Reining In (The Network) (18 page)

But it wasn’t his men that kept me glued to the floor like I was. It was the look in Vyktor’s eyes. It was a look of satisfaction; a look of victory. His dark eyes held a secret that he was dying to tell.

Vyktor smiled again and cocked his head to the side. “That looks so painful, my dear. Perhaps I should take a look at it.” I scooted back on the floor as he took a step forward. Vyktor stopped and smiled that awful smile again.

“Are you afraid of me? Now why would you be afraid of me? I don’t want to hurt you. I want you to be perfectly healthy and alive. I have bigger plans for you, my dear sweet Sadie. Or should I say Khalida?” He paused and took another step forward.

“Really, that’s not very original. Did you think I wouldn’t figure out it was you?” I kept silent, continuing to move back away from him. As he moved closer, I noticed the crossbow in his hands. Not for me, I was sure of that.

I looked back at Jake, who was still hanging between the two support beams. His breathing had grown shallow. Hanging, like he was, was no better than being crucified. He was suffocating, and I had to help him. Vyktor’s cold laugh brought my attention back to him. He was still advancing towards me, slowly, but steadily.

“Please, Vyktor, just let him go. You have me. You can do whatever you want to me. Just let him go.” Begging. I knew it’s what he wanted, and at this point, it wasn’t beneath me. I would do anything to save Jake’s life.

“Like you have a choice in the matter, sweetheart. I will do whatever I like with you. And with your little boyfriend, too, for that matter.” He paused for a moment, thinking to himself. He cocked his head and grinned again.

“Tell you what Sadie; Khalida; whatever the hell you call yourself now. I’ll let him go.” He nodded to the two men standing closest to Jake and they started walking towards him.

One pulled a pocket knife from his jacket and opened it. The other grabbed Jake by the hair, lifting his head up, and patted him on the cheek. “Boss says you’re a free man, buddy.” The guy chuckled and let go. The two of them cut the ropes from Jake’s arms. He nearly collapsed, but one of the men caught him, holding him up.

“See? He’ll be fine.” Vyktor laughed and looked back at me. “Go ahead, help him out.”

I knew Vyktor would never let the two of us just walk out, but I wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity to get between Jake and Vyktor. I slowly pulled myself up, wincing as I did. The pain was slowly diminishing, but I was far from 100 percent. I slowly limped towards Jake.

He was standing on his own now. The men that had been holding him up had backed far away. I heard the maniacal laugh behind me. I didn’t turn around to see what Vyktor was doing. I already knew what was going to happen before I even heard the click of the crossbow.

A horrible whistle followed and I ran, faster and harder than I had ever run before. I crashed into Jake, slamming him into the floor just as the tiny arrow crushed my vertebrae. I laid there, on top of Jake, for what seemed like hours. Fire ripped through my chest. The arrow had pierced my heart; something that would kill most people. Of course, I’m not most people. It burned, though. Christ, it hurt like hell. But my heart continued to beat.

I picked my head up and looked down at Jake. The terrified look on his face sent me into panic mode for a moment. “Jake!” I whispered, grasping his face in my hands. “I’m ok,” he whispered back, weakly. I let out a sigh of relief and kissed his forehead and cheeks. Tears streamed down my face. “I’m sorry, Jake. I’m so, so sorry.”

I kissed him again. I had almost forgotten where I was. Heavy footsteps reminded me. As they approached, it was the smell that hit me first. A horrible smell, pungent, like rotting flesh; but underneath, something familiar; something old. The footsteps stopped right beside me, and I knew it wasn’t Vyktor.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” The words were in my native tongue, a language I hadn't spoken in centuries. I stopped breathing. Panic swept through my body. How? The pain was intense and I screamed as he ripped the arrow from my back. I didn’t have time to react beyond that. A new pain shot through my chest as I found myself flying through the air. The force of his boot sent me crashing into the wall, as Vyktor’s men scattered.

Crumpled and bleeding, I lay there on the floor. I was in shock. I hadn’t prepared for this. I didn’t know what to do. I tried to pick myself up, but before I could, he was there in front of me. I looked up, trembling. He picked me up by the throat, slamming me into the wall.

