by P. T. Hylton
Aaron tried to calm his spinning mind. He knew the patrols normally consisted of ten to twelve vampires. That left around ninety in Agartha. Still a lot to contend with, but slightly better odds than one hundred to two.
They waited three hours, both knowing this was their opportunity to take Agartha, but neither even daring to speak it aloud to each other.
At the three-and-a-half-hour mark, Aaron turned to Mark. “It’s time.”
They left the storeroom without another word. Aaron was aware that whatever happened tonight, they would never work in that storeroom again.
They walked hurriedly down the hallway, working their way toward the security control room.
Aaron spoke in a low voice. “Once we have the control room, everything else will fall into place. We turn the security people first. Then, we have them send out the emergency signal that Ferals are overrunning the defenses and all vampires are needed at the blast doors. When that happens, we can start turning more humans.”
“We open the outer blast doors, right?” Mark asked.
Aaron nodded. “Let the Ferals take out as many of the vampires as they can. Use the railguns to take out some of the stragglers. The humans we turn can wipe out the rest of them.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Mark confirmed. “I can’t wait for Jaden to get back with his team and see that we’ve taken over the city. That’ll wipe the smug smile off his stupid face.”
They reached the first set of locked doors they’d need to pass through in order to reach the security control room. Aaron held his key card up to the reader. Part of him was convinced alarms would immediately start blaring and vampires would drop from the ceiling to arrest them. Instead, the tiny light on the reader turned green and a soft click indicated that the door was now unlocked.
They passed through two more sets of locked doors before they reached the security room. With each door, Aaron grew more confident. The feeling that Jaden or Robert was going to jump out at them faded, leaving determination in its place.
They paused just before they reached their destination.
“You ready?” Aaron asked.
Mark hesitated. “We each get to turn half the people in that room, right? I want vampire slaves, too.”
“Yes, even split.”
“Then I’m ready.”
Aaron slowly raised his key card, acutely aware that once they opened that door, there was no turning back.
Mark bent his legs slightly, preparing to leap inside the moment the door opened.
Aaron took a deep breath, used his key card, and pulled open the door.
Mark’s eyes widened, and he froze, still partially bent down. Aaron followed his gaze into the security room, and he, too, froze.
Jaden and a dozen other vampires stood in the middle of the room, their expressions hard.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Jaden said. “We’ve been expecting you.”
Jaden stood stone-still, his arms crossed, as the two young vampires entered the security control room. Mark look dumbstruck; he wore the expression of an animal that knew it had been spotted by a predator. Aaron, on the other hand, had a hungry, desperate look on his face. Jaden could practically see the wheels spinning in his mind.
“Jaden!” Aaron said. He spoke quickly, almost frantically. “What are you doing here? We thought you were out on an expedition tonight.” He gestured toward Mark. “His radio broke, so we were just coming to switch it out with a new one.”
Jaden ignored the obvious lie. “We’ve been watching you two closely, and we were well aware of your plan.”
The look in Aaron’s eyes shifted from one of desperation to one of defiance. “That so? Then how’d we get this far?”
“You didn’t get far at all. Your key cards don’t even work.” He cocked a thumb toward the bank of monitors. “We had Theresa here watching you on the security cameras and manually unlocking the doors when you swiped your cards. You were never actually free to move about the city. I just wanted to see what you’d do. Now, I see we need to beef up security around our control room. So, thank you for that.”
Aaron’s lip quivered as he fought the instinct to bare his teeth.
A casual smile appeared on Robert’s face. “You know what your problem is? You need to learn patience.
“Patience?” Mark asked. “We waited over a month.”
Jaden chuckled. “That’s what Robert’s saying. A month is nothing. If you wanted to earn our trust, you should have waited a decade or two. Then you might have had a chance of catching us off guard.”
After a moment, Aaron said, “What happens now?”
“That’s up to you,” Jaden said. “I’m a big believer in letting a vampire choose his own fate. So here are your options. We can kill you here and now, and it’s over quickly. Or, you can choose banishment. We let you loose outside the city, and you take your chances in the wild.”
Mark let out a wild laugh. “That’s no choice at all. If you think I’m becoming a Feral again, you’re even stupider than you look.”
Aaron whirled toward Mark. “Shut up!” Turning back toward Jaden, he continued. “I want to go out on my own terms. So does Mark, though he’s too stupid to realize it yet.”
“What? We said we’d never—”
“We’ll enjoy the world for a couple more weeks. Then, when our minds start showing signs of slipping, we’ll let the sun end things. Easy as that.”
“So that’s your decision?” Jaden asked. He looked at Mark. “Both of you?”
“Yes,” Aaron said immediately.
After a moment’s hesitation, Mark nodded.
“All right. Come with me.” Jaden didn’t bother restraining them. He knew if they tried anything, he could subdue them in seconds. That wasn’t even taking into account the nineteen vampires who had his back.
He led them to the blast doors. No one spoke; what was there left to say?
As the blast doors opened and the cold wind rushed in, he gave them one final warning. “If we find you anywhere near the city, we’ll kill you.”
