The Chaos Order (Fanghunters Book Three)

by Leo Romero

  “Got any Bud?” Dom asked.

  Trixie rolled her eyes.

  “Bud?” Alicia echoed. “This is Tijuana, Dom, not LA. Here, we drink Corona.”

  “I’ll take one of those then.”

  Alicia turned to Trixie. “And you?”

  “I’ll just have water,” Trixie replied.

  “Limón for me, Rafa,” Alicia requested.

  Rafa went to the fridge to grab their drinks. In the meantime, Alicia took a seat on another couch. She moved to the edge of her seat and craned her neck toward Dom and Trixie. “So, why are you here?”

  “We were hoping your dad could give us clues on how to find a temple,” Trixie answered.

  “A temple?”

  “We think a Mayan temple called the Temple of Snakes. Heard of it?”

  Alicia shook her head. “My father was always looking for ancient stuff. I was never really interested. Why do you need to find it?”

  Dom and Trixie glanced at one another.

  “Well...” Trixie began.

  “There’s an ancient vampire locked away in the temple that Vincent has sent us to kill,” Dom said straight up.

  Trixie turned away and scratched the back of her head. Dom watched Alicia as her mouth popped open.

  Alicia then began to nod. “My father was always talking about vampires controlling the cartels. I always thought he was crazy. I never believed it. But, after they killed him, we sent some guys up to Víbora’s hideout, Castillo Serpiente, to assassinate him. Only one of them came back. He had this... wound on his neck like someone had taken a bite out of him. Before he died, he told us Víbora did it to him. He said Víbora is a vampire, and that he was too strong to kill.”

  “It’s all true, Alicia,” Dom said. “Your dad was correct. The cartels are controlled by a faction of vampires known as the Chaos Order. The head of the Order is Magdalena. And we think she’s in the Temple of Snakes. If we can stop her, then we can hopefully stop the cartels.”

  “So, you know how to kill vampires?”

  “Absolutely! We’re experts.”

  Alicia gave him a skeptical look. “The guys we sent were good. Víbora killed them all.”

  “Yeah, but we’ve got methods. Proven methods,” Dom told her.

  “Okay. I’ll make you a deal. My father kept notes on everything he found out about the cartels and ancient Mayan culture. Maybe there’s something in there about this temple you’re looking for. If you help us kill Víbora, then you can have my father’s notes, and we’ll help you find this temple.”

  Dom glanced at Trixie.

  Trixie shrugged. “Deal,” she said to Alicia.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  That evening they had a meal of fresh chicken and rice covered in lime juice picked from one of the trees outside. It was one of the freshest, tastiest meals Dom had eaten in a long time. The chicken came straight from a backyard farm, and with the lime cooling the heat of the jalapenos, it was a new twist on the processed garbage he was accustomed to. He washed it down with another Corona, which helped cool down the heat of the chili further.

  He let out a gasp of satisfaction. He was enjoying his stay in Mexico more than he’d expected. While they ate, they all exchanged stories. Alicia and la Sagrada Família told of their battles with the local cartels, while Dom and Trixie relayed their episode in the I-Sore Tower against Leviah’s Blood Order and Blacklake. La Sagrada Família all listened intently, absorbed in what Dom and Trixie were telling them, Alicia translating as and when she needed to.

  The stories and hatred for the orders and cartels were similar. Venom addiction versus drug addiction, fangheads versus gangbangers, an order controlling things; it was all the same. Only the attitudes on how to approach the battle were different. The autodefensa didn’t seem to have any qualms putting bullets into Chaos Order affiliates. As far as they were concerned, cartel members were criminal scum who deserved to be put down. When Dom and Trixie explained the use of tranqs to sedate fangheads, it was met with derision.

  “Why would you want to save the lives of the enemy?” One Sagrada Família member asked them, Alicia translating.

  “Because they’re victims,” Dom answered, the image of that merc he killed flashing in his mind. “Victims,” he repeated, watching his unconscious body drop into the abyss.

  After dinner, Dom and Trixie went shooting with Rafa and the other Sagrada Família members. They took their assault rifles and submachine guns out to the fields surrounding the town to shoot targets made of cans, stones, and bits of wood. The guys lit up the field with the strong lights attached to their Humvees before setting up the targets. The ladies, including Trixie and Alicia, stood on the edges and watched the boys play.

