Blood Born (45 page)

He had slept for several hours, enough to feel refreshed. The bedroom wasn’t quite as dark as he’d have liked, but the morning had been overcast and the curtains were thickly lined, so he’d rested well enough. He could have slept in the bathroom, but then he wouldn’t have Chloe curled against him. That was enough to make enduring the light worthwhile.

She was sleeping deep, hard, worn out by the long hours and brutal violence. Between the excitement, the sex, and the fear for her life, she’d been emotionally drained and physically tested. He looked down at her sleeping face, feeling the hot ties of the bonding, both emotional and physical. If not for her he might be back in Scotland by now, letting this drama play out without him.

Wouldn’t he?

No. For one thing, he’d never been able to keep his distance from a good battle. For another, a traitor had murdered Hector, and that alone called for vengeance. With or without Chloe, Luca had chosen his side.

By late afternoon, Chloe still slept on. It was still hours until summer sunset, but periodically he closed his eyes, stilled himself, and searched for vampire energy anywhere close to their hotel. A couple of times he felt a brush of energy, but it wasn’t close by and was soon gone, so their location was still safe. He’d let her rest as long as he could.

He sat in the single chair in the room with his cell phone in hand, thinking. He was a part of the vampire community; he wasn’t the most social of the kindred, but he did have a few friends he could call on in an emergency, and this was definitely an emergency. He couldn’t afford to waste time. With every hour that passed, the odds increased that Jonas would send hunters directly to Chloe’s location, no matter where Luca tried to hide her. He needed to strike at the rebels soon, before they had a chance to prepare for him.

At the same time, rushing into battle was stupid; it was bad planning, and Luca had fought too many battles to get sucked into that trap. As angry as it made him that Chloe was targeted, he had to keep a cool head. Guarding Chloe was his first priority. He’d keep on the move, take the time to pull in reliable reinforcements. Every time he had that firmly fixed in his mind, though, his gut would insist that he take the fight to them
now
. It was urgent that he attack
now
. Tonight. There was no other way.

Some of the vampires he’d normally call wouldn’t see anything wrong with the rebels’ plans. Some of them might have already joined with them. A lot of the kindred
were fed up with the status quo, and wanted to exist openly, free to use all the strength and power they possessed. He had to be very sure about who he called, who he trusted, because Chloe’s life depended on it.

Finally he began to dial. Like it or not, he had to take the chance even though nothing was certain and no one could be implicitly trusted—no one except Chloe.

    “I’ve never been to Memphis,” Jimmy said, still nervous even though he and Rurik had been on the road since just after dawn. Maybe it was the sword the warrior riding in the passenger seat held so confidently, the sharp tip resting on the floor mat, the intricately designed grip caught in big, rough hands. Maybe it was the shotgun in the backseat. According to Rurik, that was Jimmy’s weapon. They’d bought it at a flea market just off the interstate, three hours after heading out of town. Jimmy had never owned a gun before, though he’d gone hunting with his dad a few times, years ago. Hunting hadn’t been his thing, he’d been bored stiff, and after a while his dad had stopped trying to get him interested.

“I hear they have great barbecue around here,” he continued. “It’s probably not as good as Texas barbecue, but maybe we should give it a try. You know, just to compare the two.” They’d stopped twice for food already. Rurik had a huge appetite.

“We can stop if you are hungry, but we cannot linger.” Rurik’s fingers beat a steady rhythm on the hilt of his sword, as if he were anxious to use it. He definitely wasn’t much of a talker. He issued orders, ignored questions, and fiddled with his sword. Now and then the sunlight caught the blade, and a glint that reminded Jimmy of the weird flashes of light he’d been seeing lately would fill the car. He had to wonder: Was that what he’d been seeing all along?
Light bouncing off the shiny blade of a long sword? If he’d understood that sooner, he might never have invited Rurik in.

He needed to make a pit stop, too, so he pulled off the interstate at the next exit. He spied a weathered sign for a barbecue place, which turned out to be attached to a gas station and convenience store. That would do. One-stop shopping: he could fill up the tank, take a piss, and get something to eat. With Rurik as his passenger, the fewer stops they had to make, the better.

Rurik would want to eat in the car again, rather than taking the time to sit at a table in the restaurant, and that was fine with Jimmy. A six-foot-four dude wearing what looked like homespun and carrying a very sharp sword was tough to explain, and he refused to leave the sword behind in the car. Best to get Rurik in and out quickly, wherever they had to stop.

