ReVamped

by Ada Adams

  Within a few minutes, I had succeeded in disarming Viktor of his gun. I pushed him against one of the dilapidated basement walls, my sword tight on his throat. Panic filled his eyes, but then his menacing lips twisted into a smile. A faint crackling sound emitted throughout the building.

  “Just in time,” Viktor sneered as a familiar voice filled the room.

  “Dawn,” the voice over the intercom belonged to my father. “I guess you’re still not ready to talk.”

  Suddenly, Viktor, Amelia, my sword, the basement—everything around me—faded. The only thing I could focus on was my father’s voice.

  “I’m making an exception and setting aside my hatred of answering machines just this one time.”

  It was a voicemail he had left on my phone last night, I realized. The night he kept calling and I didn’t pick up. The night he died.

  “I want you to know that I miss you. Very much. I can’t stop thinking about our fight. I hope that, one day, you’ll be able to forgive me for everything I’ve done.”

  At the sound of my father’s booming voice, my hands began to tremble. My grasp on the sword against Viktor’s throat weakened. For a brief moment, I no longer had any idea where I was or what I was doing. That moment was enough for Viktor to seize his blade out of my shaking hand and drive it sharply into my chest.

  “I’m so proud of you, Dawn,” my father’s said as I fell to the ground. “Always know that I love you.”

  I woke up in chains, my hands and feet securely bound to the wall next to Amelia. Viktor towered over me, a crooked smile painted across his mangled lips, his black eyes feverish with frenzy. “Nice touch with the intercom trick, don’t you think?”

  I wanted to spit in his face, but my throat was parched. Instead, I moved my head to the side, looking away from him.

  “You see, I finally found that secret little cottage in Angel Creek last night. I came looking for you, but, alas, you weren’t in. Your phone happened to come in handy, though. You kids these days are so careless with your gadgets,” he tisked.

  As he spoke, I tugged at my chains, struggling to pull them from the wall. I had been weakened by the stabbing, causing my effort to be slow and stilted.

  “Imagine my surprise when the message on your phone told me where your daddy was going to be last night. I paid him a visit and set my revenge plan in motion. The explosion on the boat was a splendid idea, wasn’t it? I believe they call that poetic justice,” he laughed wickedly. “I meant to take you out before I did anything to him; I wanted to make him watch as he lost yet another daughter. But alas, Plan A went awry when you decided to disappear on me. So I had to move on to Plan B. That’s okay; this plan is turning out to be even more fun.”

  “What’s Plan B?” I asked, trying to distract him as I worked on loosening up the chains. My right hand was slowly making progress. One of the bolts had budged a little.

  “Plan B is all about getting what rightly belongs to me—the presidential position,” he spat. “You see, with your daddy gone, there will be a re-election shortly. That social networking attention-seeker Twitbrook is a shoo-in, so I need to go bigger. I devised a fool-proof way to make the public love me even more.”

  “What are you going to do?” I asked, feigning interest. My right hand was almost free.

  “I came up with a plan to reintroduce myself to the world and garner sympathy votes,” Viktor responded, pointing over at Amelia. “That’s where this pathetic failure of a woman comes in handy. Tomorrow morning, a story will leak to the press with all the details about her research with Vampiricol. Imagine this, a nutty scientist, greedy for power and money, kidnaps the president’s daughter to drain her of her special blood—and during such a tragic time for the vampire nation!” He laughed out loud at his own sick joke. “So while she’s draining this poor girl, a noble warrior—that’s me, in case you haven’t guessed—comes in and saves the day. He kills Amelia and tries to rescue little Dawn. Though, it turns out that the poor vampire girl is already all drained. She doesn’t make it out alive. How sad.” He grinned proudly. “You and Amelia are dead, and I’m suddenly an overnight hero.”

  “That’s why I can’t simply stab you, Dawn,” he said, pressing his twisted finger deep into my chest wound. I gritted my teeth, forcing my face to stay inert, not allowing him the satisfaction of seeing my pain. “There will be an investigation into all this, I’m sure, so, to properly cover my tracks, I’m going to have to wait a couple of hours for this wound to close up before I can drain you dry.”

