by Dale Mayer
"Damn it, David," he said. "We need a plan. We can't just freakin’ hide forever."
"I wasn't planning on it. If I can get to the server room, I might be able to send a message."
"The server room? That little room you mentioned earlier? The one we passed on our way down here?"
"No. This one has a wall of servers and a dedicated computer. We can create a hell of a surprise for them."
"Hmm." Cody didn't think the group in charge would leave that room unguarded, but he'd been wrong before. Look at how little Miss Cute Sunshine had surprised him.
They reached an open doorway and came to a halt. Cody had no idea what the heavy equipment inside the room did, but it took up a lot of space. They walked forward tentatively.
"What are you two running from?" An older tech, wearing a white lab coat that barely closed over his belly, stepped in front of them, a puzzled frown on his face. He glanced behind them, and then looked at them again. "Well, nobody's chasing you, as far as I can see. And I don't know who'd be doing that to begin with. So what's wrong, boys?"
Cody met David's questioning gaze. Was it possible that he didn't have any association with the others?
"Have you seen the rest of the team?" Cody shifted to check the area around them.
"Not since we arrived. I came straight here. I'm a mechanic and have been trying to figure out this system. It's very sophisticated. I can't remember ever seeing one quite like it before." He turned, and the boys followed automatically. Cody didn't buy the absentminded professor look, and yet he didn't disbelieve it, either. To him, it seemed as if this end of the warehouse and the other end were at odds with each other.
Weird and dangerous.
"See how this machine keeps the blood warm and flowing?" He pointed toward a large steel pane with flashing lights. "They must have miles of piping, but the collection tank isn't here. In fact, I'm not sure where the heck it is. So much is going on it's going to take me a while to understand the system. I'd hate to touch anything and mess things up."
Cody stared at him.
He pointed out a large silver machine on the other side of the room. "From what I can figure, this machine pumps nutrients from that big vat into the distribution channel floating overhead."
He pointed up at the ceiling where Cody noticed the large delivery system of pipes for the first time. A control panel sat off to one side, along with a bank of monitors with fancy flashing lights from some kind of alarm system.
"Wow. How long would it take to put something like this together?" Cody wondered if the man might let something slip, but he simply stood staring in admiration at the machinery high overhead.
He blinked. "I can't imagine. It's not just setting up something so huge; it's also the many tests necessary to perfect it. How many people died during that process? How many didn't get the right nutrients or lost too much blood? How did they determine an ideal age group and decide at which point people were too old?"
He shook his head, and for the first time, Cody thought that maybe, just maybe, he was one of the good guys. Sadness tinged the old vampire's face. His name tag read, Bart. Cody decided to test it out.
"Bart. That's an unusual name."
"Yeah, it was my mother's idea." The old man glanced down at his tag, then back up at him. "She loved anything off the wall. Good woman. But I lost her back during the war."
"I'm sorry," Cody said.
"It's okay. It was a long time ago. I thought we'd done way with all that foolishness back then." His face tightened, and he nodded at the masses of people hanging behind him. "And yet here we are again."
So maybe he was one of the good guys.
"Most of them are going to die, you know." His black eyes pierced deep into Cody's conscience.
"I've wondered about that. I was hoping we'd find a way to save them," David said. "Surely we have the technology now."
"It's not the technology that's the problem, but rather the length of time the people have been strung up."
David grimaced. "So the newest arrivals should be okay?"
"Maybe. Seems they ran this place almost like a hospital. They recorded the names of the deceased, too, along with details like why they died, how long they were here, and their age at time of death. You know – those kinds of things."
"I hate to ask this, but where are the ones who didn't make it?"
"I wondered the same thing, and I haven't got an answer for you. At least, not yet. They've disposed of them somewhere but I just don't know where." The aging vampire wrinkled his face and wandered around the large room. "I suppose I should wander down to the other end of this mausoleum and see if I can roust up a hot cup of something. Gotta admit I'm feeling the chill down here."
Not a good idea. Cody sorted through his options, and then asked, "How long have you worked with this team?"
"The team? Oh, I've never worked with any of them before. My buddy asked me to step in for him. Well, he didn't say so in that many words, to be honest. He was drunk to his gills and couldn't work the emergency. I decided to step in and help him out. Now I'm kinda wishing I hadn't." He sighed. "This really ain't my kinda thing. I’m getting a little too old for this. Then again, so is my buddy, Tom…"
"Yeah? Has he done this for a long time?"
"I think so. Decades, anyway. Can't remember when he started. He was all pumped up about it in the beginning, but as time went by, he became old and tired like the rest of us. Actually, I'd have to say he aged faster than the rest of us." Bart ran his fingers through his flyaway hair. "I always figured he had a health condition or something. I asked him once, and he hinted about bad blood. I didn't ask any more questions."
"Bad blood," Cody said cautiously. Could he have been drinking the blood taken from their victims? At the beginning, maybe while they were still testing? That would make him a bad guy.
"That's what he said. Back then, a bunch of people got sick. They did seem to recover, but weren't ever quite the same after that."
