Boots tromp the steel steps rapidly behind us as Lucian darts past the figure, and disappears from my sight. Something dense hits the landing behind me. I turn to engage. It slams into my back and knocks me hard against the wall face first.
The kukri breaks free from my grasp. The creature wraps its arm around my neck and pulls me close. It leans in and hisses in my ear. The foul stench of its tepid breath brushes over my flesh, sending an uneasy shiver down my spine.
The vampire suddenly ceases. Its body collapses and crumbles to the ground behind me. A secondary thud sounds off. I spin around to find the creature dead with the top portion of its head laying on the landing.
“Move!”
A figure grabs the vampire’s dead weight and slings it down the stairs at the incoming horde. The bulk of the creature goes end over end, crashing into the others.
I follow the figure out into the hallway. We sprint hard and fast, running through the shabby interior of the building as the demons remain in pursuit. It cuts to the right, and sprints down the hallway.
The vampires remain in tow. The combined sound of their wails and mass hammering the floor relays their whereabouts. They’re close.
Up ahead, the outline of the other person looms in the darkness of the hallway to our right. They stand perfectly still with their back resting firmly against the jamb of the door. A weapon of some sort, perhaps a rifle, is pressed against their shoulder, and trained in our direction.
The person in front of me slows their pace. They cut to the right and dart inside the void of darkness. I follow suit, hoping that Lucian is inside.
The figure drifts back into the room, and quietly pushes the door firmly in place. The space completely blacks out, the hint of any bodies occupying the room dissolving to nothing more than blackness.
The subtle panting of everyone lets me know where they are. The vampires trample down the hallway past us. We remain silent. Still. No motion of any kind until the demons have moved on.
They pause only briefly before continuing their search for us through the building. The sharp pounding of the vampires clamor gradually wanes to a dull lull that is hard to hear.
A light in the middle of the room springs to life, causing me to blink rapidly and divert my gaze. Little yellow stars swirl in the air in my field of view for a few seconds as they adjust to the strident, illuminated glow of the bulb.
Welcome to Old City.
FOURTEEN
I glance around the space in search of Lucian. My eyes widen, then shut. They’re still adjusting to the light. I blink a few times to try and clear out the distortion of the harsh light hanging from the ceiling.
I snarl under my breath. My squinted eyes start to open a bit more. He’s nowhere in sight. Just me standing in the middle of a room. Along the walls are stacks of boxes and other junk. The center of the large space is mostly open.
There’s a figure standing off to my right near the corner of the room. The subtle creaking of a board in the floor from behind me tingles my ear. There’s the other.
My head snaps back over my shoulder to find another figure looming near the rear corner of the room. I turn around and backup so that I can have eyes on both of them.
My gaze shifts from one of the mysterious people to the other.
“Where’s the guy I was with? Where’s Lucian?” I demand.
The person to my right, draped in all black, removes the mask and goggles from their head. A teenage girl from the looks of her.
She gives her head a shake, allowing her dirty blonde hair to fall down around her shoulders. Her olive-toned skin is smooth and free of any blemishes. Well, minus the splotches of dirt and who knows what else that is smudged on her face.
“He’s fine,” she replies just as curt and sharp. “In there.” She points to the room off to her right.
“Lucian, how you holding up?” I call out.
He slowly appears from the depths of the adjoining room.
He’s favoring his right leg, but otherwise he seems to be all right. He offers a thumbs up and a half smile.
“I’m good. Leg’s just a bit sore. Should be good to go by morning.”
The person standing by the door finally removes their mask and goggles, revealing a young man that I’d say is roughly the same age as the girl. Perhaps eighteen or so.
Tall and lean, he tosses the black mask and goggles to the dingy recliner to his right. He sets the rifle down on the floor next to the door, and runs his fingers through his scraggly brown hair.
His dark blue eyes cut to Lucian, then to me as his fingernails scratch at the brown stubble growing around his jaw. He has a deep gash that runs the length of the right side of his face. It curves downward at an angle from his eyebrow past the coarse looking hair sprouting from his face.
My hand carefully reaches down to the empty sheath, which reminds me that I dropped the kukri in the stairwell. My eyes widen as my head tilts down to my thigh.
“Looking for this?”
The girl holds the kukri in the air. The blade and a portion of the handle are coated in blood. Her eyes flow from the handle up to the tip of the blade as she probes the pointed end with her finger.
Seeing as the duo are young, I’m willing to offer them a chance to not get killed or make a stupid decision.
“I don’t know who you are or what you want, but if you’re planning to rob us or doing something else more sinister, that shit will not happen.”
“If we were going to rob you or anything of the sort, we would’ve waited until the vampires had their way with you first,” the guy retorts.
The girl smirks at him.
I point to the kukri and stare down the smug looking woman.
“Blade. Now.”
The girl looks it over one last time before tossing it to me. I snag the kukri by the handle. It remains in my grasp as I wipe the blood off on my pants.
“I like her,” the girl says.
The guy stays by the rifle. His fingers twitch as his hand draws closer to the barrel.
“Perhaps you should show a bit more appreciation for us saving your life back there. If you’d like to leave, there’s the door. I imagine you might make it out of the building before the vampires get to you.”