The Warrior remained in his seat while Jimmy filled the tank. When that was done he pulled to the front of the building, put the car in park, and turned to Rurik. He tried once more. “Look, nothing has happened the other times we stopped. You should leave that thing in the car.”

Rurik knew Jimmy was talking about the sword. They’d had this conversation before. “And be defenseless? No. You should carry your weapon as well.”

Yeah, that would work. Two men, a sword and a shotgun, and a convenience store; it sounded like the makings of the lead story on the evening news. “No, thanks. I’ll take my chances.”

Jimmy wanted to call Kate and explain what was going on, but what the hell could he say that he hadn’t said in the note he’d left sitting by the coffeepot?
Emergency. I have to go. Call later. Love you
. He’d even turned his cell phone off, once Kate and his mother had
started to call. There was simply nothing he could say to ease their worry.

It tugged at Jimmy’s heart that his dad was probably in the ground by now, and he hadn’t been there. He couldn’t get that out of his head, as he and his passenger hit the restroom and then headed to the attached restaurant to order barbecue sandwiches. He wondered if the funeral service was over, if the rest of the family had made it in … if Kate and his mother would ever forgive him. Thinking about things like this could make him crazy, if he let it.

Jimmy had asked for a sweet iced tea when they’d ordered their sandwiches. Rurik wanted a six-pack from the convenience store. The man loved his beer, and he apparently had a great tolerance for it, because he didn’t seem to be at all affected by the six-pack he’d consumed earlier.

Naturally, people stared: not at Jimmy, but at Rurik. The clerk behind the front counter, where he paid for the gas and beer, was especially concerned, darting constant looks at Rurik. The guy looked as if he were about to dial 911. Jimmy leaned slightly forward and offered an explanation.

“My cousin is posing for some video game artwork and animation this evening, and he likes to get into character beforehand. I hope he’s not freaking people out.”

“Well, you can hardly expect to walk into a store with a sword and not freak people out a little bit,” the cashier said with a less-than-brilliant smile. He paused. “What video game?”

“We can’t say,” Jimmy answered in a lowered voice. “It’s all hush-hush right now. But you’ll recognize it when the ads come out, since you’ve seen my cousin in costume.”

The cashier bought the story, and relaxed a bit more.
“Hey, you,” he called, looking past Jimmy’s shoulder. “What’s your name? You know, in case you get famous or something.”

“I am Rurik.” As always the Warrior spoke with an accent.

The cashier’s smile faded. “Yeah, yeah, stay in character, asshole.”

Jimmy showed his ID, paid, handed Rurik the six-pack, stepped outside, and took a deep breath. Next time they had to stop he was going to leave Rurik in the car. The Warrior would just have to piss on the side of the road or into an empty beer can until they got to D.C. Jimmy thought he’d handled himself okay so far, but he wasn’t an actor or an accomplished liar and he really couldn’t take much more of this. His heart was beating a mile a minute.

He skidded to a stop. A woman dressed in long pants, a long-sleeved T-shirt, gloves, a floppy-brimmed hat, and a scarf leaned casually against the passenger side of the car. She was definitely not dressed for a southern summer afternoon. Despite all the garb she had on, she was a looker. She was so good-looking, and built like a brick shit house, that it took him a minute to register that she was leaning against
his
car, as if she were waiting for them. He didn’t know her, so that gave him a start, like he needed any more surprises today.

The woman lifted her head sightly, revealing a lush mouth that curved in a smile as she glanced past him. Her attention settled on Rurik, and stayed there. “Hey there, sugar,” she purred.

Rurik dropped his six-pack. Two of the cans burst open, spewing beer in an arc as the Warrior drew his sword. For a split second Jimmy wondered what the hell he was doing, and then the woman sprang toward the Warrior, godawmighty, almost
flying
. Her movement
was too
big
to be normal, and dammit all, those were
fangs
.

Jimmy dropped the sack of sandwiches and his Styrofoam cup of iced tea, and ran. He punched the button on his keychain remote to unlock the doors, then yanked the rear driver’s side door open and dove into the backseat. He grabbed the shotgun, backed out of the car with it cradled in his hands. He could barely think.
Oh shit, oh shit
. That was pretty much all his brain was capable of. His hands shook, and his heart pounded so hard he could feel it hammering against his chest.

