The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Chapter 2: City Streets

Mind made up, he quickly darted to the entrance as fast and as quietly as all his considerable skill would allow. A quick code punched into the revealed pad, followed by a hand print, retinal scan and blood sample via micro-pipette and the door was sliding open to let him ease inside.

A pause in the entryway to quickly assess his surroundings as the door closed behind him, then he was moving into the house proper, wary and prepared, his Shiva in a two-handed grip. Being inside the safe house, unfortunately, was no longer a guarantee of safety, thanks in part to Orin's betrayal and the presence of the soldiers outside. For all he knew, it was already compromised. He could only hope that he'd be able to find what he needed before he was attacked.

It was a sound from near the building's rear that caught his attention as he was moving through the living space. One moment he was carefully heading towards an access point for the pantry. In the next Lash was frozen as a quiet rustling was picked up by his already honed sense of hearing.

A second hint of sound pointed towards the source being somewhere near the back of the building. Could it be other Ventru, taking advantage of the safe house's protection to hide? Or something else?

Lash's expression tightened as those thoughts stormed through his enraged mind. Unfortunately, as it was with these kinds of situations, there was only one way to find out. Renewing his grip on his high-powered weapon, the vigilant Qos Viran commander eased forward once more, this time intent on reaching the back of the house as quickly and quietly as possible.

They were huddled together in a storage area, a man, a woman and a pair of children. He could smell them before he could even come around the corner and see them. Humans: prickly sweet, their scent enough to make his stomach rumble with a hunger that hadn't been sated in days. And something else ... something nervous.

Now, why would they be nervous? Only humans that are acknowledged and recognized as familiars would've been granted access to a vampiric safe house. So, while they would be required to give up some of their blood as payment for the protection, they should've been feeling relatively safe here. Unless they were aware of something that Lash wasn't.

Easing around that final corner, he came face to face with them, clinging to each other as if anticipating the last moments of their life.

"Su'atha!" he barked in the vampiric tongue and they all quickly held up their heart hands to show the tattoo on the inside of the wrist that showed not only the glyph that marked which clan they were familiars to, but their blood type and DNA status as well.

As expected, all four were Ventru-claimed. Only Ventru-claimed familiars would've had their biometrics profiles in the clan database so they could access the safe house's entryway. Yet, as he stepped closer, he could smell a spike in their nervousness. Did they not see that he was Ventru?

That was when he heard it: the quiet sound of voices coming from a hidden communication device.

" ... hold him as long as you can," one of the voices said in the sinuous vampire tongue, hard and obviously giving a command. "We're almost there!"

What was this? Somebody was telling these humans to hold ... him? More treachery?? With a silent snarl, Lash leaned forward, intent on putting as many holes in the traitorous familiars as possible. Only to feel the hot flash of several high speed rounds punching through his body.

Grimacing at the pain, he spun around, Shiva ready.

"Die, you back-stabbing ..." he began before several more rounds slammed into his chest, each hitting with extra power, thanks to an overcharge of propellant. So much so, it was like each was a miniature train, smashing him back one step at a time until he was almost on top of the cowering familiars, his body armor and EM shielding notwithstanding.