by Dale Mayer
He gave the rest of Goran's body a quick once-over to see if there were more needles. When he found nothing, he returned his gaze to his friend's face. He pulled back and smacked him hard. "Come on, damn it. We have to get the hell away from here."
He hit him a fourth time, and there was a slight movement. He reached down and shook Goran's shoulders. His head lolled from side to side. "Wake up. They got you again."
Goran's eyes flashed open.
Serus nodded. "Much better. I pulled the needle out, but don't know how much they got in or if they were trying to take blood out. There's a damn machine here, but I can't make heads or tails of it."
Goran's eyes narrowed, as if he were trying to comprehend Serus's words. Then it seemed to hit him and he struggled to get to his feet. Serus helped him up. Slipping an arm around his back, he hobbled Goran forward to the way they'd come in. "Damn it, Goran. This has to stop."
"Any time. I'm more than ready to retire," Goran mumbled. "I don't feel so good."
"Damn right you don't. Did you see the guy who attacked you?"
"Thought it was a woman, actually."
Serus groaned. "Shit. I took out one male but have yet to see a female here."
"I think I killed her, but I remember going numb and not being able to move."
"Let's hope you did. This fight is getting out of hand. I hate the drug stuff."
They made it to the doorway and stared out into the farm. "Nothing has changed. All we did up to now, all we've been through, the kids have been through…and these people still haven't been helped. Instead, even more people have been taken."
"We just pissed off the assholes," Serus said. "We need to cut off the top bosses. Then work our way down. As the minions lose supervision, it's going to be a mess as they scramble to take over. A free-for-all."
"Sure. But we don't know who's at the top. And without that, how are we supposed to cut them off?"
"We need that damn computer checked out."
Goran stopped and looked at him. "Is Rhia in any shape to work on it? Does she know what she's doing? I think we need David and Ian. Cody is good with computers, but not like your boy."
True. "Then let's find our kids, retrieve the computer, and cut the head off this hydra."
"Not so fast."
The two men came to a sudden stop.
Facing them were four vamps. And off to one side stood a lone female, a needle in one hand and a deadly smile on her lips.
"Oh, shit."
Tessa turned on both of her visions as she followed the vamp. If someone recognized her, it would be all over. That meant she had to recognize them first. If she could. She needed to see their energies.
The vamp spun around and held up one finger. "Shhhh. Someone is up ahead."
"I thought there was supposed to be. Weren't you taking me to meet your bosses?" she said dryly. "And is this what you wanted me to see?
"No." He shook his head. "But these people don't belong here."
She studied the thick wrinkles on his forehead as he concentrated. What was he doing? "How do you know?"
"'Cause they smell different." His forehead cleared and he grinned suddenly. "It's a vamp. But not my bosses. At least, I don't think so."
She raised an eyebrow and stayed silent. The small corridor they'd been in widened to…well, she didn't know what. A cavern, maybe. A large, open dirt space. But with some kind of construction going on in the middle. Like tunnels or the ground floor of an apartment building. As if they were approaching from the second story, she could look down on several long connecting rooms under construction. She stopped and narrowed her gaze. "What is this?" She only remembered the haughty tone in time.
"Part of the new construction. Not done yet. In the middle is the new experiment center, and in a ring surrounding the center will be the medical rooms and secure holding cells or something. Don't know more than that."
Medical rooms. Secure holding cells. This looked like a major expansion. The thought chilled her, and she clenched her teeth hard to keep them from chattering. This was the first sign of…more. More plans. More victims. More experiments.
A heavy pounding brought her attention to the left. Whatever she was hearing, it was coming from this side. She turned, her mouth open to ask, when she caught the feral smile on the vamp beside her. He held up his finger to her then whispered, "Someone is trying to escape."
Her breath caught. God, she hoped they were. Who, though? She hoped it was her friends and family.
"And that means what to me?" she asked, trying for that same superior tone.
"It means you get to see some action." He went as if to go over the edge, fully prepared to beat the escapee back inside.
"What about your bosses?" she called after him.
"Not an issue. They'll be watching."
Ah, shit. That meant she couldn't go down and help the escapee without bringing herself and her actions to their attention. "Really? Where are they? Are they watching us now?" She kept an eye on him in case he indicated any direction.
He didn't answer – instead, he looked up and to the right then jumped into the center of the massive construction area.
So, now what? If the bosses would just show themselves she'd have a target. In a slow movement, she turned as if to survey the area, while searching for signs of energy. There was hers and the vamp she'd followed to this point. Nothing else, as far as she could see. Yet he'd looked in that direction for a reason. She turned back to watch the commotion below. Whoever had escaped was going to get a surprise.
