Chapter Twelve - Hidden Path
Zea studied some printouts on the table when the door to the basement opened up. On the table was her geometric sword. She had stashed it in this safe house before she went to the hotel because she didn’t trust the three from not messing with it. Especially Leora, whom she still felt bad for deceiving her.
An old, sandy-haired man with an eyepatch came down. This man had been her getaway driver as well as the limo driver and the one to pick up Leora and Elijah from the airport. He had a cigar and a rolled up paper in his hands as he walked down the stairs. He made his way to her.
Zea looked up and frowned. “Remington, you really need to lay off on those cigars. You’re going to get lung cancer,” she said.
Remington puffed out a trail of smoke. “Bah, you can turn me into a vampire when it gets there,” he chuckled with his French accent. He put down the rolled up paper onto the table. “The utility map you requested.”
“Thank you,” said Zea.
“No problem. You’re much nicer than the other vampires I have served,” said Remington. He chinned at the map. “Top secret stuff? Should I leave you alone?”
Zea shook her head. “Maybe you can see something I don’t.” She unfurled the utility map and pointed at a spot. “This is supposed to be where the auction is going to take place.”
“The Gregori Estate,” said Remington. “I heard It was under a massive remodeling for many years.”
“Yes, I read that. The roof has yet to be placed,” said Zea. It made sense since Idina had told her the auction would be held in daylight before exploding. What didn’t make sense was that the Gregori Estate had been like this for years. “The auction was originally going to be at the Barclay’s bank on the rooftop. This new location makes it like they were planning to have it there all along.”
Remington scratched his chin. “Maybe they were going to tell people later that it would be at the Gregori instead of the Barclay’s?”
“The vampire council wouldn’t like that and it is suspicious. The Sisters of Dawn could have said it was at the Gregori in the first place.” She tapped on the printouts. “This is the estate’s utility bills sent to the developer’s email box. I was just skimming it to see who was paying it so I could dig for more information but I found it really odd that it had a very high electricity usage.” She tapped Gregori’s estate on the map. “There are lots of electric cables going there.”
“And sewers,” said Remington.
“Sewers?” A light went off in Zea’s head. She searched for Barclay’s and found a sewer pipe going there to the Gregori estate. She then back traced from the Gregori estate to twenty other buildings. There were some pipes that went between them. “They were making tunnels.”
Remington shrugged. “I have no idea what that means.”
Zea cracked her jaw. “It means they can move something important without being seen. It also means they can hide an army there to ambush.” She looked at Remington. “I need you to take me somewhere.”
***
Zea had been silently traveling down the tunnel. She instinctively knew outside night had fallen over. If she had to escape to the surface, then she should be fine.
She had on her a few throwing knives, a set of lock picks, her tactical sword and Remington’s Beretta M9. The bare minimum minus the M9. Remington had forced her to take his gun even though she didn’t need it. It was just a retrieval mission and her main objective was to get the scroll before the auction happened. However, Remington told her it was just in case she needed it.
Her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, but a light from a flashlight hurt her eyes for a second before adapting. She pressed herself against the tunnel’s wall, barely missing the light.
A group of red robed witches were running through a tunnel that cut through hers.
“Quickly, they’re attacking in Sector 5!” One of them said.
Attacked? Who else knows about these tunnels? she thought. She wanted to follow, but whoever was attacking was making the perfect distraction.
She moved silently onward but put a hand on her sword in case she faced a Sisters of Dawn or their attackers. Her target was where most of the tunnels converged under the Gregori estate like a bundle of nerves. There must be a reason, and she hoped that the scroll was the reason.
As she neared to the epicenter, she started to see along the tunnel walls thick black steel doors. Could the scroll be held here instead? Or was it filled with members of the Sisters of Dawn, of which she didn’t want to tangle with soon? She stopped.
Two heartbeats. One beating low and other pounding hard. She turned to one of the doors. Instinctively, she took a step forward.
“Please, Kimlee, wake up!” someone pleaded. It was followed by retching and coughing.
