by Kit Tunstall
With a nod, she leaned back in the chair, trying to appear relaxed. Inside, she was anything but, with her nerves strung so tightly they might snap at any moment. “What do you need to know, sir?”
“Prisoners taken at the raid on the mansion revealed under interrogation the two masters who took you weren’t part of their covey. They had shown up the night before, seeking shelter in passing.” His eyes narrowed. “Several necros said they seemed to be waiting for something.”
Shaun swallowed the lump in her throat. “Like what?”
“Our raid, maybe.”
“Why would any vampire voluntarily wait for an Agency raid?” She winced upon seeing the way Torres’s eyes narrowed when she used the word vampire instead of necro. He clearly wasn’t used to hearing the term vampires used to refer to them, especially from an agent. Agents were indoctrinated to use the scientifically established term from the first day of training -- the term designed to strip vampires of any semblance of humanity, to classify them as a thing, thus making it easier for everyone to accept the extermination of their species.
“That’s what we want to know,” said Bradshaw. Her dark eyes bored into Shaun. “And we’re certain you have the answer.”
“I don’t.” She blinked before meeting the director’s eyes and cursed the reaction. Might as well paint “Liar” on her forehead.
“Hmm.” Bradshaw’s chair squeaked when she leaned forward. “You know the necros have a private, violent resistance movement, in addition to the public protests they wage with the humans enthralled by them, claiming we’re abusing their civil rights.”
“Every first-year cadet knows that.”
“You might not know they’re using some of our agents against us to ferret out classified information.”
Shaun’s eyes widened. “That makes no sense. Agents are dedicated to their mission.”
“You’re familiar with the thrall?” Holmes asked.
Shifting, Shaun nodded. She was intimately familiar with it. “You’re saying some agents are being controlled by necros?”
“Yes.” Bradshaw folded her fingers together on a stack of papers. “More disturbing are the ones voluntarily infiltrating the Agency, knowingly betraying the human race for those parasites.” The way she examined Shaun left no doubt she had ascribed her to that category. “We can deprogram an agent corrupted through no fault of their own, but death is the only option for a lapdog of the necros.”
“Where are you going with this?” Shaun wanted her voice to be level, but it trembled, betraying her fear.
Gordie tugged at the collar of his white dress shirt. “Were you working with them, O’Grady? We know someone from the L.A. facility was passing on information to the necros, and we’re close to identifying them. Our working theory is the two necros who took you were an extraction team. Maybe you sent for them because you realized we were closing in on you.”
Shaun couldn’t call back the harsh laugh that escaped her. “That’s insane. I spent six years studying to be an agent. I dedicated my life to your ideals. Armand and Foster took me for reasons of their own, and it had nothing to do with the Agency or any resistance movement.”
“Did it have something to do with impregnating you?” Holmes asked quietly.
She whipped her to face him, her mouth hanging open. “What?”
Instead of answering her directly, his gaze swept around the table. “If you’ll turn to page six of the subject’s test results, you’ll see the ultrasound image. You’ll also notice on page seven when I scanned the subject’s heat signature, the vampire embryo emitted a core body temperature of seventy-five degrees. This is higher than an adult necro, but I presume it has something to do with the rapid cellular growth of the beings.”
The room spun around Shaun, and she reached out for the table to brace herself, feeling as though she might fall over at any time. “I don’t understand. That’s impossible. Necros can’t reproduce.”
Holmes cleared his throat, returning his gaze to her. “That’s not entirely true. Their reproductive process is different from ours, but necros can have offspring if they can find a compatible genetic match. Without compatibility, the virus that causes the infection attacks any embryo, treating it as an intruder. It’s one of the necros’ immune responses, how they live virtually forever. The immune system is revved up --”
“Enough, Doctor.” Bradshaw tapped her page. “How old is this creature? I’m certainly no expert, but it looks quite developed.” Her gaze swung to Shaun. “How long has she been in collusion with them?”
