“I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Good. That’s the point.” He turned back to the dresser and opened the box of contacts resting there. Leaning close to the mirror, he put them in. When he looked at her again, his eyes were blue. Not the icy, unnatural blue she was used to, but a normal shade that reminded her of a lake on a clear day.
“I look a little more Aryan than I’d prefer.”
Hannah smiled. “You look human.”
He studied her, his eyes wistful as he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. “So do you.”
She looked at her own reflection. It felt comforting to see herself looking back and not the familiar stranger from last few days. She could have had fun making her own eyes blue, or green or even violet, but she’d chosen plain old brown contacts because in the end she missed her plain old brown eyes.
“Are you sure we’ll pass for human?”
“Reasonably. Our scent could draw attention, so try not to get too close to any vampires. But they have no reason to suspect we’re not your garden-variety humans.”
She met his gaze in the mirror. “Unless they recognize you.”
“I plan to keep my head down and draw as little attention to myself as possible. You and Chris should do the same.”
“I can. I’m not so sure about Chris.”
“He’ll have his mother to help keep him in line.” He turned toward Hannah. “There’s a good chance they’ll interrogate you. We should prepare for that.”
“Why me? Why not all of us?”
“Because Julia’s seen you. She knows what you mean to me. But don’t worry.” He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Julia’s not Esme. She has no reason to harm you.”
“That you know of.” Hannah closed her eyes and massaged her forehead. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”
He gathered her close. She melted against him. His chest felt smooth and firm, the skin warm beneath her cheek. He smelled fresh and clean and faintly of coconut. Her fingers idly traced his chest and stomach, sliding over the contours of his abdomen, and he drew in a sharp breath. An urge overcame her to kiss his chest, to nibble the sharpness of his collarbone. He moaned with pleasure as his fingers slid up and tangled in her hair.
He took hold of her arms and pushed her back. “Hannah, wait.”
“I don’t want to, Alek.” She sounded tired and impatient. “I want you, and we might not get another chance. We don’t know what will happen. Nothing’s guaranteed and I don’t want to wait.”
He gazed intently at her, seeming to consider something. Hannah met his gaze with pleading eyes. She felt exposed, her raw hunger and need plain to see. She wanted to reach for him, to touch him and for him to touch her, but she kept still and waited.
Finally, he let go and held up a finger, a silent plea to wait just one more moment. He went to his side of the bed and rummaged through the few belongings he kept there. After a moment he returned, holding out a fist to Hannah. His eyes searched her face as he slowly opened his hand, revealing a pair of simple silver bands.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed. “Where did you find those?”
“The store. I came across them while we were gathering supplies. We’ll make it up to Paula. If we keep them.”
“Alek...” Anything she might have said failed to find its way to her lips. She stared at the rings and considered what they meant.
“I know this is fast,” he said. “And you’re young. You’re so young—”
“I’m old enough to know what I want.”
He nodded. “I also know there’s nothing official about this. Someday, maybe even at the prison, we’ll find someone who can make it official.”
“No. It’s official. It might not be legal, but I’m not sure that matters anymore, and it’s hardly the same thing.”
“Perhaps you‘re right. All I know is I love you, Hannah Jordan, and I’m the sort of man who loves forever. In the short time I’ve known you both, you and Noah have already become mine. My family. My purpose. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, however long that is. And I want us to walk into that prison, into whatever the future holds, as a family.” He took a deep breath. His eyes filled with a heartbreaking mix of hope and fear. “What do you say?”
Hannah said nothing. Her mouth had gone dry. Licking her lips, she nodded and presented her left hand. Alek’s expression melted into relief as he slid the smaller of the two rings onto her finger. He then gave her the larger one and held out his hand for her to do the same.
When the exchange was done, he took her hand in both of his and pressed her ring to his lips. Holding her hand against his chest, he said, “I’ve never been the best with words. I’m drawing a blank on the traditional vows, and I didn’t prepare—”
Hannah grabbed his neck and pulled him down, cutting him off with a kiss. She poured all her desire into it, along with all the love welling up inside. It was brief, but it got the point across. She broke it off and found her voice.
“No more words. Show me.”
He wasted no time doing so. His kiss matched hers in ferocity and desire. She fumbled with the towel at his waist and felt it fall away, exposing the sharp edges of his hip bones and the smooth curves of his backside to her roaming hands. Before she could finish her explorations he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. As the sunlight faded, the remains of the day slipping away and plunging them into darkness, they gave themselves to each other, becoming one in body as they already were in soul.
TWELVE
THE TRUCKS STOPPED half a mile from the base. Celine ordered the drivers to stay with the trucks while the rest of the team approached on foot. Once inside, she assigned search routes that would take the others well away from Main Street and her rendezvous with the doctor.
They each followed their assignments without question or complaint. In fact, no one had questioned her all morning. They seemed to regard her with new respect. It almost made her regret her treason.
Almost.
She was still a block from the administration building when the walkie she wore on her hip crackled with static. Reynolds’ voice came over the radio. “A figure in black is making its way toward the old Cavalry fort. It’s not human. I think it’s Esme. Over.”
