Stalking Darkness

by J. L. Oiler

  Gavin as he took the seat next to her. “No, I thought we could all do that together, since the commander said Cadence would be staying with us until the next compound,” he responded, his hand patting her knee in reassurance under the table.

  “You’re dumping me off somewhere?”

  “You’re not ready to be out in the world,” said the man sitting directly across from her, raising one eyebrow with his condescending tone. He was large like Gavin, but with a rough shadowy beard and air about him which made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. He sat dressed in a faded olive green t-shirt, staring at her with a look of annoyed arrogance.

  “Not ready for what?” Anxiety overwhelmed Cadence. Who were these people? Where was she, and what did they have to do with what happened to her? Pushing Gavin’s hand away, she began bouncing her leg up and down. It was her telltale when her patience was fried. She’d had enough. “Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck is going on?” Cadence growled loudly through her clenched jaw.

  “Well it’s nice to see she does have some fire,” the man across the table said with a chuckle. “You went partying with a bunch of blood suckers, sweet cheeks, and now you get to be one. The only question we need answered if you’re going to be part of the solution to that problem, or just another bit of worm bait.”

  “Fucking liar!” Cadence hissed.

  “Think so?” His eyes glowed a bright aquamarine, the lines of his jaw and brow became sharp and defined and a pair of deadly looking fangs protruded from his mouth.

  Cadence scrambled backward in sheer panic, tumbling out of her chair onto the floor where she scooted into the corner. Wide-eyed, lips trembling, she stared at the man who’d changed before her eyes as he’d spoken.

  “Real smooth, Drake,” Gavin said, rubbing his eyes before turning in his chair to reach a hand toward her. “Uncouth as my friend might be, he did not lie. You are a vampire just as he is, just as I am. But we’re not like those who used you so badly and left you for dead, Cadence. Now come up here, and please allow us to explain better.”

  Slowly and with much uncertainty, she climbed back to her feet, pulled the chair upright and sat down. Her eyes never left the male called Drake as she moved despite the fact his features were again those she remembered upon entering the room. Cadence wanted to run from this place screaming, denying all they claimed. However, inside she knew this was something she could not simply run from.

  “If you’re a vampire, how did I see you walking around in daylight?” she asked once she’d regained a modicum of composure.

  “Myth,” the last of the men from the table said. His long dark hair hung across one shoulder in a tight braid. “More of a bedtime story to ease the mind of man. Think of the reaction if they knew the creatures of the dark were not confined to it.”

  Cadence took in the rugged attractiveness, dark hair and eyes, toasty skin tone and a solemn air that set him apart from the others.

  “Here’s the run down,” the red head interjected setting a half full bottle of beer back onto the table. “You can walk in sunlight and sleep is not something we require a whole lot of. Blood is more like an illicit drug—you don’t need it, but it gives a high you’ll want. Most times these guys eat the same stuff that they enjoyed when they were human. Therefore, steak and potatoes are still on the menu. Now a bad guy, like those who changed you, enjoys the high and would rather go about pretending to be like those vamps in the old horror movies.”

  Cadence nearly laughed as he did some old B movie mockery, his hands outstretched and curled like claws as he attempted a Transylvanian accent, mimicking the cliché of wanting to suck her blood.

  “We are stronger, faster, and harder to kill,” Gavin interrupted with a roll of his eyes. “Our life span as far as I know has no expiration date unless we meet some unnatural end.”

  “A stake through the heart?” she asked, wondering if that was also myth.

  “That will work, but so will most massive trauma. You put enough holes in anything’s head, it’s going down,” Drake said as he grabbed a bottle from the table in front of him and downed the remainder in several large gulps.

  Cadence decided that despite her higher education, she still had a lot to learn, whether she wanted to or not.

