“Can you get in touch with the Colonel?” Ami called from the kitchen.
“I'm AWOL.” He yelled, and then coughed.
Ami stood at the bedroom door. “Yeah, well, here's the thing, the vampires are organizing, and I think they control the zombies. In fact, I know it. There's no doubt about it.” She took a sip of scotch and water and handed a tumbler to Trips.
“How do you know?” Trips asked, waggling his foot.
Ami shrugged, climbing into bed. “I have a question first.”
Kitty attacked Trips’ twitching toes under the covers.
“Who was in the cement trucks?” she asked.
“What cement trucks?” The cat had Trips by the toes. “General Disregard, stop it this instant! Damned moogie.” He shook the cat off and it scampered into the other room.
“You scared him. What’s a moogie?”
“The cat. He was bothering me.”
Ami looked at him askance. “What’s a moogie?”
Trips frowned. “What? It’s a cat. It’s like mutt, for dogs. Mutt, moogie. Look it up.” He raised his palms in frustration. “What cement trucks?”
“Yeah, okay.” Ami blinked away thoughts of domesticated animal species and got back on topic. “The trucks that flattened a shitload of zombies at the quarry.”
Trips shrugged, sucking an ice cube. “I don't know. No freaking idea what you’re on about.”
Ami changed the view on the laptop showing Trips the choppy video. “Cement trucks.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He crunched his ice.
“Look at this bit,” Ami said, running the sequence. “A white van shows up. Several people are pushed into the van including Amanda Blowhardt. With Ichiro's filter enhancement, you can see the Mount Auburn Cemetery logo on the side. You can just make it out.” Ami ran it again slowly, putting her finger on key areas and freezing the frames as she went. “See? Barrage and barricade, and there are a couple of key players. These two. Leaders of the vampires calling the shots, but I don’t think its Amos.” Ami zoomed in on two fuzzy figures. “They're keeping them alive for something.” Ami paused gauging Trips' reaction. “Maybe as bait,” she hypothesized.
Trips’ eyes flashed from Ami's to the computer screen. The sinew of his knuckles went white as he gripped his tumbler.
Ami took the glass from him. “I really think they're alive, Trips. I don't know what for, but they moved them to the Mount Auburn Cemetery in the van.”
“Those SWAT bastards didn't say a damn thing,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
Ami arched an eyebrow. “Whatever happened to leave no man behind?”
“They're not even going after them. What? Oh, that died in the twelfth century with good manners and chivalry.”
Ami pulled up a map and images of the Mount Auburn Cemetery. “I hate to say it, but I think you're right. It's you, or they're dead meat.”
“I should text the guys and see what they think.” Trips grabbed his phone and texted Snake, Ichiro, and Dewey. He got three texts back immediately. Trips smiled and put his phone back in the charger. He turned to Ami. “They're in, first thing in the morning. Meantime, come here, you kick-ass, covert intelligence, dark-haired beauty.”
Chapter 26: Bond & Q
Bleary-eyed, Ami grabbed the buzzing cell phone on the bedside table just as she heard keys scratching in the door lock. She exchanged a panicked look with Trips. He dragged a sheet from the bed, wrapped it around himself like a toga and entered the living room. The apartment door flung open, and Ichiro stomped past him into the kitchen, shaking his head and averting his eyes. “You freakin' woady wanker. Put that thing away, nobody needs to be seeing that in the morning, or ever.”
“Morning Trips,” Alexx said, tipping her sunglasses down and smirking at his engorgement. She dropped her bag on the table and plopped onto a kitchen chair. “So, how are you?”
“We fell back asleep,” Trips said thickly, bending forward as he adjusted his sheet. He raised his voice calling to Ami. “Um, is there coffee, Sweetie?”
Ichiro opened the cabinet and took out two mugs. “Yeah, Sweetie, there's coffee.”
“Ah. There's coffee. Outstanding.” Trips glanced at Alexx as he slipped back into the bedroom. “We'll be out in a minute.”
Ichiro rolled his eyes, and slurped his coffee loudly, looking in the fridge. “What's to eat? Are those the Boshi plums I left here?”
Ami knew Ichiro was slapping open all the cabinets on purpose. She yelled from the bedroom, hopping around pulling up her tights, “Ich, get out of there. I'm going to make pancakes and I need your help with Mrs. Needlebaum!”
