Dead Hearts (Book 2): Forsaken Hearts

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  They headed to the piano bar that looked out over the lobby, and Rose and Ginger peered over the marble railing at the entryway. Through the glass doors, both saw black military vehicles, with a crudely drawn ‘SG’ painted on the doors. Assault troops were waiting beside a tank as snowflakes fell on their unprotected heads. The tank was positioned in the center, turning its turret around to point its heavy gun at the hotel.

  “The Kaiser doesn’t mess around,” said Ginger. “Let’s go.”

  Rose grabbed Ginger’s arm. They ran to the stairwell and raced up to the third floor as a loud explosion brought down the entryway. Micah and a handful of Dark Angels were searching empty rooms. One human was found lying on the floor. Sarge, the old Marine, lay in the hallway, still holding onto the grip of a revolver he’d used to blow a hole through his temple.

  “They’ve checked out,” said Micah. “So should we. Now.”

  Fleeing up the stairwell, Rose found the rest of the Dark Angels waiting on the roof for her arrival. A huge explosion on the ground floor and a heavy rumbling shook the entire hotel. Another blast took down the front of the hotel, sending bricks, steel, and glass crashing to the ground. The roof shuddered violently as the building took another direct hit. Black smoke and fire burst from several holes in the roof.

  Rose ran to the edge of the roof, gazing at the ground. Ground troops had taken positions in the field they’d crossed and, seeing the Dark Angels, starting firing. Micah motioned for the team to follow, and he ran toward the north side of the building and jumped into the air, landing on the far side of a swimming pool. The rest of the team followed. Rose jumped even further and landed on the other side of the pool enclosure. The rest of the Dark Angels sprang over the fence and ran back toward the highway as the hotel exploded into flames.

  The team raced down Colorado Avenue at a fast sprint, heading toward the town of Manitou Springs. A large piece of glass was imbedded in Ginger’s cheek, and she jerked the glass out and tossed it to the ground. Micah ran to the front of the group and brought them to a halt under a bypass.

  “Picasso must have gotten Cadence’s team out earlier,” Micah said. Dressed in black, the vampire’s face was covered in soot, and the ends of his white hair were scorched. “I doubt Pallaton gave him a courtesy call. The Shadowguard weren’t there to take prisoners. They opened fire, expecting Cadence and her team to be inside.”

  “That would be Aldarik,” Ginger said, sounding annoyed. “They’ll be headed to Seven Falls. Which way, Rose? You’re the leader. Do we head to the Citadel or back to Highbrow’s camp?”

  “We find Cadence,” said Rose. “I’m determined to help her. I never should have allowed Highbrow to throw her out.” She turned to Micah. “Two werewolves were with Cadence’s team. I have a feeling they returned to the Cliff Dwellings.”

  Micah gazed up at the highway. “Then what are we waiting for? Move out!”

  Following Highway 24, the Dark Angels reached the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, finding it under attack. Loud explosions sent rocks tumbling down the side of the cliffs, scattering across the drive as they ran through the main gate. The gunfire was heavy; the Shadowguard appeared to have Cadence’s team pinned down.

  “This is our fight as much as the humans,” said Rose. “Spread out and kill every Shadowguard you see. Our job is to protect Cadence. Find her and get her out.”

  With her eyes shining bright violet, fangs out, Rose led her team up the road and straight into a raging battle. Cadence and her team were trapped inside a tourist shop. The Shadowguard had taken position at a staircase that led down to a several buildings that were engulfed in flames, and up along the ridge, hanging over the destroyed cliff dwellings. A number of vehicles were crowded in the parking lot. Rose and Ginger hid behind a car while Micah led half the Dark Angels down to the lower level. They appeared behind the Shadowguard and started firing, drawing the troops along the ridge down to the parking lot to assist their comrades.

  Cadence’s team was positioned at the windows of the tourist building, firing back at the Shadowguard on the ridge and a new group that came up the road. Ginger pushed Rose toward the tourist shop, kneeling down and raising her gun as a figure in a trench coat, holding a lowered rifle with a bayonet, charged. The Dark Angels joined Ginger and a fierce battle spread across the parking lot. Running to the shop, Rose jumped onto the roof, letting out a scream as the roof collapsed under her feet. She landed on top of a shelf, and her weight broke the shelves, sending her and all the merchandise crashing to the floor.

