The Barn was painted black and made up of old redwood. The grass around it was still dead from all the snowing just a few weeks before, meaning it was all yellow and brown. There was an old tractor out front with a sign on it that said,
Silver Saloon.
Rooney gave the secret knock. One big knock, two smaller knocks and then kicked the door with her silver-tipped boots.
“Come on it!” A gruff man voice said.
All three walked in and Bex was both in awe and in complete terror.
On the ceiling were hanging racks for the weapons to hook on to, each rack was filled to the brim with swords and stakes and all sorts of silver-plated items. A hundred items at the least. On the wall by the back was a rope made out of fangs. It stretched along the whole back wall and all around the barn until it reached the front door. Hundreds of fangs and she had a feeling she knew where they had come from.
Metalworking stuff was everywhere, from welding to forging, all sorts of tools and things Bex had never seen before. What really did it though was the craved in names on the wall. Vampire monikers some crossed out, some not. The Red Widow was not yet crossed out.
Bex clung tighter to Joan and this time it had nothing to do with Rooney.
“What brings you, ladies, in here?” The man said as he pounded away on what looked to be some type of silver shield.
“I called about the order for our guild,” Joan said.
“And your name is?”
“Joan, Joan Miller.”
“Ah! Norman’s daughter. Where is the old man, haven’t seen him in a while.”
“He’s… dead.” Joan said.
The man stopped pounding away on the shield.
“What!? When, how?”
“Before Christmas, vampires.”
“Damn those blood-sucking demons!” He shouted and threw the shield he was working on across the shop. It crashed into a pile of metal and caused it to fall over with loud crashing sounds.
Bex flinched.
“Damn it. Why does it always have to be the good guys? Why!? Did you kill it, did you kill the disgusting parasite?”
“One of them.” Rooney supplied.
“Good, the sooner the world is rid of those monsters the better.”
Bex wanted to point out how not all vampires are monster but her fear made her keep her mouth shut. She was out of her element and she knew it.
“What’s all the ruckus, Yancy?” A man walked in from out back, his hands were covered in blood and Bex squeezed Joan’s hand, but Joan pulled away from her completely.
“Those leeches got Norman man; he’s gone,” Yancy said.
“No shit?”
“Almost got my brother too,” Joan added.
“Son of a bitch, we can’t kill these fuckers fast enough.” The new man slammed his fist down on a back table and when he did so two fangs popped out of his clenched fist.
Bex’s eyes stay glued on the fresh and bloody fangs.
“You said you had our first order ready?” Rooney asked.
“Yeah, here let us help you load it up. When you kill ‘em, make sure you get me their fangs, you know I love adding to my collection.”
“Will do.” Rooney smiled.
“Who’s the little lady shaking in her shoes.” The man who was covered in blood asked.
“Oh uh, she’s new.” Joan quickly supplied.
“Is she now?” Yancy got up from his chair.
Yancy was a very big overweight man. Long scraggly black beard and a big bulbous nose. He had what Bex would call, the crazy eyes. Not to mention how rotted his teeth looked. Bex backed up with each step he took and eventually backed into the wall, where her back touched the rope of fangs.
Her heart raced and she felt sick to her stomach.
“Now, why would a newbie be shaking in their shoes so much, any idea Bruiser?” Yancy asked.
“None what’s so ever Yancy.”
Bex looked to Joan in panic but Yancy quickly stepped in the way of her view.
Yancy sniffed in the air in front of Bex and then smiled at her as he stood over her, his shadow completely blocking out the light.
“Do I smell a rat?” he said.
Bex’s eyes watered as Bruiser came closer as well, blood dripping off his gloves. She could feel a panic attack coming on.
“She’s just new!” Joan repeated.
“Well, you know how we love to test out the newbies.” Yancy smiled showing all of his rotting teeth.
Bex screamed when Yancy grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out back.
“Rebecca! Don’t fight it!’ Joan called and chased after her.
“Joan!” Bex cried out.
“Just do what they say,” Rooney warned.
“Well newbie, how about you get in your first kill, look we made it easy for ya.” They shoved Bex into a shed out back where a vampire was missing their lower jaw and fangs. They were tied up with strong silver laced rope which burned their skin with each passing second.
Bex locked eyes with the young vampire girl, maybe around 19, 20ish. The girl let out a gurgled cry and her eyes pleaded with Bex.
Bex gagged out loud and nearly vomited.
Yancy and Bruiser gave loud boisterous laughter.
“Damn, the girl might not be cut out for this.” Yancy laughed.
“Well that’s just too bad, she’s seen too much now.” Bruiser grabbed a big ax covered in blood and forced Bex forward before slapping it into her hands.
Bex looked at the ax. Her hands shook so hard that the ax wobbled in the air.
“Come on, leave her alone, she’s not ready.” Joan tried.
“No way, every slayer has to face their first kill.” Yancy blocked Joan from going to Bex.
Even Rooney had to look away as her stomach turned.
“What the hell is wrong with you people!?” Bex cried.
Bex ran in and instead of killing the vampire, she cut her free.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Bex no!” Joan warned.
“Go get out of here!” Bex went to the girl, dropping the ax on the floor.
“What a little bitch!” Bruiser picked up the ax.
The vampire stumbled to her feet but she was far too weak to escape she only took two steps before a loud whoosh sound greeted Bex’s ear and Bex had to watch as Bruiser finished her off. Yancy grabbed Bex by her hair and slammed her into the wall.
“You are gonna pay for that.” He spat.
Bex whimpered and shook in place.
“Let her go,” Joan ordered.
“Shut up, it’s personal now,” Yancy said.
“I told you it was a bad idea to bring her,” Rooney said.
“Joan…” Bex sobbed.
“Joan ain’t gonna help you, little girl. You got to pay the price now, so you never forget this day.”
Bruiser grabbed Bex’s arm and pulled out a silver blade from his knife holster. It was a wavy jagged blade and it was clean, so much so that Bex could see her own terrified reflection.
“Lyssa!” Bex closed her eyes and screamed at the top of her lungs.
“What did you just say?” Yancy asked.
“Bex no!” Joan said.
But it was too late.
Before anyone could do anything else Lyssa ran in and punched Yancy so hard he flew back and crushed the chair that the vampire had been sitting in. Lyssa grabbed Bruiser and slammed him to the ground so hard Bex could feel it rumbled beneath her feet.
“Are you okay?” Lyssa ran to Bex.
Bex threw herself in Lyssa’s arms and cried at the top of her lungs.
“You need to get out of here, now!” Joan shouted.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Yancy grunted, then he pulled a gun out of its holster and shot it so that a bullet landed right at the base of Lyssa’s spine.
Bex watched in horror as Lyssa crumbled to the floor and Yancy and Bruiser got back to their feet.
A new dread came over Bex as she realized what she had done. She had led Lyssa right into a trap, a hell hole specifically designed to kill and torcher vampires.
Vampires like the red widow.
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