Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Eighteen

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night Two: Race for the Cure

Chapter Eighteen: Road Hazards

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Nadya tried not to think about the disturbing experience she’d just had, focusing instead on her driving.  She wasn’t prone to hallucinations, and the whole thing had felt too real to be one.  She knew vampires, like werewolves, had certain powers.  They varied from creature to creature.  There might have been a predetermined way of figuring out which ones were more likely to develop certain powers, but if so, she didn’t know what it was and she didn’t much care.

She was more concerned with what powers Remy specifically had.  The ability to yank her into some kind of weird realm where he had total control of not only her surroundings but of her whole being didn’t make her feel any better about the challenges that lay ahead.

She cursed softly and lit a fresh smoke, trying again to push the thoughts away.  There was no point worrying about it until she had to.  Until then, her main objective was to find this contact that could supposedly help Ulbrecht.

Hopefully her French informant hadn’t been throwing her a load of shit.  If so, she wasn’t sure what she would do.

It wasn’t as if she could go back and punish the woman for giving her bad information.

As it turned out, her need to worry about what kind of powers Remy possessed became necessary all too soon.  Glancing into the rearview mirror out of reflex, she gasped as she caught sight of the demonic visage of the vampire.  She quickly turned her head, looking out the back of the car.

There was nothing there.

She turned back around, already scolding herself for being so jumpy.  As she turned to face forward again, she caught sight of Ulbrecht giving her a worried look.  She ignored it and turned her eyes back to the road.  She wasn’t about to tell him that she was seeing things.  She checked the rearview mirror again and saw nothing but empty road disappearing into the darkness behind them.

Nadya took another drag from her cigarette and blew the smoke out the open window beside her.  She wondered how close Remy actually was.  She didn’t imagine his powers could work over a long distance, so that meant he had to be chasing after them.  That wasn’t a surprise, but what was was how he was managing to keep up.  Nadya wasn’t exactly being light on the gas pedal.  So he had to have a means of travel just as fast as the Maserati.

That was another disturbing thought.

Nadya turned slightly to flick some ash out the open window and her eyes went wide as she saw Remy outside the car.  He was just standing there, grinning at her, as if the car were sitting still.  The Russian girl cursed and flicked her half-finished cigarette out of the window at him.

The smoke passed clear through him and he laughed.

She could hear the sound easily enough and could feel it echo in her ears.  She turned away and focused on the road again, concentrating hard on it and trying to block out everything else.  She didn’t like anyone playing with her mind.  It was just as bad as someone playing with her body as far as she was concerned.

Maybe even worse.

She knew she wasn’t crazy, so if that’s what the asshole was trying to make her think, he was failing.  If he was trying to unnerve her, though, he wasn’t failing as bad.  Her hands clenched the steering wheel hard and her palms began to sweat.  Her eyes were beginning to ache from focusing on the road and she had to blink several times to relax them.

The Russian assassin felt a tingle of fear in the back of her head, trying to work its way forward.  The feeling was certainly justified, given her current situation, but she hated it just the same.  She tried to force it to sit back down and shut the fuck up, but it was a persistent little bastard, and it was gorging itself on every one of her insecurities to grow larger.

She clenched her teeth hard, adding fuel to her anger so that it would squash the rebellious little snippet of her mind.  Things were shitty, it was a given, but the very last thing she needed to do was start to let her fear fester and grow.  If that happened, she wouldn’t be able to perform properly and when the time came for her to act, she’d do something stupid and get herself and Ulbrecht both killed.

Slowly, her anger at herself and the cold, rational part of her brain fought off the fear, beating it into submission and flushing it like some unwanted garbage.  Her teeth slowly unclenched and she let out a sigh of relief.

Then a fist slammed out of her chest.

Nadya’s eyes went wide and her mouth gaped open as she looked down and saw the arm that had grown from between her breasts.

No, not grown…

The arm was covered in blood.

Her blood.

And the hand at the end was gripping something.  Something covered in blood and still pumping weakly.

It was her heart.

Her eyes focused on her heart, watching it pump out the last of its blood slowly.  The blood dripped from the hand, falling onto her lap and staining her pants.  Blood began to creep up the back of her throat and then started to fall past her lips and down her chin.

She watched as the hand holding her heart crushed her precious organ, making it explode and spray blood in all directions.  The windshield was painted crimson along with Nadya’s face.

After it finished destroying her heart, the hand opened back up and dropped the ruined organ into her lap, then yanked back through her chest, leaving a gaping, bloody hole there.

Outside of the gory hallucination Nadya was in, her eyes were half-closed and her head had fallen back against the headrest of the seat.  Her hands dropped limply away from the steering wheel and the car began to drift towards the edge of the road.

Ulbrecht looked over when he saw they were about to run off and saw the state Nadya was in.  He moved over and grabbed the steering wheel, straightening them out.

“Nadya!” he yelled to her, trying to snap her out of the daze she was in.

She didn’t react, seemingly comatose in the seat.  Her foot pressed down on the gas pedal and the engine revved making the car speed even faster down the road.

“Nadya, wake up!” Ulbrecht tried again with still no response.  Steering the car from the passenger seat at the speed they were traveling at was immensely difficult.  They came close to running off the side again and Ulbrecht jerked the wheel in the opposite direction, swerving them across the road.  He worked the wheel back again, finally getting the car more or less aligned.

He looked over at Nadya again and saw she was still in an unresponsive state.  Taking one hand off the wheel, he held it back and hesitated briefly before slapping her hard across the face.

Nadya’s eyes fluttered open and focused instantly, realizing what had happened.

“Fuck!” she yelled, reaching up and grabbing the wheel.  She let up off the gas and started to slow the Maserati down.  She braked and pulled onto the side of the road, then threw the car into park.  She sat back in the seat, breathing heavily.  Beside her, Ulbrecht was also out of breath.  She noticed her hands were shaking and forced them to stop.

The fear was back and clawing strongly through her brain.  She told it to get back down where it came from and spent the next several minutes forcing it there.  Once that was done, she inhaled and let out the breath slowly.  Then she lit up another cigarette and took several long drags.

“Maybe you should drive,” she said to Ulbrecht quietly.

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Seventeen

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night Two: Race for the Cure

Chapter Seventeen: Filling Up

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

“That was the werewolf from last night?” Ulbrecht asked.  “The one that infected me?”

For a few minutes after they’d gotten into the Maserati and taken off, he’d been quiet.  Nadya had glanced over a couple times and it looked to her as if he was trying not to be sick.  What had happened to Elise had been gruesome but she’d seen worse.  If he were planning on becoming a doctor, he’d have to toughen up a bit.

By the time he finally spoke, her mind had drifted a bit.  Trying to think about the new complications their situation had.  She suspected Remy wouldn’t just let them take off and leave him behind, so it was a sure bet he was trailing them.

The question was whether or not Elise had said anything to him about where they were going before he’d thrown her through the window.  She had to plan as if she had.  Again, she was caught without any proper weapons to deal with her enemy and this time she couldn’t call anyone for help.

She blinked and looked over at Ulbrecht when he spoke.  “Yes,” she said, simply.

He didn’t look so nauseous now, just confused.  It helped to remind her how little he actually knew about the way the world really worked.

“How is that possible?” he asked.  “I thought you killed that thing.”

She wasn’t sure how to properly explain the way werewolves worked, or how vampires worked, especially since she wasn’t exactly sure how they worked herself.  She sighed, lit another cigarette, and attempted to explain it to the best of her ability.

“Werewolves… they’re a sort of genetic disease.  The wolf virus gets in you, makes you one of them.  The only things that can kill you are dismemberment and silver through the heart.  If someone puts silver through your heart, you’ll die… but you’ll come back as a vampire.  The virus mutates and makes you a vampire.  I don’t know exactly why, but that’s how it works.”

She slammed the palm of her hand into the steering wheel.  “Should’ve taken the fucker’s head!  Stupid!”

Ulbrecht fell silent again.  Taking in the new information, Nadya figured.

She took a drag from her cigarette and glanced at the gas gauge.

Near empty.  They’d have to fill up soon.

She needed some more cigarettes, too.

She spotted a gas station and pulled in, stopping at one of the pumps.  Pulling out her wallet, she opened it to survey the status of things.  Grimacing, she pulled out the few bills she had left and looked through them.  It wouldn’t be enough, not with the car wanting high-grade petrol.  It looked as though she was going to have to hold up the whole damn store just to keep going.

She looked over at Ulbrecht.  “Get ready to pump the gas.  This isn’t exactly going to be a legal transaction.”

She got out of the car and walked around it, heading for the station.  Behind her, Ulbrecht got out and started getting ready to pump the gas.

Entering the station, the Russian girl took a look around and saw she was the only person in the station aside from the cashier.  He was an old man with plenty of wrinkles and white hair.  At least that would make things easier.  She walked up to the counter and asked for a pack of her brand of cigarettes.  When the old man turned to fetch the cigarettes, Nadya pulled her pistol out and pointed it at the man.  His eyes went wide as he turned around and saw the weapon.

With her free hand, she reached for the cigarettes and he handed them over.  “Don’t do anything stupid.  Turn on the pumps so my friend can fill the tank and we’ll be out of your way before you can say boo.”

The old man turned and flicked the pump on.  Nadya looked out of the shop to see Ulbrecht pumping the gas.

So far, so good.

She heard the sound of a shotgun being pumped and turned back to see a younger man stepping out from the back of the shop, aiming the shotgun at her.  He walked around the counter and held the barrel up close to the side of her head.

“Drop the gun,” he told her in heavily accented English.

Nadya lowered the gun slowly to the counter, setting it down.  As soon as the gun left her hand and she saw the man relax ever so slightly, her slow movements transformed into lightning fast ones.  She turned, lifting a hand and grabbing the side of the shotgun’s barrel, shoving it away from her before lifting her leg and slamming her booted foot into the man’s gut.  He went flying backwards, releasing the shotgun, and collided with a shelf of foodstuffs.  The shelf collapsed under the man and the foodstuffs went flying.

She flipped the shotgun in the air, grabbing hold of the stock and sliding her hand into the grip before turning and lowering the barrel to aim at the old man behind the counter who had been reaching for her discarded pistol.  The old man froze and Nadya reached down to pick up her handgun, sliding it into her waistband.

