by Tanja Neise
Shortly afterwards, Tom and Marc appeared in the door frame. Drowning in tears, they ran towards Liv and fell into her arms. My partner’s eyes glistened suspiciously. She was not left unaffected by this very moving situation.
“All will be well, boys,” Liv cooed, and stroked their hair over and over again. “You have to be brave now.”
Tom's gaze stiffened. “I want to see Mum now!”
“That’s not possible – we’re rescuing her right now. You have to be patient,” Liv tried to calm his overheated temper.
“No! I don’t have any patience. Such a shitty word. Nobody’s patient; it’s bullshit!” The boy yelled.
I could understand very well what was going on within him, so I stepped towards the three of them. “Tom, we're doing everything in our power.”
“Okay. I get it. And why should we go to New York now?” Marc asked in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, but I could detect the underlying sarcasm in his words.
Apart from that, I didn't know the answer.
“We’re staying here! I’m not flying to New York while our mother’s life is in danger!” Tom nodded emphatically, to stress what his brother was saying.
Once again, I admired the two boys who, despite their age, possessed a fighting spirit – many an adult man could take a leaf out of their book. “All right. You'll stay, but if I hear anything at all about you not following my instructions, I'll personally put you on the next plane to New York. Is that understood?” I asked the brothers, in an authoritative manner.
I got a nod from Tom and a “Yes, Sir!” from Marc. That would satisfy me for now. I quickly nodded to Liv, who embraced them, while I watched Marvin put all the other boys in the spacious limousine.
Anne Rumsfield
My worst nightmare came true when they led Sally into the room. Her face was snow-white; she was obviously not doing well. She was hanging in the soldier's arms and seemed more dead than alive. I wanted to help her so much, but I was chained up here like a wild animal. At school we’d been taught that vampires were wild creatures, but now I knew better; I knew that there was more humanity in most of them than in those who called themselves humans. These versions of the human species in here had certainly never heard of charity.
“Rumsfield!” Harrison demanded my attention. “Cooperate. We want the male vampire. Daniel Malcolm Higgs, brother of Sally Michaels.” I looked at him, astonished. How did he get hold of the information that Sally was Dark's sister? He didn't show up in the documents anymore. Officially, he didn't exist. And now my former supervisor, Harrison, was standing here before me and even knew his full, real name. Exceedingly few people were privy to this. Robert knew, then Sally and the boys, Liv and myself and... Then it dawned on me. Spencer, the bastard, must be a traitor. He was the only one who could have passed this information on. To me, betrayal was one of the worst things you could do. Betrayal – like I’d committed when I turned my back on my people to join the vampires. Was that better? I convinced myself that this was completely different. At least, I hoped so.
“Yes!” The little guy in the white coat squealed. “Then we’ll have a female and a male specimen! Can you imagine the possibilities open to us then?” His elation drove bile up my throat. He disgusted me.
Research and its results; Harrison probably didn’t possess the ingenuity, but it was perfectly clear to me what they would do to us. Genetic manipulation, reproductive experiments with the same species or another: the gates of hell stood wide open. And this little scoundrel, who was on the verge of madness, was probably capable of anything, especially when you considered that he wasn’t accountable to anyone. Because we were still in Louisville, a large military town, secretly called the ‘Soldier State’ because different laws prevailed here compared with elsewhere in America. Nobody would care what happened to me and Dark here. No human rights organisation would side with us, because we were no longer human beings.
“Pullman, don't vex me!” Harrison squawked, angrily. “So Rumsfield, now over to you. I want Higgs here, and in return I’ll release the civilian.” By that, he obviously meant Sally. “Either you cooperate, or the good woman will gradually be chopped to pieces until you deliver the man here to me. Have you got that?”
His face appeared in my field of vision and his eyes glared down at me. This time he kept a healthy distance from me. My hands were tied in the truest sense of the word. I felt so helpless and entrapped in my rage.
“I’d rather die than hand my brother over to Doctor Frankenstein here, for him to carry out his disgusting experiments on my brother!” Sally yelled right at that moment. As I turned my head in her direction, I could just see her twisting, in one fluid movement, out of the tight grasp of the absolutely dumbfounded soldier, who hadn’t expected her to resist. In one jump, she’d reached the white cupboard and had taken a scalpel from the surface of a surgeon’s tray and was now holding it in her hand as a weapon. “If any one of you comes too close, I won’t hesitate to use this.” Emitting clear resolve, she held the cutting tool to her neck. Blood slowly seeped out of a small wound, reiterating her intent. She impressed me, but I doubted she would make the necessary impression on the men here.
Harrison started laughing, confirming my theory. “Bravo! A very good performance by Miss Michaels. But do tell me, why I couldn't do without you?”
A justified question. At first I’d been lying on my stretcher, observing like an indifferent spectator. Meanwhile, however, I was back to my senses and trying to free myself. Now that my brain had started working again, I was sure it was what Sally was up to. She wanted to give me a few moments so that I had at least a chance of getting out of these cuffs and saving us both. To my ears it sounded like a crazy approach – what else could we do, though, but clutch at this tiny straw?
