Page 27 of Sergi (Of Blood & Dreams #7)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sergi gawked at Cadfael. “I’m not sure what I was expecting, but a request for my opinion on battle tactics wasn’t one of them. Especially from a battle-tested Alpha.”

Carlos’s brows lifted, but like the eager group of shifters who surrounded them, he said nothing.

Cadfael chuckled. “You give me more credit for that long-ago uprising, but I have to admit, it’s been some time since I’ve had to worry about such things. Besides, who better to offer options on holding vampires at bay than another vampire.”

Sergi bowed his head, but he couldn’t help but be pleased. “I’d be honored.” He shifted his stance so while he was responding to Cadfael, any shifters within a ten-foot radius would be able to hear. They hovered about in both human and wolf form, milling about in small groups or racing up and down the halls, haunted shadows buried deep in their eyes. Some probably hadn’t been out of their cells for months. A look he was well-versed with from memories he kept locked away. But they all had one thing in common—a fierce glow in their gaze. They wouldn’t go down easy.

He refocused on Cadfael. “How many shifters do you have?”

Cadfael considered the question. “Forty-six have reported in, but a few came out of their cells as wolves and haven’t shifted, so the count is a handful more than that. I haven’t used my full Alpha powers yet. I thought I’d give them time to settle on their own.”

Sergi nodded. Though they might not shift back to human for days, they could still help the cause. For now, the group’s first concern would be preventing the guards from infiltrating this level. The guards would be armed with tranquilizers and live rounds. “Alex said there were two staircases and one elevator?”

“That’s right. And the back door on level three. We currently have twelve shifters holding positions at the other staircase and the elevator.”

“Do we need to worry about the guards gaining access to level three without going past your perimeters on this level?

“We don’t believe so.”

Sergi grunted. The last thing they needed were guards flanking them from below. “You might want those wolves who refuse to shift to spend their time running around level three."

“I think two are already down there.” Cadfael pointed at Carlos. “Can you round up the others?”

“I’ll take care of it. I also wanted to add that I’ve checked both armories. There weren’t a lot of weapons, but we have several handguns, ten rifles, and about a dozen automatics.”

“What about ammo or explosives?” Sergi asked.

“There’s plenty of ammo, but that depends on what the guards will do. I didn’t see any explosives. There are plenty of knives, but the shifters prefer to fight as wolves.”

Sergi considered the information. “I agree the shifters in their wolf form is an advantage, but I suggest a mix of wolves and shifters with weapons to protect the access points. My other concern is that they might want to starve you out. Most of you haven’t eaten well as it is. I believe there are small cafeterias on levels two and three. You might want to have someone responsible for rationing.”

Cadfael nodded as Sergi gave his opinions. “I agree. Carlos, I’ll ask you to find someone to take charge of the food and water inventory. But our first priority should be to focus on our perimeters. The elevator will be our weakest point. There’s a limit to how many guards can fit, but they’ll be better armed and could have tear gas or smoke bombs.”

Sergi nodded along with Cadfael. “The guards could use similar methods at the stairs.”

Cadfael considered his point as he tugged on an ear, his eyes glowing a soft red. “What we need are blockades at each entrance.”

“Use whatever you can find to block specific corridors at those locations. Force them to go where you want them to go.”

“Set up an ambush.” Carlos grinned. “We need the shifters who know these corridors the best.”

If Rafael had escaped, Devon should be on his way with a rescue team, but Sergi couldn’t take that chance. Devon would be prepared, but it would still take several days to get a team to Romania. “You should plan to hold off the guards for at least two weeks.”

Cadfael shook his head this time, his expression grim. “It will take you several days to find a town where you can contact your House leader.”

“I’m not new to the Carpathians. I’ve fought many battles here over the centuries. I also studied the geography before coming here.”

“And we have our trackers,” Carlos chimed in.

“Trackers?” Cadfael asked.

