Eternal Void (Isabella Espinoza Book 2) Read online

  A crunch sounded from behind me, in the backyard of the house. I glanced over my shoulder. Through the sliding glass door, the other three night stalkers had circled around to the rear of the house. They were clever, that’s for sure.

  No more running. I needed to fight.

  Rather than give them the chance to close the noose around me, I aimed and pulled the trigger at one of the three at the front of the house. The first shot cut across his snout, splattering black blood into the air.

  The beast shook his head. The other two in its group leapt through the window, charging toward me. I shot one in the front leg, and it stumbled to the ground and continued limping toward me.

  The glass behind me smashed, scattering shards across me like icy pinpricks. I slid along the wall, away from the door so that they couldn’t catch me from behind.

  I wasn’t sure what the one I shot through the nose was doing, but I had to assume it was still coming for me. Even if not, I still had five to get rid of.

  I wished I’d had time to scout out a better position in the house. I peeked out through the kitchen door to a hallway. A stairway led upstairs, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to go all the way up. I’d still be stuck with the night stalkers. I needed to cut them off, not get trapped by them.

  A door connected to the kitchen. I backed my way toward it, and pulled it open, still facing the night stalkers as they converged from the backyard and the front room, then came toward me.

  I glanced over my shoulder and found a stairway leading down into a basement.

  I could choose upstairs or downstairs. Neither was attractive, but I was about to be surrounded. I chose to go downstairs. Maybe I’d find something handy down there I could use against them. At least the stairway was narrow and would force them to come down one at a time.

  After crossing the threshold, I slammed the door shut behind me, locked it, and then dashed down the stairs. I scanned the walls around me. The owners had turned the basement into a makeshift workshop, though most of the tool racks on the walls had been stripped of anything useful.

  A large wooden table sat against the far wall. On top of it, there was a hammer, and a pouch with a few nails spilling out, though the rest of the bag looked mostly empty.

  I caught a metallic gleam behind a worktable, reflecting a flicker of flame from Cathedral Hill that showed through one of the windows that sat high on the wall of the basement. Upstairs, the night stalkers slammed against the locked door. It wouldn’t hold for more than a couple of minutes.

  I dashed over to the worktable. Tucked behind it was a gas can. I pulled it out and shook it. Somehow, it still had some left. Fuel was typically the first thing looters took from a place. But they hadn’t found this stash, and that was lucky for me. Now I just needed a use for it. It wasn’t much good at the moment, but I lugged it back toward the stairs and tucked it beneath them.

  I had an idea, now I just needed to get the night stalkers down here.

  Despite my better judgment—and I might have been crazy—I ran upstairs, unlocked the door, and then yanked it open. As the night stalkers surged forward, I leapt downstairs, rolling on the floor at the bottom to slow my momentum.

  The night stalkers charged down the stairs at me, their faces raging and spit flying from their mouths as they panted.

  Since I was out of ammo, I only had my knife to fight them. I couldn’t hold out for long against six night stalkers with just a blade, so my only hope was that my plan would work, but I needed to lure them away from the staircase.

  I dashed across the room, and they followed behind me. Hunger shone in their eyes. They knew they had me trapped. I just had to get past six deadly monsters and run up the stairs.

  Easy.

  I sank down into a crouch, then jumped over the night stalkers. As I had almost cleared them, a claw caught the ankle of my boot. I tumbled onto the ground. A night stalker jumped onto me, its weight holding me down.

  With a single swipe, I drew my knife and slashed it across the beast’s leg. The night stalker lurched away, shrieking in pain. I shoved myself backward, out from under the creature. The other night stalkers padded toward me.

  This close, I noticed that they each had a small square device attached to a collar around their necks. I had no time to figure out what they were, though.

  I scrambled to my feet and moved back toward the stairs. From beneath them, I pulled the gas can and darted up the stairs. The night stalkers thumped up behind me. I slammed through the door, pulled it shut, and with one mighty heave, toppled the refrigerator right in front of it to hold it. They’d still get through, but not before I could finish what I had planned. I popped the gas can open and dumped it out along the door and the walls on either side of it.

  Some fuel still remained, so I scattered it around most of the perimeter of the kitchen, except for the rear door.

  Once the can was empty, I pulled out the lighter that Jack had given me, smiling that he was able to help me without even knowing it. I grabbed a crumpled dried dish rag that sat near the sink, lit it on fire, and then tossed it at the door.

  The gas ignited, and the door was consumed with flame. I dashed out of the house and across the street, then slumped against a tree to watch the flame spread throughout the building. I hoped nobody ever planned on returning. It was a shame to destroy a nice house, along with the memories it contained for whatever family had lived there.

  I slid out of the backyard and turned back toward the cathedral settlement.

  They were still fighting off a large horde of night stalkers. A good number of the creatures were lying dead on the ground, but it seemed like their numbers hadn’t been hurt nearly enough.

  It felt a little disheartening to realize that the six I had pulled away hadn’t helped much, even with the effort I had gone through to kill them. The creatures were relentless, and it seemed hopeless to get rid of all of them. For some reason, they were determined to breach the walls. Somehow, the Necromancer had gotten them to keep pressing their attack. What would happen when the settlement ran out of bullets?

