“Captain Erikson, that’s quite enough,” the High Commander interjected; hearing the direction of his captain’s thoughts. Having spent nearly a century together, William was well aware of Erikson’s ambitions to lead The Elite. Hell, he even admired him for the aspiration, being a man of high goals himself.
The road to becoming High Commander had not been an easy one. A modest landowner at the time, William had clawed his way up to a position amongst the prestigious members of The Agency all those years ago, his talent for mind-reading allowing him to influence some of the highest members of vampire society and gain their support in his campaign.
When the previous High Commander was lured away from his guard and killed in a hopeless attempt to save his infected son, William pounced on the opportunity by revealing his telepathy, touting the ability as making him impervious to the kind of deception which had destroyed his predecessor. Indeed, his telepathy made him a superior leader and the other members of The Agency voted him into the position unanimously.
Now, looking at his captain, William couldn’t help but see some of himself in the younger vampire. The man was driven, dedicated, focused, and unfailingly loyal, all qualities he valued and probably why, over the years, in addition to becoming captain of his personal guard, Erikson had grown to be one of his dearest friends.
“Commander, if I could have a word with you privately,” William said; gesturing towards the empty room at the back of the hangar.
Reeling in his temper, Commander Claesson tore his eyes from the staring match with Erikson and flashed across the space to join the High Commander, who was already seated at the table in the sound-proof room. The airstrip was one of several like it that The Elite owned all over the world.
By sheer luck, Claesson happened to be visiting the Indianapolis base of The Elite when the High Commander’s call for emergency transport came in. With someone of that level of importance under his care, Claesson was determined to oversee the mission personally.
“Alek, please sit,” William said; gesturing towards an empty chair. “Of course I understand your concerns in light of what happened tonight, truly, but I can assure you, no one in this building is responsible for giving information to Lucias. We cannot be certain whether the theory of a spy is valid since, as you are aware, Lucias possesses a seer and it’s entirely possible that she’s the source of his information. This photograph,” he said, pulling the singed paper from his pocket. “is hardly solid evidence since it could have belonged to Barb. As for the lack of contact from my daughter,” he continued; stroking his thumb over her image in the picture from her wedding, “we can’t yet know what it means. There has been unseasonably inclement weather down south which could have forced them to delay. It is far too soon to tell and I will not leave any of my men in the wind while we wait. Besides, if one of my men was responsible for this, I would know. It would be impossible for the most powerful amongst them to conceal his thoughts from me and I have interviewed each of them. There is no betrayal amongst my men, perhaps a little too much ambition, but no betrayal. I hope that eases some of your concerns.”
“My lord, I understand, but you realize we are already making exceptions to allow the, um, other members of your family onto the compound,” he said; glancing away from William’s knowing gaze. The High Commander was well aware of the fear shared amongst those who knew of Chloe’s existence, which was only compounded by the display outside the safe house. He heard it in their thoughts and saw it in the nervous glances they cast upon her when she walked by. They feared the unknown; vampires were no different from humans in that regard.
“You know as well as I do that war is upon us. If that wasn’t already clear, it was made abundantly so tonight. The secrecy of our home base’s location is vital to the safety of our entire race. You are aware of the kind of information which is hidden there; if Lucias were to gain access to those records every civilian would be in danger. Not to mention all of my men, the other compounds, our armories,” Alek continued; running a rough hand over his short blonde hair.
“Yes, Alek, I am afraid that the war we have all dreaded for so long is imminent, but it is my understanding that your compound has been afforded every protection imaginable, of both the technological and magical kind. I appreciate your vigilance, as I’m sure the rest of our people do, but I give you my personal assurance that my guards are not a threat. Now, I implore you to reconsider your decision and grant my men permission to board the plane with the rest of my family,” William said; looking at Alek pointedly. The Commander was aware it was within the High Commander’s power to overrule him, so he was asking only as a courtesy to afford him the opportunity to save face in front of his men.
“Very well, my lord; in exchange for my acquiescence on this matter, might you grant me the privilege of restricting your men’s access within the compound walls? Of course, I trust your judgment implicitly, but my men will be easier about the outsiders in their territory if you will allow this,” Alek stated; his lips tight. Submission was definitely not one of the ancient vampire’s strong suits.
“Of course, Commander,” William said; as he reached for the door. “The compound is your home and your domain. I do not intend for us to impose upon your generosity any more than we already have. When we arrive, you can explain the rules to us all and I give you my word that every member of my party will abide by them, including me.”