  “My father made sure that you were ostracized by the entire vampire population for what you did to Aurora,” I said coldly. “No one in their right mind will vote you into power, Viktor.”

  “Well, I’m sure he also told you that he sent me off to die on a boat filled with dynamite. I’ve kept a low profile for over a hundred years, living a pathetic life of misery and poverty. Thankfully, enough time has passed. Everyone thinks that I really am dead. I’m just going to come back to life with a whole new identity. Won’t that be fun?” He laughed, jabbing his finger into my wound again. “Kind of like you, huh?”

  At that moment, I finally succeeded in freeing my hand. I yanked it away from the constraints of the chain, swinging at Viktor with all my might. The blow caught his cheekbone and sent him tumbling to the ground. As he attempted to stand up, I worked on freeing my other hand. Before I could break free, he drew his gun and shot a bullet through my right wrist.

  “Now, now, girl,” he sneered angrily, wiping the cut on his cheek. “Don’t make me hurt you again. I told you, you need to be fully healed for this to work properly! You’re just wasting my time.” With my wrist temporarily weakened, he refastened the chains, adding another set midway up my arm. “Now be good and heal up fast while I go prep the drain room.” He walked out, locking the door behind us.

  I twisted my head in an effort to get a better look at the chains. Gathering all my strength, I pulled at the metal. It didn’t budge. I was weaker than usual; too weak for the reinforced iron. The fight with Viktor had exhausted me and the bullets in my wound were slowly dissolving, spreading vampire blood through my body. It didn’t help that I hadn’t had a proper meal in well over a week. If I was going to stand a chance of getting out, I would need to feed.

  I knew from my previous experience with the poison that fresh human blood would be the perfect answer. I looked over at Amelia. If we both moved towards each other, she would be just close enough for me to reach an artery in her neck. I shuddered at the thought, a nauseating feeling washing over me. Some vampires had no problem drinking human blood right from the source, but the way I was raised made the whole process seem taboo. I much preferred the brand name labels that came wrapped in neat little packages to live donors. But that was no way to think at this particular moment. Viktor was planning to drain me as soon as the wound on my chest had closed up, which meant that I only had about an hour or two left to live.

  How do I approach the subject with Amelia? I wondered. The last time I saw her, she was waving a gun in my face. For all she knew, I would drain her. And perhaps, I was entitled to that action, I thought angrily. She was, after all, responsible for much of the mess we were currently in.

  “Miss Summers?” I began wearily, avoiding Amelia’s eyes. “To get us out of here, I need to break these chains. To do that, I need some, uhh, blood.”

  I could tell by the empty look in her eyes that she had already surrendered to Viktor’s plan, feebly accepting her fate. What’s the point? He’s going to kill us anyway, her gaze seemed to say.

  “Listen to me, Amelia. You have to think about Ethan,” I urged, hoping to use the one person that could possibly get her out her defeated state as leverage. “I happen to know that your son would hate to see you give up so easily. He thinks you’re one of the strongest women in the world.”

  Amelia perked up a little.

  “I can get us out of here so that he can tell you that himself. You just have to trust me. And
uhh, extend your neck a bit.” I winced at the words coming out of my mouth, thinking that I made a fairy lousy vampire. Sure, I was a strong, fighting machine, but some vampires simply had to smile and bat their eyelashes at the men and women around them to be offered necks galore. I, on the other hand, made the request sound like a dirty proposition.

  To my surprise, Amelia moved closer. “Do it,” she said, extending her neck out to me. Her words came in short, muffled gasps, barely audible through the restraint in her mouth.

  I didn’t need to be told twice. I closed my eyes, grimacing at what I was about to do. As I sunk my fangs into Amelia’s soft skin, gulping down on the warm liquid seeping into my mouth, I thought about how Hollywood films always made this part look so marvelous. Why couldn’t I be a cool, conventional heroine in some flashy film? I thought, in hopes of distracting myself from the reality in front of me. At this point, I would have even settled for a part in a cheesy novel. It didn’t take me long to feel satiated. Immediately, I felt a surge of power rush through me. Hollywood at least got that part right.

