"What are you doing here?" Michael demanded. As if I want two traitors here!
Leon stepped forward. "Cut the crap, Michael. The longer you spend fighting me, the longer Selene gets tortured."
Michael was taken aback. "What'd you say?"
It was James's turn to speak, now. "You heard him. As we speak, Erika's lack of hospitality is taking its toll on Selene. Erika got the most brutal, violent, unfeeling interrogator on her side to torture Selene."
"Why should we believe you?" Derek asked coldly. "You two brought her there."
"Yeah," Damien said, adding, "what have you done to gain our trust? For all we know, you could be lying just to get us all killed, ambush us!"
Michael put up his hand to stop the other two from going further. Curious, he asked, "What are yow two doing here? How'd you get in without being stopped?"
"Well, no one's in the security booth," Leon said.
Derek barked over the futuristic walkie-talkie, "Get some men in the security booth this instant!"
"And we're here to help you rescue Selene," James said.
Damien scoffed. "'Help'? You put her in that situation!"
"We had to," Leon insisted. "It was the only way we could figure out to find out where their new fortress is."
"And where is it?" asked Michael.
"Underground, where you guys were attacked the other night," answered James.
Damien smirked at Derek. Ignoring this, Derek asked, "And they're holding Selene down there now?"
They both nodded solemnly. "We have to hurry, before they do something to her that can't just be healed." James voice cracked in the middle of the sentence.
The whole room got quiet. The possibility that Selene was in pain, suffering reached everyone.
"What do you suggest?" Damien asked eventually.
James and Leon shared a look. "We had an idea," James began.
"But we're not sure it'll work," finished Leon.
"Right now, it's all we've got. We have to choice but trust you and your plan," Michael said, and Derek and Damien agreed.
"Our plan," said Leon, "was to pretend that we've captured you guys and infiltrate the fortress that way."
"Actually, we were just planning on using Michael, since any more would add suspicion. Then, afterward a team could come in. But our first priorities, I think you'll agree, are to get Selene out and make sure she's okay."
Michael, satisfied with this plan, asked, "Do you know if the Death Dealers are planning something big as a come-back?"
Leon and James got really quiet, now. An awkward moment seeped into the room and engulfed the men.
"What is it?" Derek asked.
Leon gulped, and looked down. "Uhm, they created this liquid that they can inject into any immortal," he began nervously.
"What does it do?" Michael asked impatiently.
James bit his lip, the looked down, too. "It forces them to go into a rage," he answered quietly.
"They plan to use it against you, Mike," Leon added. "Against Selene."
Damien snorted. "The whole fucking place is full of vampires. How can they be sure that Mike will go after Selene?"
James shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Mike is gonna go after the vampire with the richest blood. That's Selene."
Everyone turned to look at Michael. Michael had paled during this conversation, now looking as if he were about to faint.
"The-there's an easy way around this," Damien said. "Just don't come to rescue Selene."
"Then who'll rescue Selene? They won't let anyone else near her. They would have security that they could at least control Michael and the situation itself. They don't have that security with anyone else, so they won't be near enough to rescue Selene." Leon shook his head. "Our whole plan revolves around Michael being able to be in the fortress before any team is. Unless, of course, you guys have another plan?" He sounded hopeful, but when no one volunteered, he seemed defeated.
"This is the only plan we've got," Michael said, "and we're gonna stick with it. Selene needs us. All of us." He looked around at the most important men in the Stealth Shooter community. "Do Leon, James, and I all have your support in this, Derek and Damien?"
Damien answered first, certain and confidant. "I support this plan."
Derek answered next, calm and cool. "Me too."
Leon smiled. "Great. The only thing we need to do now is create a second team that Derek will need to watch over the mansion in our absence."
"And, of course, organize a way to get the Death Dealer's new weapon away from Michael at all times," Damien said.
Michael smiled. We work really well together, he thought. I never realized how much effort it took to keep us all working together in peace. Selene always did that. And she made it seem so effortless. Michael corrected his thinking – And she makes it seem so effortless. She's not dead, yet!
It was then that he almost collapsed, sitting down on a couch behind him. He cried, letting out all the pent-up emotion he had kept within him. How could he let Selene almost slip through his fingers? The very real reality that Selene could be dead soon touched him, and he cried. The other men automatically knew why Michael was falling apart and did their best to show him they were there for him, but the truth as that Michael felt just as alone as Selene was feeling in that moment.
A/N:
I'm trying to get used to a new computer, so sorry for the delay. I would've gotten this one up sooner...
The next chapter should be up soon. crosses fingers
Thank you so much for reading!! Please leave a comment on anything you would want to comment on and bring to my attention, if you think there is anything.
KATEB819