Amongst the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  His hunger satiated, Sabree examined the vials marked tissue, DNA, sperm, or other unrecognizable jargon and then smashed them underfoot. Once exposed to air, the samples disintegrated to dust. Lastly, he used his blood-tie with Brian to locate stray samples. The lab, depleted of anything labeled “Colton,” gave way to his search for a different type of specimen.

  Sabree cracked open the wall safe with one yank and found the yellow flash drive stashed inside. His clan would be pleased to hear he finally confiscated a drive. For now, though, he planned to keep it safe from all.

  Footsteps outside warned him his time was up. The lock clicked and the door opened. Sabree pocketed the flash drive and grabbed the curious technician, whacking the side of his head. “Can’t let you alert the troops.” He dissipated into a fine mist. Except for the mess and the unconscious tech, all evidence of his breech vanished.

  Seconds later and somewhat content, Sabree materialized inside a restroom to inspect his appearance. His rationale for the detour was justified the second he glanced in the mirror. He felt different, no, better than different—he felt fantastic.

  Vibrant, unblemished skin complemented his twinkling lavender eyes. His hair, no longer matted and dull, bounced with the slightest movement. His hands slapped the marble vanity. Excitement increased with the realization that he had misted without incident. Again, he stared at the mirror as his mind retraced each step. The grand makeover had to be the direct result of drinking Brian’s ghoulish blood. Nothing else explained his current condition.

  “Brian, your blood is good to the last drop.” Sabree made a promise to analyze this discovery when time permitted. The matter of rescuing the ghoul became top priority now that his livelihood depended on Brian’s blood. The blood-tie of the millennia.

  Supercharged with newfound revitalization, he misted into action to clear the way for Ariane. He emerged inside the computer lab behind the clerk and overpowered the human when his fangs pierced her neck. Seconds later, he ordered her to access all files marked Colton. He handed her a silver flash drive and ordered her to upload the virus Jesse had designed to destroy all data and backups in the mainframe and network. The clerk obeyed without hesitation.

  Behind schedule, Sabree misted outside the elevator on the lower level. The down arrow flashed. Before the door opened, he materialized in the center of the guards who stood against the left and right walls armed with crossbows.

  “Pardon.” He exposed his eyeteeth with a snarl. Empowered as if he were a bodybuilder overdosed on steroids, he pumped telepathic commands into the three DanJal guards to block their minds from warning the rest of the clan.

  The guard in front of Brian’s door aimed his weapon. “Sound the alarm!” The metal arrow sailed through mist and pierced the guard posted on the opposite wall.

  Sabree reappeared in front of the third guard before he could fire. His hands slapped each side of the guard’s neck. With a twist, he snapped his neck. Before the guard’s body dropped, he snatched the arrow from the crossbow and flung it at the first guard, who was busy reloading his bow. The metallic spear pierced his chest. The DanJal guards would eventually heal, giving him and Ariane ample time to rescue Brian.

  The whistle of another arrow sent Sabree misting again. He reformed in front of Chase and crushed the man’s cell phone before he could place a call. Chase dropped the crossbow, ran down the hall, and dove into the elevator that led to the command center. Sabree misted beside him and sneered at the cowering human. He slammed his fist into the controls to prevent the elevator from operating or sounding off an alarm. “I’ll be back,” he promised Chase, punching him into oblivion. The next task, open the emergency door for Ariane. Together, they would rescue Brian.

  28

  REVENGE IS SWEETER

  H idden behind the hedges, Ariane waited for the secured exit to open. The oversized uniform she wore itched. Sabree had drained a DanJal guard dry and borrowed the uniform for her. He scoffed at her comment about the Fallen having lice. She glanced at her phone. Damn it, what’s taking him so long?

  They had rehearsed the steps several times, so she could estimate how long it took him to break in, destroy evidence, infect the network with a virus, and incapacitate the guards. Fifteen minutes was the final assessment, and already, he was fifteen minutes late.

  As though on cue with her anxiety, Sabree opened the door and leaned around the edge. He smiled when his eyes met hers as she peeked over the shrubs.

