Page 75 of Vanessa’s Bravery

One of the black men put silver handcuffs around her wrists. Vanessa gritted her teeth, not wanting to show that the silver burned painfully into her flesh. Patrick was cuffed in the same way, with his hands behind him. He too clenched his jaw, not showing the pain the cuffs caused him.

Milo tipped his head into the direction of one of his henchmen. “Tie up the human bitch again. Or suck her dry. I don’t care. We don’t need her anymore.”

The callous words echoed in the room where heavy curtains hung in front of the windows facing the street. The small window along the side that faced the wall of the house next to it, was covered with a thinner curtain which moved back and forth, indicating that the window wasn’t fully closed.

Seeing no immediate way to get out of this situation, Vanessa addressed Milo, “What do you want?”

“Isn’t that evident?” Milo chuckled. “I want everything.”

Not sure what he meant, she decided to get him talking. Maybe HQ would figure out that they were staying far too long at their target location and come looking.

“We know about you turning those incels. The game is over,” Vanessa said.

“The incels? You think that’s my plan, turning some idiots who’re totally worthless?” He motioned to the black guy who was still in the room, while the other had gone to tie up Mrs. Cramer. “Didn’t I tell you that Scanguards are totally predictable?”

“You said it, boss.”

Milo shook his head, turning his gaze back to her and Patrick. “The incels were only a diversion. I knew Thomas would figure out the pattern, and think himself a genius by sending his troops to pick up the incels.”

Fuck! Milo had planned this? He’d wanted them to find the incels and capture them? She exchanged a look with Patrick.

“You’ll never get away with this. Scanguards will get you,” Patrick promised.

“I doubt that very much. After all, I’ve built an army in the last thirty-seven years. Men like this one here. Strong, loyal. Not useless like the incels.” He shrugged. “You should be grateful. I saved you some work. The incels are all dead. Didn’t want them to get in the way when the real plan starts.”

Vanessa glanced at the door, where the other black vampire appeared, blood around his lips. He’d taken Milo’s suggestion and fed from Mrs. Cramer. Whether she was still alive was anybody’s guess.

Milo nodded at his henchman, then stepped closer to Patrick. “So, you’re one of Samson’s sons.” He huffed. “Do you know what your father did?”

“Nothing as evil as you, I’m certain of that,” Patrick replied.

A snarl issued from Milo’s throat. “He killed my sister.”

Patrick didn’t flinch. “She deserved it.”

Vanessa had to admit that Patrick was braver than she’d expected. He had a lot of his father in him, more than she’d previously seen.

Milo growled. “If I didn’t already have a plan for you, I would stake you right here, boy. But I still need you. You’ll be a nice bargaining chip.”

“What do you want from my father?” Patrick asked.

“Didn’t I already say that?” He huffed. “Maybe you should learn to listen, boy.”

“I don’t listen to scum like you.”

Milo slapped Patrick so hard across his face that Patrick lost his balance and fell to the floor, hitting his shoulder on the tile around the fireplace.

“Not another word from you!” Milo bellowed, before he waved to his henchmen. “Let’s get them in the van. We’re done here.”

Vanessa looked at Patrick and knew he was hurting, but there was nothing she could do right now. She had to trust in her friends and colleagues at Scanguards that they would find them wherever Milo was taking them. One thing was clear: If Milo wanted to use them as bargaining chips, he needed them alive. At least for now.

36

Fuck!

The worst-case scenario had happened, just like Cole had feared. He hadn’t been pleased about the fact that Vanessa and Patrick had gone to pick up the incel without him. Luckily, he’d gotten a quick glance at the sheet of paper with the incel’s home address. After Vanessa and Patrick had left, he’d hurried back to his own car and made his way to the incel’s house in Haight Ashbury. As expected, the Scanguards blackout van was already parked outside the house.

He’d parked his car, illegally blocking a neighbor’s driveway so he would be close enough, and exited his car. He didn’t want to be seen by Vanessa and Patrick when they were leaving the house, so he’d slunk down the three-foot wide path next to the house that acted as a lightwell for the few windows on the side of the incel’s house and that of his neighbor. When he’d noticed that one of the old sash windows wasn’t fully closed, he’d seen his chance to find out what was going on inside the house.