Chapter 4 – Questions Left Unanswered
Elisa caught Lucian's gaze, anger surging through her. I save your sorry hide, like as not, and this is the thanks I get? You bloody ingrate.
"Leave him be," she said to Max, her voice chilly. "If he wishes to remain helpless as he is because of his body's inability to metabolize the silver there, he may."
For all that it pains me. I do not like the idea of him being helpless. I wish I knew why.
Max gave her an annoyed glare. "Hippocratic Oath, Doctor Maloryn. I know you never swore it, but I live by it. And who of us was the first to decide he needed help?"
She shot him a dirty look as he pulled a small vial out of his medical kit. "No need to bring that up, St. Claire."
I wish I could regret it. But as I cannot, I will make use of this. There is much I can learn, and will, from Lucian. At least then I will not have to explain why I do not care if he is a danger.
Lucian was watching Max warily as a syringe was prepared. "What is that?"
"A treatment for your acute silver poisoning." Max's gaze slid over to meet Elisa's, and he didn't elaborate.
Leaving it up to me, if I chose to.
Lucian's gaze followed Max's, and he raised an eyebrow. He didn't say anything as Max slid the needle smoothly into a vein, the precious drug carefully injected into his blood.
I can only hope that they metabolize any remains as well as any of the humans who have used this do. Or we may have given the lycans an immunity to the silver the vampires use to kill them. An advantage, now that they have the ultraviolet bullets as well.
"Why develop a drug like this?" Lucian's voice was quiet, something in his tone ringing warning bells in Elisa's mind. "You wouldn't have much use for it. Certainly not on humans."
Elisa licked her lips, fighting the urge to run and hide. Never run when facing a predator, or you just look like prey. A maxim useful around lycans and vampires, if I can keep it in mind.
"It is not usually administered by itself, and it is not available to the public, even for clinical trials." She paused, knowing she had said almost more than she should have. "Anything more is classified."
There was a long silence before Lucian replied, "I see."
Letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, Elisa leaned back against the counter. That could have been spectacularly bad if he had asked more questions.
Lucian contemplated Maloryn's response, marking her tension as she waited for his reaction. He could almost see the worry in her eyes that he would ask more questions. Why would it be classified, Doctor Maloryn? And what is it that accompanies this drug's 'usual' use? Truth serum, perhaps? One designed to be used specifically on lycans?
"I see," he said, keeping his questions to himself for now. He would ask her later, when he was able to control the situation.
He watched Maloryn sag with some small amount of amusement. What are you hiding that makes you so glad I ask none of my questions about your little classified drug? Or is it who you are hiding?
"Perhaps, since you are here, you could alleviate some curiosity of mine." Maloryn paused, watching him for any sign of response. Lucian did nothing to make her interrogation easier, and she continued, a note of uncertainty creeping into her voice. "Just some questions about how you survived being shot full of silver nitrate. And what happened…"
Lucian interrupted her with a snarled comment. "I am not going to satisfy some human's curiosity, Maloryn." He assessed his body rapidly, and he let out a savage smile. He doubted the humans could react fast enough to stop him now. Your questions, as well as mine, will have to wait, Doctor Maloryn.
He grabbed the table that was at one end of the couch, throwing it at the window a split second before he followed, the glass shattering as Lucian went through it. He twisted as he fell to land on his feet, and darted into an alley across the street. Bullets cracked against the pavement behind him, and Lucian ducked out of sight of the window, waiting to find out what more Maloryn and her bodyguards would do.
Gabe scowled as Lucian vanished into an alley, turning away from the broken window to face Max. "You shouldn't have given him that dose."
"No. It shouldn't have worked that fast." Elisa was staring at the window with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Max, do you have samples of Lucian's blood or tissue?"
"The biohazard bag has the cleaning supplies. There was blood all over them, as well as my gloves." Max raised an eyebrow, doubt in his expression. "Do you think you'll be able to get live cells off of any of that?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. At least the bio-hazard bag is new, so there can't be serious contamination of the samples." Elisa grabbed the biohazard bag from its can, tucking it neatly into her insulated case after sealing it. "And even if I can't get live cells, I should be able to get genetic material, and I can have Jacob do his genetic magic on it all. I'll have cell lines by the end of the week, and I should be able to figure out why Lucian had such a fast reaction to the drug."
She pulled her samples from the day before out of her refrigerator, and added them to the case along with a cold pack. "I need to get these samples to the lab as well, so I can get them entered into the database." Elisa looked over her shoulder at Gabe. "As soon as possible, Gabe. And if I'm at the lab, you won't have to worry about the danger Lucian represents. You know how Mr. Corwin keeps that place a veritable fortress."
