by P. T. Hylton
Most of the time, he believed that, but sometimes he had the sneaking suspicion that nothing he could do would make up for helping to kill twelve people.
As if conjured by his thoughts, a familiar voice came from behind him.
“They look good,” Fleming said.
Firefly nodded. “They’ve got a long way to go, sir, but they’re an impressive group already.”
Fleming clapped him on the shoulder. “Did you ever think you’d been leading so many?”
Firefly considered that a moment. The week or so since his return to New Haven had been a whirlwind, one in which his life had changed in countless ways. Ten days ago, he’d been a member of the GMT, and that team had been his world. True, he’d believed in Fleming and in Resettlement, but there had been something academic about the whole politics thing. It had been a hobby; the GMT was his life.
Then he’d returned from Agartha and found Fleming in charge of the whole damn city. The politician had been quick to show Firefly his appreciation for providing the explosives that had finished off the council. He’d offered Firefly a number of positions in his administration, and Firefly had selected this one.
He’d always known CB didn’t respect his leadership abilities. And now look at him. He was on the vanguard of humanity’s future.
“I always knew I’d lead someday,” Firefly answered. “I just didn’t know it would be so many. Or so soon.”
Fleming grinned at him. “I appreciate you stepping up.” He nodded toward the recruits. “They doing all right?”
Firefly nodded. “As well as can be expected. Honestly, sir, it’s not the people I’m worried about. It’s the supplies.”
“I understand. But I’m going to need a little trust on that one. Brian McElroy and his team are working around the clock on the daylights. They’re a little behind schedule, but we’ll make sure they are ready when we are.”
“It’s not just the lights.”
“Engineering is stripping everything they can from the ship to make generators. People are going to have to do without some things for a while.”
Firefly cast a nervous glance at Fleming. “Are they going to be okay with that?”
“They won’t be thrilled about it. But as long as we keep our forward momentum, they’ll accept it.” He turned and looked at Firefly, his eyes alive with passion. “That’s the key to this whole thing. It’s dangerous, it’s costly, and it requires every person on this ship to make sacrifices. If we keep running at our goal, the people will go along with us. But if we blink, even for a second, so will they.”
Firefly nodded slowly. “I’ll leave the politics stuff to you, and I’ll stick to the guns. By the way, what’s going on with General Craig?”
“The trial’s been set for next month. It’ll be nice to finally have all that behind us.”
“Yeah.” Firefly hoped his voice conveyed more confidence than he felt. In truth, he still didn’t understand what grounds they even had to put Craig on trial. He’d tried to stop a coup. Yes, someone had gotten hurt, but hadn’t Fleming hurt people as well?
And if Craig was found guilty, how would CB and his team react? Firefly had to believe they wouldn’t watch their leader’s execution without reacting. Any vehemence they felt toward Fleming would only be increased once their general was gone for good.
Fleming clapped Firefly on the shoulder again. “You need to trust me, Firefly. Focus on getting these folks ready to defend our new home. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“Of course, sir.” He hesitated. There was something else he’d been wanting to discuss with Fleming, but the moment hadn’t felt right yet.
Fleming tilted his head. “What is it? Something you want to say?”
Firefly cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. It’s just… I’m a captain now. Firefly was a lieutenant for the GMT. I’m not that man anymore.”
It took Fleming a moment to get it. Then realization dawned. “You want to go by your real name.”
“Yes, sir, I do. It’s Gar—”
“I know your name.” He smiled and nodded toward the recruits. “All right then. Captain Garrett Eldred, I’ll be back to check on your progress later in the week.”
Garrett smiled. “Thank you, sir. I’ll have them ready when you need them.”
“Good. Because we are heading down to the surface at the end of the month.”
Alex scanned the basement with her eyes as Yoko loaded her equipment into her pack. “You’re sure we got what we need?”
The engineer shrugged. “As sure as I can be without checking the other buildings. Everything in this one seems in order.” She paused a moment, shooting Alex a look. “That was not a suggestion that we clear out the other buildings, by the way. This was more than enough excitement for one day.”
As Yoko finished packing, Alex turned to the rest of the team. “Form up around our engineer friend, same as on the way down here. Chuck, you still good to take point?”
He nodded briskly.
“Good. Who wants the anchor position?”
“I got it,” Hope said.
“Fine,” Alex said. “The rest of you form up around Yoko. Don’t assume there aren’t any more of our Feral friends in here.”
“Feral?” Ed asked.
Alex hadn’t realized she’d used the term. “Yeah. It’s, uh, something the people of Agartha call the wild vampires.”
“Heh,” Ed laughed. “Wild vampires. Are there any other kind?”
Alex didn’t have time for this discussion now. She’d explained Agartha to the team at a high level: that another city existed in the Colorado mountains, and that the GMT had been saved by the people of the city. She’d left out the part about their saviors being of the non-breathing variety.
Patrick frowned as Hope took up her position at the rear of the team. “You just wanted anchor so you could get a shot at another vampire if one comes up behind us.”
Hope didn’t bother denying it. “If we’re not counting the ones we shot in the doorway, the score’s tied up. One kill each.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Patrick grumbled.
