by Tanja Neise
Sally was older, but she was still an attractive woman, and not every man liked inexperienced, young girls in bed. There would be a keen demand for her, too, and the thought of that alone made me nauseous.
“Louisville it is then,” I said, as calmly as possible.
A plane that was ready for take-off stood a few metres away from us. We took the stairs at a run and the crew immediately closed the door behind us.
We were greeted by the picture-perfect, blonde flight attendant. “Please sit down and fasten your seat belts, Mr Dark and Miss Rumsfield.”
The plane was extremely luxurious. Light leather – not only on the furniture, but the complete wall panelling was covered with it, too. It was more like a cosy living room than a jet. The spacious armchairs would have been big enough for two, but we each sat down in our own and reached for the seat belts almost synchronously. Our eyes met for a moment and my heart began to flutter like a hummingbird poised in the air. But when the flight attendant cleared her throat, the moment evaporated and we focused our attention on the woman in front of us.
“As soon as we’re in the air, you can move around freely, shower, eat or use the bedroom. There’s a selection of clothes in different sizes in the wardrobe. Our flight is going to take about three hours,” the flight attendant explained, in a friendly tone, then left us alone.
We were both lost in our thoughts and remained silent during take-off. I went through all the scenarios we might possibly encounter. Thought about the amount of enemies we might face. Dark probably knew what Louisville was all about. Meanwhile, Katarina was on her way there, too. Those of us who arrived first would have the task of sounding out the location and finding out where Sally and the boys were being detained. As soon as we had enough information, we had to develop a plan and strike. Sounded incredibly easy, but it wasn't. The mere fact that this was one of the cities that had the largest amount of soldiers illustrated the problem. We were definitely outnumbered.
Olivia Morgan / Margaret Rumsfield
Spencer rushed towards the limousine with a fierce expression on his face. When he got into the car, a gush of cold air flooded into the interior of the vehicle. I was shivering with cold, as I was still only wearing a long-sleeved top that looked like it had been on me for two weeks. Hardly surprising, considering what had happened since I’d put it on in my apartment, what felt like an eternity ago. Besides that, I was hungry and thirsty, but I didn't want to admit any weakness on my part and kept silent.
Without clarification, Spencer started the car and drove to the next hangar. This time, however, he didn't park in front of it but steered the car straight into the large shed. Inside, everything was brightly lit. For a moment, I had to blink at its intensity, but I quickly got used to it. A single plane stood in the middle of the room. The vehicle had clearly seen better days. It must’ve had a few decades of service and was so small that beside us three, you could probably only manage to fit one pilot inside.
Ladorre obviously wasn’t concerned about why his chauffeur was so agitated, or where we were going. In the meantime, he’d put his head on the headrest and closed his eyes. I doubted that he was asleep; the man certainly didn't possess that much basic trust. It was much more likely he could see through his closed eyelids. What did I know about what this ancient vampire was capable of? Nothing!
When we stopped, Spencer hurried to his master's door and opened it. Ladorre jumped up from his seat and had climbed out before I could even blink. The next moment, he opened the door on my side and grabbed my arm, roughly. I didn’t resist because I’d decided to save my strength instead, until it’d really be useful to me.
Ladorre noticed there was no resistance on my part and let me go. “Don't do anything foolish!”
To encourage him to believe I’d given up, I shook my head with slouched shoulders. I hoped he would fall for it and become more inattentive over time. Somehow, I had to be able to gain some advantage, otherwise I’d never be able to escape.
No sooner had we taken a position next to the stairs leading onto the plane, than a sleazy-looking guy sprang up from the darkest corner. “Good evening. Mr Spencer, I assume?”
Ladorre remained in the background while the older man led the negotiations for him, at the end of which the large travel bag changed hands.
The airport employee pressed the bag against his upper body, with a greedy glint in his eye, and eagerly licked his lips. “Thank you and have a good trip.” With these words he disappeared and left us alone in the hangar. There was no one else to be seen.
“Get in, we don't have a great deal of time!” Ladorre ordered me up the stairs. With each step up, my confidence about finding a way out of this situation melted away a little bit more.
Robert Tensington / Raphael
Like a knife plunging into soft butter, the realisation that Liv was at an airport had thrust itself into my mind. It penetrated my self-control and my heart began to pound wildly. I had to get there as quickly as possible.
Shazar reacted immediately; he gave his men a sign and the whole squad immediately set about occupying some old, off-road vehicles. Since there were hardly any female vampires left, the testosterone levels were correspondingly high. I trotted behind Shazar and got into his car, which he instantaneously spun around, tyres squeaking. He then stepped on the accelerator. We exceeded all the speed limits and showed complete disregard for red lights. The cars were equipped in such a way that government barriers didn't come down and the road remained clear in front of us. They were relatively inconspicuous and had tinted windows, which meant they couldn’t be traced to us. As long as we didn't encounter any government troops, they wouldn't be able to point the finger at us afterwards.
