‘What sort of car is it?’ said Morven.
‘It’s a Hummer. Sweet as…’
Words seemed to fail Zest and he turned the engine over. Its throaty roar filled the sleeping street. Zest pulled away.
Some of Morven’s anxiety subsided as Zest proved to be an accomplished driver, handling the huge vehicle like a rally car competitor. He drove fast but carefully through the lamp lit streets. As the houses became further apart, and the sets of traffic lights more sporadic, escape seemed more certain.
When they hit the freeway, Morven finally broke the silence. ‘Where are we going?’
‘I told you, my place. Your parents are waiting.’
Morven nodded. And relaxed back in her seat. Nearly there. She glanced at Zest’s profile. ‘Thanks…for everything.’
He didn’t answer but for one brief, sweet moment he placed a hand softly upon her thigh. When he lifted it back to the steering wheel Morven could still feel it, like a hot brand upon her skin.
Chapter 20
Zest wanted to stop the car and kiss Morven until she was unconscious. He wanted to hold her close, really close, to reassure himself that she was actually there. Safe and sound. The fear that had ridden him like a limpet had subsided to a degree. At least she was out of that terrible place. He swore silently to himself that she was never going back. Not while he had breath in his body.
The world slid by like an underexposed photo film. Each kilometre that flowed beneath the wheels increased his confidence. If he could get them home…once they were home, they should be safe for a while. No one knew he was there. What then, he wasn’t sure. Largely it was up to Morven.
There was little traffic. He passed a few heavy trucks heading north, but otherwise he owned the road. Not far to go. Ten minutes, max. Just as he was about to impart this information to Morven, something held his tongue. He concentrated hard, his eyes scanning the mirrors. Perhaps it was just nerves. But then he felt, rather than saw, Morven sit up straighter in her seat.
‘Zest,’ she said softly, ‘do you hear that?’
Zest cursed quietly. It was unlikely they were both hearing things. He did not reply, not wanting to make any noise. And then he heard it again. The distant but undeniable jarring, pulsating sound of sirens. Behind him Dog set up a low, persistent growl. Coloured lights danced in his rear mirror like disco lights. Red and blue. There must be at least four cars in hot pursuit.
‘Hang on!’ he yelled as he planted his foot. The Hummer hummed happily as it accelerated like a racehorse out of a starting barrier. In seconds he’d doubled the lead. If he could just get ahead they might be able to pull off into the forest that flanked the road for kilometres. It would be easy enough to make the rest of the trip on foot. In fact, a night run would be kinda good. Elvis would take a bit of smoothing over though. He loved the Hummer like a child.
‘Can you still hear them?’ he said to Morven as he slowed a fraction.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Wait. Yes. But — ‘
‘But what?’
‘It’s coming from in front. Not behind.’
In an instant Zest realised what was going on. The police were travelling toward them as well. Soon they’d be caught between the two. The narrow strip of greenery that split the four lanes would be no barrier if they were determined. ‘Damn it.’
‘What’ll we do?’
Zest could hear the panic in Morven’s voice. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘it’s nothing we can’t handle.’ But in all honesty he was not so confident. Best bet was to just keep going, no matter what. The forest loomed ahead. Nearly there. He checked his rear mirror. No lights.
‘Zest, watch out!’
From the centre of the road a pair of bright yellow eyes flared in the dark. A young fox cub stood frozen in the white car lights. Without thinking Zest planted his foot and swerved hard, missed the cub and went into a wild skid. Instinctively he began to correct the car and was nearly back on track when a motor cycle, lights blazing, zipped across from the other side of the freeway. For one horrible moment Zest thought he was going to hit it. With one hand on the park brake the giant car came to a squealing, bone-shattering stop.
‘Shit, shit, and double shit,’ Zest said between clenched teeth. He crunched through the gears and went into reverse.
‘Zest, they’re coming.’
Morven’s voice sounded reedy thin, as if her airway was restricted. She was right though. Four cars were bearing down from behind and more were coming from ahead. Running out of options, Zest took the only one left. Like a man possessed he planted his foot and took off across the bitumen, heading for a fence and the paddock that lay beyond.
