The Meridian Gamble

  Chapter Twelve: The Luminos

  Sirens are ringing in my ear. No, not sirens. The weird, low beeping alarm of the vampire tower is going off, though it’s louder this time, and the beeps are more frequent than the ones I’ve heard before. They rouse me from my slumber, and when I open my eyes, a wave of panic hits me, because I’m underwater. My first instinct is that I won’t be able to breathe, and I do the worst thing possible, which is to begin choking in great gasps of air. But I soon realize I can inhale and exhale perfectly, because I have a gigantic tube down my throat. And this makes me panic even worse.

  I’m still here. I’m still in the tank in the vampire dungeon.

  It’s weird, I can see through the thick goop I’m immersed in, which doesn’t seem possible. It will probably damage my eyes to open them in the chemicals of the fluid, but I don’t have any other choice, I can’t afford not to see what’s going on. A red line bobs about in my peripheral vision, and I realize it’s the tube coming from my arm, where the blood is being drained, and I’m almost lucky I’m too weak to retch. I look about the lab, and get a glimpse of the other tanks. The blurry shapes of the other victims are unmoving, they all seem to be still asleep.

  I’m the only one who’s awake. This is my chance, my one hope to escape.

  My arms are still attached with straps to the bars that extend from the top of the chair I’m sitting in, and I try to yank them away. It’s difficult to do, because I can barely flex my elbows. I try to kick my legs, to get the blood flowing, but those limbs won’t move either, and I only hope there isn’t permanent damage, that I haven’t been floating here for too long.

  Who knows what the date is. Years may have passed since the vampires tanked me, but I can’t think about that right now.

  As I struggle to twitch my limbs, a strange thing happens. A loud clanging noise echoes from somewhere beneath me, and the fluid begins to drain from the tank. Something is going on, and I realize I have to move now. There won’t be another chance. A rush of adrenaline comes over me, and I manage to pull one of my arms free. I rip the needle from my other arm, relieved that the vampires won’t be getting any more of my bodily fluids. I tear the disgusting tube from my mouth, which may have been a mistake. I’m not sure how much air will be left in the sealed tank for me to breathe.

  With the fluid gone from the vat I can get a better view of the lab, and I wipe away what remains of the creepy liquid from my face. I can see them, the other victims who are floating here, though maybe they’re not all victims. Maybe some of them chose this fate in exchange for a quick cash infusion. There’s a large black man floating in the tank next to mine, some women and several older people, and I say a silent prayer, hoping they didn’t become aged as they've been bled dry in this place.

  The ringing in my ears gets worse, and I have to blink several times to make sure what I’m seeing is real; the water in the other tanks begins to change color. A green liquid seeps into the fluid that fills the other tanks, and the bodies inside them begin to twitch and shake. I watch in horror, as they start to dissolve.

  They’re destroying the evidence. The tower is under attack, and the vampires are killing off their herd of cattle. And for some reason, I'm the one cow who's been spared.

  But I'm not safe yet. Now more than ever I have to move. I twist my body and manage to pull myself from the chair, but I fall to the ground, painfully. I raise my left arm with much effort, and smack it against the glass. I’m not sure what I’m trying to do, break it, maybe. Or signal to the vampire technicians, who don’t seem to be around.

  Suddenly, there’s a thudding noise at the doors of the lab, and their glass shatters. Men come piling into the room, soldiers dressed in armor. But it’s not the same dark grey gear that the vampire guards wear. They’re in camouflage, running around, checking the contents of the tanks. And through the masks they wear, I can see the look of horror in their eyes as they see the half-dissolved bodies. I hear the sound of alarm in their voices over what’s too disgusting for me to even look at.

  One of them is filming it.

  Luckily, I’m near the door, and I pound on the glass once again. They finally spot me.

  “Here! We’ve got a live one over here!”

  The pull out some sort of hammer with which they pound on the glass of the tank. It shatters, raining down around me, and they lift my nude form from the container.

