We Need a Hero
1476 Words
The thick windows covered almost half the ceiling area of Christopher's hide-a-way home.
Nestled in the mountains of the Foothills, the secluded cabin was a perfect retreat from the hectic lifestyle of the city. The windows provided a beautiful view of the surrounding forest.
The view was not so appealing now.
It took the beings mere seconds to shatter the glass, which they dropped through effortlessly, landing in the middle of the cabin. They scanned their prey with lascivious licks of their snarling lips, green eyes gleaming with an inner maniacal light, fangs bared, menacing growls hissed softly from their throats.
Annie stood riveted to the spot, determined to be all Alex expected of her. Inside, she was shaking, trembling uncontrollably. Her fingers shook visibly, but she drew strength from Alex's confident gaze, which he afforded her from time to time.
Her fingers tightened drastically upon the silver ice pick Alex had given her as a weapon, just in case. Her palms were sweaty, but she held fiercely to the cool metal.
Alex crossed in front of Christopher, who directed Althea to his right. The female moved slowly, her eyes watching the two Enforcers every move. Their arrival had been silent and deadly.
One caught the scent of her blood, sniffing the air savoringly, drool running down the corner of its mouth.
Althea grimaced, making an endearingly comical face. "That's just gross!" she commanded. "Stop it!"
Annie could well sympathize.
Christopher barred his fangs, a soft, low growl directed toward his foes. He moved ever so slowly forward, both he and Alex circling the two other males, gauging, scrutinizing, preparing.
Suddenly, the two cloaked figures turned aside, hissing their shock and annoyance.
Alex blinked, stunned into momentary inactivity. Christopher's brows lifted. Althea's mouth fell agape.
The two Enforcers banded together to face the more lethal foe.
The one that had just arrived on scene.
"You!" Althea could not believe that Marcus would have allowed this!
"At least I used the door." Hans closed the latter quietly, turning his attention elsewhere.
"You need help nowadays?" Althea taunted, her anger more for her Sire than anything else now. How could he? How could Marcus be so hateful! "How pathetic is that?"
"They have been sent in my stead." Hans stated waspishly. "You i***t!"
Althea's brain was not functioning as well as it normally did. "Don't call me names, jerk wad!"
The Enforcers were surrounded now.
Not that Althea was all that involved with her part of the scenario just yet.
One growled loudly, producing a weapon from within the confines of his long duster type coat.
Christopher stepped slightly back, rethinking his first plan of attack. He mentally searched for his own mode of protection, seeing nothing in his immediate vicinity to aid him.
"She is under my protection," Hans informed his two adversaries, his manner calm... unconcerned. "Leave this place and you will live. "
Christopher felt elation surge through his body, but he staunchly denied expressing the emotion, his face remaining impassively unreadable.
He felt Alex Wilder's eyes, but did not dare take his attention from the two enemies before him.
"She...who? Her?" Althea felt pretty good herself at this new development, having pointed out the human. "Does this mean they will try to kill Fido and not me?" She had queried Christopher Colton because he knew about such important things, surely.
Hans cast her a dark glare, but lazily returned his attention to: "Stay and you die."
Seemed a simple enough plan to Christopher Colton. It was one he could live with, literally.
And all that animosity was directed elsewhere, even better.
The two Enforcers did not seem particularly intimidated by the statement. They stood now, back-to-back, alert to any movement or action their opponents might think of making.
Christopher sensed their viciousness. Their blood lust was high, burning ravenous hunger gnawed at their stomachs.
Reasoning was a waste of time and effort on anyone's part.
The long, silver spike sailed through the air like a ballistic missile, the sound whizzing in Alex Wilder's ears. He instinctively ducked, his reflexes in remarkable condition.
The stake pierced the closest Enforcer's heart. The creature screamed its agony, clutching frantically to remove the object, but it had completed its task. The being dropped to his knees, leaving his cohort vulnerable.
