by Ken Lange
My only hope here was to piss them off enough that they’d slip up and make a mistake that would give Alexander, and me, a chance to escape.
Her cheeks darkened as she stared daggers through me. “You are very well informed. It puzzles me, though. If you know who we are, why would you ever agree to step into the same room with us?”
I shrugged. “Curiosity, mostly.”
Artur snorted. “Are you stupid?”
Cocking an eyebrow at the man, I said, “That’s a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.”
He stepped forward and swung, trying to take my head off.
Alexander was quicker and caught the big man’s fist. “In case no one’s told you, it’s rude to interrupt.”
When he shoved Artur backward, Diana and Erik lifted their weapons. On instinct, I raised my arm, and a massive sheet of ice formed between us. The bullets slammed into the barrier, which cracked, but held. When they’d emptied their clips, I charged Diana. Alexander slammed his knee into Artur’s groin as I passed. I pushed my hand forward, and the makeshift shield shattered, sending shards of ice hurtling toward Erik.
Putting all my weight behind the blow, I hit the tiny woman square in the chest, knocking her off her feet. My body bent weirdly when a bloody Erik drove his shoulder into the side of my chest, tackling me. He scrambled atop me, alternately hammering one of his fists into my gut and the other into my kidney—over and over again.
There was a thunderous roar when Alexander shifted into his werebear form. One swipe from his enormous claws tore long gashes across Artur’s chest.
Diana’s voice became panicked. “Goddamn it, he’s a fucking werebeast.” She held out her hands to create a massive sphere of fire. “Erik, move.”
He rolled off me, and I got a good view of Diana’s malevolent smile as flames sped toward me. Her celebration was a bit premature as the ball of flames audibly popped and died out on impact.
I got to my feet slowly and dusted myself off. “That was stupid.”
Diana stumbled and fell against the wall, panting. She glanced over at Erik and Artur. “Time to go.”
Erik threw something dark at Alexander, and he staggered back, but otherwise seemed unharmed. But it was enough for Erik to grab his friend, clasp something in his hand, and vanish. Unfortunately, Diana did the same.
I slammed my fist into the bar, shattering the marble countertop. “Goddamn it!” Glancing over at Alexander, I managed to rein in my anger. “Are you all right?’
After transforming back into his human form, he nodded. “Yeah…I think so.”
I gestured upstairs. “Let’s see what we can find. Maybe something up there will tell us where they’ll be holed up.”
Alexander grimaced. “You don’t think they’re gone for good?”
“No, they’ve invested too much into collecting a small army of zombies.” I rubbed my forehead. “They’ll be close by…but that can be a relative term. Especially considering how wide open the area is.”
He nodded. “Agreed.” Gesturing at the pool of water on the floor, he said, “That was pretty damn cool…no pun intended.”
“Thanks.”
It took nearly an hour to search the place. Oddly enough, we found a couple of blow torches and a bunch of other heavy equipment used to work on railroads. On top of that, we acquired five laptops, all of which were encrypted, and two floor safes—locked, of course. If we ever managed to get into them, we might have something to work with. For now, all we had were possibilities.
Chapter 22
After searching the building, Alexander cleaned up, moved the SUV, and dropped the shades to ensure we weren’t disturbed. I thought it was strange that with all the equipment in here, they didn’t have an alarm system, or cameras to keep an eye on the place. I guess when you summoned the spirits of the dead and played with zombies, thieves weren’t your main concern.
While Alexander checked the perimeter, I dialed Hayden in the hopes she’d be able to lend a hand. Instead, I was greeted by her voicemail asking me to leave a message…which I did, reluctantly.
Alexander meandered over to the fridge, popped the door, and scrounged around.
Tucking my phone away, I got to my feet. “What in the hell are you doing?”
He shrugged. “I’m hungry.”
Dumbfounded, I blinked. “Have you lost your goddamn mind?”
He shook his head. “No…I’m just really hungry.”
Holding my hands out, I said, “You need to slow down, stop thinking with your stomach, and realize that you’re digging around in a necromancer’s icebox.”
He didn’t move for a full five seconds then he stood up and eased the refrigerator closed. “You know what, that’s a damn good point.”
I pulled out my wallet and grabbed a hundred. “Tell you what, go get some food, check on Cole, and come back when you’re done.”
Apprehension crossed his features. “I’d rather not leave you alone.”
Shaking my head, I sighed. “Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I don’t think they’re coming back to claim the shop.”
His voice tightened. “How do you figure that?”
My gaze locked onto his. “You ripped open one guy’s chest, another is a bloody mess, and Diana’s totally freaked out by you…or maybe weres in general.”
Alexander’s frown deepened. “You noticed that?”
I nodded. “Yeah, it was impossible to miss. You worried her way more than I did.”
He laughed. “Maybe at first, but that quickly changed.”
I took a seat at the bar and handed him the money. “It really doesn’t matter anymore. Fact is, if they were coming back, they would’ve been here by now. Besides, if they do show up, I don’t need a vehicle to escape.”
He furrowed his brow. “That’s what you say, but—”
Brilliant blue flames surrounded me, and I was suddenly across the room. “But nothing.”
