The boy laughed. “This is your lucky night. My queen wants you spared. I’ll find another to replace you.”
Cadence felt the strange thoughts fade away. She scanned the parking lot and found a lone zombie, a child in bloodied pajamas, shuffling toward them. She was able to lift her sword to strike, cutting the girl’s head off and watching it roll across the ground. When she looked up, Cerberus was missing.
“Nicely done,” said Cinder. “Be thankful Rafe still loves you. He is one of us. If he didn’t, I would not hesitate to rip your throat open and drain you. We will deal with Highbrow later.”
Cadence’s throat was dry. “Tell Rafe I’m sorry. Tell him I still care and want to talk to him.”
“You may regret that offer,” said Cinder, and then she, too, vanished.
Shouts from the barricade caught Cadence’s attention. She turned toward the battle, but it was over. They’d won. People were jumping, shouting victory cries, and hugging each other.
Members of the Head Hunters and China Six walked through the carnage, double checking each kill. Cadence heard her name and looked up to see Star and Luna running toward her. Star carried a sword dripping with black gore. Luna was clean of any blood. She carried a Civil War cavalry sword she purchased on the internet years earlier, and her bright pink lips held a superior smirk. Luna made killing zombies glamorous.
“Wow!” remarked Luna. “I’m impressed.”
“How did you kill so many on your own, Cadence?” asked Star, concerned. “We saw you surrounded and then bodies started dropping like flies. Not even Dragon killed as many as you did.”
Highbrow joined them, breathing hard from running. He had a worried look on his face. Cadence wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time. Lacking words, Cadence stabbed her katana into the ground and held out her arms.
“Group hug!”
The four embraced.
Standing in the tree line, Cadence saw Cinder and Cerberus holding Savannah by the hands. They chose her over everyone else. Cadence wanted to tell Highbrow, but knew there was no way to fight the children. They waved at Cadence before vanishing into the trees. A pit of worry grew in her stomach. Cadence tried not to think about them as the Fighting Tigers and other patrols surrounded her.
Smack bolted from the pack and threw her arms around Cadence. “I was so worried about you. I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”
“You were fantastic in battle,” said Dragon. He arrived with Freeborn, hands locked. “You fought like samurai.”
“Like a Cherokee warrior, a real warrior woman.” Freeborn said, laughing. “You are our War Woman.”
Cadence felt her cheeks blush. Today was a small victory, but it was not hers to claim. The real heroes were two dangerous vampires.
“Dragon taught me how to fight,” said Cadence. “I am honored that you took the time to make a fighter of out me. You’re a true master, Dragon. I am your student.”
Dragon bowed, and Cadence returned the respect.
“Okay, show’s over,” shouted Highbrow. “Let’s get a head count and start burning these bodies. There’s still a few hours before daylight. We need to find out what’s happened to the Captain and the Freedom Army.” He left Cadence, dispensing instructions and bringing some semblance of order back to the camp.
A steady line of teens flocked to Cadence as she walked toward HQ, thanking her and shaking her hand. She had never been more proud, annoyed, and confused. As she pushed her way inside the cabin, Raven was standing in front of the shortwave radio with Sturgis listening to a battle. Cadence heard sporadic gunfire and shouting.
“What’s going on?” asked Cadence. “Have you been able to contact the Captain?”
“I’m doing my best,” snapped Raven, realizing how she sounded. “Sorry, didn’t mean to be gruff. Turns out, Sturgis knows how to operate this dumb radio. Sarge is pinned down in Cascade and someone said the Captain is dead, but most of it is noise.”
“You did great. I can take it from here. Go check on your team. Sturgis, keep trying to get a response. If someone could get me water, I’d appreciate it.”
Smack handed Cadence a bottle and stood beside Dodger. The Fighting Tigers were all together inside the cabin, and the Professor sat in a corner surrounded by the children. Whisper and Blaze collapsed on the floor beside the kids, while Freeborn and Dragon stood guard at the door. Corporal Sterling and Nomad were missing. Cadence tried to relax for a moment while sipping her water and noticed Highbrow sitting on the edge of the desk. They stole a glance between each other as Sturgis found a clear channel, cutting into a conversation between two scavengers.
