“Are they going to experiment on me again?” she asked, changing the topic as if she were asking about his thoughts on the weather.
“What?” Jack’s neck lifted so fast, it almost gave him whiplash.
“Yeah, I wanted to ask before, but it seemed selfish.” Elizabeth moved a long cord of thick, red hair from her eyes to behind her ear. “So what’s it going to be? Did you bring me to New Hope because I’m a freak?”
“Um …” Abigail motioned with her chin to a servant who had appeared down the hall. “Perhaps we should have this conversation in private.”
Jack looked bewildered, but nodded along with her suggestion. The trio entered the girls’ room, and Abigail closed the door behind them. The floor plan was a single, large square. A window opened up to the rear garden, and two large beds stood side by side with a nightstand between. A pair of dressers and a door leading to the lavatory rounded out the room.
Elizabeth wasted no time, running to a bed and throwing herself atop the fluffy cushions. She rolled onto her stomach, both hands supporting her chin.
Abigail was more reserved as she stood next to her sister, her arms folded across her chest. A look of apprehension touched her eyes as Jack took turns staring at them both, wondering who was going to speak first.
The journal they had found in the cave laboratory, the one written by the scientist named Aaron Jebson. He had referred to two experiments. Was Elizabeth one of them? Jack wondered as he waited for someone to break the silence.
“When the memories first started coming back to her,” Abigail said, her voice shaking, “we thought they were dreams or something else. I mean, how could she not remember?”
“The memories are like nightmares,” Elizabeth said, echoing her sister’s words. “I’ve always been a bit off, but … but it’s been getting worse. I think they found me in the woods one day. I think they experimented on me.”
“Who?” Jack tried wrapping his mind around the idea of anyone experimenting on another person. “Who would do something like that to a young girl? How long were you gone?”
“They were men in long, white coats.” Elizabeth shivered as she spoke. “I don’t remember much, but I remember the cave laboratory and … I remember being in pain.”
Elizabeth paused as her skin paled. Her eyes were huge as if she were reliving the horrible events of the cave that very moment.
“They would have had to capture her, do their experiments, and erase her memory each day.” Abigail swallowed hard. “She was never missing. We lived in Burrow Den. It was the quietest city in the Outland before … before the attacks started.”
“In the journal we found,” Jack started, deciding to tell the sisters what he knew, “there was mention of two successful experiments outside of the ocelot. They were codenamed ‘A-10 Banshee’ and ‘A-19 Night Walker.’”
Chapter Six
Sloan
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Sloan’s eyebrow arched. It was almost midnight. After her check in with the bodyguards watching the queen and a walk-through of the palace grounds, Sloan was exhausted. She was making her way to her own quarters, when she found Aareth headed for the armory. “You should be resting that arm of yours.”
“Arm’s fine.” Aareth glared at her through bloodshot eyes. A look of borderline panic had replaced his usual easygoing demeanor. “Can’t sleep.”
“Is there something I should be made aware of?” Sloan caught her rough tone and decided to ease off a bit. “Are you okay, Aareth?”
“It’s nothing.” Aareth swallowed hard, averting his gaze. “An impossible coincidence, that’s all.”
“Well, where are you going?” Sloan decided not to push the subject. “The palace armory is the only thing down this hall.”
“I have a meeting with Edison.” Aareth coughed so hard, it almost sounded like a bark. He massaged his miraculously healed arm. “He said he can do some tests to explain this.”
“How is it?” Sloan felt pity for the man, and just as soon, hid the emotion. Aareth didn’t need, neither would he want, someone feeling sorry for him. “The pain’s gone. Physically, I feel stronger than I ever have. It’s just that—” Aareth shifted his gaze from Sloan to the vaulted ceiling of the palace. It wasn’t that he was trying to break eye contact with her, he was just searching for the words. “Something’s going on that I can’t explain. I’m having dreams that I’ve had a hundred times before, but they’re ending different now. I feel like something inside of me has woken and it’s pissed off.”
