by D N Simmons
Cassian huffed. “We will have to do whatever is necessary. If this place is open, we close and barricade it trapping inside all the humans who happen to be there. If this location is closed, we take it over and began to transport humans there for safe keeping. I believe that the time will come when we won't have to fight to keep them in. They'll be begging us to protect them from what's coming.”
“I'll get right on it. In the meantime, what will you be doing?” Ovidius inquired.
“I have to return to Chicago. There's a laboratory there where it's been reported as the point of the outbreak. I want to go there and see for myself if anything can be salvaged—people or research.” Cassian turned to head for the door.
“Wait!” Ovidius called out.
Cassian stopped, turning towards him. “What is it?”
“Like I've said, I've been watching the news. Those grotesque things seem pretty invulnerable. Although, when they get shot in the head—that seems to slow them down,” Ovidius warned.
“So, what are you saying?” Cassian arched an eyebrow.
“I wouldn't suggest taking these things head on. If you're going into the belly of the beast, as they say, take a weapon that will work better than a gun.”
“Why do you think I have this?” Cassian raised the sword.
Ovidius smiled, revealing his pearly whites. “The warrior in me almost envies you.”
“I'm sure you'll get your chance to spill blood.”
“I was so good at it, remember?”
Cassian smiled in memory. “As if I could ever forget.”
“Do you need assistance?”
“I have no idea what I'll be facing and in the unfortunate event that I am infected, I don't want to be in a position to easily infect others. Nor do I want to deal with an infected vampire when I'm trying to fend for myself and search for information.”
“You could have easily just said, 'no',” Ovidius teased.
“I could have, but then you would have been wondering why not,” Cassian winked.
“Very well then, do us a favor and don't get bitten. If what you told me is true, a vampire of your age and power would do a lot of damage if you're infected,” Ovidius said. There was a slight frown on his face as he pondered the dreadful prospect.
Cassian placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently in a reassuring gesture. “Don't worry, my friend. I don't intend on becoming one of those things, not even for a little while. Please take care of my people. I'm trusting you with them.”
Ovidius placed his hand over Cassian's where it rested on his shoulder. “I'll take care of them as well as I take care of my own.”
Satisfied with that answer, Cassian nodded and walked out of the room.
Ovidius looked at Robert. “Roman,” he called.
His human servant entered the room. “Yes, Master?”
“This is Robert, Cassian's servant. Please show him to the room where they will be staying,” Ovidius ordered. “For the moment, at least,” he added as an afterthought.
Roman bowed and then gestured for Robert to follow him as he led him out of the room. Ovidius returned to his position on the sofa as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket, dialing the number to one of his lieutenants.
“Yes, Master?” Ericka answered, knowing who was calling by the number.
“Where is Logan?” Ovidius inquired.
“Master, he is still sleeping.”
“Did I not tell you to wake him?”
“Master, I tried, but he has redesigned his morning sleeping chamber. It's locked from the inside and only he can open it. It's also soundproof,” Ericka explained.
“How inconvenient,” Ovidius growled. If he wasn't already encumbered by his sire's demands, oh wait... suggestions, having to physically wake his child up was more than a little annoying as far as he was concerned.
“I'll be there shortly.” Ovidius ended the call, slipping his cell back into his pocket. He rose from the sofa just as Cassandra entered the den.
“So I heard Cassian, is he still here?” she asked, looking around the room.
“If you don't feel his presence, then he's not here,” Ovidius snapped.
She turned sharply, her gaze settling on him. “Well, you're in a mood. I wasn't sure, you know. Cassian can shield his aura.”
“I assure you, he didn't when he set foot into my home. But you're correct, I am in a mood. Apparently, Logan's installed a new sleeping chamber which is impenetrable to his human servant.”
“Or any human and probably vampire dumb enough to try to enter during the day,” Cassandra added.
“I'll praise him later for his ingenuity, but for now, I'll chastise him for putting me in this troublesome position.” Ovidius walked toward the exit, stopping in the doorway. “In my stead, I want you to gather my vampires and have them secure the Costco and Target Pharmacy.”
“The ones on Rusty road?” Cassandra asked both eyebrows raised in surprise. “I thought you were going to hold off on that?”
Ovidius nodded. “Initially, I was. However, Cassian is a hard man to shut out or shut down... especially when he's right.”
“But we'll be exposing ourselves. What if it never reaches us?” Cassandra asked, clearly worried about the consequence.
“It was my concern, too. But I can't ignore the possibility that St. Louis will be in the same crisis that Chicago and other cities are currently in. At the rate this epidemic is spreading, that may be sooner rather than never. If there was ever a time to throw caution to the wind, it is now. I'd much rather be exposed, than caught off guard. Now, go and do as I say.” With that, Ovidius walked out of the room, leaving the mansion entirely and heading towards Logan's home.
Chapter Seven
Ovidius landed softly on the front porch of Logan's two-story mansion. He pressed the ornate doorbell and waited with foot tapping for the vampire's servant to answer.
