“Once more, you’ll find an ass-load of vampires in this building. The human mercenaries who work the night shift will be sleeping here in the building next to it. This over here is the armory. Anyone you let go in there will come out packing major weaponry. There’s only the one door, and a hell of a lot of them are going to want to use it, so I suggest you park a couple of immortals in front of it.”
“I’ll do it,” Yuri volunteered.
“Me too,” Stanislav said.
Seth nodded his approval.
“Try not to blow up the building, guys,” Chris said. “We could use the stuff that’s in there.”
Stanislav sighed. “You’re forever spoiling our fun, Reordon.”
Lisette smiled.
“The helos will have to be guarded. We don’t want a repeat of what happened last time.”
All eyes went to Krysta, who blushed a bright red. “I said I was sorry,” she mumbled.
Grinning, Étienne wrapped an arm around her.
“That goes for the planes, too,” Chris said. “We can’t let anyone out, by land or by air.”
“Richart, Jenna,” Seth spoke, “you keep the planes and helicopters on the ground.”
They nodded.
“Étienne, Krysta, and Sean, clear out the hangars,” he continued.
More nods.
“Roland and Sarah, take out the vampires.”
Chris shook his head. “That building is a hell of a lot bigger than the barracks Donald and Nelson housed their men in. I recommend you have two or three more immortals accompany them.”
Aidan raised a hand and smiled. “Can I do it?”
Lisette thought it a little freaky that he seemed so entertained by all of this.
Seth nodded. “Aidan will do. He can teleport and is very powerful.”
“Okay,” Chris agreed.
Marcus stepped forward. “I can take the building that houses the humans.”
Chris shook his head. “No need. My guys can handle that. We’ll also take out the humans on the grounds and those who remain on the training field. Lisette, if you’d like to give us a hand—”
“Lisette will be with me,” Zach interrupted, his tone brooking no argument.
Chris raised his eyebrows. “And where will you be?”
“With Seth and David, killing everything that moves in the main building and torturing whomever I have to, to uncover the names of the immortals who betrayed us.”
Silence.
Chris looked to Seth.
Seth shrugged. “I’m good with that. Marcus, why don’t you join us in the main building? Edward, I want you, Bastien, Melanie, and Ethan to help Chris and his men clear out the training fields.”
The five nodded.
“As for the main building,” Chris said, pointing to it, “at first glance, it appears to be a flashy meet and greet. Lots of marble and granite. Nice foyer according to their Web site. But we couldn’t get a clear infrared satellite image of what’s inside, and a lot of bodies shuffle in and out of that place every day, so I think it’s safe to say it’s their hub. Their planning, experimenting, communications, and meetings likely all take place there.”
“Not for long,” David murmured.
Chris smiled. “On my mark, all cell phone reception will be disrupted and the landlines cut, but sat phones will still function, so keep your ears open and prevent any calls from going out. The electricity will also be cut, but there are backup generators here, here, here, and here. Seth, you and Zach have seen the place firsthand and can teleport pretty much anywhere on the compound, so I need one of you to use these”—he held up a cluster of grenades—“to take out the generators as soon as I make the call.”
Zach crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not leaving Lisette.”
Seth took the grenades. “I’ll do it.”
“Walkies will still work,” Chris said, “so some of the mercenaries will have limited communication capability. But I’ve already identified the channel they use, so we’ll know their every move and will swiftly locate and dispatch them. Seconds,” Chris ordered, “park your asses behind the nearest bulletproof structure and guard your immortals. Shoot anyone with a tranquilizer gun. If your immortal is tranqed, use your walkie to call it in and cover them until we can get them out of harm’s way.”
“Should that happen,” Richart said, “I can teleport the immortal to David’s place.”
“Good. The rest of the injured, mortal and immortal, should be taken to network headquarters. Our emergency medical team is standing by.” Chris raked them all with a glance. “Any questions?”
Silence.
He nodded. “Seth, let me know when you and the other immortals are in place, ready to strike, and I’ll make the call.” He turned to his men. “Helmets on.”
The network soldiers all donned helmets with chinstraps.
Seth eyed the immortals and arched a brow. “Well?”
Every movement broadcasting either reluctance or belligerence, the immortals dutifully donned the last piece of their protective suit: a head covering that resembled a ski mask and covered everything but their eyes. Even their mouths were covered, except for small breathing holes.
“Go ahead,” Chris said. “Get it out of your system.”
Grumbles and complaints erupted.
“I hate this thing.”
“Feels like I’m suffocating.”
“Is this damned thing thicker than it was before?”
“Yes, it is,” Chris said as he rolled up his map. “Now suck it up and get moving.”
Lisette smiled. Only Chris Reordon could get away with talking to immortals like that.
She raised her mask and started to pull it down over her hair.
Zach stopped her. Turning her toward him, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her as if there were no tomorrow.
Lisette clung to him until someone jostled them walking past.
Zach raised his head.
Reaching up, she pressed a hand to his stubbled cheek. “I’ll be all right,” she told him again.
