Chapter 4: Sinking

Nelly

I let out a heavy sigh after Gina revealed our next mission. "Honestly, I'm not feeling it. The layout, the number of guards... it almost feels like..."

Tara gasped, "A trap?"

I nodded in agreement, "Yeah."

Brandon joined us and sat beside his sister, asking, "What are you two talking about?"

Tara questioned, "Are we sure about this intel?"

"It doesn't feel right," I added.

Brandon nodded solemnly, "Oh, we know something is off."

We both come to a sudden halt and turn our attention towards him. Brandon's voice is firm as he declares, "We have a mole. We are working on exposing them." His gaze locks with mine, "Nelly, watch your back."

"Of course," I responded, averting my eyes.

Tara chimes in with a playful tone, "We're well aware that you always do." She saunters away, leaving us in a state of confusion. How did she know?

"How long have you known?" I demand as she lingers in the doorway.

"Since the River raid," she reveals, her words hanging in the air with a sense of gravity.

"That was 6 months ago," Bradon gasps.

Tara nonchalantly shrugs, "Well, you guys aren't exactly quiet. Nelly, please, for all that is holy, keep it down next time. I don't want to know how good my brother is in bed."

I awkwardly look away, stammering, "I...uh...well..shit!”

Brandon gives his sister a knowing look, "So, can I kick you out for an hour then, right?"

Tara responds firmly, "Hell no. I'm tired. Go fuck someplace else."

Brandon smirks, "Tara, don't think I don't know about you and Aaron."

She angrily flips him off before forcefully closing the door to our room. "I'm exhausted. I think it's time to call it a night," I announce.

Brandon agrees, "Definitely. We need to be sharp tomorrow. Goodnight, Nel."

"Goodnight, Brandon." I enter our room to find Tara already tucked in bed.

"You knew we were in here when you came looking for us, didn't you?" I asked.

"Yep," came her simple reply.

“Bítch!” I yell.

“Slut,” she responds. I throw a pillow at her.

We both erupt into laughter. “Love you, girl.”

“I love you too, goodnight.”

Vincent

I have decided to grace the lab with my presence today. As I entered the building, a wave of anger washed over me. This place was my home for five long years. I was subjected to endless tests and experiments during that time. I was promised a cure, but instead, they revealed my true nature as a vampire, with no memory of my past.

Rather than helping me uncover the truth, they chose to exploit me and others, plunging us into darkness. But now, the tables have turned. I take pleasure in tormenting those who once tormented me. "Well, well, well, Dr. Gordon. How are you feeling today?" I sneer, relishing the opportunity to turn the tables on my former captor.

His head hangs low as he shoots me a death glare. "Well, isn't this just a barrel of laughs, huh?" I sneer. Not so fun is it now, fucker!

"So, I stumbled upon something interesting last night. Apparently, she's your daughter. But that can't be right, can it? You told us she died in a car crash. And we all know about your son...yeah, we took care of that. So, this must be some kind of mix-up, right?" I taunt him, flashing him the incriminating photo.

His eyes betray him. "Nelly. Oh, please. She was completely innocent. She had no idea," Dr. Gordon pleads, desperation creeping into his voice.

"Ah, here we go, another problem rearing its ugly head. She dared to off my right-hand man. So now, unfortunately, she's caught my attention," I casually mention. It's clear that Nelly was clueless about the skeletons in her family's closet. Bless her heart, she thought she was just hitting the books to make the world a better place. But with her brains, sneakiness, and killer combat skills, she's a real danger to anyone, especially us creatures of the night.

Dr. Gordon pleads, "Please, she's all I've got left."

"Ah, yes, my condolences on your missus. Such a shame her final treatment didn't quite hit the mark," I quip. She fell ill, so I figured I'd give her a taste of the same 'remedies' she forced on me and others. Turns out, her little makeover didn't come with the perk of immortality.

"You're a fucking monster!" he bellows.

I can't help but chuckle at his audacity. "Oh, I'm the monster? You've killed thousands of my kind and others who were content to live in the shadows. You've turned humans into werewolves and vampires against their will, only to kill them in your foolish quest for immortality. And as for your daughter, well, let's just say I have big plans for her. She's going to make a lovely pet. Do you think she'll be up for the challenge, doc?"

"NO! I'll do anything. Please don't hurt my girl," he pleads. A girl he practically abandoned to the wolves. It's no surprise that those he tortured would eventually seek revenge. He knew the risks he was putting his children in, yet he continued to torture us for years until we finally rebelled about a decade ago.