I’ve received messages from readers who loved the character Zion from Raven’s Seduction, but they are bothered by her use of the N-word, not to mention her overall flamboyant demeanor. Instead of replying to each message individually, I decided to drop a post. I was supposed to write this post last week, but I’ve been knee-deep in my other projects. My paranormal world needs me!
Nevertheless, here I go…
Like many of my characters, Zion was created from a person who is a real-life class act and a good friend of mine. I thought about toning her down for the sake of the faint-hearted. I’ve done it before. I admit that Zion was a bit much on the rough draft. But after mulling over it for a few days, I decided to let her be her true self and emerge from the pages as the bad, boss bitch that she is. Yes, she’s extremely outspoken, unfiltered, and vulgar at times. But she’s also compassionate and downright lovable. She was raised in an area where the n-word is often used as a term of endearment. Because of that, it became a word she uses in her everyday life. She uses it when she’s happy, sad, or pissed off. She even uses it when she’s confused. But that word does not define who she is.
Personally, I can’t stand the word. It has no place in my world. However, in her world, it’s just another way of saying “dude”.
Upon publishing Raven’s Seduction, I knew her character would cause a stir. That’s why I issued a warning on the buy page. I’m happy that so many readers related to her on a personal level, despite her verbiage. Many have asked for a story featuring her and Remi. *wicked grin* They are definitely spinning their own tale. We’ll see how it works out.
Courtney has had her eye on the gym’s top fitness instructor for months. He’s popular with the ladies, so she’s only been able to watch him from a distance.
What she doesn’t know is, he’s been watching her too.
Who said going to the gym was a waste of time?
The gym would close soon.
I wanted to stick around and sneak a peek at Chad, like I did on most nights. But he disappeared after his last session ended.
Damn.
For months I’d been watching him, trying to conjure up the nerves to talk to him. To at least say ‘hi’. I couldn’t even give the man eye contact without tucking my tail between my legs and scurrying off like some scared doe.
God, why did you make him so freakin’ sexy!
His dark, slanted eyes, sun-kissed complexion, and not to mention his heart-stopping smile, were something to behold. He was mixed—Caucasian and Asian, maybe. I wasn’t sure, but his features were a combination of something incredibly beautiful.
As expected, Chad was always surrounded by women. They circled him like vultures, strutting around with their perfect bodies shoved in tiny short-shorts and snug sports bras.
Thirsty bitches.
I stepped off of the Elliptical machine and glanced down at my curvy body. Sure, I had a cute face, but the rest of me needed a lot of work. I didn’t stand a chance in hell of being with him, so why the hell was I pining after him? He probably didn’t even know I existed.
A voice came over the intercom. “The gym will be closing in fifteen minutes.”
Plucking the earbuds from my ears, I rushed back to the locker room. It was Friday night, so the place was basically deserted. Since I had fifteen minutes, might as well enjoy a ten minute sock in the hot tub.
I pulled out the bright pink bikini my best friend got me for my birthday. I hate bikinis! They were unforgiving to my little stomach pudge, but it was the only bathing suit I had, so it would have to do.
I bundled my curly fro to the top of my head and pinned it there with a flower clamp. Afterwards, I changed into the bikini, grabbed my towel then padded back to the pool area. As soon as I rounded the wall, I stumbled to a halt. For a second, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It couldn’t be…
Chad!
He was reclined in the hot tub, his head back and eyes closed. The gurgling water kicked up over his exposed flesh, adding a gloss to his gorgeous body.
“Je-sus,” I whimpered.
His head jerked up and eyes flew open. He stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face.
Panic seized my heart, my breathing escalating.
Suddenly, a smile touched his lips. “It’s okay. Come on in.”
Since October is officially over, this will be the last post for the free Halloween read, Crimson Days. However, the story is not over. This is one of those tales that seems to write itself. It was supposed to be no longer than 6 chapters and you see how that worked out. 😀
To those of you who are enjoying the story and desire to see it continue, don’t fret. I’m going to finish it and make it available on various ebook vendors for FREE—Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
Now onto CHAPTER 8 of Crimson Days. 🙂
As you know, this story is being developed and written as I post it. It has not been edited or doctored up.
Comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Before reading CHAPTER 8, make sure to read the first 7 chapters. Links are below.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 8
“Why God?” I murmured, staring at the security screen. Another green dot popped up on the barracks’ aerial diagram. “Why would you bring him back into my life as a vampire? Why couldn’t you drop him in my lap as a… cute kitty are something?”
“‘Cause yeah, I would totally make an adorable kitty,” Roy called from the bedroom’s closet.
Titling my head back, I huffed out a groan. “Shadduuup.”
“No alerts to report from sector one hundred and forty-nine, Officer Winsort,” the com-screen informed.
I took a sip of wine. “Check sector one-fifty.”
“You’re wasting your time,” Roy sung in laughter. “I’m telling you, I was moving too fast. There’s no way the drones could’ve caught me.”
“Hush, vampire boy. I’m trying to concentrate.” The green dots on the screen started to blend together. Soon, they would be nothing but a big green blob. Maybe Roy wasn’t just being cocky. He may have actually evaded them all. Regardless, I’d never been the type of person to rely on maybes.
“Lexi, you should be trying to get some sleep instead of scanning drones. And stop drinking that wine on an empty stomach. That can’t be good for you in your condition.”
Clucking my tongue, I fixed my glare on the closet door at the far side my bedroom. “And what do you know about my condition?”
“I know this war is destroying you mentally, messing with your emotions, and as a result, you’re letting your health deteriorate. You should’ve left this madness years ago.”
I should have, but I didn’t. I wanted to counter his statement with something snippy, but I nibbled on my lower lip instead. He knew me all too well. That was one of the things I used to hate about him.
“No alerts to report from sector one hundred and fifty, Officer Winsort.”
I huffed out a sigh. “Check sector one fifty-one. Hell, check all seven hundred and fifty sectors, including the ones outside the barrier. Don’t report to me until you find an alert.” I linked the pending scan to my wristband then strapped it on my wrist. “Have you healed yet?”
There was a moment of silence before he uttered, “More or less.”
I entered my bedroom, disrobed and searched out a fresh jumpsuit from my dresser drawer. “I need you to be sure, Roy. Lord knows I can’t bear to
ALEXIS
see you all burned up with your skin hanging off again. It’s gross, and damaging to my unbalanced mental state.” Even though I tried, I couldn’t keep a straight face while saying that.
“Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure I’m past the gross stage. But then there’s the thirst…”
Aw shit, this was about to get bad. “Don’t tell me that. I thought the blood from a master vampire replenishes quickly, no matter how much he loses.”
“It does, but that doesn’t mean the thirst subsides.”
“Ugh… dammit! How long can you hold out before you need to feed?”
“A day. Two at the most.”
