Victoria Day 4 part 9
Victoria's eyes followed the forms of the Guardians as they interlaced themselves between trees and shrubs. Then she turned her eyes back towards Andre and lowered her voice so that she would not be overheard by the thralls who stood guard nearby. "Andre?" She waited for him to look at her. "Andre, I was just trying to be helpful. I would not have gone into the tunnel."
He turned dark eyes on her, his face still stern. "You should not have left the group. Just think what would happen if they captured you." He tilted his head to the side as he spoke. "Come. Let us look for your landmark." He gestured with the sweep of a gloved hand.
Victoria nodded her head and stepped forward along the path. She felt more secure with Andre at her side, it was clear that the handsome Spaniard was no stranger to conflict, but still she felt as if someone, or thing were watching her. Victoria's eyes scanned the landscape. Occasionally she would stop and stand motionless, as if willing the forest to part and reveal its secrets. "It was a long time ago, " she mumbled partly to herself. "The last time I used the tunnel."
He walked beside her, his eyes scanning in every direction, including above, she noticed. Behind them the two thralls followed as quietly as they could manage. After a while she began to feel a sense of familiarity. Cocking her head to the side, she looked up at the trees, ahead at the lay of the barely discernable trail.
"What is it?" Andre's voice was warmer now. She looked at him and saw he had a hand on the pommel of his sword.
"Up ahead, " she pointed with a smile. "I think I've found it. Call the others." Victoria rushed forward to a strange outcropping of rocks and bushes. As she pulled at the greenery the rusted form of an old tank began to appear. She could hardly contain her excitement. After all these years she had found the tunnel after all!
She could hear a bird whistle and turned in time to see that it was Andre. He moved silently to join her and from out of the surrounding trees other dark forms appeared. Victoria saw Lilith among them. They formed a semi- circle around the tunnel opening.
"Check it out," Quinn ordered three of the Guardians with electronic gadgets. Victoria could only guess what they were for. The three Guardians moved forward slowly, holding their devices in front of them, reminding her of Star Trek characters using their tricorders to explore an unknown planet.
"What are they doing?" she whispered to Andre.
The Spaniard shrugged. "Checking for traps," he said. Not helpful. She looked at Quinn. He was conferring with a large red-headed Guardian, the two holding a map or blueprint. He looked too busy for her to bother with her questions.
"Traps?" she paused. "But the walls were solid stone, at least 4 feet thick." Victoria turned her eyes towards Lilith. "I don't think Jacob even knew about the tunnel."
Andre looked at her. "They could have installed infrared detection equipment. Sound or movement sensors. Cameras."
Victoria exhaled as she crossed he arms across her chest. She liked the old world better than this new modern one. I guess there was no choice but to wait for the Guardians to give the all clear.
She felt it again. The strange sensation between her shoulder blades that someone was watching her. She turned slowly, looking at those around her and past them. She couldn't see anyone beyond the Guardians except Klein and Jackson, but the feeling lingered.
Victoria turned her attention towards Lilith and opened her mind to her. "Something's not right." Her eyes pleaded with Lilith to respond.
Meeting her gaze, Lilith simply shook her head, then looked away. Victoria found Andre watching her.
Suddenly, with only a hint of sound, the Guardians began to move forward. Lilith fell into place in their midst. Andre took Victoria's arm and steered her toward the tunnel. This was it.
Still that feeling lingered. Why had Lilith refused to respond? Was her desire to rescue Sands so powerful that she had shut her mind to reason?
Victoria and Andre were two of the last of the vampires to enter the tunnel. The narrow walls twisted like a snake and the cold closed in upon them. It was dank and was filled with the smell of wet stone. The only footsteps that were heard were those of the two thralls bringing up the rear. Victoria's had slowly reached for her weapon.
"May I use a flashlight?" Klein asked in a hushed voice.
Victoria looked to Andre for direction. Would light give them away? He shrugged. "You two better stay here, where you can see."
The two thralls nodded.
Victoria watched the expression on their faces. The grimness was authentic.
"Come," Andre said to her. He started forward. She could hear the hiss of metal as he drew his sword from it's sheath. Obviously he felt that they were in danger.
The group walked in silence for some time through the twisting pathways. At certain points they had to walk single file when the passage became too narrow, but Victoria was certain they were close.
"Towards the end, the tunnel will open up into a large earthen root cellar. The entrance into the manor house itself will be to the left, behind some wine racks," she whispered to Andre.
"We should tell those up front." He gestured for her to quicken her pace and they moved forward through the dark figures.
As they reached the front of the line Andre called softly to Quinn. He held up his hand into a fist and the entire party stopped. Victoria watched as Andre repeated her instructions to him. Quinn seemed to be calculating their next move even as Andre spoke. For a moment he looked past Andre to her and then he turned and looked down the tunnel. Quinn called a tall red- headed Guardian to his side. The two conferred with each other for a moment. Again
Victoria felt strange, a heat between her shoulder blades. It had grown stronger as they traveled through the darkness. Victoria reached for her back as if to scratch an itch and shut her eyes.
The sound of weapons being primed called her back. Everyone was putting their weapons on semi-automatic. This could only mean they expected a welcoming party.
