The door opened, and a man and woman sporting captain patches entered.
"Captains." Bryce nodded to them, and they returned the gesture. "I just informed these folks what they've signed up for. Are we ready for drills?"
"All set," the woman responded. Her uniform read “Finley,” a detail I filed away for future reference. Her skin was ivory and taut—but that could’ve been because her red hair was tied back in an extremely tight bun.
"On your feet," Bryce barked. "Follow your captains to the warehouse."
The warehouse, we soon discovered, mostly contained wooden crates stacked to the metal ceiling. Gym mats covered an open section of cement floor.
"Form two lines facing each other," Finley ordered.
And, just like that, training began. Gina and I instinctively placed ourselves across from each other in the bustle.
Captain Bryce sauntered between the lines. "I'm sure you're all aware that a vampire will strike the neck. But if that's not the easiest target, they will find other ways to terminate you. We're going to focus on defensive and disarming moves. If you are attacked, it's much more likely that a two-step disarm will buy time for others to come to your aid."
Captain Clemmins spoke to the group for the first time, his tone even as he smoothly picked up at the end of Bryce’s sentence. His dark brown eyes were thoughtful but focused. "In the event of such an attack, guarding your neck is your first move. Arms up. The metal on your forearms should be directly in front of your neck, between you and the vampire's mouth."
We all set our defensive poses.
"Good." Clemmins nodded, running a hand over his tan, bald scalp. "Fists ready to strike."
"I could knock you over with a sneeze, Grayson," Bryce yelled. "Find your feet."
Grayson quickly corrected his stance.
Captain Finley demonstrated with Clemmins how to restrain a vampire, using Aikido techniques to use their momentum against them, then put them into a rear armlock. Pretty basic stuff modified for vampires.
"It's extremely important that you capture both hands in this process," she said. "Vampires aren't just teeth.”
"Bring it into the center and run drills as pairs," Bryce ordered.
Gina and I flowed through the moves they’d showed us together and increased our speed to the extent possible, knowing that even our fastest speed would be much slower than a vampire’s. We’d seen that firsthand when we’d met Dorian in the attic.
Bryce and Clemmins demonstrated two other moves, and the soldiers recreated them.
"One thing that we have on our side is that vampires anatomically resemble humans. If one is shot or wounded in a vital place, they will die," Bryce stated. "This is where your core training will be essential. You know the spots to hit. Make them bleed. If you're being attacked, use the time you have before contact. If I see any of you without your issued firearm on you at any point in time in the next six weeks, consider that moment your resignation from the Bureau."
"Yes, Captain."
"Keep running drills." Captain Bryce tossed a hand at us and turned to confer with the other captains.
By the time we broke for lunch, sweat poured down my face. But that was just the beginning; we were only given a short time to eat at the long lunchroom-style tables before we returned to the main meeting room for more briefing.
"Our honored guests will be here before you know it. Pick up your feet," Bryce had shouted as we chewed, and nobody had even rolled their eyes.
The next day was similar, filled with more drills and meetings in the low-ceilinged building. The team seemed more confident by the time we sat down for dinner that evening in the hum of the air conditioning. The place sometimes felt more like an old factory than a Bureau facility, to be honest, and the brown-and-beige color scheme reminded me of my high school.
One of the new soldiers walked up as I ate. "I'm Lily. We met yesterday."
I nodded, covering my chewing with a hand. "Have a seat."
We made small talk, though I primarily focused on my food. She came from California and had trained at the L.A. headquarters. She’d gathered her black hair into a clean bun, and her brown eyes were happy above her freckled, bronze cheeks.
“You’re a lieutenant, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied through my chewing.
“Planning on being there, too. Sooner rather than later.” Her voice had an edge to it, a seriousness. I immediately believed she’d achieve it.
“You remind me of myself,” I said with a smile. “Let me know if you ever need anything or have any questions.”
She reached out to shake my hand, and we exchanged a nod before she got up from the table.
