No Man's Land Read Online Free PDF Page A

sofa. Underneath stretched a thick layer of dust and a crumpled packet of cigarettes. Where was she? No rooms in the casino had such shabby furnishings, let alone this level of uncleanliness. She tried to lift her head and thought better of it as everything started to blur again. Best to lay here a moment.
    Everything hurt worse than last time she was conscious, but at least she felt like she could think properly. The gentle stroking against her hair, the comforting whisper had disappeared, and she wondered if she had imagined it. Carefully, Kelly moved arms and legs. Her shoulders had been dislocated, but they were now back in their sockets and healing well, as was the broken arm. Four broken ribs, a broken hip, every finger broken, both legs broken, and some internal injuries. Everything healing slowly, but healing. She didn’t even want to think about her face. Or her fangs.
    Kelly pulled herself into a sitting position, reclining against the coffee table to take the pressure off her cracked hip. Nausea heaved her stomach upward, and the room swam before her, but after a few moments the pain dulled to a manageable level, and her vision cleared, allowing her to check out her surroundings.
    A trailer. They’d dumped her in a trailer, and not even a clean one by any standard. The hideous sofa was covered in floral upholstery that sagged in the middle, tufts of stuffing poked from randomly placed slashes, as if the former occupant had frequent violent battles with the cushions. The table to her left was equally battered, and the mismatched appliances in the kitchen looked like they had seen the hard end of a fist. Whoever the owner was, Kelly hoped he didn’t return before she managed to heal enough to defend herself.
    Where was she? One moment she’d been facing a painful death next to a dumpster, and the next she was inexplicably in a dilapidated trailer. The only bright spot in all this was that she hadn’t come to strapped into the torture chair. One encounter with that thing was enough, and as nasty as this place looked, it didn’t appear designed for pain.
    Nausea rose up again in her throat, and Kelly gagged — the action like a knife through her lungs. Every inch of her hurt, and her few moments of visual exploration were the most she could manage. She glanced toward the bedroom, knowing she’d never be able to manage the distance in her current condition. The bed was out of the question, but she couldn’t bring herself to just slump back down on the filthy floor. Bracing herself against the coming pain, Kelly dragged herself closer to the sofa and attempted to pull herself up. It was no use. Her bones just hadn’t healed enough yet.
    How long had it been since they’d dumped her here? How long had it been since she’d been beaten? Vampire healing prioritized itself by critical area, so damaged organs and essential bones would repair long before more cosmetic injuries, but she was New and wouldn’t heal as quickly as the older vampires would. Still, she did heal fast. More than a day? She was guessing it might be around thirty hours or so. Her head ached trying to think of these things, and the sofa was clearly out of reach. Giving up for the moment, she pulled the ugly cushions to the floor and rolled onto them, gratefully embracing the darkness.
    Kelly awoke this time to find the trailer pitch black. Eventually her night vision took over, outlining her surroundings in a brownish grey. The broken bones in her hands had knitted together, although they were stiff and puffy from lack of motion. She wiggled her fingers and heard them pop and creak in protest. Gingerly she rose to her feet and tested her limits.
    Everything critical except for her fangs had healed, but that didn’t mean she felt spry and ready to roll. Her chest throbbed with each breath, and every movement was slow and painful. She’d have bruises and cuts for a few more days at the very least, and the ones she was sporting were extensive.