The Night Killers

by Senese, Rebecca M.

  Leave. She understood that. She slung the gun over her shoulder and slipped her arms under Michael, preparing to lift him. With her legs, she thought, always lift with the legs. That way you don’t strain your back.

  A hand touched her shoulder. “Put him down. Go to the back of the van,” Druthers said.

  Sami didn’t move. Michael’s weight pressed against her arms. He seemed to be getting lighter by the moment, as if the weight of his life draining away affected his mass. She couldn’t let him go. She shook her head.

  Druthers looked over at Josh and Sister Theresa. “Help me with her.”

  Neither of them moved. The set of Druthers’s face hardened. “This is a direct order. Help me.”

  Josh shook his head. Sister Theresa glanced at him and then shook her head as well.

  Sami shrugged Druthers’s hand off and stood up with Michael cradled in her arms. His head slumped against her shoulder. She could feel his breath on her skin. It was the lightest touch, any lighter and she wouldn’t feel it, any lighter and he would be dead.

  She had to shuffle her feet under his weight to move. As she backed away from Druthers, Josh moved forward. She felt his arms match hers, helping her with the weight. He didn’t try to take it all. It was as if he knew she wouldn’t let him.

  “We are not taking him back to the city,” Druthers said. “He’s infected.”

  “We’re not going back to the city,” Sami said. “Josh, you think you remember the way?”

  He nodded. “I can find it.”

  “We can’t go at night,” the Sister said. “Not with the vampires around.”

  “We can make it,” Sami said.

  “We can’t,” the Sister said. “Sami, I’m sorry about Michael but the captain’s right. We have to return to the city and report about this.”

  A snarl sounded up the street, coming from three houses away. The vampires would be regrouping for another attack. They only had one vehicle. The van. Another stupid restriction. What would happen to them if the van was disabled?

  “I’m not going back to the city,” Sami said.

  Josh’s hands tightened beneath her. “We drop them off.” His voice was low.

  Sami clenched her teeth. The muscles along her jaw jumped. Pain laced up her temples. “I’m not leaving him.”

  “Of course not,” Josh said.

  She bowed her head once. They moved fast to the back of the van and set Michael down on the bottom. Druthers stormed after them. He lifted a rifle and pointed it halfway between them.

  “Take him out of the van,” he said.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Josh said.

  “My orders. Take him out of the van. He’s infected and we’re not taking him back.” He shifted the aim of the gun, pointing now at Josh’s chest. “Do it.”

  Shuffling sounds came from behind him. The vampires were moving closer at a slow and steady rate. Perhaps they were enjoying this little scene, Sami thought. Watching us destroy each other.

  “We can argue this in the van,” she said. “They’re coming. Let’s go!”

  “He’s infected. I’m not getting in that van with him infected.” Druthers’s voice rose in tone at the end, hinting at hysteria.

  “Are you going to shoot us all?” Sami said. “We’re going now.”

  “Get him out of the van!” Druthers shouted. He stumbled, crying out. His right leg buckled and he fell to his knees. Sister Theresa raised her gun again and struck him across the back of his head. Druthers pitched forward, falling on his face.

  “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” she hissed.

  Josh and Sami grabbed Druthers and dragged him into the van. The Sister jumped into the front seat, slamming the door shut behind her. “Load up!” she called and started the van.

  Snarls sounded in a chorus around the van. Vampires leapt out of the darkness. Sister Theresa hit the gas and the van lunged forward. Two vampires managed to grab onto the sides. They hung on as the Sister drove. As she accelerated, one of the vampires fell but the other clung on.

  “We’ve got a stowaway,” the Sister shouted.

  Sami opened the connecting door and slipped into the passenger seat. Wind from the shatter windshield whipped the Sister’s grey hair in a frenzy but Sami’s braids barely moved.

  “Which side?” Sami said.

  “Passengers.”

  Sami rolled down the wind. She stuck her head out fast and pulled it back. The vampire snarled at the sight of her. He was clinging farther back on the van, she noticed.

