Page 76 of Tainted Souls
As the words leave my mouth, Lexa presses a button that brings up a holographic display in the center of the table with images of all the victims, including Max.
A murmur runs through the group.
“And all of them received her blood to complete the transition?” Dr. Davis asks.
I nod. “As far as I know.” While everyone takes notes, Max’s vacant stare as he carried me through the forest burns behind my eyes. “Do you think the bond can be broken?”
“Unknown,” Dr. Emerson admits. “There’s no precedent for this in current records, nor weapons. All we have are legends and folklore, which suggest the bond weakens with distance and time.”
That explains why the vampires in Penn City haven’t been affected before. Their sire may not have been close enough for their influence to be imposed on them, and with time the link may have been severed completely, although it’s all speculation until we have evidence of the fact.
I think of Evan and Haden when they were accidentally turned by my brother. How they were disoriented, confused, but never exhibited the mechanical movements that Max showed. They were protective of me almost immediately, however, similar to how Saul had always been in his own, aggressive way. What if that was because of the sire bond too? Or am I just searching for patterns where none exist?
Lexa interrupts my thoughts. “Something on your mind, Rosen?”
“I think the only way to find out,” I say, my mind already going into action mode, “is to capture her. We have to capture their sire.”
Lexa’s gaze intensifies, unspoken agreement passing between us.
“That’s what I’m thinking too,” she says, nodding slowly. “We get our information straight from the source.”
Lieutenant Whitlock clears his throat, his eyes narrowing. “With all due respect, Captain, how do we seize a vampire of her caliber? The risk is substantial. People could die.” He looks around the room, to no one in particular. “Many already have not too long ago.”
Silence falls at his statement. He’s talking about the squad that was deployed to assist me in the trade. About Mira and Henry, amongst a dozen others.
“She wasn’t the one that killed them,” I say, staring blankly ahead. “The Ravens did.”
The air is heavy with the weight of risk for what’s to come.
That’s the thing with plans. They can be so perfectly thought out, with backup and fail-safes for every possible scenario that could go wrong, and still, there’s always the unknown. The variables that can’t be accounted for. The way things can slip from your control, fast.
No matter how much preparation you put in, once you’re in the field, you’re playing a game where the rules can change on a whim.
Rhodes leans forward then, exchanging assuring glances with her field team. “We’ve been monitoring vampire activity in the abandoned industrial zone. There’s an old water treatment plant there which we suspect is being used as a meeting point. The location’s isolated, hidden behind rusted machinery and overgrown structures, far from the usual surveillance. It’s the ideal spot for vampires, really, dark and forgotten by most. The old pipes beneath the facility seem to run deep, creating a network of tunnels, perfect for moving unseen. But they know it well, so we’ll have to be careful.”
I scan the faces in the room, each one focused, knowing how high the stakes are. Everyone here knows that entering vampire territory is like stepping into a game where the rules are written by monsters. One wrong move, and it’s not just a fight—it’s a death sentence.
“You can use me as bait,” I say, conjuring up a plan. “My presence will draw her out, as it has before, and you’ll be waiting to step in when she does.”
Lieutenant Whitlock rhythmically taps his stylus against the table, considering my suggestion. “That could work, but we absolutely need contingencies for every possible failure.”
Lexa nods, tapping her tablet to bring up a three-dimensional map of the water treatment plant. “The facility has three main entrances and several maintenance shafts. We’ll establish perimeters here, here, and here.” Her finger points to key pointsaround the building. “And one more here, just in case. If the Ravens interfere like last time, we abort and regroup.” Her gaze flicks to me. “No heroics. No exceptions.”
Wei speaks up for the first time. “What if her tracker goes offline again? We shouldn’t rely solely on technology.”
Dr. Davis strokes his beard thoughtfully. “We could implement a redundant tracking system. Something that doesn’t rely on standard frequencies. Perhaps something biological.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “Biological?”
“Nothing invasive,” he assures me. “A microscopic bioluminescent marker in your bloodstream. It will make you visible to our specialized scanners, and we won’t have to rely on signals that can be jammed or intercepted.”
“Like glowing in the dark,” Martinez adds with a smile.
“Essentially, yes,” Dr. Davis confirms. “The only downside is that it has a short lifespan.”
“How long would it stay in my system?” I ask.
“Twenty-four hours, give or take. It’s completely harmless and will be naturally processed by your liver.”
