by S. L. Eaves
“Agreed.” Vega looks over my shoulder. “We need to take her and her security detail out. Learn what we can from the scientists. Though I’m more interested in what they’re manufacturing.”
“Yes, we need to recover anyone or anything they are working on in there,” Malik states, peeling himself away from the television to join our little huddle.
“We can’t let humans get their hands on this technology.” Vega looks at me. “Not even DIA. You must tell them we destroyed everything. No matter how it goes down. That’s the story we tell them.”
“Understood. They’re more concerned with stopping Brixton, anyways. I want to capture her alive.” They all look surprised to hear me say that. I explain, “We give the DIA nothing, they’ll focus their attention elsewhere, maybe even on us. We give them her, they’ll have something to show for their efforts and won’t come knocking on our door. It’s the smart play.”
“Good point. We can at least supply them with the body,” Malik smirks.
“So what about the cargo bay?” Rex points to the garage at the end of the compound. “You say it’s heavily manned?”
“They have trucks going in and out of there daily; it’s the most active section of the base,” I explain.
“So? That’s good, we take out a bunch at once.”
“I like the sound of that.” Dade pulls a chair around, pats Rex on the shoulder approvingly.
“We hijack a truck on its way in,” Rex continues. “Then we jump out and surprise them at the loading dock. They think they’re getting this week’s food supply; instead, well—we’ll have the element of surprise on our side.”
“Just go in guns blazing?” Quinn’s tone is doubtful, but she has one eyebrow raised, always eager for action.
“Oh, we’ll have more than guns,” Xan smiles, holding up some new toy he’s been fiddling with.
“That reminds me, Rex; you and Xan need to put your heads together.” I point to Xan. “Xan is our resident Inspector Gadget.”
Rex’s expression says he doesn’t get the reference, but he nods at Xan. “Cool.”
“You handy with firearms?” Xan asks.
“I dabble.” Rex leaves and comes back, holding a long spear-like device. “Check out this flamethrower.”
“Oh Jesus,” Quinn squirms, “keep that thing away from me.”
“That weird vampire had a device like that,” I point, looking from Xan to Dade. “Remember that demon we took out at the school? It had a small flamethrower thing attached to its arm.”
“Weird vampire?” Malik asks.
I can’t tell if Malik’s tone is disbelief or concern. He always looks so damn serious.
“It died like a vampire, but it had a mouth full of fangs, and it, well—it just didn’t look like any vampire—Pureblood or otherwise—I’ve ever seen. No offense, Vega.”
“None taken. Can you tell us more about this encounter?” Vega presses.
“It’s how we came to acquire a black box,” Xan explains. “There were some vicious attacks that involved victims being drained of blood, organs missing, really gruesome stuff, so we decided to check it out for ourselves. What we found was a vampire stalking college students with the aid of an invisible shield.”
“It’s what got me looking into the origins of the box to begin with,” I add. “A few things were abnormal about the vampire: it was hunting in daylight and its mouth was lined with fangs.”
“Not to mention it had a flamethrower as well as the box,” Dade reminds me.
“You think that creature was a product of Trion?” I ask Vega. “I mean, I didn’t really put two and two together; I just figured it stole the box.”
This isn’t entirely true. It crossed my mind when Vega spoke about the experiments in Fairbanks. I probably should have disclosed this sooner, but I wasn’t sure how the demon factored in. I’m still not sure. But this seems like a good idea to add him to the equation.
“It could very well be a product of Trion’s experiments. The thing may have either broken lose or they were testing out their work in the field. My guess is the former; I doubt they’d intentionally perform testing in their own backyard.” Vega is excited by this revelation.
“Well, this incident happened a while ago, and like I said, my team didn’t encounter anything like that creature inside the compound.”
“That’s why I think it was a misstep—I think their Frankenstein broke free, and when you killed it, you destroyed their course material. Set them back a ways in their research,” Vega affirms.
