by Maxey, Phil
“Well, I guess it’ll be ok if Lucian knows.” He stood and waved to the other guard to go back and start opening the gate.
Soon, Joel was driving them on the narrow country lane away from Haven. He wasn’t the only one who was glad to be beyond the walls despite the risk they all knew existed outside.
“How you even know this is out here?” said Marina over her shoulder to Shannon.
“I saw it when we flew in.”
“I didn’t see it, and I’ve got like… vampire eyes.”
“Young eyes trumps vampire eyes,” said Shannon, looking out of the window.
Joel and Marina exchanged a brief smile.
Soon they were following the road which wound around the outside of the lake. They all looked across at the burnt-out shell of the Hensen’s farmhouse as they passed it, and each one commented by their silence.
Marina looked at the forested mountainous terrain which ran steeply down to a plain which ended at the lapping waves of the water of the lake. The surface looked gray due to the clouds overhead. “It’s easy to see why they have survived out here. Plenty of natural resources, and cut off even from the city to the west.”
Shannon leaned forward and pointed to their right. “You see that headland? It’s there.”
Joel nodded, and ten minutes later they were driving down a dirt track which headed south back towards the lake and Haven on the opposite shore.
They passed a modern two-story house.
“Might be worth checking out,” said Marina.
“Yeah, we need to bring some things back with us.”
“It’s just at the end of this track,” said Shannon.
They rumbled slowly forward, stopping when they could go no further.
Joel nodded to what laid ahead. “There’s a track that runs down to the lake.”
“Yeah, exactly. You can get here by the boat. Might take ten minutes rowing. Easy,” said Shannon.
Bill was looking at the collection of buildings on their left at the edge of the field. “This is perfect.” He patted Shannon on her shoulder then pulled his hand back when he felt her stiffen.
Joel got out, then reached back in to grab the silver suitcase while Evan and Bill grabbed their equipment, and all walked across the uneven grassland to the first barn. Behind it sat two grain silos, half buried under faded long grass.
“We’ll check the large one out,” said Evan as he and his grandfather walked around the side of a building which was covered in rusting sheet metal, with a rounded roof.
Joel looked at the door to the smaller barn. Walking to it, he grabbed the chain holding it shut and, with a quick pull, broke it. Opening the door revealed a plethora of farming equipment which looked as if it had not been used since the Great Depression. Rusting forks, trowels, wheels, both metal and wooden, leaned up against tools and oil barrels.
He went to walk inside when the smell of blood hit him from behind. He whirled around, trying to locate its source.
“What?” said Marina.
“You can’t smell that?”
She sniffed, then shook her head.
Joel took off, jogging around the side of the larger barn. Evan and Bill were struggling to break the chains that were holding two warped metal doors closed. They stopped when they saw Joel.
“Everything okay?” said Bill. The chains an inch away from his hand then shuddered as something slammed up against the inside of the door. He staggered backwards.
“Get back,” said Joel. He took his sunglasses off, throwing them to the side, then slid a knife from his belt and placed it between the chains and the door. The doors rattled again, but he held the knife fast and looked at Evan and Marina. “Ready?”
Shannon came around the corner of the barn.
“Stay back,” said Marina.
She and Evan then nodded to Joel.
With one swift movement he snapped the chains, and the doors burst open. Claws swiped across where his head was moments before, but he had already ducked, and drove the knife into the stomach of the vamp.
The creature, which before would have been a twenty-something male, was now skin and bone. It’s clothes looked two sizes too big, and it moved like it was under water. It fell back, then ran forward once more. This time, Joe let the vamp move outside. It quickly realized it was outnumbered and snarled at those around it.
Marina could feel her bloodlust rising and, without looking, knew her nails were extending along with her incisors. She went to run forward, ready to tear the vamp apart, but Joel, contained within a blur, sliced the vamp multiple times until he collapsed in a heap, dead.
The human part of her psyche that went away when she went full ‘vamp’ started to shout to be allowed back, and slowly she started to feel herself again. She actively took deep breaths until her heart rate returned to something approaching normal.
The others walked past the dead thing on the ground to the entrance of the large barn.
Around the inside of the interior was a second floor, which hovered above stables and pig pens. But that wasn’t what everyone was looking at, for swinging gently from ropes tied to the beam that ran across the center of the building, were three bodies. Just to the left side of the first was a heap of rope on the ground.
Joel leaned down and picked them up. “His noose failed, and then I guess he had second thoughts.”
“Someone else must have chained them in,” said Evan.
Joel nodded. “Whoever wasn’t infected.” He looked at the others. “Help me get these bodies down.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
From his lofty peak, Daniel Copeland looked across the canopy of trees in the Yellowstone park. What sky was visible through the cloud was covered in streaks of oranges and pinks. And as the colors deepened he could feel his energy levels rising. He could also sense his army waking in the valley below.
He stepped forward over the smooth rock. With each step, the sky darkened until he was at the precipice, and below, thousands of glowing eyes looked up at him.
