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My heels clicked on the floor, echoing in the empty space. It was always empty, save Gladys, so why did it feel more ominous now? It was certainly odd seeing the admin absent from her desk. I suppose in my mind, she was part of the base. But like a normal person, she was probably at home in bed, asleep.

The elevator appeared, and I followed along inside of it, wondering where it would take us. Was the general here at all times like I imagined Gladys to be? Surely, he slept too. Where were we supposed to put the man for questioning?

To my surprise, when the doors slid open, my lab awaited, blinking lights of various colors illuminating the space. It felt like a welcome back.

“Oh no!” I spun to face Julian, who held Vlad’s upper arm tightly. “The tumbler with the champagne was in the car.”

“No.” Julian shifted and pulled the to-go cup from seemingly nowhere. “I retrieved it after pulling you out.”

“Where was that?” It was impossible not to grin and stare at his body.

“If I’m to retain my mysterious ambience, I have to have some secrets,” Julian said with a wink that sparked that feeling between my legs again.

I wanted to uncover all his secrets, but first I had to figure out Mordock’s. I took the cup and the syringe Vlad tried to use on Julian and set to work while Julian whisked him off to parts unknown. I had to trust he would keep his word and not hurt the man as it wasn’t necessary.

My own job held the keys now, and it was only a matter of time before more vampires and shifters died. Only a matter of time before it was too late to try the cure on Lydia, so I had to perfect it.

First, the drug had to be isolated from the champagne. Thank goodness it hadn’t been laced with GoDKiller. But I supposed as horrible as Mordock was, his designs were on taking over the mafia power structure, not randomly killing his own kind. Who would be left to pressure or use if he did that?

I scoffed out loud at the thought as I moved to the microscope and analysis center. My chest squeezed when I saw the chemical makeup of the drug. It may not have been GDK, but it was certainly based on it, judging from the ingredients. This had to be Lydia’s work. At least it was more like a roofy than a bullet. Not that it made me feel any better. Especially with the understanding it could be manufactured far more easily. I could see the gangs using smaller doses on the streets to hook vamps that wanted an escape from the reality of their condition. Who knew how addictive and dangerous it could be? I doubted they’d tested that.

Using the syringe from Vlad, I expressed a tiny amount onto a clean slide and covered it, then slid it into the machine. This version of GoDKiller was not mine. I knew it would happen eventually, but the fact they’d already mutated it sent my foot tapping with impatience.

The elevator slid open behind me, and I spun to find Julian there in his black uniform.

“They figured out a way to slow it down,” I said, the bad news rushing out of me so I didn’t have to hold the heavy truth myself any longer.

“Why would they slow it?” Julian tilted his head.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and fought back the tears of guilt that once again threatened to break loose. “It will increase the victim’s suffering. Possibly allow them to get information if the person thinks they have a cure or way to stop it.”

“They intended to use that as a test run,” Julian said, walking over to put an arm on my shoulder and gesture to the syringe on my counter. “Preferably on me.”

That drove the knife in. The picture of Julian’s beautiful face contorting in pain… I hunched over, hugging my stomach to prevent the meager contents from coming up.

“It’s not your fault, Charlotte,” He leaned over my ear in an intimate gesture as he squeezed my shoulder tighter. “We’ve been over this.”

“When are we going? We can’t let them do more harm, Julian. We have to stop them, and this time, you can bring in SHADE since the general knows all about my abilities.”

Julian straightened. I knew that tense body language of his well, and when he got that ramrod stiff, it meant he had information he didn’t want to upset me with.

“Spill it,” I said, spinning on the stool to face him.

“He doesn’t know you created the weapon, and Mordock could loose that information on purpose or by accident. If the general finds out, he can use that to lock you up and trade for permission to do whatever he wants to study you. It’s not going to happen.”

“Fuck me,” I said, pressing my forehead down on the cool surface of the counter.

“I would love nothing more, but it seems the elevator has arrived, and I believe you have an appointment to keep in the basement.”

I chose to ignore the first part of his comment because it wouldn’t take much to convince me to use these counters for illicit purposes. Instead, I asked, “What appointment? I have to keep working so we can get to Mordock before he suspects we’ve intervened with Vlad.”

“You have training with Daphne. And you will have until at least tomorrow morning before we go. I insist on you getting some sleep tonight to be ready as well. No arguments if you wish to accompany me.”

Quick calculations ran through my head as I trudged to the elevator. If training lasted a couple of hours, then I’d have about ten to twelve left over to do my work. That meant I likely had to choose one goal, and even that was a stretch.

The cure for vampirism for Lydia? The cure for GoDKiller? Or something else entirely?

Chapter Fifteen