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Enzo received the message from Josef and quickly got himself and his beloved cleaned up and presentable. Having the Master visit his quarters was unusual, so whatever the issue, it was serious. He had assumed everything was cleared up once Foster was located and the situation was handled, but apparently not.
“Why are they coming here?” Foster asked as he followed Enzo into the living room and took a seat on the loveseat by the window.
"The Master wants to speak with us, but I don't know what it is about." Enzo walked over and bent to place a very proprietary kiss on Foster's lips. As he straightened, he heard the knock on his outer door, which was followed by Master Hadden and Josef walking in. Enzo stood straight, and Foster also stood up, sensing the need for respect in the presence of one of the most powerful vampires in the country.
“I would like you to look at a few photos and see if we can identify the man you saw in the storeroom.” Master Hadden was addressing Foster.
"Yes, sir." He said just as Zac entered and began showing him photos on his tablet. It wasn't long before Foster found the man. "That's him." He told him, and Zac turned the tablet so everyone could see who he recognized. Enzo didn’t know him, but both Master Hadden and Josef clearly knew who he was.
"Nathan," Josef said, and his tone was one of disgust.
“He was my former director of technology.” Master Hadden said with the same measure of disgust.
"The one who fell to the darkness and attempted to sabotage the coven?" Enzo had heard of him, and finding out that such a man was sneaking around the Center was upsetting.
"Yes." Master Hadden stated just the one word with all the hatred and anger in the world attached to it. Foster was about to speak when there came a shaking beneath their feet. The Master's face contorted in such a way that his vampire was right on the surface, and the supremacy of this man's power swept through the room as he and Josef disappeared.
"What's happening?" Foster asked, obviously upset and fearful.
"I'll stay with him," Zac offered, seeing that Enzo was torn between his beloved and his duty. "Don't worry, he will be safe."
"Thank you." Enzo went to Foster, gave him the biggest kiss, and then stepped back. "I will try not to be long."
"Go, you need to find out what is going on. I'll be fine." With that assurance, Enzo raced from the room and headed for the first floor. Not trusting the elevator, he took the stairs and arrived at a scene that was unbelievable. Several units of special ops-type soldiers dressed in black with helmets and firearms were swarming the Hadden Center.
He jumped into the fray, taking a few bullets but nothing serious as he brought down as many as he could. The others were working hard, beating back the horde. He noticed Master Hadden throwing a protective shield around the floor and cloaking the humans, keeping them safe and unawares as this battle continued to explode. He saw Noori several yards to his left, wielding his sword and cutting a swath through the horde that never seemed to decrease in size regardless of the number killed and strewn around the floor.
They remained single-minded, taking on the horde, forcing them back, and then, as suddenly as it started, it all ended. The attackers dropped to the floor and turned to dust, the dust from which they came, no doubt. It was magic, and it turned Enzo's stomach.
Everyone was thrust into action, clearing the building, floor by floor, and placing all civilians in a secure area. The building was locked down by whatever had taken control so no one could leave. The attack was a test, and everyone knew that something worse was coming. Master Hadden tightened the protective barrier around the Center, making sure to keep the public unaware of what was happening inside. The mirage he created would maintain order and anonymity in the face of whatever this was.
Enzo caught up with Noori, who was directing his men to clear the lower floors, and he went along. "What is this, Noori?"
"The Center has been compromised magic the likes of which we have not encountered has somehow infected this space. The electrics and the wireless are out, as well as all tech capabilities. We have no outside contact." Noori and Enzo entered the IT department, and darkness was all that greeted them.
“Zac, Cole, Aaron!” Noori called out.
"Zac is with Foster in my quarters," Enzo informed.
"I hope they know enough to stay put," Noori stated, and Enzo could feel the man's growing frustration at not knowing what was happening or how to combat it.
"Can you contact Marek?" Enzo figured the Cyprians would be the only ones to put this down, for nothing trumped a Cyprian.
"No, we can't contact anyone outside of the Center. Whatever this is, it has gained access to the heart of the Hadden Center. The attackers were generated by what's controlling the power of the Center. They suddenly appeared and began killing people. The Master shielded the innocent, but not before several lost their lives." Enzo was worried for his beloved and idly wished he'd taken Foster home rather than to his quarters.
"The Master will figure this out," Enzo assured. "He knows who it was in the storeroom fooling with the electrics."
“Who was it?”
"A man named Nathan, a former coven member, turned dark."
"Shit, if Nathan is behind this, there's no telling what he has planned. He knows this building better than anyone apart from the Master. He would know how to cripple us, and with his dark magics mixed in, there is no telling how this will end." Noori was rarely worried, but he was obviously worried about this situation, and it put Enzo's nerves on edge.
"Commander Noori." The voice was soft and musical, and they both recognized it as belonging to Cole, who walked up to stand beside them in the dark.
“Is there anyone else down here?” Noori asked.
"No, everyone headed to the main floor when things started to melt down and the electrics failed. I stayed to see if I could slow down or even halt the damage, but I was not successful." Cole looked exhausted. "Michael is on a field mission, and I haven't been able to contact him. The Center is completely closed off. I hope he is okay."
