by M. Cheykota
He nods.
Christien, you may come in. Kayle, you may come in. I think silently.
Apparently, Christien feels the barrier around my home disappear because he steps inside, shutting the door behind him. He looks around the room curiously before coming up behind me. His arms circle my waist and I lean up against him, allowing my arms to fall to my sides.
“Thank you for inviting me in Jessica.” He whispers in my ear before placing a kiss just below my ear lobe.
I shudder and rub my backside against his crotch.
He growls and releases me, taking several steps away from me. His eyes hold silver streaks, revealing his arousal. “As much as I would enjoy completing your thought, it is not safe for us to remain here long. We should get the blood and return home.”
“Okay.” I sigh. “When the guys get here, we’ll get what we need. Understand one thing. Whatever you and Kayle learn, I expect you not to tell anyone or use it against me. I would be a bad enemy to have.”
“You have my word.” Christien nods sincerely.
“And Kayle?” I can’t keep the contempt from my tone.
“Kayle is my vampire. He will do as I command.” He looks at me curiously. “Is there something…?”
Roman opens the door, interrupting Christien’s question. He and Kayle walk inside. Roman closes and locks the door behind him.
“Set the alarm Jess. I want advanced warning in case someone tries to break in while we are here.” Roman demands, stepping away from the door.
I set the alarm and look at the three men. Resolved that I can no longer delay the inevitable, I lead them to the false wall I made inside the kitchen that leads to my basement vault.
Sliding the curio cabinet to the side, I reveal the hidden door.
Roman’s eyes widen. “Impressive. I wouldn’t have suspected there was a door here.” He moves to the side of the doorway. He gives the wall a few experimental taps before moving away. “It seems solid enough.” He muses aloud. “The living room is on the other side of this wall and there isn’t enough space between the two to contain a room.”
“If you think that’s impressive, you are going to love this.” I smile mischievously as I touch the barely visible button on the wall.
The door locks click and the door swings inward, revealing a staircase. The moment the door begins to swing open, tiny L.E.D. lights on each step turn on, responding to the motion sensor I have pointed at the door, illuminating our way down the stairs.
We walk down the dimly lit stairway and come to a silver panel door with no handles.
Roman touches the door and pulls his hand back in a hiss. “Silver plated?”
I nod, pleased with his reaction.
I place my hand in the security device in the shape of a hand embedded into the wall next to the door. It scans my palm and takes a needle prick sample of my blood. The small speaker above the security device comes on. The voice recognition software, found on the computer inside, asks for my security pass phrase.
I reply without inflection. “An angel among vampires.” The software hesitates for a moment to confirm my pass phrase then the thick silver door slides open, disappearing into the wall.
We walk inside and I hear a gasp from Christien and a whistle from Roman.
The basement area is around 1500 square feet in total. Since its construction when I moved in, I have made some additions since I began storing my blood down here. The wall on the right now contains ten-foot shelving units that expand the length of the continuous wall until it reaches the bathroom wall on the same side. The shelves contain books, medical supplies and filing cabinets containing the medical reports I had private labs run on my blood over the years.
The wall on the left side still has my Plexiglas wall unit with Plexiglas drawers.
Another recent addition to the room is the ten-foot stand-alone metal shelves dominating the middle of the room in long rows. Small and large, plastic interlocking totes are stacked neatly on the shelves. I labeled the blood inside each tote with the dates the blood was drawn. Outside each tote lists the quantity of pints of blood contained inside.
Christien’s eyes widen in horror. His eyes flick to me, and he stares at me as if I am insane.
Ignoring his shock, I walk to the computer in the front of the room. The large 36” monitor is touch screen. It controls all of the environmental controls and security of the basement. I use this stand-alone computer to keep track of all of the digital medical records I have and the blood I have stored, after including any additional details I felt I needed to add.
“How much do you think we need?” I ask confidently, as I pull up the program I use to inventory my blood.
Christien is speechless, so Kayle answers me without hesitating. “Two bags per vampire should be enough. An additional 10 bags for the younger vampires would be ideal, but not necessary.”
Christien has Kayle by his neck the next instant, raising him off the ground with one hand.
“Stop Christien!” I demand.
“I will not have my vampires taste your blood. I would not be able to trust them around you. We will find another way.” Christien says between his clenched teeth.
“Put Kayle down Christien!” I force the words out in a commanding tone.
Christien drops Kayle. Kayle falls to the floor in a heap in front of Christien.
“Why do you protect him?” Christien points at Kayle. “What has he done to earn your protection? He is my vampire. Mine to control. Mine to discipline!”
Kayle gets back to his feet, but the look on his face is more of disbelief as he stares at Christien.
“You are the one that said I could trust him. Are you saying that he is untrustworthy?” I ask, taking a few steps closer to the wall holding my weapons and farther away from Kayle.
Christien stares daggers at Kayle.
Kayle drops to his knee and bows respectfully. “I meant no disrespect to you, Master. I only meant to answer the question.”
