Chapter 1

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Barbara Palvin as Erika

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Barbara Palvin as Erika

Barbara Palvin as Erika

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Wade Poezyn as Alec

Chapter 1

I close the door after grabbing my bags. The air is cold here in the mountains, and the view is beautiful.

I stare up the large mountains and cuddle my hoodie closer to my body. I should have stolen a heavier jacket from an abandoned store but I was too focused on reaching Aspen.

I start walking in the mountains, waiting to see some kind of life around. There isn't many vampires around here, none from what I've seen so far.

I head to the heart of the mountain, trudging through the snow as more falls from the sky. It looks like a blizzards coming, which means I have to hurry to find the group.

Over the years, I've learned everything I could about biology, chemistry, etc. Ever since the apocalypse came, I dedicated my life to learning all I can. I'm close to a cure, but I'm even closer to a vaccine. A vaccine can at least protect anyone bitten from ever turning. I'm almost done with my serum and once its completed, I'm going to give it to the group in Aspen. When the war comes, they wont be infected. It can give us the advantage we need to win.

I must have walked for miles and miles and still nothing. The snow has picked up harder and the temperature has decreaes a lot. My legs feel as if they can't move anymore but I keep going. My clothes are soaked from the snow and my skin feels like ice.

And that's when I finally see it. At the end of the middle mountain. Bunker doors. Most people wouldn't recognize it, but I sure do.

My body shakes uncontrollably and I can barely feel my feet or legs.

"Stop! Stop where you are!" A voice shouts up ahead but my ears are so cold I can just barely hear what he says.

I push myself foward and try to call out to them but I'm too cold to speak or open my mouth.

My legs finally collapse and my body gives into the cold as darkness encompasses me.

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My eyes open and the first thing I notice is the warmth that encompasses my body. My hands move over my clothes, but they aren't my clothes.

I sit up abruptly, looking down at the gray shirt and pants that don't belong to me. I look around the room and I'm in an office, laying on the floor next to a fireplace. I push towards the warm flames when the sound of a gun cocking causes me to freeze.

My head swings around to see 2 men standing behind a desk, one of which holds a gun aimed directly for me. My eyes travel over the mans face, young, no older than 26 or 27. But no younger than me, 25.

He's tall, 6'4 maybe and every inch is pure muscle. His hair is a dirty blonde, much like mine but maybe a little darker. His eyes are a beautiful admiral blue, as they stare daggers at me.

"Who are you?" The other man distracts me from my thoughts. He's older, old enough to be my father. With graying hair and forest green eyes that stare right back at mine.

"I'm.. Erika... Erika Tatyana DelliBovi."

"Alec, put the gun down." The man places his hand above the gun to push it down.

"What? Why??" The man, I assume to be Alec, pushes it back to keep it aimed at me. His accent is Russion, like my mothers. It gives me a homey vibe and I don't know whether or not I like it.

"Because she's the princess and you don't want her dead."

Alec ruluctantly puts his gun back in the holster. "Then send her home, she's fine now."

"She is not going anywhere. She came all the way from New York to join you're group." I stand and cross my arms over my chest, holding my ground.

"You are not joining anything," Alec crosses his arms over his chest.

"Please, lets be civil, children. I'm Director Greene. Richard Greene. And I make the say if she stays or not, Alec. Don't forget that. But princess, we can't let you in." The director gives me a sympathetic look.

"Don't call me princess, its not my name. My name's Erika and I'm a very skilled soldier. Not just a princess. And lets not forget, I know where you're all located. And I know just as well as I do that bringing on a war is strictly forbidden. You can't make me leave. Not with my knowledge of your whereabouts." I walk over, placing my hands on the desk and leaning foward. "And I can be very beneficial to your cause."

Alec places his hands on the desk, leaning close, inches away from my face. "And what's to stop us from just killing you?"

"Because I have an outside source who knows the location of this facility. And if I don't call him in two days upon my arrival, he'll know that I'm dead. And he's instructed to tell my father exactly where I am and what happened to me. So I'd strongly advise against killing me." I may be bluffing but I have a poker face that could put any pro to shame.

Alec smirks, "You're bluffing."

I lean even closer to the point my lips are less than an inch away from his and I can feel his breath on mine. I speak in the most confident yet sexy voice to allure him in my trap. "Try me.." His eyes flicker to my lips before landing back on my eyes. I can tell the effect I'm having on him and I laugh, pulling back to where I was but still leaning over the table.

"That's enough. She's right, Alec, we can't kill her," The director breaks off our little stare down and we both turn to look at him. "How exactly can you benefit us?"

"Well not only am a very skilled soldier, I have my sources. I may know groups spread out all over the world that would join your cause in a heartbeat. We're talking about thousands and thousands of soldiers, plus the ones you already have. See all the armies outside are just rescuing survivors and repopulating the world with humans. They, of course, kill any vampires who get in their way, but their not trying to start a war. Just think of the army you will have after my help."

The director thinks it over. "Very tempting, but its still not enough."

Sighing, I look around the room and spot my bags. "Maybe not. But I have something that'll be more than enough." I walk over to my bag and pull out the file with my lab work for the vaccine. I drop it on the desk and open it for them to read.

"What the hell is all this?" Alec picks up a peice of paper that has part of the formula for the vaccine on it.

"Since I was 8 years old, I dedicated my life to science. Funny, my father was special ops. My sister was going to be a surgeon and was one before she fled to join the army in New York. Me.. I planned to find a cure. Although, I'm not there quite yet. I have formulated a vaccine. Its not quite done but its so close. If you don't beleive it, have a scientist take a look. You'll find that its real and that it will work. You'll have a vaccine against the vampires venom. If any of your soldiers were bitten, they'd be able to survive it. Think about it, this is the advantage we need to win the war."

The director stares at the file in astonishment. His eyes meet mine and he smiles.
"You're in."

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