Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Adrenaline pumped through Cody, sharpening his vision and hearing.
He bent low as he forged a path through the corn, pausing now and then to listen.
Demmy stayed right behind him, coming up close each time they stopped.
Cody heard Demmy’s quiet breaths and felt his hand against his hip as he steadied himself.
Annie burst through the stalks just ahead of him. Cody darted toward her, but she was ready and stepped aside. He stumbled to the ground, the taser still gripped in his outstretched hand.
“Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,” Annie said in a sing-song voice as she turned between them. She ended up pointing at Demmy. “You’ll be the first to go.”
Cody was trying to scramble to his feet, but the dirt was soft beneath his shoes and the space narrow between the stalks.
Demmy remained in a crouch staring up at her.
He aimed one hand over his shoulder and pressed a button on the key fob.
Back in the parking lot, Zenona’s Subaru started honking.
Annie jerked her head up, and had just enough time to say, “Huh?” before Cody lunged forward, pressing the taser to the small of her back and zapping her. She went down, sprawled in the dirt.
“She’ll be up quick.” Cody reached out over Annie.
Demmy ignored his hand and jumped over her. As he ran past Cody, Annie was already pushing to her hands and knees, and Cody zapped her ass before following.
They ran, no longer trying to be quiet. Cody batted leaves aside, and ears of corn smacked him in the face and arms. Bruised by corn—what a story to tell if they lived long enough. Demmy kept pace close behind as Zenona’s car continued to blare its warning.
Movement a few rows away to either side of them pushed Cody to speed up even more.
Demmy was keeping up, but Cody didn’t know how much longer either of them could maintain that pace.
His breath burned in his throat. The rows of corn seemed to be narrowing, the stalks crowding in close.
The bright white glow ahead made Cody think of those big LED lights up on poles in yards. Maybe they would make it after all.
Bastian casually stepped out of the corn in front of him. Cody slid to a halt and Demmy ran into him, pushing him forward another two steps.
“You’ve been very naughty with Andy’s toy,” Bastian said, wagging a long, slender finger and shaking his head. “Bad boys get punished.”
The rustle of leaves behind made them turn.
Leo and Annie stood close together, blocking their retreat.
Annie had her arms crossed as she glared, a corn leaf sticking up out of one side of her hair.
Leo bared his fangs, fists clenched at his sides.
Demmy turned his back to Cody, facing Leo and Annie, and Cody grabbed his hip, pulling him in close as he watched Bastian.
A dog barked from not too far away. Christ, the last thing he needed was some farmer coming out to investigate.
“What the fuck are you trying to do, huh?” Cody said. “What’s your endgame?”
Bastian’s expression hardened. “My endgame? As if it should be anything more than refusing to repress my true instincts and ensuring those close to me are fed and safe from harm.”
“But bringing harm to us daylight dwellers?”
The vampire took a step closer. “I’ve been around this area a good long time. I followed Xavier here, and Aldrik, though that one turned out to be more of an idiot than I would have liked.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Cody said, instinctively drawing his head back as Bastian eased another step closer.
A brief flicker of a smile from Bastian, revealing his fangs.
“Yes, I’m sure.” He thought a moment. “I believed in Xavier’s vision of a vampire colony base here, spreading outward across the country.
So many resourceful folks here are just begging for eternal life.
” He lifted his chin and turned his head back and forth as if scenting the air, then fixed those glowing red eyes on Cody again. “Can’t you just smell it in the air?”
“Cody…”
The tremble in Demmy’s voice made Cody glance behind. Annie and Leo stood much closer, staring intently. When he turned back, Bastian stood inches away, eyes burning, mouth open wide to reveal his fangs. Cody gave a shout and retreated, forcing Demmy back a step.
A quiet popping sound not too far away, there and gone. Cody lifted the taser, but Bastian knocked it aside, the blow shooting pain across Cody’s hand and up his arm.
Something fell to the ground the next row over.
By the sound, it wasn’t very large, but Cody didn’t, couldn’t, look away from Bastian’s burning eyes.
Then something small and white dropped between them, landing at his feet.
Suddenly, the vampires were gone. All he felt was the breeze of movement and heard corn stalks snapping as they fled.
“W-what happened?” Demmy sagged against him, still back to back.
Cody turned to look all around, hands on top of his head.