  Juan set up a watermelon fifty feet away. Rafa aimed his AK-47 for barely a second before he fired. The melon exploded into a pink, fleshy mess. The others applauded.

  He then handed his assault rifle to Dom. “Here, amigo. You try.”

  Dom hesitated. “Hey, man. That looks too hardcore for me.”

  “Come on, gringo. Shoot! You’ll grow some hair on your cojones.”

  The others all laughed.

  Dom looked from the gun to Trixie. She had her hands on her hips. She licked her lower lip. “Go on, show em how gringos do it,” she said.

  Rafa shoved the gun into Dom’s chest. “Take!” he boomed.

  Dom put on a grin. He came from a city that enforced gun control. Dart guns were about as good as it got in terms of firearm experience. The thing he was now staring at was a goddamn cannon in comparison. He cleared his throat. He looked up, meeting Rafa’s stare. “All right,” Dom said and grabbed the stock. He took the gun from Rafa and puffed his cheeks. He weighed it up; it felt pretty good.

  Dom nodded his head in appreciation. “Where’d you guys get all this stuff?”

  Rafa shrugged. “Uncle Sam. Where else?”

  Dom chuckled.

  “Careful, amigo,” Rafa said. “It’s not a water pistol.”

  Dom cleared his throat, puffed his chest out and lifted the gun up to shoulder height, clutching the foregrip hard. He squinted an eye and looked down the sights.

  “Juan, set him up another melon,” Rafa ordered. “Let’s see if he can hit it.”

  Juan grabbed a watermelon and placed it down amongst the remains of the last one.

  “Okay, chico,” Rafa said, once Juan was safely out of the way. “Fire away.”

  Everyone fell silent as they watched on in anticipation. Dom took a breath, then aimed down the sights. Okay, Dom. Take it easy. He caught the melon in his sights. His arms were trembling. It was the first time he’d held a gun so big and bulky, and he didn’t want to look like a loser.

  Just hit that damn melon!

  He licked his lips, then curled his trigger finger back.

  The gun exploded into action. The recoil juddered through his arms and his body and mind like an earthquake. He completely lost his aim; he hosed the entire area ahead of him, the muzzle of the gun pointing this way and that.

  Woah, stop!

  A round of laughter broke out, just as Dom released the trigger.

  He moved his head to the side, eagerly looking at the melon, expecting to see it burst into pieces. But, it was exactly as it was; pristine, good enough to eat. He’d ended up hitting everything apart from the melon, even managing to pepper a lime tree with bullets.

  “I guess my aim needs working on,” Dom said to himself in a bemused voice. He stared down at the gun in confusion, his arms still vibrating with aftershock.

  Rafa came up behind him and gave him a hearty pat on the back. “Good shooting!” he said with a laugh. “I thought you two were supposed to be soldiers.”

  “We are,” Trixie said. “We don’t use those kinds of weapons. We’re more discreet.”

  “So, what do you usually use?” Alicia asked.

  “Special issue dart guns,” Dom replied.

  “Dart guns?” Rafa echoed, his eyes wide. After a second, he
and the others burst into laughter. “Amigo, dart guns are for animals. Not vampires.”

  “Really?” Dom asked, anger rising inside him. “We’ve beaten an order head vampire. Have any of you?”

  They all fell silent.

  “Exactamundo,” Dom said nodding his grinning head. “Tell me, how many vamps has this killed?” he asked, holding the assault rifle aloft.

  They all remained silent.

  “Huh? Come on,” Dom asked, his hands outstretched, turning in a circle to face them all. “How many vamps have been killed by bullets?” He cupped a hand over his ear. “Ah, that’s right, mi amigos. None. Cause bullets don’t harm vamps.” He turned to Trixie. “How many vamps have the dart guns killed, Trix?”

  Trixie shrugged. “Hundreds?”

  “See? Hundreds. Bullets don’t harm vamps. You have to get em here.” He patted his chest. “In the heart.”

  Alicia went and grabbed something from the table and approached Dom. “That’s why we’re gonna use this,” she said, now aiming a crossbow at him. Loaded inside it was a rough piece of wood sharpened into a stake. “Rafa’s a carpenter. He makes these in his workshop. He’s good at that kind of stuff.”

