by Dale Mayer
And it was killing him. He didn’t want to doubt her. He wanted to believe in her. He wanted to have the same relationship they’d had before.
Inside his head, she said, And we can have that again. It’s not something we’ve never not had. I could hear you in my head, but Deanna had taken over and I couldn’t get into your head. The highway had become one way only.
Highway? What the hell?
Yeah, I see the communication between us as doors and highways. It’s easy to open and close, but sometimes there’s a ton of traffic and I can’t get through to you. While Deanna was in control, the traffic was like a super highway.
A super highway? She smiled at him as if he could understand. There was no understanding this.
When he didn’t answer, she frowned and asked, “What is the mind-speak like? How is it for you?”
“I just hear your voice in my head speaking to me normally. No doors. No highway.”
She nodded. “Right. Maybe the highway was due to Hortran. Remember, I opened that door and there was all kinds of road-looking waves where I could supposedly communicate with more people using that system. When I get better at it, I think I’ll be able to communicate with other vamps.”
“I can’t imagine. It’s enough that I hear you. I can’t imagine trying to talk to a dozen people.”
She kicked her legs out one at a time. He watched as she gave each arm a shake then a body wiggle. As much as he was enjoying the view, he had to wonder…
Then she strode to the open doorway. She spun back, stared at him briefly, and said, “Where are we at in this war?”
Her complete shift in topic left him standing behind her in shock. He raced to catch up. “My father took your dad back to Council Hall to recover there.”
She froze. “Is he okay?”
Cody was grateful that Motre, who stood watch outside the door, had brought an update with him. No one else knew about the Deanna moments. He needed to keep it that way. And he needed to find a moment with Motre and let him know to keep an eye out for that witch, too.
His back pocket jingled with the silver spike he’d put away. He wasn’t going to let Deanna win this fight. She’d die before he’d let her live in Tessa’s body. Tessa was his. And he’d make that decision if she lived or died.
“You won’t have to,” Tessa called back to him, reading his mind as effortlessly as ever. “She’s not going to take over my life again.”
So she said, but he wasn’t so sure.
*
Rhia walked down the hallway, her mind cataloging off the rooms as she went. She was on the wrong floor. And she didn’t want to meet anyone on the way. She needed to be alone to do this. And she needed to do it fast. Her son could already be on his way out of the country. It was too horrible to contemplate.
“It’s all too damn much.” She reached the stairwell, took a quick glance around, and slipped through the doors. The exit she wanted was one floor down. Now to get there fast. She quickly raced down the stairs and outside. A large van was parked to one side. She studied it carefully but couldn’t see anyone in the front. It appeared to be empty. The driver had to be in the Hall. Why? Spinning, she studied the doors behind her, realizing that the driver could be returning at any time.
Still, it was wheels, and she could use a set herself. There would be vehicles she could borrow up at the main parking lot, but she didn’t want to risk being seen.
Walking closer to the van, she looked in the driver’s side. There were no keys in the ignition. She’d have to find a way to start it. Or she could sneak into the back and catch a ride out. But if it was empty inside, then she’d be seen.
She peered in through the side window. There were blankets on the floor. Hearing sounds from the exit, she crouched down beside the passenger door to stay out of sight.
“They aren’t going to be happy that we don’t have it all.”
“We do have it all. There weren’t any other boxes to collect.”
“They said ten boxes. But we only picked up eight.”
“There weren’t any others though, which means we’ve got it all.” The speaker’s frustration snapped his voice higher at the end. “Look, we’ve got two new vampire offerings. They will be happy with us. We also got the asshole Jared. So they will be doubly happy with us.”
Rhea’s breath caught in the back of her throat. They had Jared? She stopped to think. Was that a good thing? Jared had escaped before. She’d helped him rescue the other prisoners. So this wasn’t a good thing. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that some part of her thought it was a good thing. She shuddered as the conflicting information swept through her, followed by her reactions. Help him.
Don’t help him.
What the hell was she supposed to do? If she opened the van door, she could pull Jared out. And what about the others that were in there? Who were they? If they were with Jared, she’d likely know them too. So…she should help them all. Except the part of her that was fighting this information was saying having them captive was a good thing. They needed vampires for testing. They needed the DNA of a specific few. They needed new vampires for their army.
Army? At that, the information slid back down the back of her mind to let the rest of her knowledge come front and center. These assholes were part of the blood farm. She needed to help her people. But more than that, she needed to save her son.
Just when she didn’t think she’d be able to act, torn in two as she was, one of the men walked around the van and caught sight of her.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing here? You were in the blood farm last I saw you.”
And that was the opportunity she needed to do both jobs.
“I was. I’m trying to get back there. Can you give me a lift, please?”
*
Jared heard the van doors open again but he couldn’t move for the pain reverberating down his spine. These assholes were strong. Super strong. They didn’t know their own strength. The blow to his head could have killed him. He understood they considered humans expendable, but surely they needed everyone they could get right now. Unless they had rebuilt and restocked all the blood farms already. He thought that’s why he’d been kidnapped in the first place.
And they’d been after him since he’d escaped.
