“Tessa, before we go there, we need a plan.”

  “And more men,” Ian suggested. “What about all the foreign dignitaries and their men? Are they still here?”

  Sian said, “The clans all over the world are facing the same threat. Any of the men healthy enough to travel returned home to fight their own battle, and those left behind are still unconscious.” David studied the occupants of the room. “Once again, it’s just us here left to fight.”

  Chapter 14

  Tessa slipped quietly into the tunnels surrounding the Council Hall’s new meeting room. She had no idea that this set of tunnels even existed until Sian brought up one of the blueprints she’d found in the office.

  “If there’s going to be any of the enemy waiting, they will be in here,” Sian had announced. “I suggest those of you that are not part of the Council hide in there. If we run into trouble, then you’ll do what you do best,” she said with a big smile, but showing teeth, “And ride to the rescue if needed.”

  And that’s how Tessa, Wendy, Motre, Jewel, and Beast were now walking through the tunnels. It had been decided that as they were part of the Council but at a much lower level, David, Ian, and Cody needed to go into the meeting as well.

  As much as she hated to think of Sian being up against the Councilmen, she was no longer alone and Tessa knew that her family would protect her. She very much wanted to hear the conversation though.

  Motre was ahead of her. She’d been following slightly behind when he made a sudden sharp movement. She raced forward to stand beside him. There she could see a group of vamps standing and staring through some kind of a window.

  “Any idea what they’re watching?” she whispered.

  Motre shook his head. “No, but I can guess.”

  “I suggest we find out.” She brushed past him and with Beast still at her side, she sauntered towards the group. “Hey, what are you looking at?”

  The men turned to face her.

  Even in the shadows of the tunnel, she could see the dark energy in their bodies, in their hearts, and in their souls. “Nice, guys.”

  She waved her arms to encompass the whole group. “Interesting that all of you chose to take drugs and enhancements to make yourselves better. Were all of you so lacking in self-confidence before that you needed the boost – even though it’s short-term and fake?”

  Shocked surprise washed around her, even from her friends behind her. This was going to be a job for her and Beast. She hadn’t come here depending on them to help out.

  “What are you talking about?” the closest vamp asked. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

  One of the men in the back called out. “Don’t listen to her. She’s one of the traitors.” He muscled through the group to stand in front. He looked at her with a sneer. “Your days are numbered.”

  Tessa laughed. “What about your days? Do you realize that your life is ebbing away right now? That the drugs inside your system are only good for two days and if you don’t get more drugs, then you die?”

  The vamp shrugged. “We’ll be getting lots of the new drugs, so it’s not going to be an issue.”

  “Except for the fact that we closed down the labs,” Motre said at her side. “And you won’t be getting your drugs in time. How do you feel about that now?”

  “You’re lying. Besides, we’re not depending on the drugs from here. Our drugs come from Europe. They are pure. They aren’t the corrupted ones from here. There was a mad scientist running loose in this place.” He motioned at Beast beside Tessa. “He must have made him. What the hell? How messed up is it?”

  One of the other vamps in the group snorted and said, “That’s okay, we’ll take care of him for you.”

  And he stepped forward with a spike in his hand.

  Tessa studied him like he was some kind of an odd specimen. “Nobody touches this animal,” she warned in a soft tone.

  “Yeah, or else what?”

  She smiled. “Or else I kill you.”

  “You and whose army?” The man with the spike chuckled. “I don’t think that animal will be much help to you.”

  Motre laughed back at him. “I guess you don’t know who she is, do you?” He motioned at Tessa and added, “Particularly if you’re not from around here.”

  “We’re from Europe, so no, not particularly,” one of the men leaning against the hallway said. “We just got in this morning, not that it matters.” The vamp eyed Tessa up and down. “You don’t look to be anything special.”

  “Oh, I’m not. And because I’m not,” Tessa said with a big innocent smile, “I’ll give you this chance to live. But only if you agree to return to the nightmare where you came from.”

  “I think we should find out all the information on the European lab before we let them go home again,” Wendy piped up from behind her.

  Twisting slightly, Tessa nodded and said, “A good point.” She turned back to the men sneering at them. “So you can tell us everything you know and I’ll let you live. Or you could not cooperate and then you’ll die.” She shrugged. “I really don’t care either way. I didn’t bring any gas masks for when the nasty ash starts flying though.”

  “And in close confines like this, it’s going to be really gross,” Wendy muttered. “Maybe I’ll retreat back to the hallway until you guys are done.”

  “Me too,” Jewel added.

  Tessa didn’t look back at her but did offer her a suggestion. “Good idea, stand watch and let us know if anyone else comes.”

  Then she took a step forward. Two men in the front straightened. “Hey, we’ve got no quarrel with you.”

  “You haven’t explained what you’re doing here,” Tessa said in a lighthearted tone. “And of course, no one has volunteered any useful information at this point.”

  “You don’t really expect us to, do you?” one of the men asked in disbelief. “It wouldn’t be worth our jobs.”

