by K Hanson
“Where the hell did you get that kind of firepower? It can’t be easy to get that many vehicles, not to mention the guns and ammo.”
“Well, I can’t say you didn’t help a bit. When Arkwright pulled out after you gutted their facility, they left behind plenty of toys their security had been using, along with some trucks. After you told me about it, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to swing in there and claim them before someone even more unsavory got their hands on them.”
“Even more unsavory? At least you’re willing to admit that about yourself,” I said with a small smile.
“What can I say? I’m becoming more self-aware.”
The firelight flickered across his strong jaw, and I felt drawn toward him.
I pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you, Jack.”
He hugged me back, rubbing my shoulders. I winced as he brushed against my still healing scratches, but I didn’t say anything. I just wanted to enjoy the moment for a bit. I wasn’t a hugger very often, so I wanted to sit in the moment while it still felt right.
Shouts came from the gate, interrupting us.
“Help! Something strange is happening!”
“I guess we’ll catch up more later,” Jack said.
“Come on,” I said. I led the way as we dashed back toward the ruined gate.
A pile of dead night stalkers sprawled across the area near the breach in the wall, with a mess of parts strewn about. I didn’t see anything amiss right away.
But then some of them moved. A twitch, then a breath, then one of them stood back up, its wounds healing as it did.
More of them joined it, pushing themselves to their feet. Somehow, the night stalkers were coming back to life. Their eyes glowed red with an anger I’d never seen in them before.
This fight wasn’t done yet.
CHAPTER 12
Even after all the work we went through to kill them, and after so many of the guards had died or been wounded, the night stalkers were now coming back to life. How they were doing it, I had no idea.
Then the thought hit me. The Necromancer. The guy at Fort Lorraine knew this was coming. Somehow, they had induced the night stalkers to attack Cathedral Hill, and he had done something to them to make them resurrect.
My thoughts turned back toward that first night stalker I had seen twitch after death. I hadn’t imagined things, after all. It had been on its way to coming back before we burned it. We just hadn’t disposed of these corpses soon enough, and now they were standing and looking at us again.
I glanced at the trucks with their weapons. Jack’s people had left them behind to mingle with the citizens of the settlement as they had begun to emerge from the cathedral, and nobody was currently at the guns.
And the horde of night stalkers was rising between us and the trucks.
People panicked and fled back into the cathedral or deeper into the settlement.
I shouted at the guards around me. “Get your weapons ready. We have to do this again.”
“What’s the point if they just come back?” one woman asked.
“Well, this time, we’ll torch the bodies,” I said. “But first we have to kill them.”
“I’m with you, Isabella,” Jack said, standing next to me. “But what’s our plan?”
“Get to those trucks and fire the guns up again. They’re the only thing that can chew through them fast enough.”
Jack nodded.
I picked up another rifle from a fallen guard and stripped any extra ammo from the guard’s pouches. I clicked in a magazine, and then aimed and fired toward the mass of night stalkers.
As our bullets flew into them, they roared and charged, shaking off the cobwebs of death.
At the renewed charge, some of the guards faltered and fell back.
Dammit. These guys weren’t going to hold it together long enough for us to push our way back to the trucks. At least Jack’s people were still holding their ground. They apparently were used to getting into scrapes out in the darkness.
“Okay, I need you guys to stay with me,” I said in between shots. “We can’t stay here. We have to press forward.”
I slid the rifle over my shoulder by the strap, and then pulled out my knife, along with a second that I took from another guard.
With two blades, I charged into the pack of night stalkers, my focus turning red as my blood pounded through me. My senses heightened and my thirst for violence high, I sliced a blade through the neck of a night stalker. It collapsed. One swiped at me from my right; I lunged to the right, then jammed my knife upward into its elbow. It struggled to pull away, but I stabbed it straight into the sternum and angled my knife up. As I hit its cold, rotten heart, it let go of me and fell.
Forward I pressed, wading into the heart of the horde of monsters. The human part of me focused on leading the way to the truck, while the beast in me just craved blood. If I didn’t make it, at least I would go down fighting.
A creature leapt at me from within the pack.
It landed on my shoulders, its claws digging into my flesh. Almost mad with the violence around me, I laughed at the pain. The creature stretched toward me with its jaws, snapping at me.
I reared my head back and slammed it forward, smashing its nose with my forehead. I shook off a bit of the pain and threw the creature down. I jabbed a knife into its eye, which shut it up for good.
Gunfire sounded around me. Jack’s people were still with me. I didn’t know how close I was to the trucks. It didn’t matter until I reached them.
I charged ahead again, smashing into another night stalker with my shoulder, shoving it to the ground.
A heavy weight hit my back, pushing me to the ground.
“Isabella!” a voice shouted in the background. I think it was Jack, but I wasn’t paying enough attention. Having a night stalker smashed into me was a bit of a distraction.
Claws dug into my back. I couldn’t turn to face the creature. I swung backward with my knives, but they couldn’t hit it either. I was swinging blindly, striking nothing at all.
