Hide and Seek in the Dark (Being Rewritten)

chapter 18

18

Gabriel

The rain slammed against the visor of his helmet ruthlessly, large, cold drops pelted his skin wherever it was visible leaving behind a numbing sting. Behind him he could hear the roar of Kiel's truck, followed by Nicholas's sedan.

We're coming, Christine. We're coming to get you and your little sire. Just hang on tight a while longer!

He jerked at the handles and turned off the highway, his back wheel spewing rocks and mud in the process. The others followed his lead, racing on to the unpaved road ahead. It wasn't a few minutes before they were forced to a stop. Before them stood a barricade of large oaks, all stood so wide and close together, there was no way they'd be able to drive through.

Gabriel jumped out of his seat and threw his bike to the floor, not bothering to put down the kick stand. He freed his gun from its hiding place inside his boot and made his ways to the trees.

Kiel was beside him in a heartbeat, his large hand wrapping around his arm to prevent him from going any further. "Gabe," his voice was stern yet filled with concern. "Be calm, man. Ye need yer wits about ye; ye need to think before ye go barrelin' into the enemy's camp. They took Christine-"

"Which is why I'm going in there in the first place!" He hissed. Well, her and that little boy of hers, he mentally corrected himself.

Kiel went on as if Gabriel hadn't even spoken. "And because of that I'm sure they'll be expectin' us. Listen to me, man." He placed both hands on each shoulder and held them tight. "I know what ye're thinkin', but ye got to remember, she isn't Katherine."

Gabriel flinched back at his words as if he'd been struck. It'd been centuries since he heard that name, spent nights thinking of that woman and what he could've done for her. Kiel was the only one who knew about her, not even Thomas had any idea about her. The man had sworn he'd never bring that girl up to him again and he was just... just...! He narrowed his eyes up at the big man and shook off his grip. No, this wasn't 1823. Christine wasn't Katherine.

"I won't let her be," he snarled. Turning on his heel, he yanked up the hood of his coat and pulled it tight over his head. He didn't need the rain getting in his eyes while he was shooting the heads off of Vampires. He looked over at his pack members and motioned them to follow. Gabriel slid through the gaps in the trees and edged along the border quietly, using the night's shadows as cover.

Karnayna's camp was an old run down motel a few miles off the highway. The exterior, which was once painted what he assumed was a calming ivory color, was now dirty with dirt, mud, and blood smeared along the walls. From what he could see, there was no one walking about the grounds. He signaled to Luna and she approached. "Can you smell anyone around?"

She lifted her nose and took in a deep whiff. After a moment she shook her head. "All I can smell is the rain."

With a small curse he sent her back. Damn. Without any eyes or nose to tell them whether or not their enemies were near they'd have to run in blind and pray they weren't ambushed on the way.

He quickly made sure his gun was loaded and he crept from the shadows, toward the dilapidated motel. The soles of his boots sunk into the soft mud, sucking at them with every step. Rain lashed down on his back, beat down on his hood; the downpour was so brutal it was hard to see twenty feet ahead of him. He pressed on, slinking through as quickly as he could before he made it to the motel. One by one the others followed suit, trekking quiet through the mud and the rain. They skirted their way around the motel toward the back. Christine had mentioned something about cages, if there were any here it'd likely be closer the back than the front. So they'd start there.