Blood and Bullets (21 page)
I got that. I could understand that. It was similar to my reason for hunting monsters. It wasn't seeking redemption for me. Then again, maybe it was in a way. If I had been there that night, my family may still be alive, and if not, then I would have at least gone with them.
Something occurred to me about Longinus's story, something horrifying. “So is it the Spear of Destiny that crazy dead bitch has?” A nod was his answer. That explained a lot. It explained why she was so damn powerful and why when I knocked it out of her hand earlier the other vamps started moving.
The Spear of Destiny has been a legendary relic, second only to the Holy Grail. According to the legend, the bearer of the Spear was to gain power and ability beyond measure. I would have called bullshit on the very idea, but here I was faced with living, breathing proof that the legend was true.
“Is the Spear how she can control so many vampires, or was she this powerful when you went up against her?” I asked.
“It is the Spear's doing,” he said. “When I first faced her, she controlled only a few. Now she travels the country gathering vampires in her thrall, forming an army to enslave the human race. The Spear extends her power and evil almost infinitely.”
This was bad. This was really, really, incredibly bad. The only thing that kept vampires from taking over was the very fact that they could not get along and work together. Appollonia controlling them all would make it not just possible, but a foregone conclusion.
“We need to get that Spear back and kill this bitch.” Pushing against the wall, I stood up. No nausea or black spots. My head still ached to high heaven, and my vision was a bit blurry in my swollen eye, but I could move and function. I looked down at Longinus and held out my hand. “You coming?”
He stared at me for a moment and then looked at my outstretched hand. Nodding once, he reached out and took it. The palm of his hand slid past mine until his fingers closed around my wrist. The grip was light and shaky. Pulling up as he stood, I helped him to his feet. It took a lot of effort, but at the end he was upright even if he did sway a bit side to side. We waited a moment while deep, rasping breaths pulled air into his lungs. I didn't mind. The work of helping him had brought back the pain in my head, so I didn't mind waiting. My vision was still relatively clear, though.
The knife was bare in my hand when the door to the room began to open. Turning away, I slid the blade into the laces on the sides of my leather pants. If no one was looking closely, then they would not see it in the dim light. Charlotte stepped into the room followed by a vampire.
“Appollonia has sent me to fetch both of you.”
Well, well, let's see where the night goes from here.
19
We followed Charlotte into the hallway. Longinus was actually walking. Considering the damage I had seen on his back, it was surprising he could even move, but with the spiderweb bandage he didn't even need anyone's help. Pain haunted his eyes with each step and he was moving as slow as Christmas, but he moved on his own. I was glad because it kept my hands free. Longinus was directly behind Charlotte, I was behind him, and bringing up the rear was a vampire who walked with the jingle of spurs.
The vampire in question was not as tall as I and he was thin as a whip. A battered black cowboy hat sat on top of salt and pepper hair that hung shaggy over the collar of a western-style shirt. A beautiful chrome Colt .45 revolver slung low over narrow hips. Western Jim's undead eyes stared blankly at the back of my skull.
There was nobody home in those eyes. If a vampire isn't in full-on predator mode where their fangs distend, they actually look pretty normal. When they are newly turned, they still have the habits of humanity that carry over, and as they age they learn to camouflage themselves to get next to their prey. This vampire was almost like a zombie. No recognition in his eyes, no illusion of life. He walked behind me stiffly, just following orders. This is what Appollonia did to the bloodsuckers she controlled.
I didn't know if she had sent Western Jim to make a point to me, but his presence answered a lot of my questions. I had to assume that he had gone up against Appollonia and lost out just like Longinus had. Once turned, she had likely used his knowledge of me to set the trap that started all of this. He probably had a file on me and a plan to take me out if I ever was taken over by some ghoulie. I know I had one on him. It's a sign of mutual respect. Thankfully, I was the only monster hunter between here and Texas.
I could see that he would have known me well enough to use a girl who looked like my daughter to distract me, then to set me up where I would have to not only keep myself alive, but watch out for Larson's ass too. It made sense now. It didn't work, because he had either underestimated me or Larson, or he had left me the wiggle room to survive so I could stop this, or Appollonia was crap at translating his plans into action. At the end of the day, it didn't really matter. Now I would find a way to lay my friend to rest before this was over.
The hallway itself wasn't very long. One incandescent bulb glared its yellow light from a broken fixture in the ceiling. The shadows it cast were deep and black. There were other closed doors along the hallway and stairs leading up on one end. Charlotte was leading us to those stairs.
“Charlotte?”