The door opened and a lovely vixen stood in the frame. Ericka's long black hair fell softly over one shoulder as her electric blue eyes peered at her Master. She bowed her head. “Master, please come in.” She opened the door wider, stepping aside.
Ovidius entered, taking a quick look around. “Where's this new room Logan has constructed?”
“In the basement, Master. I can show you—”
Ovidius held up a hand, silencing her. “That won't be necessary; I can sense him on my own.” He placed a hand on her arm. “I need you to gather all of the blood Logan has in storage. Pack it safely. Also, gather all of his swords... we'll need them.”
Ericka didn't hesitate to carry out his orders. She nodded and turned, heading towards the kitchen to pack up the blood. Ovidius made his way into the basement, walking down the marble staircase. He followed the path down the long hallway, rounding the corner past several other rooms until he reached what could only be Logan's new sleeping chamber. A titanium door replaced the old oak one. There was a key pad, equipped with a retina and hand-print scanner. No doubt, it was the best in modern technology.
Ovidius pressed his hand against the titanium door and closed his eyes.
“Logan,” he whispered as he concentrated his mental energy on his target. “Rise and come to me.”
Very soon, he heard the locks disengage and the door opened with Logan standing on the other side naked and a bit disheveled.
“Master, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Get dressed. We have an emergency,” Ovidius said.
“What kind of emergency?” Logan asked as he ran his fingers through his dark brown, unkempt locks.
“If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would swear it was an elaborate hoax. Unfortunately, it's not. Chicago is being attacked by what the media is calling zombies and they'll be here soon. We need to prepare.”
Logan stared at Ovidius for several seconds. “Are you serious?”
“When have you ever known me to tell a joke?” Ovidius cocked an eyebrow as he stared sternly at his child.
“You'
ve told plenty.”
“Today, I'm feeling rather serious and a bit peeved. Don't test me.”
“I'll get dressed.” Logan decided not to argue any longer.
“That'd be best. Meet me upstairs when you're done.” Ovidius turned, heading back towards the staircase.
“Master, I've packed all of the spare blood that's in the house,” Ericka announced upon Ovidius’ return.
“Good. Are you aware of what's going on?” he asked.
She nodded. “For the past hour, I've been aware.”
“And you did not think to contact me?”
Ericka gasped. Her heart-rate began to quicken as her brain registered the anger in Ovidius' tone. She lowered herself to one knee.
“Master, please forgive me. I had only wanted to protect Logan.”
“As if you could from a threat of this magnitude. He was safest where he was at. You were the one who was in danger. It's my job to protect all of the vampires and their servants in my territory. The next time you are aware of a threat, you are obligated to contact me, is that clear?”
Ericka nodded. “Yes, Master. Crystal.”
“She was only doing as I instructed, Ovidius,” Logan said as he entered the room.
“You should train your human in the ways of vampire etiquette.”
“She knows. She knows she belongs to me. She knows her life is mine for the taking,” Logan commented.
Ovidius smirked. “She should know that all must answer to me.”
Logan gave him a slight nod. “She does... in all respects.” He walked over to Ericka, brushing the back of his fingers along the delicate flesh of her jawline.
“My lovely,” he whispered.
Ericka blushed and smiled. “My love,” she replied.
“We have work to do,” Ovidius stated. He didn't bother with tact as he let his annoyance show in his tone and body language. He stood there, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at them.
“Very well,” Logan said, with a sigh. “What is our first order of business?”
“I want you to help Cassian. He's claimed he doesn't want help and doesn't need it... I fear that he will.”
“And what if I incur his wrath when I arrive? I do not wish to be on the receiving end of his anger,” Logan said.
“You are acting under my orders. He will not hold you responsible. However, I don't believe anger is what you'll be greeted with. I'll take your human with me for safe keeping. You, on the other hand will need to arm yourself with a sword.”
Both of Logan's eyebrows shot up. “A sword?”
“Yes. These things are very difficult to kill. Bullets have very little effect on them and—I simply can't stress this enough—you cannot allow yourself to be bitten. Vampires are susceptible to this virus from what I've been told.”
“A virus that can affect us? How is this so?!” Logan's eyebrows creased as he pondered this unsettling news.
“I do not know. That is what Cassian is trying to discover. You have your orders, go now,” Ovidius commanded.
Logan nodded. He walked over to the pile of swords lying on his sofa that Ericka had gathered. He picked up one that he favored and left the mansion.
“You and I are leaving now.” Ovidius approached the sofa and scooped up the swords.
Ericka gathered the cooler containing the blood then opened the door for him. Together they left the mansion and climbed into Logan's Cadillac Escalade.
“Where are we going to go, Master?” Ericka asked.
“I have my vampires securing two locations that will stand as our strongholds until this calamity is over.”
“What if the police or army try to attack us?”
“We'll be prepared for that as well. My concern isn't the police; it's the things that are coming this way.”
“Are we heading there now... to the stronghold, I mean?”
