Chapter Thirty Six

Charlie

The snow trac wasn't exactly a racing car but it kept up a pretty good speed and Caden found a map in the door pocket and showed me more or less where he wanted me to head.

"Are you sure about this Caden? We could head for the nearest town instead."

"But it's even further and they'll soon be looking for us. I just hope it starts snowing again to hide our tracks but I guess they have special senses too. Just like the Quileute dogs."

Now he wasn't making sense at all but I guess after all he and his cousin had been through they were entitled to be a little mixed up. I was relieved Charity had fallen asleep wrapped in some blankets once we got going because the damn heater in this piece of shit didn't work and as I looked at the fuel gauge I could see it was low on gas. We weren't going to reach the closest town so Caden's idea was our only hope.

"We'll get as far as we can then we'll have to walk the rest so snow isn't such a good thing to hope for Caden."

He sat silent for a few minutes but I could see he was deep in thought, the he turned to look at Charity as if to make sure she was sleeping before moving closer to me.

"I'm not sure walking is such a good idea Uncle Charlie, they'll be able to trace our scent really easily if we're on foot."

I smiled,

"I didn't see any bloodhounds back at the village, did you?"

He shook his head biting his lip nervously,

"If I tell you a secret Uncle Charlie will you promise not to tell mom and dad I told you?"

"I guess so, as long as it's not something I think they should know that is."

He sat back,

"Oh, they already know but I'm not supposed to tell you."

"I see, well perhaps you shouldn't tell me then."

"But I have to, you need to know or we could be in real trouble. They might even kill you."

I looked at him frowning,

"Hey, no one is going to kill me or you, and certainly not little Charity."

"They won't kill her, she's like them or at least she's like you."

"Like me?"

He paused again then took a deep breath and spoke real fast,

"Charity is human like you. I'm only half human a bit like the Quileutes and those people who are after us although I don't know what they change into."

I slowed down to give him more of my attention but he shook his head,

"Don't Uncle Charlie, we need to move as fast as we can."

"What did you mean by half human? I've known the Quileutes since I was a little boy, you don't have to be scared of them, they don't change into anything."

"Yes they do Uncle, they turn into huge dogs and then they hunt vampires like daddy and Charity's parents."

I slowed down again, had I heard right?

"Cade, I'm not sure now is the time for fairy stories."

"It's not a fairy tale Uncle Charlie. The Quileutes that brought Charity and me here turn into wolves to protect the rest of the Quileutes from vampires. The people back at the village, well not all of them, only the young men turn into something too but I don't understand their smell. You see I'm half vampire like my dad and I have his sense of smell, I can run fast too and..."

He turned to look out the windscreen and shouted,

"STOP QUICKLY."

I hit the brakes and the trac lurched to a halt,

"What the hell?"

"There's deep snow ahead and it's not safe to cross, I can hear it falling into a hole."

I began to laugh when suddenly a gaping hole opened up in front of us. If I'd driven a few more feet we would have been in deep trouble, quite literally. Charity was awake and crying, Caden's shout had disturbed her and he climbed into the back to hug her, whispering quietly to soothe her until she began to doze off again. Well, something had alerted him although hearing the snow move? That was still a little hard to believe.

When he climbed back a few minutes later I turned to him,

"Now what?"

"It's not far and there's no gas left so we have to walk, it will be safer than driving with all this soft snow."

Realizing I was accepting his advice without a second thought I climbed out and wrapping Charity in two more blankets I picked her up and held her close to my chest hoping my body heat would help her stay warm. Luckily they hadn't taken my jacket from me but it was scant protection against the biting wind and Caden's was even thinner but when I offered him mine he shook his head smiling.

"Like my dad I don't feel the cold Uncle Charlie."

We started walking and indeed he didn't appear to be affected by it at all while I was shivering already.

"Maybe we should wait in the trac until the wind dies down."

"No, they'll be here soon."

"How do you know that? Can you hear them?"

The question was slightly tongue in cheek but he stopped and appeared to be listening then turned back looking worried.

"I can hear something, it's not vehicles but it might be the others, it sounds like whatever they turn into is heavy but still fast enough. Come on Uncle Charlie we have to run."

Up ahead in the distance I could see a bump in the horizon between the swirls of snow picked up by the increasing wind.

"There it is. If we can get there they'll help us. I don't think the others will take on a house full of vampires, it will be too dangerous, there's only a few of them, three, four at the most."

"We're headed towards a house full of vampires Caden?"

He nodded running slightly ahead with no sign he felt the cold and he wasn't even breathing hard from the exertion of struggling through the soft snow which was a foot deep in places slowing me down still further.

We were still about a mile from the house we headed for when Caden turned and called me.

"Uncle Charlie look."

Headed for us much faster than I had imagined possible were three huge polar bears. I looked around for somewhere to hide, anywhere I could leave the children safe while I tried to slow the bears, protect my charges, but there was nowhere, no caves, nothing to give us any shelter at all. I pushed Caden behind me cursing my stupidity for not grabbing a weapon of some sort before we left. The bears slowed as they approached and then stopped huddled together as if communicating then one stepped forward showing its teeth before it's shape began to blur. It shook violently and there in it's place stood one of the young men who had guarded me in that cellar. He was naked and didn't appear to feel the cold either. I was speechless with shock, had Caden been telling the truth about everything? It certainly seemed like it.

I was thankful Charity slept on, I didn't want her frightened by these strange creatures.

"It was foolish to think you could outrun us. Now hand the child over."

"No way, what the hell are you?"

"It's none of your concern. Hand the child over or I'll be forced to take her from you and that might be dangerous for both of you."

He glared at Caden,

"Boy, get over here now. As far as I'm concerned you aren't worth the bother. I'd as soon leave you here dead as take you back but I have my orders."

Caden moved closer to stand beside me shaking his head.

The two other bears growled menacingly and moved forward claws and teeth bared in a show of force. He was right, if I kept hold of Charity and they came to take her she might well be injured or killed by the sharp fangs and claws. Slowly I handed her to Caden who knelt down with her on his knee off the cold ground.

"You can't have them. They don't belong to you."

"That's a matter of opinion, are you going to hand them over?"

I turned to Caden,

"Take Charity and run, they don't want to hurt you, make for the house."

I heard him move away and the bears growled again moving forward but I stood in their way weaving back and forth between them as the young man watched the children smiling.

"You just made my job far easier, thank you."

I saw one of the bears come closer and turned my attention to him knowing it was futile to fight but not knowing what else to do. Then suddenly he staggered as if hit with something and fell to his knees roaring in frustration. I felt the claws of the second bear rake across my back, the agonizing pain knocked me in turn to my knees and then I toppled into the snow as the other bear slashed my face missing my throat by inches as he too seemed to lose his footing and stumble.

The snow was turning red before my eyes and I tensed waiting for the death blow but it never came. Instead I heard a scream from Caden then feet running towards me and knew he was coming back although there was nothing he could do. Charity was screaming, the man must have ripped her from Caden's arms and then he was there above me, his tears falling onto my face mingling with my blood. As my sight dimmed I felt another pain, sharp against my throat, they were going to make sure of my death and leave me here for the snow to bury their crime.