Redemption of Fate (Fate Series Book 2) (25 page)

“Nah; it’s not like that. I don’t have any beef with the kid, not anymore. If the situation had been reversed, I probably wouldn’t have handled it half as well as he did and I swear I won’t come between the two of you again.”

Cami looked at Martinez, who shrugged. “I would believe him, Cami. Turns out he’s finally realized he’s in love with Layla.”

“You should learn how to keep your mouth shut, my man,” Dante responded, though hearing someone else acknowledge the feelings he had yet to give a voice to felt good.

“Hey, just trying to expedite the process so we can go find your woman,” Martinez replied with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll meet you in the pit; but hurry, you know the trail only gets colder as time passes,” Cami said before disappearing down the corridor.
 

“So, you want to tell me what you’re up to?” Martinez asked as soon as Cami was gone.

“I had an idea,” Dante said as he strolled towards Jared’s room.

“Hold on, my man; what the fuck do you think you’re doing? Cami will castrate you if you mess with the kid, and don’t forget who he is. You could get booted from The Elite, or worse,” Martinez said, trying to get between his friend and Jared’s door.
 

“I appreciate the concern, Martinez. I just have a couple of things I need to say to him; to apologize.”

Martinez’s mouth fell open.

“I know; apologies aren’t usually my thing, but I owe him one. All this time we’ve been calling him kid, but I’ve been the one acting like a newbie fresh out of transition, chasing a bunch of random women because I was too much of a coward to recognize what was right in front of me.
 

“Glad you came around; but can’t this wait?” Martinez asked, confused as to why Dante would delay anything that could help find Layla.

“No, it can’t. I think he might be able to help us find her,” he said, taking a deep breath before hitting the buzzer for a second time.

CHAPTER 20 -
Jared's Help

Jared hopped out of the shower and stepped to the mirror; unable to stop smiling as he swiped his hand over the fogged up glass to clear a spot.

He rubbed his fingers roughly through his damp hair then surveyed his reflection in the mirror. Having achieved the desired un-styled effect, he walked into the bedroom and pulled on a pair of black pajama pants.
 

It was late, or early, depending on how you looked at it, so he hoped that once he was done checking on his sister and niece, Cami would be back and waiting for him in bed. He couldn’t think of anything better than spending the rest of the night sleeping with her in his arms.
 

Just as he was about to head to the door, he heard the buzz of the intercom and smiled, thinking that Cami must have forgotten something and didn’t have the code to get back in.
 

The smile dropped from his face when he opened the door to find Dante and Martinez standing there, fully-clad in combat gear, and his relaxed stance immediately became defensive.

“Hey; sorry to disturb you so late,” Dante began, putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I just need to talk to you for a minute.”

Jared eyed Dante carefully before stepping aside to allow the two men into his suite.

“I know we got off on the wrong foot,” Dante started, eliciting a huff from Jared as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to make amends. I realize now that I was out of line with Cami. Obviously there is something between you two, and I want to let you know that I won’t be interfering with that from now on. It was a mistake and I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that Cami made it pretty clear where she stands, and that’s with you.”

“Okay; thanks for that, I guess,” Jared responded, with a touch of uncertainty as he looked at Dante and Martinez and started to relax.

“That’s not really why we’re here now, though,” Dante continued. “One of our soldiers was taken tonight; a woman. The attackers were Lucias’s men, infected; and we’ve only got a small lead to go on. We’re going out now to check it out and I want you to go. I think you might be our best shot at getting her back.”

“You want me to go with you on a mission? Why?” Jared asked, stepping closer with interest.

“Telepathy runs in your family, right? You’re one, too, aren’t you?” Dante questioned, though he already knew the answer. It was a rather subtle gift, but Dante had the ability to detect the powers of others with a single touch and, with prolonged contact and focus, could even manifest those abilities for short periods of time.

Jared responded with a nod.
 

“The vehicle the attackers were in belongs to a human. We assume he’s already dead; but if he’s alive, or if one of the infected is still there, you could get into their heads, maybe get a bead on where they took Layla.”

