5 Darkness Falls

by Christin Lovell

  “Tu habla español?” I knew my brows were close to my hairline.

  “I have all sorts of hidden talents.” He winked.

  “Watch out Sanders.” I chuckled, dropping down beside him. No sooner had my rear hit the cushion than I was back up checking my cell phone on the island. I frowned as I gazed at it. “Nothing yet,” I sighed. “How long typically until they make contact?”

  “Depends on the mission, the location. Usually we’d announce that we’d arrived at the property and relay any signs of life. If they ran into trouble the moment they got there, they wouldn’t have time to though.”

  My gut tightened. I swallowed hard, pushing down the serum as I reclaimed my spot next to him, phone in hand. “I hope that’s not the case.”

  “Worrying won’t change anything. You should know that by now.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”

  He cut his eyes at me, but they quickly softened. “I guess I am old enough to be.”

  “Think there’ll be children in your future, Drex?”

  He got a far off look. I knew that look. It was a one of longing…and of hope. “I’d like that.”

  Chapter 10

  One month later…

  I rubbed my cheek as I studied the men and women around my conference table. This was the team my managers had sent in. Drexel sat beside me, helping me lead the meeting.

  “How do you keep missing them? How do they keep slipping away from you? Do you realize it’s been a month since Rashik was taken? Do you know what his family is going through right now?” I couldn’t keep the anger from my tone. Every time I thought about it my blood pressure escalated, and a faint blue tint touched my skin.

  Drexel put a firm hand on my forearm, calming me. “She wants you to relay what’s happening in the field. Something is off. You’ve stated that you’ve seen them but can’t describe them. You’ve stated that you’ve been on their tails, yet you haven’t come close enough to fire. Fill us in.”

  “They’re quick. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had spies throughout the entire city. You’re right when you said something was off, but the accusation is unnecessary. We’re doing our jobs. We’re doing the best we can out in that fucking mine field.” Jarrod’s entire body tensed, his hands fisting on the table. The frustration he was displaying told me this was eating away at him.

  The fight left me. “Does it bother you to not have caught them?”

  “Damn straight,” Jarrod clipped. The other nine murmured something along the same lines.

  “Alright. Let’s take a step back. Let’s re-strategize. You feel that Cape Town is rigged with spies. We’ve been playing on their turf for over a month with nothing to show for it. So the new question is - how can we lure them away from the city, with Rashik? What would it take to move their entire team?”

  Janet smiled wide, her brown eyes glinting with mischief and joy. “I like the way you think, boss.” She was tall, athletic and lithe. She was our silent approach: no one ever heard her. She was an awesome stealth attacker, even in zones where her white skin didn’t blend in well.

  “Hell yeah.” Bobby slapped the table. He was the anxious newbie. He’d been with the squad for a few months before being deployed for this mission.

  “I need ideas, guys,” I said.

  Jarrod was the leader of the team. He’d headed the mission, and therefore shouldered most of the responsibility. He had the most experience. “The only way to convince them to move is if they felt endangered.”

  “Alright, so how do we propose to do that?”

  He puckered his full lips. His tan skin hinted at his American Indian heritage. His dark eyes gazed off; I could tell his mind was working. “With or without extra manpower?”

  “I’d like to avoid an all out war. We’re doing battle, but to send in more troops would imply we’re looking for something more.”

  He nodded his head in understanding. “Then we’ll need to make them feel threatened from afar.”

  “Hm. We could work within her own network if we discovered who her allies were around the city. Possibly if we turned one of the local gangs against her that would be enough heat to encourage them to think about moving,” I mused.

  “But it wouldn’t be enough to get them moving.” He glanced around the table at the eager faces.

  “What about a nuclear threat?” Anthony asked. He was the extremist of the group.

  “We’d be launching an attack on the entire area then,” Germia said. She stroked a hand over her rich, coffee-color forearm.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Drex growled. He glared at me, emphasizing his words.

  “She wants me. That’s what all this is about. You and I both know it. She wants to flush me out, away from my protectors.”

  “That’s out of the question!” His tone rang with finality. There would be no arguing with him. The conviction in his voice hinted that he’d do whatever he had to.

  “We can use satellites.” Jarrod folded his hands together on the table in front of him.

  “How so?”

  “They have to communicate somehow. My guess would be radio or cell. Those both run off satellites. If we had tech intercept their signals, blinding them, then they’d have to move, because they’d have no assurance that anyone was closing in on them.”

  “I like it. What’s our contingency though?”

  “They might be operating off computers.”

  “So we’ll need a backup man who can hack comps?” I checked.

  Jarrod nodded.

  “Are we even sure they’re using technology? The people in that town don’t communicate with words. It’s either a flash of their weapons or some sort of look,” Germia interjected.

  “We’re not sure,” I conceded. “We’re taking a chance.” I met their gazes one by one. “I’ve searched for Cecilia, but she’s hidden away somewhere. My guess is she’s not even in the same country. My gut tells me she’s stowed away somewhere relaying orders to Kalia, via some sort of phone, radio or computer.

