I checked again. The werewolves—their wolf forms were a light gray mixed with white that made them easier to see in the darkness—had made it to the street. “April, get in the car,” I said. “Try to cover Brody inside the car—they’re going to start shooting the windows in a second.”
April paused to adjust, then collapsed her shield so she could dive inside the car. She smashed into Tetiana as she placed her hands next to the back passenger window and created a new shield, this one stretching from the back to the front window.
Seconds later the windows cracked, spiderwebbing as bullets punched through smacking April’s relentless shield.
I slammed April’s car door, then had to crawl awkwardly to get into the front passenger seat.
Tetiana whistled as Brody started the car. “Wizard magic is impressive!”
April gritted her teeth, her face grim with determination as she channeled her magic.
I slammed my car door shut and buckled my seatbelt. “Go!”
Brody wrenched the car into drive, then slammed on the gas pedal.
The tires screeched and we raced down the street, nearly running over the wolves on our way out.
“Drive for the Cloisters—but don’t go downtown,” I directed as I yanked my radio off my belt.
“Got it!” Brody made a sharp right turn—going way over the posted speed limit so that we barreled down the road, most likely leaving tire marks—taking us west towards the Cloisters.
“You want to avoid the stoplights?” April asked.
“I want to avoid civilians,” I clarified before I spoke into my radio. “Team Blood, we’ve encountered hostiles at Tutu’s—a mercenary wolf pack. We are en route to—”
“Truck!” Tetiana yelled as a large truck roared out of a connecting street, nearly hitting the side of our car.
It was only Brody’s fast reflexes that had him slamming down on the gas pedal, racing out of reach.
The truck fishtailed, then straightened out. The driver then revved the engine before hurtling after us.
Brody snarled as he made a right turn, taking us north. We careened into the industrial part of town, but if we didn’t go west again soon we’d be hitting the downtown area.
I took a breath in, then resumed over the radio. “En route to Curia Cloisters. We are being followed—by a truck. Unknown number of assailants.” I looked back and saw the truck’s headlights as it turned onto our street.
My words came faster as the truck bore down on us. “Currently in industrial part of town, heading north. Backup requested. Lots of backup—IMPACT!” I shouted before the truck rammed us from behind.
The car flung forward, and I slammed against my seatbelt with the momentum. I heard a tremendous crunch and before our car screeched to a stop, the airbags inflated providing cushion for us.
When the world stopped rolling, I heard the hiss of the airbags deflating. “Anyone injured?” I asked.
April groaned.
“We’re good back here,” Tetiana said.
“Brody?” I asked.
Brody shook himself. “I’m fine, but the front of our car is totaled.”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and had to shove my door to open it. “We’ve got to get out of here. If the car can’t move, the truck will run us over.”
“Got it!” Brody kicked the door so hard it flew open and bent the hinges. He then ripped April’s door open, while I pulled my gun from my shoulder holster, flicked the safety off, and racked it.
We were surrounded by warehouses of various sizes and materials. Our car had rammed into a wrought iron fence that went around one of the warehouse properties. Between damage from the fence and the truck, the car was totaled.
There were fewer streetlights in this section of town, but I could see fine with my night vision—April was the only one of us who would have a harder time with that.
Tetiana growled something in Ukrainian.
She couldn’t get her door open—the back was too busted from the truck ramming us—so she slithered out April’s side while Brody helped April stand.
I heard the roar of a car engine and turned to face the truck.
“April, block their view! Brody—take their windshield out!” I shouted before I raised my handgun. I couldn’t shoot yet; I needed the truck to get closer so my shots would be most accurate.
I heard the crackle of fire before April flung an enormous ball of blue flames at the truck. It smacked the windshield and spread across it, almost like a liquid.
Once the truck was within my range, I shot the front right tire using two bullets. I hit both times, but it would take more time for the wheel to deflate than we had to spare.
Brody, meanwhile, flung a rock the size of my fist at the still burning windshield. I heard the crackle of breaking glass, but it wasn’t until he flung another similar sized rock that the windshield shattered.
The truck swerved towards Brody and April.
Brody split away from us until April grabbed him by the sleeve of his uniform and hauled him towards us. “We can’t split up!” she yelled, before the screech of tires and crunching metal filled the air when the truck struck the same fence we’d hit.
April had a cut on her forehead that was bleeding. There’d been a side airbag, but she must have gotten hurt in the car wreck.
We have no idea if the truck has backup coming… what’s our best plan?
I flicked my handgun’s safety on and made a decision. “Run!” I shouted, leading the group north.
Tetiana fell in line after me, but Brody picked April up and flung her over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry before he ran after us.
I briefly slowed my pace so he could catch up. “Brody, how big do mercenary Packs get?” I asked.
Brody shook his head as we sprinted past a stop sign. “Depends; there’s a few with over fifty members.”
“If their objective is to break into Tutu’s, maybe they won’t send many after us?” Tetiana hopefully suggested, her breath coming in pants.
My slayer senses kicked in—I could feel another vampire nearby. I scanned the shadows looking for the potential threat.
We’re not in Considine’s territory yet… but if he hears the fight, I don’t think he could resist investigating.
Considine’s presence could be a good thing or a bad thing—but he’d been helpful lately, so I was wavering more towards it being good.
A wolf howled—not behind us, but in front of us.
“Sounds like we’re not that lucky,” April grumbled.
I fixed my grip on my gun and adjusted my stride so I could shoot easier. We were able to run another block up—putting us closer to downtown than I wanted. But standing on the westward road we needed to take was a team of three werewolves in their human form—wearing tactical armor and armed with guns—and six werewolves in their wolf form.
They rushed out of the intersection, heading straight for us.
“April, you and I need to take down the human forms. Tetiana, Brody, focus on defense and watch April,” I shouted before I flicked off my safety.
“Understood,” April said. Her tattoo was already glowing as Brody set her on her feet, and blue electricity flashed across her palms.
The human-form werewolves had handguns like me, which wouldn’t kill Tetiana or Brody, but if April or I took a hit from this range, it was going to hurt.
I just have to make sure they don’t get a chance to shoot.