by Sarra Cannon
"That human female will be the death of you," Logan said through clenched teeth.
"Then start planning my funeral."
Logan lifted a walkie-talkie from the table, switched it on, and held it close to his lips. "Gather up your men. We have a human to find."
Brandon nudged Vicq and rolled up his shirt sleeve. "You need to feed."
Vicq bit the inside of his bottom lip while his stomach rolled in agreement. He craved Elaina, not one of his brothers. Just as he thought, his system relied on her now more than ever. She was his sustenance and the reason why he chose to live when so many wanted him dead.
Without strength, he would not be able to bring her back safely. He lifted Brandon's wrist to his lips, tore through to the vein, and took until the blood flow slowed.
Chapter 15
Elaina opened her eyes and peered up at the bright lamp hanging from the roof of the van. Her pulse throbbed uncontrollably, as if she'd awakened from a bad dream. A filthy aftertaste of blood and dirt remained in her mouth. She tried to straighten her arms to relieve the cramp in her shoulders, but the ropes still bound her. She focused, and the voices of her kidnappers grew louder and louder. Her body shivered—an aftereffect of the drug they'd used to put her to sleep wearing off.
"Well, well, look who's awake." Rough hands hooked under her forearms. Bloody Face braced her up in a sitting position against the wall of the van. "Obviously, that dose wasn't strong enough."
Elaina swallowed hard, and the only thing that came of it was her parched tongue scraping against the top of her dry mouth. A gallon of water sat opened and half empty in the center of the van between the men. It appeared to be the same gallon she'd bought back at the convenience store.
"You're good for something, huh?" Her second kidnapper unwrapped a hotdog and took a bite. "Yum. Fresh and juicy, just like you, eh?"
What a pig! Elaina hoped he choked to death on them.
"Oh." He giggled like a lunatic. "Are you hungry? Were these your hotdogs?"
Her stomach rumbled in hunger as the van traveled on the bumpy roads. Chances were, they’d kept her alive to take her to heads of District 5. If they wanted her dead, they would've killed her already. She wondered what price they'd been offered for her capture.
"Give it a rest, will ya, Roy?" Bloody Face leered at her. "That's no way to treat a high-ranking officer."
Roy chuckled again, bits of bread and meat flying from his mouth. "She doesn't have a rank anymore. You really thought you could hide out, didn't you?"
He held out a piece of hotdog to her face and she cringed. She wouldn't eat anything he'd touched, even if it were the last morsel left, or the only thing that would save her.
"So, how does it feel, Elaina?" Bloody Face drew his legs to his chest and propped his forearms on his knees. "To be one of the first hybrids?"
Her headache raged as confusion set in. "I'm not a hybrid."
"Why do you keep hiding it?" Roy asked. "We knew you were hiding the infection in your blood, but we could never find you to confirm."
Had they been watching her, too? Had they intentionally let her get away?
When and how had they found out that the vampire agent roamed in her blood? "Why are you only just now coming to get me?"
Roy lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair. "Because you hid, you treacherous bitch!"
Her scalp stung like hell as he pulled her strands. This lunatic had a serious temper. Hands still tied behind her back, she pushed off the side of the van, flung out her boot and kicked him in the gut. He sputtered and choked on the piece of hotdog.
She rose to her feet and ground her boot heel into his neck, impaling him to the floor. His face grew red, the veins popping up from his forehead. The color slowly left his face and he clawed at her jeans with his fingers.
"You assault me again and I'll kill you," she warned.
Bloody Face thrust her back against the van into a sitting position once more.
"Roy, you jackass." He helped his sputtering, lunatic buddy up. "Do not underestimate her. We're supposed to hand her over in one piece."
Roy shot daggers at her, grabbing at his throat.
She may be tied up like a dog, but he'd learn to respect her, even in her vulnerable state.
"How do you know that I'm infected?"
"You left—”
"Don't tell her, Ace."