  ****

  Drake found himself once again glancing over at the woman fidgeting about in the rear passenger seat, and Gavin’s hand resting on her knee as he sat between them. Cadence seemed indifferent to their presence, her eyes focused on something intangible in the scenic landscape they passed. She’d said only a dozen words since the start of the trip, and even those were short one-word answers to questions about unimportant things. He would admit she handled all the things they’d told her better than he’d expected. Even the part about how all of their kind developed an unquenchable desire for hard sex garnished no more than a pinch at the bridge of her nose as she tightly closed her eyes and sighed. No denials or ‘what can I do to change back’ comments. Only a silent, sad acceptance. He wondered if she’d already felt the animalist desires, the beast side of each of them to force their claim.

  He found himself wondering and hoping she would be able to handle the time ahead. Drake remembered the weeks he’d spent learning to come to grips with what he’d become and discovering the means to harness to abilities and appetites that came with it. Only one in ten who entered those places made it back into the world of man. The rest were put down or were confined to dark prisons because they posed too great a danger. Drake could still hear the cries and screams that echoed from the pit all those years ago. Would Cadence be like those poor lost souls, begging for a humanity long gone? Worrying his lower lip, he looked at her once more, wishing he could help protect her from the self-hatred and guilt he felt radiating from her.

  A whimper from the rear of the vehicle caused Cadence to turn in her seat and look over at Phynix. The animal licked her fingers as she reached back and stuck the digits through the wire. Drake smiled; the woman had won their most distrusting member over with a cuddle and rub of his ears. The dog had gone as far as to sleep curled in the bend of Cadence’s legs last night. Now Phynix acted as though he knew she would be leaving them, and he begged her not to go.

  Chapter Four

  “So are you ready?” Cannon asked as he took a seat beside Cadence to watch the sun disappear behind the mountains in the distance.

  The older man in his long robes, dreadlocks and Jesus sandals had been her only real companion and her guide over the past four months since arriving at the abandoned military compound. There’d been two others to arrive during her stay, one dying the same night of his arrival and the other Cadence actually killed when he’d attacked her and Cannon during a training session. The sight of him snarling, snapping and promising pain and death was a turning point for her. Up until than she’d simply gone through the motions of what she was being taught and told. Now she was ready to rejoin Gavin and the others and track down those creatures whose goal was murder and mayhem.

  Cannon was a master in combat, both with and without weapons. He’d schooled Cadence for sixteen hours a day nearly every single day since her arrival. He also taught her to channel her anger and realize that as a human, she’d been unable to protect herself or her friends from the monsters who’d changed her, but as a vampire and part of Gavin’s team she had the opportunity to make certain it did not happen to others. Lucky for them both, Cadences’ five years of karate and self-defense classes had given her at least a basic foundation to begin. In a short period of several months the master had converted her from an uncertain girl to a lethal weapon with a taste for up close and personal combat.

  He’d also used the time to drill the idea that there is no shame in filling her sexual needs. It was simply part of what she’d become, a part Cadence needed to keep satisfied to maintain control. To that end she had a few individuals in mind. She’d used the memory of Gavin and his team in her ritual nightly self-release. She hoped they were up to the task
of taking care of her not only as a team member but also as a woman.

  She watched him run his hand along the wooden beads that circled his waist as a belt. It reminded her of one of the earliest combat sessions they’d shared.

  “You can’t always count on guns and blades to do the job,” Cannon had said as they circled one another. “You must be ready to use what is available.” He grabbed the small table where Cadence normally dropped her stuff before beginning training, slamming it against the wall. It shattered.

  She looked at him with a spark of amusement, “Stakes? Van Helsing much?”

  “All myth contains a bit of truth and this…” He pointed the jagged edge of one table leg her direction, “works just as good as any bullet or blade.”

  It was the first of many training sessions they would have using ordinary items instead of common weapons. With each Cadence became stronger and more confident in the person she’d been. She was capable of great speed, strength, and healing ability. On top of that, she found her ability to think on her feet and recall information also improved with each passing day.

