Firewalker Read Online Free PDF Page A

because I’d run screaming to his fellow feds, and he’d have to abandon this sweet little setup he’d made. Nash was eyeing the other officers, but they’d surrounded a diesel pickup that had pulled up, its noise drowning out all other night sounds. Nash’s truck was between us and them—the Nightwalker had perfected his methods.
    But Nash’s heroism gave me an idea. I didn’t know whether it would work, and if not, I’d have to try to pry a blood-frenzied Nightwalker off of Nash, but it was worth a try.
    “Do him first,” I said, making my voice weak and whiny. “Please. Take the edge off. Then I’ll make it fun when you do me.”
    The Nightwalker’s smile returned, and I swallowed my disgust. “I think I like you, sweetheart. What did you have in mind?”
    “Anything you want. I’ve been told I have stamina.”
    Nash was staring at me as though I’d lost my mind, but he kept quiet. Either he thought I had lost my mind, or he was trusting that I had a plan.
    The Nightwalker touched my cheek, and I stood still and tried not to gag. “Sweet,” he said. “If you please me, Navajo girl, I might just let you stay alive. With me.”
    “Sure,” I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
    The Nightwalker grabbed Nash by the neck. His mouth opened, baring fangs on both upper and lower jaw, his mouth narrow like a cat’s. Nash struggled, but the Nightwalker yanked Nash’s head to the side and snapped that hideous mouth over his throat.
    Nash didn’t go down easy. He fought, and he fought hard, smacking the guy in the head with his fists, which did about as much good as punching a building. I grabbed the Nightwalker’s pistol as the feeding frenzy took him, even though I knew bullets wouldn’t kill him, and stood back as he sucked down Nash’s blood in greedy, wet gulps.
    The Nightwalker kept feeding, and my heart pounded in terror. If my hunch was wrong, Nash could die. Words to a dozen spells ran through my head, but none would be powerful enough, especially when I didn’t have a storm to draw on. The gun was pretty much useless. A Nightwalker full of bullets was just an angry Nightwalker.
    And then it happened. The Nightwalker jerked, his eyes widening in sudden agony. Nightwalkers, I had the scars to prove, held fast to their victims when they were in blood frenzy, not letting go even when someone ran them through with a stake. This Nightwalker shuddered, snarling, Nash’s blood running from his mouth, but he wouldn’t release. Nash was white, holding on to the truck to keep to his feet.
    I dropped the gun, wrapped my arms around the Nightwalker’s middle, and hauled backward. At first it was like trying to move a huge boulder, but then the Nightwalker came away from Nash so suddenly that I fell, the Nightwalker landing on top of me like a wet rag. The Nightwalker keened, a sharp, piercing sound that rose to an inhuman note.
    The thing crawled off me, tearing at his lips, his hands sprouting claws that raked into his own face. Nash gasped for breath, his hand clamped to his bloody neck, watching with a stunned look.
    The Nightwalker, still screaming, fell apart, collapsed into steaming, stinking pieces of flesh and gore, black blood making a river in the sand. His face went last, his scream dying into a gurgle as his flesh melted into a mess of blood and veins.
    Bile bubbled in my throat, and I scrambled to my feet and lunged for the truck. I heard Nash behind me, his soft, “Janet, what the fuck?”
    “You killed it,” I panted.
    “ I killed it? How, by standing there letting it suck me dry?”
    “Can we talk about it later? We need to get the hell out of here.”
    I yanked open the door, but Nash’s heavy hand landed on my shoulder. “Easy, Janet. Take it easy. We drive away slowly and don’t attract attention.”
    I ground my teeth, furious that he could be so calm. I knew he was right, but my panic wanted me to dive into the truck, start it up, and peel out of there.
    I made myself