Exist (Vampire Assassin League Book 30) by Jackie Ivie Page B

finished making sound. They should have gone around. Used the hulking chunks of concrete buildings for cover. They traversed an old courtyard. Thick layers of gravel appeared to have impeded plant growth. There wasn’t any cover except the rain. Leah couldn’t seem to move her gaze, or even close her eyes, despite sending the order for both. The guard looked up. Saw them. Chucked his cigarette to reach for the gun over his shoulder.
    Leah sucked in a breath. Watched as Anso back-handed him across the chest. The guard smacked into the wall and slumped to the ground, on his front, looking broken. Anso shoved him with a boot toe. The man groaned and then went silent.
    “He’s still...alive?” she whispered.
    “Yes.”
    “Okay. Thank you.” She hiccupped as she exhaled.
    Anso didn’t wait to hear it. They were already inside the door, facing what looked like miles of metal-sheathed tunnel. The ground was earthen. Dark. Damp. It was instantly much quieter. Anso gripped her tighter to his left side and leapt forward. And then he was flying.
    Literally.
    The air was immediately cold. Brisk. It whipped at her clothing and hair, drying both. The ribbed tunnel blurred into a solid stream of dull silver tones. She watched it happen.
    That still didn’t mean she had to believe it.

CHAPTER TEN
    Anso had never fought under restrictions like this. Always before, he’d killed without compunction. Used his bow for distance shots. Hacked his way with sword and dagger at close range. He’d taken on multitudes with pleasure. Left a bloodbath. It was his signature. The larger the horde facing him, the better he liked it. Centuries had passed while his hits raised barely an eyebrow. Now – depending on the country - an assignment could engender all manner of unwanted scrutiny. Global news coverage. His assassinations could usually be attributed to war. Men always seemed to fight for the same reasons. Resources such as farming land. Water. Precious minerals. Religion. And power. Somebody was always trying to subdue someone else. Humankind just couldn’t seem to get along with each other...but that did offer a lot of perfect killing ground.
    His head grazed the line of fluorescent tube lighting as he flew. The complication of leaving his foes breathing added an edge of danger he hadn’t felt in millennia. His pulse ramped up. His muscle went taut. His breathing quickened, each one was deeper and heavier, air filling his lungs before he expelled it. This sensation was heady.
    Exciting.
    Addictive.
    A large fence blocked further passage, backed by two guards. A dog. They had a camp stove burning. One man waved his hands above it, warming them. Anso’s approach wasn’t even noticed. He yanked Leah more tightly against him, turned, and slammed through the obstruction with his right shoulder. One guard got enmeshed in chain-link, rendering him useless, semi-conscious, but alive. The other ricocheted off a wall. The camp stove went flying, spewing heated coals that sputtered and sizzled. Neither man got a shot off. The dog didn’t react.
    Anso could hear the next batch of guards. Talking. Laughing. They didn’t have any reaction to having security breached. Because they were at least a hundred yards away. Whatever organization manned this complex, the leaders needed a course on military strategy. The guard stations were spaced too far apart. They were obviously not expecting trouble, and if it came, they were counting on an alarm being given.
    And they were lax.
    Anso stopped at a corner, pulled in a breath. Held it. And then peeked. He had three men to get through next. They stood in a semi-circle around another stove, warming hands. Humans and their frailties. Anso wasn’t remotely cold. Then again, the excitement of this venture might be cancelling sensations such as temperature.
    One guard scratched at his groin before hefting his gun into a more comfortable position on his shoulder. The other two were unarmed, their weapons