  I ensured that Amelia was okay, then began to work on my restraints. It was much easier to make progress with my newfound might. I first ripped the chains binding my legs, then used the strength in the bottom half of my body to twist and pull apart the hinges of the four chains around my wrists. I yanked so hard, the stone around the hinges broke apart, releasing me from the wall and sending me flying forward. Viktor hadn’t reinforced Amelia’s chains in the same way that he had secured mine, so they were much easier to pull out.

  When we were both free, I ordered Amelia to search for a key to the shackles. To have a better chance at escaping, we both needed to completely rid ourselves of the restraints around our wrists and ankles.

  “I watched him put it somewhere in this desk,” Amelia said frantically, rummaging through empty wooden drawers.

  “We have to work quietly,” I warned as she pulled out an entire drawer, sending it tumbling loudly against the stone floor. “And fast,” I added, surveying the room for possible escape routes. The heavy iron door provided the only entrance and exit, and Viktor had locked it from the outside. I attempted to push against it, but in spite of my newfound strength, it did not budge. I scanned the room for other possible exits. High up in the ceiling was a small vent, just large enough for a body to squeeze through.

  “Here!” Amelia exclaimed as she pulled out a key from a trap door in the desk. She unshackled her wrists and ankles, then threw it to me.

  I hurriedly did the same, turning my attention back to the vent. If I positioned the desk directly under it and got a running start, I would be able to jump and reach the high ceiling, I realized.

  “I’m going up there,” I said to Amelia, pointing to the vent. I grabbed a hold of the desk, carefully pushing the large piece of furniture across the floor. Amelia held her breath as I began my journey toward freedom. On my second jump, I reached the vent and pushed on its metal covering. The grid gave way, revealing a hole in the ceiling. On the subsequent leap, I caught the edge of the opening and swiftly pulled myself up. Looking down the narrow passageway, I was unsure where the path would lead. The only thing I knew with certainty was that the vent provided the only way out of our prison.

  “I’m going to search for a way out,” I whispered, looking down at Amelia.

  “Take me with you!” she cried, panicked.

  “You’ll be safer here. I’ll come right back for you,” I promised.

  “No! If Viktor comes back before you do, he’ll kill me! Please, Dawn,” she begged, her eyes wide with fear.

  If I left Amelia behind and Viktor got to her, Ethan would never forgive me, I realized. Plus, she had offered herself as a snack earlier, so I kind of owed her.

  “Stand on the desk and reach up toward me,” I instructed, as the anxiety on Amelia’s face subdued. I fastened the top of my boot-clad feet on the ledge of the opening and swung upside down to meet her outstretched arms with my own hands. She jumped, barely managing to graze my fingers. Her second leap brought her closer, allowing me enough contact to latch onto her wrists. I grunted. Every muscle in my body trembled as I began to pull us through the small opening of the vent. It was a strenuous procedure, and I almost lost her twice, but, in the end, we both managed to squeeze inside.

  Amelia squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. My vision was just strong enough to make out a thin, twisting path ahead of us, and I motioned for her to follow closely behind. We crouched down on our hands and knees, shuffling aimlessly down the narrow passageway. The sweltering summer heart had accumulated in the enclosed space, making the inside of the vent extremely stuffy. We crawled along quietly, the stale air around us forcing Amelia to pause often to catch her breath.

  Finally, a faint light swept over us from above. Upon further inspection, I found a grate connecting the vent to the top level of the building. Peering through it, I could make out a row of green bathroom stalls. I pressed my ear to the metal, listening for movement inside the bathroom. When I was certain that the room was deserted, I pushed on the grate, first moving it up, then to the side. Bright, fluorescent light seeped through the hole, spilling over us. Amelia recoiled away from its dazzling shine, as I raised myself through the opening. I pulled up onto the grimy bathroom floor, groaning in disgust as my sweater soaked up the sticky water stains. I helped Amelia up, pressing my finger to my lips to caution her to stay quiet. Tiptoeing to the bathroom door, I pushed it ajar, holding my breath as the hinges gave out a small squeak. A group of rogue vamps patrolled the hallway outside.

