The Savage End (The Vampire World Saga Book 6)

by P. T. Hylton

  Brian nodded toward Chuck. “He was a good man. GMT through and through.”

  Alex couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know, he almost shot Hope in the face on his first mission?”

  “No kidding?”

  “Yep. He was a freaking mess at the beginning. If it hadn’t been for the GMT being stranded down here, he never would have gotten the call.” She paused, and melancholy entered her voice. “But he worked at it. Harder than any of them. He was always the first man to step up and volunteer, whether it was filling in for Owl as pilot or taking over as demolitions man when Wesley retired.”

  Brian nodded. “He asked more questions than any GMT member I’ve ever worked with. Most of you just want to know which way to point the new weapons. He was actually curious about how they worked.”

  “I failed him, Brian.” There was a hitch in her voice as she said the words.

  “You didn’t—”

  “I’m not asking for absolution. I’m just stating a fact. I saw a spark in him. He could have been a great leader. But I didn’t develop him like I should have. I got busy with other things, and I was content to keep him as a rock-solid team member.”

  “To be fair, you did have some stuff going on.”

  They stood in silence for a long while, standing vigil over their fallen friend. They were interrupted by Jaden’s voice coming through Alex’s radio.

  “Alex, I’m going to see that idiot who injected himself with Owl’s blood. Meet me in the vampire quarters if you want to be part of the discussion.”

  Alex swallowed hard. Brian had told them about the man injecting himself just after they’d arrived, and Jaden had acted sullen ever since.

  She took one last look at Chuck and sighed. Duty, it seemed, infringed even here. “I’m on my way.”

  As she walked through the corridors of the city, Alex tried to get her mind right. As much as she would have liked to work through her grief about Chuck, she knew from painful experience that the GMT rarely got that luxury. Instead, she thought of the person she was going to see. As much as she disapproved of what he’d done, she did sort of admire his initiative. It wasn’t like she was instantly going to offer him a spot on the GMT, but she was anxious to take his measure. If he had his head on straight and could take orders, it wasn’t out of the question. They could certainly use another Twisted on their side, especially with Chuck gone.

  Jaden was waiting for her in the common area of the vampire quarters. The place was oddly quiet. The few times Alex had been in this room, it had been bustling with activity. Now, with Jaden and Frank as its only occupants (Owl preferred the human quarters), it was nearly empty.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Jaden growled.

  He led her down a long corridor, past the sleeping quarters and to an isolated room. When Jaden swiped his keycard and opened the door, Alex realized it was a holding cell.

  A young man with shaggy blond hair and piercing green eyes sat behind a metal table. He must have been handsome when he was human, but his Twisted features made it impossible to tell for sure. He wore his nervousness openly on his face.

  He rose from his chair when Jaden entered. “Jaden, I’m so glad you’re here. I know I broke the rules, but I’d like to explain why I did what I did. For so long, you’ve been our protector, and I felt it was time that we—”

  In a flash, Jaden drew his sword and swung it. It whooshed through the air, not even slowing as it passed through the young man’s neck. His mouth still hung open, mid-sentence, as his head slipped off his shoulders and fell to the floor.

  Jaden sheathed his blade and marched out of the room.

  24

  The blood from the young Twisted man ran out of his neck, pooling around him on the stone floor. Alex stood frozen, watching it spread slowly toward her feet. Her world had cracked today. The death of Chuck and the knowledge that CB was now her enemy had shaken her. Watching Jaden kill this young man with the demeanor of a person swatting a fly pushed her over the edge. She felt like she was floating out of her body. She watched the pool of blood grow until it reached the head that lay next to the body. The two were connected again in a way.

  Alex reached down and touched the butt of her pistol. She wondered why she hadn’t pulled it and shot Jaden. He had just killed an unarmed citizen of his own city. She knew the answer to her question before she asked it. She still needed him. Her team was dwindling, and Jaden was an amazing warrior. He was also becoming a monster. Or maybe Alex was just seeing the monster he’d always been.

