A Grave Hunger (15 page)

CHAPTER 26

I paced up and down my small room. I had given up on any chance of getting back to sleep. I was too agitated to even try. What the hell was Finlay up to? I didn't buy his story of him being out with a woman. My brain kept coming back to one logical explanation. I didn't want to accept it, but it was the only one that made any sense. He had been hunting.

I knew that it couldn't be with Ryan and Luke. I spoke to Ryan yesterday and he had told me that they were out of town. My mind kept bringing me back to the same conclusion. He had been hunting alone, and that's why he was being so secretive. He was going to get himself killed. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let anyone else down the way I had let down Robert and my family. More importantly, I couldn't lose anyone else from my life.

My brain buzzed with unanswered questions. Why go hunting alone? Why not take me with him? He had been so against it when I broached the subject at the diner yesterday and had been acting so strangely since Robert's death. I had just put it down to grief, but was it more? Did he somehow blame me for what happened? Is that why he went hunting without me? My grey matter gave me nothing. Should I confront him about it? No, Finlay would just clam up and give me nothing. So what were my options? Leave him to it? He was an adult after all, and it was his life. After all, if he wanted me to be there, he would have involved me. I sighed in frustration. My brain was giving me no solutions to the multitude of questions that buzzed around my mind. I needed some fresh air to clear out some of the cobwebs. I changed into my running gear, grabbed my iPod and hit the pavement.

The pre-dawn light had not yet broken through the frosty spring morning. Dark, murky clouds hung heavy in the sky, threatening a downpour. My feet pounded on the ground and bursts of breath formed in coned wisps from my mouth as I ran. I pushed myself harder, running until my legs felt like jelly and my heart felt as though it would burst. The blood rushing through my body offered me some clarity. I now knew what I was going to do.

*****

I stared out of the window of my motel room, absentmindedly watching a blackbird preen itself on my window ledge. Finlay would pitch a fit if he knew what I was doing, and if I was being honest I couldn't blame him. I was invading his privacy, and if he found out, he would never trust me again. I justified my actions by telling myself that I was worried about his actions since Robert's death. That he wasn't himself. Taking off for days at a time, drinking himself into a stupor and now coming home with ripped, bloody clothes. I didn't trust his judgement at the moment. That was my excuse for doing this anyway. I reached for  my laptop and accessed an app on the screen. I logged in using Finlay's user name and password and typed in his ten digit telephone number. A pop up appeared stating that GPS for the number entered had been switched on. Good, I would now be able to track Finlay using his mobile phone. I pushed aside the feelings of guilt. It was for his own good, I told myself.

I busied myself organising my hunting kit. He might not even be hunting. He could just be meeting a woman. Yeah, right. My mind laughed at my naivety. Last night's hunt may have been a one time thing. He might not even leave his room tonight. Yeah right, it mocked again. Well whatever happened, I would be prepared.

I heard the door to the neighbouring room slam shut, heavy footsteps, and then the roar of a car engine. Looking out the window, I saw Finlay drive off. Well so much for him staying in tonight. I grabbed my laptop and hunting kit and headed for Robert's car.

The GPS on my laptop pinged, stating that the target was moving. I followed the signal.

The late night traffic had just begun to slow down. I drove through dark, dank streets into what appeared to be a bad neighbourhood. I had heard police sirens already on the short drive, and had seen three police cars speeding past. I drove slowly, keeping my distance as I zig-zagged through the town.

The GPS pinged again and a mechanical voice stated that the target had come to a halt. I shot a confused glance toward the screen. A large green dot flashed on the screen, no longer moving along the mapped roads.

I parked between two apartment buildings. I spotted Finlay's vacant car parked at the end of the street. Well, I was in the right place then. I looked out of the window, scanning the area. The street was dark and uninviting. Two of the five street lights had been broken, giving the street a menacing look. A drunk man in his early fifties had passed out on the pavement, bottle of whiskey still firmly in his grip.

