Vampire in Chaos (30 page)

“Oh, thank heavens, I wasn’t sure how to get out of there,” Tessa said weakly, her hand trembling as she pushed a few tendrils of hair back.

“It was crazy, but you can rest out here.” Cody motioned to the long corridor ahead.

“Ha. It’s a hallway. Any chance of a place to sit down and rest – in private?”

“Except this is a hospital,” Serus said. “It’s not our home.”

“Too bad,” she muttered. She hopped up on the wide window ledge and leaned back, closing her eyes. “Damn, I’m tired.”

“How long until you recuperate?” Goran asked, studying her pale features and the bruises under her eyes.

“I don’t know,” she smiled wanly. “Hopefully soon.”

Her father reached out and patted her shoulder. “Call on those vampire genes, girl. You should get fired up in no time.”

That surprised a laugh out of her. But obediently, she leaned her head back and followed his instructions. Goran spoke quietly with Serus and Cody but kept an eye on her progress. When the flush of pink returned to her cheeks and she gave a heavy deep sigh, he realized she was back. Good thing. There were other vamps who needed her help. Not ones that had died, at least he hoped not, but there were others that were barely staying ahead of death. He could only hope she had enough reserves to finish this.

Then again, considering the number of vamps on the other floors, he realized this was likely too big a job for anyone. Considering it was a young girl who wasn’t sure yet exactly how this worked, she wasn’t going to be able to train anyone else to help her. Besides, they’d need someone who could see the same energy stuff that she did.

He’d lived centuries, and Tessa was the only one he knew. He hadn’t even heard such a thing was possible.

Hell, she’d taught him so much in the last couple of weeks, he couldn’t imagine what she’d teach them all in the next century.

For the first time in a long time, he was looking forward to his future.

*

Rhia watched Wendy
and Sian search for license plates, drivers, and patients. She wanted to help, but they were adamant. She needed to rest.

There was nothing she wanted to do less.

She’d been lying here for hours, maybe days. Who could tell anymore? She was lost…and found. But the voice in her mind haunted her. She heard him. She knew him, but didn’t. He was distant. Foggy. She tried to get closer to him, to speak with him. It was important.

He was important.

To her daughter. She just didn’t know why. Or if it was her imagination? It was so hard to know what was real and was not.

In the background, she heard Wendy mutter, “There’s no record of that patient anywhere. Not even in that home.”

“What?” Sian walked closer and read the monitor screen.

“No, there’s no record of him arriving at the home. No record of him leaving.”

Sian leaned back. “Which means no one knew either way. He became an asset they could do anything they wanted to.”

“So he wasn’t sick?” Wendy asked, starting to look sick herself. “Or rather he wasn’t sick originally?”

The two women stared at each other. The shock was mirrored on their faces.

Rhia spoke up, “He’s their guinea pig.”

The other two spun, having forgotten she was there. Sian’s face twisted in revulsion. “I thought there couldn’t be anything worse than the blood farms, but this…to think that Tobias was ill and recovering, then sick again, at their whim…it’s gross.”

“Are we really thinking that they made him sick?”

“Or kept him sick and made him sicker.” Rhia swung her legs over the couch and sat up. “The home and hospital made great cover for all of this.”

“But that’s the vamp hospital. Tobias is involved in the human medical system. Not ours.”

At Wendy’s words, the two women turned to look at her – neither said a word.

“Oh no.” She sagged in her chair. “Please don’t tell me there are traitors at the human’s hospital.”

“There must be,” Sian said in defeat. “I’m not sure any place is safe.”

“Neither is anyone,” Rhia muttered. “You must protect Taz.”

Sian gasped. She spun away and pulled out her phone.

The look on her face when she heard Taz’s voice was heart–wrenching to Rhia.

“I’m sorry about your memories,” Wendy said in a quiet voice. “Is there nothing you can do to help them along?”

“I’ve been trying,” Rhia said sadly. “It’s not working.”

Wendy smiled. “Somehow I feel like Tessa would tell you that you’re going about this all wrong.”

At the mention of her daughter, Rhia smiled. “Would she? In that case, what would her advice be?”

“To forget about trying,” Wendy grinned, “And instruct your genes to work double time.”

“Oh my God.” Rhia sat down heavily. “Could it be that simple?”

S
he lost track
of the time, but Tessa figured she’d been at this energy business for several hours. If not longer. The only good thing about the last few hours’ work was that her energy was holding. It was thanks to Cody’s assistance and his constant reminder to call on her genetics. The issue only got worse the more tired she became. She kept moving forward as it all seemed like too much to sort out, so she just dumped it from her mind.

When she had time, she’d stop and figure it out.

After they’d finished going through the top two floors of the hospital without being challenged by any hospital staff, it made her wonder if they’d gone into hiding.

She mentioned that concept to her father.

He shook his head. “No. There have been several attempts to get to this floor, but Goran has the entrances covered. The top floors are ours. Take your time and do what needs to be done.”

She nodded. She understood that his voice was flushed with success, but she didn’t understand how holding the top floors of anywhere was a help.

Don’t worry about it,
Cody murmured.
You need to shut down.

I do
, she whispered, hating to hear the fatigue in her own voice.
Is there a place where I could lie down and just close my eyes for a few moments?

Cody led her out into the hallway and over to her father. “Serus, Tessa needs to lie down. So we need to have a room clear for her.”

“She can come over here,” called out one of the many young males that had followed her from room to room, a group that was getting bigger with every stop.

Cody led her forward and motioned to the clean, non–creased bed. She looked at it gratefully but was loathe to lay down.

What’s the matter?
he whispered.
Go lie down.
She glanced around the room at the men she’d helped still slowly healing and the rest that just watched her.

I’ll lie down if you sit beside me and watch over me,
she muttered.

There was a gentle silence.
You know I will. No one will touch you while I’m here.

She gazed into his eyes and realized he wasn’t mocking her and would do his best to watch over her while she slept. And his best was pretty damn good.

Thanks,
he murmured on a laughing note.

Don’t make fun of me,
she whispered.
I can’t think straight. I’m so tired.

She fell more than sat down then rolled over to face the wall. She lay tense, waiting for him to sit down beside her. When she felt his reassuring weight beside her, she closed her eyes.

Just before she drifted off, she murmured,
Thank you.

*

Cody watched the
gentle rise and fall of Tessa’s chest and listened to the sound of her breath leaving her body. She was exhausted. Once again having called on herself to do too much – and like always – to help others. She’d been unable to stand on her own for the last ten minutes, and he doubted that she even understood that he’d been half supporting her.

He shifted slightly to block her from view. Over a dozen men lounged around protectively. He wished he could take her away from here. At least for a little while. Help her to rejuvenate. And get her away from so many people, the curiosity, the prying eyes. She’d pulled off major magic in the mines, but there’d been no one to see. Now there was no way to stop the masses from seeing and hearing about what she’d done and continued to do.

“Cody my boy,” Goran boomed from the doorway.

“Shh, Tessa’s asleep.”

“Then come here so we can talk.”

“I promised her I’d sit here and watch over her until she woke.”

Goran winced. “Yeah, she has good reason for asking that.” He moved closer, dropped a bag of supplies at Cody’s feet, and squatted down in front of Cody. Serus followed him in. “Okay, here’s the scoop. There are more vehicles arriving. We’ve had attacks from the roof and the lower floors, but so far they are piddly attempts. I’m sure bigger and stronger are coming.”

Serus said, “We need to regain the roof.”

Goran grinned fiercely. “We already have. Now I’ve got a couple of fliers up there so they can do aerial combat if needed.”

“Nice.” Cody smiled. “So what’s next?”

“I say we should go down a floor and take it over. Then go down one more. Eventually we’ll be able to push them out completely and we’ll have complete control over the hospital.”

Serus straightened. “Have you got men picked out?”

“Picked out, and Motre is already leading the pack on the next floor. I’m going to head down to give him a hand. I’ll keep in touch.”

Serus nodded. “That works.”

“And remember – no survivors.” Goran grinned at the men.

The look on his father’s face made Cody’s heart freeze for a long moment before he realized he was safe as Goran’s son.

Goran added in a very satisfied voice, “Not a problem. There haven’t been any survivors yet.” He twirled and walked back out to the hallway. From a distance, Goran could be heard asking the men gathered around outside the room, “Anyone here looking for a little payback?”

The resounding cries made Cody proud. They might not have known the assholes existed, but now that everyone had felt their first bite – the bloodbath was about to begin.

*

“If you’re okay
here,” Serus glanced down at his daughter, sleeping heavy and still, then over at Cody. “I’ll go up to the roof level and make sure all is well.”