3 Hit the Road Jack (32 page)

Something flashed out of the corner of my eye; movement from within the cut out. I leapt over the wooden posts acting as a makeshift rail. The moss was moist and slippery beneath my black combat boots. I carefully crept over and around the landscape. Everything shot upwards abruptly, creating a wall. Looking up, I confirmed movement.

I waved the others over as I searched for a branch or extended edge of rock to use as leverage. Unable to find anything, I squatted down and projected myself. My fingers caught the edge of the ledge above. I swung my legs up and over, lying flat as I checked around me; I’d reached another wall of the mountain at this level, but could see there was an opening in the wall once I rounded the corner. Whatever had moved was gone, and probably had ventured to the same place I was heading.

I extended my hand down, helping my friends up one by one. I pointed in the direction of the opening before leading the way. The trees overhead crowded around us making nothing visible beyond their leaves and palms.

I walked through the cave entrance into pitch black darkness. I was just about to turn around when a hand grabbed me and threw me into the cave wall. My head snapped back again
st
the stone, igniting my veins in self-defense. Suddenly I could see everything
from my glow. I swear Sir State
n must have played with some radio-active slime. Who has ever heard of glowing veins?!

Looking around, I didn’t see anyone but us, but I knew for sure something had grabbed me and tossed me into the wall. Kalel bent down and picked up the white envelope on the floor, confirming my experience. He opened it and handed it to me, careful not to touch me. I tried not to feel like an alien in that moment, but couldn’t ignore the rejection in his eyes. We didn’t know what I was at this point other than abnormal. Kellan touched me, loved me without concern, but Kalel shied away as if I was contagious.

I pulled out the paper.

You’re tricks are ruining my
fun. Let’s cut to the chase,
one and done.
     -Jack

My eyes darted all around us. He said one and done which meant he was going to take care of us all at once and soon.

As if right on cue, the floor dropped out from beneath us sending us flying down a tunnel of some sort. It was smooth, not rugged so clearly it had been specially crafted.
We landed with a harsh thud on a dirt floor. Jack’s men immediately swarmed us, disarming us in a flash. I began to fight back, knocking out his soldiers one by one with my enhanced strength and speed.

“Ah, Alexa. We meet at last.” I froze mid-punch at the sound of his voice. I turned around to face my bully.

Jack stood about six feet with chocolate brown skin, a buff physique. His hair curled tightly to his head. Despite his skin tone, his hair wasn’t coarse, but seemed rather soft. His dark brown, nearly black,
eyes
penetrated through me. A giant grin broke out over his face.

He walked over to a huge U-shaped leather sectional arranged over a rug upon concrete beneath. He’d somehow managed to install a fireplace in the middle of a mountain; it blazed beneath a wall of 40” flatscreen TVs, showing cameras around all of El Yunque. A technology center off to the side housed every brand of computer and wiring which were somehow routed through the rock walls.

“You seem surprised that I do not live like a caveman,” he mused, pouring himself a drink at the bar stand
ing
along the far wall.

“Not at all,” I said, surprised that my voice didn’t shake.

“Let me go!” Gabi fussed, fighting the workers trying to restrain her.

I looked, frowning to find t
he guys had already been detained
, something slapped around their wrists. It looked like solid metal piping soldered in layers around them.

“Let them go Jack,” I ordered.

I nearly leapt backwards when he was in front of me in a split second, right in my face. “I don’t know who the hell you’ve been dealing with Lexi, but you don’t impress me. I’m not about to cave to a little girl who likes t
o
play big.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Well it sure seemed like you enjoyed playing with this girl,” I shot back.

“And people say I’m vain,” he laughed, walking back over to the sofa.

I caught him
shoot
ing glances at Gabi the entire time. “Let her go.”

“I have an even better idea.” He took a sip of his drink before setting it down on the glass coffee table. “Bart!” he called. A balding, pot-bellied man dressed in a suit approached him.

“Yes sir?”

“Bring me the pens.”

“How many sir?”

Jack looked at the guys before answering, “Two.” Jack smiled deviously at me. “Now come here my dear.” He called me over with the crook of his finger.

“Don’
t dear me,” I snapped.

“Touchy, touchy.”

“Jack, cut the shit and let my friends go. It’s me you want, not them.”

“Oh, how cute. You think I actually care. Oh how rosy and naïve your view of the world is Alexa! I’m a bastard; a straight, conniving, cutting bastard. There is no good in me.”

“Bull shit.” He cut his eyes at me. “I said bull shit! If you were really mean then you would have just killed us all already.”

“On the contrary. I’m worse than mean. I’m evil because I’m stringing you along. You’re all going to die, but I’m going to make sure it’s slow and torturous.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Here we go with that magic question.”

“Seriously. If we’re all going to die anyways, the least you can do is tell us why.”

“Because you’ve messed it all up. I was lying low, building my political connections and working my candidacy underground. There were plenty of vamp groups and units with leaders, but no true government. That was until you came along. Now two powerful entities with armies of their own and sustainability are working together. No one can go against them. But now that I have the three leaders of one of the most powerful vampire operations all under my roof with the one petty vampeen who still believes in a silly thing called world peace, I can end this abomination once and for all!
”

“Do you feel better?”

He shook his head in dismay. “What the hell are you talking about girl?” It was the first time an island accent seeped into his tone.

“Do you feel better now that you’ve gotten that off your chest?”

“Bart! Where the hell are you with those pens?!” he yelled.

