The Recruit: Book Two (21 page)

“Professor!”  Selena, standing in the
doorway with Reid, hurried forward.  “Are you alright?”  She had to shout to be
heard over the music.

“Yes.  Although I’m a little confused as to
why there are vampires in my apartment.”  Douglas answered mildly as Reid
turned off the music.

“We’re under attack.”  Reid replied.

“How did they get past the motion
detectors?”  Douglas frowned at them.

“Someone in the facility is obviously
helping them.”  Reid said grimly.  “Have you seen Mannie?   He’s not in his
apartment.”

“I think he’s in the common room.”

“Stay here, Professor.  Lock the door to
your apartment.”  Selena urged him as she and Reid headed towards the door.

“Like hell I’m staying here.”  Douglas
dropped his paintbrush and followed them.  “I might be old but I won’t hide in
my bed like a coward.”

His eyes glowed a dark yellow and his teeth
began to lengthen as he stepped into the hallway after Reid and Selena.

* * *

As the elevator carried them smoothly
downwards, Hannah gripped her swords tightly and stared grimly at the twins. 

“Stick together and don’t get cocky.  Do
you understand me?”

“Yes, Han Solo.”  Luther replied smartly
and Tyrone snickered loudly.

Hannah smacked him hard on the arm.  “This
is not a joke, Luther.  Stay alert and don’t be a show-off.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Luther rubbed at his arm and
Hannah’s gaze softened as she stared at him and his brother.

“I love you.  Both of you.”

“Aww geez, Hannah.  Not in front of the
kung-fu master.  You’re embarrassing us.”  Luther’s face turned bright red.

“I love you too, Hannah.”  Tyrone said
solemnly.  He elbowed Luther who nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, me too.  Our love fills the
elevator.  Now, let’s kick some leech ass.”

As the elevator slowed to a stop, she
glanced at Chen.  He nodded to her and the two of them stepped in front of the
twins as the doors slid open.  They peered into the hallway.  It was empty and
quiet and the four of them moved cautiously towards the door at the far end.

“I don’t like this.”  Chen murmured.

“Me either.”  Hannah replied softly.  “It’s
too – “

The door flung open and six vampires,
hissing and grinning, piled into the narrow hallway. 

“Hello, humans.”  One of them hissed
delightedly.  “Why don’t you come a little closer so we can get to know each
other?”

“I got to know your mother last night.” 
Luther said impudently.  “Rode her like a horse until she begged for mercy.”

The vampire laughed.  “I’ll turn you last. 
Let you watch as I turn your friends.  Maybe, instead of turning you, I’ll let
your friends feed from you.  They’ll be hungry.”

A female vampire, her head shaved bald,
leaned in and whispered something to him.  The vampire studied Hannah closely. 
“So you’re the one he’s looking for.  He’ll be very pleased when we bring you
to him.  Stand aside while we turn the others and you will not be harmed.”

Hannah grinned at him bitterly and raised
her swords.  “I’m going to kill you last.  Let you watch as I kill your
friends.”

The vampire hesitated before glancing at
the others.  “Don’t harm the woman.  He wants to turn her himself.”

“Remember,” Hannah murmured to the twins,
“stakes to the heart, first time.  There’s no room for mistakes.”

She glanced at Chen and he gave her a
reassuring nod before raising his swords and grinning at the vampires slinking
towards them.  “Begin.”

Selena raced down the hallway towards the
common room.  Reid was right on her heels and followed closely by Douglas.  She
could hear screams of panic and the hissing and snarling of vampires as they
approached the common room, and she jerked the door open.  She paused on the
threshold, her mouth dropping open as a moan of dismay fell from it. 

“Oh my sweet Jesus.”  She whispered.

The room was filled with vampires.  She
realized with a grim kind of shock that the vampires weren’t killing the humans
– they were turning them.  Others were advancing slowly towards the small group
of humans backed into the far corner of the room.  Mannie, his face and body
covered in blood and ash, was standing in front.  Ryan, blood pouring from a
deep slash across his cheek and his left arm hanging uselessly, was standing
just behind him.  Both of them held broken chair legs smeared with blood, and
they raised them as the vampires drew closer.