  “Obviously South Africa is one of their territories. They have vamps throughout the city that have kept you all on the go, but that’s all it does. It keeps you running…keeps you guessing. That’s their job: to fuck with your mind; to make you think you’re close and then disappear again,

  “A lot of time and resources have been wasted playing their game. It’s time we take over. I don’t know about you, but just because I’m a vampeen doesn’t mean I’m inferior to them. It doesn’t mean they deserve or should have the upper hand. Perhaps we can’t dominate the game, but we can at least even the playing field this way.”

  My heart sped up, beating harder as I thought about deploying them back to the danger zone. I knew it would be for me more than for them, to prove Drexel’s words right rather than my own guilt. “If any of you want out, you’ll still have your position. I just need you to tell me now so I can replace you on this mission.” I waited, gazing around the table at the two women and seven men risking their lives to save another.

  This past month had been hell. My phone was attached to my hip. I hadn’t been able to enjoy anything; the fear overran me. I was constantly worrying that I’d receive the call; the call that revealed one of the vampeens I’d sent to war had died. I truly didn’t understand how world leaders did this. Perhaps it showed that I had a bit more humanity than them. My people weren’t just a number; they were brothers and sisters, husbands and wives. They were vampeens, but their loss would still have an impact, even if it was just on me.

  “We’re all in, Jackson,” Rodney, the second in command, said.

  “Alright. I’ll book the plane. You’ll deploy as close to 7 a.m. as I’m able to arrange. Until then, I suggest you rest up. Jarrod and Rodney, you guys hang back. I want you to meet your contacts on this end. They’ll be the ones relaying satellite feeds before they’re intercepted, this way you can move in and hopefully catch them. We can possibly do a preliminary scan tonight if you want.”r />
  “Sounds good.” Jarrod nodded.

  “Works for me,” Rodney agreed.

  “Thanks, everyone.”

  I watched as they stood, high-fiving each other and bantering wildly. Their attitudes screamed excitement. I guess Drexel was right. They really did live for this stuff.

  “You ready for this, newbie?” Anthony clapped Bobby’s shoulder as they all piled out of the conference room.

  “Hell yeah.” Bobby’s reply was a faint echo in the distance, but it was my final confirmation.

  I looked up at the men across from me. “Do you have any concerns before we continue?”

  “One.” Jarrod’s shoulders visibly tensed. “Cecilia is old school. There’s a chance that she might avoid technology for this very reason. If you think about it, the only way she contacted you was through a letter.”

  “Wouldn’t that mean she was closer to her contacts than we thought though? What leader would go weeks between feedback?”

  “We can’t fathom it because we’re clouded with technology, but she’s rejected it around every turn from what I gather. She’s embraced military weapons, but nothing high-tech.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that. I took a deep breath. “I’m bringing in another contact on this. His name is Jack. He’s dealt with Cecilia before.” My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten today. “Why don’t you go down the hall and speak with the vamp army’s tech team? We’ll be using their instruments this time around, and it’ll be one of their teams backing you up again out in the field. The Bladangs have offered both of you access to their weapons room with an escort. Once we’re done here, you can head to their compound. Grab whatever you think you’ll need. You’ll be flying out private.”

  “You fucking spoil us with resources.” Rodney grinned.

  “Because I want you all alive.” I met his gaze.

  His grin turned wistful; his eyes filled with respect. “You have our word.”

  “Good. Now go. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  The men moved quickly, heading for the tech room down the hall from the central offices of the vamp army headquarters.

  I exhaled, slumping back in the chair the moment they were gone. “This stuff is brutal. I don’t get how people can do this all their lives.”

  “You grow immune to it. It’s still fresh for you. You haven’t emotionally removed yourself yet.” He patted my back. “You also haven’t eaten. You finished your bakery orders and then rushed over here. You can’t do that in your condition.”

  I frowned at him. “Why does everyone talk about my pregnancy like it’s a freaking disease?”

  He remained silent as he met my heated gaze. When I didn’t budge, he stood, shoving his chair against the table and walked out.

  “Ugh. Men!”

  I got up and closed the door. Grabbing my phone, I dialed Jack. Since I’d let him take the software, he’d proven every bit the changed man he said he was. He’d partnered with the Bladangs on their technological innovations. He’d come over several times and checked up on me, offering to help with the vampeen army if I needed him. Now, I planned to take him up on that offer.

  ***

  Kellan

  I stared at the shadowy figure on the screen. “Are you sure?”

  “Have I steered you wrong yet?” he quipped.

  I took a deep breath, sitting back in the chair. My laptop sat on the dining room table, the silhouette on the webcam screen nagging at my conscience. I’d learned the hard way that not everyone was trustworthy. “So, you’re telling me that she doesn’t communicate with her high ranked personnel at all while they’re in the field?”

  “Not a lick. She only sends those she trusts.”

  I stiffened. This woman ran in circles, tight circles. She was careful, almost too careful. They said when you held the reigns too tight, inevitably, they would slip a little. Eventually, she would make a mistake; at some point, she had to give away something. I was certain of it. But biding time when she was following us left me uncomfortable. I didn’t like this, especially with Lexi being pregnant.

