by Phil Maxey
“Ideas!” shouted Marina to those behind her.
Jess pushed herself into her mother’s arms, who clutched her tight. Jasper moved to her too, and she held him as well. Marina looked back to Joel, her eyes wide.
Joel kicked open the door and ran onto the sidewalk. The river was slow moving, but thirty feet below. As the others emerged behind him, he tried to do the calculations as to whether the humans would survive the fall.
Marina, holding Jess and Jasper in her arms, looked into Joel’s eyes and nodded. She tightened her grip on Flint’s leash.
They all stepped closer to the wall as the air filled with the furious cravings of the creatures wanting to devour them.
“What’s that?” said Shannon, pointing into the air downstream.
The hybrids could see what the humans couldn’t, but soon would. Helicopters, of the gunship variety were flying towards them.
The vamps scrambled forward onto the bridge. Joel whipped his head between the death that was about to consume them and the military hardware.
“What do we do?” said Anna, standing with them.
Before Joel could answer, molten streams let forth from the Apaches and tore through the vamps. Legs, arms, and distorted heads disintegrated as the choppers hovered just in front of the bridge.
A third, much larger twin-engined helicopter appeared behind them and rapidly descended, then landed on the bridge. A group of soldiers sprang from the back, firing as they ran forward.
One of them ran forward to Joel and the others. “I’m Sergeant Hickman, all of you, get in the chopper, now!”
Joel and the rest sprinted forward and ran up the small ramp and into the large space inside. The soldiers quickly followed, and the world outside started to shift downwards as they rose into the air.
Joel looked out of the small round window to the bridge as the other choppers moved off and the vamps swarmed over the vehicles.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Most of the soldiers inside the helicopters cave-like cabin avoided eye contact with their passengers, but Joel noticed the man that introduced himself as the sergeant kept looking at him, as if he was sizing him up.
“Where we going?” shouted Joel, trying to be heard over the loud engines.
“We’ll be there soon,” said Hickman.
Joel looked across to Bill, who was clutching his backpack around his chest.
Marina was seated next to Jess, whose hand she was holding, and her daughter was doing the same to Jasper next to her.
Hardin, looking hot and red-faced, reached inside a side jacket pocket and pulled a small bottle from it, took a sip, then put it back.
Joel turned in his seat and watched as they left the city behind, and moved over suburban areas. Mountains sat to their right, which Joel presumed ended at Cheyenne mountain.
He looked to the direction they were heading. A few miles off, a concentration of roads and buildings heralded another city.
Colorado Springs.
The helicopter started to descend as they moved closer to the craggy rocks of the mountain, and Joel turned back around in his seat as some of the soldiers talked to each other.
The humans inside could not hear their words as they were drowned out by the cabin noise, but the hybrids heard them clearly.
“Wonder what McClure will make of this lot,” said one heavily equipped man.
“Some of them look like they could be infected,” whispered the man next to him in reply.
The helicopter landed with a small bump, and the soldiers sprang to their feet, most holding their rifles but not pointing them at anyone.
Hickman walked forward to Joel, as the ramp lowered at the back of the cabin. “Follow us.”
Joel nodded and the group from the bridge walked forward, emerging into the early evening as the sun started its dive below the horizon.
They were in what looked like a large parking lot, except behind a circular landing area there were more helicopters and military vehicles, and beyond them a series of large white tents, with the words ‘processing’ on a sign above them. To their left were two modern large three-story buildings, and behind them, the mountain towering into the darkening sky.
As they all walked forward they were met by Hickman and another soldier.
“Do you have any guns, knifes, weapons of any sort on your person?” said Hickman as Joel got to him.
Joel shook his head.
“Put your arms out.” The other soldier patted Joel’s arms, body, and legs.
After they were all checked they followed the two soldiers across the landing pad to the entrance of the first tent, just as a woman in army fatigues appeared. Her name badge proclaimed ‘Dr. L. Gentry.’
“They’re all yours, Doc,” said Hickman as he and the other soldier walked away.
“My name is Doctor Laura Gentry. And my job is to make sure all of you are cared for appropriately.”
“I’m not infected!” blurted Hardin.
Gentry smiled. “We will be running tests on all of you to determine if any of you have been infected by the scourge virus. The test will only take twenty-four hours, but during that time you will have to be held in the tent behind me, in quarantine conditions.” She stepped back and pointed towards the plastic flaps which was the entry point into the long flat tented area.
Joel, Marina, and Evan looked at each other while Hardin took a step away from them.
Joel wasn’t able to read the other hybrids’ minds, but he could tell they were all in agreement. They had to be upfront about who they were and hope for the best.
Joel stepped forward towards the doctor. The soldier standing guard next to her moved forward as well, but the doctor held her hand up and the soldier stepped back.
“My name is Joel Garret. Is there somewhere we could talk in private.”
The doctor looked unsure but nodded, and they both walked ten or so feet around the side of the tent. The guard walked to the end so he could keep watch on both of them.
