Amongst the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  “If the shoe fits…”

  Naturally, her brother would assume the nastiest about Sabree. “Move it.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him down the stairwell to the next level. Before the rescue, Sabree showed her a diagram of the complex. The morgue was on the tenth level. She barged through the stairwell door, looked both ways, and continued to the right toward another set of double doors. Her brother followed her inside.

  “This is the morgue.” Ariane bolted the lock, thankful she memorized the floor plan. She cursed softly as her fingers tapped the wall for a light switch. When she couldn’t find one, she took a step into the room hoping the lights would switch on by motion sensors. The bright light blinded her at first until she focused on the metal tables.

  “Morgue? More like a Walking Dead Comic-Con.” Brian gagged.

  Blood and guts should not debilitate a man who dreamed of demons. Or lived as one. Ariane eyed the ongoing autopsy, probably abandoned by a coroner who left to attend the party. The body’s chest and abdomen were sliced opened to reveal empty cavities: lungs, guts, and liver slopped haphazardly into stainless trays. She glanced at her brother. The fact that this could have been his fate made her go numb from head to toe. “Sabree should be here any moment.”

  “What’s with you and him? Working a wee bit too close?”

  “Don’t be silly. Eric’s away and Jesse is, well you know, he’s no match, so Sabree was all I had.” Her hand swiped a tray off the bench. It clattered to the floor, the guts now in a heap at her feet.

  This time her brother hurled.

  “Brian, man up.” No sooner than the words had left her mouth, an idea popped into her head. “Wait, this can work to our advantage.” She rummaged around the lab checking the bodies underneath every sheet. “Sweet, here’s a male ready to be shipped out. Help me move him to an empty table.”

  “What are you doing?” Brian wiped his mouth with a towel. “Give the dead some respect.”

  “Shush. I’ve found a way to get you out of here undetected.” A knock on the door made her jump. She sprinted to the door and leaned her ear against it, hoping Sabree was on the other side.

  “It’s me. Open up.”

  The familiar hiss of impatience gave him away. She swung the door open with such force that Sabree stumbled inside. With a powerful hip check, Ariane bumped his backside and knocked him farther into the morgue. She locked the door.

  Amidst the exposed bodies, formaldehyde, and vomit, Sabree’s pallid skin flushed a shade of green. His nose scrunched with each inhale.

  Brian’s reaction, she expected, but Sabree’s response surprised her. So much exposure to death during his lifespan should have desensitized him. This strange immortal never ceased to amaze her as she remembered to address her brother’s earlier concern. “Look, Brian, the living are alive, and I plan to keep it that way.”

  “Precisely my intentions, Ariane Rose.” Sabree grinned with renewed composure.

  “Your plan had better work,” Brian said.

  His lack of appreciation ignited the darkness within her to expose its ugly self. “You’re lucky we rescued you in the first place.”

  “Why bother? Sabree will only kill me when we get home.”

  “Fear not,” Sabree said, “my previous ambition to destroy you has taken a back seat.”

  “Now I’m worried.”

  “You should be,” Sabree hissed. “By the way, what happened at the party? Who attacked the DanJal?” Sabree looked to Ariane. When she shrugged, his gaze drifted to Brian.

  “No idea,” Ariane and Brian said together. From the corner of her eye, she recognized Brian’s wistful look. She refused to believe he was responsible. “Come on, we better get moving. Get naked.”

  “Naked?”

  “Yes.” She handed Brian a clean sheet and turned her back to him. “Do you need Sabree’s help?”

  The sound of Brian undressing without further complaint relaxed her shoulders. “When you’re done, get on the gurney and play dead.” Ariane continued to look the other way. “A bit modest lately? Nothing I haven’t seen before,” she muttered. She stole a glance behind her to catch Sabree helping him onto the metal slab.

  Sabree draped a thin sheet over his body and then tied a toe tag onto Brian’s big toe. He ignored the curses when he slopped some bloodied tissue from an ongoing autopsy onto his chest. “He’s all set; you can turn around now, Ariane.” A sly smile crossed his face when he realized she was already facing them. “Oops, I almost forgot your release orders.” Sabree dropped the clipboard on top of the sheet, smacking Brian’s abdomen.

