by Tanja Neise
I hoped that those who had dared to attack us wouldn’t have night vision devices with them. It was worth a try, at least. We plugged the mini version of a walkie-talkie into our ears so that we could communicate with each other. I was still in awe of the technology that had been developed over the last few centuries.
“Okay, Boss. I'll try and get down through the ventilation shafts. Are you going to take the stairwell? The elevators are out of order now.” He gave me a questioning look as I handed him various weapons. He meticulously tucked everything away into his pockets.
“Yes. We’ll do it like that. Don't forget Ladorre. We can’t let him near the women.”
Knowingly, Dark nodded while putting on a gloomy demeanour. We both knew everything Ladorre, the captured vampire, was capable of. Neither of us wanted him to act out his fantasies on one of the two women. And Liv's blood would be yet another unadulterated temptation for him. Almost invisibly, Dark merged with the shadows and disappeared.
The stairwell in front of me was dark and silent when I entered it. No sound penetrated the many doors that led to the various floors. And because I needed it to be the same on the other side, I tried to make as little noise as possible while running down the stairs.
To get to the last floor, you had to enter a code. Only then did the hydraulic metal door open. How had they managed to do that? It was a completely new system that had been recently installed. As a rule, it should have been a hurdle impossible to overcome.
“Dark?” I whispered.
“Yes, Boss?” I heard the voice hiss right into my ear.
“Where are you?”
“I’m just down here. Can't see anything yet, but they stink like a herd of buffalo,” Dark snorted, curtly.
“The door to the lowest track is intact. I wonder how they managed to get in if they didn't use brute force. No traces of explosives,” I shared my thoughts with him.
He remained silent for a moment, but finally he replied: “I’d love to know that too. I'll take a closer look later. But first, I'm going to let off a little steam.” The sarcastic laughter strengthened my own anticipation of the battle we were about to fight. The adrenaline, which we vampires weren't immune to, either, was spreading through my body. It was just the right moment for me to fight. Oh yes, we would get answers – there were many ways and means at our disposal.
I put my hand on the display and my fingerprints were scanned; at the same time, I had to enter a twenty-digit code. I almost expected it not to work, but the door opened almost noiselessly. The hallway lay before me, in darkness. There was only an emergency light that shone at ground level every five metres. The bluish glow bestowed a sense of unreality upon the setting. In addition, I could smell Liv's scent of ripe apricots, which was setting me on fire. Relief flowed through me and I tried to concentrate in order to send her a message. Yet I despaired of the thoughts that I might not be able to reach her. How would I know whether she was hearing my thoughts?
I noticed how the despair was eating away at my concentration. That was not good at all. Determined not to let myself be distracted anymore, I looked straight ahead; I focussed all my energy on finding the culprits that caused this fine mess and finally destroying them.
Anne Rumsfield
My senses were overwhelmed with nausea and I had to take a hold of myself so as not to vomit right there and then. Cold stone on my cheek, or was it tiles? It smelled of disinfectant. Where was I? For a short time, I had no recollection of what had happened. But then the memories came flooding back to me and I opened my eyes in shock, which was not exactly beneficial in my current physical state. I immediately regretted it and blinked frantically while carefully regulating my breathing so as not to release the contents of my stomach after all. Shit, this was bad, really bad!
I had severe difficulty seeing clearly and not just because my eyes were watering. My vision was completely blurred. I repeatedly closed my eyelids and then opened them again; I was very slowly able to make out a few outlines.
Again, I cursed the fact that I didn’t have my handheld computer within reach. I couldn't even say how long I’d been unconscious for. However, I could distinguish that I was in a dark room where there was only a faint blue light. Apparently, the lighting system in the Centrodynamics basement, into which we had escaped from the emergency corridor, had failed. A grin stealthily slid across my face because I could remember that the lights had worked before I passed out. Did Dark have anything to do with this? Had that sombre vampire survived the blast? I sincerely hoped so, from the bottom of my heart.