“Yes. That's where I'm taking you.” Ovidius stopped the car abruptly when he hit gridlock traffic. Cars were bumper to bumper. Angry and panicked drivers honked horns and screamed at each other. He had flown to Logan's home and managed to avoid the growing traffic, but now it was worse than it was before.
“This isn't going to work,” Ovidius said, looking around.
“What do we do now?” Ericka asked.
“I will have to secure the weapons as best I can. You will have to carry the cooler and I'll fly us there.” Ovidius put the SUV in park and climbed out. He walked towards the back, opening the hatch door. After a quick search, he found a pair of jumper cables. He quickly tied them around the swords, holding them together.
“Ericka, let's go.”
Ericka exited the SUV and walked away from the traffic and prying eyes into the trees. Ovidius slipped his arm around her waist. “Hold on to that container.”
“I will, Master.”
“Good.” Ovidius took flight in the direction of Costco.
***
Ovidius landed on the rooftop of the huge shopping complex. He released Ericka, making sure she was steady on her feet. One of his vampires approached him, bowing her head, slightly.
“Master, we have taken over this location. Cassandra is waiting below,” Madison informed.
“Did she have Roman and Robert with her?”
“Yes.”
“Very good, and thank you. You've done well,” Ovidius complemented—to Madison's utter delight.
She led both Ovidius and Ericka through the roof entrance that was currently being fortified by two vampires with a thick steel door. They traveled down the back stairs and into the main shopping area. Ovidius looked around. Some of the store's shelves were in disarray. Hundreds of items were scattered over the floor in various aisles. The scent of blood was fresh in the air, especially where several glass bottles had been broken. Three of the windows had been shattered, leaving the floor cluttered with dangerous shards.
Ovidius pointed to the exposed windows. “We need to secure those.”
“We're on it, Master,” Madison assured him. “This location has outside shutters and we'll be adding more protection from inside. Jared and Michael are going to use solid steel to cover all of the windows.”
Ovidius nodded.
“Very good.” He looked around. “And the people who were here?”
“Took us a minute to get them all under control. There are a little over two hundred people here. We have them confined to the back of the store over there.” She pointed toward the far corner.
“Excellent. Are any infected?” Ovidius asked.
Madison shook her head. “Not that we could tell. Their blood smells fresh and it's pumping accurately. They're terrified. They think we're here to rob them or something. Jared did explain that we're here to protect them. Whether or not they believe him is another story.”
He nodded. “Cell phones, laptops and tablets?”
“We had everyone remove them from their person the moment we took over. We took purses, backpacks, duffel bags, everything. The telephone lines were shut down in preparation before we entered.”
“Good. Now about the perimeter?” Ovidius gestured to the parking lot.
“I realize these things are strong and fast. They could easily climb a gate or fence. So I decided to surround the grounds with cargo trailers. I've got the vampires in my sector gathering tractor trucks with big enough trailers where we can line them up and even stack them up around the building leaving only one entrance to secure maximum protection and give us an overall peripheral advantage.”
“Were you able to take over this location without showing supernatural abilities?”
Madison smiled then nodded. “We were.” She reached behind and pulled the 45mm handgun from her pants, showing it off. “They think we're humans holding them hostage for some ransom. We've already had several pleas of 'we'll give you whatever you ask,' blah, blah.” She rolled her eyes.
Ovidius chuckled. “Excellent. This is why you're one of my most prized vampires. You're ability to make the most rat
ional decisions.”
Madison winked. “This is why I am your best lieutenant.”
He laughed. “Ah, I would think Logan and Cassie would strongly disagree.”
“Let them. The truth can't be argued.” She bit her bottom lip as she fought to contain her inner glee that her actions had pleased her Master. She didn't want the squeal of joy to leak out and make her look immature in his eyes.
Ovidius caressed the back of her neck, pulling her head forward as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“I am pleased,” he said before letting her go.
“I wish to address our captives.” He followed Madison as she led him to where they were keeping the humans. The people were huddled together. Some were standing, others sitting, but all were in one section. The look of panic and uncertainty was evident on their faces as their eyes settled on the newest player entering the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. What may seem as a threat now are only the necessary measurements that must be taken to insure the survival of the human race. We are securing this location because it is loaded with plenty of resources for both your comfort and your needs,” Ovidius said with a disarming smile. “You, who are with us, are fortunate. We have all seen the news footage and we know what's coming. They'll be here soon and although you are unaware now, we are the only ones who can save you.”
An African-American male in the crowd tentatively raised his hand.
“Yes?” Ovidius acknowledged him casually.
“Are you with the government? I mean… how can you save us?” the man asked.
Others in the crowd gave murmurs of agreement with his questions.
“No, we are not with the government. We are a group willing to take the proper action on our own. The government would have you trying to vacate this area. But to where would you go?” Ovidius remained silent as he awaited a response—if any of them had one to give. When no one said anything, he continued. “Right now, people who tried to flee have found themselves stranded and unprotected. Many in Illinois are already dead and transformed. The government has no clue as to what to do, and they are taking standard precautions that have done more harm than good. Do not look for the government to help you.”