Robson couldn’t even forgive himself.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Natalie stood on the ridge of the Diablo Range overlooking the east slope, using her hand to shade her eyes from the noon sun. Down below sat the farms and towns that stretched along the San Joaquin Valley and, beyond that, the Sierra Nevada Mountains. From up here, the view didn’t look quite so apocalyptic. According to military intelligence, when the outbreak had spread through the Bay area, traffic jammed up around the passes before evacuees could make it across the Diablo Range. A few of the larger cities to the north, such as Sacramento, suffered the same fate as San Francisco. However, for the most part, those living in the valley had a chance to flee. A few buildings or city blocks had been burned out, but there were no signs of the societal collapse she had witnessed traveling across the country. Not even highways and roads packed with abandoned vehicles. If there were hordes of rotters in the valley, she couldn’t see them from up here, which was a good thing. Natalie wondered if the evacuation from the valley meant it had been spared from the worst of the apocalypse. She would find out tomorrow. The top of the range was the farthest line of advance for today.
Taking back San Jose from the living dead had changed the dynamics of the drive across the country. Additional troops were being deployed daily, with the new recruits clearing out major pockets of rotter activity while those who had already seen combat were diverted to less-stressful mop-up operations. The main campaign now broke into two drives. One would push north between the east bank of San Francisco Bay and the Diablo Range, with Berkeley as the first objective. Once Berkeley had been recovered, the drive north would split into two, with the primary push being toward Sacramento and then due north up the valley until it reached the national forests around Redding. The secondary push would move along the West Coast to Eureka. At this point, the northern advance would establish a defensive position until it linked up with the troops heading south from the Pacific Northwest. The second drive would move south along the coast toward Santa Barbara where the Sierra Nevadas swung west and connected with the coast. Here they would make contact with units pushing south through the San Joaquin Valley and join with the forces fighting to regain control of Los Angeles and the territory south to the Mexican border. Once these three major drives had linked up, the campaign would push east and head across country.
Those units that had been involved in the cleaning out of San Francisco and San Jose had been ordered to the top of the Diablo Range. Tomorrow morning, they would sweep through the valley to the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, establish a northern perimeter running along Route 132 through Modesto, and begin their push south toward Santa Barbara. Mesle had told them that being assigned this area of operation was their reward for what they had gone through in San Francisco and San Jose. Natalie stared down into the valley below, thinking that maybe this time they had gotten a break.
The rest of the squad joined her, with Ari and Doreen on Natalie’s right and Mesle and Stephenson beyond them.
Mesle ran his hand across his scalp to wipe off the sweat. “There’s our target for tomorrow.”
“Which one?” Doreen asked.
He pointed to a small town a few miles south of Modesto that sat directly across from them in the center of the valley. “That’s the town of Delhi. Air recon reports no signs of revenant activity there, so it should be an easy day.”
“Good,” Stephenson said.
“It looks so peaceful down there,” Ari said.
“Don’t get overconfident. Looks can be deceiving.” Mesle took a step forward and raised his voice so the rest of the squad could hear him. “Okay, people. This is as far as we’re going today, so find a good place to set up camp. I doubt we’ll have to worry about revenants up here, but to be on the safe side I want guard shifts throughout the night. Any questions?”
There were none.
“Outstanding. Now get moving.”
As the others sauntered off, the three Angels still studied the valley.
Ari moved close to Natalie so their shoulders touched. “It’d be a peaceful place to settle down once this is over.”
“Hell, no.” Natalie shook her head. “I want a place out in the middle of nowhere, preferably in the mountains, where there’s no one around for miles. If things go to shit again, I don’t want to be surrounded by tons of people.”
“I’ll go anywhere you want to.” Ari slid her hand into Natalie’s. Their fingers interlocked, and Ari squeezed affectionately. Natalie wanted to kiss Ari, although not out here where everyone could see.
“Sorry.” Doreen started to walk away. “I don’t mean to intrude.”
“You’re not intruding,” Natalie said.
“I didn’t know you two were….”
“Since last night,” said Ari.
“Good for you. I’m glad you two found some happiness in the middle of all this. God knows how long it’ll be before anyone else will be happy again.”
Natalie squeezed Ari’s hand before breaking the grip, and then maneuvered so she could put her arms around both women’s shoulders. “Let’s set up camp and enjoy the rest of the day. We’ve got a lot of walking ahead of us tomorrow.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
The noise of the children playing in the living room tapered off and a suspicious quiet settled over the house. One thing Windows had learned years ago as a babysitter was that if pets or kids were quiet, that usually meant they were up to no good. She stopped cleaning the dinner dishes, dried her hands on a towel, and snuck into the living room to see what trouble he kids had gotten in to. The three of them were asleep. Philip lay face down on the sofa, his left arm hanging off the side onto the floor. Cindy and Rebecca had been playing a card game when they crashed, Rebecca leaning back against an easy chair, her head at an awkward angle and her mouth open, and Cindy was curled up on the rug. Windows cherished peaceful moments such as these.
