The Vampire SEAL Collection, page 115
I snarled. I wanted to spit in his face, but that wouldn’t have gotten me far. “So you’re going to build an army and show the elders you’re better at leading than my father. Why would I care about that?” I didn’t see what benefit his mission held for me. Sure, he would command the military. But I wasn’t in the military. Frankly, I wanted to be far away from any military base. I wanted to live at Webb’s house in Maine. As I studied the man, I had a fleeting thought. “If I were your daughter, and I was kidnapped by your enemy, what would you do?”
Grasping my hand, he cocked his dark head as though he was trying to read my mind. Which I knew was impossible. He didn’t have that capability. “I would hunt down the asshole and kill him.”
I choked. He would flip out then if he knew he had a daughter.
He let go of my hand. “What did you say?”
My face had to be pale. “I didn’t say anything.” I clenched my fists as all my muscles tightened. I swore to my dad I wouldn’t say a word about Abbey. Her mom wanted to keep Abbey from Edmund. She feared as did my dad that Edmund would experiment on his own flesh and blood.
“You said ‘had a daughter.’”
No, I only thought that, unless those last few words had actually come out. “I said I was glad I wasn’t your daughter.” Liar.
His eyes changed from light brown to red. “Mm.”
Immediately, I thought of Ben. “Why do your eyes change to red?” Again, my curiosity was piqued.
“Why do your eyes change to violet?” he countered.
“I assume that the unique color is due to the fact that I have strong powers.”
“Then you’ve answered your own question. I just wanted to say hi before Patrick starts his testing.”
“Are you going to kill Sam and me?”
He patted my hand. “I’ll see you later.” Then he left the room.
I blew out a breath. That entire conversation had been weird and scary. He’d been nice, not the creepy man I’d met in the basement of Highland Memorial Hospital. He certainly didn’t give off the same vibe he had when he’d left me on the boat to die. Sure, that evil man was still inside him. But part of me thought I’d thrown him a curveball when I asked him what he would do if he had a daughter. Not only that, but I’d swallowed my panic when I seriously thought he’d read my mind, because I knew without a doubt that I hadn’t spoken a word of his daughter, Abbey.
Patrick returned, giddy. “Now it’s your turn.” He pressed something on the table before I found myself on the move.
I started chanting Sam in my head. I had to get through to him, although I wasn’t sure what good it would do. Talking to him telepathically wouldn’t free me.
The bright white ceiling whizzed by. Machines hummed as we passed by rooms along the narrow hallway. A scent of a vampire permeated the hall.
“Patrick,” Bruno called.
I raised my head. The white-haired vampire pointed a gun as he stalked toward us. I yanked on the restraints.
“What in the world?” Patrick started pushing the table in the opposite direction.
“Let me off this thing,” I shouted.
“I can’t,” Patrick said. “The key is in my lab, and my lab is the other way.” Fear laced his tone.
“You can’t run with me.” I was on a freaking table.
All of sudden, Patrick fell. His head hit the table before he splattered to the floor. Then Bruno was at my side. “You’re mine.” He had a key in his hand then worked to get me out of the restraints.
As he lifted me in his arms, I glanced at my uncle, whose body was lifeless. If he were dead, then that meant the key to Edmund’s plan was gone. My hope died when I didn’t see any blood.
“Is he dead?” I asked as Bruno adjusted me in his arms.
He ran for the exit door. “I wish.”
“Wait. You can’t take me. I need to get my brother.”
The alarms blared when he barreled through the exit.
“No time.”
I kicked and screamed, but my voice died when he threw me into the passenger seat of a van then knocked me out.
19
Webb
Licking my lips, I rubbed my head as I blinked to orient myself. One look around, and I saw two sets of eyes staring at me.
Steven stood against a wall in the small medical room, looking as though someone had pissed in his cereal. I should be shaking, but I wasn’t one to cower before anyone, not even the most powerful of vampires. His eyes shifted colors several times, a sign he was trying to rein in his power.
Dr. Vieira, who was at my bedside, gave me a pitiful look.
