Lavos

  The lock beeped and the interior bolt slid. The door she leaned against moved slightly but held. It was enough to get her to open her eyes and stare up at the pad. It went from green to red, the bolt sliding home again.

  Anger suddenly surged and she turned her face into her shoulder, wiping it against her shirt to be rid of the tears. She’d always feared his lifestyle would get him killed. Just not like this.

  Whatever he was, whoever he’d become, he was still her dad. She had to at least give him a chance.

  “I’m not dressed,” she lied. “Give me a few minutes, Dad.”

  “I’ve seen it all before. Open the door.”

  “Two minutes.” She forced her body to move, standing and turning off the intercom. The cold metal of the rifle helped her stay calm. She went to the front cab where the security panel was, removing the key that controlled the shutters. She hoped he didn’t have a spare as she pocketed it. The gun safe in the closet remained open and she went to it next.

  Her movements were jerky as she collected the weapons from their nesting places in pockets attached to the wall of the safe. She rested the rifle along the closet wall and strapped on a waist holster. The twin Smith & Wesson 380s were shoved into it after she flipped off the safeties and pushed in a cartridge for each one. Her hands didn’t tremble when she lifted the rifle and closed the closet, not bothering to secure the concealed panel. There was nothing left inside to take.

  She approached the side door, taking calm, steady breaths.

  Her father grew impatient and slapped the door. The pad beeped as he punched in the code again to unlock the bolt. It scraped open but the interior locks continued to hold. She paused by the door, fighting fear and the uncertainty of her actions.

  This is so fucking stupid, she tried to reason with herself. She reached out before she could change her mind and turned the intercom back on. “Dad? Stand back, and once I unlock the door, count to ten before you come in. Do you understand me? You don’t want to scare me, do you?”

  “Of course not, honey.”

  She wanted to believe him. One way or another, she needed to do this. She had to know if he was still her father or a fiend.

  Her grip on the assault rifle tightened as she hefted the first bar out of place. The second one she had to bend a little to reach. The interior bolts were easier to yank to the side, and she backed away quickly when the last one was pulled.

  “Come on in.” She didn’t dare glance away from the door as she inched down the hallway, closer to the bedroom. She could always escape into it if need be.

  The beep was a menacing sound…the bolt slide terrifying.

  This time the door opened, fresh air pouring into the interior as it was thrown back wide.

  Jadee lifted the assault rifle, gripping it with both hands, pointing it at the darkness beyond the door. She located the trigger with her finger, resting it there.

  The white-haired man who slowly entered looked so familiar, but she noted the differences immediately as he stopped in the aisle, turning her way. His skin still looked weathered from the sun but his complexion had become unusually pale, with dark veins showing. His normally sparkling blue eyes appeared duller. What used to be the whites of his eyes were bloodshot and appeared wrong. Evil.

  A soft moan sounded and Jadee realized it had come from her.

  His gaze lowered, studying the rifle she held. “It’s okay. You can put that down.”

  “Close and lock the door, Dad.”

  He didn’t move to do it. “You’re safe. You don’t have to point that gun at me.”

  “Close and lock the door,” she repeated.

  He slowly lifted his hands out to his sides. She glanced at them, saw a lot of dirt and what appeared to be some dark red stains. It was possibly blood.

  “Easy, honey.” He took a step forward.

  “Don’t,” she ground out. “I’ll shoot you. Stay right there and lock that fucking door.”

  He didn’t blink at all. The eerie way he stared at her was freaking her out. She glanced at his chest and saw that it moved, as if he breathed. It could have been force of habit, or perhaps Vampires did need oxygen. She focused on his face again.

  “I want you to meet my friends. They aren’t what we expected.”

  “What happened to the people who lived in the nearby town? I heard they’d all disappeared by the time your team arrived. Where are they?” She backed up more, reaching the doorway to the bedroom.

  “You don’t need to go in there and activate the safety door, Jadee.”

  She wasn’t so sure.

