Her hands trembled as she shoved another clip down the front of her shirt. She kicked the closet door shut, hugging the weapon close.
“I’m loaded for bear,” she yelled. “Break in and I’ll open fire on you. I don’t give a shit what the hell you are. Having holes ripping through your body is going to ruin your fun! I’ve got enough rounds to turn your ass into Swiss cheese.”
A female scream coming from outside made Jadee jerk, shoving her back against the closet. She was afraid she might fire out of pure fear and pressed her finger down along the underside of the weapon. She used her left hand to chamber a round so it was ready to go if that door gave way.
A second set of footsteps stormed closer from above and suddenly what sounded like a heavy body dropped flat. She winced, swearing she heard something scratching the roof.
“Do you hear me?” she yelled louder. “I have live ammunition and I will shoot you!”
Something slammed against the door but the locks held. There wasn’t a window there, and the closed shutters next to it didn’t give her a view of outside. She braced her legs, worried her knees might collapse under her otherwise. The last thing she wanted to do was fall over from fright.
Another loud thump came from up top, near the back. That made three she could count, since the scratching sounds didn’t stop and the person on the other side of the door continued to batter it with what sounded like a heavy object.
“Assholes!” Jadee shouted. “Enough. I’m not screwing around. I have an arsenal at my back and I’m gripping an assault rifle. My dad is a paranoid gun fanatic who made me learn how to fire anything that took bullets or shells from the time I could walk. I won’t miss, and I’ll keep firing. I can reload faster than you can say ‘oh shit’. Take your freaky circus act somewhere else!”
Silence reigned. It was eerie and sudden.
Jadee sucked in a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. It was possible her threats had made them reconsider making her a target. She bit her bottom lip, relaxing her grip on the rifle. The weight of the handgun against her outer thigh seemed suddenly heavy.
“Goddamn,” she rasped. Her dad and his geek squad had actually found a nest of Vampires. What are they doing in the middle of Nowhere, Alaska? It didn’t make sense.
“Come out,” a man’s creepy voice crooned.
Jadee stopped breathing, trapping air inside her lungs. It sounded as if a nail slid across metal above, from where the voice had originated.
“We want to play,” a female voice called out from the other side of the door.
“And make you bleed.” Another man laughed above her.
“And scream!” the female added.
Jadee forced herself to breathe and tightened her grip on the rifle, sliding her finger over the trigger. A chill ran down her spine. They sounded deranged. She was tempted to tell them to break in and find out who did the bleeding, but she remained mute, waiting to see what they’d do next. The RV was a tank on wheels. Her father had designed it to withstand anything he hunted.
She moved fast toward the front cab area, reaching up to the control panel that was mounted on the ceiling right before the driver’s section. She read each button and hovered her finger over the one labeled Panic.
She hesitated. The siren blasting might scare them off. She debated pressing it. Another scenario popped into her head.
Someone might hear it and come. Like the cops.
* * * * *
“What are we doing out here?” Kar jerked his coat tighter around his body. “It’s a Friday night.”
“We have to go check on a human family and relay a message to them. Lorn wants us to do it and he’s our leader, so here we are. A human called the lodge because she can’t reach her family.” Lavos nonchalantly shrugged. “Besides, it’s not as if you had anything else to do.”
“Fuck you.”
Lavos grinned. “No thanks. You’re not my type.”
His friend flipped him off but grinned. “As if you could get that lucky.”
“Not even in jest, man. Although, you do have big tits.”
“I don’t have man boobies.”
“Yeah, you do. You get any bigger and we’re going to have to special order your shirts with built-in bras.”
“Shut up,” Garson demanded from the backseat of the open Jeep. “The Tab sisters are visiting and I could be pounding Ginna if I hadn’t been assigned this bullshit task. I don’t want to hear anything about sex or tits.”
Kar snorted. “The only pounding you’d have been doing is with your fist when you watched Ginna walk off with me. Everyone knows she only visits our clan because I’m there. And who knows? Maybe Kinna’s given up her preference for men over sixty and would have bedded me too. I bet they’re crying right now because I’m out on this stupid drive.”
“I want a mate. You just like fucking. I’m a better choice than you, and I would have told Ginna so. She would have come home with me.”
Kar snorted and shot Garson an amused grin. “Your place is a mess. You ever take a woman there and they’d be convinced you’re looking for a maid instead.”
“It’s not that bad. I’m just not a neat freak. Why did you pick us to go with you?” Garson asked. “What about Veso? Couldn’t you have called him, Lavos?”
“He’s bonding with his new mate.”
“A human one.” Kar chuckled. “I never saw that coming in a million years. I almost feel sorry for her. He’s a grumpy bastard.”
“I couldn’t believe Lorn was so great about accepting her into our clan. Does Veso have blackmail on your older brother the way Davis had on Decker?”
Sometimes Lavos’s friends annoyed him. “No. Of course not, Garson. We wanted change in the clan.”
“That’s a big one,” Kar sighed. “Human-huge.”
“Lorn is very smart,” Lavos said. “We talked about it afterward. He figured some of the clan probably hoped Veso would challenge him for leadership once he showed up alive. They believed until then that he was loyal to Decker.”
