Jael jerked awake and stared wide-eyed into the darkness of the room. What a strange dream. She’d never dreamed herself into another century before. But it had been so real she imagined she could almost smell the stench of the man’s sweat.
A glance across the room through the open curtain of the window revealed the moon already bright in a midnight sky. She sat up and the forgotten book dropped to the floor. Her cell phone lit up on the table beside her and made the little tweet it did for incoming text messages. She picked it up. Shadow. Figures. She hoped it would be Brianna.
Meet me outside in 5?
What was he doing here at this hour? She thought he would just drive by a couple times to check on things and go back home to bed. She went to the window and looked out, but didn’t see him or his bike. He was probably keeping his distance because of Bruno. Although for some strange reason, her dog seemed to really like the wolf whisperer. She texted him back.
be out soon. Where are u?
She quietly slid the window all the way open and placed her pillows on the floor beneath it for reentry. After digging in the desk drawer for the little flashlight she kept there, she stuck it in the back pocket of her jeans and pulled one of her many black hooded sweatshirts over the Scooby Doo t-shirt she wore. Her eyes were well adjusted to the dark now so it would be easier to spot Shadow once she slipped out the window. The phone lit up with another text.
behind ur shed
Jael slipped her phone in the pocket of her jacket and climbed silently over the windowsill. She landed on the sandy ground with a dull thud and crouched, listening. Still quiet, inside and out. Slowly, she straightened and moved toward the shed at the back of the yard.
The telling moment of queasiness washed over her as she rounded the corner of the small building. Shadow leaned against the shed with one knee bent and the sole of a boot braced on the wall.
He pushed his hair back from his forehead and straightened. “It’s about time.”
“You just texted me like two minutes ago.”
“I know. Sorry.” He glanced around nervously. “Can you come with me?”
“Come with you where? Have you forgotten, this is the most dangerous night of the year for a pre-sixteen-year-old slayer?” she asked, hands on hips.
“I thought if you spoke with my grandfather face to face…” he broke off and shook his head, looking away.
“He’d see that he couldn’t be a part of killing an innocent young girl?” She blew out the breath of a laugh. “If he has his mind set on living forever, I doubt I can say anything to change it. After all, you’re his grandson and he obviously hasn’t listened to you.”
He stepped closer, his voice low and tense. “It’s not that he doesn’t want to help you. He just doesn’t feel like he can.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s dying of cancer,” he said, his gaze dropping to the ground at his feet. “He’s known for a while but he didn’t tell me until this afternoon.”
Jael reached out and put a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Shad.”
He shook his head again and cleared his throat. “Doesn’t matter. He can’t take your life to save his own. It’s not right.”
“Glad you agree.”
She suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Something wasn’t right. This was a setup. She knew it the same moment that Shadow lifted his head and looked past her right shoulder into the darkness toward the cluster of olive trees on the edge of their property. His eyes widened and in that split second of time she knew he was as surprised as she was.
He grabbed her arm and yanked her to the ground in time to avoid the pointy end of a knife whizzing past her head. They heard the blade sink deep into the shed behind them with a loud thunk. She looked up and saw three dark shapes moving rapidly toward them.
“Come on!” Shadow said and grabbed her hand.
They were both already on their feet and running toward the road where he had left his bike. Footsteps pounded behind them. Shadow jumped on the seat, pulled in the clutch and started the engine, but not fast enough. One of the vamps was just a few steps behind. Jael turned and met her head on.
The female vampire was surprised by her sudden turn around and pulled up short. Jael saw the knife gleaming in an upraised hand. She did a jump kick and knocked it loose from the vamps grip. It clattered on the gravel road out of reach of either of them. Jael did a backflip, snatched it up and threw it in one smooth motion.
“Come on, Jael!” Shadow yelled, revving the engine.
She watched the knife hit its mark. The vampire fell to her knees, hands grasping at her chest. Jael saw the other two creatures catching up. She only had a second to decide whether to go in for the kill or turn, jump on the bike and ride away.
Jael heard the vampire shriek as the bike tore down the road. She twisted around on the seat and saw the other two standing and staring after them. Their dark shapes slowly disappeared from view and she turned, breathing hard, to lean her head against Shadow’s solid back. She clung with one arm around his middle and one hand on his shoulder and slowly caught her breath. They were flying toward town at over ninety miles per hour. Wind whipped hair in a tangle around her face as Shadow leaned lower behind the windshield.
She closed her eyes and tried to calm her heart and think clearly. Her parents. She yelled against the wind so Shadow could hear. “Pull over!”
He shook his head and kept going.
She tried again, pressing a finger into his neck at a sensitive spot. “Pull over now!”
He carefully slowed the bike and pulled to the side of the highway, but left it running. She jumped off immediately and took the phone from her pocket. Shadow kicked it in neutral and slipped his leg over the bike. “Are you crazy! They could be on our tail. We need to get to safety.”