  Viktor must have a whole army on the premises, I realized, remembering that I had already taken out at least a few dozen guards earlier in the day.

  I pushed on the door, shutting it silently. I could easily take on the guards in the hall, but not without putting Amelia in danger. The calm way they patrolled the hallways was proof that Viktor had not yet discovered that we had escaped. I hoped to keep it that way for as long as possible.

  All of a sudden, there was a commotion on the other side of the door. A loud, startling alarm blasted through the building. Amelia gasped, looking anxiously toward me.

  “We gotta get back into the vents and hide,” I whispered urgently. “But we need to be above the first floor for better access. Crawling through the basement won’t lead us to the exit.”

  Amelia nodded and pointed up to the ceiling. Right above one of the large bathroom windows was another vent. I climbed on the windowsill, reaching up to the opening. I was the first to squeeze into the newly revealed hiding spot, pulling myself up, then laying flat on my stomach and extending my hand out to Amelia. Amelia followed behind me, but struggled to gain footing on the narrow ledge. Her right foot slipped, causing her to lose her balance. She cried out, clawing desperately at my arm. I caught her wrist, grabbing it firmly just before she fell to the cement tiles below. She dangled in mid-air, whimpering in fear. I pulled on her arm, dragging her into the safety of the vent, just as one of the armed vampire guards burst through the bathroom door. We held our breath as the vampire searched each stall, silently hoping that he did not look up at the ceiling. When the guard passed underneath the vent, Amelia’s started to hyperventilate, her breath coming out in short, loud gasps. I placed my palm over her mouth to keep her from crying out. Hot tears streamed down her face and over my hand. After what seemed like the longest thirty seconds of my life, the vampire shouted: “All clear!” and disappeared back into the hallway.

  As the siren continued to shriek, Amelia and I hurried deeper into the vent. We crawled with urgency, the dusty passageways turning our palms black from grime. My goal was to get us near one of the building exits and out into the safety of the street. Both below and above us, commotion continued. Gunshots rang out on the floor below, followed by much yelling and pained grunting. Something else was going on and it was much bigger than my and Amelia’s escape, I realized, but tried to ignore the commotion. I had no desire to stick around and f
ind out what had all of Dixie Pharmaceuticals up in arms. My priority was to get us out alive—and quickly.

  We crept in the direction of what I hoped was the front door, until we came upon a fork in the vent’s path. Beams of light streamed through the floor midway down the right side of vent, indicating another grate below.

  “This way,” I whispered to Amelia, turning to the right.

  We followed the light, trying to keep as silent as possible. Upon reaching the grate, we both peered through, the tops of our heads touching lightly. Below us, in one of the small laboratory rooms, an astonishing scene was unfolding. My team of four vampire recruits, accompanied by Sebastian and Ethan, were facing off against Viktor and his rogue vamps.

  Sophie was in combat with a large, tattooed vampire. He was a certifiable giant; his massive head was the size of the tiny girl’s entire torso. As the heavy, dark-haired assailant swung a spiked mace toward her, Sophie’s reflexes sent her to the floor. She curled up into a tight ball, forcing the attacker to miss. She clenched her fists, courageously rising off the ground and swinging her foot at the ogre. Her heel connected with the vampire’s stomach, causing him to fall over, cursing in pain. To Sophie’s misfortune, the vampire recovered quickly. He hissed, baring his sharp fangs, and once again, swung the mace at Sophie’s head. Just before the heavy weapon made contact with Sophie’s head, Hunter rushed to her aid. He dug his hands into the large vampire’s side, pushing him out of the way. The slight shift in the goon’s position caused the spiky ball to narrowly miss Sophie’s skull. Together, Sophie and Hunter had a much easier time taking on the vampire. Within seconds, he was on the ground, entangled in the chains of his own weapon.