I almost laughed, but instead I said, “Nice to see you, Doc.”
“Damon, leave us.” Steven’s voice boomed, the sound practically shaking the walls.
“Let me check one thing.” Dr. Vieira flashed his penlight in my eyes. “How do you feel? I gave you an injection of something I’m working on to counteract the sedative in those bullets.”
“I have a pounding headache. Is that one of the side effects?”
“Possibly. You’re the first vampire I’ve tried it on. I’ll make note of that. The good news is that you were only out for three hours instead of twenty-four.” He pressed his stethoscope to my chest. “Your heart rate is normal. Interesting. In the lab rats, their hearts raced when I injected them with my experimental drug.” He wrapped the tubing of his stethoscope around his neck. “Good to see you. I’m glad you’re alive.” He turned to leave.
“Wait, Doc. Bruno implanted a GPS chip in me and the other sentinels that were on the mission with me.”
Steven straightened. “Where?”
“I don’t know. Kate gave me the tip just before I got shot.”
“You were with Kate?” Steven growled loudly, showing fangs. A chair rattled next to him.
Man, Jo and Steven were so much alike when they got angry. Oh, fuck. Jo. I winced at the thought of Edmund having a field day with her.
“I’ll get the metal detector.” Dr. Vieira rushed out of the room.
I couldn’t tell if he was worried about the chip or afraid of Steven. Then again, everyone was afraid of Steven when he got angry, with the exception of me. I swung my legs over the bed before I stood. As I did, I wobbled slightly. Fucking sedative. “Steven, before you shatter the windows, hear me out.”
“Hear you out,” he shouted, his chest heaving. “You take my kids, disappear, don’t even tell your team what you’re doing, and you want me to stay calm. Oh, and where are my kids? Let me guess. Kate took them.” He got in my face, then out of nowhere, landed a punch that broke my fucking nose before he sent me into a wall.
My spine cracked. I bent over then straightened as my spine snapped back into place. No sooner was I upright, than he came at me again. This time, I caught his fist. I had a strong urge to return blow after blow, but that wouldn’t do any good at the moment. It certainly wouldn’t bring back Jo and Sam.
He stalked away, muttering expletives. “The last fucking thing I wanted to happen was for Edmund to get his hands on my daughter. Not only does he have Jo, but Sam. Olivia tells me that they have the same DNA makeup, and that Bruno was responsible for stealing their data from the lab in Boston. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” I moved my nose back and forth, the bone righting itself. “Steven, I had no idea I had a chip embedded in me. I had no idea they were tracking me. My goal when I met with Kate was to plant a tracking device on her so we could pinpoint Edmund’s location. The plan backfired.” Just like the two missions Steven had led had backfired. He should’ve cut off Edmund’s head for killing a human.
“Did you plant the tracking device on Kate?” His voice lowered, but his tone was hard as granite.
“Yes.”
He chewed on his cheek as he paced the small room with his fists clenched at his sides. “My worst nightmare came true. Jo and Sam should’ve never left this base.”
“You can’t keep them locked up forever. They’re strong. They’re good fighters. They’ll survive this.” They had to. Jo had to. If she didn’t, I would kill myself. Hell, I would kill no matter what. No way was Edmund or Bruno getting away with what they’d done.
Steven whipped out his phone. “Get a secure laptop up to the infirmary.”
“I need some blood.” I blew past him and into the main part of Dr. Vieira’s lab. I headed straight for the fridge, but as I passed one of the lab benches, I froze. The heads of Crowe and Quade were encased in glass boxes as though they had been preserved forever.
“They were delivered this morning.” Dr. Vieira walked up with a small metal detector in his hand. “Sad, isn’t it?”
My stomach pitched. I understood that soldiers took risks every time they left for a mission. Death was a risk. Getting captured and tortured by the enemy was always prevalent. Still, it didn’t make dealing with the death of our brethren any easier. More importantly, breaking the news to their loved ones was harder, especially when I knew their families. Quade’s little girl, Abbey, would be devastated. Actually, Abbey wasn’t biologically Quade’s daughter, but he had raised her as his own.
