Absolution of Fate (Fate Series Book 3)

by S. Simone Chavous

  When the last box was loaded, Martinez turned to Davies and offered his hand. “You have our gratitude,” he said as the other man returned the gesture. “Just tell Alek to take care of my little sister and—

  Martinez swiveled, hearing the shot just before a bullet sliced through the meaty part of his thigh. Fire flashed from an alley across the way as more shots rang out. Davies and his crew took cover and returned fire while The Elite shoved the last cart into the tunnel, using it for cover as bullets tore through some of the boxes and sent blood flying. Martinez tried to stand, yelling out as pain like he’d never felt radiated from his wound. A soldier sped out under the cover of Davies’s fire, tossed Martinez over his shoulder, and flashed back into the tunnel.

  “Seal the door!” Martinez groaned with everything he had, feeling confused and disoriented as the other soldier set him down and he collapsed under his own weight.

  “Something’s not right; he should be healing,” one of them said as Mrs. Claesson sped over.

  “Oh, no,” she said, inspecting the wound. “I think he’s been infected.”

  One of the men pulled the slide on his gun and inspected the round in the chamber. “Move back,” he said, aiming the weapon at Martinez.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Mrs. Claesson demanded, stepping in front of the gun.

  “These rounds are tipped with the antiserum. If I shoot him, it should stop the infection, right?”

  “I don’t know, but there has to be another way to get it to him,” she said, looking at Martinez, who was writhing in pain.

  “Do it!” he gritted out from behind her.

  “Mrs. Claesson, you and Ella need to get out of here. The Commander will have all of our heads if we let you stay for this. Hall, Brandt, grab your carts and lead them back,” the soldier said, leveling his gun at Martinez again. “Go!” he shouted when they didn’t move.

  A single shot reverberated through the tunnel as they disappeared around the bend.

  ✧

  “Get him to the medical wing and get that bullet out before it heals! It’s lodged in his femur by the looks of it and it won’t come out on its own. It will give him problems for the rest of his life if we leave it,” Commander Claesson ordered. He’d barely had a second to hug his wife and daughter before the rest of the team came bursting out of the tunnel with an injured Martinez in tow. Luckily, the antiserum round had done its job and stopped the infection. If it hadn’t worked, Martinez would have transitioned before they could get him back to the compound. And though they would have been able to cure him eventually, he would have likely done some serious damage to the blood rations and his fellow soldiers in the meantime.

  The men carried Martinez off and the Commander turned his attention back to his family. He opened his arms and both women rushed to him. “I’ve missed you both.”

  “We’ve missed you, too, Daddy,” Ella whispered against his chest while he stroked her auburn locks. After holding them for a few moments, he took a step back, an apology already on his lips when Mrs. Claesson stopped him.

  “You don’t need to apologize. There will be time for us later; you have business to take care of,” she stated matter-of-factly. She knew her husband, and his job, well. She had long ago accepted that The Elite were his family as much as she and their daughter were. Knowing how important his role was, she couldn’t believe there was anyone alive who could fulfill the duty better than Alek Claesson. It was part of why she loved him. “We know our way around, so we’ll see you when you’re finished here,” she added, taking her daughter’s hand and leading her away.

  Claesson smiled at their backs, recognizing how lucky he was. It took a special and very strong woman to put up with the kind of life a man like him could offer, always coming in second behind his duty. Eva Claesson did it with more class and grace than he could have ever imagined.

  ✧

  “What about that other issue we discussed? Did he get back in?” Commander Claesson asked.

  “I was a little occupied when we sealed the door, but no way. I got hit, and then they dragged me in, and shut the door within seconds. There’s not a chance in hell he slipped by unnoticed. Not with Davies and his men in a firefight just outside the door,” Martinez replied while Rachel watched curiously.

  “Hmm, all right then. I’ll leave you to it. Get some rest; it’s going to be one hell of a day. Take care of him, Rachel,” the Commander said before exiting.

  “What was that all about?” she asked, still looking after the Commander.

  “To be honest, I’m not sure I even know. Captain Erikson wanted to sneak out when we went to the city. He said it was to contact family, because of the blackout. When I told the Commander, he ordered me to let him. All I know is that the Commander has never trusted the guy and he thinks he’s up to something. I guess now we’ll find out. He’s stuck outside, but he’ll be able to get in contact when he’s ready to come back. If he comes back, I wouldn’t want to be him when he tries to explain himself.”

  “So much for it being an easy supply run,” Rachel said, swiping at the tears that started flowing again.