Behind them, crowded into the corner like
frightened cattle, was a mixture of babies and older recruits.  Mallorie, her
long hair soaked with blood, was holding up an unconscious April.  As Selena
watched, she handed April to one of the other recruits before stepping forward
to join Mannie and Ryan.  She had a long, sharp stake in one hand and she
gripped it tightly.

Selena looked up at Reid as, behind them,
there was the sound of fabric tearing and a soft popping noise as Douglas
shifted to his wolf form.

“Reid...” Selena whispered as she pulled
her guns from their holsters.  There were too many vampires and going in there
meant death for them all.  Selena knew that with certainty. 

Reid stared down at her and she saw the
same certainty in his eyes.  He suddenly grinned boyishly at her.  “Fuck it. 
No one lives forever, right?”

He yanked her against him and kissed her
hard on the mouth, thrusting his tongue between her lips before releasing her
and bounding into the room.  As he shot the closest vampire, she gripped her
guns and followed him.

* * *

As Hannah and the others approached the
common room, they could hear shrieks of pain and snarling and she gave Chen a
grim look, her face bloodless.  Chen flung the door open and the four of them ran
into the room. 

With a thin cry of rage, Hannah thrust her
sword into the back of a vampire that was about to leap on Selena.  The vampire
hissed in shock and then exploded.

“Hannah!”  Selena cried.

“Are you alright?”  Hannah panted as she
skewered another vampire.

“Yeah.”  Selena nodded before racing
towards three vampires that were approaching the huddle of babies and recruits
in the far corner. 

There was a loud howling and Hannah turned
to see a black wolf, its eyes glowing and saliva dripping from its fangs, jump
onto a trio of vampires.  He tore the head off of one and then screamed with
pain when the other two fell on him, biting and clawing through his thick pelt.

Chen, his swords flashing in the light,
beheaded one and plunged his sword into the belly of the second.  It snarled at
him and he grinned at it before using his other sword to cut off its head.  The
Lycan staggered to its feet and chuffed at Chen.  Chen nodded and the two of
them turned and stalked towards the babies and recruits.

“Luther!  Get down!”  Tyrone shouted. 
Luther dropped to the floor as a vampire flew from the ceiling of the common
room down towards him.  It grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to his
feet.

Luther grinned fiercely at him.  “Hello
motherfucker!”

“Fool!”  The vampire hissed.  He grabbed
Luther’s hair and yanked his head back as his fangs lengthened.  He bent his
head and then stiffened before looking behind him.  Tyrone, sweat pouring from
his face, grinned maniacally at him and shoved the stake further into his back.

The vampire blinked in surprise and turned
to look at Luther.  “Two…” He whispered.

Luther laughed.  “That’s right,
motherfucker.”  He pulled back and shoved his stake into the vampire’s chest. 
The vampire exploded and the two teens winced as they were coated in blood and
ash.

“Jesus!  Why do we always forget they do
that?”  Tyrone asked disgustedly.

Luther shrugged and glanced around the
room.  The humans were winning.  Hannah, Reid, Mannie and Chen were closing in
on the last of the vampires as Selena and a large Lycan stood protectively in
front of the babies and recruits.

A vampire stuck its head into the room,
glanced around with bright interest, and then skittered out of sight.

“Shit!  C’mon Tyrone!”  Luther punched his
brother on the shoulder and ran towards the door.  With one last glance at
Hannah and the others, Tyrone followed him.

* * *

“How the fuck did they get into the facility?  Can someone
please fucking tell me that?”  Mannie asked. 

They had killed the last of the vampires and he was standing
slightly apart from the others.  He ran his hand through his hair, grimacing at
the ash and the blood that was in it.  Selena, examining Ryan’s arm, muttered
an apology when he flinched and cried out.

“Ryan needs to see Barb, right now.”  She said anxiously.

“We don’t even know if she’s alive.”  Reid pointed out. 
“They could be all over the farmhouse as well.”