Later that night, I walked off some anxious energy around the facility. The rest of the soldiers had already returned to their bunks. I made my way down the main pass and noticed the bolted door to the vampire quarters hung open. I looked around and saw no guards.
I slipped through the doorway and cringed. In this wing of the facility, the aisle was lined by rows and rows of bars. Inside the cells were flat beds with one thin blanket each. Bare, stainless steel toilets sat in plain sight, and no windows broke the grim gray walls. I'd seen nicer prisons.
Multiple padlocks and chains hung from every cell door. I chewed my bottom lip. This wasn't exactly welcoming.
I walked the hall, gazing into each cage. Some had enough beds for families, while others were intended for a single occupant. Everything smelled of bleach.
I gripped a bar and stared at the concrete floor. An idea jolted me. I rushed back to the women’s quarters. Some of the soldiers complained to each other about the facility gruel, while others read.
"Ladies," I said loudly. "Did anyone bring an extra blanket or two?"
Gina and Roxy squinted at me.
"I have two," Gina said.
"I think I brought a spare," Louise called from the corner.
"Okay, everyone." I put my palms together. "Let’s gather up whatever extra blankets and pillows we have. And then follow me."
"Slumber party in the warehouse?" Roxy joked.
I dug through the sack of possessions I’d brought to the facility with me and pulled out the small pillow my grandmother had embroidered for me, as well as an extra knitted blanket. I watched a stack of assorted bedding grow in the aisle between our bunks.
Gina held up a stuffed bear. "Does this fit the bill?"
"Perfect," I said, snatching it and putting it under my arm. "I think we need a bit more… Grab all of this and come on. You guys are okay with temporarily donating these to a good cause, right?" They shrugged and nodded, but Roxy didn’t respond at all.
The ladies and I crossed the hall, several of us lugging big, colorful lumps of bedding in our arms. I knocked on the door to the men’s quarters.
One of the new soldiers pulled the metal door open. I’d learned his name was Hank, which was extremely ironic, because it rhymed with “tank.” He towered over me, a wall of early-twenties muscle.
“Hi, Hank. We were wondering if you or any of the other guys had extra pillows or blankets they’d be willing to donate to our incoming friends,” I said.
Hank blinked at me, then turned around and hollered my request to his bunkmates. After the expected confusion, Grayson and a few other newbies came through for me. They appeared behind Hank’s hulking frame carrying sports teams throws and other plushy additions.
In the meantime, Hank had procured a stuffed crocodile from his luggage. “This is Dilly,” he said.
Roxy snorted into her fist behind me, and I elbowed her in the side.
“He’s perfect,” I said.
We shuffled down the main hall, and I pushed the vampire quarters door open wider. The rest of the group followed me, but I caught concerned glances out of the corner of my eye.
"Are we supposed to be in here?" Lily asked.
"The door’s open,” I said innocently, which wasn’t exactly a yes. Some of the soldiers laughed. “Divvy ou
t the blankets. Let’s make the beds look nice," I encouraged.
I walked into one of the family-sized cells and put my embroidered pillow and Gina’s teddy bear on the beds, then stepped back and assessed the décor. Did vampires even care about this kind of stuff?
“Miss Lieutenant’s got her bossy pants on tonight,” Roxy said, under her breath but loudly enough for me to hear. “Impressing her vampire friends is pretty important, huh, Louise?”
Louise ignored her, but I didn’t. I didn’t want her to get bitter and undermine me at every opportunity.
“Roxy, I know you and the others may not really want to donate your personal belongings, but I think it’ll really make a difference,” I said, smiling at her in an attempt to melt her iciness. “Do you have any ideas we could work on?”
Roxy shrugged but offered me a small, sheepish smile.
In the end, we were able to get a colorful blanket on every bed.
"Talk about hospitality," Louise said, her hands on her waist. Everyone laughed.
“Hank,” Grayson called out, “where did Dilly end up?”
