The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 1: Chapter 22

The council kept their computer systems in the basement of the building, in a room that reminded me so much of the slave holding pen that it gave me chills. Everything from the dark grey stone to the scent of damp was the same. The only difference was that instead of bars and slaves the dreary lights illuminated screens and keyboards and a number of other things attached to masses of cords that I had no ability to identify.

Standing watch while Theo and Lars did whatever it was they were doing made it all the worse.

It was unnerving. It was not my usual style. When I was after a leech, the trick was to get in fast and take it down hard, not stand around waiting and watching and doing nothing.

Worse, one of the humans that the leech had compelled was standing right next to me, looking very much as if I and the other two were invisible.

I almost wanted to wave my hand in front of his eyes to see what he would do, but it would be stupid to push my luck. Instead, I leaned against the wall and kept an ear out and hoped that they would hurry up with whatever they were doing.

I glanced at my unwary companion again. His eyes scanned the hall once more, completely skipping over me. This ability of the leeches had not been unknown to me, but I had never witnessed it before.

That I knew of, since it was entirely possible that one of them had gotten into my head or any of the heads of the other humans around me.

Had I been too hard on the leech's slaves? They were undoubtedly well under her control and if not, if she truly was not manipulating their minds, perhaps they were in the best possible place that they could be in the disaster of a world the bloodsuckers had forced on us.

My desire to see her dead wavered yet again and I reminded myself of what I had seen them do. Destruction and pain was their only purpose and she could be no different.

Still, at least she seemed to have tired of me. With her guard down, I would surely eventually find my chance, just as soon as discovered my quarry's identity. It was surely so close I could practically taste it.

My companion's gaze dodged me again. I glanced towards where the other two were working. I had been mildly disappointed that I had not been able to see any of the entries immediately, although it did make sense in light of time constraints. I could only hope that the leech would continue to allow me access to the information. If he was truly in there...

The tech slaves began picking up the objects they had brought with them and hid them in the serving cart they had used as camouflage. I was glad they were finished and filled with anticipation to see what updates they might have made and also a desire to get away from the unnerving slave who could not let himself see me.

They met me in the hall and none of us spoke. Just because the majority of the leeches were in the council chambers that did not mean there were not one or two parasites still wandering around.

I walked ahead of them, signalling that the corridors were free of bloodsuckers, keeping myself relaxed as if I were just doing some simple innocent task for the leech.

We met a few emaciated slaves along the way, but we did not meet a single vampire as we walked. Apparently they had chosen our time to act well.

The lack of trouble almost made it worse.

Theo seemed to agree. "Well, that was anticlimactic," he commented under his breath.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he shook his head.

I understood that it was all a part of the leech's caution about potential eavesdropping. Her desire for secrecy seemed to border on paranoia, which seemed odd since she always had that overbearing overconfident smirk.