Alliance (3 page)

Yeah, sounds about right.

“No, ma’am, she snuck out of the house earlier. Is she okay?”

“Yes, she’s fine. She’s trying to refuse treatment, so we’re hoping you can help us out with that. Do you know where we’re located?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

I hang up the phone, my frustration boiling over. Rachel is sixteen now, the same age Cassidy was… I slam the lid on that thought, not needing a reminder of how I’ve failed my sisters.

Rachel’s actions tonight are reminder enough.

~o~

I park near the ER at Mercy General. Chloe drags herself out of the backseat, but I don’t have time to feel bad that she’s missing sleep. I’m too busy thinking of all the ways I’m going to tell Rachel off for her reckless behavior.

Inside, we’re intercepted by a nurse who leads us past several rooms, each with an occupant who looks worse than the last. Rachel must be in pretty bad shape if she’s anywhere near the end of this row. I quickly squash down that thought, turn my worry into anger—something I’m better at dealing with.

The halls are quiet, but suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Something supernatural is in the vicinity. Vampire?

My hand instinctively goes to the knife hidden at my waist. I look up, expecting to find a vamp trying to feed off a sickly patient, but all I see are two teenagers in deep conversation. They’re pretty. One is a short, curvaceous girl with blonde hair past her shoulders; the other wears scrubs and is nearly as tall as me. Her short black hair looks like she’s ran her hands through it one too many times. Neither of them scream vampire. Weird.

The blonde glances up as we pass by. My gut clenches with anticipation before she meets my eyes, and I’m positive that hers will be black. But when our eyes lock, hers are green, and sparkle with curiosity. I look away. Green is normal, so why does something about her seem off? I tighten my grip on Chloe’s shoulder, keeping her close.

I consider making a second pass down the hall, but I’m worried about Chloe if a fight breaks out. The choice is made for me when the nurse ushers us into Rachel’s room. On the bed, my sister is almost unrecognizable she’s so bruised and swollen. I silently promise myself that whichever monster did this will pay.

Anger surges. Anger at my stupid sister, and anger at the universe that these monsters even exist. Our job shouldn’t be necessary.

“She was picked up by the police in an area they’ve been patrolling for druggies. Apparently, the people she scuffled with got away.” The nurse picks up a clipboard hanging on the end of the bed, glances at it, puts it back. “Her vitals are good. She looks worse than she actually is.”

Chloe quietly takes an empty chair in the corner. Smart girl, to get out of the way. I step to Rachel’s bed and speak in a low voice. “What were you
thinking
?”

Rachel opens her mouth, but I interrupt her.

“Do you have a death wish, is that it?”

I can’t help raising my voice as my anger finally finds expression. I’m aware that the nurse steps out into the hall and returns with a second person.

Rachel tries to say something, but her words are lost in a string of gibberish. Did she suffer brain damage?

Cassie’s head had been bashed in when I found her. I blink the memory-image away and ball my hands into fists, fighting the urge to smash something. “You had no business going there, what were you thinking? Seriously, Rach, I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t know–”

“That’s no excuse!”

“Hey, I don’t think yelling is necessary.” A commanding female voice says from the doorway.

I whirl around, ready to tell someone off, but I’m stunned into silence. It’s the blonde from the hallway, but this time I
know
what’s wrong with her. She looks completely the same right down to her green eyes, but this time alarms buzz inside my head. Blondie’s a vamp.

As if to confirm it, the nurse stands awkwardly off to one side, pretending to be interested in Rachel’s monitors. Blondie makes her uncomfortable. Classic.

My hand itches to pull out my knife and hurl into her heart, but there are too many witnesses and I have to think about taking care of Rachel and Chloe.

“Go away. This isn’t your business.” It takes everything in me to grit the words through my teeth.

“It
is
my business if this girl,” she consults the piece of paper in her hand, “Rachel, is being neglected by her guardian. I’m assuming that’s you.” The downward twist of her lips lets me know exactly what she thinks of me. Not that I care. “How old are you anyway, twenty?”

Um, no. Eighteen. I stay silent. We have a nonverbal contest of wills, me telling her to get the heck outta here and her telling me… something. I can’t get a good read on her.

