“We found medicine, too,” Josette said, handing Arbuckle a plastic bag containing several white packages.
Pulling out a few of the boxes and taking some tablets from them, he filled some cups with water from the tank and made the girls down both.
“That puts Emily in the clear,” said Arbuckle, “but the other one’s not so simple. We’ve got to move her to a well-equipped hospital as soon as possible. Where did you find these drugs?”
“In the general store,” Jan replied. “There wasn’t a soul around, but it sure was well stocked.”
Taking a look at the box the medicine was in, Arbuckle said, “It was manufactured—almost three thousand years ago.”
That sent a stir through the crowd.
“That’s in keeping with the style of the houses,” he continued. “It would seem this village has been awaiting our arrival for the last three millennia.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jan asked. When Arbuckle explained about the laboratory, the color quickly drained from the young man. “What kind of place have we wound up in? Why the hell is this village even here? Where’s it been all this time?”
“Probably in that hill,” Arbuckle said.
“What?” Jan exclaimed, and he wasn’t the only one who bugged his eyes. They all did.
“I can’t say for certain,” the plump man continued, “but from what I saw during flashes of lightning, the top of the hill was about the same size as this village. When you think about the timing of its appearance, and the way we felt like we’d fallen underground but the next thing we knew we were back where we started, it kind of makes sense. We’re still up on top of that hill.”
For a while, no one said anything.
“Okay, let’s get ourselves something to eat and think about our next move,” Bligh finally urged them.
“There are some tables and chairs in the prep room next door,” said Charlotte.
All of them got changed and, while it wasn’t quite a meal, they had something to eat. After that, the air of danger that’d been hanging over them dissipated and they settled down.
“I don’t think we can expect to be left alone like this for long,” Brennan stated in typical warrior fashion. “Until we destroy whatever it is that keeps interfering with any attempts to flee, we can’t get out of the village. And it’ll be night soon.”
While all of them were put off by his deep voice and somewhat nasty tone, they could also sense the ugly truth that his words carried: When night came, the dead went into action.
“I want no part of any of this. How can we just sit back and wait for the Nobility to drink our blood? Doctor, would it be all right for me to leave and take Emily with me?” Jan Rollin asked, rapidly sinking into a manic state. It was plain to see from his wardrobe that he hadn’t been born on the Frontier. His good fortune in not having to spend every day since childhood shoulder to shoulder with dread of the Nobility had now become his terrible misfortune.
“If you could find some way to keep her completely out of the wind and rain, I suppose it would be okay, but it’s just plain impossible. Something will get in your way.”
“We only came out to the Frontier on a sightseeing trip from the Capital. We didn’t want to come into direct contact with the Nobility. Now that it looks that way, we’d like to get out of the village, the sooner the better.”
“Why don’t you try telling that to whoever’s running the place,” Arbuckle said. Seeming to have suddenly thought of something, he asked the Brennans, “Weren’t there any weapons?”
“Nope, nothing. Not so much as a knife,” Josette replied, shaking her head.
“What’s the story with that? They wouldn’t even be able to fix dinner, would they?” Bligh said in an incredulous tone.
“It probably means the Nobility had to take good care of their lab rats. Give them all the food and water they want. Protect them from external threats. They’d have no need for weapons.”
“In that case, I guess we’ve no choice but to cut some wood and sharpen it to a point, eh?”
“Right you are, Doctor,” Brennan concurred, though he seemed to append the title as a dig at the man. “All of you probably have at least a pocket knife on you. We brought back some wood for stakes. Now, let’s get whittling.”
And saying that, he took a paper bag he’d kept set down away from all the other supplies they’d laid out and dumped its contents on the floor. What spilled from it was a bunch of branches that’d all been cut a little over two feet long.
The Expedition
chapter 2
I
The very first to grab a stick was Bligh. On seeing the way it’d been cut, he groaned on the inside.
I might not care for that bastard, but the whole warrior thing sure ain’t for show. This thing looks like it was cut with a laser.
Not wanting to scrutinize him too long or too hard, Bligh had been looking away most of the time, but now that things had settled down and he got a good look at the man, he saw that Brennan had a rugged, angular face and build, with battered armor covering him from the chest down to the very tips of his fingers and toes. Both his garb and the crossed set of longswords he wore on his back seemed to give off the stench of blood. The man had definitely been hardened in the fires of a hundred battles.
The wife, in contrast to her beast of husband, was a beauty of a woman with a slender face that gave an impression of tranquility. There was also a terrible air of nihilism about her, as if she were a negative image of her husband. However, she wore the same kind of protective armor. Though she had no sword, the “carrier” she wore on her back had a weapon that put her husband’s to shame—a belt-fed 20mm minigun, complete with a five-thousand-round ammo box. The woman was able to carry a hundred and fifty pounds of guns and ammunition thanks to the scientific miracle of the “carrier,” which reduced her load to practically zero. It hardly let her pass for an “ordinary woman.”