“Okay-okay. Give me a minute to figure out how I’m gonna get you fed, and more importantly, get you the hell outta here.” I sat on the edge of the bed and slipped the legs of the suit over my ankles and calves. Standing, I pulled the micro-fiber material up my thighs, hips and torso. Once I tugged the zipper up from my crotch to my neck, the inner layer of the suit molded to my body and clung to me like a second skin. The small panel directly under my name badge lit up, indicating it was now ready to monitor my physical status, which of course would be sent to headquarters.
I would love to wear some regular clothing. Something stylish and not so violating. I left my personal wardrobe behind years ago, when I joined the regiment, so I guess I’m stuck with these stupid jumpsuits.
“Don’t bother getting all worked up over this. I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere.”
Releasing an airy giggle, I shook my head. “You should be.” The steps I needed to take to get Roy safely away from the barracks flipped through my mind. I couldn’t try to get him out right away. It would take time. Only, I’m not sure how much time we had. Nevertheless, I had to plan his escape just right, but first thing’s first…
He needed a bath. Badly.
It wasn’t so much the burned skin scent, it was vampy odor that lingered on him. Ugh… Thank God, he wasn’t as nearly as stinky compared to the other demons. At least I could breathe around him without gagging.
I rushed to the bathroom, drained the water I had bathed in earlier, and begin to fill the tub with fresh water. I gathered every bottle of bath oil and scented bubble liquid I could find, and then emptied them all into the tub. Bubbles spilled over the edge and trickled down onto the floor. In no time, my pad smelled like flowers and sunshine.
Armed with my G-four gat, I stood next to the tub. “If you’ve regenerated enough to move, meet me in the bathroom.”
The sound of the closet door sliding open reached my ears. A split second later, Roy whooshed into the bathroom like a spirit. He stood before me, completely rejuvenated into the man I used to know—tall and toned—a porcelain version of his perfect self. Only he was a tad bit beefier than I remembered. Those crystal blue eyes glimmered, his fangs peeked from beneath his parted lips.
My breath hitched. Even as a demon, he was eerily gorgeous.
We stared at each other for the longest, without saying a word. Honestly, I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to. He always stilled my tongue with a mere gaze.
What was left of his clothing dangled from his beautifully masculine physique. Teasing glimpses of his chest, abs and legs enticed me in the most wicked way.
“You’re undressing me with your eyes, Lexi,” he crooned, his voice a breathy whisper flowing over my enflamed nerves. “If you want me naked, just say so.” He took a step towards me.
Still leery of him, I stumbled backwards and nearly fell into the tub.
With a blurred preternatural motion, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pinned me against the wall.
My reaction was swift.
He shot a glance to the left, at my glock’s barrel pointed at his cranium. “You’re clearly not afraid of me, so why do you run?” He leaned in closer. His lips were less than an inch from mine. “Why do you always run?”
The Roy I used to know would never come at me like this. It showed the demon inside ruled his actions, made him impulsive and unpredictable.
“You need to control yourself, Roy,” I said in the steadiest voice I could conjure. “And keep in mind, I have a twitchy trigger finger.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and lifted the black bag gripped in my right hand. “I need what’s left of your clothes to go in this bag, and then I need you to get your ass into that tub.”
“Ahh…” He pulled back with a smirk sliding across his face. “So you do want me naked.”
I sucked my teeth and snorted in annoyance. “Into the water, now.”
“Maybe in about an hour.”
“What?”
“That water is too hot.”
“Oh please! You haven’t even tested it.”
“I don’t need to. I can feel the lava-like heat from here.”
“Stop playing, Roy.”
He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “I just got my skin back and you’re trying to sear it off again?”
“You stink, like… like a vamp!”
“You know there ain’t shit you can do about that, right? You can’t boil the vampirism off me. Just admit it, you’re trying to make vampire soup in that tub?”
“Boooy, if you don’t get your silly ass in that water…”
“You forget I have balls. Big balls, if I must say so myself. Me being a vampire doesn’t make them any less sensitive to hot water. I’d prefer an ice cold bath, if you don’t mind.”
Gritting my teeth, I leveled my gun at him. “I know you can’t help yourself but be a crazy fool. That trait apparently trickled down into your vampire life, which is why I haven’t pulled the trigger, yet. You have two choices here. You can either strip out of those filthy clothes and get in that tub, or, you catch a bullet from this gun. Doesn’t matter to me. I’ll stand here and watch the ultraviolent liquid eat you from the inside out.”
ROY
An almost sadistic smile curled at the corners of his lush lips. “You are sexy as fuck when talk like that.” He ripped the shredded clothes from his muscled torso and tossed it at my feet. With unnatural speed, he discarded his boots, belt and scarf. Sliding his thumbs beneath the waistband of his pants, he cut his seductive gaze at me and whispered, “Watch closely now.” Slowly, very slowly, he pushed the pants down his hips, revealing more of the sexy dip below his belly, which led to his manhood. A curly nest of pubic hair was revealed.
My hands shook, but I kept my gun aimed at him. A wave of heat washed through me. My heartbeat quicken as I watched him intently.
Finally, the shredded fabric dropped to his feet, exposing his nude body.
“Dayum, Roy,” I gasped, doing my best to withstand the quivering in my belly.
I had never laid eyes on his penis before. However, I had a good idea a mighty python hid beneath the crotch of his clothing. But I had no idea he was hiding such a beauty. It was large, no doubt, hanging there between his thighs like a masterpiece.
My mouth watered. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. As I gaped at his member, it grew stiffer and longer. The dark veins bulged under my scrutiny. Have mercy… I licked my lips, wondering what his shaft would feel like gliding over my tongue.
“As you can see, he’s not shy. You shouldn’t be either.”
I lifted my gaze to his face, expecting to see a smug grin, but that wasn’t the expression he presented.
His face was drawn tight in need and sexual tension. “I sense your longing, Lexi. Life is too short to run from your desires. If you want something, don’t be afraid to claim it.”
I almost lost myself. “Dammit, man…” I quickly collected his clothes and shoved them into the bag, trembling as I did so. “Get your ass in that tub,” I grumbled, storming out of the bathroom. I grabbed the empty back sack hanging from the side wall. “I expect you to be clean when I get back.”
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“To get a few things,” I replied without turning to face him. “I won’t be gone long.”
I heard the first foot dip into the water. His scream in bloody murder came swiftly afterwards. “Aw fuck! How the shit do you women take baths in water this fucking hot? Ahhh, motherfucker…!”
I tried not to laugh as I rushed out of my quarters. Being around him was torture, nevertheless sweet torture. In this short span of time, he’d shown me so much of his old self that it was difficult believe he was a vampire. The enemy. However, when he pinned me to the wall with such force, I was quickly reminded of what I was dealing with.
