Absolution of Fate (Fate Series Book 3) (23 page)

“Ahh, so I have you to thank for that? My men reported a run-in with The Elite, but they were unable to stop them. It seems an Elite soldier was injured in the fray and I was quite pleased to learn he’d been infected, but I imagine they will be able to cure him now. How disappointing, but no matter, we will take care of this cure. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Isn’t that right, Molly?” Lucias said with a smirk.

The Elite might have a cure, but they didn’t know Lucias could turn humans and had already accumulated two-hundred new soldiers with a hundred more awaiting transformation, all of which he planned to infect shortly. He would send Molly and Christopher to scout this laboratory during the day and when night fell they would make short order of The Elite’s last hope.

CHAPTER 17 -
Ready Your Arms

“Even though I’m looking at you, I still can’t believe it,” Erikson said, cutting his gaze to Molly in the passenger seat. Learning that humans could be made vampire, and that the man he loved was in control of the only source of that power, let him know that he’d made the right choice in abandoning his previous assignment. Once the cure was destroyed, they would have everything they’d ever dreamed of.

The black SUV rolled up to a stop sign on the country road that ran parallel to the location of the Adam’s shoe factory. Since neither Molly nor Erikson was infected, and Lucias actually trusted both of them despite that fact, he’d tasked them with the daylight assignment of scouting the lab where the antiserum was being produced.
 

“I can hardly believe it myself,” Molly replied with a smile. “It is an amazing gift; I owe Lucias everything,” she lied. Her allegiance was to Chloe alone. That allegiance was the only thing that allowed her to put on a convincing act with Lucias. She’d been reluctant to leave Chloe, concerned that without her there to distract him, he would attempt to get Chloe into his bed. Fortunately, there were a hundred humans waiting to be turned, which provided more than enough of a diversion. Lucias had demanded that Chloe spend the morning doing just that while some of his men were tasked with infecting those who had already completed the transformation.

“How much farther is—” Molly stopped when her preternatural sight answered the question for her.

“Oh, no,” Erikson said slowing the vehicle. They could see the building they were looking for off in the distance, but that wasn’t what had caused them to pause. Stretching the entire length of the field up to the tree line and surrounding the lab was a massive Elite camp. From the looks of it, Erikson would have guessed that over half of the compound was present, maybe more. “We can’t get any closer without the risk of being caught,” he said, turning onto a side road.
 

He pulled off, parking the car behind the cover of some trees and stepped out, leaving the engine running. Quickly scanning the area with his senses for signs of anyone, human or vampire, he pulled a camera with a telephoto lens from the bag in the backseat. He moved just far enough beyond the trees to snap photos of the entire camp before rushing back to the vehicle.
 

“I didn’t expect them to move this quickly. All of these soldiers were still on the compound last night,” he said, turning the car back onto the road.

“So what does this mean?” Molly asked.

“It means we’re going to war.”

✧

“What’s going on with you?” Jackson asked with one eyebrow cocked. “You look like the cat that ate the canary.”

“Nothing; I’m just in a good mood,” Cami replied, trying, and failing miserably, to wipe the smile off her face.

Just then Commander Claesson stormed into the pit.

He looked around at his first-in-command and the ranking officers from the other compounds. Satisfied that all were in attendance, he took a seat.
 

“It’s been one hell of a night,” he began. “I just spoke with Esther and they managed to get everything set at the old factory just after dawn, but we have another problem. Martinez was shot during last night’s blood run, and it looks like that bastard Lucias has started lacing his ammunition with the virus. That means that every one of our soldiers is going to have to get a shot of antiserum before we head out. As it stands, if you take out the doses we’ll need for our people, we’re only going to have enough antiserum rounds for about two-thirds of the infected, give or take, depending on how good our aim is.”

“Can’t we just make more?” one of the officers asked.

“That’s not an option; at least, not by tonight. There’s still a chance that we’ll have some more time, but we need to plan as if we don’t. I want the bulk of the antiserum rounds with the snipers; load everyone else up with silver and tranquilizer rounds. The Agency wants us to try to save as many as we can without risking ourselves.
 

