by P. T. Hylton
Robert grunted his approval. “We can send the humans in first. They will be a good distraction and they’ll buy us a few moments to get to Mark and Aaron.”
Jaden thought about that a moment before answering. “I think in this case we should try to keep these humans alive. They have a role to play in the future of our cities and the human race. I have a feeling Alex will be the bridge between our worlds.”
“You’re a soothsayer now? I thought you were too old to believe that bullshit.”
“Not a soothsayer. Just a creature whose instincts have had a long time to tune themselves.” He paused a moment. “I enjoy having her around. Her passionate recklessness… it reminds me of a part of myself that died a long time ago. Watching her makes me feel alive.”
“I didn’t think you were the sentimental type anymore.”
Jaden opened his eyes for the first time and looked at his old friend. “Neither did I.”
Robert frowned. “At some point, we have to talk about what happened. Vampires died. Our friends died."
Jaden looked down at the tunnel floor. Over the centuries, he’d gotten used to humans dying. Their short lifespan meant that saying goodbye to humans he cared about was a regular occurrence. But losing a vampire? One he’d been close to for centuries? And not just one, but multiple? It was too heavy a concept to think about right now. He was afraid it would crush him. “We will. But first, we have to live through today.”
“Get us as close as you can to that loading door,” Alex said.
Ed threw the truck into reverse and reached out the window, adjusting the sideview mirror. “Patrick, hop out and back me up.”
Patrick scoffed. “Really? I thought you were this big awesome driver. You need someone to wave you into a door?”
Alex sighed. “This really isn’t the time, guys. Chuck, you mind?”
“Not at all.” Chuck hopped out of the truck and ran to the back to wave Ed in. Alex joined him.
They were in the transport vehicle outside the building where Igor and Natalie were holed up. The two vampires had said they would be waiting somewhere near the loading dock door.
Alex crept toward the shadows covering most of the dock, her pistol in hand. She stopped at the edge of the shadows.
A moment later, two figures filled the doorway. As they stepped through the door, Alex vaguely recognized them as two of the vampires who had helped Jaden save the GMT on the road to Agartha. They wore the same pained, haggard expressions as Jaden and Robert had. Daysickness was no joke, apparently.
“Hey, Igor and Natalie. Glad to see you two are all right. Let’s get you back to Jaden.”
Igor smiled weakly. “You’re going to need to back that truck up farther unless you brought a fire extinguisher.”
“Sorry!” Patrick called from the cab of the truck. “My brother can’t drive for shit.”
Alex nodded toward the building. “Any Feral awake in there?”
This time Natalie answered. “Not currently, but if we hang around long, the human stink will waft in there and they’ll wake up fast.”
Chuck raised an eyebrow. “Human stink?”
“Oh, it’s not a bad stink,” she added quickly. “Sort of a combination of blood, musk, and citrus.”
“It’s quite pungent,” Igor agreed.
The truck rolled to a stop less than an inch from the edge of the shadow.
“That as close as I can get it, Captain!” Ed shouted.
Alex looked at the vampires. “That work?”
“I guess it’ll have to,” Natalie muttered.
“Okay, then follow me.” Alex leaped into the covered back of the transport.
Igor and Natalie quickly followed. The sunlight touched their skin for just a moment as they passed through the sliver of exposure. When they landed, thin tendrils of smoke rose from their skin.
“You all right?” Wesley asked.
“We’ll live,” Igor replied. “Where are we meeting Jaden?”
“They’re in the storm drains,” Alex answered. “We can access it through a manhole in an alley. It’s completely shadowed. Will that work?”
Natalie nodded. “Indirect sunlight stings a little, but it doesn’t burn us.”
Igor looked at her. “It’ll be good to see the others again. I wasn’t sure everyone would make it through.”
Alex felt a sinking in her stomach. These two hadn’t talked to Jaden or anyone else since last night. They didn’t know. She exchanged a glance with Wesley and saw from the sickened look on his face that he was feeling the same way.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but not everyone made it,” she said softly. “Between the explosion and the rampaging Ferals, six of your vampires died.”
