Annie Nicholas - Bait

I could dial the team’s cell phone number blindfolded.

“State your business,” was the gruff greeting.

“Red?”

“Connie? Where the fuck are you? Colby’s tearing apart that hole you were in. The chip says you’re in the area!”

“I’m close. I’m in the next building. One of them is hunting me, Red. Hurry, I’m in...”

The earsplitting sound of shattering glass in one of the back rooms startled me enough to drop the phone. In my panic, I rushed the front door and battled with it. My luck ran out, it was locked. I’d trapped myself. Pressed in the corner by the door, I slid down to my hands and knees then crawled away from the windows so he wouldn’t see my silhouette.

His boots crunched the broken glass as he drew closer to the storefront. Quietly, I crawled out of the room to what I thought was a closet. My breathing sounded so loud. I tried to take slow, easy, controlled breaths, but I felt like I was suffocating. My heart pounded hard against my ribs, demanding more oxygen.

I made it into the room to come face to face with a commode.

Not a closet—a restroom—with a ‘Connie-sized ’ window just above me. It was an old-fashioned one that hung on hinges and swung inward. I’d have to use a stick to prop it open. I heard him make his way into the storefront. The hope that emerged at the sight of the window plummeted.

My time was up.

Sucking in a deep breath, I kicked the door closed, hit the lock on it, climbed up on the commode, and propped open the window with my body.

Once again, my pursuer slammed into the door with full force but this time the frame splintered. One more hit and he’d get that dance he wanted.

I squeezed and squirmed through the tight window like a worm in the dirt. My breaths came in short gasps as fear coursed through my veins.

I tumbled down into that nightmarish alley and stood on the other side on the chain link fence. I’ve got boobs and junk in the trunk, but I was still a slim girl. There was no way he could fit those broad shoulders through that small window.

A shout startled me. Red ran toward me from the other side of the fence. I stared in disbelief, I couldn’t have worse luck. One of us would have to climb it.

The crash from the bathroom door echoed through the alley.

“Climb!” Red’s voice snapped still halfway to the fence.

I started to reach for the wired mesh but knew in my heart I couldn’t make it in time. “Follow my tracker.” Red and the boys would have to scale the fence, I couldn’t afford to waste any more time. The vampire would find me before I made it to the top. Who puts a fence in an alley?

I gritted my teeth, yanked my expensive heels off, and sprinted away from Colby, from Red, and from safety.

Soon I came out of the alley onto the Danube Promenade. A few cars drove by on the busy road. At this time of the night, this area was dead—just a few streetlights and trees lining the sidewalk to accompany me.

I must have looked like a crazy woman as I sprinted barefoot, my sopping wet dress clinging to my legs, wild curls flying behind me.

It wouldn’t be long before the vamp made it out of the store to track me. I needed to get out of plain view. If I could hide, maybe he’d give up, or Colby would find me again with the tracking chip.

A heap of trash left out for pickup sat by the walkway against a red brick building. Gross inspiration struck. I shoved myself into the middle of the stinking pile and pulled some over my head. Retching at the unbelievable stench, I pinched my nose to block it out. Hiding in trash seemed like a good idea a moment ago.

Something sticky oozed onto my hand. It took all my effort not to wig out. It was probably something innocent like jam but my imagination was way too vivid for that. After everything I’d been through—by the skin of my teeth—I would probably catch some horrid disease from the trash. I squeezed into a tight ball and tried not to touch any more anonymous slime.

I heard fast paced footsteps draw closer to my hiding spot. My hands began to sweat and tremble. They slowed to a jog until they stopped nearby. He must have seen me hide. How else could he know I was close?

My legs tensed and I prepared to flee. I refused to go down without a fight. The fear of a vampire hunting me down like a rabbit rapidly turned into frustration. I wanted to jump out and attack him, but I didn’t think I’d survive that stupid urge.

“I hear you heartbeat, Bobbit. It races.” He stood so close I heard a snuffling sound, like a dog smelling a trail.

Vampires had heightened senses. They could see and hear better than humans. They were also stronger and faster. Following a scent trail like a hound and listening to my heartbeat were skills unknown to me.

“You so scared. It make you taste sweeter, you know.” So he didn’t see me hide but he knew I was close. His pronounced accent made his words sound more sinister. The trash became a good choice for disguising my scent, but the heartbeat thing gave me away.

The screech of tires coming around a corner interrupted the vamp’s hunt. A short burst of gunfire spattered against the red brick building above my head. I shuddered with the rattling cacophony and covered my ears. The sudden deafening sound of the car and gunfire quickly faded away, leaving me scrunched up in my trash haven in an envelope of silence. I took some deep shaky breaths and waited.

He could still be waiting for me to come out. My limbs refused to respond. I was too scared to peek and kept thinking of horror movie victims. The ones who want to check out the strange noise in the backyard while you’re screaming at them to stay inside the house.

The car had to be from Colby. There couldn’t be too many people shooting it out with the local vampires. They knew I was out here being hunted. Colby didn’t make a habit of shooting up neighborhoods, tonight was exceptional. Our plans went wrong in every way possible.

Things stayed quiet, if I waited for them to return it could backlash. My limbs trembled from the continued tension. There could be others who lurked around, looking for an exhausted, smelly snack.

After what seemed like an eternity but probably closer to fifteen minutes, I crawled out of the trash with my teeth chattering and began the long walk to my hotel. Soon the adrenaline wore off and left me wrung out like a dishrag. My knees felt weak as I wobbled on rubber legs, bare foot toward my goal. I fantasized about a long hot shower.

Somewhere in all the excitement, my sense of time got lost. I hoped it would be dawn soon so it would temporarily be safe enough to sleep. I wrapped my arms around myself. I had so much to do. I needed to reach Colby to tell him everything I’d learned tonight and get instructions on what to do next. Sending me home to America sounded good.

I was so absorbed in my own tired thoughts of hot showers and soft beds that he easily took me.

Silent as a nightmare he slipped his arm about my shoulders. His eyes were still dilated, but he’d gotten the rabid drooling under control. “Where you hide?” He sneered as he steered me away from the street into a dark corner between the buildings.

My struggles didn’t affect him one bit. I sensed him test my mental shield. It smoked my mind for a moment but my shields held. He was either a weak one or whatever affected me before wore off.

He loomed over me with his head tilted back. “You stay quiet and I feed.”

I barked a laugh at his command and did what every girl learns at one point or another in their life, the old knee jerk to the joy sack.

He let my shoulders go with a howl and stumbled back. Shoulders straight and legs apart I glared at him. I was through running. There was only so much abuse one person could take. If he wanted to feed on me, it came with some side dishes of kicking, gouging, and biting.