Just then, she caught movement from outside and turned her head to see Ulbrecht signaling her that the tank was full.  She turned back to the old man and gave him a nod and a smile.

“Thanks, old timer.”  She turned and walked out of the station, heading for the car.

Ulbrecht had already gotten back into the passenger seat.  Nadya rounded the car and handed him the shotgun through the open window, then opened the door to get in.  She stopped suddenly as something flashed in her eyes.

She blinked and the car was gone.

A confused look crossed her face and she looked around herself to see she was no longer in front of the gas station at all.  She was surrounded by darkness.  She reached for the pistol in her waistband and felt only bare skin.  Growing alarmed, she looked down to find herself completely nude.  She looked up and looked around herself again, trying to look through the darkness that surrounded her, feeling increasingly uneasy with every new development she discovered.

She sensed movement in the blackness, rushing around her.  She spun, her pigtails swaying with the movement, and tried to track the perceived movement through the darkness.  She was feeling very vulnerable, with good reason.  Being stripped and doused into impenetrable darkness wasn’t exactly her idea of a good time.

Nadya caught sight of something and stopped turning, focusing her sight on the small glimmers.  They appeared to be yellow eyes, glistening in the dark.  Dread filled her and she tensed herself, ready to attack or defend.

She gasped in surprise as light illuminated the figure before her, blinding her momentarily.  When her vision cleared, her surprise intensified as she recognized the person before her.

“Impossible.  You can’t be here,” she said.

Remy gave her a smirk and stepped towards her.  “I’m closer than you think, little girl,” he told her.  He reached out for one of her small breasts and Nadya stepped back quickly, bringing a hand up to smack his away.

Instead, her hand passed right through his.  The move left her unbalanced and unable to react when he advanced on her again, much quicker.

Nadya gasped as she felt one of his hands grip her slender throat and squeeze firmly before lifting her off her feet.  She swung a fist at his head only to see it pass through him with no effect.  She kicked at his crotch with the same outcome.

“Vampires can’t do this,” she croaked out as he choked her.

Remy’s smirk became a wicked grin.  “Some can.”  His grip tightened, cutting off her ability to breathe.  “There’s a particularly special bond between a murderess and her victim.”

“You started it, asshole,” Nadya croaked out, continuing to struggle.  She kept attempting to pound him, but only managed to flail her fists and feet through him instead of into him.

“See you real soon, you little bitch.”

With that, Remy hurled Nadya into the darkness that surrounded them.  She fell but didn’t hit the ground.  The image of the vampire shrank as she continued to drop, arms and legs spread apart from her body, hair fluttering about her.

Finally, Remy’s form was no longer visible, but she kept dropping.  Then came the flashes in her eyes again.

Nadya hit the pavement hard, cringing in pain.  She looked up and saw she was back where she had been before the strange vision or hallucination or whatever it had been.

The Maserati was right in front of her, she was fully clothed, and her pistol was in her waistband.  Nadya got to her feet to see a concerned Ulbrecht looking at her from the passenger seat.

“It was nothing.  We need to go,” she told him, getting into the car and firing it up.  She hit the gas pedal and pulled back out onto the road, speeding off.

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Sixteen

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night Two: Race for the Cure

Chapter Sixteen: The French Connection

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Nadya was relieved when she came out of the pub to find both Ulbrecht and the car where she left them.  She was less relieved when she got behind the wheel and examined the address Lonestar had given her.  He’d said the woman was French but she hadn’t expected her to actually be in France.  She released a long sigh.

The adjoining country wasn’t that far away, but it was far enough to eat up an hour or two of transit time.  It wasn’t something she was looking forward to, but she wasn’t about to head back into the pub and ask around for someone closer.  So she fired the car up and pulled back out onto the road.

If it wound up being one big run around, Nadya would be coming back to pummel Lonestar to death.  Getting on the autobahn, she no longer had to worry about exceeding any speed limits and let the Maserati accelerate.  She kept her foot firmly planted as she guided the speeding car around the gentle banks and curves of the road.  Even with the incredible speed of the vehicle, it took an hour to get into France.

During the course of the hour, Nadya had been chain smoking to try and kill the hunger in her gut.

It worked.

Somewhat.

She had been checking the rearview mirror occasionally to see if they were being followed, but gave up shortly after she’d started.  The few cars she spotted behind them weren’t there long enough to be any trouble.  She was forced to slow back down to a reasonable speed once she got onto the local roads.

The address led her to a tall apartment building that looked pretty ritzy.  She looked at the address again and noticed the woman lived in ‘Penthouse A’.  Apparently, informing on vampires, werewolves and other baddies paid a lot better then the tips Lonestar dealt in.

She looked over at Ulbrecht.  “This is the place.”

She got out of the car and headed for the entrance, Ulbrecht following along behind.  She punched the buzzer for Penthouse A and waited for a response.

“Yes?” came the voice of a French woman, slightly distorted and muted from the small speaker it was broadcast from.

Nadya leaned forward and hit the button to respond.  “I’m looking for Elise Lussier.  Lonestar sent me.”

“Tell that pervert, for the last time, I’m not making any lesbian pornos for him,” Elise replied.  The annoyance in her voice transmitted loud and clear over the small speaker.

Nadya raised an eyebrow, somewhat curious about how many girls Lonestar had sent to this woman’s apartment with crotchless panties and a video camera.

She hit the button again.  “That’s not why I’m here.  I’m looking for some information.”

There was a pause before Elise replied.  “Alright.  But if you come up here with a strap-on and a digital camera, you’re going to be in even more trouble than Lonestar.”

There was a buzz as the door to the apartment building unlocked and Nadya grabbed the handle, yanking it open and stepping inside.  Ulbrecht was right behind her.  They walked over to the lift and she tapped at the call button.

There was a ding as the lift doors opened.  They stepped inside and she hit the button for Penthouse A.  The doors closed and the lift began to ascend.  The trip seemed to take longer than it actually did, due to the soft music being pumped through the speakers in the elevator.

Elevator music had to be the worst possible torture device around.  That was Nadya’s opinion of the stuff, anyway.

Finally, the lift reached the top floor and the doors parted to reveal a small hallway leading to a pair of double doors.  Nadya and Ulbrecht exited and headed down the hall to the doors.

She gave a knock and waited for the woman to answer.  She was probably looking through the peephole to make sure Nadya wasn’t standing there in the nude or something equally ridiculous.

The door opened and a woman with dark olive skin and bright green eyes appeared.  She looked to be in her early thirties.  She was wearing a tight-fitting red shirt with black jeans that were equally form hugging.  Below the jeans were heeled boots that looked like they could cause some damage if used properly.

As Nadya looked her over, Elise looked both Nadya and Ulbrecht over.  Judging by her face, she still wasn’t satisfied that they weren’t hired porn stars sent by Lonestar.

“Well?  What sort of information are you looking for?  You should know beforehand, I’m not cheap.”

That was something Nadya had figured, and it raised the problem of how to pay for the information she wanted.  There was always the hard way, but she didn’t exactly want to torture a woman she’d just met if there was another way.

“How much to point us in the direction of someone who knows how to stop the werewolf virus from taking hold?”

Elise smirked.  “That would be some expensive information,” she said.  “Especially since it’s so time sensitive.”

Nadya reached up, intending to pull the pistol from her jacket, but paused momentarily.  When her hand started moving again, she reached instead inside one of her jacket pockets.  She pulled out the keys to the Maserati and tossed them over to Elise.  “That should be more then enough.”

Elise caught the keys and looked at them, seeing the vehicle maker’s insignia on it.  “If there’s a car to go along with these keys.”

Nadya motioned to the window facing the street and Elise moved over to it, looking down.  She turned back to her guests, giving them a smile.  “Deal.”  She pocketed the key.

Vlad would come here looking for her and he’d want the car back.  If Elise handed it back without causing any trouble, there wouldn’t be any problems.

If she didn’t… well, at least her death wouldn’t be on Nadya’s mind.

She watched Elise walk over to a small desk and pull a slip of paper out, scribbling down a name and address then she walked over and handed it to Nadya.

The Russian girl read the address, grimacing.  “Paris?”

“You’re lucky.  He actually lives in London, but he’s on holiday in Paris.”  While Nadya had to agree that it was good luck, Paris was still a long way from where they were.

And she’d just given up their speed.

She could steal another car easily, but there was no way she could find one with the speed of the Maserati.

“You’re sure he’ll be able to help?” Nadya asked, her voice making it clear that she wasn’t in any mood to be fucked with.

Elise nodded.  “He actually is a werewolf.  Hates that part of himself, though, and has a pretty extensive collection of remedies to halt the virus before it takes hold completely.  I’d hurry, though, otherwise it might not work.”

Just then, there was a buzz at the door.

Nadya turned, her hand reaching for the gun.  She doubted Vlad could’ve tracked her here this quickly, but there was always the possibility.

Elise moved past her and Ulbrecht, moving over to the door and tapping the button to respond.  “Who is it?”

“Remy,” a gruff voice replied from the speaker.

Elise immediately buzzed him in, then turned back to Nadya and Ulbrecht.  “One of my informants.  He’s a werewolf, too.  Works for a pretty powerful group of people, from what I can tell.  Sells me information about his rivals.  I guess it helps keep business better for him.”  She moved past them again, heading for a nearby bar with a vast array of alcohol set up on it.  “Would you like a drink?”

“Paris is a long way,” Nadya replied.  “And we’re going to need to find some transportation.  Thanks for the information.”  She turned and started towards the door, Ulbrecht trailing behind.

As they reached it, the door opened and a man entered.  Nadya paused.  He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him immediately.  His black hair was a bit shaggy, his bangs hanging down over his eyes a little.  His face was gaunt and he had a slender build.  He was wearing a black dress shirt and matching slacks.  She was about to shrug it off as just her mind playing tricks on her until the man looked up and locked his dark eyes on her.

His eyes widened in surprise and anger and then she was sure they’d met before.  She just had no idea where.  She watched as his face transformed and his teeth elongated into fangs.

That’s odd, she thought.  Elise had said he was a werewolf, not a vampire.

Then it hit her.

