Sexiest Vampire Alive

Chapter Twenty-seven

“Careful,” Abigail whispered as Howard peered over the ledge. “Can you see the river?”

“Yes.” He was flat on his stomach, clutching a nearby bush to keep from plummeting as he eased farther over the cliff.

They no longer worried about the invading army seeing them. It was obvious the soldiers were moving toward them. It was also obvious that even though the soldiers could do amazing physical feats, they lacked the ability to teleport. Otherwise they would simply materialize across the river. Howard described how a few had made incredible leaps across the gorge, and many more were gathered across the river, preparing to jump.

She just hoped Rajiv found a place to cross without the soldiers spotting him.

“I see him.” Howard eased out further. “He’s downriver. It’s wider there, but there are some giant boulders in the river. Yes! He just landed on one.”

“He’s in tiger form?”

“Oh yeah. He had to strip before shifting, but I’m sure he left the phone tied around his neck. There he goes. He made it to another rock. And yes! He’s across. He . . . I can’t see him now.” Howard scooted back. “Nothing much we can do now. But wait.”

She swallowed hard. Wait for what? What did Master Han want with them?

Howard settled by the cave entrance, watching the approaching army. She couldn’t do it. It was too nerve-wracking, so she went back into the cave to sit by the heater.

Her mind raced, and foremost among her frantic thoughts was J.L.’s warning about the Demon Herb. Those who go looking for it are never seen again.

Why was this happening? It had to be connected to the zombie village and the fields of Demon Herb. What was Master Han up to? From her research, she believed the plant could boost a person’s immune system, make him stronger and more impervious to disease. She’d hoped it would help her mother, perhaps even cure her.

But would she ever make it back home? Ever see her family again? Ever enjoy a future with Gregori?

Those who go looking for it are never seen again.

She didn’t want to die. She wanted to see her family again. And hold Gregori again.

The sound of crunching gravel echoed in the canyon. The soldiers were getting closer. The sun lowered and the temperature dropped, but she knew the shivers down her back were caused more by fear than by cold.

She glanced at the folding screen. At least there wasn’t any sun coming in the cave. If the soldiers tore down the screen, Gregori and the other two Vamps would be fine.

She heard a noise outside and jumped. “Oh God.” She pressed her hand to her pounding heart when Howard walked in.

“They’re close.” He squatted beside her. “The sun has already set in Japan, so when Rajiv calls, Angus will be awake. He’ll start gathering every Vamp and shifter he can find. They can track the Vamps, so they’ll come for us. We just need to stay together and stall for time.”

She nodded, feeling a small measure of relief.

Gravel crunched outside.

Howard stood. “They’re here.”

Her chest tightened, and she fisted her hands. Don’t lose it. She had to stay tough. Roll with the punches like Gregori did. She glanced at the screen. The Vamps were helpless right now. She had to be strong and help Howard protect them. She wasn’t a warrior, so her best weapon was her mind. She needed to stay sharp and focused.

Four soldiers eased inside with their swords drawn.

Howard raised his hands. “We surrender.”

Abigail scrambled to her feet and lifted her hands. Stall for time. “We wish to see Master Han.”

The soldiers stared at her.

She wasn’t sure if any of them understood English, but she had to try. “I’m a scientist. I have a business proposition for Master Han.” She didn’t know what, but she’d make it up as she went.

The tallest of the four soldiers said something in Chinese, and two of the soldiers sheathed their swords and tied Howard’s hands behind his back. They disarmed him, then pushed him down into a sitting position.

More soldiers gathered outside on the ledge. The lowering sun gleamed off their swords.

A huge soldier pushed through them and strode into the cave. She recognized him as the one called Sawat. All the soldiers inclined their heads, so apparently he was their leader. His angry glare passed over Howard and her to the back of the cave. He marched past her and knocked the screen to the floor.

He glanced over the three Vamps. “Chiang-shih,” he muttered, then returned to Howard, who was cross-legged on the floor. “Where’s the tiger?”

“Glad to see you’ve learned some English, Sawat.” Howard smirked. “But I think your voice has gotten higher.”

With a growl, Sawat pulled a knife and pointed it at Howard’s throat. “Where’s the tiger?”

Howard glared up at him.

Abigail winced when a drop of blood trickled down Howard’s neck. “He’s not here. He didn’t come with us.”

Sawat snorted. “He’s here. I’ll find him.” He marched outside and barked orders in Chinese. A group of soldiers took off. Sawat remained on the ledge, scanning the mountains, no doubt looking for Rajiv.

She eased closer to Gregori.

The tall soldier noticed and motioned to the heater. “You sit here. Or we’ll have to tie you up.”

“You speak English?” she asked as she lowered herself onto the cave floor.

He ignored her and called out something to Sawat. Outside on the ledge, Sawat yelled a command, and two soldiers entered the cave, carrying a black lacquered box with gold metal corners. They went straight to the back of the cave.

She sat up, craning her neck to see what they were taking out of the box. They looked like metal bands linked together with a short, thick chain. The soldiers snapped the cuffs on the Vamps’ forearms and locked them. When the bands wouldn’t fit around the men’s boots, they removed the boots and locked the cuffs around their ankles.