“So Lorn accepted his mate as a thank you for not making him fight and have to kill another one of our clan members? I get that.” Kar nodded.
“Wrong. My brother knew Veso had already made enemies who might come after him. Veso pledged loyalty to him, so Lorn did the same. Only a dick like Decker would deny a man his mate.”
“So that means we can start testing matings with humans?” Garson sounded excited. “That’s going to be awesome! I’m so getting me a mate.”
“Wrong again. Keep your hands off women in the nearby towns.”
“That’s not fair,” Garson snarled. “I could rock a human chick’s world.”
“Maybe if you ever learned mind control,” Kar muttered. “And told her to pretend she was experiencing an earthquake.”
“I heard that.” Garson reached between the seats and punched him in the arm. “I’m great in bed.”
Lavos gripped the wheel and turned off onto a dirt road, slowing the Jeep. “The house is just ahead. Knock off the banter before they overhear your conversation. We’re here on official business.”
“Who bitched because someone else had better things to do than answer their phone? I’m sure that’s it.” Garson cleared his throat. “They were probably avoiding talking to them.”
Lavos slowed even more, on alert as he glanced all around, mindful of his surroundings. “It’s the man’s mother. He didn’t call her when he should have. I’m not going into the full story but she’s worried. Lorn said to check on them and give them the message. That’s what we’re doing.”
“Why is this our problem?” Garson leaned forward between the seats. “Bullshit, I tell you.”
“You’re supposed to be an enforcer, not a whiner,” Kar muttered. “Can you at least act like you take your duty seriously? And the task probably is bullshit but we still need to check it out. I’m sure the lines are just down because of that storm that blew through and it will get fixed eventually. It’s normal, b
ut people who don’t live in this area wouldn’t know that.”
“I’m hungry,” Garson muttered.
“Shut up.” Lavos frowned as the darkened house came into view. No lights shone in any of the windows of the two-story home set back into the woods. A truck was parked by the front door and a sat car next to it. “You should have eaten before we left.”
Lavos hit the brakes and stopped behind the truck. He didn’t bother to wear a seat belt so he just slid out the driver’s seat and quickly approached the front door. He was three steps up the porch before he came to an abrupt halt.
Kar bumped into his back. “Why’d you stop?”
Lavos sniffed again. “Smell.”
His friend inhaled and suddenly moved to his side. “Shit.”
“That stinks,” Garson whispered. “What the hell died?”
Lavos took a few steps closer, his vision adjusting to the darkness. The door was closed but upon closer inspection, he saw the splintered wood near the handle and lock. He kicked out, slamming his boot against the door to send it inward. He entered the house first, knowing his friends followed close behind. The stench greatly intensified now that there wasn’t a barrier between them and the interior.
The dining room table lay in pieces with glass fragments all around it. Lavos reached out and flipped on the lights. They instantly came on, and more destruction awaited, with the couch in the living room on its back. Dry red stains were smeared all over it.
“Blood,” Kar confirmed. “A lot of it.”
“Shit,” Garson muttered from another room. “It looks like someone was slaughtered in the kitchen. There’s enough splatter in here on the walls and ceiling to assure me they didn’t survive.”
Lavos spun, following the source of the putrid stench of death, tracking it up the stairs. Dark stains on the carpet revealed more blood. He located all three bodies in the master bedroom. He hesitated inside the room, his gaze traveling over the horror of what remained of the family that had lived in the house.
“What the hell did this?” Kar inched around him. “They’re in pieces. I don’t pick up any traces of gunpowder. This sure wasn’t a murder/suicide of someone going on a bender and losing their shit.”
“It wasn’t an animal,” Garson announced. “It would have eaten them where they were killed instead of obviously carrying them upstairs to dump them in this room.”
“No shit,” Kar muttered. “Animals wouldn’t have closed the front door either after they were gone.”
Lavos approached the body closest to him and crouched, studying it. “They’ve been dead for at least five days, and you’re right. This was done with intent.” He reached out and dreaded touching the head but had no choice as he pressed his fingers against the back of blood-matted hair. He studied the way they’d been torn apart and cursed. “This wasn’t done by an animal or one of ours. I’m thinking Vampire.”
Garson walked around the carnage, studying the other two corpses. “How the hell can you tell?”
Lavos sighed. “They’d be even more shredded if a Lycan had done this.”
“This wasn’t a feeding,” Kar spat. “Too much blood was spilled. This was outright cruel and vicious. It had to be a human.”
“No.” Lavos examined the remains. “See this? The bones were snapped and this person’s arm was ripped off. A Lycan would have used his claws. We’d see a lot more shredding of the skin. A human wouldn’t have been strong enough to do this without a weapon. I’m not seeing any sharp instrument marks on the exposed bones.”
“GarLycan? Gargoyle?” Kar inched closer.
Lavos shook his head. “They would have disposed of the bodies. They’re anal about that. Whatever did this was stronger than a human but not a shifter. There’s no animal hair in this mess. Look at the hand over there.” He pointed. “They grabbed some long hair from whoever killed them. It looks human and it’s black. Notice these people have light brown to blonde hair? It came from whoever attacked them.”
