by Devyn Quinn
The tall elegant man who’d made a beeline for her had Consanguine written all over him. Though he was dressed in the style many of the vampire imitators favored, something about him made him stand out on an avenue already filled with the strange and bizarre.
Maddox had quickly slipped into a nearby alley, taking himself temporarily out of Jesse’s line of sight. They deliberately hadn’t told her how they operated when the opportunity to nab one of the undead presented itself.
Fishing his cell out of his pocket, Maddox hit the speed dial, letting the phone ring three times. Sam didn’t pick up, but they didn’t really need to speak. By now, the plan ran like a well-oiled machine. Sam would pass the message on to Reyen and they’d be good to go.
The countdown began. Everyone was in place. Even the elements were falling into place perfectly. The streets were mostly deserted, with nary a soul in sight.
Maddox peered around the corner. Sure enough, Jesse and her man of the hour had begun a leisurely stroll toward the opposite end of the block. Once they crossed two more streets, they’d soon arrive at one of the more popular after-hour hangouts; a place where normal people weren’t allowed, and wouldn’t want to go, anyway. Part bondage, part kink, and definitely strange, Mystique catered exclusively to a Goth-only clientele.
His chest tightened. There was only one chance to get it right. Once Jesse disappeared into the club—if she was actually stupid enough to go in—they wouldn’t be able to back her up. She’d be on her own, untrained and unprepared to defend herself. It was like sending a boxer into the ring with both hands tied behind his back.
And it wasn’t right.
Why the hell do I let Reyen talk me into these things? he silently groused. Reyen might consider Jesse little more than garbage to be tossed aside, but Maddox didn’t. Until we know what she really is, she needs to be kept safe. If she’s what I think she is . . .
He didn’t have any more time to think about it.
Right on cue, Sam Chen’s Pontiac sped up the street. The car rolled to a stop at the light, deliberately skimming over the area marked for pedestrians. Anyone walking across the street would have to make a wide berth around the front of the car.
Just as Jesse and her companion began to do exactly that, Reyen zoomed up and took a sharp left turn, almost running the two pedestrians down.
In the blink of an eye, the two men took action. Skidding his bike to a sharp stop, Reyen leapt forward. His hand shot up, making direct contact with the tall man’s chest. Armed with an amped-up stun gun, he shot several thousand volts of electricity straight into his unwitting victim.
The vampire crumbled.
Reyen caught the falling man, neatly flipping him over one broad shoulder before he hit the ground. By this time, Sam was out of the Pontiac and the trunk was open. Even as Reyen lowered the unconscious man into the yawning space, Chen was busy applying a set of solid-silver cuffs.
Maddox marveled at the speed and precision with which the men worked. Barring the use of a shotgun, which wasn’t always the best choice at certain times, they had a lot of good weapons at their disposal. The first was silver, the only metal a vampire couldn’t resist or break through. The ever-trusty silver bullet was also a useful weapon. Even though the Telave had a self-regenerative system, any wound caused by silver would not heal. It festered. If the vampire managed to survive the wound, it was usually badly scarred. Tasers were another good thing. One good shock totally blew their equilibrium. Once a vamp was zapped and cuffed, it was weak as a kitten.
The trunk slammed shut, and Reyen and Sam headed in different directions. As Reyen roared off on his motorcycle, Sam headed back toward the driver’s seat.
Maddox zoomed out of hiding, moving faster than the human eye could comprehend. Catching Jesse by the arm, he propelled the confused girl through the door Sam opened up for them. She landed in a sprawl across the backseat. Claiming the passenger side in front, he barely had time to close the door before Sam hit the gas. The Pontiac lurched like a lion fighting its chain, then took off with a roar.
All in all, the entire endeavor took less than one minute.
The vampire never knew what hit it.
Jesse immediately struggled to sit up straight. “What the hell just happened?”
Sam Chen was practically jumping up and down with joy. “Hot damn, we got one. Took that sucker right off the street.” He hit the steering wheel with one hand. “I didn’t think we’d pull that one off, guys.”
