Vampire Apocalypse: Fallout (Book 3)

by Derek Gunn

  “That may be true,” Father Reilly agreed, “but the fact remains that you all must promise not to follow anyone into any area outside the confines of this community.”

  No one spoke at first, and then, slowly, they began to promise. He didn’t believe them for a moment, of course, but these were desperate times. He had to weigh the danger these children might face against the lives of all of the people in this community. God forgive him, but he was prepared to take that chance. He looked again at the walls around the shop. Even in comics heroes died. Captain America had lost Bucky; Batman had lost more than one Robin. Those two titular heroes had, in fact, died themselves. The names of those who had fallen for what was right flooded through his mind and he hoped fervently that none of these young adventurers were added to that list.

  “Have you noticed that the other pens are still under the serum’s effects?” Tanya gently, but firmly, removed the man’s hand from her arm as she regained her balance. The man shrugged and sat on the ground beside her. She looked over at him for a moment, taking in his ragged beard, torn clothes and general dishevelment with a quick glance before she turned her attention back to the thralls patrolling the area around the pens.

  The man sighed and held up his hands and started to pick at the dirt under his nails. “You know,” he began again, “they seem to be on a twelve minute cycle from the time they go past here to the time they turn that corner down there and then are back in sight of this pen.”

  She looked over at him again, arching her eyebrow slightly. He had a rather high voice for such a broad physique, she thought idly. She returned her gaze to the courtyard in front of them as she settled back to the ground and sat beside him. They were in a large pen to the side of a huge square. She had no idea where in the city they were, as the buildings that had once stood here had been demolished and cleared away sometime in the last two years. The ground was hard and uneven, as if the buildings and the ground itself had been hacked rather than cleared. She could see huge mounds of rubble in the distance where it had been crudely pushed to each side of the cleared space, and it seemed, from where she sat, that they were surrounded by mountains on three sides.

  There were five pens that she could see from this position, but there could be more just on the other side of the rubble, for all she knew. The cleared area stretched for nearly a mile in each direction before the rubble began and grew steeply to a height of some twelve feet, though it was hard to judge from this distance.

  The stranger’s information matched her own but she wasn’t prepared to offer anything herself at this time. She was reluctant to let anything distract her from her goal. She couldn’t help but notice the man’s eyes, though. They were a pale blue, almost sapphire, with small flecks of grey that seemed to pull her in to their depths. The dirt smeared around his face only accentuated the paleness of his eyes, and she had to shake herself as she realised she was staring.

  The man chuckled and his face transformed as a smile spread across his face. It suited him, she thought as she continued to look him over. His hair was long and flat from long neglect and she found herself bringing her hand to her own neglected hair unconsciously. Personal hygiene was not something one cared about under the serum and everyone looked somewhat less than their best.

  All the men in the pen had ragged salt and pepper beards and long hair, and the women had brambles for hair, many of which had turned grey over the last two years without the aid of colouring dyes. This man seemed no different than the others, at first glance. There was nothing that stood out about him, but still, he seemed to command her attention, not the least if which because he had bothered to map out the guards’ patrols. She was about to turn away again but she found herself pausing for a moment as she looked at him in more detail.

  He wasn’t handsome in the classic sense, though there was something about him that was easy on the eye. His nose was a little on the long side, not quite hawkish but certainly aquiline, but his cheeks were high and full and kept his features in balance. There were lines around his eyes that attested to his age, which she put in his late thirties, and the fact that, in happier times, he was never far from a smile. He had no shoes and his feet were badly scabbed from the rough ground. His jeans were looser than they had been when he had bought them too. They had all lost weight while they had been imprisoned. His shirt was dirt-encrusted and faded.

  “Have you figured out why they’ve switched strategies yet?” he asked, ignoring her stares. She was uncertain where she wanted to go from here. She knew that she would need help if she was to get out of this pen and get to her children, but she did not want to attract people who would slow her down and be too frightened to do what was necessary. This man seemed nice enough but was he after company or was he prepared to risk his life to get out of here? She needed men who were capable of handling themselves and not those who just wanted to handle her.

  “I reckon they’re testing some theory,” he continued despite her silence. “Something has happened and they are seeing if there is a difference between those who take the serum and those who don’t.”

  Tanya pursed her lips as she considered that. She realised with shock that she hadn’t given any thought as to why they had been taken off the serum. The fact that she was off it had been enough for her, but, she suddenly realised, she had been wrong. Of course there was a reason why they had been weaned off the serum, there must be. They had been drugged for two years and nothing like this had ever happened before that she knew of, so something must have changed - but what? She looked at the man again with new respect. She might need people who could handle themselves but she also needed some who could think. She wasn’t good at forward planning and she would need a plan if she did manage to get out. It wasn’t enough just to get out and then see what happened.

  “If you do get out,” the man continued, “you’ll need to head west, you know.”

  “Why?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  He chuckled again. “I was beginning to wonder if you spoke at all. Well, west is the only direction I can see where that mountain of rubble has a pathway that you can use to get over it.”