“Somebody answer me!”  Mannie shouted.  “How they fuck did
they get in here?”  He slammed his fist against the wall and the group of
babies cringed backwards.

“Calm down, Mannie.”  Chen said quietly.  “We think it was
Alan who was feeding the vampires the information.”

“It has to be him.”  Hannah replied.  “Mannie, have you seen
Alan tonight?”

Mannie shook his head.  “I haven’t seen him all fucking
day.  Are you serious?  Alan, our goddamn shrink, is giving information to the
leeches?”

Hannah nodded.  “Yes.”

“Oh this is just fucking great, man.  Just fucking great.” 
Mannie moaned.  Hannah tugged on his arm.

“Mannie, does Alan know the locations of the other
facilities?”  She asked urgently.

He shook his head.  “I don’t think so.  Not the exact address
of the locations anyway.  Richard keeps that shit under lock and key.”

“Is Richard still here, do you think?”  Hannah asked.

Mannie shrugged.  “I don’t know.”

Hannah looked at Chen.  “We need to get to Richard’s
office.  If he is here, the vampires will try and turn him to get the
information.”

“He’s not the only one.”  Reid stared at the humans lying
dead on the floor of the common room.  “They were trying to turn everyone.”

“Why would they do that?  Why not just feed from us?” 
Selena asked. 

“I don’t know.”  Reid replied.

“It doesn’t matter!”  Hannah said impatiently.  “What
matters is finding Richard before the vampires do.  If they turn him and get
the info from him…we’re all fucked.  Selena, Reid, and Mannie - stay here and
protect the others.  Chen, Douglas and I will go and find Richard.”

She turned towards the far side of the room.  “Luther and
Tyrone, stay here with – “

She stopped and scanned the room.  “Fuck!  Where are the
goddamn twins?”

Chen shook his head.  “I don’t know.”

Hannah cursed again.  “We’ll find them.  They couldn’t have
gone far.”

She glanced at Selena.  “Do you have enough bullets left?”

Selena nodded.  “I have enough.”

“Be safe.”  Hannah gave her a thin smile and Selena returned
it weakly.

“Safe is for cowards.”

* * *

Chen raised his finger to his lips and Hannah nodded. 
Beside her, Douglas chuffed quietly and she squeezed the Lycan’s shoulder
briefly.  Chen eased open the door to Richard’s office and the three of them
entered the room in a quiet rush.  Alan, sitting at Richard’s desk, looked up
in surprise before suddenly standing.

“Oh thank God!”  He cried in a hoarse whisper.  “There are
vampires everywhere.  We need to get out of there, we need to – “

He gave a startled shriek when Hannah ran across the room,
ducked behind the desk and grabbed him by his hair.  She held one sword to his
throat and he swallowed loudly.

“Hannah, I – I thought you were dead.”

“Did you?”  She stared at him and he moaned with fear when
the tip of her sword pierced his skin.

“What – what’s wrong?”  He glanced at Chen.  “Chen, help
me!”

“We know, Alan.”  Hannah leaned forward until her face was
only inches from his.  “We know you’re the rat.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Alan whispered.

“Tell me the truth or I’ll use my shiny swords to slice you
open.”  Hannah grinned fiercely at him.  “Shall we find out what your guts look
like, Alan?”

Alan, his eyes wide and his mouth trembling, glanced quickly
at Chen once more.  The Asian man stared back impassively, his swords resting
gently on the ground, and Alan shrieked with fear when Hannah yanked viciously
on his hair.

“We don’t have time for this, Alan.  Tell me!”  She shouted.

“Alright!  Alright!”  Alan tried to stumble back and Hannah
tightened her grip on his hair before releasing him.  He took a few steps
backwards and tripped, sprawling on to his back in a dark pool of blood.

Hannah gave a small moan of dismay.  Richard was face-down
on the floor partially hidden behind the desk and, as Alan scooted away from
her, she knelt down and turned Richard over.

“Oh Richard.”  She moaned.