  “I hear you,” she said. “And I’m sorry because it looks like we’re on opposite sides in this war. It would be easier if you did know who I was,” she admitted. “Then I wouldn’t have to kill anyone to prove to you that I can.”

  She studied their energy and realized that the man leaning against the wall was doing so because he was weak. His physical body was already breaking down. She pointed to him. “You’re already dying. That’s why you are leaning against the wall. You don’t want the others to know how weak you are.”

  He straightened. “I’m just tired. I don’t like flying.”

  “And the last dose of drugs was weaker. Your system is slowly dying off.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not true. It can’t be true.”

  “It is. I can see the black running through your body, taking your life force with it.”

  “You’re lying,” he scoffed. “No one can see all that.”

  “Am I?” She took a step closer. “Lift your hand and hold it out steady.”

  In a moment of bravado, he did as she asked. Then stared in shock at his arm, now shaking like crazy.

  “See, it’s already started. And there isn’t anything anyone can do to help you. At least not here.”

  “Why not here?” he asked, his voice shaking with the truth.

  “Because the drugs here are no good. If the drugs you have in Europe are better, then you might be okay if you get a full dose fast enough.”

  “Why were you given only a partial dose?” Motre asked.

  “They were short on it,” one of the other men said. “They are shipping more here for us as we speak.”

  “Oh good, then you only have to wait until the drugs arrive. Maybe you’ll make it after all.” But as she studied the look on his face and the depth of the poisoning, she whispered, “Or maybe not.”

  “She’s lying. Don’t let her get to you. We did hear about her. She’s the one they warned us about.”

  The men frowned as if turning the information over in their brains. They turned their attention toward her. “She’s pretty young for all we heard.”

  “Ah, you did hear about me, did you?” She smiled. “I might be young, but what you heard is likely to be the truth.”

  “No, it’s not,” the dying one scoffed. “Besides, it doesn’t matter.”

  “We’re letting them turn our attention away from what we are supposed to be doing. Get them,” someone in the middle of the group ordered. “Shut her up permanently.”

  Tessa laughed. “Bring it on, boys.”

  She took a step forward as two of the men started to walk towards her. Beast, always eager for a fight, jumped forward, snarling. “Easy, boy. We have to give them a chance to back off first.”

  “There will be no backing off here,” snarled the man closest to her.

  Tessa looked each of the two men in the eye and gave a final warning. “This is your only chance to stop. If you take one more step, then I will kill you.”

  But no one was in a listening mood.

  The two men rushed her.

  Tessa settled into a wider stance and raised one hand. In a small space like this, her only trouble would be in keeping the energy flare confined to the two men. Studying their energy, she flicked the first one in the heart chakra, hitting directly beneath the darkness and into the actual organ – he stopped in place and crumpled at her feet soundlessly.

  The second man hit the brakes to stare down at his comrade and then glared at her. “What did you do?” he screamed.

  “Only what I said I’d do,” she asked calmly. “I warned you.” She nodded at the man on the floor and smiled, but it was a grim smile, a hard smile. “He was your example. If you take another step, you will join him.”

  The vamp shook his head in shock. “That’s not possible,” he cried. “It’s a trick.” He crouched down beside his fallen friend and shook the man’s shoulder hard. The vamp rocked slightly but didn’t wake. Slowly, as if realizing he really was dead and somehow the unbelievable had become believable, the man straightened, but this time there was anger and hatred in his gaze.

  “That is my brother.” His fingers went into claws, and he barely restrained himself from reaching for her.

  “That was your brother,” she said, her gaze hard as she watched him, waiting for the attack. “And have no doubt, you will join him if you come after any of us.”

  The man turned to look at the rest of the vamps behind him urging him on.

  “Get her,” the leader ordered. “She can’t get all of us at the same time.”

  Instantly several of the men raced towards her. Tessa held up her hand and flicked her fingers four times. Each time she hit a man in the heart chakra. Each time the man fell to the floor, dead.

  Energy buzzed around her. She took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing some pent up energy in a harmless manner.

  The first man still stood, as if not believing what was happening. She understood. But it didn’t change the fact that they always seem to learn the hard way. “What’s it going to be?” she challenged. “Life or death?”

  Too bad her species were knotheads.

  They didn’t learn easy or fast.

  A new wave of men, she had no idea how many, rushed towards her. She didn’t have as much time as last time so instead of fine-tuning hits to the heart, she just slammed energy to their chest area. It wasn’t as clean and maybe not as fast a death, but it was more effective in close quarters.

  Again the men dropped in place – dead.

  This time the vampire closest to her backed up, holding his hands up in front of him. “No, no no no. This can’t be.” He turned to run and came face-to-face with the leader, who was glaring at him.

  “Did you see what she did?” he cried. “We don’t have a chance.”

  The leader snarled, “You have no choice either way.”

  Tessa couldn’t see what he did, but the result was the same. The vamp who’d retreated blew up in a cloud of ash. He’d chosen life, but his boss had refused to accept the decision.

  As ash covered the nine dead men on the floor, she studied the leader on the other side. “Is this really the end you wish for you and your friends?”

