Red Sunset Drive, page 25
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Brett’s chest slammed into the steering wheel. Dragos groaned as his arm flew out to keep from hitting the windshield. Brett heard Anders grunt from the backseat. What the hell had happened?
Brett looked in the rearview mirror and saw a small car surging forward to hit them again.
“Brace! We’re about to get hit again,” Brett yelled.
Anders growled. “The hell with this. Call it in, O’Shea.” Anders ripped out his Glock and lowered his window. Leaning his upper body out the car, Anders aimed toward the car behind them.
Torn between watching the road ahead and watching the action behind him in the mirror, Brett struggled to maintain control of the car while calling in for backup. The wind blew through Anders’s jacket, causing it to whip about his frame. His grayish hair stood on end. Brett couldn’t see Anders’s face, but he knew the determination within the man behind him. Anders was pissed, and that wasn’t a good thing for the asshole ramming them.
Brett jerked as the sound of gunshots reverberated in his ear. Anders fired two shots at the car behind them.
The other car hit the brakes and fishtailed across the two-lane interstate behind them. Sounds of brakes and the smell of burning rubber filled the air. The sports car spun into the grass median lining the road and slammed to a stop. Smoke filtered up from under the hood.
“Did you get the son of a bitch?”
Anders dropped back into the seat. “Don’t know; I was aiming for the tires.” With Anders back in the car, Brett hit the brakes and whipped the car around so it was going in the opposite direction. He raced toward the sports car. Ignoring the line of cars stopped ahead of them, Brett roared up to the side of the silver car.
As the car screeched to a halt, Brett jumped out with a gun in hand. Ripping open the silver car’s door, he froze. Empty? No one was in the car. Not one person. What the hell happened?
Seconds later, Dragos and Anders ran up behind him. The disbelief was evident on their faces. Brett exhaled, letting his shoulders cave forward as he realized they could have crashed and died. Sirens and flashing lights swiftly approached.
Anders rubbed his shoulder. “Someone was driving that car. How did they get away so quickly?”
Dragos hung his head. “Only a vampire could have moved so swiftly. Since they were watching your house, we have to assume Victor is behind this.”
Anders’s eyes widened. “What do you mean they were watching your house? Damn it, O’Shea. You’re supposed to report shit like that.”
“Sir, it just happened.”
Dragos cleared his throat. “I don’t think they’re watching Brett. I think it’s me they’re after. I can’t put your lives in danger any longer.”
“Listen to me,” Anders ordered. “You’re part of our team. If Victor is getting this desperate, then chances are he will make a mistake. This is our opportunity to set a trap.”
Anders glanced over his shoulder. Law enforcement cars by the dozen were closing in. “Let me deal with this.”
Anders pulled out his badge and walked toward the officers running in their direction. Brett turned toward Dragos. He licked his dry lips as he glanced at the edge of the woods on the opposite side of the road.
“You think it was a vampire?” Brett asked.
Dragos’s eyes darkened. “Yes.
An hour later, police finally wrapped up the crime scene and opened the road, letting traffic resume on the interstate. It was backed up as far as the eye could see. Brett and Dragos stood off to the side, waiting for Anders to return. A news crew had cornered the chief and was interviewing him.
The night hadn’t gone as planned, but then nothing in Brett’s life ever went as planned. Ever since the ghost had entered his life, he had been on an emotional roller coaster and nearly died more times than he could count. Yet he wouldn’t trade a minute of it.
Dragos blew out a breath, which drew Brett’s attention. His friend was as impatient as he was. Protocol and paperwork were unnecessary burdens. After the adrenaline rush, Brett was crashing. Walking forward, he studied Dragos.
“How are you holding up?”
Dragos stared at the line of cars slowly driving by. “You will not appreciate what I am about to tell you, but I’m pretty sure that I saw the women drive by.”
Brett turned, gazing at the line of cars. “What? When, just now?”
“No. Several minutes ago. I was watching Anders, and when I turned back, I saw Candy’s car.”
