Breach (The Blood Bargain) Read online

"I feel you...lurking in caliginosity." Accent confirmed my assumption, the King's English thick on his tongue. Raising his blood covered arm he smiled. A long tongue extended from between his fangs, running up his bloody hand from palm to the tip of his middle finger. "The salted stench of sweat in every droplet along your flesh." He turned toward me, taking a step forward. "Hear the accentuated fright woven within your heartbeat." Another step.

  "Ahh...crescendo, the primal siren song of adrenaline." Waving his bloody hand in the air like a conductor, droplets of blood hit the ground not a foot away from my tucked legs. Oh god...he was right on top of me. Tears welled in my eyes, both for my dead comrade and my own pending fate. We had been so close. So very close...Dimitri....

  Finger tips tapping on the desk above my head. Each a spike against my sanity.

  "Should you not flee? Or shall I ferret you out of your rabbit hole?" My hand resting on the hilt of the short knife at my belt I mentally prepared to rise and strike. I was sure I would die without landing a killing blow. Perhaps I could wound-

  "No need." A feminine purr that preceded the resonating smack of a fist against skin. A deafening crack followed some ten yards away. What the hell?

  Through the small hole in the back of the desk I got a clear view of a perfectly toned ass in tight jeans, hips rolling as she walked forward. Candice. I exhaled sharply just as the brit vamp let out an inhuman howl of rage, his body a blur as he picked up Candice like a dodge ball and tossed her through a pile of cubical walls some fifty feet away. Oh shit...Candice..

  It didn't faze her in the slightest, back on her feet and smiling she met him halfway. Blow to blow. At least I assumed as much, the most my eyes could detect was furniture breaking, wood bits and paper flying through the air like an indoor tornado. Sheer chaos.

  "Liv!" That was Rylie, barely audible above the commotion. Crawling out of my hidey-hole I saw him at the end of the hall, motioning for me to hurry the hell up.

  Didn't have to tell me twice.

  With no regard for stealth I ran towards him, dodging flying particle board, wayward paper slapping at my skin.

  Soon as I reached him, Rylie pulled me around the corner to where China had just finished picking the lock of a stairwell door.

  "In. Now." She hissed.

  "But Candice-"

  "Move!" Rylie practically shoved me inside. Behind me the metallic click of the door fell back into place, the fighting-still very much in progress-beyond far less audible.

  "Are you injured?" Standing close together on the landing I could smell the mint on his breath. Must have lifted some gum from the gas station. It beat the pungent after taste of dried travel rations.

  "I have a paper cut." I blurted out, showing him my thumb.

  China snorted. 'And its me, the scav, that you think is the loon."

  Without breaking eye contact with me, Rylie trained his gun on China's head, pulling back the trigger. "You best lead the way, or I'm going to assume you've outlived your usefulness."

  Her arms flew up in frustration. "Alright...calm the hell down. It's this way."

  Up a flight of stairs, she paused. "You may want to conceal your weapons, just beyond this door is a tightly controlled civilian environ. We don't want to draw attention."

  Frowning, Rylie tucked the berretta into his pants at the small of his back. Reaching behind me I felt empty air where bow should have been. Cursing myself internally, I remembered leaving it on the roof next to Ben. All that was left on me was my short knife, tucked away under my jacket. Ben...now Ethan...who knew about Candice... We were dropping like flies and barely inside the building. How long till Rylie was next? Hell...how long till it was me?

  There was a large palm on my shoulder.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" That steel gaze was in my face again. Blinking quickly, I nodded.

  "Yeah, why?"

  "I've said your name three times now."

  "I'm sorry...guess I-" He smacked me in the side of the head, not hard but enough to get my attention.

  "Get your head back in the game Younger. We are up to our asses in enemy territory and I can't take you home in a body bag. We clear?"

  "Yes Sir."

  "Aww...that's cute." Her voice was high pitched and full of mockery, "You're both soooo adorable. Combat ready Romeo with his bumbling sidekick of a Juliet...why if only I had a camera I'd-"

  "One. More. Word." Rylie pressed that barrel into her temple, pushing against her head till it tilted in submission. China pulled a charades act on us, zipping her lip shut and throwing away the key with an eye roll.

