Page 29 of Bound by Vengeance
They stopped about five hundred feet awayfrom the children. Nathan clicked on his flashlight and aimed it atthe floor. The smoke trickling through here danced insidiouslywithin the beam. He didn’t hear or see anything lurking in thetunnel, but he didn’t like that the smoke obscured his vision andsmell.
Stepping away from the women, he strodefurther down the tunnel, shining his beam back and forth over thecracking concrete walls. Other than another sewer pipe and somerats, he didn’t discover anything else.
“Where’s Duncan?” Vicky inquired from behindhim.
“He took four of the kids to a movietonight,” Sister June replied. “I’m sure they stopped for pizzaafter, but they should be back soon.”
Nathan recalled the twelve mattresses in theother room as he returned to the women.
“Full disclosure,” Vicky said to Sister.“Nathan is a hunter, the born kind.”
Sister June gave Vicky a look of suchheartrending despair and betrayal that Vicky blurted her nextwords.
“It’s okay! He’s not going to attack you,Duncan, or the children! He knows what I am, but we’ve been workingtogether to stop one twistedbastardof a vampire.”
Sister June didn’t look at all appeased asher gaze swung back and forth between them. “You brought himhere? Itrustedyou!”
“I brought him here to keep you safe,” Vickysaid. “What’s going on isn’t good.”
“We’re safe in our tunnels.”
“You’re not always in your tunnels, and Idon’t think you are safe, not anymore. Ineverwould havebrought Nathan otherwise, and I took such a winding route he’llnever be able to find his way back here.”
“Really?” Nathan asked her.
“Yes,” Vicky replied without remorse.“Sister June, please listen to what I’m going to tell you, and thenyou’ll understand why I believed it best to bring Nathan here.”
Vicky told her all about her captivity,Joseph, and Ronan, as Sister had no idea who Ronan was. She alsorevealed the pact the hunters and Ronan’s men had forged, thegrowing number of Savages, and the possible looming war with theSavages.
Sister’s eyes filled with tears when Vickysuccinctly talked about her imprisonment. She went to hug Vickybefore stopping herself, lowering her arms, and listening to therest of what Vicky had to say without any reaction.
“And are you sure you’re okay, dear?” Sisterasked her when Vicky finished speaking.
Vicky realized Sister sensed something offwith her and worked to cover it up. “I’mfine,” shedrawled.
“Victoria—”
“Truly, Sister, I’m good. The shackles put acrimp on my lifestyle for a bit, but I’m making up for lost timeand currently living it up at a luxurious hotel.”
Sister looked at Nathan. He could tell shewasn’t buying Vicky’s response either, but she didn’t pressureVicky further about it.
“Sometimes, I fear what is coming might beso big the humans will learn of our existence,” Vicky revealed toSister.
Her admission startled Nathan before herealized she might be right. Unable to relax, he walked back towardwhere they’d left the children.
Halfway through her story, Sister Junestarted to relax and stopped staring at Nathan as if she were goingto tear out his throat. As Vicky revealed this final bit, Sisterslumped against the wall. Lifting her hands, she pulled at thesides of her wrinkled face until her flesh became smooth again.
“Oh, Jesus,” Sister murmured before crossingherself. She bowed her head and clasped her hands beneath her chinin prayer.
Vicky left Sister and walked down the tunnelto join Nathan. “You didn’t trust me enough to bring me straighthere?” he inquired.
“It’s notmytrust you have to gain,”Vicky replied. “It’s hers.”
Nathan glanced back at the praying woman.“Sister as innun?”
“Well, it’s certainly not sister as in we’rerelated. I’m a born vampire, remember? And Sister wouldn’t haveaged so much if she were born too.”
“A vampire nun?”
