Death Howls Twice (Liz Baker, Book 5)

By Christie Silvers

On the way to her Atlanta estate, the limo carrying Liz and her friends is slammed into by a random SUV on the interstate. During the aftermath of the crash, Monty whisks the injured group off to a nearby ranch run by some of his trusted friends.

While everyone is recovering from their injuries, Jake and Mary Matherson ask Liz for her help in rescuing their daughter from a nearby mad man who previously abducted her for his own twisted reasons. Liz reluctantly agrees after hearing there’s a vampire helping the enemy. Who could this vampire be? Is it Gregory trying to mastermind another attempt at swaying Liz to his side? But how could he even know she’d be at the Mathersons’ ranch?

After a destructive ambush directed by an unknown traitor, Jake Matherson is captured and the rest of his group looks to Liz and Monty to rescue not only him and his daughter, but to also destroy the enemy and find out the spy’s identity. Will Liz be able to bring Jake and his daughter back safely, or will the unknown traitor and vampire trip her plans up before they even get started?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christie Silvers
• Release date: Jul 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9780463346815

Christie Silvers

Award-winning internationally published indie author of urban fantasy with a touch of naughtiness. Vampires, werewolves, and witches...oh my!

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Christie Silvers

Death Howls Twice

Liz Baker Series: Book 5

First published by Christie Silvers 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Christie Silvers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Christie Silvers asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Christie Silvers has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

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First edition

ISBN: 978-0-463-34681-5

Cover art by Kelly Shorten

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

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Contents

Acknowledgement

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One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

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About the Author

Also by Christie Silvers

Acknowledgement

A big thanks to all of you wonderful readers out there. I hope that you’ll enjoy this fifth installment in Liz’s life, and I look forward to continuing her story in book six. Stay tuned for more excitement, and a little naughtiness, in the life of our favorite nail polish loving Georgia girl.

I want to send my love and thanks to my wonderful husband, Tim. Without his support, especially during my hectic self-imposed deadlines and rush to figure out find, and order giveaway swag, none of this would be possible. He listens to my constant rambling about things he doesn’t care about, or maybe even understand, without a single complaint. He nods when I’m talking about witches and monsters. And he even grunts his acknowledgments when I speak of Demon Dolly. What more could a girl ask for?

Last, I want to thank my wonderful friend and fellow author, Robin Renee Ray. Without her suggestions and questions, Liz Baker’s world wouldn’t be nearly as exciting as it is. She’s my self-proclaimed #1 fan, but I call her my unrelated family. I love ya’ girl!

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One

The chatter among my fellow travelers was mind-numbing. I sat there listening to nonsense about the most current action movie at the theater and how much soda one person could drink without puking their guts up. Yet all I could do was sink down in my seat and try to hide the fact that I was scared out of my skin.

What’s the estate like? I’ve never been to an estate, Aimee squealed with delight. Is it as pretty as the ones in old movies?

I groaned, focusing my gaze out the window to watch the quickly passing scenery.

I tried my best to ignore all the voices around me, but they seeped into my brain, anyway. Monty was telling Aimee about the estate’s garden—which I had yet to see. Chad mentioned the many vehicles he admired and planned to take for a spin. Rick asked about the food, which brought Hamish to mind. Of all the people on the estate, I looked forward to seeing Hamish the most.

Chad gave my left knee a light squeeze. When I looked up at him, he smiled sweetly and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. We’ll be there soon, he added quietly. I nodded with a weak smile, not really caring how fast we got there.

I turned my focus back out the window just in time to see a black SUV barreling down the I-75 entrance ramp at a high rate of speed. I narrowed in on the driver—a man, probably in his late thirties, dark hair, fair skin—he cut off two cars in the first lane, narrowly missed getting rammed by a transfer truck in the second lane, over-corrected in the third lane. The SUV jerked from side to side. The death wobble…

I gasped, grabbing Chad’s leg, just as the man looked straight at me, yanked the steering wheel to the left, and slammed his SUV into the side of the limousine that carried the people closest to me.

