by Paul Cave
The vampire released a muffled cry of pain and surprise. Dr. Miller tried to pull back, but the little mutt hung on. Miller pushed his head against the wall of the shaft with his arms locked out straight. Now free, Rebecca tried to turn back towards the ladder. The hind legs of Scratch got caught inside her jacket, and Rebecca found herself twisted awkwardly to one side. Something hard jabbed painfully at her side.
The vial of water!
Instantly, she remembered the effect the crystal and water had had on the vampires earlier. Jamming her hand into her pocket, she clutched eagerly at the object. It felt warm against her fingers. She pulled it free. A burst of blue light filled the shaft in a brilliant incandescent beam. A sickening sizzling noise began to grow.
Rebecca turned around and watched with fascination as the vampire’s tongue began to burn and blister. The moisture within the tongue began to dry and deep sores opened up along its surface, crisscrossing in a network of grooves. Rebecca jammed the vial closer to the thing’s head. The vampire’s eyes rolled into the back of its skull. Eyelids clamped themselves shut, tightly. The righteous glow burnt through the thin membranes. Eyeballs began to weep rivers of blood. One eye burst like an overripe tomato. The other shrivelled inside its cavity like a dried-up raisin.
Scratch held on. He sank his teeth deeper before thrashing his head from side to side. With a gut-churning rip, the tongue came free. It split halfway, one of the deeper sores giving way, and the dog was left with an inch of burnt flesh between his teeth. He spat it out and the charred morsel fell into darkness.
The blue light spread out from between Rebecca’s fingers. It seemed to be in tune with her heart, as it beat steadily stronger with every pulse. Rebecca felt her fear dissolve and in its place a deep anger began to grow. She looked at the vampire’s ghastly face and her rage threatened to leak from every pore. She curled her fingers around the vial, leaving an open fist. Then, with a roar of vengeance, she rammed her palm up against the thing’s face. With an audible crack the glass vial shattered inside the vampire’s mouth.
Dr. Miller gagged. Liquid fire burnt its way to the back of his throat. He spat out a mouthful of glass shards, yet the agony intensified.
Pushing Scratch back into her jacket, Rebecca spun to face the ladder. Without pause she continued to climb to safety. The vampire snapped his hand out but his fingers snatched at thin air. Rebecca was already out of his reach.
The agony inside Dr. Miller’s throat swelled as the fire spread throughout his body. One of his hands slipped from the ladder as he toppled backwards. His right leg caught between two rungs and his shinbone snapped in half, adding to his misery. Then a flicker of white light blinked from behind the vampire’s shrivelled eyelids. It started as a dull glitter and then quickly it became a fierce blaze that began to burn away Dr. Miller’s skin.
As if stepping out of a rumpled suit, his skeleton broke free, harsh white bone cutting through the layer of charred flesh. For a second, his skeleton hung from the ladder. Sinews and cartilage split apart, which sent his remains bouncing downward in a rattle of hollow bones. The swath of burnt skin followed, fluttering towards the base of the ladder in a dark cloud. A small sphere of pure light hovered for a second, before bouncing violently from one side of the shaft to the other.
Rebecca looked up to find an open access directly above her head. Below her, the sphere of light bounced aggressively from one side to the other, and the intensity of the light forced Rebecca’s eyes shut. She reached up blindly, hand over hand, and eventually topped the ladder. Her head cleared the shaft as a blast of bitter wind cut at her exposed face. She squinted and then quickly pulled Scratch clear. Holding onto the very top of the ladder, she dropped the mutt onto the hard scab of earth. She pulled herself out before standing on unsteady legs.
The hole at her feet flickered in a strobe-like effect. She chanced a look inside and was instantly blinded as the bolt of light shot free. With a scream, it arced away towards the fat rolling clouds above. Mesmerised, she watched as the ball of light cut through the black dust.
What lay beyond made Rebecca weep with joy.
Chapter Fifty-Five
The night had gone to hell. Now out in the open, Jacob and Ezekiel found themselves trapped between the line of advancing soldiers and the human convoy. Less than fifty yards separated them from the dirt track.
