Revolution

by K. A. Salidas

  “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that,” Lucian said.

  “Well, what did you mean?”

  “Just that I might be in the way a bit here. That’s all.”

  “Nonsense. We need you, and he knows it. You’re just feeling a little useless right now because you’re stuck here waiting with me,” Mira said.

  “I’m more than happy to be stuck, as you say, here with you. I do enjoy your company.” Lucian sat down on a log and patted a spot next to him. “Join me and let’s take a rest while the wolves do their thing.”

  “Thanks.” She took the spot next to Lucian. Together they gazed out into the starry sky above the loose canopy of trees. “I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing lately. Rest. Wait. Sit. I’m eager to see a little action.”

  “Miss life in the arena?” Lucian asked.

  “Not the brutality, no. But the feeling of accomplishing something. Knowing I was the best. Proving it. That part. Being useful in some fashion. Freedom is great, don’t misunderstand me, but I have yet to do anything with it.”

  “I’d say you’ve done quite a bit, and have much more to come.” Lucian turned his soft green eyes on her. The depth of his state and the sincerity behind it gave her chills. The feelings he stirred within her were uncomfortable. What was he doing to her? A girl who could stare down a wolf for dominance couldn’t maintain eye contact with a human? She was forced to turn away from his gaze.

  Silence between them became awkward. Mira searched for something to say but came up empty. All of her thoughts were on the mission and trying to avoid getting killed.

  Lucian finally spoke again. “If all goes well, you’ll be the savior of your people. That’s pretty important.” His tone betrayed his underlying embarrassment, but his face was a mask of calm, eyes still locked onto Mira.

  “That’s a great big if. We still have to get inside. Then find some way to release the prisoners, rally them, and get them out of the city to rendezvous with the rest of the Otherkin.”

  “Well, when you put it like that...”

  “It sounds impossible?”

  “No, just involved. That’s quite the to-do list.” Lucian laughed uncomfortably.

  “I’m glad you find the humor in the suffering of my people,” Mira said.

  “Hey, now. I’m on your side, remember.”

  Mira narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Lucian’s face. “Are you?”

  “Seriously? You’re going to question my loyalties now?” Lucian looked concerned.

  Mira tried to hold her piercing gaze, but laughter bubbled up her chest. “Had you there for a minute, didn’t I?”

  Lucian let out a sigh. “A bit, yeah. That’s one hell of a scary look you gave me.”

  “Well, if I can scare a Regent, maybe we have a chance.”

  Chapter 6

  A wolf howl pierced the silence Mira and Lucian had been enjoying. At first, she thought nothing of the sound, but after a moment she wondered at its meaning. They hadn’t set up any type of code. Stryker, as she understood it, was just going to look around and come back. If he was howling, maybe he’d found trouble.

  Mira jumped to her feet and ducked back into the transport for her sword and rucksack. “We better go see what’s up.”

  “Wait, what if it’s a trap? Shouldn’t we wait for them to come back?” Lucian asked.

  Dozens of terrible scenarios played out in her mind. She knew the atrocities the humans were capable of; she’d lived them. The wolves might only have seconds to live, if they weren’t being killed off already. “I’m not waiting to find out.”

  Clearly not as worried as she, Lucian slowly stood. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”

  “Don’t get caught,” Mira warned, and then shouldered the rucksack and took off toward the direction from which the wolf had howled.

  It didn’t take her long to locate Stryker. He shifted from his wolf form as she approached.

  “Where’s Lucian?” Stryker asked.

  Mira tossed him a pair of pants from her bag. “He’s on his way. I thought you might have been hurt.” Mira suddenly realized how stupid she’d been to leave the most vulnerable member of their group alone.

  “No, I’m fine. I just needed to get your attention. This entrance to the main part of the city looks fairly easy. Only two guards on patrol, and I see only one security camera. We need to hurry, though; I spotted a roaming vehicle circling around earlier.”

