Viktor

by Teresa Gabelman

  Lacey’s hands shook as she looked down at Steve’s blood. Vomit rose to her throat as the image of his tattered body flashed through her mind.

  “Hey.” Viktor stopped her from following Bonnie. “Bonnie, we’ll be right back.”

  Viktor led her away from the office and down the hallway a short way. He opened the door to the large kitchen toward the sink. “Thank you,” Lacey said as her voice cracked. “Dammit.” She sniffed, shaking her head.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that.” Viktor stood as she washed her hands.

  Lacey used her shoulder to wipe the tear away that rolled down her cheek. Her heart ached for Steve and Mira. Actually, all of them. She just witnessed a different side to these Warriors. The care and worry for one of their own was something most probably never saw.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Viktor continued, his voice low and raw.

  “The hell I don’t.” Lacey snapped off the water, then grabbed a towel from the countertop. “I will do anything I can to help. Whoever did that to Steve needs to be found and punished.”

  Viktor nodded, ready to lead her back to the office, but she stopped him. “What is it?”

  “Will he live?” Lacey asked, praying for the answer she wanted to hear. He was so young, and she couldn’t get Mira’s sobs out of her head.

  “Slade will do everything in his power to make that happen. And Steve has a lot to live for.” Viktor pulled her against him in a tight hug, and it just felt right.

  “Find who did this to him and make them pay, Viktor.” She pulled away from him even though she’d rather stay in his arms.

  Without waiting for him to answer, she hurried out of the kitchen to the office where Bonnie, Sloan, Charger, and Bishop waited. Everyone else was gone, even Duncan. “Jinx, you still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.” Jinx’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Everything okay? Heard the screams.”

  “Yeah, spider. Big spider,” Lacey lied, knowing that what happened was not to be repeated. “We all had to go look.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Jinx snorted. “You never could lie worth a shit, babe. Just tell me it’s none of my fucking business.”

  “Okay, it’s none of your fucking business,” Lacey replied, looking over everything Jinx had done while she was gone. “The tracking looks good.”

  “I suggest you help them with a new system so this doesn’t happen again,” Jinx said, then yawned loudly. “So is that all you need to use me for?”

  “Actually, no. I need one more favor.” Lacey grimaced. This was not going to make Jinx happy. “I need you to use your special VPN.”

  His end was silent. Totally silent.

  “Jinx?”

  “Oh, I’m here,” he grumbled. “I’m just trying to figure out how you’re going to repay me for this. Why do you need on the Dark Web, Lacey?”

  Glancing at Bonnie, who just stared at her, she frowned. “Will you do it or not? If not, then I’ll get on my system at home.”

  “Chill out, babe,” Jinx said, then sighed. “You’re already connected.”

  Lacey heard Viktor’s low cursed growl. Turning, she shook her head. They couldn’t lose Jinx yet by pissing him off. In order to go onto the real Dark Web, you needed to know what browser to use plus a VPN that would hide your IP address from predators that roamed this part of the interweb.

  “Hey, Jinx. I’m taking you off loudspeaker for a minute.” She didn’t wait for him to answer. He knew he would be able to see and hear everything over the computer, but if the Warriors needed to discuss anything, she wanted that to be private. Glancing at Bonnie, she pushed away from the computer and stood up. “You know where to go?”

  “Unfortunately.” Bonnie walked over and sat down, fury in every move she made.

  Lacey walked back into Viktor’s arms, which he wrapped around her. Warmth and comfort eased her shoulders a little. But there was no time to fall apart now. She wanted to leave the room to check on Steve, but she had to stay just in case Bonnie needed her. Once, not so long ago, she would have been in heaven to have all this play out in front of her—for her book—but now, not so much. These were real people going through real situations, vampires or not. Warriors, she learned, were not so different than herself. They bled, they felt pain, and they suffered loss. Her heart hurt for them all.

  Chapter 31

  Bonnie tried to keep her hands from shaking, but it was no use. Either from rage or fear, maybe a bit of both, they continued to tremble. She hated going into the Dark Web. Bad things happened here, but it was where people could do their dirty deeds without detection. Everything from human trafficking, porn, killers for hire, Satan worship, and dark witchcraft was prevalent.

