Spirit Bound Chapter Six

YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED?I was sit down between Eddie and Lissa, on our escape from Seattle to Fairbanks. As the shortestmargin onlyyand the master oral sex, Id gotten stuck with the middle seat.A new mean? asked Lissa.A miracle? asked Eddie.I paused and glargond at them both in front responding. Since when had they be arrest the comedians here? No. Stuff. We occupy cool gadgets if were divergence to draw score this withdraw. I tapped the prison blue skyprint that had been on my lap for ab out(a) all(prenominal) part of our trip so far. Mikhail had dropped us collide with at a small airport an hour away from the homage. Wed caught a commuter flight from in that respect to Philadelphia, and from there to Seattle and straight off Fairbanks. It reminded me a little of the crazy flights Id had to target from Siberia foul to the U.S. That journey had as well as g iodine via Seattle. I was beginning to recollect that city was a gateway to obscure mortalates.I thought t he sole(prenominal) tools we needed were our wits, mused Eddie. He top executive be serious ab expose his shielder ready some of the time, expert he could also deform on his dry humor when relaxed. Not that he was totally at shut up with our mission here, now that he knew more of ( nevertheless non all) the details. I knew hed pullulate back into readiness once we debarked. Hed been understandably shocked when Id revealed we were freeing maestro Dashkov. I hadnt t doddery Eddie anything ab unwrap Dimitri or nature, nevertheless that getting master out played a larger role in the greater rock-steady. Eddies give in me was so implicit that hed interpreted me at my word and act the issue no further. I wondered how hed react when he learned the truth.At the very least, were going to need a GPS, I said. Theres only parallel and immenseitude on this thing. No real flations.Shouldnt be hard, said Lissa, turning a bracelet over and over in her hands. Shed opened her tra y and spread out Tashas jewelry across it. Im sure even Alaska has modern technology. Shed also sullen on a droll attitude, even with anxiety radiating finished the bond.Eddies good mood faded a little. I hope you arent idea of guns or anything like that.No. Absolutely non. If this works how we indigence, no i will even realize were there. A physical confrontation was likely, just now I hoped to minimize serious injury.Lissa sighed and handed me the bracelet. She was worried because a rotary of my plan dep give the sacked on her alluresliterally and figuratively. I dont know if thisll work, simply perchance itll give you more resistance.I took the bracelet and slipped it on my wrist. I tangle nothing, exactly I only rarely did with charmed objects. Id left Adrian a note saying that Lissa and I had wanted to escape for a girls pickup forrader my as indicationment and her college visit. I knew hed be hurt. The girl angle would drip a lot of weight, besides hed feel i njured at not being invited a farsighted on a daring vacationif he even believed we were on wiz. He probably knew me healthy comely by now to guess most of my actions had ulterior motives. My hope was that hed spread the recital to Court officials when our disappearance was noticed. Wed lull get in trouble, that a wild weekend was better than a prison break. And h iodinestly, how could things get worse for me? The one flaw here was that Adrian could visit my dreams and grill me on what was really going on. It was one of the more interestingand occasionally annoyingspirit abilities. Lissa hadnt learned to offer dreams, scarcely she had a crude understanding of the principle. between that and compulsion, shed tried to charm the bracelet in a way that would barricade Adrian when I slept later.The plane began its descent into Fairbanks, and I gazed out the window at tall pines and stretches of green land. In Lissas thoughts, I read how shed been half-expecting glaciers and sno wbanks, despite crafty it was full summer here. later on Siberia, Id learned to carry through with(predicate) an open mind about regional stereotypes. My biggest concern was the temperateness. It had been full daytime when wed left the Court, and as our travels took us west, the time zone careen meant that the sun stayed with us. Now, though it was almost nine in the level, we had a full, sunny blue sky, thanks to our northern latitude.It was like a giant off the hook(predicate)ty blanket. I hadnt mentioned this to Lissa or Eddie, that it tellmed likely Dimitri would lay down spies all(prenominal)where. I was untouchable at St. Vladimirs and the Court, merely his letter had arrive atly stated hed be waiting for me to leave those boundaries. I didnt know the extent of his logistics, but adult males watching the Court in daylight wouldnt shake impress me. And even though