Sharkbait Down Under Ch. 41-50

"A few. Not like before."

"Let me see." The nurse lifted her bag and pulled the blanket down to my feet. She removed and unfolded a surgical pad, spreading it on the bed and sliding it under my butt. I felt something cold and metallic on my leg as she tucked it in. "Don't react to it or show it," she whispered. "Help is coming soon. If vampires come for you, fight back. Don't let them move you, or your family will never find you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"It's not right."

She pulled out a small device with a long, narrow probe. "This is a portable ultrasound unit with an internal probe. I'm going to use this to verify the ectopic pregnancy is clearing out on its own, all right?"

Like I could refuse anything down here. "OK."

She used a lubricant on the probe, then inserted it into my vagina and started to move it around. The screen on the device showed all kinds of stuff I didn't understand, and she pressed a button to freeze the screen. "It's good news," she said. She pointed at a dot. "This was the original ectopic site. It looks to be breaking up, with smaller cell groupings here and here," she said as she pointed at other spots. "Flushing the lines clear may take a while, but this means the drug worked. You may get the occasional sharp pain as the clumps of cells move down the tube, like passing a kidney stone. I don't see any permanent damage."

"I can still have children?"

"Only one of your ovaries was affected, so that was never an issue. Once the cellular clumps are clear, the travel of eggs on your left side can resume. There is a potential complication; scarring of the tubes can make future ectopic pregnancies more likely. That risk is minimal since we caught it in time, and you are young and healthy."

I was letting out tears of joy and sorrow at the same time. It was proof my baby was gone, but the hope of another pup in the future when we got out of here. I had to keep faith in my family and Pack that they would get us out of here; I knew they would stop at nothing to get us back. I had to be the Alpha the girls needed and keep it together until help arrived. "Thank you."

The nurse put the ultrasound unit away and took a blood sample. She finished her examination and cleaned me up before placing a new pad in place. "You're doing fine," she continued with her usual speaking voice. "Keep to the bedrest for another two days, and notify the guards if you get frequent sharp pains or excessive bleeding. Make sure you eat and drink frequently." She left a couple more maxi-pads on the bed. "I'll check on you tomorrow night."

"Thank you." I laid back down as she waited for the jailer to let her out; I didn't move until after they were upstairs. Moving a hand down under the sheet, I felt for the object the vampire had left me. I slowly pulled the knife up along my right side, feeling the wooden handle and the long blade. It felt like a chef's knife from a kitchen, maybe ten inches long. I moved it until it was near my shoulder, just under the covers. "Fiona, can you come here a minute?"

"Sure, Alpha." The other girls went back to watching television, while Fiona came over and knelt by me. "Did everything go all right on your checkup?"

"Hug me and reach your hand under the sheet by my chest. Take it and hide it, and make sure the cameras don't see it," I whispered to my bodyguard. She leaned forward and embraced me while her arm slid under the covers. She stilled momentarily but recovered. I felt her holding the knife, and when she leaned back, she was hiding it under her left arm. "Help me up? I need to use the bathroom."

"Sure," she replied. I pulled my covers off, then Fiona wrapped her left arm behind me and pulled me up. I gave her a moment to stash the knife under her pillow, then walked over to use the bathroom. When I got back, I pretended to cry, and Fiona crawled into the narrow cot with me. She held my face to her shoulder while I whispered what had happened. "Get your rest, Vicki," she said as she got out and tucked me in.

I should try and sleep, but the news had me too wound up. Someone was working against my captors, and my family was on the way. Fiona spread the word to one person at a time, making sure it didn't look suspicious.

"They're replaying your Woods Hole documentary at seven, Vicki," Amy said.

"Great," I said. "What's next? THESE TITS got me kidnapped and stuck in a Mexican vampire prison?" Even the twins had to laugh at that. "Let's watch it. At least the sharks are cool."

Carla made sure we all had drinks and snacks, and we all settled down to wait for the show to start. The opening had just started when I heard multiple explosions mixed with gunfire. "Get down," I said as the building shook above us. Dust and dirt shook loose from the hewn-rock ceiling, and I rolled back against the wall. The twins ducked under the table while Fiona, Amy, and Carla ran for the beds.

