Dead Hearts (Book 2): Forsaken Hearts

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  Keeping pace with Picasso was all Rose thought about. She kept right behind him until the cars ended at a residential area. Picasso launched his muscular body into the air, landed on an adjacent rooftop, and turned back to wave her on. Rose had never house-jumped before and found it exciting to finally use her vampire powers and agility, making the jump with ease.

  With the wind in her hair as they jumped from house to house, she imagined she was flying. Picasso, straight-laced and serious, seemed to be having fun as well. When Rose felt confident, she started to race Picasso. She laughed, egging him on, having more fun than she’d had in ages. She could have gone on forever, acting like kids, without ever tiring, but the neighborhood soon came to an end.

  At the last house, Rose caught hold of Picasso’s arm and pulled him back. A hundred yards stretched between the house and the camp barricade. “It looks like Commander Cadence has doubled the guards at the gate,” she said. “We need to warn them what is coming.”

  “I have every intention of doing so. First things first.”

  Two tall guard towers flanked a chain link gate. The twenty-foot high electric fence was attached on either side of the tower, stretching all the way to the canyon walls. A horde of zombies were gathered at the main gate, filling the road like a traffic jam. Armed teenage patrols stood in the guard towers, sporadically firing down at the zombies. She didn’t see any green uniforms in the tower. The Freedom Army soldiers were all standing inside the newly-built observation deck. Even though it was a grim situation, the kid’s laughter could be heard over the gunfire and groans of the zombies.

  “You’ve jumped that barricade countless times,” said Picasso. He pointed at several trucks parked on the street. “All we have to do is get a running start and land on the nearest truck, and then go up and over the fence. With our vampire speed, the humans and zombies will never notice us. You ready?”

  Rose watched a zombie at the fence as it touched the fence. On contact, a loud zap was followed a grizzly scream from the unfortunate creature. Even across the road, Rose was able to smell the roasting flesh as it blackened, burning from the inside out.

  Together, Rose and Picasso grasped hands, took a running leap and soared across the mob of wailing zombies. They landed on a black Blazer, sprang upwards without being spotted, and cleared the barricade. Dropping onto the roof of the observation deck without making the slightest noise, they slid onto the platform, opened the door and entered to find Lieutenant Sterling and five soldiers. At the officer’s nod, the soldiers raised their weapons.

  “Take it easy, soldier,” said Picasso, his tone steely. “Highbrow sent for us.”

  “It’s about bloody time! I need your help, Captain Picasso. Those things followed the Tigers back to camp.” Lieutenant Sterling didn’t sound happy. “Go on in, Dr. Rose. You’re expected at the infirmary. Micah arrived a few minutes across. He and Captain Highbrow are at Midnight Falls, trying to get the fence up. I’ll let them know you’ve arrived.”

  The gunfire from the guard towers grew frantic, along with the shouting.

  Rose raced out of the observation deck, making her way along the winding road at breakneck speed. She reached the infirmary, neither breathless nor sweating as she entered. She slid on her lab coat, smoothed her hair, and calmly approached Logan and Raven standing beside a surgery table.

  Bright lights dangled on cords above the table where Freeborn lay. The patient was covered to her chin with a white sheet, secured to the table with straps. Rose smelled a faint, rancid stench coming from Freeborn, but doubted the humans were able to detect it. Like all vampires, Rose were able to smell the difference between the healthy and the infected. Dark circles hung under the girl’s closed eyes. Her skin was a sickly shade of gray, her breathing labored.

  Dragon stood nearby, his head buried in his hands. His long black hair hid his face.

  “Rose! Thank God you’re here,” said Raven.

  “What’s our patient’s status?”

  “Freeborn was bitten about two hours ago.”

  “What took you so long?” asked Logan.

  “There’s a major battle going on at the front gate. Picasso and I had to house jump to get here. The Shadowguard is sending every zombie in the city to Seven Falls.”

  “She’s fighting it,” said Logan, coming over to stand by Rose. “Must be her Cherokee blood that’s keeping her from turning, and the morphine is keeping her quiet. It’s a deep bite on her right hand. Dragon is expecting you to produce a miracle, Doc.”