  “Hey, easy there.”

  “Be a good ghoul and play dead,” Sabree said while Ariane unlocked the doors. He maneuvered the gurney into the hall and turned left. “A little birdy told me there’s a cargo elevator that leads to the parking lot at the end of this hall.” His boots squeaked when he came to an abrupt stop. Sabree draped the sheet over Brian’s face. “Stop breathing,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Don’t worry; I stopped when you slopped the guts on my chest.”

  Ariane spied the guards who blocked their only exit. “What do we do now?” she asked, nudging Sabree’s arm.

  “Hush,” Sabree hissed, “they can’t hurt us. They’re human.” He handed her the clipboard.

  “Take the lead, Ariane Rose, you are the commanding officer.”

  “Now you tell me.” Ariane tugged her uniform, flaunted her most charming smile, and approached the exit. She stopped and stepped aside when the taller guard raised his hand for them to halt.

  “We’re on code red, ma’am,” he said. “I’ll have to call this in.” His subordinate proceeded with the inspection.

  “Code red? Never heard it issued. I have my orders.” Ariane glanced at Sabree. His gaze darted to the clipboard. She handed it over to the guard.

  The guard studied the papers and read the name aloud while the other guard continued to inspect the body. He lifted the bottom half of the sheet to reveal the toe tag.

  “Checks out,” the second guard said, scrunching his nose.

  From the stench of decay, Ariane assumed. Fortunately, her brother’s pale complexion fit the part of a corpse.

  “Sorry, but you’ll have to stand aside,” the first guard ordered. He slapped the clipboard on top of the gurney.

  Brian gasped in surprise.

  Sabree reacted first and grabbed the arrogant guard, twisting his head until the sound of his neck snapped. The other sentry raised his weapon. A hand beneath the shroud fumbled for the gun. The startled guard lowered his weapon to aim it at the gurney. Before he could pull the trigger, Sabree struck the guard and sent him spiraling across the floor into the wall, the sheer force knocking him unconscious. “Let’s go,” Sabree hollered. He slapped the cargo elevator button until the doors opened.

  Everything happened so fast, his attack nothing but a blur to her eyes. An adrenaline rush swept through her entire body. Ariane shook all over and followed Sabree and the gurney into the elevator before the doors squeezed shut. “Wow,” was all she could say.

  Outside, Sabree rolled the gurney to his car. “Too easy.”

  His carefree humor exhilarated her bravado. “No one’s watching,” Ariane said to her brother. “Jump inside as soon as Sabree opens the trunk.”

  Brian sat up and gathered the sheet around him. The organs fell to the ground with a hollow plop. He wiped off the remaining guts as one side of his lip crept up. “Are you daft? You call this a trunk. Why couldn’t you drive an SUV?”

  “Perhaps you’d prefer to squeeze your naked butt in front between us.” She crossed her arms and waited. Sabree already started the ignition with the remote key fob.

  No further complaints, Brian squeezed into the small trunk space and curled up with the sheet. His expression of raw fear melted Ariane’s brashness. She gently squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’re on our way home.” She shut the trunk with both hands while Sabree shoved the gurney into the bushes. Whe
n Sabree hopped into the car, she slid inside and said, “All set.” Ariane winked at him and patted his thigh. The way his back stiffened, she knew her touch surprised him.

  Behind the wheel of the Jaguar coupe, Sabree floored the pedal.

  3 3 3

  Hours later, Sabree opened the trunk and helped me out. “Hope you enjoyed traveling via the Jaguar Express. Your sister is already inside.”

  My upper lip twitched as I wrapped the sheet around me and glanced up and down the road. Unable to form words of thanks, I spat my disgust instead. “What took you so long? I had to suffer through four grueling days in that snake pit.”

  “What makes you think my life’s easy?” Sabree slammed the trunk. He glared at me and chose his words carefully. “I don’t have the patience for this. For you.”

  “All three of us did make an invincible team like the good old days in Scotland.”

  “Excuez-moi? An invincible team?” He shoved me toward the ranch. “Ariane maybe, but you and I will never work as a team.” He spat at the ground. “If I were you, I wouldn’t refer to shooting me in cold blood as the good ole days.”