Zea shook her head. It looked like the Sisters of Dawn are really big fans and have captured the singer. What would they do to Kimlee, she could only guess.
“Just open your eyes, please.”
The speaker was desperate and the other heartbeat, presumably of Kimlee, just got slower. Kimlee was dying.
Should I or not? she thought. They weren’t the objective of her mission, but she also wouldn’t miss that much time if she gave them a chance to escape. If anything, it might help her more by creating more distractions for the Sisters of Dawn.
“Please.”
The desperation in the last plea stung her. She once said that, and in that way. She went to the door. There was no door handle or a keyhole and she could see there was light rimming the bottom of the door.
Hmm, there must be something that had opened the door and closed it? A lock panel? She thought. She looked around and felt the borders of sides for a hidden button. She didn’t seem to see one or feel for one, which was odd. Was it inside of the room? Who would put a lock on the inside of the room?
Zea pursed her lips. If she kick or anything else to force the door open, it will make a really loud noise. She had to somehow, assuming the lock panel was on the other side, try to figure out something with the other person with Kimlee to open the door.
She gritted her teeth. She had to get that person’s attention. If she knocked, that may or may not attract attention. She could partially slip her sword underneath the door and hope the other person would notice it? This is getting dumb. I should just get going and come back later.
“Hello? Is someone out there?” There was more coughing.
Zea arched an eyebrow. That was the other person and they sounded like they were just behind the door. She looked down to see a shadow was also underneath the door now.
“I--,” they coughed. “Look, we can give you whatever you want but Kimlee is dying. Name your price! Please, just let us go!”
“Whisper. There might be some still around,” said Zea. So far, she hadn’t encountered any other Sisters of Dawn and assumed they were all heading to Sector Five. “Stay calm and I am going to get you two out of there.”
“Thank you thank you! I’m Mondo, Kimlee’s helper of many things. These people caught us last night when all hell broke loose,” they said.
“I know but keep your voice low,” she whispered urgently. “If they hear us, I will have to leave.”
“Okay,” whispered Mondo.
“Tell me, how did they put you in here? I don’t see any lock mechanism on my side,” said Zea.
“Magic? I know that sounds crazy but they just hand waved and it opened,” said Mondo. “But when they were leaving, they typed something over this panel—you gotta get us out. They did something to Kimlee!”
“Calm down. Take a big breath. Do you know or remember what they typed?” Zea realized that this was a dumb question.
“No, but it’s all the alphabet the keys,” coughed Mondo.
Zea shook her head. She couldn’t stay all day guessing the password. “Did they happen to say anything when they typed in the password?” she asked.
“Yeah, I overheard one of them say it was the dumbest password in the world,” said Mondo. Their voice strained as they suppressed another coughing fit. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It means what they said,” said Zea and she was baffled why the design of this door was so bad and weird, but if this works, it works and she doesn’t want to spend anymore time pondering about it. “Literally type in the word password.”
“That’s it?” asked Mondo.
“Just try,” said Zea.
A few moments later the door opened. Mondo, with a streaked tear faced, hugged her like a bear. “Thank you!”
Zea pushed Mondo away. “Where’s your friend, Kimlee?”
The room was simple, consisting of a bed with sheets, a light fixture on the ceiling, two chairs, a desk, a sink and a toilet.
“On the bed over there,” said Mondo as they dashed back to Kimlee, who was still sporting her outfit from last night, lying on the bed. He stopped when he suddenly saw Zea peering over Kimlee. He looked back and forward a couple of times. “Weren’t you just there?” he said, astonished.
“I don’t see any physical wounds? How is she like this?” asked Zea, ignoring Mondo.
Mondo stood by Zea, somewhat leaning into the bed frame. “When we were locked in here for a while, the vents opened,” they coughed into their arms.
“Are you alright?” asked Zea, finally noticing that Mondo may not be having some sort of anxiety coughing.
The door slammed shut.
Zea flashed to the door. There was the panel screen and a keyboard below it. She quickly typed in the word, password, but the door didn’t budge.