She gasped. Oh no.
David! Her brother's energy warmed her. And terrified her.
Bosses be damned. She had to help him.
Just as she went to follow the vamp over the edge, she watched Jewel, Ian, and – yes – Cody arrive at David's side.
Cody!
She grinned as Cody spun around looking for her. She wanted to whoop for joy. Thank heavens for that.
Where are you? His warm voice filled her right to her toes, making them curl. She laughed.
Up above, looking down on you. Stay there. I'm coming to you.
Now she didn't give a damn about the bosses. She'd found her family and friends. To hell with the rest.
Oh, by the way. You have a big-ass vamp coming your way.
She took off to hunt down the asshole about to trash David.
***
Cody wanted to jump for joy. Tessa was here, and getting closer. Hot damn. That he could hear Tessa and that she was apparently able to see him was wonderful. Beyond wonderful. He walked closer to David. He wasn't sure how to say it, so he just let the words blurt out. "Tessa said she's on her way down. And that there is some big-ass vamp coming after us."
David's jaw dropped. He lowered his head. "What?"
Cody winced. He'd known it wouldn't be easy but… "I can't explain it. But I can hear her thoughts. Or she's talking in my head. Whatever. I can't prove it to you, and the only way you'll know I'm right is when that vamp arrives or Tessa gets here first."
"Really? Well, let's have that big-ass vamp, then."
Cody turned to see where their nemesis could be coming from. Inside this huge mining cave, there were loads of places to hide. That the place was empty could mean a lot of things, from anticipating a large influx of people to fill this place or having another farm starting up. He didn't know what they were planning, but there was room here for an army. He stilled.
Was that it? Were they preparing for an army?
Jewel stepped up to his side. "This is bizarre," she murmured. "It's very…" She stopped, apparently at a loss for the right descriptive word.
"This cavern…is almost as big as the blood farm we found." Cody walked forward, an arm width from the back of the wall. He couldn't see anyone besides the three of them, vamp or human. "It's like this section isn't quite ready yet. We interrupted their schedule."
"Good. I'm all for stopping their effing schedule," Ian muttered. "I want to put the biggest dam
n bomb down here and watch the whole thing blow up."
"Could you wait until we get out of here first? I'm trying to find my sister, damn it."
"Really? 'Cause it looks like someone else has found us instead." Ian nodded behind David.
They all spun around.
A huge vamp lumbered toward them.
They scattered for cover.
***
Jared jumped to the side as the big vehicle came to a screeching stop beside him. Warily, Jared bent down to look inside the driver's window. All the windows were smoked, making it hard to see.
The window rolled down a few inches. Enough for the impatient voice to roll out and snap, "Are you coming with me or not?"
Relief flowed through Jared. "I didn't know who was driving."
"There's no one else here," the voice snapped. "Now get in. We're going to be late at this point."
Jared hurried around the passenger side, got in, and buckled up just in time. The powerful vehicle lunged forward, made a quick left turn, and powered ahead.
Jared had never been in such a car. The dash was full of unique, gleaming dials and knobs. He knew how to drive, but this vehicle looked and acted differently. How could it have so much power? Trying not to look obvious, he cast a quick glance at the driver. Tessa's brother carried the same genes as the rest of the family, and he looked closer to David than either parent. Of course, Tessa looked like her mother, so he'd expected the sons to look like Serus. He thought that had been Tessa's father's name. Who could remember after all the vamps and people he'd met?
Reassured, Jared settled back to try and sort out the route they were taking. With any luck, he'd be able to retrace it himself in case he ever needed to return.
It didn't take long for him to realize that wasn't possible. The vehicle made so many turns, and at such speed, he had no chance to read the street signs or count the turns. In just a few minutes he'd become hopelessly lost.
Sighing, he sank back down.
"Problems?"
"Not really. I was trying to follow the route so I could remember how to get here, but I'm already lost."
"If the blood farm was easy to get to, it would have been found a long time ago."
"That makes sense. Still, I'd rather know how to get back home."
In the dark, the look Jared received from Seth was more of an impression than a real look. As if Seth had touched him in some way, but not physically. And that didn't make any sense either. He knew about vampires and their abilities, but not in detail. The vamps apparently did drugs real well. Who knew what else they did?
And he didn't really want to find out first hand.
He was glad that he knew Seth's family. Otherwise he'd be very nervous right now.
Seth's next comment came out of the blue. "So, tell me about your family. Apparently, you know most of mine."
His family? Jared winced. Did he dare?
While he was still pondering the issue, the vehicle came to a hard, sudden braking stop. He peered through the weird headlights.