The sudden loss of The Ray of Hope had forced the remaining human soldiers back towards the convoy. The mass of vampires had reappeared from the dark woodlands, the return of the night offering the promise of victory.
The gunfire broke for a second and Jacob scrambled to his feet, quickly moving closer to the line of humans. A swarm of dark bodies followed, their boots crushing the remains of the fallen.
“Almost there,” Jacob said, finding the first line of transports within touching distance. Nearly the entire front column had been reduced to blazing heaps of twisted metal. Other things lay scattered about, also smouldering, but Jacob forced his attention away, unwilling to put names or faces to the disfigured shapes. Rage built inside him. He grabbed the vampire by the arm and dragged him towards the first stationary vehicle. Together, they took refuge behind a wagon. Its two rear tyres had been shredded, and their metal rims glinted with an orange glow, reflecting back the fires that raged along the dirt track.
A spectacle above demanded Ezekiel’s attention. Above them, spinning uncontrollably was the Huey, its fire spent and its future bleak.
“Goddamn!” Jacob spat.
Ezekiel placed his hand on the tracker’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said, genuinely. “The boldest thing I ever witnessed,” he added, impressed by the humans’ ingenuity.
With a dreadful whir the helicopter disappeared over the crest of the hill. Jacob tensed, ready for the inevitable explosion. However, by some act of mercy, it didn’t come. Instead, another noise competed for Jacob’s attention.
“Jacob!” someone cried, off to his right.
Peering through the darkness, Jacob found a pale, terrified face.
Alice Hammond stared back, pinned under the axle of a collapsed trailer. The truck which had previously pulled it was nowhere in sight. A scattering of molten heaps lay all around, releasing dark wisps of smoke that climbed lazily towards the blackened sky. Jacob guessed the truck could have been any one of them. “Hold on,” he called over to her. She grinned ruefully. She wasn’t going anywhere.
Jacob climbed to his feet. He edged towards the end of the wagon. As he leaned out, dirt kicked up in front of his face and the barrage of bullets held him back. “I’ve got to get across to help,” he said, once Ezekiel had crouched alongside.
“They’ll cut you to pieces,” the vampire warned.
Jacob’s jaw tightened.
“Wait,” Ezekiel said. He withdrew something from his jacket. “I was saving this for a rainy day.” A single, cylindrical object appeared in his hand.
“Okay,” Jacob began. “After three.”
The pin from the grenade sprang free with a sharp, metallic ping.
“You ready?” Ezekiel asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” Jacob replied.
“Better hope those shoes were made for running,” Ezekiel remarked. And, with that, he jumped up, over the hood of the wagon, and yelled, “Three!” He tossed the grenade into the darkness and then bolted across the open space and towards the trailer.
Jacob was up and running also, right behind him. A torrent of gunfire stuttered across his path, forcing him to stop midway. Three apparitions materialised before him, scouts leading the main body of soldiers, with sleek weapons cradled in their arms. In the next second, the night turned bright and all three of Raphael’s men danced and stumbled as the shrapnel from the grenade cut them to pieces. Jacob raced to the safety of the trailer. Getting there, he found Ezekiel kneeling over Alice Hammond, with the short barrel of a handgun jammed under his chin.
“Wait!” Jacob said.
Alice shifted her gaze but the weapon hel
d firm. “What is this?” she asked.
“It’s okay, he’s with me.”
Alice gave him a look of confusion.
“It’s a long story. Trust me,” Jacob said. He flashed a quick, reassuring smile. The gun didn’t waver an inch. Alice stared back, unsure if the fangs that embellished his face had at long last become real, finally plunging the tracker into the true realms of vampirism.
“He’s like Pet – A friend,” Jacob said.
“Pet?”
“The vampire from the jailhouse.”
“A friend?”
“Another long story,” Jacob told her.
“You can tell me all about it, once you’ve helped pull me from under here,” Alice said.