  “Everything is too quiet. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more on foot. The lower town isn’t far away, and it’s sure to be filled with soldiers. I doubt the main city would be so lax as to leave them to their own while the rest of the people are under such strict lock and key.”

  “Excellent point.”

  Soldiers. Patrolling all around. And she’d left Lucian to his fate. If anything happened to him, she’d never forgive herself. “I’d better go back and make sure Lucian gets here safe.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Stryker said.

  He’d made it blatantly clear he didn’t like Lucian because of the latter’s interest in her, but the casual way he’d said that made her wonder if he secretly hoped Lucian might be cut out of the picture all together.

  Mira glared down at him angrily. “You certainly sound sure of yourself.”

  Stryker sniggered at her. “Well, yes, I am. Because he’s right behind you.”

  Mira hadn’t been paying attention, but as soon as Stryker mentioned it, she heard his footsteps through the grass behind her. She didn’t need to turn to see him. She felt ashamed for being so inattentive to her surroundings. “Guess I need to be more on my game tonight, huh?”

  “If you want us all to survive, sure,” Stryker said playfully.

  Lucian came up quickly behind them. “Where are your other wolves?”

  “They’re flanking our position, ready for me to give the signal to move in,” Stryker replied.

  Lucian nodded. “This is a good spot. Through that gate we’ll have access to the water treatment plant. If we can get inside, there are tunnels that should take us down through to the arena and the lower prison levels.”

  “Two guards here and a security camera are all that stand in our way,” Mira said. “What do we do about the camera?” Surely that would alert someone to their presence and send the whole swarm of human guards down on them before they could get in deep enough.

  Lucian shrugged casually. “This time of night surveillance is done via recording, unless the Magistrate has ordered otherwise. But I highly doubt they’re expecting us to come back.”

  “We cannot take any chances. We need to assume the Magistrate has ordered manned surveillance round the clock,” Mira said.

  “Well...” Lucian blew out a breath. “Then there might be someone on camera, meaning there will be an instant alert if anything funny happens.”

  Mira mentally prepared for the fight, pushing down the knot of fear building in her chest. She knew this was a suicide mission. How long she and the others survived would be the question.

  “How long will we have before reinforcements arrive?” Stryker said. If he was worried, his voice did not betray the feelings, nor was there any hidden fear in his eyes. He looked as calm and cool as Mira wished she could feel. Staring down death as if it were nothing. Maybe he was more the warrior than she.

  Lucian, however, did not hide his concern. Hints of worry leeched into his words. “If they know where we’re headed, they’ll have a whole garrison on us in under ten minutes.”

  “But they might not know, so if we rush and gain access to the tunnels, they’ll still be scrambling by the time we reach our prisoners.” Mira tried to hold on to some small thread of hope. If all else failed, she was still going to free her friends.

  “We have to assume that once an alert is raised, the prison will go on full lockdown,” Lucian said grimly.

  Mira nodded. “What’s our plan, then?”

  Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down to the ground. Mira wond
ered if he’d given up, but then, after a few silent moments, he took a deep breath and looked up again. Mira caught the spark of hope in his eyes. “Assuming my access codes still work,” he said, “if you can keep me alive, I can get the cell doors open. Once they’re open, it will be up to you, Mira, to make sure the vamps fight on our side.”

  Well, it wasn’t perfect, but it was something. And something was better than the alternative. “Sure, as long as you disable the lights. If those come on, we’re done.”

  Lucian nodded. “That will be the first thing I disable, then.”

  “Okay, Stryker. Send in your wolves.” Mira reached down and gripped the hilt of her short sword. “Let’s get this game going.”

  Though he was still in his human form, Stryker howled long and loud, piercing the stillness of the night. The guards waiting at the door were visibly alarmed by the sound. Lights clicked on in their hands; Mira recognized the UV torches and ducked behind Lucian incase the light somehow reached her.