Struggling to calm his own erratic heartbeat, Maddox dug in a pocket for his cigarettes. Up ahead he saw the red taillights of Reyen’s motorcycle, leading them out of the neighborhood. “Went off without a hitch. I don’t think anyone saw us.”
Chen shot him a look. “No smoking in my ride, man. This baby is a classic, and I’d like it keep it that way.”
Maddox sighed and pushed his cigarette back into the pack. “You only got it because of the trunk space.”
Jesse finally spoke. “So what do we do with him now?”
Maddox glanced at her. The dashboard lights lent her skin a pale luminescent glow—an unearthly glow. Shock shone bright and hot in her eyes. Despite being caught unawares, she hadn’t panicked or tried to interfere with what Reyen and Sam were doing. She’d kept her mouth shut and stayed out of the way. He already admired her courage and tenacity. She’d survived even when the odds were against her. He had a feeling she’d fight to the bitter end.
He licked dry lips. “We take him somewhere quiet and dispose of him.”
Without sparing him a look, she nodded. “I see.”
“If you don’t want to go with us, we can drop you off somewhere to wait.”
Jesse shook her head. “No, I want to.” A single muscle in her jaw jumped. “I want to be the one to take him out.”
“That might be harder than you think,” he said softly.
This was always the part that got to him. Even though he knew Consanguines to be demon-infected corpses, he still had a problem when it came to killing one face-to-face. Pulling a trigger from far away was one thing. It was easy to do when he wouldn’t be looking the victim in the eyes. After all, the thing he was putting down had once been a living, breathing human. Somehow it felt just plain wrong to desecrate the body of an innocent person.
Reyen liked to do things a little bit differently. Maddox supposed it was his brute nature that led him to indulge in a little torture before he finally put the creature out of its misery.
Maddox hated every minute of it. So did Sam. Both of them preferred the quick, quiet merciful kill. It was easier that way—more humane.
He liked to believe that despite his age and the things he’d witnessed on the face of this earth that he’d manage to retain a little bit of his own fading humanity. Nothing about a Palindrome’s life was sane or sensible. They belonged nowhere, really, living on the fringes of a society that sometimes didn’t seem worth saving. It often appeared the world was going to hell in a hand-basket. Humans already seemed to be doing a fine job of destroying themselves without the help of demonic influences. Perhaps that was why their souls were such easy prey, their lives so disposable. He often thought about stepping back and letting Xaphan’s dark angels battle among themselves for control of planet Earth. Sometimes it felt as if the Enlightened One just didn’t care anymore, and hadn’t for a very long time.
Without trying to be obvious, he stared at Jesse for an interminable minute. Her coming into his life when his faith was wavering was a stroke of luck. It was perhaps the sign he’d needed to remind him he was fighting for the right side; an oasis in the ocean of his despair.
They needed somewhere nice and quiet to dispose of the undead. Sam took Interstate 10, which curved up and out of New Orleans, looping out of the Big Easy and chasing the Gulf Coast to head east. About thirty minutes outside the city, just after the I-510 interchange, was a set of faded blue structures rising on the southern horizon. These were the abandoned roller coasters and other rides populatin
g Six Flags New Orleans.
Since Hurricane Katrina, the park had remained closed, and abandoned. Its desolate location made it the perfect place for a novice vampire killer to do a little practicing.
A barbed-wire fence had been erected around the property to keep out vandals. The first thing the vandals had done to retaliate was cut a nice big hole through the wire. Amazingly, parts of the park looked as if they were merely closed for the night. Stores, restaurants, and many rides still stood, unlocked and stocked with merchandise. It was eerie and unsettling to drive through the empty main avenues once teeming with visitors. It gave a hint of what the world might look like when the people were gone, leaving only the undead to walk the streets.
Gunning his motorcycle, Reyen led the way to a parking lot overgrown with weeds and other local flora. He parked his bike, propping it on a kickstand.
Sam Chen glided up beside him, shifting the Pontiac into park. He buzzed down a window. “You ready to do this?”
Reyen nodded. “Let’s get this party started.”