To either side of her waist, rails extended from the “carrier,” making it easy to shoot from the hip. Once the shooter got their target in the display screen of their eyepiece, all they had to do was press the firing button and let fly with a stream of polymer steel rounds that could punch through four inches of metal plating. Of all the monsters the Nobility had scattered across the earth, the great fire dragons were said to have the toughest armor, and nothing save that beast could withstand such a barrage. Of course, the price of such a weapon was astronomical, probably enough to purchase an entire small village out on the Frontier. Regardless of whether they’d gotten it by force or through negotiations, the fact that they had it made it clear this was no ordinary married couple.
Bligh pulled a survival tool called an “s-device” from a case he wore on the back of his belt. A footlong mass of metal, it could be used for cutting with a single thrust, blow, or pull, depending on how one held it. It also had a magnifying glass built into it, so starting fires wasn’t a problem. There were blades of varying thicknesses, and by changing the angle one could either split a rock in two or peel an apple.
Not surprisingly, the device caught Brennan’s eyes, and the man said to Bligh, “Handy little contraption you’ve got there.”
“Yeah. Bought it off an arms merchant. Lately they let you do financing, which really helped!”
“Let me have a look at it.”
“Sorry, but no,” Bligh replied. He hadn’t liked the way the warrior had said that. Nor did he care for how quick the man was to put his hand out.
“You and me haven’t got along from the very start, you son of a bitch.”
A deafening silence fell. The truth of Brennan’s words was common knowledge. To be honest, all of them had known this could explode at any moment. More to the point, they were probably wishing it’d just explode already and get it all over with.
However, it was Josette who put a stop to things, saying, “Dear . . .”
From the way his wife was dressed and her character in general, it was a perfectly natural
thing for her to do.
But Brennan barked at her, “Keep your damn mouth shut!”
“Would you please just stop this?” Arbuckle then interrupted.
“Hey, you old flesh peddler.”
“That’s me,” the corpulent man said, raising his right hand. “Let’s stop fighting amongst ourselves for the time being. Don’t forget we’re smack dab in the middle of a facility run by bloodthirsty Nobles. If we intend to survive, we’ll all need to cooperate. Even a single minor injury is more than we can afford.”
Truer words were never spoken.
“He’s right, dear!” Josette said in a hard tone.
Bligh felt a horribly cold determination in it. If he’d had to put it into words—Does she intend to shoot her hubby?
The situation was resolved in the most appropriate fashion.
“Okay,” Brennan said, turning away sulkily. Before he did, however, he said, “But we’re gonna settle up sooner or later, fugitive.”
“Hmm. What gave me away?” Bligh replied, though it was clear from his tone he was joking.
Brennan’s answer was deadly serious. “What kind of ordinary Frontiersman would be walking around with a weapon like that? It takes a decade just to get the hang of it. Plus, you seem to be in more of a hurry than any of the rest of us. Because someone’s on your tail. And, finally—when you look at yourself, do you see an upstanding person?”
“Well, if that don’t beat all,” Bligh said, rubbing his face with both hands. “If that’s the way it looks to you, guess there ain’t much I can do. Sure, I’ve got the look of a wanted man. So, yes, sir, whatever you say.”
Sitting down in front of a window, Bligh began shaving the end of the branch to a point. Curls of wood fell as if he were merely skinning an apple, and in no time at all he’d fashioned some keen anti-Noble weapons, drawing sounds of surprise from Arbuckle and Charlotte. In the time it’d taken him to make three stakes, Arbuckle and Jan still hadn’t finished their first.
Bligh took a long stake—actually, closer to a short spear—and sharpened the opposite end to a point, too. On seeing that he went on to put notches around the middle of it, Josette narrowed her gaze and asked, “What’s that you’re doing there?”
“I figure there are times when just one stab won’t do the trick. Then you can snap it off, and you’ve got another one.”
“You sure you’re not really a fugitive?” the warrior’s wife said, making no attempt to conceal her surprise. “You seem more accustomed to battle than we are—”
Just then, a mass of black slammed into her cheek, sending her backward.
Stepping in front of the reeling Josette, Bligh glared at her attacker and snarled, “What the hell was that for?!”
“Why don’t you ask her?” Brennan replied, rubbing his fist as he turned around.
“You son of a bitch!”
“Don’t. It’s fine. It was my mistake,” the woman said.
“Yeah, but—”
“I shouldn’t have said we. That’s all.”
“That’s all?! What the hell?!” Bligh exclaimed, still ready to make a stand, but Arbuckle clamped down on his shoulder. “Stay out of my way. I’m gonna punch that asshole’s lights out.”
“Do that, and you’re likely to just bring down more wrath on his wife. It boils down to the question of pride. Surely you can see that, can’t you?”
Turning to face the woman, Bligh asked, “You sure it’s all right?”
“Yeah,” she answered, holding her cheek. A blow like that would be sure to leave a bruise.
Bligh felt he was getting a clear picture of the couple’s relationship, but he shook his head to drive the images away.
“Well, then it ain’t for me to say otherwise. See you folks later.”
And raising one hand, the man headed for the front hall.
“Where are you going?” an agitated Arbuckle inquired.
“To the Nobles’ mansion, of course. Didn’t you hear? They’re having a dance party today. I got an engraved invitation and everything. I’ll be the only human there. The invite said to come in casual attire, and kindly bring a fresh wooden stake.”
