Chapter 49
Burning Rubber
The city had grown quiet over the past few nights. Dustin couldn't tell if it was the quiet they were hoping for or just the quiet that comes and holds out time while the enemy regroups, calls in reinforcements. Dustin hated the silence. There was too much room to think in its vast enveloping. And far too many things to think about.
Toby's face anchored somewhere in the back of his mind and he felt that twinge of guilt again. He should have been there for his friend. He should have been there to stop what happened to his best friend's son. He'd loved the boy like his own.
The view from the top of the clock tower was mostly darkness spread out across the city like a blanket. It had been days since the Imperials cut the power to the entire area. But some folks had generators and even some neighborhoods had managed to find a way to turn the power back on. With no way to know who or what had turned them back on, Dustin wasn't sure how they'd managed to pull it off, but he was damn curious. They would go out the next day to find out. For now he just wanted to rest as much as he could with the precious little bit of time he had before the morning came.
The stars were out like never before. They were a sight nearly alien to Dustin. He'd spent his share of camping trips out under the stars but even those hadn't been under the twilight of quite so many. He gazed up at the night sky wondering how much longer this war would have to go on. Wondering if Hank would be able to do what he swore he would do.
He wasn't the same anymore, Hank. He hadn't been since Toby, not that Dustin expected anything else. But what he certainly didn't expect was how cold and calculated his friend had become. He regretted so much and yet, he knew there wasn't really ever anything he or Hank could have done.
He stood there leaning against the concrete wall, almost nodding off, when fire erupted into the sky from the small patch of houses that had had power.
They certainly didn't have power now.
Voices rose up from below and Dustin turned to meet his men and get a search party rounded up.
In the next room, Lieutenant Riley was slamming his fists down against each cot, one at a time, yelling out to the men, "Wake up, soldiers! The lightheads have been hit by someone pretty hard."
When Riley noticed Dustin, he turned and stiffened. "Sir, how should we proceed?"
"I want ten vampires and twenty men to go with me to search the place for any survivors or enemy fire. Have them out front in ten minutes. You'll take over command here."
"Yes, sir." Riley turned and continued waking up the men as Dustin headed for the main stairway.
Ten minutes later, in a cavalry of a dozen black trucks, men and vampires at the ready, Dustin and the rest of the search party took off onto East Washington in the direction of the fires.
***
Sirens cried out from behind them like more and more wolves arriving to the feast. The boys were moaning and crying and Alexandria knew they could only go so much farther before the Imperial Police ran them off the road. The engine roared as she kept her foot locked down toward the floor, tears streaming down the sides of her face. They didn't deserve this. They didn't deserve for their father to be slaughtered and they didn't deserve to have to flee to try and be safe. "Jeremy, Rudy, hush now, it's going to be okay." She reached her hand back and took Jeremy's hand. The boys didn't stop crying though. It was obvious there wasn't a way out of this now. And after what they had all seen happen to their father, they knew what would come next.
Rudy's voice rang out in high-pitched misery. "I want my daddy. I want my daddy. I don't wanna die."
Alex fought to hold back the sobs that Rudy's words had sent into motion within her body. Every word slammed into her with considerable impact and precision. A child's words so simply and completely shared by the three of them. She swallowed it back and tried to turn it into anger. It was almost too hard. She shifted the car down a gear and at the very last second as they approached the bridge over Harding Street she swerved the car onto the exit ramp and blasted the car off of the highway. They might not be able to make it, but she sure wasn't going to give up without putting up a fight.
A tall black truck covered most of the road at the bottom of the ramp and she had to swerve left to avoid slamming into it, sending the car out into oncoming traffic from the adjacent road. Just as quickly she gripped the wheel and turned it dragged it around and around to full right and the car tires cried out burning against the pavement. A car headed East on Harding slammed into the rear of the car just in time for Alexandria's foot to hit the gas and between both bursts of energy the old Le Sabre blasted forward.
Ahead, scattered traffic began to slow as all the cars going the same direction neared toward a red light. Meanwhile, the sirens were screaming out behind her and in the rearview mirror blue and red lights flashed swiftly in unison with them. She looked back at the road just in time to see the entrance to Gladys County Mall up on her right. Before she could even think of any other way, Alex slammed down on the gas and veered to the right sending the right-side tires of the Le Sabre onto the sidewalk. Something scraped as she sped forward, but there was just enough room for her to squeeze between traffic and the streetlights along the walkway. People, however, had to move if they regarded their lives with value. They did just as quickly as they spotted her. One man, staring down at a tablet computer, nearly didn't get out of the way in time, but a woman with black wavy hair grabbed hold of him and pulled him out of the way just in time.
Less than a second later the entryway was in front of her and she swerved the car into the mall parking lot.
***
George and Yusef sat waiting by the window of the motel room George had booked earlier that day. Little Umar lay on the far bed, snoring lightly. Yusef couldn't seem to stop pacing as the time passed and more and more cars drove on by the motel parking lot. George knew they were taking a risk still being within an hour and a half drive of Pleasant Shade, but it was about as much as any other place would be a risk at this point.