  As Rose picked herself up, a Black Hawk helicopter came up from behind the ridge. Heavy machine gun fire raked across the front of the store, setting fire to the flammable goods. Rose saw a few familiar faces in the store. Cadence was at a window with Loki, shooting at the chopper. In the back of the store, Freeborn was helping the team escape through another hole in the roof. Thor was in the center of the room sitting dazed in the middle of a pile of rubble. A nasty gash on his forehead was bleeding profusely, and the blood was getting into his eyes. Rose grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet as a section of roof fell, cutting her off from Cadence and Loki. A few other team members made a break out the front door of the building, scattering as the Black Hawk fired a missile.

  Rose saw the missile headed straight for her and knew she was about to die. At the last moment, though, a muscular arm encircled her body, and Thor jumped with her through the hole in the roof. He landed on the roof and then jumped over the side of the cliff with her as the building exploded. Several figures ran after them, and Thor took hold of Rose’s hand and pulled her along with him. They went down an escarpment and dropped forty feet into a gully. On the opposite side of the cliff, another huge explosion caused the ground to tremble and sent a small avalanche of rocks tumbling down. Rose moved out of the way and ran over to the highway.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” said Thor. “Picasso and Lachlan took off for the Citadel. I’m not sure who else went with them. The Shadowguard caught us by surprise, and the only place to go was into the store.”

  Rocks and dirt fell on top of their heads as three more people jumped down beside the road. A barrage of explosions lit up the night sky like fireworks as Freeborn, Smack, and Lotus joined them. Another figure, taller and leaner than the rest, slid down the side of the cliff, trailed by two furry bodies. Phoenix picked herself up from a pile of rocks, cut and dazed, and hobbled over to the team. A large black werewolf and a small tawny werepuma kept close to her. No one else came over the cliff. Though the artillery fire on the other side of the cliff continued, Rose knew the rest of their group wasn’t coming.

  Rose felt heartsick and lost. Her confidence was shot. She turned to Thor. “What do you want to do?” she said. “The Shadowguard attacked the hotel, and I’m sure they hit Seven Falls. Pallaton didn’t give us much of a warning.”

  “We get the hell out of here,” he said, “lick our wounds and regroup.”

  “But we left Cadence behind.” Freeborn took a step toward the cliffs. “She took a bullet in the chest. Loki went to help her, but they shot him too. I don’t know what happened to anyone else.”

  Thor went over to the werewolf. “This is your turf, Moon Dog. Is there a safe place for us to go? Somewhere that Pallaton wouldn’t think to look.”

  Moon Dog morphed into his human form. Standing tall and naked, bleeding from a dozen places, he pointed north. “We could go to the wolf tribe’s new camp at the Cave of the Winds. Chayton will give us shelter.”

  “Not without my girls,” said Lotus, her voice cracking.

  Phoenix stepped forward. Her bow was broken in half. She tossed it aside and drew her revolver. “I’ll go back with you,” she said. “They’ve got Xena.”

  “No!” Moon Dog stepped in front of the tall Amazon. “You will not go back. I will not let you sacrifice yourself, Phoenix. We go the caves. Please. There’s nothing we can do to help your friends; not now.”

  “We may draw attention to your trib
e,” said Rose. “Isn’t there somewhere else we can go? Somewhere in the mountains? A lodge or a house?”

  Moon Dog gave Rose a sharp look. “Pallaton won’t attack his brother. Pallaton is many things, but he wouldn’t attack the tribe. He’d never harm Grandmother. She’s the only person Pallaton truly loves. While she is alive, Pallaton will not bring the Shadowguard to Chayton’s camp. We’ll be safe there.”

  The small werepuma, Sheena, pressed against his long, bare legs. Sheena was trembling hard. Moon Dog took one look at Phoenix, knew she wanted to protest, and grabbed her arm. His long black hair was singed to his scalp on the right side of his head, revealing his ear. His shoulder looked raw and blistered.

  “You’re right,” said Phoenix. “There’s no going back. I’ll come with you.”

  Thor motioned the group forward. “Let’s move out, people.”

