by Amy Sumida
Genji wipes at his eyes and smiles up at me from the floor. “I’m so sorry, Kitten, that we didn’t tell you earlier. It was purely an oversight, I swear.”
I nod and unclench my fists at the sincerity of his apology.
“Hawk’s a lot more creative than he’s given credit for,” Genji continues. “None of the things in the cabinet were real.” His eyes sparkle. “Usually, the mere threat of torture loosens tongues, as you saw earlier, and Hawk’s quite…inventive. We rarely even have to remove them from their brackets.” He stands and steps closer to me. “On the rare occasions when the threat doesn’t work, Phoenix has created an amazing program that hypnotizes our captives into answering our questions. We would use it more often if it didn’t take so long to implement. He’s still fine tuning it, but as it stands, it takes three days to be effective.”
I unfold my arms and gape in awe at each of the four guys standing around me. “You’re not normal Hunters, are you?”
Declan laughs again and slings an arm around my shoulders. “There’s nothing normal about us, Guine.” He winks and steers me down the staircase. “We’re all a bit more. Auntie May made sure of it. She raised us to be more than mindless brutes who hunt rogues. She encouraged us to follow our passions and educate ourselves as fully as possible. When we surpassed our tutors, she pushed us to be pioneers. We create, develop, and hone much of the equipment and medicines used by the Hunters.”
The others follow us, and Declan navigates me through the twists and turns of the labyrinth while explaining some of the things he and his team helped create. “Genji came up with the idea for all Hunters to carry a vial of venom, and Hawk creates a variety of easily concealable weaponry. Kent is more than just a good friend. He’s a leader in the field of vampire physiology. With your help, he’s sure to make leaps with his work.”
We come to a dead end, and Declan stops talking. All four of the guys place their hands against the wall and turn their heads to me.
“You too, love,” Hawk mutters, and I mimic their poses.
The entire wall glows, faintly at first, then more vibrant, as it shifts through a rainbow of colors. It warms under my hands, and I move to pull away, but stop at Hawk’s firm, “Don’t.”
The light intensifies, but before it causes pain, everything goes dark and the hum of something electronic sounds. I blink away the afterimage of the light, and slowly, my eyes focus on the soft-blue glow emanating from an open doorway.
That wasn’t there a minute ago.
“Took you long enough,” Phoenix complains from the room beyond. “Get your pretty ass in here, Sunshine. We’ve got work to do.”
I shake my head and step into a room that, before now, I would’ve sworn only existed in the realm of science fiction.
Chapter Sixteen
The entire wall to my left glows, the only source of illumination at the moment. The silvery floor and furnishings appear to grow straight out of the metal flooring.
Kent glances up from his tablet and motions to the conference table and chairs. “Take a seat.”
I grunt when I try to pull out my chair, and realize it’s attached to the floor.
Phoenix rushes to take my hand. “You need to hold it here, Sunshine.” He places my fingers around the top of the seat back. “Now pull.” He demonstrates using my hand, and the chair slides effortlessly. “When you sit, lean forward and place your forearms on the table, and the chair will shift to the most logical position. I programmed the materials of the room to be intuitive, so once you show it how you want it, it’ll respond accordingly.”
I follow his instructions, amazed with his technology. “Wow,” I whisper as the chair molds to my backside. “It’s comfortable!”
Phoenix grins, and Ashton slaps him on the back without him flinching away. “I’m still improving the code, but it works better than I ever dreamed.”
The fact that he created all of this stuns me; I have to check to make sure my mouth isn’t hanging open.
A throat clears, zapping me back to the here and now. Hawk tries to catch my eye, but I lean forward and pretend I don’t see him.
Kent raises an inquisitive eyebrow, but nods when I shake my head and mouth the word, Later.
“Ji.” Kent places his palms flat on the table and rises. “Can we assume you called us here for a reason?”
Genji locks gazes with me, and I understand he wants me to take the floor. I breathe deeply and straighten my spine.
“We should brainstorm.” My voice squeaks, and I mentally berate myself. “We need to figure out how to rescue the missing girls.”
