I do not own any part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. All of that greatness is the work of the amazing J R Ward.
As of 5-22-12 the wonderful GothicBelle has beta'ed this for me. Hopefully this is now easier to read.
I hope everyone enjoys.
Chapter Ten
The Brothers reappeared in a tight group on the corner of Briar and Everwood. Number thirteen was only two houses over. They moved quickly and found themselves on the front yard of a nice two story Tudor. The mhis had been strong, but V got them through easily. Tohr looked around taking the scene in just like his brothers. He saw three scorch marks on the lawn, two windows were broken but there metal shudders were in place, and the front doors had been busted open. He could here faint fighting sounds coming from inside.
"John, Qhuinn, Blay take the back entrance. Z and Phury search the perimeter. Rhage, V, you're with me," Tohr realized he had took over his old role as leader. He looked over at Rhage hoping he hadn't offended him.
Rhage flashed his Hollywood whites, "It's great to have you back, Brother. You heard him, move out."
Tohr lead the way to the front doors. He took one side with V behind him and Rhage took the other. He did a quick check, the hall was clear. However, the fighting was louder. He made a motion and went in. He checked the first room on the right. It was the study, the room was a wreck, and the desk was on its side and had at least a dozen bullet holes in it. There was a scorch mark in the middle of the floor. That made four dead lessers.
"She and that Tolliver guy are putting up a great fight," V said checking his nose and ducking into the room on the left.
"We're clear in the front hall and the study," Tohr transmitted to the brothers using his cell's push to talk function. Thankful V had set them up to be used as radios in situations like these.
Tohr crossed and joined V in what looked like it had been a living room. All the furniture had been toppled over. The television had been smashed and was covered with lesser blood. But what hurt his heart was that there were children's toys scattered all though out the mess.
"Garage is clear, moving to the kitchen," Blay's voice came over Tohr's cell.
"Roger that," Tohr responded.
"Backyard is clear, too. Butch has an e.t.a. of thirty minutes," Phury reported.
"Roger that," Tohr responded again. He had hoped Butch would be making better time than that.
"You smell that," V said kneeling behind a couch. "Vampire blood, lots of it. It smells male to me and it had to have been a nasty wound."
A loud bang came from above.
"Living room is clear. We got noise up stairs. Boys finish down here. We're heading up," Tohr ordered.
"Roger that, sir," Blay radioed back. The boy even had etiquette in the middle of a mission.
Tohr and his crew hit the stairs. Half way up there was gun fire and a scream. Tohr took the rest of the stairs three at a time and was at the door of the first bedroom in seconds. What he saw stunned him.
Syhren was in the center of the room holding up an injured male doggen with her left arm and hip while sliding the gun in her right hand into her belt. Then she reached behind her and a dagger appeared from somewhere then she flipped it in her hand. She was going to stab the lesser.
"Stop," V yelled from behind him. She jerked her head toward the door and looked at them with the most gorgeous lavender eyes Tohr had ever seen. "We have another, more effective way of disposing of them." V stepped around him and moved forward. First he checked the lesser and then he took the doggen from her and placed him on the twin bed that was still up right. The doggen had been shot in the right thigh and was bleeding bad.
"He needs a tourniquet," she said. "There's a first aid kit in the bathroom, two doors down on the left."
"Rhage," Tohr ordered as he stepped on into the room, looking around.
"On it," Rhage said and left.
There was a second lesser in the corner to his right. He checked and made sure the pasty bastard was down for the count. He had a bullet hole in his head and two more in his chest. He wasn't going anywhere soon. Tohr took out his cell, "E.t.a.? Faster we have some injured civilians. And lunch for you."
Rhage came back in with the kit and a lesser of his own. He dropped the thing on the floor by the other and handed the kit to V. Then he stared at the female. Tohr noted the dagger was gone and the gun was back.
"Tohr, V, shit guys. Look at her."
Tohr did and realized she was covered in blood. Black blood of the lessers, the blood of the male and more importantly what seemed to be an alarming amount of her own blood. She was still bleeding from the earlier wound on her left side. But now she had more. She had been shot in her right shoulder and upper arm. The blood was running from both wounds down the length of her arm and dripping off the butt of V's gun. And from the look of her dress she also had a stomach wound. It was hard pressed to tell the color of her gown anymore.
V moved to her and took his gun back. "Thank you, the other one is in the dinning room, I ran out of ammo," she said. Her voice sounded so small and weak compared to earlier at the mansion. "The young. We need to get to Eva and the young."
"Where are they?" V asked.
"The panic room in the closet in the master bedroom," she tried to step forward and stumbled. V caught her and held her up. He put her back to his chest with one arm, so he had a gun hand free.
"You got her?" Tohr asked.
"Yeah, I can handle things in here. How far out is Butch?"
"Twenty at best and she needs to go now?" He reached for his phone. "Report."
"Outside is clear, no lessers and only the three marks," Z answered.
