Noah approached, kneeling beside the injured Reuben. "The Organization runs deeper than just this man. Even with him gone, others will continue his work."
"So what do we do?" Charlie asked.
"We expose them." Viktor holstered his weapon. "All of it. The experimentation. The children they sacrificed. The deal with the vampire elders."
"No one would believe it," Reuben rasped, blood trickling from a cut on his temple. "Vampires? Half-turned hunters? The world isn't ready for that truth."
"Maybe not." Noah produced a small device from his pocket. "But financial records, experimental logs, medical files detailing human rights violations? Those speak for themselves." He held up what appeared to be a flash drive. "I got everything I needed tonight."
Simon lowered the gun slowly, a new purpose forming in his mind. "You're going to face justice," he said to his former mentor. "And you're going to see your life's work fall apart."
"No," Reuben whispered, his voice weak but venomous. "We did important work. The world needs protection."
"Not your kind of protection." Simon stepped back from the fallen hunter with disgust.
Brent, who'd been silent until now, finally spoke. "So...what now? Police? FBI? Who exactly do you call about vampire hunter conspiracies?"
Noah pocketed the drive. "I have contacts. People who can ensure the right information reaches the right hands."
"We need to move quickly," Viktor urged. "The security systems won't stay down much longer."
Simon nodded, turning away from Reuben. The pain in his side had dulled to a persistent throb, his body slowly fighting off the silver's effects. Charlie moved to support him, he didn't even have to be told.
"You'll never survive without us." Reuben's voice had grown feeble. "Vampires will run rampant in this city if we don't control them."
"We'll handle it," Simon replied. "Without you."
As they moved toward the door, Simon felt a sudden warning pulse through his bond with Charlie. He turned just in time to see Reuben lunging forward, a hidden second knife in his hand, its blade aimed directly at Charlie's back.
Simon didn't hesitate.
The gun barked once.
Reuben's body crumpled, his final expression one of disbelief as the silver bullet—his own ammunition—found his heart.
Simon watched the light go out of his mentor's eyes. He regretted many things, but not that.
Chapter
Thirty-Six
Simon had experienced the world through enhanced senses for a decade, but this was something else entirely. The motel room Viktor had rented assaulted him with information his brain struggled to process. Every fiber in the carpet stood out in excruciating detail. The scent of industrial cleaner, the cigarette smoke and the faint traces of mouse droppings behind the baseboards all cried for his attention as if they were crucial information rather than just background noise.
Speaking of noise…
The noise was awful as well.
There was a couple two rooms down arguing about dinner plans—which wasn't as bad as the ice machine's compressor cycling on and off at irregular intervals. Or Brent's nervous tapping against the arm of a chair by the window.
The only comforting thing was Charlie's presence through their bond, steady and warm despite the chaos. He moved about the room with unusual purpose, checking the locks, pulling thedrapes closed, arranging the meager supplies they'd gathered along the way.
"You need blood," he said, approaching the bed. "Viktor brought some supplies from the Organization's storage."
Simon blinked, trying to focus on Charlie's face rather than the symphony of stimuli crashing around him. "He did?"
If he listened, he could hear Viktor pacing outside, speaking to someone on his phone.
Charlie's lips quirked into a small smile. "Yeah." He sat beside Simon, the mattress dipping under his weight. "How are you feeling?"