Nodding, he stepped back and watched silently as she drew the dark mask down over her face.
A peculiar feeling overcame Zach as he stood with the immortals and their Seconds in the shadows of the forest. Unseen by the guards, he and the others had an excellent view of the front gate.
As Zach studied the grounds beyond, his stomach felt odd. Not nausea. Something else. And tightness gripped his chest, his heart beating more rapidly than it should.
It’s nerves, Seth spoke in his head.
Zach frowned. I’m nervous? That’s what this is? He tried to recall if he had ever been nervous in the past and couldn’t.
You’re afraid for Lisette. Roland is the same way before every battle. He becomes even surlier than usual because he’s terrified Sarah will be harmed.
Zach glanced at the antisocial immortal, but couldn’t tell whether or not the scowl that often darkened his features had deepened.
Just breathe through it and stay sharp, Seth advised.
Zach took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Lisette glanced up at him.
Seth was right. Zach did fear for her.
Okay, everyone, Seth told them mentally, Chris is making the call. . . .
Weapons slid silently from sheaths.
Seth vanished.
Wonk! Wonk! Wonk!
An alarm began to blare. The soldiers at the gate jumped and gripped their weapons tighter as they tried to look in every direction at once.
Boom!
Flames and debris seemed to fly from four different locations at once as Seth teleported from generator to generator with lightning speed and tossed the grenades. The alarm ceased. Mercenaries ran helter-skelter about the compound, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
Zach saw two grenades skip across the ground toward the gate.
One of the guards caught the movement and looked down as the object came to rest at
his feet. “Ah, shi—”
The explosion that followed hurt Zach’s sensitive ears and left them ringing for a few seconds. Bodies and body parts flew. The gate blew open and broke apart.
Zach and the others ducked as pieces of metal embedded themselves like bullets in the trees around them. Then they raced forward, David in the lead, to confront their enemies.
From the corner of his eye, Zach saw Chris’s network battalion surge forward in their armored vehicles.
Shouts rang out.
Mercenaries opened fire.
The front of the main building exploded into chucks of granite and glass.
David never slowed, just plowed right through it.
Zach followed, running in front of Lisette to take the brunt of the shrapnel as they dove inside.
More explosions rocked the building, sending dust and debris raining down upon them.
How the hell many grenades had Chris given Seth?
A quick survey revealed two main hallways off of which other, smaller hallways branched. Mercenaries poured into them all as Zach stopped to take stock, Lisette bumping into him.
Marcus joined them.
Wielding deadly katanas, David cut through the mercenaries on the right before they could get off more than a handful of shots. Marcus dove into the hallway on the left, his short swords Jackson-Pollocking the white walls with blood and gore.
Take the basement, Seth said in Zach’s head.
Gunfire erupted directly behind him. Spinning around, Zach found Lisette peppering a dozen or so mercenariess outside the entrance with bullets from her Glock 18’s.
Zach jerked as a mercenary bullet struck his arm.
Lisette did the same. Okay, she spoke in his head. I’m liking the new suit better. It actually stopped that bullet.
The mercenaries all fell. They must not have been wearing body armor while they trained. Either that or they hadn’t been training and had only had time to grab their weapons.
To the basement, Zach told her.
Together they burst through a stairwell door and faced more mercenaries running up the stairs. Lisette’s Glocks barked out bullets while Zach’s daggers and throwing stars found purchase in soft throats. Bodies fell, cluttering the landing below them.
Zach heard more boots scaling the stairs. Grasping the railing, he leapt over it and plunged into a dozen or so men bearing automatic weapons, sweeping them down to the basement level and slamming them up against the door through which more tried to pour.
His blades flashed. Bodies piled up against the door.
Once all had been dispatched, he looked up in time to see Lisette jump over the railing.
Grinning, he caught her in his arms.
“Hi, handsome,” she said from behind her mask, a smile in her voice.
The suits work, Étienne said in their heads. At least the thicker parts do. I was just hit with a dart, but it couldn’t penetrate the armor.
“Good to know,” Lisette said as Zach set her on her feet.
Bending down, he grasped the dead mercenaries by their shirts and tossed them up onto the stairs, away from the door.
The door burst open.
Bullets slammed into him.
Zach didn’t even draw his knives. He just lunged forward and started snapping necks.
Mercenaries dropped like limp rag dolls. Others retreated down the hallway and into another, firing while they ducked out of sight.
Behind Zach, Lisette grunted.
He spun around, saw her sinking to the floor, and swiftly caught her up against him.
“Lisette?”
She moaned.
Panic threatened. Not again!
Kneeling, Zach searched for a dart and instead found a bullet hole in her mask just above her left eyebrow.
“Lisette!”
Jerking, Lisette opened her eyes. “What?” Pain streaked through her head. “Ahh!”
Zach batted her hand away when she tried to raise it. “Lie still.” He pressed a large palm to her forehead. The pain eased, replaced by soothing heat.