  Rose put on a pair of rubber gloves. “How is Dragon?” She didn’t need to be told that the young man was suffering, blaming himself for the accident. It was obvious.

  “He’s fine,” said Logan. “Raven gave him a sedative.”

  “It’s your fault it happened, scavenger!” Raven said, glaring at Logan. “If you’d let Thor take the Hummer, this wouldn’t have happened. It should be you lying on the table.”

  Rose caught Logan by the arm, feeling hard muscles roll beneath her hand. “Why must you be so difficult? When you’re asked to help, no matter what it is, you should do it with a smile on your face.”

  “And a song in my heart. No one drives my Hummer but me. But look at the bright side, babe. At least you have a test subject. We gave Freeborn the last of the morphine. I didn’t want to take any chance of her biting us when she turns.”

  Rose uncovered the girl’s right hand, tossing aside the rank dressing. The wound had festered, and the veins in her hand and wrist appeared black. “I need to give Freeborn the test serum now. We’ve waited long enough; get it ready, Raven.”

  Putting her hand on Freeborn’s forehead, Rose felt the intense heat. The disease was aggressively working through her system. The prototype cure had been tested in the Kaiser’s lab but had not been effective. She’d made a few alterations in the last few weeks, but this was the first opportunity she’d had to try it on a viable subject.

  “Cadence came in to check on Freeborn,” said Logan, “then went back out again. She’s not happy with the Dark Angels. You knew the Kaiser set up camp at the Academy, Doc, but you forgot to tell Cadence he brought along a vampire army. Were you saving that part for later?”

  “If you know so much, Logan, why didn’t you tell her?” asked Rose, resisting the urge to toss him out of the cabin. “I heard we’re at Code 3. What is that?”

  “It means everyone has a gun and stands guard,” said Raven. She went to the fridge, took out a tray that contained the vials of the Rose’s new cure and returned. “But security has been raised to Code 4. We shoot strangers first and ask questions later. I think you should know that I cleaned the wound with an antiseptic, Doc. I think it only made it worse. All this black crap started oozing out of the bite mark, so I put on a bandage.”

  Logan prepared the shot. “Zombie blood is toxic, Raven. It tends to react that way when you smear a bunch of antiseptic on it. I thought you’d treated infected patients before? When they’re in, try cutting off the infected part. It might be too late.”

  “Shhh. Dragon will hear you,” said Raven, winching when Freeborn groaned.

  “Did you wear gloves? You must always wear gloves when you’re in here.” Rose scrutinized Raven’s attire. The girl wore a lab coat and gloves. Logan didn’t. “You’re careless. Carelessness will get you killed. Even the smallest cut around a nail bed can allow the virus to enter your blood stream. I’m immune, but I still wear them.”

  Logan put on a pair of gloves before he placed a strap over Freeborn’s forehead, buckling it at the bottom of the table as Cadence entered. The commander walked over and gave a nod, standing silently as Rose held up a syringe filled with a greenish liquid. She tapped it several times to clear any bubbles, then she slid the needle into a vein. A quick push on the applicator flushed the liquid into Freeborn’s body.

  An immediate jerk lifted open Freeborn’s eyes, followed by a violent shudder from head to toe. Reacting fast, Rose placed her hand on Freeborn’s forehead, a
ble to feel the girl’s rapid pulse. The whites of Freeborn’s eyes turned red, and the pupils enlarged. She opened her mouth in a snarl, revealing a black tongue and gums. She wiggled her jaw, popping cartilage as she snarled at Rose. With another jerk, Freeborn coughed out a large amount of reddish-black goo, which Raven quickly wiped away with a towel.

  “Is it working?” asked Dragon, appearing beside Cadence.

  Rose didn’t answer. She kept her hand on the girl’s forehead, able to feel a sudden drop in her temperature; a good sign. The patient closed her eyes. Ten seconds later she opened her eyes, now cast over with a gray film. Black goo dripped from the corners of Freeborn’s mouth. She thrashed against the straps, snarling viciously and repeatedly snapping her teeth. Specks of black landed on Rose’s lab coat.