  The dream state began to fade and Alex decided the pistol was still an option. She turned and went after Jaden.

  Night had fallen and the city was quiet. She found Jaden sitting on a bench in front of the empty school facility, his face calm. Alex approached with her hand on her weapon.

  “I wanted you to see that, Alex.” Jaden said without turning to look at her. “I am well aware of the issue you have with secrets.”

  Alex moved slowly around to face him. Her muscles were tense and she was ready for an attack. “I think you’re also aware that I’m really against killing innocent people.”

  “I am. And I hope you are aware that I am always fighting for the greater good, no matter the cost. I haven’t lost my mind and I am not your enemy. Relax and have a seat, or stand with your weapon drawn. Whatever makes you more comfortable.”

  Alex stayed standing, with her hand on the butt of her gun. “I didn’t see any good in what you just did. You didn’t even listen to what he had to say.”

  “I knew what I needed to do as soon as I heard that he existed. Telling you what was happening and fighting over what could not change would have been a waste of time.”

  “Why, Jaden? Why couldn’t that change?”

  “I believe that my actions just saved thousands of lives.” He paused, noting Alex’s confused expression. “When Maryana became a threat and we started to realize how many vampires she’d created, the council met to discuss ways to stop her. She already had thousands of vampires spread across the globe. Even with our resources, we could not hope to make a dent in her army with only 100. It was decided that we would increase our numbers to combat her forces. That decision is one of the reasons why we are under this mountain.”

  “This isn’t the old world. No one turned that kid. He did it to himself.”

  “The story isn’t over; be patient. When Maryana engaged the group of vampires that we’d sent after her, she reacted in a way that we hadn’t predicted. They were volunteers with military training. She had a strong hold in Moscow. We had made twenty vampires to help their forces attack her. Once she realized what we had done, she had her followers create twenty thousand new vampires in the city. We never considered she would expose herself to the world like that. We never dreamt that a move like that was on the table. That decision was one of many that changed the world forever.”

  Alex tried to imagine that number. The wave of Twisted that attacked Agartha the first time had seemed massive. She had never even seen twenty thousand people in one place at one time. An army like that was unimaginable.

  “If Maryana sees us create one new Twisted warrior, she may turn all forty thousand humans into her deformed slaves. She might do it anyway after today’s battle. The last thing she wants is a fair fight.”

  Alex moved her hand away from her gun and took a seat on the bench. “Why didn’t you tell me this before? There were other options. We could have kept him here. He would still have been an asset in the city.”

  Jaden rubbed his head. “The risk of Maryana finding out about him was too great. He also could have set a dangerous precedent for others who wanted to be turned. This decision was obvious. I have centuries of death in my shadow. I have seen the entire population of the Earth come and go hundreds of times. I hope to see future generations. Every moment that Twisted existed put all of you at risk.” He pointed to the school in front of them. “One life is a small price to pay to give the rest of humanity a chance. It is w
hy I need to protect you. It is why you need me.”

  Alex wanted to punch him in his arrogant deformed face as those words hung in the air. Instead, she just stood up and sighed. “You might think that I’m just another stupid person passing through time, but if you really think we should continue as a species, you need to realize that each one of us matters. We aren't just some abstract question for you to debate. That kid was a fighter. He was willing to sacrifice himself and think outside the box. His life was worth more than just a conversation or a swing of your sword. If you knew every damn thing and were so much wiser than us, we wouldn’t be in this stupid mess.”

  Jaden sat without any change in his expression.

  “You need us as much as we need you, probably even more. You need to adapt to the world we are in. You need to deal with the loss of your vampires. I see how out of control you are right now, even if you don’t. Get your head out of your ass and realize that you’re not some savior sent to protect us. You’re part of a team.” Alex was almost shouting now. “Why don’t you go clean up the mess in the holding cell? Maybe you will realize that it is a person that you are picking up off that floor.”