They’d finally caught him. He opened his eyes a slit to see a beautiful woman get in and step over him and his friends to sit on several boxes stacked up toward the front.
His heart pounded in relief. That was Rhia. Tessa’s mother. Thank God. Then he remembered all the bits and pieces he’d heard from the other vamps about her being drugged and brainwashed and how she’d gone missing. He held himself still as he tried to figure out what her presence here meant. Was she on the bad side? Had she ever left it? Had their brainwashing been so complete that she fought all her natural memories and was an enemy now? Hadn’t Wendy said something about Rhia searching for more drugs? So that made her a junkie, right? He couldn’t reconcile the beautiful women who’d helped him with the concept of her being a mindless junkie now. Surely she was made of sterner stuff.
Then he’d seen firsthand how the drugs worked and the damage they caused people who had actively fought against them. There were vamps who had willingly signed up for more, and then there were those who’d been injected as a sort of a live research test case. In each case, the drugs managed to overcome the person’s natural instincts to be themselves.
Like Rhia.
So he had to assume that she wasn’t here for a rescue. Unfortunately.
When the van started up and drove forward slightly, he knew they were out of time. It was now or never. He tried to lurch toward the double doors, but his legs weren’t cooperating. Whatever blow he’d taken, it had partially paralyzed him. He lifted an arm, but it flopped down again almost immediately.
And landed on his hip and thigh. He clenched his fingers, and they closed around something odd. He realized that the men were so sure of their power over him th
at they hadn’t searched for or removed his cell phone.
Excitement gave him strength. Now to send a message without being caught. As the van turned to go around a corner, rising up through the ranks of the underground parking lot, his body listed with the heavy movement. Good. Out of sight of the boxes. He pulled out his cell phone and managed to get it up in front of him. On the next heavy corner, he rolled over to face the side panel of the van and muted his phone.
He quickly texted everyone he knew who could help. He sent several texts in succession.
Help.
Caught by vamps.
Have Ian and Wendy too. Need help. Need to find Clarissa too.
Taken out of basement of Council Hall by van.
Heading to blood farm
Rhia’s here too.
Please. HELP
His fingers stumbled through the letters and finally collapsed as his arm gave out and he realized something else. It wasn’t a case of the injury causing a temporary paralysis and his body would slowly wake up. It was the reverse, the paralysis was slowly overtaking his body.
Soon he wouldn’t be able to move at all.
In a last-ditch effort to keep his phone a secret, he managed to tuck it inside his jeans. The effort finished him. He couldn’t move anymore, could only stare up at the ceiling of the van. But he could hear.
“How are the kids in the back of the van?” the driver asked.
Rhia’s cool voice called back, “Looks fine. The human just succumbed.”
“Good. That’s the way we like them.”
Jared closed his eyes as the weak anger that had kept him going drained out of him. His last thought as he lost consciousness was damn them all to hell.
And he was out.
*
Serus woke up in a bed covered by a sheet. Not his bed. Not his sheet. He glanced around and didn’t recognize anything. He felt better, but not perfect. And then he moved. And cried out. Shit. He collapsed back down as pain listed through his body. What the hell was that from? When he could breathe again, he lifted the sheet covering his chest and tried to take a look. The place where Tessa had removed the silver bolt had turned a horrific black and green color. But the hole was closed over. So he was healing, but damn slow.
Who knew a vampire body could sustain an injury from silver and still survive? Although from the puffiness, he was going to be another day or two getting back to where he needed to be. Maybe the damn war would hold off so he could heal this time before jumping back into the fray. He had to get back. But knowing what he knew, not likely. He shifted gently in bed to find a better position and shuddered as the waves of pain crashed over him again. So no movement at all in any direction – got it.
As he lay there waiting for the pain to subside, he could hear voices outside.
“You’re not going in there. The patient needs rest. When he wakes up, you can talk to him.”
“He’s awake now,” snapped Goran. “I’m going in there regardless of what you say, so move out of the damn way.”
The nurse gave a frustrated shriek that brought a smile to Serus’s face. Mentally, he said, Still tormenting the medical staff, Goran?
Hey, buddy! Goran stood in the doorway, a huge grin on his face. “So nice to see you awake.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking that heading off to a cave for a few years when this shit is over would be a good idea. I could use the rest.”
“Ha.” Goran smirked. “You’re just getting old. Not cut out for the fighting life anymore.”
“Bite your tongue,” Serus growled. “I’m younger than you.”
“Only by a few years,” Goran said, his face splitting with a big knowing grin. “Besides, I’m me and you’re you and we both know who is better.”
Serus shook his head at his friend. “Ass.”
Goran laughed. “I won’t make fun of you until you’re back on your feet.”
“Too late.” But Serus gave him a sideways grin. “It’s good to see you. Wasn’t sure I was going to make it this time.”
“Neither was I,” Goran admitted. “I should be back at the damn hospital even now. We’ve chased the bastards all underground again, but that’s a problem as we don’t know where.”
“Under the hospital?”
“Yeah, but everywhere we’ve searched, we’ve found no sign. Lots of places where they were, and no doubt they have hidey holes where they are coming and going without us knowing, but…no lairs.”