For one blessed moment he thought that maybe he wouldn’t need the shotgun. Without hesitating, Rurik ran the vampire through with his sword. Jimmy blew out a breath of relief, one that turned to a strangled cry when the sword didn’t even slow her down. She backed away, leaving the bloodstained blade behind, and danced to the side, away from the sword, to swing out with a balled hand. An unbelievably powerful blow connected with Rurik’s jaw and sent him to the ground. He landed on his back, hit his head on the concrete. His sword fell out of his hand and went clattering across the parking lot.

The vampire snarled like a wild animal, and in the shade of her hat brim Jimmy saw them again. Fangs.

She pressed one small foot, clad in a white tennis shoe, on Rurik’s chest. “I’ve never tasted warrior blood before. Bet I get a charge out of it, sugar.”

Rurik’s eyes were still dazed, but he turned his head toward Jimmy. “She killed your father. Go for the heart or head.”

The vampire smiled. “If it was dark I’d take you both on at the same time, but I’m not at my best during the daytime. Guess this’ll have to do.” For a moment she looked into Jimmy’s eyes, and everything kind of went
away. He felt a strange tingle at the center of his forehead and a chill down his spine, and for a second or two he felt completely disconnected and numb. The vampire dismissed him and dropped down like an animal to grasp Rurik’s hair in one hand, jerking his head back as she opened her mouth and exposed her fangs, poised to tear out his throat.

Jimmy pumped the shotgun and fired. He couldn’t get her heart from this angle, not without hitting Rurik, too, so he aimed for the head. And missed. It had been a long time since he’d handled any kind of weapon. The shot grazed the vampire’s hat, knocking it off.

She howled as the sunlight hit her face, automatically lifting her free arm to shield herself from the sun. “I told you to stay right where you were,” she snarled at him. “Damn sunlight. I can’t even glamour properly.”

Jimmy pumped the shotgun again and moved closer. Rurik had insisted that he load the shotgun after they’d purchased it, thank God, but Jimmy hadn’t believed he’d need to defend himself so soon, so he hadn’t put one in the chamber, for safety’s sake; that meant he just had this one last shot, rather than the maximum three he could have had. This one had to count; he didn’t think the vampire would give him time to grab a couple of shells from the car and reload. She jumped up to face him, her movements unnaturally smooth and quick.

Rurik had shaken off the knock on his head; as soon as she released her hold on him, he moved fast, grabbed the vampire’s legs, and literally lifted her high in the air. Damn if she didn’t look like an old-fashioned car-hood ornament, or a wooden woman on the front of a pirate ship, with her back arched and her breasts thrust forward. She hung there, high in the air, and Jimmy knew he’d never again have this chance. He didn’t hesitate; he aimed for the heart and fired.

This time, he didn’t miss. The blast hit her in the middle of her chest, getting the heart and a lot of other flesh. Rurik released his hold and the vampire dropped like a rock, splatting hard on the pavement just a few feet in front of Jimmy. She took a deep breath, screamed with raw fury, and lifted her head. Her cheek had taken a beating when she’d slammed into the ground, and her clothes were soaked in her own blood, but she was still alive, and
fuck, she was getting up!

“You must destroy the heart or the head, not simply damage it,” Rurik said as he rose to his feet and reached for his sword in one smooth motion. “Remember that,” he added calmly as the damaged vampire rose from the ground, moving much more slowly and clumsily than she had before. Rurik lifted his sword and swung it with an incredible strength, neatly severing the vampire’s head. Her head spun away, screaming one last time. Her once-lovely face blistered in the sunlight, then her entire body—both parts—turned to dust.

Rurik leaned down and picked up the vampire’s scarf, wiped his sword with it, and returned the blade to its scabbard. “Thank you for coming to my defense,” he said without emotion.

Holy shit, now what did they do? Jimmy looked toward the convenience store, where several faces were all but pressed to the glass. The clerk was jabbering full-speed into his cell phone. “Well, fuck,” he said, as he started walking back to the convenience store. When he was almost there, he decided it really wasn’t a good idea to walk into a crowded store with a shotgun, whether he had any ammo left or not. He turned around, watched as Rurik wiped some blood from his face, then picked up the sack of sandwiches and the unexploded cans of his six-pack.