Younger, Bree - Burn [All American Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (6 page)

It was something that happened occasionally. A vampire would get caught up in a bloodrage, a form of vampire madness, and would end up losing all control and draining its victims. A vampire in a bloodrage was dangerous to both humans and other paranormals. When a vampire crossed that line, he or she had to be eliminated.

Nicolette nodded. “I’ll get some of the men to check it out.”

“Contact Hawk. Tell him what’s going on. Ask him to go to The
Well, see if he can pick up any new information on what might have happened.” If anyone could find out anything else about Ty’s disappearance, John Blackhawk was the person to do it. Hawk was full-blooded Cherokee, and there was no better tracker around. He was a private detective and a good friend. “In the meantime, I’ll see if I can come up with some names of anyone else who might have it in for me or Ty.”

“All right. Anything else?”

Quinn shook his head. “Let me know as soon as you hear anything.”

Nicolette nodded before turning and exiting the room.

Quinn stood and picked up his jacket, shrugging it on with an unconscious animal grace that had caught the eye of many women and not a few men over the course of the past few hundred years. He would find his brother, no matter what. And whoever had him would be very, very sorry.

Chapter Four

Ty saw a flash of light in the rearview mirror and chanced a quick glance. Damn. They’d caught up. No wonder. The sleek sedan the vamps were in was built for speed and maneuverability, while the SUV was a workhorse made for pulling heavy loads and crossing rough terrain. Plus, it was about ten years old. At least. Not exactly the car he would have chosen to try to outrun some pissed-off vamps out for his blood.

The sedan pulled closer and closer with every curve until it was right on his ass. He could see in his rearview mirror the hard faces of the vamps in the front seat moments before he felt a jolt as the car tapped his bumper in an attempt to push them off the road. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Another bump, this time sending the tail end of the vehicle slithering back and forth. Ty grimly fought for control, barely succeeding in stopping the SUV from going into a full skid. He pressed down harder on the accelerator, not wanting to think about how dangerous it was to travel these roads at such speed. He managed to get a little space between them and the car behind, but not much.

He searched the terrain ahead, desperate for any chance to elude the car that was again closing rapidly on his rear, but with each minute that ticked by it became more and more apparent that there was no way to outrun the sedan. He was barely holding his own and began to suspect that the vamps in the other car were playing with him. He would pull ahead a car length or two, and then the distance would close to practically nothing. Eventually, they would tire of the game, he knew, and he and Libby would be lost. There had to be something he could do. He just had to think. And fast.

Tires squealing, they rounded another curve, and he lost sight of the sedan. Ty did everything he could to gain every possible second. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of some dirt trails that wove in and out of the woods, obviously for four-wheeling and dirt bikes.

He got the glimmer of an idea. Off road. That was it! The SUV was not exactly made for dirt trails, but it was certainly more capable than the sedan. He glanced down. Yep. It had four-wheel drive. Perfect. He floored it, pulling several car lengths ahead of the sedan.

They rounded another curve, and he made the decision quickly, realizing they had only seconds before the vamps caught up with them. He slammed on the brakes, reaching out a hand to brace Libby as she was jerked forward. Cutting the wheel quickly to the right, he left the pavement with a hard bump. He shifted into four-wheel drive and the SUV responded beautifully despite its age, giving him the power he needed to make it up the incline and reach the first trail.

Just as the sedan rounded the corner, Ty pulled the SUV into the cover of the woods. After cutting the engine and the lights, he held his breath. With their enhanced hearing and sight, the vamps could probably find where he’d left the road, if they were paying attention. But with a little luck, they would be so focused on the road ahead, they wouldn’t notice anything else. With them talking and the noise of their car engine…yeah, it just might work.

He himself could easily make out the sound of the car as it passed just yards below where he and Libby waited. Tensely, he held his breath, counting every second it took for the car to traverse the road below. Then it was rounding another curve and gone, the receding sound of the engine like paradise to his ears.

