UNCONTROLLED BURN

by Nina Pierce

  “And you need your keys.” He flipped down his visor, catching them in his hand. “I grabbed them from your ignition last night.”

  “Thank you.” She leaned in and accepted the gentle brush of his lips. He didn’t try to stop her when she rushed to her car without a backward glance. Tires squealed and gravel pinged off rocker panels as Reese backed out of the driveway, leaving Alex utterly alone.

  Details and events had become shuffled and confused over the last twenty-four hours as her body had begun to shut down. But one thing she knew for certain … her Honda had been parked beside the barn when she’d followed John into the woods last night—not parked in the driveway behind Glenn’s truck.

  * * *

  Clouds shrouded the moon as he stood on the stoop of the old farmhouse, surveying the abandoned field. Some caring neighbor had probably come in today and no doubt sheltered the wayward animals. Just as well. After tonight, pig blood would no longer be needed for that heinous concoction that passed as vampire sustenance. Glenn’s death was another step in solidifying that.

  Vampires were nocturnal creatures. Born of blood, they lived by blood. To hell with modern views to the contrary. Ridding South Kenton of the contemptuous vampires who had weakened themselves with that chemical concoction had been necessary. Though Glenn’s death should have been the end, the realization that one more fire would be needed to complete the purification spurred the monster forward.

  Under the cloak of darkness, he’d searched Glenn’s house but found nothing. Either Glenn hadn’t discovered anything of consequence at the professor’s office at the university or he’d hidden it well. Had there been more time last evening, it would have been a pleasure to coax the information from the vampire’s bloody lips.

  But misdirection required precision. The setup left in the barn fire could not have been more perfect. Killing the crazed vamp who’d stumbled upon Glenn’s demise had been an added pleasure. Staking the body to the pentagram was nothing short of pure genius. Already gossip of Glenn’s occult practices had begun to spread. Small towns survived on grist from the rumor mill. The lies about Glenn’s satanic practices had been whispered in the man’s own tavern tonight, for chrissake.

  Getting rid of the nosy reporter and her car after Glenn had resurrected her—sublime.

  It filled him with great pleasure that he’d coordinated every ruse to the smallest detail. It was all falling into place so much easier than he’d imagined. And no one in town suspected he’d orchestrated the whole thing. Those clowns from RISEN were following a trail he’d paved with his own deceit.

  All that was left was cleaning up any lingering proof that implicated him instead of Alex. He couldn’t believe how easy it had been to frame the insipient vampire. Alex was a fool and an idealist who needed to be held up as an example of misguided vampire morality. Once he located and destroyed every scrap of the professor’s work, including details of the fires that had been set, there would be no way the tribunal could overlook her transgressions.

  Having Alexandra Flanagan beheaded at the tribunal’s orders would be a victory sweeter than human blood.

  If Glenn had stolen evidence from the professor’s office—information that would no doubt spur others to follow in his footsteps—it was imperative he locate it and be sure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands. He’d worked too hard at stopping the foolish professor’s experiments to be thwarted by another confused enthusiast who didn’t understand the true place of vampires in human evolution.

  The victory cry of an owl filled the stillness of the night, answered by the death scream of its prey. It was a haunting sound that called to the murderer’s heart. “Life taken to give life.” The creed rode on the gentle breeze.

  The rain had slowed around midnight and now, nearly an hour later, had finally stopped. It would make the long walk back to the bridge where his car was parked a pleasant stroll. His heavy boots clomped down the stairs and across the driveway. Clouds skittered across the sky and opened. A full moon beamed in all its glory upon the blackened barn, the rays of light stretching to illuminate Glenn’s vehicle. An obvious sign that couldn’t be ignored.

  With a confident stride, he walked across the driveway and stood at the cab of the truck. The moon glittered off a metal ring hanging on the shifter. He opened the door and leaned in, retrieving the key. And that’s when he found the leather satchel peeking out from beneath the seat.

  Fate had smiled down upon him once again.