  “Don’t be afraid. We were wrong about them.” He took another step forward.

  Jadee aimed the gun at his heart. “Don’t come any closer.”

  His smile chilled her to the bone. “Bullets won’t kill me.”

  Fear nearly overrode her anger. “I bet they’d hurt.” She adjusted her aim, targeting his head. “And I’m pretty sure some of them tearing through your brain would slow you down.”

  “Why did you let me in if you planned to shoot me, honey? I raised you to never point a gun unless you were willing to pull the trigger.”

  “I needed to know if you were still you. You’re not.” It broke her heart. “My dad would have locked that door so no one else could get at me. He would have gone to the cab area and stayed as far back from me as possible to make sure I felt safe. I’m so sorry, Dad. I came as soon as I could get a flight…but I got here too late.”

  “You’re not too late. You’re right on time. We’re not going to kill you, honey.”

  His repeated use of that endearment was becoming disturbing but the use of “we” was worse.

  “I told Mitch all about you, and he needs someone at his side. I even showed him your picture from my wallet. He thinks you’re beautiful.”

  Jadee tensed. “Who’s Mitch?”

  “He turned me and gave me eternal life. He’s going to bestow that gift upon you too. We’ll be a family again.”

  She had a name for the bastard who had taken her father. “Where were you when the other ones attacked the roof and the door?”

  “I thought you hadn’t arrived yet so I was waiting along the road with Mitch to welcome you. Then I heard the alarm. Mitch wants to meet you.”

  “Where is he? I’d like to meet him too.”

  “He’s outside, allowing me to calm you down. This doesn’t have to hurt, honey. Put the guns down and we’ll walk outside. He’ll be gentle, and he promised to take good care of you. You need that. I always worry about you being alone.”

  “How sweet.” She swallowed down the bile that rose. “Why don’t you have him step in here and introduce himself? It’s bright in here so I can see better.”

  Her father turned his head, seeming to stare at something right outside the open doorway. Movement drew her attention but she was careful not to allow it to distract her from her dad. He was a threat, and she couldn’t forget that.

  The tall, thin man who climbed inside looked horrific. He had black, scruffy hair, a narrow, long white face, and his black clothes were Gothic. It might have been the way they were made, but the arms and legs of his pants and shirt had rips in them, revealing slices of his white, skinny limbs. Dirt also covered his hands. Dead leaves were stuck to his clothing in a few places, as if he’d been digging or rolling in the dirt. She didn’t even want to imagine why he’d do that.

  The top of his head nearly brushed the ceiling of the RV, putting him at about six foot four. In life, he’d probably been odd looking with his lanky body, but he was horrific as a Vampire. Bloodshot eyes met hers and his thin lips curved upward. The dark veins on his face became more pronounced.

  “Hello. I’m Mitch. It’s nice to meet you, Jadee. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  She saw the sharp tips of his fangs when he spoke. They scared the shit out of her. The smell coming from him reached her nose and she inhaled through her mouth. It reminded her of the time she’d found a dead mouse under h
er mobile home in Washington, where she lived. It was faint, but the smell of death clung to him.

  “The feeling isn’t mutual, Mitch. You took my dad from me.”

  He tilted his head, his cheek almost resting against the top of his shoulder, and it make him look even more inhuman. “He’s right here.”

  “Did my dad ever tell you that I had a rough life, being pulled around with him on his hunts? Kids made fun of me all the time. It was a bitch always being the new student at school. We never lived in one place for long. I was bullied until I learned how to fight back at a young age. It kind of gave me anger issues.”

  His head straightened. “You won’t be alone ever again.”

  “That’s the thing. I kind of like it now. I learned to never depend on anyone besides myself. Remember that anger issue I mentioned? I’m pissed, Mitch. You might be the big bad, but guess what? I loved my dad, and he was all I had left after my grandma died. I want to test a theory. Dad was big on those.”

  Jadee opened fire without any other warning, the sound earsplitting in the confined space.