"Shouldn't they be here by now? What if Imperial Police stopped them?"
George sighed. "I trust Braldon with my life. Even if they were captured, the last thing he would do would be to give them any scrap of idea of how to find us."
Yusef knelt down by the window with his hands steepled down from his nose to his chin. "I hope you're right." A tear rolled down the side of his face and George put his hand on Yusef's shoulder.
"We're going to keep him safe. I promise."
Yusef looked up at George, gave him a grim smile, and nodded.
Headlights poked out of the darkness in parallel beams that swept pale light over the parking lot outside and the nearest cars parked in front of the other rooms. George would recognize that green rusty truck anywhere. He moved over to the front door, waiting for Braldon to give the door the ol' Foederati rhythm. When George was absolutely sure the pattern was right, he unlatched the door and opened it. Braldon stood behind a nine-year-old girl and a twenty-something guy who couldn't have convincingly testified he wasn't related to the girl if he were dressed as a mime.
When the three of them were inside the motel room, George took a quick glance around at the other room doors to make sure no one was watching before closing theirs. When he turned back around he barely managed to breathe before Braldon wrapped his arms around George in a great big bear hug. "George, it's so great to see you. What's it been, about a year now?"
"At least. It's wonderful to see you too but, listen... We have little time right now." The little girl was sitting in a chair, looking around the room like she had never seen the inside of a motel room before and it was much cooler than she would have ever expected.
"None of the strike teams are available right now and I just intercepted a message over the Imperial network about an hour ago. There's a young girl down there, 18, with two brothers, both of them younger than this little one here, on the run. Father was shot and killed for "heretical atheism." A few days later th
e daughter followed one of the Imperial soldiers home, tied him up and tortured him, and apparently left him that way. She grabbed her brothers early in the morning and just barely got by an Imperial officer trying to blockade the highway. It won't be long before she's caught and I don't reckon they'll last long once the police get ahold of her."
Braldon nodded. "Realistically, there ain't no way I can do this on my own. I had an Imperial ID, but that ship has sailed long gone now. Is there nobody else that can help?"
George shook his head, his shoulders quickly deflating. "No one anywhere nearby. We're the closest to them and we're not even a real platoon."
The young boy stepped in close and reached his hand in for George to shake. "I'm Jonny, sir."
George smiled and matched the boy's quiet tone, "I'm George, Jonny, pleased to meet you."
Jonny put his hand on Braldon's shoulder. "I meant what I said, I know how to shoot and I'm more than willing to help."
George was just about to speak, but Braldon cut him off. "I hear you, and I'm more than ready to bring you along, but how's that little sister of yours gonna take that. I don't think we're standing here whispering for nothin'."
Jonny's face turned a deep bright scarlet. "I'm not sure, but I think... I think this is something I have to do. Is there somewhere she can stay where she'll be... Okay? Safe?"
George nodded. "She can stay with me. Tomorrow, we'll be heading over to the nearest safe house—we'd go now, but the daylight at least cuts down the likelihood of running into any Imperial blood suckers."
Jonny nodded.
Yusef stood there silent throughout the whole exchange. George half expected him to turn around and pick up Umar over his shoulder and walk out the front door at any second. Instead, he just stood there with his hand running through his hair over and over. Everyone went silent for a long uncomfortable moment. Yusef shifted quickly and walked over to where Umar lay sleeping. Here we go, George thought. He was hoping Yusef would at least stay calm and wait out the night, but...
After leaning down and staring at Umar's sleeping face for a moment, Yusef rose back up to his full height and walked back over to the men. "I want to go. I have no idea how to handle a gun, but I'm more than willing to do whatever I can—I can learn, I can do something, I'm sure."
George exhaled with relief. "Are you sure, Yusef?"
"No—Yes. Those bastards would have killed my son like they killed my Safiyah and I can't keep letting them do these things. I can't keep pretending that it'll all be okay and I won't have to stand up and fight back. If you say Umar will be safe, I think you've proven yourself to me now, George, and I can't thank you enough for that. I was ready to believe there was no hope for my son, for me." Yusef embraced George. "Thank you so much."
When the two men pulled away from each other, Braldon moved over to Yusef and shook his hand. "Thank you, Yusef. We're gonna need all the help we can get." He turned to George. "I know you'll keep this ship just as tight as you always do, George. I don't doubt that for one second. You take care of yourself too, though, okay?"
George nodded, smiling. "You guys get those kids and I'll guard these two with my life."
After saying their goodbyes to George and Jonny telling Julie he would be back very soon, they left in Braldon's old truck, carefully pulling out of the lot and driving away. George watched from the window, his chest tightening against his heart. Lord guide my brothers in this darkness, please dear Lord.
Chapter 50
A Chaotic Blaze of Creation
It hadn't been long after they lay there holding each other that the power of the Queen's contractions began to intensify to the point that, not only could Ishan no longer lay beside her, but it was now becoming a concern as to whether the Hive itself could withstand the pressure of her will screaming out into the darkness. Her voice cried out in excruciating pain and Ishan could only hold tight to her hand and try to soothe her with his voice and his touch.
