Golden Bullet

By Jenna Webster

Below where most residents and visitors of New York City dare to tread, far below the streets, beneath the bustling New York City’s subway live people most do not choose to see. There under the screaming subway Samantha spends her days huddled close to her older brother Sebastian with the rest of New York’s forgotten and unseen.

Samantha and Sebastian know as bad as it is living beneath the subway there are much worse fates for them than being unseen and forgotten. For Samantha and Sebastian their fears are not the rats that crawl beneath their ragged covers or the deadly games of dominance played by those living beneath the subway for them the true danger lies in being noticed and remembered.

Samantha tells her story of being pulled violently from one terrifying world into another. Her tale does not begin with a painfully empty stomach and poorly chosen pocket but this is when she and Sebastian will be noticed and remembered by a pair of vampire brothers.

A case of mistaken identity and a dropped ribbon will lead to tragedy for young Samantha.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jenna Webster
• Release date: Sep 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301825233

Jenna Webster

I live near Austin, TX with my husband and our little fluffy yippy dog, Sasha. I love to laugh and enjoy a good joke and I even enjoy bad jokes. I have been a long time fan of 9GAG and it is one of my favorite time wasters. I also enjoy watching documentaries, reality TV is something I can and at times do enjoy if there is more substance than drama.I have recently opened new Twitter and Facebook accounts. You are welcome to come say hi to me on Twitter or Facebook or e-mail me at [e-mail], please make my day by sharing me a funny joke with me.

Book preview

Golden Bullet

By Jenna B. Webster

Book 01: Blood and Wings

Copyright 2014 Jenna B. Webster

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Chapter 01

Run, Sammy, run! Sebastian yelled as he tried to twist his arm out of the of the very large man’s grip. He was being dragged into the alley where I was hiding.

No, Sebastian! I screamed out in panic. Instead of running away as Sebastian had told me to do I ran toward him and the very large man holding onto him. My no, was in denial of his order as well as the thought of losing Sebastian.

In my rush to help and save Sebastian I forgotten the large man holding onto Sebastian had another very large man with him. My eyes and thoughts were only for Sebastian and not losing him. I was quickly reminded of the large man’s friend as a hand closed over my wrist. He pulled me roughly and quickly off my feet jerking my arm painfully. The second man tore the knife from my hand and tossed it clattering to the ground.

I cried, screamed and struggled all the while calling and reaching for Sebastian with my left arm and hand because the second man was still holding me up off the ground by my right wrist. My vision narrowed only to Sebastian’s face as I struggled and cried in terror trying to get to him. Even through the blur of my tears I could see Sebastian’s green eyes rim in red as he roared out my name. I cried out for him again and used every bit of my strength to get to Sebastian.

As I flailed wildly for Sebastian kicking and struggling to get away from the man holding onto my wrist I felt a pop in my shoulder and I screamed out as pain was added to my panic and terror. Even with the horrible the pain I struggled against the hold the second man had on my wrist and the only word I spoke was Sebastian’s name.

Finally, finally Sebastian’s face got closer until he tore me from the hands holding me away from him. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and I clung to him and cried in great gasping sobs for what seemed to me to be a long time. My right arm wouldn’t work properly but my left was working okay and while I continued to weep in pain and terror I used my left hand to try to reach for our special knife inside his jacket pocket. I was sure I could still help him be free of the first man and we could get away.

Sebastian moved his hand over mine and whispered, Not yet Sammy. Then he moved my left arm back around his neck, patted my back and kissed my cheek.

I sniffled as I wrapped my arms even tighter around his neck even though my right arm still hurt. I choked out in a whisper, But I am not hungry anymore. Thinking maybe he was staying so he could get me something to eat.

The second man, the one who had grabbed onto me, crouched down so he was eye level with me. He captured my gaze and asked very softly, Does Sebastian feed and take care of you?

I tried not to answer him but it hurt my head until I said, Yes, in a strange voice that did not feel or sound like my own to me.

Do you have a mother or father who helps Sebastian take care of you? The second man asked in the same soft tone he had used before.

It hurt me again when I tried not to answer. Even through the strangeness and pain I knew I was not supposed to ever answer that question. But finally I gasped out, No, on a half sob and the pain in my head went away almost like a switch had been flipped.

