Hunting Jessica Read online

  Hunting Jessica

  Into the Shadows

  Book 1

  By

  Elizabeth St.John

  Copyright © 2017

  Published in the United States 2017 by Elizabeth St.John

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved in all media. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This eBook may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  SMASHWORDS EDITION 2017

  ISBN: 9781370889754

  Title: Hunting Jessica, Book 1

  Author: Elizabeth St.John

  Publisher: Smashwords, Inc.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  “There is no doubt that something vicious is roaming my small town in northern Oklahoma. I will find the answers to these savage attacks.”

  -Jessica

  ~FOR MOM~

  CHAPTER

  1

  I never wanted to live in small-town America, but I have grown to love it. It has given me the freedom to appreciate my seclusion. I live in a small Oklahoma town called Devils Bend, located a short ten miles from the Kansas state line and named after a creek which flows through its borders.

  When I moved into my new home several years ago, I picked up a little hobby. My gardens are of substantial size with my favorite flower. Roses. I have every color imaginable. The sweet scent permeates my home in the Spring. I love to watch things grow.

  The town I live in doesn’t have much. Only a couple of gas stations, two eagerly vacant hotels, and one burger place with mediocre tasting food. With a population of no more than a thousand, I would go so far as to say the cemetery hosts more people. Though it may be imperfect, and limited on amenities, I love it.

  We also have the random vampire. Yes, I said vampire. The first murder in town shook everyone to the core. The local newspaper read a man, a thirty-two-year-old resident, was walking home from a friend’s house at sundown. He was found the following day behind Hank’s Hardware with his throat ripped out. His body was completely drained of blood. There was no evidence of it at the scene, convincing the police the victim had been killed at another location.

  People even thought it was some sort of animal attack. I was oblivious at the time, but now on my nights off, my dog Tank and I have our asses locked in the house twenty minutes before dusk. There was no truth behind the old stories of vampires needing an invitation, which was why I kept my nine-millimeter Beretta loaded at all times. A silver hollow-point bullet may not kill them, but it gives me time to get away or eliminate it. Stakes to the heart and garlic are also myths. The only way to kill a vampire is to sever the head from the body and burning them. If they are not put down properly, they will regenerate.

  I’m a vampire hunter. Never did I think I would be killing the undead for a living, but it was the hand I was dealt. Three years ago, before I knew real vampires existed, I was attacked while walking home from my job at a local bar.

  A woman approached me from behind, wrapped her arms around me, and I did the only thing which came to mind. I used a hip toss my brother had shown me years before. Though she was knocked off of me, it didn’t stop her attack. She was crazed and lunged at me again. When she grabbed my shoulders, I punched her in the nose. She stumbled and blood dripped down into her mouth. When she looked at me, all the blood drained from my face and a chill rolled over me. I had never seen anything like her before. Her eyes were an eerie yellow. When she snarled, I caught a glimpse of her fangs. Before I could process the sight before me, she knocked me to the ground. I had to use all of my strength to hold her off as she attempted to bite me. My arms grew tired and my cries for help went unnoticed. My savior, and now boss Jay, pulled her off. As I gained my bearings, I watched as he snapped her neck with ease. Fear shot through me again when I saw the knife he used to cut her head clean off. My stomach flipped and my mind was confused.

  “Are you alright?” His hand was gripping the handle of the knife as he approached me. Fear held my tongue. I began to wonder if I would meet the same fate. “Were you bitten?”

  “Don’t kill me, please,” I begged, trying to get to my feet and run.

  “Were you bitten?” His voice was a demanding growl as he grew closer.

  “Nnn…,” I stumbled over my tongue. “No, I wasn’t.”

  He sighed in relief and slid the bloody knife into the sheath on his hip, “Good.”

  “You cut her head off.”

  He smiled, “I did. Are you alright?” He reached his hand out to me. I was reluctant to take it, at first, but his kind blue eyes gave me comfort.

  “I think so.”

  He helped me up off the ground. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the headless woman only feet away.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Jessica.”

  With my hand still in his, he shook it slightly, “Hello, Jessica. I’m Jay. May I escort you home?”

  “Um,” I bit the inside of my cheek, contemplating.

  “I promise, I’m not a crazed killer.”

  After he covered the body of the vampire with trash from the alley, we walked toward my home. He explained everything. I was in shock and had a difficult time processing what had happened. I thought it was a joke when he offered me a job.”

  “Hunting vampires?”

  “Absolutely. I think you have what it takes,” he replied as we stopped in front of my Victorian home.

  “You think I can hunt vampires? I’m not even sure I believe all this.”

  “What don’t you believe? You were just attacked by a vampire. What other evidence do you need?” He paused. “Look, Jessica. You may look like a tiny, defenseless woman, but I believe there is something hidden inside you. I know with everything inside me, you have what it takes to do this.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Here, take this.” He handed me a business card. “Think it over.”

