Blood for blood

by Tobi Grim

  “So what’s it this morning?” Lupa asked, searching for her cigarettes.

  “Little witchy friend. Thinkin’ we dun findin’ where she is.”

  Lupa’s eyes snapped up to Sledge, she was fucking ‘with it’ now. Shit. Why had they called her and not Slasher? Fuck. “Why you calling me then?” Lupa lit a smoke and handed it to Sledge, then lit her own.

  “Aint gonna like it…” Sledge glanced at her, “We thinkin’ she dun stayin’ in Sable Towers.”

  Lupa leaned back thoughtfully. Surely Brianna wouldn’t stay in a foul place like that… although… no one would look for her there… “How’d you find her? And… why were you looking?”

  “Hammer dun like witches gettin’ in his business. And I bein’ his business.”

  Right. That made sense. Brianna had attacked one of his best men, and he wasn’t going to let that go so fucking easily. Ah well, it was good for her too really, the sooner this bitch was taken down, the better. Lupa was damned sick of dealing with her.

  “I’ll have to call Slasher.”

  “Aint thinkin’ so.” Sledge responded, not looking at her as he pulled in front of Sable Towers, “Hammer aint wantin’ no one round til he sayin’.”

  Shit. Lupa rubbed her head and nodded. She didn’t really care what Hammer wanted to do with Brianna, but she was supposed to call Slasher… and she knew what would happen if she didn’t, but what could she really say?

  The people in front of the Towers were giving them a wide berth this time. Hammer was standing on the stairs smoking with three large men standing near him. The residents avoided them all, making sure not to stare too long at anyone.

  “Ah, Little Red, come, come, I do not wish to spend any more time than necessary in this ghastly place, I am sure you feel the same, wolf witch. We have heard she is on the seventh floor, so we have a bit of walking to do through these contaminated halls.”

  Hammer squeezed her hand instead of kissing it, then the three men turned and lead the way inside. Hammer strutting along as though he were in the most important place in the world, and the most important person there. Lupa crossed her arms against the cold and followed them up the stairs, Sledge following behind her.

  Lupa wished she hadn’t been so stupid and had grabbed a jumper from her apartment, not only because she was fucking cold, but the smell was making her sick and light headed, she had nothing to cover her face with.

  “You a’right?” Sledge asked as she almost fell into him.

  “How can you stand the smell?” She gasped, gagging as they entered another stair level of putrid stench. She swore the higher they got the worse the smell got too.

  All she got was a grunt in response. She supposed he was just used to shit like this more than her, or maybe he was too tough…. Sledge pulled his jacket off and offered it to her, she shook her head. He didn’t need to get cold for her sake, then he offered her the button up shirt he was wearing, he had a tank on under it so Lupa accepted and tugged it on. The massive shirt was long enough to be a dress on her, gathering the bottom of it she placed it over her mouth and nose. Glancing over at Sledge as he pulled his jacket back on, she wished she’d had more time to look at the tattoos on his arms…

  “Thanks,” she said, giving him a quick smile before turning away.

  One of the men opened the door onto the seventh floor and everyone filed through. The smell was worse in here, just like when Lupa had come with Janice, but up here there were blood stains on the walls, piss puddles down the hall… Even with her mouth and nose covered Lupa struggled to keep herself from vomiting. She felt Sledge put his hand on her shoulder and almost felt comforted. Almost.

  “We have been informed this is her door, wolf witch, is there anything you would suggest before we open it?”

  “If you see her, punch her in the fucking face for me.”

  Hammer raised a delicate eyebrow at her and smiled widely, then waved his hand to one of the men to open the door. Lupa wondered why Hammer hadn’t gotten Sledge to open the door, he was clearly the biggest of them there, and it took the guy about six kicks to get the door budging. She glanced up at Sledge, who seemed to be restraining himself from pushing the other man out of the way and kicking in the door himself. But no one moved or said anything. Hammer was boss, and he’d gotten this guy to do it.

  Finally, he got it open and the three men poured in, Lupa hesitated, wondering whether to go in with the other men, or wait in the hall with Hammer and Sledge… whatever. She decided to go in, hoping Brianna at least kept her apartment cleaner than the hallway.

