Michael hadn’t been there when I returned or when I woke up. The night before had been a success and a failure in many ways. I hadn’t got caught but I hadn’t got what I wanted. I went into that ship with a few question and then I came back with many. The Renegades despite being a rowdy lot had helped execute the plan perfectly. Now all I need to do was talk to Sheldon and formulate a plan on how to stop Michael killing my ex-boyfriend. As soon as I woke I threw on a pair of old jogging bottoms and a hoodie and ran over to his. Banging on the door Stephen answered.

“How fairs it?” He asked.

“Bad- epically bad.” I replied pushing through.

Sheldon was sat at the table surrounded by several computer screens looking very pleased with himself. “I’m fucking technology wizard.” He announced.

“No time to gloat about last night- Michael is going to assainate Micah tomorrow night.”

Sheldon paused for a moment and reflected, “You’ve chose boys with very similar names- does that ever get confusing?”

“Sheldon help me. Please.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Keira told me last night and I have a plan-this is the plan,” Sheldon said pulling a small tube of glittery flakes from his pocket.

“Silver.” I remarked picking up the tube and rolling it between my fingers.

“Enough silver to render Michael’s heightened senses useless for about an hour and for you to tie him up and go and rescue your beau.” Sheldon added.

“So what am I suppose do? Sneak the silver into his evening drink and tell him the reason the blood is so sparkly is because it’s from a unicorn?” I replied handing the vial of silver back to Sheldon.

“No fuckwit, I’m going to mix it with saline, draw it up and you are going to shoot it up into him with a syringe.” Sheldon waved the needle packet under my nose.

“Michael wakes up earlier than me. He’s always gone by the time I wake up.”

“Then tonight you better give the boy a reason to lie in tomorrow.” Sheldon said handing me a plastic bag.

“What is this?” I asked opening the bag.

“Something to keep him one place.” He said.

A slender red box fell into my lap labelled, ‘sexy policewoman’s fluffy handcuffs’, I stared at the box then at Sheldon who apathetically shrugged and said,

“I didn’t know where else to get handcuffs.”

I opened the box and shook out a bright pair of pink fluffy hand cuffs. What the hell was Michael going to think when I pulled out a pair of handcuffs?

“Sheldon this is…” I was lost for words.

“Fucksake Lorna, play the dominatrix for thirty seconds to rescue your fucking friend. Hand cuff Michael to the bed and get the fuck out. Okay.”

“Okay.” I said numbly.

“Keira has agreed to drive you to Chelsea bridge and you can walk to Battersea from there.”

“Fine.” I replied.

Sheldon handed me a syringe with the silver solution which I hid in the handcuff box.

“Remember to inject Michael first then handcuff him.”

“How am I going to hand cuff Michael without him noticing?”

“Easy, wrap your arms around him, have the syringe in one hand behind his head, kiss his shoulder then bite down and as you bite, inject. He will be so high on you he won’t even notice.” Sheldon said.

“Wonderful.” I replied.

The rest of the evening I spent in my apartment preparing to for tomorrow evening. I laid out clothes in preparation and hid the handcuff and syringe under my pillow so I could pull them out when I needed them. As morning neared I wondered if Michael would return home before I fell asleep. Laying back on the bed in pajams I was relieved when Michael walked in.

  “Did you have a good time last night?” Michael asked.

“No, I didn’t like the opera.” I replied.

“How about the dancing?”

“It was just dancing.”

“Then why did you insist on going.”

“The sun will be up in a few minutes.”

“So?”

“I haven’t really seen you these last few days.” I said.

“I didn’t think you cared.” Michael said sitting on the edge of the bed.

I gritted my teeth unable to think how I was going to convince Michael to be late for an assassination tomorrow evening. Sitting up and moved towards him. Closing my eyes I tried to shut out modesty and decency. I needed to be shameless tonight. I reached out and touched Michael. My hands skimmed over his muscular shoulders down across his chest. I lowered my head and ley my mouth moved slowly over the pulse in his neck and he leaned back against tangling his hand in my hair. His breathing was deep and heavy and he almost seemed shudder every time I flicked my tongue across his skin. I wasn’t expecting my seduction to be so natural or intense. Everything I did was intuitive, it was like I knew exactly how to turn Michael on.