  Alex turned and stormed off. She was exhausted, but she knew some hard training was in her future. She didn’t know if she could sweat out the events of the day, but she was going to try.

  The cafeteria was buzzing with people getting their morning meal. Plates clattered as people moved from the food lines to the tables. Ed stood with a tray in his hand, watching the motion around him. He hated everyone at that moment. He saw them smile and talk with each other while enjoying their first meal of the day. They didn’t care that Chuck was dead. Not one of them had visited Felix in the med center. His hands shook as he tried to keep himself from throwing his food at the wall and punching every one of their ungrateful faces.

  “Ed! Hey, Ed!”

  Ed turned to see Brian waving a hand in the air. He took a breath to calm down and walked over to Brian’s table. Brian was sitting next to a pretty woman, and Ed took a seat across from them.

  “Did you get any sleep?” Brian asked. “I was calling your name for, like, two minutes before you heard me.”

  “A little. I stayed with Felix in the med center. I just crashed in a chair next to his bed.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “He’s okay. He got scratched up pretty good, but the kid has heart. He’ll be back on his feet for the next mission.” He turned to the woman next to Brian. “Who’s this chick?”

  Brian blushed a little. “This is Stephanie. She works with me in the lab. She’s Agartha's version of me.”

  Stephanie gave a little laugh. “I’m sure you know that Brian is one of a kind. I can’t put myself in the same class as him.” She reached a hand across the table and Ed shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Ed. Sorry for your loss.”

  She looked Ed right in the eye when she spoke, and he could tell that her condolences were more than just empty words. Her eyes were deep and her voice was gentle and true.

  “Thanks. It’s been a rough time for the GMT, lately.” He suddenly thought of Patrick and the smell of the fire that burnt his body seemed to fill the room. Tears sprang to Ed’s eyes, but he managed to blink them back. “Sorry about that chick comment. I can be a little rough around the edges.”

  “No problem, I can handle a rough edge or two. I’ll let you tough guys catch up.” She stood up and picked up her empty tray with one hand. With the other, she touched Brian’s shoulder. “See you back at the lab. It was nice meeting you, Ed.”

  “Same here.” Ed poked at his food with his fork.

  “You okay, Ed?” Brian asked.

  Ed sighed. “Honestly, I’m pretty messed up. How about you?”

  “The same. I’m just burying myself in work to hide from it.” Brian gave a little smile.

  “You sure you’re not burying yourself in Stephanie?” Ed asked, with a smirk.

  “Hey, don’t be a dick. She is a great woman.”

  “Sorry. That came out way creepier than I wanted it to. I just meant, is there a thing between you two? It seemed like there might be.”

  Brian’s face relaxed. “Maybe. I mean, nothing has happened yet, but I think we have a real connection. It’s different than I’ve had with any other girl.”

  Ed set down his fork and leaned forward. “Listen, I feel stupid giving you any advice, seeing how you’re a genius and I’m about as smart as a rock. I know everything is messed up right now, but everything is always messed up. I thought Patrick would be giving me crap about how ugly my grandkids were some day. Instead, I had to watch his body burn. Chuck had our backs yesterday. I think he was one moment away from ending this whole thing. Now, he’s cold in the morgue. All I know is that this moment is all we have. It might not feel like the right time, but that time may never come. If you think she is something special, go for it. Don’t wait.” Ed turned his eyes down and took another bite of food.

  “I think that is considerably better advice than a rock could give. Thanks.”

  Ed laughed. “Well, that’s a pretty low bar, but I’ll take it. Now, go get that girl. If you’ve got a little extra time, make me some crazy laser gun that can shoot through walls and only kills Twisted.”

  Brian gave him a sideways smile. “You’ve got it. One laser gun that shoots through walls and …” Brian stopped talking. His eyes stayed open, but he didn’t move at all for a few seconds.

  The pause was long enough to make Ed think he was having a seizure, or something. “Hey, are you still with me?”

