Vengeful Hearts (Dead Hearts Book 3)

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  “Both of you stop it,” Star said, giving both men a disapproving look. “Getting even a few of our friends back is nothing less than a miracle. We’ll figure out a way to save everyone in time.” She noticed Rafe sulking. “Everyone is welcome,” she said to Rafe, before turning back to Thor and Logan. “Now, if you two are done bickering, let’s go inside. We have a lot to talk about.”

  The control room was far smaller than Logan had expected, and it was crammed with too many people.

  “Now that we’re all here,” Picasso said, “let’s get straight to business. Yesterday, Cadence and Blaze vanished through a monolith found at the fourth reservoir. Lachlan and Whisper disappeared through it earlier. We know the stone was brought here from South Dakota, and that there are twelve of these “Babylonian Stones” spread out around the world. The one we have here is called the Cheyenne Stone.”

  “They have monoliths like this on the Easter Islands,” Logan said. “Stonehenge has similar sized stones as well. The Druids conducted their rituals there, even into modern times. No one knows what the stones really do.”

  Picasso nodded. “From what we’ve read, Native Americans considered the Cheyenne Stone a gift from the gods and sacrificed animals to it to ensure plentiful crops and good hunting. Captain Richard Mallory was the expert on ancient and medieval cultures. He spearheaded the research here on the Cheyenne Stone and had teams searching for the other stones around the world.”

  “So what happened to Cadence? What’s so important about these monoliths?”

  “We aren’t sure why, but from what the team tells me, the monolith pulled Cadence and the others through an opening. I think you will understand if I just show you Mallory’s work. Tandor found the security tapes that showed Mallory and his team with the monolith over the last few years.”

  “Bring up the video, Picasso,” Tandor said. He regarded Logan through narrowed eyes. “We want your help to determine how this monolith works, Logan, so we can mount a rescue and bring back our friends.”

  Six flat screens displayed different angles of the cavern, each taken simultaneously. Lights illuminated the perimeter and the soldiers guarding the monolith. Scientists under Mallory’s direction were running tests on the stone. They took photographs and brought in machines to calculate its age and electromagnetic readings, until one day in late September when something extraordinary happened.

  Mallory had just left the cavern when the cameras tipped over as the ground started to shake. A green light poured from the stone’s center as it cracked open. Soldiers fell to their knees, covering their ears, just before the screen went black.

  “What happened?” Logan asked.

  Picasso held up his finger. “Just wait.”

  The image returned, cameras running. The soldiers were all dead, and a figure in a black cloak picked through them with curiosity. A few moments later, the cloaked man wandered off camera.

  “After the incident,” Tandor said, “only Captain Mallory and five hand-picked Marines were allowed at the fourth lake. The electromagnetic readings at the time were off the charts, and they didn’t just interfere with the equipment here. We’ve experienced an electrical blackout at the survivors’ camp and instances of violent behavior. The Citadel is too far to feel the effects. So far, it seems only humans and animals are susceptible.”

  “We’re lucky all of us here are something other than human,” Star said softly. “And none of us would have thought that a year ago.”

  Logan mumbled, “What? Am I chopped liver?”

  “We found a way around it by covering the stone with a magnetic net,” Picasso said. “The cloaked figure wasn’t the only thing to come from the monolith. In a storage room, we found hundreds of ceramic molds of footprints taken from around the lake, but they’re not human. Each track has five digits giving the impression of humanoids, but with claws instead of toes.”

  “You said there’s audio?” Logan asked.

  “Not really,” Picasso said. “The cloaked figures first emerged a year ago. When Mallory isn’t present, the tapes are distorted or just fade to black. Something about Mallory allowed the equipment to record, but the team never discovered why. If the audio is played, all you hear is a strange humming, which we now know comes from the stone.”

  The tapes continued blacking out when Mallory was absent. The cloaked figures were caught on tape a few times, but they never stayed on screen for long. This continued for a year.

  “He stopped coming to the lake around the fourteenth of September. That’s when the inhabitants here were exposed to the H1N1z virus and attempted to flee.”

  Logan poured himself a cup of coffee. It was strong and provided the jolt needed to stay awake.

