The Savage Dawn

by P. T. Hylton

  25

  Brain clutched his headset. “Holy shit. Is that really you, Alex?”

  There was a long pause. “Brian? Damn, man, it’s good to hear your voice. I thought Fleming would have killed you by now.”

  “Not yet he hasn’t,” Brian said with a laugh, “though it’s not for lack of trying. I thought he had killed you. Guess I should have known better.”

  “What are your coordinates? We just left the surface and we’re coming your way. We figured it was time to pay Fleming a visit.”

  “Sending them now. We’ll have the air lock in the GMT hangar open and ready for you. Assuming you get here before Fleming’s guys break down the doors.”

  “Roger that. Owl says we’ll be there in twenty minutes.” There was a brief pause. “Hey Brian, are you sure those coordinates are right? Owl says you’re pushing pretty hard against the dusk line.”

  “We’re doing more than that,” Brian replied. “We are taking New Haven into full darkness.”

  “What?”

  On the monitor, he saw a group of faceless GMT members entering the control tower through the basement.

  “Look, I’ll explain when you get here. For now, I need to concentrate on keeping Jessica alive.”

  To her credit, Alex didn’t question that statement. “Roger that. We’re on our way.”

  As the conversation between Brian and Alex ended, the sun dipped behind the western horizon and darkness crept over New Haven.

  All over the city, people stopped what they were doing and their eyes went to the sky.

  Protesters in the Hub lowered their signs and looked toward the darkening horizon, as did the badges who were supposed to be corralling them.

  People working, people drinking, people making love. They all observed the darkness in wonder and fear. Sleeping loved ones were woken to see the spectacle. Most of the city had never experienced a darkened sky, and seeing it now was like watching a second sun appear; it was entirely unexpected and unnatural to them.

  After a few moments of collective silence, chaos erupted. Some people screamed. A few fainted. Most scattered, heading back to their homes to be with loved ones. They had no idea if their ship was malfunctioning or if they were about to be swarmed with vampires. After all, wasn’t that why New Haven flew in the sun? To keep the vampires away?

  As the people scattered, the darkness grew deeper. There were no exterior lights anywhere in New Haven. There had never been a need for any. The city plunged into darkness.

  In Fleming’s office, Sarah watched the scene out the window, a sick feeling in her stomach. Never had the city so badly needed their leader to address them and calm their fears. But he was in no condition to do so. He was currently occupied with other concerns.

  “Why would they do this?” Fleming asked as he stared at the monitor on his desk, searching for signs of the fugitives. “CB’s an evil traitor, but he’s not an idiot. He has a reason.”

  Sarah answered without taking her eyes off the window. It was difficult to even see the street below now, but still she stared. “It seems pretty obvious to me. He wanted to sow chaos in the city and prove you’re not in control.”

  Her voice was flat. She’d long since given up trying to calm him. At this point, he was right to panic.

  Fleming thought about that for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think so. This is something else.” He tapped his fingers on his desk. “I should know this. I should be able to figure this out.”

  Finally, Sarah turned away from the window and looked at Fleming. “You don’t think this is about Agartha, do you? Is it possible the Agartha vampires have a ship that could reach us?”

  At the word vampires, Fleming froze, suddenly understanding. “No. Not Agartha.” He looked at her, the terror clear in his eyes. “Sarah, they have a vampire on board.”

  Sarah shook her head slowly. “That’s impossible. We’ve only been in darkness a few minutes.”

  “You don’t understand. There’s been a vampire on board the whole time.”

  Sarah stared at Fleming, her mouth agape, certain he’d truly lost his mind.

  Fleming grabbed the radio, clutching it so hard his fingers turned white. “I need every faceless GMT unit at the Hub immediately.”

  “Sir, what about the flight deck?”

  “Let the badges handle that,” he barked. “Get the faceless GMT here now!”

  Setting down the radio, he ran to the door and threw it open. The four guards outside looked at him in surprise.

