by J. C. Diem
My friends had gathered in Gregor and Kokoro’s room to chat. Too tired and heartsick to mingle with them, I slid between the luxurious sheets of the queen sized bed and pulled the blankets up to my chin. I no longer felt the chill like I used to but I was still comforted by the thin coverlet.
Still exhausted from expending so much energy exterminating the imps, I slid into a deep sleep.
From the rocking motion, I knew I was on a boat before I opened my eyes. My nose wrinkled at the nauseating odour that permeated the room. It wasn’t fish that I smelled this time but something far more horrible. The top bunk was empty this time. That meant butt fog couldn’t be to blame for the stench.
I rolled to my feet and saw I was on a different vessel from my previous dream. The sleeping quarters were much larger and could have held twenty sailors. A couple of inches of water covered the floor. I sloshed over to the hatch and it opened with a reluctant squeal. An incredible reek rolled over me and I doubled over, gagging. I wasn’t actually able to vomit but the urge to still struck me sometimes.
An ominous silence had settled over the boat. Apart from groaning metal and lapping water, there were no other sounds. I couldn’t sense any humans on board and wondered if I was on a ghost ship that was doomed to sail the ocean for an eternity.
I climbed a set of stairs and stepped through a hatch into darkness. Skeletons were strewn all over the deck and I wondered if my crazy idea that I was on a ghost ship might actually be correct. Hunkering beside one of the corpses, I studied its deterioration. The flesh had been eaten away by some sort of acid. Even the metal deck was rusting and holes had begun to form. My skin was starting to sting as if it, too, were being eaten by something that I couldn’t see.
Standing, I walked to the railing and squinted into the night sky. My eyes widened when I saw another boat nearby. Its crew were also dead and the vessel was beginning to break down. Moving over to the other side of the ship, I saw something that made me blink to make sure my eyes were working properly. A wooden building bobbed on its side. The roof and one of the walls was missing, exposing shabby furniture and fixtures. It was a dilapidated mess but it had definitely been a dwelling of some kind. Squinting into the distance, I saw more wooden shacks and boats. I had the distinct feeling that I’d stumbled into an oceanic graveyard.
Glancing up, I saw no stars but I also didn’t see any clouds. In my last dream, the boat had drifted into a gigantic cave. Maybe this boat was in the same cave. If so, it had to be the biggest one on the planet because I couldn’t see the top or the sides.
If this dream was a warning of danger, it was a poor one. I failed to see how a cave could impact on humanity in a detrimental way, not even one that had become a resting place for boats and shacks.
“This dream is so weird.”
My quiet murmur woke me and I sat up with a start. My skin was no longer burning and the horrible stench was absent. I had no explanation for the dream. Is that what fate has planned for us next? Why bother sending a message if it’s going to be so cryptic, I complained internally. The dream made no sense so I shrugged off my misgivings and dressed.
“Are you awake, Natalie?” Geordie asked through the wall.
“Yep.” My reply wasn’t exactly enthusiastic but he took it as an invitation to join me. The word was barely out of my mouth before the teen was at my door. I opened it at his knock. Looking down at my bare legs beneath my t-shirt, he forgot what he was going to say.
Igor clumped down the hall, stuck his head in through the door, rolled his eyes at Geordie’s stupor and smacked him in the back of the head. “The yellow gas has cleared and we will be leaving in an hour,” the Russian informed me then retreated back down the hall to his room.
“Was that what you were supposed to tell me?” I asked Geordie.
Rubbing his head ruefully, he nodded. “You slept for sixteen hours straight. I thought you were never going to wake up.”
Gathering my clothes, I paused in shock. “I was out for that long?” He nodded solemnly. I hadn’t realized just how exhausted I’d been.
“President Rivers has arranged a parade for us in Manhattan because it was the site of the first alien attack,” Geordie said. “She has planned a ceremony that she wants us to attend first. I think she’s going to give us all medals.”
