Night Unbound

by Dianne Duvall

  “Yes.” Darnell set the case on the table across from Lisette and Zach, who occupied two chairs near the end beside Seth’s empty seat.

  Chris dropped his heavy briefcase on the floor with a thump and reached for the rifle case.

  Wondering what it contained, Lisette watched him flip the latches and open it.

  Long rolls of paper the size of posters were stacked on top of each other inside, along with wooden sticks she watched him assemble into some sort of display easel.

  While Chris positioned the easel on Lisette’s side of the table near Seth’s chair, Darnell left the room. He returned a moment later, carrying a large corkboard he leaned against the nearest wall.

  When Chris nodded, Darnell phoned Seth and let him know they were ready.

  Seth appeared at Zach’s elbow seconds later.

  David entered from the hallway, his expression telling them there was still no change in Ami’s condition. Face somber, he seated himself at the head of the table.

  Seth took the seat at Zach and Lisette’s end and adjusted his chair a bit so he could see whatever Chris intended to show them on the easel.

  Immortals and Seconds shifted their seats.

  Chris removed a poster from the rifle case and began sliding off the rubber bands that kept it tightly rolled. “All of you probably know by now that Cliff tagged a vampire with a tracking device.”

  Lisette was pleased to see the young vampire included in their meeting again.

  “Well, last night we hit pay dirt. The vamp finally led us home.”

  Those who knew that Zach had had to tag another vampire remained silent, wanting Cliff to have his moment.

  Chris placed the large corkboard on the easel, then unrolled the paper and fastened the corners to the corkboard with thumbtacks. “This is where he led us.”

  When he stepped back, Lisette felt her heart drop into her stomach.

  “Tell me that isn’t what I think it is,” Roland gritted.

  “It’s a mercenary compound,” Chris announced, inciting a new round of swearing. “Or rather it’s part of a mercenary compound.” He grabbed another poster roll, stripped off the rubber bands, and attached it atop the first.

  Lisette stared.

  “Shhhhhit!” Ethan exclaimed.

  The satellite image provided them with a faintly blurry bird’s-eye view of an enormous compound, encompassing she-didn’t-know-how-many acres, with multiple buildings.

  Warehouses. Hangars. Training fields.

  “Is that a runway?” Sheldon asked, wide-eyed.

  “Yes. And a helipad.” Chris bent and removed a file from his briefcase, along with a handful of thumbtacks he dropped with a clatter onto the table. One by one, he tacked up eight-and-a-half by eleven-inch satellite images. “I called in aid from damned near every contact to get these. There’s a runway. Airplanes. Military helicopters. Civilian helicopters. Tanks. Humvees. Armored personnel carriers. Various and assorted other kick-ass vehicles. Warehouses. We believe these two buildings here house the soldiers. We estimate each is at least forty-thousand square feet.”

  “Shit!” someone else—Stan’s Second, Alexei?—exclaimed.

  “There are dozens of firing ranges that rival those down at network headquarters in size and sophistication. A breeching range.”

  “What’s a breeching range?” Lisette interrupted.

  “Doors—indoor and outdoor—and iron fences soldiers use to practice breeching buildings. There’s also a tactical driving track. Small town and maritime mock-ups. This is the main building here. Aside from jumping the razor wire-topped fence or entering by plane or helicopter, there is only one way in or out. This road here. And, naturally, it’s heavily guarded. It’s also probably outfitted with bear claws to keep unauthorized vehicles out.”

  “How big is the compound?” Darnell asked.

  “Roughly four thousand acres.”

  Stunned silence took the room.

  “Exactly,” Chris said. “These guys are who Donald and Nelson aspired to be. These guys are doing their damnedest to give the big guns a run for their money.”

  Seth studied the pictures. “Are they affiliated in any way with the government?”

  “We haven’t gotten that far, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they’ve landed government contracts.”

  It was damned close to the worst-case scenario.