“Hey, hold on a minute.”
“Sorry, I’m in a hurry. See, I’d like to be back here before sundown.”
“Heading up there alone is crazy!” said Jan.
“People come into this world alone, kid,” Bligh replied with a smile. “And they’re alone again when they die. Funny how that works, eh?”
“No, you’re wrong,” a woman’s voice said, pulling the man back just as he was about to make a heroic exit. It was Charlotte.
“How’s that?”
“When a baby’s born, there’s a doctor there to deliver it. Or even if there wasn’t a doctor, your mother was there to give birth to you, right? And when you die, your wife will be there taking care of you.”
“Sorry, you’re wrong there. Ain’t got a wife.”
“You can be a real pain, you know that? At any rate, you need a woman with you, so I’ll go. I’ve finished making a stake and everything.”
“Uh, you’d just be in the way.”
“That’s right,” said another female voice, the words striking Bligh’s shoulder. “If an amateur goes, any trouble will just get chalked up to her being a woman. I’ll accompany him.”
The voice was that of Josette Brennan.
II
“You sure it’s okay, me borrowing his horse? Hubby’s gonna blow his top!”
“I don’t care. For what it’s worth, he did say no,” Josette remarked, smiling faintly. Beneath the plastic raincoat she’d procured at the general store, her black hair rolled in waves.
The rain continued to fall.
As he kept his balance high in the saddle, Bligh thought, Your husband told you not to! but he didn’t actually say it.
Crossing the river, the two of them were about to enter the forest. From there, they would turn north and head for the fortifications.
“Maybe it’s natural for midday, but ain’t it creepy, how quiet it is?”
“Really? You seem used to it.”
“What, to dead villages?”
“To death in general.”
“Spare me. If anyone was, it’d have to be the two of—”
“Yes, I suppose so. But you never get used to it. At least, I haven’t.”
“It doesn’t look that way at all,” Bligh said, his gaze falling on the weapon on Josette’s back, then bouncing off it again.
The world of gloom only grew darker. For they’d entered the forest.
Before they’d gone a hundred yards, Bligh wanted nothing more than to turn around and go back.
“What’s the deal with this forest?”
Due to the rain, he knew they wouldn’t hear any birds singing. However, there were no rabbits or other little critters to be seen scampering about—nor any indications that any were around, which was a bit much to believe. Creatures like squirrels lived in the trunks of trees, bark-eating scales slept beneath the bark, moles wriggled through the earth, jump bugs sprang around in the grass, winged insects sailed through the air, water beetles skittered across puddles, and deer and the like beat small paths—all of which breathed life into a place that travelers could feel. And yet, in this forest there was none of that. Though the rain-drenched plants and trees glistened sharp and fresh, like a lovely painting, there was no pulse of life to be felt from this place.
“What do you expect? It’s a forest on the Nobility’s lands.”
Josette’s words drew a sideward glance from Bligh.
“Once, I passed through lands where an ancient Noble still held sway. There were people there, but they had no spring to them, like they were all dead, and not a single birdsong rang through the forests.”
“Cripes,” said the man.
“About two years later, I passed through the same lands, and it was like a whole different world. Everybody was so full of life, and the forest positively teemed with the sou
nds of animals. Seems it got like that after a Hunter came through a year earlier and slew the Noble.”
“Yeah, a Noble. The thing is, I hear a lot about ’em, but since I ain’t ever been around one, I just don’t got a handle on ’em. You mean to tell me there are humans who can take down Nobility? I thought the Nobility kept their graves well-guarded during the daytime, so getting to ’em was no easy task.”
“There are exceptions, I suppose. Dhampirs, for example.”
Ice water coursed down Bligh’s back, and he shuddered in spite of himself. In the forest it was four or five degrees cooler than outside, and rain was pouring down, but neither was responsible for his trembling.
Dhampir. The very word was cursed.
“Is it true they’re all really ugly looking, like the undead, and they can use witchcraft? Or that their arms and legs are all weird and twisted, and they’ve got another face on their backs?”
“Damned if I know. I’ve never met one.”
“What? But some of ’em are warriors, too. Almost all dhampirs wind up as either Vampire Hunters or warriors. You ain’t made acquaintances with any of ’em?”
“We’re not good at making friends.”
“Well, I can see that about your hubby,” Bligh said before looking up at the sky. “Shit. When is this goddamned rain gonna let up? Got nothing better to do than slow folks down.”
“I see. Seems you’re in a hurry to hit the road, eh?” Josette said, a wry grin rising on her lips.
“No, I ain’t in a hurry to hit the road, exactly. But there’s somewhere I definitely need to be.”
“So badly you’d barge into a Noble’s mansion with no more than a stake?”
“Well, it’s that important to me. Besides, I’ve got more than just a stake. And it’s still daytime, after all.”
Suddenly seeming to have recalled something, Josette pulled back on her horse’s reins. “Oh, that’s right. Did you know the Nobility had intended to put out the sun?”
Vampire Hunter D Volume 27 Page 3