Off With His Head

22. It's a building, not a vampire

"While we wait for Caleb," Lideri announces. "We have to continue on with our quest."

I was really surprised when I was called into his office along with Zach for, as they liked to call it, 'a debriefing'. Now, I am absolutely floored. My mouth pops open as I look at him in disbelief, sure I must have misheard.

"Do you mean, just the two of us?" I ask incredulously. "Zach and I?"

"I believe the correct way to say it would be; me and Zach, Peyton," Zach tells me with an annoying smirk. "Although, I may have to check the dictionary."

Its official, I've turned Ironman into the king of sarcasm. We have been spending far too much time together the last two days. Zach and I have been training endlessly, trading our time between combat and archery, and I'm clearly rubbing off on him. I'm not sure whether to be happy or worried about his newfound wit.

"We have no choice, Peyton. This is a time sensitive issue," Lideri explains. "We need to take as many of them out as possible before they realize what we are doing. Caleb will be down in isolation for at least another two days, we can't afford to waste that kind of time."

Ha! So now I know the isolation rooms are downstairs. I had already suspected that, but any information helps. I've been trying to get Zach to tell me where they are to no avail. I keep bugging him though, hoping he will give up before I do. So far, we've been as stubborn as each other, neither of us willing to admit defeat.

"Lideri, if I may." Zach glances at me furtively and I know he's about to say something offensive. At least he was nice enough to give me a heads up this time though. "I might as well go alone. Peyton still has a lot to learn."

"Excuse me," I interject. "I think I held my own pretty well on the last mission. You know, when you and Caleb took so long to arrive and left me alone with a bloodthirsty vampire?"

"I have already apologised for that, Peyton." I can almost feel the frustration rolling off of him. "Must you continue to bring it up?"

"Must you continue to doubt my skills?" I counter.

"Has it ever occurred to you, that maybe I just don't want you to get hurt?" Zach says, catching me slightly off guard with what almost sounds like concern. I'm reminded of the last mission when he admitted the exact same thing in the car. "You've barely recovered and you seem to attract injuries more than most."

"Has it ever occurred to you-,"

"Enough," Lideri cuts off our argument before I can finish, clapping his hands together impatiently. "This is not up for discussion. Zach, you know that you can't go alone. Nor can we wait for Caleb. I believe I have come up with a plan that will ensure victory on our part."

"What is it?" Zach asks.

"Well, Peyton, have you finished polishing up your archery skills?"

¤

There is one major factor that Lideri didn't take into account on this mission.

My fear of heights.

I stand on the edge of the double story building, vertigo threatening to overwhelm me, and clutch tightly onto my bow. I would much rather face the vampire in hand to hand combat with no weapons than be here right now. I would even rather have countless injections, or have another cannula put in, this time while I'm awake.

And that is saying something.

My entire body is covered in a layer of sweat and I'm doing my best not to hyperventilate. I continuously tell myself that the drop isn't even that far and that Zach's life depends on me pulling myself together. But it's harder than I would have imagined to keep myself focused on the task at hand.