He leaned his head back and took a deep breath of relief. Who the hell were these vamps? And what did they want with him? He knew that he needed to figure that out and soon, but right now he just couldn’t spare the time. It would take every bit of ingenuity and luck he had to survive the next several hours.

He cranked the truck again. His head was killing him and he still felt weak, but now wasn’t the time to relax. It wouldn’t take long before the vamps realized they’d lost their quarry, and then they would be doubling back. It wouldn’t be easy, but if the vamps were lucky enough they might find where the SUV had left the road. Every second counted if Ty wanted to get himself and Libby out of this alive.

He’d have to feed again soon, too, and get some more rest. It couldn’t be helped. The blood he’d taken from Libby had aided a lot in his healing but had left him little in reserve. And he would have to check on Libby, too, get some food and water in her. He needed a plan. Running blindly with no idea where they were or where the other vamps might pop up was crazy. Their best option would be to find somewhere safe that they could hole up while they rested and regained their strength. Maybe figure out a way to contact Quinn. Just for a day. And then he would be in better shape to get them home.

He eased the SUV forward down the twisting trails, hoping that he could find a way through the woods and possibly out the other side. He’d ridden down his own share of dirt bike paths and knew that they usually doubled around, with various routes leading to different entrances. Keeping to the left-hand side would hopefully take them away from the road they had just left and onto a different one, one that the vampires that were searching for them would not find.

He cut the headlights and just used the parking lights. His night vision was exceptional, but he didn’t want to take any chances that he might miss a log or a hole and get them stuck.

He drove for what seemed like hours but was probably only thirty minutes or so. His head began to ache even more with the strain of peering through the dark woods, and he knew that he would have to find them someplace soon to hide. He was about at the end of his strength. A movement beside him drew his attention back to Libby. Her head lolled sideways, facing the window. This was the first movement she’d made, and he wondered if she was starting to come around. He dreaded the confrontation he knew was inevitable. He’d rather not be driving when the shit hit the fan. God only knew what she would do.

Libby made no more movements, so he turned his attention back to the trail. It had narrowed considerably, obviously made to accommodate nothing larger than a four-wheeler, and branches scraped against the side of the SUV as it forged its way through. A particularly loud screech as branch met fender had Ty grimacing. He’d definitely have to pay Libby for a new paint job after this jaunt ended.

On he went, sometimes heading down slippery slopes which caused the SUV to lose traction. Other times the engine churned with the effort to climb steep inclines. Finally the terrain leveled off. The underbrush seemed to be thinning somewhat, and he hoped that meant that they were coming to the end of this nightmarish drive. A few minutes later they emerged onto the bank of a swiftly running creek. He put the truck in park and sat for a moment, surveying the area.

The creek was down, and he could see the rocky bottom emerging from the swiftly flowing water in several spots. He should be able to drive across. On the opposite shore he could see a cabin down the creek a bit, rising high on wooden pilings. It was probably a weekend getaway for local hunters in the area. If they were in luck, it would be empty, since it wasn’t hunting season. He scanned the shoreline in both directions but saw no other buildings. That was good. He didn’t need any nosy neighbors poking around.

Crossing his fingers that they wouldn’t get stuck, he put the SUV in gear and started forward. Before long they were pulling up onto the opposite bank. He continued forward until the vehicle was hidden in the shadows of the surrounding trees then he stopped and turned off the engine. He closed his eyes and let out a relieved breath that they had made it this far. After resting for a moment or two he looked over and saw that Libby hadn’t moved.

Good. She was still out. He would leave her here while he checked out the place and made sure no one was home. The pine needles stung his feet, and he wished like hell he had a pair of shoes. He crept stealthily through the woods, moving with the grace and silence of the predator that he was. Out of the gloom, he could see the glow of a security light that illuminated the area around the cabin.

