Homeward Bound (Journeyman Book 1) Read Free Page A

brawny female vampire strode in from the black and stood in the center of the entryway. Her fangs were bared, ready for attack. She was a big beast of a woman, probably extremely slow and ungainly and -
    She came at them with a quickness they had never seen before. In an instant she was upon them. Adrienne and Joey barely had time to dart out of the way as she rushed by, a near invisible streak.
    “What the hell!” exclaimed Adrienne, hitting the unwelcoming dirt. “This one’s been drinking some top shelf red. Everyone watch out!”
    She rushed by again and Gage swung his machete, slicing through nothing but air. He scowled as a claw grazed his back and tore into his jacket. A follow up punch sent him to one knee, then another scrape came across. Grimacing from the sharp heat now radiating across his back, his blade clanged on the ground.
    Adrienne looked up and saw another vampire running toward them from the factory floor, shifting deftly around and over the equipment. His features were as sharp as the teeth he bore.
    She stepped in front of Joey as the vamp leapt high and grabbed hold of her shirt, sending them both careening into a stack of wooden pallets. Several splintered under their weight and the rest scattered across the floor as the duo clamored for the upper hand. The monster made his way on top first, straddling her. As she was immobilized, he wasted no time moving in for the kill.
    Joey drew one of his knives and ran toward them, thrusting it deep into the vamp’s back.
    He recoiled in agony, knocking Joey away.
    The attacker loosened his grip on Adrienne’s arms and she used the opportunity to strike. Her fist connected with his jaw, sending several teeth flying. Shuffling to her feet, she flipped the blood sucker onto his injured back and in the same swift motion released a dagger from her belt. It pierced his undead skin, pinning his hand to the wooden boards.
    Meanwhile Gage unleashed another flurry, whipping the air to no avail. A flash surged by, bumping his shoulder hard.
    Frustrated, he tried again.
    “Will… you…”
    And again
    “Stay… still…”
    and -
    Thunk!
    The edge bit into something solid and a thin cloud of red floated by.  
    “Gotcha at last, Helga,” said Gage through his gritted teeth, twisting the blade in place.
    She squirmed as it continued to hack and saw its way through the rest of her.
    Gage flicked the machete at the end of his volley, sending her head soaring from her body like some sick, deflated balloon.
    The other dagger came off Adrienne's ankle like a bolt, piercing her attacker’s remaining hand. The vamp was now secured to the pallet, contorting his back and legs in all manner of unnatural shapes, underscored with even more abnormal sounds. She took out her final blade and thrust it deep into his heart. A golden glow pulsed from the wound and a loud shrill escaped before the sounds of gurgling took over.
    The three of them took a moment to catch their breath, but if this mission was telling them anything, such time was fleeting. How true that was.
    In the ever-dark ahead of them a new shape emerged: smaller, younger, and more agile. He stepped forward, extending claws so far out they looked like kitchen knives attached to his fingertips. With a single unwavering swipe, he cut through nearby pipes as if they were putty.
    “The fuck kind of freak show is this?” asked Gage.
    These were not normal biters; so far from them.  
    “You have got to be joking!” exclaimed Joey, fishing one of the grenades off his belt. It hummed through the air, landing close to the monster’s feet before exploding in a fountain of dazzling purple.
    The vamp screeched as his skin peeled from the radiation and the corrosive light blinded him.
    Joey took the chance and grabbed Bolo off the floor, dashing forward to cleave.
    The vamp stopped and sniffed the air. He knew something was headed his way fast. Sure enough, as Joey swung he seized the bat by its handle, flinging both it