Vampire in Conflict

by Dale Mayer

  "Anyone in the Council could have given her something. Anyone at the Human Council could have. Think about Councilman Adamson – he'd been taking Gloria's poison even though she’s no longer alive."

  "True. And Mom had returned to the hospital to see the doctor again. She's also been there with Seth. If she's been dosed again, then likely Seth has been, too. According to her, he's been shipped to Europe. I got the impression he was in a coma or something." Tessa sat up, her face troubled. "How can we find out where he is? If he's not here where we can keep an eye on him, it's going to be so much harder to get him free of the drugs."

  He couldn’t argue with that. "The only way is to contact the hospital and see if anyone there knows."

  "And that we can't do because the hospital appears to be under a rogue vampire's control."

  "Maybe some of the vampires we brought in for questioning will know." Cody's phone jangled. He shifted slightly so he could pull it out. He swore softly. "It's from David. I wondered where he'd disappeared to."

  "He's missing?" she asked, shifting back slightly so she could look up into his face. "Where is he?"

  He tilted the cell phone so she could look.

  "Oh no!" After reading the short message, she cried out, "He's sneaking into the hospital."

  ***

  David pulled into the underground parking lot and parked. He turned off the lights and sunk low in his seat. He wanted a moment to get the lay of the land. Something was wrong in this place, and he didn't need his nerves to tell him that. This place felt wrong. Like a menacing energy lived down here. It was palpable. He shuddered and wished that he'd at least let someone know the details of his plan. Maybe he still should. He was still going inside after Jewel. He'd find her, but he couldn’t go in as a crazy man. He'd learned enough last week to realize that he didn't have to do something stupid. Hopefully he'd find allies in the hospital. He knew many vamps had been brought here after being rescued.

  What he didn't know was how many might have been drugged again while they were here. He'd come back with help once he understood what they were up against. He didn't think he'd ever been here before and didn't know his way around. That put him at a definite disadvantage.

  He stepped out of the car and closed his door quietly.

  Feeling exposed, he crouched behind the vehicle and turned slowly to check out his surroundings. Seeing nothing wrong, he slipped between the vehicles and flattened himself against the closest wall. He hated that his nerves had woken in a big way. Even his stupid hands felt clammy, cold.

  Why had he decided to do this alone?

  Right now, it looked like a supremely bad idea.

  He'd sent a text to Cody, but it hadn't been explicit. Now he realized he needed to send another one. He opened his cell phone and took a moment to tell Cody to get his ass over here.

  He needed backup.

  ***

  Serus didn't know what to do. Rhia wasn't the Rhia he knew. Had she been given more drugs? And how could he possibly tell? Was her behavior really a reaction to almost losing everyone? He carried her into a single small room he often used at the Council hall when he needed space from everyone. He was a loner. He hated crowds and wanted nothing better than to spend time with his family.

  He went to pull out his phone and realized he didn't have it on him. He grabbed Rhia's and called Sian. After arranging for her to come and sit with Rhia, he called Taz and explained what happened.

  "It could be the drugs she'd been given initially. Some drugs take longer to take effect," Taz said. "If she'd received a booster, it would be even more likely that it’s the same drugs. I can't say for sure. At this point, I'm not sure I know a vamp doctor to recommend. You guys never needed one, so it's not like you have many to call on."

  Serus winced. He understood but damn it, his wife needed help.

  Taz said slowly, as if he'd been thinking long and slow, "You know, it could also be the brainwashing. If they'd given her some triggers, they could easily put her back under their influence. That way they would be able to get her to do whatever they needed her to do. Including moving Seth and potentially many other vamps out of the country."

  Brainwashing.

  Serus stared down at Rhia, remembering what Cody and David had said about her behavior before. How she'd appeared completely normal except for the things she had said and the things she appeared to be completely happy to do – like administer drugs to her son. "Is that what's happened to you, Rhia?" he whispered, hating to think she'd been triggered, as Taz had called it. But it actually might be better than the thought of her receiving more drugs. The drugs were insidious. Then again, so was the brainwashing. Who knew what they had already done or continued to program her to do?

  The door opened behind him and Sian rushed in. "I can't believe she chained Tessa to the bed."

  "And tried to inject her with something." Serus fished the needle out of his pocket. He wanted it analyzed, but he had to find someone he could trust to do it.

  "I can analyze it." She took it from him. "Actually, if you can wait here, I'll get this started then come back and watch over her." She headed back out the door.

  "Wait, have you heard anything about Goran? Is he going to be okay?"

  She shook her head. "No one seems to know. He's unconscious and not showing any signs of waking up."

  She walked out, leaving Serus alone.

  Worse than that, he realized for the first time, he was seriously alone – possibly forever. Goran wasn't there, and his beloved Rhia wasn't there in his mind where she'd been for centuries.

  He felt bereft.

  And lost.

