Stone Predator - Kennedy Harkins (100 books to read in a lifetime .TXT) 📗

Her terror pounded on the sides of my psyche, desperately fighting for an escape. I smiled at her helplessness, she would just have to wait. And watch.
I kneeled next to the leggy brunette, her breaths came out in horrified pants. She refused to meet my scrutinizing gaze or the glassy one of the woman she had killed. Marissa Hellem whimpered and clutch ever tighter at the sharp blade in her hands, still drenched with her companion’s, Ruth Lona, blood. Her nurses uniform was covered in it. They’d both screamed at first, but when they’d realized no one was coming...
My pleasure clashed with Vivica’s anger. I wasn’t enraged at the moment. Why would I be? This is exactly what the doctor ordered. The irony of my statement wasn’t wasted on me. This was the closest I got to happiness anymore. Taking Marissa’s mind had been easy, Ruth had never seen it coming. Even after Nurse Hellum’s knife had been lodged in her digestive organs she had just stared at her companion, completely shocked at what had happened. Then she was dead.
Hearing sirens off in the distance I cursed under my breath. I had so hoped to have more time with the victims. Sighing in regret at the haste, I clutched Marissa’s neck with an iron grip. The grey spread with excruciating slowness, keeping her alive as her inners turn to rock. All too soon it was done and I moved onto Ruth. She was already gone so I quickly touched her forehead to administer the magic. It went much faster, no point in torturing someone who can’t feel the pain. I could still feel Khan fighting inside my mind, trying against hope to return to her body.
I stepped back to admire my handy work, but the sirens grew ever nearer and I had to leave my two beautiful statues before I could completely appreciate the delicacy they offered.

Vivica’s POV
I felt cold so cold. And dirty, like I’d been rolling around in the foulest substances known to man. My head was stuffed with cotton, nothing coming in or going out right.
I wasn’t alone, that was for sure, I could hear voices. More faint vibrations than anything. It was like they were speaking a different language, Gibberish for one.
“Vivi?” That voice...I knew that voice. It was rough with worry and more than a little pain. “Open you’re eyes, sweetheart.” I strained against my heavy lids. Every part of my body felt limp with exhaustion, but still, I’d do anything for that voice.
“Ace?” My call was barely recognizable, covered by the hoarseness of infrequent use. I felt hands on my face, gently stroking, callous and well used. I relaxed against them. My eyes snapped open of their own accord.
His face was tense, lighting up in a way that was more wolf than man. Their were people all around me, some I recognized some of them from the pack gathering. I assumed all were werewolves. I steeled my back bone. I was so not going to show weakness in front of these people, well no more than had already been revealed.
I lifted my finger to run them across his hard jaw line, he shuddered against my touch. “You wouldn’t wake up- I couldn’t wake you,” his voice shook slightly, it was a few octaves lower than normal, a growl really. “I- I thought...”
“I’m okay,” gripping his face harder. “Or I’m getting there.”
It was only a partial lie, but his eyes narrowed non-the-less.  One woman was standing on my other side, she held a first-aid and a stethoscope. She looked a little uncertain with the things.
I raised my eyebrows and set my mouth into a grim line, “I don’t think so, honey. Go find someone else to play Nurse on. I can take care of myself and others. I’ve multiple degrees to prove it.” Okay so it was a little bitchy of me, but I was aloud some leeway after what. . .
No. I didn’t want to think about that. To think about him. Thoughts forced their way through my mind anyway. Oh, god. Those poor women. I had to get out of here, they merited more than to be left to rot in that alley.
Ace seemed to sense my change of mood and shifted me off the bed and into his comforting arms. I tried to resist, pushing at his embrace. I didn’t deserve to be held, loved. Who had held those women as they were murdered? No one. No one had assuaged them as I witnessed there demise, as I sat there and watched. I had been powerless to help them and it torn into me worse than any knife. I saved people, that was my reason for existence. How could I forgive myself for sitting passively by while two lives were taken in front of me? Lord knows I’d had people die on me, but never like that, never without a fight.
The truth of it was that I couldn’t and that was why I felt dirty. Nothing the warlock could do to me would compare to what I would do to myself.
The Catholic Stone

