I hated the woods. There was just something about them and hunting vampires in them that set me on edge. In the city you could sense them almost hear them when they snuck up on you, but when in the woods the slightest little noise got to me. Unlike Blade. Oh no Blade was just fine and dandy hell he'd already got ahead of me. It would serve him right if I got attacked.
"Summer!" He barked. I sprinted forward just as a female vamp came through dense group of trees. I brought out my gun and shot her before she even registered I was there.
"Got her Blade." I replied pushing through seeing him stood over a guy. Man he was in a bad way. They really went to work on him. He had dirty blonde hair and spattering of facial hair. He was pale and at first glance you'd think he was dead.
"He's still alive. Do what you can. We'll take him back just in case he starts to turn." I dropped to beside the guy pulling out the few bandages and gauze I had with me. As I started to patch him up enough to be able to move him he groaned in pain and his eyes flickered open.
"N-n-no get off!" He batted at my hands so I pinned his arms behind him leaning in. I couldn't help but notice how blue his eyes were.
"I'm helping, you idiot now stay still. You've lost a lot of blood and you're totally messed up. So sit still and let me help." He settled watching me intently as I cut his shirt off and wrapped the bandages around him. "You'll be coming with us, we don't want you turning into one of them." I told him standing. Blade was his usual grumpy self as he came towards us and yanked him to his feet. "Blade! Damn it you'll make him worse." I took one of the guys arms and placed it over my shoulder pulling him gently from Blades grip.
"We haven't got time to coddle him. Move there's more coming." I rolled my eyes and helped him to the car a ten minute walk away. Blade cursing all the way. "Go I'll be fine I'll meet you at the cabin." Blade ordered and turned back. I slid the guy into the car and ran round to the driver's side. I sped off back to the cabin.
The guy had been quiet the whole way here and as I stitched him up and rewrapped his bandages. Being with another human I couldn't keep quiet I needed someone to talk to even if it was only for a little while.
"So you have a name?" I asked pulling a stool up and sitting opposite him as he lay on the bed.
"Yeah…Scud." I couldn't help the smile on my face.
"I'm sure that's not your actual name. I'm Summer…Summer Willis." I held my hand out for him. He took it slowly, he looked like he was waiting for me to kill him.
"Joshua Frohmeyer, but everyone calls me Scud." I smile again.
"Ok Josh, well like I said I'm Summer, big, mean, bad tempered black guy…that's Blade. He saved you from them,"
"Vampires…what the fuck…I thought I scored big time." He shook his head making me laugh.
"Man the pretty ones are always the bad ones. I should know…" I trailed off not meeting his eye this time. My mind wandering in to dangerous territory as his face flickered up in my mind's eye.
"I got them, how is he?" Blade growled out as he came. Blade's presence quickly brought me from my thoughts.
"He's ok. Lot of cosmetic damage really. Blade what did you do to that punch dagger?" I asked noting the metal crumpled in his hand.
"Had an accident." He threw it to the floor and stalked off out back.
"God you infuriate me sometimes! How we going to get this fixed out here? Hell I can't fix this anyway!" I shouted as I picked up Blade's punch dagger examining it quickly. I felt it get tugged from my hand and looked to see it in Josh's.
"It's pretty easy. I think I can do it." I looked at him surprised. "I'm, well, trained as a blacksmith and I dabble in everything, mechanics, electronics most everything." He smiled sheepishly at me.
"Well pack up we're moving. When he's able to work see what he can do." Blade said coming back in. I knew he'd just taken some more of his serum as a light sheen of sweat covered his brow.
"So we taking in strays?" I asked.
"No we're making him work for us saving him. If he proves his worth then he can stay. We need someone who can do these things." I nodded. I rushed round grabbing everything of ours and taking it out to the car.
"Come on Josh,"
"We're on a first name basis now?" Blade mocked.
"Someone's got their panties in a bunch today." I growled at him as I pushed past going to Josh and helping him from the bed.
"We aren't any closer to finding Whistler. We're just chasing dead ends." He growled out again as if that made everything alright.
"Blade I never said any of them would help you find him. I was just helping hunt them down." I said pointedly. He grumbled something under his breath and I walked out with Josh. I helped him as gently as I could into the car again.
"He always like that?"
"You have no idea. So…" I spent the rest of the ride back to the city asking about Josh and what he did for a living as Blade sped ahead in his bike.
A year later Josh was a crucial part to our operation having taken on Whistler's role and between me and Josh we're taking on the task very well. Though Blade still wanted Whistler. But our luck was turning as the last hunt we were on gave us a possible location for Whistler. I just hoped we weren't too late to save him.
