Sharkbait Down Under Ch. 41-50

We landed the next morning at Puebla International Airport. It didn't look to be much; we parked on the tarmac of the mostly-cargo facility two hours southeast of Mexico City. A Customs agent and two Federal Police boarded the aircraft, stamped our passports, and left without checking any of the bags. Two caravans of vehicles waited for us, one driven by Vampire familiars, the other by our Mermaid allies. Master Emily was the only Vampire to stay with us. She would coordinate our attacks with the other Masters and entrance any people at checkpoints we might hit. We wished each other luck and parted ways.

We found a hotel, and I checked in with Alpha Steven at the command post. He and his warriors needed to move against the Cancun vampires when we attempted the rescue to keep the element of surprise.

All we needed now was an address.

Ch. 43

Consuela Mardona's POV

I checked on Vicki several times during the night. The drug was working, and she was experiencing pain and cramping as her body rejected the embryo growing in her fallopian tube. Physically, she was fine, but emotionally? She was devastated. Her friends understood and were supporting her as they could. I saw firsthand how much werewolves supported each other with touch; Vicki was never alone, at least until I was examining her. One or more girls would be sitting with her, holding her hand, or hugging her.

I'd just come back up from the cells after the four AM check when the guard pulled me aside. "You're needed back at the house," he told me. "Master wants to see you."

I fought to keep my emotions under control; had they found out already? What tortures might await me if they knew I'd called the hotline? "Thank you," I said quietly. "I'll be back after my shift today. Call me if she starts to bleed heavily or has other complications."

He just nodded and watched me leave. Master had six vampires assigned to the building; since they didn't need to sleep, that was more than enough. I'd seen a familiar arrive a few hours earlier, giving the guard dinner and a fuck. I'd never seen one of the guards step outside of the building.

The streets were dark and quiet as I walked to the exclusive neighborhood. The guard at the gate was expecting me. "Master is in his office," he told me.

"Thank you." I walked into the house, surprised at how many vampires were present. There were dozens inside, filling out paperwork or getting photographs taken. "What's going on?"

"Master wants everyone to have a passport," one of the vampires replied. "One of the familiars will ensure they are in our hands by the end of the year."

"Good thing I have mine already," I said. I made my way through the crowd and to the stairway leading to the second floor. Master Vespucci's office was at the end of the hall. I checked in with his assistant, and she told me to go inside.

I fought to control my emotions as I walked to his room. It made no sense for him to bring me to his office if he was planning to kill me, right? The rug in his office was priceless. No, if he knew I'd betrayed him, he would have his men take me down to the basement cells. I knocked on the ornate double-door and slid inside when he told me to enter. "You asked for me, sir?"

"Consuela, yes, come over here." I walked to his desk, keeping my eyes down. "How is your patient?"

"It is good that we caught her ectopic pregnancy early, Master. Left untreated, it could have killed her. The drug I administered appears to be working, and she should make a full recovery in a week."

"And how will this affect our harvesting?"

"For the two pints we have taken already, their bodies have already replaced the volume. The bleeding Vicki will suffer from her miscarriage will be like a heavy period. It will not be enough to affect your schedule, provided she gets adequate food and rest."

"Good. Take two more pints from each in three days, as scheduled," my Master said.

"Yes, sir."

He must have sensed my disapproval. In a flash, he was around the desk with my chin gripped tightly in his hand. "You disagree with my instructions, Nurse Consuela?"

My eyes got wide; Master's standard method of resolving disagreements involved heads flying off. "Of course not, Master. I'm sure you understand the effects of taking that much blood that quickly."

"I expect you to minimize those effects, not question my directions."

"Of course, Master. I will ensure they are properly cared for to give you the highest quality blood."

Master Vespucci let my chin go and turned to the other man in the room. "I've asked Father Rodrigo to join us for a short ceremony." He held my hand tight in his as the priest approached.

"Do you, Hernando Vespucci, take Consuela Mardona as your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," he said.

My head was spinning. He expected me to marry him without even asking first? I snuck a look up at his eyes, and his expression quickly had me looking away. Yes. He did.

"And do you, Consuela Mardona, take Hernando Vespucci as your lawful wedded husband?"

