“Sir?”
“There has been an unexplained escape. A traffic camera spotted a figure leaping from a window only to land effortlessly on the ground below. You know what is expected. The power and mobile reception are still out. Make sure the wolf is the escapee. Above all else, find him.”
“Yes sir, and the vampire?”
“He will be easier to find than the wolf.”
“How so?”
“Slade won’t leave us a trail of bodies to follow.”
Chapter Two
Well, That Was Unexpected
Solomon Crane leaned against the door frame of the hospital’s security viewing room. The men on duty had reported back that whoever it was that had been in that room had taken off like a rocket. Word had spread that he was a cop, and suddenly it meant he was a makeshift information centre. People couldn’t leave through the front entrance as cars had been piled in front. The elevator went from floor to floor, but every exit seemed to be automatically locked. Solomon leaned out a window and had to do a double take. The bodies that had littered the street had gone. Had emergency services come? Why weren’t there any sirens? As bemusing as that mystery was, he would have to shelve it. He had an entire ward of people that knew he was a cop coming to him for answers he couldn’t possibly give. By the time he had finished with them and briefed the appropriate staff of the little he did know, he had asked to look at security footage of the hallway from earlier.
“That’s it?” he bemoaned.
The footage he saw was shaky. Literally. There had been a mini earthquake just before this breakout by the John Doe and the force had jolted the camera in the ceiling free from its socket. All that could be seen was a pair of legs, well one leg really.
“Sorry, sir. That’s all we can get you.”
“I need you to backtrack, and have a look at the footage on the day he was brought in.” Solomon said, thumbing through the file. “Roughly seven months ago,” he said, handing the report over and pointing towards the date and time. The officer nodded and clicked away on the keyboard. When the footage came up, all that could be seen was an orderly or nurse’s back as they wheeled the bed into the room.
“Christ...” Solomon muttered. “Ok, I need the names of the nurses that work in this section and all who would’ve had interaction with him. I need the people that saw him when he first came in.”
“But he was in a coma. What good would that do? We don’t know his name or why he was brought in.”
“I want to know what he looks like. That’s a start.”
“But the people? I mean is this really a priority?”
“Not much I can do for now except sit tight. But I can find out more about this mystery guy.”
*
Nicole felt strong hands lift her neck, holding her in place as a warm, wet wrist was planted over her mouth.
“C’mon honey, drink,” Alicia whispered. “It won’t taste very good but your belly needs it.”
Nicole took a few gulps, and as she felt the warm blood descend down her throat, her vision cleared. The crippling pain subsided into nothing. Well, the physical anyway. Her baby was gone. Stolen. And by someone she thought she could trust. Thrust into the room after Tynan Ross had ordered Alan and PJ killed. Now it made sense. Why wouldn’t Tynan have just killed Anthony too? Tynan had no regard for human life yet proudly proclaimed him a stowaway as he pushed Anthony in front of her. And she felt sickened that she had felt sorry for the scum. He had obviously waited until she had given birth and then snatched her baby boy from Alicia’s arms, and Nicole could do nothing but bleed out.
“Am I a...wolf?” Nicole asked.
“No. You need to be bitten by an Alpha. And I ain’t one. C’mon we’ve got to get out of here.”
“Wait…my baby!”
Alicia took her by the hands. “I know. But we won’t be able to get to him like this. We need to find allies. Regroup. I promise you, we will get him back.”
Nicole had no time to dwell on the response. Alicia whipped her head around and pushed her towards the window. “Quick! They’re coming!”
Nicole reached the window sill and looked down. The drop had to be fifty feet towards the dark shimmering sea below. “Oh Jesus…”
Nicole looked back as the door burst open, and two men hurried in. Alicia roared and bolted towards Nicole just as the men reached for their pistols. Alicia tackled Nicole and held on to her as they both fell out the window as bullets crunched and zinged into the concrete behind them. All Nicole could do was clench her eyes tightly and hope to God Alicia knew what she was doing.
Chapter Three
It’s Useless To Hope
Talia eased her eyes open, taking a deep breath and coughing suddenly. She stood vertically. In front of her eyes was a semi-circle of horizontal bars. She was caged in an upright stretcher, an oxygen mask over her mouth.
“Darling, it’s alright,” came her mother’s voice. “Don’t be afraid.”
Talia blinked repeatedly. The situation and her memory becoming more clear. She had helped Alicia break into Tynan’s fortress and was subsequently shot by a tranquiliser.
“Alicia…?” she groaned, her voice muffled by the mask.
Radha sighed as if deeply disappointed. “Why didn’t you listen to me? I told you to kill her.”
“Where is she?” Talia sneered.
“I suspect sporting a very nasty headache, having been shot in the head.” This voice did not belong to her mother. It was deeper and dripping with arrogance. “Hello Talia. We’ve never met. My