  “We’re going to have to put Freeborn in the cage,” said Rose. “Take a blood sample, and I’ll run a few tests. When Rafe arrives, we can give her a shot of his blood. He can’t bite her now. She turned but I’m not giving up.”

  “This is useless, Rose,” Logan whispered. “She needs a bullet.”

  Rose pushed Logan back, furious with his attitude. Raven took several blood samples. The blood was black As Logan rolled the surgery table toward a cage, Cadence opened the door, drawing her gun as he pushed it inside.

  “Let me handle this,” said Rose. “Everyone get back. She’s dangerous.”

  Moving faster than the human eye could see, Rose unfastened the straps, tossed Freeborn onto a cot, and exited the cage with the table, slamming the door shut. Freeborn charged the door and let out a frustrated scream. A hand reached through the bars.

  “Do something,” shouted Dragon.

  “I am,” said Rose. “You need to calm down, Dragon. The decomposition of a zombie depends greatly on the strength and health of the human prior to being bitten. Fat deposits increase the speed of decay. If a person is in top physical shape when they’re bitten, like Freeborn, he or she takes longer to turn. I know you want immediate results, but I still think this serum may work. We have to wait and see.”

  “Get Highbrow on the walkie-talkie,” said Cadence, pulling Dragon aside. “Find out if Rafe has been located. We need him here.”

  Dragon took a walkie-talkie from the commander and went outside.

  “While we wait, I’d like to take a little more of your blood, Cadence. I’ve used up everything you’ve donated. I’d like to check Freeborn’s blood against yours. I can’t understand why the antidote isn’t working.”

  “Sure,” said Cadence, sounding apprehensive. “Take what you need.”

  Logan returned the table to its former spot and locked the wheels. Cadence climbed onto it, and pushed up the sleeve of her sweater. Raven placed the zombie blood on Rose’s desk and returned to draw the commander’s blood.

  Returning to her work station, Rose brought up her diagnostic program. “Bring a vial of Cadence’s blood over to me,” she ordered. “Logan, I also need the vials in the fridge labeled ‘A’ through ‘G.’ You know the ones I want, so be quick. Raven, help Cadence into a coat; she needs rest and an IV. Let’s go! Hurry up.”

  Dragon returned. “Highbrow says no one has seen or heard from Rafe. Picasso confirmed he hasn’t been seen since yesterday.”

  The sound of breaking glass brought Rose’s eyes from the computer. Raven had dropped the vial with Cadence’s blood. Broken glass and blood covered the floor. Shaking his head, Dragon bent low and started picking up pieces of glass with his bare fingers. He let out a yelp; he’d cut his finger. Rose was out of her seat and standing next to Dragon in an instant, but not before he licked off the blood.

  “Heavens,” said Rose, appalled. “Are you crazy?” She jerked his hand away from his face. “Properly clean Dragon’s cut, Raven. No one should lick their fingers in a hospital. Show some common sense, son! This place isn’t sanitary.”

  Logan retrieved a broom, along with a dust pan, and cleaned up the mess.

  “I’m sorry, doctor,” Raven said, her voice quivering. She took Dragon to a sink, washed his hand, and applied topical ointment, finishing up with a Band-Aid.

  Dragon held up his bandaged finger. “Look. Good as new, Doc.”

  The strong odor of bleach filled the cabin as Logan cleaned the blood off the floor with bleach and a rag.

  “Place everything we’ve used into the red box for contaminated items,” said Rose. “Don’t leave anything to chance.”

  “I know what I’m doing, Doc,” said Logan.

  “And stay out of my way,” Rose said. “I’m going into ‘vampire-mode’. You won’t see me, but you’ll certainly notice things moving around as if a ghost was in here.”

