Killing Nikovage Bloodhunter

Chapter 7

June 16th, 2003
Denton Valley, New York

Kipps's Cabin

"I don't like this," I grumbled for the tenth time since breakfast.

We were loading up the cars in front of the cabin. The Winchesters had the trunk of the Impala open and their impressive cache of weapons were on display. Kipps sat at the back of his SUV, his legs dangling over the bumper as he meticulously checked his wooden arrows. The Stolls and Charlie were watching on in interest, already prepared for our reconnaissance mission.

"Sorry, 'Lodie, you've been outvoted," Travis said, toying with a wooden stake.

Even though it was broad daylight, it didn't hurt to be prepared, even if the only vampire that we could run into was the one vampire we didn't know how to kill. The others had decided the calculated risk was worth it after I repeatedly brought it up, so I decided to bite the bullet and join the hunt instead of being left out. Somehow, I'd ended up with the search area containing the mysterious red dot. I didn't have a fantastic feeling about this situation, but no one seemed to care.

I tried one more time to convince them to let me do the recon alone. I wouldn't be responsible for their deaths should someone run into Nikovage, but again, no one seemed to care about my opinion.

"We've been over this," Kipps ground out, clearly exasperated with my repeated attempts to shut down the mission. "We'll cover more ground quicker. The sooner we're in, the sooner we're out. We each have our area and we each have a radio. We'll be fine."

I glanced around for something wooden and rapped my fist against it superstitiously.

Since no one was budging, I checked the trunk of my car. Ax, check. Wooden stakes, check. Fully charged walkie-talkie programed to channel three, check.

The Stolls showed Charlie how to use the hand-held radio once more and we started off.

The shaded chunk of forest on the map was sectioned off from the rest of the woods by access roads and private properties. It was a mile or so south of the lake, where a row of private properties with acreage were built. Charlie and Sam were working on this side of the forest. To the east, a river that fed the lake created a natural boarder. Travis would be heading south down the river while Dean headed north. I had scored the segment between Connor and Kipps, who was dropping Dean off along the way. Sam was going to deliver Charlie, I was tasked with dropping Connor off, and Travis would be driving his own car.

"Channel three!" Kipps reminded us as we climbed into our respective vehicles.

Connor seemed ill at ease in the passenger seat as I aggressively backed down the driveway and started down the road around the lake. For the most part, we rode in silence until Connor spotted the dirt access road.

"Here it is," he said.

I pulled off the main road and slowed down, bumping mercilessly over the uneven track. Carefully, I studied the odometer, remembering the exact directions Kipps had provided. He was quite adept with maps and had started spewing all these technical terms regarding our search grid. I had dubiously stared back and when he asked if I knew what I was doing, I claimed I did. Sure, I was slightly directionally challenged, but with a compass, I knew I couldn't get too lost.

"Dropping Connor off," I reported over the radio, slowing to a stop.

"See you in a bit," Connor said, sliding out the passenger side.

I nodded and accelerated away. A few miles down the road, I pulled to the side and hopped out. Since I was just walking the forest and wasn't anticipating running into a horde of vampires, I armed myself with Merlin's ax, a long silver dagger, and two stakes. I radioed in my position after hearing that Dean had been dropped off and that Travis was entering the woods, then clipped the walkie-talkie to my belt, the volume turned low.