“You saw her car?”
“Well, no. I mean I’m not sure. It was a few cars past us. There were two women in the car. I’m pretty sure that is what I saw.” Dragos whirled toward him. His long coat swirled about his legs.
“Listen, we went through this.”
Anders pulled his jacket tighter about his body and headed in their direction. Dampness permeated the air. Low-lying fog from the nearby river rolled toward them. Anders opened the car door and hesitated. “You guys ready? I’m freezing my ass off. Let’s go.”
Brett glanced at Dragos and rested his hand on his shoulder. “We can continue our conversation later. I don’t want to bring up the women in front of the chief.”
Dragos nodded and stalked toward the car, his frame stiff and unyielding. Brett ran a hand through his hair, scratching his head. What if Dragos really did see the women? He knew that Dragos had better night vision than he did. What were the women doing? Following us? Both of them know better than to interfere in police business or put themselves in danger.
Sighing, Brett got behind the wheel and turned the car toward home.
“Hurry up,” Allen hissed. “I need more light up here.”
Terrence lifted the lantern, casting a wider circle of light around them. “Sir, I think we should bring in some additional men.”
Allen dropped his bag of tools and weapons on the dirt floor. “You’re not going to chicken out on me, are you?”
Terrence stiffened. “Of course not. I just want to make sure we have enough men to be successful.”
Chortling, Allen opened the bag, searching for gloves. “Oh, don’t worry about that. When haven’t I been successful? Now bring that light closer.”
It took both of them to pull open the cave entrance. Allen took a deep breath and studied the abyss before him. Slowly he took a step, only to realize that he was stuck. He glanced down and groaned. Moist red clay covered the bottom half of his boots. Damn! Somehow water had found its way inside the cave.
He shone the light around the cave. Several trickles of water graced the limestone walls, tracing the cracks and crevices of the ancient stones and pooling on the floor.
“C’mon; let’s get ready.”
Terrence tossed the bag on one of the caskets. Dust swirled up around his face. “Damn it.”
Allen tore open the bag and pulled out a long knife and a gun, carefully setting them aside.
“Are you expecting trouble, sir?”
He shrugged. “Just precautions. Look around. Someone has been taking items that belong to me. Several things are missing. I’m hoping to surprise the vampires.”
“Shouldn’t we let the cops deal with vampires?”
Allen glared at Terrence. “Of course not,” he snapped. “Now help me position these cameras around the cave. I don’t want anyone to see them.”
For the next hour, the men worked in silence as they positioned the wireless cameras. Anyone entering the cave would be caught on camera. As they were about to finish up, the sound of snapping wood came from outside the cave.
Terrence slid out his gun. “I’ll go check it out.”
Allen nodded. “It’s probably a raccoon or possum. Be careful. The damn things could have rabies.”
Terrence eased through the doorway, barely making a sound as he made his way through the damp clay. Being ex-military, Terrence knew his stuff. He was the best driver Allen had ever hired.
Anxious to finish setting up the cameras and get back to the car, Allen loaded the bag. When the light flickered, he picked up the lantern and smacked the bottom a couple of times. The light brightened.
He stiffened and turned back toward the entrance. A gurgling sound echoed from outside the cave. His heart stuttered.
He crept to the doorway, flattening himself against the wall. Whispering, he called, “Terrence. Terrence, is that you?” A low moan floated through the darkness. “Terrence, answer me.” He picked up the extra gun. It wavered back in forth in his hand. He tried to take a calming breath, but he couldn’t move. Fear seized him. Terrence may be in trouble. I have to go help him.
With his back against the wall, Allen slid out through the door and into the dark tunnel. He couldn’t see Terrence’s lantern. Had he gone down farther in the tunnel? Inch by inch, he moved forward. He was afraid to turn on the flashlight or otherwise draw attention to himself.