  “Josh, hand me the rifle,” Sami said. He leaned over Druthers’s prone form to hand it to her. His hand closed on hers.

  “We’ll take care of Michael,” he said.

  She nodded, not trusting her voice. He released her and she turned back to the window. She had to deal with the vampire. She was almost grateful for the distraction.

  She risked another glance out the window. The vampire was moving forward, inching fast along the side. Sami jammed herself against the dashboard and leaned out again with the rifle. She aimed high for the vampire’s hands; she didn’t want to hit the tires.

  The vampire lunged down as she fired. The shot hit the top edge of the van and ricocheted away. Recoil slammed her against the dashboard. She wiggled loose. The vampire snarled. He scrambled forward, hands clawing at the top of the van.

  “Hold steady,” Sami said to the Sister Theresa. The Sister nodded. Her hands blanched white as she clutched the steering wheel. She held the van steady.

  Sami peered through the viewfinder. Another ten seconds and the vampire would be able to reach through the window and throttle her. She felt a calm descend on her. Time seemed to stretch. She watched drool fly out of the vampire’s mouth as it snarled. One finger nail bent back against the surface of the van and snapped off, flying off into the darkness. She almost watched it but brought her gaze back to the vampire. She waited another moment that stretched to an hour. Now…

  She squeezed the trigger.

  The bullet hit the vampire’s left hand just as it was reaching with its right.

  “Swerve left,” Sami yelled. The Sister twisted the wheel. The van spun and bucked.

  The vampire screamed as its body flew off the van. It was silhouetted in the rear lights for a moment then disappeared into the darkness. Sami dropped the rifle on the seat.

  “Any others?”

  “No, just the one,” the Sister said. Her fingers relaxed on the steering wheel.

  Sami returned to the back of the van. Josh was finishing with the wound on Michael’s neck.

  “His blood pressure’s low, Sami. It’s not good.”

  She touched Michael’s face, felt the coolness in his cheek. “Do you think he can last a few hours? Enough to find the lab?”

  Josh wouldn’t look at her. He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  She had to make a decision. She knew it. They’d never let Michael back into the city after being bitten. He was infected and it was only a matter of time. But there was the smallest chance if she decided right away.

  “Sister, head to the city and haul ass.”

  “Right,” came the Sister’s response. Sami felt the van change direction just a little.

  “Sami, the city won’t take him.”

  “I know,” she said. “You, Druthers and Sister Theresa stay in the city. I’ll take Michael to the lab.”

  “You can’t go by yourself,” Josh said. “Do you remember how to get there?”

  She didn’t say anything.

  “I didn’t fucking think so,” he said. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Okay,” she said softly. The angry crevice in his forehead smoothed out.

  “Sister, can you do me a favor when you get to the city?”

  “Name it, child,” came the response.

  Sami swallowed and took a breath. “Find Rick and tell him what happened. We need someone to know the vampires are hiding close to the city and getting organized.”

  “Co
nsider it done,” said the Sister.

  Sami pressed her hand to Michael’s cold cheek and wondered if these precious moments spent heading for the city were stealing away the last moments of his life. How would she deal with it if it did? And how could she face Gran?

  The silence in the van gave her no answers.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  It felt like hours before they reached a smaller cavern but Peter knew it was only the darkness distorting his sense of time. That and fear. They steered him left and right until he couldn’t tell where he was inside the caves. Finally they pulled him to a stop. He felt a slight breeze rustle his hair. Several strands brushed his face. Strong hands gripped his arms, pressing them into his sides. He didn’t bother to struggle. He knew they could snap his neck in a moment.

  Light flared in the darkness. The flashed blinded him. He shut his eyes, seeing red through his eyelids. After a moment, he squinted against the brightness. His eyes watered, blurring his vision. He was inside a smaller cave. A tall vampire stood with its back to him. Peter turned his head to the left and then right. Lucy stood beside him. Her gaze was locked on the vampire before them. Her lips were pressed tight together. Another two vampires held her captive.