Of all the rotten luck in the world, Elise’s informant had to be the same asshole werewolf that had caused her so much trouble the previous night.  She hadn’t decapitated him.  That had been a mistake.

Now he was back as a vampire.

“Fuck your mother…” Nadya muttered in Russian.

He charged her and she whipped out her pistol, firing.  He ignored the bullets impacting his chest and kept charging.  She sidestepped at the last moment and let him move past her, turning to face him as she moved.  She ejected the empty magazine and grabbed a fresh one, slamming it into the gun.

Elise was confused by the sudden violent outburst and not very pleased about it.  She stepped forward, a glass of vodka in one hand.  “Remy, what the hell are you doing?  And since when are you a vampire?”

Remy gave a snarl and turned back to Nadya, pointing a clawed finger at the girl.  “Since that bitch killed me last night.  What’s she doing here?”

“Looking for a werewolf cure,” Elise replied.

Remy charged Nadya and Ulbrecht again.

“We’ll be leaving now,” Nadya said to Elise.  “Thanks again.”

She unloaded the pistol into Remy a second time as he charged, aiming for his legs.  Several shots tore through his knees and he cried out before falling forward to the ground.  Nadya shoved Ulbrecht through the door and followed after him, slamming it shut.

Once they were back in the hall, she ejected the second spent magazine and inserted a third, then turned and ran back towards the lift.  She tapped impatiently at the button, wondering how long it would take the vampire to heal enough to give chase.

Luckily, the lift hadn’t descended far after depositing its last occupant and the doors opened to admit them.  Entering, she pushed the button for the ground floor then tapped on the button to close the doors.  Just as they slid closed, Elise’s door opened and Nadya saw the vampire come running out, looking severely pissed off.

Before he reached them, the doors shut and the lift started its descent.

Nadya shook her head.  “I have the worst fucking luck…”

Now they’d have to take the first car they came across.  There was no time to waste picking and choosing.  Remy would have to wait for the lift to return to get down, but that wouldn’t give them much of a head start.

The doors opened and Nadya rushed out, Ulbrecht right behind her.  They left the apartment complex and she looked from side to side, trying to spot a vacant vehicle.  The only one she saw was the Maserati.  Cursing, she moved out onto the street, looking further down the road.

Nothing.

From high above, there was the sound of shattering glass followed by a distinctly feminine scream.

Ulbrecht looked up but Nadya didn’t bother, grabbing him and yanking him out of the way of the falling glass shards.  The scream was cut short, abruptly replaced by a vicious slicing sound.  Nadya turned to see that a street sign had interrupted Elise’s fall.  It had cleaved her in half, making quite a mess.

Her top half lay on one side of it, while her bottom half lay on the other.  In the middle and strewn over the sign were her guts.  Blood had splattered the pavement from the sudden bisection as well as the subsequent impact she’d had with the ground.

Her eyes were still open, staring up at Nadya but not seeing her.  Or anything else.

The Russian girl wasted no time and quickly moved over to the woman’s corpse.  Ulbrecht watched with a degree of disgust as she started to search the lower half of Elise.

“What are you doing?”

Nadya rose a few moments later and held up the keys to the Maserati then ran for the car.  Needing no further explanation, and not really wanting to sit around staring at Elise’s gory remains, Ulbrecht followed.

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Fifteen

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night Two: Race for the Cure

Chapter Fifteen: The Bigger They Are…

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Nadya managed to fight off the tears.  Eventually, she even managed to swallow the lump in her throat that kept her.  Not that she would’ve been chatting up a storm anyway, but there was a long period where she felt as though if she tried to squeeze any words past the lump, that it would just start a chain reaction of sobs.  So she kept her mouth clamped shut until she got her emotions under control.

As she did, she tried to think about where she should go.  How to start tracking down the cure.  She decided to go about it the same way she’d go about trying to find anything else and start asking around the usual places.  There was a pub not too far from where they were that she knew Lonestar frequented.  She just hoped that Vladimir hadn’t already thought about the possibility of her showing up there and called ahead to have them try to detain her.

She headed for the pub.

A couple minutes later, Nadya brought the sporty car to a halt out front of the pub.  She looked over at Ulbrecht.

“I’m going to go in and ask around if anyone knows about this cure,” she told him.  “You wait here.”

She took the key from the ignition and got out, walking around the car and heading for the entrance to the pub.  She made sure her pistol was hidden from view before she entered.

The interior of the pub was dark and filled with smoke.  The strong smell of burning tobacco filled her nostrils and rekindled an urge of her own to light up.  She reached into her jacket pocket and felt her pack of cigarettes, pulling it out.  She placed one of the sticks between her lips and retrieved her Zippo from her pocket.

Flicking it open, she brushed her thumb against it several times, only managing a few sparks.  The extended use in the passageways had eaten up her fluid.  She cursed softly, but just as she was placing the lighter back in her pocket, another was presented to her, already lit.  Nadya leaned forward and ignited her cigarette, taking a long drag.

“Thanks,” she said, turning to the lanky man who’d offered her the light.

Lonestar was grinning at her as if he’d just tricked her into marrying him. The fact that she’d just accepted a light off him wasn’t going to help deter him from flirting with her.

Always check to see who’s offering you a light before accepting, she thought to herself, sighing.  At least it hadn’t taken long to find him.

She turned to fully face Lonestar, giving him nice view of her bruised jaw.  His grin faltered as he spotted the unattractive mark.  “What happened to your face?”

“Love tap,” she deadpanned.  “I’m looking for information.”

She was glad her bruised face got his mind out of the gutter, but she wasn’t interested in telling him any tales.  The good thing about Lonestar was that he worked cheap, at least for Nadya.  He’d ask for a quick peek at one of her more private areas, and he’d settle for a hard slap to the face.

Toss in a round or two of beer, and the information was her’s.

“Know anyone that’s an expert on werewolves?  Specifically, how to counter the virus before it takes hold?”

At the mention of werewolves, Lonestar’s grin faded completely.  “You didn’t get infected, did you?”  His concern would have been endearing, if it hadn’t been for the simple fact that he was worried about losing out on all hope of ever banging her.

Nadya shook her head.  “It’s for a friend.”

He rubbed at his stubble-covered jaw while he thought.  The way his eyes flowed up and down Nadya’s body made her think he was doing more then scouring his alcohol addled brain to come up with a name.

She rolled her eyes and took another drag from her cigarette, blowing the smoke in his eyes.  Lonestar tried to wave the smoke away, blinking to clear the smoke.

“Okay, okay… I might know someone who might know someone who might be able to help you.”

Nadya glared at the man.  “Don’t start sending me on wild goose chases.  I’m not in the mood.”

He shrugged helplessly.  “It’s not my fault.  You’re asking about stuff I try to keep myself out of.  I only hear about the creepy crawlies through second hand information.  I don’t know anyone who deals with what you want that much.  All I can do is pass you down the road to someone who prefers to risk their life and limbs snooping on monsters.”

The Russian girl sighed.  “Alright, what’s this guy’s name?”

The informant shook his head.  “Not a guy.  It’s a woman.  Right tight bitch, too.  Almost as bad as you are.  Worse, actually.  She’s a tease.  Always starting to flash me her tits but stopping before I actually get to see the goods.”

Nadya made a motion with her hand to get him to shut up.  “I don’t care about gender or your pathetic sexless life.  Give me a damn name.”

“Elise Lussier,” Lonestar said.  “She’s French.”

Nadya heard him start going into a detailed description of what the woman looked like, but she tuned out.  Her attention was drawn to the bartender, who had just answered the phone.  She saw the man speak into the phone, listen, then start to scan the bar.  His eyes stopped on her for a moment, then kept moving, trying to act casual.  He said something else into the phone and hung up.

She couldn’t read lips, but she had a pretty good idea what had just happened.  She needed the pertinent information about the woman Lonestar was drooling over and she needed it fast.

Nadya reached into her pocket and pulled out a few notes, handing them over to the informant.  “Enough of your perverted fantasies.  Where does Ms. Frenchy live?”

Lonestar took the notes and pocketed them, then pulled out a slip of paper and a pen, scribbling an address down and handing it to her.  He gave her a lecherous smile.  “How about a quick peek?  One nipple.”  Nadya kicked him in the shin hard and he let out a cry of pain.  “Alright, alright…”

“Thanks, again,” she said, slipping the paper into her pocket and turning towards the door.

As she turned, she came face to gut with a mountain of a man.  She stopped short then looked up, having to strain her neck to spot the man’s rough face.  He was looking down at her with a frown.  His thick arms were crossed at his chest and he was thoroughly blocking her exit.

Nadya sighed.

So much for getting what she wanted and getting back on the road before trouble started.

She wasn’t sure if this was one of the bartender’s goons sent to keep her from leaving the bar or just some random asshole looking for a fight.  Either way, she didn’t have time to fuck around with him.  Vlad would be sending someone to collect her and Ulbrecht and it wouldn’t take them long to get there.

She just hoped Ulbrecht hadn’t let anyone steal the car while she’d been in the pub.

“I’m so glad I don’t know you,” Nadya said to the bulky man in front of her.

His gruff face became confused.

She looked down, spotting the man’s large feet, then raised one of her smaller ones.  She slammed the heel of her boot down into the bridge of the man’s foot and gained a cry of pain from him and he stumbled back a step, hopping on one foot.  The man took a swing at her but she ducked under the slow attack, rising on the other side of it and flicking what remained of her lit cigarette into his face.

Embers flew into the man’s eyes and he brought his hands up, batting at the burning little flashes.  Nadya tried to side step the mass of lard, but the man stumbled into her way again.  She turned and tried going around the other way, but the man stumbled back in front of her.

The world was mocking her.

She took a step back from the big guy and drew her gun, aiming at one of his thick legs and pulling the trigger.  She could actually see his leg ripple from the impact and blood gushed from the wound.  The large man cried out again and brought his hands down from his face, trying to reach over his expansive gut to his wounded leg.

As he tried to accomplish the impossible task, he lost his balance and fell forward.  Nadya backpedaled quickly to avoid being crushed under the mass.  As the man hit the ground, the floor creaked and glasses clattered.  The man remained down, writhing in pain, and Nadya moved forward again, lifting a foot and stepping onto the large back.  She walked across the downed man and hopped off, heading for the door.