David walked over to a computer panel on the largest machine. "Do you have any idea who might have pulled together something this big?"
"I could probably pull a few names out of my brain, but for sure...no. I just have my suspicions."
"Hmm. Ever hear of anything about a new mind altering drug?" David asked.
Cody's gaze widened. He nudged his friend to silence him.
David ignored him and stared at Bart with curiosity. "Well, have you?"
"Why? Are you looking to shorten your life?" Bart returned the curious stare.
David's brow creased. He frowned.
Cody suddenly understood what the man was trying to say. "It's that harmful?"
"Oh, very – a new variation pops up every decade or so. Wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't time for that again."
"Hmm. So..." David's frown deepened. "If you don't know who's behind all this, how do you know the others on your team aren't involved?"
"I don't." Bert started back and ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the two of them. "Are you just asking this for fun, or are you trying to work your way around to asking me something real?"
Cody and David exchanged glances. They really needed Bart's help if – and it was a big if – he wasn't one of the bad guys.
"We think some of the others are part of the group that formed this warehouse scheme," David blurted out.
Bart's eyebrows shot up. He pursed his lips. "Well, now. I'm not sure about that. We have a couple of nice young girls on the team. I can't see them being involved."
"My mother identified one of them as the daughter of an old friend, and she's wearing someone else's name tag."
Cody decided they might as well go all the way now that they had Bart's attention. "My dad found two team members unconscious and tied up in the back of one of the trucks that brought you here."
"Say what?" Bart's astonishment appeared real.
Cody relaxed somewhat. "Right. S
o we know for sure that two members of your team aren't who they say they are."
"And two of our people went up to catch some fresh air and didn't arrive at the surface. Nor have they come back," David added.
Cody studied Bart's face and found nothing except surprised concern.
"And what? Do you think they're being held somewhere?" The man asked. When both nodded, he stared out the open doorway. "Well, now. That changes things. You said a couple of you went to leave. That there were what, seven, eight, of you when we arrived?"
"Yes. Right now, three are up top. Two went up to join them and didn't make it. Then there is my mother, and Jared."
"Speaking of Jared – where is he?" Cody spun around. Had he come into the room with them? They'd only been here for five minutes. Okay, maybe for a little longer, but he'd have surely caught up by now. Shit.
Cody walked to the open door and looked around. The hallway was empty – no sign of Jared or anyone else.
"David, did you see Jared behind us?
"No. I never thought to look either. I just assumed he was following us."
"Yeah. Me too."
"Uh oh," David said, staring at Cody in growing concern. "Did he go to explore the tunnel alone?"
*.*.*
Jared made it to the bottom of the stairs without meeting anyone. The rocks were sitting just where Cody had said he'd left them. Thank God. That was encouraging. Maybe he could find a way out of this place without encountering anyone else. The other side had to run out of bad guys sometime. He just didn't know when.
He paused in the doorway feeling loathe to close off his last option. He might be able to get back inside later, but he had no guarantee that he could.
Taking a chance, he stepped through and allowed the door to close behind him. He tried the knob, relieved when the door reopened under his hand. Now that he knew he could get back in, he contemplated the two directions in which he could go. Left or right? He'd never been a gambler, but he found himself wishing he had a quarter to flip to help him decide the next stage of his life.
He turned left. Instead of walking, he picked up his pace until he loped along at a steady run. He wouldn't consider himself a runner, yet years of playing football and soccer at school had kept him fit. The tunnel's finished appearance soon went from clean white tile with a dirt roof to mostly dirt with fewer and fewer tiles on the walls – until it became dirt everywhere except for the shiny rails. Surely something motorized had moved along them at some point.
Twenty minutes later, nothing had changed. All he saw were more rails and more dirt. The lighting continued along the reinforced beams, even when the height of the ceiling lowered at various points. Cooler and darker, he had a sinking feeling that he was going deeper into the mountain. He might be halfway to China before this sucker ran out. His biggest worry was the lack of any place to hide should someone come along. His mind went through potential options and came up with only one. He would have to play dead.
After another fifteen minutes of jogging, he slowed down to catch his breath. The drugs must still be affecting his system. He was already gasping for air, and he shouldn't be this tired so soon. The tunnel appeared to be horizontal. Not going up or down in elevation. And that was just weird.
Just as he decided the tunnel was a dead end, noises rang out up ahead. Running along the track closest to the far wall where the light was less bright, he rounded a wide corner and stopped.
A cart of some sort was idling on the tracks up ahead with no driver in sight.
Tessa couldn't believe it. They'd been so close and yet...now they were nowhere again. Were they ever going to win this war? She tried to study the men staring at her. They looked like vampires...almost. Something about them appeared off, but she couldn't quite identify what.
"You, we want in the lab." One of them grabbed Tessa's arm with a claw-like grip and jerked her away from her father. It happened so fast, she didn't have time to react.
"Hey," Serus grabbed her other arm, and yanked her back to his side. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Two of the four men stepped forward and pointed their guns at the elders.
