Dead Hearts (Book 1): Morbid Hearts

by Susanne L. Lambdin

  “Thanks,” said Highbrow, shifting toward Cadence. “You risked the team by coming to get us, but I’m glad you did.”

  “No problem.”

  Cadence felt her eyes moisten, and she held back her tears. The life they had built for the past year had just been ripped away by savage greed. Not everyone seemed upset. Much less than they should be. The red-haired girl looked frightened, but her biker friend seemed calm.

  Smack was excited and blowing bubbles, while Dodger joked and teased with Blaze. They grew quiet as the transport approached the midway camp.

  Cadence remained in the truck with Freeborn as Highbrow led the team, joined by Dragon. Zombie soldiers stumbled around outside of the cabin. Whisper and Freeborn dropped them one by one as Dragon kicked down the door and entered the small shack. The lights were on as Highbrow and Dodger pushed through the door, Blaze and Smack providing support outside. Heavy gunfire erupted inside and a front window shattered as a body crashed through, mangled and hanging over the frame.

  Dodger rushed out, leading a group of children screaming and running for the truck. Smack and Star helped the kids pile into the cab, bunched in tight. Three soldiers ran out of the cabin followed by Dragon and Highbrow. Blaze turned and ran toward the truck with them, reaching the team as the shack exploded and flames billowed through a spew of fire. The group packed together in the back of the truck, and Cadence was surprised to see Corporal Sterling among the survivors. A dark, broad-shouldered man of stoic repute, she watched tears roll down his face, which he made no attempt to hide.

  “When the fighting broke out at the Peak,” Sterling began, “I managed to lead the children out of the school. Wizard and Dill met us coming down the mountain. Hiding in the cabin seemed like the right thing to do. I know the children come first, but I’m ashamed.”

  “For hiding?” Cadence asked.

  Sterling turned away, saying nothing further.

  “You should have seen what was going on inside that cabin,” said Highbrow, reporting to Cadence. “They were locked in the bathroom with the kids. That door wouldn’t have held much longer. Mother Superior was crazed and vicious. Dragon killed her, and there wasn’t anything else to do but burn it down. There was a propane tank out in the open and leaking.”

  “Calloway lit the match,” said Sterling. “Not much was left of him, but he had sense enough to light it once we were out. I shouldn’t have left him. He was my friend.”

  “You saved who you could.” Eyes narrowed, Cadence pounded on the back window. “We’ve got to get moving! More of them are probably headed toward camp and will outflank the patrols.”

  Star caught her eyes in the rearview and she picked up speed. A few kids turned around and stared at Cadence with shock and horror, but when she smiled a couple smiled back. She knew they would be okay.

  The road was rough and narrow. Cadence had to kneel like everyone else to avoid being knocked around. The Tigers distributed fresh ammo to everyone for reloading. Cadence tensed when Highbrow put his hand on her shoulder. His grip was firm.

  “We’re doing okay,” said Highbrow. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a handheld radio and gave it to her. “Told you I’d get you one.”

  Cadence slid it into her pocket.

  “Thanks for saving us.” Highbrow smiled. “I might not show it, but I’m a nervous wreck. You seem to be handling it all in stride. Big step up in responsibility, but it suits you. You’re a natural leader, Cadence.”

  “Thanks,” said Cadence, grinning. She wanted to tell Highbrow how much she had missed him, but it seemed a moot point after seeing how he looked at Savannah. She had waited too long to admit her feelings for him and now there was someone else.

  “Our escape was nothing less than miraculous, Cadence,” said the Professor. He held onto the side of the truck, groaning every time they rounded a curve. “This is Nomad and Savannah. They were a big help. I don’t think I would have survived without them and Highbrow. Of course, all the credit goes to you and the Fighting Tigers. You saved our lives.”

  “It’s going to be ugly down at Base Camp,” said Cadence. “Every soldier has been called to the front. We’ll drive straight to the barricade and let everyone off. Corporal Sterling, I’m putting you in charge of the civilians. Get them inside HQ and stay with them.”

  “Who did you leave in command?” asked Highbrow.

