Crimson Thirst (The Huntress Bane Book 2)

by Derek Shupert

  With each passing second that ticks by, the weakness that has paralyzed my body dissolves. The dense cloud of sluggishness inside of me is subsiding. The tingling sensation fades away and my body feels more like my own once more. My strength is coming back. I remain still, and play the part of the helpless victim. I don’t want to make my move until I’m positive I can handle them without fault. I may not get another chance to do so.

  Danny stops for a moment. The grinding of steel on steel plays in my ears, followed by more rusted hinges that creak and plead for a shot of oil.

  He takes a couple of steps forward and turns about. Danny reaches for a handle that is fixed to a bulky steel door. He brings it to with a dense thud that echoes inside the hollow space.

  The sun vanishes, and turns to an ether of blackness that swallows us whole. His heavy footsteps clomp over what sounds like steel grating. We descend down further into the darkness.

  A strong, musty smell invades my nose. It takes a few minutes for my eyes to adjust, but I notice the hint of light above us now. It’s dim, only offering me a view of the steel handrails that Danny’s hand braces against.

  “Not sure if this gives you comfort or anything, but we weren’t exactly out looking to nab anyone at that time. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Me and my brother were searching for some food and found a gold mine in that cooler. You noticed that red crate full of canned food and other odds and ends next to that shelf, right? It was a pretty sweet score.”

  I remain silent, for a change. I’m done talking. I’m just waiting now until I’m able to make my move.

  Danny stops for a second. He adjusts my bulk on his shoulder before traveling down another flight of stairs. “I see getting stung by that taser learned you some manners. Not that it matters too much now. What’s done is done. You see, Pop has this ravenous hunger now that we can’t seem to quench. He can’t seem to pass up a good meal. It’s getting harder to find people out in the wasteland. Especially by themselves. Groups are super dicey, so we try to stick to the loners. Much easier targets. At the end of the day, you should’ve kept on past that gas station, and you wouldn’t be in the knee-deep shit pile that you’re in. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, though. It’ll be over soon enough. Pop will be fed, and you’ll be dead.”

  TWELVE

  Fucking great.

  I must have the worst luck ever.

  Not only did I allow these two assholes to get the drop on me, now I’m being led to their old man who has been turned. From the way Danny talks, his father must have just made the transition from living human to bloodsucking demon.

  That’s when they can be the worst. The thirst is so strong that it drives them wild. They can plow through a number of humans without missing a beat. I’ve seen it before. Just the simple notion turns my stomach.

  Seeing how this family operates, I don’t see much of a difference between them and the vampires. They’re both parasites that prey and feed on the innocent. Guess that’s why I have no reservations now about slaughtering the lot of them once I’m offered the chance. Just need my muscles back to fighting form, and I’ll clean out this god-forsaken place.

  The cool air hits my moist flesh, offering a bit of a reprieve. I’m not sure how many flights we’ve traveled down, but the change in temperature tells me it’s a lot. It’s much cooler away from the surface heat.

  Danny steps off onto a gangway and travels through a narrow corridor. Lights are strung along the walls. The yellow-tinted bulbs wash the space with their piss color tint.

  “You know, I don’t recall the last time I saw a woman who wasn’t nothing more than some skin draped over a skeletal frame. But you, man. You got some meat on you for sure. Makes me kind of wish you had someone else with you that I could give to Pop. Keep you for myself.”

  Danny smacks my ass, which causes my body to tighten and shudder. My fingers ball into a fist. I can feel every strand of muscle throughout my body twitch in response to my growing anger. I’m close to being back to a hundred percent, but I’m not quite there yet.

  We make a few turns before I pick up the demon’s low, subtle grunts that let me know he’s near. I remain in control and calm. My destiny is not to die in some shithole of a place at the hands of two hillbillies and their bloodsucking demon of a father.

  Perhaps, a higher power brought me to that gas station and across this vile family to do what I do best—purge the wastelands of the vampire, and in this case, human scum that infect these lands.