Jared considered for a second; he wasn’t sure if he trusted Dante, but he couldn’t argue his point. His gift could help them find the missing soldier and, in turn, his brother-in-law. He knew how worried his family was, how worried Cami was, and he would do anything in his power to get Ethan back for them.

“Yeah, of course I’ll help, but I don’t know how we’ll get my father to clear me to leave. He’s ordered the whole family to remain on the compound indefinitely,” Jared replied, already trying to think of what he could say to persuade the High Commander to release him.

Dante looked to Martinez, then back to Jared. “Did your father actually order you to stay? Did he say the words?”

Jared smiled as he realized what Dante was thinking. “No; as a matter of fact, he didn’t.”

“Well, then he doesn’t have to know about this little excursion. We’ll have you back in bed before dawn.”

“Just one problem with that, Dante,” Martinez chimed in. “Commander Claesson isn’t just going to watch us walk out with Jared without hearing the High Commander actually give permission. And that’s not even your biggest problem.”

“So, what’s the biggest problem?” Jared asked.

“Cami. No offense, but you’re just a civilian. This is just speculation, but based on what I know about her and what I’ve seen and heard today, Cami must have some pretty strong feelings for you. I can’t really see her happily letting you stroll out on a potentially dangerous mission while disobeying a direct order from the High Commander.”

Dante placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Guess it’s a good thing we have you, then.”

✧

“Dante, you can’t be serious. You know what kind of trouble we could get in if something happens to him? And what if the High Commander is down there right now? You think you can keep your mind clear of it, because my heart is already pounding just thinking about trying to not think about it,” Martinez said, his voice laced with anxiety as he and Dante made their way to the pit.

They left Jared behind to get dressed, but he would be meeting them in the garage before they left the compound.

“That’s why we’re going to make damn sure nothing does happen. He won’t even have to get out of the car, and if his father is in the meeting, you can hang back and head to the garage; I can handle it,” Dante said as he stopped and turned towards Martinez. “Look, I know it’s a big risk, and I’m sorry for asking this of you, but I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her back. What would you do if it was Rachel?”

“Shit; yeah, all right.”
 

Martinez felt ill as he considered Dante’s words. Rachel had been in Blood Runners with Layla; it could have easily been her who was taken, or worse. As he thought, they covered the rest of the distance to the pit in record time. Dante peered through the glass and quickly scanned the room, while Martinez stayed out of view.

“It’s clear,” he said as he reached for the handle.
 

When they stepped through the door, all eyes turned towards them. Martinez’s immediately locked on Rachel and he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmingly grateful. It was all he could do not to rush to her, scoop her up in his arms and carry her off to their bed to spend the rest of the night showing her just how much he loved and needed her.

“I love you,” he mouthed to her silently, causing a light blush to steal over her cheeks as she smiled back at him.

“Nice of you to join us, gentlemen,” Commander Claesson said as Dante and Martinez slid into the two closest chairs.
 

“I’ve been in touch with our civilian contacts in the area; everyone is keeping their eyes open for any sign of Layla. As far as they know, they’re looking for a civilian tourist, but that won’t stick for long given the number of civilians who witnessed the attack tonight,” he continued, running a hand over his drawn face. As with all of their kind, the millennia-old vampire normally didn’t look a day over thirty-five, but the stress of the last few weeks was beginning to take its toll.

“I’d hoped to avoid this, but we cannot put off alerting the civilian population to the danger much longer. A few hours ago, I received word that two civilian males were also grabbed downtown and, according to Thompson, there have been some suspicious human disappearances over the last few months. If word gets out that Elite were taken, we’ll have widespread panic. I’m going to meet with the High Commander in the morning to discuss a communication strategy and, I think it goes without saying, breaking the news will be a lot smoother if you come back with something positive tonight,” he continued. “I also want to put you all on notice; for the time being, we’re going into full lockdown, meaning that no personnel leave from the base. No exceptions.”

A low murmur of groans filled the room. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but we can’t take any chances. One more thing; reinforcements are going to be arriving over the next few days, so those of you in suites need to be prepared for company.”

