Hello Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Two

The evening air is still thick with moisture when I step outside, but at least the sun is attempting to peek through the clouds. Joe is yammering on about something I probably should be listening to, but my mind is focused. I know what we need to do, and I'm just waiting on Stevens to get going.

I know him only by his last name. He's the man that convinced Joe that I wasn't a vampire—because apparently, they're too dim witted to figure that out themselves. I'm fully convinced he's the only one with half a brain. And I suppose Joe, since he at least apologized for their handling of me. His orders were to give me a firm invite, the kidnapping they'd thought up on their own, and he at least acquired the blueprints to the lab. Giving us some semblance of a plan.

"You two better get going. It's starting to get dark, and well, you know what likes the dark." There were only two of us because when I'd made my offer people were quick to filter themselves out of doing actual work, but could I really blame them? What we are about to do is dangerous. Maybe I really am the crazy one here.

"Just waiting on him." I point to Stevens who is near the end of the building talking on his phone.

As if he'd heard us, he ends his call and strides toward us. He's nearly as tall as Breccan, but much leaner. When he reaches us, his eyes settle on Joe. "Everything set?"

Joe nods. He can't be much older than Stevens, but where Joe's hair is starting to turn silver, Stevens is still a rich, beachy, gold.

"I've got the check-point coordinates, and I'll text you each time we reach one. Sasha will be monitoring by GPS from her home computer too." He shakes his phone. "That way if anything goes amiss, you'll know right away."

"Good. Great—can we go?" We've wasted enough time. Most people would come up with a carefully calculated plan and take days, or even weeks, before executing it. But I'm more of the take them by surprise type. And since there was no plan a few hours ago, that shortens the time anyone else will be able to act. Police, Sypris—vampires.

~*~

It's not long before Stevens and I are outside the lab. We've been traveling down one winding and curving road for miles, surrounded by nothing but white and yellow pines. One wouldn't just stumble upon this structure. Without a single house or other building in sight, there'd be no reason to come back here. But something told me that's the way Sypris liked it.

I'd always figured my father worked in some big fancy office building, but never this tiny, square, cement block, secluded behind a wire fence. Ventilation pipes ran along the bone grey walls, leaving streaks of rust from weathering.

No vampires disturbed us, but what did I expect? That they'd jump out of the trees and say boo? No, if they are here—they are watching, and they will let us know when they damn well please.

Stevens pulls into a small clearing.

"What are we doing? Why are we stopping?"

"You don't expect them to let us stroll in the front gates do you? If you'd been listening when Joe was going over the blueprint, you would know that there's a security booth before you even enter the lot, and there's a chance there's still security in it. We've gotta walk the rest of the way. It's only about a mile or so."

Suddenly, the car feels like my safe haven. Monsters creep out from behind the trees ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness. I've never been so close to finding information about my parents' murder. I'm not going to stop now. We're probably going to break a million laws in the process, but we are here. I'm going to get in.

If I make it out of here, Breccan is going to kill me.

I breathe in an eight count. "Then let's go for a walk."

I trail behind Stevens' as he leads us along the road, under the cover of the trees. As night settles around us, I look over my shoulder more. Every snap of a twig sounds like a gunshot and every bird call sounds like a warning.

I'm glad it's only the two of us now. I can't imagine the silver-haired woman trying to navigate these woods. Stevens glides over the leaves and fallen branches. While I don't stumble, he moves much quicker than me and I struggle to keep up.

Finally, through the trees, the moon glints off a silver wire fence. To our right a hazy yellow light spills from a small booth. They do still have security. My heart leaps with a little hope. If they still have security, they must still have something to keep safe. But it falls nearly as quickly when the guard steps out, taking a drag off a cigarette. His white shirt a heavy contrast to his navy pants. I lean forward, studying the goggles wrapped around his head—the lens' shine metallic. My eyes drift down—

There's a gun on his hip.

The reality of our situation hits me like a gust of wind and stumble back. A branch snaps beneath my foot and I catch myself on a tree. What was I doing?

Stevens glares at me, his lips tight. He shoots a look back at the guard.

"Who's out there?" The guard yells, then mumbles something into his radio.

"Get down." Stevens hisses. "Over here."

He pulls me behind a group of three trees. A flashlight beam strobes over our heads. Darkness pools around me, creating a tunnel. The opening growing smaller and smaller with each breath. I count the only remaining trees I see.

One. Two. Three.

One. Two. Three.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Stevens throws a rock into the trees. It startles the nesting birds and the commotion draws the guards flashlight beam up into the treetops. He peeks around the tree and the guards footsteps grow softer.

"The fuck was that?" Stevens hisses in my ear. "We coulda been caught."

"I'm sorry, I saw his gun and I panicked."

"The fuck you think we're doin'? This isn't a convenience store, sweet cheeks."

I want to snap back at him, but that was entirely my fault. I could have ruined our entire mission. Instead, I stand and brush pine needles off the jogging pants I'd borrowed from one of the women from the group. There's no way I could have done this in a dress.

He shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowing. "Forget it. Let's go."

"What? No." I step in front of him. "We've come way to far. There's no way I'm leaving here tonight without at least trying."

"Then how do you expect to get in? You shoulda kept that pretty little dress on and you coulda tried to woo the guards."

"Oh, shut up." I rub my forehead.

Stevens scoffs. "We've gotta get outta here. If he hears us again, we're gonna get caught."

"No—let's...Let's take a few laps and see if we can see any other guards. Maybe he's the only one."

"He had to be talkin' to somebody over the radio." Stevens' eyes grow wide.

"Okay. Maybe there's two. Can we at least look?" I roll my eyes and move along the fence line, still under the cover of the trees. After a moment, Stevens follows.

The wall is longer than I expect. It takes us nearly an hour to round it twice. Careful to turn back before the guard station at the gates. Our investigation found only one other guard patrolling the fence. But aside from that, nothing more than a wire fence stands in our way. I lift my chin, at least I'd gotten that right.

"Did you see any places to enter?" I ask when we're a safe distance away from either guard. "A break in the fence or anything?"

"No." He gestures to the fence. "You see that thing. It's pristine. There's not gonna be any holes."

I sigh and lift my head stars twinkling between the trees. One streaks across the sky. If I wouldn't have looked up at that very moment, I would have missed it. That has to be a good sign. I look at the fence again.

"Then we'llclimb."