Waking Up Dead (The Western Werewolf Legend #1) (6 page)

The men lining the walls of the cell
didn’t argue as someone near Conner’s shivering form, shared his
cover with the Rebel. The faces of the men in the cell reflected
their state. The fact they’d been captured and thrown in the
hellhole called Coggan’s Breach was doing a good job of finishing
off what little of their Rebel spirit remained. Ty resigned himself
to the situation. He sat alongside them with no more talent for
getting out than they held.

“
Conner’s holding on,
Lieutenant,” a young pup named Rogers answered. The young private
resembled a twelve-year-old, all gangly arms and boney legs. Most
of the men were sure he’d lied about his age to get into the
regiment. Stewart’s cavalry unit, coveted among the enlisted men as
well as the officers because of their elite status held danger and
adventure for those wanting such. His large brown eyes set in his
freckled face belied his eighteen years. When they needed an
innocent face, the men always sought out “Baby” as they’d
affectionately nicknamed him.

“
Good,” Ty breathed with a
look around the small cage used to house twenty men. The men looked
up to him, though Ty couldn’t say why. Each face he scanned wore
the blank look of despair. Most arrived after Stewart met his
untimely end. The dank hole was full of disease and
vermin.

They needed a plan. Each hour that
passed saw the men grow weaker from hunger and ill from poor living
conditions. “Do we know if the vultures have a set time they feed
us or is their benevolence on a whim?” The mockery in his voice he
hoped would spark a surge of insurrection and belief in freedom
which he could fuel to get the men to safety.

One of the officers from Stewart’s
unit shifted on his pallet and spoke up. “No set time, sir. They
come when they feel like it, usually dangling something in front of
our noses to get a rise out of us, the bloody bastards.” He shook
his shaggy head. “They harp on taunting those half-crazed with
hunger to fall on over the edge and laugh when they succumb. They
tell us if we don’t fight, we’re next ‘to be saved’ as they call
the drinking of our blood. Death is a sweet relief for most who’ve
given up.” He glanced around piteously at his comrades.

Ty absorbed the officer’s answer with
a heavy heart. He’d planned on getting his men, plus as many others
as he could gather, out of the hell hole before the forest had
turned on him. Admitting his temper brought on the change didn’t
set well with him at all. Sometimes he figured he almost gained
control of the transformation and something would trigger his anger
like the ‘captivating’ plants outside the compound. He’d shift into
the werewolf and been captured. Berating himself for not being more
cunning in his wolf skin, he labored with guilt and wallowed
briefly in despair. Images of Sonja continued to flash through his
mind’s eye. Alarmed by the danger lurking in the vision, Ty
scrambled to his feet. The men on the floor turned their faces
toward him. “We’re getting out of here now. No way I’m letting any
of you stay any longer, do you hear me?”

***

Sonja stood straight and tall as she
closed her eyes to concentrate. Slowly a white light emitted around
her and swirled with facets and sparks. The glow grew stronger and
stronger until Sonja’s whole body shimmered with the change. When
given the choice, she became the white she wolf with a coat the
color of snow. Around her neck a silver band of fur framed her wolf
face where Brandy colored eyes saw everything. As the wolf, she
approached the wall of the compound. Daylight had its advantages
when it came to dealing with vampires. Today’s brilliant sunlight
kept them all in their caskets. The Guardian continued to remind
her, the vampires coveted her blood more than all others because if
a vampire drank from her, he could walk in the daylight unharmed.
Besides strength and endurance, which the vamps always wanted more
of, her blood’s sunlight protection made them long for her life
source most. She couldn’t help the shiver racing down her
spin.

The great hulking werewolf-god
appeared at the other end of the compound. Speaking to the
Guardian’s mind, Sonja explained her plan. He’d transformed back
into the long armed wolf-god for their break-in attempt.

“
Get him out of here no
matter what happens. Do you understand?”