“In here,” Hank said, pointing into one of the two-bed cells at the end of the aisle. “They’ll probably get along. Sharp teeth.”
Gina and I bit our lips to fight laughter.
The quarters still reeked of bleach and echoed emptily, but it was something. I tried to picture Dorian's response.
"Perhaps this will make them less inclined to kill us." Sarah grinned.
Roxy scoffed. "That would be nice."
“They’re uprooting themselves and moving into a jail for six weeks to show us that they want better relations. I think this is the least we can do,” I said gently. “We’re not putting our safety at risk by lending some blankets.”
“Fair enough,” Gina replied. Several of the boys raised their eyebrows in consideration.
The group scuttled back through the main hall to our quarters. We passed Zach and Colin chatting outside the entrance to their own. They had missed our little party.
"Well, that can't be good," Zach muttered, eyeing our furtive group, with particular apprehension directed at me and Gina. I grinned at him.
Back in our bunks, everyone settled in for the night. The murmurs of conversation drifted off. I listened to Roxy snoring. I couldn't tell if my heart raced because I was excited or terrified for the next day. The rhythm of Gina's breath eventually lulled me into unconsciousness.
The next morning, the frantic vibration of my phone jerked me awake. I fumbled with the device, squinting around the barracks. Everyone else was still asleep.
I blinked and focused on the phone in my hand. My old number glowed on the screen. Suddenly, I was wide awake.
"We're almost there," Dorian said.
Chapter Sixteen
The sun rose as our team lined up on the tarmac. Security flanked the soldiers on both sides, and in the center of our team stood Captains Bryce, Finley, and Clemmins. Gina, Zach, and I, all first lieutenants, stood directly next to the captains.
Bryce mumbled something into a walkie, then whispered to the other captains. I readjusted my artillery belt and gun strap.
A board member I recognized from my testimony strode across the tarmac from a small Bureau charter plane that sat off to the side. He looked young, mid-thirties, probably a recent addition to the board, but otherwise looked the part in his gray suit. His black hair was parted and slicked back.
"Soldiers," Captain Bryce barked over our heads. "We have the pleasure of having a board member and former captain with us here today. Salute Captain Fenton."
We saluted him in tandem, and he nodded in return.
"Good morning, everyone. I'll only be staying to help our guests get situated, but thank you for having me. Honored to be here." His smile was genuine.
"Captain Fenton, may I ask you to step behind our guards until we secure the vampires?" Captain Finley said softly to him.
"Thank you, Captain," Fenton said, leaving my line of sight.
I squinted into the brightening sun from behind my sunglasses and glanced down my team's line. All lenses were glued to the end of the tarmac where the vampires had been instructed to arrive. As absurd as it seemed, we'd set cone markers for their descent. Everyone had their issued handguns on their waists in addition to their rifles. The Bureau guards kept AR-15s poised under their arms. The night's coolness lingered, but already most of us had sweat on our foreheads.
Surveillance came on over our comms. "Arriving party located. Beginning descent."
Everyone stared into the sun. I spotted a speck of black flitting out from some low-hanging clouds, followed by multiple others. A flock of redbills.
"Soldiers. At the ready," Captain Bryce hollered. A wave of hands unlocked rifle safeties, and weapon tips angled up to the sky.
I squeezed my eyes closed and opened them again, adjusting to the light. The birds drifted closer, weaving over and under each other in the air. They descended quickly. Soon I could make out Dorian in the lead.
"Hold steady unless you hear otherwise. Got it?" Bryce growled.
"Yes, Captain."
The bills' wings fluttered as their talons neared the asphalt. There were about twelve birds, some carrying more than one vampire. Dorian's cape billowed over his shoulder. I couldn't see his eyes, but I felt them.
His redbill landed first. It let out a deafening shriek that made two soldiers readjust their footing. Dorian glanced back at his group, landing behind him, then back to our line. I could see his furrowed brow.
