The Night Killers

by Senese, Rebecca M.

Her hand brushed his forehead. Her skin felt cool and soothing. Already he could feel his breath deepen and his heart rate slow. He didn’t hear her leave.

  * * * *

  Dim light from under the door was the only way he knew his eyes were open. His head felt tight but he recognized this as dehydration. A couple glasses of water and he’d be fine.

  He rolled out of bed and felt his knees pop. The muscles in his shoulders clicked as moved them. He must have been sleeping for a while. His hands traced over his clothes. Why hadn’t he undressed before bed? Memory trickled back. The visit to the market, the kidnapped girl, the truck, the escape. It blurred in his mind. He needed not just water but a coffee as well.

  The lights in the hallway only made him wince. Now he remembered the pain and Lucy helping him to bed. With that memory came the memory of the children and their strangeness. Lucy had been left alone with them. Was she all right?

  His pace increased. A quick glance in Lucy’s room showed him it was empty. He bypassed the kitchen and headed straight for the lab. If she wasn’t in her room she was probably there.

  Sure enough she sat at the table, hunched over a microscope. She glanced up when he entered. Her normal distracted work look faded.

  “You’re up. How are you feeling?”

  “Better,” he said. “Where are the kids?” He glanced around the room. No sign of them.

  “I gave them rooms down the hall from us. They were also pretty exhausted and hungry. I gave them sandwiches and put them to bed. After I took samples.”

  She waved him over and leaned back to let him peer through the scope.

  “They’ve been exposed to the vampire virus,” she said. “But not exactly infected. It’s almost like a mutated strain.”

  Tiny orbs wiggled. He pulled away from the scope. “Mutated? Is that possible?”

  “Possible but it’s probably been done artificially. All aspects of it looks too uniform. Viruses don’t natural mutate like that. Someone has definitely been experimenting on it.”

  “Like you? Are they looking for a cure? Can you tell?”

  She shook her head. “This isn’t a cure. It looks more like…” She gestured with her hand as if searching for a word. “Like an adjustment to the virus. Tweaking.”

  The skin along Peter’s back tightened. He felt his head throb in response. “Tweaking,” he repeated. “Does that mean someone is trying to perfect it again?”

  She turned away from him, stacking slides. “I can’t tell. I have to do more tests on the children.”

  “Lucy?”

  “I’ll take more samples when they wake up. Tissue and blood samples. I’d also like to get some spinal fluid but that will take some doing. You’ll have to help me with them. Some hair as well, with the root attached. I’ll be able to tell how long they’ve been infected from it, if there are any changes to the hair follicle.”

  She prattled on and he realized she was trying to distract him.

  “Lucy,” he said. “Who would be working on the virus?”

  Her mouth snapped shut so hard he heard her teeth clunk together. Her entire body went rigid. Muscles along her shoulders and neck stiffened. He touched her arm and felt her bicep like rock.

  “Lucy, you said your father killed himself. Is he still alive?”

  “No!” She spat the word out.

  “Then who is it?”

  She shook her head and pulled away from him. Her hip bumped against the table. The microscope shuddered. The piles of slides fell over, glass tinkling on the table top.

  “I can’t,” she said.

  “Lucy, tell me.”

  “No.” Tears formed in her eyes and began to leak down her cheeks.

  “Lucy…”

  “It’s not his fault!” Her voice wailed in the room. Her hands came up, hiding her face. She sobbed.

  Vampire, he thought. Someone she knew was a vampire. Then he remembered in the cave how she said she wanted to speak to someone and one of the vampires went to fetch them. Someone with authority. If not her father, then who?

  He knew something but he couldn’t remember what. Better to not force it. His mind was trying to tell him and it would only do so when he was relaxed. He took a deep breath and let it out, allowing his mind to wander as he listened to Lucy sob. Behind her, one of the monitors flickered. He’d meant to send some nan-bots through the system to effect repairs but he hadn’t gotten to it. There were still so many sections in the lab that needed power. Sections like the administrative wing.