  The apartment was empty, she wasn’t to be found, but Lupa still wanted to look around. She rummaged through the kitchen drawers… nothing interesting… she checked the neat stacks of things on the coffee table… fuck, still nothing. She walked into the bedroom and gasped. One of the men was standing in there staring at the same thing.

  Her. Pictures of her all over the wall. Pictures of her from the last three weeks. Or was it longer? Lupa felt herself stumble back a little, feeling sicker than she had in the halls. This bitch had been stalking her alright… pictures of her and Dameon, of her at Slasher’s house, pictures of her with Grey, her and Sledge… pictures of her with Janice… in fact… Lupa scanned the wall, there were a few of Janice by herself… Shit. This was hideous, this was a monstrosity. Oh fuck.

  “Thinkin’ someone likin’ you a whole lot.” Sledge’s voice broke the silence.

  “Aint thinking its liking a whole lot, a whole fucking lot of crazy…” Lupa couldn’t take her eyes off the wall. It was horrifying.

  “Well, Little Red, it seems as though we have the right residence then?” Hammer walked up very close to the wall, examining the pictures with his hands behind his back, “She does seem to capture your beauty very well, were you aware that someone was following you, little witch?”

  Lupa couldn’t deal with it anymore, she ran from the room and tried to throw up into the kitchen sink. Her eyes stinging as her body heaved and dry retched, but there was nothing in her damn stomach. She heard someone come in and grab a glass, filling it with water from the tap and pushing her hair out of her face.

  “You a’right?” Sledge asked.

  “No,” she took the glass from him and sipped the water slowly as she blinked hard against her watering eyes, “It’s… she’s fucking insane. She’s been following me for at least three weeks… and she has a few pictures of Janice by herself… I think…” Lupa finished the water and closed her eyes, “I think Brianna managed to find the wolfblood in this place and used him to kill Janice’s boyfriend… and possibly Janice too… and… he might have been the one who came to my house.”

  Lupa’s head ached. She was glad Sledge was the only one in the kitchen with her, but knew it wouldn’t last. Fuck. Was she right? Had Brianna been involved in the whole thing? Or was it just coincidence? Lupa doubted it. Even if the woman hadn’t be involved in the whole thing, she was a big fucking piece of it.

  “I’m going to have to call Slasher,” Lupa said as Hammer walked back through to the kitchen.

  “Very well, wolf witch, we have nothing of use here anyway, other than if we want to find her, she won't be very far away from you.”

  He smiled widely at her, his eyes filled with twinkling amusement. Lupa rolled her eyes to try cover her emotions, fan-fucking-tastic, at least it wasn’t making her stomach roll again. She pulled her phone out but Hammer lay his hand over the screen before she could call.

  “My beauty, before you do that, perhaps you would like to get out of this miserable place? I will leave one of my men here to wait for your people. But I would very much appreciate it if you would come back with me.”

  Lupa sighed inwardly and nodded slowly. She felt Sledge staring at her as they started their way back out, but she didn’t look back, she just concentrated on not throwing up again, placing the shirt smelling of Sledge over her face.

  ⃝

  Slasher sat across the table from Lupa, giving her
that disapproving look. After Lupa had called her, Slasher had sent people to check out Brianna’s apartment. Then she got Tank to drive her down to Hammer’s to ‘talk’ with him, also picking up the surveillance footage, and taking Lupa home with her. So far, Slasher hadn’t said a word.

  “Lupa… you know you should have called me right away.” Her almost mother said finally, her voice full of disapproval.

  “I know. I wanted to, but they said I couldn’t.”

  “Which proves my point that you need to be fucking careful!” Slasher closed her eyes and placed a finger against the middle of her forehead, “I know you want to do everything you can to… to avenge Karl, but you’re being reckless. Brianna is dangerous right now, Hammer is a dangerous man… Sledge too. And you’re out with them… you’re letting Hammer dictate what you do, instead of doing what you’re supposed to. I have half a mind to cancel the whole ne-”

  Lupa slammed her fist against the table. “Why the fuck would you do that?!”