When she reached it, she turned back and gave a wave and a smirk to Lonestar.  “Be seeing you.”

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Fourteen

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night Two: Race for the Cure

Chapter Fourteen: Leaving Home

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Nadya led Ulbrecht back down the hall and into the secret passageway.  Once inside, they stopped for a moment so she could remember the best way to get to the garage from where they were.  It wouldn’t be easy as it was on the other side of the estate.

While she thought, she brought him up to speed on what was going on.  She was glad he didn’t interrupt her to ask questions, although he did have a few after she finished.

“There’s a cure?” he asked, sounding a bit hopeful.

“Maybe,” Nadya replied, letting her eyes drift closed while she mentally traveled through the secret passageways within Vladimir’s estate.

They couldn’t get to the garage just using them.  They’d have to go through a few halls.  She cursed softly and opened her eyes, then pulled her lighter out and flicked it on.

“C’mon,” she said, leading the way.

Ulbrecht followed behind her.

Nadya reached into her waistband and pulled out one of her two guns, handing it back to him.  ”Just in case.  But don’t go shooting anyone if you don’t have to, and try not to kill anyone.  This is still my family.”

He took the gun and nodded.  The way he held it was awkward.  If anything actually went down, there was a good chance he’d drop the thing and shoot himself in the foot.  Or he’d jump the gun and fire a round into her back.  She started to re-think the decision of arming him but shrugged it off.

Whatever happened was going to happen.  And he had proven himself more than completely useless the night before.

She continued to walk at a fast pace.  The sooner they got to the garage, the better.  As soon as the alarm was raised, they were going to have to deal with a major shit storm.

They reached the ladder Nadya had come down earlier and headed up.  Once they were on the first floor, she turned in the opposite direction she had originally came from and started down another narrow passage.  She stopped at another secret opening a little ways down the tunnel and turned back to Ulbrecht.

“Let me go out first,” she told him.  “If someone sees me, they’re just gonna figure I’m up to my usual games.  I’ll signal you if it’s clear.”

He nodded and she turned to the secret opening, pressing against the proper block and causing an audible click.  The Russian girl pushed the wall section open and stepped out into another hall.  She blinked a few times to get used to the light then looked around.

Surprise flooded through her but she tried to keep her expression neutral as she spotted Vladimir walking down the hall towards her with a smile on his face.  She quickly, but casually, closed the hidden opening and cracked an easy smirk at her boss.

When he reached her, he parted his arms and leaned forward, giving her a gentle hug.  She tensed from the physical contact, more of a natural reflex than anything.  She felt him press against the gun in her waistband, still concealed by her jacket, but she was sure he could feel its bulk.  If so, he didn’t mention it as he moved back away from her.

“I thought you were coming to dinner,” he said.  “When you didn’t, I thought I’d come looking for you.  I see you’ve been missing your little pathways.”

Nadya nodded.  “I was on my way, but I remembered the entrance in the Altman painting and figured I’d see if I could get to the dining room through them.  I’m getting old, though.  I got lost.”

“Old?” Vlad laughed at the statement.  “You’re looking younger each day.”  He noticed the pack on her shoulder and his grin faded a bit.  “You don’t look like you’re on your way to dinner.  You look like you’re leaving.”

“Didn’t want to overstay my welcome,” she offered.

“You could never,” he said, shaking his head.  “Stay until you’re healed.  Or longer.  I have other assassins to cover the jobs I need done.  Not as skilled as you are, but they manage.”

Nadya struggled franticly to come up with a better reason for her to be leaving so that Vladimir would let her go.  “Well, it’s not that so much… I’ve… got a boyfriend.”  She couldn’t believe she even said it, but it was the only thing she could think of.  Hopefully, she could get Vlad to go for it.  “He’s going to wonder what happened to me.”

“A boyfriend?”

As she’d suspected, he looked uncertain.

But then a fresh grin formed on his face.  “Nadezhda, that’s great.  I was hoping you’d meet someone eventually.  If that’s the case, I understand completely.  I’ll drive you back to your flat personally.  I’d like to meet the man who finally got your attention.”

Nadya sighed.

She didn’t want him to drive her anywhere; she wanted him to leave so she could finish sneaking Ulbrecht out of the place.

“Well… actually… he’s not at my flat.”

It was obvious he wasn’t going to be convinced to leave the hall without her, so she’d just have to leave with him.  She reached over and flicked the switch to open the wall segment again.  As it swung open, she called into the dark opening.

“Ulbrecht.  It’s clear.”

The young German man exited the passageway and stepped into the hall.

Vladimir’s eyes widened with surprise.  “Him?  Nadya, he’s been infected.  He’s becoming a werewolf.”

She nodded.  “I know.  I’m going to try and find him a cure.”

Vlad’s face grew stern and his voice grew icy cold.  “Nadezhda, don’t be stupid.  You know I can’t let you leave here with him.”

She drew the gun from her waistband and aimed it at Vladimir.  It was the hardest thing she’d had to do in her life, but she did it anyway.  “It’s you who shouldn’t be stupid.  Hands where I can see them.”

He complied, his expression letting her know how stunned and hurt he was by her action.

“He won’t cause you trouble.  I can promise you that.  I owe him like I owe you.  I don’t like the fact that the two debts have to counteract each other, but there’s nothing to be done about it.  Take us to the garage.  Once we’re gone, you won’t hear from Ulbrecht again.  And you won’t hear from me again… if it’s what you want.”

He shook his head.  “It’s not.  I don’t want any of this.”

“Like I said, it can’t be helped,” Nadya replied, then motioned with her gun for him to move.  “Garage.”

She slipped the gun back into the waistband concealed by her jacket.  She glanced back at Ulbrecht and nodded for him to do similarly then she turned back to Vlad.

“Please, don’t make this harder than it has to be.  Don’t make me start hurting the people I love.  I’ll hate myself for it, but you know I’ll do it.”

Vlad looked into her eyes, saw the dead seriousness there, and nodded.  He turned and started down the hall.  Nadya and Ulbrecht followed behind.

Going through several halls, they passed by guards, maids and butlers.  None of which so much as gave them a second glance.  They all knew not to disturb Vladimir unless there was a damn good reason.

It seemed Sven was still trapped in the quarantine room and hadn’t raised the alarm yet.  Nadya could tell Vlad was furious by the way he walked, probably why the people they passed were doing their best to stay out of their way.  But he didn’t say a word to warn the guards they passed.

Finally, they entered the garage.

It was huge, filled with more then a few expensive cars and motorcycles.  Nadya surveyed the collection before pointing to the Maserati MC12.  It was, by far, the fastest vehicle in Vladimir’s collection.

Unfortunately, it was also his most prized vehicle.

It was no great surprise, as there were only thirty in existence, most of them used for professional racing.  Still, fast was exactly what Nadya was shopping for.  She didn’t want to have to worry about Vlad sending anybody after her and Ulbrecht.  There was no doubt he would, but she wanted to be able to outrun them.

That seemed to be her default position.  When in doubt, make sure you can outrun your enemies so that you can double back and kick them in the fucking throat later.  Vladimir wasn’t her enemy, though.  At least, he hadn’t been…

The Maserati only had two seats, but that was fine.  She only had one passenger and her pack was small enough to fit with them.  Also, with limited time and no idea where she’d have to go to find this cure she was after, the speed of the car would come in that much handier.

Vlad let out a groan as she pointed the MC12 out.  “You’re really not making this departure any easier on me, you know.”  He reached into his pocket, where he kept the keys to the Maserati and tossed them over to her.

Nadya caught them and headed for the vehicle.

Ulbrecht moved with her, going around to the passenger side and getting in.  She tossed him her pack then turned back to Vladimir, giving him an apologetic look.

“I am sorry.  Really sorry.  You know this is the last thing I’d ever want to do.  But he saved my life.  I have to at least try to save his.”

He didn’t reply, but she wasn’t expecting him to.

She turned and got behind the wheel of the Maserati, inserting the key and gunning the engine.  She punched a button on the dashboard and watched the garage door open in front of her.  She looked back at Vlad a final time, wondering if he’d ever be able to forgive her.

Then she pressed her foot down on the gas pedal and the car revved and shot forward, accelerating like a rocket.  She guided it along the curved driveway to the main gate of the estate, punching a second button next to the first.  The gates started sliding open, slowly in relation to the speed they were approaching at.

Ulbrecht let out an uncertain sound, but Nadya kept her foot on the gas.  The car nearly scraped the sides of the gates as it passed through them.

Scratching up her boss’s prized vehicle wasn’t the first step to getting back in his good graces, but she couldn’t fight the urge to get as far away from him as possible.  Even as she got onto the road and accelerated more, the image of how he looked at her just before she’d left was stuck in her head.

Nadya turned to Ulbrecht, her bruised jaw clenched firmly.  “If I can find this cure, you’d better fucking appreciate it.”

She looked away from him again, focusing on the road, not wanting him to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Thirteen

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night Two: Race for the Cure

Chapter Thirteen: Breaking Quarantine

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Nadya had spent a great deal of her time living with Vladimir exploring all the nooks and crannies of the estate.  Even as a traumatized thirteen-year-old, her urge to explore the massive compound that had become her home was strong enough to get her out of her bleak mood.

There were hidden passageways, secret weapons caches, trapdoors.  All over the place and she knew where they all were.

Some of the secret passageways pre-dated Vlad’s occupancy of the estate and she wasn’t sure if he even knew about them.  She’d seen more than a few infected men and women dropped into the quarantine room, so she knew how to get there.

The guards weren’t going to let her just walk in and take Ulbrecht for a stroll, so she’d have to stop by one of the weapons caches and grab a gun or two.  In her battered state, she didn’t look forward to doing much hand-to-hand combat.  She’d sent the maid away, saying she’d be down for dinner in a few minutes.

Heading back into her bedroom, she grabbed a small pack and filled it with a few necessary items.  She found a small throwing knife under her bed that she must’ve forgotten when she moved out and tossed it in with everything else.  She grabbed some socks and another pair of combat boots that weren’t as worn as the ones she’d left at Ulbrecht’s flat and put them on.  She grabbed her jacket and tossed it on as well, then slung her pack over her shoulder and headed for the door.

