Fletcher pulled me into a hug. “Luv, I’m so glad you’re all right. I was with Antonio when he briefed the squad on The Reaper’s Call. I swear my heart skipped at least four beats.” Like me, Fletcher was British, and I loved him to bits. But he was also a bloody drama queen – even Norm agreed on that. He addressed both Jared and me as he added, “You must be a bag of nerves right now. I know I am. Poor Evan. And the others of course, but Evan…I’ve always had a soft spot for him. No doubt you have a plan of action. I’m eager to hear it.”
He squeezed himself between David and Damien on the sofa. Reuben had perched himself on one arm of the sofa while Chico perched himself on the arm that Jared had bent me over not so long ago. I had to fight a smile, and I saw that Jared was doing the same.
“Antonio put Evan, Max, and Stuart into a containment cell.” Chico traced his goatee. “They’re not pleased about it, but they understand.”
The containment cells were located beneath the large mansion and made of unbreakable glass. A cell was, therefore, the best place to put Evan, Max, and Stuart, but I still couldn’t help balking at the idea of them locked up like that.
“Antonio’s news scared the crap out of all of us,” continued Chico. “I’d never even heard of The Reaper’s Call before. Have you?”
I shook my head. My attention went to Cristiano and Ava, who were clearly devastated to know that their vampires had fallen victim to The Call and died in those tunnels. Ava was cuddling herself while Denny kept a comforting arm over her shoulders. I couldn’t help but notice that Salem, who was standing behind them with Cristiano, was scowling at Denny’s comforting arm. As if he sensed someone looking at him, Denny turned his head. When he saw the expression on his fellow squad member’s face, his eyes widened. Denny looked from Salem to a totally clueless Ava and back again, and then abruptly dropped his arm. Salem simply grunted in what could have been satisfaction. He wasn’t an easy one to read.
“Antonio said that you and Jared are planning to search for a way to help them.” Ava’s voice was surprisingly strong, considering she looked like a small wind could knock her on her arse. “Do you really think you can find one?”
“No other outcome is acceptable,” Jared told her. His confidence seemed to reassure her, because she visibly gathered herself and released a cleansing breath.
Leaning against the wall beside Butch, Harvey asked, “Where are you starting your search?”
“Our plan is to learn as much about viruses as we possibly can,” replied Jared.
David arched a brow. “It’s a virus?”
“No, but it follows the same logic as one. Hopefully we can learn something from a scientist who specializes in viruses.”
Salem pursed his lips. “And if we don’t?”
“Then we look elsewhere. And we keep looking until we find answers of some kind.”
Cristiano suddenly piped up. “Ava and I would like to come with you.”
When Jared opened his mouth – most likely to object, just like Salem appeared ready to do – Ava quickly spoke, “You lot must all know how my brother and I are feeling right now. If we help defeat The Call, it will be like getting vengeance for what happened to our vampires. You’d want to do the same in our position.”
Jared exhaled heavily. “Fine.” Salem didn’t look pleased by the decision and was frowning at Ava’s back.
“Well then,” began Butch, “let’s go find ourselves a scientist.”
“Wait a minute.” We all turned our attention to Fletcher. “Now tell me if I’m overstepping my boundaries here by interfering” – like he really cared about boundaries – “but wouldn’t it be much simpler to talk to Bran’s Heir?”
I cocked my head. “Bran’s Heir?”
“Harry Covington was a doctor during his human life. It’s different from a scientist, I know. But surely he’ll know something about viruses that could help you.” Seeing that everyone was staring at him, wide eyed, Fletcher squirmed under the attention. “What?”
He, a PA, had come up with a better plan than two commanders and a squad from the legion – that was ‘what’. “Fletch, have I ever told you how much I love you?”
He gave me a playfully scathing look. “Not often enough, but I try not to take it personally.”
Jared, who was filled with a newfound enthusiasm, turned to me. “We might have to return to the whole kidnapping plan. Bran isn’t going to want us visiting Covington, knowing we’ve been in contact with people who are tainted. He won’t risk it in case any of us are tainted too.”
“Again, though, the kidnapping part can be optional. I say we just ask Antonio if we can join in on the teleconference.” Ridiculously, they all looked disappointed that no one would be being kidnapped. Unreal.
CHAPTER FOUR
(Sam)
It took a while for Antonio to finish the teleconference. Once it was over, he asked Bran to remain on the line and then invited Jared and I to sit beside him in front of one of the TVs. Thankfully, Bran granted us some time with his Heir, and soon we were looking at the surprisingly attractive face of Harry Covington. I’d been expecting someone who looked much older. Harry couldn’t have been much more than twenty-five when he was Turned.
Clearly anxious for answers, Jared didn’t bother with pleasantries. “What can you tell us about viruses?”
Harry looked taken aback by the question but shrugged. “Put simply, they’re strands of DNA or RNA covered by a protein coating.”
Admittedly, that made no sense whatsoever to me. Science had never been my strong point.
When Jared waved his hand in a ‘carry on’ gesture, Harry squinted. “This is about The Call, isn’t it? You think it’s like a virus.”
“It seems to be similar.”
“That’s what I thought in the beginning. I was wrong.”
I arched a brow. “You’ve been in contact with people who were tainted?”
“No, but I’ve researched it. As you can imagine, it intrigued the medic in me. It’s in my nature to want to treat something, to cure it. I’ve done my best to understand The Call over the centuries. What I’ve learned isn’t good.”
Beside me, Antonio softly cursed.
Gritting his teeth, Jared urged, “Go on.”
“My opinion is that it’s entirely different from a virus. You see, viruses aren’t alive, but nor are they dead. They exist somewhere in between. In effect, they’re parasites. Without a host or a group of host cells, they can’t thrive or survive. The Call, however, is very much alive.”
That didn’t sound good. “What do you mean by ‘alive’?”
“Not alive as you or I know it. It isn’t a biological organism. In fact, it’s not at all tangible. The Call could be described as incorporeal venom. It travels into the blood, contaminating it, polluting it. It is nothing you could see, nothing you could fight, because it has no physical properties. It doesn’t attach itself to cells, doesn’t use us as a host – it simply ‘visits’ us, doing a circuit through our blood and tainting our system as it does so. That’s why it wouldn’t be possible to treat The Call in the same way that humans treat a virus.”
And there went Jared’s optimism. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “In other words, there’s no point in looking for a counteragent.”
“No.”
“So, we’re fucked.”
Harry’s eyes slid away. “Well…”
Jared straightened in his seat. “What?”
“There is someone who might be able to help your vampires. She wouldn’t be able to come up with some kind of counteragent, but it’s possible that she could help the tainted.”