They had already been travelling for a few days, and he was pleased with the progress they had made over the mountains. If it had been a few months later he had no doubt it would have been far harder to survive. He had already noticed that he disliked the cold almost as much as the sun, but like one of his childhood heroes, Hannibal, he had brought his forces over the peaks and through the valleys to where they were currently.
Those in the pathetic excuse for a town hundreds of miles to the east had something of his. It was something that he had to have back, for it was his future.
Most of the hungry below came from the towns and suburbs around San Jose, and he could feel the anguish of every one of them. None needed convincing to join his march across the hills to the east, for his talent, one that he discovered when the scourge started to spread, was being magnetic to the infected. Not only did they not see him as a threat, but they were drawn as if he held the answer to the tragedy of their lives.
He spread his arms wide. His wings fanned out even further, and the vamps became transfixed by this figure on the peak above them.
“You are my children, for I spawned you all!” His voice boomed out, echoing off the sheer rock faces around them.
“Before you were weak. Struck down by your pathetic lives, but I made all of you something more!”
Snarls and growls rippled amongst the beings looking up.
“The scourge was merely a retelling of a story that started long ago…”
He paced back and forth, his wings flexing.
“In ancient times, our kind covered the earth and we were kings. But one of our own betrayed us and allowed our food to breed like rats. Never again!”
Grunts and roars filled the valley.
“We march!”
The sounds increased to a deafening volume, and the vamps charged forward, tearing through branches and the earth in equal measure.
Copeland turned, his wings beating a few times allowing him to glide ac
ross the mountain top to where a group of thirty mercenaries stood. Behind them, the blades of a large transport helicopter started to rotate.
A figure of athletic build stepped forward to him.
“We are filled and ready to go, sir,” said an assured female voice.
The dark eyes of the demonic being gave off a yellow glow which appeared to linger in the air. He leaned over the woman in front of him. “When you land, scout the area, then wait for us.”
“Yes, sir,” she started to move off.
“And, Antos?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Which of your people has not performed to your expectations?”
Antos hesitated. “They are all fine soldiers, sir.”
Some of the twenty-nine mercenaries shifted their feet uneasily.
Copeland leaned in closer to his new head of security.
The smell of dried caked blood wafted past her, which momentarily fazed her thoughts.
“Choose, or I will.”
Numbness washed over her and, despite her unwillingness to do so, a name popped into her head. She whispered to the beast in front of her.
Each of the mercenaries looked at each other, some even started to reach for their guns, but most hadn’t noticed the man holding his neck, his voice being lost in the blood which was filling his throat. He fell forward, his face landing with a smack against the cold stone.
Copeland looked at the slightly stunned woman. “If you do not leave, you will be behind schedule…”
Antos forced her mind out of the fear that was threatening to overcome it, and turned, waving her colleagues onto the helicopter. They all started running. She did the same, moving as quickly forward as possible so the sound of the chopper blades drowned out the sounds that were coming from Copeland and his victim.
*****
Anna sucked the blood through the straw which pierced the top of the blood bag. As the viscous liquid flowed into her, images of death and destruction cascaded through her mind, until she had seen enough, and instead focused on those she missed. Her parents had passed away years before the scourge, but she saw herself playing in their garden, swinging from a seat which was attached to a rope, and a tree branch above it. A summer breeze rushed past her face, and the other gardens and sky came in and out of view as she tried to swing higher and higher. The urges were gone, but she still sucked on the straw trying to eek out every last drop from the pouch.
Lee sat on a chair to the side of the bed, watching the other doctor drink from the blood bag. He was sure he saw her eyes turn dark a number of times, and more than once checked how close the door was.
Anna took a deep breath. “Calm down, doctor, I'm not going to eat you.”
He produced a nervous smile. “Oh, I'm sure I'm safe.”
Anna laughed. “You don't sound too convinced.”
Lee sprung to his feet, walked to the bed and placed his hand on Anna's forehead. “I’ve dealt with a number of the infected, I'm not scared, young lady.” He then felt her pulse while looking at the old watch on his left hand. “Over the years I’ve become a pretty good judge of character. Your pulse is slightly fast but that’s the case with the infected, so I would have to say you are ready to leave.” He produced a small penlight from his top pocket and examined her eyes.
She blinked a few times, scrunching her face up. Anna was already dressed in clothes which the nurses had given her. Denim pants, a pair of pink sneakers, and a red flannel shirt.
“Sensitive to light no doubt.”
She wiped away a single tear that was rolling down her cheek. “Yeah.”
“From what I have witnessed in those affected before, that sensitivity will increase.” He sighed. “Although, you’re different. With your kind, I’m not sure that will happen. Either way, you might want to start wearing sunglasses on bright days.”
Anna laughed to herself.
“What’s funny?”
“Before I changed, I used to wear glasses. Quite a strong prescription. Then I didn’t have to. My eyesight was better than perfect. Now I have to go back to wearing glasses again.”
