by Roxy Wilson
She straightened her shoulders. “I’ll come.”
He tried hard to camouflage the look of relief that crossed his face but Aric knew that she saw it. “Thank you.”
“This could be the worst mistake that I’ve ever made, but by all accounts, I should’ve been dead in the alley. And if not, I should’ve died in the fire. You saved me, and I guess…I should trust you.” She sighed. “Did anyone die in my building?”
“From what I saw, the fire was only in your apartment. It may have spread elsewhere but by the time, the fire truck was a few minutes away, so they may have managed to save the rest of the building.” He opened the door. “Let’s go. We can talk in the car. If you want, we can check the news to see what happened.”
“I should call my mother and tell her that I’m okay. If she hears the news…” She halted. “Damn it. I didn’t pick up my phone when I left the room.”
“Do you remember her number?”
He offered her his phone. “Oh, yes.” She picked up the phone from his hand and as her fingers brushed against his, a strange current drove through his nerves. She obviously felt it too because the phone nearly slipped from her hand. Lacey didn’t quite meet his gaze as she dialed the number. Her mother didn’t pick up. “No surprise there. She isn’t an early riser.” Lacey left a message, explaining that there was a fire in her apartment, that she’d lost her phone, and she was with a friend. “If you want to get in touch…” she faltered. The elevator pinged open. He gave her his number and she left it on her mother’s machine and then ended the call. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“She’s going to worry.”
“That’s what mothers do. What about your father?”
“I haven’t seen him for the past twenty years. He walked out when I was three years old.”
He didn’t say anything as they strolled to his car. Aric was alert. Sure, he’d brought her to his building but he did expect some trouble. Whoever was after her might have followed him. He doubted it, but right now, after all that happened, he didn’t want to take any chances. As far as Lacey was concerned, he simply couldn’t afford to relax. No matter what happened, he intended to keep her safe.
Chapter Five
Aric knew he was wrong. If another member of his team had done something like this, he would’ve thrown a fit worthy of a vampire. He expected pretty much the same reaction from his team members, but he really didn’t have a choice. At the rate Lacey was going, if he didn’t keep her with him, she would get killed within a few hours. He’d invested a lot in her over the years, and there was no way he was letting her wipe out all the years of work in one day.
No. He would keep her alive, and he was going to discover who wanted her dead. Why would anyone want her to die? What had she done to merit so much attention from a killer? But those questions would have to wait. First, he had to deal with his team and the situation that they were embroiled in. He opened the door of the warehouse and gestured for her to step aside.
“You live here?” Lacey asked as she surveyed the place.
“No, I work here with some friends on…a project we’re doing.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “A project?” She took one look at his face, and sighed. “Fine… Fine… I get it. Ask no questions, hear no lies.”
He could tell she was frustrated by the lack of information. It wasn’t fair to her; he asked her to trust him but he wasn’t willing to offer much in exchange. That was just the way it worked. There was more at stake here than she realized. “You catch on fast,” he said in a dry voice.
Her gaze took in the high ceilings, the bright lights, the couches that lined two walls, the desks that were filled with laptops, and other gadgets as well as the living area where they maintained a kitchenette, more couches, and a TV. “Wow! You’re not a…a spy or secret agent, right?”
“No, I’m not.”
“A drug dealer?”
He shook his head. “No.” His gaze was fixed on Seth who was staring at her as if she was some kind of sweet delight. It was obvious that the vampire hadn’t moved in from the same position in a long while. His eyes glowed brightly, a sure sign that he was thirsty. “Seth, this is Lacey. She’s going to stay here for a while.” Aric shot him a warning look.
“Hi,” she said in a bright voice, obviously a little overwhelmed by his sheer beauty.
Much to Aric’s relief, and Lacey’s bewilderment, Seth stood and moved away from them. Deliberately, he strolled into the kitchenette that was adjacent to living room and went straight to the fridge. Aric put a hand on her shoulder. “Give him some time.”
She turned towards Aric. “What’s wrong with him?”
Aric could see that Seth was already drinking. He kept her attention away from his friend and smiled. “He has been working too hard. He’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
The door opened behind them and in came Mira. Nyle, Gretchen, and Arman followed closely behind. “What’s the rush?” said Gretchen in her lilting, high voice.
Seeing Lacey, they all halted. From where Aric was standing, he could see that all of them were as still as statues. “Lacey is a…friend. She’s going to stay here for a while until…the situation she’s involved in clears up.”
No one said anything and then Nyle strode forward, crossed them, and went straight for the kitchenette. The rest came forward to shake her hand. Feeling a little relieved that at least he wasn’t about to be engaged into an argument in front of her, Aric went to join Seth and Nyle in the kitchenette. “What the hell was that?” said Seth. He looked a little better now. “I got the shock of my life. This is one place where we don’t expect humans, you know. Outside, even if I’m thirsty, I’m prepared.”
Feeling guilty, Aric ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry. It…I didn’t have a choice but to bring her along.”
“Who’s she? Your latest play thing?” said Nyle after he’d drunk deeply from one packet of blood. “She’s pretty.”