Olivia Morgan / Margaret Rumsfield
I was terribly afraid for my sister, but I tried not to let it show. Tom and Marc were sitting next to me, and they’d only become more nervous as soon as they realised that I, too, was afraid. I was like a cat on a hot tin roof.
My sister had found me again after years apart, and just a few hours later we’d been separated again. How unjust could fate be? Why was I even asking myself this? I knew from my own experience that fate was hard and relentless.
Kat and Robert were stuck to the devices, trying to find out where Dark and his men were. They suspected Anne was in an underground laboratory that, according to the files, was disused. But like so much in Louisville, most certainly, no one here had checked to see if that was true. Was Sally still at the women's shelter? Was she still alive? Or was she already having to provide for the pleasures of one of those perverted bastards?
We’ll find her. Stay calm.
Robert's thoughts shot into my mind like a flaming arrow. Until now, he’d only contacted me like this if we communicated openly with each other. To now experience that my thoughts were no longer free when in an exceptional emotional state confused me. But it was generally a nice feeling to have someone with me, without having to hold my hand all the time.
I hope so! I sent him in response.
Outside, I heard voices in front of the house, then a knock at the door, which was probably unnecessary, as Kat and Robert had certainly heard the visitors long before me. The boys were asleep but moved restlessly due to the background noise. I stayed with them so that I could calm them down if they woke up. From here I could see everything and listen in on quite a lot. Otherwise, Robert would definitely keep me in the loop.
Nevertheless, from my seat, I curiously observed the arrival of the vampires from the various nearby locations. A colourful, motley crew. Only eight had come in – more than that wouldn’t fit in the hut.
“Have you found out where they are yet?” asked a man in combat gear, whom I’d rather not chance upon in the dark. But he seemed to be a good associate for our cause. At least, he radiated aggression and strength, combined with willpower.
“Astair, thank you for coming to our aid,” Rob
ert thanked him.
He humbly lowered his head and replied: “For you, always, Raphael.”
Robert briefly put his hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. It seemed to me as if the two had known each other for a very long time. “We suspect that Anne Rumsfield is in the lab in section 3 V. Sally Michaels could be with her or still at the women's shelter in section 4 B. If she isn’t there, she could be anywhere. Dark and Kat's men have disappeared. I suspect he’s ceased contact so the soldiers can't locate them with the electrical signal of their communication devices.” Robert explained to Astair.
Astair and I have known each other for over three hundred years. I trust him entirely. Apart from that, he’s one of the most experienced fighters of our species, Robert addressed me in his thoughts. I couldn’t resist a grin. These secret thoughts we were able to exchange were invaluable.
Yes, he seems very competent!
When I looked at Robert, he was just grinning cautiously. But in view of the delicate situation the grin very quickly disappeared from his face again.
“We should wait until we know where Dark is, so that we don’t put him in danger,” Kat interrupted.
Astair shook his head firmly, however. “I disagree. What if they’ve really captured our guys and we’re wasting valuable time?”
“What do you suggest?” Robert asked.
“We cut off their electricity supply; the generators have to be switched off, too. Julienne’s outside – she’s a genius. I'd almost say she's a little more cunning than Dark. She invented what we call the ‘Worst Case’. It’ll take down all electrically-powered devices. Then we watch them panic. They’ll try to find the fault, but won’t have a chance. Then we’ll get into their uniforms – that way, we won’t be recognised immediately. We’re a good team and have a chance of getting everyone out alive.” Astair seemed confident and full of drive. One thing I had to agree with was that the plan sounded better than idly sitting around here.
Robert looked at me questioningly and I nodded in agreement.
Anne Rumsfield
I made every effort to get out of the cuffs, but only managed to loosen them a little. I’d never been someone who surrendered to the inevitable, but here in this room, I was at their mercy. Yet I continued to pull, and I welcomed the pain caused by the sore skin on my wrists as it meant that I was at least doing something.
“To answer the question that you are obviously unwilling to answer yourself,” my former superior looked condescendingly at the woman who was threatening to slit her throat with a scalpel, and he simply continued: “You're just a piece of cheese in a mousetrap. This cheese doesn't even have to be alive. You’re of no value in my eyes. But your brother will still come here to save you, I'll bet you anything.”
Harrison's arrogant tone stoked my anger and, with a grunt, I yanked on the cuffs again. This time, the metal cut deep into my flesh, but I felt that something was giving way. My hand wasn’t free, but now I knew that my fight was not completely hopeless.
Next to me the mad Doctor Jekyll was chuckling, and pulling some kind of serum into a syringe. Who was it meant for? I tore at my shackles again in panic, but he walked towards Sally instead of me. Along with the other two men, they encircled Dark's sister. Meanwhile, I pulled and wrenched with all the strength I possessed and, finally, I got one hand free. Sally smiled for a moment. She’d seen that I was about to free myself. I’d very soon be able to rush to her aid; but it had been a farewell smile, because in the very next moment she pulled the scalpel over her main artery, dropped it afterwards and said: “Go to hell, you shit...” The last tone broke and she collapsed. Doctor Jekyll immediately rushed to her and tried to stop the bleeding, but he didn't have the necessary instruments. So he jumped up and scurried to the cupboard from which he took some clamps and a laser. In the meantime, I was now grappling with the metal on my other wrist with my free hand. I had to hurry if I wanted to get Sally out of here. I was working away quietly. Nobody noticed me because all three of them were busy saving Sally's life. The Doctor gave a number of instructions, which the two soldiers followed.