  “Why not north along that line where there’s a gap?” she asked as she nodded in the direction she had spoken of.

  “Well,” he breathed out in a long sigh. “I personally wouldn’t head that way. It’s far too obvious; even those thralls should be able to figure out that that’s where most people would head for. You wouldn’t be free long if you follow the easiest path out of here. But that’s just an opinion.”

  Tanya felt her cheeks burn as she realised how stupid her suggestion had been. God, even if she did get out of here she’d end up being captured again in no time. She looked over toward the west and it took a few minutes before she noticed the small path which ran diagonally up the face of the rubble. She had missed it completely before. The other mountains of rubble were all impossible to scale with their jagged rocks and metal shards sticking wickedly outward like a cunning medieval defence. Someone had purposely created that path for some reason and it would be perfect if they could manage to get out.

  “Yeah,” the man continued, “once you’re over that rubble you’re into the old Parkway district and, assuming it’s not all gone, there are plenty of places to hide while you make your way out of the valley. Of course, getting out of this pen is the problem.” He looked over at her and winked.

  She laughed. It was the first time she had laughed for as long as she could remember, and it felt good.

  “I’m Tanya.” She offered her hand to the stranger.

  “Harris,” he replied, taking her hand and squeezing gently, “Josh Harris.”

  Captain William Carter approached the small knoll with more than a little trepidation. While he had wanted this meeting to take place for some time now he had also dreaded it almost to the point of paralysis. His former master was as likely to rip him apart as he was to listen to any proposal and Carter had no idea which way this meeti
ng was going to go. But, he realised, he couldn’t just not turn up either. If he and Von Kruger could not agree terms then they would weaken each other in their constant fighting and leave both of them vulnerable to attack from their borders and from the humans and their wonderful new weapons.

  Not that he had any intention of honouring any agreement they might come to, no more so than Von Kruger could be trusted to keep his side of any bargain. But an alliance of convenience now would allow him the time to put his own house in order, stabilise his territory and find the humans. Once he had their weaponry he would be able to dictate his terms from a position of unassailable strength. And for that he was willing to walk into hell and make a deal with the devil himself. Of course, his resolve didn’t prevent him from being terrified, and his legs wobbled slightly as he strode as confidently as he could toward the designated meeting place.

  He had been surprised that the request had come from Von Kruger at this time. He had been in the final stages of planning his foray into Nero’s territory and he had thought at first that Von Kruger had somehow found out about his intentions and had called this meeting to dissuade him from his intended action. But why would he do that? Was he afraid of an alliance between himself and Nero? Was that even possible or was he over-thinking the whole thing?

  Maybe his own assassination of three of Von Kruger’s Lieutenants had been the final straw, and even now Von Kruger was waiting ahead in the darkness to return the favour and tear him to pieces. He shuddered at the thought but kept moving forward regardless of his fear. He wasn’t totally unprotected, of course. His men were under orders to kill every human prisoner in the territory if he didn’t return from this meeting. With no food supply, Von Kruger would be forced to attack the thralls for food, and he had made sure that his men were all prepared, well-armed and secure in fortified buildings throughout the state. Many would die, of course, but so too would the vampires. He really didn’t think Von Kruger wanted that. He was so sure, in fact, that he was prepared to come to this meeting alone.

  He looked towards the top of the knoll and saw a dark figure on the rise silhouetted against the waning light as the sun sank below the horizon. It seemed for a moment to Carter that the darkness was racing up the hill as it chased the last tendrils of light. When he had begun his journey he had easily kept pace and remained in the light, but the veil of darkness had passed him a while ago and the cold air made him shiver - at least, that was what he had convinced himself of.

  Von Kruger had come alone too. But then, why wouldn’t he? He was the Supreme Being. The all-powerful vampire. Carter chuckled. Not too all-powerful that he had requested, not demanded, a meeting with a lowly thrall, though.

  “You’re late, thrall.” The vampire’s words reached him easily even though he was still fifty feet away.

  Was that impatience?

  Carter smiled in the darkness and then quickly wiped the smile away. The vampire could see clearly in the darkness and there was no point in antagonising him.

  “I had to take more,” he paused as he finally drew level, “conventional means of travel.” The silence grew between the two figures as they studied each other. Carter was happy to take a few moments to catch his breath, and besides, he hadn’t called the meeting. Let the bastard come to the point.

  “You have taken your chances well, human.”

  The compliment was grudgingly given but the use of the word ‘human’ was calculated to let Carter know that there was a pecking order to this meeting. It did, however, bode well that he had begun the meeting somewhat positively. Carter, however, was not prepared to start off on the wrong foot.

  “I am not human, anymore than you are, vampire,” he spat the words out with a little more vehemence than he had intended, and he cursed himself for letting Von Kruger get to him.

  “You are closer to human than vampire,” Von Kruger began with a fire in his eyes that had Carter almost ready to flee back down the knoll. The only thing that kept him in place was the sure knowledge that he would not get two paces before the vampire tore him apart. Had he gone too far? He stood terrified as he watched the vampire fight the anger that threatened to engulf him. It was almost as if there were two personalities at war with each other. But which would come out on top?

