Old Vampires Die Hard

by J A Campbell

  Laughing quietly, Walter leaned back against the railing. “I bet you have been wanting to do that for a while.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Jin sighed in relief. “Okay, so, we’re all here. What’s the plan?”

  “The plan is that you, Hawk, Kevin, and Walter are going to keep everyone here safe. We’re going to hope that you see no action.”

  Hawk froze and stared off into the forest. “Excuse me for a moment.” He stepped backward off the side of the porch that didn’t have a railing and moments later a large eagle took to the skies.

  “Show-off,” I muttered.

  Martin swore. “I didn’t think vampires could shape shift.”

  “Powers vary. I think it has something to do with his bloodlines.”

  “So, you told Walter your little secret?” Martin almost sounded smug.

  “Seemed the thing to do. Hey, Martin, why don’t you stop being a dick? We’re helping you out, and, really, it would be just as easy for me and Hawk to wipe you all out.”

  He went still, not quite like a vampire went still when they were concentrating or forgetting to act somewhat human, but it was pretty quiet.

  Walter cleared his throat. “I have been informed that Ekatarine is the vampires’ equivalent of a bogeyman, so you might actually want to be civil to her.”

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, to wipe us all out?” He sneered.

  “Not really, but if it proves to be the easier course of action, I’ll take it, so keep that in mind.”

  “What would your children think?” he said mildly.

  “Uh, that you’re being a douchebag and you deserve it?” Jin said, putting her hands on her hips. “Well, maybe not deserve it, but I probably wouldn’t feel all that bad about it, either.”

  I knew the last was a stretch, but I appreciated her support.

  “Such language.” He sighed. “Fine, I will consider myself properly threatened. Funny that I’ve never heard of you.”

  “Hmm, how many vampires do you know?”

  “Two,” he replied.

  “Next time you meet one, drop my name. See what happens.” I grinned. “Now, you and I are going to have to pretend to get along for at least part of our plan. Can you manage that?”

  He nodded.

  “Good.”

  Hawk returned, flying nearly as quietly as an owl. He shifted back to human form as he landed. “There are werewolves approaching. However, they have come from the woods where I believe they were burying bodies. Your pack?”

  Martin nodded.

  “Very well.” He faded back into the shadows, and even I had a hard time keeping track of him. I might be the acknowledged bogeyman, but if Hawk were ever to challenge me to the title, he’d probably win.

  I borrowed Walter’s old truck with the idea that if something happened to it, it would be cheaper to replace than Kevin’s car. Martin hadn’t argued when I told him I would meet him at the local bar and grill for a beer and lunch, as it were. His tilted head had clearly indicated he wondered how I would get there, since he wasn’t in on my ability to tolerate sunlight yet, but I didn’t enlighten him.

  The parking lot was surprisingly full when I arrived. I put the truck in a place that wouldn’t be too hard to get out of as long as no one tried to block it in. I got out and locked the truck behind me.

  The bar and grill was a single story whitewashed building that had probably been built in the sixties, but it had been reasonably well maintained. Most of the cars in the lot were pickups, but a few sedans filled spots too.

  The wooden floor creaked when I went inside. No one looked up, though, so I scanned the room. Several tables were occupied, and a few good old boys sat at the bar knocking back longnecks.

  Martin sat near the back exit at a booth.

  “You reek,” he said when I slid into the booth across from him. He wrinkled his nose.

  “Yeah, sorry about that. I raided Margaret’s perfume stash.” I shuddered.

  “Well, it definitely covers,” he gestured with his hand encompassing the room. “Everything.”

  “Good.”

  “Please tell me you have a plan for getting that off once we’re done here.” He smiled.

  Surprised he was acting so friendly, I nodded. “Walter actually has some scent neutralizing soap. I tried that first, but Tommy said it wasn’t enough.”

  Martin chuckled. “Let’s hope it works for…what are you wearing, anyway?”

  “Uh, I think it’s called Poison.”

