basement stairs behind Gage. I could have sworn that room was clear.
“Watch out,” I yelled.
He took Gage by the shoulders. His blade hit the floor and with one swift move, Gage reached back and grabbed the vampire’s head. He threw his hips back, pulling the vampire over his shoulder. The skinny vampire landed with his back on the floor. Gage took him by the throat and slammed him into the wall. He was tossing this vampire around like a rag doll. I had never seen anything like it. Vampires were strong, but he couldn’t get a hold of Gage at all. Even the young ones are fast but he couldn’t do anything. Gage turned him around and put the vampire in a choke hold, one arm under the chin, one behind the head and broke his neck. He picked up his huge knife and chopped the vampire’s head off.
He seemed so pleased with himself. He walked over to the one who attacked me and cut his head off too. A loud noise made me turn and aim my gun. Something slammed into the wall from outside and I heard a deep growl. It was menacing and caused the hair to stand up on my arms. Jay and Rayce must have captured the stray vampires before they could escape.
I looked at Dawn and her dead eyes were forever staring at me. The sound of the walkie-talkie startled me. “We got them,” Jay announced. Gage replied and returned to Dawn’s dead body. He closed her eyes gently and held her hand close to his chest.
I walked over to him. “Gage, there is nothing more we can do.”
“I know.” He placed her hand on her chest and left her while we gathered the other bodies. He carried them all down into the darkness.
“What do you want to do with Dawn?”
He stopped and looked at her again, “Leave her until Jay comes in. He will know what he wants us to do.”
He carried her to the living room area and set her down gently. I leaned up against a wall, slid to the floor, and pulled my knees up and sat back. The smell of vampire and death was thick in the small hall way. I couldn’t wait to get out of this disgusting shack of a house. I ran my hand through my hair. It was all gross and tangled, I really needed to cut it. I wanted to go home and shower.
Jay walked in with a vampire under his arm. He was holding it like a football under one arm with ease. All the men who worked for Jay were strong. The body looked so limp in his grasp. He tossed the body on the floor, almost hitting my feet, and told Gage to add it to the pile. He looked at Jay with a go-to-hell look on his face. He bent and picked up the body and turned to go down the stairs without a word. Something was strange about my boss. He looked different. His body was all red like he had a sunburn.
“When you get back up here, add her to the pile too,” he instructed. I gasped. I might not have liked Dawn but she was one of our people. “Do you have a problem with that, Jessica?”
“Well, I do, actually. She worked for you, she died for you. I figured you would have a little bit more respect for her than that.”
He looked at her for a long time and then to me. “Nope, I don’t,” he said making the P pronounced with a pop of his lips. It bothered him, I could tell. “We all know the risk.”
Gage picked Dawn up carefully and carried her into the deep dark basement, her forever resting place. He and our boss also got the decomposing bodies from the third room we had searched. I couldn’t even get close to them. I finally got to my feet and walked outside for some fresh air. Rayce was over by Dawn’s car putting his shoes on. “What the hell?”
Jay brought a gas can in and poured it all over the bodies. Then he led a trail with the gas all the way to the front door. Gage and I were standing next to his truck. Rayce was leaning up against Dawn’s car smoking a cigarette. He was staring at me. I looked to the ground and back in his direction through my lashes. He was still looking and it made me smile. Jay got into his truck and Gage and I got into his. Rayce climbed his long body into Dawn’s vehicle and flicked his cigarette. The house went up in a spectacular blaze with a whoosh.
CHAPTER
6
“I need a bath and food.”
Gage was leaning against the kitchen counter with his nose in his phone. He was constantly engrossed in the tiny glowing screen. I do love technology but he was practically married to his phone. “I can order some pizza if you want to go jump in the tub.”
“That would be great. Thanks.”
“Any particular toppings?”
I turned and he was typing on his phone now. It was childish on my part to be jealous, but I wanted his attention like before. Since moving in, he seemed distant.
“Is supreme ok?”
His gray eyes finally landing on me and he smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
He could still get me with that damn smile. It was enough to knock a swooning woman on her ass and mine was sore. I started up the stairs and my stomach growled in anticipation of food, but I had to get myself clean. I was filthy and my clothes, hair, and even skin smelled of death and vampire. I walked into my room and started to remove my clothes. My back and feet hurt.
As I sat on the edge of my bed to remove my boots, I thought about Dawn. I thought we would have words or even maybe a fist fight after our hunt tonight. The tension between us was beyond high, but we ended up burning her body instead. I hated it. I have only witnessed one other fall of my fellow hunters. His name was Clayton. He was a young guy with not much going for him, other than mixed martial arts skills. Jay hired him because of those skills but they could not save him from a bite.
I pulled the elastic band from my hair and it took some of the strands with it. I reached back and unhooked my bra and tossed it onto a chair. There was no better feeling. When I stood to unbutton my jeans, I hear a familiar creak of the stairs. I looked at my door and saw it was wide open and Gage was headed toward his bedroom. I sprinted to the door and closed it.