“Damn straight we made it through,” said a familiar voice. It was Logan. “Those soldier boys laid a trap for us, but we outsmarted them and double-backed to Manitou Springs. Cascade is overrun with those things. We pulled out in time, but the militia is trapped. A few of their soldiers asked to be taken prisoner. Their sergeant is a blabbermouth. We know all about their operation and the Peak looks ripe. Meet us at their Base Camp when you can get through. Over.”
“Should we hold up at Manitou Springs?” said a woman, sounding nervous. “We’re there now. Where are you located? Over.”
Cadence heard enough. She grabbed the receiver interrupted their conversation.
“Listen here. Harm any prisoners and there will be nowhere safe for you to hide. You can tell Logan that he’s public enemy number one. If any of you show up at Base Camp, it’ll be the worst mistake you ever made.”
There was a pause.
“This is Logan. Who is this?”
“Cadence, of the Fighting Tigers. I’m in command of the Peak.” The radio shredded into static. Clicks were heard, which further annoyed Cadence. “People, please. I know Morse code,” she said. “There’s no back road to the Peak.”
“You sure about that?” asked Logan.
“Try hiking through the trails and we’ll find you,” said Cadence. “We’re heavily armed and you are outnumbered. If Cascade is overrun, the Peak is the last place you want to be. Just stay in Manitou Springs. You have until tomorrow to clear out.”
“We need water, food, and shelter,” said the woman. “If you’re a smart little bitch, you’ll let us stay, or Logan will kill your sergeant.”
Cadence put her hand over the receiver. “Highbrow, we need to step it up. Place more guards on the entrance road and block it off with whatever you can find. The mountain road too. Freeborn, Dragon, go with Highbrow.”
The three headed out. Cadence spotted the Professor waving his hand at her, like a kid wanting to ask a question. She ignored him. Nomad had returned, but now he and Sturgis were leaving together. Looking for Savannah, she assumed. Cadence turned back to the radio and removed her hand from the microphone.
“Logan? You still there?”
“I’m here,” he said, laughing. “Over.”
“Then listen close. You’ve got until morning to clear out of town. We’ll be coming down the mountain and if we find any scavengers, we’ll kill every last one of you, that is, if the zombies don’t get you first.”
Blaze slid her hand across her throat. Cadence waved her off.
“I mean what I say, Logan. But if you’ve got the balls to show up, bring a white flag and hope I’m in a mood to accept your surrender. You got that?”
“I do,” said Logan. “A white flag.”
“Good. Over and out.”
Setting the receiver down, Cadence pulled off her cap, rubbed her scalp, and collapsed into her chair. Smack was handing out the last of her bubble gum to the kids. They all looked worn, but not as frightened as earlier. Dodger was entertaining them with magic tricks, and the Professor still had his hand up.
“What do you want, Professor?” asked Cadence.
“Your performance was very convincing, Commander.” The Professor didn’t sound pleased. “Do you have any idea how scary you are when you’re riled up? These children are traumatized. Just what are you hoping to do? The Peak is destro
yed and I doubt many tents survived the battle. We can hardly stay here for any length of time.”
“Then figure out a new place for us to live, Professor. I’m going to catch some shut-eye.”
* * * * *
Chapter Thirteen
The morning brought surprising changes that Rafe had not imagined. In his mind, he played through the old stories about vampires, like Dracula and Nosferatu. He never once considered they might be based on truth. Vlad the Impaler was a real person, the granddaddy of the legends as far as he knew. Rafe never imagined he would become such a thing, or that they even existed. As he hauled the girl’s body over his shoulder, he wondered if she was still alive. He had come close to draining her dry.
Rafe followed Cinder and Cerberus into the historical district of Manitou Springs. The two apparently knew where they were going and walked straight to Miramont Castle on Capitol Hill. For whatever reason, the forty-six room mansion with stepped gables and stone battlements was in pristine condition. It was the perfect place for the little queen and her guard dog. Rafe was well fed, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to move in with the demon children. They creeped him out more and more as time rolled on. As well, he liked being on his own.