“I’m not going to pretend that I know what you’re going through.” Sloan looked down at her own mending leg that still caused her to limp. Memories of the knife wound from Elijah Ahab were fresh in her mind. “My injuries are a bit more normal. If anyone has an answer as to what’s happened to you, Edison will.”
“Why don’t you come with?” Aareth motioned with his head for her to follow as he continued his journey down the hall. “We can both see what madness Edison has been up to since our last visit.”
Sloan fell in step with Aareth. She was far from considering him a friend, but after their experience in Burrow Den, she knew she could trust him. He had his demons like everyone else, but deep down he was faithful.
“Where’re the gloves Edison made for you?” Sloan remembered the mage-powered gauntlets with a smile. “Decided to take a break from electrocuting yourself?”
“Left them on the locomotive. Didn’t think I would need them in New Hope.” Aareth gave Sloan a sideways grin. It was good to see him smile again. “I know, couldn’t have been more wrong. I spoke with Edison at the funeral. He said he would collect them and design some tests to run on my arm. I was to meet him in the armory at midnight.”
The two slowed their strides as they came to the end of the hall where a set of looming double doors stood guarding the armory. Carved on each door was an intricate design of magical symbols and runes. Each line etched into the door shone with a dull, red light.
Aareth reached up with a tentative fist. He knocked on the door so gently, Sloan wasn’t sure his knuckles had made contact with the door at all. Despite this fact, the doors glowed even brighter, then swung open.
The smell of grease and smoke was thick in the air as the captain and the former city inspector entered the workshop.
Minus the bustling activity of a hundred gnomes hard at work, the room was just like Sloan remembered on her last visit. The chamber was massive with an army of machines she recognized, and even more she didn’t. Bright mage lamps were strung up overhead.
“Are you sure he told you to visit him at midnight?” Sloan’s eyes searched the area for any threat. A feeling like they were being watched crawled across her skin.
“That’s what he said,” Aareth answered.
Then a noise came from somewhere close—a deep hacking, like someone was either choking or had been caught in the middle of diabolical laughter. On instinct, Sloan went for her mage sword. The pommel in her grip felt familiar, comforting.
She felt, more than saw, Aareth tense beside her. The lights blinked, suddenly plunging them into inky blackness. Still the noise came. It was more distinct now. Was someone vomiting? In the pitch-black, what would have been a curious sound now seemed laced with danger.
With her inability to see anything, Sloan’s remaining senses were on overdrive. Fear sought to rattle her, but courage made her stand. In one smooth motion, she pulled her mage sword free of its sheath. She switched the small button by her thumb, activating the sword’s ability. With a hiss, her blade began to warm, until it glowed a faint red.
“Whatever this is, you stay behind me.” Sloan could barely make out Aareth’s face by the dull crimson light wafting from her saber. Before he could utter a response, she anticipated his return. “There’s clearly something out of the ordinary going on with you. It makes more sense for me to make the first attempt while you circle behind.”
“Right,” Aareth growled. “You’re the captain.”
As the n
oise grew louder, heavy stomps were added. It sounded like someone or something was dragging a dead leg in its wake. Whatever the monster was, it was something out of a child’s nightmare; a specter of a memory nervously ignored as adults.
All at once, the lights to the workshop shone bright. Sloan winced under the pain of the illumination. She ignored anything else and gaped at the impossible man standing in front of her. There was no denying it was Edison Reeves, but only a man half his age. He held an empty vial in one hand, a shoe in the other. He let out another horrific cough before leaning down and placing his shoe on his foot.
“Right, so there are the lights. You’d think the gnomes would make sure they’re always working, but hey, you get what you pay for. Am I right, or am I right?” Edison looked at his guests for the first time. A smile, then realization of the horror they must have felt at his approach in the dark crossed his face. “Oh, I must have made you wet your shorts.”
Edison grimaced, taking in Sloan’s drawn sword with a single glance.
