Always Hate Me

12. King of the Castle

Lucjan and his entourage made for the exit.

"We'll be going now," he declared. Godelieve followed them to the door.

"I thought you wanted to see inside the lock box?" She countered.

"I've seen all I need to." Lucjan replied, not even turning his head. He lowered his visor - protecting his eyes - as they opened the doors and stepped out into daylight.

Godelieve watched the group leave, visibly seething with anger. It was clear that this encounter had her rattled. She rapidly started barking orders at her subordinates – taking her rage out on them. 

The weird behaviour of Frederick has piqued Ryder's interest though. At the first opportunity, he slipped outside and followed after them. It was an insane risk. He'd only narrowly escaped being caught by them at the fort – but Ryder was in the mood to throw caution to the wind.

He wanted to know what Lucjan was up to. Know your enemy. 

Lucjan caused a stir where ever he went, citizens and soldiers called out salute to him as he past. But he was moving fast. Ryder ran after him, taking Gomorrah's back alley's in a bid to keep up. It hurt to think about, but Ryder couldn't help dwelling on thoughts of Lauren. She'd been a part of his very being. His reason for existence. His love and obsession.

What might have happened if they hadn't been betrayed in Solemn? If he hadn't been imprisoned – might he have been able to help her? He'd have turned the world upside down to save her from turning into a monster. It cut him up worse than anything that he'd been denied to chance of saving her.

These thoughts pushed Ryder on further. He broke into a sprint, leaping over fallen bins and dodging around queuing pedestrians. He emerged from Shepherds Alley and came out onto the main road. Looking up and down the wide avenue, his hopes sank. There was no sign of the vampires.

"Damn it!" He cursed, kicking the wall in frustration. He'd lost them. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Shit."

Ryder's spine tingled and the hairs stood up on his arms. He turned suddenly to look back down Shepherds Alley. Two paramedics were awkwardly coming out of a shady shop door, carrying between them a peculiarly shaped body bag. Ryder retraced his steps down the alley. Magic – he could feel it – not his own but someone else's. It was what had made his spine shiver – the residue in the air left behind by powerful magic.

The paramedics spotted him as he approached them.

"Odwrócić się," they instructed. Ryder ignored them, still trying to get a better look at the body bag that they had now slung onto a trolley. They were breathing heavily – so the body inside must have been heavy though it didn't look large. It seemed to have something pocking out of it, that the zipper had struggled to close around. As Ryder approached them, the magical residue intensified - humming in the air around the body. 

                  Devi found Stojan attempting to marshal the young cadets.

"Van Dijk says that the drills over for the day."

"I surmised as much." Stojan muttered, in his usual grouchy mood. "Hey, don't walk away." He chided her when she went to flee. "I have a job for you."

"Yes?"

"We've had a request to spare a couple of bodies. Apparently, there's some sudden staff shortages in the city. I've volunteered you."