Declan steeples his fingers, and Hawk nods in agreement.
Swallowing, I continue, “I don’t know how you go about planning missions, but I think we need to hurry.” My inner Huntress stirs, nudging me onward. “My gut tells me we’re running out of time, and I guarantee Eric and Zane’s disappearance won’t go unnoticed.”
I exhale when Kent inclines his head in a silent well done. He stands and waves his hands above the tabletop. A mass of swirling blue and green lines pop up from the surface of the table, and I yelp, jumping backward in my seat.
Kent smiles. “This is a three dimensional topographical map of the area where you were found.” He reaches inside of what I now understand is a hologram and pinches his fingers together while twisting his wrist. The map enlarges and turns, following the rotation of his hand, and a series of red dots appear throughout the area. “Ashton sent out several of our drones to map the place where you found our prisoners, and when we piece that together with the information they gave us, we can narrow it down to this twenty square miles.”
The entire time Kent talks, he points to spots on the map, and soon has the highlighted area enlarged and spread out before us. “We’re going to have to go in and do physical recon. I don’t want the drones spotted, or we might lose them before we ever find the girls.”
I interrupt him. “How high did the drones fly to gather this data? I realize they couldn’t have been too close, or we’d already have the location of the missing women, but I was wondering…” My voice trails off as thoughts coalesce in my mind. I glance at Phoenix with excitement. “Can you rig them to fly with some kind of thermal imaging camera? Maybe we can pinpoint hotspots with warm bodies? I don’t know about the technical aspects, but would it be possible for the cameras to differentiate between heat signatures? That way we could know exactly what we’re walking into without risking detection.”
Phoenix gapes at me, his jaw hanging slack, and his ocher eyes open wide. “Will you marry me?”
I blink in astonishment, not expecting his response, and he shakes his head vigorously.
“I-um, yeah,” Phoenix stutters. “Why the hell didn’t I think of that? Yeah, Sunshine. I can do that. I can so do that.” He leans over and kisses me on the cheek before running to the glowing wall. He starts drawing blueprints for a machine.
From the other side of the table, Ashton gives an impressed whistle while my fingers ghost over the tingle left in the wake of Phoenix’s lips. “That was something,” Ash remarks, pulling me back into the here and now. “Guine, speak up whenever you feel the need.”
I reluctantly pull my eyes away from the genius happening on the wall and turn back to everyone still seated at the table. “Huh?”
Ashton winks at me with a sparkle of humor in his eyes. “I was saying you need to speak up more often, Sugar Plum. I know you’ve only been here a couple days, but this is your home, too, and we’ll eventually get around to showing you everything. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to ask one of us if you need something. You’re more than just a pretty face.” His neck flushes. “And your input is spot on.”
I beam at the compliment, and Declan chuckles.
Kent steps away, examines Phoenix’s plans, and addresses the room. “Does anyone have something to add?” We shake our heads. “Then let’s leave Nix to his work and see about preparations for the upcoming mission. Dec, could you take care
of dinner tonight? If I get a moment, I’ll join you to help. Hawk, I want you at your forge, finishing whatever weapons you can. Ash, assist him.” He fiddles with his ponytail and turns to me. “I have the feeling Guine’s right. When we find the location, we need to be ready to move.” I lift my gaze as he steps closer, taking my hand. “You should come with me and Ji to the lab. We’ll use this time to experiment with your blood.”
As he finishes his orders, everyone scurries off to their tasks. I follow him and Genji through the labyrinth to the lab, where we immediately get to work.
~
We spend almost four hours running tests, and I stare up at Kent in shock as he waves the results in the air.
“Come again?” From my seat on the lab table, I reach for the tablet in alarm. Absent-mindedly, I finger a glass bottle in my pocket while contemplating the ramifications.
While we waited for the computer to do its analysis, I showed them how to extract the explosive from Genji’s venom. The weight of the glass vial presses against my thigh and find it strangely comforting.