  “Cadence picked Mallory’s room to stay in,” Thor said. “She found his journal and told me she’d been dreaming about a monolith in England. She had the journal with her when she left, so we can’t be sure what Mallory knew about the Cheyenne Stone. His computer still works, but we can’t break his password to get in.”

  Tandor looked guilty. “I’ve been too busy here to do it myself.”

  “Take me there when we’re done and I’ll hack into it,” Logan said. “I want to see what happened after Mallory stopped coming to the monolith.”

  The cameras continued recording long after NORAD fell to the zombie virus. When the generators kicked on, the cameras switched to infrared, making it easier to see the large, black stone. Animals started gathering again in October, starting with small mice, and then larger animals appeared on their own, ending with a brown bear. Where the animals came from was a mystery. There had to be a tunnel at the lake. Not one animal drank from the lake, but each died within a few minutes of entering the cavern. When they died, the stone would start glowing and the cameras stopped. Picasso sped forward to a tape showing Whisper and Lachlan in the cavern. They hid from a brown bear as it sniffed the water. It wasn’t long until the bear toppled over, and the cameras cut out. When the video came up again, Whisper and Lachlan were gone.

  “Do you have any idea who the cloaked figures are?” Thor asked.

  “I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve seen a lot of strange things, but nothing quite like this,” Logan said. “The monolith is fashioned from obsidian. Most monoliths don’t have any carvings or symbols, unless they are Neolithic. If these markings are Babylonian, I’ll need time to translate them. Monoliths are said to be doorways to other dimensions, used by ancient gods to go from one place to another.”

  “Can you read the markings?” asked Dragon, pointing at the screen. “Maybe they say how to open the monolith?”

  Logan set aside his cup and leaned forward, scanning the carvings on the screen. “I’m a bit rusty, but I think it says, ‘All who enter…shall be led down the same path.’ They have a library here. Someone needs to find a book on ancient ruins. If there isn’t one, then I’ll see what I can find on Mallory’s computer.”

  Smack and Dodger got up and announced they were going to the library. At least someone was trying to help, Logan thought.

  “Rose mentioned Dr. Leopold claimed that he brought the Black Plague here,” Star said. She went over to sit on a desk. “Do you think he’s the cloaked figure that keeps coming and going from the monolith?”

  “Leopold claims he’s immortal. He said he served under Hitler, so he must have been here this entire time trying to create immortal vampires. I’m just guessing, but I think he needed a sample of the original plague, so he used the portal to return to the fourteenth century to collect a sample and bring it forward in time. I believe that figure is Leopold, and the people coming back with him are the Vescali. If that’s the case, then Leopold is the one who brought the Vescali into the future. It also explains why he’s been trying so hard to increase the strength and longevity of his own species.”

  “I’ve never heard of the Vescali,” Star said.

  “I have,” Tandor said. “They appear in ancient Japanese stories. They drink the blood of children
and then vanish. I always thought they were a myth.”

  Logan continued. “They are a race of demons that were said to have died out centuries ago. From what I gather, the Vescali have been working for the Kaiser for a long time. With a network of these stones, an immortal could travel from place to place and return to their original location, but only in the same period. Think of it as a revolving door. We’ve seen Leopold go back and forth bringing more Vescali with him. What the Kaiser doesn’t know is Leopold never had any intention of making vampires immortal. He wants his own species to be stronger, and he has with Cadence’s blood.”

  Dragon let out a snort. “There were other plagues, like the Spanish Flu epidemic at the turn of the century, so why bother going back in time? The virus is already here.”

  “Because the virus is always mutating,” Logan said. “It sounds like the Black Plague is what the Kaiser needs to create vampires. It wasn’t until Leopold came through the portal and contacted the Kaiser that they started perfecting it. Only those lunatics merged the H1N1 virus with the fourteenth century virus to create immortal vampires. Since the virus can’t be controlled, it also created zombies, therianthropes and super humans. The Kaiser and Leopold don’t care if they wipe out the human race to obtain what they want.”