“Are you infected, Mr Garret? Or you know some of your group are?” said Gentry.
“Umm… not exactly.”
“Then, what is it?”
“Have you come across any people who were… not completely vamps, but not completely human either?”
Gentry’s eyes momentarily widened. “You mean hybrids?”
Joel nodded.
“No, but the analysis we have done tell us such a variation is possible. It’s just extremely rare… why?”
“Because I am one.”
*****
Joel sat inside a small room. He had entered handcuffed and blindfolded, but still was able to tell he was deep within the mountain. The constant tingling he would feel from the star above, even when he was inside a building, was gone. The air also smelt musty and damp. A stench he recognized from his own time spent underground.
He knew where he was. It was an interrogation room. He had been in many over the years, although he was always the one asking the questions.
On the small table in front of him was a glass of water. He pulled it towards himself with his bound hands and took a sip. Since his change, he had noticed that water tasted even blander than usual, but he still welcomed the coolness.
He glanced at the wall-length dark glass window and sighed.
Being watched.
He looked at his watch. Roughly thirty minutes had passed since they pulled his blindfold off.
He felt the slight air vibrations before the door opened. A middle-aged woman and similar aged man appeared. The man was smartly dressed, wearing a suit which looked like it was from the 1950s, a large moustache hid his top lip. The woman wore a white shirt. The top few buttons were undone, revealing a silver chain. Joel guessed a crucifix was on the end of it.
She placed a black folder down on the table and sat, opening it to the first page. “My name is Dr. Rachel Frost, and the man leaning against the wall is Dr. Josh Coffey.”
She looked down at the first page of
printed information. Even with it being upside down, Joel recognized his FBI personnel file.
“You were a good operator,” she said without looking up.
“Still am.”
She raised her eyes to meet his. “But you’re no longer human.”
“What does it mean to be human?”
She looked back down. “It says here you had a wife and child. Where are they now?”
Joel looked away. “Dead.”
“Did you kill them?”
He flicked his head around to face hers. “No.”
She turned the page. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for that.”
Joel quelled his anger. “I was vacationing with my wife in LA when the scourge hit. She… was killed by a vamp. I tried to get to my parents home where my son was staying, but I was too late, they were dead when I arrived.”
She stayed looking down at the page. “You have my condolences.”
“Look, if I was a threat I wouldn’t have come here.”
She looked up again. “From what the sergeant told me, you had no choice. The soldiers saved all of you?”
“This was our destination. We were bringing the case here, in the hope that some form of government still functioned out of the Cheyenne base.”
Rachel briefly looked at the man standing with his arms folded.
“Now you got the case, you can thank myself and the others for bringing it to you. There are people who wanted it for themselves.”
“Daniel Copeland?” said Josh.
“You know about Copeland?”
Rachel smiled. “We know about a lot of things, Mr. Garret.”
“Well, great, then we can start to turn this show around. You know about the tablet?”
Josh uncrossed his arms. “What about the tablet?”
Joel hesitated to reply.
“It’s in your own interest to tell us what you know,” said Rachel.
Joel held his cuffed arms up.
“Well, you are quite unusual, we need—”
Joel pulled his wrists apart, snapping the metal links. Rachel sat back in her chair and Josh looked at the door, which opened. A soldier appeared, pointing his M4 at Joel.
Joel smiled. “I’ll tell you all you want to know, but first I want to see my friends.”
A short while later, Joel was led into a long room, one of many with a low ceiling and lights that looked as if they were installed during the cold war. Beds sat along each wall. The others were seated on them. Jess ran up and threw her arms around his waist. “Err… hi, kid.”
“As you can see, your friends are quite safe,” said Rachel behind him.
“You okay?” said Marina.
“I’m fine.” He looked to the older woman next to him. “When are they getting their things back?”
“In time. But for now, I need you to come with me, there is someone that wants to meet with you.”
Joel was led through mazelike corridors, some hewn from rock others with smooth straight walls, but each one worn by the years, until he arrived at a plain-looking green door. The words ‘General Hal McClure’ were etched into a silver plate on it.
Rachel knocked and a gruff-sounding voice told them to enter.
The office was of moderate size but looked spacious due to the scarcity of furniture inside. A potted plant sat in one corner, alongside some shelves which held pictures in frames and a few books. In front of them sat a plain desk. The only nod to luxury was a large, black, padded leather chair. A stout man, in army uniform and a scarcity of hair, examined Joel as he walked inside.
“This is Joel Garret, sir,” said Rachel.
Joel walked forward and held out his hand. The soldier went to move forward, but the general held up his hand then extended it further and shook Joel’s.
“As you might have already seen on the outside of the door, I’m the guy running this little operation. In charge of what’s left of the United States armed forces.” He pointed to two chairs. “Take a seat, son.”
Joel did, as well as Rachel. The soldier stood near the door.