  A groan came from Freeborn. The zombie girl was shredding the Army blanket on the cot and stuffing the green wool into her mouth. Seeing the girl in such a condition was hard on the humans, but it was inspiration for Rose. She knew that all she needed was to find the element in Cadence’s blood that was missing from the cure. She’d realized that when she’d heard about the commander’s miraculous recovery; it was the main reason she’d left Denver, and it was obviously what had brought the Kaiser as well.

  Rose needed to understand the miracle and replicate it.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Six

  Thor lay beside Star on the couch, his arm draped over her body, waiting for Destry to arrive to fix the short wave radio which sat on a small table behind the desk. A second radio was located at the Freedom Army’s barracks. Rifles lay on top of boxes of ammunition and dynamite, half covered by a tarp; Cadence had been stockpiling supplies. She also had five gallon bottles of water, canned goods, and medical kits, as well as a CD player and a pile of music discs lay under her cot.

  “I wonder where everyone one is. It’s so quiet,” said Thor. No sooner had he spoken when a crackle from a walkie-talkie on the wall made him jump to his feet.

  Walking over to the walkie-talkie, Thor pulled it off the hook, facing Star as he turned up the volume. He heard a voice through the static he didn’t recognize. There were a lot of people living at Seven Falls, and he didn’t know every voice and name. He fiddled with the dial until the voice came in clear.

  “I’m in position,” said a man, with a thick accent. “Any problems?”

  After a pause, another male voice answered. “No problem. It’s all clear. We’re ready when you are, sir.”

  Figuring it was chatter between the F.A. guards at Midnight Falls, Thor turned off the walkie-talkie, returning it to its hook. Star had found two bottles of Coke in a tiny fridge, opening one for each of them. Thor was thirsty and finished it in one gulp.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on guard duty at Midnight Falls?” asked Star, taking a sip. “How long were we here? I should probably check on China Six.”

  “Yeah, I’ll get right up there. You’re a good kisser; I lost track of time.” Thor pointed tossed her the walkie-talkies. “Try to reach Lotus. Your team uses Channel 5.”

  “And you use Channel 3,” said Star as she walked over to the window. She pulled aside the curtain. “Loki, Baldor, Heimdall, and Odin are on the stairs near the waterfall. I’m sure they’re wondering where you are. I don’t see Raven.”

  “She’s probably still with Freeborn.”

  Thor placed the bottle in a wooden rack, making sure his gun was loaded, something he frequently did. He’d seen dumb kids draw a gun with no bullets and get mowed over by zombies. It wasn’t going to happen to him.

  “Sergeant Thor, you’re going to get yourself written up if you don’t join your team,” said Star. He took the bottle out of her hand, placing it on the desk before jerking her into his arms. “Hey! I need to tell you something. It might change your mind about us.”

  “Us? I kinda like that,” said Thor, nuzzling his face against her neck. “What is it, babe?”

  Star took a deep breath. “I’m in love with you, Thor. I have been for some time.”

  “Huh?”

  Star held onto him to keep him from
pulling away. “I never felt like this before. You have no idea how happy I was when Raven started seeing Luna. I know it’s not what you expected to hear, but I think you should tell someone how you feel about them before they walk out the door, you know? In case you never see them again.”

  “Babe, be serious. Nothing is going to happen to me,” said Thor, throatily. “Do we have to talk about this stuff?” He didn’t mind listening to someone else talk about their emotions, but he wasn’t comfortable expressing his own.

  Tears appeared in Star’s eyes. “Life is so short. If anything happened to you, I’d never get over it. Never. I think you’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met. Whenever I’m around you, I feel safe...and grown up.”

  Thor was taken aback. Getting serious, so fast, wasn’t his idea of a good time. “I like you, Star, I really do,” he said, carefully choosing his words. “Are you ready for a serious relationship? We just made out. You can’t even call it our first date.”

  He laughed. She didn’t.

  “I trust you with my life,” said Star. “Can I trust you with my heart?”

  Thor gazed into her eyes, thinking about what to say. This girl was serious about him. She thought he was a man, and she was in love.

  “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, Star.” Thor cracked a toothy smile. “Give me a little time. I’m not used to being so honest. I do care about you.” He smiled. “I probably should join my team. We can hook up later, okay?”