Leave my brother alone. Sebastian snarled angrily as he moved his hand over my eyes. He moved my face so it was buried into his neck. He used a much nicer tone as he whispered, Don’t look at him or talk to him.

It hurt lots. I am so many very sorries, Sebastian. I wept as I burrowed my face even deeper into his neck. I had not liked the feeling of not being myself I had, had when I was talking before.

I know, it is not your fault, it is the bad man’s. Sebastian whispered softly into my ear as he gently pet my hair.

The second man said something in a language I did not understand or even recognize but it scared me and I cringed into Sebastian worried we were going to be hurt or even more frightening not be me again. The two men sounded angry like they were arguing with one another. Then miraculously after what seemed to be a long while Sebastian’s body jerked and both his arms were tightly around me. Sebastian began running to a pile of boxes and when he got to them he quickly clambered up them.

I was frightened but not nearly as much as I had been only moments before. Us needing to get away fast from bad people had happened other times. I knew what my job was supposed to be when we had to run away from bad people. I was to look behind us and tell Sebastian if something bad changed. I could not see the first man but the second chased after us until Sebastian leapt from the boxes up onto the fire escape.

The second man stopped just looking up at us, I was sure he was not nearly as awesome as Sebastian and couldn’t make the leap to the fire escape. I stuck out my tongue at the man in smug triumph sure Sebastian had secured our escape and safety once again. The man shook his head twice just before Sebastian skidded to a stop. I whipped my head around to see why. The first man was at the top of the building coming down toward us.

Sebastian whispered for me to hold onto him tightly. Then he vaulted over the rail onto a narrow window ledge. He teetered for a moment then regained his balance and pressed my back against the window. He took our special knife out of his pocket gripped it in his fist and hit at the window with the hilt of the knife. The window cracked but did not break; he reared his fist back again to hit it again.

On the second hit the window shattered and as it did I cried out a warning. The man was coming toward us too fast down the fire escape and the other man from the bottom was coming up too. Sebastian jumped inside the large dark office. He stumbled forward for a few steps before he began running toward the room’s only door.

Sebastian was working on the second of the three locks as the first man seemed to fly in through the window. Then within a space of one of my fast heartbeats the second man was also through the window. I yelled out a warning that they were inside the room as I let go of his neck to pick up and throw the things on the table beside the door. I threw a glass bowl and stapler before Sebastian had us through the door. I held onto the small knife I had been about to throw and kept it clutched in my hand just in case we couldn’t get away.

The men were catching up to us. Sebastian was very fast but they were just a little bit faster. Sebastian got to another door opened it set me onto my feet on the landing of stairs and told me to run home. He turned around and pulled the door closed with us on separate sides. Instead of running as he told me to do I pulled at the door but it would not budge because it was locked from the other side.

I heard Sebastian yelling for me to run again. I cried as I yelled out no and pulled harder at the door separating us. After what seemed like an eternity of listening to Sebastian yelling at me to run the door finally opened. I rushed head long through the opening door and I crashed into the second man. I yelled out my denial and tried to stab him with the knife I had found in the office.

The knife was not sharp enough to even make it through the man’s coat. He pulled the knife out of my hand by the blade and tossed it to the floor as he picked me up off my feet. He captured my eyes with his and told me to stop fighting him. He said he was not going to hurt me or Sebastian and he didn’t want me to hurt myself either.

I kept struggling anyway trying with all my being to get away. Every time I moved to get away it hurt me more but I wanted to get to Sebastian more than I wanted the pain to stop. The man bent his head to my neck and there was a stinging and darkness that wanted to drag me down into it. I struggled and cried out for Sebastian until I was plunged into the darkness.

I woke scared and confused. I kept my eyes closed as I sniffled and cried out pitifully for Sebastian. At first I thought I had, had another bad dream. Sebastian was already holding onto me like he almost always was after one of my bad dreams. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and buried my face into his neck. As Sebastian hugged me tighter to him and patted my back, I stopped crying and whispered I had, had a bad scary dream about being captured by very bad men who had tried to take him away from me.

It was when I was sniffling again that I noticed the smell, it was not right. It smelled like soap and flowers. That smell meant danger, I could only remember one other time I had woken up to that smell and it had been the night of the chopping and burning. I lifted my head from Sebastian’s shoulder only long enough to see we were somewhere with clean painted walls and big shining furniture. The two men from the alley were inside the room with us the first one was leaning against the door and the second one was sitting on a chair across from me and Sebastian.

