Kill Wilson (Petersburg Vampires) (22 page)

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Robert answered Nikka’s cell phone, checking the number
and seeing that it was Rio.

“Hey bro, how goes it?”

“Bob, is Amp close by, I need to talk to her.”

Robert could tell from his friend’s tone that there was a
problem. “Hold on a sec, she’s outside, I’ll get her.
Everything
okay?”

“Not real sure, but I need to clear something up.”

Rio heard Robert say something to Amp,
then
she was on the phone.

“Rio?”

“Amp, something’s come up, and I need an answer. Besides
the four of us…and the dead vampires in Mount Vernon…who else knows that we’re
planning this deal? Think real hard, because this is important.”

She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

“When I went down to L.A. last year, I told Morgan and
his people I was going to come back and even the score with Wilson. At that
time, I didn’t have a plan, didn’t even know any of you guys. Silas, Morgan’s
head of security, and I talked about it many times, each time he tried to
discourage me, tried to get me to stay in L.A. with him. He was afraid it was a
suicide mission. Why?”

“Because someone in there knows every move we’re making,
knows I’m here scouting them out, knows you guys are close by and preparing an
assault. They’ve improved their security, and I think tonight when I go out,
they’re going to be out looking for me. Wilson received a guest last night, and
Miriam eavesdropped on the conversation. They referred to you by name, and
spoke highly of your skills. Something is wrong with that, Amp. Help me out.”

There was silence on the line as Amp tried to picture a
scenario that was impossible for her to comprehend. She
had
to be honest with Rio, there was no holding back at this point, nor would she
ever hold back from any of her friends.

“Rio, the other day, after I dropped you at the ferry, I
called Silas. I had promised him, when I left California, I would call him
before I went in. He told me he wanted to talk strategy, but it was just more
of the same, trying to talk me out of it. Silas is my friend, Rio. He was my
teacher, and I trust him with my life. I can’t believe he would tell anyone,
put my life in danger.”

This wasn’t easy for Rio, but he plunged on anyway. His
gut told him where this was going, and he felt nauseated as the truth began to
surface.

“This guy is tall, maybe 6’5’’, lean with broad shoulders,
moves like a fighter…real smooth and graceful. Light brown hair, short on the
sides, cut like a soldier. He was dressed all in black, had on cowboy boots,
and a black duster. Sound familiar?”

“Do you know what this guy’s name is?” Amp asked; her heart
breaking.

“Wilson introduced him as
Turk, that
was the only name Miriam heard. But he introduced himself to the Petersburg police
chief as
Turkman
.”

“How much do you trust that
whor
…that
woman, Rio…and why is she feeding you information? There’s something wrong with
it…like a set up.”

“You’ll have to trust my instincts on this one, kid.
She’s on our side, and if we succeed, it’s due a large part on what she’s doing
for us inside that compound.”

Amp thought about it for a few seconds, selecting her
words carefully, the denial in her mind strong.

“Okay, of course I trust you, Rio. You’re the pro. What
are we going to do about this new person? I could call Silas, sound him out
about if he talked to someone,
try
to find out who it
is and how much he knows.”

“He knows enough, Amp. Oh, I forgot…there’s one other
thing Miriam said. This guy Turk, he’s got a scar running from his left eye
down to the corner of his mouth. Is that anyone you’ve run into?”

Robert and Nikka were listening to Amp’s side of the
conversation, the girl animated, almost angry, at what she was hearing from
Rio. They watched as she choked up, trying to answer a question. There were red
tears streaming down her face, and her voice was trembling. She finally got
control of herself, enough to answer the question.

“Rio, don’t go out yet…let me make one quick phone call,
and I’ll call you right back. Stay put until you hear from me.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for your call. I’m sorry, Amp. I’m
really sorry.”

The phone was dead, Rio knowing he just hurt his friend
in a way he might never be able to make up to her.

Amp stared at the phone in her hand, afraid to meet the
eyes of her two friends. Her mind was torn between her loyalty to Nikka, Robert
and Rio, and her love for her mentor. She couldn’t make herself believe Silas
would betray her in such an obscene manner. This was a mistake, and one phone
call would clear up the confusion.

Punching in the number for the Morgan complex, Amp got
control of her emotions, took a deep breath, and waited for somebody to pick up
the phone on the other end.