"Roy, shut the fuck up," Ace yelled toward his colleague and then glanced at her. "The two of you left a trail of blood from your injuries at your condo. When there is no match, the blood separates when combined like oil and water. With a match between a human and a vampire, the blood infuses together. By the time they figured it out, you had skipped town."
Her breath hitched in her throat. Ace more than likely referred to the night she’d been shot with an arrow by a tracker. Had Vicq not offered his blood to help her with her own loss, she would have died. He gave an adequate amount to save and heal her, but not enough to turn her. It had been the first night he'd fed her. After that fateful night, she would find herself returning the favor...
Ace cracked his knuckles—all eight of them. "You and your little vamp boyfriend left just the right amount to take back to the labs to study. Why'd you run, Elaina, if you knew your DNA was a match?"
She'd run because it had been her only option given her circumstances at the time. Vicq’s Dresdan leaders had found out that he'd involved himself with a District member, attacked him, and then left him to die. Letting Vicq die wasn’t something she was prepared to do, so she'd nursed him until he recovered. That had been Russo's first attempt to get rid of Vicq. Days later, the other trackers had discovered that she’d kept him in her condo. Word got back to the District leaders, and her capture was ordered. In the process of trying to gain entry to her condo, a poisonous arrow that they’d intended for Vicq had pierced her shoulder. The images flowed through her head like a movie on rewind.
She cringed against the bile that rose up in her throat. She would have died that night. Even after their escape, the Dresdan had hunted Vicq down until they’d captured him. She should have stood up for him, but she'd hid behind a city bus until her lover was gone—just as he'd made her promise to do. Days went by, and Vicq had not returned, so she was left to fend for herself. She’d created a new identity and refined her plan to bring down District 5.
Days turned into weeks. And weeks turned into months. It had been hard for her then, but she’d made herself believe that Vicq had been executed.
"Why did you hide, Elaina?"
"I was on a hit list. Did you expect me to blow my cover?"
Ace laughed. "You were, but not anymore. If you cooperate, you will most likely be allowed to live."
"Allowed?"
He nodded.
It didn't take a wizard to understand that District 5 wanted to study her. She would take pleasure in making them work for it. "A dead hybrid won't give them what they need. What exactly do they want with me now, anyway?"
"They can't figure out what's in your blood that makes you a match. Even after years of finding people with the same blood type, District scientists are still unable to create more hybrids. There has been some success, but no one has ever maintained the infection and remained in stasis as long as you have."
Elaina dug her fingers into the insides of her palms and jerked her wrists against the rope. "I refuse to participate in any experiments. I'm not some creature to be controlled."
"Your body belongs to District 5. You signed your life away. Shoulda stayed on our side and you would have nothin’ to worry about."
She glared at him. "Murderers! You've killed innocent Dresdan, and even humans you've experimented on."
Ace laughed. "Why should you worry about the others? Casualties are the price of victory. You're prime property. All you have to do is cooperate to save your miserable life."
Elaina molded her lips together to keep from screaming out. He'd probably collect millions from District 5 for her c
apture and return. They were all motivated by greed, lust, power, and money. The training upon recruitment created this type of mentality.
She'd had the world and lost it, all because she’d wanted to stop for snacks. Now she'd have to spend eternity as a puppet, wanting someone who was gone. All her years worth of gathered evidence needed to expose District 5 was lost. The love of her life...gone. What had she been living for all these years? What reasons were there to live now? She hung her head in defeat and rested her forehead on her knees.
Chapter 16
There were two hours left until sunrise and Vicq rode right toward it. Most Dresdan would have thought him a complete fool. Playing the guessing game to track down the van with his true love inside was like solving the maze to escape the realms of Hell. He'd be damned if he let District 5 get away with Elaina.
Vicq lowered his chest in line with the handlebars of the motorcycle and sped up. Derrick and Brad probably thought he'd kill himself...and them in the process. Still, they followed him.