  Chapter Eight

  Alex’s muscles seized, her teeth gritting against the pain. Like a junky in desperate need of a fix, her trembling hands could barely grip the steering wheel. With relief, she pulled into the empty parking lot of O’Malleys, backed into the furthest shadowed corner, and shut off her car.

  This was the last thing she needed to do before she could watch the mountains of South Kenton recede in her rear view mirror. With grief and exhaustion wrapping her in a heavy cloak of ice, she was beginning to doubt whether she’d be able to find the strength to make it into the wine cellars.

  The little tavern in front of her warped in her watery vision as memories of happier times slipped uninvited through her thoughts. Sorrow’s heavy thorns dug into her heart, adding to the pain knotting cold in her gut. Perhaps leaving wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d once believed. She and Glenn had worked hard to create the homey atmosphere that had made O’Malleys a favorite gathering place for the locals. She wondered now, with Glenn gone, and her quiet departure, what would become of her little tavern.

  Maybe Chris would find it in his heart to keep O’Malleys running.

  She wished she could talk to him one more time and explain, but she had no doubt the vamp blamed her somehow for last night’s fire and ultimately—Glenn’s death. The ride from the farm to the tavern had been long and uncomfortable, the air in Ronan’s car thick with unspoken accusations. Not wanting to endure an interrogation from either vampire, she’d gone immediately to the wine cellar and locked herself in. By the time she’d found the courage to face them, Chris was gone, and Ronan’s disdainful look over the rim of his glass of scotch had stolen whatever bravery she’d found alone in her office.

  That’s when she’d slipped out the bathroom window and into the comfort of Reese’s arms.

  Damn, she’d screwed her life up. Her decisions and unfortunate circumstances had stolen from her the only two men she’d ever loved. How could her desire to be normal have come down to this moment?

  Another bone-shattering spasm quaked through her chilled body and she hugged herself against the pain. Alex turned and rummaged through a gym bag in the back seat for a washcloth and a bottle of pain medication. The sporty Honda held everything she owned. Not wanting someone else to clean up her mess, she’d packed up her personal stuff from her furnished apartment, left enough cash on the kitchen table to cover the month’s rent and a significant bonus for the sweet landlord—and walked away. Even her cellphone was gone. Tossing it into the river as she’d driven over the bridge, she wanted to break all threads holding her to this life

  The plans she’d laid out months ago were finally happening. Only one thing would be left undone. She’d never be able to confess her secrets to Glenn. Someone had stolen that opportunity from her. There had been no sense sharing them with Reese this morning. A vampire like him would never understand how self-loathing had driven her these past several months to reckless decisions. Reese was one of the true breed, a vampire revered for his honor and commitment to the species. No doubt, he would take Glenn’s place as a mentor to the broken and down-trodden humans who awoke in a world of immortals, teaching them to embrace their nature.

  It was too late for her.

  She flipped two pills in her mouth, swallowing them down with great gulps of water and throwing the empty bottle onto the growing pile on the passenger seat floor. Her only path now was to turn herself over to the vampire tribunal and accept her fate. A death at their hands would certainly be better than the living
hell Alex was experiencing—a hell she’d helped forge.

  Sadness ripped at her heart and caught in her throat. She couldn’t hold back the flood of tears that streamed down her cheeks. If ever she needed the comfort of Reese’s embrace and the soft whispers of his encouragement, it was now. But it was too late to wish for such things.

  Now, Alex just needed to get into the tavern undetected and grab some blood wine one last time. She hoped it would be enough to relieve the tremors and nausea and allow her to drive the thousand miles to Montana. She expected to be in tribunal custody by the time the town gathered for Glenn’s funeral the day after tomorrow.

  Just as she was summoning the energy to push out of the car, she watched a shadowed figure run from the woods, unlock the back door of the tavern and disappear. There were only a few employees who had keys to the tavern. Chris was one of them. Maybe she’d manage to make things right with the vamp after all. Another wave of pain gripped her body and she doubled over, unable to hold back her cry of pain. It didn’t matter now who was in there—Alex couldn’t put this off any longer.

