The Savage Dawn

by P. T. Hylton

  “It’s not great,” Jessica replied. “You need to get that taken care of sooner rather than later.”

  CB chuckled. “Sure. Maybe I can just ask Fleming for a time out so I can get some medical attention.”

  “I’m serious, CB. And so is this infection. As soon as this is over, you need to get it looked at. If you let it go, it’ll kill you.”

  Brian let out a laugh. “The great and fearsome CB survives hundreds of vampires, assassination attempts, and working with Alex Goddard, but dies from a microscopic bug. That’s irony for you.”

  CB glanced at the wound and grimaced at what he saw. Jessica was right.

  He started to wrap it back up, but Jessica took the bandage from him.

  “Here. Let me.”

  CB looked at Brian. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on dying anytime soon, from a bug or anything else. I’ve got a city to save and a team to find before I kick the bucket.”

  “You really think the GMT’s alive?” Brian asked. “Fleming seemed pretty sure they didn’t make it.”

  “Yeah, well, Fleming’s been underestimating Alex from the day he met her. That girl’s too stubborn to die.”

  “Good point, I don’t know what I was thinking.” A soft smile crossed Brian’s lips. “For a long time, I dreamed that I might end up with Alex. I know that it’s a silly thought. She’s miles out of my league.”

  Jessica gave him a look. “Brian, you are a major catch for any woman. You are almost certainly the smartest person alive. Like, in the whole world. Plus, you’re a good guy. What’s not to like?”

  Brian’s face reddened. “That sounds like something my mom would say.”

  “Maybe your mom’s smarter than you think she is.”

  “Yep, socially awkward nerds like me get all the girls.” He chuckled again. “I appreciate the kind words, and I don’t mean to sound negative. It’s just… a situation like this where the odds are so low of us getting out alive, it kinda makes you think about the things you never got around to doing, you know. I wish I would have at least asked Alex out.” He paused again. “I hate to say it, but I kinda wish that I would have slept with Sarah. I mean, I hate her and everything, but it would have been nice to get laid one last time. Plus it really would have pissed her off when I didn’t come over to Fleming’s side and she realized that she slept with me for nothing.”

  “This took a weird turn,” Jessica said. “Now I’m the one who wants to leave the room.”

  CB looked Brian in the eye. “You are going to make it to the other side of this.”

  “Oh yeah?” Brian asked, the skepticism clear in his voice. “How do you figure?”

  “Because I’m Colonel Arnold Brickman and I say we’re going to live.”

  Brian raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me you have more than that.”

  CB leaned forward and smiled. “I do. I have a plan.”

  Jessica put a hand on his arm. “I think you’ve kept us in the dark long enough. What’s the plan?”

  “Want to know one of the biggest secrets on New Haven?” CB glanced back and forth between his two companions. “There is a vampire on board.”

  They both stared at him blankly.

  CB frowned. “I was kinda hoping for a bigger reaction there.”

  Jessica shook her head. “I don’t believe it. How could a vampire have even gotten on the ship?”

  CB smiled. “He’s been here since the ship took off one hundred fifty years ago. He was one of the original crew.”

  “Holy hell,” Brian said, his face growing even paler. “You’re serious.”

  “His name is Frank, and apparently he volunteered to be turned. We kept him in a sun-proof cage, and over time he became a Feral. We were waiting for him to die, but he never did.”

  Jessica leaned forward and squinted at him. “If you’re pulling our legs—”

  “I’m not,” he quickly interjected. “After we realized that Ferals could turn back to human form, we gave Frank some blood. Our goal was to convince Fleming that Resettlement was more dangerous than he believed. Needless to say, it didn’t change his mind. But I’m been visiting Frank daily ever since. I bring him blood, and we talk.”

  “You couldn’t have mentioned sooner that you have a vampire friend?” Brian asked.

  “I guess he is sort of a friend. I respect the hell out of him. He’s a true hero. He sacrificed himself to help humans live.”

