The Vampire Touch 3: A New Dawn

by Sarah J. Stone

Chapter Fourteen: Daffyd

  I need you to get online. Get secure and join the teleconference. Do not do this in the open. This is a private matter relating to the vampire/werewolf war.

  Sending an SMS to twenty-three different people to get them online is so much easier than trying to bring all of them here to discuss the plans of war. The world has moved on from those days, and so have we. We just don’t want to admit it to ourselves. We remain a medieval society, apart from a few of the newest additions after the Forsaken’s part in the war. There is no need to move into the future.

  Refurnishing and setting up my new office was not an easy task. The wiring needed to pass through the various sections of the house to get here took weeks. It was a necessary addition to push ourselves out of the old ways and into the new. The old ways are dead and dusted. Moving into the digital age was something vampires should have considered years before the war. We should have had our systems in their grubby little paws. Rather than dropping a nuclear bomb of information on them, we should have weaved ourselves into society slowly, diligently, so that when this inevitable fate befell us, they would have had the ah-ha moment, when it all comes to direct realization that we have been planting the seed of our arrival for years.

  I sit behind my computer, turning it on and getting connected to the conference. The details of how to connect have already been sent to everyone by Hamish. He sits here with me. Always at my right hand.

  What I find to be the biggest downfall of technology is how easily it is to break into a line that should be secure. There is no difference to this. The chain of superiority is the only to know about it, but with a technological mind you can source and leak information at the press of a button.

  Oh well.

  A chortling cacophony of sound blows through my speakers when I am finally connecting. The sector leaders who waited are discussing something or another but quickly regain composure when I get on.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” I start, “we are in a new era, and with a new era come new advances. Technology has been my bane for too long now, and I have stepped out of the dark ages, compromising what I believe may be secured in the long run for the ease of access we need to communicate. Security is top priority, you see, especially in terms of war. We are only recently coming to the forefront of the human’s eye. They do not trust us to remain in private. They will find ways to break into my encryptions. Thus, I have established a network team of fledgling vampires that in their old lives were brilliant computer people.”

  I thought it through as best I could. Then I handed it down to someone who better understands these matters. I’ve had cell phones and the lot, but I’ve never bothered learning the intricacies of the items. We have people for that.

  “So, I believe that, for now, we are secure. In the future, we will have a definite secure server that only we can connect to. It’s in the brief that will be sent across to you all as soon as it is compiled. I don’t want to get into those details because I’m not the right person to best bring forward what it means, and I do believe it would be best that you find a way to make sense of it all in your own times,” I admit this honestly because what I have found is that being honest only brings a better relationship. I could blatantly lie to those who are meant to be my most trusted, but in doing so, who does it benefit? In the end, I will look like a fool more than the leader I am meant to portray.

  “So, what I want to extend to you is the offer for constant communication. If you have something you need to say to me, contact me through here, and we will discuss. If you have an issue or a dealing with one of the sectors or need aid, come to us and communicate together. We are but a button press away.”

  No one speaks. They listen. Twenty-three faces on a screen. It seems unreal to me when they are sitting in front of my eyes and this. Two separate concepts. One real, one fake.

  Interesting.

  “That is what this new network is. This is not all that I want to discuss tonight. Now that we have this constant communication, I now want to give a real-life demonstration. The war is coming along nicely. I fell off the wagon, and I am getting back onto it. My original proposals were off. I took too much, unnecessarily. So, I will return it to where it stood. A small portion of the income will come to the kingdom, and the rest is yours to do with as you please. Another thing: your troops are sacred, and thus I should claim them. What I do want to do is have you let me use them in this time of war. We will make an example of the wolves. Once the war is concluded and the threat eliminated, things will return to where they were before. Your troops are your own to do with as you please. Your wealth, the same.”

  “King Daffyd,” one of the sector leaders speaks. A beautiful blonde. I remember when she was given the place. Turned at the age of eighteen, she built herself to the standing of a high-ranking vampire by doing the Council’s dirty work. Innocent but deadly. “You’re nervous. Technology is not something you’ve ever trusted and for good reason, but you need to relax. Treat it as you would, had we been sitting there in front of you. We have all come to terms with our technology feats. You are the only one too afraid of it, letting it get the better of you. Just relax. Her soft voice calms me.

  “Thank you.” I nod, “Then let me continue. When the war has ended, everything will return to where it was. You will be given the troops you have allowed me to use in the war, and you will claim a small part of the profit.” How odd it is that someone with a nurturing tone can bring a mass of jumbled thoughts into succinct eloquence. “I intend on overrunning the werewolves with the entire might of the vampires. We have the upper hand. They want our castle. They cannot have it!”

  “Hear, hear!” someone chimes in.

  “They want to walk over us? We will crush them with our might. They think we are a joke? Let them feel the weight crushing down on them and see how hard they laugh. There is nothing that will stand in the way of our dominant hand in this world. Being discovered by the humans only gives us a bigger playing field. There will be no end to this war until the wolves burn in their forest. We are not weak. We are not scared. We are not a joke. We…are…vampires!” Those on the end of the line nod and speak for a moment among themselves, just as she said, exactly as they would have had they been right before me. They are, like me, more driven now. A few well-placed words can bring anyone together.