I had no choice. "I do."

"Place the ring on her finger," Father Rodrigo said. My Master pulled my shaking left hand up and slid a diamond-encrusted wedding band on it. He then took a plain band out of his pocket and put it on. "By the power vested in my by the Holy Catholic Church and the State of Mexico, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

His lips descended, taking mine, his fangs nipping at the skin and drawing blood. He sucked on my lip before swiping his tongue over the puncture to seal it. When I'd recovered my senses, Father Rodrigo had already signed the marriage certificate. Master signed it, then watched as I placed my signature by his. As soon as the Father was out of the door, Master's hand was around my neck, forcing me to my knees. "Read nothing into this marriage," he said. "I have my reasons for taking you as my wife. You will still work, and your assignment with the wolves does not change. Understand that you are still a newborn, Consuela. Marriage does not change your status in the Coven. It is a lesson your predecessor did not take to heart."

My head was still swimming, but I knew enough to tell him I understood. "I will inform the Coven of your new status. Your things are being moved into my room now. Your body is now mine, exclusively. If anyone takes what is mine, they will answer to me. Strip those clothes off."

I started to get up, but he pushed me back down. I quickly pulled my dress off and removed my underwear before resuming my position kneeling before him. My husband and Master looked down at me. "Hands behind your back." I quickly complied. "Remove my cock and prepare me."

I leaned forward, moving my mouth to push the fabric aside and get the zipper in my teeth. I pulled it down, then used my lips and tongue to extract my husband's large cock out from his linen dress pants. Taking the head into my mouth, I gave it a light suck, then started to swirl my tongue around the head. I felt it starting to swell, and I lightly hummed as I started moving it deeper into my mouth.

I'd been a twenty-four-year-old virgin, a good Catholic girl waiting for marriage when the Master had changed me. He'd taken my virginity after I awoke as a vampire, and two days later, he'd taken my ass as well. Once he'd had his fun, there were plenty of older vampires who taught me how to please them. I'd learned a lot in six months about how to please a male.

Master put his hands behind my head, pushing the head of his cock into my throat. I swallowed around him, extending my tongue to lick his clean-shaven balls until he pulled me back off. "Vampires give the best blowjobs," he said. "They don't need to come up to breathe."

He didn't let me, not for another minute. When he pulled me off, he kept a hold on my hair and hauled me to my feet. I bent at the waist over his desk when he shoved my head down on it. A moment later, he hilted himself in me. Vespucci wasn't much for foreplay, and he didn't care if his woman enjoyed it. He fucked me hard and fast, finally unloading across my back and ass. He grabbed me by the hair again, pulling me off the desk and back onto my knees. "Clean me." I licked his cock and balls clean as his cum slowly dripped down my back. When he was satisfied, he zipped back up and grabbed the marriage certificate off the desk. "Clean up and get to work."

"Yes, Master." I stayed on my knees until he left, then took several Kleenex and used them to wipe myself down. Dressing quickly, I couldn't wait to get back downstairs and shower.

"Your things are in Master's room," his assistant said. "Do not shower. His scent will help establish your position."

"Thank you." I turned to the adjoining door that led to his opulent bedroom. My Master was not there, but I found my clothes hanging up in the closet and in one of the antique chests. I changed for work, then headed out the door again.

Paco was waiting for me; he sniffed the air, but he wasn't stupid enough to say anything critical of his Master's decisions. "Back inside," Paco said. "Master directed me to brief you on the security features in the building."

I could tell he wasn't happy, but he took me through everything. "The walls are three feet thick, and the windows are bulletproof glass. They aren't bomb-proof, so stay away from them as you make your way to the safe room. There is an escape pole over here in the closet." He showed me where the latch was, and the mirror in the closet opened into a heavy steel door. Inside was a fireman's pole. "At the bottom is a door to the basement. Go."

I grabbed the pole, sliding down quickly until I landed awkwardly at the bottom. I opened the heavy door into the basement hallway, stepping aside as Paco reached the bottom. He showed me the controls for the entrance. "Green allows the doors to open. Yellow closes the door and locks them; you have to press green again to allow them to reopen. Red is the emergency button; it closes and locks all the entrances. Never press the red button."

