With the amount of stale blood on their breath, Jackie could have smelled them coming from Montana. She did her best to cover Frank over with some blankets she had found in a utility room. Then, after taking one last look at the crumpled heap he lay beneath, she turned and walked toward the stairs, defiance dancing its way into every step she took. She may have been a little brat when she first became a vampire but that sense of rebellion still ran through every vein in her body. The difference now was in what she rebelled against. She had a true cause now. One she'd be willing to die for. And that was lucky enough as it seemed she would surely pay that price soon.
Six ancient vampires soared into the room, floating on the air, murderous expressions clutching their gaunt faces. Jackie let her hatred consume her and with barely a thought, dozens of small wooden chairs came sliding across the hardwood floor from across the room then jumped up into the air toward the vampires. Four of them managed to dodge the chairs while the other two were knocked down to the ground. Jackie lunged for the nearest vampire, teeth first. She barely missed its shoulder as she flung past and the next thing she knew her powers were holding her there in the air just floating like the rest of them. She smiled. She might not make it for very long but she was damn well going to give these fuckers the fight of their undead lives.
Two of the others came around behind her as the one she nearly grazed lunged for her this time. She rose up high above them all and with a wave of fury from her mind, she sent bronze trophies and glass-framed pictures hurtling at them in a cyclone of destruction. Two of the vampires were minced to pieces while the other two managed to barely escape. She hung there in the air just taking in the whole of what she had done. She felt truly empowered for the first time in her life. "You assholes want some more?"
The two vampires hanging back were joined by another dozen or so in quick succession, the new arrivals popping in from the smoke-filled stairway. She knew there were more of them. Were they testing her? Trying to see how dangerous she was. She certainly felt dangerous. Random shards of shattered glass rose into one giant wall at her command and floated still. She willed it forward in one huge gust and the vampires scattered to escape. Half of them never stood a chance while two of the creatures turned to avoid the glass and ended up flying into more. The remaining vampires, about three, went flying for the stairs. Jackie sent her body careening after them.
At the top of the stairs, in the main hall of the building, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her confidence had taken such a boost that she hadn't even thought about what she was doing. Before her stood, on feet and in the air, about a hundred vampires, ancient and human, staring her down, waiting for her to make a move. There's no fucking way I can make it out of this...
Jackie hovered there for a long moment, sure her expression was near to laughable. But not a single one of them was smiling. She may not have the upper hand but they sure as hell didn't take her abilities lightly. Her eyes wandered around the room behind and around the enemy vampires. Windows littered the place high above them all. She knew she would need an extra boost of oomph to shatter them all simultaneously. She let her memory of Karen fill her up, from days when she was alive to the moment Jackie found her eviscerated corpse.
A solitary scream rose up from the back of her throat and every window in the room exploded, sending huge glass shards in all directions. Her mind reached out and created a perimeter around her, deflecting glass as it flung toward her. The vampires that weren't torn to shreds were still covered in so much glass and blood they couldn't manage to come after her. And yet still she knew her time was almost up. Too many of them were healing already, throwing the pieces of glass that didn't manage to fully destroy them aside as they lunged at her from both the floor below and the air around her. She shot forward toward one of the open windows, hoping to lead them out of the building when one of the ancients caught hold of her right ankle and gripped with iron, bringing her flinging toward the blood and glass-covered floor.
She hit the ground hard, causing her arm and collarbone to snap. The human vampires on the ground closed in on her.
"She ain't so big and bad, after all," a tall male vampire with one blue eye and one green eye said, tongue pushing through the gap where his two front teeth used to be.
"I be getting a good taste o' her first, laddies, so don't go gettin' greedy," another said, his bright red hair shining in the glow of the street lights coming through the void where one of the windows used to be.
Jackie's bones began to snap into place. She screamed. Several of the human vampires laughed while about a dozen ancients floated above the others, watching, waiting. Jackie moved to a sitting position and began backing away on her hands behind her. The men moved closer. A female vampire, long black hair and silver shining eyes, stood smiling, chewing bubblegum, large hooping earrings hanging down from her ears. "She don't look so tough..." The girl stooped down and reached out for Jackie, but Jackie slapped her hand away.
"Get away from me."
The girl laughed and looked back at the other vampires. "Oooh. We got a fiesty one here. Did you see what she did to my hand." They broke out in laughter. Jackie turned and leapt into a run for the door, but the girl was fast. She lunged for Jackie and hooked her arm around Jackie's neck, pulling her back against the girl's chest then tightened her hold. "Ah, ah, ah. Where are you off to, eh?"
Jackie fought and fought, but the girl was strong too. She had Jackie in a vise-like grip, squeezing her neck near enough to break it. The redheaded male came walking up in near dance-like steps, sliding onto the floor as he moved closer, then reached out and grabbed Jackie by the chin. "You ain't gettin' away lassie. Oh no, uh uh, you ain't." He grinned, blackened teeth nearly camouflaged in the dark recesses of his mouth. His breath was rancid from more than just blood. Jackie had heard that some vampires would eat the flesh of their victims. If she had to guess, she would say he was one of them.