  The soldiers have me on a blanket, and they’re tearing the devices and monitors from my body, which I’m so grateful for. They're checking my vital signs.

  “Miss, can you hear me? Can you hear me?”

  A young man is hunched over me, and his voice emits from a speaker in his mask with a tinny sound. I can barely speak, but I make sure to flutter my eyes as much as possible, to indicate I’m still here.

  And then I see it, over his shoulder; a gas hissing from the ceiling. My throat is on fire from that damn tube, but I gurgle in dismay, trying to point. And the young man turns.

  “Oh shit!” he screams.

  And quickly, they slap a gas mask over my face, and wrap me up in blankets. It’s dark, and I can’t see, but I can feel them carrying me down what must be the corridors of the vampire dungeon. And somewhere along the way, it all becomes too much, and I pass out again.

  When I wake next, it’s to that strange prickling sensation in my brain that comes from the vampire telepathy. But it dissipates quickly, and I think maybe it’s part of a dream I’m rousing from. I look around at the room I’m in, which is nondescript, but immaculately clean. The walls are white, and I’m on a little steel bed, like something a soldier would sleep on. There’s a wooden counter with a sink and a refrigerator, and doors on either side of it that lead to unknown places.

  I look down and I’m wearing a white gown that reminds me of a hospital.

  Maybe I’m dead, I think, or in Heaven, or perhaps the place that floated in the clouds. But would Heaven have a steel desk with an iMac sitting on it in every room? You’d think the decor, at least, would be better.

  But I was rescued, I remember it now. There are marks on my arm where the horrible vampire monitoring devices were clamped to me, and tubes were stuck in my veins. And I wonder how long those bastards were drinking from me. I wonder if Marion and Tom raised glasses of my blood in toast.

  And who saved me? It had to be the Luminos. They were the ones who invaded the Florida tower, with help from Roland. Maybe he gave them the codes to enter the New York facility, so they could find me. Or maybe Adam or Lina came to my aid.

  But before I can ponder my fate much longer, my eyes adjust to an unusual sight; two people suddenly appear in the room. It looks like they walk straight through the wood of the door. They’re smartly dressed, like kids from Soho, and I think for a moment that the girl has a cute mini-dress on, which has a black and white print of a cartoon cat. And it’s comforting to know that not everything has changed, that I can still get a quick rush from the thought of shopping.

  It’s the Twins, Arie and Lenore. The weird Emo vampires are here with me.

  Or are they? Have they died? Because it almost feels like they’re spectres.

  “She’s here,” Arie says. “But I don’t think she can hear us.”

  “I’m not even sure where here is, but I know it’s the desert somewhere. It feels like Arizona or Nevada,” Lenore says, walking about the room. “We’ll have to look around more.”

  And I wonder who they’re talking with. Whoever it is, it must be where their bodies are, because I get the feeling they’re not really in the room, that their presence here is some form of astral projection.

  “So that’s the gift,” I say, with a laugh.

  And their heads dart back in my direction.

  “She can see us,” Arie says, kneeling in front of me.

  “Of course, she can. Meridian has skills. She would make a great vampire,” Lenore says, almost wistfully.

  “If you can see us, pretend like we’re not here,” Arie says. �
�But say something random, like ‘waffles,’ so we know for sure. They’ll think you just want breakfast.”

  “Waffles,” I say, with a sigh of frustration. It’s hard not to look at him when he’s standing right in front of me, yammering away.

  “Good,” Arie says. “We can’t let them know of our presence. But we’re coming for you, Meridian. We’re going to rescue you from this place.”

  And the two disappear, just as quickly as they had arrived. And I wonder when my life will stop becoming increasingly bizarre.

  As soon as they leave, a knock sounds at the door.

  “Yes?” I call out.

  A woman peeks her head into the room.

  “Meridian? May I come in?”

  And she enters without waiting for my reply.

  The woman is tall and a bit on the plain side, with dark brown hair that’s short with a few curls, and thick glasses. She wears dark blue slacks, and a light blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. There’s a clipboard in her hand.

