Adair looked up. "Yeah, why?"
"How many trainees do you have?"
He looked confused for a moment before answering. "Thirty, five for each unit."
"Maybe..." Meryn pulled her laptop out. She started accessing the city's wireless feeds. She looked around.
"Where are Darian and Gavriel?" She knew Keelan was assisting Adam in the infirmary with healing spells. In addition to Aiden, two members from Gamma had also been injured, one with a head injury and the other with a broken leg.
"Outside I think." Colton said.
Meryn put her laptop on the map. "Be right back." She sprinted out the door. For her plan to work she would need Gavriel or Darian. She was about to open the door when she heard Darian's elevated voice. Not wanting to disturb them she eased into the room beside the exit and stood next to the cracked window, their voices were easily heard.
"Whatever you're doing it's not working Gavriel."
"I've got it under control."
"Bullshit! Aiden is in there hurt right now because of you. You couldn't keep up and we had to double back for you and got caught between two groups." Darian's voice sounded more frustrated than angry.
"Do you think I don't know that?!"
"Then do something about it! Vampiric transition is nothing to be ashamed of, so you're weaker than normal and need more blood, it's not like you slacked off training. How much longer do you have?" Meryn heard a heavy sigh.
"At least another month."
"A month? Gavriel you've been in transition for nearly two weeks now."
"I know."
"The longer the transition, the older the vampire; I've never met a vampire who needed six weeks for transition, just how old are you?" Darian's voice had a trace of fear.
"Old enough. I'll get the additional blood I need, but it's taking a while. I can't order all from one center or the Elders get suspicious. I have to do a lot of smaller orders."
"Shit. Okay. Listen, you do what you need to do, I'll do whatever I can to help cover for you." Darian promised. Meryn tiptoed back to the exit door and banged it open.
"There you two are. I need your help. Darian, can you go see if Adam needs anything? He's been in with Aiden since I got here." Darian nodded and went inside. Gavriel looked at her amused. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Six weeks my ass." Meryn watched him, she didn't know how she knew he was lying but he was.
"Meryn it's very important that the Elders don't find out how old I am."
"I don't care if you have to make one massive order and tell the Elders to kiss your ass, what happened tonight, Aiden getting hurt, don't let it happen again."
"I promise."
Meryn felt like shit, he seemed so sad. "You're okay right?"
His face brightened. "Yes, I'm okay."
"Good. I have a job for you to do that may cover your ass until this transition thing is over."
"Do tell."
"Come on I'll show you." They went back to command central. Darian had already checked in with Adam and was waiting on them. Meryn went to her laptop and started her program. Smiling she picked up the handset.
"Gamma Kitten One, Gamma Kitten One, come back, over."
"Gamma Kitten One here, what's up Menace?" Meryn was going to kill Aiden for giving her that nickname.
"Reassign the two units in the city to the perimeter, over."
"But Menace, that will leave the city empty, over."
"Menace is good, Menace is wise. Trust the Menace, over."
"Aiden is right, you don't speak English, over."
Meryn stared down at the handheld then around the room. All she saw were blank expressions.
"Come on! That was Twister!" She stamped her foot. More blank stares. She pressed the button on the handheld.
"Just redeploy the men at the perimeter, over."
"Roger that, over and out."
"What in the hell do you think you're doing!" Meryn would have been relieved to hear Aiden's voice if he weren't yelling at her.
"I'm helping, I..."
"I am the Unit Commander, not you. These men are my responsibility and I won't allow them to be killed because you wanted to play around!"
"But I..." Meryn felt tears prick her eyes. Why wouldn't he listen?
"No! I've had enough of your antics Meryn, just go home and wait for me, at least then I'd know you're safe and not meddling." Aiden leaned against the doorway.
She handed the laptop to Gavriel and pointed to what she had wanted to show him. His eyes widened. She picked up her backpack and walked towards the door. She stood in front of Aiden feeling like he had stabbed her in the heart.
"And I was worried about you! Asshole!" She pulled her foot back and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin.