by P. T. Hylton
Kurtz’s eyes lit up when he saw his old friend. “Ah, my fellow colonel!”
CB grinned. “Who ever thought the two of us would be running the GMT and the badges, huh?”
“Certainly not our mothers. They thought we’d wind up on the other side of the jail bars.”
CB chuckled. “Ain’t that the truth. Listen, is there somewhere private we can talk?”
Kurtz led him to an office in the back of the building. When the door was shut and they were both seated, Kurtz folded his hands on the desk. “So, what’s up?”
CB hesitated, not sure where to begin.
A slow smile crept across Kurtz’s face. “Let me save you the trouble. You want to know how I feel about Fleming.”
Now it was CB’s turn to smile. “Talk about cutting right to it.”
“Hell, Brickman, you don’t have to be coy with me. I know he had you locked up after he blew up the Council. I imagine you’re not a big fan of the guy.”
“That’s an accurate statement,” CB allowed. “Where do you stand on the matter?”
Even though they were alone and the door was shut, Kurtz leaned forward and spoke softly. “Fleming killed his political rivals, took control of the city, and is hiding the crime. I’m the top badge in New Haven. How the hell do you think I feel about him?”
“Good,” CB said. “I figured as much. If he thought he could buy us off with promotions, he’s got another thing coming.” He paused. “When you say you’re against him, how far are you willing to go?”
Kurtz thought about that a moment. “As far as I need to. But it won’t be easy.”
“I know. The public loves him.”
“It’s not just that,” Kurtz said. “He called me in yesterday and gave me a list of badges who are being reassigned to the Resettlement project under your old pal, Firefly. Nearly half my people. And it just so happens, they’re the ones who aren’t big fans of Fleming and his plans.”
CB’s face went pale. “You’re kidding me.”
“Afraid not. It’s sort of genius, really. He sends his political rivals to the surface. If they survive, great. His plan for Resettlement worked and he’s a hero. If something happens… Well, that’s very sad, but at least it wasn’t his people that got it.”
CB put a hand to his mouth. “This is insane.”
“And it’s not just us,” Kurtz continued. “The way I hear it, Fleming supporters just happen to be getting promotions in nearly every department in New Haven. You ask me, we need to take him down.”
“My thoughts exactly,” CB agreed. “I’m working on Firefly. But we need hard evidence, if we’re going to convince the people a military coup is the answer.” He paused a moment, studying the other man’s face. “Why are you smiling, Kurtz?”
“Because I know something Fleming doesn’t. There’s a hidden security camera in the Council chambers.”
CB’s eyes widened as he took in the implications of his friend’s words. “We’d be able to see who planted the explosives.”
“Exactly. The tape holds months’ worth of video. We just have to get it from the camera without anyone noticing.”
“That, I can handle,” CB said.
Jessica looked at the broken fifty-caliber automated gun with amazement. The team had destroyed it when trying to gain access to NORAD. She had assumed it was a normal weapon. Now she saw how incorrect she’d been.
It turned out to be a railgun.
The engineering behind it was amazing. It used an electromagnetic catapult design to hurl its ammunition at an incredible speed. It used only a minimal amount of energy and took away the need for gunpowder, something that was always difficult to acquire.
And this was just one small example of the technology she’d seen in this place. And she’d only been here for a few hours.
Coming to Agartha had been so much better than she expected. She’d spent most of her time with George so far, and they’d instantly connected. She could talk to him in a way that would have gone over the head of anyone on New Haven. It was amazing how liberating it felt to talk with someone on her mental level.
Beyond that, she genuinely liked the man, and he seemed to enjoy their conversations just as much as she did.
George spoke, interrupting her thoughts. “What do you think? Would you like to help me rebuild it?”
She was so surprised at the offer, it took her a moment to answer. Letting her help rebuild the weapon would give her an intimate knowledge of the technology, knowledge she could take back to New Haven and theoretically use to advance their weapons arsenal.
“Yes,” she said as soon as she recovered from the surprise.
“Excellent,” George said, genuine excitement in his voice.
Agartha had a much stronger focus on technology than New Haven, and it was taking Jessica a while to adjust to their reality. Everything in New Haven was focused on the perpetual movement of the ship and efficient use of resources. But here, the priorities were defense and comfort. The best part was that the Agarthans seemed happy to share. Jessica couldn't wait to take all of the knowledge that she had gained back to New Haven.
She’d seen some amazing things. A classroom filled with young children learning pre-infestation history. An automated vertical farm filled with rows and rows of plants being nourished by grow lights; a place that George said fed everyone in the city, despite its surprisingly small size. Even an auditorium that George said was used for performances of ancient plays.
For her own part, Jessica had gone back and forth about how much to reveal about New Haven. In the end, she’d told him that her city was in a confined space, where they needed to maximize usage of every square foot, just like Agartha. If he was annoyed by her lack of candor, he didn’t let on.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked as they stood over the damaged railgun.
“Of course.”
“What do the vampires here eat?” She paused a moment, then quickly added, “I’m sorry if that’s a rude question. I’m not sure the of the etiquette. The only vampires I’d seen before coming here were more the rip-your-face-off type rather than the have-a-conversation type.”