  “But,” the vampire finally managed a word and with it came an easing of the muscles in his face as he regained control. “We are not here to trade insults, thrall. We have a problem.”

  “The humans.” Carter nodded.

  “Indeed.” Von Kruger looked over Carter and he got the distinct impression he was still deciding whether he should continue talking or merely feed. “There are few ways they can evade our powers. I have determined that they must be hiding underground and have compiled a list of the most practical sites…”

  “You are assuming that they are within the area you are searching.”

  Von Kruger looked as though he had been slapped and again Carter could only watch as the vampire struggled against his nature once again.

  “Where else could they be?” he shouted as spittle flew from his mouth and sprayed Carter. Carter forced himself to remain calm and merely wiped his face casually. “I believe they are hiding outside our territory,” he stressed the word ‘our’, “and cross the border when they want to attack or steal humans or resources.”

  Von Kruger looked at him incredulously for a moment, and then suddenly burst out laughing. It was so unexpected that Carter felt himself growing red with embarrassment and anger. “And I thought you were an adversary worthy of my respect. It seems I was mistaken. Nero controls the closest territory to us and even I would think twice about operating in his dominion, let alone a pathetic band of humans. It seems I was wrong about you, human.” He spat the word and loomed over Carter alarmingly. Carter could hear the grinding of bone and splitting of flesh as the vampire began to change.

  Carter stood his ground and forced himself to look the vampire in the eyes. He could see the madness there and he despaired. There could be no truce with such a creature. He was far too unstable.

  “You are pathetic,” Von Kruger continued as his body grew to tower over him, but Carter remained firm despite the fear that gripped him. This moment would define his position for the future - assuming of course that Von Kruger did not lose himself to his bestial side entirely.

  “We are done here,” Von Kruger continued as his body slowly began to return to normal with a crunching of bone that grated on Carter’s nerves. “I will allow you to live for now in accordance to the truce that we speak under. But, mark my words, human.” Von Kruger looked him in the eye and all signs of the madness were gone. Somehow that made the vampire more frightening. “Once I have found the humans buried and huddled in their cement graves I will seek you out and you shall know true terror before I finally let you die.”

  Carter felt the familiar fear that vampires used to petrify their prey suffuse through him, but he fought against it. He had killed vampires, and their parlour tricks no longer held him in thrall to them. He stared back defiantly and was pleased to see uncertainty in the vampire’s eyes. He took strength from this and forced his voice to remain calm as he replied.

  “You may control the night, vampire, but I control the day, and you will learn to fear each dawn as you wake to see your numbers dwindling until, finally, there is only you remaining. And then I will come for you personally.” Without waiting for a response Carter forced himself to turn and walk away. He imagined all kinds of responses, impotent anger, shouted curses or being dragged to the ground and mauled. He forced himself to keep walking on nervous legs, tense and ready for an attack, until, finally, he heard a violent rustling and the wash of air that signified that the vampire had taken to the air.

  Well that didn’t exactly work out as planned, he thought as he finally allowed himself to drop to his knees and throw up on the dark carpet of grass. It was some time before he found the strength to rise and return to his men.

  Chapter 13

&nbs
p; “How many?”

  Philip Warkowski ignored the speaker as he swept the structure systematically with his telescopic sight, pausing for a moment on each thrall before moving on to the next. When he reached twenty five he sighed and laid down his rifle.

  “Too fucking many,” he sighed as he turned to face Harris and the others. “There’s a lot more guards in that facility than I would have expected. I mean, it’s not as if it’s on the border with any other states.”

  “Maybe the tension between the vampires and the thralls is worse than we thought,” Sandra Harrington suggested and Warkowski pursed his lips.

  “It’s possible, I suppose. There are more than are needed to guard the facility against a normal attack, but there aren’t really enough of them to fight off a concerted attack by vampires. I don’t know.”

  The group had spent the last two days travelling here, avoiding the highways and keeping to the back roads wherever possible. Over the last few months they had noticed that the thralls tended to travel on the path of least resistance. There had been a concerted effort in the last year to clear the highways of debris and any burnt out husks that dated back to the war.

  The thralls now had a clear run throughout the states on highways that allowed them to travel quickly when needed. The benefit of this, as far as Harris and his group were concerned, was that the thralls never bothered to venture off the highways anymore. Of course, these scenic routes passed through towns, some of which were deserted and some of which were still being used as holding pens for humans, so it was not easy for the rebels to use these roads. However, they had been able to travel by truck more than half the distance to the plant before they were forced to abandon their vehicle and continue on foot.

  The nuclear plant occupied a huge area. Ricks told them that it sat on over 650 acres of land, but hearing it and seeing it were very different. Harris was amazed that the plant itself was so big. He wasn’t sure what he had expected but it certainly wasn’t something of this size. From where they watched, Harris could see the edge of the nearby city of Bridgman which still flourished, mainly because they had control of the power for the whole county. The city occupied an area approximately twice the size of the plant and was only three miles away from where they were.