Consumed

  Prisoners tended to reason that all they had to do was block out the pain and hold onto their resolve because their interrogators would eventually get bored. Especially if they didn’t satisfy them with cries of pain or answers to their questions. But Ava wasn’t presenting herself as someone who had any interest in whether or not he screamed or in anything at all that he had to say. She also didn’t look like there was any chance of her getting bored sometime soon. She was perfectly happy to go at her own pace…as if she had no goal other than to make him suffer.

  Of course, I knew that wasn’t the real Ava. Not at all. My Ava was capable of harming another, but she wasn’t someone who did it for shits and giggles. A part of her would be balking at what she was doing, and another part of her would be silencing that judgmental voice by reminding it just what this bastard had done; how many lives he’d ruined.

  This here and now was mostly psychological warfare – and it was fucking good. If I hadn’t known her so well, I’d be thinking the exact same thing that Vinnie was currently shouting: “Get Homicidal Barbie away from me! The bitch is fucking crazy!”

  I’m so glad Ava came along, chuckled Jared telepathically. She’s spiced up the interrogation and managed to crack the fucker without much torture.

  Huffing, Ava came to stand beside me, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting – the image of petulance. “I didn’t even get to break his femur bone!”

  I spoke in a voice that a parent might use to calm a child on the verge of a tantrum. “I’m sure Sam will let you continue if Vinnie doesn’t give us the information we want. Right, Coach?”

  Sam nodded reassuringly at Ava. “Of course.”

  Jared stepped toward Vinnie. “My first question is…are there any more brothels out there? Don’t bother lying to us, Vinnie. We’ve interrogated enough people to know a lie when we hear one. And for every time you lie, Ava will break another bone.”

  Vinnie flinched, casting Ava a wary look. “I don’t know if there are more brothels. I didn’t even know about the last one until I saw the announcement on V-Tube and heard Marge’s name. I don’t ask questions. I just deliver the goods.”

  “They weren’t ‘goods’, Vinnie,” snapped Sam, “they were people.”

  “All the survivors from the brothel are now awake,” Jared told him. “Each one believes their Sire sold them. Is that how it always worked?”

  Vinnie nodded. “We couldn’t afford to have nests tracking us down – four Kejas aren’t much good against entire nests of vampires – so we bought them.”

  “What about the other preternaturals? Were they sold too?”

  “No. We usually never went near anyone outside of our species. But the woman who came with Marge – I don’t know her name – promised us big money if we got our hands on some other species.”

  “How long have you been working in this trade?” Sam asked him.

  His eyes briefly slid to Ava, and I wondered if he was considering lying but then thought better of it. “Four years.”

  Sam raised a brow. “I take it Marge and her friend weren’t your only buyers, then?”

  “No, but we only worked for five others. Like I said, there’s only four in our group. Or there was. We didn’t have the means or resources to take the business any further.”

  Jared gave him a pointed look. “I’m going to want the name of every one of those buyers, Vinnie. And their location.”

  “I’ll tell you what I know.”

  Then he did.

  By the end of the interrogation – during which Ava’s assistance wasn’t again required, to her disappointment – we had five more names to add to the soon-to-be-assassinated list, in addition to the bastards’ locations.

  Sitting in one of Antonio’s parlours a few hours later, we repeated everything we’d heard to him, Lucy, and Luther. Having been a ruler for an eternally long time, Antonio was as good at giving advice as Luther. Currently, Sam and Jared were torn on what to do about what they now knew: Did they reveal the identities of those who had bought other vampires? Or did they simply send out squads to eliminate them and hopefully retrieve their captives?

  “I say we name and shame them on V-Tube either before or after we’ve dealt with them,” proposed Jared.

  “It is indeed what they deserve,” said Antonio. “But you must consider that if you do such a thing, you will also bring shame to their nests.”

  “It is also worth noting that people may accuse their nests of being involved,” Luther warned.