  He laughed harder before waving over the waitress. “Want anything?”

  “Whiskey.”

  The waitress didn’t even blink about me ordering whiskey this early in the day. She didn’t comment on the scent either, but for a human nose it might not have been overly horrible.

  Or she was really polite.

  Probably she was really polite.

  My eyes were watering. Oh well.

  Martin and I sat in silence until my whiskey and his steak arrived.

  I sipped and he ate while we waited. We just needed someone from the other pack to show up.

  They would, Martin assured me. It was just a matter of when.

  When he finished his meal, he looked up and studied me. “I asked that other vampire I know about you,” he finally said.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, he said you were a scary son of a bitch.” Martin smiled. “Which is what we need right now.”

  I smiled back.

  “How, exactly, do you go out in the sunlight?”

  I simply continued to smile.

  “Right.”

  The door opened and I glanced over, before nodding toward it. Martin clenched his jaw.

  “Showtime, I suppose.” I took another sip of whiskey.

  Three members of the rogue pack walked in. The two men Jin and I had met at the gas station and a woman. They all wore jeans and tight t-shirts. None looked happy. Losing four of their pack had to sting.

  When they saw Martin and me, all their eyes narrowed. They seemed to have a quick conversation through shared glances before they stalked over.

  “What are you doing here?” The apparent leader snarled.

  “Finishing my lunch with a friend,” Martin replied. “What are you doing here?”

  I hadn’t considered them starting a fight, but if they did, my precautions with the perfume might have been in vain.

  The leader slammed his hands down on our table, rattling silverware and plates.

  “You have a lot of nerve. Killing four of my pack, kidnapping our newest member. I should kill you now.” He growled.

  I wasn’t sure if he just didn’t think I was a threat, or didn’t recognize me from before, but I was happy to stay out of this part.

  “The kid died, Samuel. You murdered a thirteen-year-old boy. I have no idea what happened to your packmates. None of mine were involved.” Martin didn’t have to fake the heaviness to his voice.

  “What else could have killed them?”

  “No idea. Locals found the kid and called me. That’s the extent of my involvement, other than burying the bodies so no one would come across them and call the authorities. You’re welcome, by the way. We’re working on how to deal with the kid.” Martin took a drink of his pop.

  Samuel wrinkled his nose and gave me a disgusted look before they moved to a table across the way.

  “Think they can hear me if I talk normally?” I whispered.

  Martin nodded.

  “Think the camping story will work for the kid?” I said in a normal voice. No one else was close enough to hear.

  “Yes.”

  “Good, then let’s bury his body tonight over near the old cemetery, out past Johnson’s land. No one ever goes there anymore, but it’s still holy ground. That will please his parents.”

  “Good idea. The pack will come and say some words,” Martin added. “You’re sure your witchcraft can disguise the burial so the authorities can’t find it?”


  “Of course.” That was my cover: that I was a witch.

  “Good. The pack will meet you there after dark.”

  We shook hands, and I turned and left. I could feel the other wolves’ attention on me, but I didn’t spare them a glance. No one followed, though I waited a few minutes for Martin to pay and also leave the bar before I drove off. Now we had to hope the rogues would take the bait.

  “I should come,” Walter said.

  “No, you should not,” both Martin and I said as we headed for the door.

  “One, we need you here to keep everyone safe. Two, I need you to keep an eye on the kids,” I said.

  He frowned and I put my hands on my hips. “For me to do my job, I have to know the house is protected. Hawk is great, and probably enough, but he needs to focus on keeping the area safe. You need to focus on keeping the humans organized and safe.”

  He sighed. “Okay.”

  “It may not feel like it, but your job here is just as important as what we’re going to do. You’re helping protect everything we’re fighting for,” Martin said. He had dropped off members of his pack who wouldn’t be fighting tonight. They could still fight, and help defend the house, but they weren’t trained.