A few minutes later, she found Alexx and Ichiro snogging in the kitchen burning pancakes.
“Hey guys.” She chuckled, noticing their lack of success with cooking. Ami brushed past them to get a different pan. “Wrong pan.”
Ichiro pulled gently away from Alexx. “They keep burning.”
“I did like it said.” Alexx pointed at the box.
Ami put the new skillet on the other front burner. “And you need to turn down the heat.”
“That's hard to do in here,” Alexx said, a smile on her lips, looking at Ichiro.
Ami filled two mugs with coffee; then, with the mugs in hand, she shouldered open the bedroom door. She nodded at the spatula and Alexx. “I'll be back in a minute. You’re in charge.”
When the bedroom door reopened, Ichiro smiled. “It’s going better now.”
He gave Alexx a squeeze then headed to the bathroom as Ami joined her in front of the stove.
“What the hell are you wearing?” Alexx asked, fluttering one of the sequined rag flowers on Ami’s top.
Ami pulled her sweatshirt down looking at it. “I know, fake acid wash denim with frills. My grandmother gave it to me. Everything’s downstairs in the laundry. I used those dryer sheets my mom gave me. Ugh. I'll explain when everyone is here.” Ami took the spatula, and put the cold pancakes in the oven. “Let me do it.”
Alexx sat down, and took out her lipstick and mirror. Ichiro was back from the bathroom and whined that he was hungry, just as Trips opened the bedroom door.
“Can you do up my boots, Sweetie?” Trips asked, making eye contact with Ami.
She held up her hands. “I'm cooking, Sweetie.”
Trips looked at Ichiro. “I can't bend all the way with my ribs taped. Please?”
Ichiro sighed, slamming a chair down behind Trips. He knocked him in the back of the knees, and Trips fell into the chair. “You're on the lace.”
“Oi! That hurt,” Trips said, catching himself on the unstable bookcase.
Ichiro bent down to Trips eye level. “In there, getting some, while we wait out here?”
Trips sneered. “Yeah, mate, jealous much?”
Ichiro smirked. “Been there, done that.” He grinned. “Sloppy seconds.”
Ichiro squat down as Trips frowned and told him in old Scots to hold his tongue. “Haud Yer Wheesht!”
Ichiro fell on his ass laughing then twirled around like a break dancer to face Alexx. She stood up stretching her long torso. “You boys play nice.”
Ichiro swooped in around Alexx’s waist leaving Trips in the dust. Trips huffed and propped his foot up onto a chair to tie his own shoe. Alexx smiled as Ichiro cuddled her, then glanced over at Trips, “Hey, where's Dewey?”
“Have you heard from him, or Snake?” Ichiro asked, standing behind Alexx as he nibbled her shoulder.
“Yeah, they're on their way, but I'll text them. Any coffee left?” Trips asked, fetching his coffee cup and phone from the bedroom.
“Last of it. I'll make another pot,” Ami said, pouring the last of the pot into his cup.
“Mm.” He took a sip and set the cup on the counter. “I'll do it. You’re on pancake duty,” Trips whispered in Ami's ear, brushing past her in the galley kitchen.
“I'm tired. We got up way too early. I want to go back to bed.” Ichiro whined into Alexx's neck as they curled up on the pill
ows in the music corner.
“We're getting low on drinking water,” Trips said, while Ami cooked. He messaged Snake as the espresso machine spit out its final bit of yellow foam. “Ah,” he said, carrying the first espresso to Ichiro. “They're not here yet because they’re bringing supplies.”
“Aw, dude.” Ichiro sighed, taking the cup of coffee from Trips.
“Oh, good, the boys are in love again,” Alexx said, smiling at Ami as Trips traipsed back into the kitchen.
Ichiro rocked forward and pushed up to standing. He sipped coffee as he headed toward the galley kitchen. “What is up with these freakin' pancakes?”
Ami was about to answer when the buzzer rang. The horrible sound vibrated through the room like a buzz saw. Trips twisted the espresso paddle into place and nodded at Ichiro. “Get the door, huh?”
Ichiro pushed the button on the intercom. The accompanying buzzer was just as loud. Alexx threw the apartment door open and leaned over the banister as Snake and Dewey lumbered up the stairs laden with boxes, bags and carboys of water.
“You guys, rock!” Alexx said making smoldering eye contact with Dewey as he brushed past her through the door.
