Drake sat in his quarters and sipped on a glass of bourbon. He swallowed the last of the alcohol, savoring the taste before setting down the empty glass.
Donning a pair of glasses, he picked up the legal pad sitting by his side and read over his resignation letter. Drake wasn’t entirely sure that his job was one that required any type of traditional two-week notice, but he was a stickler for formality.
He read the letter one more time, making a couple of changes before finally feeling satisfied with the final draft. He tossed the pad aside and flipped open his laptop, opening up Word. He typed up the finished letter, printed it off, and signed it before folding it up and slipping it into his jacket.
Drake wasn’t sure how Thorn would react to the resignation, or whether he would even let him out alive. Drake knew where all the bodies were buried and had enough dirt on Thorn to ruin the man or to blackmail him for a ridiculous amount of money. He has no inclination to do either of those things. The truth was that if he tried to incriminate his boss, he would be opening up a can of worms for himself. Drake also had more than enough money to live a very decent life for the rest of his day. Getting out now was all about survival.
He had always believed Thorn to be borderline insane, but the man’s obsession with his daughter was particularly disturbing to Drake. He also had to admit that he was more than a little afraid of the girl, afraid of what she might do when she found out about her boyfriend. Drake wanted no part of any of that.
Refilling his glass, Drake leaned back on his leather couch and closed his eyes. Sleep did not come often because that usually meant that nightmares followed. That time, though, it came easily enough.
***
The powerchair whirred quietly as Thorn followed Dr. Bloom around the large surgery as he droned on about the dangers of the upcoming transfusion. Thorn tuned him out and thought about how he would feel once the blood of Raven and Salem flowed through his veins.
He interrupted the doctor, who was in the middle of a lecture about the different blood types. “Are you sure you can keep the girls under for the duration of the transfusion? My girl is a little feisty.”
“Not a problem at all, sir. You bring them to me knocked out, and I’ll make sure they stay that way until the procedure is complete.”
Thorn grinned as he left the operating theater, believing it would be the last time he left the room under the power of anything other than his own two feet.
***
When Salem awoke, the first thing that she noticed was the lack of guards. The room was not completely empty, but the large security team was down to two men, who hopped to attention when she sat up in the cot.
She shuffled over to the bucket and stared down the two remaining men. “A little privacy please.”
The men glanced at one another, trying to make a decision. When Salem dropped her camo pants and squatted over the bucket, they turned away, the younger of the two looking suitably embarrassed.
Her business done, Salem returned to the bed and sat down facing the door, waiting for the red light to turn green. She didn’t have to wait long.
Salem nudged her mother as the wheel on the door began to spin, the light changing color moments before the door swung open, revealing Thorn, Drake, and the rest of the security team.
Sitting up, Raven rubbed at her eyes and scowled as she caught sight of the group. “He’s so fucking smug. I can’t wait to wipe that smile off his face.
“Good morning, ladies. You won’t know it from your current location, but it’s a beautiful day. One might say a perfect day for an awakening.”
Drake listened to the man talking and frowned, unconsciously touching his jacket to make sure that the resignation letter was still there.
Thorn maneuvered his chair to the edge of the platform upon which the cell rested, a pair of guards walking alongside. “Would you like to take a shot at breaking the glass before I tell you what is going to happen today?”
“I’m saving my strength, so I can break you,” Salem said, a look of fierce determination etched on her face.
Ignoring the jab, Thorn pointed to the roof of the cell. “In a couple of hours, we will be delivering another round of gas that will have you both napping like babies in seconds. Once that is complete, you will be transported to my medical team down the hall, where I will have your blood pumped into my veins. I shall be reborn.”
“What about us?” Raven asked.
Thorn pondered the question, circling the cell as he sought the answer. “I do enjoy having you both in my life, but I’m not sure I need you. If the transfusion works as expected, I may have to bid you both farewell.
“Then you had better hope that your gas and your medical team can keep me under because I am not going down without a fight.”
“I do so love your spirit. I shall miss it.” Thorn wheeled away and motioned one of the guards to open the exit door. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies, I’m off to see a man about a Wenlutah.”
They watched him go, cursing him as the light above the door turned from green to red.
“Any plans?” Raven asked.
Salem looked up at the vents blowing in the air. “I don’t know. Maybe. Tell me what you think about this?”
***
Drake jogged up beside the powerchair and placed his hand on his boss’ shoulder. “Can we talk?”
“Can it wait?” Thorn sighed.
Reaching into his jacket, Drake handed over the letter. “Not really, no.”
The billionaire quickly scanned the page, looked up at the ceiling, and then read it again. “Is this some kind of joke, Lionel.”
“No, sir. That clusterfuck on Alcatraz made it clear that I’m not the man I used to be. I’d rather walk away while I still have the chance.”
“When do you want to leave?”
“Immediately, sir.”
Thorn tucked the letter between his leg and the side of the powerchair. “That’s not going to happen, I’m afraid. I want you there for the procedure. After that, you are free to go.”
Drake was stunned, expecting an outright refusal or a bullet in the head. “I can recommend a replacement if you wish.”
“That won’t be necessary, Lionel. I’m thinking of asking that Graves fellow to come on board. No offense, but he strikes me as a tad more ruthless than you. That may be what I need going forward.”
“Do you still want me to handle the Wenlutah transfer with Graves?”
“No, I’ll do it. Tell the doctors to prepare for the transfusion and then wait until it is complete. I’ll put a little something in your bank account as a thank you for being a loyal servant.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Thorn sped off without saying another word, his security detail jogging beside him.
Drake watched them go before seeking out Bloom. The sooner they got this shit over with, the sooner he could get out of town.