Page 4 of The Wentworth Vampire

When he regained consciousness, he was lying on a bed in a secure room. The room was about ten by ten and had one door, which was solid steel and set into concrete. The door only opened from the outside. There were no windows, just whitewashed concrete.

It felt like a cellar of sorts and contained one chair, a basic narrow bed that was metal and bolted to the floor, and an overhead light that flickered irritatingly. There was nothing on the walls and nothing on the flat, white tile floor. He tried to push his consciousness outside of the room to get a point of reference on where he was, but all he encountered was a thick haze with no substance.

“Don’t bother struggling.” Came a voice that sounded bored and hollow. “Your life as you knew it is over and has been over for some time now.” The laugh was genuine, which Mateo found chilling. He noticed a tray being shoved into his room through an opening at the base of the door, and on it was a sandwich and a blood bag.

“Keep your strength up.” The voice said. "I paid generously for you, and I expect to get my money's worth. You will be called Rex 2 from now on. I don't do names; all my slaves are called some form of Rex, so learn it and learn your place. I have interesting plans for you, vampire. I am known for my creativity and my cruelty. I hope you manage to survive long enough to be entertaining.” Again, the laugh and then nothing.

The message was clear: if he didn't find a way out, he would die. It took a lot to kill a vampire, but it was obvious that this man, whoever he was, would enjoy himself all the way to the end. Mateo looked at the sandwich and the blood, but feared that it would be laced with more drugs.

He was weak but not so weak that he couldn’t hold out a while longer. There in the far reaches of his heart lay a belief that his time was not up and that he was on the verge of being rescued. There was someone out there looking for him, and he could feel their energy.

"Where is he, Thayer?" Teo cried through the phone. He was emotional, and it was understandable. His brother, Mateo, had been missing for months, and no one knew where he was or if he was even still alive. Mateo had been magically sent off into the ether by their despicable father when Mateo refused to join him in his loathsome acts.

Their father, Master Rodrick Wentworth, and his evil second, Claud Thierry, were destroyed by the Hadden Coven, and Teo was saved, but they never found Mateo. Thayer and Marek swore to find him, but it had been ages, and still Mateo remained lost to them.

"We're following his trail, my love, but we have not found him yet.” Thayer stood in the empty house that still held Mateo’s scent and looked around. The scent had brought them to this house in the hills, but it was empty. “Do not give up hope.” He told Teo, and he heard the sharp intake of breath followed by a pained sigh.

“I will never give up hope. I know you will find him.” Teo was holding on, and Thayer vowed to bring him home. He closed the call and turned to Marek.

“Mateo was here not long ago, but his scent is diluted, and the scene is chaotic.” Marek walked throughout the house, but there was nothing there, not even dust.

“The spells that they are using are unorthodox. It’s a practice that has no history or foundation, nothing for us to read and follow.” Thayer contemplated their next move.

Marek ran his hand around the door frame at the main entrance, usually a hot spot for magical remains, but nothing. “It may be a new compound, but it's built with old parts. As you and I both know, there is nothing new under the sun as far as magics, so it's strange, yes, but it's made of common ingredients, and we just need to pull it apart.”

“It has to stay substantial long enough for us to discern those parts," Thayer commented as they stepped out of the house and into the drive. “Do you have a read on Mateo? Where do we go?”

“I don’t have anything on Mateo, but I do have a solid lead on Pascal.” Marek was staring at his phone screen. “According to Rowen, Pascal is in the Strip District. He claims that Mateo is there.”

“He picked up on something we missed?” Thayer asked, feeling a sudden urgency to transport to the Strip District.

“Apparently.”

“What are we waiting for?” With that, they folded into the air current and, within seconds, were at the gates of a large mansion standing next to Pascal as the light breeze moved past them.

CHAPTER THREE

Pascal found the location as if being drawn there. The Power of whatever was urging him on was enough to keep him engaged and to keep him moving. For a reason unknown to him, he was being brought to this man, Mateo Wentworth; obviously, the universe wanted him saved.

Pascal parked down the street and walked up to the gates that guarded the large mansion. The home was visible but just barely, and the gates were formidable. The force that lay beyond the gates was also formidable, and Pascal wondered if he had the juice necessary to carry out what he was planning. It didn't matter either way; he was going in, and nothing was going to stop him from finding Mateo.

In a perfect world, he would have time to plot and plan. He was a skilled assassin and, with time, could clear a way inside, but time was not a luxury that he had. Whatever was going on, he knew that Mateo did not have much time. The fever in his gut told him to move and to move quickly. He checked his weapons and headed for the gate just as a gust of wind circled him, and suddenly he was no longer alone.

Standing on either side of him were the Cyprians, Thayer and Marek. They looked him up and down and then stated.“What’s your plan?” Pascal, shocked by their presence, stared at them for a second and then responded.

"Force my way in, kill anyone who gets in my way, and bring Mateo out," Pascal said flatly in all seriousness. It was basic and messy, but it was a plan that could work. He opened his jacket, revealing the number and level of weaponry he was carrying, and both men nodded.

“I'm impressed," Marek said with a smile. “The cut of your suit hides everything.” He then squinted slightly and leaned closer. “I noticed a black wand amongst your wares.”

“Dark Fae.” He stated as an explanation, and neither man seemed bothered.

“Handy, I'm sure," Thayer commented. “Now this plan of yours, it sounds doable. Are you certain Mateo is inside?”

“He’s being held on the basement level in a room beneath the garage. It’s accessible through the garage, so I would suggest we focus our efforts there.” He pointed to the large garage off to their right, barely visible from the gated fence line where they stood.

“Are they watching us?” Marek asked as he looked around for cameras and also reached out to sense any surveillance energy. They couldn’t just transport to the location due to the unorthodox magics being used. It was unknown how their power would influence or be influenced by the energy beyond the fence. They could end up destroying Mateo instead of saving him.

"Not that I can detect," Pascal responded, but we should be prepared for immediate resistance. This group is without normal magical markers, and they act outside natural limits and protocols.”

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