  The leader was snapping in rage. “I don’t know what you’re doing or how you’re doing it,” he said, “but we came here to do a job, and now even I can see behind my order’s actions. You cannot be allowed to live. You are a danger to us all.”

  “Really?” Tessa studied him like he was a bug. Which to her he was. Something to be squashed. Something to never have to deal with again. “Interesting that you would say that,” she said. “Because in reality, you’re the one that shouldn’t be allowed to live. What I do, I do naturally. I was born this way. What you do, you can only do with drugs and enhancements. I might be a quirk of nature,” she worked her lip in a sneer, “but you’re an abomination of nature.”

  A movement behind him showed one other vamp, a younger, slightly slimmer version of the leader. She sighed. “Do you really want your son to die too?” Then she frowned. “Or is he a clone like Terry?”

  The young kid from behind called out, “Do you know Terry?” His voice held that same quivering mix of innocence and hope.

  And Tessa realized that he likely was the same. In a softer voice, she said, “Yes, I’ve met Terry.”

  “Is he okay?” the young man asked in worry. “He’s my friend.”

  Tessa nodded. “He’s fine. Maybe I’ll get a chance to take you to him when this is over.”

  She flipped her gaze back to the leader and quite possibly the father of the young boy. “Is this the way things are done in your world now? No need to have babies anymore?”

  “It’s none of your business.” He turned to the boy. “Go back to Bruno. Tell him that you are both to go home.”

  The young man protested, “You said I could stay with you, Father.”

  “Don’t argue,” the father snapped. “Bruno will look after you. He’ll keep you safe.”

  “But…” The boy seemed to know better. He turned and started to walk down the tunnel. He stopped and cast a look back at his father. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked, his voice trembling.

  “I’ll be fine,” the father answered.

  Tessa studied him. “So you don’t care that the boy will have no father? You’re still planning on attacking?”

  “I came here to do a job. My loyalty has never been questioned; that can’t change now.”

  Motre walked ahead so that he could stand beside Tessa. “You don’t have to do this. Haven’t enough men died by now?”

  “I have no choice, don’t you understand that?” He stared at them in frustration. “I can’t just surrender.”

  “Why not?” Tessa asked in a quiet voice. “There had to be a reason for bringing your son into existence. Is it so easy to let go of that bond?”

  “I would do anything to save my son.”

  “And how does dying help him?” Tessa studied him, trying to understand. She understood doing anything to keep someone you loved safe, but how did throwing himself into a fight he couldn’t win solve anything?

  “I want to keep my son safe,” he replied. “As long as we’re talking, he’s had a chance to get away.”

  “What’s to stop her from going down that same hallway and taking out Bruno and your son after you’re dead?” Motre asked. “You’ve seen her in action. If we want it, your son will die.”

  “No!” He stood undecided, trembling from the conflicting need to look after his son and yet do his duty. Tessa watched and waited. Even if he did surrender, she wasn’t sure she could trust him. He had black energy in his system, but it wasn’t as deep or as dark or his body is deteriorated as the other men. “Have you just recently started taking the drugs?”

  He nodded. “In Germany, we’ve had a resurgence of disease, something we haven’t seen in centuries amongst our clan. We were hoping the drugs would stop the progression.”

  “Disease?” Tessa asked in surprise. “What’s wrong that your bodies can heal themselves?”

  The sick vamp shrugged. “Nobody knows. That’s partly why we started the new cloning project.” He twisted so he could look down the hallway and make sure his son had left as instructed.

  “The drugs were not meant to be enhancements as much as a cure to stop the disease from killing us.” He shook his head in disgust. “Then the scientists went crazy.”

  “And the cloning?” Motre asked. “Or was that to purify the DNA again so that more vamps could be born without the health issues?”

  “Exactly. We’ve kept it secret from the other clans, but our numbers have been decimated by disease.”

  “This is fascinating,” Tessa said. “I’d be much happier about the drugs if they were used to serve the health of the vampires. There are no health issues in our clan at this point,” she said. “But they were building an army of mutants to overpower the rest of us.”

  In a low tone, Motre asked, “Do we know that for sure about the disease?”

  She shook her head. “No. How could we?” She studied the vampires on the floor, but there was so much darkness in their energy it was hard to tell from this point if they had health issues or not. “No one has said anything about such a thing yet.”

  “Maybe they couldn’t,” the other vamp said. “We weren’t allowed to speak about it. It was against clan law to let the other clans know. It would weaken us in their eyes.”

  “And yet that’s not something that you can keep secret for long.” Motre walked forward two steps and stopped. “So what’s it going to be, a life with your son? Or your son having a life without you?”

  “I want protection from the rest of the clan,” he growled, anger emanating from his frame.

  “Interesting. Are you saying it’s your clan that’s behind this?”

  The other vamp shook his head. “No, but they have joined in to get the benefit of the drugs.” He shrugged. “Your clan – the blood farm half – were trying to overtake the clan, all the clans actually, and this was part of our agreement with them. We join, but we get the drugs to stop the disease. And the technology for clones.”