Dead Hearts (Book 2): Forsaken Hearts

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  Thor turned back to the TV right in time to see Federov rip off Aries’ arms and throw them into the crowd. The fans went wild with applause. Aries was shorter, but bulkier. While Federov waved to the crowd, Aries body slammed the Russian into the corner of the cage and took a bite out of his neck. It took five seconds for Aries to drain Federov’s blood. The champion dropped to the ground like a deflated balloon.

  “Holy crap,” shouted Thor, food falling from his mouth. He turned to look at the card players. “Did you see that? He sucked him dry!”

  “It’s barbaric,” said Phoenix. She reached down and picked her bow off the floor. “I think I’ll take a look around. Come on, Moon Dog.” As she headed to the door, the black wolf with the white-tipped tail rose to his feet, stretched, and trotted out after her.

  Rafe tossed his cards in. “I hate poker. I’m not winning cause you’re cheating, Barbarella. You keep glancing at Skye before you ask for cards, and she is dealing from the bottom of the deck for you.”

  Skye laughed. “No, I’m not.” Her voice was calm, but she was apparently annoyed since her ears sprouted fur and her cheeks grew whiskers. “You just can’t play poker, Rafe. It’s your deal anyway.”

  Dodger and Smack sat at another table, under a hanging light, playing Jenga. The tower was growing taller. Both were quiet, for once, taking the game seriously.

  “I love this place! I never want to check out,” called out Loki. He swept into the room, fresh from a hot shower, wearing a hockey jersey and fuzzy slippers. Taking a seat beside Xena, he accepted a margarita from Lachlan. “The last guy to have my room left behind his travel bags. Guess he was a sports fan, and a bit eccentric.”

  “It’s snowing if anyone is interested,” said Lotus, entering the room. Kirin and Monkey were with her. All three were dressed in battle gear. They went over to the bar, sat, and started eating sandwiches.

  “I wish I could watch world news,” Kirin said, accepting a margarita from the Irishman. “I’d love to know what’s going on in London. Why can’t the Shadowguard set up web cams or start a social media page?” Her voice turned sarcastic. “Oh, that’s right. We don’t have the internet and vamps don’t care about current events.”

  Lachlan laughed. “Hey, that's not entirely true. Here's some news: in Europe, the animals aren’t affected by the virus. It’s only here that we have shape shifters like Luna and Red Hawk. A true werewolf only turns at the full moon, with no memory of their human side, and it operates purely on instincts and blood lust. They are the Old Ones, for they don’t age. No one knows how long they’ve been around, but they are so feared by the European vampires that the Kaiser has banned them from North America.”

  “Why no shape shifters in Europe?” asked Cadence. “The vampire virus spread to the rest of the world. Doesn’t make much sense to me.”

  Lachlan grinned. “Vampire Makers in Europe don’t feed on animals. In fact, D’Aquilla is the only Maker overseas since he’s killed all of his competition. The Kaiser is doing the same thing here. He’s executed most of the Makers, keeping only those that breed superior offspring. Rafe was supposed to be executed.”

  “Rafe is the only reason I’m alive,” said Cadence. “Don’t tease him.”

  “Thank you,” said Rafe. “At least one person here likes me.”

  “And this is what you call a Royal Flush,” Barbarella said, laying out her cards. “I win again!”

  The Irishman came over and knelt between Thor and Cadence. “The only reason the fights are being aired is for the Kaiser to reach out to other vampires and to strike fear in the hearts of any human survivors. I happen to believe the U.S. government and a few other world leaders have survived. All Vampire Makers have sworn allegiance to the Kaiser. Instead of fighting amongst each other for control of cities, they’ve agreed to hold Death Games to sort out their differences. In a way, it’s civilized. It’s better than war.”

  Thor rubbed his newly trimmed chin, thinking over what Lachlan had said. He couldn’t help wondering how they’d stand up in the games against opponents like Aries of Athens or an Old One.

  Freeborn came in, reading a magazine, and sat at the bar. She grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water. Thor turned back to the TV to see a tawny werewolf with long fangs fight a slender female vampire with a whip in a suspended cage. It wasn’t as exciting as football, but Thor was riveted. He let out a cheer when the werewolf won.

