Haunted

CHAPTER 16

TO A VAMPIRE’S ACUTE SENSES, TECATE IS A TOWN caught between ocean and desert. Close enough to catch the sea breeze, smelling of sand and brine, far enough away to have a desert landscape of cactus and sand. The perfume of the ocean is often swept away by the smell of hot dust and decay. A dichotomy that tickles my nose.

The way is rough, but rougher still for the truck. It bounces and lurches, slow going.

Not for me. It gives me a chance to catch up, to get so close I see Ramon smoking in the passenger seat and smell the smoke drifting out through the open window.

So close I could speed up and ride the rest of the way, hunkering down on the rear bumper of the pickup.

But I don’t.

There’s too much about this scenario I don’t understand. I don’t trust.

Finally, with the city in sight, Culebra steers onto a dirt road that appears abruptly out of the hardscrabble and curves away from Tecate. He picks up speed and we begin to pass an area of industrial buildings—warehouses, if I had to guess. The parking lots are nearly empty, only one or two cars scattered in front of the few buildings with lights still burning.

I look around out of a human’s eye now, trying to pinpoint something to let Max know where we are.

I get my chance when the truck veers again, this time onto a paved road. A sign says CUCHUMA. He keeps going. I stop and call Max.

“We’re on a road called Cuchuma,” I say when he picks up. “Here are the coordinates.”

Max waits to reply until he sees what I’ve sent. “Good. I know where you’re headed. I should be there in fifteen minutes. Cuchuma connects with a road called Del Carmen. They’ll take Del Carmen south and turn onto an unmarked road. Keep following. You’re almost to the airstrip. There’s an abandoned outbuilding about a half mile from the airstrip. Meet me there.”

I snap the phone shut and let the vampire surface again. Now that I know where we’re going, I can enjoy the freedom of the run. I let my animal senses pick up the smells of rock and desert, vermin and predator. Fox is here and snake and rabbit and coyote. Coyote spies me and lowers its head, growling. Its rumble attracts its brothers, hiding in the brush. It’s the way coyote hunts—one to lure an unsuspecting victim, then the others to attack as a pack. They smell human but something else, too. Animal.

My growl convinces them to go on to easier prey. They back off, deep-throated rumbling changing from challenge to irritated submission.

Vampire bares her teeth in a smile.

The truck is at the junction to Del Carmen. It turns as Max predicted. Vampire relinquishes control to the human Anna. Pace slows, thought processes center now on what to do when Culebra gets to the airstrip. Should I try to stop them if they have a plane waiting to take off? How far behind is Max?

The airstrip is ahead. I follow out of sight until the truck comes to a stop beside a ramshackle building. There are lights on inside and the two men go in.

A quick look toward the runway and one decision is made for me.

There’s no plane.

I backtrack and wait at the abandoned building for Max. I scramble up the wall to the roof so I have a clear view of the area. If a plane approaches, I will see it. In a matter of minutes, both Max and a plane arrive simultaneously. I launch myself off the building, landing by Max’s Explorer. The move is quick and from the look on Max’s face, I may have taken ten years off his life.

“Jesus, Anna. Do you fucking fly now?”

Maybe.

“Go.” I jump into the passenger seat. “A twin-engine plane just landed.”

Max pushes the accelerator to the floor but his eyes are still wide, his breath coming in startled gasps.

We slow when we get within sight of the building where Culebra and Ramon are waiting. The approach of the Explorer is silenced by the noise from the plane. Max kills the engine and coasts to a stop behind a cluster of bushes. I expect Culebra and Ramon to come out to meet the plane. But instead, the pilot shuts down the engine and disappears into the building, too.

Max and I look at each other. He unclips his gun and motions to the car door. We let ourselves out quietly, approach in stealth mode. The door to the building is open, the light spilling out offering a clear view of three men inside.

Culebra’s back is to us.

He turns, eyes narrowing.

I clamp down on my thoughts, hoping I haven’t inadvertently given myself away.

He steps out before Max and I can take cover.

“Come out, Anna. You, too, Max. I could sense you were following. We’ve been waiting for you.”