Tourist Trap: Trust Casefiles, #4

By Lee Cushing

If Brenda Pearce knew she’d be chased by vampires on her husband’s business trip to a British coastal resort, she might have chosen both safety and boredom and stayed home in the states instead of accompanying him. A chance meeting at the conference dinner lures her into an entangled web of deceit, cover-ups, revenge and the Trust … and her adrenaline and excitement wouldn’t have it any other way!

Brenda’s frustration becomes a living nightmare, she knows everything, but nobody believes her. Her parents murderer is still on the loose but how can she have revenge on him and how can a layperson convince the Trust about what she knows? To top it all off what do the legendary vampires, the strigoiand Upierczi who have joined forces have to do with it all, and can a safe house be the best place to abscond from them?

They say when it comes to family blood is thicker than water …. what personal information and events does Brenda uncover that shocks her to the core? What family dynamics are affecting the newly recruited Trust operative Ian knight as he tries to protect Brenda?

Just another bloody link from Catherine Jordan and her team operatives chain, this Pop Culture horror story is full of modern day revenge tainted with Romanian and Russian mythology.   Revenge is sweet, or does it actually taste of blood?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lee Cushing
• Release date: Aug 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536524345

Lee Cushing

Lee Cushing is a paranormal thriller author and a lifelong fan of the occult. Having become obsessed with supernatural folklore and the world of horror from an early age, Lee has spent years studying tales of the occult and immersing himself in stories of otherworldly phenomenon. He’s also the owner of a number of vampire and horror-related groups in Facebook, where fellow fans of the supernatural come together to celebrate and discuss all things paranormal.  His debut novel, Voodoo Mambo, blends high-stakes action and shadowy agencies with a dark underworld of demonic creatures and their insidious plots to attack humanity. Lee draws his inspiration from classic horror movies – including Hammer and Universal – as well as beloved TV shows including Doctor Who, Supernatural, The Avengers, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. 

Book preview

March 1859

Smiling as Ivan ran his fingers through her blonde hair, Katarina Duscha leaned forward and gave him a brief kiss.

I have to go.  Speaking in her native Russian, she looked at the sun starting to fall behind the village barn.  My father will be angry if I’m not home soon.

Ivan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back for one last kiss, I’ll see you in the morning?

She nodded and backed away when he released his grip, giving him one last smile before she turned.

Crossing the flat wooden bridge above the slow flowing stream at one side of the village, she followed the rough path through the trees.

Her speed began to increase as the light began to fade.

Coming to the top of the hill looking down on the farm after a few minutes of walking, she hurried down, running alongside the wooden posts surrounding the pasture.

She was almost at the wooden door to the house when her attention was drawn to the swinging barn doors.

Moving towards them, she gripped one of the doors and peered inside.

She screamed.

Her two eldest brothers were hanging by their ankles, their faces dripping with blood.

Starting to back away from the barn doors, she felt a pair of hands clamp down on her shoulders.

Her attacker turning her round, she was slammed against the wooden wall of the barn, screaming again as she saw the fangs between the man’s lips moving closer.

She’s mine.

The attacker turned and shoved her into the arms of a heavily dark bearded man.

Grabbing by her hair, the newcomer pulled her struggling inside the house.

She gave out more screams when she saw the bodies of her mother and father, both with their throats torn open.

Katarina fell silent when she saw her younger brother standing between two women, her voice was nothing more than a terrified whimper when she called out to him.  Dimitri.

Before she could say anything more, she was pushed into one of the bedrooms.

The man who had brought her into the house entered behind her and closed the door.

Dimitri tried to struggle free of the grip from the two women when he heard the desperate screams of his sister.

The screams faded after a few minutes.

A few more minutes later and the door opened.

Pulling up his trousers, Nikolai Vishinski emerged from the bedroom, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

Appearing in the open doorway behind him, Katarina staggered out, her skirt was torn and there was blood covering her throat.

Dazed, she began to focus on Nikolai and the two women holding her brother.

A smile started to form on her lips, lips that were glistening with fresh blood.  Dimitri.

Approaching her little brother, she gave him a gentle smile, her lips beginning to part.

The two women holding onto Dimitri firmly, he struggled when he saw the fangs within his sister’s mouth.

She lunged forward and ripped into his soft flesh, the blood gushing down her throat.

Continuing until his head rolled to one side, she pulled her teeth from his flesh and stepped back from the body the women were holding.

Katarina turned towards Nikolai and smiled, her lips dripping with the blood of her brother.  That was amazing.

August 1999

Crouching down as she hurried behind the fence, the red headed girl kept her fingers firmly wrapped around the fair haired teenager, dragging him towards a rear gate.

Glancing up and down the dark trail behind the houses, Brenda Deacon pushed the gate open and pulled Billy into the back garden.  Rushing across the lawn, she reached the door at the rear of the house.

Billy pressed his hands on her hips, leaning forward to kiss the back of her neck.

Can’t you wait?  She unlocked the door to the kitchen and stepped inside.

Following her into the lit kitchen, he closed the door and pushed her against the counter, his hands starting to move up beneath her skirt.

Brenda giggled, Not here.  Pushing him away, she looked at him.  Can’t you wait til we get up to my room?

