can come if you want to, okay? But you’ll have to do what I say.” I figured she’d be used to that anyhow, poor kid.
Guess she figured the same, because she nodded.
“How long do we have until the others return?” Christoph asked.
“Damned if I know. Sven got called away suddenly, and I came to get you as soon as he’d left. How far away is this scrap yard, anyhow?”
“Not far enough. We need to leave right now.”
“I’ll go grab my stuff,” I said quickly. If I was going to be on the run, I wanted to do it in my own underwear. Hell, that backpack had been with me for five years, traveling through more countries than I could count on both hands. I had my Levi 501s in there, and my camera and a whole load of other stuff I’d dragged all the way from the States. Plus my only photo of me and Ben. It’d gotten a little creased and faded over the years, but I wasn’t leaving it here for Schreiber, Sven and the gang to chew on.
“Silke, you have anything you wish to bring?” Christoph asked.
She shrugged her thin shoulders. “It’s okay. I have nothing.” Jeez, not even a goddamn cuddly toy? Schreiber was one hell of a father.
“Leon, you must be quick,” Christoph said. I gave him a dirty look. The sooner he realized who was in charge here, the better.
“You wait here,” I told them, staring Christoph down in case he was planning to protest. It wasn’t easy, holding firm with him looking like that, but I managed. “When I get back, we’ll head out through the woods this way—too risky to go along the roads on foot. Sven could be back along there any minute.”
Christoph nodded. I set off down that path again, my nerves jumping worse than they had on the way out. Hell, for all I knew, Ulf had called in the cavalry already.
The house was quiet when I reached it. I breathed a little easier. I tiptoed up the stairs, all two damn flights of them, and grabbed my backpack, jamming my clothes and stuff back inside. Then I crept back down again. Still quiet, thank God.
Then Sven stepped out of the kitchen, Ulf looking hangdog behind him.
Shit.
I panicked and swung the backpack around into Sven’s face, following it up with a desperate kick to the groin. Shit, shit, shit. If I let him get up now, I’d be dead. I saw Ulf’s face, pale and frightened in the doorway. I wanted to scream at him to fucking do something, but it came out as a growl, and I realized I’d started to freak out again. Literally.
Sven was struggling to stand, his face red and meaner than hell. Then it started to distort.
It was pure instinct that saved me. As the change took me over, I threw myself on him, lunging for his throat. I took a savage bite. Blood welled up, hot and thick, the coppery scent of it overpowering. I didn’t know whether to drink deep or throw up… As the thought hit, I backed away, horrified. I could feel myself changing back again, becoming human. Like my body was trying to disclaim all responsibility. Nope, not me, wasn’t even there. “Oh, God…” Had I killed him? I looked at Ulf. “We need to call an ambulance—”
“Just get out of here!” Ulf’s eyes were wide. “When Schreiber finds out about this…”
I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and nearly puked when I saw the red streak I’d left. Go. Yes. I grabbed for my backpack, managing to pick it up on the second attempt. Then I lurched back down the hall and nearly fell out the back door.
The fresh air outside, the sunshine—it didn’t seem real. How could the damn birds still be singing after what had just happened? At least it cleared my head some. If Sven was back, so was the Porsche. I staggered back, trying to ignore the twitching figure on the floor. Things were…bubbling. Not good. Really, not good. Focus. I swallowed. “Ulf. Get the car keys off him and meet us out front.”
“I can’t…” He was kneeling by Sven, bare-chested, trying to stanch the bleeding with his wadded-up T-shirt.
“What the hell do you
Guess she figured the same, because she nodded.
“How long do we have until the others return?” Christoph asked.
“Damned if I know. Sven got called away suddenly, and I came to get you as soon as he’d left. How far away is this scrap yard, anyhow?”
“Not far enough. We need to leave right now.”
“I’ll go grab my stuff,” I said quickly. If I was going to be on the run, I wanted to do it in my own underwear. Hell, that backpack had been with me for five years, traveling through more countries than I could count on both hands. I had my Levi 501s in there, and my camera and a whole load of other stuff I’d dragged all the way from the States. Plus my only photo of me and Ben. It’d gotten a little creased and faded over the years, but I wasn’t leaving it here for Schreiber, Sven and the gang to chew on.
“Silke, you have anything you wish to bring?” Christoph asked.
She shrugged her thin shoulders. “It’s okay. I have nothing.” Jeez, not even a goddamn cuddly toy? Schreiber was one hell of a father.
“Leon, you must be quick,” Christoph said. I gave him a dirty look. The sooner he realized who was in charge here, the better.
“You wait here,” I told them, staring Christoph down in case he was planning to protest. It wasn’t easy, holding firm with him looking like that, but I managed. “When I get back, we’ll head out through the woods this way—too risky to go along the roads on foot. Sven could be back along there any minute.”
Christoph nodded. I set off down that path again, my nerves jumping worse than they had on the way out. Hell, for all I knew, Ulf had called in the cavalry already.
The house was quiet when I reached it. I breathed a little easier. I tiptoed up the stairs, all two damn flights of them, and grabbed my backpack, jamming my clothes and stuff back inside. Then I crept back down again. Still quiet, thank God.
Then Sven stepped out of the kitchen, Ulf looking hangdog behind him.
Shit.
I panicked and swung the backpack around into Sven’s face, following it up with a desperate kick to the groin. Shit, shit, shit. If I let him get up now, I’d be dead. I saw Ulf’s face, pale and frightened in the doorway. I wanted to scream at him to fucking do something, but it came out as a growl, and I realized I’d started to freak out again. Literally.
Sven was struggling to stand, his face red and meaner than hell. Then it started to distort.
It was pure instinct that saved me. As the change took me over, I threw myself on him, lunging for his throat. I took a savage bite. Blood welled up, hot and thick, the coppery scent of it overpowering. I didn’t know whether to drink deep or throw up… As the thought hit, I backed away, horrified. I could feel myself changing back again, becoming human. Like my body was trying to disclaim all responsibility. Nope, not me, wasn’t even there. “Oh, God…” Had I killed him? I looked at Ulf. “We need to call an ambulance—”
“Just get out of here!” Ulf’s eyes were wide. “When Schreiber finds out about this…”
I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and nearly puked when I saw the red streak I’d left. Go. Yes. I grabbed for my backpack, managing to pick it up on the second attempt. Then I lurched back down the hall and nearly fell out the back door.
The fresh air outside, the sunshine—it didn’t seem real. How could the damn birds still be singing after what had just happened? At least it cleared my head some. If Sven was back, so was the Porsche. I staggered back, trying to ignore the twitching figure on the floor. Things were…bubbling. Not good. Really, not good. Focus. I swallowed. “Ulf. Get the car keys off him and meet us out front.”
“I can’t…” He was kneeling by Sven, bare-chested, trying to stanch the bleeding with his wadded-up T-shirt.
“What the hell do you
Similar Books