“The age of an embryo is difficult to gauge, ma’am.” Holmes swiped the sweat forming on his brow, his excitement evident in his every gesture. “We know they develop much more rapidly than a human embryo, in a matter of weeks, but there isn’t enough data to know the precise rate of development. At this point, the embryo measures about eight weeks in human terms.”
“I can’t be pregnant.” Shaun’s voice carried around the room, drawing all eyes to her. “It’s impossible. It’s common public knowledge necros can only reproduce by transmitting the virus through the ingestion of their blood.”
“Think about it, O’Grady. We can’t have the public knowing these necros have children like we do. It’s important we represent them as closely as possible to the image created over the years. Many of Dr. Stoker’s initial suppositions have proven false, but we can’t let the world know that.” Bradshaw shook her head. “If they question the animalistic nature of these beasts for even a second, if public opinion influences politicians to intercede in the Agency’s workings, we will lose the war for supremacy.”
Nausea churned in her stomach, although she didn’t know if it was from the news she was struggling to absorb, from Bradshaw’s cold speech, or even from morning sickness. The last thought threatened to trigger hysterical laughter brought on by panic, and she clamped down hard on her tongue to avoid letting it out.
“Director Bradshaw, I’d like permission to study the subject as the pregnancy develops.” Holmes’ muddy-brown eyes shone with fanatical anticipation. “Just imagine what we can learn from the process.”
“Yes.” She assessed Shaun with no hint of emotion. “Agent O’Grady, I’m prepared to offer you generous terms.”
“Terms for what?” She slapped the table, wincing at the sting in her palm resulting from the impetuous action. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“At the very least, you’ve let one of those animals touch you.” The veins in Torres’s forehead throbbed visibly, and he clenched his fists on the table. “Maybe both.” His eyes darkened with rage, and she looked away, unable to bear the accusations coming from her friend.
“Lt. Torres, that’s enough.” Bradshaw’s tone bordered on pleasant. “I want to believe you didn’t betray the Agency. We all know the necros have powerful mind control abilities. If you were thralled, it wasn’t your fault. You have the opportunity here to assist the Agency, the scientific community, and retain what you had -- your position as an agent, and your life. All it will cost you is a few weeks.”
Shivers raced up Shaun’s spine at the ominous words. “What do you want from me?”
“To observe the creature growing inside you, to study its weaknesses. If the doctor is correct, it will be over very soon.” A dark brow arched, making Bradshaw appear sinister. “After all, if you were impregnated in the past three days and are already eight weeks along, it won’t take long at all for the embryo to develop.”
She folded her hands on her lap, struggling to appear composed. “What happens then?”
“After the birth ... hatching ... whatever, you’ll be free to go.”
Apprehension warred with anger, making her voice shake when she asked, “And the baby?”
Bradshaw grimaced. “The abomination will be studied until Dr. Holmes has learned all he can. Once it serves no further useful purpose, you can be assured it will be humanely euthanized.”
Responding solely on instinct, Shaun lunged f
orward, hands extended. If Torres hadn’t pulled her back, she would have clawed out Bradshaw’s eyes. “You heartless monster. How can you sit in judgment of vampires, condemning them for having no regard for human life, when you have no regard for their lives? No way in hell will I cooperate with you.”
Bradshaw had maintained her calm expression. “I assumed that was your answer when you tried to attack me.” She turned to Holmes. “You’ll have everything you need, Doctor. Make sure the subject is maintained in good health, but do what you must, without regard for her status as an agent. Shaun O’Grady is suspended from field duty. Her only assignment is to nurture that animal in her womb for study.” Her chair squeaked slightly when she turned back to Shaun. “After that, exterminate her.”
Shaun wanted to meet the woman’s eyes bravely, to show no fear, but couldn’t manage the feat. Her mind whirled with confusing thoughts, and fear coursed steadily through her. She was afraid for herself and her child, just as she was afraid of having the child, having no idea what to expect. Had Armand or Foster known it was a possibility she might conceive? She shook her head, knowing they wouldn’t have let her go so easily if they thought she might be carrying a child fathered by one of them.
