by Mary Abshire
He secured the barred door before he left.
Alone and held prisoner, I brought my arms together over my chest, then squeezed. Part of me wanted to weep, but I knew it would do me little good. Fear wouldn't help me either. Anger was the best emotion for me to cling to. I came to free Drake and I was determined to stick to my plan. But if I had a chance to claim another VETOV member's soul, I'd take it in a heartbeat. My fate with death would arrive soon anyway once they met and casted their final vote.
Chapter Nineteen
The patter of shoes on the hard floor alerted me to someone's presence down the hall. I continued pacing in my small cell. The temperature around me dropped, indicating a vampire was nearby. My gut tightened. Still, I paced. For most of the day, I'd heard people moving around. Each time a bloodsucker visited, my body reacted the same. I tried peeking between the bars, but I only saw Quon or Viktor going into one of the rooms. While I had been treated fairly with meals and breaks to use the bathroom, the lack of communication with anyone was taking a toll. I couldn't stop wondering what their plans were for me.
The air chilled around me as I faced the back wall. I paused, then spun. Nassar stepped into view outside my prison cell. Quon and Viktor were with him. Nassar pressed the buttons on the keypad, then tugged on the bars. During one of my breaks, I'd checked out the device keeping me caged. Unless someone could fry the circuit, there was no way I could break out.
"Come with us, Jessie," Nassar said. He was wearing black slacks and a cream-colored button-down today.
Since I had no choice, I headed toward them. I could've resisted, but why bring more pain to myself. They'd get what they wanted from me, willingly or not.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I left the confines of my cage.
Quon began walking down the hall.
"There is a friend of mine I'd like you to meet," Viktor said as he gestured for me to walk.
I took slow steps forward as the beat of my heart rapped faster. Any friend of Viktor's was not going to be a buddy of mine. As I passed the other prisons, I peeked inside. All were empty. But the last one had a solid steel door preventing me from seeing into the cell.
Quon came to a halt in the middle of the hall as if to block me from trying to flee. I wasn't stupid. I knew their strength and quickness. I refused to give them any incentive to hurt me more than they planned. As I approached him, Viktor gestured for me to enter the room.
Two steps past the doorframe, I came to an immediate halt. The room contained stainless steel cabinets, a wide sink, two tall research tables, books, microscopes, beakers, burners, and other scientific instruments. But what really captured my attention was the gurney in the middle of the room and tables near it with too many shiny tools.
Two men wearing white doctor's jackets came toward me. One man wore glasses and had plenty of wrinkles on his face. The other fellow was taller, younger, thinner, and had light brown hair instead of dark. The both stared at me and spoke to each other in German.
"Please," Viktor said. "Have a seat in the chair."
The two doctors moved aside. I spotted a big chair with tall armrests near the far wall. Anxiety reaching a new high, I proceeded to my instructed destination. As I passed the table with the instruments, I got a good look at them and most were quite sharp. What did they plan to do with me? Swallowing hard, I sat in the cold chair. It only took a second for a strong cramp to pain my intestines. I held an arm close to my stomach.
The younger doctor grabbed a nearby stool, then rolled it to a stop near me. He sat, then spoke more German.
"I don't understand," I said.
"He wants you to put your arm on the support bar," Nassar said as he came to stand behind the doctor.
I placed my arm on the flat surface of the armrest. The doctor scooted closer and withdrew a band from his pocket. He wrapped it tightly around the upper part of my arm, then pushed my sleeve up.
Viktor moved to the other side of me. "I hope you don't mind, but you're going to be sharing your blood with us while you're still breathing."
I pressed my lips together to stop myself from telling him where he could go. The asshole would get what he wanted whether I agreed or not.
While the doctor poked at my arm, I met Nassar's gaze. He revealed no emotions.
"Try to relax," Nassar said.
"Is this part of your plan for me—supply you with my vitamin demon blood?" I asked.
The doctor rolled a small device with a bag closer to my knees. He connected the bag to a small tube, then the other end met with a needle.
