9781936653027BorntobeWildArsuaga (26 page)

“That’s why I’m here. Have
you seen or heard from her?”

“No,
not since last night.
Why? Is she missing?”

“Yeah, I spoke with her
earlier today. There was something at SGM she had to take care of and we agreed
to meet at 1830, it’s now 1930. Something’s wrong. It’s not like her to miss an
appointment, and she’s not answering her phone.”

“Step inside, and let’s
see if maybe we can pick her up.” Inside the rear bay sat a couple special
agents in front of a bank of monitors and instruments with obvious listening
devices.

“Wow, quite a set-up
here, real spy shit,” Jordan said.

“Yeah, son, it is. We’ve
got a surveillance team set up inside a building across the street as well.
They have a couple of infrared cameras and laser mikes on the windows. We are
watching and listening to all the activity going on at SGM. We know who has
come and gone during each shift since early this morning.”

“You’ve done all this in
a couple of hours? I’m impressed.”

“Anything
unusual Fentress?”
Martin asked one of the special agents seated.

“Actually, sir, there was
movement from the Executive Level, what we identified as
Munteanu’s
office spaces. Those figures are now moving to the lower floors. By the
silhouettes of what we know in the type of backgrounds they display, they were
all vampires, except for one human,” Fentress said.

“I’ll be willing to bet
that is Alex. I knew she’d do something crazy and go after that dude alone,”
Jordan said.

“When did this happen?”
Martin asked.

“Maybe ten minutes ago.
I’ll back up the recording,” Fentress said.

“Did you pick up any
audio?” Martin asked.

“No, the blinds were
across the windows and the lasers couldn’t get a clear read,” Fentress said.

“Keep trying. Maybe we
can figure out where they took her in the building before we go storming in,”
Jordan said.

“It won’t make any
difference, son. We’re going in any minute. As soon as the vamps and bounty
hunters show up with their respective troops, the raid begins.”

The sound of screeching
wheels and car doors slamming could be heard over the sounds of the electronics
in the van.

“Well, right on cue, I
think the troops have arrived,” Martin said.

Martin saw the expression
of worry and concern for Alex on Jordan’s face. “Don’t worry son, we’ll find
her. If she’s anything like your mom, she’ll be okay. Here, you may want to
wear one of these, just in case.” He handed him a Kevlar vest.

“Jesus, what kind of
shooting are you planning on doing?”

“Be prepared son, and if
I remember correctly, that’s one of your Bounty Rules.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t
expecting this.” Jordan slipped on the vest, surprised at its weight. Martin
helped him tighten the straps.

All around the final
preparations were made, a corps of vampires dressed in all black, a few dozen
rag-tag bounty hunters in jeans and T-shirts of various colors and writings,
and the well-uniformed Kevlar-vested Special Forces military types. Martin
adjusted his own bulletproof vest.

Martin nodded to Gregori,
“You ready?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s do this,”
Martin said. He called over the radio, “Captain, we’re ready, go.”

Chapter 24

“Enjoy your confines
Stefan. When your hunger gets great, your little whore will provide your
nourishment. You’ll either kill her or turn her. Either way, you’ll return to
us. Maybe next time you’ll think twice about betraying your Lord Master,”
Ecaterina said as they entered the area Dragos called his dungeon.

It was set up as a
bondage room. All the equipment and tools needed for play.

The guards pushed
Alexandra and Stefan into the room.

“Don’t leave him like
this. Take these off him. They’re burning his skin,” Alex begged.

“You
pathetic human.
This is what you want Stefan? You could have had me, but
instead you chose that lowly…vermin, totally unworthy of you. I’m going to
enjoy watching you suffer for your foolishness.”

Stefan gritted his teeth
and hissed. The pain racked through his body. “I’m sure you will Ecaterina,
you’re a sadistic bitch.” He fell to his knees. Alexandra knelt beside him,
wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Ecaterina scoffed. “There
was a time when you said I was beautiful and you loved my sadistic nature.”

He did once. Ecaterina
was one of the regrets in life he spoke to Alexandra about. “I wanted you once,
but that time has passed. I want more.”

“And you think
she
can give it to you?” Ecaterina
glared at Alexandra sitting next to him. “That fat cow bitch hunts our kind and
is working with the Feds. She deserves to die.”

“Then kill me now,
because I will not live without her. I love her.” He turned to face Alexandra.

“I love you too Stefan,”
Alex said.

Ecaterina took in a
hissing breath, “Oh god, you two make me sick. I will make you pay, Stefan
Marin, so help me, I’ll make you pay.”

The vamp motioned for the
guard to keep the cuffs on and leave. A moment later, she departed laughing.
Stefan and Alexandra were locked in the room, alone.

Alexandra stood and paced
the floor. Fear ran through her. The operation was less than an hour away and
here they were holed up in a room with no windows, one door for escape, and
decorated à la Bondage 101.

“What is it with you
vamps and bondage? I’ve never seen anything like it, everywhere I go, whips,
chains, and bizarre torture chamber stuff.”

“We like to control
everything around us I guess,” Stefan said. He grimaced.