  “Well, you seem to know everything, Agent Logan,” Rafe said. “I guess your time in the Death Lab paid off. It’s a shame you didn’t kill Leopold when you had the chance.”

  Dragon crossed his arms, looking pissed. “The Kaiser knew the monolith was here all the time, yet he never tried to take over NORAD. Leopold could have infected the soldiers here, but instead he just kept bringing the Vescali into the future.”

  “I knew it was a government conspiracy,” Phoenix said. “If the government hadn’t found the Cheyenne Stone, the Kaiser wouldn’t be in power, and the Vescali wouldn’t be here.”

  A door to a side room opened, and Micah stepped in. By the group’s reaction, Logan realized only the Dark Angels knew Micah was present.

  “I’ve heard everything I need,” Micah said, zipping up his coat. “I’m going back to Seven Falls to inform Captain Highbrow what we’ve learned. Rose should have arrived by now. She must have run into trouble coming here. Care to go with me, Tandor?”

  “Is it a good idea for Tandor to go?” Rafe asked, smirking. “Pallaton is at the camp. He went to warn Highbrow about the bounty hunters. Knowing Rose, she stuck around to talk to Pallaton. If it makes a difference, I heard from Jean-Luc that Pallaton’s been replaced by Bechtel as the new Captain of the Shadowguard. The worm moved quickly through the ranks and got in good with the Kaiser. Trust me. Bechtel is far worse than Pallaton.”

  Logan was not surprised; he had never trusted Bechtel in the first place. No one realized how close the Shadowguard came to setting them up. Pallaton had saved their lives, but he wasn’t getting any credit and neither was Jean-Luc.

  Tandor bristled. “If Pallaton is going to the camp, then I’m going with you. I also think Dragon should tag along. He’s the best fighter, and we may need him.”

  “I’ll go,” Dragon said looking at Tandor, “but you should stay here and help Picasso. We don’t want any trouble.” He placed his hand on Freeborn’s shoulder when she started to protest. “I know I just arrived, but I need to convince Highbrow to bring the camp here.”

  “Just be careful,” Freeborn said, kissing him.

  Dragon put on a coat, strapped his swords to his back, and left the control room with Micah.

  “Shouldn’t you be sorting out this puzzle, Logan?” Rafe asked. “What are you waiting for? Thor, take the good agent to Cadence’s room and get to work. Let’s solve this riddle and bring Cadence back where she belongs.”

  Thor took Star by the hand and went out the door. “Let’s go, Logan.”

  Logan dropped his blanket, slipped into his coat and joined them in the hallway. Logan followed the young couple up two flights, through a mall-like area, and to Mallory’s sparse quarters. His living space had minimal furniture, along with a computer and several shelves filled with books. It was the pictures of English castles covering one wall that interested Logan the most.

  Logan studied the photos. “Was Mallory British? The Romans ruled Britannia. It was the furthest outpost in their empire. The Roman Stone could be the one Cadence came out of and one of these castles may be where it’s hidden.”

  “Computer’s on,” Star said, moving away from the desk. She joined Logan, examining the castles. “Thor, what did Cadence tell you about her dreams?”

  “Something about a graveyard, a monolith, and a castle. I found a drawing of the monolith in Mallory’s journal, but it’s not like the one we have. The markings are different. Maybe they’re different on all the stones.”

  Logan sat at the computer and rolled out the keyboard. His fingers whizzed across keys as he searched until he located a coded file. The password was easy to skirt around.

  “We’re in people!” Logan wanted a pat on the back, but didn’t get one. Popping his fingers, he started typing and brought up a list of hidden files on Mallory’s hard drive. He scanned them, whistling when he opened one that looked interesting. He gave a triumphant hoot when he found one titled English Monoliths. “How quaint.”

  Logan read the report, memorizing paragraphs as he went. Star and Thor stood behind him scanning faster than he could read, but he refused to move aside for amateurs. “Well, this is interesting,” Logan said. “Mallory was born around 1301 A.D. in London, and arrived at Pevensey Castle in the summer of 1342 to study a monolith called the Roman Stone. Tandor should have hacked into this computer when he arrived, and you would have had the answers you needed.”

  Star sat on the bed. “1342?”

