They fell in line behind her, Mace jockeying ahead of Blade and Dare as they started down the dark path.
The tunnels were crude, with deep gouges in the walls, seemingly dug by the vampires’ own hands. The Nosferatu were like moles, preferring to capture their food and store it underground rather than hunt aboveground like normal vamps.
Damned freaks.
As they crept through the tight spaces, an oppressive, tingly sensation would occasionally sift through Mace’s body, announcing the presence of a demon’s soul. So far, he’d counted five. Whatever Medium DART sent in later would have their hands full.
They halted to check out the schematics Decker had provided, but they’d barely launched the 3D map when a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the caverns. Scotty darted ahead with no consideration for her safety. As usual. Which was why he and Blade were always sandwiching her between them.
If anything happens to my daughter because you guys fucked up, I’ll make you wish your fathers had been eaten at birth.
Right. Because of that.
Blade swore under his breath and shoved past Mace. And wouldn’t you know it? Blade wasn’t wearing his fucking backpack.
Wheeling around, Mace swiped the pack off the floor. “Hey.” He hurled it at Blade. “Guess you didn’t learn your lesson in Alaska.”
Snarling, Blade snagged the pack out of the air. “You know—”
“Stop it!” Scotty wheeled around, a spitting kitten with her claws out. “We arenotgoing to blow this mission because you two can’t put shit aside for a couple of hours. We lost the Reaper on the last assignment, and I’m not going to sit in Kynan’s office and get my ass chewed again.”
Shaking his head, Dare slipped by them. “Best special-ops team in DART, my fine ass,” he muttered as he passed. “Fucking clowns.”
Mace was really starting to hate the guy.
“Stay the fuck out of it,” Blade growled.
Dare moved like a wraith, a smoky blur, and got right up in Blade’s face, nose to nose. His eyes glowed, swirling with orange lava and murder, and Mace casually dropped his hand to the hilt of his favorite battle knife. Blade might deserve whatever beating Dare dished out, but Mace still wouldn’t let that happen.
“You morons never even asked what my special powers are.” Dare nailed each of them with his accusatory gaze. “You should fucking know every detail about the fucking weapons in your arsenal. Fucking amateurs.”
The fact that he was right only made his words sting more.
Snarling, Blade stepped back and swung, but his fist went through empty air and a wisp of smoke.
Dare materialized at the tunnel entrance, shot Blade the finger, and took off into the darkness.
Blade snorted. “Guy thinks he’s a fucking weapon.”
Scotty rounded on them. “Don’t get stupid, Blade. You, either, Mace.” She jabbed her finger at him, and he gave her his best, what?-I’m-innocent look. “Dare’s right. We fucked up. We’re better than this. Let’s get our shit together and do our jobs.”
Welp, that was a mood buster. Never one to leave a mood in the shitter, Mace popped a salute, mocking her drill-sergeant tone. “Yes, ma’am. Getting our shit together, ma’am. Right, Blade?”
Usually, Blade played along, but now, his jaw was tight, his response even tighter. “Right.”
“Okay.” Scotty held out her fist. “We got this. Team up.”
They did the whole team-up thing, but Mace couldn’t help but feel that they were no longer playing the same game, let alone on the same side.
They caught up with Dare inside a bloodstained dirt chamber littered with rotting piles of human flesh and bones in various states of decay.
He held a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence. “I sense living souls,” he whispered. “Human. We’re getting close.”
Blade glanced around in distaste at the three tunnels leading away from the chamber. The Nosferatu really were like spiny hellrats, living like vermin underground, leaving their waste scattered everywhere.
Blade was getting sick of tunnels. Their next mission had better be aboveground. Fuck this tunnel shit.
Then, out of nowhere, he thought about the time demons had rampaged through an outdoor theme park, killing dozens, including innocent children. Including Chaos.