“Tell me about your girl. I didn't know you’d found someone. Where are there still unbound female vampires?” Shazar asked, with sincere curiosity in his voice.
I knew he missed his wife. She, too, had died in the vampire wars. He and his son fed on each other after that. Many of the male vampires did that, but none of them liked to talk about it. It was something no one liked to do, but when in need, they were all happy to have anyone at all. Our species was severely depleted and there were hardly any women vampires among us. No wonder Shazar wanted to know where there were still supplies of females.
“She was sort of forced upon me.” I joked, and was successful as Shazar laughed.
“And you presumably fought against it tooth and nail.”
I smiled. “No, not really.”
“Now don't torture me like that, old friend.” Shazar looked at me.
“Hey, hey keep your eyes on the road, otherwise I can't tell you anything.” Considering the speed at which we were hurtling along the highway towards the airport, it was advisable that even a vampire should be vigilant. Shazar shook his head, but did so docilely. “Rumsfield did some experiments on me, as you know.” He nodded as a sign that he remembered. “Well... it turns out he didn’t just perform those nice little experiments on me; he did them on his daughter, too. And he managed to alter her genetic material to such an extent that he could connect her to me in some way. Not quite as intensely as with a ritual, but it also explains why I couldn't drink from one of you.”
Complete disbelief washed over my friend’s face as he quietly continued driving the car.
“I drank from her and since then I’ve slowly regained my powers. And she can hear my thoughts from time to time, at least, when I’m emotionally very troubled.” I felt the need to explain everything to him, as he was the one who’d taken me in after I’d escaped from the professor's lab.
“Then at least something good came of your captivity.” I couldn't detect any irony in his words, even if they’d been more than appropriate. “Is she at least pretty?” he asked me, with a mischievous grin on his face, before he pursued it further: “Well, if she looks like Miss Frankenstein, then maybe it's not so good after all.” Shazar was smirking and chuckling to himself.
For a moment my heart cont
racted fiercely, before it opened up and I said, “She’s the most charming creature on earth, but even if she weren’t, my heart lies at her feet.”
Briefly, Shazar put his hand on my shoulder. “Then all is right and proper. I congratulate you!”
Before I could thank him, Shazar's speaking device lit up red and immersed the interior of the vehicle in an artificial light. “Yes?” the man next to me responded gruffly, and listened. “We’re almost there.” Then he turned to me. “A small-engine private plane, has asked for permission to take off. Our man can hold it there for a maximum of five minutes.”
My adrenaline level shot up. “That must be him!”
Nodding, Shazar replied: “Yes, I suppose so, too.”
“Five minutes?”
“Yes, it’ll be tight.”
The contents of my gut were twisting and my brain was threatening to explode. Five minutes could be a bloody long time. Hopefully long enough!
Anne Rumsfield
As soon as we were in the air, the flight attendant disappeared into the cockpit. Dark undid his seat belt and turned to me in his chair. His gaze penetrated my entirety, as if he himself wasn’t a test of my nerves as it was.
“Anne, do you know what I'm thinking about?” His voice was a deep growl, which gave me goose pimples.
Insecurity spread through me. A feeling I didn't really know, and I didn't know how to deal with it, either. So I did the only thing I was capable of at that moment – I leaned forward and looked at him, shaking my head.
Dark's eyebrows shot up. “I’m thinking about the fact that we’re going to encounter a tough opponent in a short while.” Since my libido had kicked in as a result of his deep voice, I was relieved not to have mentioned it to him. I was an idiot – thinking about sex whilst he was ruminating about how we could defeat our enemies.
“Yes... you're right,” I stammered.
A smile lit up his face and my heart stood still for a moment; I wanted this man so much – this man who was only a few inches away from me.
“Anne, Anne, Anne,” he said, reprehensively. “I smell you, Anne Rumsfield, and what I smell, I like very much. In my presence, you seem to be thinking more and more incessantly about just one thing.”
Caught out, I lifted my head and looked into his roguish, grinning face, which was moving ever closer to me at that moment. I hated being self-conscious, it just didn't suit me. So I decided to be gutsy and direct. “Yes, all the time!”
That was all it took. With a soft growl, Dark kneeled down in front of my chair and I opened my thighs so that he could squeeze in between them. His lips seized my mouth and our tongues duelled. We fitted together perfectly. Never before had I felt such an overwhelming desire for a man. Was it because I was now a vampire? No, it certainly wasn't, as I’d let go of all my inhibitions in Robert's apartment, too.
Suddenly, I was lifted up. I hadn’t even noticed Dark undoing my belt. I put all my thinking on the back burner and clamped my legs around his strong body as he carried me into the small sleeping cabin and locked the door behind us. Everything in here, too, was in light beige tones, and the blanket on the bed was folded back.
Carefully, as if I were made of porcelain, he laid me down on the mattress, which sank a little as he knelt next to me. His hands devoutly slid upwards over my arms. His fingers played with my hair. I would’ve loved to have just had him right there and then. Patience had never been one of my strong points. Nevertheless, I was strong and awaited him with excitement, whilst my heart raced at a galloping speed.