Then Mark and Aaron walked out into the night.
18
Alex marched into the Hub, trying to ignore the sore muscles that were trying to slow her steps and the weariness trying to cloud her mind. The two weeks of daily missions to the surface had taken their toll. Fleming had asked to meet with her to discuss logistics for upcoming missions, and she intended to use this opportunity to tell him in no uncertain terms that the team needed a break. It was both cruel and unwise to push them this hard. They needed to be sharp on the surface. Keep this up, and they’d be looking for more replacement GMT members soon.
Besides, all these missions left little time for plotting with CB and Kurtz.
Technically, she probably should have alerted CB to this meeting. He was her superior officer, and she knew that he’d want to be present when she met with Fleming. But she knew that CB was being run just as ragged, though his overwork came in the form of endless meetings and reports. She didn’t want to bother him with this. Also, Fleming’s invitation had been so unexpected, it had caught her off guard. She hadn’t even seen Fleming in weeks. All of his orders had come to her through Firefly or CB.
She reached Fleming’s office and the secretary immediately ushered her in. Alex was surprised to find the office alive with activity. Two sets of cameras were pointed at his desk. Fleming stood behind the desk, and a young woman was applying powder to his face.
Fleming’s eyes lit up when he saw Alex. “Ah, Captain Goddard!”
“Hi. What’s all this?”
Fleming let out an embarrassed chuckle. “I’m so sorry, but my secretary double-booked me. I have to give a very brief address. Do you mind hanging out for fifteen minutes or so? Then we can talk.”
“Uh, sure.” She looked around the crowded room, wondering where she’d even sit. “Do you want me to wait outside?”
“Don’t be silly. Actually, would you mind terribly, being here for it?” He waved
her over.
Before she knew what was happening, she was standing next to him, and the short woman was patting powder on her face.
“Fleming,” she said, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Nonsense. It’ll only take a moment.”
The makeup woman slipped away, and the cameraman said, “We’re live in five, four, three…”
A brilliant smile appeared on Fleming’s face and exactly two seconds later, he started speaking. “Good afternoon, New Haven. As director of the city, I’ve had the opportunity to address you many times, but I’ve never been more excited to do so than I am this morning. And I’m delighted to be standing next to New Haven’s favorite daughter, Captain Alex Goddard of the Ground Mission Team.”
Alex smiled dumbly, her gaze frozen on the intimidating black eye of the camera in front of them. A heavy ball of worry grew in her stomach as she realized she’d been duped by Fleming, yet again.
“Captain Goddard returned only yesterday from another successful mission. Her team brought back components that will allow us to step up our efforts to defend our new settlement on the surface. Her team has been to the settlement a number of times and they are working hand-in-hand with Captain Garrett Eldred to ensure it is safe and secure.”
Alex went cold as she realized Fleming’s game. By standing beside him, she was implicitly giving her support and agreement to every word he said. And yet, she couldn’t force herself to run, to argue, or to even speak. That camera lens held her frozen.
“Captain Goddard is one of the true heroes who is going to help humanity to reclaim the Earth. That’s why I wanted her to be here today for two important announcements. First, I’d like to make public a name we’ve been using internally for some time now. As you know, Councilman Stearns was a true patriot who lived for the betterment of our great city. Since his tragic death, I’ve missed him every day. We certainly clashed in the Council room a time or two, but I know he would have given anything to see the safe Resettlement of Earth. That’s why we’ve decided to call the first human settlement on Earth in one hundred and fifty years Fort Stearns.”
He paused for a moment, apparently overcome with emotion.
“It’s a fitting tribute to a great leader and it ensures that his legacy will live on long after we’re all gone.”
Alex wanted to throw up. She’d heard Firefly using the name Fort Stearns for weeks now, but she finally understood its significance. It wasn’t a tribute to Stearns; it was the ultimate indignity for a man who had vehemently opposed Resettlement. Now, his name would forever be linked with it.
Fleming put an arm around Alex’s shoulders. “The second announcement is just as exciting, and it’s the reason I wanted Captain Goddard to be here today. Our director of engineering has just informed me our transport ship is ready for use. That means we can double our efforts to prepare Fort Stearns for its eventual residents. In fact, Captain Goddard and Captain Eldred will be leading a joint force of GMT and Resettlement troops down there beginning tomorrow, to make final preparations.”
Alex clenched her fists in anger. Another mission tomorrow? And one that had been announced to the whole city? And still, she couldn’t object. If she caused a scene now, she’d certainly lose her job. Maybe that was even what Fleming was hoping for. She couldn’t let that happen. She still believed there was a chance that she could win Firefly over to her way of thinking. And if that happened, Fleming was done.
“It won’t be long now,” Fleming proclaimed, as he beamed at the cameras. “Soon, you will be setting foot on the Earth. Soon, your children will be running through the grass and swimming in the waters. And someday, your grandchildren will ask you what it was like, and you’ll see the envy in their eyes as they hear your stories. Then, they’ll tell you how lucky you were to be alive at that moment and to be part of Resettlement. Stay strong, my friends. It is an exciting time. Victory is in sight.”
