High Society (The High Stakes Saga #3)

Why should I leave him to crawl home and bask in the glory that was rightfully mine? All Titus and Eve had ever done was lie and deceive. They would pay for those indiscretions, and then I would go home and collect my due.

“Surround the house,” I commanded. “Bring anyone who is inside, out to me. Set fire to it as you go. I believe Asa’s home is nearby. Perhaps we should pay him a visit next.” Once I gave the orders, my men fanned out. Before long, fire billowed from the tall windows, scorching the brick and turning the serene home into a fiery hell. A scream tore from a woman near the kitchens. More came from men in the field. But I never heard a sound resembling Enoch’s voice, or Eve’s. Everyone brought forth was human. A horse tore from the barn stall and galloped to the earthen road, a single rider on its back. The scent wasn’t a familiar one.

“Should I go after the rider, sir?” one of my men asked.

“You. Only you. Go after him.” I turned to the humans. “I’m looking for someone.” They were quiet. “I’d be happy to make an example out of anyone who refuses to assist me.”

“Who…?” a man grunted out. One of my soldiers held his arms behind his back painfully. “Who are you looking for? We’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he vowed, his voice trembling.

“I know you will,” I replied with a placating smile. “This is Enoch’s plantation, is it not?”

“It is,” the man confirmed. His hair was as thin and gray as his linen shirt. His face and hands were the same dirt-brown color of his pants. His face was red and splotchy. I wasn’t sure if the sun had burned him, or if he always looked that way.

“And where might Enoch be?” I asked.

The man shook his head. “He ain’t here. He left for his brother’s place and hasn’t been here in days.”

“Have you seen a dark-haired woman with him? Her name is Eve.”

The man shook his head. “Ain’t seen nobody like that. We ain’t had no visitors in a long time, save Enoch’s brother on occasion.”

“Is Asa close by?” I asked.

The man nodded. “Oh, yes. His plantation is the next one over, though it’s several miles away. Just head that way,” he pointed north, “and you’ll run right into it. It’s a tall, white house with big pillars in the front.”

Throughout our exchange, the rest of the humans kept quiet, except for tiny sobs and sniffles. “Kill them,” I commanded.

My soldiers did as I instructed, feeding until full and snapping the necks of those who remained. There was a mess of blood and bodies for Enoch to find when he returned, not to mention the destruction of his home.

I stayed and watched until the roof collapsed with a crash. The rest of the house groaned as the fire roared and crackled, consuming everything in its path.

* * *

Maru

It was almost dawn, and the military shifts would be changing within the hour. Night soldiers would return to the Compound to be replaced by those on day shift. I wondered what had become of the clandestine meeting General Ticher had ordered at four A.M. Waiting by the apartment window, I watched for any signs of human life.

The street was empty, other than a few rusty motor vehicle shells that littered either side of the road. They were stripped of parts years ago. The only sign of life was a black and white cat that padded across the street on muffled paws. It was quiet, too quiet. Or maybe I was just paranoid. If I planned to make my move today, it either had to be now or at dusk, and I wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of running into vamps. Just then, the sleek black device Enoch gave me began to vibrate against my thigh. I plucked it from my pocket to find a message from Yarrow.

Are you safe?

For now, I think so, I replied.

Are you sitting down? she typed. Without waiting for my reply, a video began to play. From the point of view the film provided, I could tell the camera was mounted in the corner in a meeting room, where a large table flanked by twenty chairs only hosted two men.

“Is she dead?” Victor asked.

Kael swallowed. “I’ll admit the tech isn’t perfect, but it should register basic vital signs. I haven’t seen anything more than a flicker in three days.”

Victor challenged, “Would it flicker if she were dead? What if the tech is simply damaged? What about Titus and Abram? Do you show vitals on them?”

Kael pinched his screen and scrolled over a cache of data. “Both are alive,” he answered tentatively.

“There’s no way to tell what shape they’re in, though?” Victor pressed.

“I’m afraid not.”

Victor cursed, and then he stood and began to pace. “Are you sure they landed? Because we know by now that they sure as hell didn’t land at the gala as planned. Footage from that night has conveniently disappeared, but my eyes on the venue say that none of our Assets landed where you assured me they would.”