They fight and bleed and die to protect us.
We pour scorn on their efforts.
We mock their sacrifices.
We seek to sap their strength.
We make pacts with the enemy.
They are the vampire hunters.
And they are our only hope.
They will save us.
Whether we deserve it or not.
Introducing Jack Henderson, England's top vampire hunter. He and his fellow hunters are fighting a war against an ancient and implacable foe and a population increasingly unwilling to support their efforts. He’s tired, jaded and disheartened, but now he has a chance to take the fight to the vampires and challenge them in the very seat of their power.
COMING SOON
Renegade
MINISTRY OF PARANORMAL RESEARCH & DEFENCE
BOOK 3
Jack Henderson is enjoying some well-earned rest with the love of his life, his mate, Marie Hennessey. When Marie is kidnapped by a group of vampires, Jack's world is shattered.
Tracking her kidnappers and destroying everything in his way, the Pagan is out for blood. This time he’s not fighting for Queen and Country.
And the vampires won’t know what’s hit them.
* * * * *
Read on for a sneak preview of
Renegade
The next Ministry of Paranormal Research & Defence novel.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
RENEGADE, unlike PAGAN and CRUSADER, features a split POV, changing from Jack's to Marie's. I decided against insulting the reader's intelligence by labeling each chapter according to who is narrating. I trust you to figure it out.
RENEGADE
I groaned my way awake. The bath had been fantastic, falling into bed with the love of my life had been the true crown of the evening. Then the phone rang. It was the one in my room but with the door open it was loud enough to wake me.
I lay there, debating whether to answer. Then it stopped. Ah well, if it was important they would—
The phone next to the bed started to ring. I groaned louder as I reached across to answer it. Marie turned over and cuddled against my back.
“Hello?” I said.
“Mr. Henderson?”
“Speaking.”
“Sorry to disturb you at this hour, sir, but this is James at the front desk. There is a gentleman here who insisted I contact you. He said to tell you that he's from the Ministry and he needs to talk to you face to face.”
I suppressed a groan. The bloody Ministry and their bloody timing never did get any better.
“Okay, tell him I'll be right down.”
“Yes sir, I'll tell him. And sorry again for disturbing you.”
I hung up the phone and turned to Marie.
“Come back to sleep,” she said. “Leave the little bastard standing there.”
Of course, Marie had heard both sides of the conversation.
“I wish I could, puppy. It's got to be important to disturb us like this.”
“Okay,” she said. “I'll wait for you.”
I shook my head, yawning hugely.
“Get dressed. We may have to leave in a hurry. You always take so long to get ready.”
She blew a raspberry at me so I dived under the covers to tickle her. She gave a shriek and squirmed against me. The tickling quickly led to kissing.
“Stay, love,” she said, covering my face in tiny kisses. “Forget the Ministry man and stay here, just you, me, and the kiss monster.”
“I'll be right back,” I said. “Get dressed.”
“And what if we're not going anywhere? What if he's just here with a message?”
“Then I get all the fun of undressing you again.”
She made interested noises, snuggling close and kissing me repeatedly.
“I gotta go, love. Stuffed shirt waiting.”
She reluctantly allowed me to climb out of bed.
“Their timing's off,” she said.
“Yep. Could have waited a few days.”
“No, I meant that if they really wanted to piss us off they should have called a few hours ago.”
I laughed at that and kissed the tip of her nose. I was fully dressed and went back to hunting for my shoes.
“You getting up, puppy?”
“Yeah, running all the way,” she said, still firmly ensconced in the bed.
I'd located my shoes and stood up to pull on my shoulder holster. I drew my trusty SIG and eased the slide back to check the round in the chamber before replacing it.
“You don't think there's going to be trouble, do you?”
“Naw,” I said. “But if this wanker's coming here for anything less than life or death I want to be ready to kneecap the bastard.”
I stood and stared at her.
“You getting up?” I asked again.
“I am up, Jack,” she said sweetly. “I'm just moving so fast you think I'm still in bed.”
“Oh, is that right?”
“Yes it is. It's a quantum relativistic thing.”
I grabbed the covers and threw them off of her.
“Funny, looks like you're still there.”
She posed on the bed, displaying herself to me. Then she lifted her legs, pointing her toes at the ceiling, before spreading them until her calves were almost touching the covers. It always amazed me how flexible she was.
“Just so you make sure to hurry back,” she whispered, trailing her fingers over herself.
“Never worry about that, puppy,” I said, my voice hoarse.
She flipped herself upright and kissed me quickly.
“Hurry back, stud.”
“Get dressed.”
I gave her a pat on the bottom. My room key was in my jacket and I needed to cover the gun so I grabbed it on the way out.
The corridor was deserted and silent. I shrugged my jacket on and punched the elevator button. Damn the fucking Ministry and their stupid timing.
* * * * *
Jack left the room as I was rooting around for my combat suit. Might as well be ready in case this was some sort of emergency. I pulled the stretchy garment on and zipped it up, shrugging my shoulders to settle the armor plates into a comfortable position.
I looked around the room. Hell, where was my gun? Jack would kill me if I'd lost it. I suddenly remembered, I'd taken off the holster and dropped it on the chair. The gun was the lovely nickel and gold pistol Jack had given me as a gift on our first real date. Just remembering that night gave me a warm glow, followed by a rush of bitterness. The Ministry had interrupted that night too.
Well that's not fair. Marcus Demios, pretender to the throne vacated by the death of Glavida had actually been the reason we'd been recalled. Demios was dead now, killed by my man, so he could rot and we were alive.
I like that kind of revenge.
I checked the weapon, making sure it was loaded and a round was in the chamber. 'Check and test. Check and test,' was Jack's mantra. Always check, always test.
