by Tanja Neise
The diversionary tactic had worked. However, Dark and I were not on our way to the company building. I, the complete idiot that I was, had driven Liv and Anne directly into the arms of those who were after us. We were just about to open the steel door to the secret passageway, when a detonation just behind it catapulted me to the opposite wall of my bedroom. Dark was still standing rooted to the spot, as he hadn't been waiting directly in front of the wardrobe. A tremendous rage clenched in my guts as I saw the black hole that was where my wardrobe had been before. A deep hole that blocked our way – the way to Liv. I wanted to see blood flow, and not just a little. Who had dared to touch me and my loved one in such an insidious manner?
Dark's facial expression roughly corresponded to what was going on inside me. “We have to get those two out of there, Boss! Do you hear?”
I nodded, in agreement. This was nothing that I hadn’t thought of myself. I picked myself up and brushed the dust off my clothes. Since he’d been addressing me in such a relaxed manner before, I stayed with it; it was good that our relationship finally had clearly defined boundaries. We were friends and yet we usually spoke to each other in a formal manner. From today on that was going to change. “Do you have a plan, my friend?”
“No,” he hissed, and started moving. “But I will kill anyone who even thinks of doing anything to the women, or to you.”
I hoped from the bottom of my heart that this wouldn’t happen. Rather, I wanted to persuade myself that Anne and Olivia wouldn’t be harmed. But the years had taught me better. Life wasn’t fair. Especially not to women in captivity. A deep rumbling could be heard, and only when my mind cleared up a little did I realise that it was a growl I’d heard, coming from myself.
I followed this great man, who went straight into the study and grabbed various technical devices. Meanwhile, from the hidden shelf, I took all the weapons I could carry, and which seemed useful to me. With our arms fully laden, we made our way downstairs to start the second ironclad, blacked-out limousine. Dark wouldn't have lasted five minutes outside in daylight, and it was still only the afternoon. It was still a while until sunset. Until then, he had to rely on the windows of the car staying up in order to protect him. I steered the car in the direction of Centrodynamics, while Dark logged into the company network and tried to find out exactly where our enemies were located in the company building. Even from here, he had access to the cameras inside the building. How bad was the damage? Who knew who or what we were? We had to make sure we limited the damage and kept it secret. Then, with horror, I remembered that the prison wing was next to the entrance to the catacombs. Ladorre was in there, and if someone freed him from the soldiers, it wouldn't be me taking care of the bloodbath. He would do that. But this mighty vampire, whom we had hungrily captured after his companion had been killed by a crazed vampire, would then seize Olivia. The purity of her blood would attract him like a moth to light. And he wouldn’t hesitate to claim her for himself. My smell on her wouldn't stop him from taking her. No, it would rather spur him on, because he hated me from the bottom of his heart. I should have killed him after he’d no longer been able to hide his true self, but I had no choice but to imprison him. The president knew; she knew who I was and she knew that we were doing research. She assumed that we were looking for a cure for human diseases and that this vampire would be useful to us. But she didn’t know that Centrodynamics belonged to the most powerful of all vampires – until now, although I wasn’t intending on changing that fact.
“They’re all still in the lower basement,” explained Dark.
“Okay. And Ladorre?”
“Still in his cell.” Still; the word was like a sword of Damocles hovering over us.
“Good.” I approached the building from the back. I couldn’t see anything conspicuous anywhere. I stopped the car in the small wood directly behind the car parks and let my eyes wander. “Get me a secure line to the president and make sure none of the staff are in the building when we go in.” We had to get the people who were working for me to safety. This wasn't their fight and no innocent people should be involved.
“Boss, today is a holiday, remember? Apart from the two types of security, there’s no one there,” Dark clarified.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Obviously, I had blocked out everything else around me and completely forgotten what was going on in the world. Olivia’s name was a continuous buzz in my head. Or should I say Margaret now? Or Maggie? “Then get them out of the building! And try to reach our allies. None of us know how much longer we can hold Ladorre in this chaos.”
“I’m on it!”
Not a second later, a signal sounded over the car’s intercom. Shortly afterwards, I heard the voice of America's head of state. “Tensington?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We have an emergency here at Centrodynamics.” I deliberately spoke briefly and concisely. She hated it when people tried to pacify her.
“What kind of emergency?”
“There was a break-in at my private accommodation and my company building. Government troops are responsible for this act. Nobody else knows about my secret passageway. Is this down to you?” I didn't believe it was, but I wanted her to position herself and intervene, if necessary.
“Tensington!” She tried to put me in my place, hissing. She was angry. She was entitled to be. But I didn’t allow obstacles to be put in my way. “Listen, I'll take care of it. I’ll send a special unit.”
“All right. Remember that the vampire is in the building and my fiancée and her sister are in the hands of the attackers, and are in there, too,” I explained. Olivia wasn't my fiancée, but it would give the president a more urgent desire for Liv to get out of this unharmed.
For a short time there was silence, which said a lot. The president was known for her quick calculating and decision-making. The fact that she was speechless testified to her correct assessment of the danger in which we all found ourselves. “Understood.”
The conversation was interrupted.