“Something smells mighty fine,” Snake said, pulling out a slab of hand cut bacon and a carton of fresh eggs. “But you might want these as well.”
“Ye are Gods! Gods, I tell ya,” Trips exclaimed in an overwhelming Scottish brogue, brushing away fake tears as he sniffed, “me heroes.”
“Sorry we're late,” Dewey said, placing carboys of water into the corner of the kitchen.
“No problem, Dewmeister. We just got up.” Ami smiled.
With two additional tall men in the room, Ami felt her cozy two-room apartment turning into public transportation at rush hour. Shoulda done this at the farmhouse. Yeah, but the farmhouse isn’t in the zombie zone. Ami slowed her breathing, concentrating on not getting overwhelmed as prickles of heat ran over her scalp. This is serious business I just hope I’m not sending them to their deaths. She glanced across the room as everyone found a place, and was distracted by the look on Alexx’s face.
“Where's the fire, big guy?” Alexx asked Dewey, backed against the apartment’s entrance posed like a sex-kitten.
“What? Oh, this?” Dewey glanced down at his rubber overalls over an old snug Henley and took off the fire-axe strapped over his shoulder. It hit the ceiling. He looked up. Plaster dust rained down on him. He coughed, his red face covered in fine white dust. He waved his hand in front of his face and turned to Ami. “I can fix that.”
Ami shrugged, and smiled. “Don’t think I have to worry about a security deposit.”
Dewey wiped his face and turned back toward Alexx, “They didn't have any X-Men suits big enough for me.” He gave her a half-smile. “I'm in the volunteer fire brigade. So...”
Ami watched Alexx clamp her front teeth down on her lower lip and push off the door. She looked like a femme fatale in a low budget musical. Just hope she doesn’t break into song.
Ichiro cleared his throat, and shoved past Dewey, gathering up Alexx. Ami looked down at the pancake batter bubbling on the surface of the cast iron skillet and flopped the pancake over. How can you do that, Ally? Jiminy crickets, you really want to provoke a fight?
Ami heard the sizzle of the bacon before she smelled it. Trips extended his arms out protectively over the cast iron skillet as he cracked two eggs on the side and plopped them next to slices of bacon just browning on their gelatinous edges. He turned to Ami, “I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering.” He grinned.
“Hallelujah brother, and bring on the smeats,” Snake said. Ami turned and watched him as he piled riot gear in the last open section of his fort. Her books surrounded him in a comfortable circle where he sat on the floor against the broken bookcase. He smiled up at her. “I like mine extra crispy.”
Ami offered coffee to everyone, and Dewey pulled out a pint of milk from a grocery bag. “You might want this, too.”
Ami set the coffee pot on a trivet and winked as he opened the milk. “Do you play Santa at Christmas? Because you'd be a really good Santa.”
Ami felt the room suddenly get quiet. She watched as Ichiro and Trips exchanged a glance, and Alexx blushed then looked away. She looked from one to the next, “What? What'd I say?”
“You want to sit on his lap?” Ichiro chided. Ami and Dewey both blushed.
“Changing the subject, slightly,” Trips cleared his throat as he put the first round of bacon on paper towels, “we’ve got to get out of here before the SWAT comes searching for us.” He made eye contact with Snake. “No offense to your fetching gear, Snake.”
“None taken,” Snake said, standing up and stretching. “So, let’s eat.”
“Well, not quite yet.” Trips cracked another egg into the pan. “Anyway, Ami did some amazing recon, which I'll gladly show you, but I have to pay attention to these sweet little bakies and eggies right now.” He looked over at Ami clearing off the table. “Unless you want to show the guys, sweetie?”
Ami nodded, relishing the sip of her milky coffee. She swallowed, crooked a finger at Alexx. “Ally, want to help me?”
Alexx got up, leaving Ichiro sprawled in the music corner, and joined Ami in the bedroom.
Ami closed the door. “What the hell are you doing?”
“You said you needed help.”
Ami squinted, and pursed her lips into a hard line, tapping her toe.
“Don’t do that honey, you’ll get wrinkles.” Alexx said, checking her makeup in the mirror.
Ami made a sound in her throat.
“What?” Alexx asked. A half smile formed on her red lips. “Oh, you mean…” she purred, tousling her hair, “Well, I'd sit on Santa's lap, that's for sure.”
