I made my decision in a split second and went after Belinda instead. She was the bigger threat. Belinda knew the names of my team. She knew intimate details about the workings of Don’s organization, and she’d had enough experience being trapped by the security system in the compound to give detailed descriptions to anyone who might be crazy enough to try to breach it. There was no way I could let her repeat any of that.
I ran as fast as I could, quickly catching up to Tate and Juan. Up ahead, I couldn’t see Belinda, but I could hear where she’d been by squealing brakes and exclamations from people as she crossed what must have been a busy intersection.
“Get the car,” I gasped out to Tate, darting past him. “Track me!”
I had a transmitter in my beeper, and by car, they could follow faster. Plus handle any police, if it came to that. There were more tires screeching and I headed in that direction, bursting through an intersection and catching a glimpse of Belinda right before she darted down a side street. Oh no you don’t, I thought.
I put more effort into it, wishing my ribs didn’t feel like they were breaking with every step. Inside I was praying that Belinda didn’t dash into someone’s home and try to get a hostage, but maybe she’d seen and heard enough about me and the team to know that wouldn’t work in her favor. No, she just ran like hell, and I was cursing her even as I kept up.
Belinda leapt over a fence without even a pause in her stride. At least she wasn’t a Master vampire who could fly; I’d be screwed then. I took the fence almost as quickly as she had, but the gash it gave me when a jagged edge of metal scored my leg didn’t heal instantly, as it did for her. There were days when I envied undead healing abilities. Just not enough to turn myself fully into a vampire to get them.
When I gained on her enough to take the chance, I threw my knives. I only had two of them left, so these had to count. The blades landed in the right area in Belinda’s back, making her stagger, but she didn’t go down. Dammit, I missed her heart! My accuracy while running full-out over uneven ground with a weaving target wasn’t nearly what it was if we’d been in close quarters while I was stationary. Note to self: Work on knife-throwing skills while in a chase.
But the blades began to slow her. All that jostling must be driving the one dangerously near to her heart, and Belinda couldn’t stop to get a good enough grab on the handles to pull them out. She tried swiping at her back while maintaining her breakneck speed, but all she succeeded in doing with her flailing was to slant a knife deeper in her back instead of pulling it out. Belinda staggered again, and I willed myself to go faster. Almost there…hit the gas, Cat, you can’t let her get away!
I gathered my strength and sprang, managing to grasp Belinda’s ankles and knock her over. She whipped around, her fangs snapping at any piece of my flesh they could find. I ignored that and flung myself on top of her, bearing all my weight into her torso.
Belinda stilled at once. Her wide, cornflower-blue eyes met mine for a second, and then her lids dipped even as she let out a scream that was cut off in the next moment. Those blades, still in her back, had been driven through her heart.
I wasn’t about to take any chances. I flipped Belinda over and gave both knives a hard twist, feeling her go completely limp under me. You should have taken the ten-year deal, I thought coldly. Instead you brought it to this.
A scream alerted me to my surroundings. Belinda and I were on the edge of someone’s lawn, it looked like. The homeowner, an older woman, was clearly upset at seeing two women fight to the death in her backyard.
I sat back with a sigh. “Go ahead, call 911. It’ll make you feel better.” Even though the police would never get their hands on me. No, not with Don’s credentials. Besides, Tate and the guys would be here soon, and so would Bones, I’d bet. He didn’t need my transmitter to track me; he could do it by scent.
She babbled something that sounded like, “Murderer,” and went inside, slamming her door. Moments later, there was the sound of her calling the police.
I stayed on the grass near Belinda, nodding politely at the few nearby neighbors who came out to gawk at me before running inside and placing their own emergency calls. I’d been there less than three minutes before Bones came streaking into view. He slowed when he saw me, walking the last several yards to where I sat.
“All right, luv?”
I nodded. “Scratches and bruises, nothing serious. The vampire you were after?”
He knelt next to me. “Exchanging hallos with Belinda in hell by now, I should think.”
Good. One might have gotten away, but three didn’t, and the most dangerous of those three was starting to shrivel in the late afternoon sun.
“Zachary?”
Bones shook his head. I took in a deep breath, wishing I could stab Belinda again and somehow make her feel it.
The squealing of tires announced the guys’ arrival as, moments later, Juan and Tate jumped out of the car that skidded to a stop by us.
I stood up, brushing some of the grass and dirt off me.
“As you can see, guys, Belinda has been fired.”
FOUR