McClure sat. “So, the doctor here tells me you’re special, but before we get to that, how about you fill me in on how you made it all the way from LA to here?”
The next twenty minutes were filled with gasps from Rachel, and raised eyebrows from the general. Joel pretty much covered everything apart from Russell’s death.
“And then the Apaches showed up, and here we are.”
The general slid his desk drawer open, pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He looked at Joel. “You can still drink, right?”
Joel nodded.
The last time he drunk alcohol was with Marina’s husband. He had avoided it since because of the memories, but as the golden liquid ran down his throat and the burning began in his gut, he remembered how it helped him deal with his past. He was surprised to see a five-star general in uniform drinking though.
“That’s some story, son.” The general took a sip, then looked at Rachel. “I take it you’re going to run a whole battery of tests on this man?”
“Well, I… well, we need to understand. If what he says is true, and the others are infected, but have not become full vamps, then perhaps Joel’s blood contains what we need to create an antidote or maybe even a cure.”
“And what about these visions he had of a tomb?”
“Josh is looking into that.”
McClure looked back to Joel. “The others. The woman and kid. They got your speed and strength too?”
Joel immediately realized why the general was interested. The increase in Rachel’s heart rate meant she understood as well.
“Creating an army of hybrids is a risky move,” said Joel.
The general took another sip. “You don’t know how bad the scourge hit, do you?”
“I know the major cities took it worst. Wherever there was more people. Once the radio stations went dark, I presumed the worst.”
The general finished his drink, placing the glass back in his drawer, then got to his feet. “Come with me.”
More guards joined them, and the general led Joel and Rachel through a number of large secure-looking doors, until the final one came out to a room full of people and large computer monitors.
“This is one of three command centers we have down here.” He walked to the closest officer. “Bring me up our feed history from around the world. Major cities to start with.”
Joel watched as the blanket of screens which sat high up on the far walls changed to show what seemed like mass rioting, except the rioters had claws and teeth that tore at their prey. From the large clock tower, and historic looking buildings he recognized the scene was from the United Kingdom. On another, hundreds ran in panic as fanged creatures scrambled after them. Neon reds and greens reflected off rain-soaked streets.
“Japan?”
“Tokyo.”
“How long ago were these recorded?”
“Three months ago.”
“These are the scenes in the same cities today.” The general nodded to the officer who tapped away at his keyboard.
Autumn rain fell on cold empty streets of London. Rotting corpses lay mingled with looted items that never made it more than a few feet from their stores. Tokyo was the same.
“Did anywhere avoid the scourge?” said Joel.
“Nowhere avoided it, but we are in communication with some communities around the globe that are still surviving. It’s only a matter of time though before each one is overrun by vamps. My tech guys tell me ninety-eight percent of the world’s population has been infected by now.”
Joel sighed. “That’s a lot of vamps.”
Hal looked Joel squarely in the eyes. “You, son, could be what we have been waiting for.”
“What about Copeland?”
The general’s face hardened. “He’s on my to-do list.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Adrian Kee pushed his glasses up his nose and waited for Copeland to ap
pear. The caffeine in his blood, with some help from his special stash of pills, was just about managing to keep his sleep-deprived brain focused. Ever since he had heard of what transpired in Haven, he was dreading the next time he would see the CEO of the Corporation. He even contemplated leaving, making a go of it in the world outside the compound, but the thoughts only lasted a few seconds before his fear of what existed beyond the electrified fence superseded his fear of Copeland.
His boss only offered possible death, while being in the city outside it was certain.
He looked across the newly built confinement chambers and what they held, and he allowed a tinge of pride to ease his nerves.
He’ll be happy with the progress we have made, I’m sure of it.
Adrian had graduated with honors from MIT and was promptly hired by Copeland to head up his new medical research team, to help develop ‘anti-aging’ treatments. As the years passed, he became surprised there never was any talk of how to market any treatments his department came up with. Eventually, he brought this up with his boss and discovered that there was only ever going to be one customer, and that was Copeland.
That was the point at which he doubted working for Copeland the most. He hadn’t slaved through university just to help out one man’s obsession to live forever. But it was also the point that his salary trebled. Daniel Copeland knew how to be persuasive.
After almost a decade with no end in sight, Copeland turned away from medical science and looked elsewhere. For Kee, despite hating the feeling of failure, he was glad the search was over. Copeland would go back to living the life of a ‘normal’ billionaire, of fast cars, drugs, and faster women.
But he found himself still working twelve-hour days, only now, he was working with archaeologists rather than his own team.
When they broke through into the hidden tomb and discovered the tablets which resided there, he felt as if he had been transported into Copeland’s crazy dream. Unfortunately, it soon became a nightmare when the elixir was created. The archeologists told him it had been created by the gods for specific humans to rule over their kin. And would allow these kings to live for thousands of years. He thought it was all a fairytale until they tested the first batch and watched as the rats lived five times as long as they would normally.