  Jared considered that for a moment. “We could make it very clear that they don’t share the blame.”

  Luther inclined his head. “Yes, but take into account that many people will be enraged by what has occurred. Families of the trafficking victims will want blood. If they are unable to get their hands on the vampires who bought and abused their loved ones, they may attack their nests in lieu of them.”

  I rested a possessive hand on Ava’s thigh. “You think that if Coach and Jared publically reveal the identities of the vampires involved in the trafficking ring, innocents could die?”

  “It is a strong possibility,” replied Luther.

  Lucy frowned. “You revealed Marge’s identity and those of the suppliers but nothing happened to their nests, right?”

  “No, nothing happened to them,” Sam verified.

  “But you have not yet revealed the names of the survivors of the brothel,” Antonio pointed out. “Once their loved ones become aware of what has happened to them – and that their Sires were involved – trouble will undoubtedly break out. It is hardly likely that you will need to step in, since lines are permitted to deal with their own issues. But there will be violence of some sort. Innocents could get caught in the crossfire.”

  “You could execute the buyers publically,” suggested Ava. When all eyes fixed on her, she continued. “If you were to, for instance, show their execution on V-Tube, it would satisfy the bloodlust of any enraged vampires.”

  I was impressed by that idea. “And it would be a solid statement of the consequences of any such trafficking in the future.”

  Ava nodded and then looked at Sam. “You could include Vinnie in the public executions too.”

  Sam’s mouth curved into a wicked smile. “I like it.”

  “It could in fact work.” Luther shrugged. “After all, it is one thing to know that justice has been served. It is another thing to see it with your own eyes. Those that are bloodthirsty enough to need to see it will have the option of doing so. Again and again, in fact, since the recording will remain on V-Tube.”

  “Think on it a little more,” advised Antonio. “There is no great rush, since you have until the squads return with the felons and Diane is in your hands before you need to decide.”

  “In the meantime, we need to concentrate on ensuring my female squad members are totally prepared for the inevitable battle that lies ahead.” Sam smiled at Ava. “You certainly have the art of interrogation down. Now you just need to get a handle on the rest.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  (Ava)

  As always, the training session was brutal and tiring. When Sam and Jared led both the male squad and female squad to the tactical training field after lunch, I’d expected more rounds of paintballing. But rather than taking us to the supply hut to retrieve camo gear and weapons, they halted near the base camp – a little detached house – just a few feet away.

  “Sorry to disappoint,” began Jared as he slowly paced in front of us, “but there’ll be no paintballing tonight. This session will be a practice run for the upcoming battle. How can we do a practice run when we don’t know what we’ll be facing? It’s not really that difficult. We know the likelihood is that wherever Giles sends us will in fact be a trap. We know vampires will be waiting both inside and outside the building to attack and kill us. And we know our goal is to avoid being killed.”

  Sam spoke then. “For the purpose of this exercise, we’re going to pretend that the ‘B and B’ is where o
ur targets are waiting for us.”

  The ‘B and B’ was the tallest of the buildings and situated in the centre of the tactical training field, which looked much like an abandoned village. From what I’d heard, the field had been a surprise Binding gift from Evan for Sam and Jared. Evan had designed it, and the entire legion had then come together to help him build it. The buildings were all constructed of plywood. Gas drums and piles of tyres were sporadically placed along every ‘street’. In addition, several vehicles – including a bus – lined the streets. There was also a base camp on either side of the field and a ‘dead zone’ for when squad members received what would have been fatal injuries in a real situation.

  “As Jared said, we’ll be walking into a trap – and we’ll be doing it voluntarily simply because it’s the only way we can get to Diane.”

  Chico cocked his head. “What makes you so sure Diane will be there, Coach?”