Igor’s eyes widened in shock.
“No,” Natalie whispered. Then her voice grew louder. “It can’t be!” Her fist lashed out, slamming into the seat in front of her, and the blow rang through the truck. The metal bench was left dented as she drew her first back.
The truck skidded to a stop and Chuck, Ed, and Patrick ran back, weapons in hand.
“It’s okay!” Alex shouted to them. “We’re fine! She’s just… taking in some bad news.”
Igor put a hand on Natalie’s shoulder and turned to Alex. “You’re in no danger from us. Emotions run higher during the day, and this… it’s a lot to take in. We haven’t lost that many vampires in a long time.”
Alex turned to Ed, Patrick, and Chuck, who were still staring dumbly at the vampires. “Get us moving. We don’t have time to waste.”
When the truck started rolling again, Natalie turned to Alex. “You said six died, but you didn’t say which six.”
Alex shook her head. “I’m sorry, I only know Jaden and Robert are alive. I haven’t had a chance to learn the names of the others.”
“They died trying to retrieve your ship,” Natalie said. “Perhaps you should learn their names. Learn them and honor their sacrifice.”
Alex couldn’t meet the vampire’s eyes. She knew Natalie was right.
Brian stood in front of the control panel, his tablet once again plugged into the system. “You sure we should be taking the time to do this, CB? Hacking in is going to take time. The security on the weapons systems is tricky. I’m talking heavy firewalls.”
“It has to be done,” CB growled. “If the GMT makes it back here, we don’t want Fleming’s goons shooting them out of the sky.”
Brian nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
Jessica glanced down the corridor behind them. They hadn’t seen any faceless GMT members since the team that got sucked out the ventilation system, but CB understood Jessica’s trepidation.
“It’s going to be okay,” he told her.
Jessica smiled. “Now, I know you can’t promise me that. Don’t start lying to me, Colonel.” She paused. “Shutting down the ship’s defensive weapons seems a little risky, doesn’t it?”
CB shrugged. “We’ve gone a hundred and fifty years without an aerial assault. I think we can risk it.”
Brian nodded. “Agreed. I just wish one of us had access. They stripped all three of our permissions an hour after we went rogue.”
“Here’s a thought,” CB said. “Try Alex’s credentials.”
Jessica nodded slowly. “Of course. They think she’s dead. Why would they bother removing her permissions? That’s brilliant.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Brian said. “Do we even have her password?”
CB chuckled. “She wasn’t big on cybersecurity. Her password is VAMPKILLERS2GO. All caps.”
Brian chuckled as he keyed in the password. Then his eyes widened. “Holy hell, it worked. I’m in!” He tapped at the tablet another moment. “All right… external turret defense systems are off…now. Normally, this would be setting off all sorts of the alarms, but I suppressed them. Honestly, they gave Alex way too high level of access. Totally unnecessary for her job.”
“You complaining?” Jessica asked.
“N
ot today.” He sighed as he unplugged his tablet.
CB gave him an appraising look. The poor guy looked even paler than usual. It was clear he’d pushed himself to the limit and was now attempting to go even further. And he was too proud to ask for a break.
“Hey, you two mind if we rest for a couple minutes?” CB asked. “I need to change my bandage.”
Jessica and Brian exchanged a glance that was mostly relief but also contained more than a little surprise.
“You sure it’s safe?” Jessica asked.
CB looked around. “This is as good a spot as any. No one can sneak up on us here.” With that, he sank to the floor and began unbuttoning his shirt. “You said you grabbed some food from Wesley’s, Jessica?”
She nodded. “Just some bread.”
“Well pass it around. Let’s refuel as long as we’re stopped.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes. The bread was stale, but CB thought it was just about the tastiest thing he’d eaten in months. An empty stomach could teach a tongue to love even mediocre food, he figured.