  Moon Dog morphed into a wolf and ran north down the road. The group headed after the werewolf, running down the highway. They threw themselves into cover as the helicopter rose over the cliff behind them and its bright search lights hit the road. The helo turned and headed south, toward Seven Falls, and Rose and the group crossed the highway. Seeing more lights coming, they took refuge inside of a bus as three more helicopters flew by overhead, all headed south.

  “We’ll wait here to make sure no more choppers are coming,” said Thor. “Is everyone all right? No serious injuries?”

  Everyone took a seat, and Thor closed the doors and crouched down as a small herd of zombies walked by the bus, attracted by the noise and bright lights at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Once they were past, Thor quietly moved down the aisle, checking on Rose and each of the teammates. Lotus, Freeborn, and Moon Dog were each in a seat, and Phoenix sat with the werepuma, Sheena, hugging her tight. Thor returned to Smack and slid in next to her. Everyone watched the zombies stumble down the highway, heading toward the Manitou Cliff Dwellings.

  “I’m worried about Seven Falls,” said Rose.

  “They’re equipped for an assault. I’m not worried about Highbrow, and he sure the hell wasn’t worried about us,” said Thor, his voice angry. Smack pressed against him. He held her in his arms, letting her cry against his chest. “Don’t feel sorry for that creep. Highbrow is the one who sent us away. He weakened our forces, and it’s his fault Cadence is dead.” Smack hid her face against Thor’s shoulder.

  “We don’t know Cadence is dead,” Rose said, refusing to lose hope. “Thor, I was told you were shot several times, and yet you survived. I have every reason to believe Cadence will too. I have to believe we’ll see her again.”

  Thor stood and pulled Smack up with him. “We survived,” he said. “And you can be sure we killed quite a few Shadowguard. The Kaiser is going to find out we’re hard to kill.” He gave Rose a broad, toothy smile. “Thanks for coming back for us, Doc. I didn’t expect to see you again, but it’s nice to know you care.”

  As the team filed out of the bus, Rose glanced back over her shoulder. No one had said anything, but she was certain they’d smelled death. The partial skeletons of a dozen children lay over one another in the back seat. A teacher or a parent had shot them each in the forehead. Whether they’d been zombies or simply been spared being eaten alive, she didn’t know and didn’t want to find out. She silently exited the bus and caught up with the group.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Dragon spent the evening at a small dinner party hosted by the Kaiser. Only the vampire lords, their mistresses, and a few celebrity fighters attended, although Aries of Athens wasn’t one of them. Dragon sat at a long table, not eating or speaking. A string quartet played, while waiters in white coats served each course on silver dishes. Candles lit the table, which was covered with a red tablecloth. A waiter served Dragon roasted chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn on the cob, and poured white wine into a crystal glass. The five top-rated fighters were all vampires, three men and two women, and Dragon was the only human champion present. Though he hadn’t been tested in the arena, the vampires certainly acted like he’d earned his title in blood.

  “You’re not eating,” said the Kaiser. “Is the food not to your liking?”

  “I apologize. I don’t feel very well.” Dragon felt fine; he simply didn’t like his dinner companions.

  “Take your wine and go to the bar,” said the Kaiser, using his deep, baritone voice. He glanced at Salvatore D’Aquilla. “Seeing your fighters has probably made Dragon lose his appetite. Tell me more about the Spaniard.”

  Slipping out of the dining room, Dragon found ten guards waiting for him in the lobby. So much for making his big escape, Dragon thought, handing his wine glass to a guard. The guards led him to an alumni room where former Falcon fans had once gathered to enjoy highlights on large flat screen TVs. More guards were seated inside. Dragon considered disarming one and killing the rest, but until he was able to rescue Star, he didn’t want to leave the Citadel. Not without her. Neither Star nor Aldarik had come to dinner, and Pallaton hadn’t been at the party either, leaving Dragon to suspect both officers were on a mission.

  Sitting back in a big leather chair, Dragon noticed all of the guards were watching the Death Games. Two guards stood at a bar, serving warm blood from a coffee maker. He looked around the room, noticing a pool table in the back along with a few arcade games. Dragon rose and walked over to a pinball machine. As he shot his first silver ball, he noticed a shadow in the hallway. Whisper stood there, dressed in a trench coat, carrying a Barrett REC7, the same assault rifle every Shadowguard used.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” said Dragon, pulling off his bow tie.