Alexander didn’t move for several seconds then, slowly, he found his voice. “How is that even possible?”
I arched an eyebrow. “You just witnessed three people vanish on the spot, and you weren’t fazed. But the moment I do something similar, you’re all freaked out. What’s up with that?”
He shook his head. “You warned me about their atman stones. But whatever you just did was different.” He shivered. “It was like the world warped around you, and just before you reappeared, I knew where you’d be.”
That was new.
I ran my hand over my head. “Come again?”
His features contorted as he searched for the words. “I don’t know how else to say it, other than it felt like reality was being reshaped, and when you moved from where you were to where you are now…I could almost feel the movement. It’s some seriously creepy shit.”
Resting my chin in my hand, I considered the implications. “If it’s that pronounced, why hasn’t anyone else said something about it?”
He shrugged. “No idea. Were they weres?”
I shook my head. “No, but—”
Holding out his hands for me to stop, he continued, “That’s probably why. If you haven’t noticed, we aren’t like the rest of the folks in the Archive. It’s one of the reasons we were enslaved.”
I jerked my head back in revulsion. “Because you’re different?”
He nodded. “Yeah.” Seeing the blank expression on my face, he continued. “No one truly understands our abilities, or how they allow us to shift from one form to another.”
Curious, I asked, “Do you have any idea how it happens?”
He laughed. “Not a clue, but I do know we’re more sensitive to certain types of magic, such as nature and blood. The type of energy a person taps into to use those is something we can…feel, or sense, or however you want to describe it.”
I leaned my forearms against the counter. “Do you think that’s why necromancers are afraid of weres?”
He shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
I gestu
red for him to continue. “But…?”
Alexander grimaced. “But…what I’m about to tell you is probably going to sound a little out there.”
Stifling a laugh, I gestured around the room. “It can’t be any more farfetched than a bunch of high-level necromancers hanging out in the middle of nowhere creating a zombie army. Seriously, whatever you’ve got to say has to make more sense than what’s actually happening in this town.”
He wobbled his hand back and forth. “Debatable.”
When he realized I wasn’t going to let it go, he told me about his grandfather, the secret keeper for his clan. Once Alexander was of age, his grandfather told him that there would come a time when the weres would wage war against the Children of the First. It was his grandfather’s belief that weres were the foot soldiers needed to end the war between the darkness and the light since they were immune to their powers. Because of this, angels, necromancers, and their ilk couldn’t harm weres directly—which was most likely the reason they were afraid of them.
Alexander shrugged. “Of course, it isn’t as if I’ve had an opportunity to test my grandfather’s theory until today.”
I nodded. “Well, whatever Erik threw at you earlier didn’t do shit to you, so maybe your grandfather had a point.”
Rolling his eyes, he said, “Maybe, but let’s not put too much stock in the ramblings of an old man.”
“I’m betting he’s onto something.” Pointing at the door, I grinned. “But now that you know I’ll be fine, would you mind grabbing us some food and checking on Cole?”
He leaned against the wall. “Yeah, I can do that. What are you going to do in the meantime?”
I held up my phone. “Wait for a call back.”
He pushed off the wall. “I hope she gets in touch soon. With her connection to the Ulfr, she should be able to access the laptops and maybe get us a few more boots on the ground.”
The first part, yes, but the last was never going to happen as long as she remained in her true form. “That’s the plan.”
He grinned. “All right. Is there anything you need me to do before I go?”
“Actually, there is.”
It took us a few minutes to gather up some of the more miscellaneous items, such as handwritten journals, several notebooks, and a bunch of ledgers. In addition, I had him take two of the laptops with him as insurance. Not that I didn’t trust Hayden, but if I was wrong and Diana and her crew showed up randomly, there wouldn’t be any time to save this stuff.
Once Alexander took off, I puttered about the place in an attempt to keep myself busy. I was on my third trip through when Hayden finally called.
I did my best to be upbeat when I answered. “Hello.”
She sounded exhausted. “You phoned?”
“Yeah, we met three more of the gang.”
She instantly sounded more awake. “I’m taking it you survived the encounter.”
With a great amount of effort, I didn’t say, “Duh,” but there was no mistaking the sarcasm in my voice. “No, this is my voicemail.”
She grumbled, “Don’t be an ass.”
I let out a low groan. “Fine, but just so you know, that is my specialty.”
She yawned. “Great, just what I need: another smartass in my life.”
I chuckled. “You sound wiped.”
Hayden was quiet for a moment. “I am… It’s been a long few days.”
Sitting up in my chair, I sighed. “Sorry about that. I’ll get to the point. After our encounter with the three remaining assholes, we found a bunch of their stuff…including several computers, but they’re encrypted. Do you know anyone who could hack them?”
She snickered. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Fantastic. Mind if I ask who it is?”
With a laugh, she said, “Viktor has a guy. His name is Mir, and he’s a genius when it comes to technical stuff.”
Finally, something was going in my favor. “All right, now all I have to do is figure out how to get it to him while the information is still useful.”