The girl cocks her head to the side and dismisses his threats with a wave of her hand.
“Chill out, Alex. Nobody is going anywhere.”
He rolls his eyes before narrowing them back at her.
“It’s not up to you, Cindy. The reason we’ve made it this long is because of me, and not doing stupid shit like going out at night to rescue two fools who thought it was a good idea to run through a city full of vampires after sunset.”
Lucian limps out of the other room, and leans against the wall. He glances up at the light and points.
“Shouldn’t we turn that off? Can’t they see the light through the openings around the door.”
Alex cuts his eyes to the door briefly before looking back toward us.
“This apartment is sealed tight. The door has thick foam lining the inside of the jamb and the bottom here. All windows are blacked out as well. There is no light to be seen from outside of this room or the building for that matter. Besides, they can’t enter unless invited. The other is to keep them from hanging around and knowing where we are.”
Lucian nods.
He folds his arms across his chest and glances at me. He motions with his head to the guy who doesn’t seem overly fond of us at the moment.
Yeah. Yeah.
I roll my eyes, and sigh. “We appreciate the help. But what I said earlier still stands. If you’re thinking of trying to do anything, you will regret it. I promise you that.”
Cindy glances to me, then to Lucian.
“We’re not going to hurt either of you, are we, Alex?”
His face is stern, and void of any emotion. He shrugs, and heads toward us.
“Just as long as they don’t try anything, then we’re good.”
He walks between me and Lucian, and disappears into the other room.
The space thrives to life shortly thereafter as he rummages about. Although I’m hesitant about the duo, I’m relieved to be in a place that the vampires are not clawing to get into. Yet anyways.
Cindy ditches her crossbow on the floor.
“Sorry about my brother. Alex can be a bit of a prick at times. He means well and has a good heart. Guess when you’ve been dealing with those demons, and seeing so much death and carnage for as long as we have, it makes a person cold and untrusting after a while. That, and we haven’t seen too many humans around the city for quite some time. Well, minus the raiders, but we don’t have much dealings with them, thankfully.”
I nod in agreement.
I can’t help but feel the same way. It’s hard to know who can be trusted in a time where that seems to be such a valuable commodity. Especially now that the vampires have supposedly teamed up with humans. As to the why, that still remains a mystery.
“It’s okay. It’s understandable to be on edge. Afterall, we don’t know each other.”
Cindy glances around the sparsely outfitted apartment. Aside from the tattered brown leather chair that is close to the door, the room is mostly void of furniture.
Various sized boxes sit stacked against the walls. An array of pistols and rifles are seated on a rack to my right. I catch a glimpse of a kitchen to our left that has a discolored food box close to the entrance.
“We scavenge when we can. The city isn’t the easiest and quickest to traverse before the sun goes down. We have to travel much farther on each run now just to have the possibility of finding anything of use.”
Lucian looks back up to the light with a befuddled stare. “How do you have power?”
“Solar powered generators. Works perfectly for this tiny space. Good thing too, since fuel is hard to come by now.”
“Doesn’t the noise from the machine attract the vampires?” Lucian retorts. “I imagine it’s not super loud, but considering how acute their senses are and how silent the city is, they would hear it.”
“They’re actually really quiet. We have two of them in the other room over there.” Cindy points to a doorway that is on the other side of the room. “They take a day or so to fully charge when we have them on the roof. We generally don’t run them all night, though.”
Alex steps out from the room and stands next to Cindy.
“I’ve got some blankets in the other room here for the both of you to rest on.”
Lucian pushes away from the wall. He extends his hand out toward Alex. “Thank you for your help.”
A bit skittish at first, Alex takes hold of his palm and shakes it.
“Sure. Not a problem.” He glances to Cindy briefly, then back to us. “So, what exactly has you out in Old City? Can’t remember the last time we spotted people out after sundown, or just people in general. The only other things, minus the vampires, really stirring in this shit hole of a mess are the raiders and thralls. You ask me, though, those raiders are just as bad as the vampires.”
Alex’s face contorts in disgust at the mere mention of their name. Again, I feel the same way.
“That’s actually why we’re here.” I nod toward Lucian. “We heard that humans have been helping the vampires.”
Cindy chimes in.
“You mean thralls? Those nasty, vile creatures make my skin crawl just as much as the vampires they serve. I mean, who would want to be turned into such a thing? Completely stupid if you ask me.”
I shake my head.
“Not the thralls. The raiders. Possibly others as well. We came across a colony that was infested with vampires, and they had some raiders helping them. After some creative interrogating, we found out that they have been working with the vampires for some time. More specifically, with one who goes by the name of Remus, here in Old City. Seems as though they are targeting Black Field.”
Alex lifts his right brow slightly. He glances to Cindy, who’s face morphs as if she’s chewing on my words.
“We have noticed an influx of humans going to the bank nearby. We weren’t sure what was going on, seeing as people don’t generally leave a nest alive.”
“How long would you say that they’ve been stopping by there?” I inquire.
Alex rubs the stubble on his chin and shrugs.
