Determinant, a YA Paranormal Romance (Book 3 of The Guardians of Vesturon)

by A. M. Hargrove

  “That is not what I meant. I should have said that her words accurately described what she saw. She did not imagine it. These men are the ones responsible for this travesty and we must find out who they are,” Rayn stated.

  “What would you suggest?” I wondered.

  “At the moment…nothing. We must first focus on getting the vaccine to the CDC so we can bring an end to this epidemic. January, do you have enough knowledge to get us to the correct place this vaccine would need to be stored?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t get you in. As I said, it’s under the strictest security.”

  “That will not be a problem for us. We need you to get us there and we can proceed from there.” Rayn looked at me and said, “Rykerian, tell Father we require his presence in the Command Center immediately. Meet us there in fifteen minutes.”

  After Maddie and Rayn departed and I sent the missive to my father, I looked at January. I felt the beginnings of fear creep up my spine. I knew something was about to go dreadfully wrong, but I didn’t know what. “I am afraid to let you take part in this,” I admitted to her.

  “Will you be joining me?”

  “I cannot say at this time. I will know more after we meet with my father.”

  “Am I to go with you to that?” she asked, her voice tense.

  “Yes, I think it best as we need your knowledge. Since you will be joining the Guardians in this mission, you will need to know what it all entails. Are you okay with all of this? Tell me true January, because if you are not, I will not allow you to participate.”

  “Rykerian, people are dying everywhere. If there is something…anything I can do to help, I am willing to do it. Besides, I have a brother and sister that will benefit from this too. When we finish, can you take me to them? I must see Tommy and Sarah…I need to know if they’re still…” her voice trailed off as tears prevented her from saying more.

  I gathered her into my arms to calm her. When trembling subsided, I told her that we would go to her brother and sister. “We will take some of the vaccine with us to ensure they receive it. Hopefully, they are safe and sound, but we will know more in a few days.”

  “How long before we leave for Atlanta?” she asked.

  “My guess is later today or tomorrow. Come, we must get down to the Compound.”

  Along the way I explained how the Compound beneath the house was the Command Center for all the Guardians on Earth. It was a massive complex that on any given day had hundreds of Vesturions moving about performing their various duties.

  I snorted when I looked at January’s expression. I put my hand beneath her chin and gently closed her mouth.

  “I’ve never…I mean, how big is this place? What are those things over there? How many people are down here?” The questions continued to tumble out of her mouth.

  I gave her a brief description of what took place here but by then we had reached the conference room where everyone waited for us.

  As we entered, I looked around. Rayn and Maddie were present, along with my father and Kennar who was a Guardian that had at one time been second in command at the Compound here. My other brother Tesslar was also present, as well as five other Guardians.

  I pulled January to my side and introduced her first to my father and to the rest of those present.

  After we all were seated, Rayn began explaining what he thought was our best option to get the vaccine in the right place.

  “January has consented to assist us in the mission. She spent several months at the CDC working in the lab. While she did not have access to the secure part of the lab where the variola major virus was stored, she knows the location. We can teleport to the CDC and she can lead us to the storage area. We will need to go when some of their virologists are present so we can plant the information into their minds to make it look like they’ve developed the vaccine themselves. We will also take virus samples so they can have them on hand to produce more vaccine. We have produced enough vaccine to inoculate all of Atlanta. We can leave them with the vaccine in various stages of development so they won’t immediately run out.”

  “That’s a ton of vaccine. How do you intend to get it there?” January asked.

  I answered, “That’s the easy part. Once we know where the storage facility for the vaccine is, we will teleport it directly there.”

  “I only know where the virus samples are kept for that and for the flu. I don’t know where they stored massive amounts of the vaccine.” Her words were laced with anxiety. I quickly reached for her hand and watched her tension dissolve.

  “Do not be concerned about that. We can discover that when we have contact with one of the scientists. We will find everything we need to know then,” I explained.

  “Why don’t you just go to them directly and tell them you have the vaccine? Why all this subterfuge?”

  All eyes in the room glanced at January then honed in on me. They all waited expectantly for my answer.

  “January, I suppose I have been remiss in not telling you that we cannot disclose our identity or existence for that matter. It is against our Covenants. There is sound reasoning behind this. Our species is so much more advanced than here on Earth that if humans were to discover even one of our technological advances, it could alter the future of this planet. We swear not to ever interfere in the development of any species or society.”

  “I see. Even when half of humanity is at stake? That seems like a stupid rule to me!” she exclaimed.

  January’s face had flushed and her eyes were shooting sparks. I glanced at my father to see him scowling. Rayn pushed his way into my thoughts and all but ordered me to get my hands on her and keep them there. We didn’t need her attention to be diverted as it was.

  I put my arm across her shoulders and she glared at me. Eventually my Power of Tranquility calmed her and diffused her anger. “Are you using your Power on me?” she wanted to know. I nodded in response. She licked her lips and stared at me for a second before nodding in return. We finally pulled our eyes away from each other and I noticed everyone was staring at us.

