Michael was awakened by the banging on the door. Selene had been up for awhile, for the minimal heat her body put off no longer warmed the furrow she had created next to him on the mattress. "Michael, we need your medical expertise," Catarina's voice called out worriedly from the other side. "Lukan said you were a surgeon." Michael dragged himself out of the tangle of sheets, pulling on the clothes he had left all over the room with a speed born of emergency training. He opened the door to find Catarina still poised to knock a second time.
"I'm ready. Let's see it." He followed her through the short maze of passages and into the large room where they had been holding their planning meetings. There were three Lycans lying beside each other on the ground, each in various states of consciousness. He opted to work on the alert one first, and quickly, before he got any worse and slipped away. As there were only two shells, it was quick work. He then moved on to the harder of the two remaining cases. His skilled hands worked the knife and calipers around sinew and straight into the deepest recesses where the bullets were hidden. Instructing Catarina on how to properly bandage the wounds, he moved on to the third. He was half-awake, struggling to pull a silver-tipped dagger from his elbow. Raze had already pulled the worst of his missiles out, and so he was recovering slowly. Once all three were resting comfortably, Michael looked around for Selene. Raze met his eyes with a burn of regret.
"We went out together," he explained delicately. "She was leading the Death Dealers away from here while I brought home these three. She told me she would loop the city and then lose them downtown where the buildings are higher. She's streetwise, Michael. She'll be all right." Michael looked at him with hooded eyes.
"How come no one woke me up? I'd have been glad to come along and help!" Raze shook his head, half-smiling.
"Selene and I agreed that they would target you first and foremost. You're like our secret weapon, Michael. It's better if you stay here."
"So, I have to sit here and wonder if you two are going to come back? I assume Lukan and Catarina are allowed out, too?"
"No. Catarina is very young and Lukan is still weak. I made sure they'd stay behind and guard this place with you. You aren't the only one on at-home status." Michael relaxed only a little from this news. Selene was still out there, running the streets whil he was sitting at home, twiddling his thumbs. Michael looked at Raze like he had an extra eye in the middle of his forehead. "She'll be back. Content yourself with knowing that you just saved valuable lives. The two with the bullets are two of my most valuable friends. Brick and Anton were captured in the raid the other night. If anyone can give us an accurate account, they can." Michael nodded slowly.
"Who was the third?" he inquired.
"Adam," he replied matter-of-factly.
"Adam?" Michael's eyebrows arched as his eyes widened. He returned to the bedside of the third rescue. As clearly as he could picture his old friend, every feature was identical. Adam had somehow become a Lycan.
"We stumbled across him in a back alley awhile back. He's been relatively useful in the field of genetic research. The Vampires knew this, and they've been using him." Michael could hardly believe his eyes. He rubbed his temples as though he were trying to rid himself of the vision clouding his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, Adam hadn't disappeared.
"I know him," Michael said quietly. "At least, I did when we were human." He paced the length of the small space, seating himself on the ledge.
"Nothing's the same, is it?" Raze asked shrewdly. "I was an ancient architect, back in Egypt. I had a wife, two beautiful daughters, and we lived at the summer palace, on the east bank of the Nile. My children were growing up under the eyes of the pharaoh. Life was perfect, everything had fallen into place for me. One night, I was walking along the mines where the stones for buildings were cut. I had been commissioned to make a great monument. I fell. I don't know exactly how. I think I lost my footing on the shale. I was losing a lot of blood. I was dying. Lucian found me there. He didn't even speak my language, but he saw something in me. Lucian gave me the chance to live. I took it. From then on, the only time I could call on my family was when they were asleep at night. My wife married my brother and my old life as I knew it was gone." Raze looked sorrowful, but that moment of vulnerability faded as soon as it had come. The door banged open, and Lukan let out a whoop.
"All right, Selene! How'd you get these?" Lukan held out two full duffel bags of UV bullets.
"Took a little detour back," Selene explained, interrupted mid-sentence as Michael kissed her in front of everyone. Her arms went around his neck, and she pulled back sheepishly as Catarina whooped. "I'm fine. Not a scratch." Michael gestured to her arm, which was bleeding. "Well, maybe a small one," she relented. "I can take care of myself," she said, meeting his eyes. "They all made it back?" Michael nodded. "We're going to have to postpone the raid a few more days. I need to do some recon." She stepped away from him. Once again, Selene was in her element, ready to jump into the fray and put her incredible talent at figuring out puzzles to good use. Michael knew there would be no stopping her once she got going. He watched with remorse as she seated herself on the ledge, tapping away at a laptop she had procured. He decided to leave her to her own devices, knowing full well he was only going to be a distraction. Sighing, he sank down next to the rescued victims and pulled his knees to his chest.