“I’m having a hard time believing this, too, Guine, but the data shows you’re not one hundred percent human.” Kent’s tone rises with surprise, and I hold my breath as he rereads the results. “This is amazing! You don’t test as vamp either. Your blood contains both human and vampire DNA, but not in the ratios we’ve come to associate with hybrids.” He sits beside me and hands me the tablet. “Doc, for example, has about seventy-five percent vamp DNA, with the other twenty-five percent being human. A fully-fledged Hunter has a point-one percent occurrence of vamp DNA showing up in our bloodstream. But you, Violet, are coming out with a seventy-five percent human DNA occurrence with twenty-five percent vampire DNA!”
I close my eyes to better process his words. Genji sits silent in the corner, and I fear this last piece of weird is the piece that will finally drive him away.
“So you’re saying that if Genji’s a hybrid-vampire, then I’m… What? A hybrid-human?” I rub my temples as my pulse throbs inside my skull.
“Actually, that’s a great way to classify this!” Kent’s excited pacing brings my narrow eyed attention to him. “You’re obviously more human than not, as you’ve never consumed blood—” He stops mid-stride and spins to face me. “You haven’t had blood before, have you?”
I shake my head numbly, and he scribbles something down. “Right, so you haven’t had blood, and no fangs, so you’re mostly human, but with…perks.” He smiles and continues at an even more rapid pace. “This is fantastic! You heal faster, have better reflexes, and I’m beginning to think your heightened hearing is just the tip of this particular iceberg. We’ll need to run tests, of course, but you could be the beginning of the balance nature always provides. We’ll check your fertility and—”
“That’s quite enough, Kent,” Genji cuts in.
Fingers tightening on the tablet, I hunch my shoulders to make myself smaller. The longer Kent rambled, the stronger my anxiety grew, and the Huntress stirs with my agitation. He doesn’t really mean anything by the talk about the testing, but it sounds threatening, and I don’t want to lose control again.
“This is a lot of new, important information, but now’s not the time to work through the details.” Genji stands, concern clear on his face. “Guine’s about two seconds from either bolting or bursting into tears. As fascinating as this all is, it’s her life you’re pulling apart. Remember, brother, you are more than just a scientist. You’re her friend.”
Genji remains on the far side of the lab, but he nods to me, and a tiny part of my discomfort fades. Kent’s tan skin goes ashen, and he kneels beside me with remorse written across his features.
“I’m sorry, Guine. Please forgive me for running away with that. Ji’s right. We need to let this information sink in for a while.” He takes the tablet from me and sets it aside before grabbing my hand, kissing the back of my knuckles. “Besides, we’ll need more time to devote to this, and right now the clock’s ticking on other, more pressing, matters.”
I couldn’t agree more.
A buzzer sounds before we can discuss it any further, and Phoenix’s voice calls out from hidden speakers. “I’ve got it rigged. We’ll have our data within the hour. Gear up.”
Genji finally approaches me, offering his hand, and I take it, letting him help me to my feet, however unnecessary it is.
“You ready for this, Kitten?” He intertwines our fingers.
I swallow my self-doubt and take Kent’s hand in my other. “We’re about to find out.”
We re-enter the BRAIN hand-in-hand and watch silently as Phoenix manipulates the holographic maps on the table. “This worked better than I expected, Sunshine.”
I gape at what he shows us. Not only did he plan out the additions to the machines, but he built them and sent them out already! He separates the map into two sections with a flick of the wrist. “There are two clusters of individuals inside this building.” He highlights the groupings in red as he speaks. “We can assume this larger group is the girls, because there are thirty-seven warm bodies there. This other part”—he zooms the map in on the smaller cluster—“is probably where the assholes who took them are staying. There are nine thermal signatures, so it should be quick work for us to take them out.”
Kent stands, shifting our attention to him. “We’ve been given the go ahead from the Council as soon as we’re prepared. Between the missing girls and the new information about the Plague, everyone’s on edge. Auntie May should be here soon, and she’ll stand in as Operational Control. The next available team is at least four hours away, and I’m not sure we can wait for them. They’ll meet us onsite to help with cleanup and transportation for the girls, but I hope we’ll be wrapping up by the time they arrive.”
My gut twists as he speaks, and I sense we’re almost out of time.
