Dead Hearts (Book 2): Forsaken Hearts

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  “I saw Smack crying when she came in. I kinda figured it was bad news.”

  Star set her glass down on a coffee table and went back into the kitchen. She returned moments later with a green trash bag and yellow rubber gloves. It didn’t take her long to clean up. The trash bag was tossed outside, along with the rubber gloves. She returned to her spot on the couch.

  “You could say ‘thank you’.”

  “Thanks.” Dragon plopped down next to Star. He took a sip from her glass of iced tea. “I’ve got a feeling the Kaiser knows we were spying on him. They’ve got helicopters.”

  “How can there me that many vampires? How many are we talking about?

  “Thousands. I think there are more than just a few vampire Makers, Star. There must to be Makers all over the world. If we could get word to Senator Powers, maybe we could find out what’s really going on.”

  Dragon remembered how Star had driven her red Ferrari onto his lawn, saving him from having to kill his zombie mother. He hadn’t been able to kill her, leaving her behind as they drove to Pike’s Peak.

  “Thor was pretty amazing today.” Dragon laughed at her look of surprise. “His quick thinking saved our butts. Give me a minute, and we’ll go over to HQ. I need to clean Hebi and Lóng. It won’t take me long. Maybe Freeborn will show up.”

  “Only you would name your swords ‘snake’ and ‘dragon.’ Go on. I’ll get you something to drink. The iced tea is mine.”

  Star headed to the fridge. Dragon went outside to clean his swords. She joined him, placing a cold bottle with a sake label beside him.

  “You should wear gloves when you clean your swords. If you cut yourself, Dragon, you could get infected.”

  “I’m always careful.” Dragon finished cleaning the blades. He reached for the bottle of sake. Removing the lid, he took a big gulp. “Tastes good.” He handed it to her. She took a sip, giving it right back.

  “Nasty. I hate sake.”

  Dragon didn’t tell her that he didn’t like sake either. The sake bottles contained water with several drops of iodine, which he used to clean cuts and scrapes.

  “Thor is with Cadence at HQ. You ready to go?” he asked, standing. He slid the sword harness over his shoulders, wanting to remain prepared for action.

  Star perked right up. “What are we waiting for?”

  “I’m sure Thor has noticed you, Star. Underneath all that bravado, he’s a bit shy with girls. You never know. Tonight might be your lucky night, China Star.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter Three

  Rose showered quickly, eager to reach camp, and dressed in a black leather jumpsuit and a pair of boots. She wore her pale blonde hair in a ponytail and no makeup. Her light blue eyes were bright and alert. She grabbed her holster, fastened it around her narrow waist, and slid a hunting knife into the side of her boot. Grabbing a large duffle bag containing medical supplies, she opened the door and found Lachlan waiting outside.

  “Captain Highbrow is asking for you,” he said.

  The Irishman stood over six-foot-five and was made of solid muscle, with bright red hair that swept across his forehead and a ready smile. Lachlan wore a green and orange kilt, biker boots, and a dark-green wool sweater. A broadsword was strapped to his back. He’d mentioned before that he carried his family’s ancestral sword, called a galloglass, used ages ago by mercenary warriors who served kings. He’d been visiting his brother’s family in Denver when the Scourge broke out. His story was no different from anyone else’s. He’d done what was necessary to survive.

  “Call came in on the radio. Captain Highbrow is asking for the fence to be brought in from our old camp at the Peak. He also wanted to know where you were,” Lachlan said, in a lilting Irish accent. “I can’t say you look like a doctor with that dagger in your boot.”

  “I like to be prepared,” said Rose, feeling like Lachlan was fishing for information. She hadn’t told anyone she was seeing Logan. Her private life was supposed to be private.

  A strong smell of mildew permeated the hallway. There were leaks in the roof. Some of the windows in the larger rooms were covered with boards.

  “I wouldn’t mind heading over early myself. I think Cadence is a very attractive young lady, and if she wasn’t already taken, I’d ask her out,” said Lachlan, grinning.

  The elevator door opened. Lachlan politely stepped aside in order for Rose to enter first. He stepped in behind her and hit the lobby button. Elevator music was playing softly. Picasso had thought about turning it off, however, everyone was so amused to hear the cheap canned music, they’d left it on.