  “I assume she has safe houses around the world for them to operate out of. Can you get addresses?”

  “It’ll cost ya.”

  “Considering I can’t verify them in person, you should be careful how much you ask for.”

  “You ought to be careful who you threaten period. I don’t have to do this.”

  “Then why are you?” I snarled.

  He was silent for a moment. His image didn’t move. “It’s personal.” His voice was low, tightly controlled.

  I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging at the roots. It was getting entirely too long, hanging down over my ears. “Just get me as many addresses as you can. We’ll negotiate price later.”

  He immediately signed off without saying a word. That was his standard though. I didn’t know who he was. I still recorded every conversation though.

  “I don’t recognize him,” my dad stated, coming around the table.

  “I feel like I’m chasing a fucking ghost.” I frowned, closing my computer.

  “We live to be invisible. It’s how we’ve survived this long in secrecy.”

  “Cecilia obviously doesn’t want to be hidden away. She’s made it clear she knows exactly where Lexi and I are, but she hasn’t done anything. She took one of Lexi’s lieutenants, but then she dropped off. Lexi deployed a team, but they haven’t gotten anywhere.” I sighed, exasperated. “It just doesn’t make any sense. What the hell does she want?”

  He squeezed my shoulder. “Sounds like she’s testing you. She wants to see how you react, how you handle it all. The only part I worry about is that by not acting now, it means she’s gauging your response; so she knows how you’ll react later when she does something on a grander scale.” I heard the fear in his voice. He was never scared; at least he never let on to it.

  I couldn’t talk about this anymore. “How’s mom?”

  He laughed lightly. “She’s renovating the house.”

  “What for?”

  “To baby proof it she said.” He sat down in the chair beside me. “She relocated the office upstairs so the baby would be in the room next to us. She’s waiting to find out if it’s a boy or girl to paint, but she has color schemes selected for both. I unknowingly answered the door for the furniture delivery the other day. She about steamrolled me.” He smiled, his eyes warming. “You would think she was having another baby.”

  My heart melted; I could only imagine my mother in nesting mode. As untimely as it was, this baby seemed to be the one, bright spot in all our lives right now, and it wasn’t even here yet.

  “How is Lexi? I saw her in the office the other day, but she was in a meeting with her team.”

  “I think she’s doing too much, but you can’t tell her that. She never thinks she’s doing enough.”

  He laughed. “That’s women in general, son.”

  I sobered, fear settling inside my chest. “What happened with mom while she was pregnant?”

  He averted his gaze, furrowing his brows. I could tell he was sifting through memories. I also knew him well enough to know he was deciding what to tell me and what not to tell me, and more so, how to deliver it.

  “Please be straight with me. Dr. H said Lexi could do anything she felt up to doing. The problem is she doesn’t gauge herself well. She’s collapsing into bed every chance she gets.” I couldn’t hide my concern. My dad was the only one who would understand, who could understand, what I was going through.

  “Your mother did that towards the end of her pregnancy.” He studied me, his lips mashing together as he tried to read me.

  “I don’t get why it’s worse for vampeens with vampires than for humans with vamps.” I’d never understood the science behind us. Some of it was logical, while other parts were completely illogical: more mystical and mythical.

  “Because she will be giving birth to a vampire. Sure you lived humanly until sixteen when you tra
nsformed, but you were very much a vampire the entire time. You were always stronger, especially in the womb. You used to kick hard; you even bruised your mother a time or two. You healed immediately though growing up. You gained some weight, but it didn’t slow you down.”

  I thought back over the years, trying to recall. I never played sports, so I couldn’t say for sure if I was physically stronger. PE consisted of obstacle courses, flag football and track. We didn’t play contact sports, but whatever we played, I excelled at every time.

  “Your DNA showed the vampire gene from the beginning whereas with humans and vamps, their child is born human. The vampiric DNA doesn’t show up until they’re two, and even then, it’s merely a few cells. Those few cells multiply over the years. Yours showed from the beginning and continued to grow,” he explained.

  I suddenly knew how Lexi felt, always overanalyzing everything. It was exhausting. “Ours will technically be a vampeen because I’m seventy-five percent and she’s twenty-five or less.”

  “It won’t. Vampeens and vampires procreating are far different than vampeens making vampeens. There’s an above average level of vampiric DNA in the female carrier, more than she’s used to, which is why it’s harder on her.”

  “Oh yeah. Vampires can’t get pregnant. Why is that?” I shook my head in dismay. Our boys still produce, but their bodies stop ovulating.

  “Because they’ve lost their human cells. Vampire cells are set in stone; human cells are pliable, malleable cells. It’s why stem cell research is so prominent in the human world. Humans have the ability to manipulate their DNA, their entire bodies really; we don’t. It’s also why only vampeens or humans can carry a child. Their human cells allow their wombs to stretch without immediately crushing the baby to return to a normal size in the healing process; the human part of them that can still be manipulated is what allows their bodies to be shared and shaken up for a hormonal nine months.”

  I rubbed my forehead, scrunching my features. “So it’s the overload of my vampire DNA that overwhelms her body? Why doesn’t this happen with humans and vampires?”