Free The Human-Undead War Trilogy (Book 1): Dark Intentions by Jonathan Edwardk Ondrashek Page A

like I have any other choices at the moment. I’m stuck in a cage inside the vampire leader’s castle. And as much as I’d like to believe he’ll let us go if I say no, I’m not so sure he will.”  
    “Good point,” she muttered. 
    “Completing a platelet mushroom with a willing volunteer and full financial backing are decent fringe benefits of accepting the offer, too.” 
    “Do you really need to become a vampire, though? Why not see if Barnaby will allow you to do everything without becoming immortal?” 
    Because one lifetime may not be enough to perfect the platelet mushroom.  But he couldn’t admit that aloud.  
    He yawned, suddenly weary. The drugs in his system were wearing off, causing his body and adrenaline to crash as well. He leaned back, fingers laced behind his head. “I’ll sleep on it.” 
    Ruby also yawned and settled back into her cage. “Just don’t rush into this. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” 
    He didn’t reply. He couldn’t tell her that he was wracked with fear of his uncharted future. That he feared losing his humanity. 
    That he’d already made his decision.  
    ***
    Around the bend in the stairway, a figure stood rigid until he was certain the occupants of the adjacent room were asleep. He’d overheard a majority of their conversation. Some of it had been muffled, garbled. Had he heard his own name once or twice? He wasn’t certain.  
    Not that it mattered. If it was true Barnaby had offered the male scientist immortality, then that marked him as an enemy. His master had never offered him the chance to be immortal. His master had never offered to give him whatever he wanted. His master had only offered a pitiful life of servitude. 
    He was disappointed that the scientist would be of no help. He might have been, had the master not shown such favoritism. Together, they could’ve exacted revenge. But if the scientist was pondering the proposal, that made him a dangerous ally to his master. And that wouldn’t work at all.  
    John Ashmore pulled the cowl of his robe lower, until it touched the bridge of his nose, and walked back up two steps. He pressed a jagged stone in the side of the stairwell, one marked with a nearly indiscernible blue tint. A hidden door swung inward, the hinges recently oiled. 
    The castle kept no secrets from him. He knew the secret passageways and stairwells, and he knew the secrets of many of the inhabitants. Now he knew the secret weakness of the scientist.  
    He hadn’t glimpsed either of the guests in the old prison chamber, but images came to mind: a male who resembled his master and a female who resembled a Gorgon of forgotten mythology. Ugly, horrible, vile creatures. Perfect for each other. 
    With a look of utter disgust etched onto his face, he walked into the hidden passageway. The door swung shut silently behind him. He trudged down hidden stairs deeper into the bowels of the castle, his mind mulling over the upcoming plans. 
    The voices buzzed in his head, returned after a one-day hiatus.  
    The scientist must die.   

 
    Chapter 9
     
    “Christ, Keith. It’s six in the morning. And I’ve already told ‘em everything.”  
    Keith stood with his arms crossed before his chest, blocking Greg from clambering into the hallway. “I want to hear it myself.”  
    He grabbed the pencil he’d stuck behind his ear. His scalp felt like sandpaper, and he was exhausted. He’d called all pertinent personnel, alerting them to the abduction. Within hours, the facility was shut down and all roads in and out of Phoenix were barricaded. Investigators had rifled through the observation room and combed the grounds for clues. President Strajowskie had even turned his private jet around while flying back to Los Angeles.  
    Keith had found Greg inside the cafeteria, asleep on one of the booth seats. After investigators had questioned him, Keith had decided to