I heard the deafening roar of engines as two cars sped by at high speed, racing one another. Maybe I had it wrong. This wasn't the usual haunt of a vampire. There were too many humans around. Usually vampires tried to keep a low profile, trying not to draw attention to themselves in case there were hunters about.

Was Finlay here to meet a woman? I decided to check it out, to make sure since I had come all this way. I reached behind me into my kit bag and extracted a machete and dagger, sheathing them inside my shoulder strap already harnessed inside my jacket. I grabbed my .45 and attached my silencer. With this many people around, I didn't want to draw any unwanted police attention with gun shots. I holstered it at my lower back.

Getting out of the car, I was assaulted by the pungent odour of urine and rotting rubbish. My God, I felt like I needed another shower. Stagnant water sloshed beneath my boots as I made my way toward Finlay's car. I gazed up to the sky hoping to get a better view of the buildings. I saw lights illuminating some windows and heard the distant ticks and taps of music playing in an apartment above. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I reached Finlay's car, looking round to see which building Finlay would have ventured into. I closed my eyes for a second, battling against the voice in my head telling me that I shouldn't be here.
What are you going to do if you find him with a woman?
My brain mocked. I shook it off. I was just going to check that he was ok, and then I would leave. It was then that I saw something that would render my internal argument moot.

CHAPTER 27

Ryan's pickup truck was parked in an alley on the opposite side of the street, partially obscured by the shadows from the broken street lamp. Clearly they weren't out of town like he had said. What was going on? I pushed aside feelings of betrayal and focused on the job at hand. I crossed the road to the car and peered down the dark alley. The moon appeared from behind a heavy cloud, sending shadows clawing through the darkness. My senses picked up on something; a distortion in the murky darkness? Like a flash of lightning, it was gone before my brain could process it. A faint shimmer of light caught my attention again. I squinted into the darkness, unsure if I was seeing things. A slight breeze wafted through the alley, carrying another barrage of fetid odours. I clamped my nose to the sudden assault. Then I sensed it again. A hint of moonlight reflecting off a surface? I peered into the darkness once more. At the bottom of the alley I saw something that caught my eye, something glistening in the darkness. I edged forward tentatively, my body tensing as I assessed my surroundings.

Nearing the end of the alley, I finally discovered the object of my distraction. A dagger gleamed iridescent in a dark puddle on the ground, the distinctive blade reflecting the dim light from the moon. I recognised it immediately. It was the dagger I had given Finlay for Christmas. I was in the right place then. Looking up, I noticed a small window jammed open. Finlay must have dropped the dagger as he had squeezed through. I picked it up and lodged it in my boot. Looking around, I found an old wooden crate lying among other debris that littered the alley. I pulled it under the window and stepped on top of it. Reaching up, I was now able to grab hold of the window ledge. I heaved myself up with a grunt and scrambled through the window. I gently landed on the other side on the balls of my feet with a dull thud.

I landed in a dark corridor. I instantly tensed, my hand hovering over the weapons inside my jacket while I surveyed my surroundings for any possible danger. My ears strained for any sounds of movement. Hearing none, I ventured forward. I took each step painstakingly slowly to avoid stepping on any creaky floorboards. I knew this was a futile attempt to avoid detection. If there were vampires in the building, they would already know I was here. I was glad when I reached the illuminated stairwell. At least a fight in the light would even the playing field, if only slightly.

The sounds of shouts and crashes from the floor above sent my heart crashing in my chest. I raced up the stairs, pulling my weapons from underneath my jacket. I held a machete in my right hand and my .45 in my left. I would be ready for whatever awaited me. I reached the summit and gently crept toward the noise. A draft suddenly wafted in from an open window at the opposite end of the corridor, sending a shiver through my body. I wished the chill was only from the wind, but I'd been hunting long enough to recognise when my intuition was screaming danger. My back tensed and adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I reached the entrance to the room.