As my eyes slowly got used to the surroundings, I feebly tried to sit up, but dizziness seized me and I started retching. Bitter-tasting bile rose up my throat and burned my mucous membranes. I couldn’t remember that I’d ever felt this bad. This was a complete and utter failure. But I ought to have slowly got used to this. Since I had set out on this very personal mission, I was failing at every hurdle. As I said: a complete failure!
I couldn't find Maggie anywhere; I didn't hear anyone breathing, either. Where had those assholes taken her? The anger that was raging in me helped me to repress the dizziness and concentrate on the matter at hand. I wanted to save my sister, get her out of here, and if only for the sake of her being back in the arms of her bloodsucker again. I had to save her. No matter the cost.
“Maggie?” I waited, but there was no reaction. “Liv?” I hissed into the darkness again, but she was definitely not here, even if she didn't answer to her current name.
Okay, stay calm. A new mantra might bring some kind of new luck. Stay calm and find Maggie. I said this to myself over and over whilst I slowly got used to the feel of my body again. The spinning stopped and I was able to swallow again, this time without any nausea overpowering me.
After I’d crawled over to the open door, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps and I could tell that they were boots. Probably boots for military use. My colleagues were behind this. We were the only ones that used Tuminasil for missions like this. Which unit was at work here? Did I know these guys? Was I willing to fight my own men?
I got up and merged with the shadows. When the soldier entered the room, I attacked him without hesitation. I quickly found the point on his jaw that knocked him unconscious. The element of surprise was clearly on my side, though the guy weighed about a hundred kilos. Still weakened by the poison in my veins, I couldn't hold him as he fell. The impact of his body echoed loudly in my ears and, no doubt, also in the ears of his colleagues. I could already hear subsequent frenzied footsteps. However, I had no opportunity to hide; except for a few metal lockers, there was nothing in this Godforsaken, bare room. The second soldier had been forewarned, and the laser cannon in his hand was already pointing at me before he even entered the room. His head jerked towards the lifeless body on the floor. With two steps, he was there, feeling methodically for his comrade's pulse. I hadn't killed him; I’d just put him to sleep for a while. Slowly, the newcomer turned to me.
“Anne Rumsfield, Harrison's favourite pupil. Well, well, well.” Cold spread to my extremities, as I immediately recognised the deep, low-pitched voice of my fiercest rival in the unit. I was so done for. Tyron had always been waiting for a way to get back at me. The fact that I’d beaten him in every competitive event was an insult to him and he obviously wanted to make up for it today. It was written all over his face. “Does Harrison know you’ve defected?”
The darkness prevented me from clearly distinguishing his features. The faint, blue light was behind him and I could only make out his silhouette. Nevertheless, I could hear the grin in his words: the grin that he was most certainly wearing on his face. I hated myself for it, but I took a step backwards until my back hit the wall. He sauntered over to me. I attempted to prepare myself for anything as his fist promptly smashed into my stomach. The nausea immediately returned. Like acid, the pain ate its way through my gut and flowed out of my stomach in waves. A whimper escaped my mouth and I collapsed. I could guess what would
happen next. I knew I’d handed it to him on a silver platter. In panic, I tried to protect my head, but my opponent’s boot was faster. The steel-capped tip hit my cheekbone, which broke with a smash. There was an explosion of stars in my head and I screamed.
I heard a laugh – quiet, but slimy. “It’s all good. Scream for me, Baby. Maybe then I'll be merciful and end it for you right away. I'm sure you'd rather that than the rehabilitation programme. Although your peers over there would certainly have their fun with you.” Tyron had always been a sadistic asshole but until now we’d always been on the same side. Being at his mercy now wasn't exactly something I’d wished for. I received two more kicks and with the fourth I felt something tearing inside me. It wasn’t comparable to the pain he’d already caused me. I was certain that something crucial had broken inside me.
My eyelids were fluttering as I tried desperately not to lose consciousness. Tyron was going berserk and could no longer hold himself back. My last thought was of my wonderful, strong sister when I received another hit on the head.