  “How’s Pop?” Danny asks. “He sounds perturbed or something.”

  “How can you tell?” Shane inquires. “He always sounds like that when he’s awake. At least we know he isn’t starving. Man, remember when he first started going through the change? He didn’t even fight it or nothing. Man was like a wild animal. Regardless of what we did to try and calm him down, he was a freaking maniac.”

  “I just can tell he’s upset,” Danny retorts. “Could be because he smells this fine piece of meat here. It’s getting him all excited and ready to feed.”

  The reason he sounds like that is because he wants to drink the two of you dry.

  Whether I was here or not, I imagine he’d sound just the same. Once the bloodlust takes hold, it’s hard for the individual to fight off the thirst.

  It’s hard to tell if these two have had much dealings with vampires. There’s no shortage of ignorance within this crypt that will soon be their eternal resting place.

  Danny stops, and bends down. He leans forward and tosses my body into a stiff wooden chair. The legs scoot across the rigid metal floor, grinding along the surface, as my head bobbles about. I glance up through the strands of hair that dangle in front of my face. Both men are across the room, standing next to another dense looking steel door. That’s where the growls and grunts are coming from. That’s where the demon is.

  They peer in through the opening near the top of the door. Iron bars secure the square cavity. I look to the table near me. There’s a plate of food that has been picked over. From the stale smell and discolored look of the meat, it’s been there for some time.

  A small, serrated steak knife rests on the edge of the plate. I shift my gaze back over to the brothers, then back to the table. Beyond that, and on the opposite side of the table, I spot my kukri.

  Perfect.

  Danny pulls away from the aperture in the door. He looks to Shane, then to me.

  “You made sure Pop was secured in those chains, right?” he inquires.

  Shane nods.

  “Sure did. The shackle looked to be secure around his neck still. We will have to address the plate that’s attached to the wall, though, soon. With all of the tugging he’s been doing, it’s coming loose.”

  Danny lowers his head and sighs. He runs his fingers through his hair and glances over to me. “After he’s had his fill of her, maybe we can slip in and take a look. You know how he likes to rest after feeding.”

  “Not much has changed from that. He used to do that after we’d have our family meals. Belly full then right to the couch for a nap.”

  Danny motions in my direction. “I’ll grab her. You get the door.”

  Shane moves closer to the barrier that separates us from their father. Danny saunters over to me. His head hangs forward as if he’s saddened by the fact of what he’s about to do. I know why that is. Not because of guilt for feeding folks to his father. No. His intentions are equally as sinister as that. The smacking of my ass made that evident.

  He grabs my arm and yanks me up from the chair. He holds me in place, his fingers gripping the lapel of my coat with a tight grasp. His hungry gaze flows down my body, then back up to my face.

  “You know, if you ask me nicely, I might spare your life,” he says under his breath.

  I spit in his face.

  His face contorts in anger, then rage. He forces me against the table with a scowl. The rounded edge digs into my lower back.

  His brow furrows as hi
s nostrils flare. He moves his hand up and wraps his fingers around my throat.

  “You bitch,” he growls. “I’m going to enjoy watching Pop bleed you dry. He’ll drain every little sweet drop of blood from you as you peer into his cold, dead gaze before you die.” Danny squeezes harder, making it more difficult for me to breathe.

  Still, I don’t whimper or shed a tear. Not for this sack of shit. Besides, he’s a walking dead man. He just doesn’t know it yet.

  Through his blinding tantrum, my fingers reach for the knife in an indiscreet manner. The tips of my fingers trace along the scuffed tabletop for the serrated edge. They find their mark. I scoop up the dinner knife, and slip it inside my coat sleeve.

  The sharpened edge rests on the rope that has my hands bound. With all of the moving and shifting my arms about, the rope isn’t as tight as it once was. The blade goes to work.

  Spit spews from Danny’s lips as he chokes me harder. I must have really hit a nerve.

  “Dude! Ease up,” Shane calls out. “We’ve still got to feed Pop.”