With his hand outstretched, he used the walls of the tunnel as a guide to keep moving forward. Nothing but blackness met his gaze. Not a sound filled the tunnel. Maybe Terrence was right about calling in additional men. Too late now. He had no choice but to keep on moving.
What seemed like hours later, he finally reached the end of the tunnel. Moonlight and shadows filled the dig site. Fresh air tickled his nose. He forced himself to slowly walk toward the car.
Without warning, he stumbled forward, falling to one knee. The gun fell to the ground. Before he could get up, a hand grabbed him from behind and pulled him upward.
Fear rose up inside. “Urgh! Let go.” Panic took over. His arms flailed wildly. Finally, the grip on him loosened and he fell forward on his stomach. Sour acid rose in his throat.
A voice hissed in his ear.
“Sir, sir. Calm down. It’s me—Terrence.”
Terrence? Allen turned on his back and looked up. His guard leaned down and held out a hand. Scratches lined Terrence’s face. Blood spatter dotted his face. Once on his feet, he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face.
“Damn it. You scared me to death. Didn’t you hear me call you?”
Terrence nodded. “Sir, look down.”
Allen’s stomach rolled. He winced. The body of a young man lay at his feet. The man’s neck was sliced from ear to ear.
“Did you do that?” Allen asked.
“I did. I heard something, so I hid behind a large boulder. I heard him approach me. All of a sudden, he attacked me. Somehow I got my knife out. Luckily I just got him.”
Allen bent over the dead man and pulled back his upper lip. Large canine teeth were prominently displayed.
He gasped and jerked upright. “We did it, Terrence. We did it. We got a vampire.” Slapping his knee, he gloated. “Let’s see what the cops say now. There should be some rope over by the ladder. Bring it here, and we’ll get this guy loaded in the car. The coroner will prove that vampires do exist.”
Allen pulled out his cell phone and took a couple of pictures of the dead vampire. Anders and O’Shea’s days are numbered, he thought. He mentally began planning the news conference he would set up tomorrow.
He glanced up. Where did Terrence go? He saw the ladder nearby, but his guard wasn’t to be seen.
“Terrence! Hurry up and bring that rope,” he called. “We need to get out of here.”
He bent down and clicked off several more pictures. Terrence’s shadow covered the body.
Rising, Allen muttered, “It’s about time. What took you so long?”
“A pity I couldn’t have been here sooner. I’m afraid that Terrence will not be returning with the rope.”
Allen turned and stared into the face of a stranger. The man was well dressed and looked as if he had come from a formal event. Although he wore a smile, it didn’t reach his eyes. A shiver ran up Allen’s spine. He glanced around the area, searching for Terrence.
“Where’s my guard?” Allen asked.
The man shrugged a shoulder. “As I said, he will not be returning.”
Allen took a deep breath. Who the hell is this guy? The sound of footsteps drew his attention. He slowly turned and saw two other men standing nearby. When Allen turned back to face the man, he had moved closer—much closer. It was then he noticed that the man towered over him. Unease filled him.
He took a step backward, casting a quick glance in the direction of the parked car. The man laughed, as if he could read his mind.
“Who are you, and what do you want?” he managed to squeak out before stepping back once again.
With his head cocked to the side, the intense stranger studied him. “I have wondered about who unearthed these tunnels and why. Perhaps you would have been better off to leave things as they were.” With a wave of his thin, bony hand, the man crowed, “But if you had, I would not have met you and Terrence. Terrence was quite a delight, if I may say so.”
What was the man saying? Nothing made sense. The other two men were pressing against his back. One leaned down toward his neck and sniffed. What the hell?
Rubbing his neck, Allen stammered, “Why are you here?”
A twisted smile flashed on the man’s gaunt face as he threw his hands up into the air. Allen took a step back
“Forgive me. My social skills are lacking. This sometimes happens when I’m hungry. I am Baron Victor Sinclair.”
Relief welled up inside Allen. Thank God. For a few moments, he had been terrified. The man sounded refined and educated.