  Ariane couldn’t help but return the smile, except hers was more skeptical. “About time.” Her eyes widened when she got a closer look at his renewed hotness. “Really? You took time out for a spa treatment.” A half hour ago, she had nearly gagged at the sight of his zombie-infected condition. Now debonair, Sabree reflected an angelic creature with bright violet eyes. So handsome she could kiss him. Condemn me for being fickle, but a zombie is a zombie.

  Sabree winked. “Free samples of Brian’s bountiful blood. I’ll explain later.” He waved her inside. “Follow me.”

  3 3 3

  Minutes had passed by since the guards yelled outside my cell. I gripped the side rails and braced myself for the inescapable onslaught. Minutes dragged on and no one barged inside. The silence chewed on my nerves wrought with worry. Where were the alarms and reinforcements?

  A clunk startled me as, one by one, the bolts to my door unlocked. My jaw clenched when it swung open, expecting a charge of guards and weapons. Instead, a woman in a frumpy uniform ran to my side to unbuckle the restraints.

  “Brian, are you all right? It’s time to go.”

  “I'm not going any—” I rubbed my wrists and then wriggled my free arms. She had set me loose. I sat upright and focused on the familiar face. “Sis? Thank God!” I pushed off the gurney and bolted for the door only to skid to a stop when I almost stepped on the unconscious guards.

  Before me, Sabree stood over the bodies, his confidence and vigor returned, no longer the walking dead. This visage painted a portrait of the immortal I had first confronted in Scotland, not the deteriorating one of late. The grim reaper came to mind. Instead of God, maybe I should thank Sabree.

  Behind me, Ariane grabbed my arm. “This is a rescue mission. Sabree’s not here to collect revenge. He’s here to help.”

  “At your service.” Sabree kicked one of the bodies aside. “Sorry about the mess, I didn’t have time to tidy up.”

  I kept my distance, finding it difficult to trust the immortal. At the same time, I was relieved to have anyone here on my behalf. I almost cracked a smile. “Is Jesse all right?” I asked my sister.

  She took my hand and rubbed it. “Yes, he’s guarding the fort.”

  “Enough small talk,” Sabree said. “We must escape before the DanJal recover.”

  Friend or foe, I wanted to hug him, but resisted, worried the display of affection might send the wrong message. I rubbed four days’ growth instead. “Wayde took the flash drive.” I lowered my head. “I’m physically drained because I refused the blood they offered.” When I looked up to steal a glance at Sabree, I recognized the telltale sign—his impatient eyeroll.

  “We’ll talk later.” Ariane pointed at the DanJal uniform and boots on the table. “Get dressed.”

  Eager to leave this retched place, I threw on the long-sleeved shirt first, leaving it unbuttoned. I flashed my sister a look of turn around before I pulled off the scrub bottoms. “How are we going to get out of here? Sabree can’t mist with us in his arms.”

  “The mortal way—we walk, then drive.” Sabree glanced outside the decontamination chamber and waved us over. “Good, the elevator is still out of order.”

  “How is that good?” I asked. “How’d you find me?” I zipped up the pants and almost dropped the boots he tossed me.

  “Because I drank your blood,” Sabree cleared his throat, “you and I are forever locked in a blood-tie. Similar to GPS, it allows me to pinpoint your exact location. I knew of the DanJal base from experience.”

  The b
lood-tie explanation meant nothing to me as I slipped into the oversized boots. “Ready.”

  Ariane took my hand. “Look, Sabree agreed to help me rescue you. Don’t give him a hard time. He knows his way around the base.”

  The smug smile on the immortal’s face did little to reassure me as he prodded us toward the stairwell. Sabree hooked my arm while my sister took the other and helped me climb the stairs. The multiple flights had me wheezing, thankful I could catch my breath when we reached the final landing. A troubled look replaced his smug puss. This can’t be good.

  Sabree peeked through the stairwell exit peephole. Sighing, he leaned against the wall and said, “Merde, we missed the level that connected to the main stairway. This one leads straight to the command center.”