  “The Vikings.” Cadence tensed when he looked surprised. “Raven is in charge of the barricade. Thor has a flotilla on the lake. The fire at the front gate should keep the zombies back, but if they got through we’re going to be outnumbered big time.”

  “I’m sure you deployed your troops well, commander. It’s not like we’re all that stands between civilization and the end of the world.” Highbrow looked out at the dark. “The Captain is out there fighting, too. We’ll do our best to make him proud.”

  “We’ll follow you, Commander Cadence,” said Wizard, handing her a blue beret.

  Cadence placed the coveted cap on her head. Enthusiastic cheers from the team lifted her spirits. The group fell silent as they were met with explosions and the rat tat tat of gunfire around the next turn. Cadence presented a brave face, praying she wouldn’t let anyone down.

  “Let’s give these monsters a one-way ticket to Hell!” shouted Cadence. Her people answered with a roar.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Twelve

  The cave was dark, or at least it should have been. Rafe didn’t understand why he could see so well in the dark, or how he had walked this far carrying two bloodthirsty children without getting tired. The children seemed weightless to him. If he had attempted this a few days ago, he wouldn’t have made it. He set them down at the mouth of the cave and they ran inside laughing and chatting like normal children, but this was far from normal.

  Rafe heard the scream of a mountain cat in turmoil. The injured animal dashed by him and vanished. Inside, he found the children kneeling and devouring a small fawn. It was the cat’s meal. After a few swallows, the boy turned his head and vomited and the girl stopped eating. She held her stomach and began to cry.

  “Now don’t start that,” said Rafe, picking the girl up. Holding her close, he wiped her bloody tears and kissed her on the nose. “You two injured that mountain lion and chased it off. That means you can take care of yourselves, so there’s nothing to be scared of. Plus, I’m here to look after you.”

  “But I’m hungry.” The boy wiped a hand across his mouth. “The fawn tasted bad. It didn’t taste good like the man.”

  “I couldn’t hold it down,” said the girl. “I’m sorry.” She shared a shy smile as Rafe sat down with her on his lap. “You’re so nice. I miss my daddy. Will you be our daddy?”

  “That’s a job I’m not really cut out for, but I’ll do my best.”

  Rafe leaned against the wall of the cave and stretched his legs. The girl kept her arms around his neck and her little face pressed against his. Rafe was filled with strange ideas and feelings. The only thing keeping him calm were the two children cuddled next to him.

  “I’m Billy,” said the boy. “Billy Goat Gruff. It’s a stupid name. Nightshadow gave it to me but I’d rather be Dracula. Doc was reading the book to us. I liked the vampire.”

  “Seems appropriate,” said Rafe, smiling, “but a little overused. If you want a cool name, I’ll give you one. I’ll give you both new names.”

  He held the girl at arm’s length and gazed at her with his newfound vision. She remained pale, with dark circles under her glowing eyes. She looked healthy, and not at all in the process of zombie rot.

  “What about Cinder, short for Cinderella? That sounds like a cool name. Do you like Cinder?”

  “Funny,” the girl said. “My real name was Cindy. Everyone called me Mouse at camp because I’m quiet, little, and I liked cheese. I like Cinder.”

  The boy hit Rafe hard in the shoulder. Rafe dropped to his side and almost dropped Cinder. The boy laughed and started dancing until a ‘
click, click’ from the girl halted him. The boy stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and hung his head.

  “I’m so hungry,” the boy said. “I know it’s wrong, but I want more soldiers.”

  Billy showed off his new fangs, long and wicked. Rafe glanced at the girl and saw that she, too, had grown fangs. He felt his own teeth, puncturing his finger with a sharp point. Cinder grabbed his finger and sucked with bloodlust, and he didn’t stop her.

  “I don’t know what’s happening to us,” said Rafe, “but we aren’t human and we certainly aren’t zombies. They don’t talk like this.”

  “What’s Billy’s new name?” asked Cinder. She spoke with an air of authority that caused the boy to kneel before them. The boy quivered. The control she commanded excited her. “You will always be Rafe, our protector. But he needs a scary name. Something that will make bullies think twice about bothering us anymore.”

  “They won’t bother us,” whispered the boy. “They’re dead now.”

  “Cerberus,” said Rafe.

