ReVamped Page 11

  I smiled. “Yes, but I’m certain that he doesn’t stand a chance. Everyone loves and admires you.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, I’m afraid.” My father frowned, his face riddled with a frenzy of worry lines. “Senator Twitbrook has a larger social media following, Dawn. It could get ugly.”

  “There are far worse things in life than not having enough online friends,” I muttered. Like allowing a helpless human to be kidnapped on your watch.

  My father was studying my grim face. “Forgive me, Dawn. I’ve been so selfish. I haven’t even asked about your mission yet. How are things progressing? Anything new to report?”

  I swallowed hard. “That’s why I’m here, actually. We’ve run into some trouble.”

  “Oh?” He raised his thick, brown brows.

  Over the next few minutes, I rehashed the previous day’s happenings. My father tensed when he learned that I was poisoned by vampire blood, and slammed his fist against the heavy oak desk when I confessed that a human girl was kidnapped.

  “None of that was ever supposed to happen! This was supposed to be a simple mission in a peaceful little town. An easy task. You were never supposed to be in any real danger. I’m so sorry.”

  I blinked back hot tears. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I failed the mission. Failed you. Failed everything!”

  “That’s nonsense, Dawn,” he chastised me. “This is just an unexpected setback. We’ll figure it out together.”

  I forced a smile, slightly comforted by the realization that my father wasn’t disappointed in me after all. He was, however, concerned over the reports of rogue vampire activity, and even more rattled by the news that humans were consorting with them. To my dismay, he didn’t have any information about a rogue camp near Millwood or about Vampiricol. It was the first time that had heard about the drug and this caused him further agitation.

  “I’m going to put my best team on this. We’ll hunt down the rogue vamps and find the human girl,” he promised. “For now, Dawn, I would like you to stay here. I don’t under any circumstance want you going back to Angel Creek.”

  I froze. “I can’t do that, father!” I cried frantically. “I’m on a mission. I have a duty to the vampires of Angel Creek.”

  “I’m officially taking you off the mission. In fact, I’m taking those misfit vampires off the mission as well,” he said, grabbing his phone. “I’m going to give the Fab Five a call.”

  “The Fab Five are no longer the guardians of Angel Creek!” I shouted.

  My father shook his head. “Two of them got voted off Next Vamp Idol last week and the others got kicked off Transylvania Shore right away for not being pale enough. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to return to their posts in Angel Creek. They’re currently moping around Hollywood, begging for a gig.”

  “No!” I yelled, flying over to my father’s desk. I seized the phone from his hand. “I won’t let you take me off the mission. I’m going to see this thing through,” I said, disconnecting the call.

  “Dawn, I’m sorry to do this, but it’s for your own safety. I can’t bear to see you get hurt. I love you more than anything in this world.”

  I softened, pleased to hear my father speak those tender words, then quickly sobered up. “I can’t give up now. I have a mission to carry out and a friend to save. ”

  “You’re off the assignment,” he commanded. “That’s an order from both your father and your President.”

  “We’ll see about that!” I shot back, storming out of the room. “And, by the way, those misfit vamps really aren’t so bad,” I angrily threw over my shoulder.

  Back in my room, I grabbed a perplexed Sebastian by the arm. “We’re leaving,” I stated, pulling him out of the house.

  I sped back to Angel Creek, calling the team members on the way and instructing them to assemble at Sebastian’s home. The small cottage I had grown accustomed to over the past few weeks was no longer a safe place. It would only be a short matter of time before my father sent his team after me in an attempt to drag me back to the safety of the Scarlet House. I wouldn’t allow that to happen. I wasn’t going anywhere until I had safely rescued Hannah.

  No matter what.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Tell me everything you know,” I urged as the team assembled around the large, round dining room table of Sebastian’s exquisite manor. Despite being almost two hundred years old, the spacious mansion had a sleek, modern interior. Each room was outfitted in simple contemporary furniture, black and white in color, embellished with glass and crystal adornments. The early morning sun shone through the spacious bay windows, filling the house with light and giving it a bright, airy look.