  “Mallory claims the Babylonians created twelve monoliths,” Logan continued, “but the Romans found them and scattered the stones throughout their empire. Under Emperor Vespasian’s orders, the Roman Stone was brought to Britannia. The Ninth Legion guarded it, but they vanished without a trace along with the monolith. William the Conqueror unearthed the monolith in the ruins of a fort, named it the Roman Stone, and built Pevensey Castle to stand guard over it. Two hundred years later, Mallory arrived at the castle with Dr. Jarvis Leopold to unravel the monolith’s secrets.”

  Logan leaned back, as things started to make sense.

  “They found a way to open it and arrived in Colorado in 2003. The Cheyenne Stone was already at NORAD. Leopold disappeared, but Mallory came here to find a way back home.”

  Star cuddled up to Thor as he sat down next to her.

  “Someone must have been helping Mallory,” Thor said, “or he never would have been able to infiltrate NORAD. He needed a high-level security clearance. That person could still be at another base. Phoenix could be right. This may be a government conspiracy. Does Mallory know if they found the remaining monoliths?”

  “Hold on, tough guy. There are lots of files stored on this computer. I know you two can read faster than I can, but let me do my job. Okay?” He opened a new file and laughed. “Mallory translated the ruin’s symbols. In short, a blood sacrifice is required to open the portal and only immortals can use it to pass through. Fortunately, you Chameleons are immortal. At least some of you are. You can use the portal to go after Cadence.”

  “It’s close to six in the morning, and some of us Chameleons are tired,” Star said, hiding a yawn behind her hand. “You should send a team to the fourth lake and find those tunnels, Thor. There’s got to be one that animals and the Vescali use. We should close them off until we’re ready to use the Cheyenne Stone.”

  Thor kissed the top of her head. “Go on. I’ll join you later.” When she left, he turned to Logan. “I wonder if Mallory warned our government about a possible epidemic. Does he say anything about it? If he figured out how the monolith works, he could have changed the course of history and been a hero instead of a catalyst.”

  “Big word for a big guy. I didn’t realize you were that smart,” Logan sai
d, not disguising his sarcasm. “Mallory was smart, but he didn’t know Leopold was Vescali. Leopold is the only reason that portal opened. The Vescali are immortal, but somehow they died off during the Black Plague. Even if Mallory realized the stone was opening and Leopold was using it, our soldiers couldn’t have used it since they’re mortal. Mallory couldn’t use the monolith to return home either.”

  “What does Mallory say about Pevensey Castle?”

  Logan pushed his chair back. “Richard had two brothers at Pevensey. William was the eldest, and Thomas, the youngest. Both served Lord Montagu, whose family received the castle from William the Conqueror for their help at the Battle of Hastings. The brothers should still be there. If Cadence finds the Roman Stone at the castle, she should be able to come back home.”

  “Not if the Vescali are guarding it. A team should go after her.”

  “Which reminds me, I have something for you.” Logan reached into his pocket and withdrew a vial of purple liquid. “Leopold claims this is a cure to the H1N1z virus. He’s had it this whole time, though never had any intention of using it. Sorry I didn’t think of it before Dragon and Micah left.”

  Thor pocketed the vial. “We have medical equipment here. I’ll give it to Tandor. We can always catch a zombie to try it out on.”

  Logan yawned as well. There was a small coffee maker on the desk, complete with a can of coffee. He used the bathroom sink for water and started brewing a pot to stay awake. “Do you have a team at the monolith, Captain Thor? Not to be an alarmist, but Dragon had the right idea. No Vescali should be allowed through the stone, and you have enough Chameleons here to make sure they won’t.”

  “A team is there now,” Thor said, standing up and stretching his arms wide. “I want everything that’s stored on that computer, Logan. I need what Mallory knew about the monolith, about Leopold, and anything else helpful before I send a team in after Cadence.”

  Thor went to the bathroom. Logan opened another file as the coffee brewed and found detailed drawings of a medieval breed of werewolves. There were notes on the Old Ones, as well as vampiric-wraiths that weren't anything like modern vampires other than sharing the same taste for blood.