The Chase

The Chase Ch. 33

Thad's P.O.V

It was almost sundown and everyone was moving around…except me. It wasn’t like I needed their guns or poisons, or anything else they used to defend themselves. Ginger walked by me huffing about everyone getting on her nerves but I didn’t question it. I figured she was in one of those bad moods female humans always seemed to get in at the most inconvenient times. She walked back over to me and gave me a strange look.

“You’re still standing here?” she raised an eyebrow at me.

“Well it’s what you asked me to do every time I offered to help,” I shrugged, “Do you want me to stand somewhere else?”

“You don’t have to take everything so literally,” she said with a tired smile. I was about to say something else, but the girl from earlier, Mina, came running down the stairs and up to Ginger.

“What should I do?” she said, looking desperate to be helpful.

“Well, you could…” Ginger trailed off while thinking. The girl was very jittery, I noticed. She was practically vibrating where she stood.

“Do anything to calm yourself down,” I finished for her with a smile. The girl suddenly backed away with fear, her eyes focusing on my mouth. She must have thought I was a human until now. I hadn’t even thought about that.

“He’s a…he’s a monster!” she stammered, her heart rate accelerating even faster than Ginger’s ever had, “He’ll kill us all!”

“Thad won’t hurt you. We know he’s vampire,” Ginger said softly while reaching a hand out to her. The girl didn’t look convinced.

“Yeah, I would have dismembered you all and sacrificed your souls to Satan by now,” I said while rolling my eyes. Ginger shot me a look that I ignored with a smile.

“Okay you guys, is everyone ready?” Donovan said while walking into the room. Ginger’s face fell when he walked into the room, her eyes narrowing at him.

“Or should I ask you if we’re ready, leader?” he sneered at Ginger with a smirk. I growled at him and started to approach him but Ginger pushed my chest lightly back.

“Just let it go Thad,” she sighed.

“No, you’re a girl! He has no right to treat you like that,” I snapped but didn’t move any closer. Donovan turned his gaze to me.

“I had no idea vampires believed in chivalry,” he snorted and walked up to me to where I could look down at him.

“You guys stop!” Ginger practically screeched while pushing us apart with her arms. Donovan and I back a few tense steps away from each other and looked at her expectantly.

“Now, let’s just get everybody in here so we can leave,” she sighed and walked out of the room. A little while later she walked back in with Sadie, Luke and Emma.

“Are we ready to go now?” Donovan said sounding impatient. Every mumbled some variation of yes and we headed out the door. The cool night air was thick with the smell of fear as Mina led us to where the vampires were keeping her brother. Nobody’s fingers left the triggers of their guns and nobody relaxed. The sound of their hearts pumping out of control was kind of giving me a head ache.

“I hope we don’t die,” Sadie said very simply, only to be hushed by Ginger. Sadie looked to the ground and Luke walked over comfortingly.

We turned into some alleyway that twisted back behind some crumbling houses. I felt everyone tense up; we were going deeper and deeper into their territory. Every step the group took put them in more and more danger.

“Okay you guys were almost to the spot they took him,” Mina whispered from the front of the group. Ginger nodded, Donovan pulled out a second gun and everyone else tensed up. I just kept walking.

Mina stopped us at a crumbling old building that looked like it used to be some kind of store and nodded towards it. Ginger nodded and cocked her gun. I mentally groaned because it was so obvious we were here; six humans have pretty damn strong scent.

Everyone formed a half circle around the door and I approached it, thinking about our plan. Or lack of one. I used one hand to break the door down, everyone immediately followed by rushing in.

“It’s…empty,” Donovan sighed and lowered his gun. I heard shuffling, but it was obvious no one else did.

“No, they’re here,” I said gravely and tensed up for the attack, “Just wait.”

A scream tore through the thick silence that had developed in the air. I was the first to whip around, and saw Emma struggling beneath the weight of vampire. I tackled the male to the ground and slung him against the wall, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. In seconds, everyone was showering bullets towards him.

“More are coming!” I warned, listening to the sound of their footsteps rushing into the room we were in. Three more vampires entered the room, all hissing and sizing me up, then turning their hungry gazes towards the humans. They lunged simultaneously at break neck speed, ignoring me and heading towards what they thought would be their next meal.

I pounced on the one closest to me, landing on top of him and punching him hard in the neck. He let out a low hiss and quickly flipped on top of me and twisted my wrist backwards. I gritted my teeth when I heard it snap, but I didn’t let it slow me down. I kicked him in the chest and when he was on the ground I placed my foot on his head.

“Where are you keeping the boy?” I demanded, pressing down on his head a little.

“The very back room,” he said through gritted teeth. I swiftly kicked him in the back of the head and darted off through the building. I made my way through the various halls until I reached the back of the building. There were two rooms. I sniffed the air and caught the scent of flesh in one and slipped inside. Tied up to a chair in the corner of the room was a teenage boy who looked a lot like Mina.

He started thrashing around a little when I walked in, but it was obvious he didn’t have much energy to struggle.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to bring you to your sister,” I said and walked up to snap the ropes he was tied up with. His heart beat was slow and he didn’t look like he would have lasted very much longer. I helped him out of the chair and drug him along with my good hand. He was kind of stumbling around, but we didn’t have any time to waste.

I peeked around the corner of the room and saw everyone with their chests huffing, bruised and breathing but alive, vampires lying around unconscious. I pulled him on inside. Mina’s eyes lit up and she ran over him and put him in a tight hug.

“We’re going to have to give him medical attention,” I said, “They’ve been feeding on him and he doesn’t look good.”

I sniffed the air, and noticed there was something I didn’t smell that worried me.

“Where’s Ginger?” my eyes snapped up and searched the room. Everyone’s eyes lit up in realization and they looked around too.

“I thought she was with you?” Donovan said, still catching his breath. I shook my head and followed her old sent to the door.

“Someone’s taken her!” I growled and started out the door before they could say anything. I heard footsteps following after me and turned to see Donovan following me.

“What are you doing?” I hissed.

“I’m going to help you find her,” he said. I nodded, and we set off on her trail.

I would find her if it was the very last thing I did.