What the hell?
***
Serus, we're in deep shit now.
Serus hated to admit it, but chances were good that Goran was right. Can you fly?
Hell yes.
Then go. Take off up high and get your strength back. You can't help with these guys in the shape you're in.
I could carry you…maybe. Goran's voice was still weak, but getting stronger. We could leave and bring the fight back another day.
I don't think that is going to work this time. Serus had only moments to decide on a plan of action. Pick up the woman after I hit her. She'll be lighter for you to handle. Make sure you kill her. I'll take out these other ones. But I want her and her damn needles gone.
Done. Just make the move.
Serus could feel Goran readying himself. He turned his attention to the big gorilla vamps. They appeared to want to fight him with their bare hands. That worked for him, but the woman and her damn drugs were something else altogether.
Without warning, he lunged forward and kicked the needle out of the woman's hand. She screamed in outrage and launched herself at him. He never felt her attack. Goran swept her up and high overhead. Serus lost sight of them in the confusion of bodies pummeling him to the ground. He pulled the silver spike from his pocket and stabbed it into the vamp trying to crush him in a bear hug. The vamp's arm loosened slightly, then clamped down tighter.
What the hell?
Serus stabbed it in deeper, realizing the vamp was wearing something different by way of clothing, something almost impenetrable, but not quite – at least at the neck. With the last desperate shove, his hand found the edge of the protective gear and stabbed…just as his ribs compressed even more. He found himself bending over, gasping for breath, as ash floated around him.
"Hey, what did you do?" roared one of the vamps as they both jumped him. That was when Serus lost track of the punches he dished out, the kicks to the jaw he managed to inflict, as he was pummeled and beaten back. Temper firing, he saw red as he slashed and kicked, and stabbed with the spike. He couldn't find flesh. Damn. He was grabbed from behind, but he flipped the guy holding him over his shoulder and punched him in the face, once, twice. The guy lit up like a firecracker and burned to ash in front of him, on him, and around him.
Serus pulled back in shock to see Goran grinning in front of him.
"Glad to see you're feeling better."
"In perfect fighting form. They might have some scary drugs, but that just makes them run through my system a whole lot faster."
His grin was something to see. Serus laughed. "Now that's good to hear. At least the way we're taking care of them this time means they won't be coming back after us again."
"True enough."
"You killed the woman – right?"
"Yep, same as these two." Goran kicked up the pile of ash at his feet. "They were a little hard to stick, though."
"Yeah, some kind of weird material."
"Probably some bulletproof vest thingy. Borrowing from the humans again."
"Still, if we come across any supply rooms, it wouldn't hurt to see if there are a few spares." Serus looked down at the pile. "I don't want to come upon a pile like this and realize it was one of my kids."
Goran sucked in his breath. "Don't say that. I am not going to let that thought enter my head."
"Nor do I want them to find our bodies the same way," Serus added, his voice thick.
"Let's go find someone else to kill." Goran smacked him on the shoulder. "Make you feel better."
***
Rhia stared at Sian. "What do you know about the computer?" She cast a cautious look at her sister, still talking at the doorway on her cell phone.
"Serus mentioned it earlier, but I forgot."
"Where is it?" Rhia whispered.
"Under your bed."
Sian grinned as Rhia shook her head rapidly. "No, it's not. I looked."
"Yes, it is." Sian looked in Gittora's direction. "It's tucked up against the underside toward the head of the bed."
Rhia's breath gusted out. "We need to get it to someone who can help."
"What we need to do is get rid of your sister," Sian said. "Then we can pull it out of the hiding spot and see what's on it. Without knowing, we won't know who to ask for help."
Just then, Gittora stormed back into the room. "I have to leave. Sian, Rhia's not allowed out of here. Do you understand?" She pinned Sian in place with her gimlet glare. "Everyone will be pissed if you let her leave."
Sian managed the most helpless, innocent look Rhia had ever seen. She barely choked back her laughter. Sian was a force to be dealt with. There was no way her sister could beat Sian in a fair fight, but her sister never fought fair and Sian was pregnant. Arouse the protective mama instinct and Sian would take anyone who threatened her baby, but she'd also be less likely to take chances.
"I won't leave," Rhia said. "Not to worry."
Her sister studied her face be
fore her features relaxed. "You'd better not."
She turned on her heels and strode off, her high heels clacking on the hallway outside.
Sian raised an eyebrow and stared at Rhia. Rhia grinned. "Check that she actually left, will you? I don't trust her."
Sian rushed to the doorway and looked out. She came back a big smile on her face. "It's safe."
