Vampire Redemption (Heart of the Huntress Book 5)

by Terry Spear

  “But we want to take down all of them who killed our family members,” the grandmother said.

  “Yes. If any of them get away and we can learn where they’ve gone, maybe a small group of us can go after them. But for now, we need to stay here and take back our city and make it safe for our own kind and humans,” Adonis said. “That’s our focus for now. Carissa has been taking out a few vampires at a time. Since we don’t know how many of them there are for certain, we will do something similar to what she did. Killing a few at a time can rattle Crichton and the vamps that follow him. There could be trouble in the ranks if the vampires start to feel they’re being hit, day after day, night after night, without a chance to retaliate.

  “Michael is keeping their family in Dallas apprised of the situation. We don’t want them to send a bunch more hunters and leave them in the lurch like what happened here, but if we desperately need more help, they’ll send it. As much as I’d just like to take down the whole bunch in an expedient way, we can’t afford to lose any of you if we’re way outnumbered. And I don’t mean it as hunter numbers either, but as family.”

  Everyone agreed. Zachary just hoped they’d be successful and win all the battles ahead.

  Chapter 11

  Crichton paced across a condo he’d commandeered from an older retired couple, telling them to go visit with their grown kids in Albany, New York. Whether their kids would welcome their unscheduled visit was not his problem. They were just lucky he let them live.

  His second-in-command, Dennison, a suave, business-suited type now said, “I’ve tried to get in touch with the three men you sent to the airport. I told you that some of these ancients wouldn’t take orders from you. They’re too set in their ways and not part of our original network of friends.”

  “They’re all dead.”

  “I know. All except for me. These guys have minds of their own. They’re independents. I told you that.”

  Crichton growled at him.

  Dennison raised his hands in defense. “What can I say? The ones Rutherford turned, he owned. Now that he’s dead, you don’t have control over them either. Though the hosts are spreading the word that you were the one who had turned them, like you wanted them to. The ancients? That’s another story.”

  “We needed them. With as many hunters that had escaped, they could make short work of our newly turned vampires if they return.”

  “I agree. Why don’t you turn people you can control, now that Rutherford is no longer in charge? Why not make enough of them to overwhelm the hunters should they return?”

  “We have hunters killing our vampires already,” Crichton said, not responding to Dennison’s question. Crichton planned to turn men who would be loyal to him only as soon as he could. But he had to have just the right kind of person.

  “Just one. We’re sure it’s the same hunter. The others fled and haven’t returned. Maybe they’re dead. From what we could gather, some of them went to Dallas before we struck the houses, concerning a huntress who got herself in trouble. Maybe they all died. Maybe we’re only looking for one hunter.”

  “You know what they say about assuming things? It makes an ass out of you and me. Better to know for certain what’s going on rather than guessing.”

  Dennison cleared his throat. “Right, well, I sent two vampires to Dallas to learn what they could. We learned one of the families had flown to Orlando, so I sent the three men to monitor flights returning from there. Since the hunter couple have two little boys, they should be easy to spot.”

  “And their grandparents?” Crichton asked.

  “They won’t be much of a threat.”

  “How did you get to be an ancient vampire? Of course they can be a threat. As long as they can carry a hunter’s sword and thrust it at one of our kind, they can be every much as deadly as the younger generation. Hell, what if they’re the ones picking off some of our men?” Crichton got a call and answered it.

  “This is Stanton. I arrived late to the bash at Cameron’s house because I was keeping an eye out for the hunter who has been ambushing our people at other houses where they’re staying. When I got to Cameron’s house, there was no one there.”

  “What?”

  “I thought maybe I had the wrong house. Did you change the location?”

  “No. I set it up at the former hunter leaders’ home. I’m sending Dennison. Are you at the place now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Just stay there. He’s coming.” Crichton thought Dennison looked a bit uneasy. “Hell, man, go check it out and let me know what’s going on.”

  “Could they have finished the bash early?” Dennison asked.

  “Before midnight. Hell, no.”

  “This doesn’t sound good to me.”

  Which was just why Crichton wasn’t checking it out himself. It sounded like a trap to him. He hadn’t been a vampire this long without knowing the signs. Not that he wanted to sacrifice his friend, but better him than Crichton. And he needed someone he halfway respected who could look into it.

  “Okay, so the rogue vampires are staying at all the houses?” Adonis asked Carissa.

  “Yes, even your parents’ place.”

  “We cleaned it out, but someone might wonder where the people at the party went to. Not only that, if they find the hosts, they could spill their guts about what they’d seen,” Zachary said.

  “Vampires killing their own kind, and hunters joining them,” Adonis said. “Crichton will be confused.”

  “So do we try to take out more of them at the family’s homes, or do we do like Carissa did and wait for them to settle elsewhere and take them out that way?” Michael asked.

  “Or do we focus our efforts on locating Crichton and removing him from the equation?” Pasha asked.

  “We’ll divide up in teams, monitor our family’s homes, and do as Carissa did as long as we can,” Adonis said. “Yes, we need to take down Crichton, but until we locate him, we need to reduce the vampire threat.”