The only time and place I could remember anything like it terrified me to think that maybe it would be Sebastian to be chopped up and burned and I would be left alone. I whimpered out Sebastian’s name as I burrowed my face back into his neck and begged him not to die without me. Sebastian kissed the top of me head as he gave me the promise he always did after my bad dreams and promised me he wasn’t going to leave me not even to die.

Sebastian asked me in a whisper if I was hurting anywhere. My right shoulder hurt a little but it was working alright. Just as I was about to say so my stomach tightened and made very loud grumbling hungry noises it had been making since I had fallen asleep the day before. I had cried and Sebastian had looked not carefully enough for a pocket to pick to get me something to eat.

I am sorry I got hungry and cried. I whispered softly having been reminded how we had ended up being caught by the bad men.

Sebastian shook his head, Not your fault, Sammy. Then he put his hand beneath my chin and prompted gently, Who makes bad people do bad things?

Bad people, not me, I answered just as softly giving him the answer he had taught me to say. I sucked in a breath and began, But, Sebastian.

No, Sammy, we aren’t playing the, but Sebastian game right now. Sebastian interrupted shaking his head. He laid his finger lightly on my lips and whispered, Hush, for now we will talk later when we are alone.

There was a lot more I wanted to say but I bit my bottom lip and nodded knowing he did not ever tell me to hush unless it was really important for our safety that I didn’t say anything. I laid my head back down onto his shoulder and hugged myself closer still feeling bad I had gotten us caught because my stomach had hurt and I had cried about it.

Sebastian, do you know how to read? The second man from the alley asked in almost a whisper.

Yes, Sebastian answered almost just as quietly as the man.

Here, the second man said. There was a thumping sound that made me jump and cling tighter to Sebastian. The man spoke again, Pick something from the menu for yourself and your brother.

Sebastian waited a long time using his thinking face before he leaned over slowly and picked up the menu from the table beside the chair we were in. I turned and looked with him and found one of the few words I could read and pointed to it and looked up at him with fearful hope. Maybe it wouldn’t be bad and neither of us would be chopped up and burned or hurt in anyway.

If he means it yes, you may have pancakes. Sebastian answered in a soft whisper. Then he pointed to another word I knew, What does this say?

I studied and squinted at the word to make sure I knew the word before I looked back up at Sebastian and answered, Milk?

Sebastian nodded and smiled letting me know I was right before he said, Exactly right, good job. Now if you are going to have pancakes what should I have?

Um, eggs? I asked as I found and pointed to the word on the menu.

Just eggs? Sebastian asked in his try again way.

But, but Sebastian I can’t read omelet it is too long and there are always lots of words that are with it. I answered in my extra sad pitiful voice.

Sebastian moved my finger across the page and helped me read the word omelet and western. They were hard words to read and I didn’t see them a lot so I forgot how to read them. After I read the words twice, Sebastian gave me much deserved praise for doing it. He reminded me I wasn’t going to speak to either of the men we were in the room with. Then he did talk to the man on the chair saying if he truly meant to feed us, then pancakes and milk for me and omelet and orange juice for him.

You forgot to say please and thank you. I whispered into Sebastian’s ear. Sometimes he needed to be reminded about being nice to other people.

It is somewhat reassuring manners are not a completely foreign concept to the pair. The man at the door said in a mad tired sounding voice.

I am thinking the younger can afford manners because the elder ensures he is well protected. The man on the couch answered with a smile. Then he paused for a moment looked at Sebastian and said, Yes, Sebastian we will see both you and your brother fed. Is it Samuel?

Sammy, just Sammy, Sebastian answered softly. He looked down at me, sighed heavily before he looked back up and said, Thank you, sir.

You are welcome, Sebastian. As I said before, I am Yuri and this is my brother Mikhail. The man on the couch said very softly and almost nicely. Then he lifted his brows as he said, The sun has risen. I know it is not safe for you to be outside in it. Does your brother have the same condition?

I nodded before I remembered I wasn’t supposed to be talking to either man. The menu had made me feel a little safe and hopeful. I bit my lip and looked at Sebastian and whispered, Sorry.

Sebastian hugged me a little tighter as he said, It’s alright. He then looked up nodded once and said, Yes, Sammy gets hurt in the sun too.