  “Shall we continue? Rayn asked.

  “Yes. As I was saying, the difficult part will be for us to identify the researchers that we can pull into our circle and fill them with the appropriate information. It should be relatively easy to find the depository where the vaccines are stored. Once this task is complete, we can also get this vaccine distributed to various pharmaceutical companies here and abroad to get as much out to the public as we can.”

  “Other than show you where the lab is, what else would I have to do?”

  “That is the most important part. That and identifying the researchers that we can plant the vaccine information in so they will know of its existence,” Rayn said.

  “Well, that all sounds relatively easy,” January replied.

  “Our biggest concern is that all the virologists that know how to formulate the vaccine will be gone…as in…”

  “Dead.” January filled in the blank and then the silence was overbearing. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” she exclaimed.

  We all sat for a while discussing and finalizing our plan. We would go that afternoon. As soon as we had the location, the vaccine would be teleported there. It should be a smooth operation, proving we could find the virologists to carry out the rest of the plan.

  Book 3

  January

  Chapter 1

  We arrived near the side entrance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I still had my ID card, which would gain us entrance; after Rykerian had found me in the woods, he went back to my car and gathered some of my belongings. I was feeling disoriented from the teleporting, but Rykerian assured me it would quickly pass. It was a strange sensation having your body converted to energy and back to mass again. I shook my head, trying to clear it.

  Moments later I was feeling close to myself again so I motioned for the group to follow me. Rykerian held my hand and Rayn, Tesslar, Kennar and four other Guardians fo
llowed him. They were to guard the vaccine, as there were many crates in which it was contained. Maddie had been furious, as Rayn was adamant about her staying behind. Since she had human genetics, she was susceptible to the virus and he would not take any chances on her falling ill. I didn’t blame him and told her as much.

  I began leading the group inside. I was baffled at how deserted the area was. Normally, since the Centers for Disease Control was located at Emory University, this area was bustling with students. It made my skin break out in goose bumps when I realized why there wasn’t anyone around.

  “Rykerian, this is bad. There should be tons of people around here now.”

  “It is the pandemic. Martial law is in effect so no one is supposed to be out and about, and of course, the University has closed down due to the quarantine.”

  When we reached the door, I used my ID card and we were able to enter. I was worried about whether it would still be activated. That was a relief; although it never occurred to me that we could simply teleport inside. I immediately took the stairwell down and we were soon in the corridor that led to the lab area. There was absolutely no one around. It was eerily quiet. The corridor wound around and soon we found ourselves outside of the glass partition, which the lab was located behind. I saw no one inside.

  “This is the lab area. Behind this glass wall is where we need to be. I don’t see anyone though.”

  Rykerian cocked his head and then said, “Someone is back there. At least two people as I can hear them conversing.”

  “How can we get back there? To gain entrance, we need retina scans and fingerprints, and that’s just the first chamber. Behind that wall back there,” I pointed, “is where the cryogenic storage vaults are and where all the virus samples are stored,” I indicated with my hand.

  “No worries...we will teleport inside.”

  Rykerian looked at Rayn and he nodded. The four of us were soon materializing inside the lab, to the astonishment of the two people inside.

  Rayn immediately approached them saying, “Do not fear us as we mean you no harm. Which one of you is in charge?”

  The first one who spoke was a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties. “I am. Who are you and how did you get in here?” she asked, alarmed.

  “Who we are matters not nor does how we got in here. We are here to help you put a stop to this pandemic,” Rayn began.

  “I wish I could believe you, but I’m afraid there’s no hope. It’s not safe here either. You should leave immediately,” she responded.

  Rayn advanced toward her and placed his hand on her arm. Her eyes opened slightly and then she closed them. He continued to hold her arm when Rykerian went to her companion who was a younger man. He began to do the same to him.

  I tried to poke into Rayn’s mind to see what he was discovering, but I was unable to, as he must’ve blocked any thoughts.

  After some time he stepped away from her and Rykerian followed suit. The man and woman both found chairs and took a seat in them. They leaned their heads against the wall and immediately appeared to be taking naps.

  I looked at Rykerian with raised brows.

  “We have told them to sleep and before we leave we will erase their memories.”

  “Did you find out what you needed?” I asked.

  He nodded and glanced toward Rayn who was making his way toward another door.

  “Come,” he ordered.

  We followed Rayn and in seconds I felt myself swirling through a vortex again. It lasted a millisecond, or so it seemed. That disoriented, dizzy feeling hit me again. I looked up to find we had reappeared within the secured part of the lab. The cryogenic storage area was directly in front of me.

  Since Rykerian, Tesslar and Kennar carried the containers with the virus samples they headed toward the opening of the vault and entered. I thought it was odd that it wasn’t locked, but Rayn supplied the answer.

  “The female said they hadn’t found it necessary to keep many of the areas locked since there were not many people in here anymore.”

  I cocked my head as I looked at him and he gave me a sheepish grin. “I apologize January. I read your thoughts as they were quite loud,” he explained.