I listened to Geordie’s chatter as I dressed in the bathroom. He sounded excited at the prospect of being rewarded for saving the planet yet again. Somehow, I doubted it would be medals they would pin on us. More likely, it would be a target on our backs to make it easier for their soldiers to try to eradicate us.
Gregor sent me a guarded look when we met him in the hallway. Kokoro hadn’t had a vision since she’d regained her eyesight but she was also subdued. Luc and Igor appeared to be resigned. Ishida was younger than Geordie in mortal years but he’d gained wisdom in his ten millennia of rule. He knew that it was doubtful we’d be rewarded for our efforts.
I’d known all along that siding with the soldiers would end badly. Apparently, most of my friends had all secretly been harbouring the same fears. “We don’t have to go to this farcical parade. I can teleport us all out of here one by one,” I offered quietly. My teleporting talent was still too new to have worked out my limits yet. I wasn’t sure how many of my friends I could take with me when I transported to a different location. If we had the time, I would have to experiment to find out just what I could and couldn’t do.
Gregor had already thought his way through our dilemma and shook his head. “We seven are theoretically immortal now. I believe it would be best if we face whatever it is that the humans have planned. If we do not, there is no telling what fate will throw at us next.”
“I thought you’d say something like that,” I said glumly. “I guess it’s a good thing that I took some precautions.”
The wise one’s gaze sharpened. “What precautions?”
Studying my fingernails with false nonchalance, I shrugged. “You’ll see. Just don’t be surprised if the humans’ treachery backfires on them this time.” My smile was grim as I preceded them down the stairs. Geordie was following me so closely he was almost stepping on my heels. He was bursting with questions but manfully kept them inside. He knew me well enough to know I wasn’t going to spill the beans, no matter how much he pestered me.
It was late afternoon and the sun was still a painful ball of light in the sky, not that we could see it directly since it was hidden behind the hotel. Sanderson had anticipated our needs and an enclosed truck waited out the front for us.
“This brings back unpleasant memories,” Ishida murmured as we climbed inside. I vividly remembered being escorted by hostile soldiers to the airfield where we had been evicted from our home world.
This time, we were alone in the back of the truck but we only drove a short distance before stopping. When the door opened, Higgins and a dozen other soldiers climbed in. “Ma’am,” he said with a nod at me. “Vampires,” he said with another nod at the others. Geordie bit his lip to contain a giggle and I had to stare hard at the floor so I didn’t join him. The other soldiers were familiar and also nodded politely when I met their eyes. All were armed but none acted the least bit threatening. They were merely hitching a ride with us to the air force base.
We picked up a few more soldiers along the way. By the time we reached the base, the truck was full and several more vehicles had formed a convoy behind ours. Not all of the soldiers would be heading for Manhattan and the ceremony that was going to be put on for our benefit. We disembarked from the truck and split into two groups of those who would be heading to the parade and those who would be returning to whichever base they belonged to. Out of the original eight hundred troopers we’d teamed up with back in Manhattan, only two hundred remained. They formed a tightknit group around their commanding officer as we waited for a jet to be readied.
My friends and I waited inside the back of the truck until the last rays of the sun finally faded. Once our jet was ready to be
boarded, we filed inside and chose seats in the middle of the craft. Seconds after we had settled into our seats, one of the general’s men approached and addressed Gregor. “Our policy forbids foreigners from bringing firearms into our President’s presence. I’m going to have to ask you to relinquish your weapons.”
I elbowed Geordie when he opened his mouth to whine. He closed it but his bottom lip pooched out in a pout. He reluctantly handed over his death ray when the soldier stopped next to him and held out his hand. Everyone else gave up their weapons without complaint. Before the soldier could ask for them, I handed him my swords and sheaths as well as my alien gun. “I’ll keep them safe for you, ma’am,” he promised. Shouldering the backpack he’d stashed our weapons in, he wandered towards the front of the plane again.
