Secret Life of a Vampire(53)

"Oh Jack." She stretched, still lingering in a lovely, sensual daze. "You're so good. You're going to kill me someday."
He flinched, then rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
She winced. What a stupid thing to say. She hadn't meant it literally. She hadn't even been thinking properly.
A chill stole over her. If she wanted to stay with Jack forever, and she did, then he would have to turn her into a vampire. He would have to kill her someday.
She sat up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."
The look he gave her was so full of pain, it wrenched her heart. "You know I never want to hurt you. If there was any other way … " He grimaced. "If you want to change your mind about me, I won't stop you. I would never force you."
"Shh." She placed her fingers over his beautiful mouth. "I'm not going to leave you." She lay down beside him and nestled her face in the crook of his neck.
He held her tight. She relaxed against him and grew drowsy. She drifted off to sleep.
"Lara," he said softly, "it's getting close to sunrise. I need you to wake up."
She blinked awake. She was still in bed with him, and at some point during the night, he'd pulled the covers up over her. And he'd dimmed the light. "I didn't mean to sleep."
He smiled. "It's all right. I enjoyed holding you."
"I guess you don't sleep?"
He shook his head. "I need to go and finalize the plans for tonight."
"I understand."
"Try to keep the girls safe. See if you can get them to leave the compound. The werewolves will be waiting, in human form, about half a mile down the road with a few SUVs. They'll take the girls to town. We'll come later to alter their memories."
Lara sat up, frowning. She had serious doubts she could convince the girls to cross the gate.
He touched her shoulder. "I hate to leave you here."
"I'll be fine. The girls will be amazed that I'm still here and not getting punished in Hades. They'll think I served you really well."
"Oh, you did." He chuckled when she made a face. "I'll see you tonight."
Fear gripped her as she envisioned him fighting armed guards and Apollo. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "Please be careful."
"I will." He kissed her brow. "You be careful, too."
They shared one last kiss, then he vanished.

That evening, in the dark cellar of Chief's hunting cabin, Jack jolted awake. He heard the quick intake of air as Robby and Phineas also woke from their death-sleep. The sun had just set. This was it. The night Apollo would pay for his crimes against humanity.
As usual, within seconds of waking from his death-sleep, Jack's thoughts turned to Lara. Was she all right? How had she fared during the day?
The basement door creaked open and light spilled down the staircase.
"Are you guys up yet?" Phil asked.
"Yes, we're coming." With vampire speed, Jack inserted his knife into the sheath strapped to his calf. He'd put on some jeans and a T-shirt when he'd teleported back to the cabin before dawn. He'd been so worried about leaving Lara behind, that he hadn't realized he was teleporting naked. He'd taken some ribbing for that.
He slid a longer dagger into the sheath underneath his left arm, then put on his leather jacket. Phineas was similarly armed, but Robby had opted for his Scottish weapons-a knife beneath one knee sock and a claymore in the long sheath on his back.
The three Vamps rushed up the stairs. Phil handed them bottles of blood from the ice cooler. With no electricity at the hunting cabin, the Vamps were drinking their meals cold. Connor had teleported to the cabin the night before, delivering bottles of blood, swords, and handcuffs.
Jack gulped down his bottle of blood, then stuffed some handcuffs into a jacket pocket. These were for the mortal guards. If at all possible, they hoped to keep the guards alive.
"You know Connor came here twice last night," Phineas said as he jammed handcuffs into his pockets. "He kept wondering why you weren't here. He thought you might have gotten lost in the woods."
"I told him ye were at the compound gathering information," Robby said, his green eyes twinkling. "All night long."
"Hmm." Phineas finished up his bottle of blood. "Jack must have studied every inch of that compound."
Jack ignored them and selected a sword from the stash Connor had brought.
"Let's see." Phineas rummaged through the swords. "I need a really strong blade. One like Jack has, that'll last all night long."
"Enough," Jack growled. "This isn't a picnic we're going on. So get serious, Phineas."
The black Vamp shrugged. "How hard can it be? We've got three Vamps, and Phil, and the element of surprise."
"We thought it would be easy to locate Apollo's compound, but it took over a month," Jack said. "And then we thought it would be easy to capture the bastard, but he got away. We can't afford to take this lightly."
"I got you, bro." Phineas selected a sword. "Just keeping it positive, dude. We're gonna kick ass."
"Good. Then let's go." Jack glanced at Phil. He was barefoot, with a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt on. "Aren't you going to arm yourself?"
"I'm keeping it simple so I can shift."
Jack exchanged a confused look with the other Vamps, then turned back to Phil. "There's no full moon tonight. Only an Alpha wolf can-oh, I see."
"Well, I don't see," Phineas grumbled. "If you're an Alpha, why didn't you shift the other night with Chief?"
"I have my reasons," Phil muttered. "Can we get going now?"
"That's why you insisted Chief and his people park half a mile down the road," Jack said. "You don't want them to know what you can do."
"Oh, Big Bad Wolf's got a secret," Phineas said.
"And we'll keep it for him," Robby said. "Let's go."
The three Vamps had practiced teleporting close to the compound the night before, so the location was embedded in their psychic memory. Phil grabbed on to Robby to hitch a ride, and within seconds, they arrived about fifty feet from the gate.
In the distance, Jack spotted Lara and the other women, strolling toward the kitchen. Their white gowns gleamed in the moonlight.
Phil pulled off his T-shirt as he stepped behind a tree. After a few seconds, he returned as a huge wolf.
"Let's do it." Jack headed to the right with Robby, while Phineas and Phil turned left to circle the compound.
There were usually two guards marching around the perimeter of the compound each night. It was Phil and Phineas's job to capture them. Once they were handcuffed, Phineas would teleport them to the jail at Chief's office. One of the Chief's grown sons would be there to watch them. Later, when the attack was over, the Vamps would alter the guards' memories and set them free.
Jack and Robby weaved through the forest till they neared the dormitory. They jumped the wall, then unsheathed their swords before entering the, dorm. It was empty. Good. Lara had managed to get all the women out.
They hurried to the temple next. Phil loped toward them and met them at the base of the stairs.
"You caught the two guards?" Jack whispered.
Phil dipped his head and growled softly.
Phineas would be gone for a few minutes while he transported the guards to the jail at Wolf Ridge.
Jack ascended the steps to the temple. "There should be three mortal guards and one mortal woman inside."
Robby cracked the door and peeked inside. "Coast is clear." He widened the door, and Phil slipped inside.
They crossed the foyer to the next set of double doors. Jack scanned the temple as he eased inside. The room was lit by the small fires in the bronze braziers located between the columns. At the other end on the dais, a guard was lounging on the center throne and munching on chips. He obviously didn't expect any trouble. He was entirely focused on his bag of potato chips. His sword rested on the throne next to him.
Jack moved silently to the row of columns on the right. Robby eased to the left. When Phil followed him, his claws made a small clicking noise on the marble floor. Robby looked back at him, then at the guard.
The guard sat up. His eyes widened at the sight of a wolf and an armed, kilted Scotsman. His bag of chips tumbled to the floor. He grabbed his sword, jumped off the dais, and ran to the gong to sound the alarm.
"Nay!" Robby charged at him.
Jack and Phil were close behind. When the guard saw how fast they were zooming toward him, he threw his sword at the gong. It clanged just as Robby tackled the guard.
The impact from the sword knocked the gong free and it rolled past a lit brazier before it went into a rotating spiral that created a whooshing, metallic sound that echoed across the large room. Phil pounced on it, and it stopped with one loud clash.
Even though Robby had the guard pinned to the floor, the mortal was still struggling and yelling for help.
"Be quiet," Robby muttered and clonked the mortal on the head with the handle of his sword.
Jack handed him a pair of handcuffs. "We'll teleport him later."
Robby cuffed the unconscious guard and dragged him behind a column.
Meanwhile, another guard came running from the back hallway. He rounded the thrones, shouting and brandishing his sword. Jack engaged him, and within a few seconds, he sent the guard's sword flying through the air. It fell with a clamor in front of the dais.
The guard stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear.
Jack held his sword to the side. "I don't want to kill you. You only have to surrender."