"First floor is clear. Two scorches total down here, sir," Blay responded.
"Syhren?" V asked. She nodded her response. V was taking most of her weight now.
"We're clear with three lessers waiting for Butch," Tohr reported. "Blay is there a car down there?"
"Yes, sir," Blay's voice came over their phones. "A minivan and a sweet black Stingray."
"Keys?"
"Just a minute," Blay said. "Yeah both sets are here."
"Get them ready. John, Qhuinn get up here and help. Rhage go get the young."
"Eva won't open the door for him. I'll have to do it," her voice was fading fast.
"You're…"
"I'll carry her." V interrupted him.
"Fine. Rhage stay with the male. I have weapons to collect."
…
Qhuinn and John met V at the top of the stairs. Vishous was carrying the injured female. If Qhuinn hadn't known it was the same female from earlier he wouldn't have recognized her at all.
"She looks like shit," he said.
V threw him an extra nasty look and said, "No you can't shoot him."
That's when Qhuinn saw the gun in her hand. He moved himself in front of John and said, "What the fuck, V? You gave her a gun."
V shrugged. "Someone needed to be armed and my hands are full. Come on we have work to do."
Qhuinn and John followed V into the master bedroom and then into the closet. 'Blay would kill for a closet like this. Hell, it's even color coded,' Qhuinn thought. All three males fit in it with room the spare.
"John move these clothes out of the way. Now push the third panel from the right. Syh, honey," V shook her a bit. "What's the code? 1949 star. John do the honors."
John entered the code in and a hidden door popped open. He pulled in open to reveal a sturdy looking female doggen holding a little blonde pixie with two dark haired boys by her side. He would guess the oldest was about five.
"Eva," V said. "I'm going to take Syhren to a doctor. I want you and the young to stay here with John and Qhuinn. I'm going to make sure the male doggen is loaded in the van, then the boys will bring all of you down and we're getting you out of here."
"Bless you, sire," she said as she handed the girl to John and stepped up to her Mistress. With tears in her eyes she kissed the female's cheek and whispered, "My Lady, you saved us all. Master Darius would be proud. Take her now and save her."
V rushed her away leaving him and John with the civilians. "Hey, John, hold still. Let me get a shot of you and the pixie. Xhex and Blay are gonna be mad they missed this." Qhuinn grinned at him holding up his phone.
John handed the little one back to Eva and signed, "What the fuck? I hold Nalla all the time."
"Just trying to lighten the mood a little," he signed back. "They just saw their mom about one step away from death's door."
"Oh," John mouthed.
"Eva, where is that man taking Mahmen?" Wahr asked.
"To a doctor, she was hurt keeping us safe from the lessers," she said in a gentle tone.
"Yeah," Qhuinn added. "She fought like a warrior and that can tire you out real fast."
"Two cars of lessers just pulled up road side and there's a moving van too," Z voice came over their phones.
"Eva, kids get back inside the room for now," Qhuinn ordered. Eva rushed the young back in and John shut the door and put the clothes back in place. Qhuinn shut the closet behind them.
"Tohr, there's eight in the cars and two in the van."
'Damn,' Qhuinn thought running for the stairs, John on his heels.
"Everyone downstairs. Let's see if we can draw them inside and surprise them," Tohr said.
"Thor, the two teams of four are headed for the front walk," Z reported.
Qhuinn and John reached the foyer and ducked into the study. Tohr and Rhage were across the hall in the living room.
John signed, "Where are Blay and V?"
"In the garage with the wounded," Tohr signed back. "V was just about to leave when the lessers showed."
"Fuck," Qhuinn breathed out. If Syhren wasn't out of here soon she was dead.
"Another six just got out of the van," Z reported in. "Four are headed to the garage and four are going around back."
"Z help Phury," Tohr ordered.
Just then the front door opened.
…
Blay was hanging on every word coming from his cell phone. He had just put the doggen, Tolliver, in the floor of the minivan and was going to help V get Syhren to cover. He was half way around the van when the garage door started opening. He ducked for cover behind the van.
V had just scooped Syhren back into his arms when the lessers opened fire. Some how Syhren found the strength to return fire and took out one of the lessers. V was almost to Blay when he hit his knees. He then fell forwards pushing Syhren out in front of him.
Blay pulled her to safety and returned fire. Blay nailed a dark headed lesser dead center of the chest. He was down for now. 'Thank the Virgin V's moving again,' Blay thought as V rolled himself under the van.
V shouted, "Syh, go to the mansion. Go to the mansion. Blay I'll cover you. You have to get her awake and make her dematerialize to the mansion."
V started shooting from under the van. Blay turned to the female. Her eyes were closed, but she was still breathing. She was so pale it scared him. V had said to wake her up, so Blay gently shook her. She moaned and opened her eyes to look at him. "Come on. You have to get back to the mansion. Come on, stay awake. There's a doc at the mansion. Can you make it?" She nodded and closed her eyes. He held his breath. It took a few seconds, but she disappeared.