Taking a breath to steel his nerves, Maddox opened the passenger door and got out. Jesse slid out behind him, her movements slow and a little unsure. She clearly wasn’t sure what to expect, but she seemed to be determined to be in on it.
“You okay?” Maddox asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
“You don’t have to watch if you don’t want to,” he said, trying to offer her a graceful way to back out of the carnage.
Jesse shook her head. “I’m in.” She offered a wan smile. “You told me to come with you if I wanted to learn how to do it right. Remember?”
A tic in his cheek jumped. “Yeah, I guess I did.” He was beginning to regret the invitation, one extended before he knew that Jesse was one of the demon-diseased. He hated to think that someone might someday be dragging her out to a remote location in order to put an end to her life. He already knew Reyen was thinking about doing just that.
His stomach rolled, nerves gnawing at his gut. Over my dead body, he thought.
They walked around to the back of the car where the other two men waited. Both were armed with flashlights and stun guns. Maddox knew those weren’t the only things the two had on hand. Sam was the owner of a nice samurai sword, and Reyen had a sawed-off shotgun tucked in the saddlebag of his Harley. Both would do the job just fine.
“You ready?” Sam Chen asked.
Maddox nodded. “Yeah.”
Sam stuck his key in the lock and turned it. “He’s cuffed, so he shouldn’t be any problem.”
“He’s going to be pissed off and ready to fight,” Maddox said. “Definitely not a happy camper.”
Reyen offered a wolfish grin. “So let’s have a look.”
Sam raised the trunk lid.
As expected, the vampire lay stretched out. He’d been hit with a custom-designed stun gun rigged to deliver a blast that would kill a human. On the undead, however, the voltage caused them to suffer temporary neuromuscular incapacitation. The vampire’s eyes narrowed when he saw his captors. “Bastards!” he hissed, writhing like an angry cat as Reyen and Sam reached in to haul him out of the trunk. The two men dragged him in front of the car, forcing him to his knees on the hard asphalt.
The vampire let loose a string of vile curses. Struggling to his feet, he tried to make a dash toward freedom.
Their captive didn’t have a chance.
Sam Chen tripped the vamp as Reyen swung a beefy fist, clocking the creature on the side of the head. “Aw, stay put,” he grumbled, raising his arm in preparation to deliver a second blow. “I’m too damn tired to chase you tonight.”
Maddox winced. Ouch. He wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of Reyen’s punches. A hit from the Indian was like being bashed with a sledgehammer.
The vampire raised his cuffed wrists in a clumsy attempt to ward off a second blow. “How dare you lay your filthy hands on me.”
At this point Maddox’s fingers itched for the feel of a gun pressed into his palm. But using a gun came with more danger. Guns were loud and often drew unwanted attention. Still, he’d rather have a quick kill and an earlier getaway.
He could run awfully damn fast when necessary.
Maddox glanced toward Jesse to see how she was holding up. She still stood at the side of the car, as if attempting to shield herself from the violence taking place in front of it. Though she said nothing, her arms were crossed tightly across her chest, and she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
Slipping a hand onto the small of her back, he reached out, silently urging her to hold steady and offering reassurance. “If you can’t do it,” he warned, “get back in the car. We’ll take care of it.”
Jesse pressed her lips together. “I’m ready.” She didn’t move, though. Her eyes were fixed on Reyen.
Maddox glanced toward the scene playing out just a few feet away. The Indian’s dark gaze glittered as he reached for the blade sheathed beneath his vest. Using his thumb, he flipped the snap holding the blade in place. His fingers curled around the ivory handle carved in the shape of an eagle’s head. The etched silver blade glimmered like white fire under the unrelenting glare of the headlights.
“We’ve got us a new vampire hunter tonight,” he said in a conversational tone. “Our young lady here needs to learn the finer points of dealing with body thieves who rob the innocent.” A nasty chuckle rolled up from his throat. “And we’re going to show her all the excruciating ways to kill a vampire.”
