Without A Heartbeat

Connor!

Scarlett awoke with a gasp. The memory of the attack sent panic flooding through her. Scrambling to her feet, she rushed forward only to feel razor teeth sink into her wrists. Jerking to a halt, she collapsed as waves of searing agony tore through her arms. Through blurred vision, she discovered that her wrists were held tight by wooden shackles that looped through a wooden bolt fastened to an arching wall. The insides of each cuff were jagged and gnawed deeper the more she struggled, as if she were at the mercy of a ravenous animal. Scarlett took in her surroundings, trying to understand where she was and how she had ended up there. Wooden walls surrounded a pit area filled with metal struts. Apart from Scarlett herself, it contained a few boxes and coils of rope that were placed at the far end, far beyond the girl’s reach. A single ladder reached a second level, where several walkways led to solid doors with wheel-shaped handles.

This is some type of ship hold. That woman in the hood knocked me unconscious and must have bought me here.

It was then - with the horror of not knowing Connor’s fate, coupled with the realisation that she was a prisoner being carted away by a stranger - that Scarlett lost control.

“Let me go!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Ripping at the wooden chains in a frenzy, she hissed and shrieked for someone to come and set her free. The binds cut deeper into her wrists and sapped her energy until she was slowed into a state of complete inertia. No one came as a result of her screams and after what felt like an eternity of struggling, Scarlett let her head fall against a metal strut and closed her eyes. Please be safe Connor, she thought miserably.

Scarlett sat motionless for a long time, listening to the cacophony of creaks and groans that came from within the vessel. The thing that stuck her as odd, was the lack of rise and fall that came from being on a boat. The only motion she felt was the gentle sensation of something very large moving forward with grace. Without blinking, Scarlett stared into the glowing centre of a single lantern that hung from the railings of a central walkway, creating a ring of light that threw everything outside it into darkness.

Including Scarlett.

The dark no longer scared her. It was somehow comforting – its endless shadows feeling like blankets of warmth that she could nestle within and hide herself away to be forgotten. But the peace of oblivion was constantly interjected by the hunger. It came from within her like some stirring beast, until it had spread from her stomach into every part of her body. Noises became too loud, each sound like a dagger stabbing her ears. Her hands trembled and stomach convulsed. Within her swimming mind, every haphazard thought was consumed by the thought of fresh blood. She tried to escape, to free herself from the agony.

But the hunger refused to be ignored.

Time folded around itself and stretched until Scarlett lost track of it. All she remembered from her endless, excruciating journey was a single occasion, where a loud cranking sound preceded a sudden burst of light that bore down on her like a vengeful sun. She hissed as she heard footsteps as loud as gunshots on the walkway above her.

“Eat,” said a soothing voice.

Something was thrown down at her feet. Then the door slammed shut, the noise akin to a crack of thunder in her ears. She smelled it first, her fangs slipping down from her gums involuntarily and saliva spilling onto her lips. A leather bag lay before her. A leather bag full of blood.

Scarlett tore at the container until her fingers were covered in the thick liquid. She bought the ripped bag to her lips and poured the contents down her throat. Each gulp was a celestial hammer that beat the demonic hunger into submission. Scarlett shuddered, intense sensations rolling through her followed by the tingling comfort that came soon afterwards. She drained the bag dry and then sucked the blood from her fingers, until not a single drop remained.

“Thank you,” she whispered to the empty room.

Then she laid her head back against the strut once more and waited for the nightmare to end.

A boot nudged Scarlett’s foot. She snapped her eyes open and stared up at a shimmering figure standing above her.

“We have arrived,” said a man’s voice.

Through pure instinct, Scarlett pounced at the intruder. Once again, agony ripped through her wrists and she jolted to a halt mere inches from his face. Her knees went weak and she sank to the floor, heaving as pain ripped through her.

“That was unwise,” said the man, crouching down until he was at the girl’s level. A deep cowl covered his face, which he pushed back with a slender hand. The face was not one she recognised. It was delicate, but masculine at the same time – high cheekbones and a narrow jawline, somehow complimented by a nose that was slightly hooked at the end. His ashen hair was pulled back into a ponytail and with shock, Scarlett realised that his eyes were the same bright shade of both her and her abductor’s. However, unlike the Silver-Eyed Man, there was something noble about the man, kindly even. As he knelt next to her, Scarlett caught his scent. It reminded her of smoked chestnuts that she would cook with her mother as a child. She breathed deeper, taking in the smell of his blood. It was strong and rich, but failed to stir her hunger.

His blood holds nothing for me.

The man set down the flickering lantern he was carrying and pointed a finger to Scarlett’s shackles. “Oak wood. It’s deadly to our kind, so better not to struggle against it.” His voice was calm and carried the confidence that came with being an educated man.

“You’re like me?”

The man nodded. “I am.”

That must be why I don’t want his blood. Parasites don’t feed off other parasites.

“There are many more of us out there…” he gestured towards her neck, “but then you are already aware of that aren’t you?” He finished his words with a sympathetic smile.

“Where am I?” Scarlett demanded, ignoring the man’s attempts at pleasantries.

