Page 43 of High Noon

He returned to the counter and retrieved a blood collection bag, uncoiling the plastic tubing and attaching a thick needle with a hollow center. “No!” I screamed.

Kael ignored my protests, and before I could resist, he inserted the needle and the blood in my body began flowing into the bag. Kael watched the blood coil through the tubing with serpentine coldness. “Abram, do you want your life to mean something? After you die, do you want people to remember you for the good you’ve done, for your contribution to society and to the advancement of human life all over the world?”

I couldn’t think of anything but my fang. My gum throbbed in the hole it used to occupy.

“Victor will see your life as meaningless now that you’ve been turned. He will probably order someone to stake you the moment he figures out you’re down here… which will likely be soon.” He pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. “But I could make sure you are remembered as the human who sacrificed everything to save humanity. You would be lauded as a hero, considered brave and righteous. I would tell them how you fearlessly traveled through time to obtain the venom and bring it back, and how you died giving it to me so I could help the survivors, so they could be protected against Enoch and his siblings.”

I shook my head. I don’t want to die…

“You would be ushered into heaven a saint, Abram. Think about it.”

Tears filled my eyes. I didn’t want to die. I really didn’t want to die. My hands trembled in their bindings.

When the bag was full, he exchanged it for another, continuing the process of collecting my blood in an efficient, business-like manner. When I realized what he was doing, it was too late for me to fight back. I was too weak.

* * *

I woke in a cell.My mouth throbbed. Not only was one fang missing, both were. My bruised arms still bore evidence of an array of needle pricks, and I was weak. Impossibly weak. I thought he was going to kill me. Maybe he still would, or maybe he’d continue to use me as a vessel to obtain the venom he coveted.

I had no way to feed, and in my state, there was no way out. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, making tiny windchime sounds. Empty cells stretched as far as I could see to the left and right. A door slammed down the hallway and rubber-soled footsteps echoed toward me. Through the cell wall, I saw his pale jacket.

Kael.

“Good, you’re awake.”

“What did you do to me?” I croaked.

“I told you I needed to extract Enoch’s venom,” he sniffed imperiously. “You should’ve assumed it was by any means necessary.”

“Did you get what you needed?”

He pursed his thin, dry lips together. “I wish I had better news for you, Abram. I’m afraid we need more blood.”

“You took too much already,” I groaned, hunger gnawing at my belly.

“Once you feed, you’ll feel better.”

“You’ll feed me?” My mouth began to water and I darted my eyes all around him. He didn’t have food. He was the only human in sight. Palms against the glass, I waited a minute, then two. When no answer was forthcoming, I groveled, “When?”

“I’ll have fresh blood delivered to you within the hour,” he answered primly. “Keep in mind that you’ll want to drink slowly. Your body has been through quite a shock.”

There was no way I would be able to sip it. I was starving. Excitement thrummed through my veins at the thought of feeding. Just thinking of the coppery scent of blood made me hum with energy I didn’t have. But I’d have to drink it from a cup now since I had no way to take it from someone’s vein. If they threw me out of the Compound, I’d have to find a different way to feed. It would be difficult. And it was all Kael’s fault.

“You didn’t have to remove my fangs,” I growled, banging the heel of my palm against the glass.

“The first was an accident, Abram, but the second was for my own safety, as well as that of my team. Surely, you understand.” He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose and rocked back on his heels. “Try to put yourself in my shoes. With this venom, I have the power to save humanity from this disease. You were the only one strong enough to return. Out of thousands of clones, you are the top Asset now. In reality, you always were, in my eyes.”

I swallowed. Top Asset?

I closed my eyes, offering a prayer of thanks. God had delivered me home to erase this blight on mankind. “Eve is a traitor.”

Kael’s head ticked to the side. “I’d like to hear all about your journey – soon. But first, you must regain your strength.”

“Where is Victor?”

“He’s still at the Compound, but we are at the Complex.”

Complex?“Where am I?”

“I’ve had you transported to a new facility called the Complex. It’s state of the art. I think you’ll be much more comfortable here.”

“Are you going to let me out of here soon?” I asked, pressing closer against the glass as he began to walk backward.

“I’ll send blood. Get some rest, Abram.”

“Wait! When can I leave the cell?” The space was tiny, with not even a chair or bed to offer comfort. Just a square of glass in the door, surrounded by a clear floor, ceiling, and walls. Until I placed my hands on the glass, there wasn’t even a smudge.

“He’ll let me out,” I whispered to myself. “I just need to feed. Then he’ll want to know all about Eve. He’ll let me out of here.”

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