  “Be careful, Mom.” Jin gave me a hug. She wore her guns and had her sword across her back. I was sure she had the throwing knives too. It about killed me to leave her to her first potential fight on her own, but she had a lot of support here, and I kept telling myself it would be okay. I knew Hawk would keep protect her.

  The werewolves were stationed with Geoff, helping to keep him stable and safe. The other human non-combatants were down in the basement, as well. It was as safe as we could make them.

  Kevin was armed and downstairs with them. We had already said goodbye.

  Hawk would patrol the forest as soon as it was dark enough, and Jin and Walter would keep watch from upstairs. It was the best we could do.

  “You be careful.” I hugged Jin again and followed Martin out to his pickup. It was getting late and we needed to get on the road.

  The light faded and the truck’s headlights came on as we wound through the forest.

  “Hopefully our directions were clear enough,” I said. “They are new to the area.”

  “It’s a reasonably easy area to find, especially if they ask anyone local.”

  “Yeah.”

  Martin pulled off the main road onto a dirt two track and we bounced through the deepening darkness.

  He finally stopped the truck and we got out.

  “You still smell a little bit like flowers,” he grumbled.

  I snorted. “Oh well.”

  We jogged a short distance to the graveyard where the rest of the pack waited for us.

  I had only met Tommy, who waited with the other three: two men and one woman.

  We passed around names quickly, and then Martin and Tommy got to work acting like they were digging a hole, while the others stood as if mourning. I faded into the background to keep watch.

  It didn’t take long for the rogue pack to take the bait. Clearly, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity we had presented.

  Hooting like an owl, as closely as I could, I alerted the pack from my perch up in one of the old oak trees that surrounded the ancient graveyard.

  If I wasn’t miscounting, I made seven wolves stalking through the woods, all in human form. That left at least four unaccounted for, if I remembered correctly. Suddenly, I was very glad Hawk was with Walter at the house.

  Martin wanted to talk to the other pack first, to see if he could get them to back down or leave. We both suspected it was a futile effort, but it was his call.

  The rogue pack took the first swing. Deciding that was probably enough, I dropped out of the trees behind the last werewolf before he could dive into the fray. Two silver bullets to the head at close range ended him permanently, which was pretty rough on everyone’s hearing.

  Another converged on me, but I didn’t have a clean shot, so I holstered the gun, ignoring the heat from the barrel and sprouted claws.

  The woman lunged at me. I ducked under her swing, dragging my claws along her ribcage and ripping.

  She howled, but I didn’t do a lot of damage.

  Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I spun to the side just as another of the werewolves, a male, swung a small log through the space I had just been occupying with enough force that I half expected to hear a sharp crack as it went through the air.

  The female wolf took advantage of the distraction and flung a handy rock at my head.

  Twisting out of the way again, I bent my knees and jumped for the trees. They matched my maneuver, seeming to think I was heading for the treetops. Instead, I caught the lowest branch and used it to redirect my momentum, drew my gun and fired, catching the woman squarely in the chest. She screamed and fell to the ground.

  I landed on my back, grunting as I found one of the many rocks in this area with my spine.

  Fortunately, the minor damage would heal quickly.

  The male werewolf howled in rage and threw himself out of the tree at me.

  I fired again but missed. Springing to my feet, I dodged a blow I sensed more than felt and kicked out, foot impacting the male werewolf’s knee. His yell of pain almost covered the wet snap as the joint disintegrated.

  Regaining my footing, I turned, aimed, and fired before he could get up. The direct hit to the face ended his threat permanently, and I went hunting for the female I had shot earlier.

  She was dead. One of the other werewolves had finished her off.

  Martin knelt by Tommy, but the rest of the downed werewolves were from the rogue pack. Several of Martin’s pack had injuries, but nothing life threatening. I went over to check on Tommy.

  It didn’t look good.

  “Will he be okay?” I asked, kneeling next to him. The stench of blood and split bowels made me think this might be something even a werewolf couldn’t heal.

