Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

Uri didn’t answer her.

“The only way I know how this could happen is if the Drivers Guild ordered her to.’

Natalia sighed, leaning back in her seat.

“Mirren. Right? He put the order through the Drivers Guild,” she said, switching back to her own language.

"Why ask me a question when you already know the answer?” he said.

“You could have told me beforehand. Save me all the fuss.”

“We needed you to feel the fuss and act the fuss,” he said. “You were perfect.”

“You're supposed to include me in your plans.”

"We did,” he said.

"You're supposed to tell me before, not during or after.”

"You were perfect.”

She huffed, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere.

The limo pulled up to the house.

Mag was at the door.

“Cookies and tea in the living room,” she said, closing the door behind them.

“Thanks, Mag,” Natalia said, heading upstairs.

Even though Victoria wasn't fussing, she sat in the rocking chair and exposed a breast. Victoria latched on.

The act of nursing calmed her nerves. She didn’t know why she felt unsettled. The whole visit to Hell was uneventful. They hadn't even gone through a cleaning session to remove any scents of Hell. Hell no longer smelled like Hell.

“The Council should decommission Hell,” she said in a murmur to Victoria.

She changed Victoria's diaper, then went down stairs.

“Here. Your turn to have Victoria”

She handed Victoria over to Uri before sitting to sip her tea and eat her cookies.

He took Victoria with no complain.

“She's awake more,” he said.

“No, you're holding her more,” she said.

She was feeling snippy.

"You know what I do is always in our best interest,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Sometimes,” she said with a slight glare.

“I've been as law abiding as a Viperian can be,” he said.

"You've gotten away with things because your sister, father, and wife are now on the Council. And we all run amok together.”

He smiled and shrugged.

"Keeping it in the family.”

"Keep me informed beforehand. I've fooled my mother for years. I know how to act.”

He nodded.

“We have a Q at midnight.”

"Okay."

Q 5 used to be the code word for a phone conference at five after three am. Q was part of the code that designated the phone conference.

“We might as well stay up. I have some home work.”

"Are you almost finished with your undergrad degree?”

"Yes. Two more classes and some finals. I also have to write a paper. I have some great topics, but they're all Viperian related.”

"If the professor is Viperian, go ahead and use the topic, but if they're Undent, don't.”

“She's Viperian. I'm finding most of my professors are Viperian.”

“We try and do that with our students,” he said.

“I'm already seeing classes for my master's degree.”

“Finish the undergrad first.”

“I know. Ursula keeps asking me about it. Recent events haven't exactly encouraged studying.”

“I understand,” he said.

Uri's phone pinged

“Mina. She wants to know if she can come over.”

“It's getting kinda late.”

“This isn't social,” he said.

“Then why even ask me?”

“I'm including you, remember?”

She nodded.

A few minutes later, they heard her at the door. Uri rose to let her in.

Mina was dressed in red, her favorite color and her usual high black boots. Umi was strapped to her, but he wasn’t any of her focus. He looked to be sleeping soundly.

“I have a monitor,” Mina said, sitting on the sofa with them.

She put a monitor on the coffee table.

"Any activity?”

“Not within Hell, yet. I'm seeing some activity outside,” she said. “I watched you three. Natalia, you did great. Very believable.”

“Should be. They never told me we were going.”

“Uri,” Mina said as if reprimanding him.

"Old habits are hard to stop,” he said.

"What's odd is that they seemed to be hanging outside of Hell. Walking up and down the wall, but not going in. All Viperian that I can see. No Undents.”

"Are they waiting for their fearless leader?” Natalia said

"Viperians?” Mina said.

“Sorry. Stupid questions. Each man for himself.”

“I'm betting they're waiting for some Undents to send in to make sure this isn't a trap.”

“Undents make terrible gophers,” Uri said. “No sense of smell. And if they're on drugs, they take no precautions.”

“This ought to be interesting,” Mina said.

“I have a bad feeling,” Natalia said.

