CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I never saw so many of them in one place. It took my breath away.

We emerged in a what looked like a warehouse that was as large as the eye could see - or even more so.

Dozens upon dozens of hospital beds were laid out, spread out throughout the huge room. Each had a little walkway. The type of bed that was all railings and no padding. They were all connected up and the tubes all snaked around the walls, seemingly all merged together and through the left side of the concrete wall where I could see a door slightly ajar.

What's worse was what was on each bed - a person.

Human?

No.

Vampire.

"All of them…" Cindy breathed. "I have never seen a vampire like this before."

I haven't either. There are so many things that they can do compared to a human and yet the sight before me… to see however many there were in this fucking vampire free organisation, feared me.

What kind of powers does Paper have to be able to put a vampire in this state?

"What the hell is Paper hiding?" I whispered.

I know I shouldn't but I walked between beds. I had this sinking feeling that if I did, I could understand what the fuck this fucked up place is doing because if I ever, ever, saw Mattie in that state, I'd probably knock some sense into them.

James stayed behind to hold the doors open. "This is where that old bloody smell came from."

Each vampire looked fragile. They were skin and bones. They needed blood to regenerate.

A hand touched the tubes. Cindy's.

"This is blood."

"They're being drained of blood?" I exclaimed. Ironic.

"Yes." She looked grave. She didn't look like her bubbly self at all. "There's little research on what happens when a vampire cannot heal. We're in uncharted territory but I know one thing:" Her eyes found mine. "They will not attack you in this state."

I swallowed. Looked at Cindy's serious face, hearing her tone, looked at the 'near to dead' beings surrounding us.

Despite their superiority, these vampires need us.

As we made our way passed all the beds toward the ajar door once Cindy gave the 'okay' that no one was present there too, a strangely familiar face caught my eye.

I'd seen her in books and photographs during my studies but never in a million years would I believe that meeting her face to face was possible.

I heard Cindy's intake of breath. She recognised this girl right in front of me too.

Amanda King. The Amanda King that went missing. No, that description didn't really justify her. The pure blood and very young Amanda King.

"This is where she went." I whispered.

"You're… you're taking pictures this, right?" Cindy said.

I nodded. I was taking pictures of everything even if it looked like nothing. I reasoned with myself saying, 'the more pictures I took, the less I would miss.'

"We have to do something about this."

"Yes, but we have to complete our original mission." Find out what we can on Mattie.

A garbled gasp took a hold of the young girl's body. I jumped back, almost grabbing Alpha and Beta in my shock. Cindy gave me a look that said, 'put it away'. Damn.

Amanda's eyes looked tired as if they were sick of the world.

"Mama?"

Because I was close to her, I decided to hold her hand. That was the right thing to do. Right?

I leaned in close to her and in the softest voice I could muster I said, "Amanda, can you hear me?"

Her eyes found mine and she nodded.

"Please don't be alarmed. I'm Lucy Henderson. This-" I motioned toward Cindy, "This is Angela Fox. We're both from Bloody Rose."

Amanda's eyes followed my gesture then rested with me. Maybe it was because if she wanted to look at Cindy, we'll need to adjust her seating.

"I know your name from another vampire who told me about your family."

At the sound of 'family', Amanda closed her eyes tightly. It looked like she was going to cry. I wouldn't blame her. In human terms she looked five years old but considering the story of her disappearance was about thirty years ago…

"Hey, it's okay." Cindy went around to the other side and patted her head. "We'll help you get back to your family."

She relaxed. I was glad I saw that look of peace on her face for someone who had suffered so much for so long. Even more so when she was without her family and only knew a world of… pain.

"Do you know where you are?" I asked.

Amanda shook her head.

"You're in Bloody Paper right now."

"Do you know what happened to you before you came here, Amanda?" Cindy asked.

"I… don't know." It was a plea. "I want Mama."

"Sh…" I said, rubbing her thin hand with my thumb.

"We'll help you and everyone get out." I said but for some reason she didn't look convinced so I took off my scarf. "I'll leave this here so you remember I'll be back for it, for you." I put the scarf in her hand.

"We'll put it under your pillow so no one will know how you got it, okay?" Cindy said. Once she got a nod as an answer, Cindy took a step to her right so she was behind Amanda and gave clear and concise instructions on how she was going to lift up her pillow. In this state, I guess she didn't want to cause any more harm to the frail looking girl who was laid out in front of us.