“That must have been horrifying in the dark and all. I overloaded the circuit working on a project, but who hasn’t, right?” Edison put down the beaker, taking in their stares. “Okay, I know why you’re staring at me, and the answer is yes. I have, in fact, lost weight. I tell you, cut out those carbs and, wow, what a difference.”
“Edison—” Aareth leaned in closer to take a look at his friend’s face. “It’s you, but you’re younger and … and energetically annoying.”
“Oh, right, yes, thanks for the compliment.” Edison ignored the slight with a grand gesture of his hand. “This is the culmination of many years of work between the Department of Paranormal Study and Magic, and Livingston Industries. The Phoenix Serum that allows me to regain the days of my youth was actually discovered by accident. We were hard at work on the Vampire Project when I discovered this little baby.”
“Back up.” Sloan switched off her mage sword, still in shock. Edison Reeves had been a grey-haired, soft-spoken man in his fifties. The version of him now with thick, black hair and a mustache was near impossible for her to comprehend. What was even more shocking was the term he had just used. “Did you say Vampire Project?”
“Yes, yes, it’s all going to be unveiled at the celebration ball, but you two are trustworthy, so I thought I’d let it slip.” Edison began looking around his massive workspace as if he had misplaced something important. “Now where did I put that…”
“First I need to know about this Phoenix Serum and then the celebration ball.” Aareth looked over to Sloan and mouthed the words, Vampire Project?
Sloan shook her head. As much as she wanted to believe Edison was innocent, they just couldn’t take any chances. She needed to find out as much as she could about this Vampire Project and gather hard evidence before any other moves could be made. If Edison was in fact a part of this, then the less he knew of her investigation the better.
“Ahhh … here you are.” Edison reached into a steel container no larger than a shoebox. He pulled out a chubby gnome who rubbed tiny fists at tired eyes. “No sleeping on the job, Elwood. There is work to be done, iced lattes to be drunk, and progress to be made.”
Edison set the gnome down. The tiny worker only reached his knee. It yawned again before saying something unintelligible. The gnome’s native language sounded like a high-pitched gibberish.
“No, it’s fine to swim after you eat. That whole waiting an hour thing is just a lie.” Edison arched an eyebrow at his tiny helper. “Why are you asking me about this right now? Are you planning another vacation?”
“Edison.” Aareth took a step forward in a very unlike-Aareth way and violently grabbed the inventor. “Focus. What about the serum?”
Elwood ran forward to help his employer. A stern look came over his eyes, his tiny lungs already shouting high-pitched orders to Aareth.
Edison waved his helper away.
“It only has temporary effect. Discovered by accident. I’m working on another batch now to try to keep the result permanent.” Edison leaned in so close to Aareth, the two were almost touching foreheads. “Are you okay? Your eyes look crazy.”
“And we were supposed to have a ball, celebrating our victory in Burrow Den. It’s all political. I asked the queen to postpone the event for a day so Jack could have time.” Sloan stepped forward, placing a hand on one of Aareth’s quivering arms. “Edison—you mentioned something else? You discovered the Phoenix Serum while researching, what exactly?”
“Yes, yes you’ve gotten a taste for the future and want more. I can understand that.” Edison wriggled his way out of Aareth’s grip. If he was perturbed at the rough handling, he didn’t show it. “Think of the lives that will be spared, the resources we will save.”
“Start from the beginning. What is this Vampire Project you’ve been referencing?” Sloan finally felt comfortable enough to sheath her blade. “Don’t leave anything out.”
“We’re so close.” Edison motioned to Elwood. “The plans, Elwood, the plans.”
The gnome reached an empty hand behind his back. He pulled out a massive rolled-up scroll that couldn’t have been shoved down his pants.
“Thank you.” Edison accepted the plans, spreading open the document on a steel table. He waved away their confused looks with an open hand. “Elwood’s a mage gnome. He can produce small to midsize objects. The perfect assistant for an inventor.”