  Smack pulled a wooden block out of the tower. The blocks swayed and crashed, scattering across the table. The girl let out a cry of outrage.

  “Jenga!” shouted Dodger. He took a sip of his drink and gagged. “This tastes awful, Lachlan. You made them too strong.”

  “Don’t drink it then,” said Freeborn. “You know, our bodies are changing, and we’re developing different strengths. Cricket is faster than anyone else. Kirin didn’t bother taking the stairs from the second floor. She cleared the railing and jumped.” Freeborn pointed over at Lotus. “Did you or did you not tell me that you and Monkey scaled the elevator shaft for the sheer fun of it?”

  “It wasn’t that fun. I got dirty,” said Monkey.

  “We did it in five seconds flat.” Lotus sounded pleased. “All ten floors. Monkey didn’t use the steel cables like I did. She jumped down and landed on top of the elevator.”

  “That’s my point.” Freeborn went over and stood in front of the television, blocking the screen. “All of us are reacting differently to the Chameleon Blood. I suggest everyone start paying more attention. Sneaking into the Citadel isn’t going to be easy. We need to figure out what we’re each capable of so we can play to our strengths. Instead of watching the games, we should be testing our own limits.”

  The conversation ended when Picasso came into the room. He’d been outside, and his wool coat was covered with snow. Phoenix and Moon Dog walked in behind him.

  “I checked the perimeter as you asked, Commander,” said Picasso. “The rest of the Dark Angels are standing guard. One is in the security room, monitoring the security cameras.”

  “Let’s turn off the TV and sort out the details of this mission,” said Cadence. “Do you have the map that I asked for, Picasso?”

  The vampire pulled a map out of the back of his pants and spread it out across the coffee table. He’d already marked places where their team members were being held. Trying to get to all of them was going to be extremely difficult. Freeborn, Phoenix, and Lachlan came over, crouching down in front of the table. The rest of the team remained seated, but had quieted down and were listening.

  “Tomorrow night is when the Kaiser will expect us,” said Picasso. “The Falcon football stadium is the new arena, and the Kaiser will have tight security. There are tunnels all over the campus that the humans can use, while the Dark Angels won’t have any problem blending in with the audience. The Dark Angels will have the best chance of getting into the slave pens. They’ll have the F.A. soldiers and Elite beneath the stadium before game time. Tandor is scheduled to fight during the second half. Dragon fights last. His opponent is Aries of Athens.”

  “I assume Pallaton provided this information.” Cadence raised her eyes. "Did he mention where Star, Blaze, and Whisper are behind held?”

  “No word on Whisper. Blaze has escaped. Pallaton is looking for her, but she’s vanished,” Picasso said. “Star is Aldarik’s slave, so she’ll be with him. It’ll be just as hard to reach Raven, and, worse, the Kaiser has turned Raven. As his new vampire mistress, she’ll be in the box with the rest of the vampire lords. If we can get word to Dragon, he might be able to help. Pallaton says Dragon killed seventeen Shadowguard before he was captured. Didn’t you say he cut his finger in the lab?”

  Cadence nodded. “If he’s infected with my blood, then he must be changing like the rest of you. Any word on Logan? Does Pallaton know if Logan provided the Kaiser with my blood? Do they know about me?”

  “Pallaton didn’t say anything about it, and I didn’t bring it up,” said Picasso. “The less Pallaton kn
ows about you and your team, the better chance we have of surprising the Kaiser. I don’t think Pallaton would betray us; then again, he’s the Captain of the Shadowguard and expected to follow orders. There’s a good chance he knows we’re at the hotel. I think we should find a new location.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that too.” Thor sat aside his empty beer bottle. “I played on that field. If Dragon is like us, then he won’t have any problem getting Star and Raven out of the stadium. Blaze and Whisper may be hiding over at the Citadel, waiting for us to arrive. Rose said your Maker is still alive. Will Salustra help us? She’d be the one to contact and tell Dragon what we’re planning…unless you trust Pallaton. And I don’t.”

  Lachlan and Picasso stood up and went over to the bar to talk, and Thor wasn’t happy that they were discussing things in private. Nor was Cadence. She went over and joined the conversation, so Thor did as well so everyone in the room could join in.

