Chris’s face suddenly brightened. “Tracking devices.”
Seth tilted his head to one side. “What?”
“Their minds may not be able to tell us where their base is, but their bodies can. We do to them what they did to us. Plant tracking devices on them and let them lead us home.”
Seth met Bastien’s gaze. “That’s not a bad idea.”
Bastien nodded. “They think we’re monsters. I doubt they would credit us with the forethought it would take to turn the tables on them.”
Melanie didn’t look convinced. “What if they’re more paranoid than that? What if they check the men with metal detectors the way Chris checked these and the vampires you brought in?”
Bastien shrugged. “Plant the devices on their weapons. I’m sure they disarm before they’re scanned. If they’re scanned.”
Chris smiled. “You devious bastard. That would work.”
Bastien raised an eyebrow. “Is it doable?”
“Hell, yes. You saw how small the one the mercenaries used was. My tech guys can duplicate that and make it magnetic,” Chris said. “Would you and the other immortals be able to plant them on the weapons without them knowing?”
“To quote you, Hell, yes.”
Seth nodded. It was a solid plan. And it was good to see these two working together and leaving past animosities behind them. He clapped Bastien on the back and looked to Chris. “Put your men on it immediately and distribute the devices to all of the immortals in the area when you have enough. Their Seconds, too.”
“I’m on it. What do you want me to do with these guys?”
“Hold them for now. Preferably elsewhere so their complaints and shouting, once they awaken, won’t disturb the vampires.”
Chris nodded. “When Bastien started talking about recruiting vampires, I bought an abandoned missile silo and outfitted it with all of the trappings of a vampire’s prison in case the shit hit the fan. Do you want me to transfer them there?”
Once more, Chris had thought of everything. He was a damned good man to have on their side. “Sounds perfect. We’ll decide what to do with them after we discover who their commander is. Keep the veteran comfortable, though. The others are in it for the money. He’s in it to protect his country.” And he likely would be the only one Seth would let live . . . if the man joined them.
“And the vamps?” Chris asked.
“I’ll see to them next.”
Bastien took a step forward. “They seem sincere in their desire to side with us against the mercenaries.” He wanted so badly to help vampires, having seen firsthand so many fight the madness that infects them.
Seth looked to Chris. “Would adding new apartments be a problem?”
Chris glanced at Bastien. “This far underground, it would be a bit of a challenge, but it’s possible.” He met Seth’s gaze. “I’m more concerned about security. If you give all of them the okay, we’ll have seven vampires living here amongst the human employees. We’ve given Cliff and Stuart more leeway lately and let them move around more freely on this floor. We can’t do that with seven vamps. Not unless you start assigning immortals to serve as guards. Two vampires against three dozen human guards armed with automatic weapons and tranquilizer guns won’t win. Seven might.”
Seth corrected him. “Three dozen guards and one immortal. Melanie is very strong. As strong as Roland despite her youth.”
Chris swore. “I keep forgetting she’s immortal now.”
“And Bastien lingers here most nights.”
Bastien caught Seth’s gaze and tapped his temple. Can you hear me?
Yes.
Would you take the four of us somewhere private for a moment? Somewhere the vamps can’t hear us.
Seth teleported them to Chris’s home and used telekinesis to flick on the lights.
Giving their surroundings a hasty inspection, Melanie wrinkled her nose.
Bastien took in the piles of clothes, stacks of papers, discarded pizza boxes, and assorted other crap that cluttered the living room floor and furniture and frowned. “Where the hell are we?”
“My home,” Chris said, glaring at Seth, “and don’t say a word.”
Bastien wisely held his tongue. “Look, the whole purpose of recruiting vampires is to get them to help us spread the word and get other vampires to avoid the mercenaries. Or help us fight as they did tonight, if it comes to that. They can’t do that cooped up at the network.”
Seth agreed. “What do you propose?”
“I think we should see if Melanie can find a way to surgically implant tracking devices on the vampires, so we can turn them loose every night.”