  “Because you aren’t fucking thinking straight! What are you doing having this Sledge man in your home? What are you doing going down to Blackwater so often? Is there something you’re not telling me, Lupa? Because it seems like it, and if I can’t trust where your head is, I don’t want you in the nest raid tonight.”

  Lupa went to answer then stopped. Tonight? “What do you mean ‘tonight’?”

  “Hammer thinks we should strike tonight, and from what he’s shown me on the footage I agree. But Lupa… can I trust you to come? I know it’s your fight. And I know you think that you’re doing the right thing, but… I’m worried. You’re not acting like yourself. You’re hanging out with thugs like it’s completely normal… even after I told you about how dangerous this Sledge is!”

  Tonight. They were going tonight. She would finally have the chance to fuck those wolfbloods up. As long as she managed to convince Slasher that she was fine. Fuck. Time to play along with what her almost mother wanted to hear then.

  “Ok, I’m sorry. I guess I have been a little careless, but I am ok. There’s no need to worry. I’m ready for this. I’m… I’m fine in the head, if that’s what you’re insinuating. I just want to be as prepared as I can for this, and I thought being friendly with Hammer and Sledge would mean they wouldn’t keep anything from me.”

  Slasher placed a hand on hers and nodded. Shit. Lupa felt like a right fucking bitch for doing this, but she wasn’t going to be kept out of this one. No matter what Slasher fucking said, she was going to be on this nest hunt, and she would tell a thousand lies to Slasher to make sure of it.

  “They’ve been nice to me, and Sledge has saved me twice now. I know they can't be trusted, but if Hammer thinks he can trust me, don’t you think that’s better for everyone?” Lupa let a lie of a tear fall down her cheek. Oh yes, she was a filthy creature, pulling this stunt, but she couldn’t let Slasher take this away from her. No fucking way.

  “Oh, hun, I know. I’m sorry. I just… I worry about you,” she tucked Lupa’s short hair behind her ear, touching it gently, “You’ve changed so much over the last few weeks, and I know that’s normal considering the circumstances… I’m sorry.”

  Slasher stood up and kissed Lupa’s forehead, holding her face in her hands. Lupa let her lip tremble a little. Sure, it was fake, but if Slasher stopped her from coming along, that pain would be real. It would be fierce.

  “Tonight. Tonight you will have your revenge. I trust you.” Slasher smiled gently at her, “Now, Tank will take you home, I have calls to make, can you call Dameon and fill him in? We’ll meet here at seven and head over to the nest for eight; when the moon rises.”

  Slasher stroked Lupa’s hair and kissed her head again. Lupa felt like a total phony, giving Slasher a big, doe eyed look of needing. She couldn’t let this be taken away from her. No matter the cost. No matter what lies she had to tell, or how she needed to act. She would play the part if that’s what it took.

  Tank got up and put his hand on Lupa’s shoulder. “Alright, let’s be gettin’ you home, Little Red. Gots us some plannin’ to do.”

  Lupa nodded and stood up, letting Slasher pull her into a hug before she left. She knew her adoptive mother was just trying to look out for her, but Slasher didn’t know the half of what was going on. She just saw the outside. Yes, that was mostly because of Lupa’s lies, but that was hardly the point. The point was, Slasher should just fucking trust her.

  ⃝

  Dameon came over half an hour after Lupa had called to let him know the raid would be going ahead that night. He was pacing in her kitchen. “Shit, this is happening. This is really happening. Thought I had at least another day to prepare.” He stopped and grinned at her, “This is finally fucking happening! Are you excited?”

  Lupa smiled back at him. “I am. But I’m also nervous.”

  Lupa put the kettle on, she’d need to brew the bonding tea… which she hadn’t done since… well good. Good that she be making it on the day she would be avenging Karl’s death. She would finally be fucking killing those foul beasts who took away her best friend.

  Dameon leaned over the bench and studied her, “How are you feeling… about this being for Karl?”

  “Ok. I think. I’m glad I can finally do something… but at the same time, once we have done this… there might just be… nothing. Nothing for me to do for him anymore. And then I’ll have to let him go… and I don’t really know how I feel about that.”