She waited for him to withdraw his touch, but he didn’t. “What—”
“Quiet,” he ordered. “Brain damage is harder to heal.”
Brain damage?
Oh. Right. One of the bullets had caught her in the head.
She saw a mercenary peek around the corner several yards away. Raising her Glock, she fired.
One less mercenary.
For good measure, she continued firing into the wall behind which he had hidden, a line of bullet holes opening in the Sheetrock as screams erupted in the unseen hallway.
She smiled grimly. That’s right, assholes. Bullets go through walls.
Zach shook his head and removed his hand. I take it you’re all right?
She nodded. I’m good.
He took her hand and kissed her gloved fingers. Then let’s go see what they’re hiding down here. Rising, he pulled her to her feet, then bent down and picked up one of the automatic weapons the dead soldiers had dropped. How does this thing work?
“What’s happening?” a mercenary whispered.
“Shut up!” another hissed.
Hold it here and here, Lisette said, placing his hands in the correct position. Then point it at your target and squeeze the trigger.
He nodded.
“Why aren’t they doing anything?” someone else whispered. “Do you think we got ’em? I can’t hear—”
“Shut the fuck up!” the other hissed again.
Lisette had to admit, Zach looked good holding a gun.
A grenade flew out of the hallway, hit the wall, and bounced toward them.
In a flash, Zach teleported to the grenade and launched it back the way it had come.
“Fire in the hole! Fire in the—”
Flames and things Lisette didn’t study too closely shot out of the hallway. Acrid smoke followed, stinging her nose and making her cough.
She tugged off her mask.
“Leave it on,” Zach ordered.
Shaking her head, she tucked the mask in an empty holster. “It makes it too hard to breathe with the smoke.” She stepped into the hallway and took in the carnage.
“Hell,” Zach said at her shoulder. “They must have all been clustered together, ready to rush us.”
Every mercenary was down.
Beyond them, numerous closed doors lined either side of a long, narrow hallway. Each had an electronic key-code pad beside it like the vampire apartments down at network headquarters.
Zach waved a hand over one and opened the door.
Peering around his shoulder, Lisette saw a vampire manacled to the wall.
Arms stretched above his bowed head, he hung limply, knees not quite able to reach the floor. The bloodstains on the linoleum tile beneath him indicated he had been tortured. The limbs exposed by his dirty T-shirt and shorts were emaciated. The eyes that met hers, when he slowly raised his head, blazed with madness.
Zach silently ended the vampire’s misery. They checked the next room and found the same. And the next. And the next. And the next.
Lisette didn’t know how many they searched before they found something worse: a vampire manacled to a table with an IV in one arm, feeding him blood. A needle in the other drained him just as swiftly.
“Now we know where they’re getting the virus,” Zach said, the same disgust she felt evident in his voice.
“And how they’ve infected so many of their soldiers.”
This vampire too had been stripped of all sanity. Torture and harsh living conditions tended to do that.
They found more of the same in the rest of the rooms and swiftly ended the vampires’ suffering. When they finished, no heartbeats remained in the basement, so they returned to the ground floor.
Lisette’s eyes widened as she glanced through the gaping hole in the front of the building.
Chris’s men fired missiles at a tank the mercenaries had somehow managed to get moving. Another network Humvee
spewed flames at vampires—willing to risk the sun in their attempts to escape Roland, Sarah, and Aidan—who stumbled out of the building that housed them.
A walkie-talkie on one of the mercenaries David had killed earlier squawked. Lisette holstered a Glock and picked it up.
“What are you doing?” Zach asked as they turned and strode down a bloody corridor, following screams and gunfire to the back of the building.
“Listening in.” She tuned it to the channel Chris had designated as the network’s, so she could hear the Seconds’ and network Special Ops’s chatter.
They stopped at the first hallway.
Empty. Or rather empty of anyone living. There were bodies aplenty.
They checked the next. And the next.
“David has been busy,” Zach muttered.
“Where’s Seth?” she wondered aloud.
Second floor, Seth answered.
“There’s a second floor?” she asked. The stairwell from which she and Zach had just emerged had only gone from this floor to the basement.
Yes. There’s a hidden stairwell at the end of the hallway on the right.
An explosion outside pierced her ears.
At the end of the hallway, they did indeed find what used to be a hidden stairwell. Seth had blown the secret. Literally.
“Can you understand any of that gibberish?” Zach asked, nodding at the walkie she had clipped to her belt.
“Yes. Chris isn’t happy about how long it’s taking to clear the grounds. And Richart and Jenna are having a hell of a time keeping the mercenaries out of the choppers.”
She frowned. Who was backing them up?
Tracy? she called.
Yeah?
Where are you?
With Sheldon, backing up Richart and Jenna. Why? Do you need me?
No, just making sure you’re okay.
Shit! . . . Yeah, I’m fine. These guys are really determined! Are you okay?
I’m good. Zach’s with me.
I’m really starting to love that man. Shit!
Night Unbound Page 35
