“When we went upstairs from the basement, we found this massive room with beds and Dogs that needed help, but it felt different from the church.” Jude held one finger up. “Half of the facility was used to fix Dogs, while the other half was robotsmakingthem.”
Making new Dogs? For some reason, I hadn’t considered there were any new Dogs, just maintaining and fixing the old.
“They were all lined up, like an army.” Gabe’s hands were rigid, showing parallel lines. “Their eyes were dark, but it was eerie to think they could come to life at any moment.”
“To be honest, I was shitting my pants.” Jude laughed. “We snuck around the laboratory, making sure we weren’t seen by any of them. We found a staircase leading to the upper level, where the computer was. Thankfully, the code was the same as before, so we instantly got access.”
“The room was completely made out of glass; it kind of reminded me of the cockpit of an airplane.” Gabe smoothly curved his hands. “There were blinking buttons, panels, and levers— so many things we didn’t know what to do, but as soon as we accessed the computer…all hell broke loose.”
I felt both of them tense, their posture becoming awkward yet rigid. It was like they were reliving the moment.
Jude squeezed Gabe’s shoulder and patted him on the back. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for this guy. I owe my life to him.” Gabe’s eyes flickered, and a smile touched his lips as Jude awkwardly hugged him. “The computer glowed alive, and all the Dogs in the lab came to life, with their sights set on us. Without a moment to think, Gabe told me to figure out how to disable them and left the room, firing his gun.”
“You idiot!” I screamed, throwing my arms in the air. “How could you be so stupid? What if…what if…”
“It didn’t,” he reassured. “The gunshots made all the Dogs follow me, giving Jude time to get into the database. Believe me when I say there were hundreds of them.” He shook his head and covered his mouth with his hand. “I dunno how I even survived. Everywhere I looked, a Dog was chasing me. Their red eyes are seared into my brain. I don’t remember much, except for climbing a rope, and they were jumping into the air, trying to reach me. When I looked down, it was a sea of metal.” He shuddered. “I honestly didn’t think I’d make it out. But thenthe barking and growling from the Dogs ended. Their red eyes dimmed, and they fell to the ground.”
“Sorry, bro.” Jude laughed. “Before the computer gave me the option to disable the Dogs, it made me watch a video explaining why it’s a bad idea, like the one below the church.” He turned to me. “Although this time it wasn’t your dad, just a blank screen with a recording of someone’s voice.”
“Dante?” I already knew it; his nod was only a confirmation. “Was he in the lab?”
Jude shook his head. “No sign of him, and we didn’t even find bones or a skeleton, like we were expecting.”
“So he’s still out there.” Even if we brought my father down, Dante could still be hiding or could’ve even been turned into a vampire. He could be biding his time, quietly amassing an army far surpassing the might of the Dogs. He could sweep in to seize control once my father is gone. For all we know, he could be long dead, but we have to take it into consideration.
“My boy!” A voice came from the doorway. Arthur ran in, engulfing Jude in a tight hug. “As soon as Four told me you were here, I ran through town and didn’t stop until I reached the infirmary…” He placed a hand over his heart, a silent gesture of respect, and nodded to Gabe. “You have my thanks for bringing my son back to me safely.”
Gabe’s body tensed, his muscles locking in surprise. “N-no problem.” His initial visit had been a nightmare, so his astonishment at the kindness he now received was understandable.
“Dad, the Dogs are disabled. We did it!”
Arthur’s mouth fell open in disbelief, his eyes shining with an almost feverish excitement. “We need to move swiftly. I’ll start the preparation tonight, and we will discuss our strategy tomorrow. Get rest because we’re on the precipice of the warwe’ve been building.” With a gleeful look on his face, he added, “The humans will rise once again!”
Jude nodded dutifully, then cocked his head at one of the nurses. “Can you ask for two beds to be rolled in here? I don’t think Gabe and I want to leave Vincent again.”
And you know what? They didn’t.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Storming Elysium wouldn’t be an ideal strategy.” Gabe crossed his arms, his stance defiant as he stood before the murmuring council. “There’s not only a vampire army, but there’s also a secret military always at the ready, but they won’t deploy it unless there’s a threat of a large-scale war. On top of that, the gates and walls are infused with more electricity than a strike of lightning, which would likely kill any human on the spot.”
“Why are we taking advice from a vampire?” One of the council leaders sneered, a cruel twist of the lip that spoke volumes. “How do we know he isn’t leading our troops into a trap?”
With a sharp glint, Arthur’s eyes turned to me before he began to speak to the council. “You may have forgotten, but thisyoung manhelped to disable one of the biggest hindrances to our army—the Dogs. He’s proven to be trustworthy, so we have no reason not to trust him.”
“I trust him,” Jude stepped forward.
“And I take full responsibility for him.” The three of us stood together as a unified front, like an impenetrable force. Finally, we were all on the same page.
“Oh, great,” the short council member huffed. “We have Arthur’s posse giving their input, that’s rich.”
“Have I steered you wrong before?” Arthur’s face was stern, his jaw tight. It was clear the council wasn’t taking him seriously as their whispers and dismissive glances betrayed their lack of respect.
“What do you propose, considering we are the last known human compound in the world?” The council began to chatter. “We’ll need more than our military to start and end this war.”
“Time is of the essence.” Gabe hooked his thumb under his chin, his forehead etched in thought. “Allow Vincent and I to return to Elysium, under the guise that I saved him. Together, we’ll disable all power and open the gates for your army.”
“We can have the first wave of military travel under white camouflage, making it difficult to see us against the snow. Then, when the gates open, the battle will begin, and we can signal to bring the second wave as backup to help.” Jude turned his head away from the council, turning to me and Gabe. “But I’m coming with the two of you.”