  Hitting in a combination of letters and numbers, she kept her eyes averted from the screen until it flashed white. A red balloon peeked from the top corner of the screen, then back out of view.

  “What the fuck?” Bishop whispered as another one peeked from the opposite corner, then back out of view.

  Bonnie keyed in another combination, then sat back and crossed her arms. Red balloons began filling up the screen and then popped until finally they were all gone. The screen went black, then pulsed.

  “Is that you, daughter?” Orjyll’s voice came out of the darkness of the screen. A lone red balloon floated by eerily. “You’ve been ignoring me, but I see you got my message this time. Sorry it was a little... bloody, but the damn vampire wouldn’t stop fighting.”

  “What’s up, Daddy-o?” Bonnie said sounding bored, but inside, she wanted to go through the computer and tear his black heart out. Indifference toward him drove Orjyll insane. Okay, more insane than he already was. “He’ll survive, but you’ve only enraged the VC even more. Good job.”

  Orjyll cackled, making her roll her eyes. “Been missing you. When are you coming back?” he replied, totally ignoring her smartass remark.

  “I’ll tell you what, you tell me where you are, and I’ll come now.” Bonnie smirked, knowing that wasn’t going to work, but why not try? She stood, not feeling comfortable sitting down.

  “After that little spell you pulled the last time I saw you, daughter, my trust with you is nonexistent. You need to earn that back.” Orjyll’s carefree voice seemed to be getting a little irritated. Good, that was exactly what she wanted. He was so full of himself, and the more she riled him up, the more he talked.

  “You killed my mother. I think I have the right to be a little upset with you,” Bonnie added, glancing toward Viktor and holding her finger up to her mouth.

  “The bitch deserved to burn,” Orjyll shouted, his words vibrating through the computer speaker. “And so do you. I swear soon, very soon my powers will be restored. I’ve got powerful friends now.”

  “Jezebeth,” Bonnie threw out there, taking away his element of shock and surprise. “Old news.”

  “You are going to regret the day you crossed me, bitch,” Orjyll hissed, sounding eerily like a snake. “And you best warn your new friends that we are coming for them. The Warriors will be no more.”

  “How about the Dark Guardians?” Charger said from behind her.

  “Who is that?” Orjyll snapped. He always detested not being the one in control. “I was not told anyone was with you. Where are you? Who is there now?”

  Bonnie frowned at her father’s slip. She glanced at Bishop, whose eyes narrowed. He caught it also. “A lot of people who want to kill you,” Bonnie answered truthfully. Everyone in this room wanted to kill him. “Listen and listen good. We are coming for you. I don’t care if it takes forever, I will find you, and I will watch you burn just like you watched my mother burn, you son of a bitch.”

  “Oh, you think so? Send whoever the hell you want. Warriors, Dark whatever, send them all.” Orjyll’s voice was pure evil. No longer was he playing a different role. This was the true bastard. “I just proved how easily I can infiltrate the big bad Warriors. There is nowhere I can’t get to you, them, or their loved ones. My army is growing, daugh
ter, and it’s coming for you. And please tell that social worker, Nicole, to stop hampering my operation. She’s causing me a great deal of problems.”

  “So what have you offered the demons? I know it’s not your soul because you don’t have one.” Bonnie glared at the computer screen, knowing he was smirking, proud of himself in some sick way.

  “Now why would I go telling you my secrets? I’m bored of you now. I just wanted to see how well my message worked. Oh, I have a message for Sloan from Warrick that wouldn’t fit on that scrawny vampire. He’s sorry he shot him and hope all can be forgiven,” Orjyll said seriously, then began laughing hysterically. “No, that’s not true. He was really disappointed to learn he lived. Honestly, between us, I think he is a little scared.”

  “He should be,” Sloan growled, his eyes black as night. “Tell him I look forward to seeing him again.”

  “Oh, I will.” Orjyll chuckled, and Bonnie could hear him clap his hands, something he did when he got excited. “Now it’s time for me to leave and, Bonnie?”

  Bonnie frowned at his use of her name. “What?”