“So what happens if no one shows up at the factory today?” Cami asked, pushing a stray curl back from her face.

“We’ll have to find another way to draw him out, or wait for him to come to us. Either way, at most we’ll have another day. He’s not going to risk giving us the time to get thousands of more soldiers from the human military here after last night’s big reveal. My money is on him showing up tonight, so let’s go over the plan again,” Claesson continued, pulling up the map of the factory and surrounding area.

“I want the snipers positioned at these vantage points,” he began, pointing to several markers, “Cami, your—

“Sorry to interrupt, Commander,” Jester said, bursting in, “but we just got the call you were expecting.”

“And?”

“A black SUV with two passengers drove within range and took photographs of the area. The passenger was a blonde woman and the driver who took the shots, fucking Erickson.”

“You’re sure?” Claesson asked.

“One-hundred percent; the scout team took some photos of their own,” Jester replied, turning his laptop around to show the Commander.

“Well, damn. Looks like we’re on for tonight as planned. I knew that son of a bitch was up to something! Cami, take over for me here for a few minutes. I need to report to the High Commander. I don’t want him hearing this from someone else. This is going to be hard on him; Erikson has been with him for as long as I can remember.”

“Yes, sir. Does this mean we can fill our men in on what’s going down tonight?”

“Absolutely; when we’re finished here we need to start rounding everyone up to administer the antiserum. We can tell them then.”

“And what about the civilians on the compound?” Cami pressed, knowing it was going to be impossible to continue to keep it a secret from Jared for much longer. Completing the blood bond made it that much easier for him to read her, which is why she’d slipped out of bed for the meeting without waking him.

“After we tell the men.”

✧

“Then this will be where The Elite will make their final stand,” Lucias said, as he looked over the pictures Captain Erikson and Molly had presented, “and it will be the last time they resist me.” Lucias moved to the chair behind his desk. “My civilian resources have informed me that the first round of human soldiers will be arriving tomorrow; too late to do The Elite much good, but excellent timing for us. Christopher, you are certain about the number of soldiers The Elite have in Boston?”

“Yes, Lucias, I’m absolutely certain. I was able to get a count of Elite stationed at the compound from Claesson’s office and I have been diligent in tracking the new soldiers arriving each day. Just a little over three-hundred-and-fifty have come from the other compounds. That brings their total to around six-hundred men.”

Lucias smiled. “It is going to be a short battle. My army of infected alone is nearly double that number and that is saying nothing of the turned humans. Of course, they are not yet trained, but being newly infected, their bloodlust will make up for the lack of skill in battle. Molly, I want you to go see to Chloe. Give her a little incentive to finish the transformations quickly.”

“What kind of incentive?” Molly asked with a devious smile. She was an excellent actress.

“Inform her that if every one of the humans is not ready for infection within the hour, she’ll have the pleasure of watching Kaleb tear the throats out of any who remain human.”

Molly gave a slow nod and disappeared through the door.
 

“Come, Christopher; let us go and see the new additions to my army. It has been so very long since you’ve seen my virus in action. I have made some rather entertaining modifications over the years. It is truly a magnificent sight to behold.” Lucias offered his arm, which the other vampire happily accepted, and the pair sped off.

✧

“What do you mean it’s not working?” Lucias hissed, inches away from Mason’s face.

“Sire, I don’t know what’s wrong,” Mason replied anxiously. “I’ve given each of them three shots and nothing has happened.”

Lucias sped over to one of the new vampires and grabbed the dark-haired man by the throat. “How do you feel?” he asked, eyeing the man carefully.

“Amazing. What did you do to me?” There was fear in his eyes, but something else as well; gratitude, admiration.
 

Lucias released his hold and thought for a moment before responding. “I have given you a gift. Lifted you far above all of those you once knew. Before, where you were just a man, now you will be a god. In return for this gift, you must pledge your allegiance to me and earn your place. Will you do this?”
 