Viktor smirked. "Until we can vote on the matter, I see no point in letting you go to waste."
The doctor poked at the vein in my arm, then pushed the needle into it. Red fluid flowed into the tube and continued on a path toward the bag. He pushed a button underneath the small tray for the bag, then the tray started shifting the bag from one end to the other, keeping the blood moving.
"So what happens after this? Can I see Drake?" I asked, then glanced at each man.
"We can take you to see Drake later," Viktor said, then looked at Quon.
"Can he come see me?" I asked.
"I'm afraid he's…indisposed," Viktor said.
"What does that mean?" I looked at Nassar.
"Don't worry, you'll see him soon enough," Viktor said, then strolled toward Quon who was standing near the other doctor at the research table.
Nassar moved closer. "Sophia and Ramon are due to arrive later. Ramon may not reach the Fort until early morning. I already informed them of Anton's demise. They weren't happy." He lowered his gaze.
"Who is here so far?" I asked as the bag filled quickly with my blood. If it weren't for the evil vamps in the room with their icy energy, I would've been sweating profusely.
"So far, it is the four of us. Elissa and Isabel should arrive before sunrise."
"Who is Isabel?" I asked.
I'd met Elissa before. Jeremy had slept with her and allowed her to feed from him in exchange for millions of dollars. She thought of us demons as pets to play with and nothing more. Needless to say, I didn't have a favorable opinion of her.
"Isabel is Renaud's survivor. She was turned by Renaud nearly three centuries ago."
"What will happen after everybody gets here?"
"A meeting will be held," Nassar said.
"With or without me?"
"First, without you. If your presence is required, someone will collect you."
"What about Drake?"
Nassar turned his attention to Quon, Viktor, and the older doctor. "Excuse me," he said before he headed toward the trio.
The young doctor sat on a stool close by. He looked at me, then the nearly full bag. I sensed he and his partner were human since they weren't leaking any energy to trigger my internal warnings. He rose, then went to a nearby cabinet. From within, he withdrew two more empty bags. He strode away briefly, then returned, pushing a small table with the bags on top.
While the doctor swapped the nearly full blood bag with an empty one, I peered around him at the vampires chatting with the older doctor. Nassar didn't look pleased with his lips pressed together and his cold gaze toward Viktor. I wished I'd had vampire hearing so I could've heard their conversation.
The doc near me set my involuntary donation of blood on the table, then untied the band around my upper arm.
"Is one ready?" Viktor asked, then appeared behind the young doctor. He took the bag, smiled widely, then left.
Nassar headed my way. Behind him, Viktor and Quon left the room.
"Glad I could be of use," I said smugly.
Nassar stood at my side with his arms crossed. "You've given them every reason to use you. They will take full advantage."
"And what about you?"
"I will not feed from your blood. I've tasted demon blood before."
"Is it not good enough for you?"
"I assure you, it's quite superior to human."
"Then what's stopping you? It looks
as if I'm to fill two more bags here shortly."
Nassar lowered his arms and walked away. He gathered a stool from one of the research tables, then brought it near me and sat.
"Do you have any idea what they have planned for you?" he asked.
I sighed. "Feel free to enlighten me."
"What do you see in this room?"
I glanced around. "Tools. Research materials." I met his gaze.
"You're unique, Jessie. I wish you weren't." His voice held a touch of remorse.
"Are they…" My heart thudded. "Do they want to study me?"
"Viktor does. He's already planted the seed in the minds of the others and it has taken root. When everyone is here, we'll cast an official vote. I will not support such a malicious idea, but the majority rule will win."
I lowered my gaze to the floor. I'd never considered the notion they'd want to use me as a guinea pig to study. But it made sense in a very morbid and sick way.
"Constantine said the airport attendant saw you and a man arrive on a plane," Nassar said, gathering my attention. "Who came to the island with you?"
"No one to be concerned about."
"So it wasn't Jeremy?"