A flutter of happiness speared the dark emotions welling in her, and she placed a hand against her stomach, tuning out Torres as he prodded her to her feet to lead her from the room. Although she wouldn’t have asked for the pregnancy, had never expected such a thing, she was thrilled. Already, her maternal instinct had kicked in, evidenced by her foolhardy rush at Bradshaw. Her stomach quivered upon recalling what they planned to do to her and the baby. She wanted to promise she wouldn’t let anything happen to the embryo inside her womb, but couldn’t, not even in her own head. Shaun wasn’t able to defend herself against their overwhelming force, so how could she protect her helpless baby?
Chapter Ten
Shaun looked up briefly when the door to the lab opened. She was so accustomed people watching her twenty-four hours a day she paid little heed to Torres as he walked over to confer with Dr. Holmes. Instead, she returned her attention to her meal, much to his disgust, which he shared audibly.
“Why the hell is she sucking blood from that bag? Is O’Grady a fucking leech now?”
“Not at all, but she has to provide the proper nourishment for the embryo.” Dr. Holmes didn’t seem to think twice about sharing information with a lowly agent. He was clearly still too excited about his study to be discreet. “The subject ate large quantities of food, but wasn’t sated. Over the period of three days, she lost fifteen pounds, while developing a craving for rare meat. That served to satisfy her marginally, but wasn’t sufficient. She continued to drop weight until we provided her with blood starting early this week.”
Shaun saw Torres grimace but didn’t care about his opinion. In her mind, she found the ingestion of blood somewhat repulsive, but her body craved it, and her child needed it. Perhaps it would have been better for both of them if she had starved to death, but the survival instinct wouldn’t let her take that way out.
“Okay, I get that, but does she have to drink it? Can’t you give her a transfusion?”
“Negative. The blood must be ingested for some reason. She showed little response when given it intravenously. Even drinking it as she does now, consuming three liters per day, the subject is still losing weight, while experiencing lethargy and constant nausea.”
“I’m sure he didn’t come to hear about my condition,” she said as she finished the latest bag of blood. The straps keeping her confined to the bed prevented her from moving the bag herself. Shaun cursed the control they had imposed upon her as the attendant removed the empty bag.
Torres watched the process with evident disgust, cautiously approaching the bed. She didn’t bother to look at him when he stopped near her side. It required too much effort, and she couldn’t imagine he had anything to say that she wanted to hear.
“They’ve found the leak at the L.A. office. It was Agent Simms.” He shifted, looking away from her as the attendant washed her mouth with a damp cloth to remove dribbles of blood.
Shaun was surprised, having pegged the agent in question as a true disciple of the cause, but didn’t have sufficient energy to express the emotion. “I see.”
“It’s obvious you weren’t in collusion with the necros, and Gordie acknowledges that.” He revealed his discomfort by mussing his hair with a large hand. “He’s spoken to Bradshaw, convinced her to give you another chance.”
She found the strength to turn her head in his direction. “What are the terms?”
“You know the terms.” His eyes moved to her stomach, where a small bump had formed in just the past few days. It looked ridiculous with her otherwise gaunt frame, but was proof of life. “You’ve been here two weeks, and you look half-dead. They’re sparing no thought for you because of your status as a suspended agent. Give them what they want, they’ll take care of you, and you can get on with your life.”
“At the cost of my child’s.” Her lips tightened. “No, thanks.”
“Dammit, Shaun, you can’t really want that thing. They raped you --”
“No,” she said quietly. “It wasn’t like that.”
Torres snorted. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re an agent, trained to kill them. You wouldn’t have voluntarily let them ... touch you.” Red spots mottled his cheeks, and a tic above his eye betrayed his anger. “The fuckers did something to your mind.”