Serus leaned back against the pillow. He was tired…so damn tired of this shit. “If they’ve gone underground at this point, it’s going to be hard to force them back up to the surface again.”
“It is. But they haven’t had much time to go far.” Goran hesitated. “I almost hate to say anything, but if we could find Rhia, she might know more.”
“Do we know where she is?” Serus cried out. “I can’t sense her. I’ve called out to her but there’s no answer,” he added in frustration. “I’ve only recently noticed a low-level hum. I have no doubt that’s her blocking me.”
“Right.” Goran walked closer. “Any chance you can track it?” He leaned forward. “Take a page out of your daughter’s book and think outside the box. Track that noise back to her. You’re getting a signal. Let’s see if you can do something to make that helpful.”
“I don’t know,” Serus said slowly, thinking on it. “Maybe if I got closer to her I’d be able to hear it better, but I can’t say until I try.”
“Exactly,” Goran said. “So you need to try, then we’ll know.”
Serus rolled his eyes. “You’re such an optimistic idiot.”
“And you the perfect counterpart,” Goran said cheerfully. “Besides, my life has taken a couple of rough hits. If I can find something to be cheerful about, let me have it.” And with that, the lightness in his face disappeared behind a cloud of darkness. “I also heard from Motre. Bart is dead. His daughter is dead and worse,” he took a deep breath and said, “Deanna took control of Tessa and killed Bart on her own.”
Serus froze. He narrowed his gaze at his old friend and said in a low, barely leashed voice, “What did you just say?”
Goran flinched. “Now we’re not sure if the situation is still the same or not as the verdict appears to be out on that at the moment, but…” He launched into the explanation of all Serus had missed after being injured. “According to Motre, Tessa is back in control and she feels quite confident that Deanna is locked into place again.”
Serus slowly shook his head like a grizzly bear having tasted something that didn’t appeal. Too bad he couldn’t back up too because he’d love to have a running charge for when he went after Deanna.
“The thing to keep in mind is that Deanna isn’t getting a free pass at this, and the stronger Tessa gets, the easier it will be for her to control the bitch,” Goran reminded him.
“We have to remove her from Tessa’s energy. There’s no way that bitch should be able to do what she did.”
“I know. Cody is pretty shaken up over it all. He says he believes that Tessa is back in control but is afraid he won’t be able to tell when she isn’t.”
*
Jewel opened the second door to a bright overhead light and tons of smaller lights along the side walls. Outside of the counters full of bottles and test tubes filling every surface, she couldn’t see anyone inside. But what the hell was all this stuff doing here? She had to let people know what she’d found. She pulled out her phone, snapped a couple of photos, and sent them to Ian and David and Cody. Who know where anyone was? As an afterthought, she sent the images to Sian and Serus as well. She didn’t want to disturb Rhia, but this was important. At least she thought it was. She took another dozen photos then retreated, making sure to leave the room exactly as she’d seen it. Rushing out, she quickly went through the outside door and ran down the hallway. She didn’t know what that nightmare of chemicals was all about but couldn’t imagine it being anything other than something she wanted no part of. Even though she was in
the Council Hall and should be safe. This level of the Hall appeared to be more empty than alive. Reaching the staircase at the far wall, she heard the ding of the elevator.
An elevator she hadn’t realized existed. She dodged into the stairwell, ready to dart up the stairs. The last thing she wanted to do was run into anyone down here. But…her footsteps slowed…she did want to know who was here and what they might be doing.
Hiding behind the door, she waited until the elevator opened. Footsteps, a single person, male from the weighted hard clip, but she didn’t recognize the stride. She peered carefully around the corner and saw a tall male striding away from her. Dressed in black.
Of course he was dressed in black. Every damn vampire wore black. She’d have to see his face, but she couldn’t from here. He stopped suddenly and started to turn. With a shocked gasp, Jewel pulled back out of sight. Had he seen her? Please not.
She didn’t dare risk a second glance. She’d caught a glimpse of his face and profile, but it had been fleeting. Still, she frowned. Could it be? He looked very familiar. As in very familiar.
What door had he gone in? She slid forward slightly and peered around the corner. There was no sign of him.
Could she figure out which door? It had to be one of two based on the distance. And one of those had been the door she’d been through.
Somehow she knew he’d gone into the room with the chemicals. Of course there was no reason to go into any other room. Everything else down here was empty. Right?
She frowned as she looked at all the doors. She hadn’t opened more than the one, so that was a huge assumption to think all were empty. She looked at the door closest to her. Should she check it out? Making a fast decision, she turned the knob and pushed, but it was locked. She quickly went to the next one. Locked as well. She switched to the other side of the hallway and tried to open that door. Also locked. She raced back to the stairway. As she bolted to the doorway, she heard a voice call out, “Hey, who are you, and what are you doing there?”
Chapter 3
Tessa strode past Motre, her gaze catching the confused, wary look on his face, and ignored it. If people knew about Deanna’s game play, then of course they wouldn’t trust her. She’d just have to deal with it and prove to them that she was herself again. It might take time, but she had that again. Thankfully.