Another deadly weapon propelled through the impending silence, the tip slicing into flesh, appearing outside the chest cavity of the remaining Vampire.
Hans advanced leisurely, unsheathing a blade from within the confides of his own billowy cloak.
With an effortless swipe of his powerful hand, each Enforcer's head was severed cleanly...efficiently. The being replaced the weapon almost as an afterthought.
Impressed by the display, Christopher’s mouth formed a silent wow, but other than that, his immediate concern was for his companions.
"You okay?" He asked Annie Callahan, who had covered her mouth to stifle a gasp of horror, what she had witnessed.
Alex crossed hurriedly, pushing the woman behind his body. He hoped against hope that he would not have to face down such a formidable foe, but..
"That was just..." Althea didn't know what it had been in reality. She was completely stumped for an answer, her senses strained.
"There will be more." Hans informed those gathered. "I can handle several, but they will triumph eventually." He had dismissed the dead Enforcers as easily as if they had never existed. "You must go. This is only a reprieve. They will send others."
Annie tried not to look at the dead bodies. The headless dead bodies.
"Just make them stop!" Althea had the perfect solution.
"We do not stop." Hans cut her an annoyed look. "Not ever."
"Well, bully for you!" The female's mood dropped considerably at such a realization. "This just sucks!"
"Well stated." Christopher mumbled in agreement.
"There is a place that they will not go." He handed a piece of paper over to Christopher's keeping. "It will be safe, but you cannot leave."
"Do they have malls there?" Althea was understandably distressed if the answer was in the negative.
"I am going to kill her," Hans stated emphatically, his jaw clenching and unclenching tightly.
He sent the young vampire a meaningful glare.
"We're going to go now." Christopher made the decision. "Come on, kiddies." He hurried everyone along, heading them for the door.
"What is your problem?" Althea demanded an answer. "There are other ways to die too, you know. Boredom for one! If you think I am going to–"
"Say goodbye to the nice man." Christopher ushered her out the door insistently. "He did save our collective asses, after all, remember?"
Althea calmed, adjusting her attitude a bit. "Well, that was kinda nice."
"Yeah! He did!" Annie was rapidly gathering her purse, putting the coat on Alex held for her. "And yeah, it was!”
Althea nodded amicably, holding her hand out to the being. "Okay, then. Thanks for saving our asses, Hans. That was cool of you, really."
The Enforcer lashed out, his mammoth fist clenching around the female’s coat lapels; the one she had worn the entire time she had been in the cabin. He roughly tugged her forward until his face was mere inches from her startled one.
"That is not..." it was severely admonished, his voice a husky remnant of its former vibrancy, sheathed in open disdain now, “my name!”
The unhandsome, but undeniably virile features glared openly at the woman. His dark, hostile eyes darkened further, surprising Althea. The being's breath smelled of mint tea, of all things.
Christopher's first reaction was to assist his friend, but luckily, he did not have to intervene on her behalf.
Althea lowered her head, biting Han's knuckles...hard. The being shook her entire body stoutly once, breaking the contact.
"Oww!" She tried to kick him in the shins, but his hand caught the attempt mid-kick, pushing her effort aside. Which landed her on her ass, at his feet. He glared down at the puny being, his expression a rather malignant one.
Alex exchanged glances with Christopher Colton, each male loathe to interfere but knowing, eventually, they would be forced to defend this female's honor. Which is more than she ever did. The quote came to Christopher's mind, and he found it difficult to suppress his grin.
"You big bully! Picking on a girl!" Althea squinted at her adversary. "Then what is your stupid name? As if I care!"
Christopher studied the Enforcer carefully, having been given just such an opportunity for a few minutes now. From what he had heard of the breed, they did not suffer fools easily.
Actually, they did not suffer them at all.
This one seemed to have an infinite supply of patience where Althea was concerned.
Christopher was given pause for thought. "...Edwin." Came the totally unexpected reply.
- Writer