Peeking out briefly, she saw the hall empty and entered it, shutting the door behind her.  She went down the hall and rounded the corner, going over to a statue of a nude woman.  The statue was about a head taller than Nadya and she was arching her back, pushing her marble tits out for any passers by to admire.

Pinching the statue’s left nipple and giving it a twist resulted in a low rumble and then a section of wall behind the statue lifted away to reveal a weapons cache.  She moved forward and grabbed a pair of pistols.  They were smaller and fit into her hands smoothly.  She snatched several extra magazines.

She loaded each of them and pulled the slides back to chamber rounds, then she slid one into her waistband and took hold of the second.  Twisting the statue’s nipple in the opposite direction closed the wall back up and she continued on her way.

The next stop was a large painting – roughly four feet by three feet – of a forlorn woman in a blue dress sitting in a chair.  The piece was called Portrait of Anna Akhmatova, Nadya remembered.  A Russian avant-garde artist by the name of Nathan Altman had painted it in the early 1900′s.  She briefly remembered Vlad taking her on a tour of the complex and giving her the history on each of the many works of art he’d collected over the years.

“The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg has a very lovely replication of this piece,” he had told her with a knowing smile and a wink.

The memory only made her focus on the betrayal she was currently committing, so she pushed it aside.

Tapping three separate spots on the frame in a specific order caused the painting to snap forward an inch or so.  She pulled the painting from the wall, swinging on hinges and revealing a small passageway behind it.  She slid into the wall and pulled the painting closed behind her.

The passage was pitch black.  Nadya reached into her jacket pocket and pulled her Zippo out, lighting it and holding it in front of her.  The small flame illuminated the passage with flickering light.  She moved forward along the brick path through numerous twists and turns until she reached an opening in the floor about the size of a manhole.

Flicking the lighter closed, she put it back in her pocket and slid the second gun in her waistband next to the first, then grabbed hold of the ladder leading down.  Going down the ladder in the dark was a slow journey, especially with her busted knee, but she managed to get down without incident.

She pulled her lighter and gun out again, then turned right and started down the new passage.

Reaching a section of wall where the bricks were a slightly lighter color than the rest, Nadya stopped.  This would put her in one of the basement hallways, a little ways from the holding chamber she was heading to.  She flicked the lighter closed and readied herself to exit the secret passage but paused momentarily.

There was no way to tell if there was anyone in the hall or not.  She wasn’t looking forward to killing anyone here.  Most of the guards she knew on a first name basis.  She decided she’d use the guns only if she had to and if she did have to, to only injure.

But seeing Nadya popping out of a wall was nothing new to the guards, so there was no reason to go out with weapons at the ready.  She slid the gun back into her waistband and zipped the jacket up to conceal the weapons, then she pushed a brick on the wall, feeling it shift a few inches inwards.

The wall slid open in front of her, bathing the dark hidden passage in light.  She squinted her eyes and stepped out, hearing the sliding wall close behind her.  She looked from side to side and saw the hall vacant.  Turning to the right, she started towards a set of thick double doors at the end of the hall.

There was an electronic keypad set into the wall next to the double doors.  This would be the first tricky part of the whole plan.  Vladimir changed the code every week or so and Nadya had no idea what it was.  She’d have to knock and hope the guard that came to see who it was knew her, otherwise getting inside would be a bit more difficult.

She stopped at the doors and stood on the tip of her toes to look through the thick glass set in them about head level.  She could see the guard standing off to the side, but his back was to her so she had no idea whom it was.  Taking a deep breath and settling back on her feet, she reached a hand up and gave a brief knock on the door.  She heard shuffling feet approaching and then a stern face looked through the window, taking a moment before thinking of looking downwards to spot the short girl on the other side.

His face brightened a bit, as did Nadya’s.  She knew the man almost as well as she did Vladimir.  He was one of the older guards in his employ, a man named Sven with thick shoulders and sandy blonde hair.  She saw his face disappear from the window for a moment then heard the ding of the lock being deactivated.  The door opened and there was Sven, giving her a friendly smile.

“Nadya,” he said.  “Long time.”

She shrugged.  “Only a couple months.  You look well.”

Sven nodded.  “So do you, all things considered.  Heard you got shot.”

The Russian girl motioned to her wounded shoulder.  “Clean through, nothing permanent.  A few more bangs and bruises, but I’ll heal fine.”

“That’s good to hear,” Sven said, a genuine look of relief on his face.  The expression was quickly replaced by confusion though.  “But what are you doing down here?”

“I came to see the guy you’re guarding,” Nadya replied.  “He helped me out a lot last night.”

“Oh,” the burly man said, his face growing a bit grim.  “He’s infected, you know.”

She nodded.

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt anything for you to visit with him for a bit.  Besides, I wouldn’t want Mr. Belikov finding out I turned you away.”

Nadya gave him a lopsided grin.  “I’d never go tattling to get you in trouble.”

Sven stepped aside and let her enter the room.

“Thanks,” she said, walking in and looking around.  She’d been in this part of the quarantine section a couple times.  It was an observation room.  The actual chamber was further in, separated by a thick wall made of Plexiglas.

Supposedly impenetrable.

She’d seen her first werewolf in that room, pounding on the thick walls.  Whether or not the walls were actually impenetrable was up to debate, but she knew it took a lot more strength then the average werewolf possessed.  Which was a considerable amount.

She approached the thick wall and spotted Ulbrecht lying on a small cot towards the rear of the room.  The containment room was air tight, with small vents cycling the oxygen inside.  If it came time to terminate the occupant, the air cyclers would be shut down and the werewolf inside would suffocate.  Lack of air wasn’t enough to kill the beasts but it was a good way of rendering them unconscious.  After that, men went in to finish the job.

Men with chainsaws.

Nadya tapped on the wall but got no response from Ulbrecht.  The walls were too thick to allow her tapping to be heard on the other side.  Sven walked over to her and motioned to a wall panel off to the side.  She went over to it and saw it was an intercom system.  She punched the transmit button and spoke into the microphone.  “Rise and shine, sleepy.”

In the room, Ulbrecht jumped up from the cot, looking over to the transparent wall.  His look of surprise became one of happiness when he spotted Nadya.  He rose from the cot and approached the glass.  He tapped at a companion intercom system on his side and spoke into it.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he said.  His expression darkened a bit.  “They said I’m going to become like that thing last night.  That this is the safest place for me now, until they can help me gain control.”

She nodded.  They would have told him something like that.

She was silent for a few moments, considering what she was about to do.  There was a good chance all this would go horribly wrong, especially considering how wounded she already was from the night before.  She had no way of knowing whether or not she could actually find help for Ulbrecht.  All she had to go on was rumors.

Usually, it took about three days for the werewolf virus to take full hold of a person.  It had already been one day.  So that left her with two until it was too late.

If it wasn’t too late already.  She had no way of knowing when the cure had to be administered in order to take effect.

Still, she had to try.  She owed him that much.

And if she couldn’t find a cure, then she’d at least get to give him the choice of ending his life quickly and relatively painlessly.  She casually reached into her jacket and took hold of one of the pistols, letting out a sigh.

“Sorry about this, Sven.”

The guard gave her a confused look until she pulled the pistol free and aimed it at him.  He took a step back from her, raising his hands.  “What are you doing?”

Nadya motioned to the armored door leading into the quarantine chamber.  “Open it up,” she said.  “I’m taking the doc.”

Sven complied, but he didn’t look very happy.  “This is a bad idea, Nadezhda.”

She nodded.  “I know.  Do it anyway.”

He tapped a code into the pad by the armored door and it clicked open.

Ulbrecht watched the scene play out with wide eyes, unable to hear what was happening through the thick walls.  Nadya motioned him to come out and he walked to the open door, moving past Sven and into the observation room.

Nadya then motioned Sven through the door into the quarantine room.  He moved inside and she went over and pushed the door shut again, the locks clicking back into place.  She moved back over to the intercom and hit the button to send her voice into the room.

“Like I said, I’m sorry.  I just can’t let Vladimir kill him.  I owe Vlad my life, but I also owe Ulbrecht the same.  Hopefully, he’ll understand.  Tell him not to worry about any new werewolves working against him.  One way or another.”

Sven nodded and she turned from the intercom to Ulbrecht, who still seemed confused about what was happening.  “Come on.  I’ll explain on the way out of here.”

She moved past him towards the door leading back into the hall.  No one would question her roaming the estate, but they might wonder about Ulbrecht.  And Vlad was probably wondering what was keeping her from dinner by now.

Things had gone rather smoothly so far.  She just hoped her luck would hold out long enough for her to get to the garage and secure a vehicle.

Preferably something fast.

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Twelve

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night Two: Race for the Cure

Chapter Twelve: Waking Up

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Nadezhda Valentina’s eyes fluttered open.

She found herself looking up at a white ceiling. Her brain was foggy with a drug-induced haze and it made it hard for her to remember where she was.  She started to push herself up and felt her left arm throb.  She looked over and saw clean bandages wrapping around her shoulder.

Self-consciousness and suspicion crept into her as she realized she was only wearing her underwear.  It started to clear as ever so slowly her mind allowed her to remember the events that had occurred the night before.

From the bar brawl to the Summoner she’d eliminated and her blobby bodyguard.  Then there were the next wave of assholes that’d come for her and the werewolf who’d been such a persistent pain in the ass.

She also remembered the young doctor-in-training who had saved her life more than once.  The thought of him brought a brief smirk to her lips.

She looked around the room and recognition and safety flooded into her.

She was home.

Vladimir Belikov’s estate where she’d lived from the age of thirteen until just recently.

They’d come to the estate after Nadya had taken out the werewolf.  Her and Ulbrecht, the doctor.

Well, medical student for sure.  He was too young to be a full doctor.

They had been battered, bruised, and exhausted by the time they’d arrived.  They’d been split up to receive medical attention and that had been the last time she’d seen him.

After getting patched up and having a short chat with Vladimir, she’d come back to her room to find it just as she’d left it.  The only sign that anyone had been in there since was the total lack of dust.  Vlad had apparently been keeping the room tidy in case she stopped in for the night.