"No."
He stared at me as if he was trying to find out if I was lying. "For the man's sake, I hope you're right. I don't need to tell you what would happen if the others discovered another demon nearby."
"No, you don't need to tell me."
Head feeling light and vision starting to spin, I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. I heard the young doc speaking in German.
"How are you feeling?" Nassar asked.
"Not so good." I breathed in slowly, trying to lessen the feeling of weightlessness in my head.
There were taps on the floor, then the doc spoke in German again.
"You need to drink," Nassar said.
I opened my eyes and found him holding a bottle of water in one hand and a bottle of orange juice in the other. I pointed to the orange juice. He twisted the cap off before he handed it over. I drank half the bottle before I started to feel normal again. The bag at my side was almost full.
"Did you know I was going to have to do this?" I asked.
"Yes."
Of course he did. That's why he wanted me to rest so much.
"What happened to being ethical vampires? Or, at the very least, respectful enough to listen to Drake, who served you for centuries?"
He leaned forward. "You destroyed Renaud without proof. Drake destroyed Dimitry. And just recently, you destroyed Anton. The group is not going to sit back and let you walk around without some kind of retribution."
"Then set Drake free and kill me."
The doctor worked on swapping the full bag for another empty one.
"That would be too easy for the survivors." He sat upright.
"Can you hand me the water, please?"
After he removed the cap, he handed me the bottle. I downed it quickly, pausing once to catch a deep breath. The doctor took the empty bottle from me, then discarded it.
"Why did you come back?" Nassar asked softly.
"To free Drake. To stop you and your merry bunch of evil fucks from killing more people to get to me."
"You love him that much to sacrifice your own life?"
"Yes," I said without hesitation while I stared into his eyes. "He's a good man with a good soul. Whatever you've done to him, he didn't deserve."
"He destroyed a member to spare your life."
Before my head started floating again, I realized arguing with Nassar wouldn't change anything.
"Could you hand me the juice, please?" I asked as I pointed to it.
The doctor twisted and retrieved the bottle. After he handed it to me, I took my time finishing the rest of the sweet liquid. Since my stomach had started revolting, I didn't want to anger it more by gulping everything at once.
"Can you please just take me to see Drake?" I asked, fighting the urge to puke and pass out at the same time.
"I'll take you to see him," Viktor said as he approached.
Nassar rose and faced him. "She's not well. She should rest."
"The woman wants to see her lover, she should see her lover," Viktor said.
Fists clenched and biting my tongue, I tried to ignore the overwhelming sensation to pass out. At least, that's what my head wanted to do. My intestines had other plans.
"She can wait," Nassar said.
"No," Viktor said firmly. "Let her see him."
I found it strange how the evil vamp was now willing to let me see Drake and Nassar was arguing against it. Something had to have happened to Drake. The words they used and the way the acted clearly indicated they'd done something to him.
The doctor removed the needle from my arm, then he worked to secure a cotton ball over my vein. When he was done, I lifted my clenched hand. The three vampires looked at me.
"Take me to him," I said.
The room spun when I stood and I wobbled.
"Careful," Nassar said as he gripped my arm. "You're weak. You should—"
"Let's get this over with," I said, not enjoying his cool touch.
Viktor grasped my other arm. "You heard her."
He tugged me forward. His icy hand sent shivers through me.
"Just a heads up, I'll probably need a bucket later, unless you want to clean up vomit," I said as we headed toward the exit.
Before we left, he told the older doctor something in German.
Nassar held onto my left arm while Viktor squeezed my other. Together, they helped me walk toward one of the rooms. The ringing in my ears increased along with my wooziness. If it weren't for them keeping me upright, I would've easily collapsed on the floor.
We stopped near the steel door and waited while Quon opened it. My heart began to race, but I wasn't sure if it was fear or excitement to see Drake. I glanced down the hall and noticed my cell had only been a few away from the one we were about to enter. We'd been so close this entire time. But I'd never heard any sounds from any of the other rooms.