His blood throbbed in his veins with anticipation. He sensed Elaina was near. Every part of his body guided him almost like some invisible force was pushing him like magic toward the only source of food that satisfied him completely. The resident doctor back at sanctuary had told him that if he believed, Fate would guide him. Just like it had when she'd left her life behind as Elaina and had started a new one under an alias. Just like it had when she had been assigned to assassinate him so very long ago.
What would civilians do if they knew District 5 had reverted to experimenting on humans despite the danger involved? They should've been exposed long ago, but unidentified high-profile government officials had funded the mission. To expose District 5 meant revealing to humans that they shared the same oxygen with bloodthirsty vampires. Was the world ready for such a revelation? Probably not.
The back of a van emerged as he revved the bike to get over the top of a hill. It was dusty gray with the last three digits of the license plate 515. It surpassed the speed limit but remained within a safe range. How like them to keep a low-key appearance to avoid attention.
Vicq flipped the visor on his helmet up and adjusted his irises to focus on the van. His fangs threatened to descend, but he took deep breaths despite the excessive speed, holding his frustration inside. They wouldn't get away again. Not with his mate.
Vicq adjusted to a standing position and jumped off the bike to lunge for the van. He grasped the metal ladder attached to the back, his boots only centimeters away from hitting the pavement.
The unmanned bike flipped onto its side and skidded across the highway. Bright white sparks lit the path before the bike collided with a road sign and exploded. Flames shot up, illuminating the night sky.
The van swerved sharply, and he gripped the bars firmly with sweaty palms. After steadying himself, he lifted the helmet from his head and threw it out into the field. Derrick and Brad moved into position on either side of the van.
Vicq climbed up onto the top of the van and crawled across it until he reached the middle. There was no doubt that Elaina's kidnappers knew they'd been found, for he heard their frantic voices coming from the inside of the vehicle. The dent Vicq had put in the van during his first attempt to save her remained as a taunting reminder that he'd failed. This time, he wouldn't.
Ripping the van in half would suit his mood, but no...Elaina was inside.
The driver sped up and swerved into southbound traffic. A sharp jerk threw the van across a lane. An eighteen-wheeler came in the other direction and the trucker blared his horn as it sped past.
Vicq slid down the side of the van until his boots connected with the metal support bars on the bottom. Gripping the handle of the sliding door, he shoved it open with no regard to what danger might meet him on the other side.
"What the hell?" Two sets of eyes widened at his presence.
"Always remember to lock your doors." Vicq's gaze shot through the two men to the corner of the van where Elaina was bound and tied to the interior. His heart twisted and writhed in his chest, and he ground his teeth together. He'd never wanted this for her...to be tied up like a prisoner. It brought back memories of his assault in the prisons from his own kind. Now her organization had turned against her, treating her like she'd never worked for them.
"Vicq." Her eyes swirled with confusion and panic.
It looked like she'd literally given up. Her shoulders were slouched over. Very unlike Elaina. He jumped in the van just as a slim man crawled across the floor and reached for the rifle lying amongst some duffle bags. Vicq lunged toward him and grabbed the back of his head, holding him up and vertical to the floor.
Vicq willed the rifle to gravitate toward his outstretched hand. "You plan to shoot at me again?" After snapping the weapon in two, he tossed it out of the van. "Didn't work last time, won't work this time either."
The van heaved forward, sending everyone but Elaina in a tumble across the floor. They came to a stall on the freeway as the driver fought through the window with Derrick who’d tried to get inside. Brad entered the van through the passenger door, lunging himself at the driver to help Derrick out. The young Dresdan had already dropped fang well past the feeding mode. They were all focused on the mission and hungry for the kill.
Vicq turned back to the man who'd wriggled from his grip to find that he held up a metal pole. The man swung at Vicq, missing his face by a hair. Hissing, he took a fighter's stance. He simply didn't have the time or patience for this shit. Teleporting behind his attacker, he jerked the pole away and used it to hold the man immobilized. He pushed the pole tighter against the tracker’s throat.
"You're a lousy batter." Vicq used his powers to lift the rope from the floor and into his palm. He tied the man's arms against his sides.