“But sir, there are enough single rooms for at least a hundred and fifty,” Dante interjected, knowing the size of the entire Elite force and that no outlying base would send so many men as to leave their homes unprotected.

“I am aware how much room we have. It won’t be enough. Unmated soldiers in double rooms and suites are going to have to share. You can choose to bunk with your local brothers and sisters, or you can wait and be assigned roommates from among the new arrivals; your choice, but figure it out soon,” he said, eyeing the soldiers seated around the long table.

“Dante,” he said to the soldier, who stood and followed the commander to the door. “you run into any problems out there tonight, you call me directly on the satellite phone. Regular cell service on the compound is going to be down indefinitely. I’m sending two other teams to the city to pick up rations, so they won’t be far off if you need back-up.”

Dante nodded as the commander clapped him on the shoulder and disappeared through the door.

“So, what’s with the communication blackout? Any idea what’s really going down?” Jackson asked as Dante stepped over to the large flat screen which covered the back wall of the pit.
 

“Your guess is as good as mine, but I don’t give a shit at the moment. When we get Layla back, I’ll start worrying about when you’ll get a chance to call your mommy,” Dante retorted. Speaking Layla’s name was like throwing gasoline on the fire that was the ache in his heart; so while other soldiers burst into laughter and Jackson flipped him off, Dante couldn’t even muster a half-smile.

Swallowing the pain that threatened to engulf him, Dante turned his focus to the only hope he had of finding Layla.

“All right, I want four vehicles rolling in from the south side, here,” he said pointing to a long stretch of road about half a mile from the house on the satellite image which covered the screen. “You two will bring up the rear in the fourth vehicle with the medical supplies,” he said, pointing to a couple of mid-level soldiers on his team who were trained for medical detail. “I don’t know what we’re going to find, but I want to be prepared for anything and, with any luck, we’ll need the room to transport at least three back with us. Seeing as how the two civilians were grabbed around the same time as Layla, it’s likely they’re being kept together. Cami, your team will fall in third, and mine will split between the front two vehicles. From there, all of you will continue on foot and I’ll drive the lead vehicle up to the house with Martinez, so he can work his magic and lay down our cover. Is everyone clear?”

After getting affirmation from everyone, Dante continued. “Chances are we won’t find much out there, but remember what we’re up against. These vampires are confirmed infected, which means they’re faster and stronger than all of us so no one take any chances. Stay in pairs at all times and remember: your guns are your best friends. You do not want to go head-to-head with one of these guys with blades and, for God’s sake, don’t let one of those fuckers bite you.” Dante pulled his side arm, popped the magazine out and held it up.

“This new silver ammunition is tipped with a tranquilizer, courtesy of the boys down in the lab; so no matter where you hit, the targets will go down.” He replaced the magazine and slid the gun back into its holster. “Let’s move out.”

✧

Jared hung back in the shadows a good distance away from the entrance to the garage where The Elite soldiers were filing through and loading into their black SUVs. Dante had instructed him to stay out far enough to keep anyone from detecting his scent, especially Cami. With all of the other bodies milling around and the adrenaline of the impending mission coursing through her veins, he felt pretty confident that she wouldn’t notice him. He watched in silent admiration as she climbed into one of the trucks and closed the door.

“We’re going to have to walk back,” Martinez said, appearing out of nowhere.

“Fuck; you scared the shit out of me!” Jared exclaimed in a loud whisper, having been so focused on Cami that he didn’t see Martinez approach.

“Sorry, my man; but we’ve got to go now. I’ll have to concentrate to keep the mist down over you once we start moving. It will cover everything; your scent, heartbeat, breathing, so even I won’t be able to see or hear you when you’re inside. Since I won’t be in there with you, you have to stay directly on my right and keep pace with me. I’ll make it big enough that you’ll have some room, but don’t push it or someone might see you. We’re riding in the first vehicle. Dante left the door open, so when we get up to it, I’m going to toss this bag in,” Martinez said, raising the bag in his left hand, “and you need to jump in right behind it and lay down on the seat. The windows are heavily tinted; but just to be safe, stay down until we’re out of the building.”