I shook my head in an attempt to clear the image of his stunning naked body and his saluting cock from my mind. It didn’t work. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s not fair, God! It’s not fair for him to be that freaking fine. This must be a test, a test of faith. If I give in to the wicked desires stirring inside me, I’ll be surrendering my soul to the dark side.
I hurried to the maze of basements under the compound, where the incinerator was located. Standing in front of the fire breathing furnace, I fumbled through the clothing in the bag. They were filthy, covered in mud, blood and some other crap I couldn’t make out. It all smelled horrible. Throughout all the soot and damage, I noticed something interesting. These were no cheap threads. They were heavy, made from an expensive material. Even the scarf was woven from the finest silk. Well, what was left of it. There was a symbol stitched onto the sleeve of the jacket, which had been partially burned. I’d seen the symbol before, but I couldn’t remember where or when.
The clack of someone’s approaching footfalls jarred me. I tossed the bag into the mouth of the furnace and quickly left the building. I didn’t want to leave Roy alone too long, but I needed to find him some clothes. Couldn’t put him in a jumpsuit. As soon as the tiny sensors within the suit picked up on his extremely low body temperature and his lack of a pulse, we’d be in trouble.
My thoughts ran on Steve’s secret clothing stash. He never wore them, being that we were all instructed to wear our jumpsuits when we weren’t in uniform.
The sector he lived in was a little over six blocks away. I started to sprint in that direction. I used to jog to his place with no problem, but tonight, it was hard. It felt like my lungs were about to explode. Avoiding the main streets, which were cluttered with fellow knights and droids, I made the journey along the back alleyways. That made the trip longer. When I arrived at Steve’s compound, I leaned against the wall at the rear of the building, gasping for breath.
A few drones zipped over my head then paused briefly to scan me. Didn’t really matter at this point if they caught me on radar. Its better I get scanned outside of Steve’s place, rather than Sanjay’s since the council already knew Steve and I were friends. Though, there was the probation problem… I wasn’t supposed to leave my quarters this late. I’d deal with the repercussions of that later.
The rapid knocking against my chest wouldn’t slow down. I felt hot and woozy. Suddenly, I was covered in sweat. My suit’s read-out panel started to beep and buzz. I tapped it to silence the alarm and then I quietly slipped into the building. I took the short ride on the mobile platform up to the fifth level. By that time, my heart rate had returned to normal. Yet, I still sweated like a pig.
Standing outside Steve’s pad, I could hear the slow jams blaring through the door. I hoped the music would be loud enough to mask the sound of security system announcing my arrival.
I penned in his code.
“Door opening,” the system announced.
I slipped inside and waited to see if Steve would emerge from his room with his gun cocked. A few minutes went by and no one appeared, so I headed deeper into his living quarters. I moved closer to his room.
Moans and groans sailed beneath the music and resonated through the bedroom’s closed door.
Smiling, I snorted. No wonder he didn’t hear me come in. Tony had him thoroughly distracted with sex play. Should’ve known.
I crept into Steve’s pantry and pulled the loose panel from the wall. Behind it was a suitcase. Within that suitcase was a collection of stylish men’s clothing. Yes! I shoved some slacks and shirts, along with a couple of jackets into my back sack.
Hopefully, Steve wouldn’t miss a few articles of worldly clothing.
Once I had my sack filled to capacity, I returned the suitcase to its rightful hiding place. As stealthily as I could, I vacated the premises and made my way back home. Instead of jogging like before, I took a brisk walk. It was all I could muster.
I returned to my quarters and damn near passed out. The enervating heat enveloped me again. Sweat continued to gush from my pores. My head whirled, my breathing escalated. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to dive into my bed and give into slumber, but I had that vampire problem to deal with. “Roy?”
Hanging onto the wall, I made my way to the bathroom. The tub was filled with bubbles, just the way I left it, but there was no Roy.
“Goddammit!” Where the hell is he? If he left, oh my God, they would kill him.
Visions of his brutal death bounced around my mind, sending me into a bout of hyperventilation. My heart raced. I was about to leave the bathroom to scramble through my quarters, hoping to find him hiding somewhere, when out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the bubbles move.
Cautiously, I retrieved my gat from the countertop and approached the tub. “Roy?” I reached in.
A hand shot from the pool of bubbles and latched onto my arm.
I was yanked off my feet and into the tub. I flailed like a fish for a spilt second, then I caught myself. I braced my knees on the floor of the tub, wrapped my hand around his throat and contemplated jamming my glock up his nose. “Goddamn you, Roy!” I bit out on a growl. “You better stop doing that crazy vamp shit. You’re gonna mess around and get your ass shot!”
His hand slipped around to the small of my back. He moved up the tub, pulling me with him. I hadn’t realized I was straddling him until that moment. The length of his erect shaft pressed hard against my pussy, making me shudder.
His head emerged from a clearing in the bubbles. Darkened by the water, his hair clung to his head and dangling over his brow. His eyes were gleaming, fangs exposed. “Do you know what the worst part about being a vampire is?” He swiped a few dreads from over my temple. “Everything is intensified. Everything. Your senses, your emotions… When you’re stabbed, you feel it in your soul. When you’re sad, it feels like your whole world is crumbling around you. And when you’re secretly in love someone, you can’t hide it. No matter how hard you try.”
Spoken both out loud and telepathically, his words sailed along my mind as an echo. His voice wooed me, his body aroused me. It was difficult to withstand the pleasurable sensation of his beefy member pressing against my slit. The fabric separating our genitals did nothing to calm the fire raging within me. A heady wooziness accompanied that fiery desire.
His fingers trailed over the base of my neck and shoulder. “It was the scent of your blood that drew me from the grave three years ago. How sweet it was.” He pulled the gun from my grip and tossed it on the bathroom floor.
I allowed him to disarm me, without the least bit of resistance.
“I’d trapped myself within the deepest crypt in Paris to keep the demon inside from hurting you, from wanting you. You weren’t supposed to see me like this, but once I sensed your blood, I couldn’t stay away.” He licked his lips as he pulled the zipper tab of my jumpsuit down.
My breasts popped out from the opening, eager to greet him.
“I don’t know how to separate it—my physical need to be with you and the demonic bloodlust I’m damned with.” His fangs lengthened, his eyes darkened. “How? Tell me how to do it, Lexi.”
Squeezing his neck, I leaned in closer to him. “Can’t help you there. Maybe you should’ve tried harder to stay away.” Helplessly, I grinded my crotch against his deliciously erect cock. Quivers cascaded through me.
A wicked smile crossed his face. “So you do want me to take you.”
“I’ve always wanted you to,” I confessed on a drawl. “I felt wrong for wanting you the way I do. I still feel wrong, but I can’t help it anymore. Why?” My vision became hazy. It was hard to breathe, hard to keep my eyes open. “Are you… are you using dark magic on me?”