“You are on board a vessel we call the Iron Whale,” he answered. “Although it is neither of those things.”

“Who are you and why did you bring me here?” Scarlett glared at her captor, who regarded her pleasantly, as the shadows from the lantern danced across his pale face. Now that she had been fed, her humanistic emotions were returning to her. The indignation of being chained up like a rabid animal was making her furious. The hairs on her arms rose up and a guttural growl started to build in the base of her throat.

“Please try to relax, Miss Reid.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Because knowledge is a big part of our job. Now in answer to your previous questions, my hunter title is Two, however, my actual name is Larik Godren. I am a Guardian of the Alliance. You were bought here because you have committed murder and were about to kill again. Saving people’s lives is a bigger part of our job.

Ice ran through Scarlett’s veins as panic overtook her anger. “Connor!”

“Is fine,” placated Larik. “We were able to stop you in time.”

Scarlett closed her eyes as relief rushed through her. “Thank the Lord.” Blinking away tears she opened her eyes and shook her head. “My family must not know what ta think.”

“They were very confused and shaken. However, one of my team was able to convince them to forget what they had seen.”

“Convince them?” Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “If any of ya harmed my family…”

“That is not what I meant. We do not harm innocents, Miss Reid. I simply meant that we were able to make them forget what they saw, in a completely humane way.”

Scarlett felt her rage subside. There was no dishonesty on the man’s face and she could tell that he was telling the truth. “When you say we…you mean you and other Guardians of this Alliance you mentioned?”

“Yes.”

“What does the Alliance do?”

“That is a very complex question. All things will become clear soon enough. However, for now we need to focus on getting you off this submarine.”

Submarine. Scarlett had never heard such a word in her life. But then for the colourful life she had led and the many books she had read, it was becoming evident there was still plenty that she still did not know about the world.

Larik reached behind his back and retrieved some kind of wooden collar. Scarlett’s eyes went wide as she looked at the contraption. It was thick, connected by a latch at the back and mounted by a metal plate that housed several strands of copper wire. She had never seen anything like it and for that she was glad. It looked like some kind of futuristic torture device. Larik unlocked it and moved towards Scarlett. The girl shrank away from him, pressing her back against the wall and letting out a hiss. “Get that thing away from me.”

“I am afraid I can’t do that. I have orders to place this dissuader around your neck.” He sighed. “Personally I think it is utterly barbaric but it is also a necessity, as you are still far too volatile for us to trust to act rationally.” He gave an appeasing smile. “May I?”

“No you may not!”

Scarlett yanked at the shackles, trying to rip them from their loop. The pain flared up, shooting along her arms. Gritting her teeth she shrieked as she fought against them. It was such weak looking material, but for the girl it was as though each ring was forged from the strongest steel. Her wrists began to physically burn as she wrenched and yanked. Weeping sores appeared on her skin and her blood bubbled around the wounds, turning to smoke. Sickness lurched through her stomach and she retched, sending bile bursting from her mouth and onto the floor beside her. Defeated, she slumped back down. Larik - sill holding the collar open and waiting patiently – gave a sigh.

“Are you quite done, Miss Reid?”

There’s no point.

“I guess I ’ave no choice.”

“Thank you.”

Shifting his position, Larik moved close to Scarlett. His smoky scent became almost overwhelming in his proximity. “Please do try to keep calm Miss Reid,” he said. “I have absolutely no desire to do you any harm. This is for everyone’s safety.”

I could bite his throat. Keep biting until he is dead. Scarlett shook the thought away. No…he hasn’t done anything to harm me yet, and his people stopped me from killing Connor.

Fighting against her survival instincts, Scarlett closed her eyes and let Larik place the collar around her throat. It set with a click, hugging her throat, but not tight enough to cause pain.

“Can you swallow okay Miss Reid?”

Scarlett took some saliva and swallowed it down without obstruction. “Yes.”

“Fantastic.”

Larik slipped a small box shaped unit from within his cloak. It had a switch on it and some kind of unnatural light blinked green. There was another unlit red one next to it. He tapped a thumb against the contraption. “Scarlett, this device is called a remote control. It connects without wires to the collar you are wearing. If I press this button here, then four oak spikes will pierce one inch into your throat, incapacitating you.”

Scarlett grit her teeth together in outrage.

He shook the box, to make sure she was paying attention. “Scarlett, if you force me to press the other button, then the spikes will go in three inches, piercing your jugular and killing you. Do you understand me?”

Scarlett’s eyes went wide. I can’t believe what I let him do. She had known that the contraption was dangerous, but hadn’t considered it could actually be deadly. “Bastard!” she hissed and spat in his face.

Larik wiped his cheek with a sleeve. “You are upset, so I am going to forget you did that.” He found Scarlett’s gaze and held it. “Listen, I understand that you are scared and confused. I cannot blame you…I would be the same. However, you must understand that you are in a very serious situation. You are in our custody for committing murder and you are about to be transported to a place full of people far more important than you or I. So as much as I hate to treat you like an animal, the dissuader is something that is required for security.”