Kneeling down, she took
his hands and gently placed them in hers. “I’m sorry. I was trying to be funny
and take your mind off the pain. I’m so sorry.”

He gazed into her eyes
lovingly. “I know you were. I was being funny too.”

Running her hand along
his cheek, she shifted her attention to his wrists. “Are you going to be okay?
These burns look nasty.”

“They’ll heal when the
cuffs come off.”

“I’m so sorry. I should
have listened to you and left when you said. We wouldn’t be in this mess right
now. This is my entire fault.”

“Don’t beat yourself up.
You are a stubborn woman, but if you’d done what I told you last night and let
me handle this, we probably wouldn’t be here.”

“No, you forbade me to
come here.
Big difference.”

“Hmm, maybe, but the
result is the same.”

“Yeah, we’re stuck in a
sex dungeon, but hopefully not for long.”

“The
operation.
It’s almost
time
.”

Turning her wrist to read
her watch, “It’s started. Do you hear anything?”

“No, but this room is
sound-proof. Don’t worry. Gregori will find us.”

“Jordy will find us.”

“You want to wager on who
finds us first?”

“You’re a gambling man?
Never thought that about you, Mister Marin.”

“I’m not, but I love a
challenge, especially with you.”

“You’re on. What do you
want to play for?”

“Mmm, how about if I win,
you have to stop cursing for…say, thirty days. After that, it should be a habit
you will hopefully break.”

“Oh
good one.
And if I break the rule and curse, is there a punishment?”

“Well, of course, there’s
always punishment for disobedience.”

“Okay, if I win, I get to
change out your wardrobe, add more color.”

“But, I like my wardrobe.
What’s wrong with my clothes? I have color.”

“What?
Five
different shades of black?
So do you agree?”

“Yes,
but only because I’m going to win.”

“You think so?
We’ll see, Jordy is good.
Damn good.”

“Ah,
your first punishment.”

* * * *

They formed two lines,
one to the right, and the other to the left. The army captain led the group
from the right.
“On my count.”
With his fingers he
counted down starting with five…four… three…two…

“Ready
dude?”
Jordan whispered.

“As I’ll ever be,”
Johnson replied.

Earsplitting bangs
pierced the night as doors careened open. The Special Forces unit ploughed
through the glass shouting and brandishing their weapons. Screaming voices
along with general panic greeted the first wave as confused employees scrambled
out of harm’s way.

Seven seconds.

“All secure, sir,” the
voice came over the radio.

The Special Forces unit
moved like locusts through the floors of the two-building complex of SGM,
rounding up all the civilians. The vampire contingent made their own way, like
shadows, tracking Dragos’ blood clan. Within thirty minutes, they secured the
buildings, removing everyone to holding areas outside. Only the Executive and
Basement Levels remained. With their reinforced walls and entry points the Army
needed heavier ordnance to break through.

Within an hour two
antitank rocket launchers sat before the main entrance to the Executive Level.
Behind them the Special Forces gathered. The doors went down in a roar of
flying concrete and rebar. Through the dense swirling cloud of smoke and concrete
dust, civilians spilled out toward the waiting military, trampling those not
quick enough to move. Martin, Johnson, Palmer, and Jordan rounded the corner
from the elevator lobby of the Executive Level and saw several black clad
Special Forces tackle someone to the floor. Three other bodies sprawled on the
floor, twitching and blood oozing from gunshot wounds.

The leader of the black
dressed military unit turned to the Chief, “Let us secure the space first sir.”
He proceeded to open the double doors to Dragos’ offices.

“Wait,” Martin said. “I
think we should wait for the other vampires.”

“We’re good, sir.”

A few moments later, a
staccato sound from several automatic weapons unnerved the four men. Dead
silence.

“Should we go in, sir?”
Johnson asked.

“No. We need to wait for
Gregori and the other vampires,” Martin said.

“How do we reach them?
They didn’t have radios,” Palmer said.

“Great, now what do we
do?” Jordan asked.

Thirty seconds passed.

The elevator bell dinged.

Gregori and several other
vampires arrived.

“Is Dragos in there?”
Gregori asked Martin.

“Most
likely.
A unit went in. There was gunfire, and now silence. Got a
feeling it’s not good,” Martin said.

“Stay here. We’ll take
care of it,” Gregori said.

And then more silence,
followed by a preternatural growl, and silence.

The door to the offices
jarred opened slightly. Constantine, one of the vampires stepped out, “You can
come in,” he said.

The four men entered
Dragos’ offices tentatively. They walked toward the group of black shrouded
vampires circling a man seated at a large desk. As they approached, they
witnessed the ripped and torn remains of the Special Forces unit that initially
went in to subdue Dragos. The vampire group turned their attention to the four
in unison.

Papers were scattered
over the floor and the desk. The low hum of a machine running could be heard.

Gregori stepped forward,
“Chief Martin, what would you like us to do with Dragos, cut his head off,
stake him, or burn him?”

“None of the above,”
Martin said, pausing. “What’s that noise?”

