by P. T. Hylton
Patrick fired again, this time taking its head clean off.
Ed coughed and put a hand over his mouth. Alex couldn’t blame him. The smell was horrendous: a stale, rotting meat odor mixed with burning hair.
More mattresses flew toward them, but the team focused their efforts, taking out vampires before they had a chance to hurl the objects over the railing.
Something hit the ground near Owl’s feet, and everyone froze. That was no mattress; it was a chunk of concrete.
“Son of bitch,” Alex shouted. “They’re tearing apart the concrete beds.”
Sure enough, another piece of concrete flew through the air, just missing one of the lights.
“We need to finish this quickly,” Alex said. There were fewer vampires now, but she’d prefer twenty vampires armed with mattresses to six armed with concrete.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a vampire rushing toward the railing. She spun toward it and fired three quick rounds, catching it in the chest. It managed to throw a piece of concrete before she shot it, though.
Wesley cried out in pain and fell to the ground, clutching his leg.
Two more vampires appeared at the railing, and the team filled them with bullets.
They stood in silence, waiting for the next attack, but it never came.
“Wesley, what’s your status?” Alex asked.
He gingerly got to his feet, still rubbing at his thigh. “I’m okay. I think a piece of concrete grazed me going by. Stung something fierce, but I’m good.”
“Too bad,” Ed said with a laugh. “I was hoping we’d be able to call you broken leg boy again.”
“Nah, you’d miss me too much if I had to sit out the next mission,” Wesley countered. “Who’d take out all the vamps you missed? The captain would start to notice what a terrible shot you are.”
“I’ve noticed,” Alex joked. “Glad you’re okay, Wesley. Now let’s get back to work. We’ve taken care of the dumb ones. Let’s root out the rest of them.”
They exited Building Three an hour later, having cleared the place of twenty-six vampires. Every one of them was wired from the stress of it all. The vampires had been ready for them, and that was an unnerving experience.
Firefly stood up from where he’d been sitting near the away ship. “Finally. Sounded like you guys were getting a little sloppy in there.”
“Yeah, thanks for rushing in to lend us a hand,” Alex said. “There were twice as many vampires in that building as there were yesterday.”
Firefly shrugged. “You took care of them, though, right?”
“That’s not the point. The lights and the scent of humans working in here day after day are attracting more vampires. And they’re getting smarter in the ways they’re attacking. Something’s happening here.”
Firefly brushed off his pants and walked over. “The only thing that’s happening is Resettlement. Once we get the daylights rigged along the wall, it won’t matter how many vampires we attract, because they won’t be able to get in here. Now, are you going to get started on that next building, or is your team scared to take on vamps during the day while armed with daylights?”
Alex opened her mouth to snap back at him, but before she could, she saw the Barton brothers marching toward him.
“You know so much about fighting vampires, maybe you want to show us your moves,” Patrick said, the threat clear in his voice. “Maybe try them out on me, right here.”
“Or me,” Ed added. “Take your pick. Whichever one of us you want to rumble with. We’re eager to learn, Captain.”
Firefly looked at them in disbelief, as if shocked that they’d talk to him that way. “Captain Goddard, are you going to reprimand your soldiers for addressing a superior officer in that tone?”
Alex crossed her arms. “Actually, I’m going to commend them on their obvious hunger for knowledge. They have a legendary member of the GMT in front of them, and they don’t want to miss the opportunity to learn from him. Well done, boys.”
“Thanks, Captain,” Patrick said, his intense gaze locked on Firefly.
Alex chuckled. “But that’s enough learning for today. Come on. Let’s check out Building Four.”
She started to turn, but Firefly called to her.
“Alex. Sorry about before. I was just kidding around.”
She considered another snide comment, but she knew that wouldn’t have been productive. She was supposed to be trying to win him over. “Don’t worry about it, Garrett. Sorry my guys got in your face.”
He shrugged. “Can we meet for dinner again tonight? There’s something we need to discuss.”
Alex wanted nothing more than a quiet night in, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk to him alone. “Sounds good. I’ll be there. But first, I have to kill some vampires.”
22
Alex arrived at the address Firefly had given her five minutes late. It wasn’t like her to be late to appointments, even ones she wasn’t especially looking forward to, but the dress she wore didn’t lend itself to walking quickly. After being under-dressed the last time, she may have overcompensated.
Looking around, she couldn’t imagine a nice restaurant in this neighborhood. She was in the heart of Sparrow’s Ridge, near the sanitation building. If there was a fancy restaurant here, it was well hidden.
She was beginning to wonder if she might have gotten the address wrong when Firefly stepped out of the shadow of a doorway. To her relief, he was once again dressed in his new, upscale threads.
He waved to her. “Hey, Alex. Over here.”
She walked over to him and followed him inside. “Did you bring me to a restaurant in the sewage station, Garrett? Or did you bring me here to kill me?”
“Neither,” he said with a laugh. “Besides, the sewage station is down the street. Follow me. It’s right up here.”