  I snorted saying, “I guess I’m going to have to get used to this mind reading thing. I keep forgetting about it.”

  “Yes, I suppose you are. As a rule, we try our best not to invade others’ minds, but sometimes their thoughts can be so loud that we cannot help ourselves.”

  “Oh, don’t I know that. I’ve been hearing thoughts all my life but always thought I was a freak of nature. I didn’t know...” I trailed off.

  Rayn looked at me with a dark glint in his eyes. “You are anything but a freak January. You are very special indeed to have such a strong grasp of telepathy without any training. It is a most impressive thing,” he said, his face a mask of seriousness.

  I stared at him thinking how easy it must have been for Maddie to fall in love with this man. When I saw his brows lift and the corners of his mouth turn up, I knew he “heard” me loud and clear. His response baffled me though.

  “January, you have no idea. Maybe someday my mate will share our story with you. I will leave that decision to her.”

  I nodded, not knowing what else to say or do.

  “So what next?” I blurted out. I was slightly uncomfortable in his intimidating presence. He was as tall as Rykerian, well over six feet and his dark wavy hair fell across his forehead and slightly over one eye, giving him a rakish appearance. Where Rykerian had eyes like the bluest of sapphires, Rayn’s looked like brilliant emeralds. These men had the most amazing eyes I had even seen. Rykerian was much more polished in his appearance as well, but they both had this commanding air about them and power seemed to radiate from each of them.

  Again, Rayn must have discerned my thoughts because he chuckled, saying, “Do not tell my brother I shared this with you, but we jokingly refer to him as Fifth Avenue. Let us say he has a penchant for dressing the part.”

  “I think I understand what you mean. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but he definitely looks more into fashion than you! He always looks like he stepped out of a photo shoot or something.”

  That elicited another hearty laugh from Rayn.

  “We always give him a hard time about his fondness for that. But getting back to your original question, as soon as Rykerian has placed all the samples in the vault, we will go back outside and join the other Guardians, at which point we will make our way to the storage facility.”

  “So you were able to get that information from her?” I was curious to find out what he had learned. “Is it far from here?”

  “No, she said it was east of here...maybe three miles or so. It will not be difficult to find.”

  “Rayn, did she say anything about what’s happening around Atlanta?”

  He eyes darted around the room, hunting a place to land.

  “Rayn?”

  “It is bad January. The hospitals are overflowing with the sick and dying and there is no one to care for them. People are dying in record numbers. Gangs are taking over the city, looting, tearing down buildings and setting fire to things. Atlanta has turned into hell and it is a very dangerous place to be.”

  “How are we going to get the uninfected people vaccinated?” I wondered.

  “My father is sending in troops of Guardians to take care of this. Once they institute some semblance of order and get the inoculating underway, they will move across the globe. It is the only way, but we understand how devastating this will all be. We will be taking some of the vaccine to our Guardians in Europe, Asia and Africa to get things moving in the right direction. The first group of Guardians will be arriving soon and will go directly to the pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccines and get that operation up and running. They will speed up the manufacturing process, and the Guardians will remain here until we see a positive turn of the disease cycle, as well as a sufficient amount of vaccine. We will not pull them back
until everything is in order. Only then will we let the humans carry on with their usual order of business. I hope this all makes sense. It is the soundest plan we could institute quickly.”

  “Rayn, how can this all be accomplished without the people here knowing it was you that did it?” I didn’t understand how this would be possible.

  “It will be necessary to use our Power of Obliteration. They will think they developed the vaccine themselves. It is a relatively easy thing for us to do,” he explained. “It is much like your hypnosis, except it goes much deeper into the mind. It becomes part of the long term memory so it seems it was always there.”

  “When can Rykerian take me to my family so I can see if they’re...?” I knotted my fingers as my stomach careened, but I couldn’t make myself voice those dreadful words. I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Tommy or Sarah.

  “After the vaccine supply is delivered to the storage facility, he is planning on taking you directly there.”

  I rushed to him and gave him a hug saying, “Thank you!”

  “What is going on in here?” Rykerian had entered the room as I was hugging Rayn.

  “Not to worry brother. January was just thanking me for I told her you were going to take her to her family to inoculate them. Do not tell me you are jealous!” His tone was laced with humor.

  Rykerian’s stance immediately relaxed and then he flushed upon hearing Rayn. I looked at him and his eyes softened at once.

  I ran and threw myself at him. I felt the tears on my cheeks before I realized I was crying. He cradled me in his arms and whispered, “It is going to be okay January. We will go to them when we are finished here. Please do not cry.”

  “Rayn said it is terrible here. I am so worried about them Rykerian. I can hardly think straight.”

  “I know.” He stepped back so he could look into my eyes and said, “I promise we will do all we can for them.” His eyes bore into mine and I heard his thoughts...how he swore to help and care for them if necessary.

  I reached up and put my palm against his cheek, “Thank you. I owe you for this, you know.”