  “Giles told us that she’s infuriated with me and Jared. We burned down her business, we’re losing her money, we’re picking off her employees, and we’re forcing her to go into hiding. One thing we know about her character is that she likes revenge. She won’t miss a chance at getting her hands on us. She’ll plan an attack, forcing her nest to participate, and she’ll coax Giles and his vampires into joining her. It won’t be difficult to get him involved, since she’s his vampire and he obviously wants to protect her.”

  “We’re too powerful as a whole,” Jared pointed out. “It would be practically impossible to take us all out in one hit, and they’ll know that. If the situation was reversed, what would you do in such a situation?”

  “Kill them one at a time,” I said without hesitation.

  “Yes. They’ll attempt to pick us off – leaving only Sam and I alive, since it’s very likely that Diane will want to get up close and personal with us. First, they’ll lure us to a building of their choosing. I doubt it will be Giles’ club, since he won’t want his business being destroyed. But whatever it is, every entrance will be covered by guards who are ready and waiting to attack.

  “In my opinion, though, the entrances won’t look covered. They’ll have vampires positioned close enough to pick us off but not close enough for us to easily sense them; they won’t want to tip us off that it’s a trap. So they’ll spread themselves around, but they’ll lurk nearby.”

  “As such, objective number one will be eliminating their ‘marksmen’ – vampires like David who can kill from afar. Three other squads, including Evan’s, will take care of the marksmen.” Sam turned to Alora. “Evan’s going to find it hard being away from you in a battle. Likewise, you’ll find it hard being away from him. As much as I sympathise, I can’t send you with him.”

  Alora nodded in understanding. “He needs to get used to the fact that I’m part of the legion now.”

  “Yes. And you need to stick close to your partner, which is Maya. If it wasn’t for the fact that Ava doesn’t yet have a partner, I’d be having the same conversation with her and Salem.”

  Beside me, arms folded, Salem just grunted. I giggled, which earned me a deep frown from him.

  Jared stopped pacing. “While Evan and his squad are busy getting rid of the marksmen, Denny and Stuart will do their usual thing.”

  “Search the perimeter, find out how many exits there are and how well they’re guarded,” muttered Denny.

  “Correct. Once Evan contacts me” – Jared tapped his temple, indicating he would use his telepathy – “with news that he’s destroyed the marksmen, we’ll be going in. We’ll split up, enter through every door and pick off everyone inside one by one, until we’ve circled the main party – which will most likely consist of Diane, Giles, and their personal guards.”

  “What will Evan and his squad be doing then?” Butch asked Jared.

  “Guarding the perimeter with the other squad in case more vampires show up or anyone tries to leave. We don’t want any surprises; we need all bases covered.”

  “Usually, there are two ways to get in or out of every building – windows not included,” said Sam. “But we need every side plus the roof covered, even if that means entering through windows. Every floor needs to be searched. As such, we’ll split up into six groups.”

  Jared resumed his pacing. “As practice, your objective tonight is to enter the ‘B and B’ as quickly and silently as possible. It shouldn’t take more than three minutes at most to get inside.”

  “Sounds simple enough,” said Damien with a shrug.

  Jared smiled. “It would be…if the entrances weren’t currently being guarded, and if some people weren’t already waiting inside.”

  Sam chuckled at our surprised expressions. “Yes, we’ve invited along two squads to participate in this session – both of which will be accompanying us on this assignment. One is on guard, the other is inside. Just like Diane and Giles will be on the night of the battle, the squads will be expecting us to show up any minute now. And they’ll be watching and listening, searching for any indication that we’re close by.”

  “Now it’s time to split up. David and Butch will come with me – we’ll take out any guards on the roof before exploring the first floor. By the time we’ve made our way downstairs, you should all have taken care of the guards on the ground floor so we can circle our targets.”

  “I’ll take Damien, Cassie, and Jude,” announced Sam. “We’ll enter through the front. Salem, Max, Stuart, and Ava will go through the back. Paige, Imani, Harvey, and Reuben will enter through the left side of the building, and Chico, Denny, Alora, and Maya will enter through the right side.”