She shook her head. “No. I love them, Mateo, and I want this baby. I can’t just turn her over to the Agency for study and dissection while I go on my way, picking up the threads of a life I no longer want.” Seeing the disbelief in his expression, she added, “The Agency lied to us, the agents and the entire world, about so many things. We’re expected to exterminate the necros, but we’re only the tools of their hatred, no better than the Nazis who facilitated the genocide of the Jews.”
“That’s insane. We do what we must.” His hands balled into fists at his side. “Sometimes, it’s also for pleasure. I’d kill both of them for messing up your mind like they have, and it has nothing to do with duty.”
Shaun’s voice was a whisper as she closed her eyes. “I’m tired. You should go now.”
“You can’t really love them, Shaun. They’re animals.”
“Sure, some are, just as some humans are. Being a necro doesn’t make them evil, or even a threat, necessarily.” A long sigh escaped her, and she opened her eyes again. “I know you can’t believe it, but you’ve dedicated your life to a lie. I’d rather die than do the same. I’m grateful Armand and Foster took me. If they hadn’t, I might never have learned the truth.” Voice softened, she added, “I might never have known love.”
“You have to know I --” The sound of gunshots in the hallway cut off whatever Torres might have said. He swung toward the main door of the lab, his hand at his hip, taking out his gun.
Shaun’s heart raced with excitement, and she swore she could sense Armand and Foster even before the metal door flew from its frame to reveal them. A small smile lifted her lips. They were clad in Kevlar vests and wearing black garb. They looked ready for battle, but so incongruous to what she knew of them it was difficult not to giggle.
Her mirth fled when Torres shot at them, aiming for areas of their body not covered by the vests. Fortunately, their accelerated reflexes seemed to give them the ability to dodge his shots, and they kept coming, wearing identical expressions of determination.
Torres didn’t falter, his stance speaking of equal determination, his attention not wavering from them even when Holmes and his assistant fled the lab, both shouting for help. As Foster neared him, he tightened his grip on the pistol.
Armand waved a hand. “Move aside. We have no wish to hurt you.”
“You aren’t taking her.”
“Torres, I want to go with them. Stay out of it.”
He didn’t look over his shoulder, but his voice seemed to carr
y directly to her. “You’re confused, drained of strength from that damned parasite inside you. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Thank you, but I don’t want to be protected from them.” Shaun met Armand’s gaze, then Foster’s. “I love them.”
“You do not.” His pistol wavered slightly, and a visible tremor ran through Torres when Foster closed the distance between them, his chest pressed against the gun. “Back off, leech, or I’ll take your head.”
An amiable grin crossed his face. “Your devotion to Shaun is touching, and I might be able to like you under other circumstances.” The smile faded. “Right now, I’m finding it difficult, since you’re trying to keep us from her. She belongs with us.”
Torres fired the gun, causing Foster to jerk back as the vest absorbed the slug. Taking advantage of the distraction, Torres angled the gun higher, into Foster’s face. Shaun gasped as her boss depressed the trigger, but needn’t have worried. Armand interceded, tearing the gun from Torres before he could finish firing. With a contemptuous snort, he tossed it over his shoulder as the agent went for his sword.
Foster took that from Torres with ease, clearly unharmed from the force of the bullet. Shaun idly wondered if he would have a bruise like a human would have, but the mundane thought fled when Torres launched himself at Armand. She wanted to issue a warning to her former partner, to keep him from injury, but it was too late. Armand lifted him easily, tossing Torres across the room, through the glass of a supply cabinet of medication and implements.
Before she could fully absorb what had happened, Foster was at her bedside to free her from the restraints. With his assistance, she slid from the bed, leaning against him for support. Her legs were too weak to support her, but she didn’t care to stand alone right then anyway. All she wanted was for them to embrace her.
Instead, she had to settle for Foster lifting her into his arms and following Armand at a run from the lab. The alarm sounded in the hallway, and amber lights flashed from strategically placed bulbs positioned at regular intervals in the passage. Running footsteps sounded behind them, but Shaun didn’t see anyone appear from around the bend, because Foster was running too fast.