And you have a cot in your office, where you can sleep until we find a new home. And this time, I'm insisting on a house. No more arguing about living closer to the city, or dealing with building managers.
"I'm driving. Your car can stay here." Gabe scooped up Elisa's pack, his eyes meeting hers. "You're staying at the lab for a few days, Lis."
Elisa pressed her lips together. "Fine. I'll pack an overnight bag, Gabe. You can bring me more clothes later." She turned away, vanishing into her room.
"I'm driving; your car's staying here, Lis." Gabe held Elisa's gaze as he picked up her bag. "You're staying a few days at the lab."
Where Lucian cannot find me, and I can pester Jacob about doing his magic on what I can retrieve from the blood samples from Lucian, if I need to. Where I can figure out what the hell I was thinking last night, and all without me having to ask. There are times you are a god-send, Gabe.
Elisa pressed her lips together to keep from grinning, forcing her excitement down. Not too enthusiastic, Lis. And remember, you cannot take too much. Neighbors will wonder.
"I will pack my overnight bag. You will need to bring me more clothing later, though, Gabe." She turned away before she lost control of her expression, ducking into her room. Two changes of clothing, my night clothes, my journal. That Halloween picture of me and mum. Do not want that to be left to the boys to pack.
Elisa tucked items into her duffel as she thought of them, tossing it over her shoulder as she trotted out into the main room again. "Ready."
Lucian watched the small car pull out of an underground garage, drawing back further into the shadows when Montrose's gaze fell on the alley briefly. Maloryn was in the back seat with St. Claire, but there was no sign of the third bodyguard. Leaving one in the apartment while you go where, Doctor Maloryn?
He turned away from the street with a grimace, padding further into the alley. The scents that hung in the crisp morning air were familiar, and Lucian studied the buildings as he walked through the warren of alleys. Pausing at the back door of an apartment building, he made a quick check for anyone watching before breaking the lock with a quick twist of his hand on the handle.
Down a flight of stairs, and through a metal door was the boiler room, where Lucian paused. The arms locker that was hidden near the back was open, magazines of ultra-violet bullets glowing on the shelves. His nostrils flared as he tested the air, his body tensed for a fight.
"Lucian?" A young man stepped around the boiler, staring at the other lycan. "We were told you had been killed."
Lucian stepped out of the shadows, recognizing the younger werewolf. "I am dead, Rex. But I have not yet ceased to exist."
Nor can I afford to do so now. Not until I have found out what I need to know about Doctor Maloryn. Starting with who she works for, and how much she knows about lycans and vampires.
Rex gave Lucian a skeptical look, but didn't comment on what had been said, changing the subject instead. "Are you going to gather the pack again? Before they scatter to the winds?"
Lucian shrugged, checking the locker for magazines with regular rounds after he picked up the gun he preferred. "Not yet. It will be safer for them to hide for now. And I have business to attend to."
"Business?" Rex gave him a puzzled look. "What now? And how many do you need to help?"
Loading the gun, Lucian regarded Rex for a long moment before replying. "Only a few. I don't want to draw attention." Especially not if Doctor Maloryn is working for the vampires. However unlikely that may be.
"My sister and my daughter are still in the city, waiting for me. Reeve left with her brother's woman, and their small ones. They weren't going to wait, and risk vampires finding the small ones." Rex picked up one of the guns laid out on the table, and tucked it into the back of his pants. "Most of the men who were at the den are dead, and no one's seen Singe or those with him."
Lucian nodded. He hadn't expected anything less after the vampires raided the den. "Where does your wife expect to meet you?"
"The old fortress. She's expecting me to arrive with Kit and Nikki tomorrow night at the latest." Rex began putting weapons they couldn't conceal back into the locker. "I can send Nikki out and have her tell her mother Kit and I will be delayed."
"Have her stay out of the city once she does. I will gather the pack after I finish with my business here." Lucian headed back for the outside. "Which safe house are your sister and daughter using while you get weapons?"
"The one near the city center. Vampires searching the catacombs won't expect lycans to remain that close, so the patrols are thinner and easier to avoid."
"Good." Lucian took the lead, knowing which safe house Rex had hidden his family in. And if the patrols are thinner, not only are they easier to avoid, but less risk of drawing their attention. More time to discover what Doctor Maloryn is up to.
Author's Notes
First, my muses are back with a vengence after seeing a couple trailers for the Underworld sequel. I'll try to get another chapter out before it comes out, but I make no garuntees.
To amande, Ellethiel, Joker, and TwistofShadows - Thank you for your reviews, and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.