Phantom Shadows Part 50

Melanie felt strange in her new vampire-hunting togs. Almost as if she were playing dress-up. Instead of her usual jeans and Chuck Taylors, she wore boots and black cargo pants with a b.u.t.t-load of pockets. A black turtleneck hugged her torso. A gun belt hung on each hip, sporting Sig Sauer P220s. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were flattened by a Kevlar vest. A bandolier sporting a dozen daggers draped across her chest. Several auto-injectors full of the antidote filled one hip pocket. Extra clips and auto-injectors containing a human dose of tranquilizer filled the other.

Bastien paced the bedroom they shared, throwing off a real caged tiger vibe.

"Is it that you're p.i.s.sed?" she asked finally. "Or are you just worried?"

"Just worried?" he repeated. "We're heading into the den of the men who shot you three times in the chest. Men who tortured Ami. Men who left piles of bodies behind at the compound Seth and David found. Just worried doesn't cover it."

"I'm immortal now, Bastien. I'm also wearing a vest. And I've already been trained, so it's not like I'm going into this blind or unprepared."

"Immortal doesn't mean immortal. It means almost immortal."

"You're going up against the same people," she pointed out. "Why-"

"I didn't nearly die twice in recent weeks."

"If I've cheated death twice, I can cheat it again."

"Don't joke about this."

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to think I'm not taking all of this seriously. I'm taking it very seriously. I know any of us could be killed tonight. I also know that having me around to both kick a.s.s and serve as a medic will be to your advantage. And if, when we find Cliff and Joe, either one of them has gone over the edge, I know that I'm most likely the only one who will be able to talk them down and bring them back under control without hurting them."

"You think I can't? I talked Vince down."

"I know. But his psychosis was different than that afflicting Joe. Joe's is infused with a lot more paranoia. At times it makes him view everyone-even you-as the enemy. Everyone but me. Which is why it's so important that I'm there when you find him."

Bastien ran a hand through his hair. "No wonder he took off when he thought you were dead."

She twisted and bent and walked around, trying to acquaint herself with the feel of the weapons and ammo and the slight s.h.i.+fting of the holsters and belts and weighted pockets. Were she still human, it would have taken her time to get used to it. The ammo alone was surprisingly heavy. But her increased strength made it a breeze.

Bastien continued to pace restively.

"Bastien?"

He glanced over. "Yes?"

When his eyes flared, she forgot whatever she had intended to say. "What is it?" she asked, uncertain what emotion had struck him.

He raised his brows in question, his luminous gaze piercing as it traveled over her.

"Your eyes are glowing," she said.

He shook his head. "I shouldn't tell you."

"You can tell me anything."

"It'll just encourage you," he said and smiled wryly. "You look hot all geared up for a fight."

A momentary brightness entered her being. "I do?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Yes, d.a.m.n it." He closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her hips. "Incredibly hot." He drew her close until their noses touched. "I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off-with-my-teeth hot."

s.h.i.+vers of arousal rippled through her at those husky words. Their doorbell rang, squelching any notion of engaging in a quickie.

So much soundproofing had been used to create this and the other quiet room that anyone inside-save Seth-couldn't hear the knock of someone out in the hallway, so David had installed doorbells.

"To be continued?" Melanie suggested.

His hands tightened on her hips. "Are you sure you're up to this? I'm not asking because you're a woman, or a doctor, or an egghead."

She grinned. He made egghead sound like an endearment.

"I'm asking because you're fresh from your transformation." He pressed his forehead to hers. "And because I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm up for it," she a.s.sured him.

Dipping his head, he took her lips in a warm pa.s.sionate kiss that carried with it his fear that it may be their last.

"It won't be our last," she promised. "Can you feel my certainty of that?"

"I can. How did you know what I was thinking?"

Reaching up, she stroked his face. "I just know you."

The bell rang again.

Bastien sighed. Backing away, he released her and crossed to the bedroom door.

Tanner stood out in the hallway. "It's time."

Bastien's Second was garbed in typical vampire-hunting togs like Melanie, but with fewer blades.

Something about him looked different, though.

Melanie studied him. Same lean form. Same broad shoulders. Hair still cut as short as an accountant's. Oh! "Did you get contacts?"

He smiled, blue eyes no longer hidden behind spectacles. "No. David corrected my vision."

"Really?" That was so cool.

He nodded. "He was worried that gla.s.ses or contacts would hinder me when I'm fighting, so he put his hand over my eyes, it got warm for a minute, then I could see perfectly."

Melanie looked up at Bastien. "Why couldn't I have been given that gift?"

He rubbed a hand up and down her back. "Even though you weren't, you're still a born healer." He ushered her through the door. "Will you and the other Seconds be accompanying us?"

"To a point," Tanner said. "We're going to monitor things from a distance."

Melanie wondered if that was wise. The humans at the network had pretty much gotten their a.s.ses kicked the last time.

Bastien shook his head. "I think the humans should stay out of it. You're too vulnerable."

"Not with the armored vehicles Chris and Seth commandeered for us."

"Do you even know how to drive one of those things?"

"h.e.l.l, no. I've never driven anything with more than two doors. But Chris and Seth have apparently recruited a lot of military veterans over the years."

A little twinge of nerves made Melanie's stomach jump.

Bastien removed his hand from her back and twined his fingers through hers.

"How are you getting along with the other Seconds, Tanner?" she asked, needing a diversion.

