Vampire in Chaos (15 page)

You are too trusting. Like a child.

To you, I am. Is Hortran helping us right now?

He is. Careful where you go – there are eyes and ears everywhere.

Why are you helping us?

It’s you I’m helping.
Her strident voice rose to the point of making Tessa wince.
No one else.

And…you didn’t answer why?

“Tessa? Are you okay?” Cody asked at her side. She puffed her breath in and out and gave him a reassuring smile. “I will be when he stops.”

Cody laughed. “He’s much slower this time.”

“Yeah,” she puffed. “But then so are we. I’m assuming that’s why.”

It is.
Deanna said.
He could leave you all in the dust.

And back to that question,
Why are you helping me?

You’re being tested.

And with that, she disappeared.

“Is that Deanna again?” Cody asked.

She nodded. “But she’s gone now.”

Knowing he was going to ask anyway, she explained Deanna’s short message. “I just don’t understand why she’d be testing me.”

“Neither do I, but I don’t like the sound of it.”

She shot him a long look. “She hasn’t done anything but help us.”

“I don’t know if she can be trusted.”

“The Ghost would say she can be.”

“For him, I’m sure she can be,” Cody said. “Obviously there was a lot of trust and loyalty between them. They are also both very old and likely to be coming to the end of their road. We can’t say for sure when or what method that road will be. We have to remember her husband was one of the big bosses from the blood farm.”

True enough, and Tessa hated the reminder. “True. Even if he wasn’t interested in the genetic modifications and enhancement they were doing, he was quite happy to run the blood farm.”

“Exactly, and she was most likely happy to drink the product. So how much can we trust her?”

“You know something, with all the experiments they were working on, I wonder if they found a way to stop vampires from dying at all. Just because we live for thousands of years, we do still die…”

“And maybe they were working on something like that. Her husband might have seen that as a viable experiment. No way to know. He’s gone, and she certainly won’t tell us.”

Hortran stood in front of them.

Tessa could make him out in the darkness, but she didn’t know if the others could. She heard the rest of her family come to a halt behind her.

“Is this the exit?” she asked him. He nodded and pointed to the left. She could see light ahead.

“Go now.” The Ghost stared at Tessa. “Deanna will see you later.”

And he stepped back deeper into the shadows and disappeared.

*

Cody watched as
the man vanished. The group walked forward to where the Ghost had stood, realizing he had really left. Somehow. He turned to Tessa. “Do you see his energy?”

Tessa frowned at him, then realizing why he wanted to know, took a slow look around. She shook her head. “It was faint to begin with, now it’s dissipated completely.”

“He couldn’t have just vanished like that,” David exclaimed. “Surely they aren’t real ghosts.”

“No. But they are damn good at what they do,” Serus said.

“Nice to know they are aptly named.” Tessa motioned to the exit. “Let’s go.”

Cody led the way, his mind churning. If the man had the ability to disappear like that, he could understand how valuable they’d been in the wars. And why the enemy would target them. It hurt to think a whole species of vampires would become extinct. But maybe, the Ghosts were an ancient people with ancient thinking. Maybe it was time for the younger generation. And new thinking.

Ahead of him was a steel wall. And wouldn’t you believe it. Elevators.

David crowed. “Yes. This is so much better.”

Cody punched the buttons and the double doors opened. He stepped in and to the side, waiting for the others. Tessa was last and looked hesitant.

“Tessa? What’s wrong?”

“Everything.” She gave him a shaky smile. “Where does this go?”

Cody read the buttons on the panel in front of him. “It offers fifteen floors and the parking level.”

“Go to the parking level first.” Serus said. “Let’s make sure we know where we are.”

“Done.” Cody hit the correct button, reaching out to tug Tessa closer. He didn’t know what was bothering her, but he wanted her close.

The doors slowly slid shut, and with a noisy groan, the elevator started to rise.

*

Goran hated the
fatigue rippling through his body. That last fight had been too close. He couldn’t help but wonder how long they could keep doing this without losing one of their friends and family.

“What’s the matter, Goran? You’re getting too old for this shit?” Motre laughed at his own joke.

“Who the hell isn’t?” he muttered, glaring at the man he was proud to have fighting at his side. “I’ve had enough of this whole damn mess.”

“I hear you there.” Motre reached over and smacked Ian on the shoulder. “What about you? You’re just a little kid yet, you should have lots of fighting spirit in you.”