“We got to it before they could? Good, we could use a point in the win column.”
“Where was this?”
I think for a moment.
“Come to think of it, weren’t we at the University of California? Is that in this city?” I turn to Xan, who scratches his head trying to remember.
“I think so, yeah.”
“UCSF is,” Malik explains. “There’s ten or so branches scattered around the state. But UCSF stands out because their focus is health sciences.”
“No kidding.” Dade smiles at the revelation.
“Well, I doubt the creature came from the school, but as a result of the work being done at the school, there’s no shortage of medical facilities, R&D labs, that sort of thing in the area,” Vega explains.
“A hotbed for the type of personnel Brixton values,” Xan nods. “I see what you’re getting at. You know we left in a hurry. We let the police take over once the paranormal element was eliminated. But if I remember correctly, bodies were turning up without organs. More than the usual drained blood. It was unique.”
“It was Brixton,” Vega states unequivocally.
“Suffice it to say, your incident backs up our intel up to this point,” Malik clarifies, looking up from his phone screen. “And checking the news for related stories, the timeline adds up. We first came to California looking for our friends a couple months after this incident.”
“Okay, so we form a plan of attack here, or we still thinking Alaska?” Quinn was eager as always to get back to the action.
“Well, it gives us another reason to stick to why we returned in the first place. We opt to stay in California, first thing we need to do is identify which facility or facilities in the area has ties to the Trion Group,” Rex begins. “Then, we start disrupting things and get her attention. Bringing the fight to us is an alternative plan to invading her secured compound near Fairbanks.”
“Well, since we’re here and waiting for the rest of the clan to join us, let’s head out and do some recon.” Quinn stands impatiently.
“It’s getting late and we don’t have much information to go on,” Vega warns.
“Like I said, recon. No engaging. Do we have a list of places to start investigating? It’s three am, not five; there’s time for a quick scan of the area. Any facility with activity this time of night will jump to the top of the list.”
She begins rummaging through a duffle bag in the corner.
“Okay, but be careful. Take someone with you.”
Dade stands up reflexively.
“Bring her back this time, bud,” Xan jokes. Dade rolls his eyes.
“Watch it, smartass, I’ve killed people for less.”
Rex looks concerned. I suppress a laugh.
“That’s just how they express their brotherly love,” I explain dismissively.
“And take Malik, too. He knows the city. We’ll reconvene tomorrow night and discuss the next stage when the others arrive.” Vega rises. “I have some more research to do on my end. Lori, you think Marcus will arrive tomorrow?”
“Unless we hear otherwise, that’s the plan.”
“Good.” His tone is unconvincing. “I’ll send a car.”
Chapter 16
The next day I lie awake staring at the ceiling, Rex sound asleep next to me, dead to the world. I close my eyes hoping a vision will explain the foreboding knot in my stomach. Nothing appears. By now you’d think I’d know better. Visions can’t be forced. L
ying here in a bed of my own paranoia isn’t going to accomplish anything, but I can’t shake the sensation that something terrible is waiting around the corner, taunting me to flush it out into the light.
A hot shower helps relieve my anxiety. I emerge from the bathroom to find Rex still sound asleep. Not surprised. He’d been up well into the morning talking weapons with Xan.
Downstairs the kitchen is empty except for a fully stocked fridge. I really must learn how Vega does this. Pacing from room to room, I find Vega in the lounge sipping on a mug of warm blood. He’s watching the news, an amused look on his face.
“Evening, Vega.”
He gestures to the screen. “These imbeciles; it’s amazing what these humans are willing to believe.”
“They still going with the rabid dog theory?”
“Yep.”
“I suppose their willingness to remain in the dark about what they don’t understand, to rationalize it however absurd, is a good thing.”
“You have a point there. And yet it never ceases to amuse the lengths humans will go to solidify their place on top of the food chain.”
