Phoenix Contract: Part Three (Fallen Angel Watchers) Read Online Free PDF Page B

released her body and allowed it to fall to the ground. Shocked and shaken, Troy stared down at his bloody hands in blank horror, trying to understand what had happened.
    Katsue stepped out of the shadows and fired her gun again, emptying her weapon into the vampire’s head. Katsue’s gun was loaded with hollow point bullets, which inflicted a massive amount of damage, creating small entry wounds and gaping exit points.
    On the fifth shot the remnants of Cheryl’s skull exploded, sending a shower of bone and brain matter outward. Both Katsue and Troy ducked simultaneously, shielding their faces with their arms. The body was consumed from within, rapid decay reducing it to a small pile of ash and bone within seconds.
    “I can’t believe you could be so stupid!” Katsue exclaimed.
    “Why the hell did you do that?” Troy demanded, rounding on Katsue. “I had her.”
    “You did not,” Katsue retorted. “You were kissing it! Troy, get real. It’s the number one rule of hunting: don’t identify with them. They’re not people. They’re demons. And you sure as hell never let one get close enough to make intimate contact!”
    Troy’s jaw snapped shut with an audible crack of gnashing teeth. He glared, but had no reply. He shook his head hard, trying to free his mind of the cajoling spell that the bloodsucker had used to enthrall him.
    Katsue was right. He’d messed up. Calling it a she was a mistake. Cheryl had been nothing more than an animated corpse, a dead husk inhabited by a demon. The girl she’d once been was long gone. That sort of erroneous thinking had gotten more than one good Alastor killed.
    In the dark alley, Katsue fell silent, watching him with eyes full of recrimination. His partner had the sense not to harangue the subject to death, but he could sense her worry.
    “Fine, you’re right,” Troy admitted with a grudging grunt. “I’m sorry. It’s hard to spend an hour talking to one and then execute them.”
    “C’mon, let’s get out of here,” Katsue said, choosing to let the matter drop. “I just fired a gun. We shouldn’t linger in case the cops show up.” The discussion, for the moment, was over.
    A scraping noise from the far end of the alley made both of them stop and look. Tensing, they reached for their weapons. Background illumination made it possible to make out the shady outlines of objects. They weren’t blinded, but the setting wasn’t ideal for an unplanned confrontation.
    A man, clad in dark clothing, walked toward them. Even in the dim light, the shock of bleached blonde hair and the pale face made him instantly recognizable.
    “Thrash! Where the hell have you been, man?” Troy called out with a relieved grin. He released his hold on the gun in his pocket and moved toward his fellow Alastor.
    “What’s he doing here?” Katsue hissed. She held back, suspiciously keeping her hands on her weapons. “How’d he find us?”
    Good question. Determined to find the answer, Troy gave a little shake of his head. “Let’s see what he has to say,” Troy answered. They often frequented Starbucks while hunting. It wasn’t inconceivable that Thrash had tailed them from the coffee shop.
    “Father Matthew and Professor Leromenos have had us searching high and low for you,” Troy continued, sizing Thrash up as he approached.
    The other man’s movements were relaxed and lolloping, a lazy glide. His hands were open and empty, dangling at his sides. “I’ve been busy,” Thrash answered, voice just loud enough to carry. “Why, what’s the fuss? Can’t a fellow take a little R&R without you guys going ‘In Search Of’ on my ass?” He gave an easy laugh.
    “What was so important that you disappeared for weeks on end without a word to anyone?” Troy asked as they came to a halt about three feet apart, facing one another like dueling fun fighters.
    “It’s a long story, but to sum up, I bought an antique sword from Xavier’s, and it wound up being more trouble than I’d