  She turned to look away and caught sight of one of the two flanking wolves sprinting into action. Like big moving blurs of color, they headed straight for the soldiers who were brandishing their lights like weapons.

  Mira watched with an eager smile as the wolves they overtook the humans, dragging them to the ground kicking and yelling. She hoped their pitiful wails wouldn’t alert any patrols on foot, but she wasn’t about to wait and find out.

  Enticed by the smell of fresh blood on the air, Mira was on her feet and moving. “Let’s go,” she said, and pulled Lucian with her.

  They made a bee line for the entrance. Mira wasted no time and scooped up one of the fallen soldiers. Barely clinging to life, he was unconscious and limp in her arms, but his heart was still beating and blood trickled from his wounds. Perhaps she should have had a little decorum around Lucian, but days of hunger and an eagerness to taste fresh blood had her diving at the soldier’s neck with wild abandon. Nothing was better than fresh blood, warm and straight from the vein, a delicacy she hardly ever got to enjoy. Mira savored its coppery tang, picking up small notes of sweetness as well.

  As much as she enjoyed the rare treat, she knew she couldn’t waste any more time. Sating her hunger, Mira dropped the soldier to the ground and wiped her mouth clean before turning to see Lucian and Stryker.

  “What are you waiting for?” she snapped at the gawking pair. Really, what did they expect from her? She was a vampire, after all.

  Stryker took a moment but found his voice faster than Lucian. “Just letting you enjoy your dinner.”

  “You’ll be dessert if you don’t stop staring at me. You two should have been breaking down this door.” Mira snatched up the discarded gun from the dead soldier. She aimed and shot a camera above the door that had no doubt captured the gruesome scene. “Do I have to handle everything here? Get that door open.” She gestured at Lucian, who still stood dumbstruck.

  No alarm bells had sounded... yet. That wasn’t exactly reassuring, though; silent alarms were what she feared. Not knowing when or where the danger was coming from added to her worry. Gun in hand and sword still at her side, she was ready for a fight.

  “Access codes, blunt force, whatever. Just get it open and us inside... Now!” Mira kept her eyes on the horizon, but the order was clearly meant for Lucian.

  No one was coming yet, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t. Mira kept a fierce watch as Lucian went to work pushing buttons on the console next to the door.

  “Not working. Blunt force might be our next best option.” Lucian’s tone bordered on frantic.

  “Fine.” Mira turned and threw her shoulder into the door. Once. Twice. Three times... nothing happened. Lucian kept plugging away at the control pad, entering various combinations of digits.

  “Stryker, throw your weight into this too,” she called to him.

  Together they prepared to slam into the door, but just before they lunged forward, Lucian shouted, “Wait!”

  The door slid open.

  Chapter 7

  They’d hardly made it through the door before it slammed shut behind them. But at least they had made it.

  A bird twittered as it flew overhead – Jay, their little messenger, probably heading back to the Otherkin with the news that they’d made it inside. Stryker responded, whistling a few notes back, but did not look up. He kept his vision locked on their immediate surroundings.

  “Where to now?” Mira asked, feeling a little uneasy. Inside the great wall, she’d expected to enter the tunnels, but instead she found herself in an open field. The edge of New Haven city lay before her, but from where they stood, it had to have been at least a mile away. The closest buildings looked like ancient ruins from a time before the great cataclysm: half torn-down structures, rusting in places where metal doors had once stood. A few buildings looked intact but like a great wind might topple them. To her left, mountains of trash stood as high as the wall itself, and automated machines shuffled around debris into what appeared to be great incinerators.

  Too many moments of silence passed without an answer. Mira turned to Lucian. “C’mon! Which way?”

  The confused look on his face did not reassure her in the slightest. “Hold on. Just getting my bearings.”

  Patience was not her strong suit, and anticipation only amplified her frantic feelings. “We don’t have time for that. You were supposed to know where we were headed.”