“Maybe a couple of months, give or take a week or so. Never really timed it. Like I said, we don’t get involved. The last thing we need is to get on their radar. Like now, for example.”
Cindy nudges her elbow into Alex’s side as she gives him a pensive stare. “I told you there was something funny going on over there.”
Alex reels some from the sharp jab. He hunches over and favors his side. He steps back from Cindy and narrows his eyes in her direction. “Even if there is, it doesn’t concern us. They have control over most of the area. Hell, most of the world.” Alex turns and points in the direction of the vampires’ nest. “Did you want me to walk over there and politely ask them to stop whatever it is they are doing?”
Cindy rolls her eyes and sighs. She folds her arms across her chest and turns away from him.
“I don’t know, but we should do something. You heard what she said. They’re planning to make some sort of move. Why else would they be working with the raiders, and not turning them?”
I glance to Lucian who shrugs.
Alex places his hands on her shoulders gently, and looks long into her eyes.
“You’re my sister. It’s my job to protect you. Since losing the others, we need to be smart about what we do and when we do it. Interfering in such matters will only bring down a ton of trouble that we don’t need.”
I understand what Alex is saying. At times, I’ve been the same way. Keep my head down, and don’t interfere in matters that don’t directly affect me.
Much like with Bryce, Bill, and Bethany, who were fleeing to Black Fields with me for safety, I contemplated leaving them be and remaining on my own. But like I was shown by them, going through this life, regardless of how dreadful it may be right now, we can’t remain blind to what the vampires are doing. It could end up costing us everything. Our only hope for survival, is the cure that may reside within my blood. Hopefully soon, Preston and I will have a breakthrough that will work.
“Listen, I’m not asking for you to stick out your neck, and do anything more than what you’ve already done. I completely understand wanting to stay off the vampires’ radar. I seem to have a problem with doing that myself. If you want us to leave now, we will. We can take care of ourselves.”
Alex glances down at Lucian’s leg before looking back up to us.
“Just stay here till the morning. Don’t want to risk creating any more attention than we already have. It’ll be safer then anyway.”
I offer a single nod. “Thank you.”
Alex returns one in kind. “You’re welcome.” Alex glances down at Cindy, who he towers over by a good foot or so. “I’m going to check on the generators. They haven’t been able to fully charge for the past few days because of all the clouds and haze. I’m probably going to kick them off here shortly to conserve what power they have left.” Alex softly kisses Cindy on the forehead. He wraps his arms around her and squeezes. “Love you, sis.”
She smiles, squeezing him back before they release one another.
“Love you, too.”
Alex offers me and Lucian a single nod as he heads for the dark space on the opposite side of the room. He pauses and cuts his gaze back toward us.
“By the way, those firearms are not loaded. Just in case you were wondering.”
FIFTEEN
I can’t sleep.
Not now.
My mind is frazzled, and won’t wind down. A jumbled mess of thoughts keep my brain from reaching any sort of deep sleep. I know I need it, but recent revelations won’t allow it.
I can just make out the vague outline of Lucian’s body across the room as he lays on his side. He’s still,
perfectly content as far as I can tell. His head is resting on his rucksack as he snores. I envy him at the moment.
The building has fallen to an almost uncomfortable dead silence that keeps me on edge. The vampires’ clamoring has ebbed to nothing more than a faint whisper. At times, it’s the absence of bedlam that can be more intrusive to one’s sleep than with it. It could just be me, though. I’m pretty messed up, I think.
Perhaps I’ve just grown accustomed to the fact of not being able to rest at all. Wondering what little sick torment life has in store for me next. More death and loss to plague my soul till I take my last breath? I’m inclined to think so, given my track record.
Who am I kidding? Death follows me regardless of where I go.
Ever since my parents were slaughtered by the hands of Mathesis, it’s a never-ending cycle that I can’t seem to break. Any poor souls that I come into contact with generally die from the demons tracking me down. The latest casualties; Bryce, Bill, and his wife, Bethany, are just the latest victims.
Perhaps they would have met the same fate regardless if they were with me or not. Who knows? What is clear, is that anyone willing to stay by my side is gambling with their life, and the deck is stacked against them.
Fuck.
I’ve gone from laying down on the rough blankets to sitting up, and leaning against the rigid surface of the tattered wall.
The palm of my hand rubs up and down over my face. My fingers probe each of my eyes. My brain stews on Remus, and his legion of vampires heading toward Black Fields. We may be too late in stopping the demons’ plans.
A subtle creaking of the floor gives me pause. My hand looms over my eyes as I peer through the narrow opening between each finger. There’s a figure in the far-right corner of the space. I can’t make out any details. It’s nothing more than a massive blob of black that melds in with the darkness of the environment.
My eyes cut back to where Lucian is, but he’s gone. Panicked, I reach for the kukri on the wooden floor next to me. My fingers find nothing more than empty space.
A familiar smell invades my nose, triggering thoughts of my time spent in hell with the vampires. A sudden rush of stress floods my body. Every muscle fiber grows taut. My hands clamp shut into fists. The blood flows away from the appendages as I burrow my nails into the calloused skin of my palms.
Tainted Hunter (The Huntress Bane Book 1) Page 9