Celine unclipped the radio from her belt. “All hands move to the old fort to assist Reynolds. I’m on a trail of human scent. I’ll continue to pursue. Over and out.”
She was about to replace the walkie on her belt when it crackled again. Kozinski’s voice this time. “I’m not too far from you, Captain. Would you like me to assist?”
“Negative. I can handle a few humans. Esme’s a whole other ballgame. Proceed as ordered. Over.”
“Roger that. Over and out.”
Celine closed her eyes and sighed. She considered turning her radio off, but that might raise suspicion. She waited a few minutes to give everyone time to be well on their way to the fort, then approached the building.
Once inside, she removed her cowl and shook out her hair. Nobody greeted her. Did she have the right rendezvous spot? She was sure Konstantin had said to meet them there.
She didn’t wonder long before the stairwell door opened and the handsome dead boy emerged. He was followed by the girl with the baby—Hannah, she corrected herself. Anyone who came so close to besting Esme in hand-to-hand combat deserved to have her name remembered—and a strange blond man she’d never seen before.
“Who—” she began, then got a closer look. No mistaking that jawline. “Doctor. Effective disguise.”
“It didn’t fool you.”
“I was expecting you. The others won’t be.” She studied the other two. Their eyes, the only outward physical feature that had betrayed their inhumanity, now appeared human. “You should all pass as long as you keep a safe distance from any vampires and don’t draw attention to yourselves.”
“The doc already gave us the safety lecture,” said the dead boy. Chris. H
is mother had called him Chris.
Celine smiled at him. “Your mother will be happy to see you.”
“You know my mother?”
“We’ve met.”
“How is she?”
“Not good. She thinks you’re dead. But she’s about to get real happy.”
Instead of the smile she’d expected her news to elicit, he looked troubled. What was his deal? She tore her gaze away from him and addressed the others. “You’ve got everything you need?”
Konstantin shrugged out of a large backpack and set it between them on the floor.
“What’s this?”
“Baby stuff,” said Hannah.
Celine went to it and unzipped it, exposing diapers, cans of formula and jars of baby food. She glanced at the girl. “Is that what’s in your pack as well?”
“As far as you know,” said Konstantin.
She zipped the bag and stood up. “If I open it, what will I see?”
Hannah answered. “Baby clothes, bottles and more diapers.”
“And if I do a search?”
“It’s best you don’t,” said Konstantin.
Celine nodded. “It seems you’ve thought of everything.”
“We can‘t afford not to.”
“There’s just one detail you seem to have missed.”
He raised an eyebrow. She’d seen him direct that look at Esme countless times. “What’s that?”
Celine waved a hand toward the other two. “Contacts, passing for human... that’s great. For you. What about me? What about the vampires you cure? What happens when I show up with a pulse and a body temp above room temperature? Am I supposed to put in contacts and an orange jumper and dye my hair and try to blend in?”
“That’s not my problem to figure out.”
Celine laughed. “You sanctimonious ass. I’m literally putting my neck on the line for you, and I’m not even the only one, and you—”
He held up his hands. “I know, and I appreciate it. We all do. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We still need to produce the serum and test it on an uninfected human subject. And then we have to reproduce it in large quantities. That will all take time. Plenty of time to figure out how to bring in willing vampires without risking exposure. By that point we should have the numbers on our side.”
“Assuming you can find enough humans who’ll volunteer to be your guinea pigs,” said Chris.
Hannah looked at him, apparently surprised. “Wouldn’t you have volunteered?”
He shrugged. “Guess we’ll never know.”
“In any case,” said Konstantin, his gaze intent on Celine, “we’ll take care of you. You have my word.”
She nodded. “Okay, then.” She unclipped her radio and raised it to her lips. “Celine here. I’ve secured four humans, including the girl and the infant. What’s the status on Esme?”
A moment later, Reynolds responded. “Negative. There’s no sign of her. Either she gave us the slip, or it was a false alarm.”
“Roger. Continue to sweep the east side of the base and work your way to the southeast quadrant. Keep your eyes peeled for Esme and the doctor.” She glanced at Konstantin. “I need a driver to pick us up at the administration building on Main Street. The other truck should head to the southeast quadrant and await the others. Over and out.”
Konstantin watched her. “You’re leading this mission?”
“Is that so surprising?”
“I don’t doubt your leadership abilities. But the last time we spoke you didn’t even know if you’d be allowed on this mission.”
She shrugged. “Julia was impressed by my initiative.”
“I see.”
It was the way he said it that got under her skin. “What do you see?”
“Julia’s authority is second only to Balthazar’s, and there are factions who would like her to supplant him. After serving Esme for so long, it must feel good to be recognized for your abilities, and from so near the top.”
“Gotta say, it doesn’t suck. What’s your point?”
“No point. But I wonder how closely your desire to be human again is tied to your previously low status. How much might your desire fade as you gain respect and status among your own kind?”