"Scribe Virgin by all that is good and gracious of you, if it be your will, see your child back to the Brotherhood mansion and into the care of her friends," he hoped the prayer was good enough and did not offend her Holiness.
"That was a good one, Blay," V said sliding out from under the van.
Blay saw his wounds. Two bullet holes in the back of his left leg. "Jesus, V, your bleeding like a freight train." Blay took off his belt and used it as a tourniquet for V's leg.
"Thanks kid, I'm going to cover you and I want you to make it inside."
"You go first," Blay argued.
"No, you. You can run faster and you'll have the better ground from the doorway to cover me. On the count of three, two, one."
Blay bolted for it in a hail of bullets. He made it to the door and took cover and aimed. V was right he had a much better vantage point from here. He took out another lesser with a head shot while V made his way to the door. The last lesser turned tail and ran.
"We have three down and one on the run from the garage. V has two hits in his leg, but he's still standing," Blay reported.
The back door knob turned and Blay aimed his gun at it. Z came in followed by Phury. "We dusted our four," he said into his phone.
There was still gun fire in the front of the house.
"Where's the female?" Phury asked.
"Hopefully at the mansion," Blay sadly stated.
"I'll go ahead and ghost it back. I'll call you. I'm not going to be much help here anyways. Z, Phury, ya'll mind stripping and dusting the lessers in the garage. Oh and check on the guy in the van. I'm out." And he was gone.
Blay got himself ready to head into the fray. He slowly opened the door. He saw two lessers in the hall. One on each side, they were firing into the first two rooms. Blay took his time and aimed carefully before firing. He dropped the one on the right with another head shot. He ducked back into the kitchen just in case. He heard a loud bang and a few more shots and then all was quiet.
"All clear," Tohr called.
Blay walked out into the hall. He looked the Brothers over as they all came out into the hall. Butch was at the front entrance. He must have taken out the last lesser. Phury and Z came in behind him. They were no worse for wear. Rhage and Tohr came from the right. No visible damage. John and Qhuinn came from the left. They all seemed fine.
He studied Qhuinn carefully. Lesser blood glistened on his leathers. His eyes were sharp and bright from the fight. He was electrifying and energized. Vibrant and alive. A fierce warrior. He walked toward Blay. It was more like prowling than walking. It was like he was stalking prey.
Blay held his breathe, he was doing it again. Seeing things that weren't there. Hoping when he shouldn't. Qhuinn was just happy he was alive. They were friends, that's all. Qhuinn threw his arms around him and held him tight. Blay inhaled slowly enjoying the scent that was uniquely Qhuinn. He hugged him back savoring the contact. It had been far too long. Being in his arms again was heaven. All this touching after so long was making him light headed. Qhuinn took a little step back, moving his hands up to Blay's face. His eyes were full of passion. Blay's heart sped up. 'This is it. He's going to kiss me,' Blay thought. Then the look on Qhuinn's face changed. He looked scared, then terrified. Blay felt his heart breaking again. Everything got hazy. 'Fuck, I'm such a pussy, I'm going to faint,' he thought and he did.
…
Qhuinn had been so happy to see Blay at the end of the hall, he just marched right up to him and hugged him tight. He never wanted to let him go. He had been so afraid for him when the lessers had attacked. He just held him tighter and thanked the Scribe Virgin they had both made it through this.
He had stepped back intending to let Blay go. He didn't want to push his luck. But when he saw Blay's eyes all he wanted was to kiss him. With out thinking or meaning to he had framed Blay's face in his hands. His intention was to kiss the male in front of the Brothers, because he didn't care about all his stupid dreams or what people thought anymore. The only thing that mattered now was Blay and that he loved him.
Then he saw the blood on Blay's cheeks. Qhuinn's arms and hands were covered with it. 'Oh, god was Blay bleeding?' He thought. All of the sudden Blay went pale and collapsed into his arms.
Qhuinn yelled for help. The next thing he knew he was in the back of the Escalade and Rhage was hauling ass for the mansion. Blay had four bullet holes in his back. He held Blay's head in his lap and tried to keep as much pressure on the worst of the holes. Qhuinn's tears were dripping into Blay's hair. Every time Blay moaned, Qhuinn thanked the Virgin he was still alive.
After what seemed like hours they pulled into the training facility's under ground parking. The human doctor, Manello, was waiting on them with a gurney.
"Where's Doc Jane?" he asked.
"She's with Syhren, the woman's in real bad shape. Don't worry I've got this and they sent for another doctor too. Someone called Havers. Rhage, right?, help me get him inside. We've set up one of the classrooms so I can work on him. You," he glanced at Qhuinn, "stay with the other patient and Rhage here will come back and help you bring him in.
Qhuinn watched them run the gurney with Blay on it down the hall. All he could do now was wait.