“He can conjure objects out of thin air?” Sloan fixed the gnome with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“Yes. Of course, there’s a limit to his ability, but anything he’s able to handle he can bring forth. Watch this.” Edison looked down at Elwood, barking out items. “Espresso, screwdriver, brick, glasses, can.”
As quickly as Edison could shout the object, Elwood was reaching behind his back, conjuring the items. A second later, he stood with his arms full of the desired objects. The espresso was balanced atop his full arms, teetering dangerously.
“Well done.” Edison took the screwdriver, the brick, the glasses, and the can and put them on the four corners of his rolled-out schematic. The espresso, he drank in one large gulp. His face lit up like a Christmas tree. “That’s what I needed! There it is!”
“I don’t think you needed that at all.” Sloan looked over at Aareth, who had gotten over whatever fit of anger had come over him. “You ready for this?”
“Do we have a choice?” Aareth asked, joining them at the table. They looked down at the drawing. “Okay, tell us what this is.”
“All right, coming at you, fast and furious.” Edison pointed to the map below them. It was the outline of a man lying on his back, notes and arrows all over the paper, pointing out enhancements and changes. “The Vampire Project is our run at creating the perfect soldier. We’ve been able to increase strength, speed, even the length of their lives. The only drawback is that they’re a bit blood-lusty. But we’re so very close to having a perfect model. Doctor Livingston says he’s had a breakthrough that will solve the blood thing, but I just don’t understand how.”
“Blood-lusty?” Aareth joined the two looking over the schematic. He reached out with a hand and pointed to fangs sprouting from the outline man’s mouth. “What’s this?”
“It’s an animal thing. Their fangs protrude when they’re preparing to fight. Think of Sloan pulling her saber from her sheath.” Edison crossed his arms. Deep in thought, he shook his head while he spoke. “Their bloodlust makes them too eager for combat. We’ve created warriors too eager to fight.”
“You experimented on these people.” All Sloan could think about was the journal found in the cave laboratory that detailed experiments done on animals and human beings alike. “Why? Why would you do this?”
“They were all willing. Each one of them understood what we were trying here.” For the first time, Edison looked hurt. “I promise you, there was nothing but complete transparency. No one was hurt while we did our testing. As to why we would do this,
imagine the lives we could save if the good guys are ten times faster than the bad guys, ten times stronger and possess a fighting courage that makes them smile in the face of battle.”
Edison’s genuinely ignorant demeanor disturbed Sloan. He was a good man she had known for years now. It was hard for her to imagine a scenario where he was involved in any of the experiments going on in Burrow Den. The way he talked sounded like he didn’t have a clue. He was either the best liar she had ever met, or he was being used as a piece in a much larger game.
Edison motioned the group over to a chalkboard with white notes covering nearly every inch of the surface.
“By no means is it perfection. For some reason, the vampires are sensitive to light, and we already talked about the blood lust thing.” Edison stared at the board as if he were in a trance. “If we could fix that and somehow increase their healing factor, we’d have the perfect soldier.”
“Why are they called vampires?” Sloan asked as she studied the board. “Like the vampire bat?”
Edison’s eyes were slowly beginning to close. It seemed the espresso had worn off. Elwood tugged at his pant leg, jolting the inventor back to the waking world.
“Oh, yes, sorry.” Edison shook his head, rubbing at tired eyes. “I didn’t name the project, but I assume you’re right. The bat with the thirst for blood.”
For a moment, the three humans and the gnome stood quiet. Sloan wasn’t sure what was going on in the heads of her companions, but she couldn’t stop thinking of the story Aareth and Jack had told them about fighting their attacker atop the locomotive on their way to Burrow Den. He fit all of the physical characteristics Edison had explained.
Chapter Seven
Sloan
“But I forget myself.” Edison took their silence for awe instead of concern. “You’ve come for answers to Aareth’s arm. I’ve prepared some tests to help us understand what is happening.”
The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5) Page 22