“Keep your hands off her.” Knowing that Nyle had a penchant for human women, Aric glared at him. “Lacey isn’t like that.”
Nyle grinned. “Like what?”
“She’s…she’s different.”
“Different in what way?” Mira asked as she joined them. Aric glanced at Lacey but she was busy talking to Arman. “You’ve got to explain, Aric. We’re in the middle of a serious investigation here. What the hell is that girl doing here?”
He didn’t want to tell them anything. His relationship or whatever this thing is between Lacey and him was a private aspect of his life that he’d kept hidden for some time. But now he didn’t have a choice. By bringing her here, he’d violated the tacit agreement that they all maintained to keep this place hidden from prying eyes. He would have to give them some sort of an explanation.
“I’ve known her for a long time, practically since she was a baby.” He frowned. “Tonight, someone tried to kill her…twice.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have a damned clue.” Quickly, he filled them in on the details. “It was sheer luck that I managed to save her and now, I can’t leave her because I’ve a feeling that whoever is after her is very resourceful. Wherever she goes, they might find her.”
Mira folded her arms. “Someone is after her. Someone who is able to track her and yet you think that bringing her here was the best option?”
“We can handle any situation.” Aric bit his lip. He hadn’t thought about that. If the killer was actually following Lacey, he might come here. “But no one knows she’s here. Surely, the killer won’t be able to get to her here. If I leave her in a hotel or with a friend, they would still find her.”
“You could have left her at your place,” Mira suggested with a glint in her eyes.
He could have, yes. But for some odd reason, Aric didn’t feel right about letting her out of his sight. She was safe only as long as he was with her. It was an irrational fear that he couldn't let go. Since he’d spent centuries honing his inst
incts, Aric was more willing to trust them regarding this matter rather than to dismiss his concerns.
“I can’t.” He didn’t offer an explanation as he didn’t have one. It was time to change the subject. “What did you notice when you searched for the missing team member?”
Mira looked as if she was ready to argue about Lacey, but then Nyle waved a hand and stepped in front of her. “There was some spark, but it wasn’t much. Later, we concluded that it was almost as if the person touched at the tip of their talent and then let go. We couldn’t use it to pinpoint a location or even get a sense of who he or she is.”
“No idea if it’s a man or a woman?”
Mira shook her head and took a seat at the kitchen counter. “No, none at all, and it doesn’t matter anyway. All we want is for that person to be on our side. Now, if they decide to choose the other team…there’s not much we can do.”
“Do it again,” he ordered. “Maybe this time you might get a better handle of things.”
Mira rolled her eyes and rose from her seat. “Okay, we can try right here. Come on, Nyle.” They walked towards the living room.
Aric turned to Seth. “Found anything?”
“I’ve broken through a few more firewalls and extracted some emails.” Seth gestured towards his laptop. “Come, take a look.”
He walked with Seth to the laptop. Lacey was still busy with Arman. He felt a faint sizzle of jealousy as she laughed at something the canny vampire said. Every one of these men and women were designed to draw human attention if they chose to do so. It was some kind of an animal magnetism, something that was activated when they turned into vampires. Perhaps it was their ability to lure in humans so that hunting became easy. Now, the vampires generally didn’t kill humans for food. It was too messy and attracted too much attention. Of course, Aric and his friends also had some moral issues with killing people.
Aric read the two short emails that were exchanged between members of the opposite team. “Three weeks from now, there’s a gathering. More people are coming in,” he said as he glanced at Seth and frowned. “That’s all?”
“Sorry, Aric, but they are on to us. They know that we’ve caught on to their plan and the more firewalls I pull down, the more they erect. Also, they are being extra cautious.”
“But we can safely assume that Armageddon is three weeks away. That must be what they are planning for?”
“Armageddon?” said Lacey in a shaky voice.
Aric turned. She was right behind him. Strange, that they both didn’t notice her sidling closer to listen to their conversation. Arman stood next to her, looking a bit contrite. Apparently, he didn’t think that a human could purposely eavesdrop on them. “It…just something we’re working on.”
“Are you guys trying to blow up the city or something?” Her voice shook. “Please tell me it isn’t something like that.”
“Don't be silly,” he said in a curt voice. “We’re not doing anything illegal.”
“Yeah, we’re trying to stop the other team from doing so,” said Seth in a blithe voice.
Aric glared at him but it was too late. Lacey slapped a hand on either side of her face, looking horrified. “Oh my God! Who are you guys?”
Aric raised his hands. “Look, you won’t understand. It’s just technical jargon. I’ve got to finish this and then we’ll be out. I’ll take you to someplace else where you will be safe, but until then just chill. We’re not bad.”
She glanced at him, looking suspicious, but then her shoulders slumped. “I should just go home.” Belatedly she remembered she didn’t have a home. “Shit.”
Turning abruptly, she made her way towards the living room. Since Nyle and Mira had already taken another corner in the warehouse, he thought it was safe to leave her there alone. “You’ve got to take her away,” said Arman. “We can’t keep hiding things from her if she remains here. She’s already suspicious.”