  She looks a bit like a social worker.

  The woman takes the chair from the desk and brings it to the bed. But before sitting, she goes to the cabinets above the sink and takes out a glass that she fills with water, from what looks like a purifying tap. She brings it back to me, and sets it on the bedside table. Though I can barely lift it, I put the glass to my mouth and drink, gratefully.

  I want that water so badly. It feels like I’m drinking in life force.

  “Thank you,” I say.

  And she stares me over for a moment, analyzing me.

  “Did you mention something about waffles?”

  The woman has an English accent, and I wonder if I’m even in America anymore.

  “I would love a waffle. I’m absolutely starving.”

  “I’ll take you to our dining area in a few moments, so we can get you something to eat,” she says. “But you were heard saying something else. Something about a ‘gift?’”

  “‘The Gift of Life,’” I say, without hesitating. “I understand what it means now. It’s funny how you can only grasp these things when they’re almost taken away from you.”

  But from her expression, she seems unconvinced.

  My eyes shift just a bit, and I spy a little dome on the ceiling that looks like the ones that house security cameras in the hallways of Creative Quorum, the ones the partners had Roy Thompson install when they became convinced the janitors were stealing.

  “Yes, we’re monitoring you,” she says. “I’m sorry, it’s a precaution.”

  “That’s okay, I understand,” I say. “Actually … I don’t understand. Any of this. Who are you?”

  “My name is Evelyn Lewis, and I work for the Luminos. They’ve rescued you. You’re in one of our safe houses.”

  It doesn’t exactly come as a shock to me, but now I’m more worried than ever. Being among the Luminos hasn’t exactly worked out for me in the past, and I wonder if I’m in more danger now than before. But as I look at her, I don’t see the telltale glow around her body, and I wonder if she’s lying.

  “You work for the Luminos, but you’re not one of them?”

  “They hire outside contractors quite often, consultants and foot soldiers. Just like the vampires. But some of the Luminos are here in the complex. You’ll meet them soon enough.”

  “Is ‘the General’ here?”

  Evelyn says nothing at first, hesitating. But she finally nods her head.

  “Yes, he’s here. You’ll see him shortly,” she says.

  And I start to involuntarily tremble, just a bit. I’m not sure I want to see him again, my old father from a past life. His presence has always meant a death sentence for me. In fact, it might be better to go back to the tanks.

  “You know, you’re a very lucky girl,” she says, seeming to sense my hesitancy.

  “You call it luck? To be trapped in a vat of goo?”

  “To be rescued. You’re the only person we’ve ever managed to extract from one of the vampires’ lairs.”

  “It wasn’t luck,” I tell her, solemnly. “Everything the vampires do is calculated. If I was pulled out of that place, it’s because someone wanted me alive.”

  Evelyn Lewis says nothing, and simply looks away for a moment, pondering my words.

  “So tell me, how long was I in there? Do you know?”

  “We think several weeks. It’s been that long since you were spotted on the streets.”

  And my head spins. Weeks of my life, gone in an instant. It’s such a strange difference from the usual few hours I’m used to sleeping, or the odd day that’s gone by when I remember a past life. I suppose I am lucky, that the time I was comatose wasn’t measured in years. If so, my legs and arms might have atrophied and been irreparably damaged, no matter the advancements of vampire science. As it is, I’m surprised I can move them at all.

  I flex my arms and stretch my legs just a bit. They seem stiff and a bit numb, but at least I can use them.

  “Listen, you’re safe now. And you said you’re starving. Why don’t I help you get ready and we’ll find you something to eat? And afterwards, I can give you a tour of the place,” she says. “You can start by having a bath.”

  “That sounds … fantastic.”

  She helps me to sit up in the bed, and slowly stand. I put my arm around her shoulders, and manage to take a few steps across the room, toward the bathroom. And I feel more comfortable around her, now that she’s helping me in this way.

  “It’s amazing. I almost feel like I can walk.”

  “It’s something in the way they stimulate the limbs while their … subjects are floating in the tanks. It’s very advanced, though I think we should take it a bit slow for now.”