He came close then, drawing an imaginary line along her throat down to her jugular. "I'll fix 'er right up real quick. Yeah. Drain the bitch." The rest of the vampires began to argue among themselves, fighting for who would do the honors of ending Jackie's life. She squirmed once but the girl nearly took off her head she squeezed so hard.
The redheaded vampire turned to his grumbling cohorts and laughed. You wan' 'er, come through me an' get 'er." There was a crazed look in his eyes. Then he turned and went to grab her chin again. A great gust of wind came through the windows and the next thing Jackie knew the place seemed to explode with activity. She couldn't make out what was happening. All she knew was that something was in the room with them and the very next instant vampire after vampire were dying before any of them could see it coming. She took the moment of distraction and slammed her elbow into the girl's stomach, sending her careening for the floor, still pulling at Jackie's neck. Jackie spun around and kicked the girl in the face, then screamed out her fury once more, lifting her body on the air and launching herself toward one of the windows. That was when she remembered Frank.
She turned and just as quickly blasted her way through the still dazed and confused crowd toward the stairway. Two ancient vampires tried to block her way but she managed to slip in between them and leave them struggling to keep up. At the bottom of the stairs, just beyond the bodies and the glass and the blood, a single ancient vampire was reaching for the pile of blankets on the floor. Jackie shot forward and grabbed the vampire's arms from behind, pulling the creature into a full Nelson. She turned and flung the thing at the wall. It struck the hard surface and fell. When it landed it immediately rose to its feet and wiped the blood from its nose. Just before Jackie could do anything though, the vampire disappeared before her eyes. She turned and turned, eyes searching every corner of the room for where the vampire might have went. A moment later, there was a new gust of wind and Simon appeared standing before her, his body seeming to blur into being.
Their eyes met and he opened his mouth to speak but before he could get a word o
ut, she was running into his chest and wrapping her arms around him. He held her tightly against his body as she melted into him.
Rosadelma came walking down the stairs, clapping her hands. “Did you miss me too?”
***
"Mr. Cross, I've been alerted that your heart rate has become dangerously fast. Please work to calm yourself. If you should die out there in the middle of nowhere, your sister will be of no use to me."
Jonny's pale hands were nearly welded to the steering wheel as he broke into a cold sweat.
OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod! This fucking plan isn't going to work!
Julie's face was all he could see now as he tried to keep his eyes on the road in front of him. He took a long deep breath and held it in. When the twisting and writhing in his stomach seemed to quell some, he let it out. "There's something I have to tell you, sir."
There was a long calculated silence before the Emperor spoke. "Yes, Mr. Cross? What is it?"
A long bead of sweat dripped down the side of Jonny's face.
"Is there something I should be concerned about, Mr. Cross?"
Part Three: A Passion Unquenchable
Chapter 31
The Meddler
The Imperial church stood lone and tall in the darkness, its window eyes twinkling with the reflection of pale blue moonlight. George Nelson stood watching those eyes, imagining that they were watching him back. He'd been in this godforsaken place for months now and his heart hardened more and more with every foul thing he witnessed. But his was work that had to be done. In order to destroy a great building, you must take it apart brick by brick from within. George was doing that, brick by brick, so to speak. When the church acted against the innocent, George would do his best to find a way to make it right. To find them shelter or a way to escape the clutches of the Imperial police. Tonight it had been a young Jewish couple. A neighbor had overheard them talking about the Torah and reported them to the Imperial church. George had held back the report long enough to get in touch with a friend from the Foederati and when the Imperial police arrived at their front door, no one was there to be found.
Last week it had been atheists, a few days prior to that it was Foederati sympathizers. Then there were the moral accounts. Even if he didn't agree with the person's actions, that didn't give the church the right to dictate their judgment. Judgment was God's alone to deal out. And Joseph Caesar might not have been a man, but he was hardly a god. No matter what he told the people to believe.
George had also taken it upon himself to meddle with Imperial paperwork and spread anonymous rumors about particularly nasty Imperial clergymen and women that typically led to them losing their positions or worse. He couldn't really control how severe the punishment ended up being, so there was a risk in getting someone hurt. Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, that risk was worth it for what he was able to accomplish. On one hand he often felt guilty for the deceit he was creating, on the other hand, he knew his actions were done for just reasons. That and seeing the effects of his work made every day of it worth it.
George entered through the front door of the church and began to climb up the four floors of stairs to his room. He nodded at Sister Mercy when he passed her going the opposite direction. He wondered then if any of the clergymen had suspicions about him. It was known throughout the church that someone was interfering with Church operations, but it was only spoken of in whispers and if they were doing anything about it, it hadn't yet come back around to bite George in the butt. Stepping out onto the fourth floor, George sighed at the considerable mess about the room.
It wasn't long before there was a knock at his door. He rose to his feet and pulled the door open just enough to peek out his head. Father Whistler stood in the hallway, hands behind his back.
