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"Where's Evin?" I asked. I didn't actually want him moved, but even in their alcohol-fueled state, they might think it odd if I didn't at least inquire about him.
"He's safe," Denny assured me. "Come down and see for yourself."
"I think I prefer to remain where I am for now."
"Come down, or we'll slice your brother's pretty face open."
I contemplated them for a moment, seeing their jubilation, smelling their anticipation, then said, "You know what? The drive out here has given me a lot of time to think."
"Now, that ain't a good thing, little lady - "
"Yeah, it is," I said. "I was stupid to come out here without help, so I might just go back and get some."
"You do that, and he's fish food."
"But I have the note threatening just that. Hurt him, and you'll be prime suspects."
And with that, I turned and ran in the opposite direction. For several seconds, there was no reaction, and I inwardly cursed. Damn it, they needed to come after me. It was our only chance of getting out of there without a fight.
Then I heard cursing, and Denny shouting orders, and I smiled. They'd taken the bait. And they were too drunk to realize one of their number was missing.
My feet flew across the sand, moving so fast I was barely leaving tracks. I raced up the next hill, then plunged down. But at the halfway point, I stopped and shoved the base of the flashlight into the sand, so that the bright beam cut skyward. Then I shifted shape, flying as hard and as fast as I could back to where Evin was.
Denny and his two friends had split up, Denny taking the direct route while the others approached from either angle. They were nowhere near as fast as I'd been, but then I suspected that had more to do with the alcohol in their systems than the fact I was half vampire.
They'd barely reached the first hill. It would take them another five minutes, at least, to discover the abandoned flashlight.
It wasn't much time, but it would have to do.
I flew across the campfire and straight at the man guarding Evin. He looked up as I approached, and I saw the awareness flash across his face. He wasn't as drunk as the others, and he'd recognized that I was a shifter. Whether he knew it was me or not didn't matter. As he opened his mouth to shout for the others, I shifted shape and plunged down on top of him.
He had enough sense to dive out of the way, so that my feet hit his back rather than his face, driving him earthward but not knocking him out like I'd hoped. I landed then twisted, lashing out with a heel. He blocked the blow with his arm, the force of it reverberating up my leg, then followed it up with a jab to my face. I dipped a little so that the blow passed over my right shoulder, then punched upward, aiming for his jaw. But again, he saw it coming and swayed backward so that the blow hit air rather than flesh and left me momentarily unbalanced. His fist hit my upper stomach, the force of it pushing me backward as air exploded from my lungs.
He laughed, then raised his voice, half looking away as he said, "Hey, she's over here!"
It was a stupid thing to do.
I kicked his knee as hard as I could. The impact made his leg bow unnaturally and bone shattered, the sound like a gunshot in the darkness. As he howled and started to go down, I clenched my fist and delivered an uppercut to his chin. He dropped to the ground and didn't move.
For a minute, neither did I. Breathing hurt. I took shallower breaths but it didn't seem to help. Nor did I have the time to worry about it.
Denny and his friends had been warned, and their shouts filled the night. I needed to grab Evin and make my escape.
I turned and ran for the front of the rusty tank. Evin was still lying where I'd seen him. His hands were tied behind his back, and the rope holding him was thick and strong. The metallic smell of blood rode the air, even though he didn't look like he'd been beaten. One look at the ropes binding him explained why - his wrists were raw and bloody. He'd obviously been trying to work himself free.
I dropped down beside him and touched his face. He jumped and his eyes flew open.
"Jesus, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Rescuing your butt," I said. "Are you injured?"
"They've wrapped silver wire around my neck. It's burning."
Which explained why he hadn't shifted shape to escape the ropes. Still, if his injured wrists and silver burns were the worst of his injuries, then he was damn lucky.
I grabbed the other knife from my boot and sawed the ropes off his bloody wrists, but it took forever, and all the time my awareness of the men was growing. I couldn't risk slicing the ropes off his feet. I should have done them first.
"I haven't got time to undo your feet. We need to get out of here." I stood up, grabbed his raw and bleeding hands, and hauled him upright. "Can you hop?"
