“This wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't brought the one damn agent in the Venator Inmortuorum who could do anything into it.” He told me. “Those fellas in Wichita were mine.”
“They were killing people.” I said, fighting against the pain.
“Let her go!” Celeste shouted. She had her gun aimed at him.
“Or what?” he asked, laughing. “There are two possibilities here, and neither are going to end well for you, Agent Marcus.”
“What two?” I asked, trying desperately to buy time to think.
“She fires and hits you instead,” he said, a little chuckle, “Or she doesn't hit you, but I move in plenty of time and she dies a slow and painful death.” Then to her he said “Leave now and when I'm done with them I'll kill you quick. Stick around and there will be more pain than you can imagine.”
“Go Celeste!” Jess shouted. “You're not going to be any help anyway.”
“Bullshit.” she said.
She fired. And hit me in the side.
She shot me! I can't believe she shot me!
But Alejandro let go of me and was now on top of her, pinning her to the floor. He was so fast!
I lunged his direction, ignoring the pain in my leg, heel, and side. Jess beat me to him. She had her arm around his neck from behind, but I already heard the cracking of bones coming from Celeste. His hands were on her face and neck, and he was leaning in with his teeth bared.
Celeste was screaming out in pain, which was actually a good sign because it meant she was still alive. At least for now. I hoped more than anything that I could save her right then. I didn't want to lose her.
I kicked him with the bad foot again, landing a blow to the side if his face, just missing Jessica's arm. It distracted him enough that he turned his head toward me and I kicked him in the teeth. I broke one off, but he just laughed and spit it out.
I pulled my foot back for another kick and before I could land it his hand shot out and grabbed my foot, sending me tumbling. I struggled back toward him, crawling now. But before I got there I saw Celeste's hand swing toward him. He turned to her just in time for the tip of the blade from the broken sword, which she apparently had found, to slam directly into his left eye.
He let out a loud roar and flopped backwards, sending him and Jess both away from Celeste and me. He rose to his feet, screaming as he gripped at the blade sticking three inches out from his eye.
“You bitch!” he shouted.
Meanwhile Jess had found the remaining two foot length of the sword and made her way back to him. She swung hard at his leg, slicing almost all the way through his right leg, making him fall to the floor. I made it to them in time to grab the leg and twist it until it came off.
Jess swung again and again, leaving cuts all over his body as he wailed and writhed on the concrete. I got to my feet-- or at least the good foot-- and grabbed the sword from Jessica's hands.
“Get Celeste out of here.” I told her.
“Brynne,” Jess said.
“I've got it.”
“Are you sure?” she glanced from me to him and back. “I don't want to leave you here alone, honey.”
“I need to end this myself.” I told her.
“You sure?”
“I'll be fine.” I said, nodding.
She went over to Celeste and lifted her up. Celeste was groaning and crying, but they made their way from the room. I limped to a spot near Alejandro's head.
“You killed my family.” I said.
“Shoulda killed you!” he managed.
“You killed so many people, you heartless monster.”
“They deserved to die!” he said. He caught site of the sword with his good eye and figured out what I was planning. “But I saved you, Brynne.” he said softly. “I could've killed you. I made you immortal, I gave you a life most girls only dream of.”
“You call this a dream? I call it a nightmare.”
“I can make this better.” he pleaded. “We can... we can save lives, if that's what you want. Just help me.”
“Alejandro,”
“Please, Brynne. One more chance?”
“Too late for that.”
I swung the sword down, decapitating him. I kicked his head across the room and wobbled toward the door, not bothering to look back.
Jess was waiting for me just out in the hallway, holding up a still sobbing Celeste. They both gave me a long look. Celeste's eyes begged me to tell her that it all hadn't happened, that it was all a dream.
“It's done.” I said, feeling like I could join in Celeste's sob-fest, but really just too numb to cry. “All this time I thought he was dead.”
“Are you okay?” Jess asked.
“Are you?” I returned.
“A little banged up, but okay. How is your leg?” she asked, looking down.
“I broke my ankle, and it's going to need some attention pretty quickly or it'll start to heal in the wrong position and have to be rebroken to straighten it out.”
“Ouch.” she said, nodding.
“My arm is a mess.” I said, tugging at it and wincing.
“Maybe we can have the doctors look at it.” she said.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“We have to get Celeste to the hospital.”
“Jess,”
“He broke her cheek bone, I think.”
“It's too dangerous to go to the hospital.” Celeste mumbled, echoing my thoughts.
“You need help.” Jess told her.
“Not here.” I said. “We need to take her somewhere they won't think to look for her.”