She growled. She kicked it, but a force repelled her back. She took out her sword and slashed it with all her might. No damage. “Magic,” she hissed.
“Did the password not work anymore?” croaked out Mondo.
“No, but why do you sound weak?” Zea whipped around to see Mondo on the ground with their back against the bed.
Her nose then picked up something. Immediately, she covered her mouth and nose with her arm. Her eyes stung.
“It’s the gas,” coughed Mondo.
Zea zipped to Mondo. She knew this gas was poison, feeling a slight headache, but she wouldn’t be able to break down exactly what it was unlike werewolves. She ripped two pieces of cloth from the bed sheets, put one over her mouth and nose before doing the same on Mondo and placing their hand over the other cloth to hold it in place.
Mondo pulled Zea down to them. “The gas is less potent here. I found out too late until Kimlee inhaled most of it,” they said through the cloth.
Zea nodded. Why was the Sister of Dawn doing this? And why gassing instead of just putting the pair on fire if they wanted, as it seems like right now, to kill them? Why? All these questions were being filed to the back of her head. Right now, she needed to focus on getting them out.
“It comes every few minutes for most of the time. Hard to get,” said Mondo and they started a coughing fit. “The pattern down,” they finished.
She listened and could still hear Kimlee’s heartbeat. That was a good sign, however she didn’t know how many hits from the gas they could take.
She looked at the vents. There were too many to cover using the bedsheets and their clothes to cover them. She looked at the door. Magic must be why the door remained closed. Then she looked at the walls by the door, but they likely didn’t put any of the same magic along the walls.
There was a clicking sound. Mondo pulled the torn sheet from their face. “We can breathe now,” they said and then coughed.
Zea didn’t smell the poisoned gas anymore. She stood up. “Can you carry Kimlee?” she asked. She had calculated from the slowing of the heartbeats, that the singer wouldn’t be able to survive the next wave of gas from the vent. Quickly, she formed a plan.
“Yes, but why?” asked Mondo.
“I have a way to get us out, but you must do exactly what I say. You are going to take Kimlee and stand over that vent over there. When it comes on, I will inhale the gas,” said Zea as she looked at the singer’s face grow paler. She felt a bit ashamed and embarrassed that after hounding her fellow newbie rebels about bringing their gas masks, she didn’t have one at the moment.
“What? That’s going to kill you,” said Mondo stupendously.
“No, it won’t. It will make me weak for a bit, but certainly will not kill me,” said Zea. Her vampiric healing was subpar, but at least she wouldn’t die from inhaling this gas.
“I can do that,” said Mondo slowly. “But how does that help us get out?”
“It gives me time. I am going to knock a hole in the wall. Go right and down the tunnel straight until you come to a fork. Take the left and about 100 feet there is a sewer gate I have left open. Got it?” said Zea. So much for not attracting the Sisters of Dawn, but she really didn’t have much of a choice here.
Mondo nodded vigorously as they stood. “Sure but I don’t know how you are going to bust through the wall? It’s at least six inches of solid concrete.”
Zea noted that it was Mondo’s ridiculous height that probably helped them last from the gas as they did. She handed Mondo her Beretta M9 and a throwing knife. “Just trust me. These are for in case you have to fight.”
“Thank you,” said Mondo. They took the gun and put the knife in their waistband. They then stood up and picked up Kimlee, cradling the actress-singer in their arms.
They went to the vent where Zea had Mondo be behind her and kneel.
“I am ready,” said Mondo, worry crinkling on their forehead.
“Don’t worry again. I will be fine. This is my signal,” she said. She made a movement at the place on the walls she was going to destroy with her fingers. “To run. Don’t turn back to help me. Keep running.”
Mondo nodded.
She made a circle motion in the air. “That means cover your mouth. Breath again, when you hear the click.”
Mondo nodded again.
Zea turned to the vent and closed her eyes. She concentrated. What she was about to do required everything in her. She seldom did it because it had a flaw—a fatal flaw if she wasn’t careful. She couldn’t quite figure out how to solve it just yet. When she had to leave her master, despite her protests, he said she would eventually figure it out on her own. She drew her sword and held it by her side.