Stepping into the living room, Windows gently shook the children awake.
“We’re playing a game,” Rebecca mumbled, half asleep.
“You can finish tomorrow. I promise.” After finally rousing them, Windows herded the girls upstairs and she carried Philip in her arms. Cindy woke up enough to help pull back the covers so Windows could place the boy into bed.
As she tucked in Rebecca, the girl asked, “Where’s Mommy?”
“She’s asleep. She’s standing guard tonight. Remember?”
Rebecca rolled over and hugged her pillow. “What if I have a bad dream in the middle of the night?”
“Come into my room and get me,” Windows answered. “Is that okay?”
Rebecca nodded and immediately fell to sleep. Windows motioned for Cindy to be quiet, and then led her out of the room and closed the door. Windows led Cindy to their room, helped her into bed, and pulled the covers over her. Bending over, she kissed Cindy on the forehead.
“Mom?”
“What is it?”
“I like it here. I feel safe, not like at.…” Cindy couldn’t bring herself to mention the place.
“I feel safe, too. Mr. Denning has been very nice to us.”
“Can we stay here forever?”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Mr. Denning enjoys having us around. I don’t see any reason why we need to leave.”
“Good.” Cindy drifted off to sleep. Windows kissed her again on the forehead and then quietly slipped out of the room to go back and finish the dishes.
* * *
Three miles to the north, the horde of rotters that had killed Derrick and Andre continued moving south through the woods on a path that would take them to the Denning farm.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Robson braced himself at the sound of the approaching vampires. He glanced at the others to gauge how they would respond and feared the worst. Magda kept her eyes closed and prayed. Yukiko lowered her head and cried. Corey was determined to go through with this. Roberta would not make eye contact. Robson resolved himself that
tonight would not go well.
The coven entered the barn, spread out in a circle around the humans, and placed their kerosene lamps on the ground. Vladimir entered with more fanfare than usual, reminding Robson of a country preacher sermonizing to his flock, which, in a sense, he was.
He stood in front of the prisoners. “Did you all have a chance to think over what I said last night?”
No one answered.
Vladimir addressed Robson, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Are they going to let you speak for them?”
“No.” Corey struggled to his feet, showing as much defiance as he could, the torn Achilles’ tendon making it difficult. “Robson doesn’t speak for any of us, especially me. I want to join the coven.”
Vladimir stepped over to Corey. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Corey hesitated, remembering what had happened to Caslow when he gave his answer. “The last thing I want is to become one of those decayed corpses eating people. I want to survive, and I have a better chance of that as one of you.”
Linda moved up beside Corey. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.”
Linda crouched down and unlocked the shackle from around his leg. When she stood again, she rubbed a tender hand through his hair, kissed his forehead, and rejoined the circle.
Vladimir moved up to Corey. “You know how this is done.”
Corey nodded and tilted his head to one side, exposing his carotid artery.
“Not me.” Vladimir stepped aside. “Dravko.”
Robson’s eyes snapped open. He had not anticipated this.
Dravko hesitated. The other vampires glared at him, a few growling threateningly. Tibor and Gabrielle positioned themselves to Dravko’s rear, ready to take him down if he refused. Finally, Dravko’s shoulders drooped in defeat, and he stepped over to Corey. Corey backed away, unsure what to do. Vladimir nodded his approval and the teenager moved forward and exposed his neck. Dravko hovered over Corey. He looked around, hoping for a reprieve. When his gaze met Tibor, the latter snarled a warning to proceed. Dravko morphed into his vampiric form and leaned forward, his fangs slicing into Corey’s neck. The teenager winced and his body tensed. As Dravko sucked, Corey’s body relaxed. He began moaning, not from pain but pleasure. Corey’s complexion paled and his legs grew unsteady. Dravko stopped drinking. Propping up Corey with his right arm, Dravko used his left hand to unbutton his shirt and drag a taloned finger across his chest, drawing blood. He bent Corey’s head forward, placing the teenager’s mouth over the wound.
“Drink,” Dravko said.
Corey didn’t respond.
Vladimir came forward and leaned into Corey. “You must drink his blood if you want to become one of us.”
Corey began sucking Dravko’s chest, doing so for a few seconds until the teenager collapsed. Dravko and Vladimir lowered him to the ground. The teenager’s life drained from him.
“Did he take enough?” Vladimir asked.
“I think so,” Dravko answered.
“Good.” Vladimir tapped Dravko on the shoulder and stood. He glanced over at Robson and smirked, arrogant satisfaction on his face. Then he crossed over and stood between Yukiko and Magda. “Are you ladies also ready to join the coven?”
Yukiko raised her head. Her eyes glared with defiance. “Fuck off.”
The smugness drained from his features. “What did you say?”
“You heard me, bloodsucker. I told you to fuck off. We’re not going to cower before you.”
Vladimir glowered at Magda. “Do you agree with this one?”
Magda refused to make eye contact with the master. Her body shuddered as she sobbed. Finally, she managed to nod. Vladimir turned back at Yukiko.