  “Who are they?” Sheldon asked.

  “Shadow River.”

  The name meant nothing to Lisette.

  Judging by the expressions of the other immortals, it meant little to them as well.

  The mortals in their midst, however, looked worried.

  “I’ve heard of them,” Tracy said. “They don’t call themselves mercenaries. They call themselves a global security company. And their reach really does extend overseas.”

  Chris nodded. “From what we’ve been able to ascertain thus far, they’re often hired to protect foreign dignitaries and important figures both here and overseas, to train foreign soldiers or police forces in war-torn areas, to protect American contractors. That sort of thing. But you haven’t seen the worst of it yet.” He removed another poster and tacked it up. “I had one of my contacts do a thermal-imaging scan of the compound this afternoon.” He stepped back. “The red figures on the training fields and scattered about the compound are human. The yellowish-green ones here in this housing building are vampire.”

  Lisette traced her gaze over dozens of green figures who clearly slumbered in beds. Rows and rows and rows of them.

  Those vampires weren’t prisoners.

  Chris turned to Seth. “Do you still have that phone I gave you?”

  Seth nodded.

  “If any of my contacts call you, we’ll know just how far this company’s reach extends. If Shadow River is in bed with the military or has close ties with the government, my contacts’ actions won’t go unnoticed.”

  A heavy silence ensued, as though all waited with bated breath to see if Seth’s phone would ring.

  “The vampires on the compound . . .” Cliff said. “Do you think the mercenaries recruited them or turned them?”

  Lisette answered. “Based on the skill with which these new vampires fight, I’d say they’re turning their own men. Any vampires they didn’t turn themselves were likely captured for study and so the mercenaries could acquire the virus.”

  Chris nodded and took the seat across from Zach. “Shadow River has done what Donald and Nelson didn’t have the chance to do. They’ve implemented the virus and begun to build an army of supersoldiers. Whether they intend to hire them out to the highest bidder globally and rack up billions or land a big-ass government contract is anyone’s guess.”

  Aidan shook his head. “You’re sure an immortal is helping them?”

  David nodded. “They couldn’t have acquired the sedative—the only drug that affects us aside from the antidote Melanie developed—without an immortal’s assistance. Nor could they have known that the previous dose of the sedative wasn’t strong enough to incapacitate an immortal to such an extent that the antidote couldn’t counter it.”

  “It’s inconceivable,” Étienne muttered.

  Ethan cleared his throat and cast Zach a nervous glance. “Could it be one of the Others?”

  Lisette held her breath.

  Did anyone else present even know about the Others?

  “No,” Seth and Zach answered in unison.

  Bastien frowned. “Who the hell are the Others? Other what?”

  Seth shared a look with Zach and sighed. “Zach is not the only elder immortal out there who is not one of us. Or who wasn’t.”

  “Wait,” Marcus said, voice low so he wouldn’t disturb the babe. “There are other immortals as ancient as you two?”

  “Yes,” Seth said.

  “Why is this the first time we’re hearing of them?”

  “Because, as I said, they aren’t Immortal Guardians. They don’t spend their nights hunting and slaying vampire
s. They chose a different path thousands of years before your birth and live in total isolation.”

  Zach nodded. “They have no contact with mankind. Fight no battles. Choose no sides. And they believe Seth has been treading the wrong path all these years.”

  “So . . .” Ethan frowned. “You’re saying they just sit on their asses and do nothing?”

  “Yes,” Zach confirmed. “They merely observe.”

  David leaned forward, drawing everyone’s gaze. “Have you ever seen one of the many time-travel movies in which those who travel back in time are warned to alter nothing? They’re told that even so tiny an action as killing a butterfly or stepping on a bug in the past could have a ripple effect that could change the present in disastrous ways.”

  Nods all around.

