Page 79 of Tainted Souls
“Hold position,” Lexa commands.
We freeze, becoming one with the shadows.
A vampire passes within twenty feet of us, moving with the agility of the undead. It pauses, their nostrils flaring as it samples the air, then continues on its path toward the depths of the forest.
“Scout,” Whitlock murmurs. “They’re expecting company.”
“Or they already know we’re here,” I add, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
We continue our approach, more cautious now.
The water treatment plant appears before us, a concrete monolith half-reclaimed by nature. Vines crawl up its walls, and trees have taken root in its crumbling foundations, reclaiming the ruin in slow defiance.
But it’s not abandoned. A faint light flickers from within, and the occasional silhouette passes across boarded windows.
“Positions,” Lexa directs, the team dispersing with expert precision. Rhodes and Martinez scale the walls to secure high ground. Wei and Keller circle to cover the rear exits. Dr. Davissets up his portable lab in a concealed alcove, ready to analyze any samples we might recover.
They move quickly, securing vantage points and fallback routes.
Lexa then turns to me, her expression resolute. “You’re up.”
I nod, unsheathing my dagger. “If I’m not back in ten minutes—”
“We’re coming in,” she finishes. “Good luck.”
I approach the facility alone, moving from shadow to shadow.
The main entrance is sealed with a rusted chain, but a side door hangs partially open, revealing a slice of darkness beyond.
As I slip inside, the metal groans faintly in protest.
I’m met by a cathedral of decay. Machinery stands silent, wrapped in cobwebs and dust. Pools of stagnant water catch the faint light of our lamps, turning the floor into a fragmented mirror.
This will be my staging ground.
I stand alone in the center of the main floor, moonlight streaming through the collapsed sections of the roof.
One tracker is still in my arm, pulsing steadily and transmitting my location to the team, the other in my bloodstream, apparently making my fluids glow.
A whisper of movement snaps my senses into high alert. I’m not alone anymore. A figure emerges from behind a massive filtration tank. Male, tall and lithe, his eyes assessing me with predatory focus. I feign surprise, gripping my dagger tighter as if to prepare for an unexpected fight.
“Well, look what I found,” I call out, my voice echoing through the desolate space. “A little far from the feeding grounds, aren’t you?”
The vampire tilts his head, studying me with methodical interest. “Hunter,” he acknowledges. “You’re trespassing.”
I circle slowly, deliberately keeping my stance open and vulnerable. “Just doing my job. Rumors of activity in this sector. Didn’t expect to find anyone so… isolated.”
His lips curl into something resembling a smile, revealing the edges of sharp fangs. “Yet here I am. And here you are. Alone.”
I raise my crossbow, take aim with what looks like confidence, and release. The arrow flies wide, striking the wall behind him with a dull thud. I curse loudly, fumbling with the reload on purpose.
The vampire laughs, cold and haughty. “Sloppy. The standards for hunters must be slipping.”
My second shot goes even wider, embedding itself in one of the wooden beams overhead. “Stay still, damn it,” I growl, playing the part of a flustered rookie.
He advances, confidence swelling with each step. I fire again, this time grazing his shoulder. Vitae darkens the fabric of his coat, and he snarls, caught off guard more by the fact that I hit him at all than by the pain.
“You’ll regret that,” he growls, lunging.
