by P. T. Hylton
Impossibly, the man brought his rifle up in time to deflect Jaden's blade a moment before it would have sunk into his neck. The soldier tried to lower his rifle, but before he could fire, Jaden swung his other sword. The man's head flew across the alley, landing near the feet of his fellow soldiers, who were all turning toward Jaden now and beginning to fire.
There were too many for Jaden to face head-on, especially with how well armed they were. He ducked behind a car as bullets tore through everything around him. He grabbed a headless body and threw it at the soldiers on the fire escape. The troops tracked the body and fired at it, perhaps thinking that it was Jaden.
While they were still distracted, he broke through a door on the left side of the alley and charged into the building.
Inside the water-treatment building, Lesley watched through a vent as the remaining soldiers met in the lobby. It was clear they were on the verge of panic. The sounds of Ferals crashing into the walls came from all around the building. Shattering glass, cracking wood, and howling. With every new sound, the soldiers pushed tighter together.
Lesley rubbed at her stump. It was starting to itch now, which was probably a good sign but was annoying as all hell. She’d only killed two of the soldiers, and beyond that, all she’d accomplished was freaking them out. And now that forty-seven of them were gathered in one room like this, it would be suicide for her to attack. So she just watched.
She saw a flash from across the room in another vent and knew it was Akono signaling her. Good, at least she knew he'd made it through. If it did come to a fight, it would be two on forty-seven. Still not great odds, even against these new bloods.
Not that it would be a good idea to jump into the middle of a fight between the Ferals and these vampires. Best to let them kill each other and see what remained in the aftermath. Besides, Jaden and the rest of the team were taking care of the bulk of the soldiers outside.
As the first of the Ferals burst into the room, Lesley wondered how she and forty-six of her more seasoned vampires would have handled this situation. It would have been difficult, but they would have tried being passive. It may have been enough to calm the Ferals, or at least get them to ignore them and continue searching for the source of the noise. If that had failed, they would have attempted to push the Ferals back far enough to clear an exit and escape.
These green vampires were too panicked to attempt either technique. As the Ferals flooded the room, the soldiers unleashed a storm of automatic gunfire. They mowed through the Ferals, blanketing every entrance with a barrage of firepower.
For a few brief moments, it seemed as if the full-on assault was going to work. They pushed the initial wave back. Lesley was reminded that vampires—even green ones—were physical matches for the Ferals. Their speed, reflexes, and even their aim was much better than any human’s. Most of their shots landed where they wanted them to, in the head or chest of a Feral.
But the success didn’t last long. The Ferals screamed and howled as they fell, but still they kept moving forward, the horde behind them pushing ahead. The Ferals’ bodies started to stack up in the three entryways leading to the lobby. Many of the Ferals were injured but not killed, and they dragged themselves forward in an attempt to reach the soldiers by any means necessary.
Lesley tried to see through the doorway to get a feel for how many Ferals were out there, fighting to get inside. Her view was partially obstructed, but she could see far enough to know there were hundreds and hundreds of the beasts trying to fight their way into this room.
She clutched her sword and waited. As much as she wanted to join this fight, she knew her best chance at survival was to remain hidden.
Some of the soldiers were reloading now while others continued to fire into the ever-approaching throng. Try as they might, they couldn’t seem to kill the Ferals fast enough.
A Feral broke through a wall leading to the lobby, while another came crashing through the ceiling. Still the troops refused to give up. They fired in all directions now even as the swarm of Ferals came faster and faster.
One of the Ferals charged through a pile of bodies, picking up one of its fallen comrades and hurling it into the ring of soldiers. The corpse slammed into one of the soldiers, knocking him back and creating a break in their formation.
Sensing weakness, the Ferals charged that spot. This time the soldiers had no chance of killing the enemy before they reached them.
Lesley cringed as Ferals tore apart the soldiers, who stubbornly clung to their weapons, refusing to use their new vampiric skills to battle the Ferals hand-to-hand even in the closest of situations. Soldiers were pulled down and ripped apart everywhere she looked.
Then something near the center of the cluster of soldiers caught her eye. A man with a massive backpack. He slipped his arms out of the straps and set the pack on the ground. Opening the flap, he quickly began tinkering with whatever was inside.
Lesley squinted at the pack, trying to see through the opening as the chaos raged around her. She didn’t know why she was so interested, but her instincts said it was important.