“You think Miranda and Marissa will bother with her?” Jess asked, looking skeptical.
“No,” I said.
“The VI.” Celeste mumbled.
We went out to the car, Jess helping Celeste and me hopping along beside them. Jess drove us to Emporia, over an hour away, before finding an emergency room.
A doctor took care of my leg and arm while another took care of Celeste. Her cheekbone would require an operation to put in a small plate and screws, and she'd be in the hospital a couple of days, according to the doctor. And my leg and arm required casts. They somehow missed the bullet wound in my side, thankfully.
Explaining our injuries was more difficult than I figured it would be. My first explanation of a car accident didn't sit well, and they wanted to call the police. But eventually we convinced them that we had a dune buggy and were racing it around on a farm several miles away. It was being driven by a friend who had had too much to drink, and we came over a bit of a hill and hit a ditch, causing it to flip and throw us out. Celeste played the part of my step-mother, and we didn't have insurance. They seemed to buy it. Sort of.
I got a little scared, though, when I remembered that there were several dead bodies in a building, just waiting to be discovered. We might look slightly more suspicious if that little tidbit got out. Luckily that old mall was abandoned, and I figured it would be days before anyone noticed the bodies. Hopefully by then we'd be long gone.
“Why are we avoiding the VI now?” Jess asked, when we were alone finally. “Surely they will know how to clean up this mess, right? And we have proof who the real killers were.”
“Yes, and Celeste's father wasn't acting alone, Jess. No way.”
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.” I told her. “Someone was reporting that Roderick was still in France. Plus, Alejandro kind of said Paolo was the only one who would stop him. The way he said it makes me think he has people on the inside. Plus, they were awfully quick to go after you. Almost like they were just waiting for say so. Like they were waiting for the evidence to be planted to frame you for killing those kids.”
“Sounds ridiculous to me.”
“We'll have to ask Celeste more later. I don't think we can trust anyone anymore.”
“Well we can't wait around here forever. Someone needs to stop
Marissa and Miranda,”
“And whoever else is with them.” I added.
“And someone may figure out where we are before long.”
“I'm sure they will be watching the hospitals, if Marissa and Miranda reported in anyway.”
“So what's the plan?” she asked.
“Tomorrow, if we get a chance, we get Celeste and get out of here. My leg and arm should be better in a couple of days and we can go after them.”
Monday, June 16
When I woke in the morning Jess was there with me. She squeezed my hand.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Much better.” I replied. “How is Celeste?”
“She's actually doing okay. In some pain, but basically okay.”
“How is she dealing with losing her dad?”
“I don't think it has sunk in yet.” she said. She leaned close to me. “Brynne, the nurses and doctors aren't buying the car wreck story at all, and I think it would be a good idea to get out of here as soon as you're able.”
“Um,” I did a quick self assessment, “I think I can go now, if Celeste is ready.”
“We can't leave her here?” she asked.
“Jess,”
“I don't think anyone is going to mess with her in here.”
“Jess... I don't think we can trust anyone anymore, and we have no idea if they will hurt her or not. I just think...”
“Okay, okay.” she said, sighing.
Her phone rang in her purse. I'm not sure how she managed to not lose her purse during everything that went on yesterday, but she had it there with her. She looked at the screen and then mouthed “Barney” to me before she answered.
“They left a note.” I heard Barney say. Sometimes I wonder if I'm eavesdropping in times like this, but I'm really glad I can hear their conversation this time because Barney sounds like he's sobbing, and this can't be good. “They're dead, Jessica.” he choked out.
“Who? Barney...”
“Mom and Dad... they...”
“What!?”
Jess dropped the phone. I shot my hand out and caught it as it fell. Jess's face completely drained of color.
“Barney?” I said into the phone. “This is Br...”
“They killed them!” he shouted.
It took several minutes for me to coax from him details of what happened. It was hard, because I was crying too. Ted and Peggy were parents to me too. Sort of adoptive, but I love-- loved them like parents, and I know they loved me.
The note was clearly from Marissa. She didn't sign it, but the note spoke to me directly. It said Alejandro should never have created me. It said they were going to get their revenge. It said this was only the beginning.
Thursday , June 19
My broken bones were mostly healed, but I knew that if Marissa and Miranda or their allies attacked us during the funeral Jess and I were going to be lucky to be able to protect Barney. It made me nervous. It was also very difficult to concentrate on protecting him or ourselves with the overwhelming sadness that enveloped me, and especially Jess.
We did everything we could to avoid speaking to the police. Barney hid the note, and we stuck with the story that we had no idea what was going on whenever we did have to answer questions. They spent a lot of time asking if we knew anyone who had any animus against Ted and Peggy, and we all managed to lie through our teeth on that front. We just flat out denied any knowledge of what happened or why.