Smells of sweat, faeces and urine were thick in the air, turning my stomach and hitting me like a roundhouse kick. Entering the room, my eyes scanned every inch for possible danger. I instantly saw the source of the noise. One full wall was covered in metal crates. Thick metal bars stood between me and six pairs of hungry, blood-lust filled eyes; six creatures in various stages of the transition progress. All six snarled and lunged at the metal bars as they caught my scent. My thoughts flickered back to Robert's experiment. There was one key difference between the two scenes - the creatures in front of me had fed. A pale, lifeless body lay at the bottom of each cage. My gaze flickered to the body in the nearest cell. The body of a young man. A small trail of blood had trickled from his nose, the bright red in direct contrast to his pallid skin. His eyes were half shut. I thought of how he may have looked when he was still alive, when there was still colour in his cheeks and his soul still shone in his eyes. I suppressed the bile building in my throat and quickly hurried from the room, uncertain of how long I could keep it together.

Pushing forward, I crept silently along the narrow corridor, pushing the horrific memory from my mind.
Focus, Leah!
I scolded silently. I struggled to control my hand from shaking as I held my gun out in front of me. Holding my breath, I slunk along the musty wall, trying to avoid being discovered. Reaching the next room, I could hear the drone of someone talking. I tried blocking out the wails and cries from the previous room and tried to focus on this voice. Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I focused on my hearing. One voice? One vamp? My brain whirred, trying to formulate a plan. My thoughts were interrupted as a pain shattered through my throat. I felt a strong arm choking me from behind dragging me forward. I twisted violently; desperately trying to free myself from its vice grip.

"Looks like I caught myself a pretty one here," it sneered, pulling me into the room. I quickly scanned the space, trying to determine if there were any more threats. Two vamps as far as I could tell.

Through my peripheral vision, I could see Finlay, Luke and Ryan sitting on the floor. Blood covered Finlay's face and neck and matted his hair. I wondered how badly he was hurt. All three had their hands bound behind their backs by rope, which had been looped around a pipe running along the length of the wall. My heart sank. How would we get out of this?

"I'm going to enjoy turning you. Nothing more ironic than a vampire slayer turned vampire," the other creature replied.

I gasped for breath, its tight grip stopping the flow of oxygen, causing my vision to blur and yellow spots to dot my vision. My lungs burned as I frantically gasped for breath.

"Drop the gun." It twisted the gun from my hand and threw it across the room. My heart thundered in my chest. I had to make my move now, before I lost consciousness. I struggled to focus through my oxygen-deprived state. Unable to formulate a plan of action, I operated on instinct.

I twisted my machete up and pressed the sharp side against the arm of my attacker. With a hiss, its grip loosened, but did not let go. I took the opportunity to gulp in some much needed oxygen. Grunting, I slid the machete down between my left arm and torso. The knife hit my target and this time the creature let go. I spun to the right quickly, dragging my weapon deeply across its abdomen. He let out a visceral snarl as he backed up a few paces, eyes blazing with pure fury. I now had the full attention of the entire room. The monsters that had initially underestimated me now regarded me as a threat and jumped to attention.

Stood before me were two calculating predators ready to pounce. I stood frozen to the spot, my machete poised, muscles flexed. A fresh surge of adrenaline pulsed through my body in anticipation of the oncoming attack.

"Untie them and maybe I'll be kind and let you live." My voice, sounding more confident that I felt, reverberated off the brick walls. Both monstrosities scoffed, instantly seeing through my bluff.

What happened next came in a flash. The vamp that had attacked me earlier lunged at me. It moved at lightning-quick speed, but I anticipated the attack. I sunk to the ground, knuckles grazing the floor, machete stretched in front of me. In one swift movement, I pulled Finlay's blade from my boot with my free hand and propelled it across the floor in Finlay's direction, hoping it would reach its mark.

As the vampire landed in front of me, I quickly spun around, thrusting my leg forward and catching the vampire in the ankles, knocking him from his feet. He was back on his feet in a fraction of a second, as was I. I held my machete up with two hands like I was holding a baseball bat and swung like a batter going for a home run. I hit my target. I flinched as muscle, bone and blood splattered on the wall beside me as I decapitated the creature. Mangled tissue seemed glued to the wall for a second, before sliding downwards, leaving a trail of blood. My stomach lurched at the sight.