“What was I thinking?” I covered my mouth and smiled into my palm. I was embarrassed but also pleased he had seen me. I wondered if he liked what he saw. We had been living together for quite a while now, but there was never anything inappropriate between us. Flirting was the extent of our interactions.
After filling the tub up and adding bubbles, I lowered myself into the warm water. It felt good to relax for a minute. After washing and soaking for a moment, I dunked my head into the warm water. For a moment, everything was fine, until I saw Dawn’s dead eyes staring back at me. I quickly come up out of the water, slashing it all over the floor. After a second of composing myself, I looked at the floor.
“Shit.”
I grabbed a towel and put it on the spill so I don’t slip when I got out. After the dirty water drained out of the tub, I closed the curtain and started the shower. It rained on me and washed the dirty water away. I washed my body and turned off the water.
The thought of Dawn surprised me. Her eyes still looked so alive. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she wasn’t dead and burned in the basement of the old shack of a house. I sat at my vanity and looked at the face staring back at me in the mirror. I looked tired with dark, half-moon circles under my eyes. I put moisturizer on my face and heard a knock at my room door. My roommate was on the other side.
“Food is here.”
“That was quick.”
“It’s been a forty-five-minutes.”
“Oh, ok, thanks.” I hadn’t realized I had been in the bath that long. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
I quickly dressed and headed down toward the glorious scent of melted cheese and onions. As I walked into the kitchen I stopped at the sight. Gage was dressed in sweat pants and a tight white tank top. I took the chance to check him out. His butt looked tight in those cotton pants. His tattoos came together across his back. He was too busy picking pieces of sausage off the pizza and popping them into his mouth to notice me. Tank was sitting on the floor next to
him and ignoring me. Though Gage had been here this long, Tank still growled at his every move. Now, he’s his best friend because he has pizza. I didn’t like it.
“Tank.” I clapped my hands. “Out.” He ran out of the kitchen.
“He wasn’t bothering me.”
“I know, but it bothers me for him to beg, especially from a stranger. No offence.”
He smiled at me, “None taken, Jess.”
Do you want a beer?” I didn’t drink all the time but I enjoyed a cold brew with pizza.
“I would love one. Thanks.” My roommate took the pizza box and a roll of paper towels into the living room.
I handed him his bottle and sat down, snatching the remote before he could. While Gage ate, I found our usual primetime comedy series. It was nice to sit and laugh with someone. Being with someone made comedy even funnier. I was in a good mood after a horrible night. I was even relaxed enough to drink more than intended. Gage made a point to bring me a new beer when he got one. Two hours passed and I had consumed four long necks. Needless to say, I was buzzed.
Gage was at the other end of the couch with his beer in between his legs. He was watching the TV show and I was watching him. At the next commercial, and before I could get a syllable out, he gave Tank a pizza crust. My dog gobbled it down and began to beg for more.
“Gage,” I snapped.
“What?” he smiled over at me and his face sank. “Shit, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
I stood up quickly, almost too quickly. The room tilted and I had to catch myself on the arm of the couch. “That is something you can’t forget. It’s important to me.”
He stood up and approached me, “Jessica, I’m sorry.” I was trying to remain mad at him but he smiled down at me. He grabbed my waist and made me face him. His touch made all my anger fade away. I didn’t want to be angry, I wanted to be naughty. “Come on. Don’t be mad at me.”
Against my better judgment, I made the move I had been longing for him to make. I grabbed his stubbled face and pressed my lips to his quickly. He didn’t push me away, but didn’t embrace me either. I pulled away quickly and gasp. I stepped away from his touch. “I’m sorry.”
He snickered and reached for me, but didn’t touch, “Don’t be. It’s alright.”
“No, I shouldn’t have done that.” I stepped back, “I need to go to bed.” I turned for the stairs but tripped over one of Tank’s bones. I nearly collided with the banister but Gage caught me. Being in his strong arms made everything wake up again. My intoxicated mind wanted to kiss him again but it was wrong, and absolutely the wrong time. I couldn’t think.
“Let me help you up to bed.”
“Thanks, but that is probably not a good idea.”
“Nonsense.” Before I knew what to do, he lifted me up into his arms and began to carry me upstairs. The thought of him in my bed excited me. My head was spinning. I could feel him pulling the blankets back on my bed and lowering me into it. He tried to pull away from me but I didn’t want to let go. I opened my eyes and looked into his.
“They are back to normal,” I stated with a smile.
He gave me a confused look, “What’s back to normal, sweet heart?”
“Your eyes. They are gray again,” I explained sleepily. I distinctly remember them being different back at the shack.
“Jess, you’re drunk. Go to sleep.” He softly pushed my hair away from my face. I grabbed his hand and kissed his palm, it was calloused on the pads. Then I placed his hand on my cheek, closed my eyes, and leaned into it. It was rough against the tender skin of my face but I didn’t care. I reached up, put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to me. I wanted to kiss him but he stopped me.
“Please don’t stop me.”
“You’re drunk.” He leaned in and kissed me on the corner of my mouth. Not quite touching my lips but not quite my cheek either. “Get some sleep, sexy. I’ll see you in the morning.” I turned over and I felt him tuck the blankets around me and I drifted off to sleep.