She followed him up six flights of stairs—her dress really wasn’t designed for this—and to the door to the roof. This whole thing seemed too elaborate, especially coming from Firefly. She hoped he wasn’t going to start hitting on her. They had important things to discuss. Alex had the feeling that after the daylights had proven effective in the two buildings, her odds of winning Firefly over to her way of thinking were slipping away. Things would move quickly now. This could be her last chance.
He opened the door and gestured for her to walk through. She did so, and suddenly the whole elaborate ruse made sense.
There was a single table set up on the rooftop and it had three chairs around it. Fleming sat on one of them.
She fought hard to keep the anger off her face. Fleming had to know she wouldn’t agree to another meeting without CB, especially after what he’d pulled with the surprise press conference the last time. The way Firefly had set her up here showed how deeply he was in Fleming’s pocket.
For a moment she considered turning around, marching down those steps, and going home. But she didn’t. She was about to have dinner with the two key players in Resettlement. Even though the odds of her convincing them of anything seemed insurmountable, she had to try.
Fleming stood up as she approached. “Alex, you look stunning.”
She opened her mouth, but realized she had no idea how she was supposed to respond to that. “Thanks. You look fine. Good, I mean. Well dressed.”
He nodded demurely, as if she’d paid him a huge compliment. Then he pulled out her chair and gestured for her to sit.
When they were all seated, Fleming poured from the chilled bottle of wine on the table. They were situated near the edge of the roof, and they had a perfect view of one of the busiest streets in Sparrow’s Ridge. Men and women in nondescript, government-issued clothes filed home after a long day of difficult labor.
Alex felt a twinge of guilt prickling her stomach. Here she was, drinking fancy wine, while they trudged back to their overcrowded quarters. Most of them would never even taste the worst-quality wine, let alone the good stuff she was sipping.
“So,” Fleming sai
d, interrupting her thoughts, “I hear congratulations are in order. The daylights worked.”
Alex nodded. “They did. However, we’ve also noticed an increase in vampire activity in the other parts of the prison. The human presence seems to be attracting them. And they’re learning. Only yesterday, they—”
Fleming held up a hand, cutting her off. “Let’s make a deal, you and me. I know your thoughts on Resettlement, and you know mine. What do you say we table the Resettlement debate for tonight and just enjoy our meal and each other’s company?”
Alex pressed her lips together, forming a thin line. If she couldn’t talk about Resettlement, what was she even doing here? She’d have to agree for now and find a way to work it into the conversation. “Fine.”
“Good. It’s a big day for Garrett tomorrow. You’ll have to make do without him at Fort Stearns.”
Her eyes flicked toward Firefly. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“I’m going down to Agartha tomorrow evening to have a chat with our undead buddy Jaden,” Firefly said.
“He contacted us and requested a meeting with me,” Fleming explained. “I’m sending Firefly in my place.”
“Huh,” Alex said. Did Jaden just want to introduce himself to the leader of New Haven, or was this something more? “Did he say what he wanted to talk about?”
“No,” Fleming said. “Just that it was urgent.”
“I hope he’s not just hungry,” Firefly joked.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Fleming said. “Garrett tells me the new GMT is doing very well.”
Alex nodded. “They are. It’s amazing how quickly they got up to speed.”
He raised his glass in salute. “That’s a result of good leadership. And it’s heartening. We’re going to need to expand soon. It’ll take multiple Ground Mission Teams to support both New Haven and Fort Stearns.”
Multiple teams? She didn’t like the sound of that. Not if it happened at the same breakneck speed as everything else Fleming did. “I thought we were tabling the Resettlement discussion.”
“I said we were tabling the Resettlement debate. That doesn’t mean we can’t talk logistics. Did you know Florence County, the area around Fort Stearns, has sixteen prison facilities? Once our initial settlement is established, we’ll want to create other communities.”
“Ugh, I’m tired just thinking about it,” Firefly said. “Can we get Fort Stearns done before we start talking about expansion?”
Fleming chuckled. “Fine—I’m just saying that more communities will offer more opportunities for promotions.” He glanced at Alex. “For both of you.”
That gave Alex pause. Was he trying to buy her off the way he had Firefly?
“Colonel Brickman is a great leader,” Fleming said, “but he can’t do everything. And if I’m being honest, he seems to be struggling with his new role a bit.”
Alex frowned. “If you’re trying to get me to betray CB—”
“I’m not. I’m simply pointing out that there will be opportunities available. And we need strong leaders. Like you.”
A man with a large tray stood next to their table. Alex had been so enthralled in Fleming’s conversation and how he might be trying to trap her that she hadn’t even noticed the man arrive. He set plates in front of each of them. A beautifully prepared bread with two types of sauces drizzled over it, perfectly cooked asparagus, and some sort of flame-seared dish she couldn’t identify. The aroma hit her nose and she felt herself go weak.
She started to pick up her fork, then stopped. This was just another tactic. A mind-bendingly, delicious-smelling tactic, but a tactic nonetheless. He was trying to distract her from the important things.
“Okay,” she said, “you want me to be a strong leader? Then I’m going to act like one and tell you what you need to hear. Fort Stearns isn’t safe. You need to slow down.”