“I appreciate the consideration, my lord,” Alek responded. “Just one more thing; back at the safe house, something happened—”
“With Chloe; yes, Captain Erikson recounted the occurrence as soon as he arrived,” William replied; dropping his hand from the doorknob and pivoting to face Commander Claesson. “Alek, you realize my opinions are much changed considering that the chosen one is my only granddaughter, correct? The plans we made all those years ago… I couldn’t know how I would feel.”
“Yes, of course, my lord; yet with that much power, we cannot simply pretend she isn’t the key to defeating Lucias and ending this war.”
“No, I did not mean to say we cannot proceed; however, our approach must be delicate. Chloe is still a child, and I fully intend to allow her to remain so for as long as possible. As you mentioned, your compound is one of the most secure facilities in the world. Its protection affords us the time to delay her testing and training until she is ready. From what I have learned of my granddaughter in the short time I have had the privilege of getting to know her, she will be ready much sooner than I would like.”
“I understand, my lord. I will instruct my men accordingly. Until you say otherwise, she will be treated solely as a guest.”
“Alek, there is something else you should know. Chloe is a telepath; a very strong one. We have been encouraging her to control it, to block out the thoughts of others, but she is still learning. Tell your men to take care what they think in her presence. I do not want her to worry about what is coming any more than she already is,” William said; finally pulling the door open.
“Consider it done,” Alek replied; as they headed back to the plane.
✧
“All right, hand ’em over. Cell phones, laptops, tablets, any electronics you brought,” Matt Jesterman, better known as Jester, said as he held up a large box.
“It’s nice to see you, too, Jester,” Cami said to the Boston Elite’s resident IT specialist as she disembarked from the jet, one of many in The Elite’s top of the line fleet. He smiled and shrugged when she passed by. As a member of The Elite, she wasn’t required to give up her devices. Everyone else’s would be confiscated, have their GPS trackers disabled, which would then be tossed into storage until their owner’s stay on the compound was at an end. Of course, as a courtesy, replacement phones would be provided once they arrived on the grounds, but everyone was made aware that all incoming and outgoing data would be monitored.
“Is this really necessary?” Erikson asked; while Jester stared at him expectantly.
“Standard protocol,
Erikson. We already went over the rules of your admittance. I thought we weren’t going to have any problems.” Commander Claeson replied sternly from where he stood with the High Commander, “No outside devices are permitted on the compound. No exceptions.”
Erikson’s eyes shot to William, who nodded for him to respect the request. Reluctantly, he removed the cell phone from his pocket and dropped it in the box.
After greeting several of her fellow Elite, Cami paused near the row of vehicles set to transport them to the compound and let out a sigh of relief, though the feeling was short-lived.
“Seems like you’re in a hurry to get away from me,” Jared whispered right behind her ear. After the brief, but intense moments he’d shared with her during the attack, he’d hoped they had moved beyond her denial of the connection they shared. Such was not the case, as evidenced by her behavior during the flight. Even within the confines of such a small, inescapable space, she’d managed to avoid so much as making eye contact with him. If he wasn’t blessed with the gift of telepathy, he would have been convinced she didn’t care for him at all, but her mind told a different story. Even as she repeatedly chanted how much she wasn’t interested in him and tried to distract herself by mentally running through training drills, her thoughts always returned to Jared in ways which clearly demonstrated her attraction.
Jared’s intoxicating scent and warm breath on her neck made Cami shiver. She swallowed hard, trying to compose herself again before she finally replied, “Not at all; just ready to get back to base. Don’t worry; Chloe will be safe from here.” There was no doubt of that with the crowd of heavily armed Elite soldiers buzzing around. In addition to them, the hangar, like the compound, was protected by magic, courtesy of the local coven of witches.
Before he could say anything else, she rushed over to Commander Claesson, who was still standing with the High Commander amidst the rest of the new arrivals.
“I’m going to head back on my own if that’s all right,” she said; gesturing towards the row of motorcycles across the way.
“Fine by me, but you’re to go straight to the compound. We won’t be far behind you,” he responded.
Cami walked to her parents and kneeled down on the concrete in front of Chloe and Tilly. “I’ll see you in a just a bit, all right? When you get there, I’m going to take you to my very favorite place on the whole compound.”
“You promise?”
“Absolutely. I just have to do one thing first, but we can go when I’m done if it’s not too late. If it is, we can go first thing in the morning, okay?”
“Okay, Aunt Cami. Are you going to ride one of those?” Chloe asked with wide eyes, as she pointed at the motorcycles.
“Yep, see that one right there? That’s mine,” Cami responded; pointing out her bike. “Maybe I’ll teach you how to ride when you’re older. Would you like that?”