  Stumbling across the parking lot to the back door, Alex nearly tripped over the threshold of the open door, barely catching herself on the counter. Heated blood boiled through her veins, burning its way into her muscles, making her shaky and weak. Every nerve in her body shouted protests and her stomach heaved. In the months since this began, no episode had ever taken such control over her. She leaned her hip against the island, taking a moment to gather the energy to get down the back stairs.

  The dark kitchen was eerily quiet. The light from a small bulb under the counter cast deep shadows in the corners and around the heavy equipment, tickling an odd sense of fear along her neck, but it was enough to prove to Alex no one was in the space. She walked to the doors, pushing them open enough to see into the tavern. The muted glow behind the bar wrapped the tables and chairs in a soft blue haze. Though she saw no one, she called out, “Chris?”

  No response.

  It didn’t make sense. But, at the moment, nothing in her confused mind made any sense. Perhaps she’d only imagined someone coming into the tavern. No doubt the pain was causing hallucinations. Alex could only hope some blood wine mixed with crackers would stay down this time and help get her back to some semblance of normal. But the way her skin crawled with unseen bugs, she suspected it wouldn’t help. Without Glenn or the professor, there was no one to turn to for guidance. After tonight, she’d be on her own to suffer her fate, which was fine. She’d rather die than be turned back into the monster she’d seen in the mirror the past three decades.

  On trembling legs, Alex made her way to the door leading to the wine cellar, surprised when light spilled up the stairs from her office. Tight bands of trepidation wrapped around her stomach and squeezed. As she descended cautiously, she worked to convince herself that Chris had come back to do some work in the cellar, but the cold fingers of fear walking up her spine had other, more sinister opinions.

  “… I don’t fucking care what you want!” A voice boomed from the office, followed by a loud metallic crash that sounded a lot like the old file cabinet being thrown to the floor. “It’s not about you. It’s about finishing what’s been started. And if you don’t like it, you can just leave. I never asked you to be here.”

  “Haven’t you done enough without trashing O’Malleys? I mean …”

  Alex recognized Chris’s voice. Pressing herself against the cool stone of the cellar wall, she sidestepped closer to the door, not really wanting to make her presence known until she knew exactly what was going on.

  “If you don’t have the spine to see this through to the end, then get the fuck out.”

  Who the hell was Chris talking to?

  “You’ve completely lost it. I didn’t sign up for this insanity.”

  “What you signed up for, my man, was the power. Enjoying the superiority you have over those insipid humans. I gave you that and more.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Didn’t what, Chris? Didn’t want to stop the distribution of blood wine? Didn’t help me leave a trail of breadcrumbs that would lead RISEN right to Alexandra Flanagan’s door? Didn’t enjoy hiding your bloodlust among the ashes of my fires?”

  Alex couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She and Chris were friends. They shared the same sire. Her knees nearly buckled with the weight that Chris had a part in framing her for the death and destruction that had plagued South Kenton.

  “You said we’d shut down the wine cellars. You never said anything about convicting Alex of … Fuck! I’m sorry I ever …” Chris’s words trailed off.

  The vampire laughed. “Yeah, try giving apologies to the men and women you drained and burned. Wouldn’t RISEN love to hear how you treated those humans?” Heavy boots thumped along the floor as if the vamp were pacing. “How many were there? Let’s see. The lab tech at the university who wouldn’t have a drink with you. The hairdresser and the cashier who refused to give you their phone numbers. Then there’s the one that has me a bit confused, the drunk guy the other night from—”

  “Shut up! Shut the fuck up! You brainwashed me. You said it was the vampire way.”

  The pacing stopped. “Oh Chris, I don’t think the tribunal will let you use that as a defense.”

