A Hunt Among Vampires (The Angel Series) (7 page)

“I am sorry
ma chatte petite
. I did not mean for that to happen.”

I can see the sadness and regret fill his eyes. He nods and walks out of the bedroom. A moment later, I hear the front door close. Scrambling to my feet, I rush downstairs and lock the dead bolts behind him. I grab my laptop and hug it close to me. Still feeling anxious, I go to the basement level and enter my safe room, locking myself inside.

Chapter 6

The lighted walls give the room an eerie glow, but I can see perfectly fine. My feet carry me to the back of the room to the small studio area I have created with a bed, couch and small table. I turn on my laptop and check my email. No one has requested my services so I log in to a secret underground site for fellow assassins. I browse the site to see if there are any contracts available for pickup. Normally, I do not pick up these types of contracts because they don’t pay enough, but today, I am just looking for some action to release some of the stress I am feeling. I see there are a couple of kidnapping requests, several desires to perform hits on some local drug dealers, bank jobs, smuggling, and one for a shakedown. None of them is worth my effort, but I look over the contracts in my area anyway.

Wanted:

Quick pickup and delivery

Pay: $2000

Location: Tempe, AZ

Contact: Redman

Wanted:

Pickup and hold for ransom

Pay: $4000

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Contact: Lakeside

I don’t even bother with the ransom request. I have no desire to bring anyone near me for any length of time. I usually avoid kidnappings because sometimes you need to kidnap children. I may not stop others from doing the job, but I don’t feel comfortable in performing them myself. I continue browsing until I come across an interesting post.

Wanted:

Bodyguard, tonight, experience necessary

Pay: $10000

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Contact: Timon

I click on Timon’s name and it brings up his contact information. Without a second thought, I pull out my secure cell phone and call the number. Surprisingly, the contact answers on the second ring.

“Enough. What type of proof would you need? If you need a reference, you can contact Rubio and ask him if I am reliable.” I state the name of a crime boss I’ve worked for before. If he is familiar with the scene, he should know who Rubio is.

“Are you squeamish? I need a bodyguard, not a date.” The deep voice asks.

“I am deadly. Normally I wouldn’t bother with such an insignificant contract, but today is your lucky day.” I respond with annoyance.

“You will need to be tested before I hire you.”

“If you insist.” I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. “So tell me about the job?”

“You will learn about the job if you pass the test. Be sure you pass the test. Be at this address in a half hour. If you’re late, don’t show up.” He rattles the address off quickly. “Simon will be conducting the test. If you pass, he will bring you to meet me.”

“I’ll be there.” I hang up. If the contract weren’t for $10,000, I would have told him to kiss my ass. The money is nice, but nowhere close to what I am accustomed to making on a job. I just hope I see some action out of it. I log off my computer and leave my laptop in the basement. Grabbing all of my favorite weapons, I lock the basement door on my way out. When I reach my kitchen, I drop all of my weapons on the table and dig out the blood in the cooler Tyler delivered over a week ago.

There are at least 10 bags of blood in the cooler. Not wanting to become a liability due to my blood thirst, I polish off all 10 pints of blood. Never have I been able to do that before my powers started coming online. My body must be using it faster than I can take it in. Feeling fully sated, I choose not to return downstairs for more blood. Instead, I run upstairs and change into my black leather pants and matching halter-top that I often use when on the prowl. The outfit is comfortable and flexible. The soft leather also allows me to move silently while wearing all my weapons. I run back downstairs to the kitchen to load all my weapons. Tonight, I will be carrying the twin desert eagles, multiple silver stakes, twin daggers and my wrist blades. In addition, I have added a handcrafted, obsidian blade I only use when I might be required to go through metal detectors. The blade is light, sharp and nearly undetectable when it is sheath along my inner thigh.

Locking the door behind me, I realize I left my car at Christien’s place. Snarling, I move over to my backup mode of transportation throwing on a thin leather coat over my weapons and shades to shield my eyes from the bright sun. The jacket will hide my weapons nicely, minus the stakes in my hair, while I am riding. My backup ride is a blood red Ducati 999R. After a second thought, maybe the motorcycle isn’t a bad idea. I can get in and out of tight spaces faster with it than my car.

The address given to me by Timon is not far, less than 15 minutes away from my place so I have plenty of time to get there. I arrive almost 10 minutes early. Scouting out the area, I see nothing out of the ordinary around the small building. Taking a deep breath, I make my way to the front door, keeping all of my senses on alert. I am not too worried, but caution might as well be my middle name.

The door opens right as I am reaching for the handle. A huge biker with elaborate dragon tattoos stands in the doorway looking me over. I allow his gaze to wander over my body, stopping twice at my breasts before he speaks.

“What can I help you with, miss?” His voice is harsh from smoking. I can smell the nicotine leaking from the pores of his skin. My nose wrinkles on its own accord.

I walk pass him and enter what looks like a multipurpose room or an old gym. Immediately, I notice we are not alone. There are at least 10 men standing along the edges of the room.

“Do not be alarmed. They are here for your test.” Simon whispers near my ear.