My gaze was firmly focused on the second predator, but in my peripheral vision I saw Finlay use his feet to slide the dagger closer to him. He twisted his body and managed to get the dagger in his grasp. Good, he would soon get free. My body tensed as I prepared for my second fight. The sound of my heart thundered in my ears.

"Stop!" I heard Ryan shout.  "Leave that one alive!"

Not taking my attention from the abomination in front of me, I shouted back, "Why?" Confusion coloured my tone.

Luke replied with a small cry of pain. "Interrogation! We need to find out what it knows!" I glanced back. Ryan and Finlay were already on their feet, stalking up behind the beast. Luke was slowly following suit, a deep red gash on his right arm hindering his escape.

The beast, lunged again toward me, teeth barred in a terrifying display. Finlay intercepted the attack and threw it to the floor. I towered over it, pointing my machete under its chin.

"Good fight," Luke complimented. "It's not easy capturing one of these." I gave him a grim smile.

Suddenly, the vampire seemed to sense its impending predicament, and it lurched to try to get up.

"No, you don't" I hissed, pushing the tip of my machete into its throat.

"Thanks, Leah, you really saved our bacon," Ryan said, rubbing red sores on his wrists where the ropes dug into him.

"No problem," I replied. I was very aware of Finlay quietly seething in the corner of the room. Ungrateful bastard. He hadn't even acknowledged me, never mind thanked me for saving his ass. He stalked out of the room without giving me a second glance, wielding a machete that he had picked up off the floor. I heard screams and hisses from the next room as Finlay killed the abominations next door.

"We'll take this guy to Robert's, find out what he knows. You guys mind doing the clean up?" Ryan asked.

"Sure," I replied. "I’ll meet you at Robert's with the bodies. Start up the incinerator, will you?"

I heard Finlay's heavy boots stomp back into the room from the entrance behind me. I did my best to ignore him.

"I'll load the bodies, and you can clean this place up. You won't be able to carry the bodies yourself." He barked the order at me like a General directing his troops.

I saw red, my resolve to ignore him faltering. "I'll manage just fine. This poor little weak woman managed to save your ass after all," I snapped, glaring at him.

He looked at me, shocked for a moment, before his eyes hardened. "Fine, you load the bodies, I'll clean the room."

I dragged my furious gaze from Finlay as I heard the nervous sound of someone shuffling their feet. My eyes locked with a sheepish looking Ryan. 

"Ok. Take my truck. It’s parked by the door. Everything you need for clean up is in there," Ryan said quietly, obviously embarrassed to be caught in the middle of our domestic. He threw me the keys, which I caught with one hand.

I worked to remove the scowl from my face before answering. I nodded, handing him Robert's car keys, "Meet you back at the house."

"I'll come back with you to Robert's, and then come back here for the clean up. You're going to need help keeping this bastard under control," Finlay announced.

I glared at him once more. I wasn't buying the excuse. He obviously just didn't want to be around me. Fine. It was probably safer for him to get as far away from me as possible. The way I was feeling about him at the moment, I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't end up beating the crap out of him. Luke and Ryan exchanged a worried look.

"Yeah, ok," Luke replied tentatively, turning to leave the room.  "Leah, see you soon," he called over his shoulder.

I worked conscientiously, my anger spurring me on. It also served a purpose, keeping me from dwelling on the gruesome job that I had to do. I focused on the feelings of betrayal and rage toward Finlay. I carefully loaded the bodies into body bags, knowing that if I stopped to think about what I was doing, I would crack. Getting the bodies into the truck was almost impossible. Finlay had been right. The bodies were heavy and I struggled. The adrenaline and rage pumping through my blood helped, as did my stubbornness. I was damned if I would show Finlay that he had been right.

I drove back to Robert's sensibly, careful to drive at the speed limit. I didn't want to attract any police attention, knowing that I would have a problem explaining the cargo in my boot.