Dezyre rolled her eyes. “Honestly, am I the only one with a brain here?” She reached into her lab coat, muttering something about us being “stupid and unprepared,” and pulled out a pair of pliers and some gloves.
I raised a brow. “We’re going on a manhunt, and you decided to bring pliers?”
“Why not?” She gave me a frosty, pointed look. “Obviously, I was thinking outside the box here.”
“No, this is good,” Rook said, interrupting my snarky comeback. He took the pliers from Dezyre. They were almost too little for his fat fingers, not because he had a lot of extra weight, but because he was a big guy in general. He held his hand out for the gloves. “Are those spandex?”
“I’m a doctor,” she replied, as if this should be obvious. “What else would they be? Gardening gloves?”
He didn’t say anything as she handed them to him. Pulling them on with two quick snaps, he delicately pinched the pliers. “No offense,” he said, examining them, “but I don’t know how much good these will do against steel.”
Dezyre gave him a smug smile. “They’re reinforced steel.”
“And where did you get these?” I said, eyeing the pliers doubtfully.
She shrugged and looked away. “I kind of raid the army supplies every now and then, to see if I can find anything useful.”
“You what?”
Dezyre didn’t acknowledge that I’d said anything. She remained facing the opposite direction, arms crossed, tapping her foot.
Rook, oblivious to what she’d said, turned to face the fence. After studying it for a few moments, he carefully began snapping away at the links. I swore the metal hissed as he cut it, working his way from the side to the top and then back around again in a big circle. He grunted as he worked. Dezyre and I stood around, her examining her nail polish with a growing look of disapproval while I paced. I couldn’t seem to decide what to do with my hands. One minute, they were at my sides, and the next, they were either in my hair or on my hips. I guess that was better than wrapping them around Dezyre’s neck.
All the while, I couldn’t help but think of Aden, and of all the precious seconds slipping by while we waited for Rook to hack through the fence.
I finally stopped, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes. Please, please be okay, Aden.
After what felt like a small eternity, Rook said, “There. These suckers are pretty cool. They’re a lot tougher than I thought they would be.” He raised the pliers in the air.
“Yeah, well, they’re also mine,” Deyzre said, snatching them from his hand and tucking them back in her pocket.
Rook spared her a wry glance then stood, flexing his cutting hand. He sent a swift kick to the fence. A large piece of it fell away in a lopsided circle, clattering loudly on the other side.
“Aren’t we exposing the humans to the Rogues by leaving this unprotected?” I asked as I slipped through after Rook. A strand of my hair caught on the wiring, and I precariously untangled it.
“Yes,” Rook finally said. He pulled off the gloves and tossed them to the side. “But we have no other options. It’s either sacrifice one defense barrier, or wander the tunnels and risk getting caught down here with another pack of Rogues.”
I gulped down my nerves. “Wherever this leads, we need to make absolutely certain we cover up the exit. We can’t risk the humans’ safety any more than we already have.”
Dezyre stepped through the opening and rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. We won’t risk any more of your precious humans.”
I gave her a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She turned to face me, one hand on her hip. “It means that we’re basically at war, and you’re going to have to get used to the idea that there might be some casualties.”
I stepped closer to her so my face was only a few inches from hers. “Of course I know there could be casualties. That doesn’t mean that we have to increase the risk, though.”
“Ladies,” Rook said, stepping between us. “Now is not the time to get worked up over something that we have no real control over. We need to keep moving. It must surely be nightfall or close to it by now.”
Dezyre and I glared at each other for a few hot seconds before I tore my gaze from hers, my jaw flexing.
“And who knows how much ground Orion’s been able to cover,” Rook added softly, looking at me.
The possibility we might not catch him, that he was already too far away for us to reach, occurred to me, and it sent a bolt of fear straight to my heart. “You’re right. Sorry.” I blinked a few times to clear my head. “Which way do you think we should go?”
Rook pointed to our right. “Since the tunnel to the left leads to a dead end, I figured we’d go with the only other choice.”