“You’re so beautiful, Anne.”
I swallowed hard, because no one had ever said that to me before. My body didn’t have those typical curves that men lusted after so much. I was well trained and muscular. Femininity was not exactly my strength, neither physically nor mentally. Accordingly, I didn’t respond, and looked at him sceptically.
With one eyebrow raised, Dark asked: “You don't believe me?” But he didn't wait for an answer; instead, he took my hand and put it on the bulge in his trousers. Rock hard was the only thing I could think. When he took his hand off mine, I left my fingers in place and stroked the fabric of his trousers. Groaning, he thrust his head back. The sound got me going and I began pulling impatiently at the buckle of his belt.
“Anne, slow down. I can hardly control myself already.” He firmly placed my arms behind my head and held them there with one hand. Meanwhile, the fingers on his other hand were roaming over my body and were driving me to the brink of madness. His tongue bit through the fabric of my shirt into my erect nipple. I was throbbing wildly between my legs and I no longer wanted him to control himself. I wanted him right now, this minute!
“Dark,” I said, in a serious tone.
Alarmed, he raised his head and released me.
I grasped the opportunity immediately this time, and unzipped his trousers with one swift motion. “You can control yourself another time. I want you right here and now, and don’t want you holding back.”
There was a flicker of bewilderment in his face and then he revealed a sexy smile. The next moment I was under him, euphoric. He took me wildly and without restraint, and that was exactly what I wanted.
Olivia Morgan / Margaret Rumsfield
The little jet’s interior was cramped. I’d only ever flown once before. That was back when my foster parents and I had immigrated to the USA. After that, never again, because I simply couldn’t have afforded it. I didn't suffer from fear of flying necessarily, but with this plane perhaps I should scrap that idea. My stomach was doing a precarious somersault as I sat down in the seat that was assigned to me.
I continuously tried to send Robert a message in any way I could think of. It had to work, somehow. First, during the car journey, I’d been constantly thinking of the airport, and now I was trying to show him a picture of the plane. It probably wouldn't work anyway, but it was something I could hold on to, something that gave me hope.
Ladorre left me alone the whole time, thank God, and was no longer trying to attack my mind. Evidently, he was very busy, as he’d turned his holographic computer on again and was typing some more messages into the keyboard. Only, to whom? Who was so gladly communicating with such a tyrant? Certainly not his son, I thought, sarcastically.
I was tired and my stomach growled loudly again. A moan to my right frightened me out of my thoughts. “Spencer, have you thought about the food for Miss Morgan?”
Spencer quickly rummaged in a bag, hurried over and pressed a box into my hand. “That should do.” In a flash, he scurried away to a seat and fastened his seat belt.
Sceptical, I opened the container; there were two power bars inside. I hated those things. They tasted like cement and grew in my mouth as I chewed them. In the meantime, though, my hunger had increased and I’d been seized with a slight dizziness. Shrugging my shoulders and ignoring my indignation, I bit into the first bar. It tasted exactly as I remembered it, but as they say – we’re driven by hunger. Within a very short space of time, I felt better.
Suddenly, I heard Robert's voice in my head: “I’ll be right there!”
I tried not to let my excitement show. I breathed deeply and concentrated instead on the disgusting food in my mouth. I had to be strong, otherwise I’d be a burden to Robert and endanger the whole rescue operation. If I couldn’t do much else, I’d at least be able to do that. Determined, I bit into the bar again. But then a vibration went through the plane as the engine started up, and with each second my confidence disappeared. Everything inside me screamed for Robert, but now I knew he couldn’t hear me. That he’d never heard me and would never find me.
Robert Tensington / Raphael
Seattle Airport’s lights appeared before us. They dazzled my hypersensitive eyes and my impatience simultaneously grew, even though I’d hardly thought it possible, as I’d already been more than impatient.
Shazar burst through a fence without hesitation; the vehicle didn't even skid. These SUVs that Shazar and his men used
were clearly not the normal old ones. Someone had worked on them – someone who knew what they were doing and knew what requirements people like us had for a car.
We had driven over to the eastern side of the grounds. The runways were lonely and deserted in front of us. It was the middle of the night, there weren’t normally any flights at this time of day, but a little further south I could see a small plane standing alone on a runway. I knew right away that it had to be the jet Olivia was on. I didn’t even know where I was getting this knowledge and certainty from. But I didn’t question it.
“They’re over there!” With my arm outstretched, I showed Shazar the way. The other vehicles took up position to the right and to the left. We drove side-by-side in a straight line towards the plane and blocked the runway. This way, it was theoretically impossible for the pilot to take off.
However, rather than accept this, the idiot started the plane and let it roll. We continued to hold our positions, moving towards it, none of the cars slowing down their speed. A cold horror rose up within me as I tried to assess the prospects for the plane’s occupants. I quite simply didn't care about my father's fate, but Olivia was a human being and even small things could endanger her life.