Her knees finally gave way and she collapsed onto the carpet. She reached up and blindly turned on the intercom fully so she didn’t have to hold the button down. The rifle ended up across her lap. She leaned sideways a little, pressing her face against the smooth wood of the counter next to the door.

“Do it,” he demanded. “Let me in.”

“Are you going to kill me, Dad?” It was hard getting the words out.

“Of course not.”

She squeezed her eyes closed. Her dad was still in there, even if he had been changed into a Vampire. He knew the code to his RV and who she was. All the movies she’d watched regarding Vampires flashed through her mind. She really hoped they were the friendly types who were basically the same once they were turned…

But then there were the horror versions, who lured people into letting them inside to rip out their throats.

According to her father’s team, they’d already found the bodies of some residents. She couldn’t forget about that.

“Jadee? I’d never hurt you, honey. Let me inside. It’s cold out here.”

“Vampires aren’t supposed to get cold,” she responded, holding her breath to see how he’d respond.

“You don’t believe in Vampires. You’re being ridiculous. I was with friends. Open the door.”

The lock beeped and the interior bolt slid. The door she leaned against moved slightly but held. It was enough to get her to open her eyes and stare up at the pad. It went from green to red, the bolt sliding home again.

Anger suddenly surged and she turned her face into her shoulder, wiping it against her shirt to be rid of the tears. She’d always feared his lifestyle would get him killed. Just not like this.

Whatever he was, whoever he’d become, he was still her dad. She had to at least give him a chance.

“I’m not dressed,” she lied. “Give me a few minutes, Dad.”

“I’ve seen it all before. Open the door.”

“Two minutes.” She forced her body to move, standing and turning off the intercom. The cold metal of the rifle helped her stay calm. She went to the front cab where the security panel was, removing the key that controlled the shutters. She hoped he didn’t have a spare as she pocketed it. The gun safe in the closet remained open and she went to it next.

Her movements were jerky as she collected the weapons from their nesting places in pockets attached to the wall of the safe. She rested the rifle along the closet wall and strapped on a waist holster. The twin Smith & Wesson 380s were shoved into it after she flipped off the safeties and pushed in a cartridge for each one. Her hands didn’t tremble when she lifted the rifle and closed the closet, not bothering to secure the concealed panel. There was nothing left inside to take.

She approached the side door, taking calm, steady breaths.

Her father grew impatient and slapped the door. The pad beeped as he punched in the code again to unlock the bolt. It scraped open but the interior locks continued to hold. She paused by the door, fighting fear and the uncertainty of her actions.

This is so fucking stupid, she tried to reason with herself. She reached out before she could change her mind and turned the intercom back on. “Dad? Stand back, and once I unlock the door, count to ten before you come in. Do you understand me? You don’t want to scare me, do you?”

“Of course not, honey.”

She wanted to believe him. One way or another, she needed to do this. She had to know if he was still her father or a fiend.

Her grip on the assault rifle tightened as she hefted the first bar out of place. The second one she had to bend a little to reach. The interior bolts were easier to yank to the side, and she backed away quickly when the last one was pulled.

“Come on in.” She didn’t dare glance away from the door as she inched down the hallway, closer to the bedroom. She could always escape into it if need be.

The beep was a menacing sound…the bolt slide terrifying.

This time the door opened, fresh air pouring into the interior as it was thrown back wide.

Jadee lifted the assault rifle, gripping it with both hands, pointing it at the darkness beyond the door. She located the trigger with her finger, resting it there.

The white-haired man who slowly entered looked so familiar, but she noted the differences immediately as he stopped in the aisle, turning her way. His skin still looked weathered from the sun but his complexion had become unusually pale, with dark veins showing. His normally sparkling blue eyes appeared duller. What used to be the whites of his eyes were bloodshot and appeared wrong. Evil.

A soft moan sounded and Jadee realized it had come from her.

His gaze lowered, studying the rifle she held. “It’s okay. You can put that down.”

“Close and lock the door, Dad.”

He didn’t move to do it. “You’re safe. You don’t have to point that gun at me.”

“Close and lock the door,” she repeated.

He slowly lifted his hands out to his sides. She glanced at them, saw a lot of dirt and what appeared to be some dark red stains. It was possibly blood.

“Easy, honey.” He took a step forward.

“Don’t,” she ground out. “I’ll shoot you. Stay right there and lock that fucking door.”

He didn’t blink at all. The eerie way he stared at her was freaking her out. She glanced at his chest and saw that it moved, as if he breathed. It could have been force of habit, or perhaps Vampires did need oxygen. She focused on his face again.

“I want you to meet my friends. They aren’t what we expected.”

“What happened to the people who lived in the nearby town? I heard they’d all disappeared by the time your team arrived. Where are they?” She backed up more, reaching the doorway to the bedroom.

“You don’t need to go in there and activate the safety door, Jadee.”

She wasn’t so sure.

“Don’t be afraid. We were wrong about them.” He took another step forward.

Jadee aimed the gun at his heart. “Don’t come any closer.”

His smile chilled her to the bone. “Bullets won’t kill me.”

Fear nearly overrode her anger. “I bet they’d hurt.” She adjusted her aim, targeting his head. “And I’m pretty sure some of them tearing through your brain would slow you down.”

“Why did you let me in if you planned to shoot me, honey? I raised you to never point a gun unless you were willing to pull the trigger.”