  The first bullet struck Mitch in the forehead. He jerked back from the impact. She got three more into his chest before he fell. She turned the weapon on what used to be her father. His mouth hung open. He looked stunned as she shot him in the head.

  She backed up and blindly reached out, hitting the round red button on the wall. The gate slammed across the door as she fell backward, forgetting about the bed being in the way. It took her seconds to sit up and scramble toward the side of the bed frame, backing up into a corner far out of reach of the gate.

  She was aghast when she saw Mitch coming down the hallway.

  The healing holes in his chest were visible and a dark red substance poured out of them before they sealed.

  She opened fire again, targeting his heart. He roared out in pain or anger, twisting away and presenting her with his back.

  The gun emptied and she popped out the clip, grabbing another one to slam home. She fired again.

  Mitch used the bathroom for cover, darting into it. What used to be her dad came down the narrow hallway next.

  “Stop it, Jadee!” he yelled.

  They weren’t dying, seeming to heal in seconds. She struck Victor mid-mass a few times, sure she hit his heart at least once. He stumbled and crumpled to the floor. She held her breath, praying he wouldn’t get up.

  “You’re making me angry,” Mitch hissed from around the corner, out of her line of sight.

  She sucked in a lungful of air. “You don’t know what pissed is, fuckhead! Why don’t you step out of the bathroom and stop cowering in there? I’ll show you angry.”

  She glanced down. Victor still hadn’t moved. She pushed back the grief and guilt over having to kill her dad. He had already been gone before she’d arrived.

  I put him out of his misery. She clung to that idea. It helped her keep her shit together. Crying comes later. Right now, kill the other bastard.

  Victor’s arm twitched. Then she watched him attempt to sit up. She was glad she couldn’t see his face. It made what she had to do easier.

  “Oh God.” She pointed the gun, aiming for his spinal cord, and fired into the back of his neck. He jerked once and became still.

  “You’re only delaying the inevitable,” Mitch yelled. “I’ll make you pay if you don’t stop right now. I’m offering to make you my wife.”

  “Were you nuts before you became a Vampire? Now you’re stupid and crazy if you think I’d agree to that. You’re a walking horror show. Did I mention ugly too? You’re disgusting and you smell like a dead rat.”

  “You bitch!” he shouted. “I’m going to make you hurt when I get my hands on you—you’ll beg me to die. But that’s not going to happen. I’ll keep you around to watch you suffer.”

  Jadee wished her father had kept more clips inside his safe for the ACR. She removed one of the guns from her waist. She needed to be more careful with her rounds. Summer in this part of Alaska meant a lot of daylight, but it was still hours away. She had to survive that long. They couldn’t get into the room but that didn’t mean they couldn’t kill her if they had a weapon. The safe was empty but they might have access to other guns. She was in a cage, with no place to escape gunfire directed her way.

  Mitch suddenly stepped out of the bathroom and grabbed the bars across the door. She pointing the gun at him while they glared at each other.

  “You’re going to bleed, bitch.”

  “How’s the head?” She made a point of staring at where he’d taken a bullet to the forehead, seeing only blood but no gaping hole. “I’d ask if you have brain damage but you’d have to have one first, right? It doesn’t seem like you do.”

  He growled and his mouth opened, showing those sharp fangs. “This isn’t going to keep me out.” He looked down and started to shake the bars. They held, but slight popping noises sounded from the walls around them.

  She had a sinking feeling that with enough abuse, he’d bust inside.

  She opened fire, aiming for his heart. It might work if she totally annihilated the sucker, so she blasted holes into him.

  He slumped, dropped to his knees, but didn’t fall over completely.

  Minutes passed. His chin finally lifted and he growled again.

  “I recover, bitch. Bullets won’t stop me.” He got to his feet.

  “They slow you down though. I also notice you’re not healing as fast as you did before.” She shot him in the head again and he jerked back, crashing to his knees once more. He didn’t fall over but he did bump Victor.