She’d stripped down, got under the covers and allowed the pain medication to take over and surrendered to slumber.  Now she was awake again and looking over at the clock on the nightstand.

The sun would just be setting.

Definitely time to get up.

She shoved the covers away and sat up on the edge of the bed, looking down at her body.  She’d acquired more then a few wounds over the course of the previous night and the various bandages she wore were evidence of it.  There was the thick bandage over her shoulder.

That wound she remembered well.  It was the first time she’d taken a bullet.  She’d been grazed a few times, but never had anyone put a round through her body.  She absently rubbed at the bandage where the exit wound was, above and to the left of her breast.  Any lower and it would’ve crippled her lung.

Lucky.

On the other arm, about midway down, was a smaller bandage covering where another bullet had grazed her.  That one was nowhere near as bad.  She couldn’t even feel it.  Nor could she remember exactly how she’d gotten it.  At some point during her raid on the safehouse, but that was all she could remember.

Her jaw felt stiff and a little swollen and she remembered the hard knock she’d received from the werewolf.  Again, luck was on her side.  The Hunter who’d tried to assist her in killing the beast had received a similar blow and had lost her head.  Nadya didn’t think her jaw was even broken, just mightily bruised.

More bandages were wrapped tightly around her ribs.  The reason was evident as she drew in a deep breath and felt the bones shift slightly, causing her pain.

She attempted to stand and almost fell face first onto the carpeted floor.  Instead, she dropped to a kneeling stance, letting out a yelp of pain.  She placed a hand over her bruised right knee.  The ribs and the knee were yet more wounds from her encounter with the werewolf.

Crashing an armored car into a creature that was nearly three hundred pounds of muscle was bound to put a few dents into a person.  Clenching her teeth, she managed to stand and limp towards a small vanity set up next to the bed.

Sitting in the chair in front of the vanity, Nadya looked into the mirror and saw the side of her jaw bruised and swollen.  She wouldn’t have to worry about drunken assholes trying to get into her pants for a little while it seemed.  Noticing some smaller wounds along the left side of her face, she leaned forward and examined herself more closely.

They looked like burns.

Confusion crossed her face and she looked down to her left arm to see more of the wounds on her hand.  Then the memory came back to her.  The narrow escape down the alley in Ulbrecht’s Benz.  The sparks had scorched her.  The burns didn’t look too bad though.  If they scarred at all, they’d hardly be noticeable.

She spotted a bottle of painkillers on the vanity with a glass of water next to it.  She took three and chugged down all the water.

Pushing herself back up, she hobbled over to the nearby dresser.  She leaned heavily against it as she pulled open drawers and got some clean clothes.  She was a little surprised to find more then what she remembered leaving behind when she moved out.

Vladimir must have had one of the maids go shopping for her to give her more of a choice of outfits.  She took out a few things that appealed to her then turned and headed for the adjoining bathroom.

If anything, the bathroom was even cleaner then she’d left it.  The tile was practically sparkling.  She set her clean clothes down on the lid of the toilet and grabbed a towel from the stack, setting it on top of the clothes.  There was a laundry hamper waiting for any dirty clothes to be deposited into it.  At the moment it was empty.

Nadya reached behind herself with her right arm and worked the clasp of her bra, getting it undone and letting it slide down her arms.  She tossed the bra into the hamper then reached down, hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and sliding them down her legs about halfway before letting them fall the rest of the way.  She stepped out of them then bent forward and picked them up, tossing them into the hamper as well.

She glanced behind her and noticed the bathroom door was still open.  She pushed it closed and flipped the deadbolt to the locked position.  Then she turned back to the large, marble tub and pulled the shower curtain back.  She reached and twisted the knobs to get the water running.  She held her hand under the running water until it warmed up to her satisfaction then flicked the shower on.

She moved back to the sink and took a small pair of grooming scissors from a glass sitting beside the sink.  She used the small tool to snip through her bandages, tossing them into a nearby wastebasket.  Once they were gone, she surveyed her damage more closely.  The wound near her left shoulder was a small round hole, a bit inflamed.  Her midsection was also badly bruised where she’d cracked her ribs.  The graze on her right arm was just as she’d suspected, barely noticeable.

Stepping into the tub, the Russian girl felt the warm spray of water start to collide with her body and let out a soft moan of relief.  She tilted her head forward into the water and let it run through her blonde hair, washing through it and plastering it to her forehead.

For a few minutes, she just let the water flow over her.  It washed the grime and sweat of the previous night off of her and down the drain.  Then she reached over and grabbed a brand new bar of soap and started to wash herself more thoroughly.  After she finished with that, she washed her hair then shut the shower off.

Getting out of the tub, she grabbed the towel and dried herself off.  She started to put the clean clothes on, sliding into a fresh pair of panties before putting a new bra on and clasping it.  Doing it one-handed was a bit tricky, but she managed.  Then she grabbed a pair of cargo shorts and sat down on the toilet to put them on, minding her bruised knee.  She grabbed her shirt last, a long-sleeved button up shirt.  Slipping it on, she buttoned it up all the way then went to the sink to brush her teeth and comb her hair.

When Nadya exited the bathroom, she was limping a bit less and she looked a lot more refreshed.

As she came back into her bedroom, she heard a knock at the door and went over.  She opened the door and found one of the maids there.  She was a young woman, about Nadya’s age, with straight red hair pulled into a bun.  She was wearing a bright smile.

“Mr. Belikov asked me to come see if you felt up to having dinner.”

Nadya nodded, feeling sudden hunger flair up inside her.

When was the last time she’d eaten?

She couldn’t immediately recall, so it had to have been a while.  “I’ll be down in a couple minutes.”

The maid nodded and started to turn away.

“What about Ulbrecht?” Nadya asked.

The maid turned back to her, a blank look on her face.  “Who?”

“The guy I came here with,” she said.  “The doctor.”

“Oh!” Confusion left the maid’s face.  “He’s in quarantine.”

“Why?”

“He was infected by that werewolf you killed last night,” the maid explained.  “He had several scratches along his back.”

Dread filled Nadya.

Quarantine was just a friendly way of saying he was locked up until the virus took full effect.  And then he’d either be broken to serve Vladimir or, if that didn’t work, executed.  Werewolves were notoriously hard to train, especially young ones.

Ulbrecht didn’t deserve either fate, as far as Nadya was concerned.

But what to do?

There’d be no convincing Vladimir of doing anything different.  If it didn’t work for him, he didn’t want to take a chance of it working against him.  That left only one other option, as far as she could tell.

Break Ulbrecht out of quarantine and leave the only place she truly felt safe, most likely forever.  Betraying Vlad in such a way would most likely end badly for her.  It was uncharacteristically stupid of her to even consider doing such a thing, but it was the only solution she could think of.

She’d heard rumors about a cure.  A werewolf cure.

If she could find it and give it to Ulbrecht then maybe Vladimir wouldn’t care so much about what she was planning on doing.

At least, that’s how she was hoping it would play out.

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Eleven

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night One: A Hard Night’s Work

Chapter Eleven: Final Battle

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

The werewolf let out a low growl and charged Nadya.  The Russian girl raised her rifle and fired away at the monster.  Blood sprayed from the beast as the bullets struck him along the midsection, slowing him a bit.  The kickback forced her to stop firing and as she did the werewolf leapt into the air.  She looked up, following him with her eyes as he came towards her.

Lifting the rifle higher, she fired again, emptying the rest of the clip into the creature as he came down.  He landed a few feet in front of her and Nadya flipped the empty rifle around so she was holding it by the barrel, feeling the heat of the metal burn her hands.  She ignored the pain and brought the rifle back, attempting to slam the butt of it across the monster’s head.

The blow came up short as the werewolf grabbed hold of the rifle’s stock and squeezed, shattering the wood.  He yanked the gun away from her, dragging her forward a few feet.  When the gun left her hands, she was right in front of the werewolf.  He snarled, specking her face with his saliva, and then backhanded her in the face.

Nadya felt as if she’d been hit in the face with a sledgehammer.

Her body flew to the side, bashing into the front of the Benz.  She tasted the coppery warmth of blood in her mouth and spit some of it out on the hood of the car.  She pushed herself to her feet and looked over to the werewolf, who was glaring at her.

“Don’t tell me,” she said.  “That cunt was your mother, too?  For a ritzy bitch, she sure found time to get herself in bed with quite a few monsters.”

The werewolf roared angrily at her and started to charge her again.

“Touch a nerve, did I?” she shot back.

Nadya waited and right before he crushed her against the car she dove to the side.  The beast totaled Ulbrecht’s Benz, smashing the front of it in.  Something in the engine compartment started spewing steam.

She snatched up a discarded gun and turned to the werewolf, firing rapidly.  She unloaded the clip into his back in a matter of seconds.

Snarling in rage, the beast ripped the driver side door of the Benz off and hurled it at her.  The Russian girl dropped backwards to the ground as the chunk of metal soared over her head.  She landed on her ass and, in turn, hurled the empty pistol at the werewolf.  “Fetch, fucker!” she yelled at him.

The monster didn’t bother trying to dodge the projectile and the gun smashed into his snout, drawing a small amount of blood from his nostrils.

The werewolf snorted, spraying blood out of his nose, and started towards Nadya again.  She started looking around for another weapon.

As she did, Ulbrecht leapt onto the werewolf’s back, wrapping his arms around the beast’s thick neck.  She saw his heroic move and cursed.

“No, you idiot!  Get out of here!” she yelled in Russian, forgetting momentarily that he didn’t speak the language.  She felt fear spike through her and she didn’t exactly know why.

It wasn’t like she even knew him all that well.  She’d only met him an hour or so earlier but she found the idea of him getting slaughtered by the werewolf very distressing.

She turned to find another weapon, hoping she could get to one before the werewolf ripped Ulbrecht’s head off or something equally fatal.  Spotting a shotgun, she reached over and grabbed it, sliding it over to her and putting the butt of it to her shoulder as she took aim on the beast.

Meanwhile, the werewolf was struggling to get Ulbrecht off his back.  He reached around and grabbed hold of the German by the back of his shirt and tugged, successfully pulling the man free.  The werewolf then flipped him off of his back and hurled him against one of the armored cars.