Chloe nodded her head enthusiastically in response. Cami stood and smiled at her parents. Though she liked to think she didn’t need anyone, she couldn’t deny that she had missed them immensely over all the years that her misguided anger had kept them apart.
“Be safe,” Josephine said, pulling Cami into a brief hug. Cami was a well-trained, absolutely lethal, Elite soldier, but that didn’t stop her mother from worrying. In fact, her joining the group of soldiers had been another part of the rift which had kept so much distance between Cami and her family. Luckily, all of that seemed to be behind them.
“Always,” Cami replied; before jogging off. Without looking back, she already knew Jared was watching her. She could feel his eyes on her skin even though most of it was fully covered by combat gear. It was a feeling which had become alarmingly familiar, since his eyes never failed to find her. And though she wouldn’t admit it, especially not to herself, it felt good, comforting even.
Reaching the bikes, Cami hitched one leg over her own black and red Ducati 1098 and quickly slid on the matching helmet. It was an unnecessary precaution, given her superior reflexes and ability to heal, but it was the law in Massachusetts and the last thing she needed was a run-in with local law enforcement for not wearing it.
After adjusting the straps, she flipped down the visor and firmly pressed the starter. The engine roared to life, the sound and vibration making her feel alive with anticipation for the open road. She adjusted her mirrors and felt her heart fall into her stomach as her eyes landed on Jared’s reflection strolling towards her. Knowing she just didn’t have the strength to deal with him or the crazy emotions he stirred in her, she pulled in the clutch, kicked it down to first gear and sped out away without so much as a glance back at him.
Jared stood with a crooked grin, watching until she turned a corner and disappeared from sight. He’d never ridden, but damn if seeing Cami on that bike wasn’t about the sexiest thing he’d ever witnessed.
Since he first laid eyes on her at his sister’s wedding, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her and, though he wished it was under more pleasant circumstances, he couldn’t deny he was thrilled that they would be living under the same roof for the foreseeable future. Her resolve was weakening and he knew it was only a matter of time before she finally admitted what he’d known from the moment they met.
CHAPTER 5 - Spells Renewed
Cami leaned hard as she took the sharp curve, her leg hovering mere inches above the asphalt, before she straightened the bike and slowed, preparing to pass through the first gate to gain entrance The Elite’s compound.
Taking a sharp right on to what appeared to be a wide shoulder adjacent to the woods which were adorned with “Private Property, No Trespassing” signs for miles, she came to a stop and looked around. Satisfied that she hadn’t been followed, she slowly pulled forward through the enchanted barrier and disappeared from view.
On the other side, the long road which led to the second gate was revealed. The first barrier, a security measure added by the local coven a few years prior, was inspired by the camouflage ability of one of her fellow soldiers. The powerful spell repelled unauthorized entrants, confounding their thoughts and senses if they got too close, and completely concealing the road from view.
Rolling up to the second gate, Cami nodded to the guard posted in the booth and removed her helmet as she pulled up beside the retinal scanner. After a succession of beeps, the red light flashed green and the silver bars began to retract into the high brick wall which surrounded the compound.
As the gates closed behind her, Cami eased her Ducati onto the slope of the tunnel which housed a third gate, this one guarded by two soldiers, which led to an expansive underground parking structure.
After exchanging hellos and a quick fingerprint scan, she entered the required key code and continued her descent. Cami sped down the lane, passing rows of black vehicles as the roar of her engine echoed off the walls around her. Reaching an empty space, she parked and looked around at the variety of colorful vehicles parked nearby.
Looks like the coven is already here, she thought; before making her way to the elevator, where she entered yet another security code and hit the button for the ground floor.
✧
“Cami, how nice to see you again,” Esther, the head of the Boston coven of witches, who Cami knew was distantly related to Barb, said as she entered the sitting room.
“It’s nice to see you, too, Esther. I’m very sorry for your loss,” Cami replied sincerely as the short, African-American woman took both her hands. Her hair was cut extremely short, almost to the point of being bald, but the look worked for her.
“It would be more appropriate for me to offer you and your family my condolences. She was more a part of your family than mine. I never fully understood her reasoning, but she tried to keep her distance from us. I suppose it would have been hard to explain how she was still around to everyone at the annual family reunion,” Esther replied with a sad chuckle.
Cami smiled sadly. Yes, a two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old human would be extremely difficult to explain. While a g
ood number of the women in Barb’s family were born with the gift and practiced witchcraft, it was kept secret from the rest of their family.
Redemption of Fate (Fate Series Book 2) Page 5
