Page 2 of Marked for Extinction
The closer we got to the run down building, the more we could hear their voices carry in the wind.
“What would you have us do? Continue to patrol this desolate area while Corrus and Disaris flank us from the side? We’re fucking dwindling.”
I looked to my comrades and signaled for them to converge around the bushes to the east side of the building.
“Don’t you think I know that? It’s why we’ve been trying to turn as many humans as we can,” the second vampire snarled. “Have you guys scoured the south?”
My hackles rose. Black Hollow made sure to keep bloodsuckers from running into our main compound. Though the buildings above ground looked like huts among decimated rubble, our main living quarters were caves beneath it. We first discovered the caverns accidentally when the ground crumbled below one of the buildings, taking the bricks with it into the sinkhole.
“There’s nothing out there. We’ve scoured the southwest with no luck. The humans have probably gathered closer to the center of their resistance region. We sent a team out a few months back and ran into Disaris warriors. They have a claim over the area. We were outnumbered.”
The other team was cornering around the west wall by the entrance. Carson nodded in my direction and I signaled for my men to enter through the back.
From their voices, it didn’t seem like any more vampires had joined them. Why they were out this far for a simple meeting didn’t make any sense but that wasn’t my problem. The problem right now was the fact that this particular building was located beyond their territory bridging over to human lands.
“We need to rally an attack on Disaris before they increase in numbers,” the first bloodsucker instructed.
“We need to turn more vampires.”
“Rumors of a blood farm have made its way over here. I heard Letos is up to something.”
We climbed the steps every time they spoke to further hide the sound of our footfalls.
Then, something crashed onto a wooden table, echoing into the two story building.
“We’re going in circles! We can’t do crap until we increase our numbers. Xander and Arlo, you need to get—”
Team one crashed through the door and let off gunfire as team two came in from behind. Black Hollow had accumulated a decent amount of weaponry during our supply runs but we didn’t use it lightly.
This was one of those occasions where it was necessary.
Two vampires went down with the spray of bullets to the head, followed by a stab to the chest and slice across the throat. The two other vampires dodged the bullets while some of us were occupied and grabbed the team members with guns. I leaped and rolled out of the way, pulling the pin of a grenade with my teeth.
“Echo! Echo red!” I yelled.
Amir brandished a knife and stabbed the first vampire in the back, forcing him to let go of Carson.
Rhett swung his axe and lobbed off the head of the other vampire that managed to grab our gun. The final vampire stared at us incredulously as each team member barreled down the stairs, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the room.
I chucked the grenade and ran, slamming my shoulder through the window, shattering the glass and jumping out the window. I knew from reconnaissance that there was a bush below this wall and had strategically chosen it as my escape.
Halfway down the building, it exploded into flames, shattering the rest of the windows and blowing out the metal doors.
I landed with a groan, some of the branches scratching my face.
“Come on, Vik!” Rhett yelled as Angel came running to my location, whining.
Cursing under my breath, I crawled from the bush and got on my feet, running to meet the rest of the guys. I noted that we had one gun left with Carson after Carlos lost his. Observing our surroundings, Carson led us back into the woods and out of sight as we took the long way back to Black Hollow’s topside with another successful mission under our belt.
“Fuck, I didn’t think you were going to make it out, Vik,” Rhett admitted.
“You know that shit is on a timer, make sure you don’t cut it so close,” Carlos snapped. “We don’t need to lose another one, especially when that person is our main medic.”
I ran a hand over the back of my neck, working out the cramps from the fall.
“I had it. Trust me, guys,” I told them with confidence.
They shook their heads and we all laughed as we trekked through the dark woods to the south. The flames from the building flickered and illuminated the shadows in a hellish dance as the heat from the fire dissipated with every step we took away from the location.
