Lavos growled. “Let’s go.” He took a step downhill.

Kar gripped his arm. “What about whoever is firing that gun? I’m guessing it’s a human who’s seen too much, or maybe the Vamps are torturing them with bullets.”

“We won’t know until we get down there.”

“Fuck.” Kar let him go. “You know if we have survivors we’re going to have to use mind control to make them forget. I’m not good with that.”

“You have at least a little experience. Garson doesn’t. That’s why you’re here and he isn’t. I can probably handle any survivors but I might need help.”

Lavos jerked out of his friend’s hold and rushed down the hill at full speed, only slowing when he got to the side of the motor home. He hid to one side of the open door, Kar on the other. He held his breath to keep from betraying his presence to listen to what was going on inside. There were only a few windows on the motor home and all of them remained dark, something covering them.

“Goddamn it!” a man complained. “How in the hell do we get past that door?”

“We can’t. She stole the key, so I can’t even put the shutters up to try to reach her through the windows. I had that gate built to withstand a yeti,” another man answered.

Lavos glanced across the open space to gape at Kar. There was a speaker on the side of the door and it was active, broadcasting what was being said inside.

“A yeti?” Kar mouthed, looking equally as confused.

“Huff and puff, asshole. You can’t get in—” The woman’s voice was cut off by a single gunshot.

“Stop that!” It was the first man who’d yelled. “That was my hand, you bitch!”

“Then don’t reach inside to push the button. It’s not a release, moron. It’s the trigger to close the gate. I told you that I’m going to shoot anything you put between the bars.”

“How many bullets do you think she has left?” The first man sounded furious.

“I would guess maybe a dozen or less. We came here to do a study, not kill,” the second man answered. “I keep some weapons for protection from regular wildlife.”

“I’m going to kill her,” the one with the deeper voice threatened. “I’m going to rip out her fucking throat and watch her choke on her own blood before I drain her dry.”

“That’s my daughter. You promised not to hurt her!”

“That was before she decided to keep tearing holes into me! I’ve lost a lot of blood.”

“Boo hoo,” the woman yelled. “Go away if you don’t like being shot. You should change your name to whiner.” She paused. “Or wiener. Both apply, you dick.”

Lavos grinned. Whoever the woman was, he had to admire her spunk. Kar shook his head, lifting his hands as if to say “what the hell?”

One of the Vamps inside roared out in rage and glass shattered against something. The woman screamed.

Lavos’d had enough, less wary of the danger and more worried about her wellbeing.

“Stop it!” the second man shouted. “You could kill her!”

Lavos entered the motor home by jumping up inside.

The sound of voices had come from the left. One quick glance to the right, toward the cab, revealed no additional danger—but the sight of a tall, scrawny, black-haired Vampire struggling with a short, wrinkled, white-haired one did surprise him.

They were wrestling between the kitchenette area and a built-in table with bench seats. The taller Vamp backhanded the shorter one, sending him sprawling onto his back on the table. The glass pitcher in Skinny Vamp’s hand was chucked down the short hallway, smashing into something with a metallic sound.

Both seemed unaware of Lavos, or the fact that Kar had also entered behind him.

“How do you like that, you bitch?” The taller one shouted.

“Fuck you, dickhead,” the woman yelled back. “You got me the first time but now I have the comforter up so you won’t cut me again.”

“What the fuck?” Kar muttered.

The tall Vampire spun around and Lavos lunged, grabbing him by the neck. The white-haired Vamp struggled to right himself on the table but Kar was on him before he could manage, slamming him flat.

“Soldier,” Kar confirmed. “What about that one?”

Fear was easy to read on the scrawny face as Lavos pinned the tall male against the wall, crushing his throat to keep him still. He stared into his bloodshot eyes. “Soldier too.” His eyes glowed and he punched into the soldier’s mind, not feeling an ounce of pity for the one who’d threatened to rip out a woman’s throat and watch her choke on her own blood. “Where is Mitch?” He eased his hold so the thing could talk.

“I’m Mitch,” the man quickly confessed.

Lavos lifted him off his feet, slamming his head into the ceiling. “I’m talking about the one who turned you.”

His nose started to bleed. “I don’t know.”

“Ask that one,” Lavos urged Kar.

“Where’s Mitch, the one who turned you?”

“Right there,” the white-haired man whispered.

Lavos turned his head, looking at his friend.

Kar shrugged. “I’m confused.”

Lavos glared at the soldier in his grip, easing him down a bit but staring hard into his eyes, forcing his will on the bastard. “Did you turn others?”

“Yes.”

“Son of a bitch,” Kar muttered. “I didn’t know they could do that.”

“Me either.” Lavos took a deep breath. “How many did you turn, Mitch?”

“Four.”

“I’m starting to get a damn headache,” Lavos admitted. “Who turned you?”

“He never told me his name. He was injured on the road and I stopped to help him. He grabbed me and bit into my neck. Then he had me drive to a house in this area. He took my blood and forced me to drink some of his. I passed out, but when I woke a couple hours later, I watched him drink from the two people in the house, and he made me feed from them too. I was tired afterward and went to sleep. When I woke again, he was gone. I knew he was a Vampire, and he turned me into one. That’s what we do. We turn others who are worthy of being Vampires.”

“Where did you pick this guy up from?”