My family.

The world went into slow motion.

The limo veered sharply to the left. Skidding. Squealing tires. Metal crunching. Screaming. Tumbling bodies. Sky. Road. Sky. Road. A look of terror appeared on Chad’s face as we locked eyes; he reached for me. Amanda Lou’s red sneakers. Monty’s toned abs under a forest green tee shirt.

We were tossed and tumbled over and over as the limo flew through the air. Roaring, screaming, the smell of burning rubber as brakes locked up around us. Would it ever stop? My head struck the window I’d been staring out of seconds before. Glass shattered all around, seemingly suspended in midair for a nanosecond before the car finally came crashing to the ground.

Dizziness.

Oh, my head.

Moaning.

I can’t see.

I tried to reach for my face, but my hand wouldn’t respond. I blinked, rolling my head to the right. My eyelids fluttered quickly. My senses became aware once more. Finally, light appeared as my eyes slowly focused in on the carnage surrounding me.

Blood everywhere. Aimee was crying. Amanda Lou was unconscious, crumpled in a corner, Rick clawing his way toward her. I rolled to the left, abruptly falling off of Chad. His arms had been wrapped around me. He groaned loudly.

I tried to push up with my left hand. Searing, stabbing, burning pain shot up my arm and straight into my brain before transmitting a glass-shattering scream from my throat. Tears raced down my face as I realized my arm was broken and fell back down beside Chad. He didn’t even stir this time.

Oh, God! Liz, are you okay? Rick screamed. She won’t wake up! Can you help her? A frenzied panic brought the pitch of Rick’s voice to a high dog whistle level.

Monty. Oh, God, where’s Monty?

A glimmer of movement from outside the car caught my attention. Jeans, brown work boots—

Is everyone okay? Monty yelled from a broken door window. His eyes scanned the damage inside the car. How was he even out there? His phone was in his hand. Had he called 911 already?

His eyes locked on mine and spoke slowly. You. Have. To. Get. Out. Now. I nodded slightly and struggled to pull myself into a sitting position.

Monty went to work, pulling the crying Aimee out of the car and seating her on the grassy area beside the road. Then he helped Rick pull the unconscious Amanda Lou to safety. When he returned to the car, my tears were falling heavily onto Chad’s chest, mingling with the massive amount of blood staining his blue tee shirt.

Liz! Monty yelled to get my attention. Are you hurt? His eyes narrowed in on my stomach. I looked down to find blood had saturated the thin fabric. Lifting my shirt and shaking my head, I showed him that the blood wasn’t mine.

He’s hurt! Chad’s hurt! My voice trembled. Oh, Monty, he’s dying!

He reached out his hand toward me. Come on, Liz. You have to get out of the car.

I shook my head. No! I can’t leave him! My good hand hovered over the bloody shirt. I gripped the hem and slowly pulled upward. The blood was sticky, causing the fabric to cling to his flesh. No, no, no, no… I pulled higher. Oh, God, no…, I gasped. A jagged piece of metal was sticking out of Chad’s stomach by a couple of inches. There was no telling how far it was inside him.

Monty screamed my name once again, pulling my focus away from Chad and back to him. "You have to get out… now! I shook my head. Yes, now! There’s gas everywhere!"

NO! Not without him! I looked back down at the face of the man I loved. I can’t leave him, I whispered.

I’ll get him, Monty growled, but you have to go first.

I’ll be damned! That wasn’t about to happen. I couldn’t live without Chad. I wasn’t leaving him.

I felt a darkness creep into the pit of my stomach. It crawled across my soul and clawed into my heart, calming my emotions just enough for me to let loose a deep guttural groan and a forceful order. Take him now, or lose us both.

