Cassidy likely wasn’t too happy about that answer, but Cadence didn’t hear another peep out of her.
“I think they know something’s going down,” Elliott said. “There’s a lot of heads popping up, looking around.”
“Then let’s go get them,” Aaron replied.
Cadence took that as an order but added her own, “Watch the crossfire. Aim low. Move!”
The Vampires did seem to suddenly realize they were not alone, and several of them jumped up just as the team moved past the line of trees. Cadence opened fire immediately. Though she was definitely in the sort of mood where she would’ve loved to rip a head or two free of its tendons, there was really no reason to take the chance on other monsters getting away while she tried to get her kicks.
Brandon was to her left as she moved in, and they both immediately shot the two Vampires in front of them. Cadence took out a man who looked like he might have been a pioneer back in the day, and Brandon shot a younger looking fellow next to him. The rest of the team began to make quick work of the others who had been outside, but just as Cadence reached the front of the nearest RV, the door flew open, and she heard a menacing growl behind her.
Turning around quickly, Cadence raised her weapon, but the beast was too fast, and she was knocked to the ground. She looked up and into a pair of wild eyes. This guy had that crazed look about him that made her think he probably hadn’t been Resurrected for long. Maybe a month at most. He might not even know what she was as he seemed to be clawing for her neck. The sound of gunfire continued around her as the man, who probably wasn’t any older than Cadence herself, began to scrape his way toward her jugular.
“Do you want me to take him out?” Brandon asked from a couple of feet away.
Cadence was starting to subdue the creature, though his claws were sharp and blood was beginning to drip down the side of her neck. She tipped her head back slightly to so that she was looking at the campfire upside down. She saw Mickey and Ashley also engaged with a pair who might’ve come from another RV, and from the sound of it, Hannah and Meagan were doing more than cooking in the kitchen of the camper they’d infiltrated. Shane and Aurora were done in theirs and headed toward Mickey and Ashley. Other Vampires scrambled down the steps of RVs where the team hadn’t suspected they’d been hiding, and Brandon was kept busy playing target practice with them as they came out.
“I’ve… got him…” Cadence assured him as he gouged the side of her face. Irritated and now in pain, she had had about enough. Using her legs as leverage, she raised her trunk up off of the ground enough to throw him off balance and then twisted beneath him so that she could flip him over onto his back. She let her Glock fall to the ground behind her and swung her Beretta around to her back so that it wasn’t in the way as she pinned him with her knees. “You need to learn some manners, asshole,” she said as she fought to position her hands correctly. His head continued to bob and weave, and he was shaking like he was strung out on some sort of uppers, but she managed to get her hands in place, despite him sinking his claws deep into both of her forearms.
Cadence began to twist, expecting his head to come off fairly easily. But just as this fresh bloodsucker had fought to devour her, he was fighting to free himself and spare his life. It also seemed like his tendons were somehow stronger than what she was used to. She continued to ratchet but realized it was slow going, and by the looks of things, her team could use her. The count they’d gotten was off—way off—and even though the piles of ash were mounting, there were still plenty of Vampires who needed erasing.
Her Glock wasn’t quite within reach now, thanks to the bucking Vampire’s attempts at escape. She could potentially swing her Beretta around, but that would take at least one hand, too. Letting go of his head might just give him enough leeway to wiggle his way out, so, she continued to twist, hoping to hear the pop she loved so well.
“Are you still dancing with that guy?” Brandon asked, looking over his shoulder.
“He’s persistent, I’ll give him that,” Cadence replied, out of breath. “I… didn’t… even… want him to… sign my card.”
With a deep breath, Brandon took two steps backward. “Lean up,” he said.
“Huh?” Cadence asked, instinctively doing what he’d said. Brandon fired one shot into the Vampire’s heart, and a second later, Cadence was sitting on her knees in a pile of the pebbles that served as the parking area for the various vehicles. “Sure, do it your way,” Cadence muttered as she pulled herself up and collected her discarded weapon. She did feel better, though, having had the chance to get out some of her aggression.
“This sucker won’t die!” Hannah shouted over the IAC. Another clatter of pots and pans colliding with breaking glass sounded from the little camper, and the whole building shook.
“Shoot it!” Brandon suggested having just used that strategy himself.
“We… have!” Meagan replied.
Cadence was just about to run to their assistance when another Vampire casually stepped out of the RV between her and them. This dude was tall, close to seven feet in her estimation. He wore a black fedora, which didn’t quite seem to look right out here. Neither did his black suit pants, maroon button-down shirt, black tie, and black suit jacket. His face was so pale, at first, Cadence thought she was looking at a hockey mask. But his black eyes were rimmed slightly in pink, and his grimace widened, displaying large red gums where three-inch fangs protruded.
“Holy hell…” she muttered, images of Gibbon filling her mind. This would be a more sophisticated version of the last monster she’d tangled with that wouldn’t die.
“Shoot it!” Brandon said again and opened fire before Cadence could even draw her gun.
At this range, he had to have hit the thing at least twenty times, but it slowly started walking right toward them.
“What the hell is happening?” Cadence asked, looking at Brandon who had stopped with the gunfire. He shrugged, his eyes wide, and they both slowly turned back to see the monster standing about a foot in front of them.