No Man's Land (28 page)

“The werewolves are going to hold back at Halltown so they don’t get flanked?”

Mike nodded. It was the only solution: wait until both battles converged, then attack the whole lot of them. Of course, that would mean hundreds of vampires to fight instead of just the Prince’s followers. The only good news was that the vampires would be just as busy fighting each other as the werewolves.

“Shall we go on foot?” They were almost to Route 9; then it would be fields and a golf course between them and Halltown.

Mike shook his head. “Truck. Want to get a bit ahead of everyone. Make sure I get a few kills in before they all drown in the river.”

Lovely image. Jaq must have told her brother about the vampires’ inability to swim. She’d need to remember never to stand next to a pool with Mike around.

“Only if we can take 340. These dirt roads are killing my back, and I think Jaq’s truck is about ready to lose an axle.”

Mike tilted his head. Was that his doubtful look? It was hard to tell with his patches of fur and elongated snout. “Highway cuts between Halltown and Blair. We might run into them.”

Kelly smiled. “I hope so. I’ve been wanting to see what Jaq’s truck will do in ramming mode. Three quarter tons should be enough to kill vampires, especially if I put it in four wheel drive.”

29

T
he ride was much smoother down the highway, but Kelly was seriously concerned about the noises coming from Jaq’s truck. The front grill had been smashed in from the tree one of the vampires had pitched at it, and the other vampire had ripped the light bar loose. It banged against the hood of the car with catchy rhythm that went well with the roar from the newly departed exhaust and rather alarming high–pitched screaming under the hood.

Please make it, please make it
, Kelly chanted. Hopefully Jaq wouldn’t be pissed. It’s not like she could pay for repairs having just been fired from Dale’s, and with no job prospects in the near future. Maybe she could knit the werewolf a scarf.

She slowed as she saw the signs for the casino, shouting into the rear of the truck through the open sliding window. Mike made a series of unintelligible noises that were of no help whatsoever. He’d originally said he wanted to head off the group near Halltown, so Kelly accelerated, smiling slightly as she heard Mike thump in the back.
Paybacks, buddy
. They might have declared a temporary truce, but that didn’t stop her from taking advantage of any opportunity to stick it to the werewolf.

Roaring past the golf course, Kelly made the turn onto Shepherdstown Pike, wondering if Mike wanted her to go this far, or if they were supposed to head all the way to Halltown or not. She could smell nothing beyond diesel fumes, and could hear nothing except for the truck. It would be a miracle if she could ever hear properly after this ride. Something moved in her peripheral vision, and Kelly nearly wrecked as a paw came from the back of the truck to swat her in the face.

“Okay, okay! Sheesh, you could have said something. I nearly crashed.”

A growl answered her, and she turned to see a huge wolf head pressed against the dividing glass. Guessing this meant “pull over” she did, swinging into the empty parking lot of a paper mill. She’d barely stepped outside before Mike launched himself from the bed with a powerful leap. In seconds, he’d vanished into the woods opposite the railroad tracks, leaving Kelly standing on a rural road, beside a battered pick–up truck, alone.

A sharp wind flung the vampire’s short hair around. Now that the noisy truck was silent, her hearing was slowly returning to normal. Snarling, shouting, and crashing seemed miles away, but Kelly knew the fighting was closer. She peered through the woods, but the security lights from the paper mill reduced her night vision, and she could see only shadows.

What was she thinking coming out here? It was one thing to take out solo vampires in the woods behind her trailer when she was desperate and on the defensive. Business manager, not warrior. This was a battle, and she hadn’t the foggiest idea what to do. Should she just run into the woods, grab the nearest vampire and start killing? What if one of the werewolves attacked her? Suddenly Jaq’s words came back to her. She shivered. With Jaq gone, she had no one to protect her from the other wolves. As untrustworthy as Mike was, he was better than nothing, but he’d taken off and left her as soon as they’d stopped
. Paybacks are hell
, she thought with dark humor. Maybe she shouldn’t have bounced him around in the back of the truck quite as much.

