Chapter 13

“Look who made it in,” Frederick said, glancing in my direction. “So nice of you to join us.”

Because I was so happy, I didn’t even tell him off in my head, let alone say it to his face. “Still not my boss, Freddy. But good morning to you too.”

“Liz, can I see you in my office?” John’s voice was not the usual carefree tone.

“Ooooh,” Frederick said, and I was suddenly reminded of grade school, when other kids got called to the principal’s office. Of course I never did.

I blew him off and joined John, who closed the door behind me.

Now I knew I was in trouble.

“Did you leave work in the middle of the day last week?” he asked, his eyes uncharacteristically somber.

I remembered when I left early to see my father. “I did, but I came back later that evening. What’s this about? You know I’ve been putting in 80-hour weeks lately…”

“I had to ask. It’s been reported that you’re not putting the time or effort into this project anymore. Perhaps because Frederick is leading it now?”

I felt my face begin to flush. “Who said that?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.” He avoided my eyes. “Why don’t you show me what you’re working on?”

It was one thing to be an elitist prick, but quite another to resort to sabotage. What the hell is Frederick’s problem? “Do you not trust me, John?”

“Of course I trust you, it’s just that you showed up late this morning, and—”

Ten minutes late. Geez, call out the hounds. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was punching a clock. Especially after all the late nights I’ve been working, but that’s fine. I’ll show up on time, but know I’ll also leave on time, if that’s how we’re playing it.”

“Liz, don’t overreact about this.”

Overreact? Did he really say that to me?

The situation was threatening to spiral out of control. I took a deep breath and exhaled.

“I’ll be more punctual,” I said. “Thank you for the correction.”

He softened. “Liz, please, that’s not—”

“May I be excused to work on my project?” I said slowly, keeping my tone even. Trying not to sound like I was ready to scream at the top of my lungs.

John let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. Yes, go ahead.”

Every fiber in my being wanted to strangle Frederick. I thought we were working together okay, I mean, it seemed like he was doing his own thing and I was doing mine. But I guess it was silly to think it could be that easy.

I took careful, measured breaths to try to calm myself down before I spoke with Frederick. When I approached him, he wore a sly grin.

“Everything all right there, Liz?”

“You tell me,” I said carefully, trying not to say it with the attitude brimming underneath my surface. “Is there something you’d like me to be working on? Did you want to review my work?”

The grin faded into more of a smirk. “As a matter of fact, I would like to review your findings. And I could use some help compiling the latest data.” He handed me a huge stack of papers. “If you have the time.”

I dropped the stack on a nearby desk and flipped through the first few pages. It was menial work anyone on his team could’ve done. I took it for what it was, a power play.

“Sure, no problem. Would you like some coffee as well?” More than anything, I wanted to shove the stack of papers up his ass. But seeing how John acted earlier, I wasn’t in any position to tell Frederick to screw off.

“Actually, I could use a refill if you’re getting some.” The joy in his eyes was totally uncalled for.

“I’m not.” I picked up the papers and went to the clean room with my bats and mice. Then I fed the test subjects and observed their behavior as I made my way through the pile of busy work.

Three hours and several cups of coffee later, I completed the compilation, but didn’t hand it back. I just knew he’d have something else stupid to waste my time. And I was eager to dive into the unusual deaths yesterday. If I could discover how they bled out, it might shed some light as to why.

First, I tested the seven new mice I injected before Galen attacked me, and I confirmed they all had contracted the virus. Then I weighed each of the deceased mice, looked at their organs, tested their blood. Nothing. It felt like I was banging my head against the wall, reviewing the same stuff over and over again. Needing to clear my head, I grabbed my phone and took a break in the lounge area. It was as good a time as any to do a video call with Amy.

I dialed her number with the video option, but she refused. I got a text back from her a minute later.

Amy: what’s up?