Dark looked at me in amazement. “Boss, you're not seriously assuming that I'm going to sit here in this car and wait for a few pathetic guys to stroll in here and do our job?”
“No. But we might need support with regards to a course of action afterwards. We may have to sweep some things under the carpet. We have to be prepared for that.” Should we have stirred up a hornet’s nest and called soldiers who were working unilaterally to intervene, the president had to be privy to it, unless we all wanted to go into hiding because we’d killed the whole company. Five people were already dead in my loft. Who knew what would be waiting for us in the company building. In any case, we’d be doomed if the president were to be told about it without having been previously informed. We would have to disappear from the scene immediately. Which was definitely not what I had intended. I loved having a life of luxury and didn't want to have to hide myself away like a dangerous criminal.
I could safely assume that the troops had split themselves up into three sections. Firstly, my apartment, secondly, the Centrodynamics building, and thirdly, I was convinced that there was a squad patrolling around here.
A movement to my right, barely perceptible, confirmed my suspicion. Snipers had tucked themselves away behind two cars and were observing the surroundings. Fortunately, they hadn’t discovered us yet, which was not a good indication of their prowess at being snipers. I gave Dark a sign and opened the car door as quietly as I could.
Olivia Morgan / Margaret Rumsfield
Anne lay helpless on the ground, which caused me to feel tremendously sick. She had simply collapsed after rubbing her eyes in disbelief. Something had knocked her out cold. Only what? I assumed she wasn’t ill. Before she fell, she had sniffed like a dog on the trail of something. Apart from gas, nothing occurred to me at that moment that could have worked so quickly without leaving a trace behind. Interestingly enough, I was still fully conscious and could still think clearly, too. Only my eyes were watering a little, as if someone were peeling an
d dicing an onion near me. Was it because of my genetically modified blood that I wasn’t reacting to it?
What was I supposed to do now? Anne had signalled to me that somebody was lying in wait for us ahead. Carefully, I took her gun and hid it in my waistband. It wasn't very heavy and disappeared into the folds of my wide trousers, safely hidden away. Then I did the only thing that made sense to me – I dropped to the floor, remained motionless next to my sister and waited.
While my face lay on the cold stone, I had to swallow hard. Again and again, my thoughts raced to the explosion and the man who had seized my heart.
It wasn’t long before I had visitors. Just a few minutes later I heard footsteps. I had to tell myself again and again that I had to control my breath and mustn’t make any rash movements. Through my slightly-opened eyelids, I could make out three men in gas masks. They were approaching us, weapons in their hands. One of them spoke abruptly. There was presumably a speaking device in the mask that connected him with other men in uniform.
“Chief, it’s two women!” The disbelief in his words was almost funny. They had obviously expected two men – Dark and Robert. But hopefully they were safe by now, which gave me a certain kind of satisfaction. “Yes. Roger,” said the guy in soldier's uniform. But even if he hadn't been wearing government clothes, it would’ve become clear that he was a member of the army. Everything about him indicated that he was in the military. From his short haircut to his accurate posture, to his demeanour as he scanned the environment. “No, Sir. Tensington isn’t here. I realise that. Then we’ll have to try another tactic to get into the cell.” He listened again. “Roger!”
What did the government have against Robert? Or against Centrodynamics? Which cell did they want to get into? Then, with horror, I remembered last week's newspaper article. Allegedly, there was a captured vampire in Seattle. Maybe even here, in this very building. What if that was the case and they wanted to force Robert to give up his prisoner? Maybe the prison wing was secured with additional eye scans or something.
“We should grab them and then withdraw,” he explained to his assistant.
As I’d hoped, they didn’t search us for weapons as they assumed we’d been incapacitated. I continued to pretend I was unconscious. I had no chance against three soldiers, not even with a weapon.
Contrary to my assumption, however, they treated our lifeless bodies with respect. I rocked back and forth in the arms of a man whose face I couldn’t see, as it was hidden behind a mask. I tried to consciously note which path we were taking, which was going relatively well up to that point.
Behind two corners – this corridor was definitely built twisty and windy – and a metal door, five more soldiers were waiting for us. The combat gas that had been used on us must have spread its effect only locally, because none of the people in this hallway had a protective mask over their face. What kind of gas could it be? I’d already read numerous books about toxins; I was a regular visitor to the university library, so I ought to be able to find something close to a solution. I wracked my brains and finally spat out a name: Tuminasil. I’d already read a lot about it. It blinded people and caused the reflexes and some of the muscles to lose control. Only the breathing reflexes were spared. You couldn't just go and get this poisonous gas from your local supermarket and you couldn't make it yourself. And this meant it was an attack from the government. Once again, I found myself asking what it was they wanted from Robert.
At least in this situation, my father’s manipulative intervention in my genetics had created an advantage. As far as Tuminasil was concerned, I was obviously untouchable. But what did that mean for me now? Three men, whom I hadn’t been able to stand up to, had now become eight. My chances of miraculously getting out of here were diminishing from minute to minute.