“Manipulate your emotions?” His brow furrowed. “You think I would do that to you? You think I would need to do that to you?”
“Cooockyyy,” I slurred on a breathless giggle.
“Lexi, if I take you now, I won’t be able to stop. I will consume every bit of you in monstrous passion; your body, your mind and your soul. I would absorb the very essence of you and I would hate myself afterwards.” He slipped hand around the nape of my neck and froze. His eyes grew large as the vampiric gleam died. “Holy shit, Lexi! This is not just heated lust, you’re burning the hell up. You have a dangerously high fever.”
“Totally your fault.” Stripped of my energy, I slumped against him. Our lips met as his arms encased me.
“Lexi baby, if I don’t help you, this fever is going to kill you.” Panic replaced the sexy croon in his voice.
“Better a fever… than a war. Better you… than anyone else.”
“Shut up, girl. You really know how to ruin the mood.”
My body rose from the water. Cool air washed over me.
“There’s gonna be a night when you will throw yourself at me and I’ll gladly take you, but not like this. I need you healthy if you are to be my queen. Now, sleep.”
Darkness flooded my mind and washed my vision away as I willingly surrendered to the black void.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 6
Fifteen minutes later, I sat in the tub filled with hot water and rose-scented bubbles. It was soothing, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop my tears from falling. I had moved onto my second glass of wine and I wasn’t the least bit tipsy. I stared at the crimson liquid pooled at the bottom of the glass, wondering if I just should’ve brought the bottle into the bathroom with me.
Soft soulful music wafted through the air. It blocked out the sounds of the hovercrafts whirring above my building.
Slouched in the tub, I rested my head on the edge and closed my eyes. I tried to think of anything but the recent events. Despite my efforts, the last ten hours shuffled through my mind like broken film strips. There was no escaping it.
Tilting my head back, I quaffed the rest of the wine.
A chime sounded from the unseen speaker above, indicating a video call.
“Ignore,” I groaned.
The chiming stopped for a few seconds, then started up again.
“Ignore!”
Like before, it stopped, only to start up again. It almost sounded like it was getting louder.
I gritted out a scream. “For God’s sake, who is it?”
“Officer Steve Rial desires to speak with you,” the disembodied voice informed.
“Oh hell no.” After he betrayed me, he had the nerve to call? I didn’t want to speak to him, I didn’t even want to see his face, but I found myself taking the call anyway. “Answer,” I grumbled.
A large screen emerged from the back wall. Seconds later, I was staring at Steve’s grinning face.
“The fuck you want, Steve?” I sunk deeper into the water, making sure the bubbles covered my full breasts. Not that I needed to. I’m sure Steve wasn’t aroused by any of my womanly assets, being that he preferred to gawk at male anatomy.
He chuckled. “Come on, Alex. Don’t be like that.”
“Don’t be like that?” I cocked my head. “You sold me out to the council! I have every reason to be like that! I shouldn’t have even answered your call.”
Inner pain softened his eyes. “I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I was under oath…”
“Oh please bruh, don’t give me that crap. You always have a choice!”
STEVE
“They know we’re friends, Alex. So they linked me to the Bellrum before they started questioning me. I couldn’t twist the truth even if I wanted to while hooked up to that thing.”
I fell silent. No one could beat the Bellrum. It wasn’t an average truth machine. It not only monitored your heart rate during questioning, but your brain waves as well. If you even tried to think of a lie, the machine would pick up on it.
“I’m sorry, Steve,” I breathed out. “This whole ordeal got me all fucked up and angry.”
Guilt spread across his face. “No, I’m the one who should be apologizing. Because of me, they issued you a droid. I know how you feel about those things. I wanted to warn the council about it, but I had already put my foot in my mouth more times than I care to mention, so I remained quiet on the issue. I knew as soon as you saw that thing, you were gonna freak out.”
Freak out was a huge understatement. “Don’t worry about it. None of this is your fault. I’m the one who went rogue without warning.”
“Oh, you gave warnings alright. We just weren’t paying attention to them until now.” His brow suddenly furrowed with worry.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to ask you something. Earlier, on site, when you said you heard someone say your name and touch you…”
The mention of it made me stiffen. Why would he bring that up? “I’m pretty sure I was imaging things,” I offered nervously.
Steve shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that, Alex.”
I jerked upright in the tub, sloshing water onto the floor. My heartbeat quickened out of anxiousness. “Why do you say that?”
He opened his mouth to speak then shook his head. “Naw, don’t worry about it. It’s classified stuff.”
“No-no-noo, you don’t get to say classified to me after mentioning that. What’s going on?”
He heaved out a sigh as he settled back in his seat. “The drones picked up some odd readings on site. I thought maybe it was a malfunction because there were so many vampires congregated in one area. That happens sometimes, but the readings… I don’t know what to think of this.”
“Well you’re thinking something, and I need to know what that something is.”
“Have you heard it?”
“Heard what?”
“The voice again?”
I didn’t answer. I just stared at the screen, baffled and frightened at what Steve’s questions meant. “Are you asking this to report back to the council, or…?”
“I’m asking because I need to know. You know what though? You don’t have to say anything. The look on your face says it all.” He leaned in closer to the screen. “I have to come and see you. We need to talk.”
An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. “Now?”
Steve suddenly pulled back and looked to his right. “Hey, what’s up, Tony.”
“Who’re you talking to, honey?” Steve’s lover walked into the view of the screen. He crouched down and waved at me. “Oh heeey, Alex!” His light grey eyes shimmered in mannish appraisal. “Ooo girl, those tit-teys are looking YUMMY.”
Whereas Steve was not lured by womanly assets, his boyfriend on the other hand, ogled me every chance he got.
ALEXIS
Heat soared to my face. I slapped my hands over my breasts and sunk back into the bubbly water. “Hey, Tony,” I murmured.
Steve shoved Tony out of the way and pinned him with a silent death glare.
Tony threw his hands up and laughed. “Don’t get mad at me. If the boobies are out, I’m gonna look.”
“Get out of here,” Steve grumbled. When the room was clear, he turned his attention back to me. “I can’t leave while Tony’s here, so look for me tomorrow. I’ll come by after your appointment with Dr. Chambers.”
The prickles running down my spine increased. “Wait, Steve. Are you going to at least give me a hint on what’s going on? I’ve never been this freaking nervous in my life.”
He slid his fingers across the screen. “I’m sending you some files on an incident that happened six years ago.” A document popped up on the screen’s right hand side. “Read them over carefully, then tomorrow we’ll talk.” He disconnected, and his face vanished leaving nothing but the file in view.
I made an attempt to read it, but I couldn’t focus on the words. I couldn’t focus on anything except the troubled expression Steve wore when he asked me had I heard the voice again.
What the hell does it all mean? Why is it happening to me? And why is he making me wait until tomorrow?