We hid the scarf and left a bit ner her hand so she could reach it easily.

"Alice, Cindy." It was James through the mic reminding us to get a move on.

"Amanda, we have to go now. I'll be back for that scarf, remember?"

A smile pushed up the corners of her mouth. "Okay."

"Bye." It was all I could say before Cindy ushered me away.

"This has to end. I fucking hate blood farms." I heard Cindy hiss.

This is a blood farm?

I had heard of them briefly from my studies. Humans would be lured and kidnapped. They would then be grouped together just like every single vampire here, all wired up with tubes to drain their blood. In the old days the blood would be used for transfusion purposes, before people decided to volunteer.

But for this farm to be a vampire one… this was a rare sight.

What is Paper doing with the vampire blood?

The room that the ajar door lead to was a control room but it didn't look like it was for the blood.

In this rectangle room, a control panel in the far right corner took up most of the room, complete with three stools. It overlooked the next room with a window to connect the two, the type the police had for interrogations. I could see that in that room, the walls were white and padded.

"What do you reckon this is for?" I said, marvelling the amount of buttons on the panel. There must be something written on this to provide me a clue.

"I'm not sure." Cindy said. She was looking through the window as if there was something important happening. But it was empty.

From this angle I could see a door in that room, adjacent to the door we had just came through.

There was nothing on the panel that told me what this was for. Frustration took a hold of me. After everything we'd been through, all we found was that Paper harboured a blood farm? And we didn't know the reason either.

"Is that it?" I said. I couldn't keep it out of my voice.

Cindy gave the room a once over. Her hand traced the wall as she did. Her footsteps echoed throughout the small room. I wouldn't have been surprised if the vampires in the next room would have heard. It was eerily quiet.

Perfect for jump scares.

"From what I know of Paper the only way they can go is down." She walked over to a corner of the room, a corner hidden by the panel and kicked the floor. The sound it made rang around the room. Hollow.

"No one's there but just be careful of cameras."

There was no latch or anything on this hollow tiled plate. Once again if I had a human with me as a partner, I don't think either of us would have found this trapdoor. I highly doubted that we would have walked over it either.

Kneeling over, I took the nail file from a nail clipper and ran it around the edge to see. It was one of the only things that people are Rose carried around that was considered as harmless. Plus the fact that most people overlook this little tool. I only hope it stayed that way.

It seemed to give but I froze once a thought flashed in my mind.

"Are you sure this ain't booby trapped or what?"

Cindy nodded with a serious expression on her face. I don't think I'll ever get used to it.

Although I should really try relying on my own once in awhile.

I wiggled the file and pried the tile open. How was a guy supposed to open this knowing that there was a trapdoor here?

A tunnel with a ladder lead a long way down to darkness. I couldn't really see anything at the bottom.

"I don't see or hear anything strange." Cindy mused. "Although I do hear the sound of several computers so it could lead to a server."

"Stay here." I said. "I'll go down. I need your range of hearing to give me a bit more time to get out if I need to."

"Are you sure? I could go down and be here in a few seconds."

"I'm sure." I can't help but get the feeling that the archives were somewhere downstairs. Anywhere downstairs.

"I'll keep you posted then." Cindy said. "I'll stay in this room though."
"Got it." There was barely any cover in the blood farm. "James, are you keeping up?"

"Yes. You're splitting up. Be careful."

I nodded at Cindy as I descended the ladder.
Shit, it's cold. If it there is a server here, they have the right conditions to store one.

Something flashed from beneath me. Damn, what was that? I froze. But nothing happened so maybe it was in my mind?

But it happened again once I descended a few steps. There was something here.
Cindy said there was no one down here. Get your head into gear, Alice!

I went down anyway. I trusted Cindy despite the short time we've known each other.

As it turned out there was a motion sensor that lit the limited space up like a tree. Not all of it was lit though. The section I was in was lit. Further down was a different story.

There was a glass wall on my right showing a room with three large tanks dominating one side of the room. There was a door on the far side but it was closed.

Is that where all the blood is going?

I told Cindy and James what I saw who both acknowledged.

Further down the line, a seriously large room welcomed me. Rows and rows of red blinking lights flashed like stars in the darkness just telling me they were there.
"It's the server room."