Taking her hand, Billy let her lead him to the stairs.  Following her up to the top, he turn to face him and kissed her.

She looked over his shoulder, her eyes began to widen.

Turning when she pulled away from him, Billy saw the blood on the carpet close to one of the closed doors.

Stay here.  He moved towards the door and reached for the handle, glancing back at Brenda when he began to turn it.

He froze for a moment when he opened the door.

Brenda screamed as he was pulled out of sight.

Starting to move towards the open door, she found it hard to take her eyes off the blood on the carpet.

She stopped when a spray of blood splashed against the opposite wall, screaming again when Billy’s head rolled into view.

Her gaze remaining fixed on the severed head on the carpet, she saw a pair of thick boots come out of the room.

Looking up, she focused on the machete in the man’s hand.

The blood dripping from the blade made her run.

Making for the nearest closed door, she  slammed her hand down on the handle and hurried into the bedroom.

She banged the door shut and twisted the lock.  Backing away from the door, she felt the bed behind her.

Turning, she saw her mother stretched out on the blood covered bed and screamed.

Scrambling to pull the mobile from the pocket of her jeans, she tried to avoid looking at what was left of her mother.

Her fingers dancing over the numbers, she raised it to her ear, her voice wavering as she spoke.  He killed my Mom.

The sound of the handle turning made her gaze fall on the door.  Oh God, he’s trying to get in.  Please help me.

Dropping the phone, she backed away towards the door to the adjacent bathroom.

The door handle stopped moving.

Backing into the bathroom, she watched the bedroom door buckle under an onslaught from the other side.

Releasing another scream as the door burst open, she grabbed the handle to the bathroom door and slammed it shut.

Holding onto the handle to stop it being turned, she struggled to keep the door from opening.

The door smashed into her as it was forced open, the impact knocking her against the edge of the bath tub.

She became aware of the man entering the bathroom, her vision going blurred as he towered over her.

Chapter One

Parking her white Porsche in the underground car park, the long haired red head climbed out from behind the wheel.

Catherine Jordan pushed the car door shut, watching the ginger haired man getting out of the passenger seat, an American accent sounding in her voice.  So what was this one’s name?

Closing the other door, Ian Knight walked round the rear of the Porsche and started following her.  Sarah, Salli, Sharon.  Something like that, last night is still kinda hazy.

I’ll admit she was pretty.  Catherine pushed her way through a pair of double doors into a long corridor, glancing back at him.  All these women, I hope you’ve been using protection.

Cat.

The way he said her name made a smile appear on her face, You’re still coming to help Daph move the rest of her stuff?

Keeping up with her, Ian followed her round a corner into another passage.  I said I would.  And there is that Swedish stewardess, Ingrid, in the flat next door.

Catherine stopped and glared at him for a moment, then she pushed her way through a pair of double doors.

She took a look at the rows of metal tables inside the room, over half of them occupied by covered bodies.

Walking towards the single door at the far end of the row, she opened it and looked into the small office.

Swinging round on his hair, the grizzled looking man with receding grey hair returned her gaze.  Miss Jordan, I assume you want the preliminary findings on the cause of death for our new guests?

Catherine remained framed in the open doorway, Just the highlights, Doc.

Getting up from the chair, Nathan Thorne watched her move aside to let him pass.  Approaching one of the covered bodies, he revealed the face of a teenage girl.  Glancing at Catherine and Ian, he brushed away the girl’s hair, an act which exposed the torn apart flesh on the side of her neck.  Strigoi.  He looked along the row of occupied tables, I imagine a pack of them, maybe a full dozen, going by the number of bodies we recovered.  He replaced the sheet over the girl’s face, I’m sure it will come as no surprise that there will be more to come.

––––––––

The taxi coming to a stop outside one of the hotels lining both sides of the street, Brenda stepped from the backseat onto the pavement.

She smiled at the brown bearded man getting out behind her, wrapping her arms around the thick coat she was wearing, Why couldn’t this conference have been held during the summer?

Answering with similar Texas accent, David Pearce followed the driver to the back of the taxi.  You could have stayed at home, you didn’t have to come.

She watched the driver open the trunk and remove one of the suitcases inside, waiting for David to take out the other two.  And have my husband coming here with his secretary.

Dropping the two suitcases on the pavement, he took both her hands and leaned in to give her a quick kiss.  You do remember Mrs Stokes?

Good point.  Brenda made for the door to the hotel and rang the bell, glancing back until the door opened.

The woman inside the hotel focused on Brenda, Welcome to the Bradley Arms Hotel.

There’s a room booked for us, under the name of Pearce.

My sister must have taken the reservation.  The woman moved to let them enter, Come in while I check.

Picking up the single suitcase after the driver left it by the open door, Brenda turned back as David paid him the fare.

Stepping inside the hotel, she stopped in the dining room, watching Gail Prince move to the bar and begin leafing through a notebook.

Gail closed the book after a few seconds and looked towards Brenda, a smile appearing on her face.  We can put you in room seven.

Letting her go first, Brenda followed her up two flights of stairs, glancing to make sure David was right behind her.

Reaching one of the closed doors, Gail stopped