Olivia Morgan / Margaret Rumsfield
I kept turning, looking for an exit, a telephone, a door that was open. Apart from bare walls, which were illuminated only every few metres by the faint, blue light that only served to show the way, I couldn’t make anything out. I couldn’t even see the ceiling.
“My love, I’m on my way to you!”
I gasped, momentarily. Robert! He was on his way to save us! At that moment, I would have loved to sit down on the floor and cry – the relief pervaded me to such an extent – but I had to get back to Anne.
In a lightning-quick flash, the scream that echoed through the corridors caused me unimaginable nausea. It rapidly shot through my brain, directly into my subconscious, where it manifested itself as pure terror. I knew it. I knew it must have been Anne, to whom something terrible must have happened. The scream was testament to unspeakable agony. She had to be in pain because she was a tough nut to crack and she wouldn't let herself be tempted to admit to any weakness that quickly. Why had I left her alone and defenceless? I was looking for a way out of this building, which I actually knew like the back of my hand. What had I achieved? Nothing! I felt like I was in a labyrinth in these corridors. Nevertheless, I wouldn't give up on her without a fight, so I looked for the way back, which turned out to be more difficult than I’d thought. Contrary to my assumption, I’d walked quite far; I’d forked off at several turnings and unfortunately hadn’t made a mental note of them all.
What totally irritated me was that I didn't meet anyone on my way – I didn't have to hide from anyone. Where were the members of the unit? They had to be somewhere. They couldn’t just vanish into thin air. I got the feeling I was wandering around in an empty concrete coffin – my coffin – Anne’s coffin. Would Robert find us in time?
The basement was quite spacious but the fact that I couldn’t hear any of the men in the combat unit gave me the chills. Something was tremendously wrong; I just couldn't properly grasp what it was.
After a few more steps I heard a muffled noise that repeated itself a few times. I’d never heard anything like this before but, in my mind's eye, a picture arose that made me feel a tremendous rage. A rage I’d never known – never felt before. Admittedly, I’d never been in such a situation before, but resentment – no, hatred – was causing me to lose my mind. The need to kill was growing within me. God, what the hell was wrong with me? Was this because a vampire had drunk my blood? Or perhaps my own blood – which was no longer human – was to blame?
Wherever these feelings came from, they were dominating my mind and that wasn’t good at all. I ran to the source of the noise, trying to be silent myself, but the abrupt silence suggested that I’d betrayed myself in some way. Please, no! I had no chance against a trained combat unit like this, even if there was only one of them. What was my plan, though? What would I do if I got there and saw them abusing my sister? I shook my head for a moment, but it wasn’t enough to cast out the fog that was clouding my brain. I carefully felt for the weapon, pulled it out of my trousers and released the safety catch on it. I didn’t know how I’d acquired the knowledge to do this. Meanwhile, I’d regained my sense of direction and, once more, was able to orient myself a little. But at that same moment, as I was entering the corridor which led to the room where my sister was hopefully still located, two arms suddenly enveloped me and a huge hand clasped itself onto my mouth, just as I was about to cry out for help. Who should rush to help me anyway? Surrender seized my body, which was all of a sudden powerless.
“Well, pretty girl? I’m very fortunate to have found you here.” The voice jarringly thrust itself into my consciousness and fear spread its way through my body. Where this fear came from, I couldn’t tell for the life of me, but it was immense. I was trembling and could hardly breathe. “Let's get out of here. Your Raphael is about to pay us a visit.” The man reached around me and took the gun without me showing any kind of resistance. In my head I was rebelling but my body was admitting defeat.
I could have screamed and cursed but as soon as I was about to raise my voice, he pressed a point on my throat and no more sound came out of my mouth. Behind me, I heard him snort, amused.
I didn't know how exactly I knew – perhaps because he knew Robert's real name – but I was absolutely sure that I’d been captured by a vampire. And this bastard was now dragging me back into the labyrinth of corridors. I tried to memorise the way again, but after the eighth turn-off I gave up. This must be the vampire that had been reported in the press. How had he escaped from his prison? Had the soldiers freed him and lost their lives in the process? At least that would explain why it had been so quiet in the corridors. Deadly silent.