  At least five in the room with them, Peter thought. Not much chance to kill them here and even if he did manage it, how would he find his way out again?

  As the tears cleared from his eyes, he noticed scraps of furniture dotting the cave. Several mismatched chairs lined the wall to his right. A large irregular shaped piece of carpeting covered the ground. Even the vampire with his back to them was bent over a table. Since when had vampires cared about furnishings, Peter wondered.

  The vampire bent over the table straightened. From the movement of his left arm, Peter thought he’d closed a book before turning to them. A shock of dark hair hung over his forehead, obscuring his brow but not blocking the steady gaze of his brown eyes. He took a deep breath and crossed his arms. His head shifted to the left and one of the vampires holding Lucy released her arms. He crossed to the wall and dragged over two chairs in front of them. Lucy and Peter were then forced into the chairs.

  Peter waited to see if they would be bound but they weren’t. The vampires stepped back behind the chairs, ready to pounce if needed. Lucy held her hands clenched in her lap, her fingers bleaching white. Peter looked back at the vampire in front of them, noticing he didn’t bother to sit, as if he needed to have the tactical advantage.

  “Who are you?” the vampire said to Peter. “Why are you here?”

  “You took a child. We came to retrieve her,” Peter said. “Who are you?”

  The vampire waved a hand at Peter. “We don’t have any use for names. Even talking is outmoded for us. I’m only doing this as a courtesy.”

  “Why the courtesy?” Peter said. “Why not just kill us?”

  The vampire cocked his head at Peter. Peter could almost feel something touching his mind. Startled, he bit down on his tongue to flood his mind with pain and block any scan. The taste of iron flooded his mouth, recalling his own blood lust. He swallowed.

  The vampire’s eyes narrowed. He took a gliding step toward Peter. His mouth opened a little and his fangs glinted in the light of the glowglobe.

  “Where is the girl?” Lucy said. “Give her to us and we’ll get out of here.”

  The vampire stopped, distracted.

  “Do you think you’ll get out of here?” he said. “That’s optimistic.”

  Lucy swallowed. “So why haven’t you killed us?”

  The vampire took a deep breath. “You smell like us but you aren’t, are you? We want to understand that. Who are you?”

  Lucy shook her head.

  “I can make you tell me,” he said. “Perhaps you would like to watch what I can do.” He reached out and touched Peter’s face. His nails felt like razors gliding across Peter’s skin. It was all he could do not to flinch at the feel of it.

  Lucy’s face got even paler as if all the blood had drained out of her. “I won’t tell you anything if you hurt him.”

  Peter concentrated on the fingers touching his face and felt something stir in his mind, like a beast awakening. He envisioned fire scorching those fingers, saw the flesh burning, darkening and peeling back from bone that shone white and then smouldered to black before it began to dissolve and crumble in on itself.

  The vampire shrieked and jumped back, clutching his hand. The other vampires sprang forward, grabbing both Peter and Lucy, locking them into the chairs.

  Slowly he opened his hand and flexed the fingers. Nothing scorched or burned. The vampire stared up at Peter in astonishment.

  “You shouldn’t be able to do that.”

  “I can do a whole lot more,” Peter said. “Both of us can. Why do you think we smell like you?”

  Uncertainty creased the vampire’s face. His brows drew together as he pondered Peter’s words. Peter held himself still, forced calmness through his body. He didn’t want any of them to know that he was lying through his teeth.

  Finally the vampire nodded. The others released Peter and Lucy and backed away again. Now would come the real negotiating, Peter thought.

  “We want the girl returned,” Peter said. “You do that and we will tell you all about ourselves.”

  The vampire’s brow smoothed out. “You expect we’ll just let you walk out of here?”

  “He will,” Lucy whispered.

  The vampire flinched. Peter resisted glancing over at Lucy and kept his gaze on their host. Who was she talking about? He remembered that despite their closeness, she still held secrets. But this vampire didn’t need to know that. They had to put on a united front of they had any chance of getting out.