  The name popped into his head as if he was seeing it for the first time on the flickering display.

  Elliott.

  “Who’s Elliott?” he said.

  Lucy flinched and sobbed harder. Peter took hold of her wrists and pried her hands down. Tears poured down her face. She hiccupped in breath. He released her hands and grabbed a tissue. He dabbed at her eyes and put one arm around her shoulder. Her body trembled and sagged against him. He helped her over to a chair against the wall. She sank into it. Finally her breathing deepened. He could sense her settling down.

  “Tell me, Lucy,” he whispered in her ear.

  She bowed her head and mumbled something.

  “I can’t hear you.”

  “My brother. Elliott’s my brother.”

  Her hands clenched together on her lap. Her trembling reverberated through the chair and if the floor hadn’t been against solid earth he was sure he would feel it shake. He put one hand on her fists and felt the sharpened angles of her knuckles.

  “He’s a vampire, isn’t he?”

  She nodded with sharp jerks of her head.

  “How…”

  “My father.” Her voice stayed quiet. He had to bend closer to hear.

  “You said he killed himself,” Peter said.

  She closed her eyes. Tears leaked out from under the lids and followed the trail of other tears down her face. He dabbed at them with the tissue.

  “I lied,” she whispered. “He was infected. He tried to get to me. Elliott got in the way. He took Elliott instead of me. I killed… I…” She shook her head. “Elliott left the next night, said he wasn’t coming back. I started working on the cure the next day. Too late.”

  “Not too late for me,” Peter said.

  That brought a slight curl to her lips. She opened her eyes, spilling more tears on her cheeks. He wiped them away. She unlocked one of her hands and took the tissue from his fingers.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Did you know Elliott had stayed in the area?”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t seen any sign of him since he left ten years ago.”

  “But you thought he might be there.”

  “Elliott was a very strong person. I thought he might have some influence there.”

  “Especially if he’s experimenting on children,” Peter said.

  The ease that had relaxing her face froze. She crushed the tissue in her palm.

  “He’s exposing these children to the vampire virus,” he said. “Why is he doing that? I know he’s your brother, Lucy, but he isn’t just a brother anymore. He’s a vampire.”

  “I know that.” She sagged back in the chair. “He was almost as obsessed with the work as father.”

  “Would be trying to complete your father’s vision for immortality?”

  “I don’t know. Elliott my brother would have been trying to find a cure like me then to stabilize the virus and complete the immortality component. But Elliott the vampire...” She shrugged.

  Peter took a breath. “I think we’d better talk to those children. Maybe they can shed some light for us.”

  She nodded and stood up. Her face was composed now. The only trace of her upset was residual tears and puffiness around her eyes. She tossed the shredded tissue into the waste chute.

  “I have to contact the Night Killers and tell them about this,” Peter said.

  A quiver ran through her shoulders, making them twitch. She kept her gaze away from him. She nodde
d once.

  “It’s important, Lucy. They have to know.”

  “I know.” Her voice was quiet. “I just... I mean, I understand.”

  “Where are the children?”

  She led him down the hall to a section of the lab that was locked off from the other areas. As she unlocked the main door using the palm reader, Peter thought he’d better enter his palm scan into the lab security database. Just another item on the ever growing list of things he had to do.

  A thin layer of dust coated the worn tile. She hadn’t used this section in a long time, he realized. Of course she wouldn’t have had a need before. Definitely a good idea though to make sure the kids couldn’t wander around unsupervised.

  She led him to the second door on the left. After a quick knock, she triggered the door open. The two children sat together on one of the thin mattresses. As Lucy and Peter entered, he felt the pressure of their minds on him. Expressionless and so still they appeared to be made of stone, only the two hands clasped between hinted at any emotion.

  Peter grabbed a chair from the corner and set it in front of the children. Setting down, he leaned forward to make sure he was at eye level.

