by Phil Maxey
Joel and Bill looked at each other, trying to ignore the large man standing near the door.
After a fifteen-minute walk, Marina and the others, led by Abigail, arrived outside a large house with a sign at the end of a green and yellow lawn which stated that the house was for rent. Without stopping, she walked up the sandy-white path to the front door and pulled a set of keys from her pants pocket. “This was always one of my clients’ favourite places before the scourge hit. Most homes in Haven were on my books.” Marina noticed a ripple of sadness in her face before it was pushed away with another forced smile. She unlocked the blue and white door and pushed it open. She stood just inside as everyone else filed past her.
Jess, pulled by Flint, moved quickly through the large hall, disappearing into what looked like a kitchen. “Don’t go too far!” shouted Marina in her direction.
“This property has five bedrooms, but there are other rooms which I’m sure could be converted for your needs,” said Abigail. She walked through to the modern kitchen. “I’ve had the kitchen stocked with some of our reserves, and the fresh food we produce on our two farms in Haven. Water comes from a well, but you also need to filter it through the filtering system we have out back.”
Most of the group smiled and nodded.
“So, I think that’s all. There’s a town meeting tonight if you would like to come along. We like to say a prayer together before we start…”
“Sounds great…” said Anna.
Abigail smiled. “I’ll leave you all to it then.” She went to turn and leave when she stopped. “Oh, Brother Lucian told me to tell you that there is a special present left in the refrigerator. I have no idea what it is, but he said it’s something you need.” She then turned and left, closing the front door behind her.
Evan was the first to move across the room and pull open the fridge door. In the bright glow of the artificial lights, on the top shelf were five blood bags. As he grabbed the nearest, his eyes darkened, and his teeth extended. Anna grabbed the next, and Marina, after checking her daughter was away from the back of the house, did the same.
Mary and Hardin stepped back as the three of them gorged themselves.
Anna went to grab the fourth bag when Marina grabbed her hand. The doctor looked angrily at her, but Marina just shook her head.
After blinking a few times and taking deep breaths, Marina’s eyes and teeth reverted to their normal human appearance. Anna and Evan looked in anguish at the remaining blood, then went through the same process.
Anna wiped the blood from her mouth. Without turning, she reached behind and pushed the refrigerator door closed, and leaned forward on the kitchen counter.
“We have to learn to stop,” said Marina.
Anna nodded. “I know.”
Evan wiped flickers of crimson from his lower jaw. “Am I the only one that thinks all of this is too good to be true?”
“Not the only one,” said Marina. She walked forward and looked through the window to Jess who was playing in the large garden.
Hardin frowned, then uneasily stepped past them. “Let’s see what they got for us normal people.” He opened one of the clean cupboards. “They weren’t joking about the food.” He pulled out a tin of tuna and set about looking for a can opener.
Anna sat on one of the country-kitchen style chairs around a good-sized wooden table. Evan leaned up against the counter.
“So, what’s the plan?” said Anna. “Do we play along with the cult leader?”
Even though the question wasn’t aimed at him, Hardin replied anyway. “I say—” He munched on some of the tuna. “—If he’s not hurting anyone that’s not infected, then where’s the harm in us staying here and enjoying his hospitality?”
Marina sighed. “These people think he’s some kind of messiah. Who knows what he’s really doing with them. Let’s see what Joel says when he comes back. If he makes contact with anyone, maybe there’re better options out there.”
“This place could be good for us!” Hardin nodded towards the sun-bathed back garden. “Think of your daughter!”
Marina turned angrily towards him. He frowned and looked away.
*****
As the sun dipped beneath the mountains, Joel opened his eyes. The other hybrids did too at the exact same point, but none were aware of that. He sat up, pushing himself up against the headboard of the single bed. Around him, was a small room which looked like it belonged in an interior decorating magazine. The rest of the house was the same, with everything feeling clean, new, and light. It was the kind of place his family would have loved, and that made him hate it.
His sleep was dreamless, which was mostly the same since he changed. He wondered if the visions he was having were merely waking dreams, but in his gut knew that not to be the case. They always seemed to occur when Bill’s theories were being talked about, or he was close to whatever was in the vials. Nothing random about that.
Six hours earlier, he and Bill had tried every federal and civil frequency that they could think of on the radio, all but one came back with white noise. The exception was an emergency message for people to stay in their homes. It was dated three months previously, but was still playing from somewhere.
Before making a detour to the gym to collect their belongings, as they made their way to the house he and Bill discussed what to do with the contents of the silver suitcase. A number of options were discussed, including weighting it down and dropping it into the middle of the lake, but they both felt that whatever was in the vials and on the tablets might hold the key to stopping the scourge. They just needed to get them to those who would know what to do with them. But that definitely couldn’t be Copeland’s people.
Once they arrived at the house which looked like a show home, they had hashed out a plan of where to go. They eventually settled on a place they felt sure would survive any kind of armageddon. The military base at Cheyenne Mountain. It also happened to only be a few days drive to the east.