  “That is how the Others view immortal interaction with humans. They think it dangerous on any level and, in those early decades, tried numerous times to kill Seth for daring to stray from the path. Fortunately for us, he prevailed and grew so powerful they couldn’t touch him. Zach, on the other hand, is risking his life to join us and be with Lisette.”

  “Seriously?” Sheldon asked.

  Zach nodded. “The first time I met Ami, she found me up on the roof, riddled with wounds and afflicted with so much pain that I nearly shook with it. Do you know what transgression warranted such punishment?”

  “What?” Marcus asked, his gaze piercing.

  “The night the mercenaries attacked network headquarters I found Seth in South Korea and told him his phone was broken.”

  Lisette had heard none of this and was as stunned as everyone else at the table.

  “That’s it?” Marcus questioned.

  “I also mentioned that his people here in North Carolina were trying to reach him.”

  “And for that you were punished?”

  “Yes.”

  Seth leaned back in his chair. “Because he interfered.”

  “By telling you your phone was broken?” Étienne asked incredulously. “You would’ve figured that out on your own fairly quickly.”

  Richart nodded. “It’s not like Zach joined the battle or anything.”

  “But he killed the butterfly. Or stepped on the bug. However you wish to view it. He took an action, minute though it may seem to you. And the Others are fanatical about not doing anything that might interfere with the natural course of mankind.”

  Roland donned his usual scowl. “What the hell do they think will happen?”

  “If they interact with humans?” Seth said. “Armageddon.”

  Leaden silence.

  “No, seriously,” Sheldon said. “What do they think will happen?”

  “They think any contact with humans could kick-start the Apocalypse,” Seth repeated.

  Étienne turned to Zach. “You believed that, too?”

  “Until recently, yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Believe it or not, there was compelling reason to believe it. But I won’t elaborate.”

  Étienne fell silent for a moment, during which Lisette suspected he unsuccessfully tried to read Zach’s thoughts. “What changed your mind?”

  “Your sister.”

  Étienne shifted his gaze to Lisette.

  Smiling, she shrugged. “I am woman. Hear me roar?”

  The women present all laughed.

  “When the Others learned Zach had met with me again,” Seth continued, “they tortured him for months and would likely still be torturing him had he not escaped.”

  Guilt suffused Lisette. “Did they know you saved my life? Is that why they captured you?”

  Zach shook his head. “They knew nothing about that. All they knew was that I had spoken with Seth.”

  “And for that you were tortured,” Bastien stated. “Again.”

  “Yes.”

  Lisette leaned into his side. “Because he has strayed from the path again to be with me, the Others are hunting him.”

  Marcus shot Seth a look. “Will their search bring them here? Is it safe?”

  “They won’t touch David’s home or harm any of you. It’s Zach they want.”

  “Okay,” Ethan said. “So . . . I think it’s safe to say they aren’t involved in this. Which means it has to be one of our own.” He looked to Seth. “What do you want us to do?”

  “Nothing yet. I’ll leave momentarily to check out the compound and—”

  “Alone?” Lisette asked. David had always accompanied Seth before.

  “Yes. David needs to remain here with Ami.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Zach offered.

  Chris spoke up. “Checking it out tonight is good. But I think, when it comes to eradicating the place, we should go in during the day. Since the mercenaries are new to the whole vampire thing, chances are good they haven’t developed protective suits yet for their supersoldiers. The vampires will be vulnerable and will have to remain in their residence, while the suits you’ll wear will give you free run of the compound and shield you to some extent from the darts. I’ve had my guys make a few modifications.”

  If that was the case, Lisette wouldn’t complain about having to wear a protective suit. She did not want to get tranqed again. Zach had scared the hell out of her when he’d pointed out that the enemy could up the dosage even more.

  “I’d also like a few days to do some recon,” Chris told Seth. “Learn their routine so we’ll know where their men are during the day. The damned place is so huge, if we don’t know their training schedule and how spread out they are on a regular basis, it could bite us in the ass.”