  “There is a vampire coming here to kill me,” he said in a breathless voice. “I have reinforcements on the way, but until they arrive, it’s up to you to protect me. Come wait in here.”

  The guards looked at each other, fear and confusion on their faces.

  “Listen carefully, if the vampire arrives, you have to kill it. Even if it bites me, even if I tell you to stop. No matter what I do or say, keep firing on the vampire until he is dead. Do you understand?”

  From their perplexed expressions, it was clear they didn’t, but they all nodded.

  “Yes, sir,” one of them said. “We’ll kill the vampire.”

  The light was fading in the room with the steel box.

  “Is it time?” Frank asked.

  “Almost.” As always, waiting was the hardest part for CB. Once he threw open the door to that steel box, things would move quickly. He’d barely have a chance to breathe before this ended one way or the other. But now he was left to think about all the ways this crazy plan could go wrong. A single lucky headshot from a guard outside the GMT hangar could take Frank down and bring his plan to a screeching halt.

  He pushed the thought away. It was much too late to reconsider now. Either the plan would work and New Haven would find peace and balance again, or CB, Jessica, and Brian would die as traitors and the city would be ruled by a madman for the indefinite future.

  As the last light faded over the horizon, CB turned on a headlamp he’d brought from the hangar. He opened a wall safe mounted opposite the steel box. Inside was a single key. Then he used the key to open a cabinet next to the monitor. Inside was a read button with a sign above it. “WARNING: BUTTON UNLOCKS STEEL CAGE. DO NOT PROCEED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.”

  The way CB figured it, the fact that the council had been murdered was authorization enough. His hand hovered over the button, but he hesitated as something in the monitor caught his eye.

  Frank was changing.

  The change wasn’t as obvious as when he’d transformed from a Feral back to his human form, but it was a change nonetheless.

  For the first time since CB had met him, Frank was standing up straight. He looked strong and fresh, his usual pained expression gone.

  “I can feel it, CB,” Frank said. “It’s time.”

  “Yes. It is.” CB took a breath, then punched the button.

  He heard a series of hydraulic locks moving. Then the box Frank had called home for the last one hundred and fifty years slowly split. The two halves separated, and CB stood face to face with Frank for the first time.

  The vampire slowly stepped forward, moving toward CB.

  In his mind, CB pictured what would happen if Frank attacked. He knew the vampire would be able to kill him in seconds, and he’d be helpless to stop it from happening.

  Instead, Frank extended his hand. CB took it, and the two shook.

  “Good to meet you, Colonel Brickman,” Frank said with a smile.

  “Same here.”

  The hand shake went on a little too long, and when CB pulled his hand back, Frank seemed reluctant to release it. CB realized this was the first human contact Frank had experienced in a very long time. He felt a pang of sorrow at the thought.

  “We’d better get moving,” he said. “Follow me.”

  He led Frank through the glass corridor and to the GMT hangar. Frank looked around in wonder as they walked.

  “This place was new last time I saw it,” Frank said. “We had
such dreams for this city.”

  “Let’s take care of Fleming, then we can see about making some of them come true.” CB pulled open the door and they walked into the hangar. It felt surreal leading a vampire into the GMT headquarters.

  As they entered the control room, every eye looked up at them. Though no one spoke, it was clear they all knew Frank was a vampire.

  CB nodded to Brian. “Can we get Frank a headset? We’ll want to stay in contact with him as he goes after Fleming.”

  Brian quickly nodded and grabbed a comm unit off the desk. “Nice to meet you, Frank. We’ll be able to talk to each other with this. I can guide you if needed. Do you, um, know your way around?”

  Frank smiled. “Know my way around? I helped build the place.” That statement was met with uncomfortable silence from the techs. He slipped the headset over his ear. “That said, I’m not sure how much has changed since my day. A little guidance would be appreciated.”