"We'll either end it tonight or start a war,” Uri said.

“Between whom? Gussy and his Viperian pals? Or with you?” Mina said.

“Yes,” Uri said.

Natalia knew he was being vague on purpose.

Mina rolled her eyes.

"At least they haven't targeted me because of Umi.”

“It wasn't well publicized outside of our circle and the Council,” Uri said. “Beside, since Lafton has stepped up to care for Umi, everyone thinks it's his son.”

“He is doing a great job,” Mina said.

She eyed Uri who still had Victoria.

“I'm taking an active part in my daughter's life,” he said, seeming to catch Mina’s glance.

Mina's eyes moved over to Natalia.

"He is speaking the truth,” Natalia said. “Although I'm not so sure about our trip to Hell tonight with her.”

Mina chuckled.

“Probably the safest time to be in Hell ever. It's a changing place.”

“We don't need it any more,” Uri said.

Mina stiffened.

“They've entered Hell and yep, they've got a crew of Undents just like I thought.”

The monitor blinked whenever it changed cameras, continuing to follow the group. They headed directly to the cement truck.

“I don't see Gussy in the crowd,” Mina said.

Natalia watched, seeing that the Viperians hung back while the Undents swarmed the truck. They opened both doors. Two got in and were searching. One got up to look down into the mixer part of the truck. Another opened the gas cap.

“What's the sequence they need to do?” Uri said.

“Almost there,” Mina said.

“Do what?" Natalia said.

“Detonate,” he said.

“What?”

"Gas cap. Check. Open doors. Check. Just need the ignition. Keys are there.”

There was a huge flash and the view blanked out.

“That camera is gone.”

Natalia then felt the vibration.

“Whoa,” Uri said. “Felt that from here.”

Mina tapped on the monitor.

“Let's change cameras. Wow. Took out two cameras. There we go.”

The camera had a long view down the street from some distance away. Both the truck and the flatbed trailer were gone. Buildings on both sides of the street looked damaged. There was now a crater in the street where the truck had been parked. There were no bodies in sight.

Mina changed cameras. It was a roof top view. Two bodies appeared on a roof.

“Blew them all over the place,” Mina said.

“Any survivors?”

Mina was flashing through cameras rapidly now.

“Not a one. That was ten Undents and twelve Viperian lowlifes that just bit the dust.”

Natalia felt shocked.

“What if those were good people?”

“They weren't good people,” Mina said. “Good people wouldn't have had the gas cap off, the doors open and turned the ignition.”

"Good people wouldn't have been there in the first place,” Uri said.

"Good point,” Mina said

The monitor changed to a view outside of Hell.

“They didn't leave anyone behind as a watch. Didn't trust anyone to share the tea,” Mina said. "How did the truck explode? Because of the gas vapor?” Natalia said.

“Might have been the explosives that we left in the mixer part,” Mina said. “About two hundred pounds of BFE.”

"BFE?"

"Big Fucking Explosives. That's the fun acronym. BFE represents the compounds.”

"One of Mina’s specialties. I stay away from that stuff,” Uri said.

“Besides, diesel fuel doesn't explode like that,” Mina said.

The monitor continued to rotate through cameras.

“No one, yet,” she said. “The city’s not even responding.”

“No fire. The shock wave would have put any fires out anyway.”

“Wouldn't the tremor have alerted someone?” Natalia said.

"A'ppollo avoids Hell,” Uri said. “Unless there's a blazing fire that might get outside of Hell, they won't respond.”

“No fire,” Mina said. “No response as of yet.”

Uri's phone rang.

"Yes? Yes."

He handed the phone to Mina.

"Yes?"

Mina listened.

“Okay.”

She ended the call and handed him his phone back.

"Moralis is seeing a reaction.”

Uri's phone rang again.

"Yes?"

He listened.

"Okay."

“Mirren is seeing a reaction.”

“Where is everyone posted?” Natalia said.

“Moralis is watching the south gate of Viperia and that area of A'ppollo. Mirren is watching downtown Viperia. There's one lowlife bar there.”

