Sterling Silver (Sterling Hunter Series Book 1)

Chapter 38

"Keep driving. We get Chelsea and then we get Alistair. He can't... he can't be allowed to live after what he did. He killed the Carters. They were my friends Sebastian."

He nodded as he put the car in drive and hit the gas, speeding across the bridge. If Alistair was out killing the Carters than who had Chelsea?

Sebastian took the bend in the road sharply and drove like a madman up to the run down, yellowing house that overlooked the only swamp in Rosewood full of moss and weeds and old willow trees. He put the car in park and they both got out, Tabitha grabbing her bag of weapons. Setting it on the front of the car she unzipped it and yanked off her leather jacket. With precise, practiced movements she grabbed her sash of stakes, clipping it over a shoulder, the other end resting on her hip. She clipped her belt of daggers and more stakes around her waist over the sash and grabbed one of the stakes, ready for a fight.

Sebastian opened the trunk and pulled out a few stakes of his own, tucking them into his belt buckle and then pulled out the twin swords of silver along with the harness and sheaths. He shut the trunk with a snap and held them out to her. "You're a natural with these. I want you to have them," he said.

Tabitha glanced up at his eyes. Those murky eyes that looked just like the green swampy water that the Berkley house overlooked. That reminded her strangely of Halloween nights and a life before vampires. Then she glanced down at the swords and took them with almost greedy hands. She wanted those swords. She'd wanted them from the moment she saw them at the bottom of the trunk in his backyard. "Thank you," she murmured, the smallest of smiles on her lips despite the situation they were in.

He dipped his head and took the sheaths back, turning his finger in the air, indicating for her turn around. She did and let him pull the straps over her shoulders, his hands meeting at her stomach. Tabitha leaned into him, not caring how inappropriate it was for the situation at hand and curled her fingers around his, helping him clip the strap around her waist at her stomach. The swords felt heavy and yet oddly familiar on her back. A comforting weight that meshed well with her sash and belt of stakes. "Ready?" he asked.

Tabitha nodded, pulling the swords free from their sheaths from either shoulder. "I'm not leaving without Chelsea," she promised.

***

Sebastian took up the front while Tabitha watched his back as he pushed the creaky door open. The inside of Berkley house had been made creepier and more sinister with all the Halloween decorations that had been left up for years at a time. There were black streamers and fake spider webs mixing with real ones. Fake blood slashed across the walls and Tabitha sucked in a breath, withholding a scream when she came face to face with a dumbies legs. She clutched her chest, remembering how one of the stupid teenage boys from her school had hung him up by his neck right above the stairs last Halloween.

"This is quite the setup you guys have here," Sebastian whispered.

A small sheepish, almost proud smile raised Tabitha's lips and she shrugged, gripping her swords. "It's not too bad. The tourists get a kick out of it."

"I bet they do."

They fell into silence as Tabitha scanned the bottom floor and Sebastian gestured for her to follow him up the stairs, holding a finger to his lips. He must have heard something. She met his eyes in acknowledgement and followed him up, avoiding all the creaky, weak steps. After a few years of volunteering to help set up the place for Halloween night she had memorized which part of the steps made noise and which didn't. They crept up the stairs, the eerie silence deafening. Tabitha shivered when her eyes caught sight of more fake blood and cobwebs. A giant plastic spider that looked a little too real in the darkness of the house hung in the corner of the stairs. all the curtains were drawn, blocking out the evening sunlight and making it feel like a Halloween night when vampires and ghosts and werewolves came out to play.

They got to the second floor and Sebastian latched onto her wrist, stopping her. He pointed to down the corridor to the right and then to his ears. He definitely heard something. Then he pointed to the left, indicating her to go that way. Tabitha nodded, and they split up. They both kept silent as they went in opposite directions and Tabitha opened one door after the next, trying to keep them from shrieking or creaking too loudly until she came to the last one. The one where the big hoorah was set up every Halloween. The boys called it the Murder Room and they got more and more images of what to put in there every year.

Scowling Tabitha opened the door slowly and peeked inside. There were remnants of fake blood all over the walls from Halloweens past. Tables and noose's that people had forgotten to take down or put away. The curtains on the windows were torn letting in a few strands of light and in the center of the room was the big black table that was usually full of more fake blood – usually ketchup when they ran out of the store-bought stuff – and a poor helpless plastic torture victim. But today there was no plastic victim. No today a real, flesh and blood girl was tied to the table, sobbing and struggling against her roped bondages.

"Chelsea," Tabitha breathed. Relief froze her in place and all she could do was stare. And then Chelsea sobbed and craned her neck, her blue eyes meeting Tabitha. "Oh my gosh, Tabitha. Tabitha," she cried. Her voice kicked Tabitha into gear. She sheathed her swords and rushed over, undoing the ropes around her friend's wrists and ankles. Barely free Chelsea lunged up and pulled Tabitha into a hug, her whole body shaking.

"Some girl grabbed me while I was leaving the house. She's a psycho Tabitha. How did you find me? I was so scared," she sobbed, it all coming out in a rush.

Tabitha squeezed her tight. She never wanted this for Chelsea. Never wanted her to get involved. "Shhh, it's ok. I'll explain everything once we get out of here. Did she hurt you?" she asked as she pulled away, clutching Chelsea's shoulders.

Chelsea shook her head and Tabitha helped her get off the table. "I... I don't think I'm ever coming back here."

Tabitha shook her head, holding her close and helping her out of the room and toward the stairs. "You don't ever have to, I promise."

They were headed down the stairs when Sebastian shouted her name. Chelsea froze, her eyes wide with pure terror but Tabitha just shook her head and wrapped her friend in another hug. "It's fine. Just Sebastian. He came with to help me find you. Go... go to his car and lock the doors and don't come out no matter what you hear."

"Wh–what?" Chelsea stammered as Tabitha pulled away from her. She squeezed her friends shoulder, already looking over her head at the top of the stairs. "Just go Chelsea, ok? Go."

She nodded, squeezed Tabitha into a hug one last time and then rushed down the stairs. Tabitha didn't move until she heard the front door slam shut. Then she unsheathed her swords and rushed up to join Sebastian, ready for some revenge. Whoever had taken her friend was going to die tonight. She rushed into the only open door in the right corridor, ready for a fight and came skidding to a stop as she entered the room.

Sebastian stood there in the middle of the room, his sister Emmeline in front of him.