Combat

Layla #69

The black Cadillac Escalade slowed to a stop across the street from ABC Repair. Tinted black windows made it impossible to see inside the SUV. The driver shut off the lights and engine, turning to his passenger in the front seat.

“Let us go in with you, Mr. Spenser. The fact two cold blooded heavies like Conte and Hendricks quit rather than face these people again, means something ain’t right,” the driver said. “They know you’ll be coming for the Southington woman. If…”

“Enough!” Spenser, dressed all in black, gestured angrily. “I know this is a trap, you fool. Have I ever failed to complete a hunt before? The odd little bunch awaiting my arrival is a gift to me. I’ve not been challenged in decades, and I will not be cheated out of this most exquisite test. Stay here. Come in only when I bid you come.”

“Yes Sir!” The driver glanced at his three men in the Escalade rear compartment seating. “We’ll be here when you need us.”

Spenser left the Cadillac with fluid grace. He walked toward the open smaller ABC shop doorway in the manner of a stalking beast. Entering the shop, Spenser closed the door behind him with a smile of anticipation. He breathed in deeply, scanning for stray thoughts, and chuckling when he encountered the chaotic mind of Layla. Instead of pursuing the mental exercise, Spenser continued on. Across the shop, Cole stood waiting in jeans and t-shirt with Layla ten feet from his side.

“Where’s Jenny, Mr. Warren?”

“Now, Layla!”

Layla gestured, and Spenser walked into her force field. Cole drew the 9mm Ruger automatic from behind his back, kneeling and firing in one fluid motion, emptying the fourteen shot clip into Spenser. The bullets’ impact buffeted the Dhampir inside the force field as if he were in violent convulsions. Even as Cole fired the last bullet, he dropped the weapon. Changing to Werewolf form, he charged the still convulsing Spenser with the antifreeze container he snatched up on his way.

“Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto!” Cole growled out, tossing the antifreeze container contents on the Dhampir, watching for effect, seeing Jenny slip stealthily from the office with Layla’s dagger in hand.

Spenser made no effort to break the force field. The convulsions eased as 9mm silver slugs oozed from the Dhampir’s body, only to thud onto the floor at his feet. Spenser laughed loudly at Cole the Werewolf’s slavering, open jawed shock.

“My compliments, Mr. Warren,” Spenser said, his face and form contorting to the vampire part of his being. “Silver hollow point slugs, and holy water… how refreshing.”

__

Outside, the Cadillac escalade crew watched the ABC Repair door shut. Moments later, Jill the Wraith flew in amidst the men.

“Hello, boys,” the Wraith’s death rattle voice greeted them.

__

“Ah… Cole… silver and holy water don’t work on a Dhampir,” Layla called out from behind him. “Was that your surprise?”

“Was… was that your surprise…” Spenser repeated, laughing hideously in full vampire form. “You two… oh my… your face, Mr. Warren. Where is the little ghost member of your crew?”

The screams of Spenser’s men, howling loud enough to be heard through the closed shop door, cut off the Dhampir’s laughter.

“I believe that’s her now,” Cole growled, charging forward with jaw snapping and claws sweeping with all the speed Cole’s Werewolf form could muster.

In the split second it took Spenser to break Layla’s field, Cole sliced through half his shoulder, lurching off balance past him as the Dhampir moved with blinding speed. Layla’s Harpy form met the Dhampir, but missed with her talons. Spenser dived to the side, narrowly avoiding the Harpy attack; and ran toward the far wall, healing with every step.

The arriving Wraith shrieked toward the fleeing Spenser, trying to decapitate him with desperate lunges. The Dhampir stopped abruptly, causing Jill the Wraith to shoot past him. Spenser threw his arms forward, palms outward. The incredible force of air displacement smashed Jill into the far wall, losing Wraith form as she fell.