  Out of the darkness, a night stalker charged toward the walls with something strapped to its chest with a blinking red light. It headed between the houses and straight toward the gate. It was too far for me to catch. I fumbled in my pockets, desperate to find a bullet I had missed, but nothing came up.

  The beast reached the gate, then exploded. A burst of metal, flame, and chunks of flesh flew into the air, leaving a cloud of smoke.

  That was new.

  When the dust cleared, what remained was a gaping hole where the gate had been.

  The walls had been breached.

  CHAPTER 11

  Nothing stood between the horde of monsters and the people within.

  Guards rushed toward the hole in the wall, firing their guns into the advancing mob of beasts, but once the full group of night stalkers knew there was a hole, the community would be quickly overrun.

  With the burning house behind me, I dashed up the street toward the gap where the gate had been. I needed to get between the monsters and the people, even if it meant getting myself killed. I’d have a better chance of at least taking some of them with me.

  I put my enhanced speed into my legs. I knew I could do it for miles; now I just needed them for a couple of hundred yards.

  The night stalkers didn’t seem to notice me as I approached. Either that or they didn’t care, too occupied with the vulnerable meal that lay within the walls.

  With my knife in my hand, I ran straight into the flank of the nearest group of night stalkers. I leapt onto the back of the nearest one, driving my blade into its spine. The sharp steel carved through its leather skin and severed its spinal cord. The creature slumped into a lump on the ground.

  One of the other monsters turned toward me, snarling with its teeth bared. I growled back.

  I let my inner monster bubble to the surface. It was time for me to unleash everything I had.

  The night stal
ker jumped at me, tackling me to the ground. The impact knocked the blade from my hand.

  I grabbed the beast’s shoulders and shoved upward, just far enough away that its jaws snapped right in front of my face. I shifted my hands to grab the upper part of its legs and pushed them apart with every ounce of strength in me. Its legs popped out of its sockets, and the night stalker let out a painful shriek.

  With a grunt, I shoved forward, launching the creature several feet away, where it rolled across the ground. I retrieved my knife, dashed to the night stalker, and then plunged my blade into the creature’s exposed belly.

  Two more down, only about a couple hundred to go.

  And there were still a large number of them between me and the inside of the camp. I flung the blood and viscera from my knife onto the ground. I’d have to clean it for real later, but I wasn’t about to wipe it on my shirt or jacket.

  A group of night stalkers, three in total, turned to face me as I approached the rear of the horde. Adrenaline coursed through me, I took a deep breath, letting my body come alive with energy. My muscles thrummed, waiting for the next chance to take down my enemies.

  Part of me was drawn toward the humans inside the settlement. I shook my head. I needed the part of the monster that could fight without mercy, but I didn’t want the part that got hungry all the time.

  I forced my focus back on the group in front of me.

  One night stalker charged. I dodged to the side as its claws swiped past. The second came at me, and I kicked it across the snout.

  My attention went toward the gate. A small, narrow gap had opened between the night stalkers. I didn’t know how long it would hold, and a normal person wouldn’t be fast enough to run through it without risking getting caught by the beasts. But I could do it.

  I dashed away from my playmates and through the gap.

  A series of snarls followed me, sounding surprised. I resisted the urge to fight. I needed to get into the community and become their new wall.

  A night stalker lunged toward me, and I jumped up, planting my foot on its head, and shoved myself further forward.

  Finally, I reached the other side of the horde and turned to face the advancing night stalkers. They had pushed nearly fifteen yards into the community. Inside, people fled into the safety of the cathedral.

  I quickly scanned around. I didn’t see anything of Rose, David, or Amari, but I considered that a good thing. None of them were really fighters, so they should stay out of the fray. They would do better helping the people as they flooded into the cathedral.

  The guards around me gave me curious glances, but I caught the eye of James, my red-haired friend, and he tossed me a quick smile and nod before he got back to firing into the crowd of night stalkers.

  Below me, I pulled up the rifle of a guard who had fallen. A quick check of the ammo, then I joined the remaining guards in firing on the monsters. I dropped three or four.

  One of the beasts leapt out at James, pinning him to the ground.

  I tried to aim for the beast attacking him but couldn’t get a clear shot. Strapping the rifle over my shoulder, I dashed over to him. He yelled as the creature’s claws dug into his shoulders.

  I grabbed the creature and tossed it into the solid sheet metal wall. It struck the wall with a crunch and slumped to the ground.

  Blood dripped out of James’s shoulders as he lay on the ground, wincing. I reached a hand down to help him up. Another night stalker charged in and grabbed him by the foot, trying to drag him away from me.

  I wrapped my arms around him and kicked at the creature. It just bit down harder and shook his head back and forth. James’s ankle snapped, and he let out a scream. The creature gave another shake and a yank, tearing through flesh and pulling his foot right off the leg.

  James’s face went white with shock as blood poured out of his wound. With the night stalker temporarily distracted by the foot, I dragged James away and, slinging him over my back, ran up to the cathedral.