Ulbrecht hit the side of the car with a terrible sound and crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

Nadya cursed and felt anger flood through.  She fired the shotgun into the beast’s stomach and pumped, firing again.  At some point between blasts, she rose to her feet and started advancing on the monster, continuing to fire.  The powerful shotgun blasts were opening up gaping wounds in the beast’s stomach and chest and were driving him backwards.

The shotgun clicked empty as she came within a foot of the creature and he looked down at her with a rage of his own.  He clenched one of his furred hands into a fist and brought it forward, plowing into her stomach.

She was lifted off her feet from the blow, flying backwards, the air knocked clean out of her.  Her sore back smashed into the same armored car that Ulbrecht had been thrown into and she slumped to the ground, gasping for breath, still holding the empty shotgun.  She could feel the thuds of the werewolf stomping towards her and she lifted her dazed head to look at him.

This wasn’t working.

She needed silver.

Carter’s corpse seemed so far away, though.  She felt hopeless and beaten and, more than anything, tired.  But still, deep down she felt a bit of warmth.  She reached down and took hold of it to see what it was and wasn’t surprised to find her anger there.

It was never far and the only truly surprising thing about it now was that it was so reduced.  She clenched hold of it and focused on it, feeling it grow within her.

Nadya found herself standing again, the werewolf still approaching her.  She looked down at the empty shotgun she had, then up to the werewolf and the collection of wounds she’d given him.  Stepping forward, she lifted the shotgun and slammed the barrel forward, shoving it into one of the wounds in his stomach.

She kept pushing, burying the weapon deeper and deeper into the monster and, amazingly, pushing him back a step.  She released her hold on the gun and moved back, lifting a foot and kicking hard against the butt of the shotgun, impaling the weapon through the werewolf’s stomach.

The beast howled in pain, arching his head back.

Nadya spit blood on the monster, glaring at him.

“Fuck you, dogcock!” she yelled then turned and ran around the armored car towards Carter’s corpse.  She skidded to a stop in front of her and bent down, prying at the dead woman’s fingers from her pistol.

She got the gun free and hefted it, feeling the weight.  She turned back to see the werewolf ripping the gore covered shotgun from his gut before snapping the weapon in half and tossing it to the ground.

Then he was coming for her again.

Nadya lifted the pistol and fired.  The shot struck the werewolf along his pelvis, creating a small hole, but the effect of the silver bullet was immediate as the creature let out a loud bellow of pain.  She felt a smirk of satisfaction cross her face and she fired again, this time hitting the monster in his thigh and slowing his approach some more.

She wasn’t used to the weight of the gun and it was making her shots come in much lower then she wanted.  Lifting the gun higher, she fired again.

Too high this time.  The shot struck the werewolf in the shoulder.  The beast’s anger and pain were evident from his continuing growls and snarls of rage.

As the werewolf got closer she attempted to strafe to the side.  The monster’s reflexes were quick and he caught on to her trick quickly, darting directly at her.  He leapt for her and she dropped flat to the ground, the beast flying by inches above her.  She rolled over and pushed herself up, backing away from the werewolf again, heading back towards the cars.

She didn’t know how many bullets were left in the gun but she didn’t want to bet her marksmanship skills on being able to put a round through the thing’s heart with whatever she had left.  She wondered if Carter had any more weapons in her jacket, but now the werewolf was between her and the body.

Then an idea came to her.

The armored cars.

The engines were still running, she could here them idling behind her.  Turning her back on the werewolf, she ran for the nearest one, hopping into the driver seat and closing the door.  She put the car into gear and jammed the accelerator, sending the car lurching towards the beast.

The werewolf stopped advancing and watched the car speeding towards him, bracing himself for the impact.  He was figuring that the car would be crushed like the van it had collided with, just as she’d thought he would.

Nadya hoped he was wrong.

Gritting her teeth, the Russian girl pressed the gas pedal to the floor, feeling the car burst forward with a bit of added speed and braced herself for the impending collision.  She was going about forty when she hit the werewolf and it felt as if she’d suddenly been yanked to a halt.  Neglecting to put a seatbelt on, she was thrust forward into the steering wheel hard, feeling a rib or two bruise or crack.  She wasn’t sure which.

Her air was knocked from her body and she jammed her knee against the steering column.  Looking through the windshield, she saw the werewolf had suffered a bit more.

The reinforced car had taken the solid impact with the muscled creature well.  There was a bit of a dent in the hood and she was sure the headlights were smashed, but the car had held together.

The werewolf was laying on the street in a stunned heap and – by the look of it – a pair of broken legs.  They would heal rapidly, she knew, if given half a chance.  She knocked the door open and slid out of the car, feeling her body screaming in pain as she moved.

She didn’t give a fuck.

This was her one chance to end the fucker.

Limping forward at the fastest pace she could manage, Nadya stopped beside the monster and looked down at him.  The thing was whimpering like a baby.  The sound gave her some more satisfaction and made her wounds hurt a bit less.  She lifted the pistol and aimed it at the werewolf’s chest.

“Bad dog,” she said before pulling the trigger.

She kept firing until the weapon clicked empty.  By that time, the beast had gone limp and was already well into transforming back into his human form.  Nadya tossed the spent weapon down on the chest of the naked man before her then turned and started to limp away.

She spotted Ulbrecht’s still form and headed over, kneeling down next to him.  Relief flooded through her when she saw he was still breathing and again she wondered why.

The pain her body was in made her not care so much about the reasons behind her feelings and she started trying to rouse him from his unconscious state.  She knew there was no way she could carry him and they had to get out of there before the police or more assholes arrived.

With a groan, Ulbrecht’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Nadya.  He smiled weakly.  “We’re alive?” he asked.

Nadya nodded, returning the smile.

It faded quickly, though, when he reached up and gently guided her head down to him and he pressed his lips against her’s.  She struggled to get away and he released her.  She glared down at him.

“No,” she said simply then stood slowly, wincing in pain.  “We have to go.  Now.”

She watched him rise to his feet, almost as slowly as she had.  They were both pretty battered, it seemed.  She turned to the second armored car, the only one that hadn’t suffered any damage, and started limping towards it.

“You can drive,” she said.  “My leg is killing me.”

Ulbrecht didn’t argue and walked around the car, getting in the driver seat.

Nadya get in the passenger side, feeling her ribs shift as she sat down and she let out a yelp of pain.  He looked over at her, concern in his face.

She waved it away.  “You can play doctor later.  Get us out of here.  And let me borrow your cell again.”

He handed it over and started driving.

Nadya dialed Vladimir again, hoping to hear better news this time.  When he answered, she spoke immediately, the tiredness in her voice obvious.  “Please, tell me that was the last of them,” she said.

Vladimir chuckled.  “From what our sources can tell,” he said.  “Sorry about all this, Nadezhda.  I didn’t know that bitch was so well protected.  You did beautifully.”

“Yea, me and the kid doctor,” she said.  “We both need patching up now.  Preferably someplace with lots of armed guards that are paid to protect my ass this time.”

Vladimir told her to come home.

Not home to her flat.  To his home, where she’d grown up.

She didn’t argue.

There was no place safer and at the moment she really wanted to be someplace safe.  She hung up and told Ulbrecht where to go then sat back in her seat, sneaking a glance over at him.

She wasn’t going to mention that he’d just given her the first real kiss she’d ever experienced.  He didn’t need to know that and she didn’t want him to know.  And she also didn’t want to admit that sometime over the course of the night, she’d developed some kind of feelings for him.

But she knew that it was true.

She pushed the feelings away, not wanting to think about them and in too much physical pain to deal with any emotional baggage.

Maybe tomorrow, after a good amount of sleep, a fistful of pain meds, a bit of food and maybe even a new pair of shoes…

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Ten

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night One: A Hard Night’s Work

Chapter Ten: A Little Help

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Slamming on the breaks, Nadya brought the battered Benz to a screeching halt in front of the address Vladimir had sent them to.

The area was desolate.  She was wondering if she’d heard the address correctly when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and looked out onto the street to see a lone figure standing in the middle of the road.

A woman, by the looks of it.

Another assassin sent to kill her?

Or Vladimir’s back up?

She popped the door open and got out, her pistol held ready to fire at the first sign of hostility.  The woman looked back at her.  She was older than Nadya, maybe thirty, with straight black hair cropped even with her jaw line.  She was wearing a black duster that could have hidden numerous weapons.  Her eyes were just as hard as Nadya’s.

Whoever she was, she’d done some killing.

“Where’s the wolf?” the woman asked.  She spoke with a British accent.

Nadya raised an eyebrow.  The backup, apparently.

She was about to remark what good one lone woman would do to help kill the beast tracking her but refrained.  After all, she’d killed more than her fair share of assholes for the night.

She motioned back down the street they’d come up.  “Probably on its way here.  Along with a van of assholes armed to the teeth.”

“They’ll be yours,” the woman stated.  “I’ll deal with the beast.”  She pushed her duster aside and withdrew a large handgun, raising it up and pulling the slide back to chamber a round.  She’d be packing silver ammunition.  That alone caused Nadya to relax.

But only slightly.

The Russian nodded.  “Fair enough.”  She turned back to the car, looking in at Ulbrecht, who was still sitting inside.  “You might want to get out of there.  You know, in case they decide to blow up the car or something.”

He got out, still carrying the extra weapons she’d scavenged off their pursuers.

Nadya looked back at the woman with the very large pistol.  “Who are you, anyway?”

“Samantha Bethany Carter,” she replied, her voice as cold as it was firm.  “Hunters Guild.  European Branch.”

“How much does Vladimir pay you?” Nadya asked, somewhat sarcastically.  She couldn’t hide the smirk on her face.

“Quite a bit,” Carter deadpanned.

Before there was time for any more small talk, Nadya heard the sound of speeding automobiles and turned to see two cars moving down the street towards them.

She looked over at Ulbrecht.  “Take a gun and take cover,” she said.  “You stick your head out and get it shot off, it’s your own fucking problem.”

He nodded and set the extra guns on the hood of the Benz, taking one for himself and heading into a nearby alley.

Nadya walked over and picked up another of the pistols then went to stand in the street next to Carter, slightly in front of her.  The cars continued their approach.

There was no sign of the werewolf.

