really remember, sorry. Was he a member of the enclave?” She massaged her temple, pushing away the memories of being in his strong cool arms.
“No.” Lou studied her and she purposely held still and held his gaze.
“So, Tommy said you had something special for me to do.” She tried to change the subject.
“I think maybe you should wait a couple days. Get readjusted,” said Lou.
“I don’t know that I could sit around for a few days not doing anything.” Though going back to bed was exactly what she wanted to do, if she didn’t act normal they’d know something was amiss.
Lou chewed the inside of his cheek. “I heard there was a problem in the restaurant.”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” she said. “Look, there’s no need to readjust me. I’m fine. I want to get back to work. If you need me to go out there and get supplies or try to find more humans—”
Lou held up his hand. “That’s not really what we’re trying to do here anymore.”
“It isn’t?”
He looked between her and Tommy and then smiled. “I think maybe I should show you. You of all people will understand, I’m sure.”
“Pop, maybe we should wait. She’s been through a lot,” Tommy offered.
Lou gave him a hard stare and Tommy shut his mouth. “Your sister is tougher than you’ll ever be.”
Evan had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from coming to Tommy’s defense. It would only shame him further.
Lou turned his gaze to her. “Come see what we’ve been up to.”
Lou and Evan walked down the hallway and turned a corner to the adjoining corridor. Tommy walked behind them, hands in his pockets, eyes on the floor.
A barred door stood in the middle of the hallway, new and out of place. On either side of it waited an armed guard.
“What is this?” she asked.
“You’ll see. Come on.” Lou motioned her forward.
The guard nodded to them.
“This is my daughter, Evan,” said Lou. “She is to be given access to every part of this facility.”
The guard stepped aside and held out his hand to her as she passed. “Nice to meet you. I’m Seth.”
Evan shook his hand but said nothing. He wasn’t much taller than she was, but he was twice as wide with muscles bulging in every direction. Seth unlocked the door and they stepped through. The hallway was exactly the same as the rest. Cream walls, beige carpet, twenty or so doors.
Lou led her past several rooms and then stopped. “This is where we keep the prisoners.”
“Prisoners? Like, enclave members who don’t follow the rules?” They’d never had prisoners before.
“No.” Lou unlocked the door and pushed it open. The smell of urine and blood tickled Evan’s nose. Inside the carpeting had been ripped up revealing bare cement. On the far side, a small set of window with bars over them shed light on the dark space. The painted walls were faded and peeling and a single dead light bulb hung from the ceiling. In the corner, shackled to the wall, a man curled into a ball. His clothes and beard denoted that he’d been there for months. Possibly longer.
He turned his head and she was met by bright blue eyes and pale skin. A vampyr.
Her skin crawled as if a million ants were having a dance party on her arms. “I don’t understand.” She backed out of the room.
“We’ve been working on something for a while now. A vaccine.” Lou closed the door and then continued down the hallway.
“Like the one I was given?”
“No. This one is different. It’s a vaccine for the vamps.”
“The vamps?” She didn’t understand.
Her uncle turned and his eyes held sadness. “If we can cure the vamps, they’ll be human again.”
Like Lou’s wife, her aunt Candice. If the vamps became human again, they’d be able to outnumber the Vampires. It made sense. Why try to free several thousand slaves when you could free millions?
“What do you need from me?” she asked.
“I need you to get information.” Lou continued down the hall to the last door on
“No.” Lou studied her and she purposely held still and held his gaze.
“So, Tommy said you had something special for me to do.” She tried to change the subject.
“I think maybe you should wait a couple days. Get readjusted,” said Lou.
“I don’t know that I could sit around for a few days not doing anything.” Though going back to bed was exactly what she wanted to do, if she didn’t act normal they’d know something was amiss.
Lou chewed the inside of his cheek. “I heard there was a problem in the restaurant.”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” she said. “Look, there’s no need to readjust me. I’m fine. I want to get back to work. If you need me to go out there and get supplies or try to find more humans—”
Lou held up his hand. “That’s not really what we’re trying to do here anymore.”
“It isn’t?”
He looked between her and Tommy and then smiled. “I think maybe I should show you. You of all people will understand, I’m sure.”
“Pop, maybe we should wait. She’s been through a lot,” Tommy offered.
Lou gave him a hard stare and Tommy shut his mouth. “Your sister is tougher than you’ll ever be.”
Evan had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from coming to Tommy’s defense. It would only shame him further.
Lou turned his gaze to her. “Come see what we’ve been up to.”
Lou and Evan walked down the hallway and turned a corner to the adjoining corridor. Tommy walked behind them, hands in his pockets, eyes on the floor.
A barred door stood in the middle of the hallway, new and out of place. On either side of it waited an armed guard.
“What is this?” she asked.
“You’ll see. Come on.” Lou motioned her forward.
The guard nodded to them.
“This is my daughter, Evan,” said Lou. “She is to be given access to every part of this facility.”
The guard stepped aside and held out his hand to her as she passed. “Nice to meet you. I’m Seth.”
Evan shook his hand but said nothing. He wasn’t much taller than she was, but he was twice as wide with muscles bulging in every direction. Seth unlocked the door and they stepped through. The hallway was exactly the same as the rest. Cream walls, beige carpet, twenty or so doors.
Lou led her past several rooms and then stopped. “This is where we keep the prisoners.”
“Prisoners? Like, enclave members who don’t follow the rules?” They’d never had prisoners before.
“No.” Lou unlocked the door and pushed it open. The smell of urine and blood tickled Evan’s nose. Inside the carpeting had been ripped up revealing bare cement. On the far side, a small set of window with bars over them shed light on the dark space. The painted walls were faded and peeling and a single dead light bulb hung from the ceiling. In the corner, shackled to the wall, a man curled into a ball. His clothes and beard denoted that he’d been there for months. Possibly longer.
He turned his head and she was met by bright blue eyes and pale skin. A vampyr.
Her skin crawled as if a million ants were having a dance party on her arms. “I don’t understand.” She backed out of the room.
“We’ve been working on something for a while now. A vaccine.” Lou closed the door and then continued down the hallway.
“Like the one I was given?”
“No. This one is different. It’s a vaccine for the vamps.”
“The vamps?” She didn’t understand.
Her uncle turned and his eyes held sadness. “If we can cure the vamps, they’ll be human again.”
Like Lou’s wife, her aunt Candice. If the vamps became human again, they’d be able to outnumber the Vampires. It made sense. Why try to free several thousand slaves when you could free millions?
“What do you need from me?” she asked.
“I need you to get information.” Lou continued down the hall to the last door on
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