Page 3 of Salvation
Wolfe coughed. His eyes burned and watered as he took in the sight before him. Bodies of different sizes and in different states of decay lay in piles on the street and the sidewalk. Corpses stretched out as far as he could see, some bloated to the point they might explode while others were picked clean by scavengers. The people here never even tried to flee, or never had the chance.
“It looks like they just tossed bodies out on the street.”
Wolfe nodded. “What else were they supposed to do? There’s no place close to bury the dead and I’m guessing many were too sick themselves to even try.” If he allowed it, sorrow would swallow him whole. Many people in the cities hadn’t stood a chance when the Red Death hit. If you didn’t have a car, you were stuck.
“Let’s keep moving. I know it’s grim to say, but since it’s so disgusting down here, we might get lucky.” Meaning, few would venture into hell to search for supplies unless they were desperate. So they moved, each taking a side of the street. Since Wolfe had sired Xavier, he always had a mental link to him and therefore had little concern for his friends’ safety.
Two shops down, he discovered a jeweler and was surprised to see items still in the window. He tested the door and found it locked, but that didn’t deter him. With one swift kick, he had the door busted and stepped inside. A quick glance around and his gaze was pulled to the back since that was usually where they kept the most expensive items, and he was limited on space. Pillaging the most valuable pieces would be the wise choice. Money didn’t mean shit in this new world, but precious stones and metals still held value. He made quick work of grabbing several diamond rings, a necklace, and a couple of bracelets before he headed back to the entrance and onto the sidewalk. There was still a lot of loot in there, but he had to be selective. This was a recon mission, and it already looked like they would have to come back with a truck if the other shops proved as lucrative.
I hit pay dirt and discovered a weapons shop.Xavier slipped into his mind to relay the good news.
Fill your pack with as much as you can. We need every weapon we can lay our hands on.He jogged down the walk and discovered an herbal shop. This time, the door was partially propped open by the remains of who he assumed was the shopkeeper. He pushed his way inside, begging forgiveness as he stepped over the partially decomposed body. Wolfe had spent a great deal of time in Asia and knew a bit about the herbs that filled the shelves. That knowledge helped him sort out what was useful and what wasn’t. Fifteen minutes later, and he was back on the walk. He looked to the sky and determined there was still plenty of time to scrounge around, but he felt a pull. One that demanded he head back the way he came.
Xavier, you full up yet?
Yep! I’m so strapped down with steel I sound like a wind chime. You?
I have room, but I think we need to come in here with a truck.It was worth the fuel they would expend.
Agreed.
Wolfe headed back to where they started and met up with his friend, who did indeed sound like a wind chime. He let out a laugh, which was rare for him these days. There wasn’t much humor in their lives, only the will to survive.
“I guess we won’t be as stealthy going back.” Wolfe jerked his head toward Xavier’s getup.
“I can live with that. What did you find?”
“Diamonds and herbs.”
“Nice combination. I say we run. There’s still enough time to get a truck and come back. I’ve already alerted Noah to head to base and get the gear ready.”
He gave a nod. “Agreed. Did your brother indicate if they had any luck?”
“They made it to a dealership where they found some gas. Not a lot, but we’ll take every drop we can find.”
“I’m afraid if we ever intend to leave this city, we need to widen our searches. Let’s go.” They both took off at a run, and Xavier did indeed sound like a very lethal wind chime.
* * *
Aurora finished dressing nowthat she was fed and had a couple of wonderful orgasms under her belt. Something bothered her, however. She could swear she had sensed other vampires but since she didn’t have the benefit of her sire’s teachings, she hadn’t mentioned it. Now, it badgered her, and she would not rest until she had answers.
“Did you sense other vampires?”
Lilith stopped adjusting the black leather bustier over her perfect breasts. While Aurora found the demon beautiful and quite sexy, she missed male company.
“There were two who stopped for a moment before they continued on their way.”
She nearly clapped her hands together but stopped short. Her senses hadn’t failed her and there were others nearby. Or, so she assumed, but they might have just been passing through. She tried not to get her hopes up.
“Did you know about them? I mean, have they been living around here?”
The demon lifted a shoulder. “They came into this area from the north a few weeks ago and have been staying at the hotel.”
Anger caused her to sway, but she held steady. “Did you ever plan to tell me?”
“Why? You don’t need any of them.”
“How many are there?”