Monty just stared. His eyebrows rose in surprise, and then he gave me one quick nod and reached in. He grabbed Chad under the arms and pulled gently, yet swiftly. Chad moaned once, but then his head fell to the side and he didn’t make another sound. I watched Monty deposit his lifeless body on the side of the road beside the rest of my crew.

Now come on, you pain-in-the-ass woman. Cradling my broken arm, I did a painful crouch-crawl combo until I was within his grasp. He then grabbed and yanked me through the window.

As soon as I was outside the car, I realized it was a complete miracle any of us were still alive. The long, sleek limo was now a crumpled ball of jagged, torn, crinkled metal. Amazingly, the passenger compartment was the only part of the car that looked familiar.

I looked up at Monty. The driver? He shook his head. I didn’t know the man, but any loss of life was heartbreaking.

Monty pulled his phone back out and stabbed a few buttons before putting it to his ear and asking, How close are you? He turned his gaze across the grassy median we sat on, toward the northbound side of I-75. Yeah, you should see us. I heard sirens in the distance. Hurry! he shouted into the phone before shoving it back into his pocket.

Can you stand? He looked down at me, offering his hand to me once again. I nodded and felt dizzy as he tugged me to my feet. Then he focused his attention on Rick, who was still cradling his new wife. Can you carry her? Rick looked shocked at the question.

Why do I need to—

Can you carry her? Monty asked more forcefully.

Of course I can!

Good. Get her up. Monty helped Aimee to her feet and brought her to me. Lean on each other, he told us. Aimee wrapped her arms around me and supported me like only a sister could.

The entire southbound side of the interstate was closed down. It looked like a parking lot as I glanced over the numerous lanes of traffic. Everyone around us had missed hitting the limo or the SUV, somehow, and luckily each other too. People were standing around, surveying the damage. Others shouted at us that help was on the way. I heard someone ask, Should they be moving around like that?

Monty scooped Chad up into his arms and shouted, Follow me! He jogged across the grass toward the other side of the interstate. Come on, he yelled over his shoulder. Rick followed closely, with Amanda Lou in his arms. Aimee and I trailed along behind.

Each fall of my feet jarred my arm. Pain shot through like a million daggers. You can do it, Aimee cooed in my ear. We’re almost there. Tears streamed down my face, but I kept right on moving with her. Good girl, she smiled.

Just as we reached the other side, a black cargo van with blacked-out windows squealed to a stop. The back doors swung open from the inside and a man dressed all in black and decked out in military-like accessories bellowed for us to Hurry!

Monty handed Chad off to the man inside the van before grabbing Amanda Lou from Rick, and then handing her back once he was inside. Come on, ladies! Get your asses in gear! We picked up speed and soon he had us all inside and the van was rushing northbound. We were heading in the direction we’d left only an hour before.

Where are we going? Who are these people? What the hell is going on here? I was feeling a touch frantic. Maybe it was the thought of all that had just happened. Or maybe it was due to the fact that we were traveling at a high rate of speed in the back of a cargo van with strange men in military gear.

Monty patted my hand. It’s okay. I know these guys. We’re going somewhere safe. He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a smirk. I pointedly looked at Chad. He’ll be well taken care of. Don’t worry, Liz.

The darkness from before crept into my brain. He better be. Or else you’ll see what I can really do. The voice coming from my mouth didn’t sound like my own. It was deep, dangerous. Terrifying. Aimee pulled away from me, cowering toward Rick’s side.

She’s a doozy, the military man chuckled.

Monty’s eyes narrowed in on mine, scrutinizing. That she is, he frowned, right before plunging a syringe into my good arm.

Two

Iawoke in a fog.

Damn Monty! I can’t believe he would drug me. Just wait until I find him. That dog is so fucked! As if I don’t have enough people knocking me out or making me pass out. This is ridiculous!

Liz, are you awake?

Oh, he was so fucked.

I swung out with my good arm, hoping to hit something belonging to him, even though my eyes weren’t open to see where he was.

I shouted, You stupid asshole! Or at least that’s