When Jessica had finished, she moved to CB’s side and reached for his shirt buttons.
“Um, should I leave?” Brian asked.
“I’m just helping him change his bandage. Relax.”
When she’d pulled the old bandage off, she let out a soft gasp she failed to stifle.
“That bad, huh?” CB asked. He’d known the wound was infected since checking it at Wesley’s place, but he’d been trying not to think about it.
“It’s not great,” Jessica replied. “You need to get that taken care of sooner rather than later.”
CB chuckled. “Sure. Maybe I can just ask Fleming for a time out so I can get some medical attention.”
“I’m serious, CB. And so is this infection. As soon as this is over, you need to get it looked at. If you let it go, it’ll kill you.”
Brian let out a laugh. “The great and fearsome CB survives hundreds of vampires, assassination attempts, and working with Alex Goddard, but dies from a microscopic bug. That’s irony for you.”
CB glanced at the wound and grimaced at what he saw. Jessica was right.
He started to wrap it back up, but Jessica took the bandage from him.
“Here. Let me.”
CB looked at Brian. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on dying anytime soon, from a bug or anything else. I’ve got a city to save and a team to find before I kick the bucket.”
“You really think the GMT’s alive?” Brian asked. “Fleming seemed pretty sure they didn’t make it.”
“Yeah, well, Fleming’s been underestimating Alex from the day he met her. That girl’s too stubborn to die.”
“Good point, I don’t know what I was thinking.” A soft smile crossed Brian’s lips. “For a long time, I dreamed that I might end up with Alex. I know that it’s a silly thought. She’s miles out of my league.”
Jessica gave him a look. “Brian, you are a major catch for any woman. You are almost certainly the smartest person alive. Like, in the whole world. Plus, you’re a good guy. What’s not to like?”
Brian’s face reddened. “That sounds like something my mom would say.”
“Maybe your mom’s smarter than you think she is.”
“Yep, socially awkward nerds like me get all the girls.” He chuckled again. “I appreciate the kind words, and I don’t mean to sound negative. It’s just… a situation like this where the odds are so low of us getting out alive, it kinda makes you think about the things you never got around to doing, you know. I wish I would have at least asked Alex out.” He paused again. “I hate to say it, but I kinda wish that I would have slept with Sarah. I mean, I hate her and everything, but it would have been nice to get laid one last time. Plus it really would have pissed her off when I didn’t come over to Fleming’s side and she realized that she slept with me for nothing.”
“This took a weird turn,” Jessica said. “Now I’m the one who wants to leave the room.”
CB looked Brian in the eye. “You are going to make it to the other side of this.”
“Oh yeah?” Brian asked, the skepticism clear in his voice. “How do you figure?”
“Because I’m Colonel Arnold Brickman and I say we’re going to live.”
Brian raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me you have more than that.”
CB leaned forward and smiled. “I do. I have a plan.”
Jessica put a hand on his arm. “I think you’ve kept us in the dark long enough. What’s the plan?”
“Want to know one of the biggest secrets on New Haven?” CB glanced back and forth between his two companions. “There is a vampire on board.”
They both stared at him blankly.
CB frowned. “I was kinda hoping for a bigger reaction there.”
Jessica shook her head. “I don’t believe it. How could a vampire have even gotten on the ship?”
CB smiled. “He’s been here since the ship took off one hundred fifty years ago. He was one of the original crew.”
“Holy hell,” Brian said, his face growing even paler. “You’re serious.”
“His name is Frank, and apparently he volunteered to be turned. We kept him in a sun-proof cage, and over time he became a Feral. We were waiting for him to die, but he never did.”
Jessica leaned forward and squinted at him. “If you’re pulling our legs—”
“I’m not,” he quickly interjected. “After we realized that Ferals could turn back to human form, we gave Frank some blood. Our goal was to convince Fleming that Resettlement was more dangerous than he believed. Needless to say, it didn’t change his mind. But I’m been visiting Frank daily ever since. I bring him blood, and we talk.”