“Fucking crazy Vamps,” Garson cursed. “Why are they screwing with us so much recently? Who wants to make the call?”
Lavos rose up. “There’s no cell signal this far out and I didn’t bring a satellite phone. I wasn’t expecting to find trouble.”
Kar grimly stared at Lavos. “Are you thinking what I am? They must have intentionally taken out a pole somewhere so these people couldn’t call for help. How many Vamps do you think did this? A nest of bloodsuckers or just one sick bastard?”
“I’m guessing it wasn’t a full nest. They wouldn’t have allowed that much blood to go to waste. The stink of death is too strong to detect how many were here,” Lavos stated. “We’d better check the neighbors.”
“Shit. You think there could be more victims?” Kar didn’t wait for an answer. “What are we going to do with these three to hide their murder? The state troopers can’t find this shit. Burn the house down?”
“It’s too close to the woods. We’d risk it spreading despite all that rain that came down in this area a week ago,” Lavos decided. He shot a look at Garson. “Tag, you’re it.”
“Fuck no.” The other man shook his head. “No way.”
“I’m sure they have a shovel in the shed,” Kar snickered. “You said you wanted to pound something. Try earth while you bury them deep, and make sure it’s far enough away from the house that they aren’t found.”
“What about all the blood?”
Lavos felt a headache coming on. “We’ll handle that later, once we call for reinforcements. Maybe Davis can set a few bombs along the foundation and bring it down without causing a fire. He might be able to make it look like a propane accident. Nobody is going to want to waste the resources to rummage through the rubble if there’s no smell of death. They like to bring in cadaver dogs for that shit. No bodies here means no digging. Get rid of every piece of those poor victims. Wrap them up in the destroyed carpets and bury them far from here. We’re going to go check out the nearby houses.”
“You guys suck ass!” Garson stomped toward the door.
Kar snickered, following Lavos. “That’s what you get for bitching so much in the Jeep.”
“Shut up,” Lavos warned. “Or you can do the digging.”
Kar frowned but didn’t make another comment.
Lavos hurried down the stairs and walked outside. He bypassed the Jeep and his gaze roamed the landscape. “That way.” He pointed.
“You picked up the scent of the prick who did this?”
“Nope. I see a faint light coming from that hill over there.”
“Why not drive?”
“It’s faster to run, and quieter.” Lavos took a deep breath. “Race you.” He rushed forward before his friend could respond.
Ten minutes later they walked out of the second cabin. Lavos fought his rage. “Two people lived there, and they didn’t leave on their own.”
“No shit. It looks like someone put up a fight. Why did they take these ones away when they just left the bodies of the other family? Do you think these are victims of that nest that attacked us? Those soldiers had to come from somewhere.”
Lavos shook his head. “Those bodies in the other house aren’t more than maybe five days old. We’d taken that nest out before then.”
“Shit. More Vampires in this area?”
Lavos glanced up at the night sky. “I’m hoping they didn’t turn them. What if they’re starting a new nest in the area? That first family could have been slaughtered by a newbie group if they put up too much of a fight. You know how nuts they are right after they change.”
“Fuck.” Kar lifted a hand and ran it through his hair. “Why would they do that?”
“Decker already sent some of these assholes to cause trouble. I’m sure he’s heard from someone that Lorn took the clan and we extinguished Borrow’s nest. Payback. To be a prick. Should I go on?”
“Nope. Do you want me to take the Jeep and drive until I get a cell signal to call in reinforcements? We could be dealing wit
h a blanket effect in this area if they’ve decided to take it over. How many residents do you think live within town limits?”
“Maybe twenty-five tops. That’s a lot of Vampires to support in a nest, and it still doesn’t account for why the master allowed the waste of that family of three. You saw all the blood spilled. Every drop would be precious, unless they’re killing the wildlife to feed from.”
“This is all kinds of fucked up. But this town is close enough to launch an attack against us.”
Lavos blew out a breath. “Exactly. Stick close. Let’s go check out more homes. We need to discover what we’re dealing with before we ask more of our people to come here to clean up this mess. I don’t want them walking into a trap.”
“What about us?” Kar frowned. “I don’t want to end up facing down a few dozen Vamps.”
“You were bitching about no excitement on a Friday evening. Feeling bored now?”
“Sometimes I hate you.”
Lavos grinned. “You don’t mean that.”
“How can you smile? We might end up tangling with a nest of suckheads. It’s just two of us,” Kar reminded him. “Three if we go back and grab Garson.”
Lavos lifted his hand, concentrating until claws slid out of his fingertips. The deadly tips were a menacing sight. “Decapitate the fuckers. We can handle some Vamps.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I’m pissed,” Lavos admitted. “Lorn’s got enough shit to deal with right now. He doesn’t need this on top of it all. Stay close and keep alert.”
“Fuck.” Kar allowed his own claws to slide out. “I liked these clothes. I got dressed up for the Tab twins because I figured we wouldn’t be gone long. Blood is a bitch to wash out.”
“This is more important.”