He squeezed her shoulder before releasing her. Stepping closer, he examined the remaining contents stashed beneath the sofa before pulling a small handgun free. He’d far prefer to tear out their throats with his fangs, but he had Quinn to worry about now. If something happened to him, she wouldn’t survive it. Going for the kill from farther away was the safer option for all of them.
He ignored the remaining stakes. If the vampires dared to try to double cross him, they’d pay mightily for their mistake, but it wouldn’t be quick unless it was necessary. He pulled his shirt over the gun to cover it. As much as he hated the cold, he wouldn’t be wearing a jacket tonight. The cumbersome material might only get in the way, and he needed to be able to move freely.
“Are we ready?” he asked as the others finished strapping their weapons discreetly onto them.
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Chris said.
Turning to the door, Julian pushed the handle down and stepped into the crisp air as the wind whipped down from the mountains. A shiver ran down his spine while his gaze searched over the rocks and trees around them. His ears perked when a small clicking noise sounded from a hundred feet away.
Cameras. His prey already knew they were coming.
CHAPTER 21
Quinn watched as the vampires Julian sent out in search of the cameras blended seamlessly into the woods. All of the vampires who had agreed to help go after The Commission had arrived. They all looked like she felt, a little queasy and a whole lot murderous.
A beginning and an end, she reminded herself, and they both might occur tonight. The end of The Commission, and probably the end of some of those who had followed them here. Perhaps the end of her or Julian.
The hair on her nape rose as she surveyed the woods crowding the narrow roadway. She kept expecting eyes to materialize from the shadows of the thick pines surrounding them, but she saw no movement within the trees. The only sounds she heard came from the howling wind and the branches scraping together as the trees swayed against each other.
“Wouldn’t they have separated, gone to ground in different locations in different areas of the country?” one of the vampires who had remained with them asked.
“They might have,” Julian replied. “From what I saw, this place looks highly fortified though, at least from the outside. There is a large fence surrounding a concrete building. I’m sure there are other things protecting it too, but I don’t know what they are. Even if they have a stronger fortification elsewhere, The Commission will most likely group together in the hopes they’ll be able to take us out. Don’t forget they’re not expecting the numbers we have.”
Luther turned to face the vamps. A few of those closest to him took a step back, wary of the man who was completely human but radiated an air of ruthlessness. “He’s right. I have limited experience with The Commission even for a Guardian, but when threatened, they group together. They’re twisted and have caused more damage and hurt more people than many vampires over the years.
“However, they are only human, and humans tend to gather numbers for strength, and The Commission doesn’t have many numbers left. Spreading out may mean keeping some of them alive for longer; it also means thinning their resources and making them more vulnerable. If it turns out they aren’t all here, but if even one of them is, it will be one less we have to deal with by the time we’re done hunting them down.”
“I like the way you think,” one of the vamps said, and those around him nodded their agreement.
“What about the Hunters they’ll have with them?” another asked.
“If they’re under The Commission’s control, they’ll do as they’re ordered. The Commission will happily sacrifice them to save their own lives,” Luther answered. “You’ll most likely have to take those Hunters out.”
That was what Luther hated most about The Commission, Quinn realized. Luther would destroy anyone who threatened his Hunters. They were the children he’d never had, and he loved them as such. The Commission used the Hunters as disposable pawns, something meant only to protect them. To Luther, such a callous attitude was unacceptable.
Quinn surveyed the woods again. She didn’t acknowledge it, but she was aware of the vampires creeping closer to her. Some of them with open awe and curiosity on their faces, while others didn’t seem aware they were doing it.
She frowned at one when he stopped a foot away from her. Julian stepped in between them; the look on his face saying he’d happily tear the man’s throat out if he moved a centimeter closer. The man backed hastily away.