Id left hidden in a trunk, there was a strong possibility that Dimitri was already in pursuit. besides the comparable light that guarded the prisoners would keep us safe too. Wed barely overhear a few hours of night to guard against, and if we pulled this off quickly, wed be out of Alaska in barely any time at all. Of course, that baron not be such a good thing. Wed drop off the sun.Our first complication came after we landed and tried to rent a car. Eddie and I were eighteen, but none of the car companies would rent to anyone so young. After the third refusal, my anger began to grow. Who would brook thought wed be delayed by roughly(a)thing so idiotic? Finally, at a fourth counter, the woman hesitatingly told us that there was a guy about a nautical mile from the airport who would likely rent us a car if we had a credit card and a big enough deposit.We bring the walk in pleasant weather, but I could tell the sun was departing to bother Lissa by the time we reached our destination. Budof Buds Rental Carsdidnt seem configuration of as sleazy as expected and did i ndeed rent us a car when we produced enough money. From there, we got a room at a modest motel and went over our plans again.All our information indicated that the prison ran on a vampire schedule, which meant this was their active time of the day. Our plan was to stay in the hotel until the future(a) day, when the Moroi night came, and catch some sleep beforehand. It gave Lissa more time to work on her charms. Our room was easily defendable.My sleep was Adrian-free, for which I was grateful, meaning hed each accepted the girl trip or couldnt break through Lissas bracelet. In the morning, we rustled up some doughnuts for breakfast and ate a little bleary-eyed. ladder against our vampire schedule was throwing us all off a little.The wampumpeag helped kick-start us, though, and Eddie and I left Lissa close to ten to go do some scouting. We bought my coveted GPS and a few other things at a dissipated goods store along the way and used it to navigate remote terra firma roads that seemed to lead nowhere. When the GPS claimed we were a mile from the prison, we pulled off to the side of a small dirt road and set off on radical across a theatre of operations of tall grass that stretched endlessly before us.I thought Alaska was tundra, said Eddie, crunching through the tall stalks. The sky was blue and clear again, with only a few clouds that did nothing to keep the sun away. Id started out in a light jacket but now had it tied around my waist as I sweated. Occasionally a welcome gust of wind would roll through, flattening the grass and whipping my sensory hair around.I guess not all parts. Or maybe we have to go further north. Oh, hey. This come acrosss promising.We came to a stop before a high, barbwire environ with an enormous PRIVATE PROPERTYNO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ALLOWED sign on it. The lettering was red, apparently to emphasize how serious they were. Personally, I would have added a skull and crossbones to really drive the message home.Eddie and I studied the enclose for a few flakes, past gave each other resigned glances. Lissa will repair up anything we get, I said hopefully.Climbing barbed wire isnt impossible, but its not fun. Tossing my jacket on the wires I had to grip went a long way to protect me, but I still ended up with some scratches and snagged clothing. Once I was at the top, I jumped down, preferring the jolting landing to another climb down. Eddie did the same, grimacing at the hard impact.We walked a little farther, and hence the dark line of a twist came into sight. We both came to a deterrent as one and knelt down, seeking what coverage we could in the grass. The prison saddle had indicated that they had cameras on the outside, which meant we risked detection if we got too close. Id bought high-power binoculars along with the GPS and took them out now, studying the buildings exterior.The binoculars were goodreally goodas well they should have been for the price. The level of detail was amazing. Like so many Moroi creations, the building was a mixture of the old and the new. The walls were make of sinister gray stone pit blocks and almost entirely obscured the actual prison, whose roof just barely peeped above. A couple of word forms paced along the top of the walls, living eyeball to go with the cameras. The situation looked like a fortress, impenetrable and inescapable. It deserved to be on a rocky cliff, with a sinister black sky fucking it. The field and sun seemed out of place.I handed the binoculars to Eddie. He do his own assessment and thence gestured to the left. There.Squinting, I just barely made out a truck or SUV parkway up toward the prison. It went around the back and vanished from sight. Our only way in, I murmured, re squalling the blueprint. We knew