章節 179: 19. My way.
I was sitting behind my desk, still engrossed in the latest information about those satellites. I had just finished speaking with the FBI, UN, and Magnum, who had gotten the UN involved. As the leader of my organization, I had assigned a few Salvatores to handle the press and federal police, while Wulfe and Alaric dealt with the NSA unless they specifically requested my assistance. Colin was still occupied with Samuel, so I had to manage my clinic and ensure that my consultations were thorough. I would order additional tests for those who needed them.
Suddenly, my door opened without any prior knocking. It was Number Nine, entering with a few bags of blood.
He said to me, "I haven't seen you drinking much blood lately, so I brought a few bags. What are you up to?"
I replied, "Yeah, thanks. Just leave them here. I already have a few bags. I'm currently conducting consultations in my clinic since Colin is occupied. There are around 30-40 patients, so I'm determining where further tests are necessary."
Number Nine walked over to me, took a seat, handed me a bag of blood, and took my laptop.
He said, "Drink that. I'll take care of these. You don't have to do everything alone."
I took the bag, which contained a potent demon king's blood. Although I wanted to gulp it down quickly, I had to savor it slowly, as I usually did. I groaned as pain washed over me. Damon was somehow transmitting his pain to me again, and I absorbed it, sending him strength and love. However, I also sensed his confusion, as if he was mistaking me for Mariella, believing that she was the one sending him love. This irritated me. My face was frowning, my breathing hitched light. Number nine noticed my irritation, his brow rose questioningly.
Number Nine asked, "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
I replied, "Not too bad. Number One is mixed up. He sends me his pain, and I try to support him, but he thinks I'm Mariella."
Nine grunted and said, "Hang in there. We can't really help you that much. It's difficult for us to sever that connection since it's hive-based and controlled by Number One."
I grunted in response, determined to endure it. Then, a little idea popped into my mind.
I said to Number Nine, "Well, this might make me drink this blood quickly. My emotions are linked to my bloodlust, so don't be surprised if I consume these bags rapidly."
Nine raised an eyebrow, smirked, and replied, "Oh, please show me. Let your vampire instincts take over for once."
I allowed myself to drink a little faster, not too fast, but with a slightly increased eagerness. Number nine quickly became engrossed in those consultations, which was a relief as it meant I didn't have to deal with them all the time. This gave me the opportunity to focus on other tasks. He was fully immersed, his long fingers tapping the keyboard with a slight frown on his face as he ordered tests and determined what could be done.
I had piles of papers on my desk, and I needed to focus on the next item on my to-do list and determine what needed to be done. I didn't even consider delegating these tasks to others, requesting assistance from Salvatores, or informing Alaric about the workload. Instead, I directed everyone involved in this public rescue operation and oversaw its execution.
I had to give a tour to the federal police and explain our missions to them. I provided them with a lot of information about various dangerous locations and showed them the animal and experimental drugs we had confiscated. It was helpful to have their support, as much of what we had discovered was completely new to them. They could use our insights to uncover more criminals.
I explained that just one bottle of the euthanasia agent could kill 250 people, and it was relatively easy to obtain. Individuals like Sorenson could easily use it on humans without suspicion, as barbiturate overdoses could be mistaken for medical issues rather than crimes. Shutting down the facilities involved would greatly enhance the federal police's reputation. In a way, I was once again recruiting individuals to join our cause.
Magnum was at the base with Wulfe this time, and after completing my tour and recruitment tasks, it was time for them to connect with each other. Magnum would serve as our cover boy, so I kept everyone else occupied. I had to ensure that our team had all the necessary gear, including our weapons, for this mission. It was the responsibility of the police to equip themselves accordingly.
However, as an NSA agent, I would be entering the operation as such, wearing my NSA jacket, badge, and everything that came with it. There was so much to take care of, and this mission was consuming all of my time. I was not really even keeping that much in my mind just how days went by.
I knew that my regular work was falling behind, which frustrated me and caused my bloodlust to resurface. I had to maintain control, be patient, and resist the temptation to retreat to my office for a few bags of blood. I was skilled at concealing my condition and my need for blood.
I was headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat when Wulfe followed closely behind.
He commented, "This is crazy, the whole damn circus. We should've just gone in and rescued them."
I replied, "If you think this is a circus, just wait until after the rescue. The real circus is about to begin."
He rolled his eyes and asked, "Are you okay, Unicorn? I know I've been all over the place and haven't been there for you. This must be stressful." He looked at me sharply.
I assured him, "I'm as fine as I can be. You can't help it if Damon sends his weird transmissions to my mind. It's under his control. I'm not entirely sure merging those bonds was a good idea. He's so messed up, he thinks I'm Mariella, sending him my love."
Wulfe apologized, "I'm sorry. It must be hard for you. But he'll be fine. You'll be fine."
I shook my head and replied, "I'm fine. No need to feel sorry for me. I've learned to live with this while Damon has been with Mariella. It's nothing new to me."
Wulfe looked at me earnestly and said, "My unicorn, once this whole damn circus is over, we need to have a long, hard talk. Then I'll see if you're truly fine. My guess is that you're not completely fine. You're stressed, working all day, and sometimes you're irritable, short-tempered, and snappy. But don't worry, I can handle your tantrums, whatever the reasons may be."