  Jared’s expression turned serious. “Right now, you need to imagine that we’re merely yards away from the building wherein Diane and Giles are waiting. Imagine I’ve just received confirmation from Evan that the marksmen are now out of the equation and the area is secure. Imagine that Denny and Stuart have each already scouted the perimeter and revealed that each side of the building is being guarded by three vampires. That would mean there’s no time to waste. But before we begin, Reuben needs to weaken some of your gifts.”

  After Reuben had done so, Sam tipped her head in the direction of the ‘B and B’. “Let’s move, people.”

  We all quickly scattered; each group heading in different directions in order to circle the building. Moving at vampire speed, Max, Stuart, and I followed Salem as he passed the first three streets, and then scurried down the fourth. He stopped at a particular ‘house’, urging us inside without a word. We then followed him to the back door, where he signalled for us to crouch.

  Salem scanned the immediate area before turning to Stuart. “That ‘house’ opposite us is positioned at the rear of the ‘B and B’. I want you to check the house, see if it’s empty and safe to use for cover.”

  Instantly, Stuart exploded into molecules and disappeared out of a window.

  “You went the long way around to be sure that the three guards weren’t waiting inside another building,” Max then understood.

  “Jared said that there were three guards covering the rear of the ‘B and B’. He didn’t say they would be in plain sight. I want to know exactly where they are before we chance getting closer.”

  Good plan, I thought.

  Mere seconds later, Stuart reformed in front of us. “One guard is in the house, like you suspected. He’s positioned on the first-floor balcony that faces the ‘B and B’. The other two guards are pacing outside the back door of the ‘B and B’.”

  “Then we take out the guard on the balcony first,” said Max simply.

  Salem held his hand up. “Wait. There’s something we need to consider.”

  I frowned. “What?”

  “If we take him out, the other two will clearly see it. They’ll know we’re close and they’ll be ready – might even alert the vampires inside.”

  “And vice versa,” I noted, to which Salem nodded.

  “Then we need to take them all out at the same time,” stated Stuart.

  Salem n
odded again. “It’s the only way to get inside undetected.”

  “Me and Stuart could take out the two guards covering the door,” I proposed. “When he shreds into molecules, he can move as fast as me.”

  “I could use my gift on them first,” offered Max. “That would stop them from alarming anyone – including the guy on the balcony.” He looked at Salem. “Then you’d be able to take him out at the same time.”

  Salem’s eyes settled on me, clearly torn. He didn’t want to send me ahead of him, even though this was only a practice run – it went against his protective instincts.

  “I can do this. You have to trust me.”

  “I trust you.” It was an agreement of the plan.

  Again, we travelled at vampire speed – silent and stealthy – as we entered the house. Salem darted up the stairs just as Max, Stuart, and I rushed out of the front door. Max paralysed the senses of the two guards, giving them no time to cry out before Stuart and I were behind them; our hands cradling their heads as if to snap their necks. I looked up at the balcony to see that the third guard was cradling his jaw, courtesy of a psychic slap from Salem.

  It was obvious that the three guards wanted to loudly grumble and march off as they headed to the ‘dead zone’, but they resisted; knowing it wouldn’t be fair to give away our presence. The moment Salem joined us, he turned to Stuart. “You know what to do once we get inside.” Then he opened the door wide enough for us all to slip through. I exhaled a relieved breath when it didn’t creak.

  In molecule form, Stuart entered first, quickly followed by Max. Salem signalled for me to go in before him, but he stayed close to me once the door was shut behind us. I could hear voices coming from another room, recognised them as belonging to another squad.

  Suddenly, Stuart was once again before us. He held up two fingers, mouthed ‘kitchen’ and then ‘alert’. The three guys made a series of gestures I didn’t have a hope in hell of understanding, which had me feeling like I’d been ranked as unimportant. There was no way Salem was leaving me out of this. It wasn’t something he could afford to do on a real assignment, so there was no way I’d allow him to get away with it now.