Ch. 47

Alpha Steven Dauntless POV

The wolves remaining in Cancun had five hours left before we'd lose our only shot at taking out the local Vampire coven. At eight PM, we either attacked, or they'd disappear.

Killing Mateo and his Coven mates would be immensely satisfying, and I wasn't going to miss my chance. We needed a way to do it away from the heavily policed, camera-thick Cancun hotel area if we wanted to escape jail.

The plan we came up with was complicated, and we had little time to implement it. I sent most of the people left from the Southern Cross, Stillwater, and Miesville Packs out to set up our ambush.

At five in the afternoon, I gave Mateo a call on the number he'd left for me. "I got a call from the kidnappers," I told him. "They want a million dollars per woman. We're going to pay it tonight."

"That's good news," Mateo said. He was an excellent liar because I didn't sense any deception. He damn well knew the girls weren't here, and money would never get them back. "How can I help?"

"We'll be carrying a fortune and meeting up with bad people," I said. "I need everyone you can get me for backup and to help us past any checkpoints. I can't get stopped carrying guns or money in this town."

"It's a good way to end up dead," Mateo agreed. "When and where?"

"We've got cars, so if you can meet us in the hotel parking lot at seven, that would be perfect."

"We'll be there," he promised.

I could imagine. Mateo probably figured to get us out in the jungle, kill us, and keep the money.

At seven, I had eight warriors in two vehicles, plus a van with a single driver, waiting in the lot. We'd retrieved all of the guns from the hiding place in the garden, and I had them in the trunk of my vehicle. We'd gone over our plan, and I reminded everyone to stay in the cars until I called for them. I got a call from Mateo. "We're pulling in now," he said.

"Drive through, and we'll follow you out," I said.

"No. You come to my car, and I'll send one of my people back to yours," he said. "That way, there won't be any communication issues."

Shit. I didn't have a choice. "You have the machetes," I asked Luna Karen. The Stillwater Luna was sitting behind me in the car, her mate in Mexico City with Leo.

"Of course," she said.

I nodded. "Take his fucking head off as soon as I give the word."

I got out of the passenger seat and walked forward; it was Esmerelda who exited the back seat of Mateo's car. I said hello to the petite vampire as we passed, then I took her place in the back of Mateo's ride. "We appreciate your help in this," I said. "The guns are in my vehicle."

"I know, that is why Esmerelda is there. She's old enough to get you past any searches." I suppose that was good, but I was also putting my people next to a powerful vampire. Any slip-ups, and we were all dead. "Where are we headed?"

"West, towards Valladolid," I told him. The city in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula was over an hour away.

The vampires got us through two checkpoints on the way out of town; no searches, but we did get warnings about 'recent kidnappings' outside the area. It was dark as we drove through the jungle, with a few towns interrupted by long expanses of nothing. The tollway was moving along fast, and pretty soon, we were coming up at the exit for 305D towards Playa del Carmen.

"Everyone in place at the site," I asked.

"In place and waiting," came the response.

"Two minutes out."

"We need to gear up and test-fire our weapons now that we're past the checkpoints," I told Mateo. "The satellite map shows a cleared area with an access road coming up on the right in one kilometer. Can you pull off there?"

"Of course," he said. His driver slowed as I called down the distance, and we pulled off the pavement and onto a logging road. When we reached the clearing, I asked them to stop. "It will only be a few minutes," I said as I got out.

Walking back to my car, my warriors already had the bag out and were handing out pistols. I took two, cocking one and putting it into my pocket before our group walked away from our cars, facing the open area. Looking at my phone, it was one minute to eight at night. I joined the group, firing one round from each pistol to make sure it worked. "Anyone not ready, say so now." There were no responses. "Five, four, three, two, one, GO." As one, we turned and opened fire on the vampire's car.

Luna Karen's POV

For a vampire, Esmerelda was pretty cool.

I'd gotten most of her story on the drive through the jungle. Mateo had killed her family when she was twenty and a student at University in Mexico City. She'd come after him with a knife, not that it did any good. Instead of killing her, the sick fuck turned her and bent her to his will. She'd adapted to her vampire nature, using her brains to survive in a world ruled by raw power.