I jerk my head away from him before he can get too close. “If you don’t want me to gut you, I suggest you don’t get that close to me again without my permission.”

He chuckles as he motions me to the center of the room.

Looking over in Simon’s direction while keeping my senses alert, I ask, “Is this a lethal test?”

“These are some of his best guards. It would impress Timon deeply if you were able to defend yourself against them.” He looks over at a guard near a door in the back of the room. The door opens and a toddler, no older than three, comes into the room.

Oh shit! They cannot be vampires. This cannot be happening.

“Your test is to protect her from them.” Simon points to the men around the room. “If she dies, you fail.”

“I can kill them then? I don’t think your boss would like that.” I ask Simon, squeezing my fists to control my temper.

“You may disable them, but I doubt you can kill them.” The man escorting the girl pulls out a knife with a jagged edge. Simon reaches for the kid, brings her close to his body and accepts the knife from the man.

“If you get lucky and kill a guard, I do believe the boss would be upset. I will determine whether you can hold your own against them. When I am satisfied, I will end the fight.” He says, ushering me towards the middle of the surrounding guards.

Shiiiit! What was I thinking taking this stupid job?

My internal indecision is lost when I hear the little girl yelp and start crying. The scent of her blood fills my nostrils, bringing my own blood thirst to the forefront. The biker thrusts the girl in front of me and backs away to the edge of the room. I remove my jacket quickly, exposing all of my weapons and put my jacket around her. She is still crying and her wound must be deep for her to be bleeding freely.

“No guns, Olivia.” Simon barks from the side.

The guards in the room begin closing in. The scent of blood is too enticing for them to ignore. I’m having a problem ignoring it myself. Thank goodness, I can conceal my desire with the shades that are still covering my eyes. The others in the room are not as fortunate. The golden shine of their eyes betrays their secret.
Weres, not vampires.
I count five weres and five humans. The weres are not wearing any weapons. Against a human, they wouldn’t need any.

I command the little girl to sit on the ground behind me.

“Begin.” Simon calls out.

My twin daggers are in my hands before he finishes the word. The weres are swift and agile. I fend off the first straightforward attacks with a few kicks to the chest and punches to the face. The humans come at me slower, but they are holding hunting knives in their hands. Staying close to the little girl, I have no choice but to limit myself to defending so I may protect the bleeding child.

The blood is a distraction for me, but I am still feeling sated from gorging on blood before arriving, enabling me to ignore the urge to turn on the child myself. The attacks intensify and I force myself to hold back and not kill the weres and humans. Slicing at the weres and humans doesn’t seem to get them to back off their attack, so I use my mind control to stop the human guards from attacking me while I begin breaking bones on the weres. Within minutes, the floor is slippery with preternatural and human blood, along with the weres’ broken bodies. The human guards under my control are all standing frozen.

Wow, that’s new. I haven’t been able to command more than one human at a time, even with direct eye contact, until now.

I release the humans with a mental command to forget my face and walk outside. They obey without a second glance at me.

“Enough. Where are they going?” The biker asks with a curious expression on his face.

“Why don’t you follow them and find out? Regardless of how much money you offer, I don’t want this job.” I move towards the little girl who is no longer crying and take my jacket off her back. “Whose child is this?”

The biker shrugs. “The boss likes her enough. She is well cared for.”

The first were begins to stir as his broken body begins to heal. I walk over to him and check his broken bones. “I don’t want the job. I never showed up.” I adjust his broken leg so it can heal properly. “They need their bones set before they start healing. It will be more painful if they have to re-break the bones.” I work my way around the room, adjusting the bones visibly broken.

He shakes his head. “The boss needs the protection. These men are strong, but not skilled enough. A few lucky shots and they are out of commission. He needs a professional. He needs you.”

“I was told that you would inform me about the job. I need to know one thing right now or I am leaving. Does he work with vampires?”

“Sometimes.”

“Forget it then. I can’t work with vampires. I have my reasons and don’t expect me to tell you them. Have your boss find someone else.” I slide my jacket on and walk towards the door.

“What are you? You cannot be a vampire because it is still daylight outside. They can’t stand the sun. Unless... You are very old.” He gives me another appraising glance.

“Not gonna happen buddy.” I push the door open and see the group of guards standing outside, looking around lost.

The biker runs to my side. “The boss will be calling you.”

I remove my glasses and stare at the man in his eyes. “I never showed up. You don’t remember me. You don’t know what I look like.” I think about the little girl. Thinking about how she might miss her family, I put a final command in his mind. “Take the little girl back to her family and forget her face too.”

I climb onto my bike and put my shades back over my eyes. The biker turns around and walks back inside. Without a second thought, I pull out of the parking lot and gun it down the road.
Never again will I take another crappy contract. Next time I’m looking for action, I’ll just go to Blixen.

I am almost home when my cell phone starts ringing. Tempted to ignore it, I allow it to ring several times before unclipping it from my hip. I slow down, but don’t stop until I reach my street.

“What?” I growl into the phone.

“Why did you leave Olivia?”

Timon
. “I never showed up. I changed my mind about the job. Something better came along.” I try to bluff.