‘Hang on!’ he yelled. He braced himself for the impact. It never came. The engine stalled, started, stalled again, and then…stopped. Zest was utterly confounded. What the hell had happened? It took a minute, but then it sank in.
‘What’s wrong, why have we stopped?’ said Morven urgently.
For a moment Zest considered a lie. The truth was profoundly embarrassing. Definitely uncool. He smacked his hand on the dash in frustration. He couldn’t believe he was so dumb. ‘Morven, I’m sorry, but we’ve run out of fuel.’
Morven gave him an incredulous look. Then she shook her head. ‘Never mind, let’s get out of here.’
Of course, she was right. It wasn’t the time for recriminations. The police were pouring in. He could hear car doors slamming and the metallic crackle of walkie-talkies. Lights strobed through the darkness. Sirens screamed.
‘Get in front of the car,’ Zest urged. But she was already there waiting for him with Dog. Damn, but she was fast.
A loud voice rang out. ‘Hold it, right there!’
Zest stopped. He could see Morven’s face, pale as fine china, turn red then blue then red.
‘Drop your weapons. Come out with your hands on your heads. You are surrounded.’
And it was true. Zest could sense them everywhere. He could hear the creak of their holsters, the tap of their shoes and smell of the adrenaline fizzing out of their bare skin. Soon they’d be on them.
‘Morven, run!’ he screamed.
Feet pounded over the bitumen, voices cracked with fear. ‘Get down on your knees or I’ll shoot!’
But Zest did not hear. High above, a breeze blew in from the sea. It whipped the clouds into ragged strips and the moon bobbed out. Bright and round and silver. She smiled.
A shot rang out. Zest felt a sting as a bullet grazed his leg. Then moonlight bathed his body and he felt his mind snap. And he let go. Finally, he ceased the struggle. As the chemicals surfed through his arteries the muscles of his body felt as if they were on fire. The cloth of his shirt split as he strained to cast off his other self. Like a snake shedding a skin. Or a caterpillar bursting through its chrysalis. Free…at last.
A surge of emotion ripped through him. It was all he had feared and all he had hoped. The power and the glory. Unable to contain his exhilaration he lifted his head and howled his thanks. And then he was back. Back among the chaos and pandemonium. As he turned to find Morven, he heard the whine of a bullet. Effortlessly he twisted, turned and caught the tiny missile neatly on the wing. Like an inverted Mexican wave, silence spread through the waiting, watching ranks. Zest laughed. He lifted his right hand and gestured, inviting them closer. ‘Bring it on.’ he said.
One officer, perhaps braver than the rest, perhaps more foolish, lifted his revolver. ‘One move from you, Wolfie, and the girl gets it.’
And this time, Morven laughed. As graceful as a gazelle she danced up onto the roof of a car and stared defiantly down at the armed men. ‘If you want it,’ she said succinctly, ‘come and get it.’
Zest nearly burst with pride. That was his girl alright. The moment was lost as a gun went off. This time he was not the target. And quite frankly — he wasn’t allowing that. His heart missed several beats as Morven looked down, wide-eyed with surprise, at a small hole in her shirt. Zest snarled and pulled the supple sword fr
om his waist. With almost deceptive ease he flicked his wrist. There was a faint metallic hiss. The policeman blinked and crumpled to the ground. His head rolled away, the eyes still open.
A flash of moonlight on metal caught his attention. With one mighty bound he leapt over the vehicle and headed toward Morven. As his feet skimmed over the earth, he felt…invincible.
Chapter 21
Morven thrust her shock aside. The ominous click of guns meant there was no time for speculation. It was time to kick some butt. Time to find out exactly what she was made of.
She pushed effortlessly off the car roof. Landed in the shadow of a young female officer. And smiled. The girl turned a lighter shade of pale and passed out. A bit disappointing really because Morven was just itching for a fight. Something hard jabbed her in the small of her back.
‘Hands up! Now!’
A man. She could smell fear oozing out of him like cream from an éclair. In one smooth motion she stood up on the tips of one foot, pirouetted and kicked the gun out of the officer’s hands, high into the night sky.