“Get some blood, Webb,” Dr. Vieira said. “You need it.”
What I needed was to find Jo and Sam. What I needed was to kill Edmund and Bruno. What I needed was to get the fuck out of there and never look back. After Jo was safe, I was done with the military. We were getting married and living a quiet life. George’s voice rang in my head. “Good luck with that. I believe the twins are the ones who will be giving orders in our world.”
Fuck our world.
The door burst open. “Webb.” Olivia ran in with a laptop. “Christ, I was worried sick.”
“I’m glad you guys made it back in one piece.” I was slowly putting on my lieutenant hat. “How is Crysta?”
“She’s fine. She’s downstairs in the control room, arguing with Tripp and Kraft.” Olivia beamed from ear to ear. Not to mention, she was back to her old self. The dirt, grime, and bruises were gone, and she appeared ready to fight. “The twins?”
“Kate got them.”
“Speaking of which,” Dr. Vieira said, “let’s find those chips embedded in you. Olivia, can you get Kraft and Kodiak up here.”
She scrunched her nose.
I flicked my head. “Make the call.”
Steven came out of the room as Olivia set down the laptop on the counter. I proceeded to down a container of blood, a welcome relief for my dry throat. Instantly, the room, my senses, and every noise in the lab sharpened to a knife’s edge.
“Let’s find out where Kate is,” Steven ordered, not losing his pissed-off look.
Before I set to work finding my sister, I had one thing to do. I walked over to Steven and threw a left hook that landed on his jaw. I didn’t throw one hard enough to send him flying, though.
Steven rubbed his jaw. “What the fuck was that for?”
“That is for sleeping with my sister.” Sometimes I wondered if Steven had a compassionate bone in his body.
Olivia and Dr. Vieira gasped.
Steven narrowed his green eyes. “Don’t believe everything she tells you.”
“Then enlighten me.” I wanted to know more. I was beginning to understand Kate’s reasons for wanting to kill me, and that reason was the most powerful of vampires. “Because from where I stand, we could’ve averted a lot of trouble and maybe have killed Edmund already. More than that, I could still have my sister at my side. She’s family, damn it. She shouldn’t be with Edmund.”
He laughed. He fucking laughed. “She made her bed.” He powered up the laptop. “Focus on the task.” He pointed to the screen.
“Do you think this is funny? What if your daughter or son ran willingly to the enemy? What then?”
Olivia stepped in between us. “Jo’s and Sam’s lives are at stake. Finish this shit another time.”
Oh, he and I weren’t through with our conversation. That was for sure.
My fingers flew over keys as I punched in my passcode to the tracking program attached to the device. Once in, I waited for the satellite view of the city to emerge. Houses, buildings, and the bay filled the screened, but no green dot. I zoomed out to a wider area. Nothing.
“Are you sure you planted one?” Steven asked through gritted teeth.
My heart rate was dropping fast. The aftertaste of the blood I’d drunk soured. I kept searching, zooming in then out, anxiety sinking its sharp claws into me.
Steven growled, low and lethal.
A quick glance at the Wi-Fi signal showed I only had one bar. Grabbing the computer, I moved into the room I’d been in earlier and went over to the window. The signal picked up. When it did, a flashing green dot brightened the screen.
With the laptop in my hands, I stalked out of the room. Standing in a line of sorts were Kraft, Kodiak, Tripp, and Ben. Wait. Ben? My gaze lingered on the boy. He was beefier and taller than I remembered. His scent was human, and at the same time, it wasn’t. Jo had said she thought he was half human and half vampire.
Tripp broke out of the line and trudged up to me. His sandy-blond hair was tied at his nape, and his features were drawn as though he carried the entire universe on his shoulders. He probably did since he was working under the commander. I knew the feeling all too well. Tripp dipped his head at me but didn’t smile. “Good to see you, Lieutenant.”
What the fuck? He and I were best friends. I’d expected a warmer welcome.