The cave around them shook and shook and dust and debris came down in nearly constant droves to the point that even the ancients had no choice but to leave the two of them in the Queen's quarters alone. At least one Foederati soldier had been killed while two others had been badly injured by falling rock and salt. Ishan had managed to have the few remaining human vampires take the men away from the Hive to somewhere they could be safely tended to.
The Queen let out another moan and then slowly the earth around them began to calm. Ishan took a deep breath and kissed the Queen's hand gripping tightly to his own. "What can I do to ease the pain that I'm not already doing, my love?"
The Queen glanced over at Ishan, sweat streaming down her face and long black hair stuck in swatches to her wet skin. "You're doing all that is possible, my beloved. But I must warn you. What's about to come will hurt us both, so be ready."
Ishan nodded, but before his chin had even returned to its original resting position, everything around him seemed to rip apart and explode. It wasn't the real world coming apart, but his own perception of what was around him as his mind was yanked into his mother's visions.
All around him faces screamed and yelled and whispered and sang and cried as the Universe spun around them at the speed of light, spreading and reaching out for some larger existence even than itself. Every atom of creation seemed to separate then and swirl around into a chaotic blaze of creation. Stars erupted into life and then exploded into massive blue and red and purple supernovas just as fast as they had come into being.
All of the gas and dust sped outward until the darkest corners of the cosmos were lit with their burning. And throughout every second of it, all Ishan could feel was the terrible tugging of his innards from deep within his abdomen. He cried out in agony but his voice seemed to die out in mere inches from his mouth in contrast to the light years of distance surrounding him in every direction. He had thought that the worst thing he would ever experience had been behind him. Had been Bellona's whole life.
Ishan was wrong.
Innumerable moments all collided with each other in Ishan's mind and he lived them each in random succession in the span of seconds, the mass of them ripping through his brain with a force that pulled him inward and outward in every possible angle simultaneously. And through it all that terrible rope inside him twisted tighter and tighter, its tension becoming unbearable.
The Queen's screaming voice reached out and wrapped itself around Ishan splitting into multiple appendages tying and tying and intertwining around him, each one a different tone and dialogue. One voice called out with love, attempting to keep him focused and calm, another spat with hatred at every moment of weakness that Ishan had been guilty of in his incredibly long life.
More voices coiled around his body crying out for forgiveness for deeds he couldn't begin to understand while others declared the Queen's pride and refusal to feel even one single regret. Each utterance took on its own pitch and tangled into the others in an intricately weaved harmony trumpeting everything that was her out into the vast aural canvas of the world.
Ishan was overcome by its beauty and, deep within his mind amidst her innervision, he wept.
The long rich chord of her song faded slowly into silence and darkness surrounded Ishan. And then he found himself sloshing through thick viscous liquid that pulled and weighed against his legs. He opened his eyes and the vast expansive surface of it rocked up and down in small waves all around him, its crimson opacity concealing what might lie beneath. And there she was, waiting.
The Queen stood tall and proud, blood sloshing up and then splashing down from her hips and dripping off of every part of her body from her mouth down. A lust Ishan never knew himself capable of, one born of no physical body, no tongue or loins or heart, just something supernaturally existing in every molecule of Ishan's being beyond any form of matter or time or space. The need of it drew him forward and his legs kicked harder through the heavy current.
She was almost within reach and yet her eyes stared through him from miles awa
y. He dredged through, putting inhuman strength and will into every motion and, before long, his love grew closer, her arms reaching out to bring him in. Yet still he was so far away. Ishan stomped at whatever solid surface held up below him, his feet sliding and scraping against something sharp and rough. Still he couldn't seem to reach her any faster and his patience was diminishing by the second.
The Queen's right index finger hooked into a gesture of beckoning and all sense of control swept out from under Ishan and he jumped forward, diving into the red waters and splashing, arm over arm and leg kicking in contrast to leg, he swam toward her. And just at the moment before he would crash into her, he leapt up and with the devastation of entire worlds, their flesh met and became one.
And in that instance it all fell away and only the Queen's cavern surrounded them as she lay there on her bed still screaming and Ishan hung by his hand toward the cave floor from her gripping fingers. He returned her grip and pulled himself up to his feet and their eyes locked onto one another, Hers widening in contrast with the rising pitch of her voice. She whispered something so softly Ishan could only barely make it out with his supernatural hearing.
"It's time. The first child is in position."
Chapter 51
Mercy's Broken Heart
Smoke rose slowly from Toby's body. After the twitching it simply stopped and lay still. Hank watched carefully, holding back the sobbing threatening to erupt from deep within.
"Mr. Evans, I've wasted enough time and patience with you. If the boy's suffering will not convince you then perhaps I should simply take the answer from you? I would imagine just a few drops would give me what I need."
Hank turned to face the screen. "Surely you already know such a move would be suicide."
One side of the Emperor's mouth twitched up into a half grin. "I certainly suspected as such. But you're forgetting one very important fact, Mr. Evans."
Rising From Ashes: Empire of Blood Book Three (A Dystopian Vampire Novel) Page 25