“Which is why we’re all here, right?” I flop on the couch adjacent to him. “To maintain the illusion. Make sure it doesn’t become a reality with people like Brixton pulling the strings.”
“True,” he smiles. His smile has an unnerving quality to it.
“I don’t expect they ever caught it?”
“Nope. Something else they can thank us for, I suspect.”
“Any word from Marcus?” I check my phone realizing I may not have given them my number.
“From Marcus no, but his second in command—Crina, is it? She reached out to Xan. She’s due in later tonight.”
“Good. You know her? She’s one of the few that wasn’t in the Covenant the time of the fire. Been around for a century at least. She’s someone you want in your corner when things get hairy.”
“We’ve met before, yes. But I don’t know her that well.”
“I’d rather have her by my side in a battle than Marcus, I’ll tell you that much.”
“I’m glad we share a distrust for him. You’re the first vampire I’ve met that didn’t put him on a pedestal. Well, since the fire, that is. I know you won’t tell me your reasons. And I respect that, but you know how I can read people? Or vampires, rather?”
I nod.
“He’s a liar. He oozes with deception. I have trouble being in the same room as him.”
A rare candid moment from the mysterious Vega.
“I’m starting to share your sentiment, sadly. I want to trust him. I spent years with him, learning from him, playing chess with him till sundown; we were close once…” I let my voice trail off.
Dade and Quinn enter. They look well rested, surprisingly. Dade points at my mug.
“Downstairs, there’s a fridge in the kitchen. Wrangle the others, will you?” Vega instructs.
“Sure, thanks.” Dade turns and is intercepted by Quinn, who kisses him on the cheek. “Grab me a glass too, hun?”
He nods and I make a whipped motion.
“Didn’t waste any time with that one, did ya?”
“Damn right,” she laughs.
“How did things go last night?” Vega sets an empty glass on the coffee table and picks up his laptop.
“Boring, really. We went back to that building we captured a photo of Brixton leaving a while back. It’s a high rise housing a center for regenerative medicine not far from the campus so we focused our energy there. Cameras, a security guard at the front desk, electronic keypads on all the doors, nothing we can’t get around easily enough. Didn’t see a soul come or go in the two hours of surveillance we managed before sunrise. Well, no one important. Cleaning staff and security switched shifts.”
“One guard?”
“That was it. Big lobby. He sat at the front desk watching TV, doubt he was even paying attention to the cameras.”
“Good. We could use an easy break-in.” I don’t try to conceal the relief in my voice.
Xan enters with Crina.
“Look who showed up at our doorstep,” Xan grins.
Crina looks anxious. I can’t make out her expression. She nods to Vega, who stands to greet her.
“Thanks for the invitation.” Her tone is cold, barely acknowledging him as she speaks. “I wish it were under better circumstances, though. If I could, I need to speak with Lori for a moment.”
Vega gets up. “Not a problem. Thanks for making the trip out. We’ll reconvene later.”
Crina turns to Xan. “You and Dade should hear this, too.”
“This about the wolf?” Dade enters carrying a pair of mugs.
Quinn takes a mug and plops down on the couch, not one to be excluded. If it bothers Crina, she doesn’t show it.
“No—well, sorta. We took care of the wolf. But we had an encounter with Brixton. She was in England. She was the one responsible for releasing the wolf. Used him to flush us out.”
“Shit!” I stand, alarmed.
Everyone’s eyes go wide. Dade spits blood back into his mug.
“Indeed.” Crina glares at me, clearly pissed. “She had a lot to say about you, Lori.”
“Not surprised…Take it she was looking for me?” I ask, confused by her hostile tone.
“No, ironically enough. She was looking to buy protection from you. She wanted a chance to explain herself before we all mounted a small army against her based entirely off false information.”
“What? You have got to be joking.” It’s Quinn’s turn to look perplexed as she laughs off Crina’s claim.
“No, sadly, I’m dead serious. Brixton had proof, Lori, to back up her story…What I saw was pretty damning evidence.”