  ***

  Jared couldn’t help that his pace slowed the closer he got to his aunt's house. He didn't want to see her. And he wanted to see her dead body even less. After realizing his uncle had been murdered, the reality was that he didn't want revenge any more. He hadn't heard if there had been any survivors like his father from the blood farm, but he knew inside that his dad had died a long time ago. That was brutal. It was sad, but it was also a fact.

  He couldn't do anything about it. It broke him apart to think of his dad hanging there all these years, but at the same time, there was a sigh of relief after the mountain collapsed. His father was now buried. Not the way Jared would like to see him. Not the way Jared would have wanted to have it, but it was the way it was, and it brought him closure. Just a tiny bit. His uncle's death brought another tiny piece. And now maybe he'd see his aunt and realize that this was really over. If she was alive, he wanted her to pay, but he couldn’t honestly say he'd be happy if she was dead.

  He'd seen enough death to last him a long time.

  The house was around the corner and a block away. He walked steadily, wishing he could have driven. The town was small, but that was both good and bad. It wasn't big enough to support any type of public transport, so that meant he had to walk everywhere. It was also why everyone owned a vehicle – who wanted to walk?

  There were neighbors out beside his aunt's place. One was mowing his lawn. Two women were talking over their fences, enjoying a break in their day. He didn't know if he should just walk up and knock on the front door. It would make sense, but at the same time, he didn't know what to say to her if she did answer.

  He decided to be bold. After all, the neighbors were watching him. He needed to make it look like he belonged here. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been here, but he was pretty sure he'd been forced to do her chores every damn time. She'd had someone living here at the time, but that person had either left or wasn't around at the moment. He frowned, trying to dredge up the man's face. And damn if something at the back of his mind kicked in. He could see the guy's face superimposed with plastic. He stopped and bowed his head. Damn. Had his aunt sold her live-in lover to the blood farm? What had she done after that? Gotten another one for as long as it worked out then sold him, too?

  That old anger burned his belly. What a bitch. Had his uncle known?

 
; Had she split the money with him? Although why she would do that, he didn't know. Except that they'd both known each other's secrets. They had to keep their twisted bond strong. He lifted his head to knock on the door, but it opened as soon as his hand hit the wood. The smell that slid out the crack in the door had him backing up and coughing like mad.

  "Oh dear. Are you all right?" one of the neighboring ladies called out.

  He shook his head and pointed to the open door. He didn't want to see, but the aroma was unmistakable. While he coughed again, the women came running. They bounded up the stairs and into the house.

  Then the screams started.

  Chapter 19

  Tessa raced out of the room, all thoughts of a time out forgotten once she realized what was going on with David.

  "We have to tell Dad."

  "And I need to check on my father." Cody frowned. "I really hate to think of us going into something like this without backup."

  "Like David did?" Tessa hated that her brother had taken such a chance. She needed him after almost losing Seth. Seth might live, but he might never recover and even if he did, he might not be the same as he was before. She hadn't determined if that was a good thing or not.

  Sian was walking past when they reached one of the main chambers. She had a needle in her hand. Tessa's breath caught in the back of her throat. She stared at the needle like it was a serpent going to strike her.

  Sian smiled gently. "Yes. It's the one your mother was holding. I'm testing the contents for your father."

  The breath gusted out. "Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. Where is Dad?"

  She pointed down the hallway. "He's inside the last door on the left, watching over your mother."

  Tessa winced.

  Sian laid a gentle hand on her arm. "Don't hold this against her. She's either been drugged again or some of the brainwashing has been triggered. Either way, she's not herself. She's not the woman you knew. But that woman will return. You know that, right?"

  Tessa nodded immediately. Not because she agreed – she didn't know what she believed – but because Sian was looking for reassurance.

  "We'll go and talk to Dad now."

  "Good idea. When I'm done testing, I'm going to watch over Rhia so he can go to Goran."

  "How is my father?" Cody asked, his voice husky.

  "I won't lie, Cody, we've never seen anything like this. If he were exhausted, then maybe he'd take this long to heal. If he were injured with silver or something that was holding him back from healing, then maybe that would make sense. But in normal circumstances, he'd have woken up already."

  Tessa studied Sian, her words finally clicking in her head. "Hang on. You're saying he's not healing – as if something is stopping him?"

  Sian shrugged. "In theory. I can't explain it clearly."

  "No problem," Tessa said. "We'll go see Mom and Dad for a few moments then stop by Goran's bed to say hi."

  "Good idea," Sian said. "I'll be back in a few moments."

  Tessa led the way to her father. She opened the door, saw her mother in bed, and walked in. She didn't know what to think at this point. She wasn't angry anymore, just shocked and scared. What was it going to take to get her mother back? She realized that if her mother had received another dose of drugs or if she'd been triggered with that dumb mind control stuff, it had likely happened at the hospital.

  As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she realized everything was going back to the damn hospital. And that was the final bit that helped wash her mother's actions away into its proper place. She walked forward and sat down at her mother's side. Her father stepped back slightly, giving her room. Tessa reached down and stroked her cheek.

  "Poor Mom."

  "Exactly."

  She sighed. "I don't hold it against her, Dad. I just wish this hadn't happened. There are so many things wrong now."

