‹ Prequel: Bound to You

Blanket of Fear

Chapter One

-x-
At The Complex
-x-

“We don’t know if she’s telling the truth.” Joel told Zack in a hearted argument. It had been a little over four weeks since Leana had been rescued, and four weeks since Brian’s outburst at Michelle. She had finally broken and given them some information, but Joel wasn’t buying it. They were now sitting around the computer monitor, debating what they should do. It had already been agreed that when the time came for Michelle to be disposed of, Brian would be the one to do it. He was the most emotionally invested in her, and they all felt that he had the right to end her life himself, and that was what they were discussing now. Zack felt they’d gotten everything they were going to get out of her, and that Brian could kill her. Joel, on the other hand, felt that Michelle was lying.

“She’s never been able to hide her emotions well. She’s not lying.” Zack argued. Joel sighed, shaking his head before pointing at the screen, where they’d managed to set up a camera in the Solitary room to keep close surveillance over the dark-haired woman.

“She hid the fact that she had a child. She hid the fact that she was never in love with Brian. She hid the fact that she was a traitor for God knows how many years. How much more proof do you need to see that she’s an excellent liar?” He asked Zack angrily. “A lot is riding on that woman, Zack. Not only Bat Country’s future, but ours as well. Without BC, what are the other minority countries out there like ours and PR going to do? We’ll be taken over if Bat Country is destroyed!”

Zack sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. Joel had a fair point. While Bat Country was a large country that was well-run and powerful enough that most enemies left it alone, most of their allies’ countries weren’t so fortunate. Papa Roach and Good Charlotte had functioning governments, and held control over their countries because Avenged Sevenfold helped them to keep it organized and protected from enemies. If something had happened to them, the entire vampire community could very well go to hell. And while he felt that Michelle was telling the truth, Joel’s concerns were legitimate, and he shouldn’t do things hastily.

“We’ll keep her alive for awhile more to see if her information pans out. That can’t hurt anything.” He agreed. “We should start by checking out the possible location she gave us.”

“That could be dangerous, man.” Matt interjected. “For all we know she’s leading us into a trap with the location. Maybe we should get one of our workers to do it. If they’re captured, they don’t know anything about where the Complex is located or where government business is conducted.”

Zack nodded, agreeing with Matt. “I think that’s a smart idea. Go now, send them there under the guise that we need them to scope out a new potential feeding territory. There’s no need for them to know they’re going into a dangerous territory.”

Matt nodded before he walked out of the Complex doors. It had been a month and no one had attacked the base, so Zack had cleared people to leave to do official business such as this and gather supplies. He then turned to Joel again. “Go spend time with Nic and the kids, we’re done talking about this for today.”

He nodded, a smile on his face when he thought about his family. He walked over to the bunk area where they were sure to be, while Zack leaned back in his chair, tilting his head back. Someone coughed and Zack looked up to see Johnny looking at him.

“What, Short Shit?” He asked with an air of annoyance. He knew what it was that Johnny was going to ask him; it was the same question he’d asked every day since Leana had gotten back to the Complex. He wanted to see Leigh, and Zack wouldn’t let him.

“I’m not asking this time. I’m telling you that I’m going to see her.” Johnny said with a frown on his face. “We’re all equal leaders of Bat Country, and I’m not going to put up with you treating me as though I’m nothing more than a lowly servant. Leigh’s not dangerous; not to me. She needs to know someone still cares about her, and I’ll be damned if I let you control me.”

Zack smirked, crossing his arms on his chest as he studied the shortest of the five of them. He didn’t know when Johnny had grown a set, but it made him smile to see that the youngest was willing to force his issue.

“Then by all means, go see her.” Zack said, holding his hands up. “Just don’t tell her anything important, and don’t give her the impression that she’s not still considered a threat. We still haven’t figured out what experiments Sean performed on her.”

Johnny nodded, a frown on his face as he walked towards the sheeted-off area that he knew Leigh was laying down in. She had healed from her injuries enough to move around, though she stayed in that area. Val had told Johnny that she didn’t feel comfortable around the others, but that she asked about him every day. He pushed the sheet open and then pulled it closed again as he walked over to the cot where she was laying down and saw that she was sleeping. He brushed his hand across her face and watched as her blue-grey eyes fluttered open, and then as they widened in surprise when she saw him.

“Johnny?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer to her question. He smiled at her and nodded before kneeling onto his knees so that she could see him at eye level. He grabbed her hand in his.

“Yeah, it’s me.” He told her back. “I finally told Zack I didn’t care if he didn’t want me coming in here to see you or not.”

When he mentioned Zack’s name, Leigh’s face went dark and she looked away from him. He sighed, knowing why she was upset. Zack had suggested that they try to dispose of her, though Leana had made it clear to him that it wasn’t possible. And even though Leigh knew she couldn’t die, it still hurt for her to know that Zack didn’t want her alive and in their presence. She finally looked back at Johnny.

“Maybe he should just let me go, if he hates me so much.” She told him. “You know, just set me loose out there.”

Johnny shook his head, squeezing her hand in his as he watched her facial expressions. “That’s not an option anymore.” He whispered quietly. “You know too much about us, and you know too much about Sean for it to be safe out there.”

“I’d rather be out there risking getting caught and tortured than be somewhere that no one wants me around.” She told him quietly, breaking eye contact with him and looking away. Johnny touched her face lightly with his hands, and made her look at him again.

“I want you around.” He said quietly. “I wouldn’t have kept you around if I didn’t. Who cares what Zack thinks? His chick’s not exactly fun to be around a lot of the time, either, but no one says anything to him about it. You’ve just as much right to be here as Eliza or any of the other girls.”

“I’m different, Johnny. I’m not like you guys, or like the girls. You’ll all die eventually, and I won’t. I can’t. Do you know what that’s like, knowing that you’ll never get freedom from life?”

“Yes, I do.” Johnny answered her. “Vampires don’t die natural deaths; they have to be killed by someone else to die. And that won’t happen with any of us, we’re too strong right now for anyone to break our defenses. I know what it feels like, Leigh.”

“Not the same way I do.” Was all she responded. “When Jimmy got hurt, his wounds could have killed him. He was in bad shape; I heard what Val said. My injuries should have killed me. I had a collapsed lung, for God’s sake! But I didn’t die.”

“And it’s good that you didn’t.” He whispered, leaning his face closer to hers again. “So don’t think you’re not wanted. Because believe me, you are.”

-x-
With Sean
-x-

“We have a hit!”

Sean looked up from his desk at the loud exclamation and saw a lackey he remembered that he’d assigned to tracking down Michelle through the GPS that he’d implanted into her leg shortly before she’d gone back to begin her part of the mission. All she’d had to do was push the spot on her leg where it was placed underneath the skin and it would be turned on and could transmit her location, but that hadn’t happened until today.

“Where?” Sean asked, standing up and grabbing his jacket off of the coat rack beside the door as he crossed the room. He was eager to begin the destruction of Avenged Sevenfold.

“Arizona.” The lackey smirked. “They’re in Phoenix.”

“Let’s go.” Sean said in a gruff voice. “Tell the others to start preparing.”
♠ ♠ ♠
50 Subscribers and 3 comments overnight without the first chapter being posted? That's awesome, guys! I'm hoping to post the second chapter tomorrow. :) Favorite part?