  ****

  “I’m packed and ready,” she told Cannon, standing and brushing the dirt from the seat of her jeans. Cadence felt a bit nervous at seeing them again but had no intention of admitting to it.

  “You are smart, strong, and beautiful Cadence,” Cannon told her with his intuitive grin as he stood up and began walking back to the compound’s main aboveground structure. “Come help me set the table for dinner. Your team will be here within the hour and they will be hungry.”

  She followed, rubbing at the newly inked skin of her back and hips. The deep colors and intricately shaded images hid the scars left behind by her attack and symbolized her step from mortality to hunter. The entire process took the master a dozen hours over three days. It was the first step in her transformation from student to hunter. Next was the selection of attire to allow her free movement, yet not be easy to grab or hold. It also needed to be functional, and Cannon insisted it be sexy to distract her primarily male opponents. Of all the shopping trips and impromptu fashion shows Cadence experienced with her college girlfriends, the day spent netsurfing with someone else’s money surpassed it. Each time one of the packages arrived felt like Christmas as she tore open the paper and tried each on for the man she’d come to see as a father figure. Though she doubted any father wanted their daughter prancing around in vinyl laced tops and matching body-hugging pants.

  Then came the accessories, all of which were dual-purposed. Belts, which held a set of throwing daggers, knee boots with metal spikes for heels and hidden knife sheaths. Even the spiked choker and matching cuffs were designed as weapons and protection. Cadence guessed from a weapon and possession standpoint, she was ready to rejoin Gavin and the others. If the butterflies in her stomach cooperated, it would be perfect.

  ****

  Raven stepped from the SUV and took a deep breath. He loved the smell of the fresh air that surrounded this area. He thought perhaps if time allowed he would shift and run free across the acres of open land the area occupied. Opening the hatch at the rear of the vehicle, he unlocked the pen and watched as Phynix hopped out and ran as fast as his canine legs could carry him to the structure where Raven knew Cadence and Cannon awaited them. The hound had whined and howled every night since they’d left the woman here. The animal was not the only one who’d missed her presence. Raven had not admitted it, but she often walked in his dreams and visions. The other did not know yet what his gift revealed, but Cadence was a critical part of their team, the one who could heal them all.

  Following the other inside, they discovered Cadence and Cannon already seated at a table heavily laid with variety of meat and other items, which their bodies could digest. It was a rare treat to have their fill without it costing someone’s life. The question of how they’d come up with such a buffet crossed Raven’s mind, but he thought better than to ask. One should never look a gift horse in the mouth, and he was far too hungry to debate morality.

  “God this looks good,” Gavin said as the appointed leader took the chair closest to Cadence, as they’d all expected.

  Raven could not help wonder if the man referred to the food or the woman who smiled at them all. Taking his seat alongside Cannon, he noted the wag of a tail just over the table at Cadence’s side. Evidently, Phynix had found who he’d been looking for.

  “At last our friend will not spend the evening howling as though lost,” Raven said with a chuckle.

  “Our animals often know what they need better than our human side,” Cannon said, opening a bottle filled with a deep red liquid which resembled blood.

  “Well, my animal side wants something to eat,” Hugh announced as he stabbed his fork into a large hunk of nearly raw meat and dropped it unceremoniously onto his plate. “So how did your training go? You look great.”

  Raven watched Cadence pull a tray of meat close and grab a section only half the size of Hugh’s before she looked around at the others and answered. “Things have gone well here. I feel much better, more whole than when you all brought me several month ago.”

  “So you can take care of yourself in a fight?” Drake asked, tipping back a glass of the red liquid.

  “I don’t believe I will be a detriment to your missions,” she said between bites.

  “Our Cadence is modest,” Cannon corrected as he winked her direction. “Her skill far exceeds a large number of those who have passed through this facility, and she has already proven herself against a formidable enemy.”