  “I’m in your debt, sir. I owe you a save.”

  Sabree snarled between words. “You can’t save me. You can’t save yourself.”

  “Touché.” My weak attempt to speak French with a deep Scottish brogue curled his lips. Neither one could save the other from the fate each shared.

  Before we split ways, he dangled the yellow drive in my face. “Uh, Brian? Thank you for the Christmas present. Revenge is sweeter than your blood.” He bowed and misted into the coupe. The jag sped off.

  “Bloody hell!” I cried.

  For the rest of the week, I recovered in bed, pampered by Ariane and Jesse. I joined them for a small Christmas celebration, but returned to the solace of my room. The last disastrous scavenger hunt had thoroughly drained me. Hopefully, future quests wouldn’t be as life threatening. For now, I had to face the challenge of finding my next meal. To ease my conscience, I’d feed on criminals—perhaps a rapist. Better yet, a few evildoers, steal several pints from each.

  For the time being, I devoured a can of pink frosting. The sweetness reminded me of the DanJal sugary get-together. The events of the rescue had blurred with time, but I had done something to make those DanJal drop into convulsive spasms. Couldn’t help it. Either stop them or be captured. Somehow my mind attacked the ones who held us without turning them into dust like I had done in my dreams. But to whom?

  29

  HAPPY NEW YEAR

  I n the master bathroom, I gazed into the mirror. A few months slipped by after I had taken the last anti-vamp pill. Since then a new being inside emerged. My reflection alone revealed how much my physical appearance had evolved. My comb snagged on a snarl. Regrettably, my unruly hair had a Scottish mind of its own. Mussing about instead of dancing like Sabree’s fluid mane. The rest of the Fallen attributes triumphed as my system settled into its idyllic state: radiant amber eyes and prominent fangs. Doubted I’d ever get used to them.

  Liberated by the restraints the serum had placed on my system, I learned how to regulate my speed—my designated Fallen gift. In addition, acute senses, the ability to defy gravity, and superior strength bundled the Fallen package. To test gravity, I crawled up Pinnacle Peak one night without any climbing gear, using only hands and feet to scale the smooth surface. Someday, on one of our scavenger hunts, I’d be able to show off my newfound abilities to Eric. As if to shout not now, a sharp pain shot through me.

  My body shook all over. I leaned over to catch my breath. Felt like someone grabbed hold of my spine and split it in two from the neck to the tailbone—a side effect of the internal struggle with the insatiable hunger. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the countertop, waiting for the spasms to pass. Since the rescue, even a week of binging on cans of ready-made frosting and gummy bears failed to suppress the feverish appetite. Nauseated and anemic, feasting on human blood ruled over all. Fantasies of feeding on Jesse and Eric occurred once too often. Neither human was safe.

  Tonight, I resolved to cross the ultimate line to seek the first human donor since Hoffstot. The spasms had urged me to this conclusion. To preserve anonymity, I’d stalk someone away from town. Phoenix offered a wider variety of desolate individuals without families or a future. Decision made, I flicked the bathroom lights off and snuck outside onto the deck. Everyone else had gone to sleep hours ago.

  After midnight, traffic to Phoenix light, I parked on a narrow road between two abandoned warehouses. An hour had passed, but I stayed put, optimistic the deserted corner would stand up as an ideal location. Movement across the street rewarded my patience. Two young men taunted a homeless man dressed in a tattered jacket and woolen oversized pants. Busted. Although not hardened criminals, the two could afford to surrender a few pints each.

  As I studied them, the old man kept ducking to avoid the assailants flanked on each side. Bouncing about as if they took turns shooting hoops, the two lashed out at him. The bulkier youngster struck harder and jumped back in anticipation of retaliation. Instead, the man sank to the pavement in a stupor. He never released the bottle of booze, gripping it as his only lifeline.

  The moment had arrived to teach the lads a lesson. I slipped out of the car, wondering which one would fall victim to my hunger. One would run away as soon as I drank from the other. While I continued to observe the bullying, my stomach knotted from the cruelty the boys displayed. My fangs extended to their full length, eager for the long-awaited feast. Now or never, no backing out this time.