Mikhail, the one leaning on the door sighed once before he said, I will call the food order to be delivered. You see your strays are cleaned enough to eat.

Yuri, the one sitting on the couch nodded, smiling wide as he said, Thank you, to Mikhail. He waved Sebastian up, Come I will take you two to the washroom and see at least your hands and faces cleaned. I will keep five feet away as long as neither of you run or try to reach for anything other than the soap and washcloths.

Sebastian sighed big, nodded not looking or sounding happy as he said, Okay. He tightened his arms around me and whispered, Don’t let go. He waited until I made my arms as tight as I could around his neck before he stood.

I clung to Sebastian’s neck and wrapped my legs around him as soon as he was standing all the way. Sebastian carried me out of the room following Mikhail with Yuri walking behind us. I watched Yuri very carefully to my relief he did not get too close. Yuri smiled and waved his fingers at me. I was not certain if I should be smiling back. Finally I reasoned Sebastian was letting him get me pancakes and that meant I could wave back to Yuri and I did.

Sebastian walked me into the biggest one person bathroom I had could ever remember being in. He set me down on the counter right by the sink. Yuri leaned against the open doorway. Sebastian turned on the water and picked up the bar of soap and cloth next to the sink. He told me to close my eyes tightly. I scrunched my eyes closed knowing I did not want the soap in my eyes.

As Sebastian scrubbed my face and the water ran and slashed into the sink I began squirming. It had been only a little thing before but it became a lot more pressing. I crossed my legs and began fidgeting even more knowing I didn’t want the soap in my mouth any more than I wanted it in my eyes. I made high almost puppy sounding whimpering noises letting him know I had a problem and he needed to hurry so I could say so.

Oh, Sammy not now, please Sammy hold it. Sebastian said in his begging tone. I crossed my legs tighter, scrunched my eyes tighter. I made a low whimpering noise and nodded even though I was certain I wouldn’t be able to do what he was asking of me. Sebastian began rinsing my face as he asked really softly, Sammy won’t pick up anything if I tell him not to. Will you let him alone in here to use the toilet?

Please, say please, I begged as I began to bounce trying to hold it.

No, Mikhail called out in a really mean voice from the other room.

This is not a ploy. Yuri said.

That little hellion stabbed you with a letter opener, no. He was told on several occasions to run by his elder brother. We all have seen how well he followed directions then. Mikhail responded in the same mean tone he had used before.

Sebastian, ask them please, say please, please, Sebastian. I begged as I felt tears leaking out of my eyes but still sure he could fix everything for us.

Sebastian sighed heavily, then looked over at the door as he softly asked, Yuri please allow Sammy to use the toilet alone. He wiped the tears off my cheeks as he said, I will search him when he is done and give you anything he has picked up if he doesn’t listen.

Chapter 02

No, I do not want your brother hurting himself or anyone else. I am sorry. Yuri said sounding sorry.

Please, he said please, please nice people listen to please. Please be nice, please. I wept out, tears beginning to blur my vision even more. Even with the unbelievable need pressing on me it was the one rule I never broke or forgot. Sebastian reminded me of the rule every night before we went out to be sure I would not forget.

Nice children do not try to stab nice people. Go to the toilet and use it. Mikhail said in a very mean tone from the doorway.

No, no, no, no, I cried out and hugged my knees up to my chest. I pressed my face into my knees as I began rocking trying so very hard to stop needing to pee.

Sebastian hugged me to him and picked me up off the counter. He began carrying me as he whispered, It will be okay Sammy. We will use your shirt to cover you while you sit and pee. It will be okay.

Okay? I whimpered relieved he had come up with a plan and didn’t sound mad.

Sebastian had me hold my shirt down as far as it would stretch down. He helped me with my pants and underwear and then lifted me up onto the toilet barely in time. He used the toilet paper to wipe my cheeks and then had me blow my running nose. He told me again we were going to be alright no matter what happened. I hiccupped and sniffled as I apologized a lot for not following the rule.

When I was all finished peeing I reached for the toilet paper. Sebastian shook his head and told me to hold my shirt down. When I did he lifted me down off the toilet and helped me stand and put my pants back on. He kept his body between me and the door so I could watch the mean men at the door and warn him if either of them tried to get closer.

I used my fists to wipe my eyes and cheeks dry when Sebastian said it was okay to let go of my shirt. I then wrapped my arms back around his neck and my legs around his waist as he