Page 38 of Betrayed in Blood
A movement to my left startled me. A vamp came at me from ten yards away, and without a second thought, I ran for him.
When he saw me coming, he raised his rifle, but he wasn’t fast enough. I leaped up, hitting him with a kick in the chest. My foot clipped the rifle, the hard metal slamming into my ankle. I landed with a soft cry. That hurt.
The vamp was down, but he was rising. I pulled my dagger and shoved it into his side, giving it a good twist. I followed it up with another quick stab in his neck.
He pushed me off and struggled for his weapon. What was with firearms at a vamp fight? I kicked the rifle away and then kicked the vamp in the head. Then I was on my knees, stabbing at his neck until there wasn’t anything left but bloody pulp. I really needed to reconsider the sword.
I turned when someone screamed. A vamp was only twenty feet away and looked like he’d been coming up from behind me. A wolf stood on his chest and proceeded to rip out the vamp’s throat until his head rolled away. The wolf glanced at me, wiped his snout on the vamp’s shirt, then trotted off for its next victim.
I surveyed the area, an occasional gunshot echoing through the ridge. Then my gaze landed on Devon and a security guard fighting off two vamps. I ran that way, keeping an eye out and staying low behind the oak. I tripped over a vamp who was on their stomach. His ankles and wrists were secured with zip ties. They managed to save one. I regained my feet when I heard someone behind me.
I twirled around in time to see a vamp running for me. He stopped and swung his sword over his head. I took the couple seconds before the sword came down to duck and roll. When I sprang up, I could only stare.
The vamp hadn’t been aiming for me. He’d cut the head off the secured vamp.
What the hell?
He glanced up at me, smiled, then ran for me with his sword held high. On second thought, maybe I should have grabbed a handgun.
I held my ground and let him come. They always seemed to falter a bit when I didn’t run, and when they saw I was a woman. I smiled back, and that always made them second-guess their actions. This vamp wasn’t any different. I moved toward him as he came at me, my eyes focused on his arms rising and the position of the sword.
When his arm was two-thirds to its farthest point, apparently planning on putting all his power into his swing, I bent my head and turned my shoulder as I barreled into him. I felt the force of his arm and the side of the blade as it slammed into my back.
The breath rushed out of him. We were on the ground, rolling, and I stabbed him over and over in the side, searching for his kidneys until he dropped the blade. I hated the fact he’d killed one of his own. A vamp that couldn’t defend themselves. This one needed to be saved for Devon, but I didn’t have any zip ties.
I rolled him over and crossed his arms over his chest, kneeling on them to keep them in place. When I heard the rustle of brush, I twirled around as I stood. I stepped on the vamp’s stomach and one of his arms that had fallen away from his chest.
One of the guards who’d traveled with us from the coastal manor held up a pair of zip ties.
I grinned and helped roll the vamp over, then waited while he bound the wrists.
“Alpha team and Rogue team clear.”
“Beta One clear.”
“Beta Two clear.”
“Charlie Two clear.”
“Charlie Three clear.”
Then I heard Devon’s voice, but I wasn’t sure where he was. “Charlie One clear. Wait for the sweepers.”
“Sweepers en route.” I didn’t recognize the voice of whoever was at central command. I really needed to spend more time here.
I wanted to meet up with Devon, but I waited for the sweepers as the partner of the guard reached us. She stared down at the headless vamp and then at me. It was Roberta, one of the lead guards at the coastal manor.
“Did you do this?”
I shook my head, wishing I had water, and nodded to the secured vamp. “I don’t think they wanted anyone taken alive.”
She gave the headless vamp a long look then walked to the other vamp and gave him a swift kick in the side. After giving it a second thought, she followed up with a kick in the head before moving to her partner. She didn’t have to say anything to tell me how she felt about Venizi’s orders.
Ten minutes later, I heard the sound of the jeeps. They picked up the dead, injured, and any vamps they were able to capture. Then Devon was beside me, surveying me from top to bottom until I pushed his arms away.
“I’m fine. I just need water.”
He handed me a bottle that he must have gotten from one of the sweepers.
