Amari simply shrugged as Ryse stared at him. Shit happens.
Ryse on the other hand, looked at the wreckage of what used to be his squad. Mouth parted as his breath went hollow. His eyes locked with Amari's.
"Why?" the ex-captain asked, closing his eyes, fists clenched as his chest tightened.
Amari didn't blink. He didn't fucking care to. He just looked at Ryse, face as still as water.
"You know why." No response.
After a while, Ryse swallowed hard and nodded—just slightly. He opened his eyes again, meeting the vampire's gaze. But Amari didn't speak again.
"I'm sorry," his ex-captain murmured. It was far too late to apologize.
Amari turned his back to Ryse before sitting down, leaning back in the chair he returned to. As he rubbed his arms, he couldn't help but clench his jaw as he looked at Ryse.
Ryse spoke once more.
"How the hell'd it come to this?" Amari didn't answer. Truth was, he didn't know where to start. That was a damn good question.
He'd remembered joining the military. Being young, and in poverty. He'd hoped for a brotherhood, a cause to make a difference. It all meant nothing. He was sent instead to the unit that caused the rebellion. Afterward, he transferred into the main military—thought he was smart.
However, the government had then ordered them to arrest all protestors. Turned out he was as dumb as the rebels. But Ryse? Ryse had always had hope. Faith in the fascist little council that couldn't tolerate any resistance.
Amari rolled his eyes. Fate screwed everyone sideways, they just had to learn how to take it.
The vampire's thoughts were cut short. Suddenly, Ryse pulled a walkie-talkie from his belt. Slowly, Amari rose from his chair as he fixed his blood-red eyes onto Ryse.
His ex-captain didn't spare him a word. He only sent a glance and raised a hand. They both paused. Then, just as slowly, Amari sat back down—still watching. He always would.
"Captain Ryse to headquarters," Ryse walked over to a wall, leaning his back against it.
There was a crackle of static, then a voice came through. "Report, Captain Ryse."
Ryse slid down the wall as he sat, fixing his eyes on the ceiling. "C-46 Amari Shen has been identified as deceased. Also, Squad 9 is gone."
He took a long breath, then, he clicked the walkie off.
Amari stood up as he made his way over to Ryse. "Why?" He muttered, tilting his head down, hair covering his eyes.
Ryse let out a tired chuckle. "You know why." Smartass.
Silence.
Neither spoke for a while. Time stretched, and Amari couldn't be bothered to remember how much. Then, Ryse moved again, leisurely. Steadily. He reached into the back of his belt and pulled out a pistol.
What the fuck?
Amari didn't bother to react. Just lazily cast a sideways glance at the man. "The hell are you doing, Ryse?" He was beyond the threat guns could cause now.
"They'll figure it all out eventually," Ryse no longer looked toward Amari. "And when they do, they'll come for me first." He checked his gun, loaded it, then smoothed a thumb along its slide.
Amari gazed at Ryse seriously as he sat up in his chair. There was no way this bastard was gonna do it.
"I just want you to take care of my daughter."
For the love of absolutely fucking nothing.
"Ryse…" Amari exhaled heavily as he massaged his forehead. "You son of a bitch."
"She's already lost her mother." Ryse's voice grew softer, ragged around the edges. "You don't have to do much. Just make sure they don't get to her, that's all." His pistol rose to the side of his head, hands unshaken.
"And get rid of this place. I trust you know what to do." He removed the safety, faintly smiling as he closed his eyes for the last time.
"You—" Amari opened his mouth to speak, yet his words would remain unheard.
Bang.
Several moments later.
A sharp sigh escaped Amari's lips as his fist clenched. His gaze shifted to Ryse's body, slumped to the side, his smile remaining unchanged.
"You have my word," the vampire lightly breathed. A tear slid down his cheek before hitting the floor as he once again sat in his chair. This time, the silence would last.
Amari drowned in it. He thought of the few good days he and Ryse had in the military—they'd been as close as brothers. The vampire's gaze lingered on his ex-captain's lifeless body. Ryse was gone for good.
He shook his head as he stood. He aimed to fulfill that bastard's dying wish.
