Chapter Thirteen

I nteresting development between the two of them,” the second said.

The Master nodded and smiled, his chest expanding as he breathed in. “I felt his power. It energized me. It’s raw and untapped, but we can use it to our advantage.”

“Soon, I hope?”

The Master pondered, then shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s give this time to develop and see where it goes. Do you see the potential here? We could have them both. Use one to obtain the other.”

“Ah,” the second said, nodding. “A bargaining chip.”

“If necessary.” He didn’t think it would be. Not once the offer was made. No one turned down power such as this.

“Their hunters are mighty,” the second said.

“But no match for us.”

“They killed many.”

“I’m not worried, and you shouldn’t be, either. We will take care of them all, in good time.”

Almost all of them, anyway. He had a plan.

 

Okay, she was avoiding Derek. Not really the most mature thing Gina could do, but right now her emotions weren’t steady. She didn’t want to put herself in the position where she might end up alone with him and possibly be forced to have a conversation about what had happened between them.

Wasn’t it men who never wanted to open up and talk about emotions? Derek was the last man she’d thought would go all sensitive on her and start questioning her about her past.

She just wasn’t going there, no matter how good the sex had been. No matter how she felt about him.

Since they fought at night, they slept at dawn and during the day. After she woke, she spent the early part of the day sparring with Olivia, then the afternoon on target practice with Dalton and Linc, which helped get her mind off Derek. Learning the subtle nuances of the weaponry was important, after all. And Derek didn’t have to be the one to teach her everything. The other hunters were more than adept at weapons training.

It was almost like prepping for a film, learning the ins and outs of weapons, deciphering how they worked, how to handle them, the actual mechanics of each piece. Something they hadn’t had time to do before they’d gone out hunting. And Ryder and Shay had joined her, working tirelessly dismantling these weapons.

Dalton and Linc were expert teachers, patiently showing them how the weapons worked on the demons. Before long, Jake, Olivia, and Trace had joined in, as well as two other hunters, Rico and Mandy. They had a full class in session.

“Who created these things?” Jake asked, playing with the liquid UV light.

“We have some wicked brilliant scientists in our corner.” Mandy, an incredibly gorgeous Amazon with long raven hair and legs a mile long, demonstrated the ten-second approach to loading the liquid UV into the chamber. She didn’t look like a demon hunter. She looked like a fashion model.

“How long have you been doing this?”

Mandy pursed her lips. “I came on board when I was fifteen. Lou wouldn’t let me start fighting until I was eighteen. Which really pissed me off, but he was right, of course,” she replied with a sideways grin.

“You were a huge pain in the ass, too,” Linc said, taking a rag out of his back pocket to wipe the beads of sweat away from his bald ebony head. “Always in the way, asking questions, begging to go out and fight. It was like having a puppy winding in and out around our feet.”

“You love me and you know it. I’m like the sister you never had.”

“You’re like the sister I never wanted,” he teased, then winked and grabbed her in a huge bear hug. Of course, Mandy was almost six feet tall, and Linc about six foot six, so he still overshadowed her. She laughed and pushed him away.

The camaraderie among the hunters was strong. As was the bond. It was like being around a close-knit family who loved one another, who had each other’s backs. It made her stomach hurt, made her want to get away from the familiarity, the feelings of love and togetherness.

She liked all these people. And she didn’t want to like these people. Irritation sprang up. She had started to care about all of them, had so easily fallen into a comfort zone with them, both the experienced hunters and the new ones like herself.

What was going to happen when one of them died? There was a reason she hadn’t allowed people to get close to her, had never established bonds or friendships or relationships over the years. There was a reason she hadn’t allowed men to linger after sex. Hell, there was a reason she didn’t have a lot of sexual experience for her age.

Sex meant getting close.

Gina didn’t get close.

She got close with Derek, though.

And look what happened.

Big mistake.

Derek had read her right, and she hated that he knew so much about her. Things she didn’t want him or anyone else knowing. She hadn’t done a very good job of masking the real Gina with him, had she? Was she that transparent around him? So unguarded that he could see who she really was? People who’d known her for years didn’t see that.

How could he?

By the time they’d packed their gear and the sun had be gun its lazy fall over the tops of the trees, Lou shouted out he had detected a hot spot on the west side of the island.

“Demon activity. Portal location, about two kilometers west. Wait,” he added, raising his hand. “There’s also activity on the northeastern slope at the edge of the mountains, as well as several spots east.”

“Busy fuckers tonight, aren’t they?” Derek said.

“Very. We’ve got no fewer than six active portal spots. They’re popping up everywhere. And each has a mini mum of three demons.”

Shit. Derek sighed. This wasn’t going to be good. They needed to attack aggressively, which meant really whittling down the teams. He turned to his hunters, doing a quick calculation of how to divide them. Juggling them around and switching from last night wasn’t a good idea. Symbiotic relationships formed quickly within hunting ranks. But he also wasn’t going to send any of the new hunters out alone. Not yet, anyway. And he wasn’t leaving any of them to guard Lou. They needed field experience right now.