I settled against the tub’s back rest when a sound from my bedroom jolted me—a scraping noise, the sound of metal meeting metal.
Grabbing the stake-shooter I had resting at the foot of the tub, I lunged out of the water. I snatched my bathrobe from the side hook and quickly slipped it over my body. A wet trail was left in my wake as I crept into my bedroom.
I paused and listened.
Seconds later, the scraping noise sounded again. It came from my closet. It was the sound the hanger’s metal hook made when it was sliding across the metal rod. A deep masculine groan accompanied it.
What the hell…? Who’s hiding in my closet?
My mind raced. It couldn’t be Sanjay. I watched him walk out of here. Then suddenly I remembered a report I read earlier this week, about a group of male Cross knights sexually assaulting female soldiers.
Anger washed my panic away. I figured there wasn’t a knight stupid enough to try me like that. Maybe I was wrong. Nevertheless, he was about to get more than he bargained for.
Cocking my shooter upright, I moved closer to the closet door. I penned in the desired code for entrance, but the door wouldn’t budge. Dammit! Had the council restricted me access to my closet? Really? What’s the point in that?
Assholes!
A red light blinked at the top right corner of the door. I pressed it and the panel became transparent, displaying the dark space behind it. The infrared kicked in and exposed something that made my heart shudder to a stop.
Crouched in the corner of my closet was a figure. The infrared outline the form. In normal conditions, the figure would present a red glow, indicating the presence of a human being. But to my horror, this form was highlighted in bright blue, signifying the walking dead.
For a long moment, I stared in shock.
How the hell is this possible? A vampire shouldn’t have made it past the first layer of defense. Furthermore, the alarms should be ringing out of control.
My first thought was to alert Sanjay and Steve of a security breach and request their assistance. But I thought better of it. This vampire broke into my pad, which meant he was my responsibility, and my prey.
He was about to be one dead vampire.
My building was on the outskirts of the barracks, miles from the entrance. If he got past the effects of UV dome and still made it this far, then he had to be pretty damn strong.
First order of business; get the vampire out of my closet. To do that, I needed more than a stake-shooter.
I rushed to my cache. The second I stepped in front of the retina scanner, I knew it would deny me access. But I tried anyway. When the panel refused to open, I kicked the bottom of it in anger, and then I hurried to the kitchen. I dropped to my knees and pulled the box of backup weapons from the bottom of the pantry.
Thankfully, I wasn’t one of those knights who kept all of their weapons in the same place.
After I strapped my stake-shooter over my shoulder, I grabbed a UV bomb. I marched back into my bedroom on kill mode. I knew if I put in my code, the closet wouldn’t open, but if I penned in Sanjay’s code…
The keypad next to the door beeped, signifying access. As soon as the door slid to the right and I had an inch of an opening, I tossed in the live UV bomb. A burst of ultraviolent light emerged from the dark space.
A throaty howl followed.
Gotcha, demon! Once the door had completely disappeared into the wall, I stepped into the entrance and launched two stakes.
Pop, pop.
Both strikes hit him. Couldn’t mistake the sound of the pointed tips piercing flesh. Where they struck him was a mystery to me.
Even though he was wounded, he kept moving. He was but a mere blur, whipping around my closet like a hurricane. The bomb continued to release bursts of light in rapid sequences. His skin sizzled under the deadly rays, leaving wisps of smoke trailing behind him.
My closest soon became a vapor filled space.
Stake shooter leveled, I tracked him with my eyes, waiting for a clear shot to his heart, or his head.
He seemed to be keeping his distance from me. Clearly, he wasn’t really trying to flee. Though fleeing was out of the question, considering I was blocking his path out. Sure, he could shove me out of the way and make a run for it, but not without suffering a stake to the heart.
When his movement slowed, I popped off another shot. Moving supernaturally fast, he caught the stake in midair, and then just as swiftly, he kicked the UV device out of the closet.
I ducked, allowing the bomb to fly over my head, then launched a fourth stake at him.
The strike pierced his shoulder as he barreled toward me head on.
I fell back.
He lunged on top of me and knocked the shooter from my hands.
I brought my elbow up and clipped him in the jaw. While swinging at him, I reached for my weapon with my free hand. The shooter was inches from my fingers.
He leapt back, grabbed my ankles and dragged me into the closet before I could slip my hand around the grip of the shooter.
The door slid shut, blocking out the bomb’s flashing UV light. All too soon, darkness consumed the space.
Even though I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, I knew where everything was located. I scrambled over to the box hidden under my shoe rack and extracted my short blade. The metal cried out with a sharp ching when I snatched it from its sheath. I got in position to attack with one knee to the ground, prepared to take his head. Patiently, I waited for the smallest sound from the creature I was trapped in the closet with.
My heavy panting, along with the rapid pounding beneath my chest, mingled with the stillness around me.
The vampire was smart to remain silent, since sound was my only way to locate him. Tricky bastard. He could be right next to me and I wouldn’t know until he attacked, but that wouldn’t hinder my resolve. I would kill him, or die trying.
A pair of glowing blue eyes emerged from the darkness. A chesty chuckle followed. “Lexi…”
I sprung forward toward the voice. My wrist was caught in mid-swung, but my blade tasted vampire flesh. I was shoved onto my back.
A weight fell on top of me. Strong thighs straddled my hips.
I punched him in his jaw with my free hand.
He grabbed my other wrist as I struck him and then pinned both my hands above my head. “Whooo girl, I knew you were a fighter back in the day…” His familiar husky timbre drifted over me, chilling my face. “But I had no idea you were a bonafide badass.”
That voice… Oh my God! Tears welled in my eyes as I began to sob. I knew it! I knew it was him earlier on site when he said my name, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I silently prayed that I was delusional, that the man of my past dreams was not contacting me like a master vampire would.
“Roy!” I cried out. “God, no. Nooo…”
“You missed me that badly, ay?” His fangy smile gleamed through the darkness. “Yeah, well, I missed you too, Lexi.”
Like I stated in the other posts, this story is being developed and written as I post it. It has not been edited or doctored up. What you see here is a rough draft of my thoughts. I hope you like it.
Comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Before reading CHAPTER 5, make sure to read the first 4 chapters. Links are below.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 5
I only had a few moments to gather my wits before Sanjay would come barging in here, seething in anger. I could almost imagine him pacing in the corridor, punching the palm of his hand, as he thought of the best way to scold me. It would most likely be with rough sex.
I tossed the oil soaked bat on the floor, quickly retrieved my glass of wine and headed for the bathroom.
All of a sudden, that odd sensation hit me again—the same sensation that came over me on the battlefield. Standing in the middle of the bathroom, staring at my reflection, I froze.