  She takes me to the bathroom, which is just a simple room, with a plain white tub, and a sink and toilet. But it’s one of those strange bathrooms that has a separate shower, too, which I’ve never quite understood. I put the lid down on the toilet, and Evelyn helps me to sit there for a moment, as I watch her start filling the tub.

  “Do you like it terribly warm?” she asks.

  “Just a bit hot,” I say.

  The water begins to flow, but I can’t really take her companionship anymore. I need some time to myself, to gather my spinning thoughts.

  “You know what? I think I can handle it from here, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course. I’ll come back and check on you in a while.”

  She leaves, and I manage to pull myself up on the sink, and I slide into the tub. My legs are so numb, it’s almost painful, just to sit here. I consider asking her for some drugs, but my discomfort reminds me that I’m alive, somehow. And just being here feels like a gift.

  This is one of my favorite things in the world, just to sit against the smooth porcelain surface of a tub as warm water slowly fills up around me. Normally, I could wallow here forever, but my stomach begins to growl. I’m absolutely famished. Obviously, whatever nutritional paste they’ve shoved down my throat only served to sustain me, because I’m starving for something more, and the thought of the Luminos dining area begins to sound more and more appealing.

  I wash my hair and scrub my body, and after about 20 minutes or so in the tub, I climb out and dry off. I stumble outside to the room, propping myself up along the way. I go to some of the drawers on the long cabinet by the sink, and I quickly find clothes, jeans and a T-shirt. And though it’s nice to have something clean, I still wrinkle my nose in disgust.

  This certainly isn’t the vampire tower, where Adam provided me with the best brands. The jeans are stiff and ill-fitting, and I find a bra which fits too snugly, that I pull a white T-shirt over. And I think to myself that if the Luminos really want to compete with the vampires, they should up their style game.

  Evelyn Lewis finally returns as I’m finishing getting dressed. She knocks on the door briefly, before pushing her way in without waiting for my reply, no doubt thinking I’m still in the bath.

  “Oh, Meridian. I’
m sorry to interrupt you,” she says. “Are you ready to go?”

  She has a wheelchair with her, which I’m more than ready for, because I’m too tired from my exertions to walk. And I hop in, and she rolls me away.

  Outside of the room is a little hallway, and I’m fascinated to find out that it leads into what looks like an airplane hangar. The structure we’re in is wide and has a very high ceiling, one that curves upwards a hundred or so feet high. There are little offices that have been constructed inside, one-story buildings with rows of doors that face each other with a wide walkway between them that stretches as far as the eye can see. And interspersed between the doors are more small hallways that branch out to unknown parts.

  The place is a hive of activity; people are standing around, talking, as others rush off to unknown tasks. An electric cart drives past us toward the front of the structure, carrying equipment in its flatbed. To the right of me lies an open area full of vehicles, tanks and jeeps, but I can’t figure out where the opening is that leads outside, though maybe I can’t see it because my eyes are still irritated from the weird fluid in the vampire tanks. For a moment, I’m afraid we’re in some bizarre underground facility, and I begin to have an irrational panic over the idea of being deep within the ground, or maybe underwater.

  I don’t see any of the Luminos walking around, but every once in a while, someone looks my way with interest, and I get the feeling it’s more than a casual glance.

  They know me. They know who I am; the girl who was saved from the vampires. And I wonder if any of them realize there’s more to my story.

  “Come on, let’s go to the cafeteria.”

  Evelyn pushes my chair across the walkway and down another little hall. We come upon a door through which delicious aromas emanate. The room inside is simple enough, it's just a large space with ten or 12 long tables, but instead of windows, there are square panes of frosted glass that are mounted on the walls and lit from behind. Large television screens hang at either end of the tables, one plays a cable news show, the other some sort of soap opera, which makes me think it’s still day outside. Diners are gathered at both ends of the room, watching the shows of their choice, aside from the few who are grouped in the middle, reading or having small conversations.