Guardian’s blain stare told her he
wasn’t taking anything she said seriously. He merely leapt to the
top of the high wooden wall and disappeared over its side. Conner’s
Breach was a desolate place with nothing to speak kindly of its
roughhewn exterior or its chains and shackles hanging near the main
gate. It resembled a dungeon from the dark ages and Sonja couldn’t
keep the vision of its dank, dismal interior from surfacing in her
brain. She blinked in the direction the Guardian had taken. Gods
were strange. Why she’d though he’d understand her plea to remove
Ty unharmed, she didn’t know. Perhaps he remained aloft to remind
them all of his superiority or perhaps he was an
asshole.

Irritation rippled along her neck in
the form of tension she hadn’t been able to shake. The mere fact Ty
hadn’t wanted her to accompany him on this little rescue mission
still weighed on her heart. She didn’t want any harm to come to the
man she loved. Such a rare jewel – love, especially if you became
something as strange as a werewolf. Her life took a big turn only a
couple of weeks before when she’d been attacked by a wolf posing as
a stranger. She’d awoke a new creature with unimaginable powers.
The witch, Hortence, explained everything yet she couldn’t wrap her
head around the facts. Slowly over the days, which followed, she
began to understand some of what the witch kept telling her. As a
werewolf, she would be in charge of a new order of wolves destined
to eradicate all vampires, who feed off humans and wolves
alike.

Her first encounter with the
bloodsuckers came as the full moon appeared in the night sky.
Disguised as Union soldiers, they’d captured her right after the
change. Dazed and confused, Sonja had fought. Inexperience had
stopped her from bringing them to task. Soon she lay on a table in
a glade clearing in the tall pines of the Pennsylvania wilderness.
They intended to drain her of all her blood. If not for the
Guardian appearing, she’d certainly have perished. The next thing
she remembered was Ty holding her and repeating the same words over
and over, “Sonja, you’re here!”

The old witch gripped her arm,
effectively bringing her out of her head. “You’ll need this, my
dear.” Hortence held up the medallion Sonja wore all the time of
late.

How’d the piece been removed? She
didn’t recall having taken the piece off. The thick braid of silver
with a circle of gold emblazoned with a crest hanging from the rope
warmed in her hand. So attached was she to the necklace, her heart
rate increased in tempo when the old hag held the piece up for the
sun to glint off its gold face.

“
Thank you.” Taking the
chain, she slid the medallion in place. Her spirits immediately
rose and her anxiety evaporated. A surge of confidence filled her
as she strode forward with purpose. A certainty they would win the
day washed over her and she even smiled at the idea.

To do this for Ty would bolster her
considerably. Wanting to please him meant everything to her. With a
newly created sword the Guardian gave her, Sonja approached the
gate of the compound. No sound emitted from the interior except the
tedious dripping of a well pump in the courtyard. The location of
the lair was well concealed in the undergrowth surrounding the
thick slabs of pine pounded into the earth side by side to form a
crude fence. Sharpened to points the tall members would stop most
men. Fortunately, she wasn’t most men.

The fact she, a slight woman, could
wield the sword as well as a man didn’t seem odd to her. She
would’ve answered with a resounding ‘yes’ if asked such a question
only days before. In the time since the change, she’d encountered
vampires in droves and with a lesson or two from Ty, been able to
vanquish her foes without undo effort. What faced them behind these
walls would be more concentrated and well prepared for battle. The
leader of the coven slept the Guardian told her. So be it. She
would face him without doubt or dread someday. All she needed to do
was what she’d been trained to do, and the end, would play out in
their favor.

With the guards’ throats taken care
of, Sonja along with Hortence slipped quietly into the compound.
Finding the vampires was the first order of business. “You take
this corridor and I’ll take the other one,” she whispered, pointing
at the arched passageways carved out of pure stone. Above each, the
Latin words “Eternal Allegiance” were carved deep into the
stone.

***

“
The guards are coming!”
Smitty’s hiss passed from one to another of the men down the line.
“Get ready!” Mumbled words, nudges and glances filled the crowded
cell. The air fairly sizzled with the renewed surge of purpose.
Each man tensed at the opportunity about to occur.

Ty glanced from Clemens to Smitty at
the head of the line of ragtag, malnourished humans leaning or
lying against the stonewall of their cell. Realistic to a fault, Ty
understood their efforts wouldn’t be enough for all of them to make
it back to their families safely. The knowledge weighed heavy in
his chest, but war was a harsh teacher and much of his values had
shifted over the years he’d been of service. Taking all of them to
safety wasn’t going to happen he reminded the man inside. The wolf
didn’t give a rat’s ass what reality wanted.