“Look, the hospital has to file a report when a minor comes in beat up like this. Social Services is probably going to get involved. I’d like to help Rachel, if I can.”

Heck, no.

“Look, I don’t care who you are, I’m taking my sister out of here. Right. Now.”

A burly policeman steps into the room behind Blondie. He skirts around the petite girl like she’s venomous. Oh, wait, she is. “She’s not going anywhere. Got a dead body in an alley near where your sister was picked up. She’s in police custody until we clear a few things up.”

Oh, this just keeps getting better and better.

3 - Shane

The first rays of sunlight stream through the window where I’ve pulled the blind open. Finally. We might just have a chance to make it out of here.

I flinch at a noise from down the hall, my back aching from the stance I’ve maintained all night, propped against the wall just inside the door to Rachel’s room. I can’t let my guard down for a second, not with a vampire running loose.

Rach stirs on the bed, and it’s hard to look at her and not think about Cassidy. Our middle sister had been in a hospital bed with IVs and machines hooked up to her too. The doctors had worked day and night to try and save her. And in the end, nothing they’d done had mattered.

I can’t let Rach end up like that.

She moans. Is she waking? I know how pain meds can disorient you, and for a Chaser that’s a scary thing. Her eyes fly open, and I see real fear in them.

I put a finger to my lips before she makes any noise, jerking my chin toward Chloe’s sleeping form, hunched in the single recliner in the corner. She’s slept like the dead pretty much ever since we got here. I’m glad of it, but it worries me too. She should be more aware of her surroundings if I’ve taught her right.

“Where’s the vamp?” Rachel whispers, her voice rough with sleep and pain.

I shrug and keep my voice low. “I haven’t left the room.”

She flicks a glance at Chloe. We both know Chloe can’t be left on her own, not with a vamp nearby. She’s too irresistible, as we’ve found out. I’m a little surprised the vamp hasn’t shown back up all night. Rach frowns. “I could’ve–”

“While you were asleep?”

Emotion flickers across her face. It makes me want to soften my tone, but I resist. Softness, kindness, that’s the kind of stuff that gets Chasers killed. Tough is the only way to be. It’s one of the only things of value my father taught me.

Rachel’s lips tighten and I see the familiar anger surge before she tamps it down. “Shane, I would’ve had those vamps if the cops hadn’t interfered.”

I don’t respond to that; it doesn’t matter. “Can you walk?”

Her eyes darken, but we don’t have time for more discussion or even worse—female tears.

“The cop stepped out a little bit ago. And it’s daylight now.” So all we have to do is get outside, and we’ll be home free.

“But–”

“I don’t need you to argue with me, Rachel Marie.” I put all my authority into the command. “I need you to obey me. You’ve already compromised our position in this area, and I don’t have time to deal with another of your stunts right now.”

“Why do you guys always have to fight?” Chloe demands out of nowhere, bolting to her feet and racing out of the room.

She’s fast, and she’s through the door before I can grab her. I glare at Rachel and step into the hallway. I can’t see her, and my spine tingles—something’s wrong.

“Chloe!”

If Blondie’s on the prowl… I don’t even want to think it, but if she’s inside away from the sun it won’t stop her from vamping out and attacking someone. Someone like my little sister.

There’s movement up the hallway, nurses rushing around and people dodging into rooms. Two women in scrubs scurry past me having a rushed conversation, but I catch the two words: “druggie” and “grabbed”.

At that moment a bloodcurdling scream erupts. I’d know that voice anywhere, and Chloe only uses that pitch when she’s in trouble.

From the corner of my eye, I see Rachel rip wires out of her arm, but I don’t hang around to see if she gets out of bed. I race down the hall, adrenaline pumping hot through my veins, and my mind going crazy with scenarios. I can’t lose another sister!

I pull my knife out, preparing for a fight. I expect to find Blondie, and I’m ready to take her out.

I reach the nurses’ station, and my heart stops. There’s a man behind the counter waving a gun around, mumbling incoherent words, and in his clutches he’s got
Chloe
.