Murder. The word forced Scarlett to picture the ghastly aftermath of her unforgivable attack on Michael and Lisa Granger. It bought back memories of her stabbing the letter opener into Master Clarke’s neck, repaying his violations with death. Lastly she thought of Connor’s terrified face as he had watched his own bloodied and frenzied sister come at him, with bloodlust in her eyes. I’m dangerous, she thought and hung her head in shame.

“I understand.”

“Thank you.”

Larik lifted a key from around his neck and unlatched the oak shackles from Scarlett’s wrists. They fell away, clattering to the floor.

“Whether or not I am forced to use this device is completely within your control, Miss Reid. Behave yourself and I will have no cause to press either button.”

Scarlett nodded, rubbing at the wounds on her wrists. They were a bizarre mixture of cuts and burns, as if a wound had been badly cauterized.

“Those wounds will heal soon enough,” Larik said. “Faster once we get the dissuader collar off you. I will try and make sure that is as soon as possible. Can you stand?” He offered a hand to help Scarlett, but she ignored it, using the metal strut to pull herself to her feet. Larik sighed and gestured in front of him. “Please take four steps forward and then walk towards the ladder at a steady pace when I tell you to.”

Scarlett took a few shaky steps forward.

“Okay, go.”

They walked in single file until Scarlett reached the nearby ladder. “Climb up and then walk just past the first door you come to,” commanded Larik. “Face the right wall and place both of your hands flat against it.”

Scarlett climbed the ladder – with some difficulty – stepping onto the walkway at the top. Larik followed closely behind, bathing her in the light from his lantern. She took more unconfident steps forward until she was past the first door and stopped, turning and pressing both palms against the wall. Unlike the oak that had gnawed at her wrists, the rough wood had no effect on her skin. It’s like he said, it’s oak wood that harms me.

Larik knocked against the door five times. A few seconds it swung open with a dull clank. “Miss Reid, take two steps back and turn to face the door.”

Scarlett did as she was asked. Framed in the light beyond the room were two men, dressed as those from higher society and aiming crossbows loaded with wooden stakes. A guttural growl rose in her throat.

“No need for that agents, the prisoner is cooperating.” The men lowered their crossbows. “Agent Farrow, please go ahead and inform Huntmaster Solignis that we shall be on deck shortly.”

Huntmaster? It was the second time she had heard the man use the word hunt and it chilled her to the bone. Are these people hunting those like me? Am I game, caught by a group of mercenaries, who intend to show me off as a prize, or sell me to the highest bidder? Scarlett knew that the thought was somewhat illogical considering the very man standing next to her was by his own admission the same as she. At the same time, he had referred to himself as a hunter – maybe he was a plant to put her off her guard. The simple fact was that she did not trust these people and it seemed that they liked to keep their answers very selective. They did stop me from harming Connor though and that is enough for me to do as they ask…for now.

The other man - who had black hair greased across a narrow head– nodded to Larik and retreated down a long corridor, cut into sections by now-open metal doors. Her captor gestured towards the remaining man. “Miss Reid, please follow Agent Henwick, leaving three arms length between you at all times.”

Scarlett followed the agent through the bowels of the ship. A medley of sounds echoed around the expansive corridors, the water droplets that spilled from cracks in the walls sounded hollow as they hit the grated floor.

It was difficult for Scarlett to trust her footsteps; the effects of trying to escape the shackles had now taken full effect, leaving her weak and disorientated. Her leg muscles trembled and several times she was convinced she would fall. But the more she moved, the more confident her ability to walk became. She walked with her hands pressed to her sides, mouth closed and eyes wide open.

They all moved through a room filled with steam. A maze of pistons thick with grease lay still and silent, now that the bizarre ship was no longer moving. They connected to a series of towering metal blocks, which whirred and clicked, flashing with lights similar to the one on Larik’s remote control and filled with knobs and dials. Scarlett had never seen anything so complicated and futuristic in her life.

Another room held all manner of weapons that made Scarlett’s hackles rise. They stood in rows - menacing curves of metal and wood – sporting blades and barrels - locked away behind thick glass, like deadly prisoners waiting to be freed. Each subsequent room held more things that Scarlett could barely comprehend and for the first time since her transformation, she felt truly powerless.

Who are these people that they have access to such things?

The group ascended a series of steps, working their way through the enormity of the strange ship, until the agent twisted open a hatch door at the top of a steep flight of stairs and they stepped out onto the deck of the mighty vessel. Rain poured down in droves, beating against Scarlett’s skin and drumming on the black metal of the ship. It was almost dawn and the red glow of the rising sun streaked across the skyline, making the water around them appear as if it were blood.

The vessel they called a submarine had docked in a grand shipping yard. Dozens of large boats floated around it in silence, appearing like slumbering sentinels. Beyond the port stood a mighty city shrouded in fog. It was beginning to stir, the many chimneys of the many buildings chugging thick smoke into the sky. With her improved vision, Scarlett stared through the fog. The silhouette of a tall structure solidified until it became the majestic spire of a clock tower. It was a landmark Scarlett had never before seen, but one she had pictured in her mind, exquisitely detailed in a dozen different ways by a dozen different authors. Without a doubt in her mind Scarlett knew she was looking at Big Ben.

I’m in London.