CHAPTER 21
Jeff halted a few feet from the shed, covering his mouth at what he saw.
Mark was laid out on his back, pinned to the ground cruxifiction style with… crowbars of all things, Glenn's idea of humor.
Jeff rushed to his friend, kneeling down in the dirt. "Mark?" He gingerly touched the big man's chest. "Man, can you hear me?"
Mark opened his green eyes, which were tinged in crimson.
"I'm going to… unstake you." Jeff swallowed hard. "Can you hold on?"
Mark nodded, gritting his teeth.
Jeff stared at the crowbar in front of him, one directly through Mark's palm and hesitantly reached for it.
Mark shut his eyes again, biting down on his lip.
***
Jaden jumped backwards, barely avoiding getting gutted by the machete.
Shannon lunged again, this time slashing Jaden across the stomach.
Jaden gasped in pain though it healed almost immediately.
"Mmm…" Shannon moaned, her eyes never leaving Jaden's as she licked the blade clean.
Jaden bared her teeth angrily.
"Come on little girl," Shannon gestured her forward. "Come die."
***
Glenn frowned, slapping Isis across the face a couple times. The frown deepened when he got no response. "Oh come on! This isn't fun when you're practically comatose!" He shouted, smacking her harder.
Isis' head snapped to the side but the blank look on her face and in her eyes didn't change.
Snarling he moved back so he was sitting on her thighs, grabbing her arms and pulling her up against him.
Isis was like a rag doll in his grasp.
Still fuming, he savagely bit into her throat, growling when he felt her hot blood gush into his mouth.
***
"Sonofabitch!" Mark cursed, unable to restrain himself as Jeff quickly pulled the crowbar that held his feet down, out.
"Sorry!" Jeff exclaimed, tossing the bar aside and bracing himself for the last one. He gritted his teeth and pulled it out.
Mark inhaled sharply as he sat up, wincing in pain. Leaning heavily on Jeff, he got to his feet, looking to find himself healed though still hurting. "Where are the girls?" He demanded, his head clearing.
"Jaden is in the woods with Shannon and… Isis must be in the house…" Jeff's eyes widened. "With Glenn."
"Go to your woman." Mark ordered, shoving Jeff towards the woods none too gently. "I'm gonna go kill Glenn."
Jeff nodded, darting back towards the woods.
***
"Hold still!" Shannon screamed, lunging at Jaden again, her frustration growing when Jaden avoided her, apparently in no hurry to feel the sharp machete again.
"Yeah, right." Jaden bantered, trying to distract Shannon, looking for a way around the deadly weapon.
The next thing Jaden knew, Shannon was practically flying at her, machete outstretched.
"Ow!" Shannon shrieked.
Jaden felt serious pain in her back then it seemed to migrate and center right beneath her ribcage. She looked down to find the machete handle sticking out of her body, the blade pinning her to a tree.
"Well that was interesting." Shannon commented, rubbing her palm where she had jarred it. "You look so pretty like that JJ, I'm telling you, you should make it a permanent thing you know?"
Jaden was in too much pain to reply, more intent on getting the offending item out of her body.
"I'm serious." Shannon continued, placing her hand on the machete handle and gently moving it, grinning sadistically when Jaden screamed in pain. "You look fucking awesome like this."
Jaden shut her eyes against the mouth, trying to repress another scream as Shannon wiggled the blade some more.
"Hurt? Just a little?"
***
Glenn wasn't pleased with Isis' reaction, or lack of. He reluctantly pulled away from her throat, licking the blood off his lips and peered into her face, wondering if she was enjoying this.
Her face was still blank, apparently in shock.
"And to think, you could have been my queen…" He murmured, running a large finger down her face, brushing her lips. "If only you had been a bit more stronger."
Nothing, her eyes didn't even move.
"Darling Isis…" Glenn whispered, bending down to kiss her throat. "I'll make this painless my love."
Just as he was about to snap her neck, Mark came flying in the room, his face almost unrecognizable he was so furious. "Well well… how did you manage to get free?"
Mark didn't answer, just lunged.
Glenn quickly stood up, pulling Isis with him. "Back off Mark or else…" He mimed breaking her neck.
Mark froze, not an easy task and just stood there, fists clenched, fangs bared.
"Good boy." Glenn said patronizingly. "Too bad you didn't get here just a bit sooner, Isis might've still been with us."
"What do you mean?" Mark demanded, his voice husky with barely contained rage.
"Poor Isis has gone off to lala land." Glenn smirked, one hand still wrapped around her throat, the other resting across her belly. "She thought you were… well, you know and just went off."
***
Jeff halted behind a bush, frowning when he seen Shannon, though her back was to him. He could hear her talking to Jaden, but he couldn't see Jaden.
"How's that feel?"
He heard Jaden scream.
Snarling, Jeff rushed forward.
Shannon turned just in time to see a streak of neon green flying at her. She shrieked in a mixture of surprise and pain when she was tackeled to the ground, shielding her head instinctively.
Jeff wasted no time and began to punch Shannon everywhere he could, not lightening his blows on the basis she was a woman. She was his equal and he intended to beat her ass like an equal.
Jaden watched as Jeff pounded away on the red head for a moment before struggling to free herself. She cried in silent agony as she pulled the machete out of her body, feeling the wounds heal as the blade was withdrawn.
"No! Please, no!" Shannon begged, spotting Jaden approaching with the blood stained machete. "Oh god no, please!"
Jeff got off Shannon, jerking her to her feet, holding her arms behind her back.
Crimson tears rolled steadily down Shannon's pale cheeks, leaving streaks in their wake. "Jaden, please, don't kill me." She whispered.
"Why the hell not?" Jaden demanded, brandishing the machete threateningly. "After everything you've done to us… give me one reason why I shouldn't gut you like the fish you are?"
Shannon's eyes widened innocently. "It was Glenn! He made me to all those things! You've met him, he's psychotic!"
"And you aren't?" Jeff hissed in her ear, tightening his hold on her. "You murdered my brother!"
Shannon knew she was about to die and decided 'fuck it'. "You're damn straight I did! And boy did he taste fucking great!" She leered at Jaden. "And you, you little bitch, if it weren't for your fucking boy toy here, I would have killed you too! You're all nothing but…"
The words died in her throat as Jaden plunged the machete straight into Shannon's heart, her eyes betraying her confusion.
Shannon looked down, one solitary human tear sliding down her cheek, contrasting oddly against the dried blood. She looked back at Jaden once before slumping back against Jeff, mouth open slightly, her fangs were gone as well.
Jeff let her go, watching as the body dropped to the ground. He none-too-gently nudged what used to be Shannon with his foot, watching curiously as the corpse began to wither and gray, soon nothing more than a husk.
Jaden gritted her teeth and firmly planted her foot in the center of the husk, watching as it broke into a million pieces and was carried away by the wind. Then she tossed herself into Jeff's arms, burying her face in his chest.
***