Shadows Strike(63)

The human soldiers sprayed the vampires with bullets. Some vampires stopped short and danced backward as the painful projectiles struck them. Others continued to flow forward, weapons glinting in their hands as they bared their fangs and roared with rage and pain.

Aidan gathered his energy and thrust out a hand. A strong telekinetic push yanked weapons from the hands of all the vampires in his line of sight and sent the blades flying into the dense trees behind them.

The vampires stopped and jerked around. Mouths fell open in astonishment.

Aidan took advantage of the lull and swept forward. Bullets struck him as he swung his swords and tore through the vampires. Such could not be avoided short of his ordering the humans to lay down their weapons. He moved faster than their eyes could follow, teleporting from one side of the house to the next, slashing every vamp within reach.

Richart suddenly appeared a few yards away, doing the same. “I’ve got this side.”

Aidan nodded and teleported back to the front of the house.

Jenna darted outside and threw her blades into the mix.

Aidan gritted his teeth as more bullets struck him.

When a few of the network soldiers hesitated, realizing they’d shot him, Aidan sent them all a telepathic message: Don’t worry about shooting me. I’m an elder. I can take it. Just kill as many vampires as you can.

And he could take it . . . to a point. Even three-thousand-year-old immortals had their limits. He swore silently as another bullet tore through one shoulder, and hoped Jenna and Richart would fare better.

Deflecting the blade of one of the vampires who had managed to hang on to his weapon, Aidan swung his short sword in a powerful arc that would remove the vampire’s head.





Ethan backed away from the windows. “Go down to the basement,” he ordered Heather.

“No. You can’t take them all on by yourself.”

“I’m not,” he assured her as vampires began to crash through the windows and gunfire erupted. “I have a roomful of Seconds to help me.”

And they were doing a hell of a job stopping the first vamps inside.

Like Ethan and Heather, the Seconds had backed toward the wall that divided the living room from the kitchen so the vampires would all come at them from the same direction and there would be less risk of shooting each other.

“Ed!” Ethan called.

“Yeah?” his Second returned, his gun spitting as many bullets as the other Seconds’.

Like the network soldiers outside, the Seconds had all attached silencers to their weapons. They really did think of everything. The deafening noise of weapons being fired inside an enclosed space mere feet away would have been as painful as a wound to immortals with preternaturally sharp hearing.

“I want you and Heather to prevent the vampires from getting downstairs. Ed, take the top of the stairs. Heather, take the bottom.”

Heather shook her head. “But—”

“Aidan took Adira to the network. But if things get hairy there and he ends up having to bring her back, Marcus will need help protecting her.” And Ethan needed Heather farther away from the first wave, damn it. “Just go. I’ll be fine.”

Reluctance to leave him pinching her features, she nodded and hurried down the hallway.

Ethan breathed a sigh of relief as Ed followed.

Leaping forward, Ethan swung his short swords.





Bastien watched his wife cuddle little Adira to her chest. Every time he saw the two together, regret that they could not have a child of their own inundated him.

The toddler slept on, oblivious to the tension around her.

Alleck and Linda sat nearby, shoulders stiff, ears peeled for any sound that would indicate the network was under attack.

“Bastien?” Melanie said.

When he met her eyes, he found fear rising in them. “What is it?”

“I’m starting to get that feeling,” she told him, face full of dread.

He swore.

“What feeling?” Alleck asked.

“The same one I had the night mercenaries bombed the original network headquarters.”

The German immortal swore. “You have premonitions?”

Linda paled. “Should we call Aidan?”

Bastien shook his head. “Not yet. Not until we absolutely have to. Adira may be safer here.” He motioned to the baby. “Let’s take her to Cliff’s apartment.”

Linda’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know that Marcus would like that.”

“It doesn’t matter if he likes it,” Bastien replied, his eyes on his wife. “She’ll be safer there if something goes down.”

Melanie nodded, understanding dawning. “Those rooms are built to prevent vampires from being able to escape. They should serve just as well to keep vampires out.” Turning, she headed out into the hallway and down to Cliff’s apartment.

Bastien and the others followed.