Me: wanted to see your face talk for a bit Amy: It’s not a good time Me: Plz

Miss you around here Amy: Ok, gimme a sec She called me back on video chat, and I gasped at the image on my phone. Her hair was frizzy, crazy—like she’s hadn’t styled it for a week. And her eyes had huge dark circles. I wondered if she’d slept at all the past week.

I tried to hide my shock with a rushed smile. “How…how are you doing?”

She snickered. “I’m alive.”

“This quarantine sucks, right?”

Her eyes looked off to the side, as if she were focusing on something else. “Yeah.”

“You keeping busy?” I asked.

“Actually I am.” A knowing smile appeared on her face. “How’s the project going?”

“They gave it to Frederick. Guess I knew it was gonna happen.”

“That sucks.”

“If it helps find a solution I don’t mind—this virus is horrible. You haven’t caught it or anything, have you?” It would explain her appearance, though I suspected I knew why she looked the way she did. And it had everything to do my stalker.

“Nope, been staying home.”

“Do you…need anything?”

“Liz, I need a lot of things. But shopping is kinda hard these days.”

“Send me a list, I can grab it after work,” I offered.

“Not the stuff I need.” She flashed a polite smile. “Thanks anyway.”

That answer got me worried. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

“Yeah.” Her lips formed a tight line. “Look, no offense—there are some things you can’t relate to.”

“Fair enough,” I said. “But I’m here if you need me.”

“Thanks.” She focused on something to the side of her phone, which I presumed was her computer. Then a genuine smile appeared. “Gotta go Liz. Talk to you later.”

She didn’t even wait for me to say goodbye before she ended the chat. I was concerned about her before, but now I was fully worried. I knew she was still upset about what happened with Galen, and I couldn’t blame her. To wake up with bite marks all over your body, knowing that a vampire took advantage of you. And then to not be able to do anything about it…

Vampire bite marks… I rushed back to the clean room, a hypothesis forming in my head. The two mice that survived looked lethargic, barely moving. I suspected they were hungry, even though they had eaten a portion of the food I’d given them in the morning. I grabbed another mouse I hadn’t used in testing and added it to the cage. The two mice that had survived chased the new mouse until they corned it. I stared, fascinated, as I watched the two mice attack. Did I just see fangs?

It can’t be… I know the serum was derived from the vampire bats, but for the mice to be mutated like that—it’s impossible. Isn’t it? I wasn’t about to reach in that cage and grab one of them while they were feeding.

There was a safer way to find out. I shaved the fur off one of the deceased mice, eager to see if my suspicions were correct. I found several tiny pinpricks, always two in a group.

Fangs. Now the autopsy made sense. I likely would’ve had six survivors if I had separated them. The reason I lost four mice was simply due to survival of the fittest.

I had to see it with my own eyes. I prepared a tranquilizer and administered it to the two feeding mice. Once they were totally motionless, I plucked one out of the cage and pulled back on his gums to see tiny little fangs. Not as long as on a vampire bat, not even proportionally speaking, but still razor sharp.

I had so many questions. My heart pounded, thinking of all the possibilities. I looked at the teeth of the deceased mice, and I noticed only one had the modified larger and sharper canines in common with the two that survived. Does that mean that not all subjects mutate? Or are their fangs retractable?

So much more testing was required, but I felt closer to an answer. Once I got a few vials of Ryan’s blood, I’d have even more to test. I gathered up the materials I’d need to extract the blood. Then I injected four out of the seven mice with the serum, taking care this time to separate them into different cages.

Frederick had asked about my findings, so I printed out my notes for my last completed trial, with the vampiric side effect. I also returned the stack of papers along with my notes to his desk, timing it just right to avoid him completely.

I was about to jump back into testing when my cell rang. My stomach dropped at seeing the id.

“Sweetie?” my mom said, her voice unsteady. “We’re at the hospital. He’s…” she trailed off, and I could tell she was crying. “He’s in the ICU,” she finally finished.

Damn, I’m running out of time.