‘Shit,’ he said. And rolled underneath his patrol car. Morven caught the pistol. And turned just in time to avoid a fountain of bullets spraying from an enthusiastic semi-automatic. Bullets pinged and ricocheted off the surrounding vehicles. Bodies ducked for cover. An eerie silence descended over the moonlit landscape.
She sensed he was there before he spoke.
‘Morven. You okay?’
She glanced over her shoulder into Zest’s glowing green eyes. ‘Never better,’ she said.
The air filled with the throb of helicopter blades.
‘Let’s go,’ said Zest.
Without a word she turned and headed west, toward the cover of the forest. As if by silent agreement their foes broke cover. Bullets whined and sang around them. Overhead the helicopter tore through the darkness. The generated wind ripped into the trees that groaned and bowed their heads helplessly. But Morven and Zest were close to their goal now. A few more metres and they’d be under the shielding canopy of the trees.
‘No!’ It was a scream of rage and frustration. Morven’s heart nearly burst. Zest! She slid to a stop and looked around. At first she was confused. Zest seemed to have vanished. Then she saw him. The copter had dropped a net neatly over him. He was hopelessly entangled. A thrashing mass of fury and frustration. Without thinking she headed back toward him.
‘Morven!’ he screamed. ‘No! Run!’
Morven pretended not to hear. The helicopter was very loud. When she reached him the helicopter was settling down to earth like an overgrown dragonfly. Zest was bound up like a fly in a web.
His claws curled through the mesh. His white teeth gleamed in the moonlight as a deep growl of anguish escaped him. ‘Morven, for God’s sake, run. I’ll be fine.’
She smiled. ‘I know you will.’ Slowly and deliberately she turned her back on him. She watched in a detached manner as two men dressed in army fatigues spilled out of the stationary flying machine. The heavy mob had arrived.
They split up and circled away in opposite directions. The soldier to her right lobbed something through the air. It landed and rolled lazily to a stop ten metres to her right. A grenade. She swooped in and grasped it, picked it up and tossed it back. One man down. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dog run to stand over Zest’s prone body.
Instantly she turned, tuned into the other opponent. And she realised, too late, that they’d planned this. Deliberately drawn her away from their quarry. The soldier had cast his weapon artfully. The second grenade landed with a soft thud on the far side of Zest. Clearly she could hear its mechanical heart. Tick. Tick. Tick. For the first time she felt a flicker of fear. She wasn’t going to make it. Her heart seemed to contract and a bubble burst in her brain. And it was like she was skating on thin air. She exploded up and sliced cleanly through the atmosphere. It had barely hit home that she was flying when her feet settled back on terra firma. With a scream of defiance she picked up the bomb and ran, her arm arcing as she went. She tossed it with all her might. It landed in the forest and went off with a mighty bang.
Morven whipped her head around and snarled with rage. The soldier had reached Zest and an irate Dog. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched him prime his gun and take aim. Blood hammered behind her eyes. With a hiss of fury she launched herself up and at him. She landed a satisfying smack in his chest. Now flat on his back, the soldier glared up at her. He was young. He spat in her face. ‘Bitch.’
And the world shimmered and went out. She could smell his blood. Feel it surging through his arteries. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. She inhaled. He smelled…fresh. Untainted. For a moment something tapped gently in her conscious. But then she remembered Zest. Her teeth sank down into the soft white flesh and the blood vessel burst sweetly in her mouth. First blood. So fine.
She jerked back to reality as Dog barked in her ear. She dropped the soldier and whipped around. In the dark she could sense the police milling around. They were disorganised. But not for long. With Dog at her heels she bounded over to Zest.
He stilled his struggles. ‘Knife, jeans back pocket.’
For a moment Morven hesitated. It was silly, but she felt a bit…self-conscious. It didn’t seem right to be putting hands in his pockets. It was uncomfortably close to his butt.
Zest growled softly. ‘Morven, hurry up.’
Grateful for the dark that covered her blushes, Morven wiggled a hand through the net and groped around Zest’s thigh. The soft fur covered a limb that was hard as steel. She tried not to think as her hand slid over his buttock and into the pocket. Thankfully it was the right one. With a firm grip she pulled the blade out. It took several seconds of concerted effort but finally the nylon web fell away. Zest surged to his feet. Morven looked at him, strangely shy. For although he was Zest, he was also something else.