  “That’s where you slipped off to earlier,” Jessica said as the realization dawned on her. “The ultimate weapon you were talking about. It’s Frank.”

  CB nodded. “I needed to steal some blood for him.” He raised a finger. “We don’t have an army like Fleming. And we don’t have the GMT. But we have Frank. He’ll be our army.”

  Jessica beamed, clearly warming up to the plan. “Fleming’s always said vampires aren’t as dangerous as we say. Let’s prove him wrong by letting him face one up close and personal.”

  “Exactly!” CB replied. “And we can do it without endangering too many lives. Frank can move fast enough to make it to Fleming without killing the rest of the guards around him. We’ll limit the deaths and only take out the people we absolutely have to.”

  “That’s a bold plan,” Jessica said. “What if Frank decides he wants control? Couldn’t he just go around the ship and kill us all?”

  CB was quiet a moment. “This may sound strange, but I believe Frank will do anything to protect this ship and the people on it. He’s already sacrificed more than any of us have, and he’s not going to see his sacrifice go to waste.”

  Jessica smiled. “I love the way you see the best in people. Not many have that kind of faith. This plan is insane, but I think it’s the best one that we’ve got, and I’m behind you.”

  Brian looked back and forth between the two of them. “I’m sorry, am I missing something?”

  “Possibly,” CB answered. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “The whole point of New Haven is that it’s vampire proof. If we let Frank out of his cage, he’ll burn up in three steps. Unless you have a way to protect him from the sun, he’s basically worthless to us.”

  “That’s true,” CB allowed. “And even if we could keep him from burning up, he is still much weaker during the day. Fleming’s people might be able to take him down.”

  “So why are you still smiling?”

  “Because we’re not letting Frank out during the day. That’s the whole reason we need to get control of the ship.”

  Brian’s eyes widened. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  CB nodded. “For the first time in its one hundred fifty-year history, this ship is going to fly into darkness. New Haven is about to experience its first night.”

  19

  Ed pulled the truck into the alley above where they’d agreed to meet Jaden and his vampires, and Patrick hopped out and pushed the manhole cover aside.

  Natalie and Igor still looked pretty shaken from the news of their friends’ deaths, and they were clearly eager to get back to Jaden. The truck’s tailgate was just in front of the manhole so the vampires would be able to slide off the back of the truck and directly down the hole.

  As Natalie was about to hop off the tailgate, she turned to Alex. “Thank you. All of you. We would have been stuck in that building until nightfall if not for you and your team.”

  “Well, we would have been eaten by Ferals if not for you and yours. Twice, actually. So I think you are still one up on us.” Alex glanced back into the truck and saw her team gathering their gear. She turned back to the vampires. “Why don’t you two go ahead? We’ll be down in a couple minutes.”

  Igor and Natalie looked at her strangely, but then nodded. Natalie stepped off the back of the truck and plummeted straight down the manhole. Igor quickly followed.

  “Guys, come here a second,” Alex said.

  All five of them gathered in the back of the truck, their equipment slung over their shoulders and their faces hardened for b
attle. Alex knew they would follow her down that manhole without question, even knowing that their deaths very possibly waited for them down there. That was why she felt it was important to ask the question she was about to voice.

  “You signed up to be members of the GMT,” she said. “That meant going to the surface during the daytime and gathering supplies for the continued survival of New Haven. It was a dangerous job, but you knew what you were getting into.”

  “Best job in the world,” Patrick said with a grin.

  “Maybe so,” Alex allowed, “but in the past few months, I’ve asked you to do far more than what you signed up for. And now I’m asking you again. I’m asking you to team up with vampires to help kill some other vampires. Doing so will free the Resettlers, but it won’t make them human again. This is pretty far outside your job scope. That’s why I’m asking rather than telling. Every one of you has a choice.”

  “Not the way I see it,” Ed replied.