  Someone tapped on Dragon’s shoulder. He turned. A Shadowguard with a screwy eye lifted his fist and punched Dragon in the nose. Dragon slammed back into the pinball machine, holding a hand to his bleeding nose.

  “What’s that for?” asked Dragon. “I don’t know you.”

  “You killed my brother.” The guard wiped his hand on his jacket. “I owed you one. Glad to see you can bleed.” The other guards started laughing.

  Walking toward the bathroom, Dragon pinched his nostrils together. He entered and went to the mirror. The room was large, with seven stalls, and a window with glazed glass. The window was wide open, letting in a cold breeze and snowflakes.

  “You in here, Whisper?” asked Dragon.

  Blaze stepped out of a stall followed by Whisper. Seeing the condition Dragon was in, she grabbed a paper towel and held it under his nose. The bleeding wouldn’t stop, so Whisper grabbed towels, twisted the ends, and shoved one into each of Dragon’s nostrils. Dragon’s white tux was ruined and Whisper and Blaze had blood all over their hands. Without thinking, Blaze licked blood off her finger and turned on the water. Whisper had cuts on the back of his hands, though he didn’t say how he’d been hurt. He frowned as Blaze washed his hands, reopening a few scabs. The sink was splattered with blood. Neither bothered to clean up or throw away the bloody paper towels.

  Dragon tilted his head back, hoping the bleeding would stop. He detected the faint odor of vanilla, but had no idea where Whisper had found any. Blaze wore a trench coat that hung to the floor and a black bandana tied around her head, hiding her dyed hair.

  “What are you two doing here?” asked Dragon. “Is this a rescue?”

  “That’s the idea,” Whisper said. “They’ve got the Elite and the other soldiers over at the music hall. Tandor has been moved. I know another way in. We can free Uther and his buddies and get out of here. Sound good?”

  Dragon glanced at the door. He wanted to go. He wanted to see Freeborn more than anything. “I can’t leave without Star,” he said. “Raven is a vampire, and she’s enjoying her new life, but it’s hard on Star. Aldarik has her locked in his room, which he changes every night, so I’m not sure where she’s at.”

  “Then let’s go find her.” Whisper went to the window and looked out. “We’ve waited all day for a chance to talk to you. Most of the Shadowguard left
about two hours ago, so we think they went on another raid. If you’re going to escape, it’s now or never.”

  Blaze joined Whisper. “Come with us.”

  “I have a better idea,” said Dragon. “The games start at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow. Pallaton gave me a tour of the place, and they keep zombies in pens beneath the stadium. The human and vampire fighters will be taken to the locker rooms, with the humans in the visitor’s. My idea is that you let the zombies out of their pens and open every door marked with a red ‘X’. That’s where they keep the cyborg zombies.”

  Whisper glanced at Blaze. “You game to try?” She nodded.

  “If you go down to the sewer, there’s a manhole that opens up under the stadium,” said Dragon. “Right before the show starts, let the zombies out. They’ll be hungry, so be careful. Don’t try to save anyone, just create the diversion. I’ll get Star and meet you back at Seven Falls.”

  Blaze climbed out the window and onto the ledge. Whisper followed behind her. Dragon watched them climb down a drainpipe and vanish in the dark. He shut the window. Two pairs of footsteps were rapidly approaching. Dragon sped into a stall and sat on the toilet, flushing it as the door opened.

  “Salustra is asking for you,” said a guard, impatiently.

  Dragon came out of the stall, pulling the wadded towels out of his nostrils. He went to the sink and washed his face and hands, keeping his eyes on the vamps in the mirrors. His nose had stopped bleeding. Turning off the water, he yanked a paper towel out of a rack. As he wiped his hands’ dry, he spotted the used bloody towels in the next sink over. So did the guards. One of them came over, grinning at his own cleverness, and taking the towels, he stuck them in his mouth.

  “Yum, yum,” said the guard. A second later, choking, he dropped over dead.

  “What the hell?” Dragon stepped back, but the remaining vampire pulled his rifle off his shoulder and took aim. “Can I help it if the guy choked on a paper towel with my blood on it? I guess you better not try to bite me, huh?”