“Back against the wall.  If you move, I’ll kill you.”  Chen
pointed his sword at Alan and he held his hands up and backed away until his
ass hit the wall.

There was a soft popping noise and a naked Douglas knelt
next to Hannah.  He stared at the knife jutting out from under Richard’s chin
as Hannah staggered to her feet.

“Did you do this?  Did you?”  She shouted at Alan.  She
raised her swords and Chen grabbed her arm.

“Don’t, Hannah.”

“He killed Richard!”  She snapped at him.  “He deserves to
die!”

She tried to pull free of Chen and he squeezed her arm.

“I said, no.”  He replied quietly.

She stared at him, her nostrils flaring and her eyes dark
with anger, before nodding.  “Yes, Master.”

Chen dropped her arm as Douglas straightened.  “I don’t
think he killed him.”

“I didn’t!”  Alan protested loudly.  “He was dead when I got
here.”

“Shut the fuck up!”  Hannah snarled at him.

“I think he killed himself.”  Douglas said softly.  He
stared at the large amount of ash and blood in the room.  “If I had to guess,
he did it to prevent the leeches from turning him.”

“Jesus.”  Hannah whispered.  She turned back towards Alan. 
“Why, Alan?  Tell me why you fucking betrayed us or so help me God, I really
will slice you open.”

Alan straightened his tie and ran a hand over his beard. 
“Why do you think, Hannah?  Tell me you’re not that fucking stupid.”

“Watch your mouth.”  Chen advised quietly.

Alan pushed away from the wall.  Oddly enough, his fear
seemed to have left him and he gave Hannah an almost delighted grin. 
“Immortality, you stupid bitch.  I give Samuel the facility and he gives me
eternal life.”

“People are
dying
out there, Alan!  Because of you!” 
Hannah shouted.

Alan shrugged.  “Immortality is not without its price.”

Hannah started towards him and Chen grabbed her arm again. 
“Stop!  We leave him alive.”

“Are you kidding me?”  Hannah turned on Chen.  “I’m not
leaving this bag of shit alive.  He deserves to die, Chen!”

Chen shook his head.  “We’ll turn him over to the Board of
Directors.  They can decide what to do with him.”

“Chen – “

“Enough, Hannah!”  Chen said sharply.  “We need to find this
Samuel and kill him.  Let’s go.  Douglas will stay and guard Alan.”

“Douglas?  Will you be okay?”  Hannah asked.

Douglas nodded immediately and gave Alan a look of
contempt.  “He’s only a pathetic little human.”

“Shut up, dog!”  Alan snapped.

Douglas didn’t reply and Hannah glanced at Chen again. 
“Chen, let me kill him.  I don’t – “

“Enough!  You have enough leech blood on your hands,
Hannah.  Believe me when I say it is entirely different to kill a human.  Even
one as wretched as him.”

Before she could argue further, he was moving towards the
door.  He opened it and peered into the hallway.  “It’s empty.  Let’s go.”

With a final look of contempt at Alan, Hannah eased out the
door and waited for Chen to join her as she scanned the hall.  Behind her back,
Chen paused and stared at Douglas.  The old Lycan returned his gaze and, after
a moment, nodded slightly.  Chen turned to Alan and the brief, chilling smile
Chen gave him made goose bumps rise on his flesh.

He swallowed thickly as Chen bowed to him.  “Goodbye, Alan.”

Alan cleared his throat nervously as Chen closed the door
with a soft click.  He regarded the old Lycan carefully before clearing his
throat again.  “I had no choice, you know.  I have cancer and it’s terminal. 
I’ll be dead within the year.  I went to the vampires because I had no
choice.”  He repeated himself.

“There’s always a choice.”  Douglas said softly.

Alan bent and righted one of the leather chairs in front of
Richard’s desk.  He sat down in it with a soft sigh and crossed one leg over
the other.  “You should consider joining them.  There are plenty of your kind
working with Samuel.”

“So I have heard.”  Douglas answered.

Alan looked him up and down.  “You’re a bit on the old side
but I could put in a good word for you.  Samuel trusts me.”