“”Is Amylee there, please?” she asked the girl who
answered. While she waited for her friend to pick up, she decided on the
questions she would ask, each word piercing her heart, making the pain
escalate.

“”This is Amy,”
came
her
friend’s voice, almost making Amp start crying again.

“Hi…it’s Amp.”

“Oh Amp, Morgan was just asking about you, if anyone had
heard from you? Are you okay, honey? Tell me all the news.” She sounded happy,
not a hint of trouble.

“A couple of questions, Amy…real
important.”

Amy picked up on the tone, and turned down her
cheerfulness. “Go ahead, Amp, I’m here.”

“Is Silas there…at the compound?” Amp asked, holding her
breath waiting for the answer.

“No,” Amy answered warily, not sure where this was going.
“He told Morgan he had to be gone for a few weeks to visit a friend who needed
him. He normally takes a little time off to recharge his batteries…you know,
act like a vampire away from home. Sorry you missed him.”

Amp could feel her mind cloud at the answer, forced
herself to think.

“What is Silas’ last name…his family name?” Amp
whispered, already knowing the answer deep in her gut.

“Sure.
Turkman
, it’s a
shortening of Turkey Man…a man from Turkey. He told me once he was originally
from that area, and it’s how people identified themselves at that point in
history. He later combined it when a last name became important. Amp, what’s
going on?”

“Nothing…it’s just…,” and she was sobbing, the tears
staining her cheeks, Nikka putting her arms around the smaller girl’s shoulders
and holding her.

“One more thing, Amy.
I’m
sorry,
I’m just having a crappy day. Who is Silas’
sire…who created him?”

“That’s one I don’t know, honey. He never mentioned it,
so we all just assumed his sire was dead. I can’t ever remember the subject
coming up. Sorry. Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Amp took a deep breath, trying desperately to hold
herself
together, accepting the fact she had been betrayed
in a unbearable manner, knowing what needed to be done.

“Nothing, Amy. Thanks, I’ll call soon.”

She disconnected the call, immediately hit recall on
Rio’s number, and waited for the soldier to answer.

“Rio, it’s me. Wilson’s guest is Silas
Turkman
, my mentor and teacher. He is a warrior of the
highest order, old and experienced, and a killer. Do not under any
circumstances go anywhere near this man. We’re going to get our gear together,
and then we’ll be on the way. When we get there, I’ll text you. I don’t think
you should go back out there tonight, wait for us.”

“I have to go back, Amp. Miriam went back in to see if
she could uncover any more plans. In the morning she’s leaving for the last
time. I can’t leave her without some kind of backup, in case something goes
wrong. I’ll stay in touch with you. Just hang out somewhere after you get here,
and we’ll get together when she walks out of there. She’s way too valuable for
us to abandon.”

“Be careful, Rio. Think of this guy as the most lethal
person you can imagine…and then double it. Keep your head down. He’s the
enemy.”

“Will do, Amp…and I’m sorry, honey. I know this hurts.”

The phone was disconnected, Rio staring at it and
wondering if all of their plans had just come to a screeching halt, halfway
hoping they had…the other half spoiling for a fight.

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Because of the
danger of being discovered, Rio wanted to pick tonight’s position carefully, as
well as taking several extra precautions. He hoped it would be an uneventful
night, followed by Miriam driving away from the compound in the morning. He had
tried to talk her out of returning, but she was determined to spend one more
night trying to uncover any other significant information.

The thought of seeing his friends soon, and being able to
plan the next step, was comforting to Rio, the excitement of approaching battle
intoxicating. It was going to be a long day, and an even longer night.

His first stop was the
Rexall
Drug Store on Nordic, picking up two bottles of hydrogen peroxide, a box of
baking soda, and a gallon of distilled water. He also found
a
bar
of Lava soap, and a plastic spray bottle.

As the clerk was ringing up his order, he asked if there
was anywhere in town he might be able to buy deer or moose urine.

“
Gonna
do some hunting?” the
woman asked, Rio shaking his head,
 
knowing from his research Alaska deer and
moose season came later in the summer.

“No, just trying to get some good pictures. I’m just an
amateur, but I love to get close to the animals. Somebody told me I could get a
lot closer if I tried deer urine to mask my scent.”