When I’d got both my wrists free, the light suddenly went out. Horrified, I drew a deep breath. The room was now pitch black. Since there wasn’t even a glimmer of light coming into the room from anywhere, even with my supernatural abilities, I had no chance of making anything out. I heard the men swearing and talking to each other.
“That’ll be him,” said the unknown soldier.
Harrison replied: “Turn on the damn flashlight, you idiot!” He hissed at the low-ranking soldier. “How the hell did he manage to turn off the power completely? We still have a main power generator.”
Well, he didn't know anything about Dark's outstanding hacking skills.
“Nothing works anymore.” It was the other soldier again, who sounded angry. “Not even the flashlight. What's going on here? This is impossible. Nothing, nothing works anymore. Even the battery-operated devices aren’t working anymore. They must be working with an interference frequency. No bloody idea how they’re doing it.”
“How can I save the woman if I don't even know where the wound is? I can't put any clamps on her, and I need electricity for the laser!” His voice was merging into a hysterical squeal.
I frantically undid the ankle cuffs, which, with two free hands, was ultimately a piece of cake. Then I silently slid off the examination table and slowly felt my way to the cupboard closest to Sally. In doing so, I paid careful attention to the breathing sounds of the three men so that I knew they weren’t moving from the spot. I had to get to Sally and save her somehow; if need be, I’d squeeze her damn artery together with two fingers. She’d sacrificed herself to get me out of this miserable experimental lab, and had thereby ultimately saved Dark.
“I think we should get out of here. We’ll take Rumsfield with us. I don't give a shit about the woman. We'll leave her here.” Harrison's wrathful voice echoed through the darkness. I could hear that he’d stood up. “Then this Dark can see right away how serious we are.”
I heard the other two stand up as well. Additionally, I heard a wheeze from Sally, who was fighting a hard fight with death.
“Shit! The vampire woman’s gone!” shouted the other soldier, whose name I didn't know.
“She must still be here somewhere. Kill the woman and leave Rumsfield in here, we’ll lock her in. We can do it manually, too.” This time Harrison's voice sounded as cold as ice and I knew very well what he was capable of. I hurriedly tried to reach Sally without making a sound, but then I heard the gunshot. It was soundproof – but to me, so loud it was as if the explosion was occurring right in my heart.
Suddenly I heard another deafening noise. My ears hurt, as I was still getting used to hearing everything – I hadn’t been prepared for the volume.
Beams of light struck the three men and then I finally saw Sally, who seemed to be looking at me with dead eyes. I’d failed once again. I hadn’t been able to save the woman who had so freely sacrificed her own life for me. Something broke inside me, tears ran down my cheeks, whilst the noise of battle filled the room around me.
Next to Sally, Dark got down on his knees, seized the corpse and pulled it towards him; he held his dead sister's body, pressed against him like a baby, as he cried.
Like a bolt out of the blue, Harrison was standing behind Dark and, in a rapid movement, slid the blade of a scalpel over his throat. Our eyes opened wide in shock and we looked at each other. Time seemed to stand still, but by the next split second, a tremendous anger was flaming up within me. I shot up at a speed that no human eye could perceive and reached for Harrison's head with both hands. His neck broke, and a dead silence simultaneously fell over the room. All the men stared at me as if I were the goddess of revenge. I quickly let go of the man. When his body touched the floor, I had the feeling that I’d done completely the right thing; shortly afterwards, however, I saw Dark, who at that moment looked in the same state as Sally. He was fighting for his life.
Without thinking about it, I bit my wrist and laid it on his lips. It was only when he began sucking desirously that it occurred to me that I’d been vaccinated when I was still walking the streets as a human. What if I didn’t save him, but killed him outright instead?
Robert Tensington / Raphael
This Julienne woman had done an excellent job and had actually managed to throw the valley where the barracks were located into total darkness. Only the stars in the sky and the half-full moon lit the way for us. Prudently, I’d left Olivia with Kat. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate for a second if I’d had her with me. She was still partly human; even though she possessed excellent self-healing powers, she was not immortal.
As Astair had predicted, there were soldiers walking around everywhere trying to keep the situation under control. Some of them were also standing guard in front of the buildings where prisoners were being kept. Nobody regarded us with distrust. In a quiet alleyway, our troop stood still on Julienne’s signal.
Astair gave instructions as to who should keep their eyes and ears open, while others were prising open a secret entrance hidden in the ground. A deep shaft became visible, into which Astair stepped first. A soft whistle from below and we followed. Nobody said a word; we’d already clarified everything beforehand. We had a few very old torches with us that showed us the way. It was dark as night in the corridors but we all knew only too well where we had to go. The smell of blood was omnipresent and pointed us in the right direction. I was filled with horror at the thought of what could be waiting for us, and when we arrived in a small laboratory my suspicion was confirmed.