When her nose picked up the scent again. She signaled to Mondo before inhaling as much gas as she could.
When Mondo breathed again, he looked up at Zea. “Are you okay?”
Zea stifled a cough. Her eyes were on fire despite the fact that they were closed. She could feel the gas working its way throughout her body and seeping into her muscles as if fire red needles were poking into them. She had to ignore it. She must focus. She signaled for Mondo to get ready to run.
Put everything on one shot. It only takes that to win. One shot. One swing. Zea’s master voice echoed like a ghost from the depths of her past.
She shot out like lightning, her sword timed at pinpoint accuracy to hit her target full on. She felt the electricity rise from her feet, up her body, flowing into her arms and extending to her sword. The sound of thunder—her sword hitting the concrete—boomed throughout the tunnel.
Zea shattered through the concrete wall.
“What the fuck,” said Mondo, their jaws dropped.
Zea, kneeling on one leg in the tunnel and covered with concrete dust, angrily looked back. She pointed her sword down the tunnel.
“Right!” nodded Mondo. They dashed out of the room and passed Zea but momentarily turned around. “Thank you! I didn’t get your name,” they yelled.
“Just fucking run before they come,” shouted Zea. The Sisters of Dawn certainly will consider how big of a noise that was.
Mondo waved goodbye and ran down the tunnel.
Zea got up and wavered a little. “Shit.” The gas had spreaded faster throughout her body when she did that move. She reminded herself that going forward, she would avoid doing any strenuous movements so that she would not speed up the spread of the gas in her body. Hopefully, this won’t come and bite her in the ass.
She continued onto her target.
Along the way she encountered a few more witches. Most were hurrying along, she assumed, to Section Five. Some were heading down on her path toward where she had freed Kimlee and Mondo. She was relieved these witches were easy picking and a few good placed punches had knocked them out cold.
A lone witch was scurrying down another tunnel cutting through hers, had stopped in his path and turned to where she was waiting in the shadows. The beam from his flashlight wobbled wildly, going back and forth but never hitting where she was at.
Zea readied her body despite the aching from the gas she inhaled. She observed, waiting for the right moment to lurch and knock him out quickly.
“Hello? Someone there?” he called out. His voice echoed down the tunnel. “Fuck!” He jumped back when a few scuttling rats passed him.
Zea shot out of her hiding place. Her fist was an inch away from the witch’s temple when a force flung her against the tunnel’s wall. Her spine would have snapped into two if she hadn’t arched her back at the right moment on impact. She slid down onto the ground.
The witch screamed and then gurgled. Zea looked up to see a tall man, grey eyed with golden short hair slicked back. He wiped blood from his mouth and chisel jaw.
The witch laid twitching with his last breath by the vampire’s feet.
Zea snarled, drawing her sword. This was Prince Drake. And he must be killed.
Zea slipped out of his sight.
Drake stiffened, looking down at a black blade at his neck. Blood ran down the blade, but it was not his. Zea was on his left side, but it was not her blood. It came from a thick calloused hand of a man in a white suit and tumeric robes standing on the right side of him, seemingly popping out of the air like Zea.
The mysterious man held the blade at bay from Drake’s neck.
Zea was wide eyed. Her mouth letting out a gasp from a strike into her solar plex. Her hands lost grip of her sword as she crumpled onto her knees. Her black sword rattled hitting the floor.
Her attacker was a man she had met last night.
Kenra was not a witch. Kenra was just as fast as her. Kenra, without a doubt, studied in the same monastery as her.
“Your movements are not complete,” said Kenra sourly. “That is a shame and waste.” He took a step forward.
Drake clasped one of his arms to stop him.
“I will take care of her. Go and tell the others to regroup at the main,” said Drake.
Kenra nodded and, just like Zea, slipped out of sight.
Drake raised a hand at her. “You should not have come here,” he said gravely.
Zea wanted to say fuck you but all the lights went out in her vision and she fell onto the ground face forward.
Chapter 13 - The Auction