come.
Lance blew out a deep breath. “Get to the front—there is gas everywhere. Keep the flare with you.”
Cass slammed the brakes, and they skidded in the grass.
Lance reached out and grabbed the bench seats to keep from losing his balance again. The glass, still stuck in his palm, sliced deep into the meat of his hand.
“Get out of here!” Lance took the can to the rear of the RV and upended it, pouring gas over everything in sight.
“Let’s go, dumbass!” Cass opened the driver’s side door and jumped out.
“I’m leaving the flare on the seat for you.” Eifort slid behind the wheel and opened fire before she’d even stepped outside.
With most of the gas covering the middle and rear of the vehicle, Lance tossed it to the floor and staggered his way across the clothing and shoes. He was grateful that he’d worn heavy boots as he made his way to the front. His ankles held strong.
More gunfire came from outside.
As Lance stepped between the seats, a thought flitted through his mind. Wasn’t it the fumes of gasoline that were explosive and not the liquid itself? He’d been told that as a child, but he wasn’t sure how true it was.
He paused, his nose twitching at the stink coming from his pants and hands. His eyes locked on the flare as he stood there. If he got any closer, would he catch on fire?
“Shit.” Lance turned and stepped into the aisle again, intent on going out the side door.
As he reached the table, the door burst inward, the hinges giving way as it smashed against the steps.
A Vladdie climbed over it, saliva dripping from mangled lips. A small tuft of tangled hair hung over its empty eye sockets.
“Shit,” Lance whispered.
The beast’s head jerked around at the sound of his voice. It bellowed at him and jumped the rest of the way into the RV, stopping a few feet in front of him as he backed up. Its hooked, gnarly feet dug into the clothing beneath it.
Lance’s head bumped into the console above the dash.
The flare flickered beside him, burning a hole in the seat.
The stink of gas and searing fabric stung his nostrils.
He glanced at the passenger side door, saw it was locked and closed. The driver’s side was wide open.
Cass stood fifteen feet outside, screaming for him to hurry. She waved for him to come to her. Eifort fired at the side of the vehicle.
The Vladdie stepped closer.
“Fuck it.”
Lance grabbed the flare.
His hand caught fire. The legs of his pants went up a split second later. There was no pain.
“Suck on this.” Lance tossed the flare at the clothing under the vampire.
He leapt headfirst over the seat, diving through the open door.
The pressure of the flames bursting through the inside of the RV seemed to pull at the air around him as he crashed onto the ground.
Then he felt the heat.
The Vladdie shrieked as it stumbled into the front of the vehicle. It thrashed against the seats and dash, slapping at the flames engulfing it.
A small explosion rocked the back of the RV as the fire ignited what remained in the gas can.
Lance staggered to his feet and ran to Cass as the flames seared his hands and legs. Cass cried out, discarding her axe and flare.
He dropped to the grass and rolled over and over.
The agony set in as he stuffed his hands into his armpits to extinguish the flames.
Chapter 13
––––––––
T he smell of his own flesh burning brought bile into Lance’s throat.
He stared up at the sky as Cass and Eifort patted his legs, putting the flames out. The helicopter looped across his field of view before disappearing over the trees.
His hands felt cold and hot at the same time. The sensation reminded him of a time as a child when he’d stuck his finger on the red-hot end of a cigarette lighter in his mother’s car. The agony had lasted for nearly twenty minutes as he’d swirled his digit in a glass of ice water.
How long would this last?
Smoke blotted some of the stars above him as he watched them twinkle.
Flames
Lance blew out a deep breath. “Get to the front—there is gas everywhere. Keep the flare with you.”
Cass slammed the brakes, and they skidded in the grass.
Lance reached out and grabbed the bench seats to keep from losing his balance again. The glass, still stuck in his palm, sliced deep into the meat of his hand.
“Get out of here!” Lance took the can to the rear of the RV and upended it, pouring gas over everything in sight.
“Let’s go, dumbass!” Cass opened the driver’s side door and jumped out.
“I’m leaving the flare on the seat for you.” Eifort slid behind the wheel and opened fire before she’d even stepped outside.
With most of the gas covering the middle and rear of the vehicle, Lance tossed it to the floor and staggered his way across the clothing and shoes. He was grateful that he’d worn heavy boots as he made his way to the front. His ankles held strong.
More gunfire came from outside.
As Lance stepped between the seats, a thought flitted through his mind. Wasn’t it the fumes of gasoline that were explosive and not the liquid itself? He’d been told that as a child, but he wasn’t sure how true it was.
He paused, his nose twitching at the stink coming from his pants and hands. His eyes locked on the flare as he stood there. If he got any closer, would he catch on fire?
“Shit.” Lance turned and stepped into the aisle again, intent on going out the side door.
As he reached the table, the door burst inward, the hinges giving way as it smashed against the steps.
A Vladdie climbed over it, saliva dripping from mangled lips. A small tuft of tangled hair hung over its empty eye sockets.
“Shit,” Lance whispered.
The beast’s head jerked around at the sound of his voice. It bellowed at him and jumped the rest of the way into the RV, stopping a few feet in front of him as he backed up. Its hooked, gnarly feet dug into the clothing beneath it.
Lance’s head bumped into the console above the dash.
The flare flickered beside him, burning a hole in the seat.
The stink of gas and searing fabric stung his nostrils.
He glanced at the passenger side door, saw it was locked and closed. The driver’s side was wide open.
Cass stood fifteen feet outside, screaming for him to hurry. She waved for him to come to her. Eifort fired at the side of the vehicle.
The Vladdie stepped closer.
“Fuck it.”
Lance grabbed the flare.
His hand caught fire. The legs of his pants went up a split second later. There was no pain.
“Suck on this.” Lance tossed the flare at the clothing under the vampire.
He leapt headfirst over the seat, diving through the open door.
The pressure of the flames bursting through the inside of the RV seemed to pull at the air around him as he crashed onto the ground.
Then he felt the heat.
The Vladdie shrieked as it stumbled into the front of the vehicle. It thrashed against the seats and dash, slapping at the flames engulfing it.
A small explosion rocked the back of the RV as the fire ignited what remained in the gas can.
Lance staggered to his feet and ran to Cass as the flames seared his hands and legs. Cass cried out, discarding her axe and flare.
He dropped to the grass and rolled over and over.
The agony set in as he stuffed his hands into his armpits to extinguish the flames.
Chapter 13
––––––––
T he smell of his own flesh burning brought bile into Lance’s throat.
He stared up at the sky as Cass and Eifort patted his legs, putting the flames out. The helicopter looped across his field of view before disappearing over the trees.
His hands felt cold and hot at the same time. The sensation reminded him of a time as a child when he’d stuck his finger on the red-hot end of a cigarette lighter in his mother’s car. The agony had lasted for nearly twenty minutes as he’d swirled his digit in a glass of ice water.
How long would this last?
Smoke blotted some of the stars above him as he watched them twinkle.
Flames
Similar Books