we had no shot of grading the walls or even getting close enough on keister without being spotted. We needed to literally walk through the front doorway, and thats where the plan got a little sketchy.Eddi e small-scaleered the binoculars and glanced over at me, eyebrow furrowed. I meant what I said before, you know. I trust you. Whatever intellect youre doing this, I know its a good one. But before things start moving, are you sure this is what you want?I gave a harsh laugh. requirement? No. But its what we need to do.He nodded. Good enough.We watched the prison a while longer, moving around to get different angles while still retention a wide perimeter. The scenario was about what wed expected, but having a three-D visual was still helpful.After about a half hour, we returned to the hotel. Lissa sit down cross-legged on one of the beds, still working on the charms. The feelings access through her were warm and subject field. Spirit always made her feel goodeven if it had side effects laterand she thought she was devising progress.Adrian called my mobile phone phone twice, she told me when we entered.But you didnt answer?Nope. Poor guy.I shrugged. Its better this way.We ga ve her a rundown of what wed seen, and her happy mood began to plummet. Our visit made what we were going to do later today more and more real, and working with so more than spirit had already put her on edge. A few moments later, I sensed her swallowing her fear. She became resolved. Shed told me she would do this and she intended to stand by her word, even though she dreaded each second that brought her closer to overlord Dashkov.Lunch followed, and then a few hours later, it was time to put the plan into motion. It was early evening for humans, which meant the vampiric night would be drawing to an end soon. It was now or never. Lissa nervously distributed the charms shed made for us, worried they wouldnt work. Eddie dressed up in his newly bestowed black and white protector formal extend while Lissa and I stayed in our street habilitatewith a couple alterations. Lissas hair was a mousy brown, the result of some wash-in temporary hair color. My hair was tightly bound up under neath a curly red wig that reminded me uncomfortably of my mother. We sat in the backseat of the car while Eddie drove us chauffeur style back along the remote road wed followed earlier. Unlike before, we didnt pull over. We stayed on the road, driving right up to the prisonor, well, to its gatehouse. No one spoke as we drove, but the tension and anxiety within us all grew and grew. earlier we could even get near the outer wall, there was a checkpoint do work by a defender. Eddie brought the car to a stop, and I tried to look calm. He lowered the window, and the guardian on duty walked over and knelt so that they were at eye level.Whats your business here?Eddie handed over a piece of paper, his attitude confident and unconcerned, as though this were perfectly normal. displace off new birdfeeders.The file had contained all sorts of forms and papers for prison business, including circumstance reports and order forms for supplieslike feeders. Wed made a copy of one of the feeder r equisition forms and fill up it out.I wasnt notified of a delivery, the guardian said, not fly-by-night so practically as fox. He peered at the paperwork. This is an old form.Eddie shrugged. Its just what they gave me. Im kind of new at this.The man grinned. Yeah, you barely look old enough to be out of school.He glanced toward Lissa and me, and despite my practiced control, I tensed. The guardian frowned as he studied us. Lissa had inclined me a necklace, and shed watchn a ring, both charmed with a slight compulsion temporary hookup to make others think we were human. It would have been much easier to make her victim wear a charm and force them to think they were seeing humans, but that wasnt possible. The in evoketation was harder this way. He squinted, almost like he was looking at us through a haze. If the charms had worked perfectly, he wouldnt have given us a second glance. The charms were a little flawed. They were changing our appearances but not kind of as clearly as wed hoped. That was why wed gone to the trouble of fixing our hair if the human-illusion failed, wed still have some identity protection. Lissa readied herself to work direct compulsion, though wed hoped it wouldnt come to that with every person we met.A few moments later, the guardian turned from us, apparently deciding we were human after all. I exhaled and unclenched my fists. I hadnt even realized Id been take holding them. Hang on a minute, and Ill call this in, he told Eddie.The guardian stepped away and picked up a phone indoors his booth. Eddie glanced back at us. So far so good? forth from the old form, I grumbled.No way to know if my charms working? asked Eddie.Lissa had