The weapon fell away from Ezekiel’s chin. He nodded to Jacob, a small measure of gratification mixed with relief. The gun finished resting against her chest. Jacob ducked further, examining the damage to both Alice and the wrecked trailer. Apart from her pale, washed-out features, Alice looked otherwise okay. The trailer had lost both its rear wheels, and the undercarriage had embedded itself in a foot of mud, taking Alice’s legs with it. Jacob reached down to trace the length of the woman’s limbs. Just below her knees, flesh became iron struts. He tried to imagine the weight of the thing, and his conclusion sent a shiver down his spine.
“We need to lift this higher,” Ezekiel said, stating the obvious.
Alice crackled with sarcasm. “Are all vampires stupid? Or just the ones I have the privilege of meeting?”
“We could leave you here,” Ezekiel growled.
Alice tilted her head, peering underneath the undercarriage. Dark figures began to appear, heading directly toward them. “Looks like you’re too late, anyway,” she commented, understanding that time had almost run out for all of them.
Suddenly, a burst of gunfire flashed further along the dirt track. The barrage continued to light up the night, and mercifully the troop of undead shifted in the direction of the assault.
“Your friends may have bought us some time,” Ezekiel noted.
“Then we’d better hurry,” Jacob responded, reaching up and fixing his hands underneath the axle. “Help me,” he ordered, his shoulders and upper arms bunching into hard muscle. Ezekiel offered assistance and together they managed to force the trailer upwards, giving Alice a chance to pull herself clear. With a wet slurp, her legs appeared, caked in mud but otherwise surprisingly intact. She tried to stand. Numb to the bone, she collapsed onto her behind.
Then the clatter of nearby gunfire fell silent.
The humans’ retaliation had been short-lived.
Desperately short.
In the next instant, a mass of dark-clothed ghouls surrounded them. The dull glint of gunmetal flashed all around them as the rank of undead soldiers closed in. Trapping all three in a tight and inescapable net.
Chapter Fifty-Six
A concoction of emotions drove Daniel Harper onwards. His yearning for the rich rewards of blood pushed any thoughts of fear from his mind, leaving the single-minded determination to hunt down and destroy the humans that fled in his wake. He grinned callously, took aim with his shotgun, and then drew a line against one of the fleeing soldiers. The weapon released its wrath with a thunderous Boom. Another of Daniel’s former comrades toppled over, the back of his shirt torn and bloodied, and his last desperate gasp for air rasping through ruined lungs. Daniel inhaled deeply, the copper stench filling his lungs with the promise of victory.
“Forward!” cried someone at his side.
Daniel turned to find an attractive woman, blood-soaked and wild-eyed with desire, at his side.
“Forward!” Sarah screeched again.
A swell of cold, merciless flesh pushed forwards, drawing both Daniel and Sarah along with it. The vampires raced through the tight tunnels and caverns. Herding the remaining human soldiers deeper into the heart of the underground. Finally trapping them within the main cavern.
Daniel broke free from the main group and found himself staring up into the night sky. A huge section of the ceiling had dropped away, revealing a mass of churning black dust above. In the next instant, he found a small group of humans huddled together in the centre of the cavern. And then a deep rumbling sound grew, and with a shudder the rock platform they stood upon began to break away from the floor and rise towards the dark opening.
An old straggler, his lungs labouring with the exertion of battle, staggered towards the small group of humans. Bringing his weapon up, Daniel fired, and the figure fell forwards, landing in a twisted heap. Daniel stepped over to the downed figure. Two eyes filled with shock starred back at him. Daniel grinned. Lieutenant Farr coughed violently and dark red phlegm stained his lower lip and chin.
“Damn you to Hell,” Farr cursed.
The shotgun bucked in Daniel’s cold hand, and the old lieutenant lay still.
“Hurry!” Sarah called, worried the rest of their prize was about to escape.
One or two of the retreating soldiers managed to make it to the platform before it climbed out of reach. The rest fell short, or were brought down by gunfire – or worse, the snapping of fangs. A figure, bent over in agony, fell from the edge of the platform. The soldier landed in a heap, his limbs broken into odd angles. A moment later, he disappeared under a swarm of vampires, and the pain he felt from his broken bones became no more than an introduction to an eternity of misery.