  Cody stood beside her father and showed him David's text.

  Serus roared.

  Tessa shrieked and clapped her hands over her head.

  Rhia moaned.

  "Now look at what you've done, Dad."

  Serus rushed over and gently stroked Rhia's head until she went back under. Then he turned to Tessa. "Did you know what your brother was up to?"

  "No. I would have gone with him in that case," she retorted. "We need to help him now. I had hoped you'd sent a team up there while I was out cold. I only woke up a short while ago, remember?" she said bitterly. "Instead, look what I woke up to."

  "We haven't had a chance to organize a group to deal with the hospital." Serus said with a groan. "That’s probably why David took off on his own."

  "Of course. Jewel and Ian are both in danger." She frowned. "Where's Wendy?"

  "She's sleeping somewhere. She smashed her head pretty bad in the accident. She has not fully recovered either."

  Tessa grew grim. "Not a good showing. One car accident and most of us are out of the running. The accident has to be connected. They slipped in behind our guard when we weren't expecting to see them. With that step, they've already gained the high ground."

  "But we're not down and we're not out."

  "Do we have a way to contact Motre or his men?" She looked at her father. "I'd like to have them with us. They are good men."

  Serus opened the phone and realized he still was using Rhia's. He checked the contact list but she didn't have Motre on there. He stood up and slapped his other pockets and swore. "I've lost my phone. I've been using your mother's."

  "Did you have it when you found Mom?"

  He stared at her. "Yes, I think so."

  Sian returned just then. "I'll watch her now. You go and do what you need to do. We won't get the results for a while."

  Serus nodded. He led the way. "First thing is to find my phone."

  They retraced their steps to where Tessa had been. It wasn't far – just down the hallway and past a few rooms. She entered and winced.

  The damn bed was still in the far corner, and her mother's blood still dotted the floor.

  Kicked to the side in all the excitement was her father's cell phone.

  She handed it over to him.

  He turned it on and checked it. And crowed. "Motre texted me. He freed Ian and they are on the way to releasing more prisoners."

  "Good." Cody said. "Tell him that David is coming up from the underground parking lot and that we're on our way."

  The three looked at each other, then turned as one and headed to the main area.

  "What about Goran? Maybe we should stop by there first," Tessa said.

  Serus shook his head. "No. He's unconscious and will heal at his own rate. He should be improved by the time we get back."

  Tessa hesitated, torn. "I might be able to help him."

  Serus already heading out the door stopped, turned. "Do you think so?"

  She shrugged. "I don't know."

  Serus stared at her then said, "He was in an accident not drugged or implanted with anything weird." He started back out to the hallway. "We'll go help David and if Goran isn't improving when we get back, then you can take a look. Agreed?"

  "Agreed." She smiled, loving the change in her father's attitude toward her. "Let's go."

  ***

  David watched as one man left the hospital underground parking lot, driving away in a Council van. He barely had time to note the license plate and time of departure. Maybe they could track the driver and figure out whose side he was on. Thinking about that, he sent another text, this time to Sian. Maybe she could track it down and get the name of the driver. He hoped his sister, father, and best friend were on their way here. He also hoped they had pulled together a damn army.

  Not that the last part was likely.

  Another vehicle arrived. He watched from the shadows. The man, who David didn't recognize, walked straight to the double doors and entered. No alarm lights shone. No beeps or buzzers. And no key or card required.

  Good to know.

  After he gave the man a good ten-minute
head start, David strode over and opened the door. It opened easily. He took a deep breath and walked inside.

  He hoped this wasn’t the stupidest thing he'd ever done.

  His phone buzzed. He slipped off to one side and checked the incoming text. And grinned. Motre and Ian were free and knew he was coming. Now if only he had some way to know where they were.

  He texted back asking for details and said he'd gained entrance from the underground lot. He explained the plan to go straight to the top and come down checking every floor one at a time.

  Then he put his phone away and started to run up the stairs. There was something close to ten floors here. He stopped halfway up the first flight and looked over the railing. The stairs went down. Like way down. He stopped to think about that. He'd come in one level down from the ground level, through the underground parking lot. But the stairs showed that the hospital went a lot further down than he expected. From where he was standing, he could see a dozen flights or so burrowing down into the bowels of the hill. He hated what his mind was thinking.

  But he couldn't stop his feet from retracing their steps and starting down the other set of stairs. He really didn't want to see what was going on down this deep, but he knew if they were going to hide anything or anyone, it would likely be there.

  Damn.

  He really hated this part.

  But if Jewel was stashed somewhere here, he was damned if he'd leave without her.

  ***

  Ian followed Motre as they worked their way from room to room. They found many vamps, but most were in bad shape. And they didn't recognize anyone.

  That in itself was odd. "How did you know which room I was in?" he asked.

  Motre tapped his ear.

  Ian wasn’t sure if that meant they needed to be quiet so they could hear anyone coming or if he meant he'd heard someone say something about where Ian was being moved to.

  Motre held out his hand to stop Ian.