  Inside, the cathedral had deteriorated into pandemonium. The medical station was filling up, but I dropped him by the exit and yelled for Rose to look at him. One of her assistants came out and started examining him, but I didn’t have time to stick around.

  I darted back outside. The situation had gone from bad to worse. The night stalkers were tearing through the remaining guards as they ran out of ammo.

  I sprinted into the fray, grabbing another night stalker and throwing it over the wall.

  Another leapt onto me, almost knocking me to the ground. I grabbed it around the head, twisted, and snapped its neck. Before I could refocus on another target, a claw dug into my ankle and pulled me down. A night stalker pounced on top of me, its claws pinning my arms to the ground.

  I struggled against it and nearly managed to push it off. Another jumped onto me, as well.

  The two creatures snapped at each other, as if debating over who would get the first bite. I squirmed free just enough that I could swing a kick up between the first creature’s legs. It let out a whine and stepped back. The other leapt forward at me.

  I tore my arm free, though the night stalker’s claws carved a nasty scratch that dug all the way to my muscle. With blood pouring out of the hole in my arm, I reached up and pressed my fingers into the night stalker’s eyes. It let out a shriek and tried to bite at me, but I kept my wrist out of reach. My nails pressed into the soft eye tissue until it popped.

  The night stalker scrambled backward, one of its eyeballs dangling from the socket while a weird mix of pus and black blood dripped out of it.

  I staggered to my feet, with burning scratches all over my arms and legs. More night stalkers pushed ever closer to the cathedral. Some guards turned and fled from the fight, blood covering their faces and clothes. A couple of them threw down their weapons and ran for the nearest shelter, even though it wouldn’t last long once the beasts had the run of the settlement.

  I yanked out my knife and swiped at the nearest creatures. I took a couple of them out, but I sustained more scratches and bites along the way. I only kept going because my wounds healed almost as fast as I took them. But almost wasn’t quite keeping up, either.

  I would be overwhelmed soon. The night stalkers had almost won.

  A rumble sounded from the night air outside the walls of the settlement. The noise drew closer. It was more than one, actually. It seemed like engines, several of them approaching at high speed. Tires crunched on asphalt from the street outside, then a convoy of trucks appeared just outside the gate.

  A couple of them had heavy machine guns in the back. The people manning them spooled them up and unleashed a hail of bullets into the group of night stalkers. Their position also blocked any more night stalkers from getting into the settlement.

  I thought I recognized the driver of one of the trucks. Jack?

  What the hell was he doing here, and how did he know to come? I wasn’t going to complain, though. He was here with more reinforcements than I ever could have hoped for.

  Don’t complain about machine guns that are on your side. That’s just good life advice.

  Some of the night stalkers charged into the settlement to get away from the heavy fire.

  I took after one group as it ran around to the other side of the cathedral. With an extra burst of speed, I caught up to the one in the rear, dove, and tackled it to the ground. I slammed it onto its back, then plunged my knife into its belly. Guts and blood spilled out as it struggled for life.

  The other two spun around to face me.

  One pounced on me, pressing my back against the wall of the cathedral. The other grabbed my ankle with its jaws and started tugging. With the weight of the night stalker on my torso, it was going to pull my leg apart. The memory of what had happened to James was still fresh in my mind.

  I grabbed the first night stalker by the upper and lower jaw, its teeth slicing jagged cuts in my hands, and pried its jaws apart with a sickening pop. With its maw hanging open, I stabbed my knife s
traight through the roof of its mouth and into its brain.

  I turned toward the remaining night stalker, shoving myself backward along the ground before the monster could pounce.

  Just before it could leap onto me, a burst of gunfire sounded from nearby, and the creature fell dead in the grass. I was left lying in a pool of night stalker blood.

  Footsteps crunched in the dirt. I prepared to fight, but then a calming voice spoke, “Hey, Isabella, you seem like you’re having a bit of a rough day.”

  I looked up at Jack as he approached, smoke still coiling out from the muzzle of his gun.

  “You picked a hell of a time to show up,” I said.

  He reached down to help me up, and I let him take my hand. Bits of night stalker gore dripped off my jacket. A number of tiny holes and scratches pierced the leather.

  I’d have to go shopping one of these days again.

  “Yeah, we heard the distress call go out from this place. They said night stalkers had the place surrounded. My guys were doing a run not far away, so we came by to help.”

  “Distress call?” I asked. I didn’t know that Cathedral Hill had anything like that.

  “Yeah, I think it was David’s voice I heard. It was full of tangents and extra details, but he got the point across. You guys needed help, so we showed up.”

  I studied him for a moment. “You took the time to risk your life to help a bunch of strangers? Where did that come from?”

  “I don’t know, maybe a certain detective is rubbing off on me.”

  For the first time, part of me wondered if he could be more than just a fuck buddy. Rolling into a fight with night stalkers was no small feat.

  “Did you know I was here?” I asked.

  “No, not at all. David didn’t mention you. But I saw someone tearing through those creatures at the gate and knew it couldn’t be anybody else. That and the red eyes.” He let out a chuckle, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

  A pleasant chill rolled down my spine, unrelated to the cool air around us.