  “I think I’ve had enough of these games,” Peter said. He leaned back in the chair, extending his legs in front of him and crossing them at his ankles. He contemplated putting his hands behind his head but thought that might be overdoing it.

  “I’m tired of talking to a grunt. I want to talk to the real leader.”

  The vampire scowled. He took a gliding step forward. Peter was very much aware of those razor sharp nails and fangs. He may be immune to the vampire virus but he wasn’t immune to being torn to pieces.

  “You’ll talk to whomever we choose,” the vampire growled.

  “You aren’t qualified to hear what we would say,” Lucy said. “He’s the only one I would consider talking to. Is he here?”

  The vampire shook his head.

  “Then you’d better get him here. If he finds out we’re here and you waited...” She shook her head, as if the thought was too much for her to articulate.

  The vampire stiffened and Peter thought he could see it sweating. Was that possible? If nothing else, whoever Lucy was talking about definitely held influence here. He hoped the leverage would be enough to keep them alive for a while longer, maybe even long enough to figure out a way to escape.

  The vampire’s gaze moved past them and Peter heard footsteps moving away. One of the other vampires had left. Peter didn’t turn to look. It seemed the vampires really did communicate psychically. Something to remember. Maybe there was a way to use that knowledge. If they got out of here he’d have to get that information to the Night Killers. Maybe some other weapon could be developed against the vampires.

  “I’m thirsty,” Lucy said. “I want water.”

  Peter stifled a laugh. She was really pushing it. But instead of being angry, the vampire looked petulant. Finally he waved a hand at one of the other vampires. Again Peter heard footsteps walking away.

  He got it now; she was trying to thin the odds. Now there were probably three to two. Would they get a better chance?

  He allowed himself to relax as deeply as possible but kept his gaze on the vampire before them. He thought of heaviness weighing down, pressing against flesh and muscle and bone. A heaviness that pressed down, clamped down, crushing against the cave floor.

  Before him, the vampire slouched. His knees bent. Confus
ion crossed his face.

  Peter continued to concentrate, saw the roof of the cave pressing down, squeezing everything between it and the floor. Skin stretched, muscles compressed, bones popped.

  The vampire shrieked and fell to the floor. The other vampires hurried over. Peter focused on them, expanded his vision to include them.

  The vampires slouched, then screamed and fell beside the first one. They lay writhing against the floor.

  Peter envisioned the cave ceiling squeezing closer to the floor, inch by inch, squishing and crushing anything in its way. Gurgles sounded from the vampires. Peter imagined wood spikes hanging from the ceiling, piercing downward on anything in its path. The vampires’ writhing became more frantic, desperate to escape. Then one stiffened and released, limp. The others flapped their hands and feet before a final gurgle and their bodies stiffened and then released.

  Peter held the image of the ceiling with the wood spikes crashing down to the floor for several moments longer. None of the vampires moved. He closed his eyes and released the image, brought his mind back to the cave now.

  When he opened his eyes, the vampires lay on the floor, mouths and eyes open in death. Lucy pressed herself back in her chair and stared at Peter.

  “What did you do?” she said.

  “I made them think the ceiling was crushing them and that it had wood spikes in it.” He ran a hand over his forehead and through his hair. It came back drenched in sweat. His muscles trembled with exertion.

  “Your nose is bleeding,” she said.

  He swiped his hand under it. Blood smeared on his fingers. Just a little but it would be enough to advertise their presence to the entire cave full of vampires.

  Lucy tore off a strip of cloth from her turban. “Use this.”

  He stuffed it up his nostrils to stem the flow.

  “We have to get out of here,” she said.

  He nodded. The main question was how? How could they get past all of these vampires and find the way out?

  “Do you feel it?” she said. “The air?”

  “What?”

  “There’s a breeze. Can’t you feel it?”

  He did feel it, a slight breeze that ruffled his hair.