  “Did Highbrow say if Rafe took the kids to the Citadel?”

  Lachlan shook his head. “Rafe was a no show. None of the Dark Angels consider Rafe our leader, Rose. He can’t replace you. Honestly, I don’t think the kids like Rafe much more than the rest of us do. Rafe and Highbrow hate each other. Why? Commander Cadence. She attracts males like bees to honey.”

  “I guess that makes you one big bee,” said Rose, smiling.

  The elevator stopped moving, and the steel cords above gave a hard shake.

  “Maybe I should have told Cadence and Highbrow the truth about the Kaiser,” said Rose. “But I didn’t want to be the one to break the news. I thought it would be easier for them to hear it from Rafe. Cadence trusts Rafe, even if Highbrow doesn’t. When Rafe volunteered to take a team to the Citadel, I jumped right on it. As far as those kids know, vampires only came into existence a few weeks ago. They couldn’t know the Kaiser has been around a lot longer than we have or the extent of his rapidly growing empire.”

  Lachlan smiled. “I think you didn’t want to tell Cadence and Highbrow because you were afraid they’d blame you for bringing the Shadowguard here,” he said. “I know you want the humans to trust us, Rose. You genuinely want to help, but your problem is that you want everyone to like you.”

  Rose had sent Rafe to the camp the evening prior, hoping he’d take a patrol to check out the Kaiser’s new headquarters. She was worried. If Rafe was missing, it meant he might be the Kaiser’s latest prisoner.

  The elevator door opened, revealing Picasso and Tandor waiting in the lobby.

  “Good afternoon,” Picasso said, adjusting his tie. “We’re ready to take you to the camp.”

  He opened his suit coat and revealed two silver revolvers holstered under each arm. In the lining of his coat hung a number of gruesome looking throwing knifes, which Picasso had learned to handle with deadly force as a U.S. Army Ranger.

  Rose’s second guard was Tandor. He was from Tokyo, a former employee of a computer company, as well as a thrill-seeking street bike racer. He wore a full-bodied Kushitani leather suit which he claimed offered more protection than Kevlar. A museum-quality Japanese katana was strapped to his back. He wore two guns on each thigh.

  “You’re overdoing it a bit,” said Rose. “I was planning to drive to camp. I don’t need you two going everywhere I go.”

  Lachlan swept past Rose on his way to the front door of the hotel. Two female guards stood adjacent to the glass doors, weapons slung over their shoulders.

  “Is everything secure out here, ladies? You look rather lax when you should be worrying about those zombies approaching. Did you not notice?”

  Tandor laughed. He winked at one of the female vampires. “Stop being a bully, Lachlan. I’m sure Ginger and Shanna can take care of a few zombies.”

  “It better only be a few,” said Picasso.

  “We’re taking you to the camp whether you like it or not, Rose,” said Tandor, opening the door. He walked outside, drawing a gun to shoot the two zombies in the parking lot. “Pallaton hasn’t returned my calls. Nor have we heard from Rafe.”

  Captain Pallaton of the Shadowguard lived a precarious life, serving the Kaiser while being an informant for the Dark Angels. Rose trusted Pallaton even if no one else did. He’d arranged for the Dark Angels to escape from Denver, and without his help, they’d all be dead or prisoners of the Kaiser.
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  “I’ll contact him,” said the tall Irishman. “Ginger, bring Micah to the camp later.” He followed Rose and her guards outside. “Don’t look for me before midnight. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Good luck.” Spinning around, his kilt swishing in a masculine manner, he went inside.

  Several Dark Angels stood beside a limo, shooting at zombies that had lumbered within sight. More vampires stood guard on top of the hotel. Picasso opened the back door.

  “Get in, Rose. It’s your turn to drive, Tandor.” Picasso tossed his buddy a set of keys.

  Rose climbed inside the limo, and Picasso sat in front with Tandor.

  Zombies were attracted to the headlights. A sniper on the roof started eliminating the problem as the limo headed out of the parking lot. Tandor deliberately ran into a forlorn creature, knocking it over, laughing when it squished beneath the tires.

  “I love German cars,” said Tandor. “It’s like driving a tank, but stylish.”

  * * *

  “Rafe was a no show, Commander,” said Thor in a firm voice. “I went ahead and took the team to the Citadel. From what we saw, the Kaiser is here to stay. We’re heavily outnumbered and under supplied.”