Yoko slipped her arms through the straps of the pack and hoisted it to her back.
“Let’s move out,” Alex said.
They made their way through the basement and reached the staircase. Chuck led them up the stairs, Alex close behind.
She was about six stairs up when she heard a growl from below. She turned just in time to see a vampire leap from the darkness beneath the stairs.
Hope stood at the bottom of the stairs. She pointed her shotgun at the creature, but it was on her in the blink of an eye, grabbing the barrel, ripping the weapon from her grasp before she could fire.
The vampire lunged, crashing into Hope. The momentum sent both of them careening to the floor.
“Holy shit!” Ed yelled.
The entire team had their weapons pointed at the vampire, but the way it was tangled up with Hope, there was no way to get a clear shot.
Light from a headlamp flashed off fangs a moment before they sank into the upper, unprotected part of Hope’s neck. She shouted in pain, thrashing, trying to get out of the creature’s grasp.
Alex tried to push her way down the stairs to help her friend, but the narrow staircase was too crowded. She couldn’t get past her teammates and the engineer.
The vampire stood, holding Hope in its arms. Its teeth were still buried in her neck, and the slurping sounds made it clear it was still feasting on her blood. Smoke rose from its lower jaw, the part in contact with the silvermail Hope wore, but it didn’t seem to notice.
As it drank, it began to change. The color of its skin shifted, changing from dead gray to white, then to tan. Its ears shrank and grew round, appearing more human by the moment. The wing-like flaps of skin between its arms and body shriveled and fell away.
Alex barely noticed. The only thing she was focused on was that she had a clear shot. She squeezed off two quick rounds, and the back of the vampire’s
head disappeared in a cloud of mist.
Hope fell from the vampire’s limp arms, and the creature collapsed.
Alex fired again, putting a round through the creature’s chest. Though she was silent, inside she was screaming. Her worst nightmare was coming true.
She should have seen that vampire under the stairs. Had it been there all along? Had they even checked when they first came down? Or had it snuck down the steps while they worked on the electrical equipment?
It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was Hope. Maybe it wasn’t too late for her.
“Chuck, Ed, you two get Yoko to safety. Patrick, help me get Hope. Everyone stay alert.”
She squeezed her way to the foot of the stairs and shone her headlamp at Hope. The woman was unconscious, and her neck was torn up pretty good. But there wasn’t as much blood as Alex would have expected coming from the wound. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought.
With Patrick’s help, she managed to drag Hope up the stairs and through the building. They made it to the exit and burst into the sunlight.
A wave of relief washed through Alex. They’d made it out.
Owl ran to meet them, medical kit in her hand. She didn’t ask what had happened; one look at Hope and she didn’t have to.
Alex and Patrick laid Hope down, then Alex looked around, checking her teammates. “Everyone else okay?”
They let her know that they were.
Owl crouched next to Hope, and began checking her over. She looked up at Alex. “No pulse.”
Ed’s eyes grew wide as he stared down at his injured teammate. “What the hell is that?”
Alex followed his gaze. The exposed skin on Hope’s face and neck were changing color before their eyes. It turned an angry red, then blisters formed. Thin tendrils of smoke rose from her face.
No, Alex silently pleaded. Not this. Anything but this.
Hope’s eyes shot open, and she gasped. Springing to her feet, she stumbled forward, her hands clawing at her face as she let out a guttural scream.
Owl stumbled backward, quickly getting away from her teammate.
“Hope!” Alex shouted. “It’s okay. You’re hurt, but we’re going to—”
Hope screamed again, cutting Alex off.
Her wild eyes settled on the entrance to cellblock four, and she dashed toward it, moving with uncanny speed.
When she reached the protective shadows of the entrance, she began frantically tearing at her clothes. Smoke was pouring from her entire body now.
“The silvermail,” Chuck whispered, his voice heavy with shock. “If she’s…one of them now—”
“I know,” Alex said. Time seemed to slow as she strode toward the entrance of the building, pistol in hand.
Hope fell to her knees, and flames burst from her body. The silvermail had set her aflame. Still her screaming continued.
After what seemed like an eternity, Alex decided she was close enough. She raised her pistol and fired three rounds.
Thankfully, the screaming finally stopped.
The team stood in shocked silence, and Alex was silent with them. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Yoko fall to her knees and vomit. The rest of them remained still.
For Alex’s part, she kept her eyes on Hope. Her body was still wrapped in silvermail, so it continued to burn even after the vampiric life had gone out of it.
Alex briefly considered saying something. After all, this was the closest thing to a real funeral Hope was ever going to get. No way could they bring that body back to New Haven.
But what was there to say? Hope’s captain had failed her. She’d been attacked, turned, and died a horrific death.
There were no words. So Alex just watched. She watched for a long time until the flames finally went out.
10
The next twenty-four hours went by in a strange blur for Alex. Later, she’d remember snippets of events, things that she could vaguely recall saying or doing, but somehow she felt detached from it all.
She managed to keep it together during the flight back to New Haven, staying strong for the team. To her surprise, Patrick was the most distraught. She sat next to him on the flight, talking to him, making sure he was able to hold it together, too.
