Operation: Marauder

Chapter 9

As soon as Zoey got home, she made sure to shut all her blinds and lock all the doors and windows. She went straight to her office, where she typically drew up designs for clients. This office looked far more like the office of a car designer than her office at work; there were beautiful pictures of classic cars, her favourite being the 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback. Owning one was next on her hit list.

However, she wasn't in her office this evening to daydream or design someone else's car. No, she was on her laptop researching everything she could find on vampires. Her earphones were on, playing the Avenged Sevenfold album, keeping her focused. The last few days had taken their toll on her and she was finding it increasingly difficult to stay awake, especially after scrolling endlessly through forums and websites.

It was nearly midnight when she had to take a break. After spending hours looking up vampire myths, their weaknesses, strengths, sifting through what was true and false, which was a little hard without one around to ask, her mind couldn't take it any more. The words were growing fuzzy and what words she could discern, she honestly couldn't process them anymore. From what she could tell before her brain was fried, the vampires burning in sunlight myth was a dud. They were definitely incredibly strong and fast, something she could personally attest to. She wasn't sure about sparkling in the sun; she'd had a sack over her head when they were outside. She wasn't sure if not inviting them into her home would protect her. Garlic, holy water, and crosses were potential weapons. . . except she didn't have a cross or holy water. Someone had mentioned iron was a good deterrent, which Zoey could work with. Cars used quite a bit of iron in their engineering; she was sure she could find something useful at the shop.

As to how she was going to use all this information. . . she would just have to figure it out in the morning. Beyond exhausted, Zoey dragged her feet out of the office, through the living room. 

The front door rattled.

She paused in the middle of her living room. The world seemed to still around her. Silence rang in her ears. They're here. 

They'd found her. Connaville wasn't a huge town, but she'd been hoping they'd take longer to find her. At least long enough for her to arm herself or get into contact with Jack. 

She was only still for a moment, then she was moving, exhaustion forgotten. She hurried to the kitchen to grab a knife. The door burst open with shattering force. Arms snared around her waist and dragged her back into the living room. Her assailant shoved her into the armchair and stood before her, arms crossed in a cocky, superior way. She didn't quite know how she knew, but it was Sid, the bastard who took her blood. He was as pale as his companion had been, tall and lean, dressed in black that made him look like a wraith.

"Found you," the cocky little shit said with a smirk.

She held up a fearless front. They had scared her once, but now it appeared there was only one of them and he was very confident she couldn't do anything to him. The cast iron pan she had on her stove begged to differ. As soon as she found a way to get to it.

"What do you want with me?"

He walked over to her table and picked up her phone. He dangled it in front of her. "You're a slippery little human, I'll give you that. However, we still have need of you. You will call your brother, tell him you need to see him."

What? So she could lure him into a trap? No thank you. She wasn't about to do that to Jack.

She stood up, standing head to head with the vampire. He didn't seem to like that he didn't scare her and hissed in her face, exposing a set of terrifying fangs. The back of her brain screamed for her to run away, to call the cops. Do something that would get her out of this alive.