“Yes, anything,” the man replied without hesitation. Lucias looked back at Christopher, who was watching with curiosity before he turned to address the nine other vampires who’d been silently observing. “And what of the rest of you; do you accept this gift and pledge your allegiance to me?” Like the first, every one of them agreed without hesitation. Lucias watched them all carefully; he listened to their hearts beating, but detected no lie. Apparently, humans were far more pliable than he’d realized.
 

“Mason, take our new guests,” he said gesturing to the turned, “and gather the others in the main hall to await my arrival. I will be there shortly to speak with all of them.”

“Yes, Sire,” he responded and, before he even asked, the other vampires filed in behind him.

“How marvelous,” Lucias said, turning to Christopher after they left the room. “It seems these turned are as obedient and loyal as the infected.”

“Are you sure they will be able to fight?” Christopher asked.

“It matters not. They increase my forces by three-hundred, even if only to occupy The Elite, forcing them to waste whatever antiserum they possess while we destroy the lab. And they can easily be replaced. Now, my dear Christopher; I think it’s time for you to get reacquainted with an old friend.”

✧

“Here, you must drink,” Molly said, passing a bag of blood to Chloe who was slumped on the floor. The last of the humans had been carted off to complete transformation several minutes before. Completing the task in such a short time had left Chloe drained, especially since she hadn’t drunk nearly as much blood as she should have during the process.
 

Chloe looked up at her with tears on her lashes. “He’s never going to stop; he’ll never let me stop. Maybe it would be better if I died; then The Elite would still have a chance.”

“Don’t talk like that, Chloe. Without you, we would be lost,” she said, kneeling down to comfort her maker. “We need you, and your family needs you now more than ever. I have something to show you, but you must drink first.”

Reluctantly, Chloe bit through the plastic and drank down its contents before she pushed into Molly’s mind. There she saw Captain Erikson with Lucias and Molly, and then in the car with Molly, and finally outside The Elite camp at the factory.

The Elite have found a cure and Lucias plans to attack them tonight. This man, Christopher, says nearly all of The Elite are guarding the lab we saw this morning. They will be slaughtered; Lucias has so many more men.

Chloe’s eyes widened then rolled back into her head as she fell limp in Molly’s arms. Molly fought off the panic that threatened to overtake her and gently lowered Chloe to the floor. She rushed to retrieve more blood from a cooler on the other side of the room, assuming that her maker’s need for it was the cause of her current state. But before she even made it back, Chloe sat up.

“Oh, my God; are you all right? You scared the shit out of me!” Molly said, her southern accent thicker than ever under the stress of the moment.
 

“I’m better than all right,” Chloe said, taking the two bags from Molly’s hands. She was drinking down the last few swallows of red liquid when Lucias, followed closely by Captain Erikson, entered the room.
 

“Ahh, there you are,” Lucias said rather cheerfully at seeing the two women.

“I was just about to come find you,” Molly said with a smile, speeding over to him.
 

“I take it your young charge managed to complete the task as requested.” Lucias asked.

“They took the last one outta here about fifteen minutes ago,” Molly replied as Chloe, fully recharged, stood up behind her.

“Excellent. Chloe, you remember Christopher, or rather Captain Erikson as you would have known him?”
 

“Of course; it’s a pleasure to see you again, Captain,” she replied, schooling her features to hide her disgust. She’d always had a bad feeling around Captain Erikson; now she knew why, but she didn’t understand how he could have hidden his betrayal for so long. Her grandfather was an incredibly powerful telepath; surely at some point over all the years Captain Erikson had served him he would have detected something of his true intentions in his thoughts.
 

As if he’d read her mind, Lucias provided the answer.

“I suppose you must be curious how Christopher managed to elude your grandfather’s ability all these years. I must say, it was one of my better ideas, genius really. You see, Christopher is my blood-bound mate,” he said, taking the other man’s hand.

Neither she nor Molly could quite conceal their shock at that statement or action. Though she found both men utterly repugnant, Chloe caught the tiniest glimmer of goodness in them both through their shared affection.