“Good idea. Try over at the Trading Union; they have all
that kind of stuff. If they don’t, they can tell you where to find it. Good
luck.”

The Trading Union had everything hunters or fishermen
might want, plus plenty of other things. It was one of those stores that
carried items you wouldn’t find anywhere else. After walking the aisles,
admiring the selection, he bought two spray bottles of Franks Deer Urine,
then
carried his packages back to the motel. He wanted to be
in position before dark, before there were any vampire sentries searching the
woods.

He took a long hot shower, scrubbing himself carefully
with the rough bar of Lava Soap. After toweling off, he mixed the peroxide,
baking soda, and distilled water in the sink, filled up the spray bottle, and
sprayed himself from head to toe with the concoction. He had been warned by
Nikka of the vampire enhanced senses, and the potion he had mixed would take
away his natural body scent. In addition, he planned to use the deer urine
around the tree he would be perched in. Hopefully it would confuse the vampire’s
ability to locate his position with their sense of smell.

He dressed in black
camo
, and
after tying his boots, armed himself with two .45s, two battle knives, and made
sure that he stuck the 5.56 Silencer for the M-4 into a deep pocket. He didn’t
expect to be using any firepower this night, but with the information Miriam
had supplied him with, he would spend the rest of his time on the island on
high alert, ready to roll at any time.

Two hours later, Rio was high up in the tree he had
selected, a perfect view of the compound. He was hidden deep in the thick
branches, resting comfortably with his back against the thick trunk. He had
covered the base of the tree, as well as a three foot circumference with the
deer urine. He was looking through the scope of his sniper rifle with night
vision. He had brought along the M-4 in case he had to fight a close-in battle.
His sniper rifle would be worthless in that situation. It was starting to get
dark, and he expected vampire activity soon.

If Miriam’s information was solid, he would soon see
several of the vampires leaving the compound on a search for him. If they were
as inept as Miriam described them, he wasn’t too concerned. On the other hand,
even the weakest vampire soldier was ten times stronger than he was. The M-4 he
had slung on his back was his vampire equalizer, he hoped.

He rigged a line he could drop down in an instant in the
event he needed a quick getaway. He spent most of his Army career sitting in
trees, and on more than one occasion slid down a rope to save his life. This
was not Rio’s first rodeo; he sincerely hoped it wasn’t going to be his last.

He didn’t have long to wait for the activity to start.
Turk and Wilson came through the front door, out into the night, followed by
four armed vampires. Rio wasn’t sure, but he thought three of them were holding
shotguns, and the fourth maybe a 30-06, a popular hunting rifle. He breathed a
deep sigh of relief when Turk, after giving his instructions, waved the
vampires towards the front gate, and returned with Wilson into the house.

He didn’t want to go up against Amp’s teacher just yet.
The chances of these four finding him were greatly reduced without the presence
of the tall California warrior.

Rio was hoping being so close to the house was in his
favor. Watching the four vampires split off into pairs, heading in the opposite
directions from his location, he smiled, wondering how long they had been told
to stay out looking. He thought briefly about climbing down and stalking them,
maybe picking a few off with the silenced M-4. It made sense when figuring the
unbalanced odds when it came time to fight, but the chances of him getting
killed were pretty high.

It was a bit more than two hours when the first pair came
around from the east, walking through the manned gate and disappearing into the
house.

Twenty minutes later, he heard the sounds of the other
pair approaching from his rear, making no effort to cover their noise. They
were talking low to each other, laughing about something, satisfied the person
they were looking for was nowhere near. As they walked under the tree stand,
they didn’t stop talking, gave no indication anything was unusual, his presence
thirty feet above them completely secure. Thank God for deer piss, he thought,
smiling.

They went through the gate, nodding at the lone guard,
and disappeared around the back of the house. Rio was debating with himself if
he should have killed the two when they were so close, but finally decided his
stealth mission was more important.

Looking at his watch, and seeing it was almost one in the
morning, he wondered if his friends were in Petersburg. He’d give it another
hour before he would climb down. When he was well away from the area, he would
text and find out their location.

As he was making his tenth inventory of his equipment,
his back sore and stiff, and his stomach growling for food, all hell broke loose
on the compound’s front lawn.

In the blink of an eye, the sniper’s careful and precise
planning went right out the window. The shit, in a metaphorical manner of
speaking, had just hit the fan.