"Don't touch my daughter." Serus snarled. "Got it?"
One of the men pulled the hammer back on his gun. "We'll do whatever the fuck we want with your daughter."
"Stop!" The leader of the group, the biggest man holding the largest of the guns, nudged Serus with the tip of firearm. He studied Serus, and then Tessa. Finally, he snickered. "I don't think she's your daughter at all. She doesn't look at all like you. Just another wanna be." He nodded to the first man. "Take her to the lab and get her prepped."
Serus opened his mouth, and the sound ripping out of his throat made Tessa cringe. She hunched her shoulders protectively as the howl resounded around the small room.
Uh, that guy shouldn't have said that. Upsetting her dad was one thing, but making him furious – yeah, these guys should have started running already. The leader slapped his free hand over his ear and raised his gun.
"Shut up or I'll shoot."
Keeping her eye on the four men, she looked for her chance. The leader's gaze widened as the unholy sound screamed even louder. "What the hell…"
He bent ever so slightly as the sound penetrated deeper into his psyche. Tessa launched herself at him, surprised when she hit him full on the chest without a bullet ripping into her. Her quick move had shocked them all, giving her the upper hand as she fought for control of the gun.
A long arm wrapped around her neck.
"Nice try, but not quite nice enough." Warm, mocking laughter filled her ear. She stared down at the bunched forearm banded around her neck and smiled. Her nails elongated and she locked them on his arm. Then she lowered her head and bit him – deep.
He screamed and released her. She turned and launched herself at him a second time. This time, she went for the jugular. Generations of vampire hunting instincts flowed through her veins and she bent low and tore at the man's throat. Power surged through her. She'd never experienced anything like this in her life.
The man tried to twist away from her, fighting to get free. She sank her teeth in all the way. A pair of gunshots cut through the man's screams and he jerked once, twice.
Tessa dropped him. She didn't recognize herself at that moment. She stared at the man as he lay bleeding from multiple wounds. Refusing to feel guilty, she turned to face the others, who stood staring at her in frozen wall of shock. Her father had two men locked under his arms, and as he slammed them together, the cracking of their skulls reverberated through the room.
Tessa straightened and spun around. She wiped the dripping blood from her chin and spat out a wad of bloody mucous. "Nasty little bastard."
"That's supposed to be a delicacy." Goran chuckled as he held the fourth man by the throat.
Giving his victim a quick glance, Tessa determined he was gone, or at least well past the point where they needed to consider him a threat. The taste of the blood finally penetrated her mind, and she spat again and again.
"Blech!" she cried out. Young male blood was one thing, but this guy was something else altogether. She wasn't sure if he was turned or what…but his blood was just ugly. "That's gross. He doesn't taste right."
Nauseous now that the unavoidable had happened and the taste had taken over her mouth, she danced around try to spit clean her mouth. Her face twisted in disgust. "Water," she croaked.
Serus chuckled. "If these guys could see you now, they'd never believe what you just did. Neither would your mother." His chuckles grew into a rolling laugh. "But what you're doing now...it’s priceless."
Tessa straightened, gave one more shudder, and turned to face him with a hopeful look. "You could just not tell her."
"He may not, but I will." Goran chuckled. "Can't tell which would shock her most, though. That you ripped into that guy's throat with your fangs, or that you danced around trying to clean out your mouth afterwards
."
Fangs? She stilled, automatically reaching up to touch her teeth. Only her nails were still too long. Her gaze widened. She stared at her father even as her tongue checked out her teeth. "Dad?"
The elders watched, smiles on their faces as Tessa held up her hands and retracted her long sharp nails. Her teeth receded at the same time.
"Well now. I guess they just needed a reason to come out." He grinned. "Those are quite the secretive weapons you've got there."
Goran chuckled. "Wait until the young males see her now. They are going to be all over her."
Rolling her eyes, she decided it was time get back to the point.
"Can we go now?" She looked at the two men still hanging in Serus's arms. "Unless you've planned something special for them, of course."
Serus looked at the two men still hanging from his grasp. He opened his arms and let the two men drop to the ground. Neither of them moved.
"Let's go." Serus turned toward the open steel door.
"I think we should take their guns." Tessa reached down and snagged the one closest to her. The weight of the cold metal surprised her. She turned it over in her palm. "Wow. This is heavy."
"Put it down. You shouldn't play with something like that," Her father snapped.
"Really?" She peered up at him in shock, not understanding the look in his eyes. "I just helped kill how many men? And you say I'm not allowed to carry a gun?"
A chagrined look came over his face. "You might hurt yourself. Guns are dangerous for those who don't know how to operate them."
"I don't want to carry one." Disbelief made her shake her head. "However, we don't want to leave these weapons for anyone else to find. We don't need to face the wrong end again, either."
She walked over and grabbed the second weapon from the floor. "Remember that there are humans down here like Jared. He won't let himself be taken again." She lifted one of the guns. "He won't say no."
"But he has no training. A weapon in an untrained hand is very dangerous." Adamant, Serus fixed her with a hard look.