I looked in the opposite direction. Sure enough, it was completely blocked off by a wall of solid steel. “Right it is, then,” I said, turning back around.
We started walking. Dezyre didn’t say anything as I passed her, though I could feel the resentment and the loathing oozing off of her in acidic waves. And there was something else, a nervous edge to her emotions that almost made me stop to study her.
Almost. The thought of losing Aden because we’d wasted more time occurred to me, and I quickened my pace, determined not to stop no matter what.
The rest of the tunnel was pretty straight forward, and after about a half a mile, we came upon a ladder. It was nailed to the side of the tunnel, shooting straight up into the shadows for about fifty feet or so. “Where do you think it leads?” I asked.
“Only one way to find out,” Rook said, grabbing hold and starting to climb.
I followed after him, anxious to get out of the tunnels. Though we hadn’t actually run into any Rogues, that didn’t mean they weren’t there. The feeling like we were being followed never really went away, and I tried to dismiss it to the fact I had watched way too many horror movies when I was a kid.
The rungs were tiny. My stomach lurched at the way the ladder groaned and trembled as we climbed.
“You sure this thing can hold all our weight?” Dezyre called from beneath me. She tried to sound vaguely concerned, but the fear in her voice couldn’t be masked.
“We’re fine,” Rook called. “Hey, I think I found a manhole cover. I’m going to crack it open and take a peek.”
Gripping onto the ladder for dear life, I held my breath as Rook lifted the cover. I half expected a beam of stray sunlight to blind him, but to my immense relief, it looked like wherever the ladder led to was dark.
“I think it’s a street, but I can’t tell exactly where,” he said. “Seems pretty quiet. I’ll go first.”
Setting the cover to the side, he lifted himself out and looked around, studying his surroundings.
“Well?” I called.
“Nobody’s around,” he said, though his gaze still remained alert. “I’d say it’s clear to come up.”
Eager to get out of the creepy tunnels, I hastily climbed the rest of the way and planted my hands on either side of the hole to haul myself up. Standing and stretching out my tense arms, I looked around.
It appeared to be the northern part of Pittsburgh, where all the illegal trade happened. Not too far away stood the tall, thick steel wall encircling the heart of the city, blocking it off from the Red Sector. Beside us, a Scarlet Steel factory spewed red smoke into the sky, which was darkening from scarlet to purple. The air had a funny smell to it that burned my nose, like pepper. I hadn’t noticed it when I was a human.
Rook must have noticed it too, because his nose also looked a little pinched. “It looks like they’ve built more factories.”
“Yeah, sure looks that way,” I said, a little distracted by the itching sensation in the back of my throat. I hated that, the constant feeling like I had to sneeze. I must be allergic to all the Scarlet Steel particles floating in the air. Eyes blurring, I turned around and sneezed as Dezyre climbed out.
“Ew,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Aim your disease-infested self away fr
om me.”
“If anyone has a disease, it’d be you,” I said, sniffling. “The way you tend to dress comes off as advertising to me. But then again, I know a girl’s got to stay in business somehow.”
Outrage flared on her face as her mouth dropped open. “Well, of course I wouldn’t expect someone from your side of town to appreciate fashion.”
I snorted. That barb had little effect on me anymore. I was used to hearing jabs at my family’s poor income, of how we had to live in one of the worst areas of the city when my parents split because we simply couldn’t afford to live anywhere else off my dad’s measly textile factory wages. That all changed after he died and my mom was elected Sovereign of the Pittsburgh White Sector. Suddenly, we had more money than we knew what to do with. But no matter how many designer clothes she forced me to wear, I never forgot my roots – or the hard work my late father had done to get us by.
I gave her a bored look. “If you’re going to insult someone, then attempt to make your remarks a little more, well, insulting.”
She stalked toward me. “Would slapping you across the face be insulting enough for you?”
“Please. I’d break your arm before –”
“Enough!” Rook snarled.