His phone rang again.

"Yes? Okay."

He listened more.

“Grazie said the scum bars of A'ppolo were reacting.”

Uri paused.

"Gang members? A’ppollo gang members are combining forces.”

Uri looked a bit worried at that information and he ended the call.

"Gussy promised them something big,” Mina said.

"Where is everyone one else stationed?” Natalia said, asking a second time. She glared at Uri. “And when were you going to tell me this?"

“It was a last-minute setup,” Uri said.

Mina rolled her eyes.

“Liar,” Natalia said.

“No fighting you two,” Mina said. “We need both of you to work together.”

Uri's phone rang again.

"Yes?"

He listened a long time.

“Shit.”

He ended the call

Natalia found Mina watching him closely.

“Char’s been monitoring radio. It's buzzing. You might not have seen anyone watching outside of Hell, but she said shortly after she felt the blast, the word was sent out.”

Uri did a long pause.

“And they're blaming the one and only. Me.”

“You are the troublemaker,” Mina said.

“I do knives. Not explosives.”

Uri phone rang again.

"Yes? Shit. Okay.”

He ended the call and rose.

“Clear the house. Everyone is heading this way.”

“Who?” Natalia said.

“The gangs and lowlifes,” he said.

Mina jumped up, grabbing the monitor.

“I'm heading to a safe house. I'll let you know further.”

In a flash, she was gone out the door.

“Mag,” Uri said in an unusual loud voice.

Mag came out in a hurry.

“Clear the house. Now. Everyone. Out. Head to Viperia.”

Mag ran from the room.

Natalia jumped up.

“I'll get the diaper bag.”

“Bonnie,” Uri said in his phone. “In the house now.”

Natalia ran upstairs to grab Victoria's bag. She ran down, arriving at the same time that Bonnie showed up.”

"Get Nattie to Viperia.”

“What the hell did you do?” Bonnie said.

“Where are you going?” Natalia said to him.

“I'm staying here,” he said.

“The hell you are. Bonnie will take Victoria.”

“The limo will be a target,” Bonnie said with a shake of her head

“Get out using Kate's car,” Uri said.

"We can't fit five and a baby in Kate's car,” Bonnie said.

“You'll fit four and a baby,” Natalia said. “I'm staying here.”

“The hell you are,” he said.

“Try and stop me,” she said, feeling furious. “Come on, Bonnie.”

She led the way to the guesthouse where Kate's car was parked. They joined Mag, Zena, and Kate at almost the same time.

“Take Victoria,” Natalia said.

She handed her over to Mag with the bag.

“You can't stay,” Mag said with worry.

“Uri and I will figure this out,” she said. “You get going. Now. No time to argue.”

She left before there were any further rebuttals. The garage door sounded, and she knew they were leaving. She was going back through their garage, when someone grabbed her.

“You like living dangerously?” Uri said.

He held her rather tight.

“I've been living this way since the day I left my parents’ house and went walking on the Strip and met you. The same day I discovered the real city I grew up in. The same day I learned about Hollows who were actually Viperians. Need I say more?”

“Too bad we don't have enough time,” he said, breathing in her ear.

He kissed her earlobe, then kissed along her face to her lips.

"Don’t get any ideas,” she said.

“I have plenty,” he said.

He kissed her with some passion that Natalia felt the heat and almost forgot what was going on. “I want you to go across the street,” he said, ending the kiss.

“Huh?”

"Hide in the neighbor's yard.”

"And you?”

“I'm taking my car and leading most of them away. We can't have this house destroyed. We've got millions hidden here. And no time to move the money.”

"Crime doesn't pay,” she said.

"Only when you get caught,” he said, releasing her.

She followed him out when he headed for his car in the guesthouse garage.

"Out, now,” he said to stop her from following. “Nattie?”

She paused.

“I have reinforcements coming.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

He smiled.