When I woke the next morning, Tank was scratching and whining at the back door. I let him out for his morning business while I made coffee. The house was quiet, giving me time to reflect on the night before. “I can’t believe I made a move on him. I shouldn’t be alone with people. Note to self: Don’t put moves on your roommate, stupid.”
Tank was scratching at the back door to come in. Something felt strange. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was almost like I was forgetting something. I shrugged it off and let the dog back in before heading upstairs to get dressed. I didn’t have much to do today. T&J was closed to the public. Not that Jay wouldn’t call me if he wanted. He has done it before. He has called me out on a late-night hunt in the woods many times. I only hoped I could actually relax today. My body was sore. When I came back down the stairs, I heard a crunching sound, almost a grinding. I entered the kitchen, and Tank was on the floor chewing on something.
“Tank, what do you have?” I walked over and he had a human hand in his mouth. I jumped back, “DROP IT!” I pointed my finger and he dropped the half-eaten hand and ran from the kitchen. “What the fuck?”
A human hand was sitting in the middle of my kitchen floor. It wasn’t bleeding. It had no blood left. The skin had shifted from what was probably once a gorgeous mocha to a disgusting gray. The pretty manicure had been destroyed by Tank. A woman had been killed within a day.
Nothing like this had ever happened before. I got under the sink, found my yellow cleaning gloves, and took out a brown paper bag from the laundry room. I kept looking around like someone was watching me. I bent and went to pick up the hand. When I did, one of the fingers was dangling by a piece of skin. I nearly barfed all over the floor. I might be a hunter, but things which had to do with human death made me sick. I put it in the bag and closed it, crumpling the top. With the bag in my hand, I held on to the table for support, in case I passed out. I took a few deep breaths and cleared my head. I peered out the kitchen window and Gage’s truck was gone.
I stepped out into the back yard in hopes I wouldn’t discover a dead body of a woman. To my relief, I didn’t find the owner of the hand. When I turned back to the house, something caught my eye. Under my windshield wiper was a dirty piece of paper. I flipped it over and a scribbly script read: ENJOY YOUR GIFT BITCH!
“What the shit is this?” I stood holding the note and looked all around the yard as if the person who left it were still around. I crumpled the note into my fist and returned inside. I sat at the kitchen table and began to wonder who the hell would leave me a note, and obviously the hand was the gift. “What sort of sick pervert would do something like this?”
I put the note in a drawer, placed the paper bag in a plastic one and crammed it into my freezer. I would bring it to Gage’s attention once he returned. It could have something to do with him. Maybe it was his crazy ex-girlfriend.
The last thing I wanted to think about was grocery shopping after finding that, but it had to be done. Gage had given me extra money for shopping. If I didn’t shop, we clearly don’t eat. During the drive to Pony City, my mind was restless. It was racing with thoughts of human hands, Dawn dying, and the ongoing strange animal sightings. I had been snooping around but Jay had kept me too busy to focus. My trips to the library were uneventful as well. All the earlier reports seemed to have disappeared or didn’t exist in the old newspaper archives. Even the internet was limited. I still didn’t believe these killing or slaughters weren’t caused by vampires. I knew, deep in my bones, it was something else. Something strange.
I finished all my shopping but couldn’t resist hitting the shoe area. I was always on the lookout for a new pair of boots. Nothing too flashy. Army meets Bondage sex-kitten was my style. I found some knee-high boots with belt buckles up the side, which would be perfect for stashing my knife. I tried them on and fell in love with them. Maybe Gage would like them too. I paid for my things and left the store two-hundred dollars poorer. I couldn’t think anymore and turned o
n the radio. I had a tender heart for 80’s rock and when a good song came on, I turned it almost all the way up. I sang along with the music, trying to drown out my worries.
The sun was setting quickly. I had lost time shopping for boots. I had never meant to be out so late. I hit the gas, trying to beat the night. Before starting this job, I remember being able to enjoy a gorgeous Oklahoma sunset. Now, I had to be inside before the sun disappeared. I happened to leave the house without anything to protect myself, and I wasn’t exactly a fan of vampires. Five miles from home, the sun finally set. With a dim blue still in the sky, I noticed something outside my passenger window. It resembled a dog. I swerved a little because it got close to my rear tire. I would hate to kill someone’s dog.
I took another look before my exit into town but couldn’t see anything anymore. I relaxed a fraction but my mind was filled with thoughts of the creatures again. Devils Bend was quiet but the street lights hadn’t come on yet. While sitting at the one stop light, I saw a large dark mass jump behind my vehicle. I gasped. It was certainly not a dog. Fear of the creature forced me to hit the gas against my will, causing me to run the red light. Red and blue lights flashed in my rearview.
“Shit,” I grumbled and pulled over. I had never been pulled over in town. “Sorry, officer. I saw a monster and freaked. Sure, that will work.” I pulled my insurance verification and license out of my bag before turning down the music. I watched and waited for the cop to get out of his car but he was taking forever. Probably running my tag. As if he didn’t know who I was already. I was already the talk of the town because of having family money and having bought the old Victorian.
Hunting Jessica Page 5