We both froze, our eyes snapping onto his. Fury seemed to light his pupils from within. “I did not risk my life breaking you out of prison so you could get us killed with your petty arguing.”
My mouth dropped open and then closed again as I struggled for an answer. “I – it’s just –” I sighed hard, gritting my teeth. “I’m sorry, Rook. I promised you I’d stop fighting with her, and I haven’t. Old habits are hard to break.” I shot her an even glare, which she returned with equal hatred.
“Well, I’m not apologizing,” Dezyre said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder with a jerk of her head. “I’m not the one acting like a brat.”
“Actually,” Rook said, turning on her, “you’re acting like more of a brat than she is. And that’s saying something.”
“Gee, thanks,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
Dezyre looked flabbergasted. “I am not a–”
Rook didn’t even give her time to finish. He was upon her in a flash, a fistful of her lab coat clenched in his fist. He jerked her toward him, so close she had to lean back to keep from smacking her face into his.
“You’re not on base anymore, Princess. Got it?” he said in a low voice. “No one here is going to kiss your ass just because you’re beautiful, or because you’re Paris’s star pupil. No one gives a damn about that up here, so either get along or go back.”
I arched a brow, impressed. Before seeing “vampire Rook,” I wouldn’t have pictured him ever getting up in someone’s face and chewing them out, let alone a girl. Then again, he had seemed a little edgy since we left the base, and not that I blamed him. Running for our lives while being solely responsible for bringing back a lunatic was a lot of pressure, not to mention he was doing so while trying to figure out how he felt about his pseudo-girlfriend dying. I’d be a little on edge too.
Dezyre stared at him, her bottom lip quivering. For a moment, I thought she might cry. But she pushed her lips together and nodded once, never removing her eyes from his.
He searched her eyes, breathing hard, before at last releasing her. “Remember what I said.” He pointed a finger at her. “If you cause any more drama, I’ll toss you over the fence myself.”
Her face blanched and I resisted the urge to snicker. Oh, how I had longed to see that jerk get what she deserved.
Rook squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, he opened his eyes, seeming calmer now. “We shouldn’t waste a good night. We need to start searching.”
“Yeah, but where?” Dezyre said, seeming to have composed herself as well. “This city is still huge, and he could be anywhere.”
“Hmmm.” I thought of every place that might hold any significance to Orion.
Just as I opened my mouth to start throwing out some ideas, a flash of red came at the side of my face, and I turned my head in enough time to catch a Scarlet Steel club to the jaw. It felt like someone hit me with a baseball bat, not that I had anything to compare it to. It hurt like hell and sent me reeling.
Time seemed to slow as the ground came up to meet me, and I threw my hands out to catch myself. The moment I felt the burn of pavement across my palms and cheek, my arms were jerked behind my back and my wrists lit up like someone had set them on fire. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out, not wanting to appear weak in front of whoever had descended upon us. I heard the snap of cuffs and felt a boot being pressed against my spine, holding me down. From the corner of my eye, I could see Rook and Dezyre in similar positions, each being bound with Scarlet Steel cuffs. Dezyre looked like she was on the verge of tears, but her proud face also held a lot of determination not to cry. I had to give her credit for that. She was turning out to be tougher than I thought she would be.
A pair of scuffed up combat boots came into view as someone walked around in front of me. “Well, what have we got here,” drawled a deep voice. “Looks like we caught ourselves a McAllister.”
My eyes narrowed. I know that voice.
A few shadows snickered, the glint of red metal in their hands. My eyes widened slightly. Every bit of it was Scarlet Steel, and they had us outnumbered three to one. Without Scarlet Steel, those numbers wouldn’t mean a thing, but with it, it significantly upped the odds in their favor. Some of them had what appeared to be ordinary guns, but I’d bet my life – quite literally – that they were loaded with Scarlet Steel bullets.
A man who looked to be in his late twenties knelt in front of me, a set of dog tags dangling around his neck.
I’d know those tags anywhere. “McGuiness,” I growled.