In the moonlight he was massive. His dark coat was glossy and sleek. But not long enough to cover the long, pointed ears, tipped with soft red fur, like a lynx. His green eyes glowed like two gems from the black furry face. Huge teeth gleamed softly. Powerful shoulders rippled beneath the ragged remains of his shirt. His fingernails were gone, replaced by claws that were seriously wicked.
And then his lips drew back in a snarl…no…no….it was a very toothsome smile. And then she could see him. Zest. Underneath that furry pelt he was just Zest.
She grinned back. ‘Woof? Woof?’ she said
Deep in his chest a chuckle rumbled like thunder. He threw back his head and let out a blood-curdling howl. Dog, not to be outdone, joined in. The sound echoed back, as in the distance the wild dogs responded in kind. Silence descended, only broken by the rustle of gumleaves in the wind. A bat flittered by. Dog barked; two short, sharp exclamations.
Zest looked sharply to the south. ‘You’re right, Dog, time to go,’ he said in a voice several octaves deeper than normal. He leant over the dead soldier, confiscated his gun and slipped it into the waistband of his pants. ‘Morven, you alright?’
She opened her mouth to make an affirmative but was distracted as she felt an odd sensation in her abdomen. A tickly, fizzy kind of feeling. A little tentatively she lifted up the hem of her shirt. Something fell with a soft plink onto her bare foot. It was a bullet. There was a red, puckered wound almost at dead centre of her abdomen. It didn’t hurt and it wasn’t bleeding. Even as she watched, the flesh began to lose its angry appearance. Very handy. She picked up the bullet, looked at it and then at Zest. ‘I’ve never been better,’ she said honestly.
And then, unable to find the right words, she walked swiftly up to him, put her arms around his neck and sprang up. He caught her and briefly pulled her to his chest. He smelled good. Like a forest. And aniseed. Without thinking she stretched up slightly and brushed the tip of her nose over his. He closed his eyes for a second and she could feel the muscles in his torso tense. Her arms tightened around his neck for a fraction of a second and then she pushed herself away and slid back to earth.<
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Embarrassed, but secretly delighted, she felt a burst of energy course through her body. Without a second glance she stepped over the dead soldier. The remorse she’d half anticipated failed to materialise. That’d teach the mortal to mess with her man. Voices rang out afresh. Sirens screamed. Dog was right. It was time to go.
As they sped westward and slipped thankfully into the shelter of the forest, Morven allowed herself to compute this latest and greatest shockwave. The incredible reality of Zest. Not like her. Not vampyre at all, but werewolf. Werewolf! Holy crap.
This, she thought happily, was really, truly, living in the fast lane. She was not bored at all.
Chapter 22
They travelled swiftly through the bush. Dog bounded around playing and yipping at Zest’s heels. Morven allowed Zest to take the lead. Screened by the leafy canopy above, the forest was dim but to her delight she could see as if it were full daylight. Maybe better. And she became aware that the landscape teemed with life, formerly invisible to her. She could hear an echidna digging up a rotten stump. Above, possums peered down, eyes wide with curiosity and fear. Tiny feet scampered in the bracken fern. An owl took off on whispering wings. Just in the periphery of her sight she caught the fleeting glance of a deer as it bounded for cover. Its scent made her nose quiver. And she felt alive.
When Zest finally came to a stop they were high on top of a flat tor of mountain. In the distance, lights dotted the dark landscape. Twin lights travelled fast along a road that threaded through the trees. For a long, drawn-out moment, neither of them spoke. Dog panted softly at Zest’s heels. Morven watched one huge hand press briefly on the Belgian shepherd’s head as she struggled to find something appropriate to say. It wasn’t easy.
It was Zest who broke the silence. ‘So…’ he said.
Morven looked up into his face, her eyes transfixed by his altered appearance. She felt that even if she looked at him for hours, she would never get enough. She smiled. ‘So…you’re a werewolf.’
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