Spenser attacked, intending to end the Wraith threat. Instead, Layla plucked Jill from Spenser’s grasp just as the Werewolf crashed into him at full speed, the two bodies rolling across the shop floor in a hail of slashing claws and fangs. Spenser gripped Cole’s wrists in mid-roll, using his momentum to fling the Werewolf full length against the cement floor. Breath and blood spewed from Cole’s jaws as he weakly tried to turn. Spenser laughed, gripping the Werewolf’s head.

Jenny, following the horrific scene with utter force of will, laid the dagger down with trembling hands. She closed her eyes with hands held palm downward over the dagger.

“Fanged evil seeks to drain our blood,
Take his instead in gory flood,
My small dagger, fly straight and true
Through Dhampir heart, death is due!”

The dagger shot toward the rejoicing Dhampir, positioning to tear Cole’s head off. It burst through Spenser’s chest, and out his back, ripping pieces of flesh and heart organ with it. The Harpy hit the staggering Dhampir’s chest with the full force Layla could summon, ramming Spenser across the shop and into the concrete wall. The recovered Wraith cut the unmoving Dhampir’s feet off at the ankle with one sweeping hack. Cole the Werewolf loped across the shop weakly and pounced on the gasping wide eyed, bloody mess. Harpy gripped Spenser’s head with her taloned feet, azure eyes aglow as they met Cole’s bloody visage.

“Make a wish, baby,” Layla the Harpy cackled happily.

With Cole anchoring the now screaming Dhampir, Layla ripped Spenser's head off, flying upwards and away with her bloody prize. Cole rolled off the Dhampir’s headless corpse, stretching out near it, gasping for breath. Jill landed next to him, reverting to human form, and grasping Cole’s bloody paw. Jenny ran to them, sliding to a stop and kneeling next to Jill.

Layla landed on the opposite side of the shop, changing from Harpy form with the Dhampir’s head still in her hands. Spenser’s eyes rolled around in their sockets wildly, as his mouth worked in soundless agony. Layla held the head up, clucking at it comically.

“Revolt, are you cold, honey?” Layla asked in mock concern. “I think it’s a little frosty in here, how about you?”

Layla made the animated head nod affirmatively.

“We need a little fire just to take the chill out of the air,” Layla said, laying the head on the cement floor so as to still look into Spenser’s pleading eyes before stepping back.

As Layla brought her right hand up, she watched the head burst into white hot flame with cold merciless satisfaction. The hellish flames died away quickly, leaving only ash. With a sigh, the Djinn turned away and joined her friends. Layla plopped down next to Jenny and hugged her fiercely before holding the smiling Jenny at arms’ length.

“You were awesome, Elvira.”

“I think I made him really, really mad,” Jenny laughed.

“And you,” Layla turned to begin her joking ridicule of Cole, “what part of half human, half vampire didn’t you understand?”

Having healed, Cole changed to human form, and pushed up to a seated position.

“Dhampirs love silver and holy water,” Cole shrugged. “Who knew?”

“That’s what the mysterious box was?” Jill asked, putting an arm around Cole’s shoulders. “You took the bullets and water over to Father Carney to have him bless them this afternoon, didn’t you?”

“Yea, and I risked an excommunication to get him to do it too,” Cole replied. “Wow, the dagger was a nice touch, Jen. What made you come up with that?”

“Fear and Discipline, Sir,” Jenny stated in Kurt Russell’s stilted voice from ‘Soldier’.

“Desperation’s more like it,” Layla added as Jill and Cole laughed at Jenny’s impromptu impersonation. “Did you have to repeat that line from ‘Soldier’? You know Cole, the incompetent Dhampir killer, will be clamoring to watch the movie again now. Well, get up and away from what’s left of Revolt. I have to give him last rites.”

The four friends stood up, and walked away from Spenser’s body. Layla gestured and the body flamed into ash.

“Jill, do we need a clean up outside?” Layla asked.

“Nahhh… I made them scream, and then let the crew go.”

“Good, because I’m starving,” Layla said, leading the group toward the door. “Anyone else hungry?”

“Yea,” Jenny answered, glancing back at the ash pile, “but no barbecue.”