  They all glanced over at Rafa, who gave them a proud nod.

  “That’s some good workmanship,” Dom noted.

  “We’re gonna shoot the bastard in the heart,” Alicia said. “Bang!”

  Dom stared down at the stake with trepidation. He then grinned at Alicia and pushed the crossbow away from his chest. “I think I’ll pass on that one, if you don’t mind. A bit too messy.”

  A rustle in the bushes then made them all start. They turned toward the noise, anyone holding guns aiming them with intent. Alicia raised her crossbow. The rustling continued, the leaves and branches moving of their own accord.

  “Is it in animal?” Dom asked.

  “I don’t know,” Alicia said. “Could be Los Verdugos.”

  The rustling stopped for a brief moment; they all waited, only the sound of chirping grasshoppers audible. Someone then jumped through the bushes and into the clearing; a man dressed in a bright red Hawaiian shirt, white chinos, and sandals.

  Rafa leaped forward, his gun aimed right at him. The man laid eyes on the gun; he stopped dead, throwing his hands in the air. He looked up and around at them all, specifically at the guns pointed his way. “Uh... hola?” he said in an American accent.

  “Troy!” Trixie said half in relief and half in repulsion.

  “Hey, Trixie,” Troy replied. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “You know him?” Alicia asked, her face pinched.

  Trixie nodded. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “Oh, thanks, Trixie,” Troy retorted. “I’ve just spent the last few hours in the back of a pig truck looking for this place.”

  “Pigs, huh?” echoed Trixie. “Well, they say you attract the type that you are.”

  “I really don’t need this crap right now,” Troy stated with a huff.

  “Who is he?” asked Alicia.

  “He’s with us,” Trixie said in an unenthusiastic tone.

  Troy put on a big grin, exposing his fangs to the night air.

  “Hijo del Diablo!” Alicia shrieked. She raised her crossbow at Troy, her eyes flashing with hate. She jabbed it menacingly toward him.

  Trixie’s eyes widened. She jumped in front of the crossbow and waved her hands on the air. “No, no, no!” she said with urgency. “He’s human. Just about.”

  Alicia eyed her with suspicion, her crossbow still raised.

  “Trixie,” Troy said in a concerned voice.

  “Just shut up, Troy!” Trixie snapped. She turned her attention back to Alicia. “He’s still human. Believe me, he hasn’t fully turned. He’s with us. He helps us find vampires. We brought him with us to find Magdalena.”

  Dom approached Alicia. Her wide eyes flicked his way. He placed a calm hand atop the crossbow. “It’s okay. He may smell a bit, but he’s harmless.”

  Alicia paused for a second, then reluctantly lowered her weapon, her abrupt anger cooling off. “Well, you keep your eye on him. If he does anything wrong, me and my men won’t hesitate to kill him. Okay?”

  Dom nodded. “That’s cool. He’ll be on his best behavior. Won’t you, Troy?”

  Troy nodded vehemently. “Scout’s honor,” he said over Trixie’s shoulder.

  Alicia gave him a look of disdain. “You just keep him away from me.”

  “That’s fine by me, doll,” Troy mumbled.

  A Sagrada Família guy strolled past Troy, eyeing him hard. Troy grinned at him. The guy spat on the ground by Troy’s feet before marching away.

  “Nice to meet you too,” Troy said with a nod. He then shook his head. “Ugh, Latinos!”

  “Don’t upset the locals, Troy,” Trixie advised in a hot whisper. “Now, did you get our stuff over?”

  “Yeah, I brought your precious gear with me,” Troy said, handing her a duffle bag. “Wasn’t easy getting that down here. I’m expecting a hefty reward, Trix.”

  Trixie enthusiastically opened up the bag and peered inside. She moved the dirty clothes to the side and pulled out a dart gun; she looked it over in her hand. “Good work, Troy. I’ll make sure you get paid, don’t worry.”

  “So, what’s the plan, Trixie?” Troy asked, straightening his Hawaiian shirt.

  “We don’t know yet. We’re gonna go help them take out the head vamp of the local cartel. In return they’ll help us find Magdalena.”

  “And what do you want me to do?”

  “I think you should go to downtown Tijuana.”

