We caught on to you when you hit Denver International. We’ve been waiting. Watching.”
“Watching?”
They didn’t know what she’d been checking for, did they? And all of a sudden, not only was a possible life within her the most important thing in the world, but Takeshi took over the center of it.
She loved him.
She’d do anything for him.
She’d die for him.
“You’re half-turned, lady. Don’t push it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t act stupid. Okay? We’ve been waiting for this. We got happy trigger fingers. A half-turned vampire is a good kill. Easier, too. Kind of like taking a fawn.”
Christine’s eyes narrowed. Her breath hitched. Everything was crystal clear. Focused.
“I’m going to start looking for my keys now, gentlemen. I suggest you vacate the area before I stand back up.”
She was trying to sound like a confident woman, not a victim. Her voice trembled slightly, belying it. It wouldn’t matter. She was in line-of-sight of the counter clerk guy. With luck, he was calling someone. She was martial-arts trained. She could probably take out a few before they overpowered her. And she’d brought her cell. If her fingers weren’t so cold, she’d have already picked out the 9-1-1 keys. She skimmed her fingers along keys. Picking out numbers. Searching for the call button.
The hunter guys fanned out, encircling her along with the truck. They weren’t having any trouble keeping her in sight. She should have bought a smaller, sport truck. One she could see over. But that was another bit of hindsight.
“Is that a no?” she asked.
Then, damn everything. Her cell started announcing a wrong number from her pocket. A split second of surprise happened when nobody moved, and then the leader lifted his crossbow at her, aimed, and fired. Directly at her!
Christine didn’t get any reaction time, yet somehow managed to pivot. Her newly-acquired speed and reflex saved her. The arrow sliced her jacket open, skimming flesh before continuing on. A shadow shot past. She knew who it was. She didn’t have to ask. Everything on her body fired into awareness and excitement and relief. A flash of light caught the movement of Takeshi’s blade. The speaker’s head went flying, hitting the light pole with a splat that ruptured it. Somebody else lost his arms. Screams accompanied it, muffled by the snow. Another man got split right down the center, the remainder of him sagged to the ground, gushing a fountain of red fluid. Blood started dousing the area, coating her truck. Staining snow.
So many things happened within microseconds of each other, she couldn’t follow it. Somebody shot a net thing into the air. The snow slowed it enough that Christine had time to dive under the truck. She scooted toward the tailgate, snagged a Hunter’s ankles and yanked him onto his back. Takeshi’s sword finished the job, impaling the man to the asphalt, where he continued to jerk for some time before finally stilling.
She heard the sliding sound of chain through the melee, accompanied by the flash of the mini-scythe things. They whipped into her view, stirring snow while severing body parts. She didn’t see the severing part. She saw the results. Limbs fell about the truck. Another head hit the snow, lifting red-coated flakes. The glow gun went flying into the darkness, still attached to a shoulder. Screams rent the air, muted by snow. And then a sword came shooting into the space under the truck, missing her by a fraction of space. Christine gasped. Pushed backwards. A moment later the sword was on the ground, sinking into a pile of flesh that wasn’t recognizable as human body parts. Her heart was a stifling force within her chest. Her breath quick and rapid, sending fog that obscured and blurred. And then everything stopped. Went deathly still. Except the snowflakes.
“ Watashi no ai? ”
It wasn’t voiced, but her heart heard it. Christine scrambled from beneath the truck with alacrity. Gained her feet. He
“Watching?”
They didn’t know what she’d been checking for, did they? And all of a sudden, not only was a possible life within her the most important thing in the world, but Takeshi took over the center of it.
She loved him.
She’d do anything for him.
She’d die for him.
“You’re half-turned, lady. Don’t push it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t act stupid. Okay? We’ve been waiting for this. We got happy trigger fingers. A half-turned vampire is a good kill. Easier, too. Kind of like taking a fawn.”
Christine’s eyes narrowed. Her breath hitched. Everything was crystal clear. Focused.
“I’m going to start looking for my keys now, gentlemen. I suggest you vacate the area before I stand back up.”
She was trying to sound like a confident woman, not a victim. Her voice trembled slightly, belying it. It wouldn’t matter. She was in line-of-sight of the counter clerk guy. With luck, he was calling someone. She was martial-arts trained. She could probably take out a few before they overpowered her. And she’d brought her cell. If her fingers weren’t so cold, she’d have already picked out the 9-1-1 keys. She skimmed her fingers along keys. Picking out numbers. Searching for the call button.
The hunter guys fanned out, encircling her along with the truck. They weren’t having any trouble keeping her in sight. She should have bought a smaller, sport truck. One she could see over. But that was another bit of hindsight.
“Is that a no?” she asked.
Then, damn everything. Her cell started announcing a wrong number from her pocket. A split second of surprise happened when nobody moved, and then the leader lifted his crossbow at her, aimed, and fired. Directly at her!
Christine didn’t get any reaction time, yet somehow managed to pivot. Her newly-acquired speed and reflex saved her. The arrow sliced her jacket open, skimming flesh before continuing on. A shadow shot past. She knew who it was. She didn’t have to ask. Everything on her body fired into awareness and excitement and relief. A flash of light caught the movement of Takeshi’s blade. The speaker’s head went flying, hitting the light pole with a splat that ruptured it. Somebody else lost his arms. Screams accompanied it, muffled by the snow. Another man got split right down the center, the remainder of him sagged to the ground, gushing a fountain of red fluid. Blood started dousing the area, coating her truck. Staining snow.
So many things happened within microseconds of each other, she couldn’t follow it. Somebody shot a net thing into the air. The snow slowed it enough that Christine had time to dive under the truck. She scooted toward the tailgate, snagged a Hunter’s ankles and yanked him onto his back. Takeshi’s sword finished the job, impaling the man to the asphalt, where he continued to jerk for some time before finally stilling.
She heard the sliding sound of chain through the melee, accompanied by the flash of the mini-scythe things. They whipped into her view, stirring snow while severing body parts. She didn’t see the severing part. She saw the results. Limbs fell about the truck. Another head hit the snow, lifting red-coated flakes. The glow gun went flying into the darkness, still attached to a shoulder. Screams rent the air, muted by snow. And then a sword came shooting into the space under the truck, missing her by a fraction of space. Christine gasped. Pushed backwards. A moment later the sword was on the ground, sinking into a pile of flesh that wasn’t recognizable as human body parts. Her heart was a stifling force within her chest. Her breath quick and rapid, sending fog that obscured and blurred. And then everything stopped. Went deathly still. Except the snowflakes.
“ Watashi no ai? ”
It wasn’t voiced, but her heart heard it. Christine scrambled from beneath the truck with alacrity. Gained her feet. He
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