  “I’ll go with Granddad,” Carissa said.

  “I’ll go with them also,” Michael offered.

  Zachary knew Michael would have paired up with Danai if she hadn’t stayed with the kids. And he knew his brother would want to fight the vampires, not babysit right now.

  Rachael said, “I’m going with Adonis.”

  “Zachary is with me,” Pasha said.

  Which surprised Zachary. He had said she would be with him while going to the airport, but he didn’t think she’d volunteer to work with him otherwise.

  She shrugged at his look of surprise. “You have some…skills that can help us.”

  He was hoping there was more to her wanting to be with him than that.

  Jeremy and Laura said they would be going to the house across from theirs.

  “Okay, if everyone’s ready, we’ll head out and see if we can even up the odds a bit,” Adonis said.

  Michael kissed Danai goodbye, which seemed to embarrass her as her cheeks pinkened. She quickly looked at Pasha, but she appeared just as shocked. Adonis was smiling. Zachary knew Danai and Michael would have to deal with what she’d become, if they were to mate. Zachary suspected Michael wanted to show her he was supportive of her, boosting her morale for the fight ahead. And to show her he cared about her should he not survive.

  Jeremy and Laura hugged and kissed their sleeping kids. And everyone that was family exchanged hugs, though not to leave Michael and Zachary out, they gave them hugs too. Since Adonis had mated Rachael, Michael, and Zachary were extended family after all.

  Carissa kissed her baby’s cheek one last time, and Grandma and Granddad gave each other one final hug and then the hunters who would stake out the families’ homes left to do their mission.

  Adonis had Pasha and Zachary monitor their parents’ home, which they figured might have some activity once the vampires realized everyone from the bash had vanished.

  All the homes were close enough for the other hunters to reach if any of them had trou
ble and needed reinforcements. Being territorial, Carissa wanted to go after anyone who was at her house. If they didn’t see any movement, they’d go to Grandpa’s. Jeremy and Laura went to their home. Adonis and Rachael to his own place.

  Pasha and Danai had been living with their parents, so that was another reason she wanted to deal with the vampires here. Zachary just hoped Pasha wouldn’t rush into a situation like she had earlier. He wanted to be the one to scope out things if there appeared to be any trouble. With his vampiric abilities, he wanted to check any situation out first, before he involved Pasha. And yeah, it was his hunter nature coming in full force when he wanted to protect a potential mate. He hoped she didn’t mind because it just came natural to him.

  “I think we should park across the street and watch from your neighbor’s house,” Zachary said to Pasha.

  “They’re a couple with two teenage sons. I don’t want them involved. Besides, at this hour? They’d probably think we were trouble.”

  “Do they have family living somewhere else?” Zachary asked.

  They parked at the house across the street from her parents’ home and went to the front door as if they were visiting them.

  “Iowa, but they both have good jobs and—” Pasha snapped her fingers. “You can use your vampiric persuasion on them. Okay, let’s do it. Though they might not want to answer the door at this hour.”

  He was glad she agreed to his plan and thought it was worthwhile trying. “Right. But it’s worth the effort.”

  They walked up to the front door and she rang the bell. A man answered the door right away, frowning at her, and Zachary suspected he wasn’t the owner of the house. First, he looked like he didn’t know who Pasha was, and secondly, he answered the door without hesitation.

  “Who is it?” another man called out from inside.

  Your worst nightmare if you’re vampires working for Crichton, Zachary was thinking.

  “I’m Bretta’s niece and this is my boyfriend. She had told me to come and see her anytime. We’re out of money and needed someplace to stay,” Pasha said.

  “Come in, come in,” a man said, his long hair hanging over his shoulders, his face smiling. “I’d forgotten they said you might arrive. They’re sleeping right now. We’re old acquaintances of Bretta’s. Come in.”

  Zachary hoped the family wasn’t dead. Or turned. He didn’t like the idea of entering the house when he didn’t know how many vampires could be staying here. But they couldn’t very well back out now. And if they could kill a couple more vampires and be able to safely watch Pasha’s home this way, he was all for it.

  The older vampire telepathically said to the other, “Fresh meat.”

  “Crichton said he wanted to keep the killing down to a minimum, and only hosts who are willing are acceptable. No turning anyone either. He wants to be the one to control the ones he turns.”

  “How many times have you already broken his rules?”

  The younger vampire scoffed.

  Zachary had confirmation they were vampires working for Crichton. Good deal. Now, if there were only the two of them…

  “Who’s come to visit?” another man said.

  Three. Zachary hoped there were no more than that, but he worried there might be. He reached over and squeezed Pasha’s hand, telling her they had to do this.

  She unleashed her wrist blades and stabbed the older vampire in the heart. Zachary pulled out his sword and beheaded the younger one.

  When another vampire came into the room, Pasha threw a throwing star at his chest and it embedded in his heart. He collapsed on the floor. Only the older vampire had been an ancient.