  Raven looked at the woman who blushed a bit at the praise she received from the man they all respected. He’d seen the events Cannon spoke of in a vision, but dismissed it as dream or cryptic message of events to come. Now he knew the truth.

  “The wolf man attacked and would have killed you both if given the chance,” Raven admitted in revelation. “You have grown very strong and skilled. I am glad you have healed both physically and mentally.”

  ****

  Gavin looked back and forth between Raven and Cadence, feeling as though he’d missed something important. The room fell into a sort of awkward silence for several minutes until Cannon finally asked if they’d learned anything new about their current quarry. It was a change in topic that seemed to put Cadence at ease.

  “Looks like they hit another small college in the southern part of New York State. No survivors and did not take any souvenirs. Same thing as always, they rented some high dollar penthouse with private access, disabled all security cameras and held a little impromptu blood dinner party with college kids as the main course,” Gavin laid it out, watching Cadence for any hint she might remember something from her own experience that could help.

  “Did they spike the drinks again?” she asked tilting her head to the side.

  “Is that why it seems the students don’t resist?” Drake asked, leaning forward in his chair now that his meal was gone.

  “They serve some sort of tainted liquor that makes everything fuzzy like a dream,” Cadence added, wiping her hands on the napkin, which had been folded neatly on the table. “There were eight of them, all large and dangerous looking, kind of like the four of you. Nigel and Anton were the obvious leaders.”

  “Yeah, the two have been a pain in our ass for well over a year and a half now. But, from what we saw on this last scene I’d say they picked up a few more members into their happy fucking club,” Hugh said, tossing his booted feet onto the edge of the table and earning a rather stern look of disapproval from Cannon.

  Gavin waited for the elder to push the arrogant fool’s feet from the table or knock him and the chair over. When Cannon simply rolled his eyes and shook his head, he was surprised. Evidently, the man was mellowing with his years here. Not that he couldn’t use a bit of mellow, the master had been hell on wheels when Gavin had spent his time here.

  “Any idea where they might head next?” Cadence asked, and immediately every man at the table turned their eyes to Rave
n.

  Gavin might be looking to the team’s seer, but his mind was wandering to the woman at his side. He could smell her sweet scent and his body tingled with the thought of being so close. He’d dreamt of Cadence every night for the past four months. The sight of her standing naked beneath the spray of the shower burnt in his mind. A dozen different ways he’d played that scene out if he’d chose to do anything but hide in the shadows and watch.

  “Somewhere much warmer, but the only thing else I have seen was a swamp,” the dark haired male said, interrupting the thought, as he stared up at the ceiling as though he found the answer written in the yellowed tile.

  “Not much in a means to narrow it down, lots of swamp land down south,” Hugh commented sarcastically.

  “Well at least we have a general direction, and Cannon knows what areas to watch for signs.” Gavin stood and stretched, cracking his neck side to side. “Why don’t you all stretch your legs and maybe help Cadence get her stuff while I speak to Cannon,” he suggested, giving the older man a nod.

  “I really don’t need help,” Cadence said as she stood and began clearing the dishes from the table. “You can all just go do whatever it is you need.”

  “I will help you clean up here first,” Raven told her as he also stood and grabbed the empty glasses scattered around the table. “I think I will breathe in the air before we leave here.”

  “Hell, I plan to find a couple cold beers and just watch the stars come out,” Hugh shared, jumping to his feet as though he feared someone might expect him to help with the dishes.

  “I guess I’ll take old Phynix out for a run. See if we can scare up a rabbit or two out in the brush,” Drake informed them before whistling for the dog.

  “Just be ready in a couple hours,” Gavin grumbled.

  He could not help but stare at the woman who moved around, gathering and stacking plates atop one another. She seemed even more sensual than when he’d brought her here. Gavin thought it might be because of the self-confidence he saw her exude with every movement and word. Before, Cadence was sexy; now she was strong, confident, and sexy. Everything he loved in a woman.