  Ethan was the last to sit down, looking extremely shaken. His eyes were blurry, his hair tousled. Even the buttons of his green shirt were fastened incorrectly.

  He must have spoken with Hannah’s mother, I thought with pity. The poor woman was very ill; the last thing she should have to hear was news that her daughter was missing. I hoped that Ethan had been gentle with the details and had not divulged the entire truth behind the kidnapping. At least, not until we had a chance to find Hannah.

  “Who wants to go first? Any news about the rogue vamps? Vampiricol? ” I pressed urgently. “Please tell me someone found out something!”

  “Sorry Dawn, my books did not prove very beneficial. I couldn’t find anything at all about rogue vamps or Vampiricol,” Sophie said in a gloomy voice. Daisy, the permanently-quivering puppy, was sitting on her lap, attempting to lick her glasses. She scratched the tiny dog between its ears, sending it into an even bigger licking frenzy. “I guess the only thing we can infer from that is that they’re both fairly recent phenomena,” she added, pushing her round glasses up on her nose.

  “Good. That’s something,” I said, trying to keep positive. “Brooke?” I turned toward the blonde.

  “I also didn’t have much luck. Although, I did score with one really hot football player,” Brooke winked at me, loudly chomping on a wad of pink bubble gum.

  “Brooke!” I exclaimed.

  “Yeah, Brooke. This is no time for your promiscuity,” Seth spat.

  Brooke waved her hand in our direction, her bright nails matching perfectly to the color of the gum. “Chill, guys. I scored information from a football player. Isn’t that, like, what all the detectives on TV say?” She extended her fangs, popping a bubble.

  “So, what did you find out?” Sebastian urged.

  “Well, he had taken Vampiricol once. It made him feel like a million bucks. He said that he was stronger and faster than anyone else on the field. And apparently, he was also a much better lover.” Brooke giggled.

  “Okay, well we knew all that from Ethan.” I said, dismayed by the lack of information. Sebastian’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing in my direction. “Uhh, except the lover part, of course,” I clarified uncomfortably.

  To my surprise, Ethan didn’t say anything. He was looking off into the distance, his usually bright eyes glazed over, not focused on anything in particular. It was then that I noticed just how bloodshot the whites around his pupils were. I had forgotten that, for a human, staying up all night was a feat. I was about to suggest that he take a nap, when Hunter interjected.

  “Well, I can help add to the information about Vampiricol,” he announced. “According to a dealer I spoke with, it’s the hot new drug on the underground market. It’s developed by doctors, or scientists—some really smart people—and made with a bunch of pretty killer materials. The worst of them all being vampire blood.”

  Sophie gasped.

  “Whoa!” Brooke froze, mid-bubble blowing.

  “Are you sure?” Sebastian asked. “That’s very serious.”

  “Yes. My old dealer had an in with one of the rogue vamps. Rumor has it, these guys get paid good money for donating their blood.” Sober, clear-minded Hunter was proving to be quite an asset to the team.

  “But here’s the thing,” Seth interjected
. “This company—they call themselves BloodCorp—doesn’t want to keep things in the underground drug market for very long. According to a classified medical chartroom I hacked into, they want to go public with Vampiricol as soon as possible. They’re trying to get it FDA approved and get it out on the mass market.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Putting it out into the world would earn them billions of dollars. And in the process, it also could cause vampires to become obsolete.”

  “What? Obsolete? I don’t wanna be obsolete,” Brooke cried, then looked over at Seth and whispered, “That’s like really fat, right?”

  “You’re thinking of obese Brooke,” Seth rolled his eyes. “No, by putting Vampiricol out on the mass market and allowing every human to, in essence, become a vampire without any of the negative side-effects, we’re going to be rendered completely futile.”

  “Completely useless,” Sophie clarified, seeing Brooke’s perplexed face.

  Brooke’s blue eyes grew wide with fear. “Oh, no! That’s even worse than being fat!”