  “Tijuana?”

  “Yeah. Snoop around. Get to know who the movers and shakers are down there. Someone might know something about Magdalena.”

  “Sounds good to me, Trix. I don’t think I’m much welcome here.” He glanced over to see Alicia and her guys all whispering and looking over at them.

  Trixie shook her head. “I can’t think what it is, Troy.”

  “They just don’t know style when they see it.”

  “Yeah, that must be what it is.”

  “Well, can I at least get a ride down to Tijuana? I don’t wanna have to get back in a pig truck.”

  Trixie turned and faced the others. “Hey, can one of you give Troy a ride down to Tijuana? He’s gonna go scout for us down there.”

  They all glanced at one another. “We don’t want to have anything to do with him,” Alicia said, almost spitting as she said the word ‘him’.

  Trixie sighed. “Look. I know he’s not exactly friend material—”

  “Thanks, Trixie,” said Troy.

  “But, he’s still human,” Trixie finished. “He has a pulse. And believe it or not, he is quite useful. He helps us find vamps. He can help you too if you let him.”

  Alicia gave her a look like she’d just smelled something bad.

  “I don’t think they’re buying, Trixie,” Troy whispered into her ear.

  “Just shut up, Troy! I’m actually trying to save your ass here.”

  Troy backed down. Trixie glanced back at Alicia and the guys and smiled.

  Dom then stepped up to Alicia. “It’s true. He stinks, yeah. He’s untrustworthy, yeah. But he does help. As long as he’s paid. And we pay him well, and he serves us well. The good thing about him is he can blend in with the vampire world. And in this game, that’s gold dust.”

  Alicia briefly turned her mouth downward. “Hmm. Interesting.”

  “Now, we’d really appreciate it if one of your guys could get him down to Tijuana so he can get to work. What do you say?” He gave her a sincere look as he spoke. And it appeared to work. Her frostiness melted a little.

  She sighed. “All right. If you vouch for him, I can make an exception. One of my guys will take him down to Tijuana. But, if he tries anything...”

  “He won’t,” Dom reiterated. “Will you, Troy?”

  Troy ran both hands across the air. “No way. I’m on my best behavior.”

&nbs
p; Alicia looked from him to Dom, and when she did, the disgust immediately left her face. “Juan!” she called out.

  Juan stepped forward. “Si?”

  “Take Troy down to Tijuana,” she said. “And keep your eye on him.”

  “Si, Alicia.” Juan then stepped up to Troy, gave him a brief glance, and then went on ahead. “Ándale, pendejo!” Juan said over his shoulder.

  “Hey, I understood that one,” Troy said back to him.

  “Good. So move your ass!” Juan retorted.

  “Ugh, Latinos,” Troy groaned before he reluctantly turned to follow Juan.

  Trixie grabbed his arm. “You still got that smartphone I gave you?”

  “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Good. Don’t lose it. Okay? Here...” She dipped into the duffle bag and pulled out a phone battery. “Take another one of these.”

  “Yes, m’lady,” Troy said as he took it and stuffed it into his pocket. He turned to leave.

  “Watch yourself down there, Troy.”

  “Don’t worry about me, doll,” Troy said over his shoulder. “I’m well acquainted with the sleazier parts of town.”

  Trixie cringed. Troy attempted to get inside the passenger seat of Juan’s truck. Juan put out a firm hand, then pointed at the back. Troy protested, but Juan insisted. Troy’s shoulders collapsed; he threw his stuff in the back in a huff, then unenthusiastically climbed into the back and squatted down.

  Juan got in the driver’s seat and started up the engine.

  Troy glanced back at them, his miserable face visible just above his knees. Trixie gave him a faux-enthusiastic wave off. Dom joined her, a big fake grin on his face. Troy stuck up his middle finger in return. Dom burst into laughter.

  “Right back at’cha, Troy,” Trixie said as the truck pulled away.

  Troy kept his middle finger erect as they disappeared down the dirt track.

  Dom clapped his hands together. “Man, that was funny.”

  Alicia then stepped forward. “Hey, let’s go and get some sleep. We’re going to Castillo Serpiente at dawn. Right when Víbora goes to sleep.”

  Trixie nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “I’ll show you to your beds,” said Alicia.