"Fine." His jaw tightened as he looked at Bastien. "Someone let my tragic past be known, so now everyone feels f.u.c.king sorry for me. Too sorry for me to condemn me for allying with vampires and this a.s.shole."

"It wasn't me," Bastien denied. "Your past is your business."

Melanie didn't know exactly what Tanner's tragic past entailed, just that it had something to do with his son.

"I don't even like any of those guys," Bastien went on, not caring that those guys could hear him. "You think I sit around drinking tea and gossiping with them?"

"No, but if you thought them knowing about my son would soften them toward me and keep them from giving me s.h.i.+t, I doubt your FU att.i.tude would prevent you from blabbing."

Melanie pursed her lips. "Tanner, Bastien wouldn't even clear up misconceptions about his own past. And doing so might keep the other immortals' contempt from spilling over onto me when I defend him."

Bastien squeezed her hand. "I thought it would be easier to just kick their a.s.ses if they said anything to you."

Melanie gave Tanner a See what I'm saying? look.

Tanner frowned. "Well, who else could it have been? No one else knows."

Bastien shrugged. "It must have been one of the telepaths. Those nosy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds can dig around in your head and uncover anything."

"Can you teach me how to keep them out?"

"I can try."

"Great. Thanks."

Bastien followed Melanie up the stairs and down the hallway to the large living room. A sea of black met them. Black s.h.i.+rts. Black pants. Black coats. Black Kevlar vests. Black weapons. Black hair.

The only spots of color were Ami's and Sheldon's red hair and Tracy and Chris's blond locks.

So far the uneasy truce between Bastien and Reordon was holding. Uneasy being the key word.

The immortals turned as Bastien, Melanie, and Tanner entered. All bowed gallantly and smiled at Melanie, bidding her a good evening.

She smiled back. "Hi."

As they had with Sarah, the immortals wanted her to feel welcome so strongly Bastien didn't even have to touch them to feel it. No gifted one had willingly been transformed . . . ever . . . until Sarah and Melanie. Not that Melanie had had much of a choice. Transformation or death. She'd chosen the former. But an alarming number of gifted ones who had come before her had chosen the latter.

Bastien's worry that their scorn for him would suck the warmth right out of any welcome they gave her appeared unfounded. Everyone in the room, including the Seconds, seemed determined to prevent her from regretting her decision.

He did a quick count of those present. Seth, David, and Darnell. Marcus and Ami. Roland and Sarah. Reordon. Richart and Sheldon. Lisette and her Second, Tracy. etienne and his Second, Cameron. Ethan, Edward, Yuri, Stanislov, and their Seconds.

Seth greeted Melanie and asked how she was feeling.

"Good, thank you."

"Dr. Lipton-"

"Melanie," she corrected with a smile he returned.

"Melanie, no one here will think less of you should you not wish to join us tonight. Your combat experience is limited and the humans we'll face have proven to be very dangerous foes."

"I'm going," she stated, voice firm, expression confident, though Bastien could feel anxiety pulsing through her.

He didn't fault her for it. He had been nervous as h.e.l.l the first time he had seen combat as a mortal.

"There will be other battles," David added.

Sarah's entrance to the Immortal Guardians' world had been a harrowing one. Bastien supposed the two elders would prefer that Melanie's be a little less so.

But Melanie was having none of it. "I've spent more time with Cliff and Joe in the past two years than anyone else here. I want to be there when you find them. Knowing what I do about Emrys, I think they'll need me to be there. Especially Joe. If their mental state has declined, I'll likely be the only one they won't view as a threat."

"As you will. We're grateful you'll be joining us." Seth addressed the group. "For those of you who don't know, I've been taking Ami out every day in search of the missing vampires and we were finally able to pinpoint an approximate location this afternoon. When we leave in a few moments, we will travel together, Seconds included, to an area a few miles distant. The immortals will then move in under my command."

Heads nodded.

"Let no one at the compound escape. And whatever happens, Emrys cannot be allowed to get his hands on Ami. I don't care what you must do to prevent this. Just do it."

Ami bit her lip and looked up at Marcus.

Bastien resolved to stay near her and back her and Marcus up whenever he could.

"Everyone know the plan? First we take out the humans. Next we ensure there are no traps or land mines like the few we found at the smaller compound. Then we bring in the Seconds. Should we require the a.s.sistance of those manning the armored vehicles, I will call them in."

David spoke next. "Tread carefully if you locate the imprisoned vampires. As Melanie said, whatever torture they have endured may have spurred their decline into madness and she's likely the only one capable of calming them."

Melanie stepped forward. "That reminds me . . ." She tucked her hand into a thigh pocket, withdrew a fistful of auto-injectors with green caps, and started handing them out to the immortals. "If any of you are tranqed, flip the cap off and press this against your skin for three seconds. It will keep you from losing consciousness."

Ethan turned his over and over in his hands, then tucked it in a pocket. "Do we need extras for when we're tranqed again?" He must not have had to use it the night the network was attacked.

"No. I'm unclear why, but once you inject it, it seems to have a prophylactic effect, protecting you from further sedation. It may simply stay in your system longer than the other drug. But whatever the reason, one dose will do it."

She looked so fragile surrounded by the tall, hulking male immortals.

"Once the compound is under our control," Seth continued, "Darnell will go to work hacking and track down any of the mercenaries' allies or connections, find out where they're backing up their data offsite. Then we'll confiscate their computers, hard drives, etcetera, and torch the place. Should something happen that causes us to deviate from this plan, know this: If we accomplish nothing more, Emrys must die. Understood?"