I hung on the ladder where I could lean and peer over at the whole room from ceiling height. The computers were stacked higher than I was, a good head taller. Similar to the farm above, there was a walkway between every computer. Some wires connected each of them, some were on the floor, some even over the tops.

I couldn't see a camera in this room…
I hope there's no cameras in this room…

"Lucy?"
I was shocked so much I nearly pulled out Alpha and Beta. Again.

Cindy's voice boomed in my ear. Damn I forgot I had the earpiece and the contact.

"Lucy? Are you okay there?"

Looking up I could see how far I was from Cindy. I didn't really know why I did it. I couldn't see from up there, why should I see her from down here?
"Yeah," I whispered. "Can you see through my contact?"

"Just a sec."

A twitch in my eye forced me to blink. When I opened it again, I could see the control panel. Cindy's perspective!

"Can you look around the room again for me, please?" I did what she asked. "For a server room, they sure don't have much security." She said. "Just remember that there might be sensors on the floor or something like that, I can't really pick up from up here."

"Okay."

Gingerly, I made my way down. Nothing happened when I stepped on the ground. It's a bit weird having one eye looking at the surrounding and another in the room above so I closed the eye that was connected to Cindy.

"Doesn't look like anything happened." Cindy said. "But I suggest you look around fast and get out. If need be, I'll pick you up."

I started walking through one of the walkways. "Right."

I've never seen so many computers in one room before. Not even in the IT room at uni. But having said that, that was a futile comparison.

They all looked the same too and in this darkness, it took me a while to realise I was walking between metal cabinets, the ones that you see in offices containing files.

"Are these… the archives?" I whispered.

"Open one up."

The cabinet in front of me said it had 'W-Z'. I suppose it meant surnames.

It was unlocked. A bunch of dividers welcomed me along with the associated names.

"Look for Taylor." Cindy said.

I didn't need to be told. I had that butterfly in my stomach feeling that we'll finally know why humans and vampires had differing opinions about Mattie.

I'm on edge. I'm excited.

It took me a while to finally find the right cabinet. A few more seconds and I was looking through the surnames beginning with 'T'.

Tae.

I skipped ahead.

Tailor.

Tate.

Taylor!

I mentally gave myself a little dance.

Taylor, Anabelle

Damn.

"There!" Even Cindy had some excitement in her voice. "Go further… yes, that way… nearly there…"

I see it too!

I took it out. Matthew Alistair Taylor's file was thin. Surprisingly thin considering how old he was. Almost like it had just a few sheets.

"I'm sorry, Cindy. I'll have to turn you off." Thank God I can have the first peek at his… whatever is in this.

"Alright." I thought she would have argued. Strange. So I squinted and turned off the camera in my contact. The view from the room upstairs cleared up to be replaced by what I saw I saw in front of me.

There was no time to lose. I opened it and started taking pictures of it and made sure I got everything, every little piece of detail that was in my hands, I took a picture of. Who knows when I'll have this same folder in my hands.

I did vaguely wonder about reading the photos in this light but some weird white circle appeared in my vision. Just before the image was taken, it flashed. I suppose that was the flash on it.

But it was… the things in this folder… how do I describe it? Gruesome. If I understood it correctly.

There was the usual stuff, the profile of Mattie including his date of birth, parents, if he had any siblings, occupation along with a picture of the man, but on the second page… there was a few papers there held together with a paperclip that said, "Top secret. Mission: Apricot" It was a bundle of pictures, together with some reports from some people I didn't recognise.

It told of a story of when Mattie was human.

The shock I felt when I read this almost stopped me from continuing.

He was married and his wife was pregnant with his first child. But when she was three months down the line, Mattie found out he had cancer. Worried that he wouldn't be able to see the eyes of his child, he sort help from an unlikely means.

Mattie… married. It's a weird… fact… my chest felt heavy as I read it. I know it happened way before I was even born but...

Professional Alice stirred. Do you remember before when Iain showed you that photograph at the office? That photo was taken in 1875! Mattie's at least 140 years old! Clearly he had a life before you so get your head in the game!

She was right. I shook my head and carried on.

Carrying on, some men who call themselves 'Chi', took Mattie in and they experimented on him.