  Dameon walked around the bench and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on hers. “You never let them go, Lupa. They will always be with you, even if you let go of the pain and the anger… their lives will always be imprinted on yours. Trust me. This isn’t about losing him again, that’s not what will happen.”

  Lupa nodded against him. He was probably right. But she was terrified that this was letting the last piece of her best friend go. And then what? Would it be enough? She closed her eyes and leaned into her Protector. Nothing she could fucking do about it now. Just best not to think about.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “The nest is always the goal, act fast…”

  Lupa and Dameon stood close together in the darkness, watching from inside of Hammer’s warehouse as some of the lookout Protectors silently spread out around the abattoir, maddeningly slow and cautious. Slasher was checking the couples carefully. Lupa scanned the rooftops to see if she could spot any of Hammer’s men, but she couldn’t tell. Were they Hammer’s or The Organization’s? No fucking idea, but both would be up there somewhere.

  Slasher approached them and placed her hands on both Dameon and Lupa, probing them with her power and nodding in approval. “Are you ready for this?”

  Lupa touched the wolf blade in her jacket and nodded, feeling Dameon nod too. Smiling at them tightly Slasher moved away, indicating for the Protectors to join Tank. Dameon placed his hand on the back of Lupa’s neck reassuringly, before he strode off to join them.

  Be careful, Hawk.

  You betcha, Little Red, let’s fucking do this.

  Lupa smiled and moved closer to the other Hunters, closing her eyes to see though Dameon’s. The Protectors went in. The empty abattoir was eerie; rusted meat hooks hung from the roof, brown stains like a patchwork of death covered the floor, the heavily cobwebbed windows were plastered in disintegrating newspapers, and a man lay sleeping on the floor. She presumed he lay at the top of the stairs, the stairs that would lead to where the wolfbloods lay. Just like Marcus had said it was.

  This would be different to the one Karl and Lupa had gone on, once the Protectors had finished their spell, the Hunters would enter and they would kill the man on the stairs once everyone was ready. There was no other way to do it with the wolfblood guarding the entrance to the nest. If the Protectors killed him first, the beasts below would be alerted, which would happen anyway, but with the couples fighting together, they would have the upper hand. They would be fucking ready.

  Lupa felt Dameon draw in a deep breath as he and the other
Protectors pulled out their herb sticks and light them, she could feel the vibrations running through her body as Dameon and the other Protectors started chanting softly. Her heart started racing, oh yes, she was fucking ready for this. She was ready to tear these mother-fuckers apart. Pulling her knife out, she heard the other Hunters near her doing the same thing. Yes, this was it. This was fucking game on.

  The Protectors stopped chanting, Slasher nodded to the Hunters as they opened their eyes. Lupa stated walking in front of the other Hunters, Slasher opened the door and they all poured in. Lupa headed straight for the sleeping wolfblood, ripping him up by his hair as she slit his throat, Slasher crouched beside the creature, thrusting her hand into the wound and sending her black lightning through the twitching body.

  A howl sounded from the deep black beneath them, echoing up the stairwell. Lupa and Slasher jumped back, everyone’s connections would be broken any moment now; everyone except for Lupa and Dameon. The Protectors readied themselves next to their Hunters, all of the witches ready for the fight.

  Wolfbloods came charging up the stairs in various forms of grotesque transformation. Lupa ran at the closest one, burying her blade deep into his side, her power growing now; blood thirst tickling her throat. Her black lightning spewed forth as she wrenched the wolfblade out from the now human looking wolfblood. Grinning, she turned to another big, shaggy beast.

  “Fucking witch cunt, aint gettin’ me so easy,” the wolfblood roared as he dodged her swing.

  Crouching, Lupa held her weapon ready as the wolfblood clenched his fists, charging at her with violence in his eyes. She jumped aside easily, slicing up his arm as he missed her. He roared in pain, looking human for a moment, then turning and transforming back into his wolfblood self. He ran at her again, but Lupa was too quick, ducking under him and thrusting her wolfblade deep into his chest, black lightning shooting up her blade so hard his chest burst open. Blood splatter covered Lupa’s face as she pulled out her knife.