With one hand on the door handle, she contemplated getting back into the truck. Having a few inches of steel between herself and any attacking vampires and werewolves sounded like a good idea.
Coward
. Kelly shook her head, cramming her hands resolutely in her pockets and turning her back to the truck. The werewolves would never respect her — heck, never
accept
her, if she didn’t take an active role in this fight. Once again she needed to prove her worth, this time to a different kind of family.

Taking a deep breath, she broke into a jog and skirted the woods, heading down Halltown Road. The noise was getting louder, and Kelly wasn’t sure if it was her hearing returning to full sensitivity, or if the battle was truly moving east — directly toward her.

Abandoned houses flanked the paper mill. They gave way to homes in slightly better repair before wide–open farm fields were the only sight along either side of the road. There wasn’t much cover, and the moonlight shone bright. Hopping a fence, Kelly raced along, taking shelter in the tree–lined division between fields. The fighting sounded as if it were coming her way. Maybe if she climbed a tree, she could jump down on a vampire from above and take him by surprise. It would be better than just standing there and waiting for one to run into her.

Snap
.

Kelly turned slowly and looked into the golden eyes of a huge wolf slowly advancing along the edge of the field. It paused as it saw her then charged.

“I’m on your side. I’m with you. I’m with you,” she shouted, whirling about and scrambling up the nearest tree.

Breath warmed her ankle, and she felt teeth tearing at her pants hem. Yanking her leg free, she made her way to the first large branch and perched where it joined the trunk. The werewolf below was on hind legs, digging sharp claws into the tree in an effort to follow her up. It wasn’t the biggest of trees, and it swayed with the added weight. Kelly clung to a branch, praying she wouldn’t fall off.

“Stop. I’m with Jaq. I’m her vampire friend. I’m not one of the enemy.”

This guy clearly didn’t care. Or girl. Kelly couldn’t really tell from this viewpoint and wasn’t about to climb down and look. The werewolf gave up trying to climb and, with a snarl, shook the tree violently. Kelly screamed, wrapping her legs around the larger branch and grabbing anything within reach to help her hold on. The tree pitched back and forth. Even if she managed to stay on, she’d probably end up with whiplash.

Crack
. The tree continued to shake, but at an increased angle. Kelly’s hands slipped, and she spun around, hanging off the branch by her legs. The tree jerked downward again with another loud noise.

It didn’t matter how tightly she held on, this werewolf was going to eventually break the tree. Then she’d have to deal with a fall, and potentially being crushed by a branch, as well as having her head bit off. Kelly swung herself forward and used the momentum of the swinging tree to launch herself off the branch away from the werewolf. She rolled as she landed, sprang to her feet, and ran.

****

Kelly
. Ross had her pinned against a tree. Jaq could see her arms shake as she struggled to hold the werewolf’s massive jaws away from her throat. Claws dug into the vampire’s sides, and blood ran in red rivulets down her shirt and jeans. Jaq dove at them from the side, knocking Ross to the ground where they tumbled, a blur of fur and snapping teeth.

With a sideways roll, Ross came free and sprang to his feet, facing Jaq. Careful to keep her body between him and Kelly, she bared her teeth and snapped — a clear warning to back off. His eyes were defiant as they met hers, and Jaq realized that he meant to challenge her for the right to kill the vampire behind her.

I don’t have time for this shit
. The battle was quickly moving east and she was tasked with taking out any enemy that lagged behind the main group. Getting into a pissing contest with a fellow pack–mate wasn’t on her agenda.

Ross darted to the side to pass Jaq, and she blocked him with a swipe of her paw.
Enough
. Summoning the power deep within her, she shifted, adding nearly a foot to her size and doubling her muscle mass. Not exactly pretty, but it should get the message across. Ross blinked, a brief flash of uncertainty crossing his face before he locked his eyes on hers and snarled.

Clearly not the smartest wolf in the pack. Losing her patience, Jaq once again reached down deep within to the gifts of her father and brought it humming to the surface. Fur stood on end with the force of it, and the werewolf
glowed
. Ross winced, hesitating a moment before lowering his head in submission.

Good. Now get out of here
. Jaq snapped her jaws at the other werewolf, and he raced away. The moment he was gone, she dropped the energy into her core and transformed into her human form.

“Impressive stuff. What’s with the glowing, though?”