  “I’ll tell them everything. It was you. I had nothing to do with Glenn’s death. That was never part of our plans. I—”

  Chris’s words stopped as a loud thump was followed by a gurgling sound as if the other man had Chris around throat. The short order cook had obviously betrayed her, but Chris deserved judgment by the tribunal, not death at the hands of another vampire. In her condition, Alex could barely defend herself, let alone save the life of another. She needed Reese or Josh—damn, at this point, she’d accept Ronan’s help—anyone who could stop the crazed vampire intent on hurting Chris. She reached for her phone, cursing when she remembered it sat at the bottom of the river.

  “Our plans? You stupid, weak sonofa—”

  The metal cabinet exploded and a scream ripped from Chris’s throat. Alex looked around the corner, hoping to find some way to save the man. Chris lay on the remnants of the file cabinet in the corner, his body contorted in unnatural angles. Another vampire stood with his back to her, looming over Chris.

  Chris’s gaze locked on hers long enough to warn her off.

  “I’ve spent the last six months piecing this together,” the vampire continued. “Now at the last hour, with this last fire to set, your conscience is eating at you?”

  “You won’t get away with this. I won’t let you. I’ll tell RISEN everything.”

  The vampire began to laugh, the condescending sound both incongruous to the situation and oddly familiar. “If you don’t want to end up in the ashes, I suggest you keep your fucking mouth shut!”

  “I told Alex everything last night. She knows you—”

  “Fuck, Alex.” The vampire fisted Chris’s shirt in his hands and threw Chris’s broken body into the cask room as if it weighed nothing. Bottles shattered and the scream of agony that followed nearly made Alex puke. The vampire stalked into the room after him.

  She was going to die. Alex felt it in every bone-crunching spasm of pain quaking over her muscles. Whatever deal Chris had made with this vampire, he didn’t deserve for things to end this way. Alex rushed into her office, searching for anything she could use to keep the crazed vampire from killing Chris. With her muscles so weak, her options were limited. She grabbed a chunk of warped metal from the file cabinet, holding it in front of her like a shield.

  “Leave Chris alone.” She stepped into the cask room, sickened by the devastation in front of her. Wine casks had been flung against the walls. Broken wine bottles littered the floor. Blood wine dripped down the stones, splashes of it painting the ceiling and pooling on the floor in sticky puddles of crimson red. If the smell hadn’t gagged her, the sight of Chris’s broken body lying in the center of the devastation would have.

  �
�Well, well, well, look who’s joined our party.”

  Alex gasped as the vampire turned around. “Ronan? What are you—”

  “Run, Alex. Save yourself.” Chris barely finished the sentence before Ronan backhanded him, sending him flying against a wall. He fell to the floor like a ragdoll, his muscles and bones gone liquid as he lay unconscious in the rubble.

  Nausea rolled hot and hard up her throat, making her dizzy. Alex set the edge of the metal on the floor, leaning on it for support. Her stomach heaved and she had no choice but to give into the spasms, bloody vomit splattering on the floor at her feet.

  “So typical of you, Alexandra. You come running into to save the day, but look at you, so weak you can barely stand.”

  “Fuck you, Ronan.”

  “Now? It seems wickedly inappropriate don’t you think?” He laughed as he casually studied his fingernails.

  “What the hell happened to your accent?”

  He laughed. “Fake as the part I’ve been playing. With Glenn and the professor gone, I don’t need to continue that foolish charade. When everything is finished tonight, RISEN won’t need my help to condemn you to death. I’ll walk away from South Kenton a wiser, happier vampire than the one who sneaked in here undercover from even those RISEN assholes.”

  “I won’t let you—”

  “Let me what, Alex? Look at you. You actually think you’re going to survive this …” His hand waved up and down her body, his face contorted with disgust. “I was really hoping to see Colton’s face when the tribunal sentenced you to death, but if the good professor’s hypotheses are correct, you won’t survive the night.”

  “I’m not dying. I have some sort of flu.” She wrapped her arm around her torso, pressing her forearm against the pain. Death would be a welcome relief to the slow torture twisting her insides like cords of rope. Ronan swam in her vision and Alex held on to consciousness by a thin thread. “Vampire don’t die from the flu.”