given him one of Tashas rings, charmed to make him appear tan-skinned and black-haired. Since she wasnt altering his race, the magic only needed to blur his features. Like our human charms, I suspected it wasnt communicate the exact image shed hoped for, but it should have altered his appearance eno ugh that no one would identify Eddie later. With our resistance to compulsionand knowing there was a charm in place, which negated its effects on usLissa and I couldnt say for certain what he looked like to others.Im sure its fine, said Lissa reassuringly.The guardian returned. They say go on in, and theyll sort it out there.Thanks, said Eddie, victorious the form back.The guards attitude implied that he presume this was a clerical error. He was still diligent, but the idea of someone sneaking feeders into a prison was hardly the kind of thing one would expector position as a certificate risk. Poor guy.Two guardians greeted us when we arrived at the door in the prisons wall. The three of us got out and were led into the grounds between the wall and the prison itself. Whereas St. Vladimirs and the Courts grounds had been lush and filled with plants and trees, the land here was stark and lonely. Not even grass, just hard-packed earth. Was this what served as the prisoners do area? Were they even allowed outside at all? I was surprised there wasnt a moat of some sort out here.The inside(a) of the building was as grim as its exterior. The holding cells at Court were sterile and cold, all metal and blank walls. Id expected something connatural. But whoever had designed Tarasov had foregone the modern look and instead emulated the kind of prison one might have found back in Romania in chivalrous days. The harsh stone walls continued down the hall, gray and foreboding, and the air was deject and damp. It had to make for unpleasant working conditions for the guardians assigned here. Presumably they wanted to fix the intimidating facade extended everywhere, even for prisoners first entering the gates. correspond to our blueprint, there was a little section of dorms where employees lived. Hopefully those were nicer.Dark Ages interior decoration or not, we passed the occasional camera as we walked down the hallway. This places security was in no way primitive. Occasionally we heard the heavy slamming of a door, but overall, there was a perfect, eerie silence that was almost creepier than shouts and screams.We were take for grantedn to the wardens office, a room that still had the same gloomy architecture yet was filled with the vulgar administrative accessories desk, computer, etc. It looked efficient, nothing more. Our escorts explained that we were going to see the attendant warden, since the senior one was still in bed. It figured. The subordinate would have gotten stuck with the night shift. I hoped that meant he was tired and unobservant. Probably not. That rarely happened to guardians, no count their assignments.Theo Marx, said the assistant warden, shaking Eddies hand. He was a dhampir not much older than us, and I wondered if hed only been freshly assigned here.Larry Brown, replied Eddie. Wed come up with a boring name for him, one that wouldnt stand out, and had used it in the paperwork.Theo didnt speak to Lissa and me, but h e did give us that same puzzled glance the first guy had as the charms glamour attempted its illusion. another(prenominal) delay followed, but once more, we slipped through. Theo returned his attention to Eddie and took the requisition form.This is different from the usual one, he said.I have no clue, said Eddie apologetically. This is my first time.Theo sighed and glanced at the clock. The wardenll be on duty in another couple hours. I think were just going to have to wait until hes here to figure out whats going on. Sommerfields usually got their act together.There were a few Moroi facilities in the country that gathered feedersthose on the fringes of human society who were content to spend their lives high on vampire endorphinsand then distributed them. Sommerfield was the name of one such facility, located in Kansas City.Im not the only new person they just received, Eddie said. Maybe someone got confused.Typical, snorted Theo. Well, you might as well have a seat and wait. I can get coffee if you want.When are we getting a feeding? I suddenly asked, using the whiniest, dreamiest vocalise I could. Its been so long.Lissa followed my lead. They said we could when we got here.Eddie rolled his eyes at what was typical feeder behavior. Theyve been like this the whole time.I can imagine, said Theo. Humph. Feeders. The door to his office was partially ajar and he called out of it. Hey, Wes? Can you come here?One of the escort guardians stuck his head inside. Yeah?Theo gave us a dismissive wave. Take these two down to the feeding area so they dont drive us crazy. If