Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,195

How was he supposed to yield to a stronger force when Tolya had brought one other vampire and a Wolf and was so clearly outnumbered?

He didn’t like Judd being on his left, didn’t like the knife hand being in position for a strike to the back or ribs. He didn’t like a lot of things about this deal, and he wondered exactly when this game had gotten away from him.

And he wondered if Judd McCall was working for himself these days or had gone into business with someone else.

For now he had to play this hand and do his best to win.

“I think this town would be better served by having a human mayor and a human sheriff,” Parlan said, raising his voice to be heard by any people listening at the hotel doorway or hiding in the other nearby stores. “In frontier parlance, I’m calling you out, Mr. Mayor, but I’m doing so in the manner you said was required for a change in government. I’m challenging you for dominance, and the human residents of Bennett are behind me.”

Tolya looked at the men with Parlan. “I don’t see any residents, Mr. Blackstone. I see strangers who have come into town over the past couple of days. Drifters. Outlaws.”

“Humans looking for a fresh start,” Parlan countered.

“Humans who have made no effort to come to my office and ask about available jobs.”

Call and raise, Parlan thought. “Humans who will take their place in Bennett society as soon as there is a human government.”

“There will not be a human government,” Tolya said. “This town exists with the Elders’ permission, and it will continue to exist only as long as it is ruled by the terra indigene. If you manage to form a human government, you condemn all the humans living here—including you and your delegation.”

What to do? Parlan felt the tension in Lawry, had a feeling the men behind him no longer had his back.

Tolya studied him. “You can’t win. Your only choice is—”

* * *

* * *

Hearing a familiar female voice coming from the direction of the bank’s back entrance, Stazia Sanguinati flowed over the counter and shifted to human form from the waist up.

“I don’t think they’re open.” The woman sounded breathless—and frightened. “I don’t think … Oh. Hello.”

One of the cleaners who worked with Abigail Burch. A timid woman who came in every Firesday to cash her paycheck and put a small amount in a savings account. Usually she came in alone. Today, when she shouldn’t be here, she came in with two men. The taller one had a hand wrapped around the woman’s skinny arm.

“The bank is closed today,” Stazia said—and wondered how they’d gotten in when she was certain she’d locked the front and back doors.

“That’s all right,” the taller one said. “We’re not customers.”

As the shorter one raised his weapon and fired, Stazia shifted her upper body to her smoke form. That shift could be done in moments.

But this time, she wasn’t quite fast enough.

* * *

* * *

Gunshot. Across the street. One shot.

The humans looked toward the bank.

That moment when the Knife looked away instead of watching him, Virgil shifted to his true form and ran. A bullet whizzed under his tail, but the Knife couldn’t see him, no longer had any idea of his size or his speed.

Blackstone and the other enemies shooting now at anything. Everything.

Virgil hit one of the men at full speed, knocking the enemy to the ground. He tore at the hand, the wrist. Tore at the face and throat. Then he leaped away as other enemies shot their own companions while trying to shoot him. But he was gone again, running, charging, slashing.

More enemies entered the square, shooting at everything. Blood and feathers on the ground as other terra indigene entered the fight. A Coyote screamed in pain.

He didn’t think about Tolya or Yuri. He didn’t think about Kane or the wolverine. Couldn’t. Too many enemies now, and he was fighting alone, separated from his pack.

But he would keep on fighting, keeping on killing, until the enemy took his last breath.

* * *

* * *

“They tricked me!” Abby cried. “They tricked me into telling them your name.”

Barb dropped the phone and ran to the front door, forgetting what her brother had told her about finding cover in dangerous situations—only thinking about helping a friend who was in trouble.

As she reached the screen door, she hesitated and saw the next few moments as a nightmarish montage.

Bang! Abby falling, a bloom