inherit the earth

by Hunter

  The book was a journal, of sorts - or a history. The language was archaic and overly formal, but flowed with an odd clarity at the same time. The various “chapters” of the volume covered separate incidents of life on or around a plantation near the Mexican border. Though written in the first person, the incidents involved all manner of strange depravity and odd creatures. The dead, come back to haunt the living, who were not always truly alive - magic, romance spanning centuries - all in the same, uncannily beautiful script. If it had not been for the age of the book, Jake would have sworn the lettering could only have come from a laser printer with some amazing fonts.

  On the desk across the room, the screen on his laptop flickered, endless three-dimensional pipes, sliding in and around one another, forming pattern after pattern, doing and undoing impossible phosphor knots. Complicated, and yet simple. Jake dragged his gaze back to the book.

  “Juanita has come to call for the weekend, ” he read. “She arrived in fine fashion, drawn by horse-and-buggy across the land like so much fancy luggage, her boys much too pretty to be real watching over her and shielding the sun like the wanton slaves they are. No worries there, those two would shield her with their pale bodies and cry tears enough to quench any Godly blaze that tried to claim her.

  “And Phaedre, alone as usual, has haunted the library. That one stalks the world as if she can read it. Perhaps she can. She read nothing she wanted to see in Juanita’s arrival, to be certain, and has not removed herself from her books in a fortnight. I hope to draw her out soon, to show her how I feel, but all things in their time. ”

  Jake’s skin grew cold - clammy with sweat and awash in goose bumps. Phaedre. How could it be? Here? Now? The sensation of being drawn into something he had no control over grew stronger with each passing breath.

  At just that moment the soft whistle of a missile crashing followed by a tinny voice calling out “Incoming! ” announced new e-mail. Jake blinked, stared at the page, trying to concentrate, and failed.

  “Damn, ” he whispered.

  He moved quickly to the small desk, slipped into the chair and snapped a finger down on the space key to release the screen saver. The twining tubes disappeared and his desktop shimmered to life.

  From: Thinbladel7

  To: Bookworm55

  Subject: Danielle

  You’ve stepped on a landmine this time my friend. I run a safe house near where you are staying, and I know the one you saw - both of them. That one had a death wish, and you may have prolonged it, not encouraged it, though why you’d stop someone trying to put away a bloodsucker is way beyond me.

  Her name is Danielle, and she’s been after that same vamp for about two years. Night and day, tracking him like he didn’t know she was there. She talked about him all the time, and when she wasn’t talking, you could almost hear the gears turning in her mind. We tried to help her, but she pushed us away. Hell, I tried to tell her she was crazy. He knows she is after him, and he taunts her, lets her get a little closer each time. I guess he got tired of the game.

  In any case, you want to go after them, I’m up for it - and there are others. I have a pretty good idea where he’ll take her - kind of a trip from here, but my ‘INTEL’ says he’s headed down toward the border. This may not be a safe communication. I change addresses regularly - and ISP’s - they’re on the net too - the others. Guess you know that.

  Anyway, this addy is good for about an hour after I sent this. If you don’t respond by then, I’ll try one more time with different credentials before I write this off. She’s crazy anyway.

  TB17

  Jake stared at the screen. Down south. He glanced over at the book, still folded open on the bed. The border.

  He reached out for his mouse and clicked on the “new message” button.

  To: Thinbladel7

  From: Bookworm55

  Subj: The Hunt is on

  Agreed. More info when we meet. Back alley — Sid’s on Broadway. One hour.

  Pushing away from the desk, he reached out, powered down the laptop, and flipped the screen down to cover the keyboard. After taking a moment to wrap the book carefully, he headed for the door. No time to wonder if the others would show. He had just enough time to make the deadline he’d set himself. No time to think - not about the book, or Danielle - or Phaedre.

  He remembered the vampire’s words.

  “I knew she was there. She loves me. ”

  What else did he know? How much of what had just happened over the past few hours had been coincidence, and how much a choreographed game? He thought of the woman, Danielle, and the wild, angry stare she’d leveled at him as she spit his name back from the shadows.