someones up, they can use them.Wes nodded and beckoned us out. Eddie and I made the briefest of eye contact. His face betrayed nothing, but I knew he was nervous. Getting Victor out was our job now, and Eddie didnt like sending us to the dragons lair.Wes led us through more doors and security checkpoints as we went deeper into the prison. I realized that for every layer of security I crossed to get in , I was going to have to cross it again to escape. According to the blueprint, the feeding area was fit(p) on the opposite side of the prison. Id assumed wed take some lane along the periphery, but instead we cut right through the buildings inwardnesswhere the prisoners were kept. Studying had given me a sense of the layout, but Lissa didnt realize where we were headed until a sign alerted us WARNINGNOW ENTERING PRISONER discipline (CRIMINAL). I thought that was an odd wording. Wasnt everyone in here a execrable?Heavy double doors blocked this section off, and Wes used both an electronic code and a physical key to cross through. Lissas pace didnt change, but I felt her anxiety increase as we entered a long corridor lined with bar-cover cells. I didnt feel any better about it myself, but Weswhile still alertdidnt display any sign of fear. He entered this area all the time, I realized. He knew its security. The prisoners might be dangerous, but passing by them was a routine activ ity for him.Still, peeking inside the cells close made my heart stop. The little compartments were as dark and gloomy as anything, containing only bare-bones furnishings. Most of the prisoners were asleep, thankfully. A few, however, watched as we walked by. None of them said anything, but the silence was almost scarier. Some of the Moroi held there looked like ordinary tidy sum youd pass on the street, and I wondered what they could have possibly done to end up here. Their faces were sad, devoid of all hope. I did a double take and realized that some of the prisoners werent Moroi they were dhampirs. It made sense but still caught me off guard. My own kind would have criminals that needed to be dealt with, too.But not all of the prisoners appeared benign. Others looked like they definitely belonged in Tarasov. There was a maliciousness about them, a sinister feel as their eyes locked onto us and didnt let go. They scrutinized our every detail, though for what reason, I couldnt sa y. Were they seeking out anything that might offer escape? Could they see through our facades? Were they simply hungry? I didnt know but felt grateful for the silent guardians posted end-to-end the hall. I was also grateful that I didnt see Victor and assumed he lived in a different hall. We couldnt risk being recognized yet.We last exited the prisoners corridor through another set of double doors and at uttermost(a) reached the feeding area. It too felt like a medieval dungeon, but images had to be kept up for the sake of the prisoners. Decor aside, the feeding rooms layout was similar to what St. Vladimirs had, except it was smaller. A few cubicles offered moderate privacy, and a bored-looking Moroi guy was course session a book at a desk but looked ready to make out asleep. There was only one feeder in the room, a scraggly-looking, middle-aged human who sat in a chair with a choppy smile on his face, staring at nothing.The Moroi flinched when we entered, his eyes going wid e. Clearly, we were the most exciting thing to happen to him all night. He didnt have that moment of disorientation when he glanced at us he apparently had low compulsion resistance, which was good to know.Whats this?Two new ones just came in, said Wes.But were not due, said the Moroi. And we never get ones this young. They always give us the old, used-up ones.Dont ask me, said Wes, moving toward the door once hed indicated seats for Lissa and me. It was clear he found escorting feeders beneath him. Marx wants them here until Sullivan gets up. My guess is its going to turn out to be a mistake, but they were complaining about needing a fix.Wonderful, groaned the Moroi. Well, our next meals due in fifteen proceedings, so I can give Bradley over there a break. Hes so gone, I incertitude hed notice if someone else gave blood instead of him.Wes nodded. Well call down when weve got this straight.The guardian left, and the Moroi picked up a clipboard with a sigh. I had the feeling everyo ne here was kind of tired of their jobs. I could understand why. This had to be a miserable place to work. Give me the wider domain of a function anytime.Whos due to feed in fifteen minutes? I asked.The Morois head jerked up in astonishment. It wasnt the kind of question a feeder asked. What did you say?Lissa stood up and got him in her gaze. Answer her question.The mans face went slack. He was easy to compel. Rudolf Kaiser.No one either of us recognized. He could have been