  “How may days do you need?” Seth asked. “Every day we delay, we risk their gaining enough confidence in this venture to reveal their seemingly indestructible army to potential buyers.”

  “Three,” Chris said. “A week would be better, but three days will tell us more than we know now. Plus you guys are going to need a hell of a lot of support from the network to ensure that every inch of the fence that surrounds all four thousand acres isn’t jumped by fleeing mercenaries. I’ll need a little time to coordinate that and to call in every Special Ops man we have to scour the grounds while you hit the main buildings.”

  “So be it.” Seth started to say something else, but stopped. His brow furrowed with what looked to be puzzlement.

  “Marcus?”

  Lisette gasped at the tentative inquiry and looked toward the hallway that led to the back of the house.

  Ami stood there, pale and fragile, her coppery curls forming a disheveled halo around her face. A demure white nightgown fell to her knees. Her limbs were thinner than Lisette remembered, her cheeks gaunt. Her body seemed to bear none of the extra weight or roundness a woman who had just given birth should have. Her tiny feet were bare against the cold bamboo floor. Her hands curled into fists.

  Lisette looked to Marcus, who had gone so pale she feared he might pass out.

  Roland must have feared the same, because he hastily took the baby from Marcus and cradled her against his chest.

  Marcus rose slowly and staggered a few steps toward his wife as though afraid she were an illusion. “Ami?”

  She nodded.

  Rushing forward, Marcus took her in his arms and crushed her against him.

  “Careful,” Seth cautioned as he and David rose.

  Loosening his hold, Marcus sank to his knees in front of Ami, buried his face in her chest, and wept.

  Ami’s green eyes glimmered with moisture as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin atop his head. Her gaze sought Seth. “Is it . . . ? Did the baby . . . ?”

  Seth circled the table, pausing long enough to take the babe from Roland. Then he and David approached the couple.

  As soon as Ami saw the small, swaddled bundle in Seth’s arms, her face lit with hope.

  “Your daughter,” Seth told her with a smile.

  Tears spilled over her lashes and trailed down her cheeks. “She’s okay? She’s healthy?”

  He nodded. “There’s no t
race of the virus in her blood.”

  Marcus gained his feet and took his daughter from Seth to present her to his wife.

  “She’s beautiful,” Ami professed.

  “Just like her mother,” Marcus rasped, drawing her into a family hug.

  Zach squeezed Lisette’s hand under the table.

  Blinking back tears, Lisette rose and joined the others who migrated over to the couple and welcomed Ami back.

  Ami was so thrilled about the babe and so concerned about Marcus that her usual shyness, which bordered on fear (a lovely parting gift from her captivity), fell away. She even smiled through the multiple embraces the immortals and their Seconds foisted upon her.

  Everyone spoke at once. No one minded.

  Even the baby, awakened by the cacophony of voices surrounding her, took it in stride, peering around with curious eyes.

  Lisette nearly wept when Ami held her baby for the first time and received a toothless smile.

  “Zach,” a voice spoke behind Lisette.

  Turning, she saw David issue Zach a hard look.

  “Come with me.”

  Unfazed, Zach smiled at her and gave her back a quick caress. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Lisette watched with trepidation as the two slipped out the front door.

  Zach followed David several miles away to a meadow that was little more than a small break in the dense trees that covered David’s land.

  “I’ve been with Seth for thousands of years,” David said without preamble.

  “Yes,” Zach acknowledged when David seemed to expect a response.

  “I know pretty much everything there is to know about him. Which means I know everything there is to know about you.”

  Zach shook his head. “You may think you do, but you don’t know me, David.”

  “I know you can be slain.”

  Surprise flitted through him. “Are you threatening me?”

  “I may not be as powerful as you,” David said, taking a step forward and daring to crowd him. “But trust me when I say that, if you betray Seth, you will never see me coming.”

  “Trust me when I say I will.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure. Even Seth can’t always tell when I come and go. And, should I not succeed, I shall summon those who will.”