  The door closed behind him solidly as he slipped out to the hallway beyond.

  • • • •

  The alley was dark, and there was no one in sight when Jake slipped off the street to scan the shadows. He clutched the book tightly to his chest, and his heart was pounding. He had no way to know if the e-mail had actually come from a friend. He knewofnoThinbladel7. He knew of no Danielle. What he did know was that he’d screwed up, and he needed to find a way to make that right. ’

  On the bright side, if the vamp had wanted him dead in an alley, he’d probably already be there. Not like he’d never presented the chance.

  Headlights sliced the darkness, angling into the alley, and Jake pressed back into the wall. It was a long, dark machine — an early Cadillac, color impossible to determine and classic lines impossible to mistake. The car slid into the alley, pulled within ten yards of where Jake pressed to the brick wall, and stopped. The lights flickered off, and the sudden darkness blinded him.

  “Damn, ” he whispered.

  The cars door opened and boots scuffed on the gravel and cement. The sound of the door closing softly was followed by the soft whisk of pants legs brushing together. Jake’s heart hammered, and his breath grew short.

  “Ain’t got time for this, ” a voice cut through the silence. “If you’re here, get your butt out of the shadows where I can see you. We drive all night, and tomorrow, we’ll have enough sunlight left to keep us safe. We give them time, we’ll never see them again, or worse — we might not make it back. ”

  Jake closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed off from the wall.

  “Here, ” he said softly. “I’m here. ”

  He stood and oriented himself for a moment. The shadowy figure facing him slowly grew features as his eyes adjusted to the light. A tall, lean, black man faced him, short close-packed hair and eyes so intense they nearly glowed.

  “I’m Jake, ” he said, moving forward and extending a hand.

  “Thinblade, ” the man replied, taking the extended greeting in stride and shaking with a steady pressure that put Jake momentarily at ease. “You can call me Thin. ”

  “Not Blade? ” Jake half-joked.

  “This ain’t no comic book, man, ” Thin replied, not really smiling. “Ain’t no joke. ”

  “I know, ” Jake replied.

  Without another word, the man turned, heading back to the car.

  “Get in back, ” Thin said quickly. “Brad and North wind are there - Janey’s up front with me. All of us have reasons to find this one. Just needed the right time. ”

  Jake moved to the Caddy quickly, reaching for the back door latch. It opened before he could touch it, and he turned, just for a second, facing his companion.

  “Why didn’t you just go after him? ” he asked. “If you knew her, and you knew him - or of him - knew she would get herself killed - or worse -why didn’t you take him out? ”

  “I told you, ” Thin said softly, slipping in behind the wheel and cutting off further conversation. “I’ve read what you write, man. Maybe it isn’t all black and white. Let’s ride. ”

  Jake nodded and slid into the back seat. As the door closed, his shoulder brushed another, and he turned. There was little light, but he caught bright, questioning eyes, and seconds later, a hand dropped onto his arm
and gripped lightly.

  “I’m Northwind, Man, ” a voice whispered in his ear. “I see them — you know? All the time…. the dead. I see them, and they talk to me. ”

  Jake clutched the book to his chest.

  He turned and faced those eyes, searching for something he couldn’t even put a name to. “Do you answer? ”

  The sun was a distant glow on the rim of the Earth. Jake was dozing, arms crossed over his chest, and his head was leaning to the right. He rested on - something - then coherence invaded and he knew he was leaning on a shoulder.

  “Sorry, ” he mumbled, lifting his head and pulling back.

  “Not a problem, ” Northwind whispered. Jake turned. The dim light of early morning revealed a thin face with deep-set eyes. Long stringy black hair framed a face alight with purpose.

  “I’ve been reading your book, ” the girl said. “Is this Phaedre the same - the one you write about on line? ”

  Jake blinked harder and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He saw that the girl had indeed taken the old book from his arms as he slept, and it was open over her knees. Just for a second he felt anger at the invasion - at the lack of respect for the age and quality of the book itself, then it faded.