“Alex, we said we wouldn’t—”
“No, you said. I tend to think the lives of the hundreds of people you plan on sending down there are too important not to discuss. If you want to test Fort Stearns out with a few badges for a night or two, fine. But moving in all these people at once is madness.”
“It’s necessary,” Firefly countered. “If we don’t have a large group, we won’t be able to defend ourselves properly. We need the entire wall manned.”
“You’re sending them to their deaths!”
Fleming sighed. “All right, you’ve had your say. Now let me have mine.” He gestured toward the people down in the street. “These people are the reason we have no choice but to Resettle. These are the ones I’m fighting for. They deserve to feel the ground under their feet. They deserve the chance to improve their lots in life.”
“I’m not saying they don’t,” Alex insisted. She’d never looked at the Ridge from this perspective. From above it all. It had always been a part of her life and she’d always been part of it.
Fleming looked down at them and shook his head, a sad expression on his face. “They can be a strong people if we just give them a chance. And we will. They’ll spread beyond Fort Stearns and eventually beyond the settlements we set up. They’ll cover the Earth, if we help them do it.”
Alex allowed herself one bite of the aromatic bread. Her eyes closed for a moment as she savored it. Then she washed it down with a sip of wine and stood up. “This isn’t how we eat in the Ridge. Come with me. Both of you.”
She walked off without looking to see if they would follow.
Five minutes later, she walked through the door of Tankards, Firefly and Fleming right behind her. She pushed her way through the after-work crowd and made it to a table in the back.
Someone across the bar whistled, then yelled, “The GMT got sexy!”
That was quickly followed by, “You didn’t have to get dressed up for us, Alex!”
“I didn’t, Travis,” she called back. “It’s for your mom.”
“Sorry, Alex,” another guy called. “You don’t look good in a dress. Come back to my place and I’ll help you out of it.”
She shot him a withering look. “Trust me, Gavin, you couldn’t handle me.”
Fleming sidled up next to her, an uneasy look on his face. Firefly took the spot beside him.
“You been here before?” she asked Fleming.
He nodded slowly. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah. I remember when you used to hold your political rallies a few blocks down the street. Times change, huh?”
“That, they do,” the politician agreed.
Firefly sat quietly, an unreadable expression on his face. Alex wondered if he was reminiscing about the times they’d spent here with the GMT, or if he was angry that she’d torn him away from his fancy dinner.
The bar was the polar opposite of the restaurant he had taken Alex to the previous week. It was loud, cramped, and it smelled like sweat and stale beer.
Alex raised a hand and shouted to the bartender, “Three slops and three beers, Louie.”
They were starting to get strange looks as the men and women began to recognize Fleming. The chatter in the bar went down a couple of decibels.
The bartender came over with three pints of beer and three plates covered with a rather unpleasant-looking stew made of scraps from the agricultural department. Every piece of food grown in New Haven had to be used, and much of what wasn’t used elsewhere made its way to Sparrow’s Ridge.
“Dig in,” Alex told them.
Fleming let out a laugh. “It has been a long while since I ate slop. I loved it as a kid. My favorite thing about it was that every bite tastes different. It was like a surprise in each spoonful.”
Firefly swallowed his first bite. “Then you’re going to love this. It’s especially… surprising.”
"You want to show me Sparrow’s Ridge?” Alex said. “This is how you do it. Not from above, looking down on them. These people do deserve better, but you can’t just experiment with their lives. They’re real people, with names and dreams and families. They’
re no different than the people in the Hub." She took a big drink of beer, then set the glass down hard on the table. “Here’s the real difference between you and me. You think these people can be strong. I think they already are.”
Fleming took another bite of food and looked around the bar. He turned back and looked Alex in the eyes for a long moment. "Alex, all people are important, but they are not all the same. Look at you. You may be the most gifted soldier this city has ever seen. You accomplish missions that no one else here could. It is the duty of the exceptional to lead the way to a better life for all."
"Is that what you are? Exceptional?"
“Of course. All three of us are. We started in Sparrow’s Ridge, and we made it out. And, yes, that means we have to make the tough decisions. If there needs to be sacrifice for the advancement of the greater good, then that’s a pill we have to swallow."
Alex felt the anger growing inside her like an approaching storm. She willed herself not to explode. Not here. Not now. “Fleming, I know there’s no damn way you’re ever going to listen to me. But do me a favor. Listen to him.” She nodded at Firefly.
Firefly’s mouth opened in surprise. “Me?”
She looked him in the eye. “Firefly, you know in your heart that Fleming is taking us down a destructive path. Be honest with him. You owe me that much. You owe Fleming that much, too.”
She dropped a handful of coins on the table. “This one’s on me, Fleming.”
With that, she stood up and pushed her way out of the bar.
23
“Is this strictly mandatory?” Ed asked the next evening. “No offense, Captain. I love what you’ve done with the place. It’s just that with these nonstop missions, I barely have the energy to fall into bed at night, let alone participate in extracurriculars.”
“He’s got a point,” Wesley said. “It’s not like the old days of the GMT, when you’d go on a mission, what, every couple weeks? We don’t spend our days lounging around like you used to.”
