Sloan,
I’m writing you now, not to worry you but to warn you. The events in Burrow Den are connected far closer to New Hope than either one of us thought. There are rumors spreading of a revolt among the soldiers and the city’s population is uneasy. There has been an attempt made to assassinate me, but at great cost to your own men’s lives, they have kept me safe.
Everything started as soon as you left. It is like someone’s hand is being forced with your presence in that city. Be wary, Sloan, and trust no one. Find out what is going on in Burrow Den. Strengthen our bond with the people. We may find ourselves short of allies very soon.
Eleanor
Chapter Forty-Three
Jack
Under the setting sun, Jack led his father and Elizabeth back through the cave tunnel and the forest surrounding Burrow Den. With the finding of the cave and the journal, Jack had forgotten his own hunger at missing lunch. The journal was tucked into his long brown leather jacket. He would give anything to sit down and read the book; however, he knew they had to make it back to the city.
They needed to tell Sloan and Aareth what they found as soon as possible. They needed to warn them something that went beyond the borders of Burrow Den was afoot.
Even with Elizabeth giving directions and the intense speed they traveled, it was still a few hours before the trio saw the first building marking the outline of the city. The sun was all but lost behind the mountains, small lights in the sky marking stars and constellations.
Jack wasn’t sure what he planned on doing first as he wiped perspiration from his sun-bronzed forehead. He wanted to read the book, tell Sloan and Aareth what they found, and eat all at the same time.
His decision was made for him as they walked through the deceased mayor’s door. Sloan and Aareth were both hunched over two pieces of paper, an untouched meal between them.
“Oh, she’s mean.” Elizabeth caught sight of Sloan and turned to go. “I have to get back anyway. Abigail will be looking for me. She worries a lot. You know, since I’m crazy and everything.”
“Elizabeth,” Jack’s words stopped the fiery beauty in her tracks, “I just wanted to say thank you. If it wasn’t for you, we would have never found the laboratory or journal.”
Elizabeth brightened and gave an awkward half bow, half curtsy before she ran next door to her own house.
“There you two are.” Sloan looked up from the papers in front of her. “Did you find anything?”
“Tracks that made no sense.” Marcus removed his jacket and sat at the large wooden table. “Tracks belonging to an animal much bigger than has the right to exist, and a secret laboratory in the side of a mountain.”
Sloan and Aareth exchanged bewildered glances and then looked back at Marcus and Jack.
“Why don’t we eat and we can each tell one another what we found today?” Marcus suggested as he served himself from the piping hot containers on the table. “And we should probably pay Abigail something for feeding us every day.”
Jack devoured food and information both. Dinner was one of the best he could ever remember. It was a twist on shepherd’s pie with mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables. Abigail even provided a pumpkin pie for dessert.
The information Sloan and Aareth shared was just as tantalizing as the food in front of them. There were times as Jack robotically moved fork from plate to mouth without even looking down, he was so entranced with what Benjamin Clive had seen in the woods and the note the Queen sent.
Sloan and Aareth were just as mesmerized when Jack and Marcus told them of the tracks and secret laboratory. It was over a second piece of pumpkin pie that Jack started to slow down. His appetite demanded more, while his stomach capacity screamed for a break.
“So,” Sloan leaned back from the table and looked at the ceiling, “I think we should ask the inspector what he makes of all of this.”
“There is so much information that we’ve found today, it’s almost impossible to sift through it all in a reasonable amount of time.” Aareth shook his head and wrapped his long black hair behind him in a ponytail. “What we need to do is make a list of what we know for certain, and Jack—I’d like to spend the night reading that journal to see if there’s anything in there that might help us or give us a definitive answer on exactly what the scientists in the secret mountain laboratory were doing.”
Jack nodded and handed over the leather bound journal. Marcus stood and walked over to a cabinet that held pen and paper. He returned to the group and produced a small pair of glasses he perched on his nose. “Okay, let’s see what we have.”
“We know from the Queen’s note someone is worried about what we’ll find here, someone powerful enough to make an attempt on her life.” Aareth started the conversation with a balled fist and raised a finger every time he spoke. “We have to assume the laboratory was set in place to perform experiments of some kind. Benjamin Clive saw the beast in the woods right before the attacks started, and if we draw a rough timeline, that’s after the last entry in this journal.”
“The mage-powered bicycles were stamped with Doctor Oliver Livingston’s emblem and so were the beakers and equipment in the mountain laboratory.” Sloan rocked forward in her seat as a light bulb clicked in her head. “Benjamin said he saw Doctor Livingston come to the town just for a day to meet with the mayor, and after that, the mayor hit the jackpot. He built this house and started controlling the law enforcement in the city.”
Marcus was bent over his paper, writing like a madman to keep up with the information that was being related. He stopped now as he looked into the eyes of his son and the two other members of the party. “If Benjamin was telling the truth, then all roads lead to Livingston. He would have the financial backing and power to create a laboratory and he’s one of only a few that has access to mage lights. The cave we found was full of them.”