A cold, wet snout sniffed at the back of my neck. I swung my head back, smashing my skull into its mouth. The night stalker pulled back just a bit but stayed on top of me.
I focused on channeling my strength, put my hands under me, and shoved myself up with the night stalker still on my back, and then rolled onto my side. It sent the night stalker tumbling on the ground next to me.
It swiped at me. I thrust my knife between its ribs, a claw catching my wrist as I stabbed past its swinging limbs.
The night stalkers pressed in around me. I had gotten cut off from the others. I glanced up, and the trucks were almost there.
I shoved myself to my feet. A night stalker swiped at me, and I vaulted its arms. Four, three, two more steps. I leapt into the back of the nearest truck, swiveled the gun onto the horde of night stalkers, aiming close to me to avoid hitting any friends, and pulled the trigger.
A stream of bullets poured into the creatures, carving through them.
The mass of creatures parted as they scurried away from the weapon. That gave my fellow defenders enough space to get through as I held them at bay with the gun.
Jack and his crew reached the trucks, jumped behind their other guns, and joined me in taking down the horde of beasts.
Within moments, almost all of them were dead again, at least for now.
Some had scattered out into the night, while a couple had run into the settlement itself.
When the gunfire fell silent, I jumped down from the truck and approached Jack. “Can you have your guys find those other night stalkers? We need to get all of these bodies burned now.”
He nodded and turned to a couple of his people in one of the trucks. “You two, track down the ones who went into the settlement. Everyone else, pull your trucks just inside and watch for anything else. We need to hold the gate until it can be fixed.”
For the next while, we built up a large fire near the gate and piled night stalker parts into it. The stench wa
s absolutely awful, almost like a blend between burning hair and rubber, with a hint of sulfur in the mix, like someone had the worst case of the egg farts while their ass hair was also burning.
As we were piling and collecting the night stalker bodies, a couple of them almost came back to life again, but a bullet in the skull stopped that. Good thing it took a bit of time for the resurrection to kick in, and we knew what to look for this time.
The fire would have been relaxing if it wasn’t for the fact it was full of night stalkers.
While we were busy with that, a group of the townspeople managed to fix a temporary solution to the gate, so at least there wasn’t still just a gaping hole that could let in anything that wanted to wander into the camp.
With the night stalkers dealt with, I needed to check in with my friends.
I hurried my way into the cathedral. The medical station was overflowing with injured people. Away from the medic area, David and Amari huddled on the ground in a corner. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw them.
“Hey guys,” I said as I walked up. “Glad you made it through that.”
“Indeed,” David said. “It was quite a horrific experience. I couldn’t see what was happening, but the sounds…” He shuddered. “The screams of some of the injured as they were dying will haunt me.”
“Rose will be busy for a while,” I said.
“Yes, I offered my help, but she didn’t want to babysit someone who doesn’t have the experience caring for living people. I can make pharmaceuticals, but attending to severe trauma like we’re seeing here is out of my realm.”
Amari stared at the ground, seemingly still working through the terrifying events that had swept through her life over the last few days. She didn’t need to know that the night stalkers had tried to get to her.
As I thought of that, it made me curious. Where were the people that were trying to get her? Were they out there with the night stalkers, just waiting for the right time to come in and snag her? Did they intend for the creatures to kill everyone inside before they came in?
At least Amari was safe, and we had gotten through it. I could take enough of a break from investigating to appreciate that, at least.
Now that things were settling in, my arms and legs tingled from the adrenaline as it left me.
I wanted to distract Amari from all the crazy shit that had happened. “I saw Sarah when I was at Fort Lorraine,” I said. “She and your other housemates.”
“How are they doing?” she asked. She relaxed a bit, and a sparkle of energy lit up her eyes.
“They’re doing well, though they miss you. Sarah seems nice,” I said, giving her a soft smile.
Amari blushed. “Yeah, she’s pretty cool.”
“How did you two meet?”
She stared into the distance, and her face took on a soft, happy glow. “We were on a college trip to France and ended up hanging out a lot by chance, then on purpose. We just kind of clicked and stayed together afterward.” Her expression fell a bit, and she wrung her hands. “I don’t know what will happen with all of this, though.”
“She still misses you. When we’re all done with this, I’ll take you back there myself so you can get back in touch with her and your friends.”
Seeing how happy Amari was talking about her relationship with Sarah made me wish I had something similar. I glanced out the small window near the wall David and Amari were resting against. Jack was out there, chatting with his crew members.
Maybe I could have something like that?
I turned my attention back to the present. “Hey, David, do you know if there’s any place quiet I could grab a drink and clean up?”
“Yes, in fact, I can direct you to such a place. While you were gone, Rose took me to this corner shop just a little ways in that direction.” He pointed just outside the cathedral, and then a bit further from the gate. “They had all sorts of options. Well, compared to a lot of places. And she gave me a copy of her key for sleeping, showering, that kind of thing. Looking at you, you need it more than I do.” He fished the key out of his pocket and passed it to me.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
He waved his hand dismissively. “We’ll be fine here. You’ve earned a rest.”