  “Okay, great. From what I can see, you should have a pretty clear path to the Hub. Once you get there, things are going to get hairy. There are badges all over the place. You’ve got twenty outside the building, plus a lot more wandering around the area.”

  “Piece of cake,” Frank replied. And he sounded like he meant it.

  “Once you get inside the building, there are six guards on the main floor. Then six more on Fleming’s floor. Four guards are in Fleming’s office, along with Fleming and a woman named Sarah. I’ll walk you through the rest on the way.”

  “Got it.”

  When Frank was outfitted and ready, CB led him to the GMT hangar door.

  “Be careful, Frank. I don’t know how many guards Fleming will have, but he’s going to be well protected.”

  “The way I feel right now, I don’t think a few guards are going to be a problem.” He paused a moment. “CB, I want what we’re doing here to bring lasting peace. The people need to know the truth about Fleming. I’m going to make him confess before I kill him.”

  “You think you can do that?” CB asked.

  “I’ll get him to talk.” He started toward the door, then stopped, turning back to CB. “Thank you for believing in me. After so many years of hopeless insanity, I feel like I finally have a purpose. I won’t let you down.”

  An unexpected rush of emotions went through CB. “No. It’s us who should be thanking you. Fleming’s always said vampires aren’t as dangerous as we claimed. Go prove him wrong.”

  Frank nodded, then turned back to the door. They could hear badges trying to cut through the lock. “Okay. Let’s see what this vampire body can do.”

  Suddenly, Frank surged forward. He kicked the door, and both the door and the frame broke free of the wall around it, flying backward into the badges working there.

  Frank was in motion again before the remaining badges could even react. He took all five of them down before they even fired a shot. Then he sprinted off, heading toward the Hub.

  Just then, Alex’s voice came through the radio. “We’re almost there. Is somebody going to open the airlock or what?”

  “Sorry, Alex,” Brian answered. “Things have been a little crazy. We’ll have her open in a moment.”

  “Roger that,” Alex said. “See you soon.”

  The mood aboard the away ship was tense as they approached their city. Every one of them knew they were walking into a fight. Fleming already believed them dead, and it seemed unlikely he’d give them a hero’s welcome when he found out they weren’t.

  They all understood that whatever happened tonight, things in New Haven would never be the same. Come tomorrow, either they’d be dead or Fleming’s reign would be over.

  Owl glanced over at Alex. “Should I do the thing?”

  “Yes. Do the thing.”

  “Sorry, what thing?” George asked.

  “It’s sort of a tradition,” Owl answered. She flicked a switch on her radio, broadcasting her voice to everyone on the ship. “Okay, listen up, everybody. We are approaching New Haven. A city built on an airship. Population approximately forty thousand.”

  Patrick’s voice interrupted her. “Uh, what the hell, Owl? We don’t need to hear a bunch of facts about New Haven.”

  “Yes, we do,” Alex answered, her voice firm. “We need to be reminded of what we’re fighting for.”

  “The city was the last accomplishment of a dying civilization,” Owl continued. “In humanity’s darkest days, the greatest minds on Earth worked together to launch her. According to the records, one of the most difficult things for them to decide was the name of the ship. Before settling on New Haven, the names Archangel, Sunrider, and Pigeon Wing were all top contenders.”

  “Wait, Pigeon Wing?” Ed asked.

  “A lot of lives have been spent on this ship. Generations were born and died without ever setting foot on the surface. She’s flown for one hundred and fifty years, held together by the brilliance, hard work, and sheer stubbornness of humans who refused to admit defeat.”

  “Not to mention a few replacement parts gathered by the GMT,” Wesley added.

  “And now she’s ruled by a delusional madman,” Owl concluded.

  Alex set her jaw, her face a mask of determination. “Not for long.”

  Fleming sat behind his desk, his face pale.

  All day, he’d been pacing, and Sarah had wished he’d just sit still for a few minutes, but this was almost worse. For the first time, Fleming looked truly afraid.