Several breaths passed where no one moved. The vampires stared. Even though Dorian’s clan had about thirty members, I counted only fifteen here. Dorian hadn’t mentioned that the others would remain in Canyonlands, but maybe it had been a last-minute decision. For their kind, this was probably scary and dangerous. Not to mention unpleasant. Who’d want to spend six weeks in a military facility, starving and working for a species they historically fostered dislike for? It was probably unnecessary for them all to come to Arizona, as this test group could feel out the situation and report back to them, should the trial period go well.
The clothes of the vampires present were worn with frayed edges, the fabric looking like some sort of rugged, thick linen, all shades of dark greens, browns, and creams. Most of the women had their hair tied back with torn strips of cloth, and the men sported unruly locks tucked behind their ears. I spotted Kreya with Carwin and her daughter sitting in front of her on her redbill. I assumed it was her daughter, as they hadn’t been apart since I’d met the group.
I looked to Bryce as he surveyed the small crowd. He caught my eye and nodded to me. I stepped forward and slung my rifle over my shoulder.
Dorian stayed on his bird until I was twenty steps away. Then he dismounted, gesturing to his group to remain seated. He met me in the middle.
My heart hit my ribs when he got close enough for me to see the dark, defined shadows rippling under his cheeks. We stared at each other for a moment. He glanced behind me and clenched his jaw.
"Shake my hand," I murmured, barely moving my lips. I extended my gloved palm.
Dorian peered into my face as though looking for something, then gripped my hand, watching closely and letting me guide the gesture. Vampires probably didn't do this very often. Or ever.
He narrowed his eyes as we released hands. "That's a lot of guns." Still, he turned and gestured for the others to dismount their bills.
The group of vampires slowly moved toward me, all cautiously reaching out to emulate the hand motion they'd seen. Kreya and Rhome stepped forward, nodding to acknowledge me, but Kreya gestured for her children to stay back. Kane and Halla lingered on the outskirts of the group. Their glares were just as I remembered them, but for now they remained silent.
"Welcome, everyone," I said. "Please, come meet our team."
The vampires followed me at a distance; I could feel their presence keenly as I returned to the line. The captains stepped forward, but Fenton remained beh
ind the guards.
"Captains, this is Dorian." I introduced them, indicating each in turn. “Dorian, Captains Bryce, Finley, and Clemmins.”
They nodded to each other, and Dorian awkwardly held out his hand like before.
"At ease," Bryce called to the line of soldiers, before shaking Dorian's hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Thank you for inviting us," Dorian said evenly. He looked back, jerking his head toward his team, and I did the same to mine, encouraging introductions.
Soldiers and vampires stared at each other, then lightly grasped each other's hands. There were murmurs of greeting. Kane and Halla continued lingering behind everyone else, refusing to greet anyone—until Dorian cleared his throat in their direction. Carwin, his little sister, and many of the other children hid behind Bravi's legs at the back of the group. Bravi whispered something to them and then approached me, hand outstretched. I shook it, smiling. She avoided my eyes, though I saw the children watching her curiously.
Once Dorian had shaken hands with all the captains, Bryce spoke into his comm. "Please escort Fenton to join the captains."
Bryce visibly relaxed, and his eyes took on an odd light, like he’d suddenly turned twenty years younger—or maybe like he'd just walked into an ammunition factory.
The soldiers cleared a path for two guards and Fenton. Dorian and the board member looked at each other.
"I'm Captain Fenton of the Bureau's national board. Welcome to our facility," Fenton said through a tight smile.
"Thank you. I'm Dorian Clave." Dorian offered his hand, and they shook. Apparently, vampires had last names, too.
Fenton greeted the other vampires while maintaining several feet between himself and whomever he smiled at. The guards remained attached to his shoulders.
The groups cautiously parted from each other, and quiet reigned over the tarmac. Kreya and Bravi slipped through the vampires to rejoin the children.
Dorian looked back at the redbills and clicked his teeth. They tossed their heads and leapt back into the air, winging into the desert.
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