“You couldn’t have mentioned sooner that you have a vampire friend?” Brian asked.
“I guess he is sort of a friend. I respect the hell out of him. He’s a true hero. He sacrificed himself to help humans live.”
“That’s where you slipped off to earlier,” Jessica said as the realization dawned on her. “The ultimate weapon you were talking about. It’s Frank.”
CB nodded. “I needed to steal some blood for him.” He raised a finger. “We don’t have an army like Fleming. And we don’t have the GMT. But we have Frank. He’ll be our army.”
Jessica beamed, clearly warming up to the plan. “Fleming’s always said vampires aren’t as dangerous as we say. Let’s prove him wrong by letting him face one up close and personal.”
“Exactly!” CB replied. “And we can do it without endangering too many lives. Frank can move fast enough to make it to Fleming without killing the rest of the guards around him. We’ll limit the deaths and only take out the people we absolutely have to.”
“That’s a bold plan,” Jessica said. “What if Frank decides he wants control? Couldn’t he just go around the ship and kill us all?”
CB was quiet a moment. “This may sound strange, but I believe Frank will do anything to protect this ship and the people on it. He’s already sacrificed more than any of us have, and he’s not going to see his sacrifice go to waste.”
Jessica smiled. “I love the way you see the best in people. Not many have that kind of faith. This plan is insane, but I think it’s the best one that we’ve got, and I’m behind you.”
Brian looked back and forth between the two of them. “I’m sorry, am I missing something?”
“Possibly,” CB answered. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“The whole point of New Haven is that it’s vampire proof. If we let Frank out of his cage, he’ll burn up in three steps. Unless you have a way to protect him from the sun, he’s basically worthless to us.”
“That’s true,” CB allowed. “And even if we could keep him from burning up, he is still much weaker during the day. Fleming’s people might be able to take him down.”
“So why are you still smiling?”
“Because we’re not letting Frank out during the day. That’s the whole reason we need to get control
of the ship.”
Brian’s eyes widened. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
CB nodded. “For the first time in its one hundred fifty-year history, this ship is going to fly into darkness. New Haven is about to experience its first night.”
19
Ed pulled the truck into the alley above where they’d agreed to meet Jaden and his vampires, and Patrick hopped out and pushed the manhole cover aside.
Natalie and Igor still looked pretty shaken from the news of their friends’ deaths, and they were clearly eager to get back to Jaden. The truck’s tailgate was just in front of the manhole so the vampires would be able to slide off the back of the truck and directly down the hole.
As Natalie was about to hop off the tailgate, she turned to Alex. “Thank you. All of you. We would have been stuck in that building until nightfall if not for you and your team.”
“Well, we would have been eaten by Ferals if not for you and yours. Twice, actually. So I think you are still one up on us.” Alex glanced back into the truck and saw her team gathering their gear. She turned back to the vampires. “Why don’t you two go ahead? We’ll be down in a couple minutes.”
Igor and Natalie looked at her strangely, but then nodded. Natalie stepped off the back of the truck and plummeted straight down the manhole. Igor quickly followed.
“Guys, come here a second,” Alex said.
All five of them gathered in the back of the truck, their equipment slung over their shoulders and their faces hardened for battle. Alex knew they would follow her down that manhole without question, even knowing that their deaths very possibly waited for them down there. That was why she felt it was important to ask the question she was about to voice.
“You signed up to be members of the GMT,” she said. “That meant going to the surface during the daytime and gathering supplies for the continued survival of New Haven. It was a dangerous job, but you knew what you were getting into.”
“Best job in the world,” Patrick said with a grin.
“Maybe so,” Alex allowed, “but in the past few months, I’ve asked you to do far more than what you signed up for. And now I’m asking you again. I’m asking you to team up with vampires to help kill some other vampires. Doing so will free the Resettlers, but it won’t make them human again. This is pretty far outside your job scope. That’s why I’m asking rather than telling. Every one of you has a choice.”