  At a standstill, I squinted through the peephole. The panorama of consoles beneath the curved video wall resembled a high-tech war room. My knuckles whitened from gripping the banister. “No, not him,” I said in a panicked whisper. “Chambers.” I backed into the stairway wall and wrapped my arms around my chest.

  “Easy, hon.” Ariane looked to Sabree. “So, we go back down.”

  After Sabree stole a second glance, he said, “I have an idea. Stay here.”

  “Won’t Wayde and Chambers recognize you?” I asked with a hint of sarcasm. His stony gaze insinuated otherwise.

  Ariane nudged me in the ribs. “What’d I say earlier?”

  3 3 3

  As Sabree stepped into the lion’s den, he uttered unspoken curses to Turian and the twins for intruding on his formerly blissful life. To save face, he blended in with the group who loitered outside the circle of major players. His head cocked to one side, he listened in on the chatter and recognized Wayde’s voice as the loudest. A uniformed tech tacked an out of order sign over the elevator controls. Damaging the elevator could lead to trouble. Uncertain what to do, Sabree glanced at the stairwell exit as he moved deeper into the crowd.

  “Sabree?”

  The recognizable telepathic voice sent icicles up his spine. Sabree edged around to find Serine staring back. Had he sensed her presence before? He gazed downward and allowed her access to his mind.

  “Funny, I sensed your presence earlier and then it vanished,” Serine said telepathically.

  Sabree realized why she had detected him at first. Besides misting woes, blocking his presence from the Fallen had failed until the ghoul’s blood replenished his system. “Are you going to alert Wayde?”

  “Not if you’re here to free Brian.”

  “He is free as we speak, but I need to get him to safety.” Sabree glanced at the stairwell. Why a change of heart? Why display concern for the twins? When he returned his attention to Serine, she had moved next to Wayde near the elevator.

  “Be alert, Sabree. One of our own was charred to a crisp. His remains didn’t turn to dust and dissipate. He was one of the four who interviewed Brian.”

  Spasms shot up his spine. Never had one of the Fallen perished in such a gruesome way. Yet, one incident troubled him enough to dig into memories eons old. The gruesome saga rang true long ago, except it happened to an entire legion of Malakhim—an ancient family. The cosmic ashes drifted forever within the portal universe. Rumors declared a battle between rival archangels caused the massacre. But that was then. “Who could do such a thing?”

  “No idea. I must go. We will meet again, soon enough. I will see what I can do to detain Wayde, but I cannot promise much.” She glanced at the human hammering the panel. “On the ground floor, use the back exit near the morgue.”

  “I know the way.” Sabree had unlocked the unguarded door for Ariane.

  “Be careful. Brian has yet to realize his full potential. His immaturity could be his undoing, along with ours.”

  “What do you mean?” He waited for her reply. The unanswered question along with many more darted inside his mind—his mind only—for a brief moment. Sabree thanked her with his most alluring smile. No telepathy ranked higher than the gesture he had mastered over the millennia. Their history together equaled those years.

  Wayde growled. “What do you mean sublevel security isn’t responding? No one leaves their post unless I give the order.”

  The new head of security shrugged. The thick glasses he wore magnified his beady eyes. “Should we sound the alarm, sir?”

  “Hold off until I check the sublevel myself. Post more guards at every exit.” Wayde slapped the door. “What’s taking the elevator so long? Where’s Chase?” He slammed his fist against the panel and waved his subordinates over to the stairway exit. “Bloody hell.” He shoved Chambers aside and pushed him along the way. They disappeared into the stairwell.

  Sabree held his breath, waiting for them to return with the twins in tow. Seconds passed. Perhaps Brian and Ariane retreated to a lower level. He crept over to the stairwell and peered through the peephole to find it empty. Time was running out before the threat of alarms blasted the entire complex.

  He slipped inside the stairwell and dissipated into a fine mist that billowed down two flights of stairs where his body reformed on the other side. A quick glance up and down the long hallway revealed no sign of the twins, although his blood-ties sensed them nearby. His gaze locked on a set of double doors.

  The laundry room, full of clothing bins, would be a good place to begin his search. Sabree charged inside and rummaged through the bins, flinging the contents aside with the butt end of a whiskbroom. The musty odor made him queasy and the noisy dryers thrummed against his eardrums. He cringed when he peeked inside a basket of bloodied, soiled sheets.