  Preferring never, I hesitated for a second before I dashed across the street, running so fast, no one noticed me until I stood between the youngsters and the old man. I pitched from side to side, uncertain which of the young men to grab first until one of them waved a gun in my face.

  The weapon made the choice for me. I sprang upward, somersaulted overhead, and landed behind him in a low crouch. Ready to pounce, I hissed displeasure with fangs bared. My animal-like response surprised even me. Sabree’s antics came to mind. I cocked my head and smirked, welcoming the similarities.

  Yelping curses drowned out the old man’s startled grunts. Both youngsters ran off. I tensed to make chase but stayed put instead, disappointed in myself. That went well. Famished, I fretted if the old man could tolerate donating a few pints. The battle between hunger and scruples against the consequences refused to give me a moment’s rest. Hunger triumphed as I reasoned the man probably had cirrhosis of the liver and siphoning a few pints wouldn’t make a difference.

  “Easy, lad. I won’t hurt you.” Well, not too bad. I knelt beside him and almost gagged on the stench of his liquored breath combined with rancid body odor. The man’s vital fluids were probably just as polluted. I tilted his head to one side to expose the jugular.

  In a weird way, I felt disconnected from my own body, as if I no longer controlled my actions. Deft fingers brushed away the stray hairs from the vein. I closed my eyes in anticipation. The fangs sank into the leathery flesh until warm blood gushed down my parched throat. The feed rewarded my thirst and forced me to abandon the lingering threads of humanity. I drank, sucking hard against the fragile vein. My body welcomed the life force as it strengthened and replenished my entire being.

  A loud clunk and then the glass bottle rolling down the curb snapped my attention from the ardent feed. I released my hold and eyed the bottle that must have dropped when the man relaxed his grip. Not a good sign since he had held onto it like a prized possession. Eyes ablaze, I stared at the bloodied wound. I drank more than a few pints.

  My heart skipped several beats as my finger probed his neck, smearing blood all over it. The pulse faint, he would never survive the night without help. Copper, whisky, and body odor filled my nostrils as I pulled out the prepaid flip phone, dialed 911, and recited the man’s condition and whereabouts. I snapped the phone shut and hurled it against the stucco wall across the road in case the police performed a trace on the b
urner. It smashed into pieces.

  Rage boiled inside me. No longer famished, intellect took control. Good conscience beat the hunger back into its vile little corner of my mind. The will to survive took over next. I almost slammed into the car as I raced across the street. Behind the wheel, I stole a glance at the victim—the crime scene. Selfish tears welled as I accepted the damage this frightful deed might cost the old man—would cost my soul. This night, I had reluctantly entered the realm of the vilest creatures who fed off humanity—losing my own in return. I floored the gas pedal, the sound of spinning tires replaced by sirens in the distance.

  3 3 3

  I lived a world apart from Eric and Ariane. The couple chilled on the porch with their feet propped on the communal ottoman. My withdrawal, triggered by everyday humble matters such as lovers’ secrets to empty takeout boxes littering the kitchen counter, was as much at fault as the French doors separating me from the couple.

  Ariane looked up when I stepped outside. A bottle of champagne chilled in the ice bucket atop the ottoman. I counted only two glasses.

  Eric wiped the barbecue sauce from his mouth. “Best ribs I’ve eaten in a long time.” Then he noticed they had company. “You don’t know what you’re missing, man.”

  “I still nibble on meat.” I smacked my lips. “Booze and sugar win overall though.” I probably looked out of place dressed in a sport’s cap, sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt, and pants at nightfall. “Why just last night, I indulged on a bit of takeout myself.” My brows danced up and down my forehead until I sensed their renewed tension. I rolled my eyes when Eric downed his shot of tequila and Ariane swallowed without chewing.

  “Human blood?” she asked. “Whose? You didn’t kill anyone did you?”

  “Abso-bloody-lutely, human blood,” I said before answering her questions in the order she asked. “Yes, who cares whose, and no, I didn’t drink enough to cause too much harm.” At least I hoped not. Lowering my lids, I focused on the two goblets. “I'm off to bed; it's been a long day.” I walked along the deck to my room, half-listening to Ariane mention midnight was seconds away. I reached the French doors and paused, my hand ready to pull on the handle. Something was amiss.