Masked

CHAPTER 5 | something wicked this way comes

Middlemarch Estate

Elijah's key scraped in the metal lock. He smiled sardonically as the rats scattered. Their sharp nails scratched against the damp stone floor in their flight to safety. The vermin were about to get more food to chew on. He threw the door open and stepped aside to allow the newest prisoner to be welcomed to her new home.

François, his colleague, propelled the latest test subject past him, and she fell to the floor in a crumpled heap before struggling to rise.

Her tiny whimpers ignited Elijah's ever-present hunger. If only he'd been allowed to play with her first. His fingers ached to trace his trusty blade across her soft skin, and to inhale the sweet metallic scent of her blood as it seeped from each jagged scar.

Elijah sighed. It wasn't to be. She was special. They needed her for the doctor's experiments. No matter. He was supplied with enough playthings to distract him from taking things he should not.

A shuffle from the far corner caught his eye. Their other prisoner peered through the darkness at his new cellmate.

Before Elijah could say anything, footsteps broke through the woman's low moans, and he stood at attention. He smirked when the shackled prisoner shrank back into the darkness as his leader stood in the doorway. At least you didn't wet yourself this time.

"Chain her."

The voice was cold, unfeeling, and powerful, as though dealing with an errant speck of dust.

François rushed to carry out the order. The new prisoner's ankles were forced into rusty iron shackles, a size too small so her circulation was limited. Her restraints were secured to chains attached to a metal ring bolted to the floor. Francois yanked the cloth sack off her head with such a violent pull that her head cracked back when her vertebrae objected to the harsh treatment.

Elijah held back the bolt of desire rippling through his body. Her pain was his pleasure.

Once François was satisfied the woman was secure, he followed their leader out of the cell and down the narrow corridor.

Elijah allowed his gaze to wander across the new prisoner's broken form. He licked his lips, almost tasting her fear. When an icy "Let's go," echoed down the corridor, he pulled the door closed and locked it. The dungeon returned to darkness, but unable to push down his inner need, Elijah peered through the small peephole.

Another whimper escaped from the new prisoner, and she struggled to rise from the floor. She was blind in the dark, but he made out the outline of the two prisoners and the rotting body. The prisoner felt around in the dark, then stiffened when the scrape of chains from somewhere near rang out. The movement from the existing prisoner was followed by a series of sniffs.

A croaked, almost inaudible male voice broke the silence. "You're Human."

Elijah couldn't help grinning as the prisoner moved away from her unknown cellmate. With barely any light, she felt along the stone floor, and her hands bumped against something. She crawled closer to the object and ran her palms over the oddly shaped form. Parts of it were soft and wet. Her fingers were sticky when she pulled them away. She continued to feel around the object she had found in the dark chamber.

Elijah chuckled as he closed the peephole and followed the others up the stairs. The stench from the rotting corpse was overpowering, and he looked forward to the fresh air above ground. As they emerged from the underground dungeon into daylight, the woman's screams reached her captors.

"She's found Jim, then," François said.

For such a large person, the maniacal giggle that followed was eerie.

Elijah rolled his eyes and ignored François. He continued his conversation with their leader. "We've increased the number of online channels for the product, and we are ready to move into the next phase on your say so."

The three continued toward a heavily guarded building not far from the dungeon. The guards, dressed from head to foot in black, were armed to the teeth with automatic rifles and concealed weapons. They stood to attention when they saw who was approaching.

Their leader barely acknowledged the guards as they passed. "Continue with the expansion plan, and make sure there's no way they can trace it to us."

As they entered the building, Elijah glanced around the pristine room. Dr. Fridericks and his assistant, in their ever-present white lab coats, waited beside a medical table. Beside them, strapped to the table, was another test subject. He was naked and gagged.

When their leader came into view, the man's eyes grew wild with panic, and he struggled against the restraints.

Elijah glanced across at François and murmured, "I don't know why they try and break free. It's pointless, if you ask me."

Their leader stood over the terror-stricken man, and motioned for the doctor to proceed.

"Make no mistake, we cannot fail in our goal to rid the earth of those abominations once and for all. Not even that stupid Alliance, or their joke of an Alpha Commander, can stop us this time. Start the procedure."

Fridericks reached for a biopsy needle. "Yes, Alpha Lauzon."