Blade of Darkness

by Dianne Duvall

  Dana ducked the blow and came up strong, slamming the butt of the weapon into his cheek, then bending to kick out behind her. Her heel slammed into Soldier One’s jaw as he hastily regained his balance and turned to her.

  Soldier One grunted as his head snapped back.

  Dana remained in constant motion, swinging around and knocking Soldier Two’s sidearm out of his hand before he could finish drawing it from its holster.

  Fury contorting his features, he swung at her.

  She blocked the swing with the weapon she held, then slammed her forehead into his mouth. Pain careened through her head as she turned and ducked a swing from Soldier One. Then she was fighting them both, blocking hits and delivering kicks with an expertise she could not explain.

  She flung Soldier Two’s weapon toward Rick, then deftly relieved Soldier One of his.

  When Soldier One reached for his sidearm, Rick pressed the barrel of the automatic rifle to his temple.

  “Don’t do it,” Rick growled.

  Soldier Two lunged toward his discarded sidearm.

  Dana reached it first and aimed it at his forehead. Her breath came in gasps. Her arms hurt, unaccustomed to the hits they had taken while blocking blows. And her heel throbbed.

  “Holy crap,” Phil breathed as he stared at her with wide eyes. “Who the hell are you? That was like some shit you’d see in a Michael Bay movie.”

  Quick as lightning, Dana slammed the butt of the gun into Soldier Two’s temple.

  Knees buckling, the man sank to the floor, unconscious.

  Rick followed her lead, knocking Soldier One unconscious. Crouching beside the fallen man, Rick set his weapon aside and started removing the man’s uniform.

  Grant gaped at Dana. “How did you do that?”

  Her heart racing, Dana shook her head. “I have no idea. Phil, how many guards do you usually see?”

  He thought for a moment. “Two came to take me to the lab. And there were two more at the end of the hallway, guarding the door to the next section. There are more scattered beyond that, usually in pairs.”

  She thought quickly. “You’re telepathic. Have you caught the names of the two at the end of the hallway?”

  “They differ according to their shifts, but the two on duty now should be Edwards and Mitchell.” He quieted, looking to one side. “Yeah. It’s Edwards and Mitchell.”

  Grant helped divest Soldier One of his boots and uniform.

  Rick stood and tugged off his jumpsuit, revealing a trim, muscular body in white boxer shorts.

  “If I can get you past those guards,” she said, “can you read enough minds to help me bullshit our way out the back door?”

  “I’ll sure as hell try,” Phil vowed.

  Gershom had eluded Seth and the Others thus far by remaining on the move. If he had left shortly after dropping Dana off, she wanted to be far away before he returned with his next victim. She had little hope that in the hours she had been gone, the Immortal Guardians had miraculously discovered where Gershom was holding the gifted ones. So it was up to her to find her way back to them.

  Rick hastily pulled on Soldier One’s uniform. Grant started on Soldier Two’s.

  Phil looked toward one wall. “The other guards are wondering what’s taking so long.”

  Dana motioned to Grant. “Help him.”

  As Grant donned the uniform, Dana and Rick transferred the discarded jumpsuits to the guards.

  “The bed,” she whispered.

  Rick folded Soldier One over his shoulder then dumped him on the bed so he lay with his back to the door.

  “What the hell is taking so long?” a male shouted down the hallway.

  She looked to Rick, who seemed to be the strongest of the group. “Call them.”

  He nodded. “Hey, Edwards?” he yelled with a hint of uncertainty.

  Dana took the automatic rifle from Phil and backed up to the wall on one side of the doorway.

  Rick and Grant curled Soldier Two into a fetal position, then moved to stand over him with their backs to the door.

  “What?” a man called back. “What’s the holdup?”

  “I, uh,” Rick yelled in what Dana thought was a pretty good impression of Soldier One. “I think I might’ve fucked up. The woman fought me when I tried to restrain her, and I may have hit her too hard. I, uh… Shit, I think she’s dead.”

  “Damn it, Cox!” the unseen man grumbled.