The cars, driving side by side, screeched to a halt about ten feet away from where the two women stood.  Wasting no time, Nadya raised her guns and started firing.  The shots were deflected from the armored cars easily and she stopped shooting.

“Cocksuckers…” she cursed.

The doors on the cars opened and men started pouring out, carrying a wide range of projectile weaponry.  The only thing Nadya didn’t see was a crossbow.  Some took cover behind the armored doors of the car they exited and began to open fire.

Both Nadya and Carter took off running, heading in opposite directions.  Nadya returned fire, although she didn’t have time to aim very well and was fairly certain she wasn’t hitting anything.  She ducked behind the Benz, hearing more bullets ping off the exterior of the car.

No doubt, the situation sucked total ass.

The Russian didn’t know where the monster hunter had run off to and she didn’t count on her help.  She raised the pistols up over the top of the Benz and fired a few more rounds at the assholes in the armored cars.  Again, she was sure she didn’t cause any significant damage to anyone.

“Fuck this…” she muttered then crouched low and ran to the other side of the Benz, popping up from the rear of the car which put her alongside one of the armored autos.

Lifting her guns, she fired at the men that she now had a clear shot at.  A couple cried out and fell back as bullets struck them, but the rest adjusted their aim on her and started firing again.

Ducking down, she realized one of her guns was empty.  She waited for a break in the firing then stood again and hurled it at one of the men.  She saw it slam into the knuckles of his hand and make him drop his own gun.  She pointed her other gun at him and fired, hitting him in the chest and bettering the odds in her favor by one more point.

The other pistol was now empty as well, so she hurled it at another man as she leapt over the dented trunk of the Benz and charged the remaining men in the first car.

The second thrown pistol smashed into the goon’s knee and made him cry out and shift the aim of his rifle enough to send his fired shot wide of the girl rushing him.  She leapt up, stretching her legs outward and her upper torso back, smashing both her feet into the man’s face and knocking him back into the backseat of the car.

His rifle fell and Nadya managed to grab hold of it while still airborne.  Her forward momentum sent her flying into the backseat of the car, sitting right in front of the men on the other side.  She lifted the rifle and sent a burst into the one in front of her and then aimed over the front seat to shoot the driver as well.

The men from the second car were stunned at her rapid movements, but not too stunned to aim their guns at her.  She hooked her foot around the door handle of the open back door and pulled it closed just in time to deflect a barrage of fire.  She scooted backwards, out of the door she’d entered through and rolled over to land on her feet in a crouch.

She crept up to the front of the car then burst upwards, resting the barrel of the rifle on the hood and firing along the length of the car on the other side, taking out the row of men standing along side it.

Her odds were getting better by the moment.

Then she felt the barrel of a gun pressing into the side of her head.  She glanced over to see one of the assholes had somehow snuck past and rounded the opposite side of the car.  She froze, trying to see an opening to somehow move out of the way of the gun or disarm the man.

Nadya winced as she heard a gunshot.

But there was no pain.  And she was fairly certain she wasn’t dead.

The man holding the gun on her stumbled to the ground, blood soaking through his shirt.

Behind him, Nadya spotted Ulbrecht, holding the pistol he’d taken.  A trail of smoke was creeping out of the end of the barrel.

“Good job,” she told him then turned back to the second car.

It looked as if the rest of the men were dead.  She heard a groan from beside her and looked over to see the man she’d kicked coming around.  She pulled the rifle back and smashed the butt of it down into his throat.  The man made a strangled sound and his eyes went wide as he tried to breathe.  She smashed the butt of the rifle into his throat again – harder – and there was a cracking sound.

The man went limp.

Nadya heard clapping and snapped around, bringing the rifle to her shoulder.

Carter was emerging from the side of one of the buildings, a smirk on her face.  “Fine killing,” she said.  “Very well done.  We could use someone with your skills at the Guild.”

The Russian rolled her eyes.  “Already got a job.  Thanks, though.”

“If you reconsider…” she started to say.

A low growl filled the air.

Nadya’s eyes widened as she saw the hulking beast emerge behind Carter.  The British woman saw Nadya’s expression, knowing that she’d been effectively snuck up on.  Her hand reached back into her duster and pulled the large pistol free.  She spun to face the werewolf, lifting the gun in front of her, but she didn’t move fast enough.

Nadya watched in shock as the monster lashed out at the woman with one of his enormous clawed hands, slamming it into the side of her head.  There was a nasty tearing sound and then the woman no longer had a head.

Well, she did… It just wasn’t attached to the rest of her body anymore.

Nadya watched the severed head fly through the air before slamming into the ground and rolling into the gutter.  Carter’s headless body was still standing in front of the beast, as if so surprised by the sudden decapitation that she didn’t realize she was dead.

Blood spurt from the neck stump, spraying the werewolf, who opened his jaws and extended its tongue to lap at the warm fluid.  Carter’s body dropped to her knees.  A moment later, she fell backwards onto her back, twitching slightly as more of her blood pumped out onto the ground.

So much for the backup, Nadya thought as the werewolf turned to face her.

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance – Chapter Nine

Nadya’s Nights: Road to Vengeance

Night One: A Hard Night’s Work

Chapter Nine: Car Crash

by Indy McDaniel

Copyright © 2009 Indy McDaniel

Nadya noticed the high beams on the vehicle behind them come on and looked into the rearview mirror.  Another car was speeding up behind them.  She knew what they were after even before the first shots smashed the rear window.  She ducked her head down and swerved the car, yelling for Ulbrecht to stay down.  She pulled the pistol she’d stolen out of her pants and tossed it to him.

He looked down at it, uncertain what to do with the weapon.

She glanced over at him, rolling her eyes.  “Shoot back!”

Ulbrecht turned in the seat and aimed the gun out the smashed rear windshield.  He pulled the trigger, filling the vehicle with the sound of gunfire.  More shots came back and Nadya could hear them plunking into the back of the car.

“Hold on!” she yelled before swerving to the right.

Ulbrecht, having not had enough time to hold on to anything, fell across the car and into her.  Her wounded left shoulder bashed into the side of the car door and she cursed, shoving Ulbrecht back to his side of the car.  The Benz swerved hazardously on the road before taking off in a more or less straight line again.

Behind, the pursuing car made the turn and continued after them.

“Gimme that,” she said, taking the pistol from Ulbrecht.  Then she reconsidered.  “No… gimme THAT!”

She tossed the pistol back to him and took the shotgun in one hand.  She looked in the rearview mirror again at the speeding car behind them.

“Hold on,” she told him again, before twisting the wheel to the left and slamming on the brakes.  The car swerved sideways and screeched several feet before coming to a halt.

Nadya turned in the seat to look out the shattered driver side window and raised the shotgun, aiming at the approaching car.  All she could see were headlights and the subtle silhouette of the car behind them.  She aimed for where she figured the driver was and started firing.  There were only three more shells in the shotgun and she fired them all as rapidly as she could.

For a moment, she thought the pursuing car was going to smash directly into them.  No time to get out and diving across to the other side of the car wouldn’t help much.  Then the car swerved off the road and smashed into the front of a shop, shattering the front window.

Letting out a long breath, she tossed the empty shotgun to Ulbrecht before taking the pistol from him again.

Stepping out of the idling Benz, the Russian girl looked over at the wrecked car that had been chasing them.  She aimed the pistol at the vehicle and started walking towards it, watching for any movement.

She didn’t see any.

Moving along side the car, she aimed the gun through the driver side window and saw the two occupants both dead.  She slid the gun into her waistband and moved forward, pushing the top half of her body in through the window and scrounging for more weapons.

She found a couple more pistols and some ammo for them.  She started back over to the Benz with the weapons, handing them in to Ulbrecht.  She was just getting back into the driver seat when a black van screeched up into the intersection in the direction they had been heading.

Nadya looked over at it, her eyes widening slightly as the side door slid open and a group of thugs were revealed, all aiming weapons at the car.  Without thinking, she jammed her foot down onto the accelerator and twisted the wheel, turning the car away from the van and speeding back the way they’d come.  More shots dinged off the hard steel of the car.

One good thing about old Benz’s, Nadya thought.  Built like fucking tanks.

She caught movement up ahead and let out a choice curse word as she saw their other pursuer – the large werewolf – charging towards them down the middle of the road.

Yanking the pistol from her waistband, she shoved her arm out the broken window and aimed ahead.  Her wounded shoulder complained about the rapid, sharp movements but she mentally told it to shut the fuck up and focused on keeping her aim more or less steady.

She started firing, not knowing if she was even hitting the monster.  Judging by his undeterred charge, she suspected not.  Behind them, the van was racing after them.

She gunned the car faster.

Ulbrecht looked over at her with wide eyes.  “What are you doing?!”

She ignored him, bringing the empty pistol back into the car and tossing it to him.  Then she concentrated on her driving.

The werewolf was getting closer.

Moments before impact, Nadya jerked the wheel hard and took the Benz into yet another impossibly tight turn, swinging it into a narrow alley that was almost too small for the car to fit down.  The left side smashed against the brick wall and the side mirror was ripped off.  Sparks started to fly as the scraped along the wall.  Some flew in through the broken window and she felt searing burns start to eat into the side of her neck.

She tried to steer the car away from the wall but that only resulted in bashing into the wall on the other side.  The impact caused the wheel to jerk and in a moment the car was right back where it started, with the sparks shooting up against her.

Looking in the rearview mirror gave Nadya a small joy to combat the burning pain in her neck.  The pincer move that her enemies had tried to use to trap her had backfired.  She saw the front of the black van had been totally smashed in.  The werewolf was lying on the street in front of it, dazed.

That would buy them a bit of time.

Reaching the end of the alley, she turned the wheel and accelerated down the new street, hoping there weren’t any more surprises in store for them.  She jumped when Ulbrecht’s cell phone rang.

“Fucking whore…” she muttered then reached over as Ulbrecht handed her the cell phone and flipped it open.  “Nadya.”

It was Vladimir again.

He gave her an address then hung up.

She flipped the phone closed and passed it back to Ulbrecht, repeating the address to him.

“That’s clear across town,” he said.

“Fucking brilliant,” she muttered, slamming her foot down and lurching the car forward at a faster rate.  “Just tell me how to get there.”