  The following morning, I was convinced I had dreamt the entire thing until I found his business card on my kitchen table.

  It read: Jason Johnston, T&J Exterminations. The number was on the back.

  Wanting answers, I called the number and he validated everything from the night before. He guaranteed me way more money than the old bar provided. Plus, I was intrigued to find out what mysteries the world held.

  That night, we met at his place of business. He worked with me on my fighting skills and shooting ability. We were both surprised at how I took to the weight and feel of the gun in my hand. After my first shot was fired, I was hooked. Jay said I was a natural. It took months before I was ready for my first job.

  Before I was completely awake, and before I could consume my favorite coffee, my cell phone rang. It was Jay. I was exhausted from the hunt the night before and needed a day o
ff, but I swiped my thumb against the screen.

  “Hello.”

  “Jessica?”

  Who else would it be? “Yes.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  I touched the bump on my head. It was tender but the swelling had gone down substantially. We had hunted an old abandoned silver mine. During a scuffle with a male vampire, I gained a sensitive bump on my head. “Tired, but good.”

  “Good. Meet me at The High School in fifteen minutes.”

  I heard a click on the other end of the line. With Jay, everything was short and sweet. I reluctantly headed up the stairs and got ready for the night. The stairs may have been refurbished but they still creaked with every step I took. My room is off the top of the stairs and big enough to hold a king size canopy bed with lace curtains to hide me from the world. On one wall sat my vanity with a big mirror. There was also a dresser and an entertainment center which held my 40inch flat screen TV. I’m not much of a reader but I do enjoy a good movie. I had hundreds of movies in the book shelf next to the television.

  The window seat was my favorite spot. The large double windows looked out over my rose garden. In the Spring, I open those windows and listen to the bird’s sing. The wonderful scent of my garden perfumes my room. It was late December and too cold outside to do that now. From my closet, I fished out my hunting apparel.

  The master bathroom was large enough but it also was joined with the next room. It was a good thing I didn’t have many house guests, though I did have a full-size bed and chest of drawers in there. I even thought about turning it into a workout room, but never got to it. Plus, I did most of my workouts and training at my place of employment. I kept the door leading to the other bedroom locked. It made me feel more secure.

  I removed my robe and hung it up on the hook on the back of the bathroom door. I examined myself in the mirror. I’m not what you would call tall, being only five-foot-two, some people would consider me short. My body is slim, though I do have thick thighs and hips. My breasts are more than a handful but not perky. Average size in a C-cup bra. I’m not perfect. My skin isn’t as soft as I would like it, and my feet get rough. In the summer, I got a nice tan if I wanted to burn the hell out of my alabaster skin to do so. Fun-in-the-sun was not for me.

  I carefully pulled my long red hair up into a loose ponytail. The bump was proving to be a problem while attempting to control my curls. During my childhood, I was always the one to stand out in the family photos, though I resembled my brother the most. He was tall with dark brown hair and dark green eyes. When I was ten years old, I asked my mother why I was so different. She then told me something that changed my mindset on life. I was adopted. My parents would always be my parents, but I always wondered who I truly was.

  Sometimes, when it’s quiet, which was most days, I have a minute to myself to think. I do wonder who those people were and why they didn’t want me. Did I resemble my birth parents? Maybe I got my hair, body structure, and full lips from my mother. Was my father the tall dark and handsome type? Maybe I shared my jade-green eyes with him. I would probably never know.

  I dressed quickly. Dark jeans, black tank top, combat boots, fingerless gloves, and a heavy brown leather jacket completed my outfit. I put my earbuds in and listened to a heavy metal music beat, preparing for my night ahead. Music was a powerful tool for me.

  To complete the ensemble, I put on every ounce of silver jewelry I owned. I was never a fan of gold. I grabbed my gun from under my pillow and my vampire extermination equipment. Extra ammo and silver blade knives were kept in a small backpack. It was heavy but if it saved my ass, I would carry it for days.

  “I’ll be back, Tank,” I announced to my dog who came trotting up to me at my back door. I knelt to pet him. “Watch the house.” He nestled his large head in my hands and licked my face.

  I headed out of my back door in the direction of the high school. I didn’t drive unless I was going out of town, pointless really in a town so small. The school was only a couple of blocks from my house. When I reached my destination, the lights which illuminated the field for night games weren’t on. I spotted my boss, but he wasn’t alone. I thought it would be he and I again but there was another man with us. My excitement grew when I realized who it was. His name was Gage, aka, Mr. Sexy Pants. He was a big guy, six-foot-four-inches tall with long dark brown hair always tied at the nape of his neck. His eyes, a pretty stormy gray and lashes a girl like me would kill for. Wide shoulders and the thickest arms I have ever seen on a man. His skin was a light tan color. Native American Heritage ran through his veins. Slap some tanned leather on him and he would fit into any native tribe in the county. Extremely attractive and yes, I would like to take him to my bed for a little romp.