The red button was under a plastic cover labeled 'Emergency Lockdown.' "Why not?"

"Not everyone who needs to make it to the basement may be here yet. Once pressed, a timer prevents the doors from opening again for six hours. Only the Master and the senior guard down here are authorized to use that."

I'd spent plenty of time in the basement, so I didn't need a tour. "What happens if werewolves or other vampires try to come down here?"

"They're going to have a bad day," Paco said. "Booby traps, electric fields, even liquid nitrogen dumps that can freeze them solid in seconds."

"And if they wait us out?"

"We escape through the sewers," he said. "There's a hatch in that corner."

"I feel a lot safer now," I said.

Paco nodded. "If the alarm sounds, get your ass down here as quickly as possible."

I looked at my watch in panic. "I'm going to miss my bus," I said.

"Master instructed me to drive you," he said. "He also said to give you this." He reached below the table and pulled out a large purse. "It's insulated, the bottom accessed by unzipping this panel," he said. "Twice as many bags each day."

"Why so many?"

"Master is gathering everyone for training over the next week." My head was spinning as he drove me to the hospital. I moved my things into my new purse, still carrying the cooler for my 'lunch' I always had. I got so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize we'd arrived until Paco told me to get out. "I'll be back at four," he told me.

I noticed I was wearing my wedding ring as I was walking to the locker room. Pulling it off, I stashed it in my purse. The last thing I needed from my coworkers was questions about my love life.

I took a walk at lunch, finding a deserted spot at the back of the parking area. The last twenty-four hours had changed everything; I was a traitor, now married to the Master I hated, and I had no idea why he would choose me.

Calling the number again, I told them everything I knew. The man told me he would text me just before the attack began, so I could get to safety.

My only hope was that they would knock off Vespucci before he figures out what I'd done.

Ch. 44

Hammer's POV

If anyone had told me a month ago that I'd be on a plane filled with weapons, explosives, and vampires, I'd have laughed my ass off.

By the time we loaded into our vehicles outside of Mexico City, my whole worldview had changed. Vicki had made friends with two powerful vampires, and I was glad they were on our side. I got to spend some time on the flight talking with some of the other vampires. When Randall, a vampire from New York, said he would tell us how we should take on the Mexican vampires, he didn't hold back. "We're faster and stronger than you, and our claws can inject venom that is fatal to you. You think you are better off in your animal form, but you are not," he said.

"Why not?" A dozen warriors were listening in, and most of them looked shocked at this.

"You're still not fast enough, and your wolf is more vulnerable to tooth and claw. You have to fight in groups, two going after the hands while another goes for the neck, right?" That was pretty much how we had been taught and practiced. "Fighting new and even young vampires, you can get away with those tactics. They aren't fast enough to keep you away, although you'll lose some of your people going for the claws. Go against vampires like us, more than a century old, and you'll end up as bloody fur. You're better off in human form with body armor that can provide some protection against the claws. Speed and skill come with age, and it makes a big difference."

"How big?"

"A Master vampire can take on a dozen newborn vampires or werewolves at once and not be in danger. It's another level entirely. Luckily for you, we don't think Vespucci has a large number of older vampires. If rumors are true, he has lots of young ones. It will not be an easy fight for you."

I thought about what he said. "How would you go about it?"

"Technology has changed since the last war, and your attack plans have to change with them. How did they teach you to kill a vampire?"

"Fire, beheading, crushing, sometimes explosions too, but they have to be big and close," I said.

"Vampires can regenerate flesh and heal in moments during battle as long as they have their head about them. You have the two ways, but not the why. Beheading a vampire prevents regeneration, while the other methods work because the damage overwhelms their ability to heal. It doesn't matter how you do it; repairing damage takes energy from their reserves of blood. When they use up their blood reserves, they can't heal anymore, and they die. Well, as much as the undead can die."

"Weapons?"

He nodded. "Not how you're used to it, though. You can't double-tap a vampire and expect him to go down. Empty a thirty-round magazine into that fucker, and he'll stop. He may or may not die, depending on how long since his last feed, but you'll knock him down enough to take his head off. A bladed weapon is the best way to do that."