  Brian snapped out of it. He stood up and pushed his tray back, leaving it and his food on the table. “I’ve got an idea. I’ll see you later.” He ran out of the cafeteria before Ed could say another word.

  25

  Jessica rubbed her arms, trying to combat the shivers that threatened to overtake her body. She didn’t have control of much in her current situation, but she’d be damned if she’d give her own body up to her involuntary functions.

  She and the other nearly two hundred attempted escapees huddled together in a large, metal structure that had once been a warehouse. Now it was the biggest holding cell that Jessica had ever seen. She sighed, and she noticed she could see her breath. Though it was no consolation, it wasn’t just the holding area that was cold that night; the temperature regulation systems were knocked out along with everything else by the EMP. Jessica wondered how the citizens were dealing with it. Their first night on the surface, and they had neither light nor heat.

  Not that the lack of either was bothering their guards. The dozen Twisted had vampire vision on their side, and they were no longer concerned with frivolities like body temperature. They stood with their backs to the metal walls, keeping careful watch over their prisoners, just as they’d been ordered to do.

  The warehouse wasn’t completely dark. Their captors had acquired some headlamps and set them on the ground shining upward. Thin beams of light shot up from the ground in five places in the warehouse, providing just enough light to allow the humans to move around safely, without bumping into each other. That was what was so difficult to understand about their guards. They were still the same people they’d always been. None of them relished what they were doing; indeed, before the sun went down, Jessica had clearly seen expressions of disgust and revulsion on some of their faces as they forced weeping, desperate people to remain in this metal box rather than allowing them to go home to spend the night with their families. They’d gladly provide any comfort their orders allowed them to provide.

  For all the good it did. These Twisted would not hesitate to murder any of them who ever attempted to leave. It was as if they were the humans Jessica had always known, but trapped inside killing machines. Machines with controls that Maryana, alone, held.

  Jessica tried to push those thoughts away. Thinking about the Twisted meant thinking about CB. And that, she wouldn’t—couldn’t—let herself do. Not now. Her husband was alive, sort of, but she ha
d only seen him once across a crowd since he’d been turned. He belonged to Maryana now, mind and body. Who knew what terrible things she had him doing? In truth, Jessica didn’t care what he was forced to do, as long as he survived. As long as he weathered the storm and eventually returned to her. But that seemed like too much to ask now. She wouldn’t stop fighting, and part of her believed she’d still succeed in helping some New Haven citizens escape, but killing Maryana was a possibility so remote that she didn’t even allow herself to consider it. Not right now.

  “Jessica,” a male voice whispered. “You holding up okay?”

  She turned, and in the darkness it took her a moment to identify Tony. He’d worked for her in Engineering for a couple of years. She hadn’t even known he was among the escapees. “I’m doing fine. As well as I can be.”

  “Same here,” he said with a weak smile. “Listen, I’m sorry about what happened to CB. It’s a hell of a thing.”

  She swallowed hard. “Yes, it is. Thank you.”

  He touched her arm. “The GMT…what’s left of it… Alex and her people will come back to save us, and when they do, CB will be free. He’ll still be Twisted, but he won’t be a slave.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Jessica said, weakly. She looked Tony up and down. He appeared to be unhurt, and he’d always been a bold man, not one to shirk from tough situations. Maybe he could help her. “But Tony, we can’t wait around for that. Maryana’s unpredictable. She could come in here and kill us all tomorrow. If we wait for the GMT, we might be dead when they arrive. We need to make a move.”

  Tony blinked hard. “What do you mean?”

  She lowered her voice even further when she spoke again. She knew the power of vampire hearing, but she hoped the chatter of the nearly two hundred other people would drown out her words. “I don’t mean now. That would be suicide. They have a huge advantage at night. But come morning? There’s only a dozen of them. If we all rush one door, I’ll bet a good portion of us make it out.” She paused, registering the surprised look on his face. “I know it’s scary, Tony, but if we want to live, we have to try.”