Victoria's eyes followed the forms of the Guardians as they interlaced themselves between trees and shrubs. Then she turned her eyes back towards Andre and lowered her voice so that she would not be overheard by the thralls who stood guard nearby. "Andre?" She waited for him to look at her. "Andre, I was just trying to be helpful. I would not have gone into the tunnel."
He turned dark eyes on her, his face still stern. "You should not have left the group. Just think what would happen if they captured you." He tilted his head to the side as he spoke. "Come. Let us look for your landmark." He gestured with the sweep of a gloved hand.
Victoria nodded her head and stepped forward along the path. She felt more secure with Andre at her side, it was clear that the handsome Spaniard was no stranger to conflict, but still she felt as if someone, or thing were watching her. Victoria's eyes scanned the landscape. Occasionally she would stop and stand motionless, as if willing the forest to part and reveal its secrets. "It was a long time ago, " she mumbled partly to herself. "The last time I used the tunnel."
He walked beside her, his eyes scanning in every direction, including above, she noticed. Behind them the two thralls followed as quietly as they could manage. After a while she began to feel a sense of familiarity. Cocking her head to the side, she looked up at the trees, ahead at the lay of the barely discernable trail.
"What is it?" Andre's voice was warmer now. She looked at him and saw he had a hand on the pommel of his sword.
"Up ahead, " she pointed with a smile. "I think I've found it. Call the others." Victoria rushed forward to a strange outcropping of rocks and bushes. As she pulled at the greenery the rusted form of an old tank began to appear. She could hardly contain her excitement. After all these years she had found the tunnel after all!
She could hear a bird whistle and turned in time to see that it was Andre. He moved silently to join her and from out of the surrounding trees other dark forms appeared. Victoria saw Lilith among them. They formed a semi- circle around the tunnel opening.
"Check it out," Quinn ordered three of the Guardians with electronic gadgets. Victoria could only guess what they were for. The three Guardians moved forward slowly, holding their devices in front of them, reminding her of Star Trek characters using their tricorders to explore an unknown planet.
"What are they doing?" she whispered to Andre.
The Spaniard shrugged. "Checking for traps," he said. Not helpful. She looked at Quinn. He was conferring with a large red-headed Guardian, the two holding a map or blueprint. He looked too busy for her to bother with her questions.
"Traps?" she paused. "But the walls were solid stone, at least 4 feet thick." Victoria turned her eyes towards Lilith. "I don't think Jacob even knew about the tunnel."
Andre looked at her. "They could have installed infrared detection equipment. Sound or movement sensors. Cameras."
Victoria exhaled as she crossed he arms across her chest. She liked the old world better than this new modern one. I guess there was no choice but to wait for the Guardians to give the all clear.
She felt it again. The strange sensation between her shoulder blades that someone was watching her. She turned slowly, looking at those around her and past them. She couldn't see anyone beyond the Guardians except Klein and Jackson, but the feeling lingered.
Victoria turned her attention towards Lilith and opened her mind to her. "Something's not right." Her eyes pleaded with Lilith to respond.
Meeting her gaze, Lilith simply shook her head, then looked away. Victoria found Andre watching her.
Suddenly, with only a hint of sound, the Guardians began to move forward. Lilith fell into place in their midst. Andre took Victoria's arm and steered her toward the tunnel. This was it.
Still that feeling lingered. Why had Lilith refused to respond? Was her desire to rescue Sands so powerful that she had shut her mind to reason?
Victoria and Andre were two of the last of the vampires to enter the tunnel. The narrow walls twisted like a snake and the cold closed in upon them. It was dank and was filled with the smell of wet stone. The only footsteps that were heard were those of the two thralls bringing up the rear. Victoria's had slowly reached for her weapon.
"May I use a flashlight?" Klein asked in a hushed voice.
Victoria looked to Andre for direction. Would light give them away? He shrugged. "You two better stay here, where you can see."
The two thralls nodded.
Victoria watched the expression on their faces. The grimness was authentic.
"Come," Andre said to her. He started forward. She could hear the hiss of metal as he drew his sword from it's sheath. Obviously he felt that they were in danger.
The group walked in silence for some time through the twisting pathways. At certain points they had to walk single file when the passage became too narrow, but Victoria was certain they were close.
"Towards the end, the tunnel will open up into a large earthen root cellar. The entrance into the manor house itself will be to the left, behind some wine racks," she whispered to Andre.
"We should tell those up front." He gestured for her to quicken her pace and they moved forward through the dark figures.
As they reached the front of the line Andre called softly to Quinn. He held up his hand into a fist and the entire party stopped. Victoria watched as Andre repeated her instructions to him. Quinn seemed to be calculating their next move even as Andre spoke. For a moment he looked past Andre to her and then he turned and looked down the tunnel. Quinn called a tall red- headed Guardian to his side. The two conferred with each other for a moment. Again
Victoria felt strange, a heat between her shoulder blades. It had grown stronger as they traveled through the darkness. Victoria reached for her back as if to scratch an itch and shut her eyes.
The sound of weapons being primed called her back. Everyone was putting their weapons on semi-automatic. This could only mean they expected a welcoming party.