Sergi pointed to a spot just above his left wrist. “Carlos and I were implanted with GPS trackers. We also had a third team member. I don’t know if he made it out alive. Either way, Devon will already be planning a rescue. He knows Carlos and I have been in one position for too long, but he won’t know why. He might think we’re dead, or—” He glanced up and waved his arm to emphasize the entire facility. “Something is blocking our transmitters, and he’ll want to know why our signal stopped.”

“If that’s the case—” Carlos looked at Cadfael, “—once Sergi is outside the facility, his tracker should work again, and they’ll know there was a dead zone between where he went in and where he came out.”

Cadfael nodded, his expression brightening. “And they’ll suspect the lab is between the two signals.”

“That’s my belief.” Sergi felt time starting to press in on him. He still had one objective, then he caught himself. He had two objectives, and the thought startled him.

His primary mission had shifted once he’d been captured. Now that he was inside, he had to find some piece of evidence. If the director thought the facility was compromised, they could destroy all evidence and restart somewhere else. He couldn’t leave without an attempt.

Then there was Alex. Still somewhere on level one, perhaps trapped. Maybe dead. And when the thought hit him, his chest tightened. She’d saved him. Had endangered her own welfare to help him. He knew she saw him as the shifter’s one way out, but that didn’t matter. He couldn’t betray her belief in him by running away.

He looked at Cadfael, who, along with Carlos, was already issuing commands to other shifters.

Cadfael turned to him. “It’s time for you to get to the back door. Your House leader might attempt an approach from that side if he sees your signal. There are no roads, and the terrain is difficult. It will take longer for them to arrive.”

Sergi shook his head and couldn’t help but give the shifter a wicked grin. “Coming through the back door isn’t Devon’s usual style. Besides, as I’ve already told you, my mission isn’t complete without finding evidence for the Council.” He hesitated, then added, “And Alex is still missing. I can’t leave without getting her to safety.”

Cadfael’s face was grim. “They’ll have guards positioned at the stairs and elevators, just like us.”

“We can use the air vents,” Carlos suggested. When Sergi and Cadfael looked at him, he shrugged, but his cheeks reddened, and he shrugged. “I watch a lot of movies.”

“You’ll want to find an air vent in the guards’ quarters. You’ll be closer to the labs,” Cadfael offered.

“What about the director’s office?” Sergi asked.

“Try a vent near the guards’ community room. That should get you close.”

Sergi nodded. “Alright.” He started to walk away.

Cadfael touched his arm. “We’ll need a sign that it’s you coming back down the vent.”

“Trust me. You’ll know it’s me.”

Carlos waved to one of the shifters, who moved through the handful of others with an armored vest, an automatic weapon, and a handgun. “These won’t protect you from tranquilizer darts, but my guess is you’ll run into some guards walking the halls.”

Sergi put on the vest without question but refused the weapons. He tapped the daggers tucked inside his harness. “I expect the guards have relied on their weapons for too long. I’ll be fine with my daggers.”

It wouldn’t be the first time he’d gotten through a group of vampires, and while he suspected most had some martial arts training, he didn’t think they’d be as skilled as he was. Except for one. One he hoped to find during his collection of evidence.

Before leaving, he gave Carlos one order. “If I’m not back in one hour, you’ll need to use the back door. You won’t have to go far, but I suggest staying outside for at least thirty minutes. Bella should pick up your signal by then.”

Carlos nodded. “Agreed.”

With a quick nod to Cadfael, Sergi turned and ran for the guards’ common room.

When he arrived, there were several shifters inside, and they’d divided the room between a break room and a makeshift medical unit. A couple wolves had been injured fighting the guards who’d been on this level. He ignored them as he studied the vent in the middle of the ceiling.

When he began moving a table underneath it, a shifter stopped him.

“What are you doing, vampire?” The shifter was tall and, if he had to guess, had once been a large, muscular male, but he’d been here for some time, and most of his muscle mass was gone. It was a wonder that any of them could still shift.