"You stupid bloodsucker." The man thrashed against the ropes.
Vicq cringed and tossed him face first onto a pile of luggage.
Two bullets whizzed by Vicq’s ear, and he ducked out of the way so the third would miss him. A burly man crouched behind Elaina while firing shots. Elaina wriggled against the rope, but it had her bound to the panel. When the gunman realized that all the rounds had been fired, he chucked the empty gun aside.
"Come any closer—," the burly man poised a large needle near Elaina's neck,"—and I'll inject her with poison. Even you won't want her blood then."
Elaina shook her head.
Vicq stopped in his tracks.
There weren't many times he'd seen fear in her eyes, but this time, it existed in abundance. "You don't want to do that, I'm sure. Why don't you get up and fight me instead...like a man?"
The gunman's face reddened. "I'm certainly not gonna sit around and let you kill me, vamp."
"Who said anything about killing you?" Vicq only wanted Elaina back safely, but if he had to kill, he would. "What are you waiting for? Sitting around as you're doing now won't earn you freedom."
"Vicq, we've gotta make moves," Derrick said from behind him. "The other maniac just notified more trackers."
Vicq ignored Derrick and the protest from the tied up humans, keeping his eye on the fool threatening his mate. "Hand her over to me willingly and I'll leave you alive."
"Liar!" The gunman's hands shook uncontrollably.
"Maybe you didn't understand." Vicq's fists clenched at his sides. "Hand her over to me. If you harm her in any way, I'll make sure that your life is worse than a nightmare from this day forward. You will pray for death when I am done with you."
This only angered him more and he brought the needle closer to Elaina's neck. A helicopter overhead distracted the gunman. Vicq took that opportunity to teleport toward Elaina. The gunman was quicker, and it only took him two seconds to inject the needle into Elaina’s neck. Vicq grabbed the man by the forearm and threw him across the van like a ragdoll. Bones cracked against the other side of the vehicle just before he landed on the floor in a thud. Kneeling down beside Elaina, Vicq carefully extracted the foul needle from her neck an
d untied her hands.
Elaina caressed each side of his face with both palms and pulled him down to her face. "Vicq." Her eyes flooded with relief, but her grip was lax, not firm the way she always touched him. "I thought you were..." She initiated the kiss, snaking her fingers to wind around the nape of his neck.
Vicq moved his hand around her back to support her body, elated that he was with her, but angry that he'd come close to losing her again. Their lips meshed and tongues danced lithely together. He breathed in her flowery scent as their kisses grew demanding.
"Vicq," Brad yelled from behind him. "We need to go. Right now."
If that weren’t enough distraction, the sound of the helicopter's rotors appeared closer than before. He parted from Elaina, but when he did, her body fell limp within his arms.
"Elaina." He pressed a hand to her forehead, and then bent to bury his face into her neck. Her pulse fought to thrive, and her heart thumped slowly in her chest. His breath caught in his throat and he turned his gaze to the needle on the floor. Green-colored liquid remained in the vial, but some of it had apparently gotten into her bloodstream.
"Let's go!"
He rose with Elaina in his arms and moved toward the exit where the ladder to the helicopter above waited. Hissing against the nominal sun rays that escaped above the distant horizon, he shielded his eyes with his forearm. His skin burned like fire, but not as badly as his heart wept for the near lifeless Elaina in his arms. He took a deep breath before he dropped his arm again and grabbed hold of the ladder.
"Vicq."
He turned to see Derrick standing over the three humans and pulling the rope tighter around them, trapping them like worms in a cocoon.
"What do you want me to do with them?" the six-feet-five-inches-tall Dresdan asked.
Vicq swallowed and then glanced down at Elaina, whose head lolled back against his forearm. The rhythm of her heart slowed. Her once red, soft lips were now pale, without color. "Check their clothes for wires, then bring them. They will serve time for what they have done. And then they will beg for death." He used his remaining strength to teleport into the helicopter, where he laid Elaina out onto a soft mat.