She got quiet as we turned off the highway and onto the empty road. "Mateo is going to betray you," she said quietly. "He'll wait until you meet the kidnappers, then kill you all and take the money."

I didn't know what to say to that. "Why?"

"Power, money, and control," he said. "The same things vampires always want."

"Why warn us?"

"I don't want to be destroyed over Mateo's hubris. He's smart enough to stay away but keep Vespucci's favor as he grows in power. There is no one around to challenge him. At least, not until your group arrived. All I ask is that you let me go free. I'm in the human records as his wife, so when he dies, I'll inherit his empire."

"You're willing to betray him so you can take over?"

She laughed. "Vampire life is nothing like what I've seen from you. I didn't choose this life. A newborn vampire wishes for the life of a slave, and even after all these decades, Mateo still takes me when he wants. My only chance at a better life is to take his place. I won't forget the favor." She looked forward again, letting me think.

I didn't have a link with Alpha Steven, but others in the car did. "Alpha Steven agrees. If you do not interfere with us, the Alpha will let you go and inform Master Cyprian of your assistance," his warrior said. It was a good deal, especially since Cyprian would be establishing the new Mexican Coven. She was bound to survive if Alpha Steven vouched for her. "We're pulling off the road soon."

I took the machete out of its sheath, placing it against Esmerelda's neck, one hand on each side. One move and she'd decapitate herself. She was short enough that you'd never see the blade through the windshield. "I want to believe you, but I can't trust you just yet," I said. "When it goes down, don't move a muscle."

"I'm the one placing blind trust in you," she said. "Your kind can find solace in death. I'm already dead, and Mateo can heal me and torture me again until he tires of my screams. You have the information. Kill me now if you don't trust me."

"Trust, but verify," I responded.

We came to a halt, and everyone else got out. The back of the SUV opened up, and one of the warriors started handing out guns from the bag to everyone. "Fire a couple of rounds, and make sure they work," Alpha Steven said. "Once you're satisfied, top off the ammo and put them in the bags so they stay with you when you shift." A line of people moved away, pointing their firearms into the darkness as they did their test firings.

As one, they spun and opened fire on the car containing the vampires. Twenty shooters opened up, firing pistol and rifle rounds at the five trapped vampires as fast as they could. The shooting sounded like thunder for a few seconds, and then it stopped.

A dozen men and women ran forward, from the woods and hiding places in the cleared section, flaming cloths stuffed in gasoline-soaked bottles that smashed inside the bullet-riddled vehicle. It didn't burn like gasoline; the wolves had dissolved bags of Styrofoam peanuts into the gas. The foam turned it into a thick, sticky, napalm-like substance.

Five seconds after the first shot and the SUV was in flames. The five vampires inside tried to get out, but the burning goop was melting their flesh. The second group fell back, allowing the shooters to continue firing as they tried to get out. The flames and the bullets were too much to heal from, even for a powerful vampire. Ten seconds later, all movement had stopped.

Esmerelda hadn't moved, but I saw a smile appear on her face as she watched her nemesis die.

"There never was a meeting, and you don't have any money with you, do you," she asked.

"This has always been a one-way trip for Mateo. We found out the girls are prisoners of Master Vespucci in Mexico City. He should be dead by now." I let go of the machete, bringing it back over the seat.

"Good," she said. "Thank you for trusting me."

"I'll be back," I said. Walking out, I went to each of the smoking corpses, hacking the heads free of their bodies to make sure they didn't come back. The men tossed their weapons into the burning car, letting the fire destroy the evidence. When I finished, I dumped the machete in the back seat. "We should go," I said.

We loaded into the vehicles, and one of the warriors used a tree branch to erase the tire prints. He hopped into the van while Alpha Steven got in the back with me. "Done, no issues," he texted to Leo from a burner phone.

Less than five minutes after pulling off the road, we were on our way back to Cancun.

Ch. 48

Hammer's POV

Maribel and I alternated shifts watching the office building throughout the day. We counted a dozen people going inside, mostly in the late afternoon, while only one person came out. "Do you want me to follow her," Maribel asked? We'd seen the woman go in just before sundown, leaving about thirty minutes later.