“Put them there, in that room. We’re not done yet. Keep looking for the boss of this place – Tensington. I'm assuming he'll come straight here to save the women. The other men in our unit, who were supposed to get Tensington into the catacombs, aren’t reporting anymore; we’ve completely lost contact. At least we have the two women as bargaining chips. And you,” said the leader, pointing to two of his men, “keep trying to open the cell where the captured vampire is. It must be one of the three rooms at the back. They’re all secured like Fort Knox. There’s something big hidden there.”
The guy who’d spoken had the coldest eyes I’d ever seen. I’d held my breath for a short time; I had to make sure nobody noticed that I wasn't really unconscious. If someone were to find out, it would probably be fatal for me. But the fact that they were actually planning to free the vampire and take him with them frightened me more than anything. For some time, I had deliberately been ignoring the internal alarm which was now continuously resounding inside me.
I felt cold tiles beneath me as I was put down, like an old sack filled with potatoes. Only the emergency lighting was on. Combat boots hit the ground hard and left my field of vision. Then it was silent around me. I hadn’t heard a door close. My heart instantly beat faster. I had to get out of here. Now! I would probably never get a chance like this again.
I hesitantly opened my eyes a little more, and I was indeed alone with Anne, who was still unconscious.
I was careful not to make any noise as I crawled over to my sister and checked her pulse. Her heart was beating strongly, but she was completely off balance. When she woke up again, she would probably have a terrible headache. It was incredibly difficult for me to leave her lying there. I would have loved to have thrown her over my shoulder and taken her with me, but that was impossible. I had to think clearly, proceed strategically and not succumb to hysteria. Only then did I have a chance of getting both of us out of here alive. Who would have thought? Until now, I’d relied on Anne and had assumed that she would be the one to save us, but now I was the one to be landed with the role of Wonder Woman. And I wanted to carry out this task with the utmost success.
In the room we’d been brought to there was nothing more than a few lockers. What was being kept here? I wouldn't, however, be able to uncover this secret right now. The lockers were made of metal and the chances of them causing a hell of a noise when opened were relatively high. Too high.
Staying here was not an option. I had to get out of this room. We were most probably right down on the lowest floor, where I’d never been before. It was kept under top-level security and the cleaning crew didn't do any cleaning down here. The inaugurated staff took responsibility for it themselves. I had to manage to find a way of getting outside. I tried to persuade myself that this shouldn’t be so difficult. Deep down, I admitted to myself that getting out of the high-security area was going to be a great obstacle to overcome indeed.
If only I had my communication device with me, then I’d be able to contact Robert. But I wasn’t given the chance; it was on sleep mode in my bag in Robert's loft, if it hadn't been completely destroyed during the blast. For a split-second, the thought that I might never need it again shot into my brain, but I quickly pushed that thought far away from me.
I could do this, Goddamn it!
Robert Tensington / Raphael
Quietly and efficiently, I killed the two snipers. The sound when I broke one of their necks evoked a devilish satisfaction in me. It didn't last long, though; as soon as the lifeless bodies hit the ground, I felt the urge to continue killing, thinking that I probably wouldn’t be able to calm down again until I held Liv in my arms.
If only I hadn't held back. I should have ignored all the complications and carried out the ritual with her. Then perhaps we’d be spiritually connected now and I’d know where she was and whether she was all right. Yet once again, I’d wanted to do everything right and wait for the perfect moment. Deep down, however, I didn't really regret it because the ritual between two lovers was something very special, intended for eternity. With that in mind, I wanted it to be done in a particular setting. What’s more, I wasn't even sure whether the ritual could be performed by us; after all,
Liv wasn't born a vampire.
I cautioned myself to focus. As long as I didn't have Liv back, neither of us could think about when, where or how the ritual should be performed.
I ran across the car park at a breathtaking speed – something I’d regained thanks to Liv's blood – and searched for any further members of the squad. There was no one here except Dark and myself. I’d caught all of them.
Back in the limousine Dark welcomed me with a thumbs up. “Well done, Boss!” Since he was so sensitive to the sunlight, he’d had no choice but to wait in the car, which hadn't made him especially happy.
I only answered with a nod and started the engine. The electronic system started quietly and I let the car slowly roll to the rear entrance so that we’d have the shortest route to the door. Meanwhile, using the handheld computer, Dark switched off the security system so that we could enter the building unnoticed.
Resolutely, I reached into the back of the car and grabbed a towel from my sports bag that I’d packed to do a few laps in the pool at the Centrodynamics gym. When was that? Before I saved Liv from that blonde witch? The situation in the car park when she’d been sitting on the floor seemed like forever ago. My world had been turned completely upside down and normality was now a foreign word to me. “Here,” I said, and threw him the towel so that he could put it around his head. That would have to suffice as protection for the short sprint to the door. On his mark, heavily loaded with our equipment, we jumped out of the car.
Inside, we were greeted by an eerie silence. The security staff had been given the day off due to a supposed ‘system error’ and told to leave the premises quietly within five minutes. Dark's plan had obviously worked.
He let out a snort before entering something into the small handheld computer he always carried around with him. “Let the games begin.” A diabolical grin spread across his flawless face as, a moment later, the building’s lighting turned off. Dark and I had no problems with the dim light in the corridors.