He held out his hand to Victor. “Let me introduce myself. I’m John Allen. My ancestors were the founding fathers of our fair city.”
“Yes, James Allen. I seem to remember that he was a captain in the army or something. He was a very demanding man.”
Allen smiled, pleased that someone else appreciated history and knew of his personal commitment to the city. “You’re right. He was an army officer. All the men in my family served, except me. As far as his being demanding, I never heard anyone mention that before. All the journals that I’ve read indicated that he was duty bound.”
Victor’s lips thinned. “Duty bound? I daresay that is one way to put it. In my opinion, he was an arrogant bastard.”
Allen sucked in his breath. Annoyance rippled through him. “Well I don’t know why you would say such a thing when you weren’t even alive then to have met him.”
Victor stiffened, and his eyes turned red. Alarm bells went off in Allen’s head. Before he could run, the men grabbed his arms. They held him in place as he struggled and kicked.
Allen opened his mouth to scream when Victor gripped his chin. Sharp fingernails pierced his skin.
Victor’s mouth became a grim, thin line. Victor’s nose nearly touched his.
“That is where you are mistaken, John Allen. For I knew your ancestor quite well. I traveled with his company of men to this area. It was so desolate back then—rolling hills and timber as far as the eye could see. It quite reminded me of England. I helped the army plan the system of underground tunnels. How else would I know so much about them? He promised me that this land would be deeded over to me. Alas, he failed to deliver. Thus I know quite well that he was a bastard, as well as a liar, a cheat, and a son of a bitch.”
Allen screamed. He prayed that someone would hear him and come to help. Victor is wrong; no human can live that long. He couldn’t have known James Allen.
“You’re crazy. Let me go. We can forget this ever happened.”
Victor released his grip and drew back. Sharp, piercing fangs ripped from his mouth. Victor’s hot breath swept across Allen’s face as he pressed forward. A high-pitched cry tore from Allen’s throat. Tears coursed down his face. The men’s laughter echoed in his ears. What is going to happen? I don’t want to die. I’m too important to die!
Suddenly one of the vampires ripped off his left sleeve. Without warning, the man bent and sank his teeth into his shoulder. Allen’s legs crumpled to the ground. The monsters yanked him to his feet, holding him upright.
“Mr. Allen, you must cooperate. It’s going to be a long night. You may thank your long-lost ancestor for this. It brings me pleasure to know that I am going to kill his relative. I plan on sucking every ounce of blood from your body. We will make it last as long as we can. Trust me; I will enjoy every moment.”
Blood trickled down his arm. One of the vampires bent and ran his tongue up to its source. Allen recoiled from the touch. The man licked his lips and grabbed Allen’s wrist and bit down.
Allen screamed in terror until his throat burned. His screams were useless. Their sick laughter and lewd comments made his stomach recoil. Vomit spewed from his mouth, splattering across Victor’s shirt.
Every muscle in his body went limp. His head sagged to his chest as he wondered when the torture would end. Suddenly his head was jerked upward. He felt his eyes roll back in his head.
Victor growled in his ear. “You are worse than a woman. See what you’ve done to my clothes?” Victor raised an arm and swung a hand across his face.
“Please, let me go,” Allen sobbed. “Stop. I can’t take any more.”
One of the vampires smiled as blood dripped from his mouth.
My blood! God! I’m dying. It was becoming harder for Allen to keep his eyes open. He couldn’t think straight.
A voice rumbled in Allen’s ear. Victor. May he rot in hell.
“Wakie, wakie. It’s time to bid farewell to this world,” Victor said, pressing closer.
Victor’s teeth sank into his neck. The initial pain was followed by numbness. Within minutes he no longer felt his arms or legs. Coldness seeped through his body. His heart stuttered. He no longer saw objects—only shadows.
The vampires bit into his wrists and feasted on his body. His head lolled to the side. Darkness pushed away the light until all he saw and felt was darkness. A deep sleep claimed him. He drifted away from the horror, from the pain, until it was no more