The vampire took a long look around the room, watching as his fellow soldiers fell. Then his expression hardened and he turned to the pack on the floor.
Ferals were pouring into the lobby from everywhere now. It wouldn’t be long before the soldiers were completely overrun. Still, the man’s focus was on his pack rather than the battle.
Lesley’s eyes widened as she realized what the man had been carrying. She frantically tried to signal Akono to tell him they needed to get out immediately. But in her heart, she knew it was too late.
The man reached into the pack and armed the charges. Then he reached for the switch.
From outside of the building Firefly watched, knowing the battle was lost. As soon as the soldiers started to kill the Ferals entering the building, the ones being attacked panicked, which sent a mental signal to those around them that there was a hostile presence. Other Ferals were drawn by the signal, until they too panicked, strengthening the unspoken message.
Even Firefly could feel it now, a strange, cascading wave of fear, excitement, and rage that seemed to grow stronger by the second. The feeling was so strong that it made him want to throw up.
And still more Ferals were drawn into the fight. They seemed to come from everywhere, swarming into the building.
Firefly thought about issuing an order to stop firing, but that would just mean the soldiers would be ripped apart even quicker by the frenzied creatures. He didn’t know what to do, so he just watched in horror.
As things went from bad to so much worse, he stood with his finger on the button of his radio, wanting to give some heroic speech, or barring that, at least a few words of comfort for his troops in their dying moments. Still nothing came to mind, so he watched dumbly.
The exterior of the water-treatment building was so covered with Ferals that the walls seemed to be moving. Piles of fallen Ferals clogged the entryways, and the creatures had to fight each other to get into the narrow openings. Some pulled at the bodies, trying to clear the path, but most were too frenzied and only wanted to get to their enemies as quickly as possible.
The most hellish part of watching was that time seemed to move slowly for Firefly as his vampiric mind raced to process every detail of what was happening below. Even though the Ferals moved at incredible speed, he could perfectly follow their every movement. Every howl echoed through his head with perfect clarity. It almost felt like he could see things a moment before they happened.
But he was not expecting what came next.
For the briefest of moments, a brilliant light shot out of the doors and windows of the water-treatment building. The light was followed by an incredible wave of force.
The blast tore the entire building apart in an instant. The Ferals around the doors were incinerated. Pieces of wood, concrete, and metal shot out in every direction. Shrapnel peppered the Ferals near the building.
Firefly was about two hundred yards awa
y from the building and the concussion wave hit him like a lead pipe to the chest. He was lifted off the ground and thrown back into the wall behind him.
He lay on the ground a moment, not sure if he could move. If he were still human, he would never have regained his hearing, but his new body was already healing.
He struggled up to his knees and looked at the crater where the building had been a minute ago. There were hundreds of Ferals trying to get up around the large hole. Many of them were missing limbs or had large chunks of meatal or rock embedded in their twisted bodies.
Still, to Firefly’s shock, they continued to push toward the source of the blast.
As Firefly’s mind cleared, he realized something was very wrong. There was a vibration coming from inside of his chest. He thought he might be coming apart from the inside out. Then his hearing came back, and he realized the vibration was not coming from inside him; it was coming from all around him. The Ferals of Denver were howling in unison. The deep vibration shook the entire city. A million beasts were unleashing their battle cries in unison.
Firefly searched the concrete until he found his radio. He brought it to his mouth with a shaky hand and gave one order. “Take cover. They are coming.”
13
Alex found George standing on a balcony that overlooked a garden near the center of Agartha. She’d gotten a tip from one of the technicians that George often came there to be alone and think, especially when he was worried about something. Twenty minutes and four wrong turns later, she’d finally found the garden. Its only occupant was the director of engineering. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice her until she spoke.
“Any radio contact from Jaden?” she asked.
He didn’t look startled to find her by his side. She got the sense that maybe he was so used to being lost in his own thoughts that someone catching him unaware no longer bothered him.
“No, but I wouldn’t worry. He frequently makes trips to Denver, and he usually doesn’t check in. He’s not exactly the ‘checking in’ sort.”
“Yeah, I kinda got that,” Alex said dryly.
George chuckled, his eyes still fixed on the greenery below, fed by artificial light. “It is a little odd, though. He’s usually back by now.”