  “Just because I was Regent does not mean I know every inch of this city. I was never a maintenance worker. I was Elite. I didn’t venture into this dirty side of town, only viewed the maps of it. If you’ll calm down and be patient, I’ll figure it out, but it’s going to take me a moment.”

  Lucian’s condescending tone was the last thing they needed at that moment, and Mira was just about to put his pompous ass back in his place when Stryker spoke up. “We may not have a moment. That camera caught everything before Mira took it out. They know where we are and what we are – of that I have no doubt.”

  Mira pulled the rucksack from her back and tossed a soldier’s uniform at Stryker. He donned it quickly. She had uniforms for the other wolves too, if they were ordered to shift to human. For now they waited patiently at the side of their leader. Stryker took the rucksack from Mira and threw it on his back.

  After what felt like too long a time, Lucian’s eyes lit with renewed energy. “There,” Lucian said, pointing to one of the free standing buildings nearby. At the front was a pair of large rolling metal doors; an old loading bay, perhaps. “If I remember correctly, that should be our way into the underground maintenance tunnels.”

  “Let’s hope you’re right.” Mira’s impatient tone lessened somewhat, but still she felt the anxiety inside. Fighting didn’t scare her, it was the unknown of what lay before her that had her twitching and jumpy.

  “You two. Shift. Protect the human at all costs,” Stryker ordered the wolves next to him. He dropped the rucksack on the ground, spilling out the clothes and a couple of daggers.

  The other two wolves shifted, taking on their human appearances, and quickly put their uniforms on. “Stay in between us.” Rob, the first wolf said to Lucian. Terrance, the other wolf, said nothing, but nodded to his partner as he sheathed a dagger at his belt, ready for action.

  Lucian stuck close to his protection as they all headed towards what they hoped would be the entrance.

  Rusted shut, this door had clearly not been used in quite some time. Mira questioned if it was in fact the maintenance back door that Lucian had said it was. Rather than add more fuel to the frustration between them, though, she remained quiet and put her efforts into getting inside the building. There was no way to open it silently, given its condition; she was quite sure the metal shriek it made as she forced it upwards would alert anyone within a mile of their location.

  “So much for our stealthy entrance.” Stryker said, but there was no laughter in his voice.

  “Couldn’t be helped,” Mira said.

  “It was a route used
by the original settlers of this town. This old building was part of a shopping center before the great cataclysm. All these buildings were interconnected and had tunnel systems built into them to begin with. They helped to lay the framework for our city’s infrastructure,” Lucian said.

  “I’d heard about people using them as fallout shelters during the great cataclysm,” said Mira, impressed that buildings as old as these would still stand in some fashion.

  “Some were able to take shelter in these, in areas less damaged during the quakes and storms, but most weren’t so lucky,” Lucian said.

  “Is that the reason this city is here? It was one of the few places that was not hit that hard?” Mira asked. She’d been around for many years herself, but the great cataclysm had happened more than a hundred years before her birth. She often wondered what life had been like before it. Stories she’d grown up with had spoken of great cities and the entire continent filled with people. All she had known were the eight Iron Gate cities and their satellite farm communities. Everything else was badlands, supposedly uninhabitable.

  “Yes. Our history books speak of...”

  “Guys, I hate to break up the lesson, but let’s move,” Stryker said.

  Embarrassed that curiosity had gotten the better of her, Mira’s face flushed red. “Sorry, yes. Inside.” She ushered them in and let the rusty door fall shut behind her. The place was pitch black, but that wasn’t a problem for Mira. She could see outlines and shapes of objects. She might not have perfectly clear vision, but she’d not trip over anything in the dark.

  “Can any of you guys see?” she asked.

  “Wolves have excellent night vision,” Stryker responded.

  “Someone please guide me.” Frustration filled Lucian’s voice.

  Mira heard someone trip and fall on the concrete ground, and assumed it was Lucian.