As defenceless as the humans could possibly make us, we descended into New York and landed at the same airport in Brooklyn that we’d left from several nights ago. It was far too soon for the bridges to have been repaired and a ferry waited to carry us back to Manhattan. Some effort had been made to restore order now that the gas had cleared away. The dead would have to be gathered and disposed of. There were far too many for the usual funeral ceremonies to be performed. I wondered if they’d bury their casualties in mass graves and shuddered at the thought of being amongst the piles of corpses that would be buried beneath the ground.
Millions of humans had been eradicated all around the country with each Viltaran attack. I doubted they’d ever be able to rebuild all of the ruins that had been left behind after each assault. Manhattan had gotten off lightly compared to the cities that had been used as decoys to hide the true attack against Las Vegas. Reports had come in that my senses had been correct and there were no survivors amongst the wreckage of the decoy cities.
Igor raised a point that hadn’t even occurred to me. “Do you think the soldiers will discover our ship lying on the bottom of the river?” He kept his voice low enough not to be overheard.
Gregor shrugged and grimaced at the same time. “I hope not. I wish there was a way for us to destroy it. Even if the humans did manage to salvage the ship, I highly doubt they’ll be able to recreate the Viltarans’ fuel source. Earth does not contain the necessary components.” That was a relief. Picturing humankind questing through the depths of outer space gave me another momentary shudder. They’d already led one alien species to their home world. For all we knew, there could be something far worse than the grey skinned extra-terrestrials out there.
Trucks were on standby to drive us to the ceremony. I overheard a soldier mention that it would be taking place in Central Park. Again, Higgins and thirty other soldiers crammed into the back of the truck with us. Sergeant Wesley was one of them. The smile he gave me seemed to be sincere. None of the troops gave us sidelong, measuring looks. If treachery was about to be unleashed on us, they didn’t seem to be a part of it. Either that or they were all actors worthy of awards for outstanding performances.
Our journey was fairly short, since most of the streets were clear of moving traffic. No one had returned to their jobs as yet. It would take time for the inhabitants of Manhattan to slip back into their normal routines again. They’d need to grieve for their dead first. I wondered how the little boy I’d saved from being eaten by Kveet imps had fared and if his parents were still alive. He isn’t my problem, I told myself. I’d already saved the humans three times. As far as I was concerned, my responsibilities towards our former species were now over.
It’ll never be over, my subconscious warned me. Remember the weird dreams about the boats and the caves and the thing that attacked Sydney? They have to mean something. You know there’s still more for you to do.
Our truck came to a stop as my alter ego went silent. It was time to face our destinies once more.
·~·
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A crowd had gathered on a large grassy field in the centre of Central Park. Chairs had been neatly lined up so the five hundred guests and dignitaries could sit in relative comfort during the ceremony. Most of the people gathered were male and they sat with military straightness. Some had flown in from overseas to represent their countries.
A small podium sat on a stage in front of the crowd, waiting for a speaker to approach. General Sanderson and his surviving soldiers stood to the left of the platform in ranks that were as neat as the chairs. Our small group of vampires was directed to a row of seven chairs that were to the right of the podium. Sanderson stood directly across from me. I felt his blue gaze boring into my face but I didn’t deign to acknowledge him.
Sending out my senses, I couldn’t detect anyone hiding in the trees waiting to ambush us. There were no humans beneath our feet ready to burst out from holes in the ground to gun us down. My suspicion of coming treachery didn’t lessen as we settled in to wait for the show to start.
I cocked my head to the side when I heard a chopper approaching. It took the humans a lot longer to hear it. When they did, they craned their heads to watch as it landed several hundred yards away. Only when the blades had stopped rotating did the doors open. Two men wearing sombre black suits jumped out first then helped President Rivers to the ground. From their neat haircuts and general alertness, they were probably Secret Service agents. More of the dark suited men stood around the perimeter of the field. They kept their eyes out for enemies as several aides jumped out of the chopper.