“This is why you were so cryptic on the phone earlier?” Xan says, digesting this development. “So bring me into the loop here. What exactly are you saying?”
“Lori, care to tell them what really went down at the compound?” Crina challenges.
“I don’t have another version and I don’t know what you could possibly mean by ‘proof.’ But Quinn and Rex saw what state I was in…Brixton is no friend to vampires. They had to break me out, for Christ’s sake.”
“Wait, proof of what?” Xan looks nervous. The tension is palpable.
“Brixton is trying to help our kind. You killed her allies—you and the G-men you’re working with.” Crina sighs, “Look, I hate to do this here, like this, but if you admit they led you astray—maybe you didn’t know they were really after the vampires; I can believe that you didn’t intentionally go in there to hunt down our kind—but Marcus has declared you a traitor. So no, I’m not here to help you take out Brixton. I’m here to stop you.”
Marcus declared me a traitor. Of course he did. But can he? Doesn’t that proclamation have to come from a Pureblood? He’s one bloodline away, so he carries similar clout, but the hierarchy is in place for a reason.
“So that’s it, then. You’re choosing to believe Brixton over me? A human’s word over mine?!”
“She gave us blood, synthetic blood. She claims to have been working with a group of vampires to design a blood substitute, among other things. She said you came in and eliminated all the vampires that were working with her. Tried to destroy their work. You and the government agents you’ve been playing Bond with. You may not see it as turning against your own kind. The government brainwashing could have you believing what you’re doing is justified, but I’m here to tell you it’s not.” Her voice cuts like ice.
“This is absurd,” I protest.
“And Brixton has security camera footage to prove it.”
Well, shit.
“You know how easily someone with her kind of resources can forge footage like that?”
My mind races. She probably took footage of me attacking her men—her human mercenaries—and edited it to look like I was attacking vampires. I picture my profile superimposed onto one of her guards running around with a stake. It wouldn
’t be hard to fake. It had to have been faked, because it sure as hell wasn’t me. But I’m the only one in the room who knows that.
What was it she said to me? “I’ve been watching the camera footage over and over…”
Vega enters. “I think I should be in here for this. Forgive me, but these are some heavy accusations, and I need to see if you really believe them.”
He closes the door behind him. Crina turns to him.
“I believe them as much as I believe you sent Florien to kill us.”
“Well that’s a shame, because my dear, you are sorely mistaken. Short of dusting him, I did everything I could to stop him.”
“Didn’t try hard enough.”
Crina hisses and returns her hostile gaze back to me. I’m standing rigid, still processing everything. Weighing my options. Trying to envision a scenario where this doesn’t end violently.
“That’s some heavy shit, Crina,” Xan shakes his head.
“Lori has only been telling you what she wants you to hear, using us to help the government hunt our own kind. Brixton came to Marcus and I asking for help. And in turn, she wants to help us; she is not our enemy.”
“So that’s it, then? You here to do Brixton’s dirty work?”
“If I was here to kill you, you’d be dead already. I came to bring you in. You’ve had my back in battle; the least I can do is give you the chance to explain yourself. Confess to Marcus; he’ll make it quick.”
“Bring me in?”
“Marcus is en route to Alaska to meet with Brixton. See the extent of her claims.”
“That’s a huge mistake. You’re making a huge mistake. I’m not going back to the compound, not like that, no fucking way.” I resist the urge to close the gap between us. I have an overwhelming desire to knock some sense into her. This has more to do with Marcus’s influence than Brixton’s.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Quinn stands, arms raised, palms out as if to keep us on opposite sides of the room.
“I didn’t go to all the trouble to break her out just to have her end up back in a cell. You really believe Brixton? Those vampires she supposedly allied with were friends. They wouldn’t have gone behind our backs and joined up with her. They were captured and, we suspect, treated like lab rats. You can’t really believe she wants to help us.”