  Phil backed up to the wall and put his hands behind his head, concealing the 9mm he held.

  Footsteps clomped down the hallway, growing closer.

  “What kind of asshat can’t restrain a ninety-five-pound woman?” a second voice groused. “You’re fucking armed!”

  The light from the hallway dimmed as two more soldiers entered.

  One swore when he saw “soldiers” Phil and Rick leaning over a prone figure on the floor, their heads down. “General Gershom is going to have our asses if—”

  Dana knocked them unconscious so quickly they didn’t even have time to yelp in surprise. Kneeling beside them, she swiftly divested them of their weapons.

  Phil stared at her. “I’m with Grant. Who the hell are you?”

  Dana shook her head. “Hurry up and put his uniform on so we can get out of here.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The sun sank below the horizon, painting the clouds above a soft pink and coaxing the sky into ever-darkening shades of purple and gray.

  Aidan’s nerves jangled as they strode toward the front of the building.

  This had to work. It had to. But holy hell, he was worried it wouldn’t.

  He wore a military uniform General Lane had provided. There seemed to be a lot of decorations on it, so Aidan supposed that meant he was posing as an officer. Heather walked on his left, carrying a briefcase. Zach walked on his right. Darnell walked on the other side of him, carrying a briefcase in one hand and a bulging leather bag in the other. All wore military uniforms and were armed.

  Behind them, actual army soldiers handpicked by General Lane stuck close, more heavily armed—Tim, Wayne, Jess, and three others. Apparently they all had been with General Lane when Heather, Ethan, and Seth had clued him in to immortals and vampires and were committed to keeping the secret. General Lane did not doubt the soldiers’ loyalty. Aidan didn’t either after reading their minds. All were fiercely loyal to the general. And all were surprisingly loyal to Seth, because Tim’s daughter would’ve died of cancer if Seth hadn’t healed her.

  Lisette, Étienne, Krysta, and Sean followed, also garbed in military uniforms.

  Chris Reordon and Seconds Brodie, Tracy, and Nicole brought up the rear.

  In front of them all, General Lane strode forward in long, ground-eating strides beside General Gershom—aka Seth.

  As soon as Aidan had seen how large their group would be, he had objected, thinking it would give them away.

  But Heather had put his mind at ease. “Generals are like America’s royalty,” she had informed him. “It’s very common for them each to have a substantial entourage that accompanies them wherever they go. Their own driver. A security detail. Sometimes a police escort. A secretary. A coterie of various and assorted other assistants who do everything from iron the general’s pants to manage his communications equipment. Since we’re supposedly accompanying two generals, this is pretty much what would be expected.”

  Aidan glanced at Zach. Does Gershom bring an entourage like this when he comes here? he asked telepathically. Zach had read enough minds to have seen it if Gershom had.

  I’m not sure, Zach responded, eyes forward. Either he’s found some stooges to serve as his entourage or he mind-controlled everyone here into believing an entourage accompanied him, because they saw nothing unusual in his actions.

  As the generals approached, the soldiers guarding the front entrance snapped salutes, which General Lane and General Gershom returned. The soldiers opened the doors for them so swiftly the two generals never broke stride.

  In
side, a man with a lot of decorations on his uniform approached them with a few men of lower rank. All saluted.

  “General Gershom.” When he turned to General Lane, his eyebrows flew up. “General Lane. I wasn’t aware that you—”

  General Gershom cut the man off. “I brought General Lane into the loop to help clean up your mess, Nelson.”

  Nelson stiffened. “What mess?”

  “The mess,” General Gershom barked, “that landed a fucking self-proclaimed reporter for a conspiracy-theorist website on General Lane’s doorstep, asking him to confirm that this is a military installation that conducts experiments on American citizens.”

  Nelson paled. “What?”

  General Gershom snapped his fingers.

  Darnell set his bags down, removed a large iPad from his briefcase, then straightened. After folding the cover back, he tapped the glass, then turned it to face Nelson.

  The bright screen illuminated an article posted on a conspiracy-theorist website the network had manufactured to look so real that the article appeared to have been shared on social media thousands of times. Whatever that meant.