I chuckle, unable to hide my mirth. “Interesting, the way you worded that Kayle.”
Christien looks up at me puzzled.
I shake my head, returning to my computer. I mentally estimate that 150 bags should cover everyone. With 50 bags of blood in each the smaller totes, three totes should be enough.
“Alright, let’s get what we need and get out of here. We have vampire hunting to do.” My mood lighter, I look over at Roman. “According to my calculations, three of the smaller totes should do it.”
Christien tosses a look over at Kayle. Kayle gets to his feet and follows Roman to the rows of blood.
Roman reaches the isle first and looks at the racks of totes. “Does it matter which tote we choose?”
“No. My blood never changes properties outside my body, regardless of when it was drawn. You can choose a recent date or an older date. It doesn’t matter. My blood doesn’t cool or spoil. If spilled, the only way I have found to get rid of the smell or small blood splatters is to use bleach. Before you get any ideas, let me inform you that you have to use a high bleach to blood ratio to get rid of it so it is only effective for drops of blood. The bleach required for a pint of blood would be outrageous.” I inform them as I scan the totes they are now holding with a handheld scanner. I delete the totes from my computer system, leaving the scanner in its charger.
I walk over to my weapons wall with a smile. Recalling the attack last night, I choose a Kensei sword with its sheath that allows me to carry it on my back. I grab the dual shoulder holster for my baby eagles off the wall, sliding it on as I walk to the pistol area where my two baby eagles sleep. Pulling four extra clips, two for each gun, out of the Plexiglas drawer makes me feel even more secure. I check the clips in each gun, verifying the safety is secure before fitting the baby eagles in the dual shoulder holster and threading a belt through the holster to hold it in place. Opening a bottom drawer on the shelf reveals a black duffle bag that can collapse into a backpack, if needed. I load the extra clips
in it. Browsing the shelf, I decide to bring along a short sword of my design that lies flat along my spine from neck to waist in its sheath, for extra protection. For now, the short sword joins the extra clips in the bag. After a final glance at the wall, I grab the sawed-off shotgun and several boxes of silver buckshot to throw in the bag before zipping it up. I sling the bag and sword over my shoulder and turn around to see the men with mixed expressions on their faces.
Roman is staring at the weapons wall with his mouth open, nearly drooling.
Kayle has an amused look on his face with a glimmer of respect.
Christien is wearing a frown, shaking his head.
“Oh, sorry. Did you guys want anything?” I ask sincerely, not understanding their mixed expressions.
Roman recovers. “Well, if you are offering?” His eyes never leave the wall as he pushes the two containers he is carrying into Christien’s chest for him to take.
Christien accepts them without thought while Roman walks towards the wall.
Several minutes later, Roman finally decides on a pair of Mac 11 mini Uzis with two additional clips for each. I show him where I keep the holsters for them. After a quick adjustment to the straps for his broad upper body, we are ready to go.
Christien and Kayle start upstairs while Roman hangs back with me so I can lock up the basement and reset my security measures.
Christien and Kayle have finished loading the storage bins of blood into the SUV by the time Roman and I make it outside.
I climb into the passenger’s seat, allowing Roman to drive while Christien and Kayle retake their places in the back seat.
Chapter 39
We return to Christien’s place with no problems. We reiterate our agreement in the car that no one will know where the blood comes from except Kayle and Christien. They will tell the vampires what to expect and to keep that information hidden from all other vampires outside of Christien’s get.
Each of Christien’s vampires receives two bags of my blood to drink. As an extra precaution, the vampires have to drink directly from the bag in a secure room to minimize exposure. Once all the vampires have consumed their allotted share of my blood, we prepare to leave.
I keep on my usual weapons and strap the sword over my dual shoulder holster with matching baby eagles.
Deciding to take multiple vehicles in different directions to the target area near the building makes sense so we can maintain the element of surprise. With almost all of Hassan’s vampires still in their coma-like sleep, the raid on his compound should be quick and easy with as many people and firepower we have.
We arrive at their lair close to 4:00pm. We take our positions all over and around the building. Weres and vampires cover every exit and rooftop.
Christien, Kayle, Roman and I all gather against the wall on both sides of the main door. We can smell blood in the air. It is faint so we all agree that it must be from a previous feeding. In a coordinated breach, everyone enters simultaneously.
When our door opens, the smell of bile, waste, and blood penetrates my nose. Blood, guts, and body waste is everywhere. It is like a feeding frenzy from vampires lost in bloodlust. Multiple body parts litter the room. When we finally step inside, I almost lose my breakfast. I cover my mouth to stop the scream building in my throat. The smell is horrendous. What is worse is when I walk into the room; I cannot step anywhere without stepping in blood, waste or body parts. With a thorough sweep, the vampires we have with us reports they do not see any of Hassan’s vampires in the room. We check all the rooms on the first floor of the warehouse, but there aren’t any vampires there either. Cautiously, we proceed to the second floor. Using all my senses, I stay on alert for any sounds or movement.