“We’re clear,” the cameraman said, and Alex felt all her muscles loosen.
Fleming grabbed her hand and pumped it in a shake. “Thank you, Alex. You did well. Ever consider a future in politics?”
Before she could comprehend, let alone answer that ridiculous question, Fleming’s secretary stuck her head through the doorway. “Mr. Fleming, I’m sorry, but you have an urgent call from agriculture.”
Fleming sighed. “All right, thank you. Alex, I’m so sorry, but we’ll have to postpone our conversation. Duty calls.”
Before she knew it, Alex was being ushered out of the office.
It wasn’t until she was walking out of the Hub that the anger truly washed over her. She’d just been used to advance Fleming’s agenda, and it made her furious.
She wished she could face Fleming on the fighting mat. Then, he’d know how it felt to be as powerless and outmatched as she felt every time he took her on in the political arena.
“There she is,” Jessica said with a smile. “Fleming’s best buddy.”
Alex grimaced. “Ugh, don’t remind me.”
Jessica, Brian, Owl, and CB were gathered in the GMT hangar so that Jessica could show them the transport ship. Alex was the last to arrive.
“I should have been in that meeting,” CB growled.
“You’re right,” Alex said immediately. “I apologize.”
“We can’t keep underestimating Fleming. We have to be smarter than that.”
“Give her a break, CB,” Jessica said. “He just did to her what he’s been doing to all of us for months.”
“Enough of that,” Owl said. “Can we see the ship now?”
There were three ships in the hangar: the away ship, a new backup away ship that was still being built, and the brand-new transport.
Jessica led them aboard the transport and gave them the grand tour. They started in the large cargo hold that had been outfitted with rows and rows of seats. Then, she showed them the large cockpit. “As you can see, it’s simple, but it’ll do its job.”
“What’s the capacity?” CB asked.
“A hundred passengers. Plus three crew.”
Owl whistled. “That’s incredible.”
“I can’t believe how fast you put this together,” CB said.
Jessica nodded. “Me, neither. But we weren’t given the option of more time. Besides, the resources Fleming threw at this thing made it possible. The ventilation systems in the agriculture sector are a little less stable without the parts we stripped, and the coolant towers are missing their redundant electrical fail-safes, but the ship’s done. Now Fleming’s on us to finish the backup away ship. He says we can’t risk Resettlement falling behind schedule if there’s a problem with the main ship.”
CB shook his head. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“What’s that?” Jessica asked.
“How fickle people are. The entire city is eating out of Fleming’s hand. Probably even more so after that little speech this morning.” He shot a look at Alex.
“So honestly, between us,” Jessica said, “is there any way Resettlement could work? I’ve seen the layout of the prison, and with all the enhancements we’re adding, it seems solid.”
CB turned to her, a sad look in his eyes. He put a hand on her shoulder. “I want to believe it could. I really do. There’s nothing I’d like more in the world than to be wrong about Resettlement. But anyone we send down there will not survive the night.”
Alex took one last look around the ship. Seeing this vessel made the impending Resettlement even more real.
It was happening. And tomorrow, she’d help it take one more step toward becoming reality.
19
The away ship was quiet as they traveled to the newly dubbed Fort Stearns the following day. It felt strangely empty without Firefly and his handful of overeager recruits. The Resettlers, as they were now calling themselves, were flying in the new transport, so the GMT had their away ship all to themselves.
“I still can’t believe we didn’t g
et to ride in the new ship,” Patrick grumbled.
“This is the first test of the transport,” Alex said. “If that thing breaks down, you’ll be glad we have old faithful, here. Besides, don’t talk about the other ship like that. Owl gets a little… protective.”
She glanced out the window and caught sight of the large transport ship in the distance behind them. As much as she didn’t like bringing a group of Firefly’s recruits along, she was even more against them flying on their own ship, leaving no time to build a little comradery between the two team before the mission. Besides, every moment with Firefly was another chance to wear him down a little more, to make him more open to her way of thinking. As badly as her dinner had gone with him a couple weeks ago, they’d actually built some rapport during their recent missions together.
She tore her gaze away from the window and moved it to the man sitting next to her. “How you doing?”
“Not bad,” Chuck answered. “Actually, I’ve been working really hard, trying to improve as a GMT member, you know? I’ve been meaning to ask how you think I’m doing. Where do I need to improve?”
She thought a moment. Chuck’s hard work was showing results. In early missions, he’d been one of the weakest, but he was developing fast. In truth, there were a dozen areas he could improve, but now wasn’t the time to bring them up. They hadn’t been to the prison in a week, and if past experience was any indication, it would almost certainly be crawling with vampires again by now. This wasn’t the time to shake his confidence.
“Do you mind if I tell you what you’re doing right instead?” she asked.
Chuck nodded.
“There are things I like about every person on the team. Ed and Patrick are ultra-competitive and fearless. Wesley’s dependable and always puts his teammates ahead of himself. Owl’s a genius when it comes to technical stuff. What I like about you is that you’re cautious.”
“Huh. That doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment.”