  “I’ll take half the Dark Angels and free the Elite,” said Lachlan. “Picasso, you take the other half and free the F.A. soldiers.” He gave Thor a thin smile. “If you’re going after Star and Raven, it’ll be easier if you sneak into their sleeping quarters. That leaves Dragon. Salustra is his guardian. With her help, we can coordinate with Dragon and have him provide a diversion for Thor.”

  “That means we need to go tonight,” said Thor. Everyone looked at him. “We go in tomorrow, and they’ll be waiting for us. Hit them tonight, when they’re not expecting it, and we can pull this off. What does the Kaiser have planned for tonight?”

  “Another banquet,” said Lachlan and Picasso at the same time.

  “What about Raven?” Luna came running over to the bar. She wiggled in between Cadence and Thor, tears in her eyes. “I can’t leave Raven there. Just because she’s a vampire doesn’t change things. I still feel the same about her.”

  Thor went over to Loki. “Give me the vial of blood back. In fact, everyone who has a vial, place it on the bar.” He waited until all six vials were on the bar. “We’re going to put this on all of our swords, knives, and bullets. Lachlan, grab me a bowl and set it on the table. Whatever is left can be given to the Elite and F.A. soldiers.”

  “Brilliant,” said Cadence. “Let’s get it done.”

  The vampires backed away from the bar. The werepumas and werewolves stayed out of the way, as well, since no one knew what Chameleon Blood would do to them. Thor poured the contents of two vials of blood into a bowl, and used a bar rag to wipe the liquid across everyone’s swords, knives and arrow tips. Handing the rag to Xena, the Amazon dabbed a trace of blood on the end of each of their gun barrels. Anyone with a revolver covered the tips of their bullets. Leaving the team to their work, Thor walked over to the vampires.

  “All it takes is one drop to turn a human or kill a vamp,” said Thor. “Be careful handling this, guys.” He held out three vials of blood and pocketed the last to keep it in reserve. Picasso, Rafe, and Lachlan put on gloves before they each took a vial and slipped it into their coat pockets.

  “We need an exit plan,” said Rafe. “The Shadowguard have a Black Hawk that seats about a dozen. Can anyone fly it?”

  “I’m a pilot.” Picasso offered. “Why don’t I secure the chopper and have Freeborn lead my half of the Angels?” He put his hand on Rafe’s shoulder. “Find Tandor. He’ll be in the music hall. Give the blood to as many humans as you can reach and then meet me at the chopper.”

  Red Hawk went behind a chair, a bit shyer than the other therianthropes, morphing into a human before he stood up and addressed the crowd.

  “I suggest we start off at the Cliff Dwellings where my tribe used to live,” said Red Hawk. “The Shadowguard knows about that place, and that’s why they won’t expect us to return. The tunnels will be watched, so will the interstate, but Moon Dog and I know a mountain trail that will take us behind the Citadel. They won’t anticipate us coming in from the north.”

  A gunshot echoed through the hotel, sending everyone into a scramble. Thor grabbed his holster, sliding it over his shoulder, and tossed an assault rifle to Cadence. He assumed it was the Shadowguard. Freeborn headed out the door with the Amazons. Luna and her pride morphed into pumas and circled around Cadence. The rest of the kids and vampires grabbed their weapons and coats, preparing to leave through a window. Lachlan had removed the boards, allowing snow flurries to enter the bar.

  “It’s Sarge,” said Freeborn, reappearing in the doorway. “I found him on the second floor. The crazy bastard broke the lock on his door. He must have found a spare gun in one of the rooms. He’s dead. I left the Dark Angels in the lobby. They’re ready to go.”

  “Let’s move out,” said Cadence.

  Thor turned off the lights after the team headed down the hall. He hadn’t liked Sarge, but he felt sorry for him. If Sarge had been given Chameleon Blood, Thor wondered if he’d have regained his sanity or turned back into the mean-spirited tyrant he’d been before. It didn’t matter either way, except the world had lost one more human.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Rose sat at Cadence’s desk in the HQ. The desk was covered with maps and the parts of a disassembled rifle. On the corner of the desk was a framed Polaroid photo of the Fighter Tigers taken at the Peak. A green telephone had replaced the short wave radio on the back bar. All of the supplies Cadence had stored in her cabin were also missing. Rose had left the crowd watching the infirmary burn and had come to the cabin to take a break. The camp was in an uproar with the departure of Cadence and her new team. A few people wanted to join Cadence, after the fact, and had gathered at the mess hall to make demands of Captain Highbrow.