“Uh, we caught him
shredding documents when we arrived. He forgot to cut the shredder off. Teo you
want to get that?” Gregori asked his Knight vampire.

“Great, now we have to
piece paper puzzles together.”

“Well, what do you want
to do with him?” Gregori asked.

“I got word earlier from
Washington. If we captured him intact, we were to bring him in to stand before
the High Tribunal. So, let’s tak8e him in and move him out to be shipped to
D.C. on the next flight out,” Martin said.

The high back leather
chair slowly swiveled, revealing Dragos. A wicked smile creased along his face.
“I’ll never stand trial. I’ve done nothing wrong. I will have this tied up in
the courts for years for illegal search and seizure and violation of my rights,
it will make your heads spin.”

“Then we’ll only have to
make yours spin in return,” Gregori said. “What you have done is an abomination
to both vampires and humans alike. There is no redemption for this.”

Jordan elbowed a path
through the crowd and slammed his fist on the desk, “Where’s my sister, you
perverted piece of trash!”

“Who are you and who is
your sister?” Dragos asked.

“Alexandra, Alex Carlton,
short, cute, redhead, the bounty hunter whose been after your ass for the past
couple weeks,” Jordan said, his voice elevated.

“Well, I hate to
disappoint, but by now my dear Cat’s fangs have probably done her in.”

“You bastard, if anything
has happened to her, I’ll…”

Dragos stood and hissed.
The other vampires alerted and moved closer. Johnson and Palmer wrestled Jordan
back away from the desk.

“Son, back down, we’ll
find her,” Martin said, turning to Gregori, “Can you get the information from
him to find her?”

“We’ll get the
information from him. Get Jordan out of here.”

* * * *

The door lock clicked,
the knob slowly turned to the dungeon chamber. Alex and Stefan alerted, sitting
upright.

“Be ready to go shopping
tomorrow night buddy. Did you bring enough cash with you?” Alex asked,
grinning.

“It’s not Jordan,
Alexandra,” Stefan said, solemnly.

“Oh, what makes you so
sure?”

“Because he sensed it was
me you stupid human vermin,” Ecaterina said.

Alex flinched, tightly
grabbing Stefan’s arm.

“What do you want now
Ecaterina. Come to gloat about my condition?”

“You know why? The Feds
are here and a whole hell of a lot of vampires which I suspect you had
something to do with. Dragos sent me here to fetch the little human as
insurance for a bargaining chip out of here.”

Stefan growled. “No!”

Ecaterina moved with
speed shoving Stefan onto his back and lifting Alex, pushing her up against the
wall. “I’d take your life now whore, but Dragos wants you alive. It’s your
lucky day.”

Alex stomped on
Ecaterina’s foot then kneed her in the crotch. Ecaterina released her
momentarily and Alex broke away, running toward Stefan.

“You little fat bitch!”

Tackling Alex from
behind, she slammed her to the floor, then flipped Alex over in one motion.
Alex tried fighting back, swinging punches, but missing. Ecaterina moved too
fast. Grabbing Alex’s wrists, Ecaterina pinned her arms to the floor.

“Fuck Dragos’ orders. You
need to be punished for this.” Her fangs elongated and leaned in to bite.

Alex’s eyes widened.

Silver-cuffed arms
encircled Ecaterina’s throat and she cried out in pain. As Stefan yanked her
back, the grip on Alex’s wrists relaxed.

Stefan tightened his
stranglehold and Ecaterina’s skin sizzled. She tried to reach behind to pull
from his grip, but his strength was obviously greater.

“Get out of here
Alexandra, run!” He demanded.

“Not without you. I have
something better for her.” Alex bent her left knee, pulled up her jeans and
unsheathed the extra wooden stake strapped on her shin. Scrambling to her feet,
she took in a deep breath then let it out.

Acting instinctively, she
gripped the stake with both hands, lunging forward. “This is for the virus and
biting me you skinny ass bitch!” Plunging the wooden dagger into the chest of
the ebony-haired vamp with all her strength, Alex felt the black latex give
way, then the flesh underneath.

Alex had practiced the
vamp-kill many times with her brothers. The stiletto thin stake slipped between
two of Ecaterina’s ribs, piercing her heart. At the first nick the vampire
’s eyes widened and a death rattle issued from the core of
her being. It was just as Alex’s dad described. Color drained from Ecaterina’s
flesh gradually turning it to a pale dry gray. As the last of Ecaterina’s death
cry dwindled to silence, Alex withdrew the stake and the vampire’s once
luxuriant flesh crumbled like a stale cake.

Alex dropped the stake to
the floor. Her heart raced. Stefan raised his arms and encircled her tightly.
She shivered.

“It’s over,
prinţesa mea
. You’re safe now.
Let’s get out of here.”

“I’m obeying you this
time. No questions.”

The door crashed open,
Alex and Stefan jerked around.

Jordan, followed by
Johnson, Palmer and several vamps appeared in the room.

“Alex? Are you all
right?” Jordan asked, running toward her and Stefan.

Stefan released his
embrace. She ran to Jordan and hugged him. “I’m fine. Did you get Dragos?”