“Where is he Zahra?” I didn’t answer. I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t breath. Again he slammed me into the wall. Blood gushed from the back of my head, drenching my hair. “Where?” he shouted again. I felt my consciousness slipping. Vyktor’s laugh rang through the air.

I looked up at Set. Flesh hung from his bones, rotting. As strong as he was, I realized he must not have fed at all, yet. He looked more like a decaying mummy than a vampire. There was nothing left of the man I had thought I loved. Just the monster; one that was going to kill me and Jake if I didn’t do something immediately. I mustered every last ounce of energy I could, reaching up to grab his collar and pull his face towards mine.

“He’s here,” I whispered. I tried to catch my balance as I fell towards the ground. Set had started back towards Jake. No. I screamed, but nothing came out. Vyktor stood there smiling at me. My son. My beautiful son. I could see the child I held so close; the one I fought so hard to protect.

I closed my eyes, failing to hold back the tears that came. I loved him. He would never understand that. He would never know the lengths I had gone to protect him. He would continue to hurt me; hurt the people I loved. I had spent thousands of years protecting him from Set, and he had brought Set here to destroy me. I looked back at Set. He was only a few feet from Jake, now. Too close. God, he thought it was Jake.

“No, not him,” I whispered. Set stopped. He slowly turned and looked at me. He bared his teeth and growled.

“No more games, my love. Tell me where our son is.” Vyktor stopped laughing, and looked at me, his face filled with shock.

“I love you,” I whispered to him. I couldn’t stop the tears that broke free. I did love him. It killed me to give him up to Set, but I wasn’t going to let the two of them kill an innocent man. Vyktor’s jaw dropped, as the blood drained from his face. He started shaking his head.

“No, you’re not…..” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He started backing away from me.

“You thought he would help you? It’s not me that he is here to destroy. It was never me. I didn’t bury him because I was afraid for myself. It was you. It was always you. I’m sorry Vyktor.”

Vyktor looked over at Set, then back to me, continuing to back away from the both of us. He didn’t know the whole story. He didn’t know what had happened between me and Set, but he knew that he was suddenly in trouble. I had expected Set to turn on Vyktor then.

Fortunately, I was used to disappointment. I had bought myself some time, though, and slowly inched my way back towards Jake.

Set stood there, looking at Vyktor, and Vyktor back at him; neither making a move. Vyktor knew the power Set had. He knew there was no way he could take him on. He didn’t challenge him.

I neared Jake. I no longer cared what happened between the two of them, as long as Jake was safe. I had spent my entire life protecting Vyktor from his father. I had spent my entire life running, hiding. I had sacrificed everything for him, and for what. It was time for me to make a choice about the son I never really knew; who never knew me, never loved me, and would never forgive me. It was time to choose between him and the people I loved; the people who loved me back.

He had taken Raymond. He had taken Marlene. I would not let him take Jake. Keeping my eyes on the two of them, I reached down and grabbed Jake’s collar, pulling him to his feet. I had forgotten about Vyktor’s men. They had been mesmerized by the showdown between their boss and his long lost father, but a few of them suddenly noticed me and Jake standing there.

Soon all eyes were on me, and as I looked back, I realized Vyktor and Set were also looking at me. It seemed Set had decided just for the moment to forget about his need to destroy his son, and had focused his anger on me.

I positioned myself between Jake and the advancing crowd of men and vampires. For the first time, I wasn’t so sure I would get Jake out of this alive. I backed up, keeping him moving behind me. Set crouched, preparing to attack. I braced myself for impact, as I saw him leap forward. It was then that all hell broke loose.

From out of nowhere, a mass crashed into Set midleap. Screams rang out from all around me. I just stood there, trying to figure out what was going on. There were bodies everywhere, fighting, bleeding, screaming, advancing on each other. Vyktor and I stood facing each other, taking in the scene that surrounded us.

A crash on my right caught me off guard. I saw the boxes and tables that had lined the walls scattered all over. Debris flew as Set stood up. He started walking towards me, when suddenly his legs were swept out from under him. Someone, or something, grabbed Set by the throat and slammed his head into the ground. I could hear a deep growl coming from the dark corner.