  “Don’t start that again! Look, I’m totally fine; good as new,” he said, flexing his leg back and forth on the bed located in one of the surgical suites of the medical wing. It had only taken a few minutes for the doctor to cut out the infection-laced bullet, and even less time for the wound to heal once Martinez got a couple bags of blood in his system.

  “Shut up! I know. It’s just hormones, I can’t help it.”

  “Think how crazy the baby’s going to make you in a few months,” Martinez said, squeezing her hand affectionately. “I can’t wait to see you waddling around the compound.”

  Rachel laughed. “God, can you imagine?”

  “Actually, I can’t,” Martinez said, his tone serious. Her chin quivered as she looked at him. “No, don’t cry. Just come here.” He pulled her onto bed. “It’s just tonight, seeing Commander Claesson and his family. Rach, I don’t want that for us; only seeing you who knows when, not being able to hold you every night. I don’t think I can do it.”

  “Oh, John!” she sobbed, bursting into tears again. “What choice do we have? We can’t raise the baby on the compound.”

  “Shh, we’ve got some time to figure it out. Everything is about to change out there. It might not be so hard if we both leave.”

  “You would do that?”

  “Of course. I would do anything for you and junior,” he said, palming her belly.

  “It could be a girl, you know,” she said, poking him in the side.

  “We can still call her junior,” he teased, pulling her close and kissing her hair. “No matter what happens, I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you, Rachel. I promise.”

  She buried her face in his chest trying, rather ineffectively, to hide her tears while she nodded her understanding.

  “Your blood test came back fine; you’re free to leave whenever you’re ready, but I’d hurry if I were you. The broadcast will be starting soon and I’ve heard it’s going to last a while. There’s a TV a couple of rooms down if you want to stay,” the doctor who’d operated on Martinez said as he walked past.

  “What do you say, babe? Ready to go watch a little history in the making?”

  CHAPTER 16 - Let There Be Light

  Alexa looked around her parents’ suite and sighed. She was surrounded by family, both hers and Ethan’s, but one vital person was missing. Chloe.

  “Father, something has been bothering me,” she said, looking to William. “In your announcement, about the antiserum…” she began.

  “Just a little misinformation,” William replied, knowing what she was going to ask. “It was Claesson’s idea. He’s still confident that there is a traitor on the compound. In fact, we’re counting on it to get Chloe back. Giving the false information serves two purposes. It keeps the attention from the true source of the antiserum, and it will tell us if Lucias does, indeed, have a spy. If he l
earns the location, he’ll attack the factory as soon as possible. Our best guess is that he’ll do it tomorrow night, considering the fact that it will be dawn in just a few hours. When he does, we’ll be ready.”

  “How can you be so sure he’ll attack?”

  “His plans have always depended on two things; his virus, and Chloe. Those men do not fight out of loyalty; they fight because he has taken their ability to choose. If we give that back to them, he will lose control of his army and, by extension, Chloe. Lucias is no match for her without an army of men behind him; so rest easy, we’ll have our girl back soon. But let us worry about that later. Tonight is about the human integration protocols. This is a historic day for our people.”

  Alexa wanted to press further, but sensed that it wouldn’t do much good. It was comforting to hear that a plan to draw Lucias out was in motion. She couldn’t help wondering if it would lead to the meeting of the two armies Josephine had seen in her vision. If that was the case, Chloe would be there.

  “Do not worry, Amor,” Ethan whispered in her ear, feeling her anxiety through their connection. “I know your father is right; we will have her back soon.”

  “How much longer do we have to wait for this broadcast?” Jared chimed in, feigning impatience. “Let’s get this show on the road; I’ve got places to be,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood though he was telling the truth. He had big plans for the evening, but one of the benefits of being a telepath was that he always knew when a change of subject was in order.

  “I’m not sure how to feel about this,” Alexa said. “I only found out about vampires a couple of months ago myself. I kind of liked being special, being part of such a big secret. Now it will just be common knowledge,” she joked, leaning back into Ethan as she tried to relax. “You will always be special, Amor,” he added while softly stroking her forearm. Alexa tilted her head back, earning her a chaste kiss.

  “So, do we know who’s going to be speaking?” Cami asked. Everyone turned to William.

  “Of course Dad knows,” Jared replied. “He just won’t say.”

  “Why not?” Elijah asked, leaning forward from his spot beside Josephine.