  Victor moved, turning his head. He stared at Mitch, then at her.

  “Dad?” She felt hope he still might listen. “Try to remember your old life and how much you loved me.”

  “You shouldn’t have pissed Mitch off, honey. He’s going to have to make you pay for that now.”

  Jadee backed up and bumped the wall. This was a nightmare. She never should have opened the door to let Victor inside but she had to know what he’d become.

  I know now. I’m so fucked.

  “I’m your daughter.” She made one last attempt. “Don’t you want to protect me? Fight him and get him out of the RV. Lock the door and keep him away long enough for me to seal it again.”

  Victor’s limbs were jerky as he rose to his feet. The wounds she’d inflicted weren’t bleeding anymore, the only proof of his injuries were bloody stains and holes in his clothes. He did seem sluggish though, as if being shot all those times had drained him of some energy.

  “I’m doing what’s best for you. That’s being with Mitch. We’ll be together forever.”

  “Who the hell are you?” She lifted the gun. “Don’t talk to me. You break my heart. My dad is dead. You’re a mockery of everything he stood for.”

  He hissed and sharp fangs slid down from a row of what had been mostly straight teeth. “Don’t talk to me that way!”

  “Go to hell.”

  She shot him in the heart and watched him fall back. He was only down for a short time before he struggled to sit up. Mitch began to rouse too.

  She’d tested a theory and it hadn’t panned out. Shooting them in the heart and brain put them down but it wasn’t for long, and they seemed to heal from injuries, regardless of how severe.

  Her gaze swept the room for a different weapon. There was another theory she wanted to test. The cabinets and the bed frame were made from wood.

  She placed the handgun down and lifted the ACR. It was out of ammo but it would work great to smash shit with. She used the butt of the weapon and slammed it against the footboard, breaking off a jagged chunk.

  She gripped it and turned. The only problem was she’d have to get close enough to stab one of them—and that meant they’d be close enough to grab her.

  “Fucking great,” she muttered. She glared at Victor. “Couldn’t you have equipped your armory with water guns filled with holy water? Some crossbows? I’d like those options right now way better.”

>   He hissed at her.

  Chapter Three

  Lavos tracked the female while Kar had gone after the male. They’d run into the Vampires on the way into the canyon where the car alarm had originated from. The sound had stopped shortly after it had begun or they might have missed the slight noises the couple had made traipsing through the woods.

  The Vamp had long, tangled black hair and smelled as if she hadn’t bathed in a week. He was glad it was easy to follow her by stench alone, since her dark dress and all the trees made it difficult for him to keep her in sight. The raspy noises she made when she ran helped, too.

  He’d finally gained enough on her when Lavos found himself on top of a crest, with the Vamp below in a ravine. He dove, his bigger body slamming into hers. She screamed, and he focused on grabbing her wrists before she could scratch him as she tried to claw his face. Her fangs flashed in the moonlight a second before she attempted to bite. He threw his head forward, slamming it into her forehead.

  She cried out in pain and Lavos felt guilt. Hurting a woman wasn’t something he had ever done before, bloodsucking enemy or not. He cursed under his breath and shifted his weight, flipping her over onto her stomach as he released her arms. He fisted her hair at the back of her head instead, while he shoved his other hand against the middle of her back and pressed down with his weight. He lifted his chest, effectively pinning her down.

  “Stop fighting,” he demanded.

  She struggled and made hissing noises. He thought of his brother and the woman he loved. Kira had been turned into a Vampire against her will. They were the enemy, but he was glad Lorn had spared her life. The bloodsucker under him might have a similar story.

  “Stop,” he growled, allowing his voice to show his temper.

  She stilled under him and tried to twist her head. He eased his hold on her hair just enough to permit her to look at him. He studied her face, the veins showing along her forehead and cheeks. They were black, faint lines marring pale skin. What should have been the whites of her eyes showed a deep red of busted blood vessels.