They found knives in the boots and more knives strapped to the Vamps’ calves. They gathered them up, along with the rifles and pistols, and stashed them in a pile by the entrance of the cave.

“The cuffs are made of silver,” the tall soldier explained. “It will keep them from teleporting away.”

“And burn like hell, if they attempt to remove them,” a British-accented voice said outside the cave.

She jerked around to the front. A man stood next to Sawat, dressed in black leather pants, a black shirt, and a long black leather coat. Was this Master Han?

His clothes weren’t dusty like those of the soldiers who had crossed the gorge and climbed up to the cave. His hair was shoulder-length and black, but he wasn’t Asian.

“Lord Darafer,” Sawat murmured, bowing low.

The other soldiers also bowed as the newcomer sauntered inside the cave. They kept their eyes downcast, as if afraid to gaze any higher than his knees. He looked around with sparkling green eyes and an amused tilt to his mouth.

“My lord.” The tall soldier bowed low.

Darafer crossed his arms and heaved a resigned sigh. “Wu Shen.”

“Yes, my lord.” The tall soldier bowed again.

“You know how much I hate human error.”

The tall soldier turned pale. “Yes, my lord.”

“And yet you try my patience. And I have no patience.”

Wu Shen bowed. “A thousand pardons, my lord.”

Darafer gestured toward Howard. “This one is a were-bear. He could shift and rip your head off.”

Wu Shen’s eyes widened. He spoke quickly to the soldiers with the black lacquered box. They rushed over to Howard and snapped silver bands around his wrists behind his back. When they moved in front of him to cuff his ankles, he growled at them, and they jumped back.

Darafer chuckled. “Don’t be afraid. The bear cannot shift now.” His eyes glowed like polished emeralds. “Even if he could, he would be no match for me.”

Abigail sucked in a deep breath while the soldiers snapped the cuffs around Howard’s ankles. Darafer could defeat a Kodiak bear? He had weird eyes, too, and the soldiers seemed to fear him. She had a sick feeling in her gut that he wasn’t human. Then what was he? It was daylight, so he couldn’t be a vampire.

He paced toward the back of the cave, then sauntered toward the entrance. “Sawat.”

“Yes, my lord.” Sawat came in and bowed.

“I count five prisoners.”

Sawat grew pale. “Yes, my lord.”

“And yet your report claimed there were six sleeping bags at the other cave. And I count six here. Is someone missing?”

Sawat shifted his feet. “The were-tiger may have escaped.”

“Over the Leaping Tiger Gorge?” Darafer chuckled. “That’s rich.”

Sawat looked relieved. “Yes, my lord.”

Darafer’s face turned grim. “You screwed up. Go look for him in the gorge.” He extended a hand, and a blast of air blew Sawat off his feet, through the air, and over the cliff. His scream echoed in the canyon, then abruptly cut off.

A chill skittered down Abigail’s back. Her gut was correct. Darafer was not human.

He turned to the tall soldier and smiled. “Good news, Wu Shen. You’ve just been promoted.”

Wu Shen bowed, his face ashen. “You are most kind, my lord.”

“Don’t mention it.” Darafer gazed about the cave, his green eyes twinkling with amusement. “So . . . we have a shifter who can’t shift, three vampires who can’t teleport, and . . .” His gaze fell on Abigail. “And a loving daughter who can’t save her mother.”

She flinched.

He strolled toward her. “How desperate are you, Abigail Tucker? I could save her, you know. It might be fun to have your father indebted to me.”

“Don’t talk to him,” Howard growled.

Darafer glanced at him and smiled. “The bear knows who I am.” His gaze shifted back to Abigail and his eyes hardened. “You have something that belongs to me.”

She shook her head. “I’ve never met you before.”

He smirked. “I was there six years ago at your father’s rally when a man sneaked in with a handgun. Unfortunately he had to brag about it and get himself caught. I hate human error.” His eyes suddenly turned black, and she gasped.

He extended a hand toward her backpack. It unzipped on its own, and the plastic bag containing the Demon Herb flew into his hand.

He chuckled, his eyes returning to green. “They don’t call it the Demon Herb for nothing.”

Demon. She clenched her fists to keep from shaking. How could they escape from a demon? He seemed to know everything. He’d known instantly who Howard was. Who she was. Her chest tightened. He’d tried to use a man to kill her father six years ago.

Darafer removed the Demon Herb and sniffed it. “Best stuff I ever created.” He shrugged. “I know. You’re thinking only the Big Kahuna can create. That’s true to a certain extent.”

He twirled the branch of Demon Herb between his thumb and forefinger. “But I can take something He made and distort it, corrupt it. For centuries, I had a jolly good time mutating things into diseases and plagues. Then it occurred to me, instead of making humans weak and useless, why not do the opposite? Why not make something that actually turns humans into supermen? That I control, of course.”

He stuffed the Demon Herb into his coat pocket. “Imagine how much pain and despair I can wreak upon the world when I control an army of supermen?”

“I thought it was Master Han’s army,” Howard grumbled.