The air thickened. A mist seeped in from the walls, as well as the ceiling, and surrounded me. That unearthly vampiric scent reached my senses, but it was nowhere near to being as rank as the stench on the battlefield.
A strong presence manifested behind me.
Goosebumps bubbled up on the surface of my skin. I closed my eyes and stood perfectly still, afraid to breathe, afraid to move.
This presence… It couldn’t be a vampire. There were two thick UV domes protecting the barracks. There was no way in hell a vampire would be able get in here. And if one did, the alarms would be going berserk right about now.
So what is it?
A hand slipped into mine, fingers intertwined. An arm looped around my waist as a ghostly body pressed against my back. The entity’s icy breath teased the nape of my neck, sending tremors down my body. “Lexi.”
I opened my eyes. In the mirror, I saw the reflection of a figure forming in the mist, standing right behind me. “Why are you haunting me?”
“Isn’t it obvious,” it responded on a whisper. “I hate to see you unhappy.”
My lips quivered, my hands shook. I knew this sweet whisper, because I’d heard it many times before in the past. I shook my head. “No, noo. You’re playing games with my mind. Who are you?”
It chuckled. “As if you don’t know.”
“Alexis! What the fuck…?” Sanjay boomed.
I spun around.
The haze separated and dissipated as Sanjay stormed into the bathroom, ripping the armor from his chest. The metal padding hit the concrete floor with a loud echoic clack.
I scuttled backwards away from him until my backside met the edge of the counter.
He closed the distance between us and grasped the sides of my face with his large hands. Our noses were a mere inch apart. “Why the hell did you do that?”
My eyes danced, my nerves quivered. I couldn’t think, couldn’t speak. The presence had vanished, but the uneasiness flittering in my belly lingered. Violent shudders ripped through me as my breathing escalated.
I couldn’t mention the presence to Sanjay. He wouldn’t understand. It would only confirm his suspicion that I indeed suffered from a mental imbalance.
“Alexis, look at me. Why? Why’d you do that, in front of high ranking officials of all people?”
My momentary panic drifted away. His question irritated me. Most people who were personally affiliated with me knew I didn’t do anything that radical without a major purpose behind it. I expected the man who’d spent so much time with me during the last three years would be the first to know.
Maybe I expected too much.
I glared into his dark eyes. “Why ask a crazy person such a rational question?”
He rested his forehead on mine. “Babe, you’re not crazy, I know that. But it’s hard to convince the council you’re sane when you’re beating the shit out of androids with spiked metal bats.”
“It was either you or the droid.”
ALEXIS
Chuckling, he pressed his muscled body against mine. He fisted my hair and pulled my head back. “Goddammit, woman. You make my job so fucking hard.”
Consumed by anger and lust, I wrapped my legs around his waist and bucked my hips against him. “That’s not the only thing I make hard.”
He latched onto my lips with a heated kiss and eagerly shoved his tongue into my mouth. Tangling my fingers in his hair, I returned his aggressive affection.
Even though I was majorly pissed at him, I needed this kiss. It infected my mind with thoughts of rough, uninhibited sex. I preferred the erotic mindlessness. It chased away the visions of the recent events and the unexplained phenomenon earlier.
He gripped my panties at the hip and snatched them off me with one hard yank.
I gasped and giggled in pleasure. In response, I ripped his uniform shirt open and sent the buttons flying in every direction.
He slipped his hand beneath my sheer top and grasped my breast. His thumb and forefinger tugged and tweaked my nipple.
I moaned and arched against him, loving the feel of his rough touch. Turned on to the point of insanity, I pushed my hand between our bodies and palmed his erection. “Gimme this dick, boy.”
Releasing a breathy groan, he shuddered. “Damn, babe.”
When I pulled the zipper tab down, his hardened cock emerged from the pants’ opening. I wrapped my fingers around it and squeezed, causing his hips to jerk. I began to stroke his shaft, caressing it from the base to the tip.
Without breaking the kiss, he pushed me further back on the counter. The cold surface chilled the back of my thighs and my ass. He looped his arm under my right leg and hugged it against his chest. His bulbous cockhead found my wet opening and surged deep inside of me with a punishing force.
Our groins met hard and fast.
Restraining a scream, I bit down his bottom lip, damn near drawing blood.
He slowly pulled his hips back and then slammed forward again, grinding our pelvises together.
Pain and pleasure washed over me, and I liked it.
Sanjay fed me his soft moans as he rocked my body into a back-straining love-making session. I moved with him in a see-sawing motion, rolling my hips on every inward plunge.
Our pace quickened as we climbed toward that sweet plateau together. Sweat coated our bodies. Our kissing became downright animalistic—biting, sucking and licking.
Swirling pressure rose in my core and sent electrical pulses spiraling toward my clit and nipples. Releasing breathy moans, I looped my arms around his neck and grounded our bodies together.
The orgasm hit like a thrashing storm. I gasped and arched against him as the warmth tunneled through me.
Letting out a teeth-gritting cry, Sanjay gripped my thighs so hard it hurt. “Alexis!” Trembling, he slumped against me, pressing my back into the mirror, and buried his face in the crook of my neck.
We stayed in that position, breathing heavily, for several long moments. It took a while for us to come down from the erotic high.
Still lodged deeply inside of me, his manhood throbbed. It had lost some of its stiffness. Though, I’m sure all I had to do was wiggle a little and he would be ready to go again.
Smashed against the mirror with his heavy body resting on me like this was anything but comfortable. Nevertheless, I cherished the physical contact. When we were together like this, it was the only time I could feel him. I mean really feel him—his heartbeat, the warmth of his body, the core of his emotions…
I lost my fingers in his dark hair and massaged his scalp. “Sanjay?”
“Yeah, babe,” he mumbled, his breath hot and steamy on my neck.
“Take me away from here.”
He lifted his head to look at me. His eyes were glazy but focused. “Alright then.” He slipped his hands under my butt. “To the bedroom we go.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” I palmed the sides of his face and kissed him tenderly. “Take me to a place where you and I can be together freely, where we can make love when the feeling strikes without worrying about others finding out, where there’s no blood and war, where there’s no federation to dictate our lives… Just take me anywhere but here, Sanjay. Please, baby.”
SANJAY
The faintest smile curved his lips. He gently grasped my wrists and pulled my hands down from his face. “The council isn’t going to turn a blind eye to this incident.” He stepped back slowly, allowing his shaft to pull out of my body. His length glistened in my essence.
My pussy muscles quivered, yearning to be filled again.
“I’ll do what I can to keep their leniency in your favor. I’ll also see if I can get them to drop the order for an android.” Chuckling, he shoved his penis back into the slit in his pants. “Seeing as how you destroyed the one they issued you today, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Somewhat stunned, I glared at him. Did he just ignore me? And worst yet, did he block my heartfelt plea with comments about the council? “Are you fucking kidding me?” I shoved him in the chest, making him stumble backwards, and hopped off the counter. Suppressing tears, I snatched my torn panties up from the floor and tossed them in the trash. “I can’t believe you.”
