Chapter V: The Escape

The first sensations of feeling Malachi experienced was a searing pain shooting through his whole body. He knew he was still on that damned train, he just hoped Amelia was as well. Jumping to his feet with a cat like silence Malachi stood ready to face the two remaining Lycan, however they were not there, instead a large black man stood over his mistress with a syringe in his hand it looked as if he was bleeding her. Malachi's eyes filled with rage, jumping into the air Malachi used the carriage wall as a spring board to launch his attack. As soon as his feet hit the wall the hulking Lycan turned, however his face was met with a vaulting kick to the side of his head, falling to the floor Malachi unleashed a brief series of kicks to the face and sternum of his enemy. Once Mailachi was satisfied his opponent was stunned he turned, then scooping up his mistress in a fireman's carry he leapt through a broken window, and with a series of gravity defying bounds he made his escape from the train station into a small clump of trees.

"Shit!" The huge Lycan bellowed as he punched a hole in the wall of the carriage. By the time he had got to the window his attacker was out of site, Soren and his men had already left the scene and he had sent the two surviving Lycan away, there was no way he was going to find Amelia. He hesitated for a time trying to think what he was going to say to Lucian. His chain of thought was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

"Raze" He answered in his granite like voice

"Its Pierce" came a voice from the other end of the phone "Lucian wants to know what's keeping you? Is it done?" asked Pierce "are they all dead"

Raze hesitated for a moment, he looked down at the bag of syringes filled with Amelia's blood, is it enough? He thought to himself.

"Raze!" Pierce called out "Are they all dead?"

"Yes" lied Raze, "They're all dead; I'm on my way back."

Taking the bag of syringes in one hand he wiped some sweat from his brow, "It must be enough."

Malachi stopped running after a few minutes until he came to a small car park, he gently placed Amelia down on to the cold concrete floor, and desperately tried to get some kind of reaction out of her. "My lady!" he pleaded franticly as he stroked her hair, "please don't leave me!" He sliced open his wrist using one of his fangs and held it to her mouth. "Please, Please drink princess." He pleaded, yet Amelia lay motionless on the ground. He walked over to the most inconspicuous car in the car park, a beige Volvo, breaking the window he tore out the dash and hot wired the car. Placing Amelia in the back seat, he kissed her forehead and climbing into the driver's seat began to drive. Steering with his right hand he took his cell phone out of his pocket with his left, he had twenty two missed calls, all from New York. He called back and a delicate voice answered the phone "Where have you been?" asked a clearly worried Nina.

"We've been betrayed!" Spat Malachi "They're all dead!"

"Who's dead?" Asked Nina, clearly panicking

"The Council! Nathan! Fucking everyone! They're all dead!"

"Amelia?" She asked her bottom lip beginning to tremble.

"I don't know" Malachi responded.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Demanded Nina "What's happened to our princess?"

"She's in the car with me now, I don't know if she's alive or not, now angel you have to listen to me, we've been betrayed, I can't risk going to the mansion, I'm taking the mistress to Ziodec, call ahead make arrangements for them to receive us, and Nina, your going to have to use your authorization to make sure they don't contact Kraven. Do you understand?" He asked her in a firm yet reassuring voice.

"Yes my love."

"Good, I'll call you when things are safe, I love you Nina."

"I love you too baby."

Malachi knew where he was going, as Amelia's chief of security he had visited the Ziodec research facility just outside Budapest a few times on official business. Ziodec was the legitimate front to the Vampires Empire, it made the cloned blood that sustained them, and forged the weapons they used in their fight against the lycan's. He thought that the facility would be their safest bet, the men in charge of Ziodec know that Amelia and the council are in charge of their corporations funding, therefore it was safe to assume that their loyalty would still be with Amelia.

"Hang on my Lady" he pleaded to the still unconscious Amelia "You'll be safe soon"

After about thirty minutes of driving Malachi saw the imposing square structure that was the Ziodec research facility, it was a dark square building with a huge drive, it was not very tall, three or four story's high, it was what lied beneath the installation that made it so special. A dozen sub-terrainian stories's filled with labs and research centers. There was one in most of the world's major cities. Malachi could see two black hummers parked outside a huge iron gate, and a dozen armed men, they weren't Death Dealers, probably weren't even Vampires Malachi thought to himself. As the car rolled to a stop one of the armed men approached the car, with and MP5 pointed at Malachi.

"Sir I'm going to need your clearance" he said in a firm yet calm voice.

"Malachi, head of security" the Vampire responded holding out a swipe card.

After taking the swipe card to a laptop on board one of the hummers, Malachi's access was verified.

"Thank you sir, I'm Sergeant Volkof, if you would leave your car here we'll dispose of it. I'm told your wounded passenger is a member of the council."

"This is the Lady Amelia." Malachi responded coldly

"I see.." hesitated the Guard "We must hurry, and get her to our medical facilities."

Malachi gently scooped Amelia up in his arms and placed her in the back of one of the hummers. The journey into the bows of the facility seemed to blur now, he watched as doctors and scientists plugged all sorts of tubes into Amelia, people were asking him questions, what happened? When? How? He didn't even know anymore, all he cared about was Amelia getting better.

"Mr Malachi" A cold voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Identify yourself." Malachi demanded

"My name is Holtz, and I am the director of this facility."

"You're a Vampire" Observed Malachi, no longer looking at the frail figure in an Armani suit and White coat.

"Yes I am, our doctors tell me that Amelia's condition is serious, though we are trying to replace the blood she lost, we are unable to say when or if she will recover. However if she does it will be thanks to you."

"That's my job" Malachi commented coldly. "Mr Holtz, we need to have a little talk about loyalty."

"I'm not sure I understand" The older Vampire said, clearly uneasy.

"Its very simple, our Lady was betrayed by Kraven and his men, I need to know that your loyalties are with Amelia, and not this new movement."

"I am loyal only to the elders" Holtz boldly proclaimed "This Corporation and the forces it commands are loyal to Amelia."

"That's good to hear" Nodded Malachi "However, in order to make sure there are going to be some temporary changes to the running of this facility."

"Like What?" Asked Holtz

"For starters there is to be no communication whatsoever with Kraven, or any one else at the mansion. Do you understand?"

"Yes" was his simple reply.

"Good. Secondly, although you will continue to oversee this facility as normal, I will take control of your forces, which I am about to deploy to safeguard this facility, incase someone comes to finish the job they started earlier. Oh, and your going to need to call up any reserves, ok?

"Of course" Sighed Holtz, obviously unhappy about these concessions.

"Do not worry Mr. Holtz" Malachi reassured him, "These changes will only be so until Amelia is better, and we have our own security. Now, if you will excuse me I have some phone calls to make.