  Tommy’s eyes were wide and he shifted his gaze to me. Martin had already thrown his shirt over Tommy and was keeping pressure on the wound.

  Martin shook his head. “They put wolfsbane on some of their weapons. It won’t kill us, but it inhibits healing.”

  Tommy’s eyes went glassy, but he still breathed.

  “Ahh.” Glancing up as if for guidance, I stared at the dark sky between the darker tree branches. A light breeze shifted leaves in the canopy and Tommy’s breathing grew more labored. “If you ever tell anyone I did this, I will eviscerate you. And I’m being completely serious. You will die.” What I was about to do wasn’t common knowledge. We really didn’t need anyone knowing about some of the properties of vampire blood, but especially not this. I only knew by accident.

  I grew my fangs and sank them deeply into my wrist to keep the holes from healing too quickly. Wincing, I flexed my hand a few times to get the blood really flowing, and then I held my bloody arm over Tommy’s mouth.

  “What are you doing!” Martin tried to pull me away, but I resisted until Tommy got a good taste of my blood. It wouldn’t take much if it wasn’t already too late.

  Letting Martin pull me away, I licked my blood off my arm and worked on healing the puncture marks.

  Martin glared at me until Tommy gasped, eyes open, much more alert. Martin turned from me and sank back down to Tommy’s side.

  The others stared at me and I stared back, hoping they would also stay quiet. If Martin told them to, they would. That was the great thing about a healthy wolf pack like this one.

  Tommy shuddered and then tried to sit up. Martin pushed him down. “Just rest, Tommy.”

  “I think I’m healing,” Tommy said, wide eyes glancing back and forth between me and his pack leader. “What did you do?”

  “Kat had a way to counteract the wolfsbane,” Martin said.

  “Thank you,” Tommy breathed.

  “He needs to rest. You should get him somewhere where you can clean his wounds. He’s not out of danger yet, but h
e has a better chance,” I said.

  “Claire, Steve, you guys get to bury bodies.”

  They groaned good-naturedly.

  “Rich, help me get Tommy back to the truck.” Martin glanced at me. “Want a ride back to Walter’s place?”

  “I’ll go on foot. You need to get him taken care of, and we still need to find the rest of their pack.”

  “I’ll run with you,” Martin said. “Rich can take him back to our house. Their leader wasn’t here. He’s probably at Walter’s and I think we can get there faster on foot.”

  I hadn’t noticed that, but nodded. With Hawk at the house, I wasn’t too worried, but I didn’t want to linger here, either.

  After Rich drove off, Martin untied his shoes and I turned my back while he stripped and changed into a wolf. He bumped my leg with his nose when he was done, and I turned to see a very large silver-gray wolf with golden eyes staring back at me.

  “You going to bite me if I scratch you behind the ears?” I smiled.

  He lifted one lip in a sort of growl and I laughed. “Want me to carry your pants?”

  He tilted his head before giving a nod, so I bundled up the jeans in one hand and headed for the house at a vampire fast run. The big wolf loped behind me and, though I was faster, he didn’t lag that badly. I dropped his jeans at the edge of the woods by Walter’s house and sprinted across the lawn.

  All the lights were on, and I made it onto the porch before I thought maybe I should let them know not to shoot Martin. I smelled cordite and blood and knew there had been a fight here. Hawk, Jin, Kevin, and Walter were in the kitchen along with a few of their uncles. Hawk had obviously told them I was coming, because no one looked surprised when I opened the door. More importantly, I didn’t get shot.

  “Martin is right behind me,” I said.

  “I will go meet him,” Hawk replied and headed outside.

  “Is everyone okay?”

  Jin rushed forward and I wrapped her in a hug. Kevin hugged both of us before sitting back down.

  Walter didn’t get up, but he nodded. “Everyone is fine. Four dead werewolves out in the woods, though.” He sighed. “I’m getting too old to bury bodies.”

  Kevin and Jin both glanced at him with eyebrows raised.