The pictures showed me everything I needed to know about what happened that day. Mattie was out cold on the table in a operation room.

Thank God it looks professional enough.

They suspended his body in the air, supported by several plastic tubes connected to different places of his body and drained all the blood from his body.

Shit. This is gruesome shit right here. And to think it happened to him! Does Mattie really want to know this?
Then they pumped him with new blood.

What's special with this blood?
I scanned the reports that coupled with the photos.

I almost choked on my own saliva.

Vampire blood! And not only any vampire blood, but blood from a pure blood vampire!

"Holy shit!"
"It's that bad?" Cindy said. In my quest for knowledge, I forgot she was still there.

"Yeah."

"Tell me when we're in the okay."

Where did they get the pure blood from though? Surely not from a blood farm...
"Alright." As for the rest, I continued taking photos, put the whole file back and headed toward the ladder out of this shit, silent room.

There was only one thing left: This organisation had a connection to vampires and their society. It's a bit unclear as to what their aim was and why they needed someone like Mattie, that was one thing I was definitely interested in knowing.

"What took you long?" Cindy said as I poked my head out of the tunnel. She even had to haul my sorry ass out of the tunnel, I was just so tired and weak.

I feel sick.

I don't understand. It didn't happen to me.

I clutched my stomach. Please, please, please don't throw up…

It's because you love Mattie. Professional Alice said.

I collapsed on top of the trapdoor when Cindy closed it.

"I just need a rest." I panted.

To replace all the blood in your body… who the fuck thought of that idea?

Cindy surveyed me. What was she thinking?

On second thought, I don't really care.

Once I finally got my breathing back under control I motioned for us to get the fuck out of this place. I think that once I was away from Paper's archive, I can do some actual thinking of my own.

I lied.

Sort of.

The first thing I did when I got back was get into bed, curl up on a fetal position and sleep.

Am I awake?

It's dark. There was no moonlight.

I could swear that the window was in this direction...

I can't see an arm's length in front of me.

I walked and walked and walked, but I just couldn't feel anything in front of me.

Where am I?

"Cindy?" I shouted.

I didn't get a reply.

"James?"

Still nothing.

"Mattie? Iain?"

Nothing.

Then I felt something slimy in my outstretched hands. Something thicker than water. It pooled and dripped on the floor. I didn't know what the hell it was but I wiped it on my clothes.

Fear gripped me. There was a huge lump in my throat. I started breathing rapidly. My hands got sweaty.

"Mattie!" I screamed.

"Alice, holy shit, wake up!"

I was jerked awake by James who had both hands on my shoulders and a concerned look on his face

I was sweaty. I was panting.

What was that?

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" I think. "Bad dream I guess."

"You guessed right! You were moaning pretty badly in your sleep."

I ran a hand over my forehead and into my hair. "I think… I think I'll be okay now, James."

"Are you sure? You don't really want to talk about this bad dream?"

"I'm sure. Sorry I interrupted you." But as I said that he was shaking his head.

"Glad I was here."

I yawned before laying back down. "I'm fine really, James."

The next day, I pulled the images up thanks to the contact.

Continuing where I left off: I learnt that Chi had experimented on even more people before. I think it was only mentioned because Mattie was their only success. But whatever the reason, they were pretty protective of Mattie.

Just wait, Rose. Just wait till you hear this, Iain, Sam.

But there was another question: Why the blood farm?

Are they recreating the same thing?

That idea didn't excite me. Amanda was there for thirty years, were they doing the same thing for thirty years? If that's true, holy shit! That's wrong on so many levels!

Why are they hosting a blood farm when it's against their own rules?

Cindy and James came up to me. I suppose they wanted to know what the information was. I would.

"You want to know what Mattie's history is like?" I asked.

"It would clear up some misconceptions that even Mattie himself doesn't know." James said. "It also helps if you have a fresh mind to it. I'm pretty sure you have a million questions running around in that head of yours, most humans do."

So I told them. Was it possible to be even paler when you're a vampire?

Their expressions were just like mine. The slightly wide eyed stare, the slightly sucked in cheeks and the fuller chest… I saw it, all the signs that they were shocked about it.

"Why don't we take a few days off." Cindy offered. "I mean, we could use the time to try and get our head around it and it's not really good to continue feeling like this."

She was right. I better try and get my head around this, it'll be better for everyone.