  It takes Danny a few seconds, but he lessens his hold, then removes his hand all together. I gasp for air, sucking in copious amounts of oxygen to refill my lungs. He grabs my chin, and forces my head in the direction of the enclosure where their father is.

  “Open the door, Shane,” he demands.

  Indecision swells in Shane’s face. He diverts his gaze and lowers his head. His hand stays clutched on the steel latch that keeps the demon secured in its cell. The latch doesn’t budge.

  “Bring her over here, and then I’ll open it. We don’t need to just leave it wide open like that. What if Pop gets loose or something?”

  “You checked and made sure he was secure, right?” Danny snaps.

  Shane nods.

  “Then we’re good. So, fucking do it, and stop being a little pussy about it.”

  Shane turns and mumbles through his pursed lips. He pulls the latch toward him and yanks the door open. He steps back and swings it wide, revealing their father’s deep crimson stare looming from the darkness of his cell.

  What was once subtle grunts and hisses grows to a full-on yowl of untamed rage. He bolts for the open door. Heavy footsteps hammer the concrete like a stampede of cattle.

  Danny keeps my face positioned at their father as the lights above us illuminate his pale flesh. His arms reach for us. Long, rapacious clawed fingers plead for our blood.

  Scared, Shane takes a hearty step back from the open door and moves farther away. The chain snaps taut, halting the voracious demon.

  “You see that,” Danny growls in my ear. “He’s going to rip you to shreds, bitch.”

  Their father stands just inside of the cell, reaching for us. He presses forward, ignoring the pain of the steel shackle fitted around his neck.

  A slave to the thirst, he has surrendered. It’s what drives him to disregard his own personal well-being to satisfy the never-ending hunger that dwells within him.

  “All right, Danny. You’ve made your point here. Throw her in there, and stop messing around, will ya?” Shane pleads.

  Danny releases my face with a huff of anger. He steps back and grabs my arm. He yanks me away from the desk and leads me over to his father. I make my move.

  The rope falls to the ground behind me. I bring my hands up in front of me and grab his wrist. I yank my arm free from his grasp, and plunge the knife into his hand. Danny’s mouth gapes open. Blood drips to the floor. The red droplets splattering against the concrete amplifies the vampire’s rantings.

  “Danny!” Shane removes the sidearm holstered on the right side of his hip, and dashes over to us. He moves out in front of the open door and brings the pistol to bear.

  I remain in front of Danny who is shielding me from Shane. He gnashes his teeth and stares at me. He grabs the handle of the knife, and yanks it free from his hand. A squeal of pain escapes his lips. He grunts and growls as he wields the blade in his hand.

  “Move, Danny!” Shane yells out.

  The barrel of Shane’s gun follows my every step as he tries to get a bead on me.

  I roundhouse kick Danny in the chest, knocking him off to the side before he can attack. He slams into a shelf filled with various nick knacks that they undoubtedly stole from other people.

  Shane opens fire as I dive over the top of the table. The hoarse reports of the pistol discharging ring in my ears. The incoming rounds whiz past me, and ping off the walls. I hit the ground along with the kukri that falls beside me. I take hold of the trusty weapon, and peer out from underneath the table.

  Every muscle in my body instantly responds to any command. The weakness that had gripped me has waned. It’s time to take care of this and move on.

  Danny grumbles and groans to my left. He’s prone on his stomach with his face planted on the floor as he struggles to get his feet back under him.

  Shane inches toward us. Each step made is unsure and hesitant as he tries to get a bead on me.

  I peel myself off the floor and climb to my feet. I remain lowered beside the table as I peer over the top. Shane catches sight and swings the barrel of the pistol in my direction. The chain, holding their father at bay, snaps and frees the ravenous fiend.

  The noise sends Shane’s head twisting back over his shoulder. Before he gets the chance to turn fully around, the demon grabs him from behind. He fights to get away, lunging forward and moving his legs in every direction as the soles of his boots try to find traction.