“Ryder with Linc, Dalton with Jake, Mandy with Shay,” he said, doing quick assessments. “I want you all on the east side. “Olivia with Nance, Trace with Rico to the west. Punk and Rafe, you stay here with Lou. Gina and I will handle the northeastern slope.”

He walked away to grab his gear, passing by Gina, who stood expressionless. Yet he saw the fire in her eyes, the anger she couldn’t quite mask.

“You have something to say?” he asked.

“No.”

“Did you think because you’re angry with me about last night that I’d pair you with someone else?”

She shrugged and buckled her ammo belt. “Did I say that?”

“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face.”

“There you go presuming again,” she quipped. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Look. Leave the personal shit in the bungalow, Gina. I need a fighting partner in the jungle tonight, not a pissed-off lover. Got it?”

If he could read her mind…well, it was probably a good thing he couldn’t. Her firmly sealed lips and mutinous stare told him everything.

“Got it,” she finally said. “We gonna stand around all night talking, or are we going to go kill some demons?”

 

Pissed-off lover. Whatever. Gina stalked through the jungle behind him, mentally drawing a big red target on Derek’s back.

Okay, maybe she didn’t mean that. But goddammit, he made her mad. Did he think she couldn’t put aside her personal feelings while on a hunt for demons? Did he think she was so petty, so, so—juvenile, that in the middle of fighting she’d refuse to back him up because she was annoyed at him?

Dumbass. Men were stupid. No wonder she avoided them.

She should have continued to avoid them. Now she remembered why she didn’t get involved with anyone. Emotions and entanglements led to arguments and hurt feelings and anger, muddying the waters with confusing emotion.

Vibrators and her own hand didn’t talk back or cause emotional distress.

Then again they didn’t provide the stellar eye candy Derek did. And he did have a mighty nice ass, which she could see just fine in the dark. And his back was broad, muscular, his waist devoid of any love handles as it tapered down into slim hips which led to very powerful thighs on long, strong legs.

She sighed, fully appreciating his fine form, then remembered his naked body pressed against hers last night as he took her up against the wall. The night heat was nothing compared to the quick flush of her body, the moistening between her legs as she recalled the pleasure he’d given her.

Like Jekyll and Hyde. Men should be sex slaves, there to give a woman pleasure, but never allowed to speak.

If only, she thought with a snort.

“You say something?” Derek asked, craning his neck around.

“No.”

He frowned and continued fighting through the dense underbrush.

They had one hell of a long walk as they headed north toward the mountains, the trees and bushes thickening as they moved further inland. The grass grew more lush under their feet, the air more dense the higher they climbed.

Loaded down with weapons and ammo, she was sweating and her thighs were killing her. Hell, by the time they found the demons she’d be too damn tired to fight them.

“Where are they?” she asked.

“No idea. Lou?” he commed. “Where the hell are the ones on the northeast slope?”

“They’ve disappeared, Derek,” he replied. “I was just about to com you. They lingered for a while, not really going anywhere, then vanished.”

Derek stopped. “Shit.”

Gina dragged out her canteen and took a long swallow, grateful for a few seconds to catch her breath. “So what do you think that was all about? They wanted a little fresh air?”

Derek allowed a slight smile. “No idea.”

“Do we head back now?”

He lifted his head as if he were sniffing the air. “No.”

She waited while he searched the sky, then looked around, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

Okay, don’t tell me what we’re doing, then.

“Derek.”

“What?”

“What are we doing?”

“Waiting.”

“For what?”

“Demons.”

Well, wasn’t he just master of the obvious? “There aren’t any.”

He finally looked at her, but his gaze wasn’t focused on her. It was like he was in a trance, his eyes unfocused. “There will be.”

“When?”

“Inhale.”

“What?”

“Take a deep breath, Gina.”

She did, and wrinkled her nose. “What is that? It smells like rotting garbage.”

“Demons.”

“Oh, shit.” She knew what that meant. The demon hybrids. The really big ones. The ones who were really hard to kill. A shiver of fear skittered up her spine.

“Portal just opened again, Derek. Very near you,” Lou commed.

“Got it, Lou. We’re on it.”

When he looked at her then, his focus was back. She didn’t know where he’d been a few seconds ago, but the man had been lost in the ozone somewhere. Weird.

“You ready?” he asked. “These are the big, mean, ugly, smelly motherfuckers.”

She swallowed past a lump the size of Ohio that had lodged in her throat. “Okay, I get your point. This is going to be bad.”

“Stay close to me and follow my lead. They can’t out run you if you need to get away, but don’t let them get too close, okay?”

She nodded, pulling her gun and resting her finger on the trigger. Another trial by fire. Another first.

She breathed in, then out, remembering to center herself, fighting for calm.

When Derek touched her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin, but held her voice. “Dammit,” she whispered. “Don’t do that.”

“You can handle this, Gina.” His firm, steady voice was a lifeline in the darkness.

