Vampire in Chaos (17 page)

He had a whole lifetime of trying to keep her out of trouble. He hoped.

Are you coming, slowpoke?

Tessa’s laughter rippled through his mind.

God, he was so hooked on her.

If that were true, you’d be here at my side instead of wasting time and mooning about.

Mooning? Mooning? Me?
he asked, affronted. Then he realized he’d come to a dead stop in the middle of the hallway like a lovesick child. He groaned and picked up his feet.
I wasn’t mooning.

Sure. That’s okay though – as long as you’re only mooning over me.

He grinned.
Only you, Tessa…forever.

He hadn’t meant to add the forever part, but it sounded just right to him.

*

“They are just
a floor downstairs? Really?” Goran grinned. “Let’s go get them then.”

Motre shook his head and waved his phone back and forth in front of him. “Serus says David is trying to find Jewel. They want us to sweep this floor first then go join them.”

Feeling lighter and more connected than he had in a long time, Goran said, “Then let’s go.”

He called out mentally to Serus,
Hey Serus, old buddy, is that you?

Damn, it’s nice to hear you again. Are you sure you should be out of bed?

Goran’s smile fell away.
I’m fine,
he growled.
I’ve been calling for you for hours. Where the hell have you been?

In the basement – and what a hell of a basement it is. Must be a quarter mile deep. Met a few interesting people down there too.
He laughed.
You missed all the fun.

Goran frowned.
Damn it. We’ve been busting asses up here too. Met a couple of monsters that we could barely drop.
Realizing how that sounded, he quickly added,
Of course we took care of them
.

Serus chuckled.
Yeah, us too. How come we didn’t meet this size in the blood farm?

I think they are smarter than that lot.
Goran growled.
They are here at the hospital area doing whatever bullshit they are doing here.

But they are bigger, stronger than the others. Shit. I’m getting tired of going against genetically modified vamps.

Yeah, I hear you, but the good news is we keep winning. The more they throw at us, the more we knock them down.

At least he hoped so. Goran walked down the hallway behind Motre, Ian at his side. Motre opened the first door. Goran glanced inside.
More drugged vamps. And one of them Councilman Bushman – the councilman Motre was protecting when they all ended up in the blood farm. He’s hooked up to drugs again.

Damn
. Serus said.
He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere around here. I thought he’d gone to some damn Council meeting?

Meeting with the Human Council?
Goran asked sharply.

No. Other clans. He was attending the International Council.

Goran stopped Motre from closing the door after pulling the tubes loose from the men. He strode closer.
There are four men in here with him. I don’t recognize the first couple, but they are old. As in very old. Not sure about the last one.

What’s the chance the Council meeting was targeted? A way to collect a few more specialized vamps for their damn experiments?

That would be unbelievably wrong. If you’re right and these other vamps are from the International Council, then these are heads of their own clans. That’s bad news.

And will bring down the other clans on our heads because we let this happen.

I know.

Would you recognize the men from that meeting?
Goran walked from one to the other. At the fourth man, he stopped and swore loud and long.

Motre asked him, “What’s the matter?”

“I recognize this man. He’s the head of the German Council.”

*

Jared hunched in
the back of the ambulance, his head low so no one could see through the window. He pulled the blankets down on the boy’s face and checked for a pulse. And let his breath out in a rush. Tobias was alive. As relief shuddered through him, he realized he hadn’t expected that. With all the dead bodies racking up, he’d half expected him to be dead. He twisted around to look outside. The voices were closer. Shit. How could he get out? He shifted back to the front passenger side and opened the door quietly. He slipped out and ran into the bushes lining the parking lot. His heart yammered so loud he couldn’t hear anything. Had they heard him? They hadn’t called his name. Then again, maybe they hadn’t been able to recognize him. There. His gaze darted to the driver’s side of the ambulance and the heated discussion going on between the manager and the driver.

Still, that wasn’t his prime problem. How to get back inside the home was. He needed to avoid these men. And he needed the license plate of the ambulance to track it. Although what good that would do, he didn’t know.

Another option was to stow away inside the ambulance. At least then he’d find out where they were taking Tobias.