Robert Tensington / Raphael
I heard the scream as I was letting the door to the lowest basement level quietly lock shut. Anne! Unfortunately, the acoustics down here weren't exactly conducive to locating her. But shortly afterwards, I heard someone kicking another person. I could have pinned down that noise anywhere and at any time – I’d heard it all too often. A little later I’d reached a hallway where the smell of Liv was omnipresent in the air. Something else had been added; aside from the beguiling smell of apricots, I could detect the acrid stench of fear. And Ladorre's own scent was clearly recognisable, which wasn’t surprising, since his dungeon was only a few rooms away. This emboldened me to finish the job as quickly as possible and get the two women out of here. This was no place for them, not as long as that devil lived down here.
I slowly stalked my way to the back room. Someone was breathing quickly, and if I was locating that person correctly, they were standing in the middle of the room. Carefully, I peered around the corner and saw a guy in full combat gear – a quintessential soldier. He was standing next to Anne with his legs apart, a weapon in his hand, and was cautiously keeping an eye on the ceiling. He was obviously waiting for Dark’s arrival through the ventilation system. Someone must have tipped him off. Apart from the two of them, another man in uniform was lying on the floor, unconscious. Realising that Olivia was not present struck me with horror, but for now I had to concentrate on what was in front of me.
The smell of Anne's blood tickled my nose, and when I looked at her I could see that her ribcage was only rising very feebly. Like a butterfly trying to breathe under the weight of an apple. The intervals between the single breaths grew longer and longer. A large pool of dark red lifeblood had collected around her. You had to be blind if you couldn’t see that she was dying. My heart almost stopped at the thought of how terribly Liv would be affected by the death of her sister, who she’d only just been reunited with.
Suddenly, the static image came to life. The soldier released the catch on his weapon and aimed at one of the metal flaps; he hadn't noticed my presence so far. The immense fury at this wasted life – Anne’s life – gave me the incentive to attack him from behind and pull him into a headlock. With my other hand I reached around him and disarmed him. He was tall, almost as t
all as I was, and consisted for the most part of pure muscle mass. The mere thought of how this beast must have taken all his anger out on this frail girl compelled me to take away a little more of his air supply than necessary.
Dark jumped into the room through the metal hatch. His gaze darted around, landed on Anne's body, paused for a moment, then turned towards us with hateful eyes. He gave the soldier a piercing look.
“Did you have your fun with her?” He hissed so softly that the guy ought to have had trouble understanding him. But it didn't really matter, because the next thing I noticed was the sound of a bone breaking. The soldier's head hung at an awkward angle from his body's torso. Dark had broken his neck in one single, smooth movement. Unsettled, I dropped the body of the dead man – disturbed by the cold-bloodedness and lack of restraint I had just witnessed in my otherwise level-headed, smooth-operating head of security. The man would certainly have been forthcoming if we’d tried a few of the things on him that I’d had the privilege of learning in the course of my life. But now it was too late – too late to get information. I only hoped we’d get hold of one of the other attackers alive.
When the soldier's body hit the ground, Dark was already sitting at Anne's side, holding her hand. With horror, I could see the feelings that were raging inside him. When exactly had this guy, so cold and aloof, given his heart to the woman of steel who was dying right here before us? He looked at me, desperately, tears shimmering in his eyes.
“Boss...” His voice broke.
“I know, Dark.” What did I know? What it felt like to lose someone? Yes, I was a master of that. But for Dark, it was probably the first time he’d lost someone. But I wasn't very good at comforting others. I was the wrong person to talk to. Besides, my heart was crying out to leave immediately and find Liv. We didn't have time to hang around here until Anne had taken her very last breath. But I couldn't do that to Dark, and not to Liv, either. She’d probably decapitate me if she learned that we’d left her sister alone in the last minutes of her life.