She trotted down the laneway and over to the neighbors. Uri backed the car out and drove over to their laneway. However, he stopped at the end. Natalia settled in some bushes, wondering why he was waiting. She could feel the adrenaline flowing through her.

More than ten minutes passed before she heard. There was the rumble of engines. Uri must have felt it, too. He pulled out of the laneway.

She felt as if he had inside information. He paused again, but seemed to know when it was time to go. He revved his engine and took off. A split second later a mass of motorcycles took up pursuit behind him. She could hear his tires digging into the street as he sped up.

Natalia knew they were all Undents. When the motorcycles disappeared from view, trucks and cars pulled up. Natalia saw a mix of both Undents and Viperians.

This isn't going to work, Uri, she thought.

He only led away the motorcycles, leaving the house empty and vulnerable. What about the rest? There was no way she could face all of them. She had thirteen knives, but that was hardly enough to handle the group she saw that was gathering by the house.

The sounds of engines filled the air. She saw the lights go on in two of the neighbors houses. Both were Undent neighbors. She bet the Viperian neighbors were staying low, besides, they wouldn't need to turn on any lights.

Engine noises seemed to increase. Something was coming fast down the street. It now had the attention of the people heading to the house. They all paused. Some started heading back to the street.

Natalia almost stood, exposing her position, to see what was coming, but she controlled herself. However, an odd sense of caution flooded over her. She crawled backwards to put a tree between herself and the street.

The air around her seemed to undulate as if whatever was coming down the street was pushing the air faster than it could move. Everyone was now scrambling to get back to their cars, but it was too late.

There was the crash and crinkle of metal with a loud shrilled sound of metal scrapping concrete. It was deafening. Natalia put fingers in her ears, but it did little to numb the noise. The ground shook around her.

A huge city snowplow with its plows shaped in a V formation, cut through the crowd of trucks and cars, pushing them out of the way. A second plow followed close behind, with its plow angled toward the side of the street that Natalia was on. It pushed vehicles onto the sidewalk and yards. A car was pushed up, almost to the tree where she hid.

The snowplow trucks disappeared rapidly down the street and were gone.

There was mass chaos in the street. A Viperian man ran up to his car near Natalia. She threw one knife. He keeled over. She could smell blood, but knew it wasn't the blood of the man she had just killed.

Blame was now being flung in the street like dung. She watched a Viperian bite and kill an Undent who looked like a big trucker guy. Another big Undent grabbed a Viperian man and pounded his head against a vehicle. Natalia figured the Viperian must have been injured since one would never have been caught this easily.

A few vehicles were freed from the tangle, and they took off.

A small group of men, all Undents, were trying to work together to free another truck that had been hit by the snowplows. Natalia watched a man limp off like he was evading them. He was Viperian. She slid from her hiding place and trotted along the yard. The man looked like he was going to join up with another. She let lose a knife.

“Hey. You okay?"

The man that Natalia had just hit with a knife seemed to act as if he was going to respond to the other man, but then he crumbled forward, hitting the street hard.

'Shit."

The other man turned to run. Natalia let fly another knife. The man took three running steps before keeling over.

The Undents must have freed their truck. The engine roared to life. The tires squealed. It bumped over both men she had just killed as it raced down the street.

She hoped the truck hadn't bent her knives.

Natalia slowly went back to the tree. A few more men hobbled away. She let them go. They were Undents.

She waited and watched the scene. A few moments later, she could hear sounds that made her think a few men were pinned by vehicles.

“Help me.”

She didn't respond. Instead, she took the few steps to the man she first killed and retrieved her knife. With care, she used his pant leg to clean off the blood before putting it back into its sheath. There was no more movement in the area. She went back along the yard. With caution, she stepped out toward the second and third man she had killed. There was no one moving that she could see. She stepped over and retrieved both knifes, and was glad to find they hadn't been run over and bent.

She heard another vehicle approaching, causing her to step back into the bushes. A car approached, but stopped well before the two dead men. The V on the side told her it was Viperian, however, she recognized the car.

Char stepped out.