I have no idea how he got ahold of her. Chloe’s face is pasty and it’s clear she has panicked and forgotten the basic self-defense I’ve taught her. She’s eight. I can’t really blame her.

The knife in my hand is useless. I can’t throw it and risk hitting Chloe, and I can’t get close enough to disarm this guy without the possibility of him discharging his weapon.

If I knew the bullet would hit me and not my baby sister, I might go for it. But I can’t endanger Chloe.

I scan the area, searching for anything useful. Everyone’s disappeared except for two security guards, and a teenage girl—the dark-haired girl who was talking to Blondie last night.

What is she doing? From her stance I can tell that she’s frozen, but she almost looks… focused. Probably at the gun being waved in her direction. I don’t have time to get her out of the way; I’ll have to leave it to the security guards.

The guy shouts but I can’t make out the words. His eyes are bloodshot. Crazy eyes, and it scares me worse than facing down a gang of vamps without backup.

This guy’s desperate, but so am I. I’ve lost one sister already; I will
not
allow it to happen again.

There’s sudden motion in my peripheral vision. The next thing I know the druggie’s weapon is flying one direction and he’s going another—backwards into a filing cabinet.

I dive in and pull Chloe away. Rachel’s behind me and grabs Chloe; I shove them both further back down the hall and turn back to assist in taking down the crazy man.

To my surprise, Blondie’s got him pinned against the cabinet, her arm across his shoulders holding him in place. No way. A vampire just saved my sister? Blondie must want Chloe for herself.

Blondie’s hand shakes where she’s got the guy’s t-shirt in her fist. With a view of her cheek, I see her tongue run over her teeth. She swallows convulsively.

I change my grip from the butt of my knife to a throwing hold, ready to take her out. Even though this guy could’ve hurt or killed my sister, he doesn’t deserve to have his blood drained.

I can’t believe it, but Blondie releases the man. His shoulders relax, but before the druggie sees it coming she socks him in the face, knocking him into the cabinet, sending papers flying.

The security guards rush in, and I sheath my knife. The last thing I need is to get in trouble for being armed. I don’t take my eyes off Blondie. She might not have killed yet, but it doesn’t mean she
won’t
.

She turns and when our eyes meet I’m staring into the black eyes of a monster. All my instincts scream
take her out
. It would be so easy; she’s not even expecting it. My hand inches down to my knife again.

I
need
to destroy her. The urge is instinctive, calls to me.

Then the vampire blinks and her irises are green. Did I just imagine that? Vampires can’t just turn back into a human that fast. Especially not with adrenaline pumping through them, and Blondie’s breathing like she just ran a 5K.

“Someone needs to get that girl back into her room and patch her back up.” Blondie gestures over my shoulder.

I automatically follow her gaze and see that she’s talking about Rachel, who looks like she’s about to pass out standing up.

Her skin is so pale it’s almost transparent. Blood is gushing from her forearm where she ripped the IV out. She’s got Chloe half-hidden behind her.

I sidestep into Blondie’s path and brace for her attack. No vampire can refuse fresh blood, and it’s pouring out of Rachel. And I
will
kill her in front of witnesses before I’ll let my sister be hurt again.

4 - Maggie

Rachel’s blood is a distraction I don’t need—more so because I never got to feed last night—but I’m more preoccupied with whether or not her brother saw my black eyes.

There was a moment of something—alarm maybe—on his face, and I swear he noticed the monster.

A nurse rushes over to Rachel and pushes a wheelchair behind her just as the girl collapses.

“No, I want to—I need to stay here. Shane!”

The boy reaches for her and eyes the exit sign above his head. Like he just wants to walk right out of here?

Hannah steps up to Rachel’s other side and lays a hand on the girl’s shoulder. She’s pale from holding the druggie using her telekinesis, but she gives me a jerk of her chin. She’ll get Rachel back to her room.

The nurse wheels Rachel down the hall to her room, Hannah following, and I’m grateful for her absence.

The two security guards are shooting suspicious looks over their shoulders. They don’t understand how a short girl took down a linebacker like I just did. One set of eyes stays riveted on me. Rachel’s brother stares like he’s waiting for me to explode. I have to smooth things over, so I make a joke.