“Not rude at all. Perfectly logical.” He started walking toward the door. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
She followed him through a twisting corridor to a door with a large red cross on it. He swiped his keycard, then he ushered her into the room.
“Since the sun’s still up, we’ll have the place to ourselves,” he said.
The room was refrigerated, and the cold prickled at her skin. Or maybe it was the sight of shelves lined with hundreds of bags of blood.
“What is this?” she asked over the hum of the cooling system. “Where’s it come from?”
“It’s donated. The people volunteer to give a little blood every month or so.”
“You’re kidding.” She turned slowly, doing mental calculations. There had to be hundreds of gallons of human blood in this room.
“You mentioned our focus on efficiency. This is just another example. We need vampires to help us survive, and we help them survive. All without the loss of life.”
Jessica turned toward George. “Maybe not now, but there were eleven billion people on the planet before the first wave of the infestation. How many did the vampires kill?”
“Those weren’t our vampires. Jaden and his friends had nothing to do with that.”
“You know that for sure?”
“I do.”
His voice carried the conviction of a true believer, so she decided not to press him further.
“Let me ask you one more thing,” she said. “You have a team of vampires and the most impressive weapons arsenal I’ve ever seen. Why are you still living under a mountain? Why not expand?”
“We’ve talked about it. Jaden assures us that we will eventually. But the time isn’t right.”
“Huh.” Jessica thought about that. If Agartha didn’t think Resettlement was a possibility, what chance did New Haven
have?
George gestured to the door. “Let’s get back to the lab. We’ve got a gun to repair.”
8
“Fremont County is a great place for you bicyclists. A five-thousand-mile trail called the American Discovery Trail passes through here.” Owl paused, then said, “Déjà vu, huh? Anyway, enjoy your trip back to Florence ADX.”
Alex shifted in her seat, mentally preparing for what lay ahead of them. The passenger hold was a little more crowded than usual, today. Along with the members of the GMT, they had two engineers along with them, Ron Oralee and Yoko Darby. Now that the prison was cleared of vampires, Fleming had tasked these two with figuring out a way to tie in generators to the old electrical system. The GMT was there to make sure that the engineers were able do their work without getting their throats ripped out.
“It’s a classic,” Hope said, picking up a conversation she’d been having before Owl’s speech. “You really gonna rag on a classic?”
“A classic for people who can’t shoot properly,” Ed responded. “Point a shotgun in the general direction and pull the trigger. Where’s the finesse in that? Where’s the art?”
“The art’s splattered all over the wall when you blow your enemy’s head off with the thing,” Hope replied.
“I’ll take precision any day.” Ed paused. “Tell you what. How about we keep a tally? I’ll bet I take out more vamps than you today. Loser buys drinks tonight.”
Alex couldn’t help but chuckle at their conversation. She’d made plenty of similar wagers with Drew back in the day. In happier times.
“You’re on,” Hope immediately answered.
Patrick shook his head. “We’re not going to encounter anything today, dumbasses. We already cleared this place out. This mission is just a babysitting job.” He paused a moment. “That said, you’re going to let me in on the contest, right?”
Hope grinned. “Maybe you two want to combine your scores? We all know it takes both of you to kill one vampire.”
The ship set down in the yard, and the team gathered outside the ship.
A light snow was falling, and large snowflakes drifted down, landing on their helmets and gear. With the ship shut down, the place was eerily silent.
Alex gave them a moment, letting them take in the beauty of the falling snow, letting them feel the crisp air on their faces for a moment longer before they had to go back into the dark, musty cell blocks. Then she took a good look at the ground in the yard, and the tranquility of the moment slipped away. The familiar crackle of adrenaline rushed into her muscles.
“What the hell?” Owl said. “There weren’t any tracks here last time.”
The snow around them was full of marks that it had taken Alex a few moments to identify. With the thin layer of freshly fallen snow covering them, it was difficult to see the divots for what they really were: footprints.
Alex turned to Ron and Yoko. “You two need to go back in the ship. Wait for me to give you the all-clear.”
The engineers exchanged a glance, but they didn’t argue. They hauled their heavy backpacks filled with gear and electrical testers back onto the ship.
Ed nudged Patrick, an excited grin on his face. “Babysitting mission, huh?”
“Looks like we’re back in the vampire-hunting business.” Alex gestured toward the nearest building, cell block four. “I’ll lead the way. Ed, Hope, take my flanks. Patrick and Chuck, I want you two in the doorway. Stay in the light and get ready to cover us if we need to make a quick exit.”
“Hell, yeah,” Ed said. “Let’s put these animals down.”
Alex, Ed, and Hope passed through the entry to the building and made their way slowly down the long corridor that led to the old security checkpoint and the cellblock beyond, their headlamps lighting the way. The air carried a musty scent like rotting leather. Though the smell conjured images of old things, it hadn’t been here a few days ago when they’d cleared this building.
As they passed through the checkpoint, they saw the vampire. It was slumped in the corner, huddled up and apparently asleep.
Ed raised his weapon.