  The hallway beyond the door was teeming with life, none of it human. Ferns, flowers, potted trees lined the halls. "What's with all the plants?" I asked quietly.

  "Oxygen. Plus no one here has stepped outside in over a decade, the greenery keeps the suicide rate down. Or that's what they say." We followed China through a series of corridors, snaking around the floor until we came to an old pharmaceutical dispensary.

  "Here."

  Inside the room there were two people with their backs to us. A man and a woman, both decked in hospital scrubs hunched over a counter stuffing vegetables and herbs into mason jars.

  "Alexis." China spoke loud and clear.

  "What do you..." She trailed off as she turned around. The mason jar in her right hand slipped, shattering on the floor. The old man jumped, whirling around in the same I just saw a ghost shock.

  "You're dead." Alexis whispered, almond shaped brown eyes already pushing tears.

  China laughed. "Not exactly."

  Then the water works and hugs started. It was probably a good twenty wasted minutes.

  "I can't believe your alive." The Alexis girl choked out for the fifth time, hugging China who was clearly uncomfortable with the contact.

  She gently wiggled out of the lanky woman's grasp while she spoke. "Well I am, and I need your help."

  "My help?" Brushing pale brown bangs out of her red watery eyes the girl stared forward blankly. In a way she reminded me of a deer; skittish with an elongated face and lanky body. It made me want to shine a flashlight on her, see if she would really freeze in place. At that point I knew if I kept looking at her I was going to giggle. Incredibly inappropriate, but a great way to cut through the stress building within me. Two of my friends unaccounted for, one dead and our fate rested on the reliability of the human deer woman. Great. I looked over at Rylie who's unreadable expression probably hid the same oh shit thought pattern I had.

  "Whatever it is, she'll do it." The older man answered for her, wrapping an arm around her tiny shoulders. "You bet she will." He gave her a good squeeze.

  "Thanks Russ." His bald head bobbed in a nod. "We need clothes," China paused, "and keys."

  "Clothes are easy. Keys." Lex gulped tucking her hair behind her ears, a small diamond stud in each lobe twinkled from the motion. "They're going to know I helped you. They will kill me."

  China tried to counter, shaking her head "No. They-" Lex threw her hands up.

  "Yes, they will. You know it as well as I do. And frankly," She took a deep breath, shrugging her tiny shoulders. "I don't think I care anymore. I'll be right back okay?" China nodded, pulling the pack of cigarettes out of her pocket, tapping the bottom of the crumpled box.

  The girl darted out of sight around the corner. Rylie slowly moved to stand by the entrance, his hand not too subtlety on the pistol he refused to discard.

  "Did any of the others make it out?" Russ asked the scav, his left eye squinting while he spoke, the corner of his mouth seeming to kick up in tandem as though an unseen hand was squeezing his face.

  China lit her cigarette with a frown. After a deep drag she spoke, smoke wafting along with her words. "Bill and Carley died in city limits. Got bit. Demarco, Tyisha and Anton made it out at least."

  "Tell me."

  "Demarco got cornered on a supply run, there was nothing we could do but listen to him scream. Ty lasted a few months but then she got sick, lockjaw from
a rusted nail. Anton was shot in the head by scav's bout six months ago."

  Again, eye twitch and smirk.

  "That is a damned shame. Anton Jefferson was the best trauma surgeon I've ever known." China nodded in agreement, her face softening as she leaned into him. "How have things been here. Really?"

  Deep wrinkles decorated his tan face as he frowned, reminding me of my father. "Quiet. Haven't been any uprisings or protests since bout a year after you guys jumped ship. Everyone just does their job and cherishes their downtime. Guess you could say we're all a bunch of broken in horses." The laugh that followed was hollow. "So do your friends here have names?"

  "Probably." She replied, taking another drag off her cigarette.

  "Lieutenant Commander Everen." Rylie stuck out his hand and was met halfway with a brisk shake.

  "Dr. Russell Leincroft."

  "You've come a long way from medicine doctor."

  "An unfortunate turn I would agree. Can I borrow one of those China dear?"

  "It's your lungs." She threw him a smoke and a lighter.