“Thanks, David.” I patted him on his shoulder as I passed him and hurried out the door.
I felt like a high school girl with a crush on Jack as a million thoughts ran around in my head. Part of me craved him physically. I remembered the last couple of times we had hooked up, and it had been incredible. The idea of his body pressed to mine stirred a heat inside of me.
And now, maybe he could be more than that. After coming to help the town, he wasn’t just a car thief any more to me. He was the man who had helped me get Amari out of an enslaver camp, and now the person who had saved a town from destruction.
It had been a long time since I’d had anyone that could be called a boyfriend. Flings and dates and hookups, of course, but actually asking someone I cared about on a date? Not something I was used to doing. My insides fluttered just thinking about it.
Whatever, Isabella, time to woman up and just do it.
First, drinks, and then Jack.
The “store” that David had indicated was really just a house where a guy had set up a counter in the living room with shelves of random goods in the kitchen behind it. A man with a long silver beard greeted me, and I picked up a six-pack of bottles of beer. How they had salvaged it from out in the night, I wasn’t sure. Maybe this was where Jack had brought the beer he had been hauling. Whatever the source, it looked clean and well-preserved.
Just outside the shop, I stopped to open one of the beers and took a long drink to calm myself.
I was just stalling. It was time to do it.
I walked back toward the gate, where Jack stood with his crew. As I approached, I paused and looked at him as he directed some of his team to finish helping with further reinforcement to the gate, then laughing with them at some joke. His laughter fit him, confident and uninhibited. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to him. I needed some of that in my life.
But I didn’t need to think beyond just that night. And I knew that I wanted to spend it with Jack. Would he want to spend it with me?
CHAPTER 13
I strode toward where Jack was hanging out with his crew members. As I approached, his strong jaw and broad smile lured me in and gave fuel to my desire to be with him. Then, the idea of opening myself up emotionally to someone I used to despise made me want to run away. But I kept going, the hope of a relationship shoving aside the fear of vulnerability.
I reached the group and put my hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Jack, can I talk to you?”
“Of course, Isabella,” he said, pulling away from the group. He followed me far enough away that his buddies couldn’t hear. His dark eyes met mine with a genuine caring that reeled me in and made me want to hide from him at the same time. “What’s up?”
I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear like a damned schoolgirl asking a boy to dance.
“After all you did, I want to thank you again,” I said. “And maybe see if you’d want to share a drink with me? I found something that’s not so bad, and I’ve got a quiet place for us to go.”
He glanced down at the case of beer in my hand. “I’ll never say no to a drink.” He tossed a look over his shoulder at his crew. “And they’ve got things well enough in hand. Why not? I always enjoy spending time with you, and we don’t get nearly enough chances.”
My heart warmed, and I let him lead the way to Rose’s place. It was a small blue house in the back corner of the settlement, though far enough from the walls that the sounds from outside Cathedral Hill didn’t reach normal ears.
I shoved my way through the door, and Jack trailed behind me. When I shut the door, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Rose wouldn’t need her house right now, not with an evening of taking care of people. I could have offered to help, but I needed to take care of myself, to
o.
The inside of her place was cozy, with a small living room with a couch and recliner, adjoined to a kitchen. I set the case of beer onto the counter, tossed a bottle to Jack, and then pulled one out for myself.
I popped the top off by prying it loose on the edge of the counter, then took a long, well-deserved swig. It was cheap shit, but it tasted wonderful. The little tingle of the bubbles on my tongue somehow spread through my body, helping me relax after a crazy-ass day.
I crossed the room and set down my drink on the table next to the couch. I wanted to shower soon, so I went into the utility room where Rose had instructed me and fired up the wood-fueled furnace that powered the water heater. No electricity or gas, but they had managed to keep the water warm, at least. While it heated up, I could enjoy my drink.
I returned to the room and plopped down next to Jack on the couch.
After another drink, I turned to him. “So, Jack, why did you do it? You went through all of this trouble to save a bunch of people you don’t know. Bullets aren’t cheap, and you could have lost some of your men. What made you respond to the call? For real.”
“I suppose you wouldn’t believe it was because the Cathedral Hill is one of my best customers, and I was just looking out for my business?” he asked with a grin.
I slapped him on the shoulder. “No, really. Whatever made you do it, I’m proud of you. For the first time, I see you as more than just a thief. You could really make a difference if you decided to make the effort. Hell, you saved tons of people today. Why not get into doing that all the time?”
His smile fell a bit. “Isabella, I’m just not the hero type. You run off and put yourself in harm’s way for people all the time. But I’m always looking for a score.”
I shook my head. “Not today. And that’s exactly what a heroic person would say.” I leaned a little closer. “Work with me, Jack. We can make a difference for people. Just like we did with Amari, then today. We can be a great team.”
It took a lot for me to admit that, but I believed every word. We could be something together. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted, but it felt like more than friendship.