Ellen Dyer’s POV
“King me, baby!” I chuckled at Derrek’s sour expression. Sore Loser. It in no way affected his beauty. His hair was a deep chocolate, his eyes a bright blue, frozen water. Derrek’s facial features were just as handsome, not that I’d tell him as much. We’d been partners for close to five years, I’d seen him go through more girls than I would’ve believed possible. The last thing I needed was to open another can of worms.
“I refuse,” he retorted. A couple of my fellow paramedics sat around, snickering to themselves, watching our exchange. It was a slow night; most had taken off to spend it with their families. I shook my head mournfully. Wouldn’t that be nice?
I was over joyed to see Vivica with someone and so happy, but it did mean a lot of lonely days for me. I found myself sitting around the house, wondering when she’d be home. Damn, I needed a man.
“In that case, I’m afraid you must succumb to capital punishment.” I drew my index finger across my neck in a beheading movement. That earned me a wicked grin.
He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the Chief’s angry bellow.
“Dyer, Stanton, I need you geared up. Now.” A pregnant pause, “Bring two body bags.”
Now that was strange. Had a call come through and we hadn’t heard it? Seemed unlikely, our ears were fine-tuned for that crap. People lived and died on our ability to do so. When Dispatch called, you had better be half to the truck. Nothing killed like the feeling of pronouncing someone Dead on Scene, knowing that if you’d been faster by just a few minutes...
And what about the body bags comment? We never just assumed death; get the paddles out, charge to two-hundred. Pump some Epi; they weren’t dead till I called it. I shuddered to think about what kind of condition the bodies must be in for the Chief to call it that early.
I sprang to my feet and headed over to the ambulance to help Derrek load her up. Wasn’t much to do, it saved time to have everything you think you could need already aboard. Stanton was almost finished by the time I got there, just seconds behind him. I shrugged and hauled ass to the passenger side. I hated driving those huge things. This was one of the reasons our partnership worked so well, he loved it.
I didn’t feel any eyes on us, despite the Chief’s unusual wording. Stanton and I were one of the most senior pair there, which said a lot about how many people were brave enough to work in health care in a town like that, so we were the logical choice for any high profile cases. High profile meaning; supernatural. I’d seen some messed up shit in my many years on the job, none of which I like to think about.
Wrenching the door open, I plopped myself down onto the seat. I didn’t bother with a seat belt, I needed to be able to fling myself from the truck as quickly as possible, no restraints holding me back. If that meant I had the potential to get a little banged up if- God forbid- something happened, then so be it. My life, for the lives of so many others? No contest, none at all.
I heard the engine roar to life and latched my arm onto the safety-handle. Derrek drove like a bat out of hell, stoplights and one-way streets were all suggestions in his eyes. My first night out with him I almost become a smashed window ornament. They would’ve had to get the spatula to peel me off when I started to stink. We had a little conversation about the letter of the law.
“Alright, Dyer, let’s blow this pop sickle stand,” Stanton chuckled grimly as he tore out of the garage at speeds to rival a space shuttle.
“Just keep this thing on four wheels. I don’t want to be late, because I had to shove your guts back inside your body.” I commented wryly as I watched the streets and people fly by at surprising velocities. “Where’s the fire, Medic?”
“The sooner we finish up, the sooner we can head over to Tony’s.” He replied, not taking his eyes from the road. Good boy.
“Alcoholic.”
He flashed a quick grin in my direction before backing up into an alley just a few blocks from the hospital, popular smoking spot. “Takes one to know one.” The ambulance hadn’t come to a complete stop when I threw myself form it. The balls of my feet stung from the sudden impact. I jogged over to the crime scene unit, frowning in confusion. Paramedics were the first responders, not back-up.
“Sarah,” I called out to a familiar blond. “What gives?” She turned to me, her face held an almost innocent quality that I’d never seen there before. The woman was a fifty-six year old shark, ruling her team with an iron fist.
Her mouth was set in a grim line, “We’re finished with the scene. Take the bodies to the morgue.” I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. She needed a body transport?
“Who pronounced them?”
She shook her head slowly, “Wasn’t any need for that....”
I cursed under my breath, “Are you crazy? We could have-”
“Why don’t you go have a look-see and tell me if there’s anything we could have done for them.” She snapped.
“Easy, Sarah. What’s go so shaken up?” In the back of my mind I noticed the rest of her team packing up to leave, departing with terrified last glances at one another.
She sighed heavily, her eyes darting in all directions frantically. “I-I just need to get out