  And all because of a vampire who couldn’t even exist. She decided to try reasoning with him one last time.

  “Sir, even if there is a vampire on the ship, there is no way he could get to you. The GMT kills vampires all the time. That’s their whole job, right? Plus, you have half an army in the Hub. This office is the safest place in the city right now.”

  A sudden flurry of gunshots came from outside the building. They heard yelling, banging, and then nothing.

  Fleming sat up straight, his eyes wild. “What was that? What’s going on out there?”

  The guards in the room looked at each other, their faces suddenly drawn with worry.

  “We’ll find out, sir,” one of them said, then he began talking into his headset.

  There were a few more gunshots, and these sounded like they might be coming from inside the building.

  Sarah swallowed hard, for the first time wondering if maybe Fleming wasn’t crazy. Maybe there really was a vampire aboard New Haven.

  The guard looked at Fleming. “They’re saying something attacked them. They don’t know what it was, but it tore through their ranks. It’s inside the building.”

  The guards moved into position, lining up facing the door, their backs to Fleming and Sarah.

  Fleming reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a pistol. He held it in a two-hand grip, and still the weapon was visibly shaking.

  Sarah looked from the door to Fleming and back, waiting to see what would happen next and afraid she already knew. There was a vampire in the building, and it was coming after them. They were as good as dead.

  More gunshots, this time from their floor. The fighting was happening right outside the office. They heard a series of loud thumps, like something slamming against a wall. Was it furniture? Or bodies?

  “What’s happening out there?” Fleming asked frantically.

  “I don’t know,” one of the guards replied without turning around. “They’ve stopped answering.”

  “Who?”

  “Everyone,” the guard said, his voice shaking. “Everyone has stopped answering.”

  To that, Fleming had no reply.

  Suddenly, a thunderous crashing sound erupted and the twin doors to the office were ripped off their hinges. The guards peered through the now open doorway, but there was no one there. It was as if the doors had simply disappeared.

  Then one of the doors flew through the opening, slamming into two of the guards, knocking them across the room.

  Something rushed in, almost too quick for Sarah’s
eyes to follow.

  And suddenly, a man in a green jumpsuit stood before her. He looked no different from someone she might see walking through the street in Sparrow’s Ridge, except for his glowing red eyes.

  It was a vampire. A vampire was standing right in front of her.

  Fleming began firing immediately, but even at this close range, his aim was way off. The first two shots hit the wall behind the vampire, and the third struck one of the remaining two guards in the neck.

  The vampire barely seemed to notice the gunfire. He grabbed the final guard and hurled him through the window. The guard screamed as he tumbled through the air, before he landed on the street below and was quickly silenced.

  Then the vampire turned to Fleming. “Hello. You must be Fleming. My name’s Frank.”

  And then the vampire was in motion. He dashed across the room with uncanny speed, ripping the gun from Fleming’s hand.

  Fleming only had time to shout, “Wait, I need to tell you—”

  Then Frank’s teeth sank into his neck.

  The vampire’s eyes closed in ecstasy as he drank. Then, after a few moments, he pulled himself away, gasping with clear physical effort. Fleming crumpled to the floor.

  “I hope I did that right,” the vampire muttered, Fleming’s blood covering his chin.

  Sarah’s hand went to her mouth, unable to believe what had just happened. Fleming was dead. This vampire had killed him. Something deep inside her refused to believe it, and yet the evidence was right in front of her.

  She dropped to her knees, tears filling her eyes.

  Then, impossibly, Fleming climbed back to his feet.

  Sarah scurried backwards until her back touched one of the fallen guards.

  “Ah, good,” Frank said. “You’re back. I wasn’t sure it would work.”

  Fleming looked just as surprised as Sarah felt. He looked down at his hands in disbelief.

  “Can you record audio in here?” Frank said.

  “Of course,” Fleming replied.

  “Good. I want you to turn on the recording equipment and then explain the truth about what happened to the city council. Now.”