McGuiness was the undisputed leader of the Black Cross Guild I belonged to. He’d spent some time in the military in his late teens and early twenties, and he ran his chapter like we were part of the military. He looked like he had gotten bigger – not that he was ever small. Veins popped out along his bulging arms and neck, and his buzzed haircut made his head look smaller, but maybe that was because his muscles were so big. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was using steroids now. His dark eyes were mean. I saw myself in them, my eyes reflecting red like a cat’s.
He spit on me. “You disgust me. I knew there was something off about you when you disappeared and then suddenly came back like the prodigal daughter. I should have trusted my instincts then and gutted you on the spot.”
He had a Scarlet Steel knife in one hand and was trailing the tip over the black tattoo on the inside of his right wrist, in the same spot mine was. It couldn’t be comfortable, since Scarlet Steel was still a little acidic to humans, but McGuiness’s expression of pure hatred never changed.
I glared at him, silent.
McGuiness grinned and shook his head. “I can’t believe our luck. We’ve been looking for you. Vampire.” He suddenly laid the knife across my throat, right beneath my chin. My head lifted painfully in an effort to not touch the knife, but it was no use. I couldn’t bend my spine back any more than it already was.
McGuiness leaned in. The smell of chewing tobacco on his breath made me want to gag. He chewed so much of it that his teeth were perpetually stained yellow. One of the curses – or gifts, depending on how you looked at it – of being a vampire meant a heightened sense of smell. “I knew you’d come up to the surface eventually, like a rat always does. I can’t wait for you to see what I have in store for you.” Without another word he straightened, blessedly taking the knife along with him, and snapped his fingers. “Take them back to HQ.”
Cool air lapped at the burn marks on my throat. I was about to breathe a quiet sigh of relief when someone wrapped a Scarlet Steel chain around my neck, right in the wound. I strangled a cry of pain, gritting my teeth so hard my gums hurt. The person who had hold of me jerked back on the chain, forcing me to stand.
Whoever was handling me w
asn’t taking any pains to be kind about it. They gripped my arm, tight. “Let’s go, vampire,” a husky voice said beside my ear.
I nearly choked on my breath. I spun around, my eyes widening as they landed on a tall, handsome guy with olive-toned skin and curly black hair. He stood a few inches taller than me, with deep brown eyes and lean muscles that suggested he spent a few hours lifting weights every day.
I eyed him up and down, not able to drink enough of him in. It felt like a dream – or maybe a nightmare. The hard look in his eyes suggested the latter. Something twisted painfully in my heart at the way he looked at me, so cold, like any vampire hunter would eye a vampire and not his childhood best friend.
“Leo,” I whispered.
My last memory of him came flooding back to me before I could stop it, accompanied by a tidal wave of guilt. We stood in a playground, arguing, then kissing, and then with him moaning and grinding up on me as I drank from his neck.
I blushed at the memory, looking away in shame. To say things between us had been left in a rocky place would be putting it lightly. I hadn’t meant to bite him. It had just kind of happened. Apparently any kind of sexual encounter, no matter how mild – although there had been nothing mild about his kisses – triggered the need to feed. Thankfully, I hadn’t drained him, and I’d run away in horror before I could explain anything. I didn’t even know how to begin to apologize for that.
I reached out to him with my glamour, trying to read how he was feeling about me.
He blinked a few times, realizing what I was doing. A moment later, the chain tightened around my neck, breaking my concentration. “I don’t think so,” he hissed.
All right, so he was pissed and rightfully so. My heart sank a little. There was so much history between us, and I wanted more than anything not to lose my best friend.
My confusion was underscored by a thin thread of irritation with myself. No matter what we had between us, he was still choking me with Scarlet Steel, and I was having an internal meltdown over the status of our relationship. It shouldn’t matter right now what he thought of me or what had happened between us. And yet it did. It mattered so, so much, and I couldn’t help that.
Dark Horizons (The Red Sector Chronicles) Page 8