Quon tugged on the handle and the door squealed loudly. The room was so dark I couldn't make out any figures. Nassar and Viktor walked me inside. The strong smell of rot hit me and I fought the urge to retch. When the light came on, I forgot how to breathe.
I stared with wide eyes at a corpse lying on a mattress on the floor. Brown hair covered the bony skull. Eyes were sunken. Skin clung tight to every bone not covered by clothes. The starved vampire reminded me of the one Patrick had destroyed in Pittsburgh. Realization came to me the more I studied the attire, the hair, and the bone structure of the shriveled creature before me.
"No," I gasped. I suddenly remembered how to breathe and couldn't get enough air. "No!" I screamed.
With the little big of strength I had left, I tried to pry my arms away from them. Of course, I couldn't.
"Noooo!" I shouted as loud as I could. "Drake!" I yelled.
My knees gave out, but the two vampires pulled me to my feet. "Drake!"
Misery squeezed my heart. I cried and sucked in air. My head pounded.
"Drake!" I screamed again and again.
The two vampires carried me out of the room while I cried uncontrollably. The fuckers had drained him bone dry. I hated them, every single fucking one.
Nassar and Viktor carried me into my prison, then they laid me on the bed. I rolled over to the wall and let pain and grief swallow me.
Chapter Twenty
The snapping sound from the lock on the door brought my eyes open. Lying on my makeshift bed, I faced the wall. I hadn't moved much since the evil fucks had dumped me in my room. The only time I had was to spill my guts in a bucket. My head ached so fiercely it felt as if a razor sharp blade kept stabbing me. I'd slept in small intervals, but my mind and body hadn't rested. I couldn't be sure of the time, but guards had delivered three meals. I hadn't touched any of them.
"You're giving them exactly what they want," Nassar said behind me.
I inhal
ed a deep breath and ignored him.
"I realize you don't want to eat, but you need to try," he said.
If I ate, they'd drain me again at some point. Starving myself would prevent them from getting much blood out of me. It would also be a slow and painful death. But at least I'd die eventually.
"If you don't eat, they'll hook you up to an IV," he said as if he could hear my thoughts, which he couldn't.
Ire sparked within me and I swallowed. I hadn't considered they'd force feed me through a tube. It seemed as if the fuckers were always one step ahead of me. The thought of them touching me made cringe internally. In an effort to avoid more contact with them, I slowly sat upright and twisted to face him.
Nassar stood near my bed, holding a tray with food and a bottle of water. The smell of whatever he'd brought caused a wave of nausea to rise within me. I closed my eyes briefly and swallowed, holding back the urge to puke. I had nothing in me left to spew anyway. He set the tray on the table behind him, then grabbed the water.
"Drink," he said, handing me the bottle. "You're weak."
I took the water, then sipped on it.
Nassar lifted the folding chair, then moved it closer to me. When he returned to the table, I quickly ascertained what he planned to do. Maybe the bloodsucker was trying to be nice, but to me he was still the enemy.
"Stop," I said.
Holding the tray, he faced me.
"If you want me to eat, set the food on the bed and leave," I said.
Lips pressed tight, he stared at me.
"I won't eat if you're sticking around to watch," I added.
He placed the tray at the end of the bed, then scooted the chair back to the wall. Without speaking a word, he walked out of my prison and secured the door.
"Ramon is here now. Sophia will arrive before the sun rises," he said, one hand on a bar.
I turned my head and glared at him. "I'll try to gather my strength so you can drain more blood from me."
He walked away.
With a heavy sigh, I looked at the tray. Chicken parmesan and two breadsticks offered little appeal to my appetite, but to avoid them force feeding me, I'd find a way to consume the food. I started with the bread, picked tiny pieces off, then ate them slowly. The small bites calmed my upset belly. It took me a while, but I eventually finished them. Feeling stuffed, I scooted to the wall and leaned my back against it. After waiting for the fullness to lessen, I started to eat the chicken.