  Nelson’s face mottled with fury. “Son of a bitch!”

  Darnell regarded him stoically. “It’s trending.”

  Aidan didn’t know what that meant but guessed by the officer’s apoplectic expression that it was bad news.

  General Gershom waved a hand. “No one leaves without my permission until we’ve identified the source of the security breach.” He motioned to Darnell. “My team will need access to your communications hub and your servers to determine whether this was a result of a hack or was leaked from the inside.”

  “Yes, sir. Immediately, sir.” Nelson waved to his men, who promptly picked up Darnell’s bags and escorted him, Étienne, Krysta, Heather, Chris, and Nicole away.

  “I’ve made arrangements,” General Gershom continued, “to transport the special cargo stored here to another facility.”

  “But sir…”

  Aidan shifted anxiously as the conversation proceeded with General Lane and General Gershom taking turns issuing orders the others leapt to obey.

  This was taking too long. At least it felt like it was taking too long. What if those bastards were already shackling Dana to an operating table so they could autopsy her?

  Stop panicking. Zach spoke in his head while the generals continued to turn the place on its ear. All is going according to plan. A few more minutes and you can see her. She’s all right. And you need to keep a lid on your emotions so your eyes don’t glow.

  Aidan drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  At least the real Gershom wasn’t present. That would have been a disaster—to walk inside with a faux General Gershom only to discover the real thing waiting for them.

  A soldier abruptly turned and motioned for them to follow him. “This way.”

  General Gershom followed him, Aidan and Sean on his heels.

  Though Zach and Lisette stayed behind to aid General Lane, half of General Lane’s men accompanied Aidan’s group.

  The installation’s soldier took them down one corridor, then another and through two security checkpoints.

  Heather had been right. These men really did react as though General Gershom were royalty, acceding to anything he asked and offering him the utmost deference and respect. Not one of them questioned or hesitated to obey his orders.

  No doubt the real Gershom lapped that shite up since he seemed to have delusions of grandeur.

  Or just plain delusions.

  When they turned the next corner, Aidan’s heart leapt.

  Three soldiers carrying automatic weapons approached them, a small female in their midst. Clad in a too-big jumpsuit, she limped a bit on bare feet with her hands secured behind her back.

  Dana.

  Her eyes lit up when they met his. Aidan. The thought came through loud and clear, accompanied by joy and relief.

  Then she looked at the tall man beside him, and all color fled her face. Oh shit. Gershom!

  It’s okay, he hastened to assure her.

  He captured you, too? she asked.

  No, sweetheart. It isn’t the real Gershom.

  She glanced at his companion. Are you sure?

  One hundred percent. Since Gershom is so fond of posing as Seth, we thought we’d turn the tables on him. His eyes fell to her legs. You’re limping. Fury rose. They hurt you?

  No. I hurt myself when I overpowered the guards.

  He stared at her. I’m sorry, what?

  These men aren’t soldiers. They’re three of the gifted ones who were taken. We were just about to make our escape.

  While General Gershom droned on about Aidan-didn’t-care-what, Aidan swiftly reviewed Dana’s memories.

  Holy shite, he muttered mentally. You overpowered the guards and secured your own release.

  I know. Her brow crinkled. I’ve kind of been freaking myself out, because I don’t know how the hell I’m doing this.

  General Gershom turned toward the approaching soldiers.

  The three males with Dana stiffened. Their hands tightened on their weapons.

  That’s the asshole who took me, one of the gifted ones told Dana telepathically.

  This isn’t the man who took you, Aidan told them all. He’s only posing as him, much like you’re posing as guards, so we can liberate you.

  The men’s eyes widened.

  A walkie squawked behind Aidan.

  Tim mumbled into it, then stepped forward. “General Gershom, sir. The transport trucks have arrived.”

  General Gershom responded with a curt nod. “Let’s load them up as quickly as possible.” He motioned to Dana. “Start with this one.”

  If Aidan was supposed to remain with the others, he deviated from the plan.