First though, they would take advantage of where they were and rest up for a few days. So far, Lucian hadn’t been a problem and Joel hoped it would stay that way, even so, he and Bill both agreed trusting the man that thought the scourge was a religious experience was probably not the best course of action, so they discussed plans to get away if the townspeople suddenly turned on them.
He wandered into the gloom of the en suite bathroom and swung a tap which rested above the basin. To his surprise, a trickle of water began to run from it. The water felt good on his face despite being warm, but he avoided looking in the mirror. He knew it would just take him back a few weeks, and he didn’t need any more reminding of what happened in the gas station.
Drying himself off, he put his clothes back on, and made his way back downstairs.
He followed the sound of heartbeats, which led him to the large living room at the front of the house. Bill, Mary, and Hardin were bathed in candlelight.
“Any progress?” said Joel to Bill who was squinting at his computer screen, with the ancient tablet sitting on the arm of his chair.
Bill shook his head. “Nothing matches these symbols. I’ve looked through databases of modern and ancient symbols and languages. It’s almost as if they’re not symbols at all, but something else…”
Joel leaned down and picked up the tablet. As soon as his fingers touched the cold surface he felt a flush of warmth through his body. As he looked down at the foot-long object the symbols started to change shape, morphing into other symbols.
“What the…” For a fraction of a second he felt he must be having another vision. He looked around. The room was still there, as were the others who were looking at him. He dropped the tablet as if it had given him an electric shock.
Bill lunged forward, briefly stopping the item’s fall to the floor, but it still hit the carpet with a thump. “Joel! What’s wrong?” Bill put the computer to the side, and knelt, rotating the tablet in his hands making sure it was not damaged. It was then he noticed that some of
the symbols were different. His eyes widened, and he slowly looked up at Joel. “Some of these symbols are different… what did you do?”
“I… nothing…”
“So, who wants to go to this town meeting!” said Anna, bounding into the room, making everyone jump. She looked at the scornful faces. “What?”
Bill offered the tablet back to Joel, who backed away.
“I don’t want to touch that thing.”
Anna frowned. “Why wouldn’t you want to touch the tablet? What happened?” She looked at Hardin and Mary for answers.
Another set of footsteps came down the wide staircase to the hallway, and then kept on going to the kitchen. Jess could be heard running after them.
Bill pulled the tablet closer to him, studying it. “I don’t think this is just a stone tablet…”
Ten miles away, on the far shore of the lake, a column of Humvees sat in the dying light, with their engines turned off. The lights from the town twinkled, reflecting off the gentle waves.
Corvin turned his head to the boy seated behind. “Are you sure?”
The pale-faced kid nodded.
Corvin sighed, took his phone from his pocket. Hit the speed dial, and when he heard it stop ringing, held it to his lips. “We got a problem…”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Amen.”
The crowd of thirty or so people lifted their heads.
Lucian opened his arms in their direction. “And I want to welcome the new people who have stumbled across our sanctuary.”
Whispers and hushed words rippled around those seated in the pews.
Lucian looked at Joel and the others who were looking uncomfortable. “Please, all of you stand so the rest can see you.”
Bill swore under his breath, but they all slowly got to their feet. Joel nodded and grinned, then sat back down. The others followed.
“Having spent a brief time getting to know them, I feel they will be an important addition to our community.”
“Are the vamps still out there?” said a middle-aged woman to Marina who was the closest to her.
“Umm…”
Lucian replied for Marina. “Now, Daisy, you will have plenty of time to get to know—”
The door at the back of the hall burst open, and Vince, out of breath, walked down the central aisle. He stepped up on the stage and whispered into Lucian’s ear.
“Shit,” said Anna.
Hardin, Bill, and Mary looked at each other, then Anna.
“Someone’s at the gate. They’re saying they’re from the government…” she said.
“Why’s that bad?” said Hardin.
Marina turned around to face him. “They’re asking to see the group of people who recently arrived.”
A low drone of confused whispers filled the room as people wondered what was happening.
“How do they know we’re even here?” said Anna.
By now, Joel and his group could feel Lucian’s gaze as he exchanged words with Vince.
Lucian stepped forward. “Settle down. There are people at the main gate. I’m going to see what they want.”
“What kind of people? Are they from the government?” said a sinewy older man.
Other questions blurted out from the increasingly agitated audience.
Lucian held his hands up. “There’s no need to be troubled over this. Whoever they are, the good Lord would have sent them here for a reason.”
Vince walked to Joel and the others. They didn’t need to be asked. They all stood and walked into the central aisle.
“Is this because of them?” said a woman with a baby on her lap.
Lucian walked along the aisle. “Everyone stay here until this matter is resolved. There is no need for anyone to be concerned.”
Lucian, Vince, Joel, and the others quickly walked through the doorway at the back of the hall. The doors were closed behind them.
Lucian whipped around to face Joel and the others. “I told you not to give away our location!”
Joel stood his ground. “Your man was there—” he briefly looked at Vince. “—He heard and saw everything we did. Ask him if we gave away anything! We couldn’t even reach anyone to talk to.”
