Page 13 of Bite of Desire
“They are. We’ve had scouts watching the tunnel. No human has left in the last few days.”
Fear jolted down my spine when two PARA members appeared down the street, marching our way. Viggo didn’t acknowledge them, his demeanor not changing at all. I kept my eyes on the ground, something I would have done even if I wasn’t a fugitive. No civilian wanted the attention of PARA when they patrolled.
They swept past us, not paying us any attention, and I sagged in relief. Viggo was staying close enough that his shoulder kept brushing mine with every step, and even though his face was a mask of indifference, his body was tight. Tense.
We didn’t say a word as I led him toward the bunker. The streets were decently busy like they usually were at this time. People were on their break for lunch, and most hurried home to eat whatever they had because the food in the cafeteria was barely edible. This was why it was the perfect time to be here, when the streets were full. It kept us from standing out.
“Here,” I muttered under my breath, halting in front of the apartment building. Glancing down the street, my heart seized when I spotted the library. Asami was the only person in this city that I’d love to see. Other than going there to get books, we’d barely spoken in years because she’d wanted to keep distance between us.
“Is this where you lived?” Viggo asked, scanning the crumbling structure with a frown.
“No. I lived in the one across the street.”
“Fucking depressing,” he muttered. “No wonder humans leave. Dee was right when she told me stories of these cities.”
“It’s not like we have a choice. Let’s get this done.”
Before I could reach for the door, Viggo snatched my arm, pulling me back. I let out a protest, shooting him a scathing glare.
“It’s obvious you still have feelings for these people, even after what they were going to do to you.” Threat dripped from every word he spoke. “I’m not Pax. Or Zan. I’m not going to allow you to get me killed or taken. Do not forget what I said about Warner.”
“Let me go,” I gritted out. “I’m not going to do anything.”
“Good.” With that, he released me and pulled open the door. I slipped inside, with him following close behind me. There were a couple of people inside, but none of them paid us any attention as I headed down the dimly lit hall. The insides of these buildings were just as dismal as the exterior.
“How do you know about the bunker?” Viggo whispered as we walked. “I’d guess this kind of place is pretty heavily guarded.”
“It is,” I replied tightly. “It’s where I got my tattoo. The only place we didn’t have to worry about getting interrupted.”
Viggo snickered. “Oh, it’s killing you to bring a vampire here, isn’t it?”
It was, but since he already knew that, I didn’t give him a response. About halfway down the hall, I stopped in front of the staircase. After making sure no one was around, I slipped under the rickety steps and quickly found the false wall panel. I pushed against it, and the other panel next to it popped open, revealing a small, narrow passageway that would be just big enough for Viggo to fit through.
I crawled through first, instructing Viggo to pull the panel back in place once he was through. He muttered curses under his breath, his shoulders scraping the dirt walls. Once he moved the panel, we were bathed in darkness. But just like the tunnel, I knew this path by heart. Staying on my hands and knees, I hurried forward, remembering the pathway like I’d been here yesterday.
Memories rushed through my head as I pushed ahead, climbing out of the small hole and landing on my feet in the open area. I could hear Viggo beside me, and I was sure he was surveying the room I couldn’t see in the dark. But I’d seen it before, and there wasn’t much. The walls and floor were dirt, and it was empty.
“There’s nothing here,” he said, his voice filled with suspicion.
I rolled my eyes, striding forward, keeping my hands in front of me until I hit the back wall. Following the packed dirt, I moved confidently, reaching the back corner in a few steps where there was another narrow pathway. I had to walk sideways to fit, and I didn’t look back to see if Viggo was following. It wasn’t long before I finally saw a dim light, and my heart pounded unevenly. The only time there was light was when someone was down here.
Once I reached the end, I paused for a moment before exiting the pathway. The second I stepped into the large room, a body slammed into me.
Chapter 5
Kali
Ilet out a cry, my arms coming up in defense. The back of my head collided with the wall, and pain shot through my skull. Black spots dotted my vision as I blindly swung before dropping to my knees. I blinked rapidly, seeing a shadow to my left, and I dove that way, wrapping my arms around their legs.
A feminine voice yelled when I took the person to the ground, and I recognized it as Jill’s right away. Before I could say anything, she was ripped away from me, and I scrambled to my feet to see Viggo shoving her chest against the wall, trapping her arms behind her back.
“Get off me,” Jill screeched, disgust thick in her voice.
I rubbed the back of my head, willing the throbbing ache to go away. Viggo glanced at me for a moment before spinning Jill around, his hand closing around her throat. His eyes sought hers out, and my stomach plummeted when I realized what he was doing.
“Calm down,” Viggo said in a soothing voice, trying to entrance her.
My mouth grew dry, my pain forgotten as I watched Jill continue to struggle against him. I’d lied to Zan. Told him that neither Jill nor Tim had tattoos like mine. Tim didn’t have one. But Jill did. She’d gotten hers even before mine. If I’d been honest, then they never would have let me come. I was hoping I’d be able to convince Zan to spare Jill, and that might have worked. But with Viggo? I highly doubted it.