In shock, I looked back at the room. Vyktor’s men were shooting wildly at what they couldn’t see; a blur of fangs and claws. Vampires. This wasn’t what I had planned when I brought the network together hours earlier. I had planned on keeping them safe, the only way I knew how. They were supposed to leave afterwards; to disappear. They weren’t supposed to come here.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the dark mass fly towards me, and braced myself as Vyktor’s body slammed into mine. Fangs bared, he kept coming at me. Anger consumed him, now, and he would not stop until he had destroyed me. I fought off his advances the best I could. It was not enough for him to try to hurt me, though. He taunted me as well.

“Do you really want to know how I found him?” he sneered, lunging at me yet again. “A little birdie told me. He told me exactly where to go; said that if I found Set, he would come here to destroy you.”

Markus. Of course he told him. He was the only other person that knew where Set was buried. How could I have trusted him? I left Jake with him. Christ, I was so stupid! “Of course he didn’t tell me everything. So little Sadie had a baby. How sweet. Too bad you were such a rotten mother.”

He lunged again, this time catching me by the throat. He slammed me into the floor, reopening the wound on the back of my head. Stars filled my vision, but I held him back the best I could. He continued to taunt me, as he repeatedly slammed my head into the floor. Blood pooled beneath me.

“I have to say, I’m shocked to hear you’re my mother. Certainly, I would think you would’ve told me long ago, in an attempt to convince me to forgive you.”

“It wouldn’t have worked,” I gasped. “Besides, keeping you in the dark was what kept you alive.”

“Oh, well thank you,” he spat out, sarcastically. “I was wrong. You’re a wonderful mother.” He slammed my head into the floor once more.

“Let her go.” It was not a voice I expected to hear. Vyktor seemed genuinely shocked as well. We both looked up as Markus advanced on us. Vyktor laughed. “What are you going to do, birdie?” he growled. Markus raised his hand ever so slightly, revealing the sword he had been carrying. Vyktor took it as a challenge and stood up. Markus looked down at me. I slowly stood up.

Markus nodded at me, and I nodded back. I knew what had to be done. I had to be the one to do it. Markus had made me a promise, and he couldn’t break it. I caught the sword just as Vyktor whipped back around and ran at me. Swiftly, I swung the sword, plunging it into Vyktor’s chest. With my free hand, I grabbed him and pulled him towards me, plunging the sword deeper.

I reached up and took his face in my free hand, and I pressed my cheek to his, tears running down my face. My heart was breaking. This would be the last time I ever saw my son.

“I love you. You are my son, and I will always love you.” Vyktor’s breathing quickened. I could hear his heart race. I knew the pain he felt; the fire that burned. I pulled the sword from his chest and with both hands, raised it high. “Forgive me,” I whispered, and swung the blade towards his neck. He closed his eyes, just before the blade connected.

“I cannot,” he whispered back.

Markus caught me just before I hit the ground.

Chapter Twenty-Two

When I opened my eyes again, it was not Markus, but Mack that was holding me. My vision was blurred and my head was splitting, but I knew it was him. He had come back for me. I heard other footsteps around us, and whispers here and there. But my head was filled with cobwebs, and I couldn’t make anything out.

I looked over Mack’s shoulder, and saw the building we had just left. Smoke and flames poured out the windows. Seconds later, a loud explosion rocked the landscape, sending a shudder throughout my whole body. As though it had waited for this moment, the sky opened up and the rain started, drenching us and making it hard for me to see anything else.

“Don’t look,” Mack whispered. Obeying, I laid my head against his chest.

“Jake?” I asked weakly.

“He’s fine. Hurt, confused, but fine.”

I closed my eyes again, letting the darkness take me once again. I drifted in and out of consciousness over the next several days. My wounds were extensive, even for a vampire, and they took a long time to heal. I knew that I was back at Jake’s little house on the beach. I could sense people around me, though I didn’t know who.

I knew Mack was there; always there, taking care of me. When I was finally strong enough, he explained to me what had happened. He had come back for me, to try to talk me out of taking on Vyktor alone.

He hadn’t known what I was planning, so when he got to the warehouse where most of the network was still gathered, he was shocked to learn that I had turned them. All of them.

“I didn’t know what else to do, Mack. They will never be safe. Even with Vyktor gone, his people will always be looking for me, and for them. At least now they have a fighting chance.”