He stared at the ambulance in frustration. From his position, he couldn’t hear the conversation, and that just pissed him off. He didn’t want to let Tobias be taken away but if he was sick, maybe he needed help. Only sick men weren’t hauled out like a sack of potatoes.

He so didn’t trust the manager. He was damn dodgy. Hence Jared’s need to sneak back into the home without being seen as he’d left his stuff inside. How could he get out of the bushes? He turned around and searched the neighboring yard. Could he sneak around back and get into the house that way? Or come into the property from the far side? Realizing he was running out of time to act, he picked up his feet and ran around the back of the home and over to the far side where the shrubbery was closest to the door and raced to the door. He slipped inside, pausing for a moment before running upstairs to his room. He closed the door and jammed the chair under the doorknob again. His heart clamoring and his blood pulsing, he slipped under the covers and closed his eyes.

He could hardly breathe for the panic choking him.

Had he made it without being seen?

*

Wendy sat beside
Rhia and did the slow, tedious cross–checking for Sian. She couldn’t help but constantly check her phone. She knew Ian didn’t have his but surely if he was free, he’d managed to get a hold of someone’s phone. Just then it buzzed. Ian. She read the incoming text and gasped.

Rhia sat up from where she’d been reclining. “What is it?”

Wendy turned to face her, a huge smile on her face. “It’s from Ian. He’s with Motre and they are waiting for the rest to meet up with them.” As she finished speaking, another text came in.

“Goran is there too.” Wendy sat back and pinched the bridge of her nose, willing the tears to not fall. She was so damn grateful Ian was okay. She quickly texted him back asking for more details and when he was coming home.

When he didn’t answer right away, she didn’t know why. Just when she was starting to worry again, another text came in.
Lots of fighting. We’re coming down the hospital and searching room by room. So far, it’s mostly drugged vamps. Not sure about some of them. It’s really weird. For a hospital, there is no staff to be seen. No noise even. It’s like the dead are the only ones here.

“Wendy?” Rhia asked gently. “Can you let me know what they are all saying, please?”

Sian walked in just then, carrying a big tray of blood slushies. Wendy took a tentative sip while Rhia told her what had happened.

“That’s excellent. As soon as they meet up with the others, then all will be well.”

“Except they are searching the hospital room by room.”

Sian frowned. “I guess that is the orderly approach. Do you know what or who they are looking for?”

Wendy read the next text then looked up. “David is trying to find Jewel. She’d been close to Ian last time he’d seen her, but they haven’t found her yet.”

She looked over at Rhia. “Ian says he saw me leaving earlier but couldn’t get out. Motre rescued him.”

“Perfect. Motre is a good vamp. With him in charge, they should be just fine.”

Wendy studied her face. “I hope so,” she said quickly. “I’d like to see them turn around and just come back here.”

The smile on Sian’s face was gentle and compassionate. “For the same reason you want Ian home, David won’t leave Jewel behind and in danger.”

“I know.” Wendy gave her a tremulous smile. “That doesn’t stop me from wanting something different.”

“Keep trusting in Ian and those helping him. So far we’ve all been lucky. Maybe that luck can hold out for a little bit longer.”

She hoped so, but like everyone else’s thoughts, she knew no one’s luck held forever.

T
essa followed David
to the room he disappeared into. She stood at the doorway, waiting for Cody to catch up to them. She started when a strong hand slid around her waist, tugging her backwards against a large warm chest.

Hi.

Hi back.
She smiled.
I gather my father isn’t right on your ass?

He stiffened and his arm dropped away.

She giggled.

Think that’s funny, do you?

Yep, and then some. But that’s okay. Our time will come
. She watched David walk through the large ward checking the beds, so when the silence was a little awkward, she could forgive herself from missing it initially.
What
? she asked mentally.
What did I say?

Nothing,
he muttered. She turned to look up at him, noting her father’s approach from several feet away.
Something is.

Just your comment that our time will come. Will it?

She knew what he was asking without asking.
Yes, it will. Soon? Yes. Today? Given our situation, so not.

He grinned.
How about next week?

Ha. I wanted to go to the hangout this Friday.

His voice turned serious.
And I want that too. All we have to do is get Jewel and Ian out of here. Then we can go home, rest, shower, feed, and still have the next few days to ourselves before Friday
.