Wild Creatures

Chapter 101

14.00 pm Sunday

"Wait!" Baoshan Sanren quickly calls them back.

"What is it, grandmother?" Wei Ying trots back, a worried frown upon his youthful face.

"We asked him a question and he's yet to answer." She turns to Wen Zhuliu. In her most forceful voice, she asks him again. "Where is Wen Zhong?"

"Up there, top floor." Wen Zhuliu says in a monotonous voice, devoid of tone and inflection.

"Is Wen Ning with him?" Wen Qing demands, pushing past a few vampires to get closer.

Wen Zhuliu remains silent as if he hasn't heard her.

It's only when Baoshan Sanren repeats the same question that he says he doesn't know.

"That's to be expected though, right?" Wei Ying glances at Lan Zhan for confirmation. "He was with you from when you woke up, and ever since then. Wen Zhong has had a lot of time to change the situation, so even if A-Ning was with him at the beginning, that doesn't mean they're still together. We shouldn't take anything for granted."

"Mn. Wei Ying is correct. Before we had to return here, we checked all the floors up to and including the eighth one. All are secured."

"I love it when you use your professional voice," Wei Ying replies breathlessly, making heart eyes at him.

Imperceptible groans are heard, discreetly voiced as everyone tries to look elsewhere.

"Let's focus," Baoshan Sanren insists, glaring at the floor.

"Yeah, let's not get distracted," Wei Ying agrees, but ironically that's exactly what is happening to him.

Lan Zhan looks so good, so confident now, it's mouthwatering to him.

Shedding the cape of fear and uncertainty off from his broad shoulders, Lan Zhan is filling out the role of an avenging angel nicely, and Wei Ying is planning all sorts of ways he will be showing his appreciation, later.

Later, he promises himself again, when a knowing look gleams in the ingots of his boyfriend's eyes.

"So let's make a move," Baoshan Sanren says purposefully, heading towards the stairwell once more. "Let's also gather forces as we go, just on the off chance that Wen Zhong might have left a few surprises for us. We're so close to ending this, it's not even funny. Vigilance, people!" And with that, the centuries old vampire starts running up the stairs.

***********

They are careful.

At each floor, they reevaluate, checking to make sure there are no feral vampires left to cause them anymore trouble. They add to their little group on their ascent, only leaving a perfunctory force behind just to keep an eye on things.

Baoshan Sanren tells them to stay in touch if anything untoward occurs, because that's the only way they're going to win this, through communication.

Mo XuanYu has sent the layout of the upstairs floors, but he's working through some kind of encryption that is preventing him from getting a closer look inside, and the barrier is causing him to lose his patience, if it's anything to go by his messages, which are colourful to say the least.

Wen Qing and the only other human, Wen Zhuliu, lag behind as the vampires with their superior fitness and agility surpass them, running up the stairs with alarming precision.

The ninth floor is where things become strangely creepy.

All the labs are empty and there's not a soul to be seen. The lights are off and the whole place looks like a ghost town with the stifling air adding to the unsettled feeling that has increased with every footstep upwards.