She was gloating, literally. At last, at last she was going to have the answers to her questions. After so many years of work, research, observations, she was going to know. The result of ten years, the fruit of her hard work finally rewarded. Soon, she would be able to complete her mission, to come full circle. The extermination of these creatures brought to Earth by the devil himself.
The Holy Mother walked over to the vampire, tied to the bunk. Her irises had taken on a red tint, a change she had already noticed several times in this creature. Eager for answers, she forgot her fear of the incident at her last attempt to make the vampire flinch, and approached until she was only a few centimeters away from her prisoner. Minutes seemed like hours, and the Holy Mother had to force herself not to use the box to make the vampire talk faster.
- Some vampires have specific powers. Some don't. She explained.
The Holy Mother could see that she was having trouble speaking, because of the product they had given them, a normal side effect of the injection.
- What are they ? She pressed her.
- It's different for each of us. It would be impossible to list them all so much they are divergent and numerous.
This answer calmed the Holy Mother's frenzy and enthusiasm somewhat. How can you exterminate an entire race if they are all different ? Her brain was spinning at full speed in the face of this question. She knew she would eventually find a solution ; besides being a child of God, she was also a scientist, and scientists were used to searching, trying and trying again. What could she come up with to make them disappear from the face of the earth ? Suddenly, a little idea sprang up in the corner of her mind. The Holy Mother turned her attention back to the vampire. The latter was watching her, surprised by her silence.
- You must have someone to direct you ? The Holy Mother asked casually.
The little vampire frowned for a moment.
- What do you mean by that ?
- Don't make me believe that you are wild beasts eager for blood, even if it is surely the case for some of you. Otherwise, you wouldn't blend so easily into the human mass. The Holy Mother retorted, squinting her eyes.
She wanted her answers. And the vampire was going to give them to her. With a nonchalant air, she passed the case from her right hand to her left hand, giving the vampire a hard look. The latter opened her mouth to answer reluctantly.
- The Volturi. She let go.
- The Volturi ?
- The Volturi. They're a very powerful vampire clan, and they're the ones who define our laws. The creature clarified in front of the Holy Mother's forbidding gaze.
The Holy Mother moved aside a little. What the vampire had just said was not insignificant. What would happen if they couldn't exterminate them all at once ? Would this clan be able to find them and take revenge ? The Holy Mother didn't doubt it for a second ; vampires knew no mercy, they loved blood, so why would they not kill them, mere humans ? The Holy Mother faced the little red-eyed vampire again.
- And where are they, these Volturi ? She asked.
- In Italy.
The Holy Mother slowly got to her feet, thinking of a way to carry out her plan. The room was silent, and only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
Suddenly, a deafening alarm broke the silence of the room. Everyone was startled. Elder cursed as he fumbled in his pocket for his phone.
- What the hell is that ? Roared the Holy Mother to the two guards posted by the door.
- Someone entered the basement without authorization, but we don't know more, nobody answers. The soldier on the left answered, while his neighbor spoke into a walkie-talkie.
Elder approached the Holy Mother. His panicked look alarmed the woman.
- It's a group of vampires who have entered. The personnel in charge of monitoring the building just told me. He said simply, pointing to his phone.
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- Jacob, can we know what you touched ?!
Rosalie glared at him. The latter returned it by retorting :
- I just opened a door !
- Smashed would be more accurate. Jasper commented as he entered in a hurry.
After entering the building together through the back door, the group tried to find their way around and ended up in a very messy office full of paperwork and chemistry instruments. Having no other plans, they searched for clues; and what they found was terrifying. All of the paperwork that they had initially thought was useless was actually research, and observations about vampires. Everything, absolutely everything, about their species, their lifestyle, their diet, their physical description... They had even found a file about them, listing every member of the Cullen family. There were also countless diagrams, on different scientific experiments, all with the aim of obtaining potions and weapons that could kill them.
After the initial wave of shock and anxiety, the small group thought it best to continue looking for the girls.
- Let's start by solving the problems one by one, Carlisle had told them to reassure them.
The latter had just found a paper concerning the plan of the building, showing them how to go to the basements, which contained prisons. With the greatest discretion and by making a lot of detours to avoid the patrols of soldiers, they had finally found themselves downstairs. Since the door was locked with a code, Jacob didn't wait for them to get together to break it open with his werewolf strength. Unfortunately, an alarm had gone off ; now all they had to do was run for another chance to get the girls.
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Astraea stared desperately at Alice, praying that she would wake up. Even if the little vampire could have broken away from herself, he wouldn't have gotten very far with Alice on his back, because of the poison in his veins. Still too weak, she could only use her last bit of strength to free herself and Alice, then run for the exit and hope she wouldn't run into anyone. With the alarm and the racket outside the room, this might be their only chance to get out of here.
- Alice ! Astrea repeated. Wake up, damn it !
To her relief, she fluttered her eyelids, then winced at the sound of the alarm. When she was fully awake, she turned her gaze to her sister.
- What happened ? She asked weakly.
- Do you think you can walk ? Replied Astrea matter-of-factly.
Alice thought for a few moments before nodding. This was what the little vampire was waiting for and she used her strength to destroy the bonds that held her prisoner. In a few seconds, she was on her feet, walking with difficulty towards Alice.
- Vampires have entered the basement, she explained as she attacked her friend's bonds, and there's a good chance it's Garrett and the others, although I don't know how they could have found us.
- It's me, I left them a piece of paper in your jacket, with an address written on it. Alice answered, getting on her legs.
She wobbled, and Astrea caught her before she smashed her head on the ground.
- What do you mean ? Asked the little red-eyed vampire, intrigued.
- A vision. I had just enough time to see an address and I sensed that this was where we were being held. I could see through the eyes of a human.
Astrea nodded as she headed for the door. Alice joined her, walking a little firmer with each step.
- If I remember correctly, we shouldn't be too far from the exit, Astrea continued. When we ran away the first time, we walked a lot longer than when they put us back in jail. We must be in the same section as the exit, then.
Alice silently confirmed ; she too had come to the same conclusion. She moved closer to her sister, who was reaching for the door handle when it suddenly opened, causing them to move aside so as not to catch the door in their faces.
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