The next thing she remembered was sitting in CB’s office across from CB and Fleming, recounting the events of the mission. She heard her own voice as she told the tale. She sounded detached, objective. She relayed the events as best as she recalled them, doing her best to paint herself neither as the hero nor the villain of the story. It was just a mission that had gone wrong.
When she finished, they all sat in silence for a moment.
CB looked her in the eye. “You did the right thing by putting Hope out of her misery. Even if she hadn’t been on fire. We couldn’t have doomed her to live like that.”
Fleming looked oddly thoughtful. “How long was it from when Hope was bitten to when she changed?”
“Two minutes,” Alex guessed. “Maybe two and a half.”
Fleming shook his head in amazement.
CB turned to the councilman. “Do you see how dangerous this game is now? If something like this can happen to the GMT, and after they’ve already cleared out the prison, what chance does Resettlement have?”
“I’m aware of the danger, Colonel.” Fleming spoke softly, respectfully, but there was steely resolve in his voice. “We knew there’d be a human cost. Hope knew that too. This is how we bring humanity home.”
As Fleming spoke, Alex felt the control she’d been fighting so desperately to maintain beginning to slip away.
“Are you kidding me, Fleming?” she asked, fury in her voice.
Fleming turned to her, unfazed at the outburst. “Alex, I promise you Hope’s death was not in vain. Her blood will help pave the way for our future.”
“Are you really this dumb?”
CB started to rise. “Alex, please—”
Fleming held up a hand. “No, it’s okay. Have your say, Alex. We’ve been polite for too long. I want to know what you really think.”
That caught Alex off guard, and it gave her pause. But if he wanted to hear what she really thought, she was happy to tell him. “Hope was selected for the GMT because she was one of the most qualified to survive on the surface. That sleepy vampire took her out in twenty seconds. What do you think it could have done to someone without training?”
“I see your point. If the average citizen of New Haven went down to that unprotected prison, they’d be torn to shreds.”
“Exactly!”
A gentle smile crept across Fleming’s face. “But we’re not sending them down to an unprotected prison. By the time they Resettle, the place will have power. And daylights. And armed guards manning the walls. They’ll be protected.”
“Says the man who’s never set foot on the surface. Why don’t you come down there with us next time? The way I see it, a vampire’s fangs are the only things sharp enough to get through your thick skull.”
CB’s eyes flickered with concern, but he said nothing.
Fleming leaned forward and looked Alex in the eyes. “Thank you. I appreciate your honesty.”
“I don’t want your damn appreciation. I want your common sense.”
He sighed. “Resettlement is moving forward. I’ll give the GMT two days off, but then you need to get back to work. You trusted me once before, Alex. I need you to trust me again.”
Alex squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to think about that now. About how she’d once been a true believer in Fleming. About how she’d smuggled the daylights aboard the away ship for him. She’d been a fool.
Would things be different today if she hadn’t done that? Would Hope still be alive? Would Drew? Would Simmons?
Fleming stayed a few more minutes, offering vague platitudes and promises of the glories of Resettlement that would soon be coming. It was all Alex could do not to punch him.
After he left, CB waited a full thirty seconds before speaking. “Take t
he day. Tomorrow we have to get back to work. First thing, you’ll go to Fleming and apologize. Tell him you’re onboard with the mission. That you’ve slept on it, and Hope’s death has filled you with a burning desire to Resettle the Earth and destroy every vampire in the world.”
“CB—”
“Don’t CB me,” he said through gritted teeth. “We have a plan. Win over Firefly. Find evidence. Take the power from Fleming. We have to follow it.”
She knew he was right. Angry outbursts wouldn’t bring Hope back. But if they could stop this premature Resettlement, it could save thousands of others. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll apologize.”
“Good. Then we have to start looking for Hope’s replacement.”
That stung just as badly, but she’d been through it before when Wesley had replaced Simmons.
She started to stand, but CB stopped her.
“Alex, I’m so sorry this happened. If you want to talk about—”
“I’m fine.”
“I know what it’s like to lose someone under your command. I doubt you’re fine. But I know you’ll learn from it, and I know you’ll use the pain to drive you. I’m here if you ever want to talk.”
She left CB’s and wandered, no destination in mind. As she walked, she let her mind go blank, not thinking about anything.
She wasn’t exactly surprised when she found herself at Tankards, the bar in Sparrow’s Ridge.
A few of the regulars greeted her when she walked in, a few of whom she knew and a few she didn’t. She was used to that; being on the GMT afforded her a minor celebrity status. She ignored all of them and headed straight to the bar.
The bartender’s eyes lit up when he saw her. “Alex, how’s the exciting life of the GMT treating you?”
“Two shots, please, and make it quick. How’s that for an answer?”
The bartender whistled softly. “That bad, huh? All right. Chaser?”
“Yeah. A third shot.”
She knocked back the three shots in quick succession, and the burning sensation brought the image of Hope to mind, and the way she’d screamed as the fire consumed her. For the first time in a while, the desire to see Simmons again hit her hard. It was like a hunger. She would have done anything to hold him, to feel his arms around her.