“Sit tight,” Aidan said, loud enough for both Veronica and Chris to hear. “I’ve got this.” Leaping over the car, he plunged into the forest and barreled toward the vampires. This would go better if he stopped the vampires before they caught sight of the car and its occupants.
Tall trees thickened and blocked the moon’s illumination as he continued forward, leaving him in darkness his preternaturally sharp eyes had no difficulty penetrating.
Tiny lights flickered in the distance. Blue. Green. Silver. Always in pairs.
The faces that housed those glowing eyes swam into focus seconds before the vampires struck.
His own eyes glowing amber, Aidan swirled and struck and fended off blows. Though they outnumbered him six to one, he actually had the advantage. Aidan had been born in a time when all wars were fought with blades. He had begun training with master swordsmen as soon as his noble Celtic father had deemed him old enough to hold a wooden sword.
And he had been born with advanced DNA that bestowed upon him special gifts. Teleportation. Telekinesis, which aided him in deflecting blows whenever he had a second to focus his energy. Telepathy, which warned him of the vampires’ next moves. And the ability to heal with his hands.
That advanced DNA also shielded him from the more corrosive aspects of the vampiric virus that infected him. Humans were not so lucky. Humans infected with the virus turned vampire and suffered progressive brain damage. So even the kindest amongst them swiftly turned into psychopathic killers.
Like these. They knew a woman and child waited somewhere behind Aidan. The vamp who had called them had told them as much. And their plans for the duo sickened him.
Blood sprayed when Aidan sliced two of the vampires’ carotid arteries. As they stumbled backward, their hands going to their throats, Aidan severed another vamp’s arm and opened the femoral artery of another.
Four down. Two to go.
The fifth went down easy. The sixth took off running.
Cursing, Aidan raced after him. No way would he leave that monster alive to prey on other innocents.
Dashing through the forest at preternatural speeds could be dangerous, particularly if one became distracted.
Reaching into his coat, Aidan drew a dagger and let it fly.
The vampire grunted as the dagger buried itself in his back. Glancing over his shoulder without slowing, he ran headlong into a tree.
Aidan winced at the sound of bones snapping and puncturing organs. Skidding to a halt, he watched as the vamp sank to the ground.
The heart inside that battered body still beat.
Aidan crossed to him, then lopped off the vampire’s head to spare him a slow, torturous death. Poor bastard. He might have been a good man before the virus had taken its toll.
Once he’d wiped the blood from his blades, Aidan sheathed them and teleported back to the car.
Veronica shrieked when he abruptly appeared beside the driver’s door. Wilting with relief, she thrust open the door and stepped out into the night. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. And you?”
“I’m okay.”
“Were you bitten?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Aidan?” he heard Chris Reordon call.
His eyes went to the cell phone on the hood of the car. Picking it up, he held it to his ear. “Yeah?”
“Did you kill the vamps?”
“Aye. Two of them on the road and six more in the forest to the west.”
“Does Ms. Becker require medical assistance?”
Aidan examined her again. “Do you require medical assistance?”
Eyes wide, she shook her head. “No. I’m okay.”
“She’s fine,” Aidan told Chris. “Just a little shaken up. I’ll see that she gets home safely.”
“Thank you. I’ll send one of my guys to collect the vampires’ weapons.”
“You have the location?”
“Yeah. We LoJack all employee cars. I know where she is and can have a guy there in five minutes.”
“Do you want me to stay until he arrives?”
“No. That won’t be necessary. Thanks again for helping Ms. Becker.”
“Happy to do it.” Aidan ended the call and handed Veronica her phone.
Her fingers trembled as they closed around it. “I left it on the car.” It took her a couple of tries to get the phone in her pocket. “When you told me to get in the car, I forgot to grab the phone first.”
“Don’t worry about it. I know movies like to pretend otherwise, but people rarely think clearly in an emergency. Although I have to say, the pepper spray was a brilliant move.”
“Thank you. I hoped it would hurt more with their heightened senses.”
He smiled. “I’m sure they found it quite painful.” His own eyes burned a bit just from being near it.
“I can’t seem to stop shaking,” she said with a hint of embarrassment.
“That’s normal. Try taking deep breaths.” He drew in a long deep breath, held it, then released it to demonstrate.
She followed his example.
If he weren’t splattered with blood, he would’ve offered her a hug to help calm her. “May I ask you a question?” he asked instead, hoping a distraction would help.
She nodded.
“What does LoJack mean?”
She smiled. “Did Mr. Reordon say he’d LoJacked my car?”
“Yes.”
“It means he can track the location of the vehicle at all times and get the GPS coordinates.”
“Ah.” Aidan and his fellow immortals spent their nights hunting psychotic vampires, so they had little time left over to learn all the fascinating things the latest technology could do. “Well, he’s sending someone to clean up our mess here and said we’ve no need to wait for him.” He motioned to the car. “If you don’t mind my dirtying up your front seat a bit, I’d be happy to escort you home.”
Her pretty features smoothed out with relief. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”
“Would you like me to drive?” he offered.
She shook her head. “I’m okay. I’m not shaking so badly now.”
“Then give me a minute to change your tire and we can be on our way.”
Reaching into the car, she popped open the trunk.
Aidan changed the flat in less than a minute, then tucked the old tire and tools in the trunk and closed it.
As Veronica got back in the car and closed the door, he glanced at the first two vampires he had slain.
All that remained were their clothes and weapons.
Aidan kicked the lot of it off the road, then circled to the passenger side and settled himself in the car.
“So,” Veronica said as she started the engine and drove forward. “Why were you late?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Late?”
She nodded. “When I realized I had a flat tire, I expected you to be right along to change it for me.”
He stared at her.
“After several minutes passed, I figured you must have gotten held up and started changing it myself. Then the vampires showed up.”
“You thought I’d appear and change the tire for you?” he asked.
“Yes. That’s what you did for Kimberly and Dawn.”
His stomach sank. “You, uh… you know about that?”
“Yes. I have to admit I was surprised to discover I’m on your list.” Glancing over at him, she grinned. “You look dumbfounded.”
“I suppose I am. You know about the list?”