“Take the girl to your new room, Rafe,” instructed Cinder.
The little girl sped up the stairs to the front door of the beautiful Gothic mansion. Somewhere along the journey, she found a long leather coat the color of blood and far too big for her small frame. As she ascended the stairs, the coat trailed behind her in regal fashion. She broke the seal on the door and entered. Rafe followed, still carting the human girl. He sniffed the air, but smelled no death in the mansion.
“Shall I stand guard?” asked Cerberus.
“No,” Cinder said. “We don’t yet know our limitations or strengths. If the stories we have are true, we need to be inside.” She pointed toward the sun breaking the horizon in the east. “To be safe from this point forward, we base our behavior on our understanding of vampires. From now on we only feed on uninfected humans. None should become whatever we are unless they are exceptional. It’s the way of things now. It’s my way. We will rule here as queen and consort. You Rafe, you will be our champion. No one can defy us. We are, after all, unique. Now close the door.”
“Yes, my queen,” said Cerberus. He closed the door at once and locked it, before joining Cinder in a sitting room with red velvet furniture and matching drapes.
Rafe had not felt the sting of the morning sun, or the weight of the girl he carried. It was tedious, however, having to deal with two small teacups trying to act like titans. He should not have filled their heads with stories of legend. They brought the girl to him. She smelled so good, and he fed on her but hadn’t the heart to kill her.
“You may keep the girl,” said Cinder, “if you can turn her into a vampire.”
Rafe placed the girl on a couch, while the boy stood before a marble fireplace, admiring the ornate fixtures and oil paintings on the walls.
“Why did you bring me this girl?” Rafe asked. “Why not Cadence? You know she’s the one I want. I told you both how I feel about her.”
“Don’t be droll. Leave the girl here and make sure we are safe. I want you to report to me if you should discover something new and interesting regarding our condition. Cerberus and I are going into the cellar to sleep a while. The sun is rising and I say we are tired. I say we are vampires, and I alone give approval for you to make that red-haired witch into one of us. She’s to be your playmate, not Cadence. I was at Base Camp and saw everything I needed to see. Cadence is far too dangerous.”
Left to his own devices, he explored the mansion. Finding no one hiding or rotting in a forgotten corner, he locked the doors and returned to the girl. He carried her to the third story, where he found a room he liked. The room was large with an impressive bed and heavy curtains at the windows. Rafe laid the girl on the bed and covered her. He closed the drapes, content no sun could breach the room.
Unsure how to turn a human, Rafe tried what he had seen in countless films. He slit his wrist with a knife kept in his boot and put his bleeding wrist to her mouth. It took a few minutes for the girl to stir. When she did he watched, fascinated, as she drank with eyes wide open.
“It’s okay,” said Rafe. “I don’t understand what’s happening either. Everyone else is drinking me. You might as well too, sunshine.” She glanced at him and continued to lap up his blood. “It doesn’t feel that bad. Truth be told, it kind of makes me hot.” She responded with a moan of affirmation. “I’m Rafe. Welcome to Hades.”
She lowered his arm and licked her lips. A drop remained on her chin. “And I’m Savannah,” she said.
“Two little monsters run the place. You’ll meet them soon enough. Hopefully Cinder will take a liking to you. I don’t know her very well. Then there’s Cerberus. They’re no more than children in body, but in spirit they seem to have aged. You must do what they say, when they say, or they may decide not to keep you alive.”
“And you?” Savannah’s eyes were large and green. She didn’t appear afraid.
“I . . .” He hesitated. “I am the queen’s protector. I want to live, so I’ll do what she commands.”
She sighed. “I’m tired, Rafe. Let me sleep.”
“Sleep away.”
A noise at the front door sent Rafe down the stairs and charging into the foyer. The door was open before he arrived and several humans stood in the threshold, armed and road weary. Their guns lifted at Rafe’s appearance. A woman and two men stared at him, their eyes wide and wild. He smelled fear cling to their skin like a heady perfume. Rafe lifted his hand to his mouth and felt for fangs, found them receded and smiled. “Are you looking for shelter? This place is taken, as you can see. If there are more of you, we may have a problem.”