  “I want you to know you’re safe here,” he said. “We aren’t going to hurt you. We just want to know what the vampires did to you. Do you think you can help us?”

  The little boy shifted. His gaze flashed to the girl then back to Peter. The girl made no sign that she’d even heard Peter’s words. The little boy settled down again, mimicking her actions.

  This was going to take some time, Peter thought. Time they didn’t have. He needed them to be cooperative.

  “Have you eaten?” Peter said. “Are you hungry or maybe thirsty?”

  He sensed the girl take a deeper breath. A small crack in her facade.

  “Lucy, why you don’t you get some food for the kids,” he said. “And some water too.”

  “Sure.” She left the room and her footsteps trailed away down the hall.

  As Lucy left, the little girl’s shoulders loosened a little. Had Lucy frightened them? Of course she’d already taken samples and knowing Lucy, she wasn’t quite used to exhibiting a pleasant bedside manner. Just another trauma for these poor kids.

  “Did Lucy stick needles in your arms?” he asked.

  The little girl swallowed. The knuckles of her hand clenching the little boy’s whitened. The little boy didn’t respond but after a moment, the girl nodded.

  “She only did that to take samples,” Peter said. “We need to know what the vampires did to you. Do you want to know too?”

  Another nod from the girl. This time the boy followed her lead and nodded as well.

  Still no words but they were making progress, Peter thought. Maybe it was time to try another tact.

  “I hope the beds are comfortable for you,” he said. “These sheets look a little dusty. Maybe later we could look for some cleaner ones. Would you like to help me with that?”

  The girl appeared to consider then she nodded.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you,” Peter said.

  The girl pursed her lips. The boy watched her closely. She opened her mouth.

  “Okay.” The words were a whisper so quiet Peter had to lean forward to hear it.

  “Thank you,” he said. “It would be very nice to have help. Can you tell me your name? Then I don’t have to call you ‘Hey You.’”

  A giggle escaped from the boy. A small smile tugged at the girl’s mouth.

  “Katey,” she said.

  “Marc,” the boy blurted.

  Peter smiled. “So nice to meet you.”

  Both children seemed to relax a little, shoulders slouched, clenched hands loosened, tight jaws released. Peter leaned back in his chair, giving a subliminal cue for them to relax even more.

  “Do you remember my name?” he said.

  The girl nodded and the boy followed suit.

  “I don’t think you do,” Peter said. “I bet you’re fibbing.”

  Katey frowned. Marc bounced on the bed.

  “I remember,” he shouted.

  Katey grabbed his arm. “Hush.”

  Marc stopped. Animation drained from his body. His gaze swept the room.

  “You’re safe here,” Peter said. “Remember I said that? No one can get to you here. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “Promise?” Katey said.

  “I absolutely promise.”

  She nodded and Peter knew this vow was an oath to her. To break it would mean losing any headway he’d made and any chance for any more in the future.

  “I mean it.” He projected a feeling of safety and protection at them. Katey took a deeper breath.

  “Peter,” Marc announced. He sat up straight, looking pleased with himself.

  “That’s right. I’m sure you remembered too, didn’t you, Katey?”

  “Yes,” she said. “That lady isn’t coming back.”

  Peter realized Lucy wasn’t back yet. How long would it take to get some food and water? Disquiet niggled at him.

  “Sure she is,” he said aloud. “I’ll check on her.”

  He stood up and moved toward the door. Katey and Marc watched him as he walked into the hallway. Empty. The dusty hallway carried the air of disuse. Peter headed for the main door. The disquiet was getting louder, demanding more attention. And yes, a touch of fear.

  Even as his hand closed around the door handle, he knew it would be locked. Sure enough the door held fast against him. Peter checked the palm reader by the right of the door. Not too sophisticated. He would be able to break through it but it would take time and would ruin the locking mechanism.

  “It’s locked, isn’t it?” Katey’s voice said from behind him.

  The children stood side by side, holding hands.