"No," I said. "We can't give any tips that other supernaturals are around, not this close to the attack." I watched the vampire walk back up the street, carrying a black bag over her shoulder.

Picking up the radio, I asked Ken Waltrip if he and Matt had seen any activity out the back. "Nothing," he reported. "The windows are painted black, so I can't see anything."

At six, I made a call to Alpha Leo to update the team on the situation. "We know the girls are inside, and we think about a hundred vampires are with them. Is it a good idea to attack against those odds? Why not wait until the number thins down again?"

"Master Pontalba says they can handle that number of newborns, so we proceed as planned. We'll stage the vehicles in the parking lot of your hotel and drive from there. You and Matt will stay on overwatch, in case any of the vampires try and go out the windows."

"What about Ken?"

"He's following the assault team heading to the emergency exit in the back of the office building."

"I should be going in the front door, Leo. I have more experience than anyone in taking down buildings."

Leo just laughed. "You're not the only one with experience in the sandbox or Afghanistan, Hammer. I need you covering their asses as they roll in."

Dammit. "Yes, sir."

"We'll be in the lot at six-fifty. Tell Maribel that Anna will meet her in the lobby then."

"I will. I'll call you if anything changes." I hung up the phone and went back to my scope. "Maribel, I'm supposed to tell you that Anna will meet you in the lobby at six-fifty."

"This is going to be fun," the little mermaid said.

"What are you going to do?" I'd never dealt with mermaids before.

"It's easier to show you than explain," she said. "You should eat something."

"I can never eat before a mission," I said. "I'll take some Gatorade, though."

She went over and took one out of the insulated compartment in my bag. "Thank you," I said as she handed it to me. "We have fated mates, but how do mermaids find each other?"

"Mostly by arranged marriages, but some of us find someone to love on our own," she said. "We don't live in large groups, and our families live on the coasts around the world. Unlike wolves, we cannot turn someone, and a male mermaid getting a human female pregnant results in a human child. We cannot reproduce a mermaid unless the mother is a mermaid. Our elders strongly encourage only mermaid pairs."

"Have you found someone?"

She blushed and shook her head. "No, and I'm not in a hurry to find a man."

"Werewolves hold annual get-togethers where they hope to bring mates together. Do you do anything like that?"

"No, but I'd like to see it." She let out a breath, moving a stray hair from in front of her face. "We don't have anything like the Pack structure you have. No one wants to listen to another, and that hurts us. Maybe what Vicki is planning for Australia will carry over elsewhere."

"I'd hope so." She asked me about my love life while we waited. I talked about my first marriage and my wife's loss, and then my whirlwind romance with Susan. "Once I made the change and became a werewolf, it was like everything magnified five times. I can FEEL her love for me, and I'm hopelessly in love with her. I'd die without her."

"It sounds wonderful," she said as she wiped away a tear.

"It is." I squeezed her hand as I kept watch on the building. "When this is all over, talk to Leo and Adrienne, or Vicki and Nicholas. I'm sure they'd love to do something to help you out."

"I will." Pretty soon, it was time for her to go. "Stay safe, Hammer. Your mate needs you."

"I'll talk to you when it's over," I promised. The door closed, and I went back to overwatch. No one had gone in or out since sundown.

"We're in place," Leo said over the link. "We'll be using our vehicles to take down the gate and the doors. The vamps will follow us in since we have to secure the entrance to the basement."

"Roger that," I sent back. I kept watch, and a few minutes later, I saw Maribel and Anna walking down the sidewalk towards the office building. Maribel stopped a block short of it while Anna kept going.

And then they began singing.

It was beautiful, and I opened my window to hear it better. I didn't recognize the melody, the words, or the language.

Then I started to notice the humans.

They were staring at the girls, and it was like they went into a trance. People stopped what they were doing and stared at them. All movement stopped; traffic ground to a halt, and they started following the mermaids away. People in cars got out, and people in businesses came out onto the sidewalk. Like Pied Pipers, the girls led all the witnesses away. "Fuck me," I said as I watched it. I was glad that we weren't susceptible; it was a powerful ability.

"We're moving," Leo sent.

I watched as a line of vehicles moved out of the lot. The first five of them crossed the street; they would link up with Ken to attack from the rear.