She turned to face the vampire, relieved that she’d apparently healed and seemed merely curious about Jaq’s unusual abilities.

“I have no idea. It happens when I heal, but not to that extent. Whatever it’s supposed to do, it seems to scare the bejesus out of werewolves.”

“Scared the bejesus out of me,” Kelly commented, looking in the direction Ross had run. “Thought you were going nuclear for a second there.”

The vampire moved closer to her. “Thank goodness you found me. I wasn’t sure how long I could hold him off.”

She’d been looking for Kelly, trying to track her by scent through the hundreds of vampires and chaotic smells of battle from the moment she’d heard Mike’s reply to Jonah’s howl. And Mike — she should have known better than to trust him to look after Kelly.

“Where’s my good–for–nothing brother? He was supposed to stick with you.”

Kelly shrugged. “He did until we hit Shepherdstown Road. Don’t be too hard on him — he had vampires that needed killing. I’m just glad I wasn’t one of them.”

“It’s almost over,” Jaq assured her. “They’re on the run to the border. I’m supposed to bring up the rear and catch any stragglers. Wanna join me?”

“Count me in.” Kelly watched as Jaq shifted back into her wolf form and took off. Without hesitating, she followed her friend into the woods.

****

“Sir, there are more than we thought, and they were ready for us.”

Kyle frowned down at the city lights before him. The view of Harper’s Ferry was breathtaking from Maryland Heights. He’d parked his car down past the ruins of an old tavern and scaled the cliff face, enjoying the rare physical exertion. Right about now, he should be surveying the start of his little kingdom, looking out as his new family seized control of the eastern part of the state. Instead, he was watching a slaughter and an embarrassing retreat.

His ten vampires inside the casino had been surprised by an early sneak attack, and his groups hidden around the perimeter had been taken down one by one. By the time the other werewolves had arrived and their planned attack took place, he’d lost four strategic groups, giving the werewolves an escape and a way to circle around and take the advantage. The human hostages were safe in werewolf hands, and his fighters were on the run. It was mortifying. He could try again, or drive them out through business acquisitions. It would just take longer, and time was no longer a luxury he had.

“Faulty information is no excuse for failure, Rube.”

The other vampire paled, his hands shaking. “We can succeed on the western side of the state, Sir. If we shift our forces, we should be able to hold that section by dawn.”

And a lot of good it would do him. All the viable business interests were here, in the east. This is where he could launch into the key sections of Virginia. This is where he could spread out to snatch sections of his father’s holdings — not the west.

“How many have we lost?”

Rube shuffled his feet, looking down. “A third, Sir. Mostly to werewolves, but we did lose five to humans.”

“What?” Kyle stared at him in astonishment.

“The humans here are surprisingly well armed. Every one of them has a gun of some sort, and their bullets are silver coated. They’re not as tractable as the humans in our territory. Xavier saw them run one of his guys over with a huge truck until he wasn’t more than a stain on the road. The humans here are as crazy as the werewolves.”

Great. Maybe he didn’t want this state after all. Not that he had much choice at this point. Once a plan was set in motion, it was nearly impossible to retreat — especially now that he’d disobeyed his father’s summons to pursue his own goals.

“I have news, my Master.”

It was Juan, his second. Kyle smiled at the title. It may have been premature, but having Juan refer to him as such gave him hope.

“Speak.”

“The battle between your father and the Kincaids has drifted west. They are outside of Brunswick and closing fast.”

Rube made an agitated gesture. “Oh no. Should I call everyone back? Get out of here before they see us?”

Such short–sightedness wasn’t boding well for Rube’s future. Kyle smiled, and Juan grinned back. “No. Rube, tell them to head east and flank the Kincaid forces. We had intel that Kincaid meant to rush a force through West Virginia to trap my father in the middle and have been busy repelling their advance. Now that we’ve succeeded, we’re racing to support him and defeat Kincaid.”

“You are a loyal son, my Master,” Juan smirked.

“Of course. And, Rube? Get your butt down there on the front lines and fight. Once the battle is over, go see if that little outcast you’ve been tormenting has anything on those Virginia businesses. If I can’t defeat them physically, I’ll drive them out financially — both Kincaid and the stupid werewolves.”