“Hold your fire,” Alex ordered in a soft voice. She glanced back down the long hallway, mentally running through what to do next. “Come with me.”
She led them back down the corridor, moving just far enough that they were still able to see the vampire.
“Get ready to run,” she said. Then she raised her weapon and fired.
Her round caught the vampire in the upper leg, and it let out a howl of pain.
“Go!” Alex shouted. The three of them dashed to the entrance.
The vampire followed, running awkwardly on its injured leg, but still closing the gap at an alarming rate.
Ed, Hope, and Alex reached the entrance and hurried through.
The vampire made it to the door a moment later and stopped just short of the sunlight. It glared at them with furious, wild eyes and howled.
“What the hell was that, Captain?” Ed asked, his voice short as he tried to catch his breath. “You’re always bitching at us about aiming for the head and the heart. You didn’t even hit a vital.”
“Patience, Ed,” Alex replied. She held her weapon at the ready, but she didn’t fire at the vampire. Not yet.
The vamp let out another howl as it stared at them hungrily from the doorway. But this time, it wasn’t alone. A dozen more howls answered, some from cell block four, and some from the other buildings.
“Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.” Chuck muttered the litany softly, his weapon trained on the vampire in front of them.
“Sounds like its friends woke up,” Patrick observed.
Hope gripped her shotgun tightly. “Brilliant deduction, Patrick.”
A sound like a thousand rats scurrying over a concrete floor filled the air. A second later, fifteen more vampires appeared, cramming themselves into the corridor behind their injured friend.
Alex said, “Now you can aim for the vitals."
The team opened fire, immediately obeying the command.
Hope’s shotgun roared as she fired again and again. Ed, Patrick, Owl, and Chuck mowed through the vampires with their automatic weapons. Alex stuck to her pistol.
The vampires fell as bullets tore through their heads and hearts.
After a moment it was over, and a pile of dead vampires filled the corridor.
Angry howls came from the other buildings and echoed through the prison grounds.
“Looks like this is going to be a long day,” Chuck said.
“Can we reset?” Hope asked. “I have no idea who killed which vampire.”
“You wish,” Ed said, a smile on his face. “I took out at least half of those undead bastards.”
“Um, no. I will admit you took out more than Patrick, though. I swear, half his shots went over the vampires’ heads.”
A pained expression appeared on Patrick’s face. “What battle were you guys watching? I was like a surgeon.”
“A drunk surgeon, maybe,” Hope joked.
Owl scratched her head as she surveyed the pile of vampire corpses piled near the door. “I don’t understand. These guys weren’t here two days ago.”
Hope looked at Alex. “Any idea what changed, Captain?”
Alex thought a moment before responding. She had a theory, but it was little more than that. “The only thing that changed was us being here. They must have picked up on our scent and come here to find us."
“Huh,” Hope said. She sounded skeptical.
“There’s no way they can smell that far, is there?” Chuck asked. “I mean, none of us even shed any blood. We were here in the middle of the day. Are you telling me they could smell us so strongly hours later that they came running from God knows where and just hung out here in the hopes we’d come back?”
“Don’t know,” Alex said. It felt odd to admit her lack of knowledge. After all, she was supposed to be in charge here. But she knew that the only thing more dangerous than an inexperienced leader
was one who pretended she knew more than she did. “Their senses are heightened at night. So, it’s possible.”
Chuck nodded slowly. “Okay, so what do we do next, Captain?”
Alex gestured to cellblock five. “We get back to work. We still have a mission to finish. We’ll clear out the other buildings the same way we did this one. Then, once we’ve swept them all, we’ll bring Yoko and Ron in to do their engineering thing.”
They started at cellblock five, Alex again leading two of them inside, injuring one of the vampires to wake it up, then getting the hell out of there as quickly as possible. Then the team stood in the safety of the sunlight and took out the vampires that gathered at the door.
After the third building, Patrick said, “Man, Captain, I thought the GMT was going to be tough. This is almost too easy.”
“No kidding,” Ed agreed. “Why haven’t we tried Resettlement before?”
Alex grimaced. “Go up against a vampire at night, then tell me Resettlement is a good idea. And that’s the last I want to hear about this being easy. Easy means we all go home alive. That’s not always the case on the GMT.”
That shut them up.
Alex tried to push away the anger she felt at their words. She couldn’t blame them; she’d made similar comments not long ago. Maybe humans were doomed to keep making the same mistakes, generation after generation. She’d underestimated the vampires until she’d learned through painful experience how formidable they were. CB had underestimated them, too, in his youth, and his first team had paid the ultimate price.
Alex vowed to herself she wouldn’t let that happen to her team. She might not be able to protect her people from danger one hundred percent of the time, but if one of them died, it wouldn’t be because their captain had underestimated the enemy.
They moved on, and Alex let Chuck take the lead on cellblock eight. She’d hoped he’d develop into a leader, but after the mission the other day, she wasn’t so sure about him. Or her judgment. Still, the guy needed confidence, and sometimes trial by fire was the best way to gain it. He managed to shoot a vampire, and they got to the safety of the sunlight in time. However, this time, only five vampires gathered in the doorway.