I feel breathless as I glide through the trees with Evan running closely behind me. Darting through the forest with the wind blowing through my hair reminds me of the freedom I once had, when I was just a little girl living a normal life. But this is not the time and place to remember those peaceful days.
I see the large, well armed wall coming closer and closer into view. I slow my pace down, eyeing the top of the wall, looking for any guards with loaded guns. I see nothing and hear nothing which raises my suspicion. Evan nods to me and points to the broad and extensive security gate.
We both run to the gate and Evan quickly swipes his security card. I glance up at the walls and my mind begins racing with multiple questions. I grab Evan's upper arm forcing him to look up from the keypad. "Where is everyone?"
He shrugs. "No idea." At that moment, the pounding of boots and laughter fill our ears. "But I think we're about to find out."
A rush of cold and unpleasant air creates a sense of fear as he opens the door. Lights on each side of the narrow wall light up as the door opens. It seems to go on forever and I huddle closer to Evan's side, clinging to his shirt. He grins and it sends relief down my body, along with a sense of belonging.
I shake my head and breath in rough, cold air. "I don't like this. Nothing feels right in here."
Every step I take down the hallway, gives me an unsettling torment in my chest. I can practically feel the pain and suffering of previous vampires who have been tortured and experimented on.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Athena. I promise."
His words are not very reassuring. Sounds from above remind me of what these men are capable of doing. A scream sounds from a room above our heads and shakes the floor beneath our feet. A powerful scream begging for help. My heart aches for the stranger, but oddly enough, he isn't just a stranger to me. I feel the pain in the vampires chest and it affects me immensely. Although a shiver runs up my spine, I feel the heat rise up to my cheeks.
He screams again and silence follows. It isn't Seth and breath a sigh of relief, but can't help feeling sorry for the stranger who we aren't able to help.
Evan stops and opens a latch hidden behind a secret door. "I hope you aren't afraid of heights."
I peer down the long drop. An uneven ladder lines the sides, but the bottom is visible to my eyes. I smile at Evan. "I'll meet you down there."
He grabs my arm. "Be careful, Athena. I'll be right behind you."
I place my foot on the first step and move stealthily down the ladder. The rusty metal creaks beneath my feet and I fear that someone may pick up the sound. The building is eerily quiet and I take a moment to listen for any possible human life that is near.
It takes a few moments before I hear voices approaching the ladder from beneath me. In that moment, I wasn't quite sure what to do. My body felt paralyzed out of fear until Evan's voice brought me back.
Somebody from below shines a blinding light on me and I climb back up the few steps.
"Whose up there? State you name, code and business area," The powerful voice bitterly threatened.
"Evan Baxter, 902, executive officer of this establishment."
"I'm sorry, sir, we didn't know you would be here today. We'll make our way up to you."
The men begin the climb up and Evan points to a door at the end of the corridor. "That door leads down to Block B and that's where you will find the security office. I'm not exactly sure where they are holding Seth. They change rooms every so often depending on the experiment. Once you find the room he is being held in, call me. There's a phone in the security office, find my name, dial the number. I'll buy you some time."
He focuses back on the men who are climbing up the ladder.
"Evan?" He looks up at me and I finally realize how much I am truly thankful for his help. I want so much to tell him, right here, my feelings for him. But now is not the time so with a shake of my head, I turn my back on him and head out the door. The door leads to steps going either up or down. The security offices are located downstairs and halfway down, the corridors began flashing red along with a loud warning signal.
An electronic female voice came over the speakers, "All staff members collect your belongings and exit the building. Self destruct in sixty minutes."
My body and mind is sent into a panic. But I take this opportunity to save Seth. My legs move faster down the winding staircase and stop once I come to a hallway with doors lining the entire corridor. None are labeled, so I listen closely to what's behind each and every door. I can hear men packing there belongings, trying to leave before the building goes up in flames. Perhaps Evan is behind all this. After all, he is in charge of everything.
Coughing and screams of agony fill my ears. I turn my head and realize it's coming from the door at the very end of the hallway. It takes a lot of force to open the door, but once I do, the smell of death escapes the cold room. It's dark, nothing but a single candle illuminating the room. A small shadow moves in the corner, that of a young person. But she is no ordinary person. Her blue eyes meet mine, her blonde hair in short, little waves. I can't help but feeling a connection to Evan when I look into her eyes. Her pale lips open and close, like she wants to speak. Instead she bares fangs like I'm the threat.
"Who are you?" Her voice is soft, but holds a power behind it.
"My name is Athena. You are a vampire, yes?" I move into the room, but she only moves further away. I am having a hard time remembering her name. Evan told me the day I met him and showed me a younger picture of her. Only now she's a sixteen year old and will be like that the rest of her life. I only wonder why she's here. They experiment on vampires, but it appears they are keeping her. "What is your name? Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."
She says nothing. Just stands there looking at me with bloodthirsty eyes. "Are you Alexis? I know your brother, Evan Baxter. He is a good friend of mine."
She emerges from the shadows, only to point behind me. I don't turn my head fast enough and I feel the end of a gun pressed at the back of my head.
"Don't move, Nicoleta Dalca, or I will shoot your head clean off," The person says my name like its venom on their tongue.
Although the threats, I turn anyway and come face to face with Evan's mother.
She smiles when she sees the confusion on my face. "You didn't think I knew about this place? I can hide many things from certain people. I knew who you were the day you walked into Evan's life."
"Is that your daughter? Why are you hiding her from Evan. I believe he deserves to know what happened to his sister. Why is she a vampire?"