***

I pulled up to the hospital and spotted my mother just outside the entrance. She looked utterly lost, fidgeting with her wedding ring, her disposable mask wet with tears.

“Mom!” I ran to her, with my arms outstretched, but she stopped me.

“Stay back, baby.”

No, it can’t be. Her too?

“They tested me when I brought him in. I’ve got it too.”

My logical brain understood she was at a higher risk to catch it, with her taking care of someone infected. But the rest of me was unable to accept it.

“How do you feel? What symptoms are you experiencing?”

“Oh honey, it’s your father we need to worry about.” Her eyes seemed so sad. “I’ll be fine.”

This can’t be happening. Both of my parents sick? “Have the doctors said anything about him? What’s going on?”

“He’s not breathing on his own. The next 48 hours are critical.”

I wonder if she had accepted the fact that he would likely die. Though going through that data for Frederick seemed like busy work, it provided me more stats on the survival rate of patients with lung conditions. The outlook was not only grim, it was hopeless.

If I didn’t come up with something fast, my father would die. I had to get Ryan’s blood.

“Mom, I’m in the middle of some research, it has to do with this. Are you going to be okay?”

“Yes, I told you I’m fine. Just, keep your phone with you, in case I hear anything new.”

I nodded. I so wanted to give her a hug. Tell her everything was going to be fine, even though I wasn’t so sure myself. Tell her she was the bravest person I’ve ever known.

But I could tell she was already on the verge of losing it.

“Can you go home and rest?” I asked.

“I just want to be here if anything changes,” she said, her voice wavering. “He needs me.”

“Yes, but you’re sick, too. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you be there for him?”

She nodded. But I could tell she was going to stay. I definitely got my stubborn streak from her.

“Okay, but promise you’ll leave in a couple of hours? Get some food and rest?”

“I will.”

“I love you,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

“I love you too baby.”

I waited until I was in the safety of my car to totally break down. My parents were my support system my entire life. Imagining one gone was brutal, but both? It would be devastating.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. It doesn’t have to end like this. I can fix it. With Ryan’s blood, I will find a cure.

***

I made it back to my apartment in record time, driving as fast as my little electric car could go. As I approached my floor, something felt off. There was a package near my door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I recognized the company on the return address and realized it was something I’d ordered. And then I noticed my door handle, tilted to one side. When I turned the knob, it wasn’t even functional, like someone had broken it.

Ryan…

I pushed the door open and found Thundarr snoozing in the hallway. Poor guy, I bet he got knocked out again the moment Ryan woke up.

I searched the other rooms, but Ryan was nowhere to be found. And that broken doorknob led me to believe he didn’t leave willingly.

I was about to call him when my cell phone rang. It was Ryan’s number.

“Ryan, are you okay?”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” Galen’s voice replied, followed by an evil chuckle. “I mean, he hooked up with you, so that must have made him feel exquisite! Oh, but now he’s getting his ass kicked, so maybe no?”

“What do you mean? Did you take him?”

“Oh and I’m fine, thanks for asking. Whatever you injected me with didn’t work.”

Damn. It was a long shot, but it wasn’t all a loss. It at least felt good to stab him with something.

“Where is he?” I practically screamed.

“James is disciplining him,” he said. “It’s rather a spectacle, you should come see for yourself.”

I disconnected the call, my fingers shaking. If James hurts Ryan, I swear I’ll… I sighed. I realized I was powerless to really fight back. Unless…

The package. I grabbed it from outside my door and opened it. Inside, I found the solar simulator I ordered. Not having tested it, going to the mansion was still a huge risk. I loaded it with batteries and turned it on. It really did look exactly like sunlight. But would it be effective against vampires?

I took a second to breathe and consider what I was about to do. If this gadget didn’t work, I was done. Death would be the best-case scenario. But if I didn’t try, then I could lose Ryan. And if I didn’t get a blood sample, I’d lose my father too.