Straightening her conservative navy blue jacket, the president strode towards the podium wearing a determined expression. Her assistants scurried after her, hurrying to catch up despite her much shorter stature. In person, she was even more buxom than on TV. Intelligent blue eyes studied us curiously as she climbed the three steps to the podium.
Standing at the lectern, Rivers flicked a rapid glance at Sanderson he nodded slightly in response. That sly exchange was the sign of impending treachery that I’d been waiting for and I sent out my senses once more. The parade that had been promised to us was a lie. No cheering, grateful citizens would be lining up to throw rose petals at us as we drifted by in convertible cars after the speeches were finished. Apart from everyone who’d gathered in the field, the area was empty of human life.
My instincts had warned me that the humans would turn on us yet again and I was glad I’d listened to them. I sought for and found the little surprise that my subconscious had suggested I leave behind. It was time to put my contingency plan into action.
President Rivers tapped the microphone to make sure it was on. It gave a high pitched whine that made me wince and Geordie mutter an expletive. “On behalf of the United States of America,” she began, “I would like to thank you for aiding General Sanderson and his people in saving us from the threat of alien invasion.” Her expression was sincere but her eyes darted away from us to Sanderson then back again. “There is no way we can ever repay you for the services you have rendered, not just for us but for the entire world. As a token of our gratitude,” she paused to give the general a much more significant glance, “I would like to present you with these medals.” She motioned to her aides and one of them scurried forward holding a small black case. He climbed up to the stage and flipped open the lid to reveal a row of shiny silver medallions.
“Told you,” Geordie whispered smugly.
I nodded but the sick feeling in my stomach made it impossible to respond. Any second now, the treachery would be revealed.
“Please approach the podium so that I can bestow these medals on you,” the woman in charge of the U.S. government said and beckoned us to come forward.
“Let’s get this travesty over with,” I told the others quietly. We stood and headed towards the platform in single file.
Gripping the wooden lectern tightly, Rivers gave the order that I’d been both expecting and dreading. “Now, Sanderson!”
Pointing at us, the general barked an order at his men. “Cut them down!”
An expectant hush fell over the crowd of spectators as they waited for us to be showered with expl
osive bullets. None of the soldiers obeyed the order that their commander had given them. Sanderson turned to look at his men in confusion. They stood quietly, eyes on me, waiting for their true commander to tell them what to do. “I’m ordering you to shoot the vampires!” he shouted.
“Don’t bother trying to give them orders,” I told him. “They’re under my control now.” This was the second precaution I’d taken and I was relieved that I had. I’d secretly placed a light level of hypnotism over the soldiers right from the first night we’d joined forces. Doing so prevented them from turning on us now. I’d strengthened my hold over them during our lengthy journey from Vegas back to Manhattan. They were now my henchmen and would remain so until I decided to let them go.
Using the lectern to hold up her shaking legs, President Rivers stared at me in dismay. “There’s been a mistake,” she croaked. “General Sanderson acted without my authorisation. I did not intend for him to attempt to assassinate you.” Sanderson flicked a glare at her and I felt a stab of satisfaction that he’d just received a taste of what it felt like to be betrayed by someone he’d trusted.
“Sure you did,” I contradicted her. “This was your plan all along. Did you really think we’d be stupid enough to trust you walking blood bags again?” My tone was rife with contempt. “We saved your species from becoming slaves twice and you repaid us by killing most of us and experimenting on the rest. Then you did us the favour of sending us into space.”
Her eyes darted from side to side, seeking for a way out of my trap. There would be no escape from my wrath for any of these people. It was time to turn the tables on the betrayers. I took one step towards the president and stopped when Sanderson snatched Sergeant Wesley’s gun out of his hands. I regretted not turning him into one of my minions as he fired three rapid shots at me. I dodged them easily and they exploded behind me as I sprinted towards him. Snatching the gun out of his hand, I bent it in half and tossed it away. It landed with a soft thump somewhere in the darkness.