Nothing moved, and he blew out a breath as he exchanged a confused look with Demmy who was pale, wide eyes darting back and forth.
Cody looked down, then crouched to pick up the object.
He chuckled as he held it out to Demmy, who took it, his forehead creased in confusion.
“Garlic?” Demmy said.
“They gone?” a woman called from a short distance ahead.
“They’re gone,” Cody replied. “Thank you.”
“Happy to do it,” the woman said. “Those fuckers have their way with my crops every year. Come on out, let me get a look at you.”
Cody led the way along the row until they emerged into the yard of a farmhouse.
The moon hung directly overhead, its glow filling in the corners the big LED light didn’t reach.
A woman Cody guessed to be in her fifties stood between the house and the corn, an old hound dog at her feet.
She had blond hair cut short—a pixie cut, he thought it was called—and a Buc-ee’s t-shirt with a pair of jean shorts and rainbow Crocs.
She held a clear plastic tube connected to a trigger mechanism.
A few garlic bulbs gleamed inside, and he chuckled.
A garlic launcher. The woman raised her hand in greeting.
“My name’s Beverly Sue.” The dog chuffed, slightly puffing out his drooping upper lips. “This is Hortense. You boys been over to that bar? Are you hurt? Do you need bandages?”
“Oh.” Cody flexed the hand Bastian had struck, flinching slightly. “I’m okay.” He stepped aside. “Demmy?”
“No, I’m—”
“Wait!” Beverly Sue dropped the garlic launcher and held both hands out toward them. “Are you the Critter Catchers? Are you Cody and Demetrius?”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Cody muttered, rubbing his face.
Demmy switched on his professional smile. “Yes, we’re the original Critter Catchers duo. I’m Demetrius, and this is Cody.”
Beverly Sue made a face and gave him an exaggerated wave.
“Oh, stop it. The whole county knows who you two are.” She took a couple of steps closer and lowered her voice.
“Did those vamps chasing you come from inside that bar? ‘Cause they’re not supposed to be doing that, and we should tell Marlowe right away if they did.”
Demmy stammered over his response, but Cody closed the distance between him and Beverly Sue and asked, “You know Marlowe?”
“Oh sure, I’ve known her all my life. This place has been in my family for five generations.
My great-great grandpa built it. His name was also Hortense.
” The dog woofed quietly again at hearing his name as she bent to pick up the garlic launcher.
“Come on inside.” She turned for the house, waving for them to follow.
“You can use the bathroom. Did you leave your car at the bar?”
“Um, yeah,” Cody said.
“I can give you a life back over if you like.”
Cody exchanged a look with Demmy, who shrugged back, and they fell in behind her.
It was a two-story farmhouse, with a covered porch wrapping around both ends. Inside was polished dark wood floors and plaster walls. She led the way down a hall to a modernized kitchen where she gestured toward a small door.
“Bathroom’s there.”
Demmy headed for it, and Cody dropped onto a stool at a wide island. He rested the side of his head against his palm and stared at Beverly Sue.
“You deal with this a lot?” he asked. “People running through your corn field?”
“It happens,” she said with a slight shrug. Then her eyes widened and she inched closer. “Did you get turned to a werewolf? Or was it Demetrius?”
“It was Demmy,” he said automatically then bolted off the stool. “How the hell do you know about that?”
She flashed a big smile. “My great aunt lived in Parson’s Pines back then, and I was staying over to help her out after her hip surgery. I saw the whole thing from her living room window.” Her expression softened. “You were both really brave going up against that awful man.”
Demmy stepped out of the bathroom. He’d washed the dirt from his face and smoothed down his hair. “Your turn.”
“Just in time.” Cody practically ran for the bathroom. As he closed the door, he heard Beverly Sue say, “What was it like to be a werewolf?”
After he’d peed, Cody splashed water on his face and ran his wet fingers through his hair.
The skin under his eyes was bruised, and the wound across his chest had started to ache in time with his hand.
It didn’t feel like anything was broken, but he’d probably have a damn big bruise.
He splashed more water against his face, patted it dry, and then returned to the kitchen.
Beverly Sue reached for the stainless steel refrigerator. “Waters?”
Cody nodded along with Demmy, and she passed them each a plastic bottle. Then she looped her arm through the handle of a large canvas tote and fished around inside until she produced a ring with a great number of keys.
“Ready?”