I glanced out the window, and a tiny bird landed on the sill. It made me think of my mother and the way my father always called her Birdie. Thirty years of marriage, and they were still best friends. I finally realized why my mother kept prodding me to date—so that I could have that too. Someone who gets you, who always has your back, no matter what. Ryan saved me so many times, I had to at least try to return the favor. The bird looked at me with his head tilted, as if to say, “Well? What are you waiting for?”

“Okay, I’m going!” I said to the bird, who just flew away.

I ran to my car with the solar simulator (plus a couple of backup weapons as a precaution) tucked safely in my purse. On my way, I received an image of Ryan via text. His face was a mess—one of his eyes was practically swollen shut, and the gash on his cheek was oozing blood. Then my phone chimed once more.

you’re missing out on all the fun Maybe I should test the simulator on Galen first, I thought. The image of his flesh burning made me smile.

As I approached the gate, I realized it was unmanned. The doors were slightly ajar, and it seemed like the locking mechanism was burned or melted off using chemicals.

When I made it to the front entrance of the mansion, no one was there to greet me, which I found both refreshing and suspicious. But when I opened the massive door to enter, Rose was standing against the wall, being a total creeper.

“So glad you’re back.” She didn’t even bother with the pretense of appearing human—her fangs were extended, and her gaze rested on my neck.

“Where is Ryan?” I asked.

She licked her lips, amused. “With James. I can take you there. It’s this way.” Rose pointed in the direction, apparently waiting for me to lead.

I shook my head. “You first.”

Her smile faded as she led the way. “You know, we can’t wait for you to join the family.” She turned back and made eye contact with me. “It’ll be so great having you.”

“In your dreams,” I muttered. But the more I thought about it, the less confident I became. How exactly did I expect this to play out? Just burst open the doors and casually disintegrate only James? And even if I managed to pull that off, how would I possibly escape?

My heart pounded, and I felt my other senses awaken, too. As someone who always had a plan for everything, I was amazed at how exhilarating it felt to be completely devoid of one. Anything at all could happen.

Rose opened the doors to the study. Galen sat casually on a chaise, and Ryan was next to James, struggling to stand. His nose was bloodied, probably broken, and the rest of his body was just as battered and scratched up.

“You betrayed the family, to be with a mere human…” James shook his head. “I gave you eternal life, and this is how you repay me?”

James caught sight of me and delivered a final backhand to Ryan, who collapsed on the floor beside him.

“The guest of honor!” Galen cried out. “Now the party can really start.” That creepy smile surfaced, as he strode over to me. “Come, my dear, it’s really getting good.” He offered his arm, but I pushed past him to get to Ryan.

“Are you okay?” I asked, kneeling down.

“Why did you come here?” he said, his voice gravelly.

“For you, of course.” I touched his cheek gently. “Why aren’t you healing?”

“It’s too much, too fast,” he murmured. “Haven’t fed…it, it keeps me strong.”

James yanked me up and grabbed my arms. “You don’t want to interfere. You want to sit down next to Galen.”

I couldn’t hold back a sarcastic snicker. “He’s the last person I want to sit next to.”

“See?” Galen said. “I told you, it doesn’t work with her!”

James released me and just stared at me, as if he were considering it. “We’ll just have to break her, then. Like we’re doing with Ryan, here.”

“What did he do that was so wrong?” I asked.

“He abandoned the family.” He ran his finger softly along my neck. “And then he took you. I knew because he just reeked of your scent. You were supposed to be mine.”

I couldn’t believe this guy, talking about me as if I were a possession. I glanced down at Ryan, and noticed he looked a little better. Maybe if I can keep James focused on me instead of him…

“Look, no one ‘took’ me. This isn’t the nineteenth century.” Which is probably the time period he was from, I thought. “I wanted him. Not you.”

James narrowed his eyes at me. “You speak as if you have a choice. You don’t.”

Then his fangs extended. Before I had time to react, he grabbed hold of me and sunk his fangs deep into my neck.