Chapter 9
Dread curdled in Jesse’s stomach as she watched Reyen draw his weapon. Knife in hand, Reyen circled behind the downed man. He knotted his fingers through Lucien’s long hair, wrenching back his head. “Oh, he’s such a pretty boy,” he said, clicking his tongue. “But there’s another face lurking beneath this one.”
Lucien let loose a growl. “Take your hands off me, filthy human.”
Reyen ignored him, sticking the tip of his knife into his captive’s cheek. “Come on, baby doll. Let’s see the real you.” He drew the blade down hard, making a quick deep gash.
Lucien grimaced as a festering wound appeared across his perfect face. Blackish blood rose, sizzling against his pale skin. Even as he howled, his features began to change, to distort. Deep ridges furrowed along his forehead, running down the bridge of a nose that simultaneously drew up to reveal long narrow nostrils. Ears morphing into points, the canines in his mouth grew long and sharp.
It took less than a second for the unholy transformation to complete itself.
Jesse stared in disbelief at his horrific transformation. Fear sparked like a hot wire, sending a surge of shock to her brain. A rush of dizziness threatened to take her to the ground. Her senses were so overwhelmed, she almost couldn’t think straight. She’d deliberately blocked off certain parts of her abduction, fearing that to remember the shocking details would send her over the edge.
The demon inside her must have the same face. My name is Legion, it whispered in the back of her mind. For we are many.
“I don’t believe it.” She swallowed hard. “That’s what’s inside me.”
The beast that was Lucien snarled again. “I feel the appetite in you. You are close to feeding your hunger.”
Fingers still tangled in the vampire’s hair, Reyen drew another long slice into pale skin. A fresh rush of blood bubbled and hissed. The sulfuric stench lingering around the creature grew stronger. “The more you talk, the more I cut,” he warned.
Jesse forced herself to keep from turning and running away. She didn’t want to be here right now; she didn’t want to be doing this. Whatever bravado she believed she’d had at the beginning of the evening had quickly faded. The only thing she felt was weak and stupid and sick. There was no way she could fight these things when she had one inside her. Soon, very soon, the thing inside her would eat up her will and spit out her soul.
She leaned back into Maddox’s hand, glad of the support he offered. As long as he stayed beside
her, she felt she’d be okay. As for Reyen . . . She didn’t even want to imagine what the big man could do with that knife of his.
“Take it easy, Reyen,” Maddox warned. “Tonight we just need a clean kill. I’m not in any mood to stand here and watch you make the poor bastard scream. Let’s get it done and go.”
Sam Chen surveyed the empty parking lot around them. “I’m all for that,” he said, visibly shivering. “There’s nothing spookier after dark than an abandoned amusement park.”
Reyen sneered at his comrades in disgust. “Pussies.” He wiped the tip of his blade against his bare forearm, drawing a jagged mark on his skin with the vampire’s blood. “If it were up to me, I’d make you scream,” he spat toward their captive.
Twisting its wrists against the silver cuffs, the vampire gnashed its sharp fangs. “If it were up to me, I’d rip your throat out.”
Reyen rolled his shoulders with disinterest. He had the upper hand, and he knew it. “I’m going to send you back to hell, special delivery.”
Clamping her jaws together, Jesse forced herself to take a few steps forward. “I want to do it.”
Maddox’s strong fingers closed around her arm, pulling her back. “This really isn’t anything a woman should do,” he said. “It’s a man’s job.”
Jesse immediately jerked out of his grasp. “I have to do this. Not for me, but for Amanda.”
Sam Chen looked startled. “Who’s Amanda?”
The sweat on Jesse’s face turned to ice at the mention of her sister. “She was my sister,” she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. “My twin sister. We were taken together.” She leveled a hard glare toward the vampire. “She’s one of them now.”
Reyen’s muscles instantly bunched with tension. “You didn’t tell us there was another one,” he lobbed toward Maddox.
Raising his hands, Maddox shook his head. “I wasn’t sure about her twin,” he said in his own defense.
Jesse rubbed her hands across her face. Her skin felt numb, lifeless. “She’s one of them now. He only came up to me because he mistook me for Amanda.” Saying the words was like taking a hard punch to the stomach. It hurt—bad.