Only finding a couple of rats nibbling on more body parts upstairs, we clear the inside of the building with no sign of any vampires. We check with the team waiting outside to see if they are trying to escape. They report that everything is quiet and there has been no sign of any vampires.
We go back to the first floor to regroup when Kayle informs Christien that they have found a hidden door leading underground.
I spare each of them a look, hoping that I am the only one unaware of the basement. Based off the looks on their faces, they were not aware of the lower level either.
Everyone stays on alert and we head downstairs. The stairway into the basement area is narrow, requiring us to go down single file. The stairs look made out of cement blocks. The walls are made of cement with bits and pieces of rock. Compressed dirt makes up the floor at the bottom of the stairs. The only light for the stairway comes from small torches along the walls in the small room below. We get downstairs to find a long corridor that likely runs to the adjacent building.
I have a bad feeling about this.
I pull my Kensei sword silently from its sheath, squatting so the tip does not scrape the walls or low ceiling. We walk cautiously down the dark corridor, barely lit well enough to cast a shadow. Since all of us have superior eyesight, none of us shows any difficulty seeing in the low light.
As we get closer to the other end of the corridor, we can see an outline of a doorway at the end of the hall.
Christien mentally communicates our location to his get in order to coordinate our attacks topside. What we thought was a doorway turns out to be a huge cement slab imbedded in the wall. There are no handles on it, just like my silver door for my basement vault. There isn’t any way we can pry the door open, nor do we have any idea how thick it is. We search the room for a way to open it, but are unable to find any levers or buttons.
“Maybe it can only be opened from the other side.” Roman suggests.
“Can you hear or sense anything from the other side?” I ask Christien.
Christien releases his power. I feel his cooler power wash over me. The tiny electrical shocks cause the hair on my arms to stand up. “I do not sense anything from the other side. Either the walls and door are too thick for my power to penetrate, or there is nothing there.”
“Shall I go back upstairs and enter the other building to see if I can find a trigger there?” Kayle asks Christien.
“No. We have others already breaching the other building. If they find the lever, they will open the door. I suggest we go back the way we came to see if we can find another way around.” Christien replies.
We go back towards the first building, looking for any secret entrances or hidden doorways along our way. As we are searching, Christien notices an air vent on the ceiling. He levitates in the air to pull it down. The ventilation shaft is small and narrow, less than one-foot square. It does look to run between the two rooms though. All of us are too large to fit into the small one-foot square space. We all stare at the space for a moment, minds searching for a solution.
I get the distinct feeling that someone is watching me. Looking away from the vent, I find Roman and Christien staring at me. Their eyes look up at the vent then turn back towards me before they make eye contact with each other.
“I have an idea.” They say together.
Normally, I would laugh at their mirrored response, but for some reason, I can’t find the humor in it right now. A mischievous grin spreads across Roman’s face.
Roman and Christien work together in convincing me to shift into something small to see what is in the other room while Kayle leans back against the wall observing.
The plan is if the room is empty, I can open the door from the other side. If there is someone in the other room, I should only report what I see. In no way should I try to go inside the other room if it is not empty.
As they are going over the details, I shuffle from side to side to calm my nerves. I am still not comfortable shifting and I am extremely wary to do so in such a dangerous situation. After a few encouraging words from Christien and Roman, I decide to try.
First, I shift into a Persian kitten.
Roman sniffs the air then shakes his head. “That’s not going to work. She smells like a cat. If someone is in the other
room, they’ll catch her scent.”
“That is not all they will scent.” Kayle mumbles from the other side of the room.
I shift back into human form and spin on Kayle, looking for a way to release my fear. “You know what? I’m sick of you Kayle. If you have something to bring to the fight, bring it. Otherwise, shut the fuck up unless you have something useful to add. Considering this is only the second or third day I’ve had this ability, I think I deserve a little more slack if my nerves are not strong as steel. At least I am trying to find a way into the fight.” I take several steps closer to him, goading him as his eyes begin to streak with silver. “I wasn’t the one hiding safely inside the house last night while everyone else was risking their lives defending their territory.”
Kayle’s bright blue eyes are nearly shining silver by the end of my taunt. His attack comes, but I am expecting it. My daggers are in my hands the second I see his body twitch.
Everyone has always tried to convince me that I should be able to move as if I disappeared and reappeared. Until now, I never understood the concept behind their thoughts or explanations.
Time seems to slow down around me. I feel as if I have all the time in the world to react to his attack. In my peripheral vision, I can see Roman and Christien reacting to his attack, but Kayle and I are closer to each other than they are to us.
Kayle is coming straight for me, fangs bared. Taking a step to my right first, I move towards him. This way, he won’t have a direct path to me but he’ll still be in my range for a strike. My body seems to be moving in real time. Everyone else is in slower motion. They are still moving. I’m just moving faster.
Taking advantage of the moment, I raise the dagger in my left hand and mark his chest with it, slicing his shirt open over his heart. I run to the other side of the room and squat near the corner, out of everyone’s reach.