The spider lady spun on one foot, turning to me. The movement was graceful, like a ballerina. Unblinking eyes looked at me from a head on a tilted neck. She arched all the eyebrows on all the eyes on the left side of her face in question to me. “Are there any other people in these rooms?”
Full lips made a sad smile and she shook her head. “No, Appollonia has taken no prisoners besides you and Longinus. Any others are used for food and then turned for her army.”
That made the rescue plan simpler. I know she was on the side of the monsters, but I trusted Charlotte. More I trusted that she was not working for Appollonia willingly and would help us if she could. Her head tilted and that long-fingered arm reached out to softly touch my shoulder.
“Thank you for what you did with Matthias.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper. “He was in control when Appollonia would sleep. He was”âa shudder passed through her shoulders, vibrating the furry fingers touching meâ“he was a perverse man. I am glad he will be of no use to her now.”
I had held that cloak of human skin in my hands. I could only imagine what kind of evil he would be if he was in complete control. If I had known that, I would have threatened to cut his manhood off. The nod I gave her was short.
Turning back, she began walking to the stairs. Her red dress was cut low in the back to allow the four spider legs room to curl together. There was a patch of webbing under them at the small of her back. As we started up, Longinus began to make small grunting noises with each step. When you are injured, it takes a lot more to go up or down steps than it does to walk a flat surface. Twice he got unsteady and I held him up by his arm. He nodded in thanks and I took the second to mouth to him to be ready. He gave another nod and continued up the stairs.
At the top, we entered the vestibule of the church where we first came in. I thought I knew the layout and I was right. We had been in the Sunday school department, which was at the bottom of the stairs that led down. I was pretty sure the stairs that led up went to the steeple. The vestibule was the sameâcovered in spiderwebs and still creepy as hell. The doors to the outside were closed, as were the doors to the sanctuary.
Charlotte led us toward the sanctuary doors and I slowed my steps slightly so that I drifted back, closer to the cowboy vampire. My fingers casually draped over the handle of the knife I had hidden in the laces of my pants. I stopped walking, bracing myself. Western Jim bumped into my back and rocked back on the heels of his boots, making those silver spurs jangle. I took a deep breath and struck.
The blade of the knife ripped free of the laces in my pants and streaked through the air. Spinning, I drove the knife as hard as I could. The blade lodged in the vampire's neck and scraped on the bone of his spinal cord. Black blood shot out of the wound, splashing me across the face. It was thick, cool, and sticky. Cursing, I wiped my eyes so I could see.
I let go of the knife in the other hand and grabbed the western-style bolo tie around his neck. His eyes were bulging out and his fingers scrabbled at his throat, trying to dislodge the knife. Snatching his Colt from its holster, I shoved him away. The six-gun was a single action and the rough hammer bit my palm as I slapped it back. Four pulls of the trigger and four slaps on the hammer pumped four bullets into Western Jim's chest. Blood burst from his sternum as the silver bullets shredded his undead heart. The impact of the bullets pushed him into Charlotte, who was just turning to see what was happening. Stumbling into her, the vampire knocked her off her feet. I used the moment of distraction to put the last two bullets into my dead friend's skull. He collapsed into himself, leaving nothing behind but his boots, a pile of clothes, his hat, and his gun belt on a pile of dust.
Via con Dios,
my friend.
my friend.
I shoved the six-gun in my waistband; the barrel was hot against my hip. I grabbed Longinus by the arm, dragging him to the outside doors. My shoulder slammed into them and they did not open. Dammit! The back of my head began to grow hot with rising power and I knew Appollonia was on to my escape attempt. Leaning back, I planted my foot against the door with all my weight. It slammed open, crashing against the wall. Jerking Longinus in front of me, I shoved him out the door. I took only one step out onto the front landing of the church when two things happened at once that threw me down the stairs ass over teakettle.
Charlotte landed on my back and rode me to the ground, and the doors to the sanctuary behind me exploded with the force of Appollonia's fury. Her vampire rage rolled out of the sanctuary like thunder. It was a giant fist slamming into me. Thankfully, Charlotte was on my back and took the brunt of the force. The power hit so hard it flipped me over, tossing her off my back and me down the stairs. The searing tear of flesh being abraded flared across my kidneys as I skidded down the concrete steps. My lower back with no shirt on had the top layer of skin scraped away by the concrete. My ass was fine because of the leather pants, but my lower back took a beating. I stopped tumbling on the ground in front of the church and lay for a second with my face in the mud.
It had begun to rain while we were inside.
Great.
My name being called made me look up to see Longinus standing a few feet away, just on the other side of a giant steel cross with Father Mulcahy. A smile crept on my face in spite of the pain. God bless Father Mulcahy. He had gotten it done.