“And where would that be? Hmmm?” She punched buttons and waited for her dad to pick up. “Your grandfather’s trailer? I’m sure he’d save us. Obviously he’s a big advocate of the sanctity of life and all.”
He looked off across the dark desert as though searching for a safe haven, then shook his head, mouth grim. She could see he was as frustrated and scared as she was. Maybe more scared, since he wasn’t used to vampires attacking him in the dead of night.
She moved away from the bike so she could hear. The phone rang at least six times and then switched to voice mail. She pressed End and called again. This time it was picked up almost immediately. “Dad?” she said before he had a chance to respond. “Stay in the house! There are vamps outside. I don’t think they can get in unless you invite them.” She wasn’t sure about that last bit but it seemed like a safe bet since every bloodsucker story she’d ever read mentioned that fact, and from recent experience she was beginning to see that much of fiction was based – albeit loosely – in reality.
“Jael? Where are you?” he asked, his voice loud enough that Shadow could clearly follow both sides of the conversation. She heard a door bang open. “Why aren’t you in your room? Are you all right?”
“Dad, listen.” She turned away from Shadow’s curious stare. She heard her mom in the background shooting questions at her dad and him shushing her to be quiet. “I’m with Shadow. We’re fine, but we had to take off on his motorcycle. They must have followed him to our house. It was an ambush.” She closed her eyes and thought. “Is Uncle Seth really at Big Mike’s bar?”
“Yeah. We thought it would be a good idea to have someone in town monitoring the situation, see if any strangers showed up asking about you. It’s the only place in town that stays open late.”
Amish folk venturing into a bar in search of a teenage girl? That was a pretty weird scenario. But then they were vampires. So… “Has he called?”
“Not since about eleven.”
She glanced back and saw Shadow on the bike, waiting, his eyes on the rearview mirror. “We’ll stop and get Seth. He should know what to do, right?”
There was a pause. “Jael, be careful. We can�
��t lose you.”
“You won’t.” She wiped at the corner of her eye and added, “I love you guys.”
“We love you too.”
“Jael, come on!” Shadow called over the thrum of the engine. “I see a car coming. We’ve got to go.”
She stuffed the phone back in her pocket and jumped on the bike. Shadow pulled back on the throttle and the bike shot forward like a rocket, the front tire coming off the ground for a second. She held on to his waist so tight they were practically Siamese twins. She glanced back and saw the faint glow of headlights in the distance, but Shadow was keeping well ahead of them for now.
Mile after mile melted away and they were slowing at the outskirts of town before she had time to think up a clear plan. He turned the bike down a side street and wound around three or four blocks until he came to the alley that backed up to Big Mike’s. A dumpster sat close to the rear door of the establishment, casting a shadow on the far side where a fence closed off the area from a neighboring pet store. Shadow maneuvered the bike between the fence and the dumpster, and killed the engine. He waited for her to slide off the seat before lowering the kickstand and pulling out the key.
Big Mike’s was open until two a.m. but there were only three cars parked alongside the building. The street out front was quiet and empty. Neon red and blue lights flashed on and off through the front window like a beacon to late night beer lovers as they approached the entrance.
Jael pulled the hood up on her jacket and Shadow opened the door. It was even darker inside the bar than out on the dimly lit street. They scanned empty stools, vacant tables, and a silent jukebox up against one wall. A burst of laughter came from the back of the room and they saw where a few faithful patrons were gathered playing cards. Partially concealed by a coatrack, three men sat at a round table with a pile of poker chips shoved into the center of the scratched wood surface.
Her Uncle looked up at their approach and his eyes widened. “Jael!” He jumped up and moved toward them. “Go on without me boys,” he said to the two men left sitting there.
Seth took her by the arm and half pulled her back across the room to a table near the door. He motioned for her to sit in a chair against the wall, then took the one facing the front window. He completely ignored Shadow, other than to glare at him with a hint of annoyance when he joined them at the table.
A man she hadn’t noticed before, apparently the bartender, hurried out from the back room. He wiped his hands on the white apron tied around his waist. “What the…?” he muttered as he got close. “Seth, you can’t have kids in here. I could lose my license,” he said, squinting at them in the dim light.
“Sorry, Hal.” Seth shifted in his chair to look up at the tall man behind him. “This is my niece. There’s been a little family emergency. Mind if we talk for just a minute? I promise we won’t get you in trouble. In fact, I’ll pay your exorbitant prices for soda and buy these kids a Coke.”
Hal pointed a finger at Shadow. “I know you. Aren’t you Tobias’ grandson? Where’s he been lately? Haven’t seen him around.”
“Not thirsty I guess,” Shadow said.
The bartender laughed. “Well, I hope he gets thirsty soon. He was always one of my best customers.” He scratched the top of his head where thin wisps of dark hair stuck up. “All right. I’ll get you those Cokes, but then you kids best be on your way.”
“Thanks, Hal,” Seth called after him.
Jael couldn’t wait any longer. She leaned forward and grasped her uncle’s arm to get his full attention. “A bunch of vamps came for me at home. We got away on Shadow’s motorcycle but I’m afraid of what they might do to Mom and Dad. We’ve got to go back and help them,” she said.