“There doesn’t have to be,” said a middle-aged, dark-haired woman who appeared to be in charge. She lowered her gun, laughing as she tapped at one man’s rifle, helping him to lower his barrel. “What are you doing here? Did you desert your troops? We ran into a few of your soldier boys last night and took a few prisoners.”
“Actually about ten,” said a tall, bald man. Draped in a long black leather coat, his left eyebrow was pierced with a silver ring that lifted as he was scrutinized by his adversary.
The man towered over Rafe at six-foot-five and had the hands of a basketball player.
Rafe guessed the man to be in his early thirties, and allowed a smirk to accentuate his handsome face. His posture and demeanor suggested he held a previous career, legitimate or otherwise, that demanded a high level of street cred and smarts. Rafe was certain he did not belong among scavengers.
“You leave the wounded behind?” Rafe asked. Bleeding humans might arouse Savannah or the two children. He didn’t want a blood bath.
“When you’re in a gunfight,” said the tall, dark man, “it isn’t expedient to worry about the wounded. If you can’t keep up, you’re left behind. That goes for either side.”
“All’s fair in love and war,” replied Rafe. “I understand.”
“Both sides were evenly matched, but we were losing until a herd of walkers arrived. I’m talking hundreds of them. They came in from every direction. Those of us able to get away didn’t look back. Your soldier friends decided to come with us. We obliged and took them prisoner. Seemed the only logical thing to do was to head the opposite direction of the zombies and that brought us here, same as you.”
Rafe nodded. “Same as me.”
“The name is Logan. This is Marge, and Hank, her old man.”
Rafe glanced at the others. Hank smelled of disease. Rafe frowned. Was that cancer? Could he smell cancer? Marge was debating in her own head whether to fight or stay. Noises outside alerted Rafe there were more people waiting to come in. Revealing his best game face, Rafe stepped forward and stretched out his hand. He laughed when Logan grabbed hold for a hard shake.
“I’m Rafe. Consider me the manager of this establishment.�
�� He looked toward the door, the odor of living humans ripe in his nostrils. “How many are with you, Logan? The house only has forty-five rooms.”
Rafe hoped his act would lower suspicions. If they accepted the hospitality, he wondered if he was really doing them any favors.
“We have a kitchen with running water. No electricity but plenty of candles, beds, blankets, and a fireplace in most rooms. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”
The woman stared at Logan. “You’re going to trust this guy just like that? His soldier friends killed most of our people. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
Logan shrugged. Rafe regarded the woman with disdain.
“We’ll stay as long as we want,” she said, posturing. “With or without your permission, soldier boy. There are more of us than there are of you.”
“You have no idea who resides here,” Rafe said, his voice lowered to a growl. “Don’t press your luck, lady. Take what is offered or clear off.”
“We need a place to stay, so can it Marge,” said Logan, glaring at the woman. “It’s a nice place, Rafe. We saw other houses that looked okay, but this place seems the safest. There’s about twenty of us, plus the prisoners. Did the rest of your group come here, then?”
“Enough to hold off any army, I assure you. But if you accept my invitation, I expect you to play nice with the children. Do you accept or shall I wake the others?”
“Don’t bother,” said Logan. “I’ve had enough bloodshed. We accept.”
Rafe nodded. “Just like our camp at the Peak, you have to be invited to enter. So enter.”
“We didn’t meet your Captain. Some girl named Cadence is in charge now.” Marge grunted. She patted the barrel of her gun. “I’d like to say hello to that little girl sometime. She made it clear we’re nothing but scum. Maybe we are,” she smiled, exposing yellow-stained teeth, “maybe we’re worse.”
Logan laughed. “Seriously, Marge, shut up. This guy invited us in and that’s all we wanted.” He sent the other man to bring in their friends.
Dead Hearts (Book 1): Morbid Hearts Page 13