  Tim motioned for Dana and her faux soldier escort to accompany him back to the front of the building. Aidan fell in behind them, his eyes on Dana. Her hands had been secured behind her back with a zip tie, but her companions had left the tie loose enough for her to free her hands if the need should arise.

  Aidan ground his teeth as he again noted her limp.

  It seemed to take them forever to reach the front of the building.

  Nelson was gone, kowtowing to General Lane, no doubt. The soldiers who remained offered no objections as Aidan and Tim headed outside with Dana and the other three.

  Large military trucks were lined up out front, each protected by half a dozen heavily armed soldiers Aidan knew were Chris’s men.

  Tim guided them to the back of the first truck, then stood aside while Dana’s guards helped her inside.

  Aidan followed the four into the truck, then let the canvas flap fall back into place. A slice of bright sunlight swept in where the flaps didn’t quite meet, alleviating the darkness.

  Dana spun around. Jerking her hands from the zip tie, she hurled herself at him.

  Aidan wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to him, lifting her off her feet and burying his face in her hair.

  “I thought he’d killed you,” she whispered, her voice choked with tears.

  “I feared he’d done the same to you.”

  They held each other for a long moment.

  “I’m guessing he’s Aidan,” one of her companions murmured. His thoughts identified him as Rick.

  Ignoring him, Aidan lowered Dana’s feet to the truck bed and leaned back so he could look down at her. “You’re really okay?” he asked, brushing her loose hair back from her face.

  She nodded.

  “What the hell?” Rick murmured in astonishment. “His eyes are glowing and he has fangs.”

  Aidan glanced at him.

  Rick was tall and slim, the uniform he wore too short in the sleeves and tight across his chest. And he gaped at Aidan.

  “I told you she wasn’t crazy,” another declared triumphantly. Phil, who was apparently telepathic.

  The third man just stared, mouth hanging open.

  Dana laug
hed. Keeping her arms around Aidan, she leaned into his side and motioned to the men. “This is Rick, Phil, and Grant.”

  Aidan nodded to them but was more interested in the foot Dana kept her weight off of whenever she moved. He nudged her toward one of the bench seats that ran the length of the truck. “Sit down and let me see what you’ve done to yourself.”

  Dana sank down and propped her foot on the opposite knee. “I hurt it when I kicked one of the soldiers.”

  Aidan crouched in front of her and examined her cold, dirty foot. The heel was already beginning to bruise. Cupping her foot in his hand, he smiled up at her. “I’ll have to see to it you’re wearing a good pair of boots next time.” His hand heated. The bruise receded, then disappeared.

  Dana covered his hands with hers, drawing his gaze. “Did Ethan and Heather survive?”

  “Heather did. We’re still waiting to see if Seth was able to fully heal Ethan.”

  Nodding, she blinked back tears. “Where’s the real Gershom? Did you defeat him?”

  He shook his head. “We don’t know where he is. I half expected him to be here when we arrived.”

  Rick took a step forward. “How did that guy in there look so much like Gershom? Are they twins or something?”

  “No. They’re more like cousins.”

  Sunlight brightened the truck’s interior as the flap pulled back.

  Tim stood outside with four more gifted ones.

  Dana tugged Aidan’s hand. “Your eyes,” she whispered.

  Aidan closed them while he took a moment to bring his emotions back under control. His fangs retracted. He opened his eyes.

  Dana smiled. “You’re good.”

  He brought one of her hands to his lips for a kiss, then rose. “Let’s see how fast we can get you all out of here.”

  Aidan, Seth said in his head. You’re needed at David’s.

  Aidan swore and met Dana’s gaze. “I’m needed at David’s.”

  Go now, Seth ordered.

  Though he was loath to leave Dana, Aidan teleported away.

  Gershom stood in the forest, a gentle breeze teasing his hair as he listened to the thoughts of those who thought themselves safe in David’s abode. Ever since Seth’s adopted daughter had alerted Seth to his presence at the army base last year, Gershom had been carefully testing the extent of Ami’s peculiar talent to see just how close he could get before she began to sense his presence.