“I do,” Ian snapped, “But I’m not into war. I’ll be happy to get the hell out of here. I’m all for blowing this whole building up.”

“And the vamps within?” Motre asked curiously. “Are you ready to blow them all up too?”

Goran watched Ian struggle with his emotions. He understood. There were innocents in there, but there were way too many bad guys too. When did the good outweigh the bad?

“I say we release the ones we can and then drop the entire building.”

“And that’s the end of it?” Motre pushed. “The end justifies the means?”

Ian dropped his head. “I wish. But I doubt it.”

“We still have the human element to deal with.” Goran filled them in on what Sian had told him about the humans.

“They shouldn’t be our problem,” Motre argued. He stopped and sighed, “But as long as they are dealing in human flesh and supplying them to the vamps, they are our business.” He glanced at the other two, “So what – are you ready to clean out another floor?”

“Want to – no. Need to…” Goran nodded. “Yeah, we need to. Time to make another dent in their numbers.”

Silently, the three pushed open the double doors and walked through.

*

Wendy looked up
from her spot on the couch, sorting through the list of humans that they’d received from the Human Council. Rhia reclined, weak but aware on the opposite side of the room. Sian had just arrived. She held out another sheet.

“Can you cross reference these names against the list you have? We’re sorting through the files from Gloria’s laptop, looking for names to match to the blood farm victims and cross–referencing with the ones Taz has identified at the hospital. Most are in drug–induced comas and aren’t likely to pull out of this, but if there is any way to know who we have, how they arrived at the blood farm, then we need to know, especially if the humans sold their own kin.”

Wendy swallowed and accepted the sheaf of papers. “That’s disgusting.”

“It is, but it’s human nature – apparently.” Sian looked over at Rhia’s sad face and added, “I’m not sure it’s all that much better than our own. Look at what we did to each other.”

“I’ve been trying not to,” Wendy said. “But then I think of Jared and what he went through…”

“Exactly.” Sian frowned. “Do we have an update on him yet?”

“I don’t have one. I don’t have his number.” Unfortunately. She’d have texted him a long time ago if she could have. “Tessa will.”

“And have we heard from them yet?” Sian pulled her phone out and looked to see what texts she had.

“No,” Wendy said in a low voice after taking a quick glance at Rhia. “Nor from Ian.”

A grim look on her face, Sian nodded. “Not surprised. All hell is breaking loose and we’re in command central again.”

“I was in the trenches last time,” Wendy said half–jokingly. “As much as I want to be in the middle of it, I’m actually happy to be here.”

Rubbing her slightly rounded tummy, Sian nodded in agreement. “There is much to be said for doing our part from here.”

*

Serus watched Tessa
stand at the front of the elevator. It was bothering her for some reason. More than usual. Considering the amount of deadly things she’d been through in the last couple of weeks, it intrigued him. What about this elevator bothered her so much? And why?

Just then the door opened.

He was watching her face and saw the last thing he expected to see. Relief.

As they exited the double doors, he asked her, “What were you afraid you’d see?”

She half laughed. “Snow.”

Serus winced, remembering her trip down the mountain after escaping her captors the first time. The underground parking lot was dark. He flattened against the first barricade and surveyed the area. There were a few vehicles entering and another leaving, but he couldn’t be sure who was driving, and they were far enough away that they weren’t likely to be driving toward him. He hoped. He glanced around to see if anyone walked from the building out to their vehicles. But there weren’t any that he could see. He could see the name on the glass doors up ahead. It looked like where he’d entered earlier. He searched the area and smiled. His car was just where he’d left it. He walked over to it and dumped the unconscious vamp in the trunk. Lamar wouldn’t escape that. Then he called the Council Hall to come and pick him up. Once done, he took another careful look around.

“Dad?”

He nodded. “Looks clear.”

They walked toward the underground entrance of the hospital. “Plan of action, Dad?”

He grunted. “Why ask me now? You three seem to be acting on your own these days. Maybe you should all fill me in.”

“I want to go and get Jewel,” David said.

“And I’m here to help get them all free,” Tessa piped up.

“We need to meet up with Motre and Ian.” Cody strode forward ahead of them to pull the door open for him. “That’s where we need to start.”

Serus glared at him. “I can open my own doors, thank you.”

Cody’s eyebrow shot upward. Tessa slipped around him and entered first, called back a cheery “Thanks” to Cody.