  Shane screams out in terror. His father buries his sharpened fangs, dripping with venom, into the side of Shane’s neck. He holds Shane close and feeds.

  “Shane,” Danny grumbles from the floor.

  Blood races out from under their father’s stained red lips and down the front of Shane’s shirt. He jerks and tugs his body as he looks over to me. The life in Shane’s face extinguishes. His terror-filled screams wane to nothing more than idle groans and grunts.

  The demon takes Shane to the floor and continues to drink from his body.

  Danny gets back to his feet, drifting from side to side. His hand comes up and probes the wide gash that runs along the top of his brow.

  The dazed look filling his sweaty and bruised face peers over toward his brother and father. He freezes, and lowers his hand back down to his side.

  Blood continues to pump from the gnarly wound in the middle of his palm. It drips to the floor and the tops of his shoe. He pays it no mind as he takes a step toward the end of his bloodline.

  Tears stream down his face. His jaw clamps shut. He balls both hands into tightly gripped fists. His father’s grunts fill the cold, dead silence that has laid claim to this tomb.

  Danny releases a yell that echoes throughout the room. He turns toward me. Thick blue veins protrude from his neck as he growls in an unbridled roar. His muscles grow taut. His left hand continues to wield the knife.

  He takes off in a dead sprint at me, screaming at the top of his lungs. I do much the same, but move faster. He brings his arm over his head, ready to strike me down with a vengeful rage when I zip past him. The kukri slices through his midsection like a hot knife through butter. Seconds later, something wet splatters against the floor.

  The sharp edge of my blade drips red with his blood. He stands in place and tries to turn toward me, but crumbles instead. I don’t give his dead body, or the organs that have spilled out, a second thought.

  Their father stops feeding on Shane. He stands up and stares at me. His pale flesh is painted in the sanguine fluid. His chest heaves in and out as drops of his son’s remaining life drips from his fluttering lips.

  His mouth springs wide, the enlarged fangs gleaming in the light as he hisses at me. The kukri twirls in my hand as we size up one another. He charges at me, moving fast across the room. The sharp claws slash at me in an upward angle. I lean back, and roll to the left, avoiding his attacks.

  The edge of the kukri slides up the middle part of his spine, slicing open his sullied shirt and pale ski
n. He belches out a screech as he spins about on his heels. He’s growing angrier by the second. The blood pumping through his veins is evident through his blanched flesh. Muscles tighten in his neck and arms as his body surges with the drive to consume my blood.

  He comes for me once more in a mad dash. I keep the kukri up and at the ready. I draw him in close, and deal the final lethal blow. The dense blade slices through his throat and out the back of his neck. His head wobbles about loosely before tumbling off to the right.

  The headless corpse takes a few steps more before dropping to the floor. I come about with the blade poised to strike once more, but find that I’m now the only thing standing in the space.

  Stiff muscles ease as I bring the kukri down to my side. I take a moment, breathing in and out slowly. My heart thumps. Reflexes are back to where they should be. I never thought I’d ever actually admit this, but having this curse that Mathesis bestowed upon me comes in handy.

  It never really dawned on me how much harder things are without it. Although, I’d want nothing more than to have never gone through what I had in order to get such a horrid gift, at least I can use it to save what lives I’m able to.

  This gift will be the demons’ ultimate downfall. One that I will be more than happy to see through to the bitter end.

  THIRTEEN

  A cleansing.

  That’s what I call it when clearing out a vampire’s nest. Regardless if it’s one or twenty, if a vampire resides here, then they will be killed.

  It sounds much better than just saying lopping off heads. To me it does, anyways. Either way, it’s one less fiend the world has to contend with.

  I’ve learned to look past the pale skin, long fangs, and red eyes to the person that it used to be. Once they consume that first drop of blood, they have become what nightmares are made of.

  Hopefully soon, Preston will be able to find a vaccine to cure this plague that has riddled the planet, and brought its inhabitants to their knees. We hold onto that thin shred of hope like it could go away.