Daniel sprang into action. He bolted forwards, ducking under the cover of fire. Taking one last huge stride, Daniel reached the platform’s edge. He leapt forwards, his boots finding purchase on a rim of solid granite. The platform juddered violently and, almost losing his balance, he dropped the shotgun, which clattered noisily below him. A tight grip clamped itself against his arm, holding him firm. He turned to find Sarah there. She grinned at him, maliciously, and then turned her attention to the few remaining figures trapped at the centre of the platform. More vampires appeared around the circumference of the platform in a net of cold flesh.
“Halt,” Major Patterson warned. He held a pistol in his outstretched hand, but the end wavered slightly, as if it was three times its normal weight. The pained look on the Major’s face did little to hide his deep, emotional agony.
Daniel’s first step wavered.
“Son,” Patterson said, “this is not the way.” Sadness fell across the old man’s face, and the weapon dropped further from its mark. “Oh… Daniel... ” The old man’s look of pity did nothing but fuel the young tracker’s fury.
“Quiet, old man,” Daniel hissed.
“End it now,” Sarah said.
The Major shook his head. “Stay where you are, son.” His eyes looked back imploringly.
“He’s weak. Kill him,” Sarah insisted.
Daniel nodded. He took a step closer and his fingers curled themselves into wicked talons. Then, unexpectedly, a woman stepped forward, blocking his path. Daniel looked into unwavering blue-green eyes. Twin orbs filled with courage and fire. A blur of motion caught his eye and then his head rocked back, the impact of the woman’s open hand sending him reeling.
“Hannah!” Patterson cried, jumping forwards to protect his daughter.
Two vampires appeared on either side of her, pinning her hands to her sides. A third moved to strike. However, a single, well-placed shot sent the pale ghoul tumbling to its death.
Sarah’s hand flicked out in a flash, ripping the weapon out of the Major’s hand. Her other hand formed itself into a tight fist and she lashed out, dropping Patterson to his knees.
“Father,” Hannah gasped. She tugged desperately in an attempt to break free.
“Hold her steady,” Sarah ordered.
The two vampires at Hannah’s side struggled with grim determination as they held her firm. Sarah stepped closer. She nodded, in appreciation of the woman standing before her.
“Jacob Cain’s woman,” she stated. “I remember you from the breeding camps. You think you’re real special, don’t you?”
�
�Fuck you,” Hannah spat.
Sarah laughed, a chilling sound to be sure. “From what I remember, you were the one doing all the fucking,” Sarah mocked.
Infuriated, Hannah writhed in an attempt to break free. “Let me go!” she demanded.
Her words carried such force that the two vampires at her side loosened their grip. Her right hand broke free and rose, ready to strike out. Sarah moved quickly, catching Hannah by the wrist. Agony bit at her wrist as Sarah continued to squeeze, and the pain forced Hannah to her knees.
Sarah’s face twisted itself into a hideous contortion of amusement. Her jaws parted. “Time for me to set you free,” she said. Clear saliva dripped onto her chin. She twisted her head, looking over her shoulder towards Daniel.
“Finish them. Finish them all,” she said, before lowering her jaws towards Hannah’s exposed throat.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Black Bird fell, as if her wings had been suddenly clipped. Nick and Tate battled valiantly with the Huey.
“It’s still no use,” Tate began. “Without the full co-operation of the tail-rotor, we’re never gonna be able to steer this thing.”
“Bring her down,” Nick managed to say, his lips grey and hard to manage.
Tate caught most of his words. “But what about The Ray of Hope?” she asked.
Nick forcibly moulded his lips to form words. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.” He shuddered, the last of his strength threatening to abandon him. “Don’t argue with me,” he said, offering her a weak grin – grimace.
Tate looked beyond him, seeing the holes punched in his side by flying shrapnel. Apart from one or two small pockmarks, the rest of the cockpit looked relatively undamaged, meaning that all that shrapnel had to have finished somewhere. Her gaze fell onto Nick’s bleached face, and she knew instantly where. She nodded to herself, accepting the inevitable.