  Zachary and Pasha began checking out the rooms, finally discovering Bretta and her husband and their two sons tied up in a back bedroom. Their eyes were wide with fear.

  “We’ve come to free you,” Pasha said. “You can leave and stay with your family in Iowa for the time-being.”

  Pasha and Zachary quickly cut their bindings and freed them.

  “Don’t take anything,” Pasha said. “Just get in your car and go. No cell phones, nothing.”

  “You’re taking back the area? We thought all of you had perished,” Bretta said, glancing at Zachary again.

  “This is a hunter from Dallas. He and his brother and cousin have come to aid us. And yes, that’s what we intend to do. Do you have any idea about how many vampires there are who attacked my family?”

  “There were about twenty going to a party at your parents’ house,” Bretta said. “The three here weren’t invited and they were mad about it. They were supposed to be watching the house.”

  “What about the other houses? Have the vampires taken over all of them?”

  “Yes. They are staying in your families’ homes and others, and they are also in the ones that have a view of your families’ homes. Like ours. Just in case more of you showed up.”

  “Okay, well, we’ll let you get on your way.” She glanced at Zachary and he knew what she needed him to do.

  He had to after she said so much. They couldn’t have Crichton learning who all was here and what they were planning to do. Though Zachary also wanted to wipe their minds of some of the ordeal they’d been through. Not all of it though. He didn’t want them returning home, thinking everything was safe.

  After he finished with them, they got into their car and drove off.

  “I have to admit that’s an amazing gift when we can use it to our advantage instead of the vampires using it on helpless humans,” Pasha said, as they set up to watch out of one of the bedroom windows.

  “I wish I had the ability to uninvite the bastards. Any of them can still come into the house. And I want to take out the occupiers of the other homes watching your families’ residences.” He called Rachael to alert her.

  “We just discovered a nest of five of them, all newly turned, at one of the houses,” Rachael told him.

  “We eliminated three here, one ancient. I’ll let the others know of the problem if they haven’t already discovered it,” Zachary said.

  “Okay, sounds good. Adonis learned there are three at his house. We’re waiting before we do anything to make sure all of us are in safe places for the night prior to attacking,” Rachael said.

  “I’ll call back as soon as I confirm everyone’s okay.”

  “Good.”

  Then Zachary called his brother. “Michael, we’re in the house across the street from Pasha’s home. We had to clear out three vampires, Rachael had five at the place they’re using as a lookout, and I’m checking with the rest of you.”

  “No one is in the house we checked on. We’re inside, watching the house.”

  “Okay, good. Get back with you later.” Zachary tried to get in touch with Jeremy and Laura, but he didn’t have any success.

  “I’m going,” Pasha said.

  “Together.”

  “But we just cleared this house. If we leave it vacant, we could have new vampires here when we return,” Pasha argued.

  “We’re going together.” Zachary wasn’t about to let Pasha do this on her own and he called Rachael back. “We can’t get Jeremy or Laura to answer our call. We’re headed in their direction.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Keep her safe,” Adonis told Zachary telepathically.

  “I will.” Then he said to Rachael, “We’re on our way. We’ll pick you up.”

  They soon picked up Rachael, Adonis watching them out of the window, but then he moved into the shadows. They drove to Jeremy and Laura’s house and saw their SUV parked there.

  They didn’t bother to check out the house across the street but went to the door of their home and knocked.

  No one answered, but they heard fighting inside. Zachary tried the door before they broke a window. It was unlocked, and Pasha invited him into the house. Rachael and Pasha rushed inside. Zachary vanished and appeared where he heard the bulk of the fighting, swords clanging, a vampire taunting the hunters.

  “You w
on’t ever survive against this many of us. You should have cowered where you’d run off to and never come back.”

  The ladies soon joined him and began fighting the six vampires that were left. Three were already dead.

  Zachary was fighting two of them when he telepathically asked the one who appeared to be an ancient, “Will you join me to overthrow Crichton?”

  “You fight with the hunters,” the vampire said, pausing, as if he thought better of killing one of his own kind.

  “I am using them to help cut down Crichton’s numbers. Join me and we can take over. Eliminate the hunter threat later, but they can keep the focus off us while we plan our next move.”

  Pasha stabbed the ancient in the heart, frowned at Zachary, and he quickly dispatched the newly turned vampire.

  The hunters’ hearts were beating wildly as they stood, observing the end of the vampires.

  “What in the world were you doing?” Pasha asked. “Telepathically talking the ancient to death?”

  Zachary smiled. “Yeah, it worked, didn’t it? You stabbed him before he could see it coming. That way I only had one to fight at a time.”

  “What were you talking about? I can’t even see how you can have a conversation going with one while you’re fighting another.”

  “It does take some talent.” Zachary smiled at her as she cast him a look of disdain.

  “What are we going to do with all of these bodies?” Jeremy asked. “I hate leaving them in the house, but if we have the police pick them up, someone’s sure to notice this time.”

  “We can move them to the storage shed out back,” Pasha said. “But let’s hurry. If any rogue vampires are watching this house from across the street…”