“The Bureau has found us,” he explained evenly. With a swift movement, he set Colin’s unconscious body on the ground. Stepping up beside him to grab Colin and pulling Roxy by the collar of her uniform, I dragged my two teammates to rest against the wall near Gina and Bryce. A wave of guilt hit me as Colin flinched in his unconscious state. Gina hurried to help me with a frown.
“They were waiting at the spring?” she asked. “How did they find you?”
“No, we stumbled into each other, and great question. I don’t know yet,” I said, and leaned their heads against the wall. “Never thought I’d have to tie up my own friends.”
We secured their wrists and ankles with zip ties they were carrying in their tactical packs.
“Did they give you a chance to explain anything?” Gina asked.
I shook my head glumly. “Roxy went to punches pretty fast,” I said.
Gina helped me ensure the bindings were tight but not cutting into their skin.
“We need to move. Time is of the essence,” Dorian said with grim authority. The vampires shifted. Some pulled back with doubt, while others looked angrier than ever, their sharp teeth flashing. I wasn’t ready for a vampire riot. Dorian had his work cut out for him, and he knew it.
“You see!” shrieked a voice.
Gina and I turned to see the haughty vampire, Oleah, stalk toward Dorian. “I told you. The humans have been playing us since the beginning.”
Dorian’s eyes narrowed. He took a step forward in a subtle challenge to her aggression, but his face remained calm. “If it is anyone’s fault that the Bureau found us, it is likely mine.”
He didn’t want to anger his brethren any more, I imagined, but Oleah didn’t seem like the type to respond well no matter what.
She reeled backward in frustration, immediately going to whisper darkly with her group.
I recognized a few of the distrustful faces from the incident earlier today. These were the vampires who wanted to return to the Immortal Plane. My stomach sank as they descended into murmurs, but I forced myself to turn away. There was nothing I could say to convince them. Besides… I would have enough trouble convincing my own people. My eyes landed on Colin and Roxy, who might stir any minute. Gina checked them over with Bryce, who shook his head.
“A sad day to be hunted by your own,” the captain muttered. I couldn’t agree more.
“We could send out scouts,” someone suggested from the vampire side. “See if there are any more troops.”
I turned to see that it was the hulking vampire who had spoken. So, the giant had a soft voice! I hadn’t heard a word out of him since the beginning.
Dorian stared at him and nodded. “That’s an idea, Gavril. We can send out a few individuals on foot. See if we find any other soldiers nearby. If there are any, knock them out and bring them back here. We’ll want to ask questions.”
My pulse stuttered in alarm, but Dorian met my gaze and nodded with a reassuring air. He wouldn’t let anything happen to the Bureau soldiers if he could help it. The wary vampires kept to their huddled groups. Gavril, Bravi, Sike, and the woman with one arm volunteered to scout and left immediately. Dorian went to keep watch at the entrance of the cave. I hoped the offer from these vampires meant they were becoming more willing to work with Dorian. If we could work together, our job would be easier.
The benefit of vampires was that they were fast. Incredibly fast. It felt like only a few minutes passed before Dorian strode back to the main cavern. He wasn’t alone. A body was draped across his shoulders, and Gavril followed with another. My skin prickled at seeing the vampires hauling humans as if they weighed nothing. And not just any humans. My old squad.
Gavril had returned with Grayson easily restrained in his powerful arms. Sike led Louise into the cavern, pinning her hands behind her back. Grayson’s eyes widened in horror as he looked about the cavern at the crowd of vampires. Louise kept her eyes low. Her face was tight and almost embarrassed beneath Sike’s stare. Gavril and Sike went to work and quickly tied Grayson and Louise’s hands and feet with more zip ties.
I spotted the comms in Gavril’s hand. He crushed them with an easy movement, the technology crumbling like stale bread in his powerful fists. I filed that display of power away for later use.
“We’ll put them under guard,” Dorian said, his eyes assigning the task to Gavril and Sike. They nodded and leaned against the walls next to the captives. Roxy and Colin began to stir. This would be interesting…
I still hadn’t decided what to say to them. Gina shot me a nervous look.
“Where are the others?” someone whispered from the vampire side. Dorian pressed his lips together and glanced toward the entry passageway.
“We will trust Arlonne and Bravi’s skills,” he said simply.
“Unbelievable,” someone hissed below me. Roxy had woken up. She glared at Gina and me. “You traitors.”
“Roxy—” Louise whispered, her eyes darting across the ranks of hostile vampires.
“You don’t understand what’s going on,” I told Roxy, desperate to avoid provoking the vampires.
Grayson furrowed his brow, twisting his hands accusingly in his bonds. “We understand the vampires attacked Bureau soldiers with no provocation,” he said flatly.
“Attacked?” Roxy raised her voice over his. “They murdered a whole squad who were taking them to their new home. And you?” She gave me the fiercest glare I’d ever seen from her. “You attacked your own kind!” she yelled. “What the hell is wrong with you? Did they brainwash you?”
The noise filled the cavern. I balled my hands into fists at my sides, trying to stay calm. “I understand why you would think that, Roxy. But the Bureau was lying to us all. They’re still lying to you. I swear we had no other choice.”
Grayson watched, gaping at us. Louise and Colin, who had been awakened by the shouting, sat in silence with cold stares.
“No other choice?!” Roxy cried, nothing in her face suggesting she believed me. “If you’re as in control of yourself as you seem to be, then you had endless choices, Lieutenant.”
Her words sliced through me, but I forced my face to remain calm.
Dorian’s face was tense, the muscles of his jaw working as he clenched it tightly, the shadows whipping across his sharp cheekbones. He moved an inch in between Roxy and me.
Her eyes swung to Sike and then to Dorian. “And you two! You betrayed us. You kidnapped my teammates and killed people, good people, who were trying to help you survive—”
“The Bureau was trying to exterminate the vampires,” I interrupted sharply.
Roxy’s chaotic eyes swung back toward me.
“You’ve been fed half-truths and bigoted evidence,” I told her.
“She’s telling the truth.” Gina stepped forward, along with Bryce.
“Aye, she is. The Bureau has made fools of us all,” Bryce said. “They strung along each and every one of us.”
Roxy pressed her lips together upon hearing this. Her cheeks reddened with anger. There was a vacuum of silence after the echoes of shouting. “Captain,” she acknowledged, but didn’t follow it with anything else as her furious gaze fell to the ground.
Still wary, I crouched in front of her, attempting to make myself as nonthreatening as possible. “We haven’t betrayed you, Roxy. Please let us explain.”