Page 139 of The Diary of the Vam'pir Jacques

“They know we are here. How?” I stated.

Gut churning, I looked around and noticed what we’d all missed. A hidden camera. I pointed to it, and Amelia swore under her breath.

“What’s the betting the others have been captured? Now I’m concerned. As I cannot sense how they have managed this.” I paused, thinking furiously, “I have a plan, come here.”

Everybody crowded around me, and I whispered my idea. Then we entered the lift. The door opened with a ping, revealing a flash of lightning.

“Shit! They’re not here,” a deep voice exclaimed, surprised.

“Where are they? We saw them get in.”

I smirked from above as we clambered our way through the air vents. The tunnels were large enough for us to crawl silently through them. Then, the tunnel split three ways.

“Where now?” Dan asked.

“Let’s split up, meet back here in five minutes,” Amelia suggested.

They nodded, and we split the vampires into groups of three, and Amelia and I took the left. Three followed Tony down the right tunnel, while Dan and two others chose the middle.

Our tunnel led us directly above the cells. Amelia and I peered through the air vents, and I was surprised when I saw Mihal and Julius in one. I got an even bigger shock when I realised that all the missing Vam’pirs must be here. There were also several vampires. How the hell had they been captured, and how were they being held here?

Amelia and I returned to the others. Their reports were not good. The Vam’pirs that had come to our rescue were being kept in a large cell together, but they were all unconscious. That left just the eight of us. I frowned and asked what else.

Dan said that James remained in the lab and under watch. He reported James looked terrible. Amelia’s expression softened before intense anger threatened to overwhelm her.

“We have to get help,” Dan said.

“We got it, and look what happened,” I replied, frowning. “No. Can you six get into the cell corridor and open the doors to free them?”

They shook their heads.

This was so frustrating, I sighed. Damn it, direct action was needed. “Stay here, Amelia and I will go, as we are the strongest. If we don’t return, flee and get help. Bring an army of vampires to raid this place.”

Dan and Tony nodded. Amelia and I crept back to where Mihal and Julius were being held.

“Mihal!” I hissed through an air vent.

He looked up, startled.

“What happened?” Mihal huffed and turned away, and I cursed.

“Listen here, you little bastard. I don’t have to rescue you, and I am quite happy to leave you here to be experimented on,” I threatened, and panic crossed Mihal’s face.

Amelia crawled forward and took my place.

“Mihal, you don’t know me, but I’m Amelia. Ana’s vein. Everyone who came to rescue you was captured. What’s going on?”

Mihal looked up and slowly began to speak. The effort proved overwhelming; Mihal appeared gravely ill, perhaps dying.

“I was in Aberdeen and on the hunt when I felt someone hunting me. Initially, I believed it was a Drainer until it struck me.”

“What hit you?”

“It’s like a bolt of electricity, only it freezes the whole body, leaving you unconscious. I’ve witnessed nothing comparable. Be careful, if it hits you, that’s it, you’re going nowhere.”

“Thanks. How many weapons are there?” I asked.

“There is sufficient for every guard. The cells are also shielded, and we cannot contact each other. I suspect others like me are here, but I’m unsure.”

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