“I’m going up to level one.” He didn’t want to get into this conversation.

“We need Cadfael’s approval first.”

“I just left him at the main staircase, and we agreed on the plan. I’m not going to waste time explaining it to you.”

“How do we know you’re not joining their forces?”

“Would it matter? What can I tell them? How many shifters are down here? How many are building defenses? Don’t you think they’d already know that?”

“You’re the prisoner from level three,” another shifter said.

He nodded. “Would it help if I said I was going up to search for Alex?” When they stared at him without recognition, he shook his head. “You might know her as shifter S-473.”

Not all recognized her given number, but several did. A female shifter pushed through the men. “How do you know S-473?”

She looked in bad shape. Her eyes were hollowed out, and he didn’t have to question the torment she’d lived through.

“She’s the one who released me.”

The shifters stared at each other then pitched in as they pulled the table into position.

Sergi jumped on the table and studied the vent.

“I need a chair and something to release these screws.”

Someone lifted a chair onto the table, and the first shifter who’d questioned him dug into his pocket and handed him a small Swiss Army Knife. “I found this in one of the guard’s rooms.”

Sergi took it and, within a minute, had the screws removed and the vent opened. It wasn’t a large opening, but he’d fit.

He bent down to return the knife, but the shifter refused.

“We’re still searching the rooms and lockers for weapons and tools. You might need that later.”

“I’m planning on coming back this way, but be prepared in case it’s not me.”

“How will we know?”

He grinned as he had with Cadfael. “You’ll know.”

He lifted himself into the vent and, after glancing left, crawled in the opposite direction. He traversed the vent, moving quickly until he came to a cross-section with a vertical vent coming up from the third level and stretching up to the first. This vent was wider than the one he’d been crawling through, which would make it easier for his large frame.

He pulled himself out of the horizontal vent until he was able to sit up, using his forearms and upper shoulders to prevent him from slipping downward. This was the tricky part, but it wasn’t the first time he’d had to shimmy up something.

Taking a deep breath, he released it and, applying pressure on the vertical shaft, slowly moved his body upward. Once his knees cleared the horizontal vent, he was able to use his feet to leverage his body and push up to begin his ascent.

He chuckled as he slowly rose, remembering being in a similar position with Devon. It had been centuries earlier, and they’d sneaked into the castle of an enemy House to steal documents. He’d questioned Devon why he was going on the mission rather than assigning someone else.

“Don’t you trust your warriors?” Sergi had asked.

“Of course I do.” Devon had growled his response, but it hadn’t shaken Sergi. The first few years as Devon’s Captain of the Guard, he braced himself for a punch that never came. Over those years, he watched Devon, learning everything he could about his new general.

Devon was young, though truth be told, he wasn’t that much younger than Sergi. But Sergi had fought more battles and was more seasoned. Yet, over time, Devon proved to be intelligent, strategic, daring, and worthy of leadership. He was also headstrong, and while he listened to his commanders, he couldn’t always override his emotions, though, with time, he learned to control them.

Devon was also one of the few generals Sergi had served under who also led with compassion and understanding, which made him a stronger leader. One who made others loyal to him, not out of fear but with the confidence he instilled in them.

Sergi squinted at Devon. “Did your Father request you do this yourself?”

Devon turned away from him and picked up a clay pitcher, pouring wine into two brass cups. He slammed one of the cups on the table in front of Sergi, who lifted a brow.

“Father asked that I send the most reliable. Males who had the best chance of not getting caught.”

“I can think of several off the top of my head. Yet, you chose yourself and me.” When Devon didn’t respond, Sergi’s eyes narrowed. “I can understand why you chose me, so tell me the rest. Who else do you have to confide in?”

Devon’s eyes glowed with the icy blue of his beast. That didn’t scare Sergi, either. “Maybe I want to do something more than sit in this damn chair and give orders.”