  “Brian? Ariane? Where are you?” He asked with a hiss. “It's the Cavalry, still trying to save your sorry asses.” He kicked the bin so hard it tipped over. His gaze rested on the rattling dryers. Although he sensed the ghouls, he could not pinpoint their exact location. Ready to kick the basket again, he stopped when his supernatural hearing detected footfalls overhead.

  3 3 3

  Ariane nudged her sluggish brother through the first unlocked door. “Someone’s coming.”

  “Wait,” Brian cried, plowing into her.

  Shoving harder, Ariane tumbled inside the room with him. She grabbed him by the shoulders and gasped. They had crashed a roomful of party-going immortals dressed in color-coded scrubs of soft pastels. Those who mingled around the dessert table mirrored Sabree’s pale complexion, flawless skin, and animated hair. None of them exhibited any distinct racial features. Something else caught her attention as she inhaled deeply, sugary sweetness filling her nostrils. Her taste buds stood at attention and her mouth watered. Oh, how she craved to feast on the sensuous onslaught.

  Layer upon layers of delectable sweets decorated the table: glazed fruit-filled pastries, donuts, cupcakes covered with mounds of pastel frosting, and sugarcoated candies brightly colored in rainbow hues. The cornucopia of confectionery delights would satisfy any sweet tooth for a year. The party-like mood gave her hope that she and Brian could slip out the same way they had stormed in. Her brother had the same idea.

  “Back it up, Sis,” Brian whispered. He shuffled her toward the door. “Sorry, wrong room, carry on,” he said to the partygoers.

  The closest DanJal must have recognized Brian as their test subject. Several swarmed after him. A tall male grabbed Ariane by the arm and swung her into the crowd. She cried out. The group seized her while a beefier colleague tackled Brian, reeling him around and wrapping an arm across his throat.

  Clutching hands and clawing fingers prevented Ariane from escaping. She cried out when one of them twisted her arm, pushing it high against her shoulder blade.

  “Leave her alone!” Brian growled at her captor.

  The two lab techs whose grips held Ariane ignored his plea and groped her neck, arms, and torso. Why were they being so rough? “Get off me!” she screamed.

  Brian squirmed beneath the arms clenched around his neck and chest. “Let her go!” His command, an ear-pounding roar, sent a sonic wave past Ariane toward the table. It
bounced off the wall behind the group.

  Everyone stood still and stared at Brian, including Ariane. Never had he thrown his voice so forcefully. The robust pitch rumbled inside her mind and ricocheted off the walls. Sabree’s forceful tone at Harry’s Pub & Bar was a kitten’s mew compared to the intensity of her brother’s roar.

  Ariane tensed, ready to take flight if need be. The immortals who apprehended her along with the one throttling Brian, all dropped together, their bodies writhing around like noodles in boiling water. The rest of the DanJal stared at their fellow staff.

  All signs pointed to her brother. Somehow, he had caused the ruckus. Ariane wished she had the time to figure out how. She flew into his arms, and together, they rushed out the door, bumping head-on into Sabree.

  “Meet me in the morgue,” Sabree said, waving them to go on.

  Ariane hesitated at the door and watched him glide through the group as if he were a ghost. No one reacted to him as he zigzagged toward the table. Sabree cocked his head playfully, reached for a glazed donut hole, and popped it in his mouth. He winked at Ariane and then flipped the table over with ease. The collision of metal trays and dishes startled the uninjured DanJal. They fled to the back wall leaving the unconscious covered in the sticky mess. Sabree waved Ariane to get going, his voice telepathically reaching her ears. “Don’t worry. I am in stealth mode, one of my many gifts. The DanJal cannot detect me.”

  Her mind tickled with the words Sabree had spoken. Telepathy? Another oddity to question later on. Ariane ran after Brian. “Did you see that?”

  “What? Everyone collapsing?”

  “No, Sabree walked through the crowd and flipped the table over without anyone seeing him. I wonder if he walks around our house in stealth mode. Better not be a pervert.”