She remained defiant despite the terror in her eyes. “I’d rather die horribly as a human than be one of you.”
“So be it.” Vladimir stood and walked away from the two women. “Drain them.”
The coven swarmed, half descending on Yukiko and half on Magda. Only Vladimir and Dravko refrained from feeding. Magda stayed hunched over and cried as five of the undead grabbed her, one feeding off of each wrist and upper arm, and one off the back of her neck. Yukiko halfheartedly fought back against the four vampires that attacked her. When Linda approached, Yukiko lashed out and ripped her fingernails across Linda’s face, tearing three gashes across her cheek. Linda snarled, clutched Yukiko by the collar, and knocked her back onto the ground. She ravaged Yukiko’s neck, gnawing off chunks of flesh as she drank. The other four vampires each took a limb and fed.
Vladimir crouched beside Robson. “I hope you’re enjoying this. This is your fault.”
Robson said nothing.
“If you hadn’t talked them out of joining the coven to spite me, we’d be siring them rather than tearing them apart.” He pointed to the corpses of Jim, Ed, and Caslow. “Everyone who has died is your fault. You tried to lead them to safety, and wound up getting them killed. I hope you can live with yourself.”
Robson refused to be goaded. “I doubt you plan on letting me live much longer.”
Vladimir grinned and stood.
Finished, the vampires took their places back in the circle, wiping their mouths and licking their hands clean. What little blood remained in the two women flowed out of their wounds and puddled in the dirt. Yukiko’s limbs convulsed a few times before the shriveled corpse stopped moving. When the entire coven had resumed its position, Vladimir went over to Roberta and crouched beside her.
Roberta swallowed hard. “I assume your pack of bloodsuckers is going to kill me next.”
“We’re not going to touch you.” Vladimir motioned toward Robson. “He might though.”
The comment caught Robson off guard. “What do you mean?”
“The coven is abandoning the farm tomorrow night. Humans are moving in from the north, and we don’t want to be here when they show up. However, we are leaving them a little gift. Before we head out, we’re going to turn you. When you wake up the next night, you’ll be what you despise most. You’ll be one of us, and you’ll have the hunger of a newborn vampire.” Vladimir reached out and stroked Roberta’s hair. “And this pretty young thing will be chained up waiting for you.”
Roberta shoved his hand away and tried to slap his face. Vladimir caught her wrist and squeezed. “You might be lucky, little one. Maybe the humans will show up before Robson turns. Then you can watch the humans kill him like they’ve always killed our kind.”
Vladimir released his grip on her wrist and turned his attention back to Robson. “And if they don’t show up in time, then her fate is up to you. You’ve always viewed us as savage and bloodthirsty. Well, let’s see if you can control your hunger and refrain from feeding. Let’s see if your human moral superiority is more powerful than instinct. I wish I could be here to see it.”
Robson had no idea how to respond. Though he had always known he’d never get out of this alive, he never suspected that Vladimir would turn him and force him to feed off his own people, and not in a manner as insane as this. He stared at Vladimir in hatred.
Vladimir took great pleasure in his reaction. “Not so fucking high and mighty now, are you, human? Good. The two of you enjoy your last night together. We’ll see you at sundown.”
The coven left the barn, with Dravko and Tibor carrying out Corey’s body. This time they took all the lamps with them. There was no need to leave one behind. No one was left other than Robson and Roberta, and Vladimir had made his point. Once the barn doors had been closed and sealed and the vampires had gone back to the farmhouse, Robson and Roberta were left alone in the dark to ponder their imminent fate.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The rattling of the chain securing the barn door jarred Robson out of his sleep. For a moment he thought he had slept through the entire day until he realized that whoever removed the chain did so cautiously so as not to make noise. Nor did he see the glow of kerosene lamps. The door opened a few feet
and a lone figure slid inside, shutting it behind him. Because of the dark, Robson could not see who it was. The figure approached before lighting the kerosene lamp he carried.
“I bet you’re surprised to see me,” said Dravko.
“That’s an understatement. What are you doing here?”
Dravko knelt down by Robson’s legs and placed the lamp beside him. “I’m letting you and Roberta go.”
“Why?”
Dravko removed the lock key from his pocket. “Do you really need to ask?”
“Yes.”
Dravko stopped and stared at the ground. “Vladimir is determined to create a new coven, and he has the full support of the others.”
“Including you?”
“No. And that’s the problem.” Dravko raised his head. “Following Elena’s death, I should have concentrated on rebuilding the coven. Tibor kept on urging me to leave your group, and to go our separate way and start over. He was right. I kept on stalling, placing my loyalty to you over the coven.”
“So you felt more akin to humans than your own kind?”
“Not to humans. To you.” Dravko inserted the key and opened the lock. He scooted over to Roberta. “During the trip to Site R you had plenty of opportunities to leave us in the middle of a rotter-infested city during the day and let us fend for ourselves, yet you didn’t. You even supported us when Compton wanted to inject us with the vaccine and kill us when we became infected. For a while you didn’t treat us as one of your own.”
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