Sergi held it for as long as he could before he burst out laughing. The memory made Sergi chuckle again as he glanced down the shaft. He could see the junction below, and when he looked up, his target was within sight.

Their escape from the castle required descending a stone shaft with a drop a lot farther down than the two floors he’d fall if he lost traction. He reached the junction, and with a slight twist of his body, he was once again moving along the air shaft, searching for the first vent opening.

When he reached it, he tilted his head to get an idea of where he was. There was a room to his left, and he was just able to read the number on the plaque—134. He moved quickly toward the next vent, repeating his actions to find a room number—142. He wasn’t sure whether that meant he was getting closer to the director’s office, but he noted that he hadn’t seen or heard anyone in the hallway. He passed two more vents, and at the third one, he did the one thing that was sure to alert anyone close. He punched through the vent cover.

It hit the floor with a metallic sound that reverberated through the corridor. He jumped down and landed in a crouch, pulling out his daggers as he scanned both directions. The only sound was a soft shuffle from the door to his left.

Curious, he opened the door, prepared to engage a guard. Instead, the lab, no bigger than a bedroom, appeared empty. Except for the tip of a shoe that bounced up and down. Not a guard. A terrified staff member.

He glanced over the island counter. Two sets of horror-stricken eyes stared up at him. He put a finger to his lips to keep them quiet. Their fear faded, and he assumed the guard’s uniform had something to do with it.

It could be a fatal mistake to assume he was on their side simply because of his clothing. But he wasn’t here as their judge, jury, or executioner as long as they didn’t interfere with his plans.

“Stay here, but stay farther back in the corner. I saw the tip of your shoe. Can’t you lock the door?”

“We didn’t think we had time.” The female said, her voice a tremor. Then she looked sheepish. “Then we were too scared to move.”

He sighed. “Lock it behind me. The halls seem clear, but it’s best you stay here until told otherwise.”

When they both nodded, he left, shutting the door behind him. Another thought urged him to reopen the door, almost smacking into the female.

“To be honest, this is only my second day on the job. I was told to check the rooms all the way to the director’s office, but I’m not sure where that is.”

Her face brightened, seemingly eager to help. “Oh, you’re almost there. The door is just past the next hallway.”

He nodded. “Now lock it and just remain quiet.” He pulled the door closed and continued down the hall in the direction he’d already been heading. His actions with the two lab members didn’t follow his normal behavior. Any other time, he would have barked an order to stay put and stay quiet. Or he might have ignored the bouncing foot and shut the door.

There was no doubt they were doing bad things here, but how much did the staff know? Could some of the staff be unaware of the facility’s true purpose? His leaving them without saying a word would have been sufficient, but he’d taken the time to go in, and what? Ease their minds? All he did was ensure they remained quiet. Then he returned to ask for directions. Gah! It was obvious he’d lost his senses.

Then he cursed when he realized why he’d done it.

Cressa.

Simone had warned him that working so closely with humans would change them. Change the House. He’d sneered at the time, and yet, she’d been right. Cressa’s influence on the House had changed them all. Devon the most. And he grimaced with the truth—House Trelane was a better House because of it. A House to lead vampire society into the future.

He found the entire situation irritating, though a slight grin touched his lips. Devon had never been happier since the day Cressa had entered the manor. She’d also saved him from his own beast and had proven her loyalty over and over again. But Sergi would be damned if he’d show her any gratitude. It would only embarrass them both. Most wouldn’t understand, but their constant bickering was their way of paying respect to the other.

He was two doors away from the open double doors at the end of the hall when he heard the yelps and the shattering of wood. He’d have heard it sooner if he hadn’t been wallowing over emotions better off ignored.

He ran the rest of the way in time to watch Gheata throw a female against a bookcase. In a short period of time, he’d come to know her thick, ebony hair by sight alone.

Alex.

When Gheata reached for her hair, a growl rose in Sergi’s throat. In two long strides, he released the beast.