  “I’ll get it open,” Peter said.

  “It’s doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s already too late. She’s already gone to him.”

  The hairs on the back of Peter’s neck stood up. His shoulders hunched and he knew as if he’d always known that Katey was right.

  Lucy had gone to Elliott.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  After several days under the city dome, the air of the desert smelled sweet and dry to Rick. He inhaled deeply, tasting the dust, wind, and debris. As the desert claimed more of man’s old settlements every year, they integrated into the air, becoming another smell, another piece of the world.

  Even with the vampires, Rick felt freer out here than in any city. Sitting in the back of the large truck with the wind whipping past, he watched the red sand and distant hills. Mitchell’s fabric dot had given him the connections to hitch a ride on to one of the trade convoys that traveled between cities. Vampires didn’t normal pay attention to the convoys but things were changing. The convoy drivers, normally a rowdy bunch, seemed focused and subdued. Although they drove in full daylight it almost felt like they were waiting for the vampires to jump out from the shadows of the cacti.

  There’s been more than just one attack, Rick realized. These men were on the front lines and they heard the rumors before anyone. They knew just as well as the squads that something new and different was going on with the vampires.

  Too bad no one in the cities would listen.

  He fingered the fabric dot in his pocket. Maybe a few would listen if he could stay ahead of Malcolm Bennett and others like him. He understood the desire for denial. Keeping everything in little boxes that never changed made you feel safe but it blinded you to the truth. If Bennett wanted to be blind, Rick was fine with it but not when it affected the city and people like Gran and Michael. They deserved people who were willing to look at the ugly truth and deal with it.

  The truck engine whined as the driver shifted down. Rick risked a glance over the side. The Albavaille dome gleamed in the late afternoon sun. The truck slowed as they entered the outskirts of the original city. Only the southern part of the city was encased in the dome. Once the largest city in New Mexico, the dome now
housed barely 100,000 survivors. Although it was a fraction of the old population, it was the largest dome in the southern end of the United States, not there was any actual United States left. The vampires had effectively dissolved the country boundaries around the world. Nothing like total disaster to bring everyone down to the same low level, Rick thought.

  The truck slowed again as they passed crumbling houses and subdivisions. On the left side, Rick spotted a trashed strip mall. The roof had caved in on one side. The damage looked recent. Steel beams gleamed in the sun, not yet coated in sand. Now that he peered closer, Rick spotted more signs of habitation or use. Several homes had the windows covered. A sure signal that a vampire or two was nesting inside. Rick’s mouth dried up leaving a gummy taste on his tongue. This close to the city and so obvious; the vampires were getting cocky. Why hadn’t the squads cleared them out?

  The sour taste churned the bile in his stomach. He hadn’t realized how bad it was here. Were the other cities as far gone as this one? Delivering these fabric dots and data beads, he was going to find out first hand. He wished again he was still back on the Night Killers, tracking and killing vampires. At least with vampires he knew who the enemies were.

  The truck rumbled and bounced over the cracking asphalt. As with the San Alero dome, the trade convoys entered from the west and had their own docking area. When the truck stopped, engine whining down and ticking as it cooled, Rick maneuvered past the grain bags to the back door. The driver opened it and helped him down. He turned away before Rick could thank him for the ride. He understood. Better for the driver if he didn’t know too much about Rick’s business. Convoy drivers were given a lot of leeway for the risks they took but if they were found to be supporting any kind of subversive activity they might one day find themselves locked out of a city as night fell.

  Rick slipped through the line of trucks waiting to enter the dome and be unloaded. As per the instructions on the data bead, he slid into the drivers’ line. The decontamination pods here were even older than the ones at San Alero. Two of the five were out of order, making the line crawl. Finally Rick managed to squeeze in and close his eyes as the pod closed around him. He knew it was his imagination but the gelatinous sides pressing against him felt different. The samples came from different areas than he expected. After the pod hissed open, he realized he’d been holding his breath and sucked in air.