  Gage was somewhat complicated though. He tended to keep his personal life secret. Other than the fact I found him sexy and he hunted vampires for money, I knew nothing about him. In the last three years, I have only worked with him a couple dozen times. For someone who was supposed to work full-time, he was rarely seen on the job. Gage was a great hunter, but I sometimes wonder why Jay didn’t fire him. Of course, if he did that, I would have a loss of eye-candy.

  My boss was also a good-looking man. When I met him, his hair was dark brown but was now salt and pepper around his temples. His face had aged as well but didn’t take away from his distinguished features. His skin was also tan which set off his blue eyes. He was the first to address me, “Great. You made it.”

  “What’s on the menu for tonight?” I teased as I glanced at Gage. He smiled at me, causing heat to reach my cheeks. Jay explained how he had a report of some possible activity in the next county.

  “Could be nothing, but I want you and Gage to check into it,” he stated as he glanced at his phone.

  “Are you not coming?” The thought of being alone with my crush excited me and made me nervous at the same time.

  “I have some other things to attend to.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Gage stated deeply and winked at me.

  “Jessica is fully capable. I doubt she will need any protection,” Jay stated curtly and walked away from us. “Just the same, call me if you need me,” he called over his shoulder as he got into his white Ford pickup with a T&J logo on the side.

  “I guess it’s you and me, hotness.” Gage was a huge flirt but I didn’t mind it. He rarely called me by name. Being single, I didn’t mind the use of pet names. It made me feel special.

  “I guess so.”

  We walked over to his black truck and I opened the door. Empty soda bottles and fast-food bags toppled out onto the school parking lot. I glanced at him and he was clearly embarrassed by what happened.

  “Sorry bout’ that.”

  “It’s alright. I got it.” I picked up the trash and without anywhere to put it, I simply tossed it back into the floorboard of the truck. I used my left foot to hold it in as I lifted my short frame into the tall vehicle. It was a good thing his truck came equip with running boards. It seemed as if he lived in this truck. I wanted to question him about it, but left it alone, for now. Surprisingly, it didn’t smell like the dumpster it seemed. The scent of his sweet cologne lingered in the air.

  “Ready?” I enjoyed it, but as his eyes danced across my face and body, I couldn’t help but feel like a piece of meat. It gave me an uneasy feeling that maybe we shouldn’t be alone together. I may attack him and have my wicked way.

  CHAPTER

  2

  The sun had faded and darkness swallowed everything. It’s dark in the country, no street lights and quiet as hell, comforting really. The painted lines on the paved highway fade away as we turned onto a bumpy dirt road. My mind, as well as my eyes, had time to wonder. I began to scan Gage, trying not to be obvious. I hadn’t been in a relationship for so long, it was hard for me to push down the desire I felt for him in that moment. I wanted to think about the job we had to do, but all I could imagine was having his entire body entangled with mine. I needed to s
nap myself out of it.

  “What exactly are we going out here for?”

  “The land owner has had some issues with their cattle.”

  “Cattle? Seriously?”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders, “It may be ridiculous but Jay says it’s a lead.”

  He may sign my paycheck but I couldn’t believe he had me out in the dead of night checking on cows. “What exactly are we out here for?”

  “Suspicious slaughters,” he said deeply and turned slowly onto another even bumpier road.

  “Again?”

  There had been several strange reports in the papers over the years. Livestock and even pets had been found mangled. They never published photos but I had an active imagination. With every pothole Gage hit, I bumped in my seat, causing me to brace myself.

  “It may be something, it may not.”

  “How many cows are we talking about?”

  “About a dozen have been killed. All have been mutilated.”

  “How so?”

  “All the animals have been found with their throats ripped out.”

  My mind drifted to the man who was found behind the hardware store a couple years ago. It wasn’t exactly typical behavior for a vampire. Over the years, I have seen some pretty gruesome sights. Some people were so viciously attacked and discovered in some questionable conditions. You would think small country towns would be safe, but you couldn’t be more wrong. You never know what lingers in the shadows.

  “Why would vampires attack cattle?”

  “Not sure, but at least we finally get to hang out.” He looked at me and winked. I was trying to focus and figure things out about this job, but it was going to be hard to address the client with a full-on blush.

  The little farm house was quiet. The front porch was illuminated with a yellow light and holly bushes surrounding it. The porch had window boxes full of fake flowers. I hopped down out of the truck, careful to keep the garbage from falling out again. I couldn’t hear anything. No animals, no bugs, nothing. It was unnerving at best. With Gage standing behind me, I knocked on the door. After several minutes, an elderly woman opened it slowly.