He drilled his bronze gaze into me before his voice was blaring in my head. I want you to stay calm. Let me handle what’s about to happen.
I glanced past Tripp. Kodiak and Kraft looked away. Something was about to go down.
“Did you get a location?” Steven asked.
I returned a telepathic message to Tripp. Care to tell me what the commander’s next move is?
Do as you’re told. I promise I’ll take care of everything, Tripp responded.
I trusted Tripp with my life. So I said, “Yes, Commander.” I had a feeling I knew what was coming.
Olivia shook her head at me.
“So is Ben a sentinel now?” I asked.
Ben smirked, and all I wanted to do was punch his lights out.
“Well? Kate’s location,” Steven barked.
“She’s on the Indian reservation just outside of town,” I said. “Address is on the screen.”
Whatever was about to go down, I still acted as though I was part of the team. I walked over to the door. “I’ll get my gear.”
“You’re not going,” Steven said. “Kraft and Kodiak, escort Lieutenant London to the brig. If he tries anything, kill him. Ben, I want you to stand guard.”
I laughed so hard, I could barely contain myself at the notion that Ben would guard me. “You’ve got to be kidding. Ben doesn’t stand a chance,” I said through laughter.
“He’s not human anymore,” Dr. Vieira said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t test him, either. He’s quite strong.”
The thought of landing a punch to his face crossed my mind until Kraft and Kodiak secured my arms behind my back before locking me in handcuffs.
“You can’t do this. You need me.” I pinned a deathly look on Steven, who returned his own death stare.
If Steven wouldn’t budge, maybe my team would. I opened a telepathic connection to Kraft. You have to let me go.
You’re too close to this mission. Let us handle it, Kraft said.
We promise we’ll get you out, Olivia said.
“And if any of you do anything to aid and abet Lieutenant London, then you’ll find yourself in the brig. Is that clear?” Silver banished the green in the commander’s eyes as he pinned a look on each of the sentinels.
“Don’t worry, Commander,” Ben said. “I’ll make sure.”
I laughed. “You’re not a SEAL. And you’re not on the team.”
“That’s for me to decide,” Steven said. “Tripp, you’re in charge. So get London to the brig then meet me in the control room.”
I clenched my jaw as I was escorted out of the infirmary. I thought about pleading with Kraft, Kodiak, and Tripp, but I couldn’t risk their military careers. You also need to save Jo. Somehow, I had to find a way out.
20
Jo
Something hard hit my head, and I jolted awake. It took me a second to realize I was in a van, speeding around a curve so fast that we were sure to tip over. Another second ticked by, when I honed in on Bruno, who had his gnarly fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, driving as though he was on his way to a fire. Oh, wait. He was. He’d kidnapped me from Edmund.
“You stole me from my enemy? I don’t understand.” I moved my jaw back and forth. “And you punched me. Ass.” I went to touch my bruised jaw, but my hands were cuffed with those stupid cobalt cuffs.
“That jerk owes me money, and until I get it, he doesn’t get you.”
“Go back. I have to get Sam. We’re worth more together.”
He banked around another sharp curve, and again, my head hit the window.
“It’s too risky. Besides, I’ll demand the full amount. They want you just as badly as your brother.”
As crazy as he was driving, I had an even crazier idea. I was a vampire, which meant I would heal from my injuries. I tried for the door handle as best I could, considering my hands were locked together in my lap, but there was no handle.
He let out a maniacal laugh. “Do you like my van? You can get in but never get out.”
Complete darkness wrapped around us as he turned off the headlights.
“Are you mad?” My nails bit into my legs. “Turn on the lights.”
“It’s too risky.” He banked around another curve at Mach speed.
My vampire vision could only see so far. The road behind us was also shrouded in black, which meant no cars were chasing us and neither was Edmund’s crew unless they were as nutso as Bruno and turned off their headlights. I almost wanted Edmund’s men to capture us. I had to get back to Sam. Or I could find help then go back. The problem was I didn’t know where we were. I only knew that the passing trees and brush indicated we were deep in the middle of nowhere.