I was in. Somehow I’d figured out what would crack Jack. He wanted me to believe that
he was unemotional, all vamps tried
to claim that, but he
wa
s
n’t
. I made him mad, and anger is an emotion. Jack also liked to be in control; he liked predictability, especially if he went to such lengths to track me.

I smiled and winked at the boys. I walked over to the couch and sat down. I grabbed his drink and took a sip, immediately spitting it out everywhere. “What the heck are you drinking?”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I asked you first,” I smiled innocently at him.

“Coconut water,” he growled. “Or at least I was until you swilled it with your germs.”

“Touchy, touchy.”

“Don’t patronize me. I could kill each one of your friends in a heartbeat.”

“Then do it,” I waved my hand and stood up. I paced around the room looking at his equipment.

“Lex, I really don’t think you know who you’re dealing with here. He actually will kill us,” Gabi pleaded.

“Here are the pens sir,” Bart said, his chubby hands extending out what looked to be two ballpoint pens. I knew that’s not what they were. The liquid inside was an amber color, not usually found in the fountain of a Paper Mate.

“Ah, now let the games truly begin. Bring those three over here.” Jack motioned for Kellan, Al and Kai to be brought towards him. I watched the guys test the wrist restraints, wincing in pain when they did. That’s when I noticed the electrical jolt that zapped each of them. My heart sped up at seeing them in pain; worse yet, I didn’t know how to break through those things.

“Now Lexi, you get to decide which one of these three vamps you’re going to save.”

Serum flooded my throat. I hadn’t counted on this. I wasn’t supposed to lose anyone; not yet anyways.

A glow caught my eyes; I looked down to find myself illuminated again. I was beginning to recognize the pattern. Anytime I feared for someone’s life, I lit up like a neon Christmas tree. I tried to think of how I was going to get them out of this. I didn’t care if I died here, but they couldn’t.

“Which one?!” Jack demanded.

Don’t save the one you love.

“Kai!”

“Interesting choice.” He threw back his arm prepared to stab Kellan.

I don’t know what came over me. It felt like a surge of power thrust from my center. When I opened my eyes, barely able to breathe, Jack was crushed beneath me on the hard floor; his eyes nearly bugging out as he looked up at me.

I was gasping for air; I felt light headed and dizzy. I was barely able to stay conscious.

“I’ve got him,” Al said, placing a calming hand on my shoulder. I felt Kellan’s arms hug me as he lifted me into his arms. I saw Kalel and Craig help Al secure Jack.

“It’s ok babe. You did good. You saved us,” Kellan said, kissing my forehead as he laid me on the sofa.

“It hurts,” I whispered. I never knew not having enough air could hurt so bad. It felt like my insides had a thousand pounds of pressure on them. A trail from my throat to my chest burned.

“Shh. Just rest.”

Chapter 30

My eyes flew o
pen
as a wave of cold passed over my body. Imara stood over me, gazing down at me peacefully.

“Welcome back,” she smiled.

“How… how?”

“I found her card in your pocket,” Kellan said.

“But-“ Imara shook her head warning me not to finish the sentence; not to tell them that I hadn’t put her card there.

“I’d like to apologize for my son’s ruthless behavior. It was uncalled for,” Imara stretched out her hand to help me sit up.

“Your son?”

“Yes. Jack is my son.”

“But, I thought he was the oldest vampire.”

“He started that rumor decades ago, but he is nothing more than a nuisance with too much time and money on his hands.”

“But, when I went to the
v
ampeen
h
eadquarters. I… I was drilled about him, in front of you.”

“I could not interfere with your destiny Alexa. It was forbidden of me, regardless of my personal involvement. You were
meant to teach my son a lesson, and, bring him love.”

“Love?” I laughed, struggling to wrap my mind around any part of what she’d said.

“Yes, love. With Gabriella.” My eyes shot to a blushing Gabi, seated next to Jack on the floor. He was no longer restrained; the guys were seated around the couch, except Al who was studying Jack’s electronic equipment. “Just as Kellan offers you perfect balance, so does Gabi offer Jack perfect balance. Their auras are balanced together; the perfect high and low of each other. Opposites
attract
one might say. Nonetheless, she will keep him grounded. And if she doesn’t, then I will personally lock him up and throw away the key.”

“I said sorry ma,” Jack said.

“Threatening peoples’ lives, threatening the very existence of our kind is nothing to merely apologize for. You owe this lady a hell of lot more than that!” I sat back when Imara’s eyes took on a reddish hue. I’d never heard her curse before either; never pictured her as the type to.

“I’ve already shut down
all the
units temporarily. No one else will be affected.”

“What about all the ones who’ve already been affected? How many humans have you recruited into your academy Jack?”

“What do you mean?”

“Um, Lex, it turns out that all of Jack’s ninjas are still human. He has a deal set up with a school in Japan. If they can survive against a vampire, then they receive their certification. The whole bit about the families and stuff was another rumor he started to beef up his fear factor,” Gabi explained.

“
Well
sugarplums. I feel duped!”
I thought for a minute. “What about the car bomb?”

“That actually wasn’t him,” she frowned.

“I did say that I saw three vamps, not ninjas, do that,” Al added.

“Well crap,” I sighed.

“You still did take him down, which is a hard feat,” Gabi smiled.

“I guess,” I shrugged
. I looked at Gabi for a long minute. “What about Rafi?”

“Foul play, but not on Jack’s part. Somehow a vampire hunter snuck into the academy.” I could hear the sadness in her voice.

“I didn’t even think those people really existed.”