  The beast from Greek mythology was the first name he thought of. A bit of classic storytelling wouldn’t hurt them. The boy looked to be about eight, and the girl younger. All kids loved stories.

  “Cerberus was a three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld. In ancient Greece, the gods lived in a place in the clouds called Mt. Olympus. Zeus was their leader, Poseidon was god of the sea, and Hades was god of the Underworld. Cerberus protected Hades’ home, and he was frightening.”

  “And he will protect me,” said Cinder, content in their strange new life. She took the boy by the hand, drawing him close. The boy gazed at her with adoration. “Cer . . . ber . . . us.

  Guardian of the Underworld. It suits you.”

  Rafe squinted at the children, listening to their words mature and their demeanors change before his eyes. It was eerie. Come to think of it, he never had much interest in mythology. They weren’t the only ones changing.

  “I like it,” the boy said. “But what are we to eat? I’m still hungry.”

  Rafe had no idea what to feed the children. He was shocked when they attacked and overpowered him, but he didn’t resist. Cinder sank into his neck and Cerberus into his wrist.

  When he felt the life draining from his body they stopped, drawing away and reaching for each other’s hand. They both gazed out of the cave, and then back to Rafe.

  “We have drained you,” said Cinder, concerned. “Now it’s our turn to find you something to eat. We’ll be back. Stay here.”

  Rafe was weak and had no intention of moving. He watched the two little demons walk out of the cave. These were fearless, powerful creatures.

  He just hoped they would return with something large enough to satisfy his own aching hunger. If the gruesome duo wanted to hunt, there was no reason to stop them. It was with relief and a strange satisfaction that he was left to rest while the children took care of him.

  ***

  Cadence felt like they dropped into pandemonium. Hundreds of zombies were streaming through what remained of the fire, advancing toward the barricade. Many of them had caught fire, posing an even greater danger. Shooters on rooftops fired at stragglers coming in the gate. The main group positioned behind the barricade held back the advance, but a few crates had toppled creating a hole filled with rotting corpses trying to push through. A hundred or more zombies gathered around Lake Crystal. The teams under Thor’s command shined their spotlights on the road and picked their targets with care. Scores of zombies floated in the water, twitching, while creatures on fire waded into the water and floundered near the shore, easy pickings for shooters in the boats.

  Cadence watched as the Amazons, Head Hunters, and Green Hornets fought the creatures with swords and axes. The battle was medieval. Flamethrowers and modern weaponry mixed in to define chaos in a whole new way. Raven was statuesque in the back of a broken truck behind the barricade outfitted with an automatic rifle, mowing zombies as they crawled over the fallen. The teen patrols were outnumbered and ammunition was precious. The tide of battle could shift in the blink of an eye.

  Cadence pounded the roof of the cab and the truck stopped. She climbed to the top of the cab, motioning Corporal Sterling to get the civilians behind the barricade. Dragon and the Tigers opened fire. The children were tossed over the barricade by Sterling into the waiting arms of the teenagers. The Professor, Savannah, and Nomad followed along with Sterling. Wizard and Dill stood with the Fighting Tigers, firing at zombies that swarmed the truck.

  Bright lights swung across the truck and into the parking lot, focusing on the Bandits who were caught in the open. The team circled their four-wheelers in the center of the parking lot, and began firing in every direction. Cadence heard a scream and saw a teen being pulled across an ATV. Whisper shot the offending monster in the head. The teen scrambled and ran toward the barricade, but was caught and dragged to the ground.

  Without thinking twice, Cadence jumped from the truck and charged the circled Bandits. She wasn’t sure who followed before seeing Freeborn, Dragon, and Highbrow running beside her. Cadence thrust and stabbed her way through the horde of zombies, and Dragon’s swords flew like a choreographed masterpiece of lethal grace. A blast from Freeborn’s shotgun cut through a zombie’s skull giving Cadence time to join the Bandits in the shelter of the circle.

  “Get to our truck with the Tigers,” shouted Cadence. “We’ll keep them off you.”

  The Bandits led the others toward the truck as Star drove their way, making an effort to massacre every monster in her path. Whisper remained mounted in in back making every shot count. Cadence, Dragon, Highbrow, and Freeborn made their run to the truck, jumping over bodies flattered by Star. The truck rolled up and blocked the gap in the wall and a loud cheer went up from the rooftops.