  “I sent the letters with the requirements out with the rest of the prior mentioned. They will be through shortly if not already. This is a new era for our kind,” I finish off. “That is all, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your time.”

  On my screen, they begin flickering off one by one. The screens turn to black. Twenty-two. One remains. The blonde girl. For a second, I think she may have just forgotten to disconnect, but she hasn’t broken her attention. She’s looking at me.

  “Kind Daffyd,” she begins, “I just wanted to make sure that everyone was gone before we spoke.”

  I turn to face Hamish, who, like me, is unsure of what’s going on. I gesture with my head for him to leave, and he does.

  “One moment,” I quickly check the server on my end. Everyone is logged off but the two of us. “Yes. We are alone. Is there something you need to talk about?”

  “No,” she replies. “My name is Olivia, if you’ve forgotten.”

  I did forget. “Of course, I remember,” I lie. But only a small lie, for the system itself tells me who’s who when we speak, “What is it I can help you with?”

  “I just want to talk.” She smiles.

  This is going to be trouble.

  Chapter Fifteen: Romulus

  The tunnels the vampires built are small. They’re tight and compact. Their vile odor fills the walls. We can walk two by two, but if one big wolf tries to get through here, he will hold back the line. They might not all be like this, but with the collapse of the tunnels, I don’t want to lose too much momentum. I want to find more tunnels, ones in the city where they no doubt have their grubby mitts all over a huge network spreading ar
ound. This is where Victor would have been beneficial, but he left. Robert even claims he has no idea where Victor disappeared off to, so there’s no way of finding him.

  Funny how things seem to change. I started this battle hating the idea of him being a part of my party, and now I need him for information, and he’s just gone.

  So, we move on this path alone.

  “What do you think?” Another wide-framed man stands beside me. William, if I’m not mistaken. Between the two of us, he has to stand back so that we can both fit in the tunnel. One of my best fighters from before the war, I believed him the best to stand in charge of the resting ground until we could find a way to properly secure an attack and victory over Torrine. He gladly took the title and stood as sector chief. With the new perimeter the vampires seemed to have set, it doesn’t look like we have much time before they strike. A few small attacks on my wolves have already been done. They’re bating us to fight, no doubt with massive amounts of soldiers hiding in the shadows to strike when we step out. William was wise not to allow a fight outside their own protected zone. This is why I know I made the right decision in choosing him to stand as my sentry at the resting grounds. A wise wolf with a good head on his soldiers. The biggest problem we face with the vampires’ new perimeter is the way that we do not have a direct link to the battle if they do end up bringing a fight to the wolves. We can’t risk it right now. We need to remain on the offensive and fight them before they have the chance to strike us. That’s why we’re down here. We’re learning about their movements, and if we have to struggle two by two to find this information, we need to make sure that we have it when we go into hostile territory. This is ours now. Daffyd still has control in the underground of the town. That is, if he even has an underground in the town. It wouldn’t make sense that he doesn’t.

  “The tunnel from the resting grounds to Torrine may be smaller because they don’t need to be unnecessarily big. This one specifically was designed to send troops to watch over the castle. It wouldn’t be wise for the ‘runner tunnels’ to be this small. Especially with shipments being passed. So, we will work under the assumption of this size and hope for the best when we step in.” I know that this uncertainty is not something that we can afford, but that is why a small troop of us are going into those tunnels. We need to map and mark their routes. We need to make sure that the vampires have no place to go without us watching them. The same tactic they are trying to pull with a perimeter around Torrine, we will do on a massive scale. There are enough wolves that can blend in with the people. In a big enough crowd, it may be difficult to place one wolf. So why not utilize our disguises?

  “So, what’s the plan with the tunnels in town then? We can’t really just be walking in their blindly and hoping for the best?” William states.

  “Agreed, and we’re not. I’m going to walk in there with them. With the alpha, there won’t be helplessness in my people. We will go in human form, sticking close together with a few weapons to protect. They won’t be suspecting it, so they won’t necessarily have anyone or anything in place to get rid of us. A few vampires may even face their deaths, and we can plot our escape. We’ll be out and in the sun before they can call for backup. At least then we will have an entry point into the tunnels. Or a few, if we can find them. We just need to make sure that we do find them, noting them down.”

  Yes, that is how we will do it. Slowly making our way until we have found it all. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

  Chapter Sixteen: Daffyd

  “We rebuild underneath or around. There doesn’t need to be a gap in our attacks,” I say in reply to Hamish’s question on what we’re going to do, standing in the tunnel that once leads to the resting grounds. “If we go underneath, then there is nothing stopping us from appearing out of the dirt beneath their feet. They wouldn’t expect it. Otherwise, we run parallel to them, pulling them out of the fight, again without them expecting it. We do not need to fight head on. That’s never been how we’ve played it. We’re not the kind to show ourselves in the light. We’re creatures of darkness for a reason. We can use that to our advantage.”