  Thor stood in front of Cadence’s desk with his legs braced apart and his hands on his hips. Cadence studied the photographs on the digital camera. Her vivid green eyes narrowed as flipped through them. Highbrow, her second in command, stood beside the desk. He wore a green uniform and blue beret. Thor noticed Highbrow’s gear was no longer in Cadence’s cabin. He’d heard that Highbrow had moved into the barracks. The gossip that they’d broken up seemed to be true, but it wasn’t his business.

  “You need to see these, Captain Highbrow,” said Cadence, handing him the camera. “I hoped it wasn’t true, but we’ve got a war on our hands. The Kaiser didn’t come here to make friends. All this time we’ve operated like we were the only survivors in the world. That’s clearly not the case. He’s turning everyone he finds into vampires. We’re next.”

  “Not if we tighten security.” Highbrow was a lean, book-smart seventeen-year-old. “Our patrols aren’t enough. We need the Dark Angels. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s possible that Rafe is working for the Kaiser.”

  “Rafe is on our side,” said Cadence. “He’ll show up. He always does. You better post more people at the front gate. If the Kaiser is serious about taking over Colorado Springs, he’ll send every zombie to our doorstep. This vampire is smart. We expend our bullets on zombies so he doesn’t have to, which means we’ll soon run out of ammunition. I’d do the same thing if I was in his shoes.”

  “We’re sitting ducks,” said Thor. “If that barricade doesn’t hold, we’ll be overrun. I think it’s time we left Seven Falls and move further into the mountains.”

  Highbrow snorted. “I don’t think we need to move quite yet. Where would we go? The Kaiser would only follow, and you know it. We’ve spent a great deal of time fortifying this camp. I don’t want to leave. This is our home. I say we stay and fight back with everything we’ve got.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant Thor. This is the precise information we needed,” said Cadence. “Your mission was a success, and you returned with valuable information.”

  “My dad will come,” said Highbrow. “He’ll bring the Marines and wipe these no good blood suckers out of existence. If we could get word to my dad, I know he’d come by tomorrow.”

  Cadence shook her head. “Sending even one Dark Angel to Florida to look for your dad isn’t prudent. I agree we need every Dark Angel here to protect this camp. They’ve sworn to fight for us already. Vampires aren’t just in Colorado, Highbrow. They must be everywhere. Send Picasso to Fort Carson. I want whatever he can find, more guns, more ammunition. And I wouldn’t mind having a few tanks and a helicopter of our own. In the meantime, I’ll ask Luna and the werepumas to patrol the upper hiking trails.”

  A voice came from a walkie-talkie on Cadence’s desk.

  “Captain Highbrow, it’s Lieutenant Sterling. We got trouble.”

  Highbrow picked up the device and went outside to talk in private. Thor found it odd that Highbrow didn’t talk directly to a lower-ranking officer while in the commander’s presence. She didn’t comment. Thor seized the opportunity to lodge a complaint.

  “Commander, I think you should know I didn’t take the Hummer,” said Thor. “Logan refused to give me the keys. Nomad offered a battle truck, but we’re low on gas. I didn’t want to be stranded on the road so I took a Jeep and three ATVs. But we lost the ATVs in the ambush. The Jeep still has a little gas. The cage worked, but I wouldn’t return to the Springs; it’s overrun with zombies.”

  “Logan told me that he gave you the keys,” said Cadence. “I’ll talk to him about it, Thor. Rose says he’s been helpful. She’s running tests to see if anyone else is immune to the virus. I think there’s a little more going on between those two, but don’t mention that to anyone.”

  The door opened, and Highbrow came back in, a worried look on his face. He placed the walkie-talkie on the table.

  “It’s just like we thought,” said Highbrow. “Lieutenant Sterling says zombies are gathering at the barricade. Lots. I’ve got to get up there. I’ll send Destry to fix your short wave radio. Rose is on her way here.”

  Cadence leaned over to slide the walkie-talkie into Highbrow’s coat pocket. She had a dozen more on the back wall. “Keep it. I want regular updates. As of this moment, we’re on Code 3. I want patrols out, round the clock. Coordinate the team’s time schedules. Send F.A. soldiers to Midnight Falls. I want a patrol team sent to the infirmary and to Lookout Point. Have Betsy take the little kids into the tunnel with a patrol team. We have to be ready for anything.”