  Cadence was caught behind the barricade when the opening collapsed with decaying bodies. She tried to run around a zombie, but it saw her and opened its maw exposing raw flesh hanging from its blackened teeth. Now behind the barricade and alone, she was surrounded and felt hope slipping away.

  She kept fighting, until two small children appeared at her side. Glowing eyes and corpse-pale dimples smiled at Cadence. In the moment of distraction, a large zombie fell on her. Cadence felt its grasp and caught scent of its fetid breath, then thrust her blade into its stomach. The creature staggered backward, swinging its arm and knocking Cadence off her feet.

  “Help her,” said the girl.

  Cadence watched a boy fly through the air and land on the back of her attacker. His small hands closed around the neck of the zombie, shredding its head from its shoulders. The girl circled Cadence with inhuman speed, striking zombies lifeless with effortless force. Both children were swift and lethal. Zombies piled around her, and Cadence felt like she was watching a movie in slow motion. The girl stopped her onslaught and reappeared at Cadence’s side covered with black goo, leaving the killing to her companion.

  “I know who you are,” said the girl. “You’re Cadence of the Fighting Tigers. I’m Queen Cinder and that glorious vision is Lord Cerberus. We wanted to see how many of these foul beasts we could kill, but it’s too easy. I’m bored now.”

  “You’re the Little Leaguers who were infected,” said Cadence. “Billy was the lookout for your team, right? And you’re Mouse. I recognize you.”

  “Not anymore. We have evolved.”

  Cadence felt the girl grip her sword arm. The boy was too busy dispatching zombies to pay them any attention, but Cadence realized Cinder was walking her away from the battle and into the trees. She turned and saw the barricade diminishing in the distance. The boy returned to his queen and bowed, leaving a few zombies for the teen patrols to finish off.

  “I killed them,” said Cerberus. “Now what? Are we taking her with us?”

  Cinder let go of Cadence and she felt a bruise swell from the girl’s grip. Cinder motioned for Cerberus, and for a moment Cadence thought he would kill her. He stared at her for a short time, then t
he eerie light in his eyes dissipated, replaced by warm, natural brown eyes. Fear melted from Cadence, leaving her with a strange desire to hold the boy close. She let out a sigh as Cerberus took a step toward her, unable to look away. Cadence dismissed the sounds of gunfire and shouting from beyond the tree line, and looked deeply into his eyes. She felt an attachment to him, bending down and opening her arms. The boy stepped into her embrace.

  “You have no fear,” said Cerberus. “I could kill you in an instant, yet you cannot resist your desire to hold me. Interesting.” He glanced at Cinder. “Our protector spoke to us of Valkyries, who had the task of claiming the souls of the fallen in battle. Rafe said Cadence is such a warrior. He wants her.”

  “I think we should find someone else,” Cinder said. “This one will never take orders.”

  Cadence felt her thoughts clear the moment the boy looked away. She lifted her sword, prepared to fight back. Cerberus opened his mouth and exposed long fangs. Cadence was struck with horror and amazement.

  “You know what we are,” said Cerberus. “Had I not broken contact, I could have made you do anything. I could make you my thrall, if I so desired.”

  “Good word use, darling,” said Cinder. She dispatched a zombie that lumbered too close, snatching its head from its shoulders with one hand.

  Thrall, Cadence thought. Servant. Slave. She tried to move her arm to strike down the boy, but she couldn’t. The world could end right now and Cadence would feel only love in her heart. It made no sense. Her sword arm dropped and Cinder took the gun from her other hand.

  “You want to tell me something, don’t you? Something you haven’t told anyone else.” Cerberus laughed, villainous. “Tell me your thoughts.”

  “I think I’m in love with Highbrow,” Cadence blurted. “He doesn’t know. He thinks I still love Rafe, which I do, but we had a fight. I love you, too. If you bite me, will I become like you?”

  “I don’t want you turned,” said Cinder. “We will let you go. You’re a killer, like us. It would be a shame to make you a slave. Let her go Cerberus.”