  Hamish is thinking long term. I’m thinking of the here and now. We lost a tunnel leading to our resting grounds, and we need to get it back. We need to show the wolves that their actions have consequences. A small thing like this pathway has a huge negative impact on us. Hamish isn’t considering this in the same regard as the rest of the war because he is thinking of the bigger fights that we’re going to face. Small battles are what win big wars.

  “So, we take the resting grounds back. We get the wolves out of our domain. Who do they think they are, coming into our world and running amok?” Hamish means well. His intentions are to preserve troops for a bigger fight. We have lost a place for them to rest, however. We can’t just let that go. The vampires, now more than ever, need to see that their leader cares about them. More than just as a soldier. They need to feel like we are all in this together, moving to something bigger without a distinction in class.

  “You were ready to drop the castle to the wolves a few weeks ago. I don’t understand why you’re making such a fuss over a resting ground now,” I laugh.

  “I didn’t see the value in my actions. Giving up Torrine meant admitting defeat, and that, my friend, is not something we do.

  What was it that Winston said? “We will prove ourselves once more able to defend our home, ride out the storm of war, and outlive the menace of tyranny. If necessary for years. We will defend to the death our native soil. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and strength. We shall defend our home whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”

  A speech has never been more apt, and with a few embellishments, it fits my cause better than I could have ever imagined.

  “I know it, Hamish. I lost myself. I became a man that would not befit the position of a pauper, let alone a king, but I fully intend on remedying the time I wasted hiding behind the Veil. Now is not the time to drop everything and have a one-upmanship between the vampires and wolves. It’s time for us to bite down. Force victory out of their reach. Take back what is ours and slaughter anything in our path. We are not going to sit in silence, and we are not going to live in fear. We are going to fight them to the death. It’s us or them, and I will not let it be them. Do you under–”

  “What do you think?” Hearing the voices out in the distance, my thoughts are distracted, a conversation transpiring behind the crumbled rock that rests before myself and Hamish.

  “Do you hear that?” I ask over muddled words. Hamish nods, trying his best to listen in to what is being said behind us.

  I can’t pin the first voice, but the second is no doubt the wolf alpha, Romulus.

  They’re discussing their own plans. How close we are, but how little they know. Hamish and I listen. I can’t help but snicker as they speak, giving me the insider information on a plan that would have otherwise had a good effect on us. The tunnel systems in town are massive. They connect our own railways and sewers. They only have one way in if they follow the tunnel that was destroyed into the city and then to one of my tunnels. This is where we will trap them.

  And to my surprise, Romulus himself will be there.

  We remain still, completely so, until we are certain that they are gone.

  “So, they want to fight us in the trenches?” I tap my chin.

  “Then we will fight them there. Those who enter our system will die. Those on the surface, while facing the loss in the town, will end up facing the same fight that night. Have a few vampires in the tunnels now. Watching and waiting. No attacks. When they enter, we must have knowledge of it. They will not see us coming.”

  Hamish turns with the information and jets off to fulfill the order. I stay a moment. Alone. The first time in months that I am truly
alone. My mind, so deeply engulfed in this war, has now been steered in the direction of Olivia, a pure ray of distraction I find myself fascinated with.

  Chapter Seventeen: Jack

  “With the amount of time you spend in the office, you should probably just put a bed in here,” Vicky teases me. She’s right, though. I’ve had no off time lately with trying to find leads on Victor, various other duties that my position holds, and the deep desire to want to be as close to Madison as possible.

  I realize how peculiarly creepy that last part sounds. So, I quickly hide the embarrassment of the thought in a sip of coffee.

  “Well, what are we gonna do?” I add, just to continue the conversation.

  “Why did you call me up here anyway?” Vicky asks.

  “We’re waiting for Madison. I’ve got a little surprise for the two of you.” Vicky’s brow raises. Before she can ask any more questions, Madison walks in. Her shirt clings to her frame from sweat, in tight training pants, and I can’t help but stare. I pull myself out of it when I think it’s getting to a point that, if they noticed, may be uncomfortable. Madison takes a seat beside Vicky.

  “So, what’s up?” she asks, between heavy breathing, “Sorry, I just went for a run. I came as soon as I saw the message.”

  “Well,” I try and steer clear of her tight shirt hugging her frame and its surrounding parts, “I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I can’t find anything on Victor. He came in and left without any notice or word. I’ve sent word around the world and all the agencies have reported back with nothing. So, wherever he is, it’s better than here, right?” You’ve got to be thankful for the smaller miracles.

  “Well, that is tragic,” Madison replies, shaking her head in disappointment.

  “But that just means that you don’t need to focus on it right now. We have agents out in the field doing what they do best. So, he’s not the person you need to worry about. This is where the good news comes in.” I can instantly see that Vicky knows where this is heading, and she shakes her head in disapproval. I chuckle at the reaction. “I want you to lead the charge in your own case. Vicky will be there with you to guide you if there is a need for guidance. You’re going to have first-hand experience in the field now. That’s what you’ll need if anything ever does come up on Victor, and I don’t want to drop you in the deep end on this. I’d rather have you know exactly what’s going on. So, you’re going deal with a witch.” It’s close enough to home that Madison will be able to have a firm grasp on what’s needed, and if anything goes wrong, Vicky will be able to guide her in the right direction.