She waves the gun around carelessly. Her eyes are fatigue and bloodshot, likes she's been at the bar recently. "You have so many questions, but if I remember correctly, you killed my husband. I want revenge for that."
She's vulnerable in the state she's in, but I'll have to move carefully.
"Don't even think about it, vampire, I know your tricks. Backup will be here shortly, and so will my son. He won't even spare your worthless life. You killed his father and he will never let you live for that."
"Where is Seth Vincent? I came here for him."
She rolls her eyes. "He's probably dead for all I know. But why do you care? You kill innocent people to live. One less vampire will do good in this world. We're helping citizens who can't defend themselves."
Without thinking, I yank Alexis to me. "How would you feel if I killed your daughter?"
Her eyes soften ever so slightly. "Don't hurt my little girl."
"She is a vampire, like me. She will kill people for blood and there is nothing you can do to stop her. If you shoot me, I won't hesitate to kill her. Make your decision now."
I hear men, who I assume is her backup, coming down the stairs at a fast pace. She drops the gun to the floor and holds her arms up. "You better leave before my men get here."
She places a hand on my chest, stopping me. "If I ever see you again, I will kill you with my bare hands."
"I'd like to see you try. You're hiding behind that gun because you know you don't have a chance against me. Have a nice day, Celeste Baxter. I'll be sure to pay your daughter another visit." I smile at her and move quickly to find a way out. With men coming down, I don't have time to find the security office. Celeste is letting me leave with a pitiful warning and I refuse to be in here when the building explodes.
I spot a phone along the wall and find Evan's name through the long list of numbers. The phone rings only once until I hear his voice on the other end of the receiver. His voice is stern and demanding, "Where are you?"
"I'm not quite sure. I couldn't go up the same steps I used earlier. I saw Alexis, your sister." I didn't mean to blurt the words out, but something in me told me to tell him.
"I know. I found a letter when my dad died. But now is not the time to talk about that. We need to get out of here. In case you didn't know, this place is expected to blow up in less than twenty minutes unless my men can stop the timer."
"I thought you did all this?" My voice is full of confusion.
"Looks like we have some help. I know where you are. I'll be there shortly, just don't go anywhere."
I lean my back against the cool stone wall, with only my thoughts keeping me company. I haven't thought about the situation I have absentmindedly walked myself into. I'm in the same building with people who experiment and kill my kind. What protection do I possibly possess when a gun is held at the back of my head?
I've seen what these bullets can do. Marius would have died if he weren't a pureblood. But I was born human, therefore I have human blood coursing through my body and that makes me weak.
A voice booms over the intercom, "Backup is requested in Area B. The system has been breached. I repeat, an unknown person has been spotted in Area B. Eliminate the target immediately."
Evan comes running down the stairs and pulls me to his chest. "I'm so glad you're okay."
He releases me and looks to see if I was harmed in any way. "We have to get out of here now. Whoever set the alarm is distracting the guards."
I follow him up a set of steps and from there he guides me down corridors that all look the same. If it weren't for the exit sign blinking above a door, I would have been lost without Evan guiding me.
As soon as the door opens, it takes a few moments before my eyes adjust to the brightness. We both take a few steps outside, all our focus on getting to the edge of the forest without being seen by any armed guards.
I suddenly stop and Evan seems to sense something wrong. That's when I hear the tick of the bomb. It feels as if i standing right next to it and suddenly I'm sent into the air. My life flashes before my eyes and I begin to question everything that has happened. An unknown pain spreads throughout my body and I close my eyes tightly trying to force the unwanted pain away.
A noise comes from my left and I try to detect the person approaching rather quickly. If it's an enemy, they have a perfect opportunity to kill me. I wish I were dead. The pain in my limbs are unbearable. My arms lay beside my body and my fingers meet grass and leaves that have fallen off the trees from above. I never felt the impact.
Smoke fills my lungs and I look to my right and see the building entirely in flames. Smoke rising from the treetops for the world to see. I can't see or hear any humans rushing around trying to put the fire out. Perhaps they all abandoned the building. They can easily find somewhere else to continue there experiments.
The footsteps are getting louder, crunching on the dead leaves laying on the ground. My head turns to fast, causing my eyesight to go blurry again. My head is spinning and I clutch my stomach only to feel blood that is escaping a nearby wound. The figure is coming into view and I raise my head slightly off the ground.
Their features are all too familiar. "Evan?"
He bends down next to me and touches my forehead. His voice fills with concern and pity, but I hint a bitterness behind it, "My love, you look vulnerable. I pity the situation you are in."
It's at that moment I know it isn't Evan who I speak to. I refuse to believe the voice my ears are hearing. "Who are you?"
"You know exactly who I am. I'm the one who made your life somewhat miserable. But today-" His fingers trail down my bare arms and down to the wound on my stomach, "-I saved your life."
"Where's Seth?" My own words surprise me. I should be asking about Evan and his whereabouts when the building exploded. We were inches away when we were sent into the air along with pieces of the establishment. Now he is nowhere to be seen or heard.
"He is safe don't worry, and so is Evan. I promise you will see them again, but for now you need to get better. Seems you have lost a significant amount of blood. Your life is in my hands, Nicoleta. You should show me a little more respect if you want to live."
My eyes remain closed, silently wishing I was dead. I would rather have died in the explosion than have my life in the hands of an enemy.
Marius Savu.
•
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I apologize for the long wait. It won't happen again!
Excuse any mistakes, I'll go back and fix them later.
-Victoria