Ami balled her fists at her sides; it was all she could do not to hop up and down. “Are you aware of what you're doing? I mean to Ichiro and Dewey?”
Alexx looked astonished. “Dewey started it!”
“Yeah, well, whatever. You've got to end it.” Ami slashed her hand through the air. “No excuse, and terrible defense.”
Alexx pushed out her lower lip and slumped. “I know.”
Ami lowered her voice to a whisper, “So just stop it. Are you with Ichiro, or what?”
Alexx’s eyes glossed over with liquid. “Yes, I am. Really. You didn't say anything to him, did you?”
“No.” Ami crossed her arms. “I mean, it's your life, but trust me, he doesn't have any tolerance for that shit.” She brushed the top of her head with her right hand, feeling the prickle of embarrassment on her scalp. “The Dewmeister is totally hot, but …..”
Alexx bounced in place. “I know, isn't he?”
Ami gave her a scornful look as she unplugged the laptop from the power cord. “Really, Alexx, really?”
Alexx’s knees squished together and she squatted down to Ami’s height. “I know. I'm sorry. I'm totally with Ichiro.”
“They’re stupid boys. They think with their dicks.”
“You're right. I'll be good.”
“They're just guys,” Ami said.
Alexx tilted her head and knit her brows together.
I’m not getting through to her. Whatever. Don’t get involved. It’s her life. “Here, hold this,” Ami piled the laptop and peripherals into Alexx’s arms and tested the laser pointer. “Never mind. Just stop confusing them.”
Alexx and Ami entered the living room and set up the computer equipment as Trips served eggs and cooed at Dewey as he packed the fridge. Snake was fixing the bookcase, and Ichiro was sacked out in the music corner.
Ami sat at the laptop and pulled up the sequence of captured images as everyone else ate breakfast. She lectured about Sand & Gravel and explained how she believed the vampires were holding human captive at Mount Auburn Cemetery, including their friends from New York. Then she sat down to her ice-cold breakfast.
“You have done well, my Padawan,” Ichiro said, seated in lotus position.
Ever
yone groaned and rolled their eyes, except Trips.
“Ichiro, you're not really a Jedi,” Alexx said, taking his plate.
Ichiro blinked.
“No, Bunny. Not really.” She walked through the living room toward the kitchen.
“Actually, Alexx, he's a Jedi Master.” Trips nodded, looking from Ichiro to Alexx.
“Level twenty,” Ichiro said, smiling. He raised his hand in the Shaka sign, his hand in a fist with his pinky extended and his thumb turned out. “Mahalo, dude.”
Ami gave Trips a half smile, then looked down at her plate. Her bacon reminded her of a dog’s chew toy. It wasn’t appealing in the least. She slurped her milky coffee and tried not to choke. Mostly she was noticing that matters were not improving between Ichiro and Alexx. It was time to change the subject.
Alexx placed her dishes in the sink and raised her hands in the air. “There's no such thing! It's made up!” She turned to Ami for corroboration.
Ami shifted as she glanced at Alexx, then looked away. I am not getting involved. She daubed her mouth with a napkin and glanced at Trips, seated at the table. “Bring up Mount Auburn Cemetery, please, and send everyone a map of the grounds. There’s more to discuss.”
Alexx stomped back over to the music corner and sat down on her pillow. Trips arched an eyebrow, but did as he was told. Ami took a last bite of ice-cold eggs at the kitchen counter, then turned on her laser pointer. “After some considerable deliberation, I've narrowed down what I think would be the best holding areas. The North wall has crypts, and then there are the two chapels. Those are your target areas.”
“Please change it to real time,” Ami asked. Trips switched the feed. The cemetery was crawling with zombies.
“Oh, man, would you look at that?” Snake said, walking on his knees toward the computer for a better look. “So, using bikes is brilliant. We can easily twist and dodge those lumbering sods as we get closer to the crypts.”
“Everything is in the truck. We’re all loaded up. Ready to go.” Dewey added.
Trips turned to Ichiro. “Dude, you shouldn't go.”
Ichiro stood up and stretched. “Cha-yah, I wasn't planning on it, dude.” Ichiro winced, trying to move his shoulder. “Damn. Yeah, Dew, you don’t have everything. Not yet.”
Boston Under Siege (Book 1): Virus: Page 17