“Would you swipe my key card for me, honey?” Melanie asked.

“Where is it?”

“Back right pocket.” She turned away to give him better access.

A faint smile curled his lips as he slipped the long fingers of one hand into her pocket. “Can I cop a feel while I do it?”

“I was counting on it,” she teased.

“Come on, guys,” one of the vampires complained from his apartment down the hallway. “I can’t take the lovey-dovey stuff today.”

Melanie laughed.

Bastien swiped her card and entered the security code for Cliff’s apartment.

When a thunk sounded, Bastien pushed the door—as heavy as that on a bank vault—inward.

Melanie entered first, Bastien on her heels.

Cliff waited inside, his face sober. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

Bastien’s heart ached for him. Ever since his break, the vampire had lived in constant fear that he would hurt those around him again.

“I don’t think I should be around the baby,” Cliff continued, confirming Bastien’s thoughts.

“You won’t hurt Adira,” Bastien told him with utter confidence.

“Maybe you should drug me,” Cliff suggested. “Or maybe I should hang out in Stuart’s apartment, just to be safe.”

Bastien looked over his shoulder at Linda and Alleck, who hovered in the doorway. “Linda, would you and Alleck open the doors to the other vampires’ apartments? It’ll save us some much-needed time if something goes down.”

The two left.

Bastien crossed to stand close to Cliff, Melanie at his side.

Conversation erupted out in the hallway as the rest of the vampires were freed.

Speaking preternaturally soft so his words wouldn’t carry, Bastien said, “I need you here, Cliff. I need you clearheaded.”

“But—”

“David’s place has been overrun with vampires. If vampires should attack the network, too, it will be up to us to keep this baby safe. And you’re an exceptional fighter.”

Melanie caught his gaze. “Are you sure we shouldn’t call Aidan?”

“Aidan will only have two choices if we do: Take Adira to David’s place and hope they can keep the vampires from getting to her there or teleport from place to place with her instead and hope Gershom won’t catch on and pursue him. Because alone, Aidan will be no match for him.”

Melanie swore.

“No vampire should be able to break through that door,” Bastien told Cliff. “But if they do, I trust you to take them out.”

Swallowing hard, Cliff nodded.

Bastien turned to Melanie. “Let me have the baby.”

When Melanie handed the little one over, Bastien awkwardly settled the child against his broad chest. “Grab a box,” he told Melanie, “and bring a shitload of tranquilizer guns loaded with darts that will drop a vampire. I don’t want you to have to stop and reload, and I don’t want you to have to engage any of them in battle. I know you can kick ass, but today you’ll have to stick close to the baby, so I don’t want vampires getting anywhere near you.”

“Okay.” Melanie hurried from the room.

Bastien met Cliff’s gaze. “Gear up.”

Accustomed to following Bastien’s orders, the young vampire swiftly donned hunting togs and adorned his body with the many impressive weapons Bastien had purchased for him when Seth had given Cliff permission to hunt.

Chris Reordon would hit the roof if he ever found out Bastien let Cliff keep the weapons in his apartment.

Melanie returned, carrying a banker box full of tranq guns and darts. The hilts of two short swords poked out above the rest. “Just in case,” she said.

Bastien nodded his approval. “Put them in the bedroom. Unless the vampires tunnel through fifty feet of soil and use explosives, the only way into that room is through the door.”

Melanie nodded and set the box just inside the doorway.

Bastien followed. “Let’s put Adira on the floor between the wall and the bed.”

Melanie yanked a cover off the bed and spread it on the floor. Then Bastien laid the baby atop it.

Adira rolled onto her side with a sigh.

Bastien stood. “Does she need a blanket?” The baby girl looked so tiny and fragile.

“No, she’s fine.” Melanie rose.

Bastien slipped his arms around her. “Still have that feeling?”

“Yes. And it’s getting stronger.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips. “You have Aidan’s number?”

“Yes.”

“If vampires attack us, I’ll do everything I can to keep them on the ground floor. But should any get past me and manage to force their way into this apartment in numbers you and Cliff can’t handle, call Aidan.”