  "So how big is your team?" He took a long slow drag off his cig. "Damn, I've missed these." Marveling at the little death stick he took another puff. "I was wondering how long it would take uncle sam to get these blood sucking bastards out of our cities."

  Rylie shuffled his feet. I wondered how many people assumed he was their savior because of his title. That had to get rough after a while.

  Russ kicked up an eyebrow. "Is it classified or something?"

  "Military is long gone. What you see," he gestured between us, "is what you get."

  Lex came back in with two stacks of teal scrubs. With a shaking hand she handed me a tunic and pant set. "Put this on." Her authoritative tone surprised me.

  With no care for modesty I stripped off my jacket and tank top, pulling the scratchy hospital garb on over my head. It was long enough I didn't have to worry about my panties showing while I swapped out my jeans for flowing pants.

  Out of the corner of my eye I got a partial look at China as she went through the same transformation. There was only word that resonated in my mind; scars.

  Burns, tears, pockets, flesh addled with signs of a hard life. I wondered for a brief moment why my own body-equally battered-did not bare the same telltale signs. Hell, I had jumped off of a building and broken virtually everything and yet my skin was smooth, my scars faded as though they were decades old.

  "I'm due in the vamp tower in about twenty minutes with meals for the humans currently residing there. Instead of the cart, I was thinking you gals could help me hand carry. I'll say it broke a wheel or something."

  "Just the girls?" Rylies tone screamed 'I don't like this plan'.

  "Sorry, Zhang doesn't let men in there, you have to stay here."

  Rylie kicked up an eyebrow. "And that will work?"

  Lex just shrugged noncommittally. "I've had to bring help before, it’s not like it’s a big hairy deal. The guards don't bother with me, I'm not worth their time." She checked her wrist watch, frowning. "You guys wait here, I'll be back with the cart then we can divide up the meals and make for the elevator." Almost tripping over her own feet as she went out the door.

  "Flighty that one." Rylie muttered to me, pulling at the edges of the v neck collar that was a tight fit on his thick neck.

  I replied with only with a grin. I didn't care if the girl face planted every ten steps as long as she got us in. "Think Candice is okay?"

  "I'm sure. This place isn't on alert far as I can tell. Which leads me to believe she broke that murdering sonofabitch in half."

  In the hallway outside the surgical bay heavy footfalls thudded quickly in our direction. Panic washed over me as I played out the source of the sound in my mind. Rylie just had to have said everything was fine, just had to. Shifting my feet, I readied myself for an attack. Perhaps whomever it was we could get a drop on, give us an advantage to-

  Four teenage boys with dirt covered work pants walked by, roughhousing. Rylie laughed as I cursed.

  "A bit tense?"

  "Aren't you?"

  "Should I be? These are civilians, complacent civilians. Try marching through the mountains of Afghanistan."

  I couldn't even imagine what that had to be like. Sure I'd seen my share of war movies before the outbreak but living it was an entirely different story. "Yeah I bet." I muttered.

  "What were you...like ten when the outbreak hit?"

  "Try fourteen."

  He laughed, a hint of his Cajun accent carrying through. "Baby gurl."

  "Old ass flabby fart." I countered, leaning back against the wall. He mocked offense at me calling him flabby. We both new damned well there wasn't an inch of flab on him, but it was I could come up with. Giving Rylie a hard time made me wonder what Cole was up to. I could see him strolling about along the wall, frowning about nothing and everything. In an odd realization it occurred to me that I hadn't thought about him at all in the last few days. Not when I had been taken into captivity, not when I was falling asleep or bored in the car. Not once had his name or his-admittedly handsome-face crossed my mind. When they speak of true love, in books, movies, songs, its always at an obsessive level. You breathe, see, feel that person entirely. Cole...I guess it wasn't...as much as it pained me to think of. Don't get me wrong, I wished him safety. Now that I had thought of him I wondered what he was up to, but that was the same way I felt about Zoe or my Dad. There was no pain in my chest for him, no yearning, no wistful daydreams. All I could think of was-Dimitri

  I closed my eyes, just for a moment. He was close. The buzzing told me so. Soon we would be reunited and- Stop that, I told myself, only reuniting you're doing is your fist to his devious mouth for tricking you into drinking that damnedable wine. End of. To take my mind off my brooding I listened in on the Lake City native's happy reunion. Russ was talking excitedly to China, his hands moving in quick gestures. "I managed to get my hands on a few choice munitions, if you need them-or me-just say so. I have no problem putting my life on the line to get rid of those bastards."