“He provides the men. I . . . enhance them. The potion I make with the Demon Herb gives them super powers and a remarkable ability to heal.” He waved a dismissive hand. “But I grow bored with the mundane details of gathering and training an army. I leave that to Master Han. You would be amazed how many humans are willing to trade their souls for the chance to be Superman.”

He walked over to Howard. “How about you? Want to switch to the winning side?”

“Go back to hell,” Howard growled.

Darafer smirked. “Who’s going to make me?” He glanced back at Wu Shen. “Master Han can decide what to do with them.”

“Yes, my lord.” Wu Shen bowed.

“But keep the girl alive. She has good connections.” Darafer smiled at Abigail. “Let me know if your father wants to make a deal. I could save your mother.”

She lifted her chin, determined to be as brave as Howard. “Go back to hell.”

He chuckled. “Actually, I think I’ll go visit your mother. Such a shame she’s about to take a turn for the worse.” He vanished.

Abigail’s heart plummeted into her stomach. Would he really hurt her mother? Of course he would. Wasn’t that what demons did?

“He killed Sawat,” Howard said quietly, looking at Wu Shen. “Next time he gets angry, it could be your turn.”

Wu Shen’s mouth thinned. “You think to sway me? Our bodies are Master Han’s to command. It is an honor to serve and die for him.”

“And the demon?” Howard asked.

Wu Shen looked away. “He owns our souls.”

Howard snorted. “Then you had better hope you never die.”

Wu Shen strode outside and stood on the ledge.

Abigail exchanged a look with Howard and nodded slightly. They might be able to get through to Wu Shen. She sent up a silent prayer that they would all survive. Including her mother.

Wu Shen walked back into the cave. “The sun is setting. The chiang-shih will need blood.”

“There’s bottled blood in the ice chest.” She motioned to it. “I could give it to them.”

He nodded. “That will be for the best. They would not attempt to attack you.”

She hurried to the ice chest and removed three bottles. Then she settled on her sleeping bag next to Gregori.

As the last rays of the sun faded away, torches were set ablaze outside the entrance to the cave. Wu Shen lit the kerosene lamps as he gave more orders. Three soldiers unsheathed their swords and formed a line in front of the Vamps. Two more watched Howard.

The Vamps jerked and their chests suddenly expanded with a gasp for air. Their eyes opened.

“Listen,” Abigail whispered.

Gregori reached for her, but the chain pulled tight on his cuffs. “What the—” He sat up, an alarmed look on his face.

J.L. and Russell sat up, and all three Vamps cursed under their breath and pulled at their restraints.

“We’ve been captured.” Abigail unscrewed the top off Gregori’s bottle and placed it into his hands. “Master Han’s army arrived during the day.”

“How?” J.L. asked, eyeing the soldiers.

“They’re mortal.” Abigail unscrewed J.L.’s bottle and handed it to him. “But with superhuman powers. They may have enhanced hearing,” she added quietly, so the guys would be careful what they said.

“Shit,” Gregori whispered, then guzzled down some blood.

“Howard has been captured, too.” Abigail passed a bottle to Russell. “They have all five of us.”

The guys were silent, but she could see a gleam of satisfaction in their eyes that Rajiv had escaped.

“They took all your weapons and put silver cuffs on you so you can’t teleport. And Howard can’t shift.” She glanced at the soldiers. They didn’t seem to mind that she was talking. “Master Han isn’t working alone. He has a demon helping him.”

“A demon?” J.L. asked.

“His name is Darafer. He’s mutating the Demon Herb to make a potion that gives humans supernatural powers.”

“So a nasty vampire villain has teamed up with a demon.” Gregori gulped down more blood. “We’re in deep shit.”

“Could be worse,” J.L. mumbled.

“How do you figure that?” Gregori asked, his eyes narrowed on the soldiers.

J.L. shrugged. “We could be dead.”

“He’s right.” Russell pulled his hands apart, testing the chain. “As long as we’re alive, we can fight.”

“Exactly.” Gregori finished the last of his blood, then tossed the bottle aside. “It’s a shame they took all of our weapons.” He gave the other Vamps a pointed look.

Russell and J.L. nodded and set their bottles down.

“And a shame they tied up Howard,” Gregori said, his voice loud. “He’s liable to get really pissed.”

Howard roared, rising to his knees, and all the soldiers looked his way. With vampire speed, Gregori, Russell, and J.L. whipped knives out from beneath their sleeping bags. Before Abigail could even see what was happening, three guards were dead on the ground with knives in their chests, and the Vamps had claimed their swords.

“Drop them or he’s dead!” Wu Shen held a pistol aimed at Howard’s face. The other two guards poked the tips of their swords into his back.

The Vamps froze. When Wu Shen cocked his pistol, they tossed their swords onto the ground.

He gave them a disgusted look. “You think you can escape by killing three guards? I have a hundred more outside. And every one of us considers it an honor to die for Master Han.”

“Well said, Wu Shen,” a muffled voice announced outside the cave.

“Master Han.” He stepped back and inclined his head. “We have the prisoners you wanted.”