The plan had been that once Larson came out, Father Mulcahy would load him and his family up with Kat and Tiff, who would drive them back to Polecats. He would then set up around the building a perimeter of blessed steel crosses driven into the ground in front of all exits, which would keep any vampire inside. After that he would wait for me to come out. If I wasn't out by dawn, he was to burn the church to the ground with me inside, then drive the Comet back. We both knew if I was trapped till dawn that I was dead.
Or worse.
The rain was cold on my back and arms as it sluiced down my body. It actually felt good on my lower back and washed the mud and blood from my face. I scrambled toward where Longinus and Father Mulcahy stood.
I wanted on the other side of that cross. I could still feel the pulse of Appollonia's power, but it was muffled, muted. As I stood beside the cross, Father Mulcahy made a motion with his shotgun and Longinus yelled at me to get down. There was no time to duck when Charlotte slammed into me again, but I was ready for it.
The impact of her rolled us across the wet ground. I wound up on top with my hands around her throat. It was bony underneath the skin and the fur prickled my palms. Charlotte lay still and I kept my hands loose but ready to crush down if I had to.
“I can think.” She said, red eyes unblinking up at me.
I had hoped that being on this side of the cross perimeter would free her mind and it seemed to have done the job. “Can I let you up?” She nodded and I eased up off of her. I offered my hand to help her to her feet and we both stood in the rain. I motioned to Father Mulcahy that it was all right and he moved his gun from her back to the church.
She lifted her arms up into the rain and it looked as if the gray fur washed from her body. The four spider legs shrank and folded away into her back. Lids developed on her eyes and they receded into her skin, leaving only the two human ones. It took only a second for her to change from creepy spider lady to normal suburban housewife. Her hair was still long and black, but her skin was a deep chocolate. Wide hazel green eyes stared from a strong, noble face. She was still long limbed and thin, but her skin was smooth, her muscles sleek.
After a moment of standing in the rain her hands went behind her back. There was a light tearing sound of cloth ripping and both hands came out holding my guns. Webbing hung on them in wisps where she had them secured on her back. I smiled and gladly took them from her. Instantly, I felt better.
“It has been a long time since I have been able to be fully human.” Her three jointed fingers smoothed back her rain-slicked hair. “It feels good.”
I lifted my Desert Eagle up like a toast. “This feels good too. Now I'm going to see what I can do about our friend back there.”
Vampires crowded the front landing of the church. They stood silently in a formation. The steel crosses throwing pale blue light on the steps in front of them. That was the great thing about having a priest around, you never had a shortage of blessed objects. The vampires weren't reacting to the light from the cross, but it was keeping them corralled on the landing. From the back they began jostling each other, bumping and moving the group apart.
Appollonia strode naked from their midst and they fell back before her. Red energy pulsed around her slender form, her anger and power made manifest. She held the Spear out in front of her. Fury throbbed in her voice and it carried across the distance between us. “Come back to me, Charlotte. You are mine. I command it.”
Shaking her head, Charlotte stepped back and bumped against Longinus's chest. He put an arm around her shoulders protectively. Father Mulcahy slipped a blessed crucifix over her head. He tossed me one to hang around my neck. I could still feel her power, but between the cross I wore and the one we were sheltering behind, it was a dull throb instead of a pounding ocean.
Sighting down the barrel of the Desert Eagle, I put a red laser dot on her head and squeezed off a shot. The gun bucked in my hand, but I was close enough that my aim was true. Appollonia's head jerked back as the bullet entered her forehead and passed through the back of her skull to hit a vampire behind her. The vamp behind her fell, knocking over the others who were crowded near him. Appollonia remained standing. I watched as her ruined head re-formed itself like clay animation. The back of her skull pulled itself together, and the skin on her forehead smoothed like water. As quick as Charlotte had changed form, Appollonia was healed.
Shit.
“You cannot kill her with guns, Deacon,” Longinus said, still holding Charlotte. “She is too close to the Curse.”
Double shit.
Father Mulcahy whistled to get my attention. He pointed to the cross in the ground before us. A stream of tiny spiders were crawling up it and beginning to weave webs to cover it. They worked fast, already the lower foot of the cross was covered.
Jerking my head toward the Comet, we started moving that way. Father Mulcahy and I kept our eyes, and guns, on Appollonia and her crowd of bloodsuckers. As the tiny spiders covered more of the cross, the vampires began to make their way down the steps of the church.
Longinus and Charlotte fell into the back seat and Father Mulcahy slid into the passenger's side. I was opening the door when Appollonia spoke again. Her voice was seething with wrath and power. It carried across the air to me, rolling like thunder.
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