LITMIR.BIZ

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“She tried to kill you, and she ran with Alexandru. I know she’s pretty, but—”

      “That’s got nothing to do with it,” interrupted Jamie, anger flashing in his eyes. “And I don’t trust her, not really. But I think someone she knows has information that I need, and I think she’ll take us to them if we play along with her. I don’t know why, before you ask. I just think she will.”

      Jamie was lying to Morris about one thing; he was starting to trust Larissa. When he thought about her, which was increasingly often, he was starting to see the teenage girl she had been, whose biggest problems had been her friends and her parents until she had wandered off on her own at the funfair, and her life had been thrown into darkness.

      “I hope you’re right,” said Morris.

      “No you don’t,” snapped Jamie.

      “Don’t what?” rumbled Frankenstein’s voice.

      The huge man rounded the corner and stood towering over Jamie and Morris.

      “Nothing,” said Jamie. “Don’t worry about it.”

      Frankenstein gave the teenager a long look, then turned his attention to Morris.

      “Why are you carrying that?” he asked, pointing to a belt slung over the man’s shoulder.

      Morris slipped the belt down into his hands, and didn’t reply.

      “I told him to bring it,” said Jamie.

      “And why would you have done that?” Frankenstein asked, his voice low and ominous.

      “Larissa says she can take us to someone who will know where my mother is.”

      “And you’re actually stupid enough to believe her?”

      Jamie flushed a deep red, and fingered the bandage on his neck.

      “I do believe her. And to be honest, I don’t see how listening to her could be any worse than listening to you.”

      Frankenstein went very still, so still he appeared to be holding his breath.

      “Excuse me?” he said, in a voice like ice.

      “You heard me,” said Jamie. “Following you has got me nothing apart from this burn on my neck and a load of wasted time. I’m pretty sure wherever Larissa takes us can’t be any worse.”

      Morris shuffled his feet, and looked desperately from the teenager to the monster, and back again.

      “Why don’t we just make her tell—”

      “Shut up, Tom,” said Frankenstein, not taking his eyes off Jamie. “So. Even if I believed this vampire has any information that might be useful, which I don’t, you’re asking me to directly disobey Admiral Seward’s orders and take her off base? Or were you just planning to try and sneak her out?”

      “I need to know what she knows,” replied Jamie. “If you won’t help me, then I’ll do it myself. You can try and stop me if you want.”

      “This isn’t necessary,” said Morris, an anguished look on his face. “We can just—”

      “Didn’t you hear me, Tom?” said Frankenstein. “If I want your opinion I’ll ask for it. Until then, be quiet.”

      He turned back to the teenager.

      “This is how it’s going to be?” he asked.

      Jamie shrugged. “I need to get my mother back,” he said. “Nothing else matters. I thought you understood that.”

      For a long moment, no one said anything. Frankenstein appeared deep in thought, Jamie was standing defiantly, his head upright, his eyes wide open, and Morris was glancing furtively between them. Eventually, Frankenstein spoke again.

      “Give me the belt,” he said, extending a hand towards Morris, who eagerly placed it in the huge grey palm. Frankenstein tossed it lightly up and down, then looked at Jamie.

      “I’m going to help you do this,” he said. “On one condition. When she fails to tell you anything that helps us find your mother, you will take your lead from me for the remainder of this mission, without objection. Is that clear?”

      “Yes,” replied Jamie. His face was twisted, as though the word had tasted bitter as he said it.

      The monster nodded. “Let’s put this on her then,” he said, and strode into the cellblock.

      “Let me give it to her,” said Jamie quietly, as they approached Larissa’s cell.

      Frankenstein held on to the belt for a moment, then passed it to him. “You’re not trying to save her, are you?” asked the monster, as they walked between the rows of empty cells.

      Jamie didn’t answer.

      They stopped in front of the vampire girl’s cell. Larissa was sitting on the floor at the back of the square room, her arms resting across her raised knees. She smiled as they appeared.

      “You brought some friends with you,” she said, her red lips curled back from her gleaming white teeth. “Don’t you trust yourself to be alone with me?”

      Morris said something under his breath, and she widened her eyes in mock offence.

      “Don’t be jealous,” she said. “It doesn’t suit you.”

      “Jealous?” snorted Morris. “Of a foul creature like you? Please.”

      Larissa’s smile returned, and she fixed her gaze on the belt in Jamie’s hand.

      “Have you brought me a present?” she asked.

      “It’s a restraining belt,” said Jamie, his face slightly red. “You need to put it on before we can take you out of here.”

      She stared at him, then slid liquidly to her feet and crossed the cell to stand in front of Jamie. The UV field was all that separated them.

      “Throw it to me,” she said.

      Jamie raised his arm to do as she asked, but Frankenstein stepped forward and stopped him.

      “Before he gives this to you,” he said, “there are some things I need to make clear. If you try to remove the belt, if you even give me the suspicion that you are intending to do so, I’ll stake you where you stand. Is that clear?”

      “Why yes,” said Larissa. “It’s perfectly clear.”

      “Good. Secondly; if you endanger Jamie, or any of us, in any way, I’ll tear you to pieces with my bare hands. Is that also clear?”

      “Abundantly so.”

      Frankenstein released his grip on Jamie’s arm. He threw the belt through the field, and Larissa plucked it out of the air. She set it on the floor by her feet, then started unbuttoning her shirt, her eyes never leaving Jamie’s.

      He turned away, looking down at the floor, as Morris and Frankenstein did the same.

      “You can watch if you want,” said Larissa. “I don’t mind.”

      Jamie didn’t answer. He could feel his face burning as blood flooded into his cheeks.

      “You can look,” she said, and the three turned back towards the cell. The belt was safely hidden beneath her shirt, two raised areas at the shoulders the only clues she was wearing it at all.

      The restraining belt was made of two loops of material that crossed in the front. Where they met, a flat round explosive chamber was attached to the material, positioned so it would rest directly over her heart. A small red light flashed steadily on the top of the chamber, signifying that the explosive was live. The charge was controlled by a small cylindrical detonator that Morris was holding in one slightly trembling hand. If the button on the top of the detonator was pressed, there would be a wide ring of blood and flesh where Larissa had been standing.

      “Shall

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