Chains rattled as the men shifted
their position, bargaining on a quick surge for the door behind
their leader.

“
Watch yourselves, okay?”
Ty’s words held a wealth of meaning each of them understood. What
they planned on trying would either prove a plug for his
inventiveness or a disaster. As the guard moved down the line of
cells set one after the other in the stonewalls of the cave, Ty
could hear his own heart beating in his ears. Force of will drove
him to stand. “Guard?”

The one on duty sauntered up to the
iron door of the cell. “Yeah, whatta ya want, cracker?” The guard
spit tobacco juice into the cell hitting several men resting close
to the door.

Ty banked the surge of wolf anger
fighting to take control over the insult. “I’ve got a man here who
I think has Yellow Fever. You need to take a look at
him.”

“
You don’t tell me what I
need to do, ya filthy Reb. Do I need to remind you where you are?”
The guard tapped the cell bars with his stick.

Remembering the stick across his own
backbone, Ty’s ire rose. “You’re right, of course. I thought you
might be concerned for your safety as well as the rest of the
guards on duty. You know what the Fever can do to a man, right,
Sergeant?”

The grizzled, veteran soldier eyed Ty
speculatively. As if in deep consideration, he scratched his
straggly beard and peered first to the right and then the left.
“Back away from the door, all of you filthy vermin.” Waving his
stick at them, he yelled out for the other guard. “Two Bits – come
here!”

The other guard roused slowly and
leaned back giving his shoulders a good stretch before he slowly
wandered toward his colleague. “Yeah?”

“
Stand guard at the door, I
need to check on the son-of-a-bitch shivering in the corner.”
Pointing a grimy thumb in Ty’s direction, he said, “This one claims
we may have a little Yellow Fever on our hands.”

Two Bits made the sign of the cross
across his chest. “Jesus, Mary mother of …” Trailing off, he
followed Grizzle to the door. Keys rattled and hinges squeaked
before the heavy iron gate finally opened wide enough for the guard
to slide through. With his stick in one hand and his revolver in
the other, Grizzle moved to the center of the cell.

Ty dropped his head trying for the
humble, whipped attitude the guard expected.

The guard kicked Connors in the side.
Drenched in sweat, Connors moaned but never roused, nor did he move
from the fetal position he’d curled into during the
night.

“
Shit!” Grizzle gave the
body another hard boot. “The rest of ya back up against the far
wall. Go on! All of you git into a line so I can see ya.” Waving
his pistol to direct them, Grizzle spoke again, “Any of you feel
lucky this day, that’s all right with me. I’ll put a slug in ya so
quick you won’t know what hit ya. Now git!”

Each man stood as well as they could
and clanked in unison toward the damp stonewall.

Ty made eye contact with Abram, who
sat nearest the guard at the door. The man known as Two Bits stood
propped against the doorframe in his grungy Sergeant’s uniform. The
opened wool collar revealed a stained and tattered undershirt. He
scratched carelessly at his dirt encrusted beard. His attention
span hovered somewhere near semi-conscious. Drowsily watching
Grizzle with his pistol drawn he wavered between present and out
cold.

“
Give me a hand with him.”
Pointing the gun at Ty, he gave a jerk of his head at Connors.
“Filthy bastard done gone and got the Fever. Now all the rest of us
will get it too.” Pulling a kerchief over his mouth, Grizzle
holstered his gun and tugged at Connors’ feet. As he did, Ty made a
move to lift the sick man by his armpits.

Connors rolled quickly to a crouch
position, yanking Grizzle’s gun out of the guard’s holster as he
went. With a wry grin, he pointed the gun at Grizzle’s balls. “Bat
an eyelash and I’ll blow your friend’s dick into tomorrow. You can
stand here and watch him bleed all over, wishing you’d done
something to prevent his dying. ‘Cause you know them vampires are
gonna make you pay for not stopping us. Right?” His eyes honed in
on Two Bits. As he waited on the guard to respond, he squinted.
“You comin’ with us or eatin’ your own bullet?”