"Coordinated attacks? Guns followed by swords?"

"That's how I would do it. Flamethrowers and shotguns work better than rifles. It doesn't matter where you hit them as much as how much damage you can create fast. If it's too little or too slow, they'll heal and get to you."

I smiled a bit; we had a couple of flamethrowers along, and they were epic. By the time we landed, I had a lot of respect for the vampires in our group. They were highly trained men and women.

Big picture, our groups had two missions. The werewolf group was there to rescue Vicki, Amy, and the rest of the girls. The Vampires were there to take out Vespucci. Once the girls were free, our allied Masters would wipe out the Mexico City Coven for breaking the peace deal. It was the only way that would avoid war.

I got to know Maribel, a gymnast-sized mermaid, as we drove to our hotel. She was a bubbly brunette in her late teens who worked with her family on their shrimp boat. I learned about her home Playa de Chachalacas, a small tourist town an hour north of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, and asked why she'd traveled all this way to help. "Vicki is important," she replied. "For the first time in centuries, our kind has been embraced by werewolves. In Australia, she is working to bring us together with vampires and werewolves, bringing us into power and security we've never had. My father contacted Linda, asking how we could help."

"I appreciate you driving, especially since some of us aren't fluent in Spanish. We'll keep you safe, I promise you."

She laughed at me as she glanced over. "I'll keep YOUR furry butt safe," she said with a giggle.

"You fight?" She didn't look or act like a warrior.

She giggled. "I'm a lover, not a fighter," she said. "You'll see."

I wanted to ask more, but we'd arrived at our hotel. Master Emily went in and returned with our room keys; she'd booked an entire floor for us. As she handed them out, our Alphas laid down the law. "Nobody leaves the floor without permission," Leo said. "Order room service or delivery, stay out of sight, and keep the weapons hidden but ready."

I was sharing a double-queen room with Nicholas. We spent the day sleeping, eating, watching English-language news, and talking about Vicki. With nothing to do but wait, I told him all the stories about our time in Coronado. I was incredibly proud of what she and Amy had accomplished at a young age, after all. Nicholas had a growling problem when I talked about the men harassing her at the beach or her former boyfriends crashing his bike with her along, but he got over it. I even spent some time teaching him the basics of jiu-jitsu. We had a few meetings in Leo's suite discussing rescue plans and getting to know each other. Without a target, however, all we could do was sit and wait.

The Navy made me a professional at sitting and waiting.

I was sleeping when Leo's summons woke me in a moment. "We've got a location. Get your ass to my room," he said.

I was inside the Alpha's room in less than a minute. All of the Alphas were present, along with Ken Waltrip, a warrior from Three Sisters who had been a Marine Scout Sniper. Adrienne was in the middle of a videoconference with Alpha Steven back in Cancun. "The tip is credible?"

"We think so," he said. "It was specific, and the person was worried about retribution. Here, I'll play it for you." I listened as a woman's voice, clearly Hispanic, said the six girls were in an underground cell and gave the address. I thought about her words regarding vampires; they were specific, yet general enough if a human overheard. The caller was a vampire willing to betray her Master, yet she wanted to live.

Meanwhile, Adrienne had used Google Maps to bring up a satellite view of the building. It was in a business and light industrial area, a two-story office with a warehouse behind it. Alpha Steven hung up a few moments later.

"You guys are the experts; what do you think," Adrienne asked as she turned to me.

"It's a good place to hole up," I said. "No other buildings nearby, it's completely fenced off from the road, and the warehouse lets you drive inside and unload out of sight."

"We need eyes on it," Ken said. "The tip sounds good, but it could also be a trap."

"I agree," Leo said. "How would you set up surveillance?"

Ken and I looked at the surrounding area; we were looking for places we could set up a sniper hide, something with a good view of the building while the others planned an attack. It had to be close enough to see everything but far enough away that our scent and presence wouldn't spook them. Ken and I had picked our spots when Maribel came in. He was going on top of a factory two blocks north o the target, while I found a cheap motel two blocks up the road from the front of the building. "She's going to drive you," Adrienne said. "Stay out of sight as much as you can."