  The news about Vampiricol and BloodCorp was monumental. Many vampires, especially those currently holding esteemed positions of fame and power, would be devastated if BloodCorp ever went public with Vampiricol. Modern vampires prided themselves on being superior to human beings. After all, their exclusivity and phenomenal characteristics were the main reasons vampires were able to freely exist in society. But, if every human could easily obtain vampire powers through a tiny little pill, then real vampires would no longer be the revered, magnificent things of popular culture. Their entire existence would be threatened. Not to mention, such a potent drug could lead to a power-struggle between humans and vampires. Wars have broken out over much more trifling issues.

  “Well, here’s the kicker.” Seth continued gravely, snapping me out of my rumination. “BloodCorp is still in the testing stages of Vampiricol and, apparently, they’re running out of voluntary blood donors. They’re starting to take innocent vampires off the street.”

  “That must’ve been why they tried to stage an ambush back at the werewolf camp,” I mused out loud.

  Seth nodded.

  “I can’t even bear to imagine what they would have done with me!” Brooke sobbed.

  Sebastian shot me an uneasy look. “Think of what they would have done with you, Dawn,” he said.

  “He’s right!” Sophie exclaimed, looking over at me worriedly. “The blood of a Born vampire is a hundred times more potent than that of a Made!”

  “You have to be careful,” Sebastian warned.

  I shuddered, remembering how close I had come to being taken. If Sebastian hadn’t appeared when he had…

  I collected myself, rising abruptly from my chair. “I’ll be fine. Right now, we have to think about Hannah. Rescuing her is our priority!”

  I paced around the dining room, everyone’s eyes following my every move. Everyone’s except Ethan’s. He had his head in his hands and was tugging at his gold locks nervously. Out of all of us, Ethan was the closest to Hannah.

  Her disappearance must be driving him crazy, I thought glumly.

  “Ok, so far we have determined what BloodCorp’s motives are. We’ve also figured out that we will likely have to face rogue vampires, humans doped up on Vampiricol, and possibly even some crazy scientists. But does anyone know where in the world these people are keeping Hannah?” I asking, clenching my fists in frustration.

  “No,” Sophie and Brooke responded in unison.

  Hunter shrugged. “Sorry, Dawn.”

  “I’ve searched the internet for pharmaceutical companies, science labs, and even underground army bases that could be connected with BloodCorp. I’ve come up with absolutely nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch!” Seth cried, quietly adding, “My online game quests were much easier to complete.”

  “Great,” I sighed.

  How in the world could we save Hannah if we didn’t even know where she was being kept? I considered calling my father to ask for his help. I wouldn’t have minded swallowing my pride and apologizing for my outburst if it meant that Hannah would be found. Unfortunately, I knew exactly how that particular conversation would go. My father would order me to cease the mission, forcing me to come back home. He would perhaps even replace Brooke, Sophie, Hunter and Seth with the Fab Five like he had previously threatened. I couldn’t let any of that happen. I was finally starting to see potential in my trainees—a true passion for being Angel Creek guardians.

  At the same time, I had to quickly acknowledge that Hannah was running out of time. I could never put her life in danger to simply illustrate a point. Settling on a compromise, I sent an impersonal, anonymous note to my father’s email account, divulging all the details we had so far on the rogue vamps and BloodCorp. This way, I reasoned, the bubbly redheaded girl would at least have two groups searching for her.

  Not wanting to waste any more time sitting around the house, I suggested that we drive back out to Millwood and search the area once again. I wasn’t sure what we were looking for, or what we would find, so I made certain that we were well-prepared for all possible scenarios. I packed an array of supplies—weapons, computers, and various other gadgets—and instructed the team to dress in black for better camouflage. For some, like Sebastian who always dressed in shades of black or white, this was an easy feat. Others, namely Brooke, fiercely fought the dress code. According to her, “pink was currently the new black”.

  It was mid-afternoon by the time we concluded our search of Millwood and its surrounding area. The team had gathered around a fallen tree in the forest, breaking for a quick meal. I found a large, mossy log a short distance away and perched on top of it to study my GPS. Before I could even fire up the device, Ethan approached me. He walked slowly, his hands tucked tightly into the pockets of his black leather jacket. His handsome face was pale and sullen, his eyes darted in and out of focus.