Celine‘s muscles grew more tense with every word. By the time he finished, her jaw clamped like a vice. “Let’s get something straight, Doctor. I might be as much of a blood-sucking freak as the rest, but they are not my kind, any more than they were ever yours. If you think I’ll throw away a chance to feel the sun on my face again for a pat on the back and a promotion that keeps me stuck in the shadows, think again.”
His studious gaze made her feel like a bug under a microscope. She glanced at the others. Hannah watched him, waiting for his decision, but Chris stared at Celine. Not scrutinizing her the way Konstantin did, but with curiosity. She looked away from him and back at the doctor, meeting his gaze defiantly.
At last he nodded. “My mistake. I won’t make it again.”
“Let’s hope not.”
They lapsed into silence while waiting for the truck to arrive, punctuated now and then by the baby’s babbling and Hannah’s soft coos. The doctor’s attention was on them, but Celine could feel the boy watching her. She observed him in her peripheral vision. She kept thinking of him as a boy, remembering that photo his mother showed her, of a smiling teenager who hadn’t yet shed his baby fat or his innocence.
But it was a man who studied her now, tall and lean, with haunted eyes that had seen unspeakable horrors. Whatever innocence he had once possessed was as long gone as his childish pudge.
It reminded her of the way she’d looked after waking up in a motel room, stripped of her humanity and suffering monstrous cravings she didn’t understand.
He looked away as the rumble of an engine approached outside. “Truck’s here,” he said.
Celine gathered up her hair and pulled the cowl back on. Then she unshouldered her dart gun and motioned with the barrel toward the exit. “Keep your hands up.”
Outside, they each climbed into the back of the truck. Chris first, and then Hannah, while Konstantin held the baby. Once she was up, he handed the infant up to her and hauled himself into the truck. Celine kept the air rifle trained on them while the driver handcuffed each of them to a rail running along the side of the truck bed. The men allowed themselves to be bound, but Hannah looked at Celine. “How am I supposed to hold the baby if I’m handcuffed?”
“I can hold him.”
“That’s not happening.”
Jenkins, the driver, looked at Celine.
“It’s fine. Don’t restrain her. I’ll ride with them. If she makes a wrong move, I’ll snap the baby’s neck before she knows what’s happening.”
It sounded like something Esme would say. The look on Jenkins’ face was disapproving. But which did he disapprove of? Threatening a baby, or relenting to the prisoner’s request? It made no difference. Celine aimed her gun at Hannah. “Understood?”
The look Hannah gave her made her hope she understood Celine had a part to play and was only playing along. Celine wasn’t so sure that Hannah wouldn’t tear her head off if given the chance. But the girl nodded. “Understood.”
Taking her seat across from the trio, Celine jerked her chin toward Jenkins. “Head to the southeast quadrant. We’ll meet up with the rest of the team and go from there.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He climbed out of the back of the truck. A moment later, they were on their way.
THIRTEEN
THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE prison was a lot different from Hannah‘s first arrival. For one thing, she was conscious. And she still had Noah. Already, it was an improvement.
One thing hadn’t changed—a veritable moat of shamblers still surrounded the prison’s outer wall. But their vampire escorts had an easy enough time clearing the way for the trucks and soon they were safely inside. Relatively speaking.
Celine led the way as a dozen vampires escorted the four of them through a ma
ze of corridors. Inside the prison, cowls came off, revealing indifferent faces that, thankfully, spared none of them a second glance. All except for a petite brunette who made eye contact with Hannah and offered a smile. Hannah didn’t smile back.
They took them straight to processing. Hannah recognized Louise, who was still in charge of checking in new arrivals and arranging living quarters and work assignments. Her setup, a makeshift desk in a cell that functioned as part office, part closet, hadn’t changed. Louise herself looked thin and tired, a stark contrast to the plump, robust woman who had first checked Hannah in.
Alek approached her first. She barely glanced at him as she inserted a form into her clipboard. “Name?”
“Al Johnson.” He affected a southern drawl that forced Hannah to suppress a smile.
Louise scribbled on the clipboard. “What did you do before?” She didn’t bother specifying before what.
“I was an EMT in Atlanta.”
She nodded. “That’s good, seeing as how we lost our doctor. I’ll assign you to the clinic and the emergency response team. You got any objections to that?” She glanced up at him.
“No ma’am, I do not.”
She looked at him more closely, her eyes narrowed. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
“Maybe. Ever take an ambulance ride in Atlanta?”
“Can’t say as I have.”
“Then it doesn’t seem too likely. Anything else?”
Louise shook her head and looked back at her form. Her pen scratched a few lines and then she slipped in a new form. “That’s all for now. Next!”
Alek moved over as Hannah stepped up to the desk. Louise looked up at her. “Now you I do know. Welcome back, Hannah. Is this your brother?”
“It is. How are you, Louise?”
“You don’t want to know. What’s his name?”
“Noah Jordan.”
“Age?”
“Going on seven months.”
“I guess I don’t need to ask what he did before the outbreak. As for you, same duties as before. I’ll put you back on the medical team with Blondie over there, and on sewing and repairs. Now wait over there.”
Deliverance of the Damned Page 7
