First Job (Chronicles of the Moonshine Wizard) (3 page)

             
They began clawing at him, and he found himself fighting like a mad man. He punched one and kicked another, but it didn't seem to gain him any advantage. Pushed to his back, he couldn't reach his sword, and the staff was no use from this position.

             
He glanced up and realized that he was pinned beneath a boarded window. His arms were clasped by the cold hands of the vampires, and his back was pinned to the floor. They were moving in for the kill. He used his one free leg to kick at the old planks on the window. On the third kick, he chipped a tiny piece away. It was enough to let in a small beam of light across the face of the vampire trying to contain his legs. He screeched in horror and dove away from the light, taking the whole pile with him.

             
Bert pressed his legs against the wall and pushed away. He was free for the moment, but he knew it wouldn't last. With his hands free he scooped up his shotgun and swung it around to smack against the head of one of his attackers.

             
He thumbed the breach release and the barrel flipped open with a light click. He tossed in a shell as the target moved into attack.  He didn't have time to aim so he simply fired. The .410 buckshot ripped through the target's knee, leaving the tissue dangling by a small thread. He screamed and fell away.

             
In his mind he heard his sword say, “Now might be a good time to use me jackass!”

             
The other three vampires were moving in. He rolled away and called his sword and staff to him. The sword shot out of its sheath on his back and landed in his left hand. The staff flew up from its place on the floor and came to his other hand.

             
In a blur of movement he swung the sword through the nearest vampire's neck. He fell without a sound. Following through with the momentum of his swing, he brought the sword around and jammed it in the chest of another. Calling all of the power he could manage, he slammed a burst of raw energy against the last of the three. It hit the vampire squarely in the chest and smashed him through the boarded up window. He landed outside in the day light. Bert could hear his screams, but they didn't last long.

             
He turned toward the target. He was back in the hall, and attempting to crawl away. Bert picked up his shotgun and put in another shell. The vampire wasn't watching him, he didn't even notice Bert walk up until the next group of buckshot slammed into his good leg.

             
If it were a human, Bert would have never have wounded it like this, but some species of vampires could regenerate limbs. He didn't know for sure that the target could regrow his limbs, but after he had tried to kill him, Bert didn't feel too bad about it.

             
The vampire turned and tried to speak, but was cut off as Bert's gun roared to life again. The next shot took him in the shoulder and laid him flat against the ground. Using his one good arm, the vampire attempted to drag himself away while cursing Bert. Bert sighed, loaded the gun, and shot him in the other arm.

             
“Are you done now?” he asked calmly.

             
“Curse you wizard.” spat the vampire through his pain.

             
“Yup,” said Bert, “You're done.”

             
He glanced up and saw that the Boss was approaching him. The Boss looked at Bert, and then down at the vampire. He nodded, “Good job Waylon.”

             
“Uh, sure,” said the sword into Bert's mind, “Give him all of the credit.”

             
“You didn't help until the end.” Bert replied to the sword silently.

             
“Yeah, well whose fault is that?” asked the sword.
              The Boss interrupted his private conversation by saying, “Let's get him bounded up safely and out to the truck.”              

             
Bert helped him bind the injured vampire's arms and legs. He grunted with pain throughout the entire process, but didn't bother trying to put up a fight. Last, they covered his entire body in a dark cloth to protect him from the sun.

             
They dragged him back to the main room where two of the other hunters scooped him up and carried him out to the prisoner transport they had on the back of the truck. From the outside it looked like a camper shell, but on the inside it was covered in thick bars. There was no way for the vampire to escape. 

             
From outside the Boss yelled, “We're done here! Everyone grab your gear! Let's go!”

             
Bert still had everything he came in with, so he walked over and helped Rogue pluck their lights off the wall. He handed them to her with a smile.

             
She glared at him coldly and said, “So you actually managed to get him all by yourself. I guess you aren't completely dead weight.”

             
“Uh, thanks,” said Bert, and with a grin added, “So do you want to go out some time?”

             
She rolled her eyes and they started walking out of the old farm house.

             
“So is that a no?” he asked as he walked toward the passenger seat of one of their vehicles.

             
She rolled her eyes again and said, “Idiot.”

             
Bert smiled. He was starting to feel like a part of the team.

For more Moonshine Wizard, Check out the novel…

The First Chronicle of the Moonshine Wizard: A Fist of Thorns

Available in paperback and Amazon Kindle on Amazon.com
 

About the Author

Phillip
Drayer Duncan was born in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and has spent most of his life in the Ozarks. He currently resides in Anderson, Missouri. Along with reading and writing like a madman, his passions include kayakin, canoein, fishin, shootin, video games, and pretty much anything nerd related. More than anything, his greatest passion includes spending time with his ridiculously awesome friends, his wonderful family, and his gorgeous girlfriend. Throughout the warm months, he can be spotted on the river, around a campfire, or at a concert. In the cold months, he can be found hermitting amongst a pile of books and video games. No worries, he writes throughout.

             
His greatest dream in life is to become a Jedi, but since that hasn’t happened yet, he focuses on writing. His earliest books were written on notebooks, and acted out with action figures. He swears that if people wouldn’t think he was crazy, that he would still spend his days playing with action figures. He still feels this is the best way to write.

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Drayer Duncan and his writing, or to contact him...   

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