  He looks even worse than he had in the morning, I realized, concerned.

  “Dawn…” he began, looking over his shoulder to make sure the rest of the group was out of earshot. I decided not to remind him that superior hearing was one of the perks of being a vampire. “Dawn, I have to tell you something.” His usually smooth, deep voice was raspy and hoarse.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know how to begin,” he croaked, pressing his lips into a tight line.

  “Is this about the Vampiricol? It’s okay. It was a one-time thing. I’m sure you had your reasons…” I trailed off, not wanting to admit that I suspected that reason had a little something to do with me.

  He moved closer. “No, it’s not about that.”

  I nodded, patiently waiting for him to continue.

  “Dawn,” he began, his voice low. “I like you. A lot.” He paused, his tired eyes searching my face intently.

  My pulse quickened under his intense gaze. Was he trying to gauge my reaction? Was he waiting for me to respond? Over the past two weeks Ethan and I had gotten extremely close, sharing some intimate moments. He was handsome, kind, caring, fun, and simple—a dream guy.

  So why couldn’t I say that I liked him too? I wondered, my eyes slowly drifting to where Sebastian was sitting. Great. Here I was standing opposite a perfect guy who had just confessed his feelings, and instead of focusing my attention on him, I was looking at someone else. A frustrating someone who drove me completely insane. All of a sudden, Sebastian looked up, his cool eyes connecting with mine. I quickly shifted my gaze, turning my focus back on Ethan.

  “You don’t have to say anything. I just needed you to know that before…” His voice faded out before he could finish the sentence.

  I hated to see him hurt, and I despised myself for being the cause of it. “I’m so sorry Ethan. I’m a little distracted,” I explained, hoping to spare his feelings. “Because of Hannah.” And Sebastian, my mind reminded me silently.

  “I have more to tell you,” Ethan said, taking a deep breath. “I know where Hannah is.”

  He took the GPS from
my hand, quickly punching in an address. The map on the small device pointed to a building in a nearby town of Ashton. The information showed that the building was registered to a company called Dixie Pharmaceuticals.

  “Are you sure this is correct?” I asked, my hands shaking with excitement.

  “I’m certain,” Ethan confirmed. “That’s the address for BloodCorp’s base and that’s where Hannah is being held hostage.”

  I glanced at him, stunned. “How in the world did you get this? From the friend who gave you the Vampiricol?” I guessed, narrowing my eyes.

  Ethan looked down at his feet. “You could say that,” he said solemnly.

  “Well, let’s go get Hannah!” I rushed off to share the good news with the group.

  The address led directly to an industrial part of Ashton, a small city an hour east of Millwood. Upon quick inspection, the area proved to be completely deserted. An array of abandoned factories lay scattered about, their gray brick exteriors dilapidated, their windows shattered.

  We parked the cars behind an empty warehouse a few blocks from our destination, opting to cautiously scope out the location on foot.

  “This is it? Really?” Brooke asked Ethan as we neared a wide, two-storey gray building marked Dixie Pharmaceuticals.

  “This is the place,” Ethan responded, looking around nervously.

  Brooke let out a discontented sigh. “But it looks so boring and un-evil.”

  “I think that’s the point,” Sophie whispered.

  “I just thought we would have our big showdown somewhere cooler, that’s all,” Brooke retorted, still pouting.

  “We’re here to save Hannah, not to cater to your fantasies, Brooke,” I sternly reminded the cheerleader, as we reached a large factory directly across the street from the Dixie Pharmaceuticals building.

  I motioned for the team to gather in the empty parking lot next to the structure, signaling for them to take cover behind a tall, brick partition.

  “We have to inspect the place first,” I instructed. We had brought too many supplies and our group consisted of too many members to enter the building without a plan and expect to remain unnoticed. Not to mention, Sophie had decided that leaving Daisy behind at the cottage would be considered animal cruelty, and had opted instead to bring the tiny dog on our mission.