Chapter 121: Among Us

Ezra drove home, the hum of the engine blending with the thoughts racing through his mind. Sёarᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The house loomed in the distance, a sanctuary and a fortress all at once. As he pulled into the garage, he took a deep breath, steadying himself for the tasks ahead.

The car door closed with a soft thud, and he walked to the boot, opening it with a flick of his wrist. Inside, bound by chains forged from his darkness, lay the vampire. She glared at him, her eyes burning with defiance and hatred.

With a casual flick of his hand, Ezra extended his shadows, pulling the vampire out of the boot and dragging her along the cold, concrete floor.

The path from the garage to the basement was a familiar one, each step echoing in the silent corridor. The air grew colder as they descended, the light dimming until only a faint glow illuminated their way.

Once in the basement, Ezra secured the vampire to the wall, the chains binding her tightly. She struggled against her bonds, her laughter echoing in the small, dark space.

"You won't get anything out of me," she taunted, her voice dripping with scorn. "You've already lost, Ezra Matten. You've already lost!" She cackled.

Ezra's grin was slow, deliberate. "Enjoy your stay," he said, his tone calm and confident. He turned on his heel, leaving her in the darkness. The door closed behind him with a finality that seemed to swallow the vampire's laughter.

Climbing the stairs, Ezra let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The living room greeted him with warmth and light, a welcome difference from the cold basement below the mansion. Olivia and Gen were waiting, their eyes turning to him as he entered.

"Gen," Ezra said, nodding in her direction. "Your report?"

Gen stepped forward, her expression serious. "I've visited all the clients. Those who needed persuasion are now convinced of the wisdom in staying silent. A few required more... direct measures, but they won't be a problem any longer."

Ezra listened intently as Gen detailed her encounters. She had always been adept at handling such matters, her presence alone enough to instill fear and compliance.

Yet, tonight, something seemed off. Her responses were precise, but there was an edge to her that he couldn't quite place. He chose to ignore it for the moment.

"Good work," he said finally. "You deserve a reward."

She slowly wagged her eyebrows, a grin on her face.

"Not that kind of reward." Ezra laughed. "I have a gift for you in the basement."

Gen crossed her arms in disappointment. "A gift?"

Ezra nodded, still smiling. "A vampire. She was trying to infiltrate my office. Probably for some important documents."

"Another vampire?" Gen scoffed. "Maybe I should start coming to your office. I haven't had a good fight in some time. Need to stretch my muscles, you know."

"Don't worry. You'll get your chance." Ezra grinned at her. "When we finally go head-to-head with the Silent Hand."

"That's what I'm talking about."

"As for the vampire in our basement, I want you to extract every bit of information from her, by any means necessary."

A slow grin spread across Gen's face. "Consider it done," she said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Ezra handed her a folder. "These are the plans for the partnership with TransitLink. Go over them and make sure everything is in order. You'll be handling tying it in with Black Spider. Then, deal with our guest."

Gen took the folder, her grin widening. "I'll take care of it," she said, turning towards the basement door.

As she descended, Ezra watched her go, a mix of admiration and unease swirling in his mind. Gen had always been reliable, her methods both effective and ruthless.

But tonight, there was something different about her, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He pushed the thought aside, turning his attention to Olivia. "And you, Olivia? How was your evening?"

Olivia smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Quiet. I've been waiting for you."

Ezra reached out, pulling her into an embrace. "Don't worry, we've got time." Olivia was the one he would be spending the night with today.

Out of the three women he had duties to, she was the most important for now. Her ascension to the fourth ring was drawing ever closer.

"Where's Red?" He asked her.

"Not back yet. She's been gathering information on the necessary people. Last I heard from her, she was using her network of contacts and informants to uncover their identities and intentions. She discovered vampire interference so it's safe to say that the Silent Hand were behind this."

"She had already identified the key players in the investigation and was working on ways to divert their attention. However, it's not easy going. It's hard to make humans go full one eighty without drawing suspicion."

"What do we do to mitigate that?"

"We'll have to give them another company to investigate or some other crime to satisfy them."

At that moment, the door opened and Red walked in, the tiredness plain on her face.

"I've got names and details," Red announced, flopping down onto a couch. "We're dealing with a special task force assigned to financial crimes. They're thorough, but they're also overworked and underfunded. We can use that to our advantage."

Ezra walked and took the seat opposite her, considering their options. "Can we bribe them? Or maybe feed them false information to lead them away from us?"

Red smiled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "I've already started on that. We'll be planting evidence that points to another company, one that's been on their radar for a while. It should buy us some time."

Ezra felt a surge of relief. They were making progress, and the situation was starting to feel more manageable.

But he knew they couldn't afford to be complacent. The authorities were still a threat, and they needed to stay one step ahead.

That was the moment that Gen chose to walk in through the front door. "Heya, bitches!" She greeted.

Ezra and Olivia froze. They turned to each other before realization passed through them. In a flash, they were racing towards the basement, Red and Gen following behind in confusion. Ezra burst into the basement to find it empty.

The vampire was gone. And so was the other vampire. And they now had the documents on the TransitLink partnership.

"Fuck."