  When the phone rang, Rose leaned back and picked it up. “Hello?”

  “Rose? It’s Pallaton. We’re headed to the Broadmoor. Get your people out.”

  The line went dead. Rose hit the receiver button and dialed the Broadmoor. All she heard was a busy tone. The phone lines had apparently been cut. She hung up the phone, tore off her lab coat, and ran out the door. She found Micah and the Dark Angels at their RVs, standing outside the door, watching the smoke rising up into the night sky.

  “We’re leaving,” said Rose, her heart fluttering with excitement. “Pallaton’s sending troops to the Broadmoor. Cadence is there. She doesn’t know the Shadowguard are coming. The phones are out, so we’ll have to leave now if we’re to get there in time. I’ll fill Highbrow in and meet you back here.”

  The fire from the infirmary lit up the area, casting an orange glow over the gathered camp members. Rose found Highbrow with the Bulldogs, seated at a picnic table. The captain seemed out of sorts, which was understandable. Lieutenant Sterling was nowhere to be seen. As she approached the table, Highbrow straightened.

  “Pallaton called,” said Rose. “The Shadowguard are advancing on the Broadmoor. I’m taking the Angels. I won’t let the Kaiser get his hands on Cadence. You need to get up and put your camp on alert. They’ll be coming for you next.”

  Highbrow stared at her, as if his head was in a fog. “It was her choice to leave. I made the rules quite clear. If you can’t follow my orders, then you must leave the camp. Is that what you’re doing, Rose? Leaving me as well?”

  “Pull yourself together, Captain! The Shadowguard are coming!”

  Her shouting set every kid within ear shot into motion. Odin pulled Highbrow up to his feet and got him moving. Kids scrambled to take up positions behind makeshift trenches, surrounded by bags of dirt, and lights in the back of battle tanks shined upon the cliffs. At least Highbrow’s teams knew what they were doing, even though he seemed to be shell shocked. She didn’t have time for a pep talk. She’d let Cadence down once and didn’t plan on doing it again.

  Returning to the Dark Angels RV, Rose took an M16 from Micah, slid the strap over her shoulder, and took the team down a path that led to the side of the cliff. Everyone knew what had to be done. In an instant, the vampires scrambled up the side of the cliff, leapt the fence, and sprinte
d across the rocky terrain. Flare guns fired from the camp below exploded high above the canyon, creating a red glow that lit up the sky. They kept to the cliffs, following an upper trail all the way to the road. With the barricade below on their right, the Dark Angels jumped into the air, landing on the far side of the road.

  Micah led the way through a seemingly quiet neighborhood that, on closer inspection, had zombies resident on every lawn and porch, giving the vampires no choice but to jump from roof to roof. Not finding any enjoyment in it the second time around, Rose pushed her team hard, and they reached the highway and raced through a gathering of the living dead. Zombies spun around as they were pushed out of the way, unaware twenty Dark Angels had slipped through their superior numbers. The vampires sped across a grassy field, filled with crude grave markers and dark mounds, and approached the back of the Broadmoor Hotel.

  Black uniformed Shadowguard came marching around the sides of the hotel, keeping in formation, boots stomping. One after another, the Dark Angels leaped to a small strip of cement sticking out from under the windows of the second floor. Pushing the windows inward, the team dropped down inside. Micah went to the door, carefully opened it a crack, and peered into the dark hallway.

  “Find Cadence and get her team out,” said Rose, drawing her gun. “Meet at the gas station at Colorado Avenue and the 24. We’ll regroup there.”

  With Ginger at her side, Rose hurried to the sports bar, relying on her vampire vision to move through the dark hotel. She noticed the boards had been removed from one of the broken windows and ducked as a Shadowguard stuck his head in. His eyes gleamed bright yellow as he looked around the bar then rejoined the troops. Rose crept across the floor on her hands and knees. She found a map of the Citadel on a coffee table and noted the circles in key locations. She rolled it up and tucked it down inside of her sweater. The kids had been at the bar, and all signs pointed to a sudden departure.