I rolled my eyes, tired of repeating myself, but I explained, "Damon sometimes sends physical sensations too. It's weird for me to feel whatever they are trying to do with his cock, they are trying to get him aroused and it is beyond feeling weird, you know, as I don't have one. His mental state, will take a long time for him to recover from. He's sending quite nasty stuff. Desperation, pain, confusion. Does not really help my work if I am in the middle of trying to see if we are weak spots in our attack pain and suddenly I am so damn confused that I don't even know my own name. So yeah, I'm affected by it."
Wulfe shrugged as a few Salvatores also entered the kitchen. He sensed my reluctance tell anything to Salvatores. They made sure our meals were prepared correctly. Strangely, I wasn't irritated by their eating habits. I couldn't pinpoint why, but it seemed like my protective side had diminished. Perhaps it was connected to Damon's instability, so it wasn't a big deal. I sat down as the Salvatores served our meals, leaving us no choice but to start eating. The drugs had taken a toll on me, along with the stress, so I wasn't in my best shape. But at least I was being fed. Maybe once this was all over, I would have time to restore myself and see what would come out of this.
I had drunk as much coffee as I could remember, but it wasn't enough. I used to have at least four pots in front of me, filled with incredibly strong stuff, and I would drink it all. I was being a good girl, doing as my protectors instructed. However, while eating, I was already planning an excuse to go to my office and have some blood. It would be the perfect way to end this huge feast, with a few bags of blood.
Once again, I maintained a neutral expression, making sure not to let anything show, and focused my mind on work, thinking only about guns, explosives, and the upcoming saving operation. I didn't want Wulfe or any other telepaths to have even the slightest hint of my little plan to enjoy some treats. I saw nothing wrong with it; after all, drinking blood was perfectly normal for me. I was a strong vampire, and it was a necessary part of my existence.
I had done this throughout my time with the hive, although I didn't consider the fact that I had given most of my power to the hive and that it was a completely different situation. I had no idea that I was addicted to blood to such an extent. Why would that be a bad thing? This was the blood of evil beings, and I was immortal. I couldn't overdose or commit crimes just to get my fix.
But in my mind, all I could think about was getting my next fix. Even though I had blood in my stash, the need to acquire more, to become stronger bag by bag as my vampire side grew stronger, made me irritable and less focused than usual. It affected various aspects of my mind. I was blind to my own state, and I tried to fake it as best as I could. I covered up my true condition without even considering that something was seriously wrong with me.
After finishing my meal, Wulfe walked beside me.
I turned to him and said, "We need to complete these new orders and review the offers again. Let me show you. Alaric is incredibly busy, so I'm stuck with all of this."
Leading the way to my study, I retrieved our orders and allowed Wulfe to examine them. I knew he was trying to ensure that I wasn't overwhelmed, so this would keep him occupied for a while.
After looking through them, he remarked, "You've secured vehicles for us, but now we need computers again. Here are some promising offers, but we should focus on these. You also have offers for other items, but don't worry, Unicorn, let me handle Alaric and these."
He went through my other paperwork, taking several piles with him as he walked away. I knew it would take time for him to get Alaric on board and he might handle some things himself, allowing me to indulge in some more blood. It was perfect. Sitting on my sofa, savoring my blood, I was at peace. Suddenly, Damon sent a bothersome thought into my mind. Some kind of discomfort. I was so high from the potent blood in my bag that I didn't really think much of it and simply shared my euphoria with him. It didn't make my high any less intense, but it made the unpleasant discomfort disappear and allowed me to fully enjoy my bags of blood. There was nothing else in the world that mattered except the blood.
Wulfe had gone to Alaric and Magnum to discuss the procurement decisions and ensure the right choices were made. It took them some time to find the correct options.
Magnum exclaimed, "How does Mimi have the nerve to do this day in and day out? I mean, my mind is too fast to focus on comparing these damn products."
Wulfe reassured him, "You're a young vampire, everything is still overwhelming for you. It will get easier with time, but yes, this can be tedious."
Alaric said calmly, "Not for me. I can handle it without any problem. I should have gotten these sooner. Well, I'll go in and check if Mimi still has these available. I can complete them quickly enough. Meanwhile, you two can review the lists from the warehouses and get the items moving. I know she had to store more items after a few raids, so if you could process those after this important task. Maybe give something we don't need to the federal police or even the NSA. We have quite a surplus."
Magnum hesitated to immediately give anything to the federal police without first checking things himself. However, he was eager to get things moving and assigned a crew to take care of the warehouses once he received the lists. He wanted to teach people here the proper organization.
On the other hand, Wulfe was prepared to handle anything magical or mystical and had special protocols in place for such matters. Alaric was still reviewing the offers and hadn't yet gone into Mimi's study to gather more information, as Wulfe had mentioned taking what was on her desk. They had work to do on that front as well.
None of them noticed anything amiss with Mimi, as their focus was solely on the rescue operation. The Salvatores were irritated because the Salvatore hive transmitted sensations of desperation from those who had been captured. The ones, who were captured and obviously tortured, sent the rest of them disturbing and eerie sensations. They had to control themselves and try to isolate these sensations. Soon, it would be time to launch the rescue operation and move things forward. Only then would they be free to move on and perhaps experience some semblance of a normal life.
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