“Slow down. Did they follow you?” he asked, his eyes moving to the window again.
Shadow shook his head. “I don’t think so. If they did, we lost them before we hit town. I came in the back way and parked out of sight.”
“Good.” He covered her hand with his own. “We’ve got to get you somewhere safe and then I’ll go back for them.”
“No!” Her raised voice caught the attention of the poker players across the room. All heads turned her way. She forced herself to calm down and speak quietly. “We can’t just leave them.”
“Nobody’s leaving anybody. As long as they stay inside, they should be fine. The vamps want you, not your parents.”
Hal approached with tall glasses on a serving tray. He set them down on the table, pulled straws from his apron pocket and handed them to Seth. “Ten minutes and the kids are out of here. Got it?”
Seth nodded.
When Hal was back at his post wiping down the bar, Seth released a quiet sigh. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do.”
Jael felt her cell phone vibrate. “Wait. I think Dad’s calling.” She pulled it out of her jacket pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s not him,” she said, disappointed but glad to see Brianna had apparently forgiven her and was reaching out. She flicked the ringer button back on so she wouldn’t miss hearing any calls.
Shadow looked over her shoulder. “See, I told you she couldn’t stay mad at you forever.”
“She will if I don’t answer this.”
“You don’t have time for that, Jael.” Her uncle stood up and slipped a ten-dollar bill under the edge of his glass. “Let’s go.”
She hated ignoring Bree’s call, but it was probably for the best. Her parents had to be her first priority tonight with the vamps in town. She stood and followed her uncle to the door. Shadow brought up the rear. She sent Bree a quick text.
sorry. trouble with the parenthood
call you in the morning
She slipped the phone back in her pocket. Shadow leaned by the corner of the building, thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his jeans. He looked a little dejected that he wouldn’t have anything else to do now that she was deserting him for her uncle.
Seth looked up and down the empty street before heading to his car. He pushed the key fob button to unlock the doors and glanced back at Shadow. “Thanks, kid. You’ve been a big help tonight.”
“Yeah, thanks Shadow,” Jael said, stopping beside him. “If I don’t see you again…” she trailed off and bit her lip.
He reached out and lifted her chin with one finger, smiling into her eyes. “You’ll see me. Once I’m out of school, I’m out of here. Minnesota might be a nice change.”
“If you say so.”
He turned and headed for his bike behind the building. She watched him go and felt the queasiness lift as he moved farther away. While he was close she had kind of gotten accustomed to the feeling but it was always a relief when it passed.
“Come on, Jael.” Seth got in the car and started the engine.
Before she could open the passenger side door, her phone chirped to announce another text coming in. Brianna was not giving up easily. She would have to…
We have your friend.
Now answer the phone!
“Shadow!” She turned away from the car and ran toward the back of the building where he was rolling his bike out from behind the dumpster.
He put the kickstand down and straightened. “What’s up?”
“It wasn’t Bree calling. It’s the vamps. They took her!”
“What? How could they know…?” He swore and slammed his fist against the seat of the bike with a fury she’d never seen in him before.
She heard the car door open behind them and Seth’s cowboy boots thudding as he jogged over. “Jael, what is going on? We need to get out of town.” He slowed when he saw the looks on their faces. “What happened?”
Her cell phone started to play We will rock you and Jael slowly shook her head, anger keeping the tears at bay. “They took Bree. I’m going to get her back and I’m going to stake every last one of those filthy Amish Bloodsuckers!”
She took a deep breath before she answered the phone, keeping her voice low and controlled by sheer will power. “This is Jael, the Chosen
One. Need to schedule a staking? Press 1. Decapitation? Press 2. Complete eradication? Press your luck by messing with my friends.”
A low chuckle broke the silence at the other end of the line. “Very humorous. But we are simple folk, so let me get right to the point,” he said, a slight guttural tone accenting his words. German perhaps? “If you don’t meet us at the old railroad station in one hour’s time, your friend will be drained of her life-blood and left for the night desert creatures to feast upon.”
Jael gritted her teeth to keep from answering hotly. She needed to keep her cool, act as though she didn’t care quite so much. If they knew the lengths she would go to…the mayhem she would unleash upon them if they hurt Bree… She swallowed hard. She couldn’t let them have the upper hand by letting them provoke her to act before she was ready.
“Miss Chosen One? Are you there?”
“I’m here.”
“Gut. Remember…one hour. Not a minute more.”
Before she could ask to speak with Bree, the line was disconnected.
Jael closed her eyes for a moment. What could she do other than follow directions? Bree’s life was in her hands. She tucked the phone in her pocket and looked at Shadow and Seth. They stared back expectantly as though waiting for orders. As though she were in charge. As though she really were Chosen.
“We need Mom and Dad for this to work,” she said, a plan already formulating in her brain.
Chapter 27
Night Ops
Chosen Page 36