  "Much appreciated, but I'd prefer if you lived Russ."

  "China Lynne Kane I am just an old man without a purpose these days."

  Her face instantly flushed. "Hey don't call me-"

  "I'm your godfather I'll do as I damned please missy." He let out a hearty laugh, clapping a dirty hand on her shoulder. "Seriously, if you need-"

  "Okay here we go." Lex was back with a large serving cart loaded with five covered plates. Her cheeks were flushed, breathing labored as though she had just run a great distance. Carefully, she divvied them up between us. "Walk slowly, don't spill. When we get in the tower, don't look the vampires in the eye, keep your gaze down and your shoulders hunched. We are lowly depressed servants and all that okay?"

  "Yeah...I remember." China wrinkled her nose in disgust.

  "Be safe. Watch your six." Rylie more ordered than asked. With one last look over my shoulder at the overly concerned ex-army officer, I followed China and Lex out of the room down the corridor. There were no guards, or other impediments between the herbarium and the service elevator. Lex explained quite candidly that the vamps had no need. Everything was keycard based and those who resided here were too afraid to try anything to begin with. They kept to their lot in life, grateful to not be out amongst the throngs of dead below.

  The light grey metal doors of the service elevator revealed nothing impressive, just a small steel box with a flickering overhead light on the right side, the left side was burnt out. After we all piled in, Lex pressed the five button. Gears clicked and whirred as we ascended. The small overhead indicator progressing from two to five. After a slight jostling of the elevator car, the doors opened to a lobby with pastel furniture arrangements straight from the nineteen eighties and an overhead sign that read Oncology with indicator arrows. Nothing screamed vampire nest ahead. Which to me, was far more unsettling than black candelabras, red curtains and some hunchbacked minion playing an organ in
the corner.

  "Follow me." Lex whispered, walking directly across the space to the wide medical door past the reception desk. She slid the keycard through the reader, the small indicator light flashing from red to green. An audible click began the mechanics, the wide doors opening to reveal a long hallway lit by only emergency lighting. Two figures emerged from the shadows.

  "Welcome outsiders." The taller one spoke slowly, a wicked grin spreading over his face while the shorter one let out a high pitched manic laugh. Vampires.

  "I'm sorry." Lex whispered behind us, stepping back quickly.

  "You little-" China whirled around screaming, the loud bang of a gun resonated to my left, then everything went black.

  The telltale click of heels resonating from my own step as I moved forward in the shifting hall, echoing in an endless corridor of darkness. Broken music flowed all around me, its orchestrator unseen. A violin, out of tune. No, it was playing in reverse. Maybe both. Picking up the evergreen waves of my skirting I ran faster, I was late. There were waiting. No, following me. Faceless forms that made no sound stood behind me, unmoving yet always close no matter my speed. Growing weak I stumbled forward, my breathing hindered from the corset too tight around my ribcage. Jeweled necklace too heavy a tether rather than adornment around my throat. Tightening. Eyes wide I stopped, tearing at the choker at my throat. The pain, the-

  "More wine?" I wasn't alone. Seated in opulent dining hall, my hands slowly lowered from my throat. Pins digging into my scalp, the weight of a heavy comb at the crown of my skull. Across from me a familiar form was seated, the ice blue of his eyes appeared to melt and shift in the candlelight. His face both handsome and demonic in tandem. Oh how I had missed him, it seemed like only yesterday when he had left.

  "I'm sorry-what?" Judging faces of nobility seemed to whisper my words to each other from behind gilded portraits on the wall. The reverberating echoes a serpents hiss as their perfect visages stared at me. In the corner to my left by the draperies a lovely blonde woman in a pale pink ball gown conversed with two male suitors in full livery. Her flirtatious laugh overplayed, drowning out the music.