CHAPTER ONE #5
He was in a warehouse of some kind. A central area with a high ceiling and a corridor with several office type rooms. They’d crashed into the main area and Vamps had started to stir, spilling out of rooms. Some that were initially confused suddenly understood what was going on and went on the offensive.
Alex had his hands full. His people were fighting and clawing their way through the halls.
She held a breath while she watched Alex take apart a Vamp that came right at him, to be followed by several others.
There were so many of them. Two of his men close by, fighting just as hard.
Fear for him hit her. He clearly knew how to use a sword.
He’d cleared a path and passed a doorway moving forward, Luce got a fraction of movement before the camera moved.
“Behind you,” she screamed at him punching in his ID number to her ear communication device.
She watched him spin and catch a silver tipped stake aimed for his heart, it would have gone right through his back.
It still stuck home, but he twisted the attacker’s wrist before it went too deep and plunged it into the heart of the attacker. He went to ash then and there.
Holy shit…..
Collapsing in her seat her nerves frayed.
That was too fucking close. The fighting intensifying, and watched as Alex, who now appeared unbeatable, deadly, in his anger, spun and slashed along with his people till the room was ash.
Watching him panting, covering in blood and ash, he looked like a warlord of old.
Probably what he was……
Suddenly he looked up at the camera on the drone and stared at her. Pointing his sword at her, he inclined his head. She blew out a breath and slumped back. Her mind blanked out under that gaze.
Fuck…..
Remembering she had others to watch, she switched to the other channels catching up on all the other action and saw similar situations coming to an end. It looked like a success.
Damn that was something else……
Blinking taking several deep breaths she tried not to hyperventilate and listened to Arturo call for the numbers of casualties from his people. They had lost three.
She closed her eyes hearing it. They’d lost people. Good people.
Ok they were Vamps but as it had been explained to her, there were Vamps and then there were Vamps.
She was making no sense; and rubbed her forehead.
When Pete had first told her she sat there in disbelief thinking it a joke.
Until Val had come in and shown her he wasn’t lying.
Not that she’d ever known Pete to lie. Shaking her head she tried to clear the fog from her brain.
Alex could have died tonight her brain told her, not sure why her brain focused on that, but she knew she didn’t like it.
A coms link lit up. Alex. Her hand shaky, she clicked on it. “Luce?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Are you ok?” she whispered she couldn’t help it she was worried.
“Luce do you have everything recorded?” Arturo cut in.
“Yes sir I have it all. I will file it and send it to you to go over later.” Isolating Arturo’s coms she spoke to Alex.
“Gotta go.” And cut him off going back to Arturo.
“Thank you Luce. Everything worked well tonight. You can go home. We’ll see you tomorrow.” It didn’t feel like a victory losing people but she nodded at no one.
“Yes sir, thank you.”
Taking her time, downloading all the files, and sent them to Arturo’s email box individually so they wouldn’t frag up.
Checking all the software was working correctly then set a diagnostic on the systems. Finally disconnecting her laptop, she removed her earpiece leaving it on the desk before picking up the house phone and calling security. “Car please. I’m finished.”
“Yes, mam coming now.”
Leaving her desk, she popped her head into Arturo’s office having seen Regin go in after she’d come back from the kitchen. She was sitting in Arturo’s seat, where she could clearly see the vids.
“They’re all good and Arturo told me to go. You Ok? Do you need anything?” she asked her.
Regin looked up. “No I’m good. Thanks Luce. That equipment you suggested worked great. Good call.”
She beamed at her. “Thanks, night.”
And turned away headed for the front door suddenly feeling exhausted. Her car was waiting. Walking out, security opened the door for her and she got in on auto. She looked up at the house, not a house, a mansion, a mansion she worked in.
People had died tonight…..
Mostly very bad people who hurt others. But they’d still died. And their own people. She couldn’t feel bad about that or the fact that she had helped them do it. It had been the right thing to do. Humans would be safer because of it. And that’s where her loyalties lay. With the good guys.
People out there if they knew might think she’s crazy, but she knew good things when she saw it.
And she saw it in these people. Lost in her thoughts Luce was surprised when the car stopped.
She looked around her confused. She was out front of some swanky apartment block.
Security got out and opened her door. Luce lent forward so she could see him.
“Sorry but I don’t live here.” She told him. He knelt down and gave her eye contact.
“You do now mam, those are my orders. Our staff have security 24/7. It’s too much of a risk on your own.” He told her.
She didn’t know what to say. Sure her place was not in the smartest part of town and it had its problems and yeah, she had to put on several layers of security to make sure unwanted attention kept out but this? It was way over the top. He held out his hand to her.
“If you would miss, we’re exposed here, and I need you inside.”
Damn he was so polite…..,
And held out her hand letting him help her out the car and ushered in with two other security now standing there, escorting her inside.
Walking in with them to the security desk not sure what was going on. And gave a very weak, “Hi.” The Vamp nodded to her and looked at her car security.
“Ms Lucie Elizabeth Jane Ambrose.” Luce cringed. Only her dad had ever used her full name and that was when he was really pissed at her. She rolled her eyes.
“Apartment 1B.” The reception security told her, handing the keys over to her security. Who then herded her over to the lift. She followed not sure what the hell was going on. The other two guys behind her.
“Don’t you think this is a bit over-kill guys? I mean we are inside one of the company’s own buildings, with its own security which is ours.” The doors opened and they all walked in and turned around without saying anything. Now she had two huge security guys standing in front of her.
Could this get any weirder…….
“We do as instructed Ms.”
Shaking her head she looked at the elevator numbers thinking 1, would be one level up. Nope. It was at the top. This building had numbers back to front. “How many apartments on each floor are there?” she asked.
One of the two men in front her answered. “4. Except at the top. There’s 2.”
Surely that didn’t mean she was going to the top? That couldn’t be right….
Something was off here. She waited for the lift to stop and the doors to open.
They slid silently open. The two males in front of her walked out and checked the floor then indicated she should walk out like she was some VIP.
Cautiously she took a look see, then stepped out.
They were making her act crazy. Her security from the car brought up the rear indicating a pair of doors at the end.