"Why, hello, Father. To what do I owe the honor of your presence?"
Father Whistler gritted his teeth, an expression of complete impatience lining his cheeks and forehead. "We have a report of heresy and attempted murder of a church official in the southern district, Deacon Nelson! I need you to send this report out to every district church and police station immediately." He pulled a pile of papers out from behind his back. An expression of disdain dripped from every muscle in his body. "And do try and not fumble the report this time?"
George gave a slow bow of reverence and took the pile of papers Father Whistler held out for him. "I'll have these out immediately."
"Good. If they're not out by morning, I will send them myself and then we'll see what Bishop Brothers thinks about that." His eyes drilled into George's with a hint of threat and then he turned and walked away, his long flowing robes dragging behind him like some black and terrible wedding dress.
George closed the door and sat down with the report. Attempted murder? He sifted through the pages and quickly understood what had actually happened. Yusef Amin Tahir and Umar Aali Tahir, father and son respectively. Yusef is wanted for attempted murder and contributing to words of heresy while Umar is wanted for speaking words of heresy. George skimmed through the report. Reading between the lines told a story about a boy beaten for speaking what was likely something innocently related to his family's religion and his father had either attempted to protect him or had reacted to what had happened to the child. George had seen cases like this more times than he could stomach. He put the report down for a moment.
Many of these cases ended in death for the guilty parties. But delaying the report just long enough could buy Yusef and Umar enough time to escape to somewhere safe. Father Whistler at least seemed to have noticed the delay George's last report transmission had taken, so he would be watching this time. There had to be a way to hold the transmission back without getting Bishop Brothers involved. Bishop Brothers’s involvement could put a rather permanent end to George’s work really quickly. George put the files on his desk and lay down, letting his mind wander for a time. If he concentrated too hard he might miss the obvious. One way or another, he had to find a way to give these two time to get away.
Chapter 32
Chance Meetings and Broken Promises
The monstrous truck rolled up onto the highway ramp with ease, Jonny shifting it in third gear to get as much momentum as possible before racing back onto US 65. He wondered with an odd sense of humor if he should ask the Emperor, who had been ever at his ear since the moment he told the old bastard about Hank's plan, exactly why it was that the Empire had never bothered to change the names of the old highways. He knew it was likely the scale and cost of such an overhaul given how many signs for each highway littered their shoulders with constant reminders to drivers where they were and where they were going.
But none of that really mattered. He was on his way to kill a man who had promised him he could save Julie. The whole world felt upside down. Speeding along, weaving in and out of traffic, Jonny focused on the road ahead and tried to let go of the worries clouding his mind with doubt and fear. Just as Hank had said he would, the Emperor had been tracking Hank's movements via satellite from the time he drove off. Now it was just a matter of catching up and then...
Jonny suddenly had to swerve to avoid hitting a car in the next lane. He had let his worries grow again, become distracting. Blinding.
"Mr. Cross, I would advise you to find a way to calm and focus yourself before I have to end our little deal right here and now, do you understand me?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, I'm trying."
"Try harder, Mr. Cross. I can't afford for you to get yourself killed. I need you to succeed." The Emperor's breath grew heavy for a moment. "Which reminds me, I have changed my plans. You are to stop at exit 235 about eleven miles north of your current location and pull in to the first gas station you come to. I have supplies you'll need for this new plan there. A man will be waiting in the parking lot in a black Ford Taurus. He will provide what you need, no questions asked."
"I don't understand. What did you change?"
Silence filled the cabin of the truck, giving Jonny a sense of vas
t emptiness for a moment.
"Suffice it to say that your conscience will be clear, Mr. Cross. You will no longer be responsible for carrying out the death of Mr. Evans. However..."
Jonny waited for the words to come, sweat accumulating between his hands and the steering wheel.
"You will be responsible for bringing him to a secure location. And in order to accomplish this, you'll need these supplies. This is all you really need to know at this time, Mr. Cross. I must take my leave of you for the time being. When I return, I trust you'll have acquired that which I have provided and that you will be quite close to the location of Mr. Evans."
The faint static that accompanied the Emperor's voice flicked away into a deeper more lonely silence. A welcome sound after days on end of the old bastard breathing down his neck. He found his ability to focus returning more and more by the second now that that sadistic monkey was no longer riding his back. He let out a long sigh and turned on the radio. Heavy rock guitars blistered through the speakers. Jonny let the rhythm of the music flow into him and course through his veins and before long he was completely focused on the task at hand. He had little choice now but to roll with the flicker of the flames and hope that maybe... just maybe, he wouldn't get burned.
***
It had taken hours of driving but they were finally in the good old country side of East Tennessee. It was a long shot, but Yusef was hoping against hope, Chandler, his ex college roommate, would welcome the two of them in hiding with open arms. It was the only thing he could think of to do. He had plenty of friends that would more likely take them in but each lived in the city and would likely be the first places the Imperial police would look for them.
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