Lucian’s face was red, and his features strained. “Then how do they know you are here!”
Joel looked confused. “What do you mean? I thought they just asked for the most recent newcomers, that could be—”
Lucian leaned in closer. “They asked for who was not fully vamp, or human!”
A number of thoughts raced through Joel’s mind. He wasn’t lying when he said they contacted nobody, but he couldn’t think of any other direct way that anyone could have been tracking them across the country. Images of Gabe’s distorted face talking to him, and Shannon’s boyfriend doing the same jumped into his mind.
Could the vamps have been tracking me?
He felt Bill’s hand on his arm, and they stepped back away from Lucian and his men.
Bill leaned in to him. “I don’t like this, Joel. Whoever they are, there’s a reason they tracked you here, and it’s probably not good for you or any of us.”
Joel nodded, while Marina and Anna joined them.
“Could it be Copeland’s people?” said Marina.
“There’s only one way to find out,” said Joel. He walked back to Lucian. “I’m going to go out to the gate and find out what’s going on. I don’t want to bring any trouble to this place, you have my word.”
Lucian frowned, then sighed, nodding to Vince to go with Joel.
The two men left, walking out into the cool night air and Joel got in the passenger’s seat of a pickup, while Vince drove. The journey to the gate took less than a minute.
A row of chiseled high wooden posts formed the wall, with struts up against them. Each post was covered in carved crucifixes. Guard towers stood every fifty feet, lit with burning torches and wooden crosses mounted on their roofs. Directly in front of the pickup, a large wooden double gate sat directly on top of the road surface.
Joel could see the towers were manned with one or two men and women, their rifles all pointed in the same direction beyond the wall.
Vince stopped the pickup near the gate, and got out with Joel. Vince then nodded to two more guards who heaved a solid-looking plank of wood up and away from the gates, and then pulled one of them open a few feet. They then all looked at Joel.
He went to feel for his handgun, then realized he wasn’t carrying it anymore. He walked forward, slipping through the gap between the gates.
Immediately, the glare of headlights blocked his vision. He held his hand up to try and see what was beyond. Quickly, he recognized the familiar shape of a military vehicle. Two men in fatigues stood to one side of it, their M4s in their hands, while another man stood on the opposite side. He was unarmed, but Joel could tell from his stance he was in charge. The man leaned back into the Humvee for a few moments before backing out and walking forward.
Joel did the same. They stopped a few yards from each other.
“Who are you?” said Joel.
“My name is Levi Corvin. I’m a former Captain in the Navy, but now I work for—”
“The Copeland Corporation.”
Corvin briefly smiled. “It’s good we are both on the same page. Saves time. You know why I’m here?”
“I have no idea.” That was a lie. He had a few.
“The man I work for wants you to come back with me—”
Joel smiled. “If you hadn’t noticed the world came to an end some months back. Why would I care what some rich guy wants me to do?”
Corvin took a step forward. “I know you’re different. You’re a vamp… but not like the others. And that’s important. Mr. Copeland wants to own that IP.”
Joel wasn’t sure if they knew he wasn’t the only one anymore.
If I go with them, the others should be safe here.
Before the idea of going with Corvin could leave Joel’s mouth, the former Captain took another step f
orward. Joel stood his ground.
Corvin leaned in, until he was uncomfortably close. “And I’m going to want the suitcase.”
A wave of shock washed over Joel, which he wasn’t able to fully mask. “What case?”
Corvin stood back and smiled. “Joel, what happened to being on the same page? I’m going to need that suitcase… and you. If you do that, then I’ll leave this little town of crazies alone.”
A tinge of anger ran down Joel’s spine. “I have to retrieve it. It’s hidden. I’ll go find it and return, then we can leave. Until then, you’ll leave this place be?”
Corvin smiled. “Not one hair will be harmed on any of these good people’s scalps.”
Joel nodded. “I’ll be back in an hour.” He then turned and walked inside the gate, which closed securely behind him. He walked up to Vince. “Get me back to Lucian.”
*****
Lucian paced up and down outside the meeting hall as Vince pulled up. A group of five of his guards as well as Bill, Anna, and Marina stood on the sidewalk nearby.
Lucian walked to Joel as soon as he got out of the pickup. “Did you take care of it?”
Joel looked rueful. It had only been a few minutes’ drive back from the gate but that was enough time for him to come up with a plan.
“Bad news. They are going from town to town, rounding up hybrids. They are shipping them all up north to some kind of detention center.”
A look of horror came on Lucian’s face and lingered as he looked away. “Ain’t no way the government’s going to be taking me anywhere.” He looked at Vince. “I want every inch of the walls monitored. Double the patrols.”
Vince looked unsure.
“What?”
“We are already stretched as it is.”
“Just do it!”
Vince nodded and waved to the group of guards nearby, who ran and got in the pickup, which then pulled away.
Lucian looked back to Joel. “You just saw the one vehicle?”
Before Joel could reply, Lucian looked up at the dark sky. “They got them flying robots, high in the sky. I bet they’re watching us right now!”