Halting at the tree line, he examined the building before him. It was typical of other hunting and fishing cabins he’d used in the northern part of Harrison County. Could that be where they were? The rough wooden structure rose on wooden pilings to tower about eight feet above the ground to accommodate rising water when the creek was up. When he detected no movement, he sprinted across the yard, conscious of the lack of cover, and noiselessly climbed the stairs leading to the deck. A
For Sale
sign in the window reassured him that the place was deserted, so he moved forward to peer in the window. It was as he had thought. No one was here.

He tried the door, but it was locked. In one quick movement, he broke out a small pane of glass on the door and reached in to unlock it. After taking a few moments to check through the rooms, Ty decided the place would be perfect. Luckily, the utilities were still on, though they wouldn’t use the lights. He didn’t want to draw any attention to the cabin, just in case. The darkness wouldn’t be a problem for him, but Libby would have to make do with the glow from the outside light. Unfortunately, there was no phone.

Covered by sheets, the furniture consisted of a beat-up sofa and chair in the living area, a couple of wooden stools slid under the bar, and a bare mattress on the floor in one of the bedrooms. The toilet worked and the shower, too, and he saw a few threadbare towels and bath cloths sitting on the shelves above the sink. Some old clothes hung in the small closet, and a few more were in the drawers of a beat-up dresser. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it would do. Yes, it would definitely do.

Nothing was in the refrigerator but some moldy cheese and a shriveled-up apple, but there were a few things in the cabinet—peanut butter, some soup, and a tin of crackers—that looked pretty edible. And some instant grits. He also found an unopened pack of beef jerky. At least he’d be able to get some food in Libby, get her strength back up.

He exited the way he had come and made his way back to the truck. As he rounded the front bumper, he froze. The passenger door was open. Libby was gone.

* * * *

Libby ran through the darkness, her breath coming in gasping pants, her mind a scramble of panicked thoughts. Her tired eyes could barely see two feet in front of her. One wrong move and she could end up with a sprained ankle…or worse. The pounding of her heart was loud in her ears, obliterating any sound of possible pursuit as she stumbled on as fast as she dared.

The ground was covered with downed limbs and slippery straw, and the smell of pine permeated the air. Stray silver moonbeams unsuccessfully attempted to penetrate the thick canopy of leaves above her head. Her heart accelerated with each imagined noise as she tried to ignore the weakening state of her body.

What had he done to her? She was so tired. Her legs trembled with the strain, but she couldn’t stop, couldn’t rest. He would be after her as soon as he discovered her missing. She knew she had to get as far away as she could. Blindly she continued forward, ignoring the painful stitch in her side. She was weak, so weak, but she couldn’t stop.

A tree suddenly appeared before her, barely visible in the darkness, and she swerved to avoid it, catching her shoulder a glancing blow. Knocked off balance, she went down hard. For a moment she lay there, defeated, breathing through the pain, before she found that core of determination deep inside her and struggled to her feet. Glancing around she realized she had no idea where she was or in which direction she had been running. No matter which way she chose, she could be heading straight back to the truck for all she knew. She paused, listening for the sound of pursuit, but there was only the distant sound of frogs croaking and crickets chirping. Damn, she was too tired. But she couldn’t stop, so she randomly chose a direction and moved forward as fast as her aching limbs would carry her.

She didn’t know exactly what Ty was. All she knew was that she had to get away from him. He had hurt her—her mind shied away from the image of exactly what he had done to her—and she didn’t know what he might do to her again if he caught her.

When she had regained consciousness in the truck, she had lain there for a few moments, trying to get her bearings. At first she hadn’t known where she was or who she was with. Then it had all come back in a rush. Ty. His burns. Getting him to the barn. And then…the pain. A whimper of fear had risen in her throat but she had beaten it back when she realized that he was right beside her in the driver’s seat of her SUV. She pretended to still be out, keeping her breathing steady and her eyes closed, but it had been a near thing. When he had reached over and touched her face, she had almost flinched back at the contact. Her muscles tensed until she had deliberately relaxed them, afraid he would notice and realize she was awake. But he hadn’t. His attention had been focused on his driving, and she had managed to keep up the pretense until he had finally stopped the truck and gotten out.