“I think about you all the time.” I murmured against his neck, “These last few days have been killing me.”

Michael groaned in agreement and I lay back against the pillows, “The sun is coming up any moment. Wait for me to wake.” I said breathlessly.

Michael was staring at me like a starving man looking at a hot dinner. He bent down and caught my lips with his and murmured, “Yes”.

My fingers raked through his hair and for one brief second I wished the sun wouldn’t come up. His body pressed against mine and I pawed at hem of his shirt desperate to feel his bare flesh grating against mine. Michael caught my hands and brought them to his lips in tender gesture which would have been sweet if he wasn’t a psychopath.

“Goodnight Lorna.” He said as the sun rose.

Blackness fell across me and I was gone.

I was in that cage again. Hungry and alone. Outside people were talking and we were listening. The woman a doctor, she created us or rather cobbled us together from the bodies of the fallen. I wish I could remember my human family or even a human memory. Instead there was nothing but the hunger. Closing my eyes I listened to the doctor talk to a man.

“There are a number of draw backs to the hybrids you saw in the main labs. The primary complication is the loss of conscience experienced after the transition from humanoid to vampire. Subjects are no longer in control of their own bodies, they don’t even know they have changed. Once they are in the vampire state they are purely driven by the insatiable hunger.” She said.

“So who are these guys?” I imagined a sharp dressed man in suit standing there wondering how much we would be worth to the weapons deparment.

“The product of our attempts to correct the imbalance. These subjects are essentially vampire, they do not morph like the other hybrids which means they do not benefit from the physical enhancments; but neither do they lose awareness. In trail tests we found that these subjects are able to draw upon their former military training to outsmart the hybrids. We think they would have brilliant tactical advantage in the combat. Each one could lead a team of hybrids easily. The problem we face at the moment is trying create a link between them and hybrids so they can control the hybrids.”

“And how is that coming along?”

“Progress is slow but we are currently looking at the natural bond between two vampire mates to try and give us a clues. We found that if we put two hybrids together they would tear each other apart, but if we exchanged blood and mated them- the hybrids cared one another.”

“So what are you going to show me next, Dr. Logan?”

The foot steps drifted away and I woke up from my strange dream.

 Opening my eyes I saw Michael’s fuzzy silhouette standing over me. He roughly bunched a fistful of my hair in his hand and kissed me hard. I kissed him back even harder. As we entwined I glided my hand under the pillow and grabbed the syringe. Wrapping my arms around his neck unsheathed the needle. Quickly I bent down to his shoulder and scrapped my teeth over his skin. I positioned the needle and bit down. The needle went in without any notice and I injected the silver into Michael. Throwing the syringe down the side of my bed I lifted my lips back to his. Smiling I whispered, “I’ve got a surprise.”

“I like surprises.” He said.

I kissed him and said, “Close your eyes.”

Michael obeyed.

Two seconds later- CLICK.

Michael opened his eyes and stared at the pink fluffy handcuff that chained him to the bed. I moved off him quickly and slid off the bed. Michael looked absolutely stunned at me. He laughed thinking it was a joke but when I picked up my jeans and trainers he realized what was happening.

“Lorna, what are you doing?” He asked.

“I’m sorry, I have to save Micah.” I said.

Michael pulled at the handcuffs but was unable to break free, “What did you do to me?” He snapped.

I backed out the door and ran.

Michael’s screams echoed down the corridor. I could feel the fear in his voice as he called my name over and over again. Keira was in the elevator holding the door open, “For Godsake hurry up!”She shouted. I dashed into the elevator and she hammered the button for the lobby floor. The doors pinged and we were moving upwards.

“As soon as we step out those doors unescorted Father will know.” Keira said grimly.

“When they find Michael they’ll know where we are going.” I added bleakly.

Keira and I exchanged terrified looks. We had no idea what the night had install for us.