  “I will see you sooner than you think,” Orjyll hissed before the screen pulsed as a large red balloon filled it and popped, exposing the word GOTCHA!

  Bonnie swallowed hard, staring at the word. That one word had some kind of meaning. Orjyll never did anything without meaning behind it. If anything, the evil bastard was cunning, scarily cunning.

  Viktor fumed as Lacey pulled away from him to hit the loudspeaker button. “Jinx?”

  “Who in the fuck was that weird-ass dude?” Jinx’s voice rang out.

  “You don’t want to know,” Lacey replied as she sat down and rolled up to the computer. “Can you trace it?”

  “You know better than anyone that anything on the Dark Web is untraceable” was Jinx’s answer. “Though even knowing that, I tried, but I got nothing. Sorry, babe.”

  “Hey, Jinx.” Viktor had had enough. “Viktor here, and if you call Lacey babe one more time, I will hunt you down. On behalf of the VC Warriors, your help is appreciated, but as for Lacey owing you anything at all, not happening. Understood?”

  “How big is he, Lacey?” Jinx said after a moment of awkward silence.

  “Huge,” Lacey replied with no hesitation.

  “Well, Viktor, thanks is all that’s needed,” Jinx said, then cleared his throat. “And as for Ms. Cruz, she isn’t my type. Mouthy and a pain in the ass. Goodnight.”

  “Thanks, Jinx.” Lacey rolled her eyes. “Talk soon.”

  “Doubt it, changing my number,” Jinx said just before the line went dead.

  “Don’t worry. If we need more help, he’ll help. Plus I know where he lives,” Lacey added, glancing up at Viktor.

  Viktor frowned, wanting nothing more than to end this shit with Orjyll once and for all, but he knew that wasn’t going to be easy. Witches could hide in plain sight. Sometimes it had taken him and Bishop years to track down those they’d sought.

  “Slade needs all of you to supply blood for Steve.” Jill rushed in, holding baby Drew, her eyes red and swollen. “Please, hurry.”

  “Jill, let me take her.” Lacey stood from the computer. “After Viktor gives blood, I’ll bring her to you. I’m staying here in the office.”

  “Thank you.” Jill walked over, handing the baby to Lacey. “We’re just down the hallway if you need anything. Mira is just so....”

  Viktor pulled Jill into a hug as she sobbed. “He’s going to be okay, Jill.”

  “The bastard needs to pay for this,” Jill raged into Viktor’s chest.

  “He will,” Viktor promised, then headed toward the door glancing back at Lacey. “I’ll be right back. Don’t leave the office. Either of you.”

  Sloan was the last out and closed the office door. “Jill, go ahead. Send whoever is done giving blood here.”

  It was obvious Jill was upset because she didn’t argue or question anything. As soon as she was out of sight, Viktor cursed. “Pike?” He knew none of them missed Orjyll’s slip. He was getting information from the inside, and the only one that could be coming from was Pike.

  “The bastard also mentioned Nicole. She’s the one who found Pike along with the other vampires caged up. That’s too much of a coincidence for him to slip up on.”

  “Has to be.” Bishop cursed, his eyes narrowing.

  “I didn’t like the fucker from day one,” Charger growled. “He isn’t a demon, that I do know.”

  “Well, I suggest we find him quickly.” Sloan eyed each of them.

  Damon, Nicole, and Jared walked down the hall.

  “How is he?” Viktor asked after Steve.

  “Not good.” Damon was the only one who finally answered. Nicole sniffed, but Jared remained still as stone, not saying a word. “But he’s strong. Mira and Kira are also trying to use magic to help.”

  “What’s going on? Jill said to come out here,” Jared finally spoke, his voice tight.

  Sloan explained what was going on quickly. “Have you seen him or Vanessa?”

  “No. Not since earlier. So you think this fucker is working with Orjyll?” Jared replied with a sneer.

  “Not a hundred percent, but we’re pretty damn sure somebody is feeding the fucker information,” Bishop responded and headed toward the stairs. “I’ll search up here.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Jared headed his way.

  “Where’s Lacey?” Nicole’s voice sounded tired. “Jill said she has Drew.”