  “Let me finish. We have a duty to New Haven, and we could be putting that at risk by joining Jaden’s mission. Anyone isn’t one hundred percent behind what we’re doing, I want you to go back and help Owl and George with the ship. You’ll still help us take back New Haven when the ship is ready, and I won’t think any less of you. Once we’re down in that hole, I’ll start giving orders again, but for now it’s up to you.”

  Chuck, Wesley, Ed, and Patrick looked at each other for a moment. Then Chuck walked to the edge of the truck without a word, hopped off, and climbed down into the manhole. Wesley followed close behind.

  Patrick squinted at Alex. “You didn’t really think we’d puss out, did you, Captain?”

  Ed nudged him. “I’m pretty sure that whole speech was meant for Wesley. She wanted to give him an out in case he was scared of getting an owie on his leg again.”

  With that, the Barton brothers went down the manhole. Alex followed, a proud smile on her face.

  Jaden and his eight vampires stood waiting in the shadows below the street. From their dour expressions, it was clear they had just been discussing their losses with Igor and Natalie. Alex was glad she’d given them a minute alone before sending her team down.

  “So what’s the plan, Jaden?” she asked.

  “First, we need to find one of their soldiers. We can use him or her to lead us to Mark and Aaron.”

  Patrick frowned. “I thought you vampires could sense each other. Can’t you just, you know, feel them out?”

  “I wish,” Robert answered. “We have a sense of other vampires, but it’s weak. Think of it like hearing an echo in the mountains. You know you heard the sound, but it’s tough to tell exactly where it came from. Besides, all these Ferals down here are putting out so many raw feelings that it’s tough to sense anything else. The stronger the emotions, the easier it is to sense. And these damn Ferals have a lot of pure emotions, even when they’re sleeping.”

  Jaden nodded his agreement. “The closer we are to the source, the easier it will be to pinpoint. Though it still won’t be perfect.”

  “Okay, so step one is to capture a vamp,” Alex said. “Seems like a good start. GMT, this will be the only time I tell you not to aim for the head and heart. Make sure to unload on those non-vital areas, though.”

  The two teams moved out, heading slowly through the twelve-foot-wide tunnels. Each side of the tunnel had a narrow walkway with a rusted railing. The center was meant for drainage, though it was nearly dry now with just the occasional puddle.

  The group crowded close together as they moved down the walkway. Every footstep echoed in the otherwise silent tunnel.

  Something felt odd to Alex as she walked, and it took her a while to figure out what it was. She heard breathing coming from her teammates, but not from the vampires. She was struck by the fact that she was surrounded by the undead. She had to stifle a shudder at the thought. It had never occurred to her that she’d one day be walking into battle with vampires by her side.

  Up ahead, the light from Alex’s headlamp fell across a slumped form on the other walkway. A Feral, she realized. She raised her pistol. “Heads up, team.”

  Jaden glanced at the sleeping Feral. “I got it.”

  Before Alex could respond, Jaden leaped into the air, vaulting to the other walkway. In a single motion, he drew his sword and sliced off the Feral’s head. His hand snaked out, catching the falling head before it hit the ground. Then he set it gently on the walkway.

  A moment later, he landed soundlessly back on their side of the tunnel.

  “Damn,” Wesley whispered. “I like having a vampire on our side for once.”

  They’d only gone another fifty yards before Jaden held up a hand, motioning for them to stop.

  After a moment, Alex whispered, “What is it?”

  “A vampire close by,” he answered. “It’s awake.”

  Alex turned her head, shining her headlamp around the tunnel. A row of four-foot-tall pipes blocked the corner where the tunnel turned a hundred feet ahead. If someone was planning an ambush, this would be an ideal location.

  She motioned for her team to shut off their headlamps. They’d have to trust the vampires’ eyes in this darkness. When the last headlamp switched off, they were enveloped in a darkness so complete, it almost felt like a physical weight on Alex’s shoulders.

  They waited in silence for a full minute, no one moving and the GMT trying their damnedest not to breathe too loudly.

