Chapter 93 The Rescue Begins
CALLUM
The explosion tears through the blood club's east entrance at 7:04 AM. One minute ahead of schedule but close enough.
Danny set the charge. Blew the reinforced door off its hinges. Creates entry point and chaos simultaneously.
"Go!" I shout.
Four fighters breach. Me, Danny, Marcus, James. Tom stayed outside after breaking the wards. Isla's with the vehicles.
We pour through the smoking entrance. Silver weapons ready. UV flashlights sweeping corners.
The main floor is chaos. Performers screaming. Vampire customers fleeing from sudden daylight. Guards scrambling for weapons.
"Basement!" I lead the way. Following the map from the letter. Down the stairs to sublevel one.
First guard appears. Hunter in tactical gear, rifle raised.
Marcus shoots him. Silver bullet through the chest. The hunter drops.
Second guard charging from the left. Danny stakes him. Wooden stake through the heart. Vampire hunter goes down screaming.
We're moving fast. Brutal efficiency. No hesitation.
The corridor ahead has three cells. Just like the map showed. Two empty. One occupied.
Cell three.
I reach it first. The door is unlocked. Slightly ajar. Just like the letter promised.
I pull it open.
Valentina's inside. Armed with stakes and knives. Ready to fight.
"Callum." Relief floods her face. "You came."
"Of course I came." I grab her arm. "Can you move?"
"Yes. Let's go."
Behind us, more guards arriving. Six of them. Blocking our escape route.
"Through them!" I raise my gun. Fire three shots. Silver bullets. Two hit. Guards go down.
Danny's fighting hand to hand. Stake in one hand, knife in the other. Brutal close combat. He kills one guard. Wounds another.
Marcus and James provide covering fire. Driving the guards back.
But more are coming. The whole building's alert now. We've got maybe two minutes before we're overwhelmed.
"Move!" I push Valentina ahead of me. "Exit is east side. Follow Danny."
We run. Through the corridor. Up the stairs. Guards shooting from behind. Bullets hitting walls around us.
Danny takes a hit. Shoulder wound. Keeps running.
The main floor is pure chaos now. Vampires fled. Humans hiding. Guards everywhere.
"East exit!" I point. The door Sarah mentioned in the letter. The one she left unlocked.
We hit it hard. Door swings open. Daylight beyond.
Almost there.
That's when Professor Fell appears.
He's standing in the doorway. Blocking our escape. Hands raised. Already chanting.
"I don't think so," he says.
Magic erupts from his hands. Purple light. Crackling energy. Spreading like a web.
Paralysis spell.
It hits Danny first. He freezes mid-step. Completely immobilized. Eyes wide. Can't move. Can't speak.
The spell spreads. Reaching for Marcus and James.
They go rigid. Frozen in place.
The magic reaches for me.
I try to dodge. Too slow. The paralysis catches my legs. Spreading upward. Can't move my arms. Can't breathe properly.
Valentina's still mobile. She's behind me. The spell hasn't reached her yet.
"Run!" I try to shout. Comes out as whisper.
She doesn't run. Charges Fell instead. Stake raised.
Fell redirects the spell. Purple energy hitting Valentina.
She freezes. Three feet from Fell. Stake extended. Completely immobilized.
"Impressive rescue attempt," Fell says. He's not even breathing hard. "But human magic trumps supernatural strength. You should have known that."
He walks closer. Examines us like specimens. "The Hermetic Order will be pleased. Five supernatural subjects. Including Callum Brennan himself. All paralyzed and ready for transport."
I can't move. Can't fight. Can barely breathe. The spell is crushing my chest.
Fell pulls out a syringe. "This time I'll use the correct formula. Born wolf physiology requires different compounds. I've adjusted the mixture."
He's going to inject me again. Mind control formula. This time it'll work.
I try to resist. Nothing. Completely frozen.
Fell approaches. Syringe ready.
That's when the second explosion hits.
The wall behind Fell erupts. Stone and dust everywhere. The blast throws Fell forward. He drops the syringe.
Through the smoke, Tom appears. Holding fae-blessed dagger. Blood running from his nose.
"Fae magic trumps human magic," Tom says. "You should have known that."