Lee walked to the door. “Well, taking into account how close to death you were when you arrived a few nights ago, looking cool in sunglasses isn’t the worst outcome for you.”
She stood and smiled. “No…”
“What is it?”
“I was wondering if you could do with some help around here?”
A mile to the south, Joel and Lucian got out of a Humvee under a watery sun. Dark patches of gravel and mud were still wet from the overnight rainfall.
The ‘leader’ of the few hundred people that resided inside the walls was now wearing military-like garb, which he took from the bodies at the Hensen’s farm. Vince got out behind them, along with other armed individuals in a pickup behind.
“I thought it a good idea that we both inspected the walls,” said Lucian. “With your FBI knowledge, I’m sure you can see where we can improve things…”
Joel had previously seen places in the barricades he wanted to make stronger, so nodded in agreement.
Lucian pointed to the nearest wooden structure which sat up against the wooden posts. “First though, let’s get to the top of that lookout tower.”
Soon, they were standing fifteen feet from the ground, inside a wooden frame that looked south across farmland and country lanes.
Joel pointed to the ground below. “We should dig ditches along the—”
A click noise came from behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know what it meant.
“Remember I can move pretty fast. Maybe as fast or faster than you, but even if you have any ideas of trying to take this gun from me, maybe go ahead and look down to your left.”
Joel did. He counted seven of Lucian’s people pointing guns at him. Even if he moved to take Lucian out, there was a good chance bullets from the other weapons would still strike him. He slowly turned around until he was facing the handgun. “What is this about?”
Anger quickly grew across Lucian’s face, and he stepped forward pressing the gun into Joel’s jaw. “You brought them here! Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your precious suitcase and what was inside it?”
Joel started to run the options of how he had found out, then pushed them out of his mind. It didn’t matter now. “We don’t know what it is inside the suitcase ourselves.”
Lucien’s expression grew tighter, until he let out a burst of frustration and turned briefly away. “I got a good thing going here. I thought when we took out all those army guys that would be it. It would be over. Now I know they’re gonna keep coming until you give them that case, and even that might not be enough!”
“We’ll leave…”
“It won’t matter! If someone as rich as Daniel Copeland is behind all this shit, then we’re all dead! Cos that’s what rich folk do!” Lucian waved the gun around as he expressed his thoughts through his gestures. He pointed the gun back at Joel. “Tell me. No bullshit. What’s in the vials, and what is that tablet thing?”
Joel looked him straight in the eye. “I… don’t… know… We just know that they came from Copeland.”
“Why do you even have them still? Why didn’t you just throw them all into a dark hole somewhere?”
“If they are important to Copeland, then they are important to someone else. I thought I could leverage them in some way. Maybe use them to help find a refuge from everything that’s happened.” Joel thought it was a reasonably believable lie.
Lucian shook his head. “Where the suitcase at now?”
“Somewhere safe.”
Lucian raised his gun back parallel with Joel’s head. “I will shoot you if you’re lying. The way I see it is, we give Copeland’s people the suitcase when they arrive and hope they don’t kill all of us.”
Joel steadied his breathing. “It’s too late for that. They will be coming here to kill us, no matter what we do with the case.”
Lucian’s face contorted with t
he dilemma of the situation once again, and he whipped around, shaking his head.
“The only way out of this is when they get to Haven, we make them wish they never came,” said Joel.
Lucian turned around. Joel was glad to see his gun was by his side. “And how we gonna do that? What if they turn up with tanks and helicopters?”
Joel returned to looking outside the walls. “We start by digging ditches,” he turned to face the man that just threatened him. “And, Lucian, we need to get started right away.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Carla Antos stirred the steaming water as she poured the instant coffee powder into her plastic mug. She figured she had drunk about a gallon of the dark stuff over the four days since they left the base, but she still enjoyed that first morning sip.
The noise of approaching steps made her look towards her tent’s opening. A muscular, bearded man appeared.
“There’s a lot of activity going on down there. Inside and outside the walls, ma’am.”
She waved her hand. “I told you, Carlson, enough with the ma’am.”
“Ok, well you should go look.”
“Give me a minute.”
He hesitated near the tent’s flaps.
“What?”
“The gang is rattled after what happened last night. Jacob was a good merc. Jackson and King are not happy about it.”
She sighed, then placed the mug to her lips and drank some despite the burning sensation. It tasted like dry leather, but the familiarity of it helped kickstart her brain. “They’re welcome to leave if they don’t like how I run things.”
She made sure not to look the former Corporal in the eyes. She knew from her time with him in Iraq he had a knack of telling whether you were lying or not.
“If the boss does that again, I’m not going to be able to keep them in line. Just saying.”
“If they feel that strongly about it, why don’t they take it up with him…”
He frowned, then left.
Her mind drifted back to when she was still part of the US military. She had just been advanced to O-2 and was awaiting her new posting when reports started coming in of a disease that was sweeping across major population centers.