“Babe, come here.” He tried to hug me.
I jerked away from him and laughed. “My God, I am so stupid. I actually thought you would at least consider choosing me over the federation. I would’ve settled for a I’ll think about it, babe. But I’m not even worth that, am I?”
“Alexis, please don’t do this.” He huffed out a sigh, like he was tired of my gripes, and then he had the nerve to reach out for me. “You are everything to me. You know that.”
With hot tears stinging my eyes, I smacked his hand away. “Let me ask you something. Did you fight for me? Did you even speak up for the woman you claim is everything to you? Or did you let them believe that I was just another random soldier who fucked up under your watch?”
He dragged his hand over his face and pushed out drawn out groan. “Alexis, that’s not how it is.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he leaned against the bathroom wall. “I can’t just leave the federation when they need me. We are in the middle of a war. If I run away from that, I’ll never forgive myself.”
But what about me?What about US?
I opened my mouth to speak but shook my head instead. What’s the use in baring my soul when nothing I said had any effect on him? I turned my back to him and gathered my bath essentials. I had so much I wanted to say, but voicing my thoughts would be like beating a dead horse. His position was clear and it wouldn’t change.
Avoiding the need to look at him, I pushed the button on the side of the tub to cork the drain and then I turned on the water. I sniffed to hold back the tears, but they broke free and trickled down my face.
“Babe, please don’t cry.” I felt the heat of his body as he stood directly behind me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and rubbed them down my naked arms. “You know I love you.”
Those words used to turn me into mush, because at the time all I needed was for him to say it, but now I needed more. I needed something he wasn’t willing to give me.
“Love me?” I turned to face him, presenting a forced smile. “Let’s not fool each other, Sanjay. You don’t love me, the waitress you met at the diner. You love what I’ve become, you love what you’ve turned me into. A warrior, a knight for the cause… What you fail to realize is every time I’m on that battlefield, I lose a piece of myself. Hell, maybe you do know, you just don’t care.” I paused to swipe the tears from my face. “I can’t fight this war and fight for the life I deserve too. It’s too much. From here on out, I’m not gonna hope and pray for this relationship to go any further than this. I’m done.” He opened his mouth to speak and I put my hand up for silence. “Don’t… you’ve said enough. And so have I. I want you to leave.”
“Alexis…”
I leveled a finger toward the exit. “Get out.”
A shocked expression crossed his face. I’d never kicked him out before. Arguments like this always led to more sex. But not tonight. I wasn’t just blowing words in the wind when I said I’m done. I meant it. I hope he realized that.
He quietly gathered himself, zipped his pants and straightened his uniform the best he could, given his shirt’s buttons were missing. Before he stepped out of the bathroom, he grabbed his armor. For a long moment, he stood at the door with his back to me. “They will most likely restrict your access to your cache. It’ll be a good idea to secure a few weapons before that happens.” With that said, he left.
An eerie sensation lingered in the air.
I knew the battle between us was far from over. I may not privy to every single thing there was to know about him, but I did know one thing for sure. Sanjay wasn’t going to let me walk away from him without a fight.
To reiterate the statement from my last post, this story is being developed and written as I post it, so it hasn’t been edited or doctored up. I’m literally giving it to you how it comes to me.
Comments are welcomed!
Enjoy!
Before reading CHAPTER 3, make sure to read CHAPTER 1 and CHAPTER 2. Links are below.
**WARNING: Not suitable for the faint of heart, prudes or those easily bothered by strong and vulgar language, graphic descriptions, urban dialect, blood-lusting hotties, kickass female warriors, sword-wielding bad asses, dark smutty sex and extreme violence.**
CRIMSON DAYS
**dystopian sci-fi, paranormal, erotic and interracial romance**
Chapter 3
Piles of dead bodies covered the open field.
Stunned speechless, I watched my fellow knights systematically drag vampires from the sewer passageways and stake them to the ground, forcing them to suffer daylight. The trees in the area had been trimmed away so there would be nothing obstructing the sun’s deadly rays. There had to be more than a hundred dying demons spread out over the field, and more deceased ones heaped in piles along the perimeter.
As the sun baked their flesh, the seared skin peeled off, fluttered into the air and disintegrated into dust, creating the miasma that poisoned the atmosphere.
Some creatures clawed and fought to stay underground. Those who put up a fight swiftly met their end, by means of a silver blade or UV bullets. Men, women and children alike, festered away in screaming pain.
Several knights approached the demons with large mallets and machetes. Heads were severed or smashed into bloody messes.
Lifting his mallet in the air, a bulky knight stood over a young pale-faced boy.
The boy screamed at the top of his lungs. “No! Please…!” He looked my way and reached out for me. “Please, help me!”
The pain in his eyes tore at my heart. I’d never seen a child vamp before.
His fangs were small, though I’m sure they were no less lethal. Beneath an expression stricken with fear, his face was a picture of pure innocence. Drawn into the dark life against his will, he would never grow up, or have his first kiss. Where he lay, staked to the earth, was his death bed.
I took a step forward, just as the knight brought the mallet down on his face, crushing his skull, cutting his piercing cry short. I gasped and sucked back tears.
Without the least bit of remorse on his face, the soldier moved onto the next vampire, who unfortunately was also a child. It wasn’t bad enough they were frying them in the daylight sun, they had to bash their heads in too.
“Get a fire going!” one of the knights from the other squads hollered out. “The bodies are piling up. Let’s burn these sonsabitches.”
The sickening sensation in my belly grew, almost to the point where I wanted to vomit. “Who are the monsters here? Them or us?”
The knights near me whipped their eyes in my direction. My question also garnered the attention of the commanding officer, Commander Cannon.
He wore a permanent scowl, one that tarnished his otherwise handsome features. His bright golden eyes narrowed. “Are you opposed to this mission, Officer Winsort?”
Clive Owens as Commander Cannon
I didn’t answer. I just held his golden glare, doing my best not to let my razor tongue fly.
“Knights, your orders are clear,” he said in a demanding tone, directing his words to the whole squad. “There are hundreds of hostiles hiding out in those sewers. They have burrowed deep within. As you can see, the first squadrons called to the site are in the process of extracting the hostiles closer to the surface. Your job is to enter the underground maze, hunt them down and exterminate with extreme prejudice. Any target that makes it pass this squadron will meet the knights above and be taken care of. Those are your orders. They are to be carried out before nightfall.” With his directive lingering in the air, he pivoted on his heels in a robotic motion and marched over to where the other head officers convened.
I never liked that man. In his presence, I got the major hibbie jibbies. There’s something off about him, something not quite… human.
