Christian’s heart was pounding when he pulled up in front of a huge machine shed, just the size and color Tiffany had described. He knew in his heart she was inside. The confirmation was the black Jeep Cherokee sitting in front of the overhead doors. The license plate number was an exact match to the Jeep in the Walmart video footage.
He’d found her!
Christian wanted to ram the overhead door with his truck and tear apart anyone who blocked his path to his woman, but logic prevailed. This offensive attack needed to be organized.
Nathan’s men began to pile out of the SUV’s, all packing semi-automatic weapons and covered with body armor. Like ants they split apart. Half streamed single file around the building looking for other entrances, the other half positioned themselves in front of the overhead door, weapons drawn. Christian, a split second behind them, hopped out of the truck and retrieved a twelve gauge shot gun from the bed. He handed off another to Asa then headed toward a side door right of the overhead.
“Try to keep a cool head, Chris. I know you’re chomping at the bit to get to her, but organization is paramount.”
Nathan along with Dominic and Dimitri approached him. “We’re going to do this swat team style. This side door comes down then we enter behind my men.” He nodded at the six positioned around the door. “No renegade justice if possible, Christian. I want to take them alive.”
“No arguments here. We need Charla alive in particular. She created the serum and I have to know what’s in it if I have any hope of treating Tiffany and the other women.”
Nathan nodded then gave a hand signal for his men to proceed.
Christian shucked a round into the chamber and waited as two of Nathan’s men positioned a battering ram in the middle of the door. One mighty thrust and the door caved inward, hanging awkwardly by the top hinge.
Nathan’s men rushed inside, Christian at their heels. He flipped up his sunglasses and looked about the inky darkness of a huge garage, plenty luminous for vampire eyes. Another standard door led to the belly of the building in the far right corner. He headed toward it, behind Nathan’s six men. Asa, Dominic and Nathan took up the rear, single file behind him.
At this point most everyone inside had surely heard the door come down. Christian needed to alert Tiffany and make her ready for whatever transpired once they emerged into the building’s interior.
We’re here. Get ready. Say nothing and stay calm. I’ll be there before you know it.
You’re here? Thank God, Christian.
Are you alone?
Yeah, I’m still alone and tied down to this damned bed. My heart is about to beat out of my chest. That’s my only tell, but no one except a vampire could here it.
I’ll hear it soon enough and it will be music to my ears.
Be careful.
You too.
Two of Nathan’s men took the battering ram to the interior door. Once it was relieved of it’s hinges, Christian rushed inside behind four of Nathan’s men. He expected to be met by the very least the brother armed to defend his turf, but instead two young thin vampire girls with hideously gray skin and gaunt features stood in a long hall just out a doorway to his right. The scent of chili wafted from the room, and Christian assumed it to be a kitchen.
The two girls appeared terrified, frozen in place, eyes wide and flitting from one armed man to another.
“Hands in the air!” one of the humans ordered.
They instantly obeyed.
Christian raised the barrel of his gun toward the ceiling. These poor little things were no threat. “Are you here by choice?” he asked them.
Both shook their heads, still wearing petrified expressions.
“Take us to the four women they brought here three days ago,” he demanded.
Just then a man walked out the doorway, hands in the air. Christian saw a holstered gun on his hip. The others must have too. Every man took aim on him with their weapons.
“Get down! Face down on the floor. Hands behind your head!” two of the human men yelled.
He did their bidding without a word. Seconds later he was swarmed by three humans, stripped of his gun and handcuffed.
Christian glanced at Asa who stared at the two frightened vampire girls with pity. He felt the same emotion himself, but he needed them to lead him to Tiffany and the others.
“Where are the women?” he asked again with less rancor.
The one closest to them finally answered. “D-down this hallway, take a left and you’ll find them in the curtained cubicles.”
Christian wanted to bolt in the direction they’d indicated, but he held back, glanced at Asa then behind him at Nathan, Dominic and Dimitri. They all wore an expression similar to what was on his mind. This was just too damned easy.
“Are you Terry, Charla’s brother?” Christian asked, stepping up to the head of the prone man who craned his head to glare up at him with equal doses of hate and spite.
“How do you know my name?”
“Never mind that. Get up and lead us to the women.” Christian yanked him up and onto his feet so fast, he’d probably dislocated his shoulder. A harsh grunt of pain said he was correct, but he didn’t care. This man was part of this kidnapping and drugging ring. He deserved a bullet between the eyes, but right now he’d serve just fine as a hostage.
The young sickly girls did not deserve such treatment. “Dominic, Dimitri, could you escort these young ladies out of the building? That is if you want to leave. We’ll make sure you get home, back to your lives, families, whatever.”
Both shook their heads adamantly and the two men corralled them around the small posse in the entryway then out of the building.
Christian shoved the barrel of his gun against the man’s spine. “Lead us to them now.”
Terry, craned his head back and gave him a look of disgust. “I’ll lead you right to them, vampire, but it won’t do you any good. By now they’re all on their way out. I’m sorry about that. I really am. I liked that one with the mouth.”
“Tiffany.”
“Yeah. That’d be the one.”
“You’d better qualify that comment and quick if you want to live. Where are they being taken?”
“I couldn’t answer that, but maybe you can. Where do vampires go when they die?”
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