The exhaustion returned to her voice. “Not to worry. I’m on my way back to New Orleans, so I’ll pop in shortly and pick them up.” That was great news. “Is there anything else?”
Smiling, I sat up straight. “Yeah, there are two floor safes here I can’t crack. Any ideas?”
She blew out a long breath. “Have you tried shattering them?”
“Huh?”
Her tone was slightly amused. “You know, freeze the lock and hit it with a hammer?”
Now that she’d said it, the solution was pretty freaking obvious. “Ah, that never crossed my mind…”
She snickered. “Try it, and I’ll be there soon.”
Ending the call, I walked to the storage closet, pulled a hammer out of the toolbox, and knelt by the first safe. I placed my hand on it, closed my eyes, and focused on freezing the metal. There was a loud groan, and when I opened my eyes, a thick layer of frost coated the entire room. Shrugging, I raised the hammer, slammed it into the dial, and the door cracked. I grabbed the handle and slowly pulled it open.
Inside were some old pamphlets about temporary housing for the Jackpile-Paguate Mine. According to the paperwork, there was a doctor on staff, a bowling alley, tennis courts, pools, etcetera. These were supposed to convince people back in the fifties, sixties, and seventies to come work for them to pull ore out of the world’s largest open-pit uranium mine.
There was also a ledger for what they called a spur, an additional nine miles of railroad track laid to move the ore to the main line outside Grants. If they were trying to repair that section, it would explain the heavy equipment. Why would they bother, though?
I opened the second safe and was rewarded with a portable drive, but nothing else. That would have to be placed with the other three laptops to be decrypted by Viktor and his people. There was a bright flash of orange, and Hayden appeared.
Arching an eyebrow, I asked, “You’ve been here before?”
She shook her head. “Nope, but you’re here. As I said, a strong connection to another person is just as good as having been somewhere before.”
I nodded. “Good to know.” Gesturing at the electronics, I said, “That’s the stuff I need Viktor to look into… Are you sure he’ll be able to help? I thought he had some sort of problem.”
Hayden grinned. “He did, but my alter ego helped him solve it.”
Intrigued, I asked, “So, Lamia’s no longer an issue?”
She frowned. “No, but her death did bring up a whole new set of problems.”
I grimaced. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her expression hardened. “Are you familiar with what makes a vampire a vampire?”
I frowned. “Not exactly. From what I gather, some sort of parasite takes hold and changes a person.”
She blinked. “Well, for someone claiming not to know exactly what’s going on, you actually do. Yeah, it’s a combination of the Idunn, an organic nanite, and a parasite that’s more machine than biological…but the technicalities aren’t that important. What is, however, is that when Lamia died, it caused a catastrophic failure in the others like her… So, while vampires like Ms. Dodd weren’t affected—because they aren’t directly linked to Lamia—the rest died the moment she did.”
Leaning forward in my seat, I rested my elbows on my knees. “You said the Idunn were involved?”
She nodded. “You’ve heard of them?”
I wasn’t sure how much to tell her, but she had information I needed. “Only by name. So, they’re nanites?”
Her eyes glowed blue as she nodded. “They are. Why do you ask?”
Shrugging, I said, “Just trying to put a puzzle together. Someone once told me a story about a war the Idunn were involved in, and how the mad god used them in conjunction with a corrupted parasite in an attempt to manufacture a super soldier. In the end, all they managed was to create vampires.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’v
e never heard that story before. Who told it to you?”
I lifted my gaze to hers. “It was part of my dream the other night…the one with the first.”
She huffed out a laugh. “That’s an awfully specific dream about some very classified information for it not to be true.”
“I suppose.”
She smiled. “Seriously, whatever you were told is starting to sound less like a dream and more like reality. Is there anything else you’d like to share?”
I shook my head. “Not really. How about you?”
Hayden got to her feet. “Same…” She picked up the laptops and portable drive. “I know we’ve only just met, but I’ve got a good feeling about you.” Her gaze met mine, and she said, “You asked me the other day who the Star Born is.”
“Yeah, and you said it isn’t your place to tell me.”
She grinned. “It still isn’t, but if it’s okay with you, I’d like to tell him what you just told me.”
I gave her a dismissive wave. “Feel free to tell him whatever you like.”
She nodded, and glanced around the room. “Do you have a bag I can load this crap into?”
I stepped into the storage room and grabbed a couple of duffle bags. It didn’t take long before we had them filled with what would hopefully be a treasure trove of information. As it was, I’d learned that the Idunn were real and that the first had been correct about vampirism. All that should’ve been good news…but then there was the rest of what he’d told me. And I wasn’t sure how to deal with an imminent war between beings of such power.
Still, I did my best to paint a stoic expression onto my face. “Any idea how long it’ll take them to crack these things?”
She shrugged. “Not long. Is there anything else you need?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m going back to the trailer for a bit. A little later, I’ll be heading to yet another abandoned mine not far from the one we took you to. After that, I’ll let you know what the plan is.”
Smiling, she said, “Okay. Stay safe.”
Red flames encapsulated her, and she was gone. That left me to go check on Cole, and hopefully Alexander.