“I just don’t know where the hell to keep her until the danger passes by.” Aric shook his head. “I need some time to figure out as to who is targeting her, and then maybe I can eliminate that threat.”
“It’s none of your business, you know. You can’t take on responsibility for ever human in the world,” said Seth.
Aric fought the temper that coiled in his veins. “I know, but she’s different.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Ok. Now leave me the hell alone.”
Seth stood slowly and both of the vampires glared at each other. Aric had never dealt with such a situation before. He was the one who gathered them all and impressed upon them the need for their success of their mission. No one ever challenged his authority. They all trusted him, but now he’d ruined things. Already, the seeds of dissents were sown in their midst. He could see Seth bristling with annoyance, and he didn’t really blame the other vampire.
Lacey was his problem, and it wasn’t fair to bring others into it or to jeopardize his mission because of her. They had come this far only to lose it all over a girl. He opened his mouth to tell Seth that he would take her away right now when they all heard the scream. Aric whirled and ran towards her even before he’d fully assimilated as to where the threat came from. No one could’ve come inside without their knowledge. This place was more protected than a fortress. He stopped at the door of the kitchenette and saw her horrified face. She’d backed away from the fridge. Her eyes were wide and terrified as she glanced at the packets of blood that were neatly packed inside in plain view.
Shit! How could he have forgotten about that?
“It’s not what it looks like,” he said. She whimpered and sidled away from him, backing away into a corner as if she expected him to attack her. Shit! Shit! He never wanted this. Aric realized that he shouldn’t have brought her here. Bringing her to this warehouse opened a Pandora’s box that he wasn’t sure he could close even if he wanted. “That’s just…”
“Blood, it’s blood… What are you guys? What?”
Aric raised a hand in an effort to calm her. “Listen, it’s for an experiment.”
“Don’t lie. I saw those guys take something out of the fridge and drink it. You…. drink blood. What are you guys? I want to go… I want to leave right now. Let me go. Let me go,” she shrieked.
Her eyes were wide with terror and he could see that she was already in shock. He reminded himself that she’d been attacked twice this night and just discovered something that was bound to send a stable person into a spiral. He needed to alleviate her fears and be gentle. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
“I want to go out. Now,” she screamed. “Please don’t kill me, please don’t kill me.” Tears poured down her eyes and she was shivering. “I’ll give you anything you want. Just don’t… hurt me.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. Aric leapt forward fast and in a blink of an eye, he grabbed her shoulders. “I’m not going to kill you. Do you think I’ve kept you alive all these years only to hurt you now?”
Perhaps the urgency in his voice penetrated through the wall of terror, or perhaps she heard something that shook her more than what she’d learnt before. Her body stiffened. “Years? Oh my God! Oh my God! I thought that was a dream, a hallucination or something. I’ve seen you before. You saved me from that car accident. I remember something else…when I was very young…maybe four years. I’d climbed a tree, couldn’t get down. You were there, but how? How?”
He let her go as if she’d scorched him. Aric never intended for her to realize that he was the same guy who had been keeping a quiet watch on her all these years. That realization would raise more questions than it would answer. He opened his mouth and closed it again when she fainted into his arms. “Damn!”
Carrying her, he stood and turned towards the door. The entire team was there, looking at him as if he’d sprouted horns on his head. Aric bit his lip. Now, he was really in deep trouble. From this point on, nothing would remain the same.
Chapter Six
When she opened her eyes, s
he was lying down on the couch and every one of them was gathered around her. Lacey shivered as fear coursed through her veins. Who were these strange people and why did they bring her here? What did they want from her? Her gaze took in Aric’s hunched form as he sat on the couch at the other end, looking defeated.
He’d saved her not twice tonight, but twice before also. She remembered now. It hadn’t been a hallucination but a memory. How could he have saved her so many times? And why the hell didn’t he age? He looked the same when she was four, when she was ten, and when she was older.
Who was he?
What was he?
She sat. Mira and Nyle were looking at her as if she were a precious commodity they couldn’t bear to let go, while Aric avoided her gaze. The rest appeared confused. “Who are you?” He didn’t say anything and neither did anyone else. Blood! That’s what she’d seen in the fridge. Why would they have packets of blood in there? Who were these people? Aware that she wouldn’t get any answers, she picked up her back pack. “I want to leave.”
“Your life is in danger,” he said, still not quite meeting her gaze. “Is there another place that you can go?”
She drank in the sight of his face, knowing that she wouldn’t see him again. Even though she knew now that he was someone quite dangerous, she didn’t fear him. Sure, she was scared of the unknown. The packets of blood, the strange work they did, that terrified her but when she looked at him, she still felt that she was safest when he was around. His blue eyes sucked her in, made her feel safe. As long as he was around, no one could hurt her. And of course the desire that careened through her nerves whenever he was around was ever present. She simply couldn’t get rid of it.
What was this strange bond that connected them?
Perhaps she wouldn’t ever know.
Lacey stood. “My mom…she lives on a farm in Minnesota.”
“Would you be safe there?”
She didn’t know. Lacey had no clue as to what was going on. Why had her life changed all of a sudden? She didn’t want this. “I’ll try.”