  Then, a soft shuffling sound came from up ahead. It was followed closely by a whisper. It was too faint for Alex to make out the words, but it was definitely someone speaking.

  A sliver of light appeared ahead. With her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the faint light allowed Alex to make out the vague shapes of her team around her. The voices were just loud enough for her to understand their words now.

  “I think I feel it,” the distant voice whispered. “It’s like a tickle at the base of my spine. Whatever it is, it’s coming from someone strong.”

  Another voice answered, “I feel it too. They must be close. We have to call it in.”

  Alex’s breath stopped at the sound of the second voice. Even as a whisper in the dark, she knew it. She’d heard that same voice coming through her headset on many missions.

  A hand touched her arm, and she knew it was Wesley. He recognized the voice, too.

  She felt her pulse pounding in her ears as the adrenaline surged inside her. She wondered if the vampires could hear her heart beating.

  The footsteps stopped ahead, and she heard a click. A radio being switched on, maybe?

  “This is Firefly. I think we have them. We feel them close by.”

  The voice that answered was cut by a bit of static as it came through the radio. “Understood. Don’t engage them until backup arrives. We’re sending them now.”

  Jaden and his team crept forward, moving in near silence. Even from a few feet away, Alex could just barely detect the sound of their clothes brushing against itself and the tiny noise of their footsteps.

  “What was that?” one of the distant voices asked.

  Alex tilted her head is surprise. Apparently vampire hearing was no joke.

  “I don’t know,” Firefly replied, “I thought I heard something, but it might have been my imagination.”

  In the distance, Alex heard the click of the hammer of a gun being thumbed back.

  “I’m sure it was nothing,” Firefly said. “Our army’s on the way. We need to just hang back and relax.”

  Something in Firefly’s voice sounded odd to Alex, like maybe he was trying to put on a show for whoever was listening.

  Jaden and his team stopped before they reached the turn. Both groups were aware of each other’s presence. Just around the corner, death waited for the first person to show themselves.

  Alex slowly crept ahead, motioning for her team to follow. She thought about how Jaden had described daysickness to her. He’d said it was like the worst hangover you’d ever had. And Alex knew a thing or two about han
govers.

  As she walked, she slipped her arms out of her jacket. Then she turned and found Patrick in the darkness. She grabbed his shotgun and gave it a soft tug. He held on for a moment, but then let her have it.

  She motioned for her team to cover their ears. Hoping they got the message, she hung her jacket on the barrel of the shotgun and approached the turn, moving past Jaden’s team and staying close to the inside wall.

  She stopped when she reached the corner, pressing her back against the wall and watching for movement. Seeing none, she slowly eased the barrel of the shotgun into the light.

  Immediately two guns fired and bullets tore through the coat. Alex pushed the shotgun forward, angling it as far toward the shooters as she could without exposing herself, and fired. The blast echoed through the confined space of the tunnel. Someone around the corner cried out in pain at the noise.

  The GMT sprang into motion, sliding past Alex and into the tunnel. Ed was the first around, and he immediately fired his automatic weapon. Alex ducked around the corner and saw he had hit a female vampire in the leg with multiple rounds. She somehow kept her feet and raised her rifle.

  Before she could get a shot off, Chuck fired his weapon. His bullet struck her in the shoulder, knocking her back into Firefly.

  Firefly’s mouth opened in shock and surprise at seeing his old teammates standing in front of him. He stared for only a split second, then he grabbed the injured vampire, threw her over his shoulder, and ran back the way that he’d come.

  But Jaden and his team were in motion now. They rounded the corner with blinding speed and charged after Firefly. He was moving fast, but the woman he was carrying him made him slower than the other vampires.

  Ed squeezed off another burst of fire, and the vampire Firefly was carrying cried out in pain as a round struck her in the back.

  Robert was the first to reach Firefly. He grabbed the injured vampire by the leg and lashed out with his foot, kicking Firefly in the back. Firefly stumbled, losing his grip on the female soldier and falling to the tunnel floor.