Phantom Shadows Part 51

"Understood."

"Any questions?"

The heavily muscled human standing beside Yuri said, "Tell me again why we're doing this at night? Won't they be expecting us? Wouldn't it be better to do it during the day when they think you guys can't go out?"

Seth shook his head. "In recent years, that has become our MO. We descended upon Bastien's lair in daylight. The vampire king's, too. David and I destroyed Emrys's Texas facility at dawn. I think at this point they're more likely to expect us during daylight hours than at night, so we may as well strike when we're all at our strongest."

The man nodded. "Makes sense."

"Any more questions?"

Silence.

"Good. Let's book."

Bastien reclaimed Melanie's hand and joined the river of black flowing out the front door.

Lisette hung back as the others filed outside. When Bastien's Second drew even with her, she caught his arm and gently held him back.

His eyebrows rose.

She hadn't spoken to him alone since she had tied him up at Bastien's lair the day they had overthrown Bastien's vampire army.

"I told them," she admitted.

He started to shake his head, then frowned. "About my son?"

"Yes." She had read his mind that night to determine whether or not he was worth saving and had discovered tragedy.

His face tightened. "You had no right."

She nodded. "I know. I meant no harm. I just . . . Bastien was right. I could hear the thoughts of the other Seconds and the immortals, knew the hostility they felt toward you, and thought it unfair. I thought if they knew how you served Bastien-in what capacity-and what had driven you to do so . . ."

No forgiveness lit his handsome face. "I'm not a child. I can handle scorn. Sticks and stones and all that s.h.i.+t. And I don't regret one minute of the time I spent aiding Bastien so anything anyone says to condemn that period of my life will roll off me like water."

"I know, but . . . I like you. I wanted them to welcome you," she finished lamely.

He sighed. "You realize you sound just like Bastien, don't you?"

She grimaced, appalled.

Tanner laughed. "All right. You're forgiven, as long as you stay out of my head and don't reveal any more of the secrets I keep up there. Now let's go before we hold things up."

She nodded and stepped out into the cold.

Tanner set the alarm and closed the door behind them. "So, I hear you like sports."

"I love it," she said. Football. Basketball. Baseball. She liked it all.

"Want to watch a game together sometime?"

She smiled. "I'd love to."

Chapter 17.

Ami led Seth, David, and Marcus through dense forest, following the unique energy signatures of Cliff and Joe.

"It's different," she murmured. "The energy. Not as strong. But it's them. I'm sure of it. I think they've been drugged."

"Can you still find them?" Marcus asked.

"Yes. It's just taking me longer."

"Don't worry about time," Seth told her. "We have plenty of that."

She took off again, leading them through the trees and naked brush. Above their heads, branches, whose leaves had been stolen by winter, clacked together as they swayed with the wind.

Seth followed close behind Ami, David at his side. Marcus clung to Ami's hand and observed everything in front of them with eagle eyes.

Ami paused, drew her weapon and sighted down the barrel, tapping her arm with three fingers and pointing ahead and to the right.

They slowed their approach.

David raised a thermal scope to his right eye and scanned the trees and ground ahead.

Marcus halted and stopped Ami. Eyes on the ground, he took two steps forward and crouched down.

Seth and the others looked where he pointed and saw the trip wire of a land mine poking up through the dead leaves.

They were close.

Wait here, Seth instructed.

He strode ahead, eyes sharp, until he reached a big enough break in the trees for him to s.h.i.+ft and launch into the air.

Only a mile away, the compound was eerily similar to the one he and David had destroyed in Texas. A three-story brick and mortar structure, nearly devoid of windows, rested in the center of a sizable clearing. A large parking lot peppered with vehicles painted the ground in front of it black with white stripes.

Behind the building, narrow wooden structures he'd heard some call pigeon coops or shacks formed two rows. Barracks for his mercenaries?

Those without families anyway. Those with families probably lived in nearby towns. Darnell would have to uncover all of their names so Seth could either eliminate them or wipe their memories, depending on what he found housed in their thoughts.

Near the back of the clearing lay two hangars of roughly the same height with domed roofs. The doors of both were open, allowing Seth to see a couple of Black Hawk helicopters within one. The other brightly lit interior housed a few armored vehicles, being serviced by industrious mercenaries, and a lot of empty s.p.a.ce where the vehicles they had lost in the skirmish at the network probably used to reside.

A similar structure had just been erected at Chris's behest not far from the new network headquarters and housed the vehicles Seth had salvaged from the battle. Chris's mechanical geniuses had been working furiously on them while the network's soldiers who were military veterans practically salivated as each awaited his chance to get behind the wheel.

Which they did tonight. Three armored personnel carriers hid among the trees five miles distant. Should they be needed, they would have to take the main road and come right up the drive in order to avoid any other land mines the mercenaries might have placed along the compound's perimeter.

The drive leading to the compound from the highway was a two-lane road the same black as the parking lot and parted dormant vegetation, allowing all visitors one way in and out after they pa.s.sed through a gate guarded by men carrying automatic weapons. Those guards walked stiffly in the cold, shoulders high, hands tucked into the pockets of their thick jackets, a.s.ses no doubt as frozen as the ground beneath their boots or the breath that frosted the air in front of their mouths.

Other guards manned a fence strung with razor wire that circled the compound.