Celeste brought up the possibility that the VI, or at least those within it who supported her father, may come for us during the funeral. They would know exactly where to find us. But there was no choice, we had to go. We owed it to Peggy, to Ted, and especially to Barney.
After the funeral we went back to the house to gather what we wanted of our things and of Ted and Peggy's. Jess and I knew we would not be able to come back for a long time. The VI and Marissa and Miranda made it too dangerous for us there.
“Where do we find them?” Barney asked. “I want to be the one who finishes them off.”
“Um,” I glanced at Jess before continuing. “Barney, you can't... I mean...”
“It's too dangerous for you.” Celeste told him. “We'll take care of them, I assure you.”
“Uh, no, it's too dangerous for you too.” Jess told her.
“There is no way I'm not going along on this.” She said. “If you try to do that then I'll find them on my own.” Tears trickled down her face. “They can't be allowed to get by with this.”
“Celeste, you're just not equipped to deal with...” Jess began.
I have no idea what else she said, because just then I got a text from Marissa.
Wonder who is next. Who else does Brynney Brynne care about? Adoptive family? Taken care of... mostly. Other friends, loved ones... even one from the past? Hm... where to first?
“We all go.” I said. “Now.”
“Go where?” Jess asked, exasperated that I changed my mind.
“Georgia.” I said. “I think they're going after Teresa.”
Mon day, June 23
I saw her walking across the mall parking lot, hand in hand with a tall girl. She smiled and laughed as she glanced about. I saw her eyes land on me, then turn away, only to come back and focus directly into my eyes.
She was still beautiful.
She turned and mumbled something to the girl she was walking with, I couldn't make out what, and the girl let go of her hand. The girl had a frown on her face, but walked away, leaving Teresa standing there alone.
I walked toward her, leaving Barney and his cache of weapons, Celeste with her still injured cheek bone, and Jess all behind.
“Brynne,” she said. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I'm good, how are you Teresa?” I said. Then I realized that wasn't what she asked. “Oh, I mean... I mean I just was, um, in the area and thought I'd drop by and say hi.”
“Oh.” she smiled. “Hi.”
“How have you been? You, um, look good.”
“Oh.” She blushed. “I'm pretty good. You?”
“Same as always.” I said, shrugging.
“Good.” she said. “I think.” She smiled.
“Well,” I shrugged again. “Anyway... um...”
“You look exactly the same.” she said, laughing. “Not that you would look different.”
“You do. Look different.” I said. “Older... but in a good way. More mature.”
“I guess.” she said, shrugging.
“More ready...” I said, pausing. She still made my heart beat fast, just being near her. “More ready for a relationship?”
“Brynne,” she sighed. “I have a girlfriend.”
“I know. I... I didn't mean with me.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I am more ready. And so are my parents.”
“Plus you don't have to deal with me being a vampire if we aren't together.” I said.
“There's that.” she said sheepishly. “What happened to the 'I'm not a vampire!' argument?” she asked, laughing.
“I'm learning that words matter less than deeds. If vampire is the closest description for what I am, I'm okay with it.”
And it's weird, but I think I am. Honestly, who really cares anymore? Am I a monster? Sometimes. Am I a killing machine? To a certain degree. But I am not on the level that Marissa and Miranda are, and definitely not what Alejandro was.
“How is everyone?” Teresa asked.
“Not bad.” I told her, trying to smile and trying to force myself not to think about Ted and Peggy. She didn't need to know about that.
“Why are you really here?” she asked. She was looking past me.
“Hi!” Celeste said loudly. Not sure what she is doing over here. “You must be Teresa.”
“Yes.” Teresa said. Her eyes narrowed. “I am.”
“Oh, I'm Celeste.” she extended her hand toward Teresa. “Brynne's girlfriend.”
“Sweetie, we need to get moving. We'll be late.” Celeste said to me.
“Uh,” Late for what? “Yeah. Um... it was really good to see you, Teresa.” I said.
“Good to see you.” she replied.
“See you around.” I said. Celeste grabbed onto my hand and pulled me as she stepped away.
“Maybe it's better if you didn't, Brynne.” Teresa said. Her voice was strained. “Better for all involved.”
She turned and hurried away, toward the tall girl who was now waiting near the entrance to the mall.
“Girlfriend?” I asked Celeste, as I watched Teresa go.
“I don't know.” she told me. “Maybe not, but we're something anyway. We can figure out just what that is when this is all over.”
Betrayal: Book 2 of the Non-Vampire Series Page 16