“So,” Jack picked up the proverbial pass in conversation, “Livingston came to the city, bought the mayor’s secrecy, and set up a lab to do experiments?” Jack paused as he thought back to the battle on the steam locomotive and the man with the scarred face that moved faster than any human could. The man that was so strong he could bend Aareth’s large arms in on himself. Jack also was reminded of the mutated unicorn they found the first night after escaping the desert storm. “Could Livingston have been doing experiments on animals and people?”
The room was silent as all four members thought about the facts and the implications that blaming one of the most powerful men in New Hope would bring.
“It certainly seems like all the evidence points to Doctor Livingston, but before we bring a case against the most powerful man in New Hope, we’ll need solid proof. Not to mention we still have a bloodthirsty monster on the loose.” Aareth sighed.
“Captain? Where do you want us to start?” Marcus set down the pen and looked at Sloan.
“Aareth will look into the journal and see if there’s anything useful to our cause. We rest tonight and start early tomorrow morning. All four of us will go. We need to track down and end this animal before any more loss of life occurs. We’ll spilt up tomorrow. I’ll go with Jack and Aareth with Marcus. The Queen sent us here to do a job and heaven help the man or animal that gets in our way.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Jack
It was still early, but Jack’s body was reminding him he’d been traveling hard and far all day. It was times like these when Jack was tired beyond all reason that he wondered how his father was able to keep up. His father was in excellent shape for a man his age. Still, he endured the pace all day and was more than twice Jack’s age. Jack smiled as he thought of his father being chided by Elizabeth earlier.
The young girl was obviously out of her mind, but there were glimpses of intelligence and maybe even genius somewhere deep underneath.
As Jack lay in bed, he stared at the ceiling, replaying the events of the day and all the information they discovered. Was Doctor Livingston the responsible party? Was he th
e head of the snake or just a pawn in this game? A game? Was this all it was to someone? A game where people’s lives were spent like currency and the playing pieces were advanced killing machines and assassins?
Jack tossed and turned as his body tried to find the sleep his mind wouldn’t allow. It was while in the middle of a dream Jack would later forget that he heard the first tick.
At first, he thought it was part of his dream, but it came again, and this time, louder. It was a sharp slapping noise coming from his window. Jack squinted in the dark and threw off the thick cover bringing him warmth in the cool night.
He stood in the dark, making sure he wasn’t hearing things. It came again. Someone was throwing pebbles at his window. Jack’s heart caught in his throat, not in fear, but at the hope of who it might be. Jack opened his curtains slowly and looked into the dark night.
Just as he had anticipated, Abigail was there with a look on her face somewhere between a cross of happiness to see him and fear that they would be seen. She put a slender finger to her full lips and motioned for him to come down.
Jack gave her a quick nod. He turned and grabbed his boots and jacket. Slowly turning the handle to his room door, Jack gently stepped over the wood floors and down the winding staircase. The room was dark save a single candle blazing near the front door entrance.
Jack tiptoed through the room, praying with each step taken a wooden squeal wouldn’t give him away. His luck held. Jack exited the large manor and escaped into the cool night.
He rounded the house and made his way along the white picket fence separating the Ahab residence from the house where he and his companions now made their headquarters.
Abigail was there waiting for him. She was wearing a tight-fitting copper dress with long sleeves that came down and opened up at the bottom. Her dark hair fell beside her face and her lips opened in a greeting. The moon was high in the sky and every curve of her body was accentuated by shadow.
“There he is. I thought you were going to sleep right through my requests for an audience with the famous sorcerer from New Hope.”
“I wish I was from New Hope,” Jack admitted, searching her face for any sign of strain. “Are you okay? Is everything all right?”
“I just wanted to thank you for being so kind to my sister.” Abigail took a step closer to Jack. “You and your father were all she could talk about when she got home today.”
Jack bit back his first question. Did Abigail know about the secret laboratory? Jack didn’t think she was involved. Had Elizabeth told her? For her own safety, it was best she knew as little as possible. Jack decided to leave the secret cave laboratory alone and instead just accept the gratitude.
“Of course. Your sister was a huge help to us today. I didn’t know that you two were related.”
“Yeah, I love my sister, but she’s not the first person I usually mention when I meet strangers. She’s—” Abigail opened her mouth, but no words came out as she struggled to find the right terminology.
“She’s special and I can tell that deep down she’s actually really smart.”
“She is, isn’t she? Most of the time, she’s off talking about secret caves and biological animals, and other times, I think she understands me better than anyone else.”
Jack did an awkward half nod as he fought not to say anything.
“Jack, you seem like great guy. Not just because you’re so kind to my sister, but because of the way you’ve been raised. Can I ask you a question, and you have to promise not to read too deep into what I say?”
“Sure.”
“If I knew something that would help your search for the animal causing these attacks, but it would put someone very dear to me in a harm’s way—what should I do?”
“My father would say that if you have the opportunity to do something to help others, then you are morally obligated to do it.” Jack took a deep breath and looked into Abigail’s large, dark eyes. “That’s why he and I are here in the first place. The Queen asked for our help and he volunteered without a second’s hesitation. My dad has this weird superpower of always being able to do the right thing.”