  “I don’t know, ” he answered. “That is the book he was reading when I first saw him — when Danielle was stalking him. I went back and bought it when he took her - it was the only link I had. I hadn’t read much of it when I got your e-mail. ”

  Northwind nodded. “Some weird stuff in here, Worm, really weird stuff. Wolfmen and dudes with powers no man should have, and the dead. I can almost see them, he describes them so vividly. Some of them he seems to have known when they were alive, and then, again after they died. Like they were tied in place or something, stuck where he could watch them - or taunt them. One thing is sure. None of them liked him. None, especially not the powerful ones. ” “He? ” Jake asked softly, already dreading the answer.

  “Scyther, ” she nodded. “He wrote this -didn’t you know? ”

  “No, ” Jake whispered. “No, but I should have. ” The illustration of the thin young man in the front of the book snapped into focus with sudden clarity. Jake shifted the clothing, and he knew. He had spoken to the author -touched him.

  So, that was it then. Maybe it was a setup to catch Danielle off her guard and whisk her away, or maybe there was more to it than that. Maybe Scyther had seen her, and seen Jake, as well. Maybe Danielle would have been left alone - or taunted further - had Jake not been present. The link with Phaedre was almost too much.

  “You think she’s there, man? ” Northwind asked, letting the book fall closed and handing it back gently. “You think she’s been there? ” “Phaedre has been alive for a very long time, ” he answered. “It wouldn’t surprise me to find out she’d spent time in the White House, if it had suited her purpose. The question is - whose purpose is being served now? If this Danielle has been his “game” for so long, why take her the moment I arrive? ”

  “I was wondering that too, ” Thin piped in from the front. “I hope I’m not reading this wrong. I’m pretty sure the blood-sucker knows you’ll figure out who he is, and where he is, but I don’t think he’s counting on us. Danielle and I - we haven’t been getting along so well. Seems she thinks we should be out killing 24/7, ridding the earth of vermin — Scyther in particular - some shit like that. Me, I’m more of a planner, like to contemplate a thing before I make it happen. Only thing I ever saw Scyther do was play cat and mouse with her. She wanted us all down there months ago. She thinks he killed her parents.

  “Maybe he did. Thing is, I don’t know it for a fact, and from the questions I asked, and from the answers she gave, I don’t think she knows either. So I didn’t go. None of us wanted any part of storming a vampire’s home turf unprepared. ”

  “I haven’t spoken with Danielle in nearly a month. Until I saw your post, I thought maybe she was already dead. ”

  “Maybe she is, ” Jake replied, glancing out the window at the passing countryside. “Maybe I managed to get her killed. ”

  “More likely, ” Thin said, frowning, “she’s about to do that for us all. ”

  They grew silent, and the miles rolled away beneath them as the sunrise painted the road ahead a golden yellow that shimmered like a flat ocean. Jake’s head was pounding, and he was hungry. Vampires might not be much good in the light, but neither was he at the moment. Could be an even fight. They drove in relative silence for most of the day. Nightwind read on in the book, and when her eyes grew tired, Jake thumbed through the pages himself, trying to get a handle on what was going on. Failing.

  About half past four, Jake glanced up and saw a sign that said “Last U. S. Exit, ” Thin veered to the side. There was no road visible, at first, but moments later, it was obvious that where they had turned off into the desert was a well-traveled path.

  “It smoothes out ahead, ” Thin said, turning to glance over his shoulder. “I cased the place once a while back. Road winds on up into those mountains, ” he hesitated, pointing ahead, and to the right. “The base of the mountains is as far as I’ve been. ”

  Jake nodded. He opened the book again across his knees, and with Northwind leaning in to glance over his shoulder, began to read aloud.