Seth flew past, looped around, and doubled back. One of the guards along the fence looked up and marveled at the big-a.s.s owl soaring overhead.

Surveillance cameras clung to the corner of every roof and some of the fence poles, all with red lights and the faint hum of electricity indicating they were operational.

Seth rejoined Ami, David, and Marcus. Then they made their way to the immortals and Chris Reordon, who waited not-very-patiently for him amid the trees. Borrowing one of Chris's ever-present notepads and pencils, Seth sketched a quick map that included placement of the guards and the land mines he had spotted.

Ami, Sarah, Melanie, and Lisette were maneuvered into the front, then the men peered over their shoulders at the drawing.

"Based on the heartbeats, I believe the vampires are being held in this area." Seth indicated an area of the main building with his pencil.

Chris took the pencil and pad back when all had memorized the hasty schematic. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you real-time satellite surveillance images, but my contacts in the agencies that could supply them are too new. I didn't think this would be a good way to break them in and . . . we don't know how closely Emrys might be watching for such things. His tentacles are far-reaching, so getting the satellite images could tip him off."

"Understood," Seth said. "David and I will enter the main building first. Bastien, you and Melanie follow and take out as many as you can, but focus on reaching the vampires as quickly as possible. Marcus, you and Ami enter next. Ami, I want you to concentrate on feeling the presence of anyone you remember from the Texas compound. The moment you find Emrys, summon me."

Marcus's eyes flared with fury and promised pain.

"Marcus, do not deliver a swift death to Emrys. Disarm and disable him, then summon me."

When Marcus didn't agree fast enough, Seth told him telepathically, I want him to suffer for what he has done.

Marcus gave an abrupt nod.

"Yuri and Stanislov, disable the helicopters."

Chris held up a finger. "If you could do that without destroying them, I would appreciate it. Those things aren't easy to come by without sparking scrutiny."

"Won't be as fun," Stanislov grumbled, "but we'll try."

Seth smiled. "When you're done with the helos, do the same with the armored vehicles in the next hangar. Ethan, you and Edward take out the guards on the grounds and make sure no one enters or exits. Lisette and etienne, take the barracks. Scan the minds of the mercenaries before you kill them. If you think any are good men, knock them out and restrain them. Perhaps we can recruit them ourselves. If not, I'll erase their memories."

The siblings nodded.

"Richart, do your thing. You cause more chaos and fear than any of the others."

Richart grinned and gave him a c.o.c.ky salute.

Roland grunted. "You forgot us."

Seth shook his head. "You and Sarah are free to wreak havoc where you will, though I'd prefer to have you in the building with us. There were a lot of heartbeats in there when I flew over, so the bulk of Emrys's troops are likely there."

Roland and Sarah nodded.

Chris held up a finger again. "My tech team will begin blocking outgoing cell signals on my mark, but they can't block satellite phones. If you hear a call going out, take out the caller without damaging the phone so we can find out who the h.e.l.l they're calling."

More nods.

"Okay," Seth said. "We clear on our a.s.signments?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then I'll mention one more time that everyone here is to do everything in your power to ensure Ami is not taken by Emrys."

Ami's brow furrowed as she glanced at the warriors around her. "I'm sorry."

Several large hands clapped her on the shoulders and patted her on the back with rough affection.

"You're our sister," etienne said. "We protect our family."

Her eyes s.h.i.+mmered suspiciously when she smiled at them.

Seth knew she must be terrified. She was about to enter the den of the monsters who had tortured her for six months and nearly robbed her of her sanity.

He nodded at Chris. "Make your call."

Chris called his tech people. As soon as he disconnected the call, Seth led the immortals forward.

Melanie's heart pounded so loudly she expected it to burst from her chest.

Seth and David moved phenomenally fast. Roland and Sarah were right on their heels. Melanie put on a burst of speed and kept up . . . until she realized she was leaving Bastien and the others behind. He had been right. Having Roland transform her had leant her the same strength and speed of a millennium-old immortal.

She fell back to run alongside Bastien and the d'Alencons. Ethan and Edward followed next, with Marcus and Ami bringing up the rear.

Ami ran just a bit faster than a human. Marcus could have carried her and kept up with Seth, but Melanie guessed he was hoping the others would clear a path for them and reduce the danger to her.

Over the fence the immortals bounded.

Even though she was scared as h.e.l.l, Melanie couldn't help but smile as she leaped easily over the twenty-foot fence. Her heart raced with excitement as she sailed through the air and landed smoothly on the other side. Barely a bend of the knees. No jostling of the joints. Then she was racing forward.

Seth and David plowed through the front doors of the main building before the mercenaries patrolling the grounds and manning the front gate even knew they were under attack. And they plowed through them literally. Neither stopped to open a door. They just burst through the heavy gla.s.s, bending back the metal frame as they went so that it looked as though it had imploded.

Melanie followed and paused just inside the door, shards of gla.s.s crackling under her boots. Bastien halted beside her.

There were three hallways. Seth raced down the one on the right. David took the left. Shouts erupted. Then howls of pain as the elder immortals' weapons delivered death to their enemies. Gunshots ensued. Crashes. More of the same arose outside.

"Which way?" she asked.

Based on Seth's drawing, it could be either the middle or the left.

"Cliff! Joe!" Bastien shouted.

Melanie heard nothing but the panicked bursts of speech spewing from the mercenaries' mouths.