“You have no idea how lucky you are to have a father who cares for you so much, Jack.” Abigail lowered her head, unwilling to maintain eye contact. “Is it weird that when I talk to you I feel—safe?”
Jack was so far out of his comfort zone while talking to the opposite sex, he wasn’t even on the same planet. He managed to do a good job disguising his awkward tendencies towards Abigail so far. Now Abigail’s last question was too much for him to handle. “I—ummm—I mean, no?”
“I wish I had the same courage you and your father do. To do the right thing no matter what position it puts you in. I’m not sure if and when the time comes I’ll be able to make the decision I know is right.”
“When the time comes for you to do the right thing, I know you will.” Jack could feel his heart racing a mile a minute as his feet took on a mind of their own and he stepped closer. Before he knew what he was doing, he was brushing a strand of dark hair away from Abigail’s cheek. “And I’ll be there to help you.”
The look Abigail gave him made Jack feel like he could take on an entire army. He could feel the blood rush to his face like a bright sun shining down on him, and then, as their lips gravitated toward one another, a blood curdling, inhuman scream tore through their perfect moment.
Chapter Forty-Five
Jack
The noise sounded like it was coming from somewhere in town. Jack looked at Abigail, who stood pale, watching him for direction. Jack reached for the weapons that he had left inside. “Go inside your house and lock the door.”
“But there’s something I have to tell you about my fa—”
More screams split the sky, but now there was another sound. It was a howl of a creature Jack had never heard in all his years of tracking. “Please, Abigail, go inside. You’ll be safe.”
Without waiting for a reply, Jack took off at a run. As he rounded the mayor’s house, the door burst open with Sloan in the lead, followed by Aareth and Marcus.
Sloan ignored Jack as she bolted toward the sounds of chaos at a dead sprint. Sword already drawn in her left hand, she was a picture of a Valkyrie incarnate.
“Lets go, Romeo. You’re going to miss all the action.” Aareth sprinted past next, his gauntlets on his hands.
“Come on, Jack. Eyes open, wand ready.” Marcus skidded up to Jack and handed him his belt, the wand still secured in the holster.
Jack followed Sloan, who, in another lifetime, could have been a professional athlete. Even Aareth’s large legs were no match for hers as she practically flew over the dirt road through the center of town. Candles and lanterns were lit in all the windows. Even the bravest townsfolk were only willing to peek out the occasional head or part the blinds to see what was going on.
The first thought that came to mind when Jack saw the general unwillingness to help displayed by the people of Burrow Den was “cowards.” But he had to remind himself how much the town endured over the past few months.
The cries of human anguish and pain were gone now. The only noise was the sound of the creature’s howls and snarls. The closest thing Jack could relate the noise to was a cross between a wolf howling at the moon and the arcane guttural noise a lion makes, deep down in the far recesses of its chest.
As the group got closer, the sound became louder. It was coming from a medium size building near the edge of town with a large sign that read Shoe Repair.
Seconds before the four emissaries to the Queen arrived at the building, the animal noises stopped. Jack half expected Sloan to slow down and wait for the rest of the group. Maybe he thought she would come up with a plan for surrounding the building. Not Sloan. Jack looked on in shock as the captain of the Queen’s personal guard jump-kicked the wooden door, sending it flying inward with a shower of splinters.
Jack, Aareth, and Marcus all arrived at the same time. Jack had his wand out, alive with dark gre
en flames as they entered. The interior of the shop was a mess. Shoes, small nails, hammers, rolls of leather and cloth were strewn in every direction. Bottles lay broken on the floor along with chairs and so much blood, Jack would have thought an entire family had been slaughtered.
A body so mangled by claw and bite marks it didn’t resemble a human being at all lay in the corner of the room.
“It’s—it’s not here.” Sloan appeared from somewhere deeper in the house out of breath.
“It’s Benjamin Clive.” Aareth knelt next to the bloodied body and shook his head.
Jack looked at his father, who was already recalling the green magic from his staff and started examining the bloodied floor. Jack followed his gaze and found what caught his father’s attention. There were the same large footprints they had seen in the forest. The tracks were imprinted in blood throughout the house.
“How are you two at tracking at night?” Sloan sheathed her sword and skewered both Jack and his father with a wildly determined look.
“We’re good,” Marcus said with a nod.
“He’s being modest,” Jack chimed in. “He’s the best.”
“Then let’s find and kill this thing,” Sloan said.
“We’ll cover more ground if we split up.” Sloan led the way out of Benjamin Clive’s house as she spoke over her shoulder. “Jack with me and Aareth with Marcus. We’ll take the—”
Sloan stopped mid-sentence as they walked outside. Jack knew whatever had stopped Sloan in her tracks couldn’t be good, and as he exited the building, he was right.
It seemed like the entire population of Burrow Den, who cowered in their houses just minutes before, were now surrounding Benjamin Clive’s home. Torches added light to the night, with the occasional pitchfork and club mixed in. The expressions on the faces of the townspeople were ones of fear, curiosity, and anger all rolled into one—a mixture Jack had seen before and knew was as deadly as a powder keg.
The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5) Page 16
