Devil Inside

Piles Of Ash

*AN - If you're interested in the soundtrack to this book then it's Red Tape by Agent Provocateur for this chapter :) *

They were moving slowly and silently towards the first of the rooms that may hold Sebastian and had met no further resistance as yet. Far from easing their tension, this just concerned Elsa all the more. The sound of Layla’s initial loud entrance had died down, only a couple of human heartbeats could be heard now, most of the human’s that had been in Vincent’s underground lair had given their lives for him. Logan had told them that Layla and her team of four were all safe and accounted for, moving to the second target location whilst a further team of three were zeroing in on a third possible location for Sebastian and had encountered no vampires at all. It was too quite, too calm and far, far too easy so far for anyone’s liking. Three out of a possible thirty vampires were dead. That left at least twenty-seven vampires who now knew their security had been breached. Still not the best odds.

“Katherine thinks Sebastian has been moved. She’s lost him.” Logan’s voice was urgent in Elsa’s ear and she froze. Rueben and Nory looked at her, they’d heard it too. She was dying to ask questions but didn’t want to compromise their position. Rueben motioned to Nory and signaled Elsa to stay put. The two men continued down the corridor to the next bend and checked that they were clear. Rueben looked back to Elsa and gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

Elsa whispered as quietly as she could, hoping Logan could hear her, “Does she have any idea of his last location? What does she mean lost?” She had to keep telling herself he couldn’t be dead but the fear of it still snaked around her heart and began to squeeze tight.

“He began to move deeper underground and then she lost any connection,” Logan replied, “She can’t tell us why.” There was a pause, “You know he isn’t dead Elsa.”

“What’s the best guess on where to move forward?” She asked, ignoring Logan’s last comment.

“From your location, moving through your original target you should be able to gain access to a door which leads further down into the mountainside; after that, we can’t really help you. We’ll instruct the other teams to meet you there, you’ll have to move on as one unit.”

“Understood.” Elsa looked back down the corridor to Rueben who nodded his understanding and agreement. They continued to move silently and carefully down the corridor and through the door at the other end, which led them to their original target, a room that could have contained Sebastian. There was no ambush awaiting them but the smell of blood hit Elsa as soon as they entered. It was Sebastian’s blood, she’d recognise it anywhere; he had been in this room!

Her eyes scanned the room and came to rest on two small drops of dark red blood. She moved over to it; the blood glistened slightly in the unforgiving glare of the strip lighting on the ceiling. It was still wet, only slightly congealed.

She glanced at Rueben and could see that he understood the significance; Sebastian had bled in that very spot just a few short moments ago.

Within less than a minute they had been joined by Layla and both teams of Haven vampires. There was one door leading to their new target and they all knew the likelihood of walking through it and straight into an ambush of almost thirty vampires was very high. Rueben spoke, his voice barely loud enough for them to hear.

“They have the numbers,” he said, “Layla will blow the door and the rest of us will stay right back, with any luck they’ll attack first.”

“I doubt it,” one of the new vampires said.

“Agreed,” said Rueben, “But we don’t have any other options. Layla, have you got any smoke bombs left?” Layla nodded, “Good, you know what to do. Once visibility is down, you and I will head the assault. Use your bullets first, get as many of them down as you can straight away, there will be time to go back and finish them off when we’ve secured the area. Layla and I will go straight through the middle. You two and you two,” he signaled to Elsa, Nory and two other vampires, “Take the flanks and the rest of you the ceiling.”