  “In my office with Bonnie.” Sloan headed down the hallway. “Come on, we need to find this asshole.”

  “I’ll stay with Lacey and Bonnie.” Nicole headed toward the office.

  Relief eased some of Viktor’s concerns; he didn’t want to leave Lacey without protection nor Bonnie for that matter since Bonnie would be powerless against a vampire. Viktor and Charger took off to search for Pike. It pissed him off thinking someone was this close to them and they hadn’t realized it. He remembered Lacey calling him out, and how she had seen something in this guy they had all missed. That bothered him a lot; it should bother them all. Times were changing, and one thing was clear: they’d better fucking change with them.

  Chapter 32

  Lacey held Drew and was in love instantly. Such a precious little bundle sleeping so peacefully, not even aware of the turmoil around her. Bonnie sat in one of the chairs oddly silent, just staring. She didn’t know the whole story, but Lacey felt for her. The door opened, and Nicole walked in.

  “You guys okay?” Nicole walked over to look down at Drew. “Sweet, isn’t she?”

  Lacey nodded, then frowned. “How’s Steve?”

  Red tears filled Nicole’s eyes. “Still alive, but... he keeps calling out for Drew. It’s heartbreaking.” Nicole expelled a long sigh. “Slade is doing everything he can to help his pain until he can start healing himself, but medicines work differently on us. He lost so much blood and needs more to replenish.”

  “I’m sure mine won’t work, but I’ve got plenty,” Lacey offered, gaining a grateful smile from Nicole.

  Everyone jumped as the door flew open. “You have got to get out of here.” Vanessa quickly shut the door behind her, putting her body against it after locking it. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. “Hurry, he’s coming. I’m so sorry, I should have warned you. Pike is working against you. Please, we’ve got to go.”

  “Where is he?” Nicole hurried toward her but stopped as something hit the door.

  “Oh God,” Vanessa whispered, her voice shaking. “Go! Get out of here. He wants the baby and you.” Vanessa stared at Bonnie.

  Glancing around for an escape, Lacey saw Bonnie at the window. “Give me Drew.”

  “No, all of you go.” Nicole pushed Vanessa toward them. “The guys are looking for him now. Get out, go. I’ll stall him and call for help, but hurry up.”

  Lacey handed Bonnie the baby, then climbed out the window, falling on her knees. Clambering up quickly, she helped Vanessa out. She reached up
to take the baby as Bonnie jumped. Thank God they were on the first floor.

  Just as Bonnie hit the ground, the door exploded, sending Nicole sailing across the room. Lacey’s eyes met those of Pike’s as she turned and took off, holding Drew as close as she could so not to jar her. Panic and fear made her legs pump faster than they’d ever pumped in her life. She heard Nicole screaming for help.

  Following Bonnie, Lacey was afraid to look behind her; instead, she kept her eyes straight forward. The large wall that surrounded the compound was right in front of them. Panic set in. Bonnie began to slow but threw her arm out as part of the wall opened up. Not knowing what was going on, Lacey kept going, afraid to stop, and followed Bonnie right through the opening. Holy shit was the only thought she had. Taking a chance, she glanced over her shoulder still shocked that just happened. Her eyes fell on Pike, who was catching up to them fast. The wall suddenly reappeared, but Pike was flying over the top of it, then landed with a smile.

  They weren’t going to make it, her mind shouted as she ran across the street and down a big hill. The grass was wet, and her feet slipped and slid, losing traction. She had never been so afraid in her life, but not for herself. She was afraid for the baby in her arms who had started crying. The heavy pounding of footsteps sounded right behind her before she was stopped in midrun as a hand grabbed her by the hair and swung her. Lacey felt herself flying through the air and managed to turn herself, so she landed on her back, her arms tightly holding Drew.

  Despite the breath knocked out of her, she managed to sit up and tried to make a run for it, but he was on her before she could even attempt to stand. He pushed her on her back, leaning over her.

  “Now this I find amusing.” He threw her words that she had spoken earlier back at her. “Give me the baby.”

  “No!” Lacey spat and received a slap to the face for her effort. He went to pry Drew from her arms, but she fought him as best she could.