  “They arrived in droves the second night. We had a time getting enough help of a sort that could handle the animals without sending them into a frenzy. Lorenzo and Florence just let their carriage continue to move forward as they stepped free, laughing gaily as if the horses wouldn’t wander off and wrap themselves and everything they towed around the nearest tree. I had to send Oswald and Puck to fetch the thing. Wolfies are SO peckish. The things I had to promise.

  “By midnight the guests outnumbered the hosts four to one, and things were in full swing. Le Duc, the Frenchman - so intense, the Europeans — had taken it upon himself to bring in the entertainment. Fifty of them, fresh and untouched, chained at the neck and the ankle. He drove them like frolicking cattle, and I must say, he turned my head with that entrance.

  “When he set them free, let them run and scream and cry out to their feeble gods— that was a moment. I remember it clearly, for I’d just come from the library. Phaedre had refused - once again - to join us, me in particular, and I wasn’t in the best of moods. It is amazing what a screaming teenager with green eyes can do for a hungry man’s anger. ”

  Jake slapped the book shut.

  The road had grown bumpier, and the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows was bringing a thirst that deepened Jake’s headache.

  “Why’d you stop? ” Northwind asked quietly. “Don’t you want to know? ”

  “Know what? ” Jake asked. “Know that she didn’t come out to play with the others? Know that she did? Know that they let humans loose in their garden and toyed with them until they felt like a midnight snack? Know that I sent Danielle into that place - albeit a century or two in the future? ”

  “You need to stop that, ” Brad spoke up for the first time. He was an intense, broad-shouldered young man with short-cropped blonde hair. The contrast he made with Thin was striking. “You need to get over yourself, man. You didn’t send anyone anywhere. Danielle does what she does, always has. You didn’t drag her into that auction - or that alley. You didn’t drag her out, either. He did. You need to focus on what’s happening and quit worrying over yourself. ”

  Jake blinked.

  Just then the road took a quick jog to the right, and they began to round the foothills of the lower of the mountains. Thin turned again.

  “This is as far as I’ve been, ” he said. “Beyond here, I don’t know exactly what to expect.

  Northwind was staring out the window across Jake’s line of sight. Her eyes were far away, and her lips were set in a tight line.

  “What do you see? ” he asked her softly. “They are lining the road, ” she replied. “Not a straight line, but more than I’ve seen in one place. And they are watching us. Every move. ” “You think they ca
n send the word ahead that we are coming? ” Brad asked nervously.

  “Not to vampires, ” Jake cut in. “A lot of what you read and see in movies is crap, but the sunlight thing isn’t. If we can find where they are before the sun sets, we have a good chance of taking them out, or immobilizing them. If Danielle is okay, we might even save her. ”

  “I’ll settle for putting them down, man, ” Thin muttered. “I’m in no hurry to hear Danielle spouting psychotic ‘Itoldyouso’s’ into my ear. ”

  They rounded a rocky outcropping, and ahead, to the left of the road, a structure rose.

  As they approached, Jake could see that the place had once been magnificent. The walls were stucco, rising three stories into the glittering sun-light. There were towers where guards might once have stood, massive wooden doors that hung askew on their hinges. There was no sign that anyone had inhabited the structure in decades, let alone the last few days.

  “Jesus, ” Northwind said softly. “Even the building looks dead. ”

  They spread out, Thin Blade and Janey, a shorter, a thin, dish-water blonde girl in a leather jacket that looked heavy enough to drag her to the ground started around the wall to the right. Brad headed off on his own to the left, and Northwind stood beside Jake, staring at the massive, dangling wooden door warily.

  “I hate this part, ” Jake said, cursing under his breath. He stepped forward, ducked beneath a spider’s web that dangled from the door frame and entered the old home. Northwind followed like a slender shadow, and the bright sunlight fell away instantly to gloom, evidenced only in the puddle of light that leaked in through the door.

  A wide, curving stair wound to the upper stories from a parlor that must once have been truly grand. The doorways leading into a long hall, and a smaller room to the left that appeared to have been the den. Jake took it all in, concentrating on the shadows. Nothing moved, and he was starting to wonder if “Thin” had made a mistake. Then things shifted.