  “I’ll have Lieutenant Kahn coordinate the teams,” said Highbrow. “The War Gods were in ROTC in high school. The Bandits can help Betsy. Nomad and Sturgis have built a few new battle tanks out of those old armored bank cars. As soon as Micah and Lachlan arrive, we can finishing building the fence at Midnight Falls and get the tower raised.”

  Cadence nodded. “Let me know when Rose gets here. I need to talk to her.”

  “Sunday sermons? Good idea or not?” Highbrow walked over to the door, picking up his rifle. “Betsy thinks the little kids need to hear something positive to keep their spirits up. It’s your call, Commander.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be over at the infirmary if you need me. Get something to eat, Sergeant Thor. I want the Vikings standing guard at the waterfall. We’re vulnerable there until that tower is raised. Captain, get to it.”

  Highbrow saluted Cadence. He hurried out the door, leaving it wide open. A cool breeze came into the cabin. Thor looked toward the door, anxious to leave.

  “Am I dismissed, Commander?”

  Cadence didn’t answer. She lowered her face into her hands. Her shoulders slumped as all the fight seemed to go out of her. Thor thought she had to be crying. He shut the door.

  “You okay, Commander?” Thor sat on an old leather couch that faced the desk. “Is this about Highbrow? I know he hasn’t been sleeping here. You want to talk about it?”

  “It’s not Highbrow.” Cadence lifted her head. Her eyes were red. “We’re drifting apart, but that’s to be expected. It’s especially difficult since we’re both running this camp. But that’s not the problem, Thor. One of the Tigers was bitten today.”

  “What? Who?” Thor felt his heart leap into his throat.

  “Freeborn.”

  “But Freeborn never mentioned it to me. Does Dragon know?”

  Cadence blinked back tears. “No one knows. Not even Highbrow,” she said, in a guilt ridden voice. “Freeborn locked herself in a cell in the infirmary. She made me promise I wouldn’t say anything until Rose arrives. If Rose doesn’t come up with a cure, and fast, Freeborn is going to become a zombie.”

  “I’m sure Rose can help Freeborn.”

  Swearing softly, Cadence gazed at the ceiling. “You don’t get it. I can’t lose the one person I depe
nd on. Highbrow is a huge help, but it’s Freeborn’s strength that gets me through the day. What am I going to do without her?”

  “I’m trying to think when it happened. Freeborn was last in the Jeep. We returned about an hour ago. It doesn’t take long to turn, Cadence.”

  “We need Rafe. He’s a Maker. He saved me. I’d rather Freeborn be a vampire than a zombie. But if he doesn’t get here and soon....”

  The door opened. Dragon, Star, Blaze, and Whisper entered the cabin. No one looked more upset than Dragon.

  “We heard everything. Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Dragon.

  “Because Freeborn didn’t want you or anyone else to know,” said Thor, speaking on Cadence’s behalf. “If you heard us talking, then you know Freeborn is over at the infirmary. You better get over there, Dragon. Rose is on her way.”

  “There isn’t any cure,” shouted Dragon. “If the Kaiser had one, wouldn’t he already have been using it? Vampires can’t feed on zombies. What’s wrong with you people?” He spun around and took off.

  “Should one of us go after him?” asked Blaze, knitting her brows together.

  Whisper shook his head. “Let him be. Come on. Smack and Dodger need to hear this from us.” They went out the door, shutting it behind them.

  Thor glanced over at Star. The girl looked devastated. Acting on impulse, he went over, putting his arm around her shoulders. He gave her a squeeze.

  “Come sit down. You’re pale as a ghost.” Thor walked Star over to the couch, taking a seat next to her. She threw her arms around his neck. “Hey! It’s going to be okay. Rose is coming!”

  “Not fast enough,” said Cadence. She grabbed a gun off of her desk. She headed to the door. “I’m going after Highbrow. I need to tell him in person, not on a walkie-talkie. Stay here and wait for Destry. Have him fix that damn radio. I shouldn’t have to go up to the barracks in order to contact the Dark Angels every time I need to talk with them. I’m sure the Kaiser is listening to everything we say.”