Amari tensed, remembering the feeling of moments ago. His vision sharpened and heartbeat accelerated. A blur flashed around the room as every serum and compound crashed to the floor.
Might as well take it the extra mile.
Speeding down the hallway, Amari found a break room. Then, he looked around the counters, stoves, and fridge until he found the alcohol. Jackpot.
First, he threw every bottle he could find, dousing the entire area. Then, he lit the stove and tossed the last bottle on top. Finally, he zipped the hell out of the bunker right after.
As he ran, explosions boomed behind him.
Too bad. It had been a decent little retreat.
As he looked around the new environment, Amari smiled a little. A vast forest, high mountain peaks, and a long riverbank connecting the two. Nice to know nature had some beauty left.
"Time to find the damn city," Amari groaned, tossing his head back and running a hand through his hair. He braced himself and ran. No clue how far. Would've been nice to have a damn GPS.
By the time he reached the city outskirts, night had given way to day. That's when the shit hit the fan.
He couldn't step out of the goddamn tree's shadow—daylight.
For all he knew, he could fuck around and lose an arm. Still, he had to find out. He rubbed both his arms before his gaze sharpened. Slowly, he stuck a finger into the light… then his arm.
Nothing.
Holy fucking shit.
He needed to figure out how the hell his body worked as well.
Speeding into the city, Amari slowed when he spotted a traffic light up ahead and cars along the road. Could never be too careful.
Once he reached the heart of the city, he saw TQ–the burger place. Could never go wrong with a warm burger. He damn sure could've used one.
Right as the thought crossed his mind, tiny black dots peppered his vision.
"Lord, you've gotta be shitting me," he groaned, wobbling down the street outside TQ. Two civilians veered around him, keeping their distance.
"The hell's wrong with him?" the woman muttered. The man beside her tugged her away. "Stay away, he's one of those damn tweakers."
Oh shut the fuck up.
Amari had an infinite repertoire of curses for that man—but at that moment, he lacked the energy to respond. He needed to either find a criminal, or a nearby hospital to get a blood supply. Even that felt like a long shot.
He figured it had only been two hours since his last feed—but he'd been burning through energy at vampiric speed. Hard to tell how much that drained him.
Future problem. At the time, he needed blood to handle the whole damn daughter situation.
Amari scanned the main plaza–people walking and jogging, neat lines of buildings, with cars zipping through the roads that linked it all.
Zero clues. Nothing to help his objective or his hunger.
Best shot? Find some lowlife in an alley. His vision darkened by the minute. He didn't have long before he lost it and tore into some poor bastard in broad daylight. Amari figured it was salvageable.
Turned out—he was right.
Ten minutes later, he stumbled across some asshole strangling a guy in an alley. Luck of the damn draw.
Wobbling closer, Amari eyed the scene lazily. "I hope I'm not interrupting," he rasped, flashing a wide grin.
The strangler dropped his grip. His victim collapsed to his knees, coughing and devouring every ounce of air around him.
The strangler turned toward Amari, sneering. "Listen here, druggie. I don't have time for games. Walk, or join him." Charming. Amari narrowed his eyes. Poor bastard had no idea who he was talking to.
Amari simply waved the guy off. "Go." No hesitation—the victim bolted, sprinting past Amari and out of the alley. The thug moved to chase, but Amari was already there, blocking him.
"Damnit, druggie! Get the fuck outta my way!" the thug roared as he lunged.
Who the fuck was he calling druggie?
Amari vanished.
In a flash he was behind the guy, arms locked around his throat. He held tight, listening to the bastard sputter and choke on the same air he'd stolen a minute prior.
"How's it feel, huh?" Amari snarled, his eyes glowing red beneath his lashes.
Then he sank his fangs in.
His fangs tore deep into the man's neck. Warm, messy blood rushed down his throat—better than anything he could remember, sadly.
The man's body slackened in his grasp. As soon as the blood flow dipped, Amari released him. Then, in one fluid motion, he chopped off his head—clean.
Couldn't leave supernatural evidence behind. The body dropped, lifeless.
Amari exhaled, letting the blood settle in his veins. His vision cleared; strength returned, sharp and steady. He ran a hand through his hair, glanced once more at the alley, then turned toward the street.
"Time to find that damn kid."