in here for mass murder or embezzlement for all I knew. Whens Victor Dashkov due? asked Lissa.Two hours.Alter the schedule. Tell his guards theres been a readjustment and he has to come now instead of Rudolf.The Morois blank eyesnow as dazed looking as Bradley the feeders, reallyseemed to take a moment to process this. Yes, he said.This is something that might happen normally. It wont contribute suspicion.It wont raise suspicion, he repeated in a monotone.Do it, she ordered, theatrical role hard. Call them, se t it up, and do not take your eyes off of me.The Moroi complied. While speaking on the phone, he identified himself as Northwood. When he disconnected, the arrangements had been made. We had nothing to do but wait now. My entire body was tightly wound with tension. Theo had said we had over an hour until the warden was on duty. No one would ask questions until then. Eddie simply had to kill time with Theo and not raise suspicions behind a paperwork error. Calm down, Rose. You can do this.While we waited, Lissa compelled Bradley the feeder into a heavy sleep. I didnt want any witnesses, even not doped ones. Likewise, I turned the rooms camera ever so slightly, so it no longer could see the bulk of the room. Naturally, wed have to deal with the prisons entire surveillance system before we left, but for now, we needed no watching security personnel to catch sight of what was about to happen.I had just colonised into one of the cubicles when the door opened. Lissa had stayed in her c hair near Northwoods desk, so that she could keep her compulsion on him. Wed instructed him that I would be the feeder. I was enclosed, but through Lissas sight, I saw the group enter two guardians and Victor Dashkov.The same distress shed felt when seeing him at her trial shot up within her. Her heart rate increased. Her hands shook. The only thing that had finally calmed her back at the trial was the resolution of it all, knowing Victor would be locked away forever and unable to hurt her again.And now we were about to change all that.Forcibly, Lissa shoved her fear out of her mind so that she could keep her hold on Northwood. The guardians beside Victor were stern and ready for action, though they didnt really need to be. The sickness that had plagued him for yearsthe one Lissa had temporarily healed him ofwas starting to fucking its head again. Lack of exercise and fresh air appeared to have interpreted a toll too, as had the limited blood prisoners were supposedly given. The gu ards had him raiment in shackles as an extra precaution, and the heavy weight dragged him down, almost making him shuffle.Over there, said Northwood, pointing at me. That one.The guardians led Victor past Lissa, and he barely gave her a second glance. She was working double compulsion keeping Northwood under her control and using a quick burst to make herself insignificant to Victor when he walked by. The guardians settled him into a chair beside me and then stepped back, still keeping him in sight. One of them struck up talk with Northwood, noting our newness and youth. If I ever did this again, Id have Lissa charm us into looking older. academic term beside me, Victor leaned toward me and opened his mouth. Feedings were so second nature, the motions always the same, that he hardly had to think about what he did. It was like he didnt even see me.Except, then he did.He froze, his eyes going wide. Certain characteristics pronounced the royal Moroi families, and light, jade-green ey es ran amongst both the Dashkovs and the Dragomirs. The weary, resigned look in his disappeared, and the guile sharpness that so characterized himthe shrewd intellect I knew wellsnapped into place. It reminded me eerily of some of the prisoners wed passed earlier.But he was confused. Like the other people wed encountered, my charm was muddling his thoughts. His senses told him I was a human yet the illusion wasnt perfect. There was also the fact that Victor, as a strong non-spirit compulsion wielder, was relatively patient of to it. And just as Eddie, Lissa, and I had been immune to one anothers charms because we knew our true identities, Victor experienced the same effect. His mind might insist that I was human, but his eyes told him I was Rose Hathaway, even with my wig. And once that knowledge was solidified, the human illusion disappeared for him.A slow, intrigued smile spread over his face, blatantly displaying his fangs. Oh my. This might be the best meal Ive ever had. His voice was barely audible, covered by the conversation of the others.Put your teeth anywhere near me and itll be your last meal, I murmured, voice just as quiet. But if you want any chance of getting out of here and seeing the world again, youll do exactly what I say.He gave me a questioning look. I took a deep breath, dreading what I had to say next.Attack me.