She nodded. “I know.”

Just then the ground trembled under her feet as footsteps pounded.

Monsters. She tried to prepare herself for the visual, but her imagination worked overtime, scaring the hell out of her. The thick branches ahead rustled with movement as the demons crashed through them, pushing them out of the way with a loud snap.

“The UV laser works best,” he said. “It stops them in their tracks.”

“Got it.” She already had the UV rifle locked and ready to fire.

She wasn’t ready for their appearance when they crashed through the last thicket of branches.

Her worst nightmare come to life.

Thick-muscled, with gray, mottled skin. Hideous large heads, pointed devil-looking ears, and extra-large mouths with protruding fangs. No Hollywood-generated horror could compare to this. Their eyes glowed yellow in the dark—pairs of almond-shaped slits that exuded pure malice.

She started to shake, a cold chill entering her body, her feet frozen to the ground. She couldn’t feel the tips of her fingers anymore. Was she even still holding the gun?

They were the monsters of every horrible dream. Hideous, dripping saliva everywhere, their long, clawlike fingers reaching out for her as they made their slow but deliberate approach, the thunderous sound made by feet that were three times the size of a large adult male’s.

“No.”

The voice was hers. She took a step back and wanted to run.

“Don’t let them scare you, baby,” Derek said, moving to stand beside her. “I’m right here.”

The brush of his shoulder against hers shocked her into awareness of what she was doing. Her gaze shot to his, and she saw it in his eyes. The understanding, the acknowledgment.

He knew. Somehow, he knew how much they scared her. Damn, she didn’t want to admit it, hated this weakness in herself, but she could swear she’d seen these things before. Maybe they were just the embodiment of an old nightmare.

“Gina, I won’t let them hurt you. You’re not alone.”

Oh, God. She needed to hear those words. He had no idea how much they comforted her, strengthened her. She looked to him, forcing the fear away.

She wasn’t a child. She wasn’t alone.

Whatever it was, it passed, the chill evaporating and warmth returning.

“I’m fine. Let’s get them.”

He nodded, his expression determined as he moved forward. She stayed right at his side as they approached the demons.

“Aim for a wide burst. Stall them, then keep hitting them with the light. It’ll take a little more than normal to bring these down.”

“Got it.”

The demons were close enough now that the smell was even worse than before, stealing her breath. “Oh, God, that stench is awful!” She gagged.

“Yeah. You’ll get used to it.”

“Not without a gas mask or clothespin on my nose. God almighty.”

“Pick one and start hitting it. I’ll get the other two.”

“I’ll take the one on the right.” Without hesitating, she aimed and fired, the blue blast of light stunning the demon. It froze as if in suspended animation. Gina used the momentary pause to move to the right of the demon, then readjusted her settings to widen the UV array.

It didn’t take the stun too long, advancing on her again. She clicked to fire, but her gun jammed.

Shit. She backed up, keeping one eye on the approaching demon while simultaneously trying to jimmy the mechanism on her rifle. Derek was too busy firing at two demons to be of any help to her, and no way was she going to distract him. She’d just have to figure this out on her own.

Thank God these things weren’t fast, but she didn’t like the way it was moving in on her. Taking a quick glance behind her, she realized she’d soon be out of room. There was a cliff behind her with a sharp drop-off, a wall of mountain to her right, and Derek and his two demons to her left.

And the goddamn gun still wouldn’t fire.

The demon crept closer, its arms outstretched. She could really smell the thing now, her stomach rolling at the putrid stench.

She was out of options.

“Derek,” she whispered.

He can’t hear you if you don’t open your mouth and yell, idiot.

She didn’t want to bother him, but damn, the demon was drawing closer.

A blinding flash to her left drew her attention momentarily. One demon down, but the other was advancing on Derek. His gaze shot to her.

“What?”

“Trigger mechanism is stuck.”

“Shit.” He looked at her, the mountain, the cliff, and at both the demons advancing on them. “Shit,” he said again.

Her thoughts exactly.

“What do we do?”

He fired on his demon again, the wide array slowing it, but not doing its intended job. The demon walked right through the UV light.

“That’s not good,” he said. “We need stronger UV light.”

Hell of a time to figure that out. She felt off balance, teetering on the edge of the cliff. The mountain to their right was sheer, with no footholds. Nothing to climb.

And sure as hell they weren’t getting out straight ahead. The demons drew closer.

“We need to get out of here, Derek. Now!”

“I know! Give me a minute, goddammit. I’m thinking.”

They didn’t have a minute left.

Derek turned and peered over the cliff, then looked at her, determination fixed on his face.

When she caught his thought process, her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“I hear water rushing. It’ll be fine.”

“No.”

“Now, Gina.”

“Oh, hell no!”

“No time to argue.”

Before she knew what was happening, he’d swept his arm around her and plunged them both over the cliff.

She left her stomach on the precipice, her high-pitched scream ringing in her ears as they plummeted over the edge into the abyss.

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