I dropped the gun and holster on the bed. I suppose I could start packing.
* * * * *
I leaned against the back wall of the elevator, thinking black thoughts at the Ministry man. If this wasn't important someone was about to get into more trouble than he could possibly handle.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid smoothly open. The lobby was practically empty. There was a brightly-smiling woman behind the front desk talking to an elderly lady, and a married couple just coming in the front doors. I stepped out and looked around, my instincts clamoring for attention.
* * * * *
I tossed a suitcase on the bed and started to load it with the clothes we'd worn today. Even if we weren't leaving we might as well get them off of the floor.
I flushed, feeling a warm thrill trickle through my body when I picked up the little g-string Jack had been wearing. Lingerie for men is difficult to find and mostly looked ridiculous. This, though, had looked so hot on him. I packed it away in the case. I had to
get him back into that thing.
I was turning towards the bedside table when I heard a quiet click from behind me. A faint breeze ruffled my hair, bringing with it a scent that raised my hackles.
* * * * *
“Hi,” I said to the woman behind the desk as soon she was finished dealing with her customer. “Is James around?”
She plastered a fake smile on her plum red lips.
“I'm sorry sir, James isn't working today.”
* * * * *
The scent was immediately recognizable. Vampire.
I spun around, changing into my wolf form with a growl of challenge. There were two black-clad vamps in the room already, with two more behind them. They were wearing military-style clothing with body armor and they were all armed with strange guns.
Thought ceased. I leap, jaws wide, claws outstretched. The first vampire, the closest, goes down with a single swipe, his throat torn out. The second gets punched in the stomach, shattering the Kevlar plate in his body armor. The heel of my paw slams into his chin, breaking his neck. I spin, lashing out again, tearing the face of the third down to the bone. Two more vamps are climbing onto the balcony. I grab the fourth, pulling him close, my jaws closing on his neck with a crunch as blood runs down my chest.
“Fucking hell!” yells one vamp. “Shoot the bitch!”
His strange gun spits at me, wide, the shot whistling over my shoulder.
* * * * *
“I'm sorry?” I said. “James just called up to my room. He said there was someone waiting for me down in the lobby. Room 401”
The receptionist shook her head, the fake smile staying in place.
“I'm afraid not, sir. In fact,” she said, tapping a few keys on a computer, “the call to your room five minutes ago was from an outside line.”
She looked up from the computer to turn that fake smile on me again but I wasn't there. I was halfway across the lobby at a full run.
One of the elevators was opening, a businessman coming out. I dodged him and dived inside.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
I hammered the button for the fourth floor.
“Hold the lift please!”
I turned to see the young couple hurrying towards the open doors.
I drew my pistol and bared my teeth.
“Wait for the next one,” I growled as the door closed on their startled faces.
* * * * *
The vamp pumps his weapon and fires again. This one barely misses my ear. I step forward, yanking the gun away and raking his shoulder with my claws.
The other vamp fires and I feel a sting on my arm. I look down. There is a dart sticking in the muscle. I snarl and brush it out.
I whirl, taking a step forward and a wave of nausea crashes over me. I stumble, falling to my knees. I roar in rage, struggling to get back to my feet.
“Hit it again!”
“Don't. That'll kill it.”
These are new voices, more vamps on the balcony. The vamp that shot me strides forward and crashes his weapon into the back of my head. I collapse, seeing stars.
“Fucking bitch!” yells the vamp with the ruined arm.
I roll over, using the last of my strength, and grab the vamp's ankle. Before anyone can react I slam my paw into his knee, bending the leg the wrong way and shattering his kneecap.
The vamp screams, falling on top of me, knocking the wind out of my lungs. The drug from the dart is in my system, pulling me down into blackness.
My last thought is for my man. My Jack. Vamps are here to kill my man and I failed to stop them.
* * * * *
As the lift climbed I checked my weapon again before flicking the safety catch off.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Someone had wanted me out of the room, and I had been too sleepy to notice the origin of the call.
The elevator dinged and I was through the doors before they were halfway open. The corridor was still quiet, only now it seemed an unnatural quiet. I cautiously made my way down the corridor and listened at the door of my room.
Nothing. Dead silence.
I used the stupid plastic card key and shoved the door open, following the business end of my gun inside.
My room was empty, exactly as I had left it. The connecting door was cracked open an inch, throwing a narrow strip of light across the carpet. I pushed the door open and stepped into my worst nightmare.
Furniture was overturned, curtains were torn, and blood was splattered over the walls and carpet. Marie was nowhere to be seen.
But there was the vamp. He was wearing a sober business suit with a subdued red tie. His thinning blonde hair was combed straight back from a patrician face that I hated on sight.
“Where's my mate?” I snarled.
“She is safe, Pagan,” the vamp replied. “Though it killed several of my agents to bring her down.”
I moved away from the door, putting my back to the wall, keeping the pistol trained on the vamp's chest.
“Where is she?”
“She is safe,” he repeated. “And she will remain that way as long as you cooperate with us. Now, the first thing—”
“Oh, fuck you,” I growled and then I shot him.
I leaped the broken chair and ran out onto the balcony. There was blood out here, too. Outside were the normal sights and sounds of late-night London. There was a van pulling around the corner at the end of the road but no way of knowing if Marie was inside. I did, however, have a way of finding out.
The vamp was slumped in the chair, a ragged hole in his chest. Not a fatal wound for a vampire. Well, not immediately fatal.
I backhanded the vamp across the face as hard as I could. His eyes fluttered open and he drew in a startled breath. I grabbed him by the lapels, yanking him to his feet.
“You and me are gonna have a nice, long chat, sonny Jim,” I growled.
...to be continued.
Crusader (MPRD Book 2) Page 23