My fellow knights rushed off to fulfill their duty, but I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the patch of bloody dirt I stood on. Hunting vampires who attacked me was one thing, but going after them like this… women and children, people I know… “This isn’t right.”
At my side, Steve tugged on my hand. “Alex…?”
“I’m not doing this.”
“Alex, we have to follow orders.”
“This is a monstrous act, a massacre.” I snatched my hand away from him and shook my head. “I’m not doing this shit,” I voiced a little louder.
Sanjay was several feet from me, heading toward the sewers with the others, but when he heard me, he spun around. “What’d you say?” Before I knew it, he was in my face. “Tell me I did not just hear you refuse to carry out a direct order.”
“You heard right. I’m going back to the ship.” I turned to walk away.
Sanjay grabbed my arm in a biting grip. “Alexis…”
In a flash, I had my hand wrapped around my gat with the barrel pressed into his stomach.
A smirk curved his plush lips as his dark eyes glimmered in amusement. “You’re gonna shoot me, babe? Your superior officer?”
“If you don’t get your goddamn hand off of me, I just might.”
Seconds of fraught silence hovered between us before he said, “You know what? I don’t get you.”
“Really? What’s new?” I countered snidely.
“You kill vampires on a daily basis, skillfully, without batting an eyelash, but this is a problem for you.”
“This is not what I signed on for. I’m not about to start slaughtering children.”
“They’re not children, Alexis. They’re demons.”
“You’re the demon!” I shot back on a hiss. “And if I cross this line with you, I’ll be a demon too.”
The smirk drifted from his lips and gave way to a teeth clenching frown. “If you back out on this, you’ll have to answer to the commanding officer, and I won’t be able to protect you.”
I jerked my arm from his clutches. “You and the commanding officer can kiss my ass. I refuse to let you strip me of my humanity.”
For the first time, Sanjay glared down at me with hate-driven anger in his eyes. I’d only seen him offer vampires that look. “Then that’s going to pose a big fucking problem for you.”
“Uhhhmmm, let’s take a deep breath, guys, and try a different approach.” Facing Sanjay, Steve sidled in between us to push us apart. “I have a solution for this problem that you may want to hear. We can run a perimeter sweep.”
Eyes still locked on mine, Sanjay muttered, “What?”
“Some of the vamps are liable to pass this point. Like earlier. With me and Alex running the perimeter we can make sure none of them flee into nearby town to infect more people.” Steve shot a glance over his shoulder at me. “Good idea? Right, Alex?”
I clucked my tongue, whirled on my heels and stalked away from them. “Whateva.”
Still clutching my pistol, I trekked deeper into the forest, away from the carnage and the light. There were shadows all around me, cast by the large trees and their branches. The haze from the dead vamps loomed in the area and thickened around my feet, yet I continued to move forward.
Steve lumbered behind me, quietly.
I appreciated his silence, but it didn’t help calm the rage boiling within me. “Children, Steve… Children! What the hell have we become?”
“I know. It’s fucked up,” Steve said, keeping his distance. “Try to cool off, ma. You can’t have another run in like that with your superior officer, even if he’s your boyfriend.”
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t clear my mind of the horrific actions I’d witnessed. I saw the mallet slamming down onto the child’s head over and over again, like a motion picture on playback. His eyes bulged, his blood and brain matter splattered over the ground, his skull crushed…
My eyes stung, my chest tightened. It was a devastating vision, one I wouldn’t soon forget.
I stopped and lifted my head. Suddenly, I had that feeling again—the feeling like I was being watched, and it wasn’t by Steve. I heard soft breathing close to me, like someone was standing right beside me, but no one was there, aside from the looming darkness. The presence…
“Lexi,” whispered a haunting voice from the shadows.
An icy chill darted down my spine.
“Lexi, please don’t be sad.”
Something brushed across my cheek. Leveling my gat, I swung around.
Caught in my gun’s path, Steve jumped back and threw his hands in the air. “Hey-hey now! Take your anger out on the vamps and your man, but not me.”
“Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Brow quirked, Steve reached over his shoulder and grabbed his sword’s hilt. “I don’t sense anything.”
If the bloodhound didn’t pick up on a threat in the area, then I had to be spazzing out over nothing. Right? If so, why couldn’t I shake this feeling?
“Why am I the only one feeling this and hearing voices?” I grumbled frustratingly.
“Sure it’s not in your head?”
I cut a glare at him.
He shrugged. “Just sayin’, nothing gets past my senses. Nothing.”
Whipping my sights from the left to right, I eyed the roaming patches of darkness that seemed to gradually close in around me. “I could’ve sworn I heard someone call out to me, and… and touch my face.” I took a shuffling step backwards. “Earlier, there was this presence—” The ground suddenly fell out from under my feet.
Steve lunged forward and caught my hand before the earth could swallow me whole.
“What the hell…?” I regained my footing as I stared down at the fog covered crater in the ground. “What is this?” It was hard to make out.
“Looks like a hole. A big one. Let’s see how deep it is.” Steve plucked a radar sphere from his holster.
The device leapt from his palm, fell the short distance then hovered over the indention. It sprouted blue laser-like beams, making it look like a miniature disco ball. Once the rays were done whipping about, it let out three beeps.
He read the results registering across the screen on the forearm of his armor. “This hole is almost eight feet long and four feet deep with claw marks etched in the dirt. Looks we found ourselves a fresh grave.”
So not all the vampires sought refuge in the underground sewers. Smart move. “Not a surprise. This is the perfect spot, a lot of shading, very little light. Wonder how many more we’ll find out here.” I couldn’t stop myself from peering around cautiously. I wanted to believe I’d been hearing things earlier, but I had a gut feeling I wasn’t.
“Good thing I suggested a sweep, ay.” Steve slid his fingers across the screen on his forearm. “I’m deploying a few droids to assist us. I think we should move this sweep further out…”
“Lexi…” The ghostly whispers echoed across my mind like a sweet caress, blotting out Steve’s voice. “Leeexi.”
I shook my head and pulled my mask off. The tainted air immediately assaulted me, making me want to gag.
“Alex, you hear me?” Steve asked.
“Yeah—yeah, you said something about deploying droids,” I muttered absentmindedly. With my thoughts drifting a million miles away, I headed for the ship.
“Where are you going?”
“To get my tranq rifle. Any kid vamps come across this area, I’m putting them to sleep and then turning them over to the CRF.” At least the Cross Research Facility wouldn’t kill them, but study them instead. Rather that, than getting baked in the sun and getting their heads bashed in.
“Ahh hell, Alex,” he groaned. “You shouldn’t have told me that. Now I’m an accomplice to your treasonous plan.”
The phantom voice… He called me Lexi. Why Lexi? There was only one man who addressed me by that nickname, and he disappeared well over ten years ago.
“Please don’t let it be him,” I whispered as I moved deeper into the shadows.