  “Dramatic effect,” the High Commander replied with a smirk, and winked at his daughter. You will see in just a moment; be patient, my children. he sent to Jared and Alexa.

  “It’s starting,” Rebecca said with the remote in hand. She turned the volume up several notches as a “Breaking News” banner scrolled across the bottom of the large flat-screen. She flipped to several channels, finding the same on each.

  “It will be airing on every channel,” William stated, “and in every country.”

  A news anchor for the network came on camera for a moment before the shot cut to a familiar scene.

  “Oh, my God! No way!” Alexa said, scanning the room with wide eyes.

  An instant later, the room fell silent as the President of the United States took his seat and began to speak.

  They all remained glued to the screen as he spoke to the country, seriously and openly, about a subject most believed to be pure fantasy and make-believe. Over the course of nearly four hours he, with the aid of other well-known politicians and several celebrities, laid everything about vampires out on the table, so to speak; separating fact from fiction and offering his reassurance that the average vampire didn’t represent any sort of threat to humans. And then came the bad news; Lucias and his army of infected who had been wreaking havoc in Massachusetts and other parts of the world for centuries.

  “These infected,” the leader of the free world continued, “they are what nightmares are made of and they are why, at the risk of their own safety and way of life, the vampire race has chosen to step out of the shadows. To share with all of us secrets that have been kept for centuries, so that we may fight to protect our way of life, our homes, and our families. And in this fight, we have a powerful ally, one who knows this enemy and will do whatever it takes to see him neutralized.”

  He continued to announce a partnership between The Elite and the armed forces of which he was Commander-in-Chief; a mutually beneficial arrangement that would provide human soldiers with vital training and enable them to fight alongside The Elite.

  “I know many of you will have reservations about our new allies, but I say to you honestly, I have the utmost faith in their integrity and ability. I do not place that faith on a whim, but rather from years of experience in working with, and being protected by, the people I’m asking you all to trust. Vampires have shown themselves to be loyal and dedicated friends by serving as members of not only my Secret Service detail, but those of countless other presidents over many years.” The camera panned out to show the lines of Secret Service agents standing on either side of the room.

  As the broadcast continued, a new set of vampire-related laws were set forth, which had apparently passed secretly at various times over the years as part of other bills, and a branch of government specifically tasked with handling human-vampire relations was announced. At the end, he acknowledged the expectation of a lot of confusion and uncertainty, for both humans and vampires, in the coming months, but stressed his utmost confidence in the ability of the citizens of his great country, and the world, to move forward with dignity, understanding, and compassion.

  Everyone remained silent for a few moments after the broadcast ended and the network went back to whatever late-night show was on at four o’clock in the morning.

  “I can’t believe that about the Secret Service,” Alexa finally said. “Does that mean all those presidents knew all along?”

  “Indeed, the information was passed along to every man to take the office. For some it wasn’t news, considering the fact that they were vampires themselves,” William said proudly.

  “You can’t be serious!” Alexa said with shock. William simply nodded. “And this one?” she asked.

  “He’s not,” William replied, “but the First Lady is.”

  “Shit,” Alexa said with awe. “But wait, they have children. How is that possible? I thought humans and vampires couldn’t conceive with each other.”

  “It doesn’t happen often,” Ethan replied. “Most of our kind have avoided mating with humans, but a vampire female can conceive with a human male.”

  “So, what about the children?”

  “They will be vampire as well.”

  Alexa remained silent for a moment, pondering how much she still didn’t know about her own people. Even though she’d believed herself to be one for most of her life, she couldn’t imagine how humans around the world were feeling after hearing the truth.

  “Maybe it’s just me, but I still can’t get over Tom Cruise. Did anyone else think it was funny that they used an actor who played a vampire to talk about our history?” Jared opined with a smirk. “It was probably one of his easier roles, considering he’s one of us,” William replied.

  Both Alexa and Jared’s jaws dropped. “Shit, I can’t believe you never told me that, Dad. You know I loved that movie.”

  “So why didn’t he say as much? Like the Secret Service?” Alexa asked.

  “While we are openly sharing our existence, everyone involved has agreed that, for the time being, civilian vampires should not go out of their way to reveal themselves. We expect a fairly positive response from humans as a whole, but there will be groups who are intolerant and will perhaps resort to violence. It is part of, for lack of a better term, human nature. The last thing we need is for a civilian vampire to injure a human in self-defense,” William answered. “Now, while I know this has all been rather exciting, it will be dawn soon. We should all try to get some rest. It is going to be a long and important day.”