Kent’s focus shifts to me. “Guine, you’re going to hang back with Auntie May while the rest of us go in.”
I open my mouth to argue, and he silences me with a raised hand before I can utter a word.
“We know you’re more than capable in a fight, but you haven’t had the training yet, and we haven’t had time to begin working as a team. The six of us have been together a long time, and right now, we need this to go smoothly. We can’t risk you losing control in the field, and we can’t risk anyone being distracted, worrying about you. I promise by the next mission, you’ll have had ample time to train with the team.”
At my unhappy expression, his look hardens.
“If you’re going to be part of our team, you have to learn to take orders, Guine. I’m ordering you to assist Auntie May with operations.” His stern glare challenges me, testing my obedience. He used his authority on Hawk yesterday, but I really don’t like it directed at me. His voice softens. “You don’t want one of us to get injured because we’re distracted, do you?”
“Fine,” I hiss through clenched teeth. My arms fold across my chest, and I plop into my seat.
I want to be part of the team that takes my tormentors out; I’ve earned the right. I curse Kent under my breath for using my concern for their safety against me. He plays dirty.
He continues to outline the strike plan, and I begrudgingly applaud, albeit silently, at how good it is. May joins us ten minutes into our planning session, and twenty minutes after that, we get ready to go.
Chapter Seventeen
Firmly belted between Hawk and Ash, I fold my arms across my chest. I can’t help but sulk. Even though I’m geared to the hilt, Kent made me ride in the operations van with May and the twins.
“Cheer up, Sugar Plum.” Ashton nudges me with his shoulder. “We’re going to save people, that’s got to bring a smile to your face.”
Channeling Hawk, I grunt, and May laughs from the driver’s seat. “It’s all a part of it, hon. You’ll have your chance, but in the meantime, you can help me monitor the boys.”
Ash and Hawk grumble about being called boys, and their twin expression
s lift my mood considerably.
The vehicle comes to a stop, and the door slides open, revealing the other four team members. Phoenix passes us each a small device that nestles into our ears, and when Kent speaks, it’s as though he’s inside my head. Everything moves quicker than I anticipated, and though the Huntress is eager to seek out my old Master, clenching nerves hit my stomach hard.
“Okay, orders are to subdue if possible, but don’t take unnecessary risks. If we come across an infected, take them out. Don’t mess around. We can’t risk the plague spreading. Be on your guard, gentlemen.” Kent swipes across the van door, and it illuminates like the wall from the BRAIN. A real-time image of the breeding house appears, and he traces lines across three of the external doors. “Ash, we need you to fuse the locks on each of these points, ensuring nobody escapes. As soon as he finishes, we split into two teams.” He turns to Genji, “Ji. You, Nix, and Dec will go in through the back and free the girls. You have your med kit?”
Genji holds up a leather bag and straps it across his back.
“Hawk, Ash, and I will storm in through the front, drawing the vamps toward us and keeping the melee away from the captives.” Kent narrows his stern gaze at me. “Guine, you and Auntie will monitor the situation and direct us on comms. If you see any wandering heat signatures, alert us, and someone will break off to handle it.” He steps back. “Everyone clear on their jobs?”
The guys and May form a tight circle as they confirm their orders. Declan pulls me in beside him. As one, they place their right hands on the shoulder of the person next to them, linking us together in a circle.
“Just as the raging storm clears the skies and washes away that which sullies the world, we too take up the call to purge the dregs.” Kent speaks quietly but with passion bursting through every word. “Just as the fire burns hot, consuming all that stands before it and searing a scar into the earth”—his tone raises, and the energy of our circle becomes palpable—“so shall we blaze, cauterizing the gaping wound left in the wake of rogues who prey on those unable to defend themselves. We take up arms in this fight, for we are Hunters.” A chill runs down my spine, and the hairs rise on my arms as Kent’s words grow to a fever pitch. “We have sworn ourselves to this battle as the protectors of the lost, the broken, and the forgotten. We are Hunters, and we will not let slaughter go without vengeance. We are the Storm and the Fire, and we have heard the Call.”