Alex frowned. “What time did you expect him?”
George thought about that. “The trip to Denver should have taken about two hours. Say an hour to load up and another two hours’ travel time back here. They should have been back about an hour ago.”
“Huh.” An hour late was no reason to panic. A thousand things could have set them back. An obstacle in the road. Trouble loading the ship. Any number of things. Still, dawn was closing in fast. “How often does Jaden spend the day in the city?”
George looked at her sharply. “The city? What do you mean?”
“I mean, if he doesn’t make it back to Agartha before daybreak and has to hole up somewhere else. Does that happen often?”
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t think it's ever happened. At least not in my lifetime.”
“Damn.”
George’s expression softened. “I wouldn’t worry. They’ll make it back. Jaden’s very disciplined. So are his vampires. Once he gets the ship here, we can start work on it.” He gave her a look. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
She sighed. “I’m surprised I got any sleep at all. With everything that’s happening on New Haven…”
She paused, not sure how to continue. George had spent his life in Agartha. They were used to depending on the vampires to keep them alive. On New Haven, humans didn’t have that luxury. They had to be more proactive. It would be difficult to get George to understand that mindset, but she was going to have to try.
“My team and I are going to prep for travel,” she told him. “Just in case.”
He blinked hard. “In case of what?”
“In case your vampires don’t make it back by sunrise. I know you’re not worried, but we have to play this safe.”
George scratched his head. “You mean you’re going to go to Denver? Shouldn’t we just wait to hear from Jaden? I’m sure he has things under control.”
She sighed. The subtle approach hadn’t worked, so she was going to have to put this bluntly. “George, you don’t know me well, but there’s one thing you have to understand about the GMT. We don’t wait around for others to do the hard work. We actually get our hands dirty ourselves.”
“Honestly, Alex, that’s a pretty condescending thing to say. Especially to the guy who risked his life to come rescue you and your team last night.”
Shame washed over Alex. “God, George, I’m sorry. It’s been a hell of a couple days. And stupid stuff comes out of my mouth all the time, even when I’m not stressed. I shouldn't have said that."
George looked back at the garden. "It's okay. Come on, I'll help you get some gear together and pick out a vehicle for your team to use. Just in case."
The two of them made their way through the city toward the garage, George leading the way. Alex hung back a bit, sometimes falling behind as she marveled at the city around her. It was nearly empty; the only beings they encountered were the occasional vampire. But what really astounded Alex was the darkness.
New Haven was always washed in daylight. The personal quarters didn't have windows, but nearly everywhere else, the exterior walls were transparent to allow for maximum light.
Agartha seemed to have been designed with the opposite approach. Passageways were dim and shadows were plentiful.
Seeing such a large area with only a few man-made lights illuminating it seemed odd, but she supposed it made sense. New Haven had been designed to keep vampires out while Agartha had been built to allow vampires to stay in.
They soon reached the garage and Alex sent for Owl. They spent the rest of the time until sunrise selecting a vehicle and then preparing it for a potential journey. They needed it to cover ground quickly, but also to be rugged enough to handle the obstacles they knew lay between Agartha and the city.
Before long, the rest of the team had joined them and was helping load the batteries and components onto the truck they'd be using. The hope was that they'd be able to use these parts to repair the away ship where it sat.
"One thing's for sure," Owl said with a grin. "It'll be better than driving the rover in a race against sundown."
Patrick put his hands on his hips. "That's not exactly a high bar to clear. If it can top twenty miles an hour, it'll beat the rover."
George walked up, a haggard look on his face.
"No luck?" Alex asked.
He shook his head. He'd been trying to contact Jaden's team on the radio for an hour, but there had been no response.
"How long until sunrise?" Chuck asked.
George glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes."
"We want to be ready to leave at first light," Alex said.
George sighed. "I know Jaden wouldn't approve of this. He'd want us to stay in the city and let the vampires handle things."
"George, we can't just sit here and—"
He held up a hand, cutting her off. "Let me finish. I know Jaden wouldn't leave us stranded out there, and I don't intend to leave him, regardless of what he'd want. I'll lend you this vehicle and let you go on one condition."
"What's that?"
"I want to come with you."
Alex looked at him for a long moment, surprised.
Owl shrugged. "It would be really helpful having his help with repairing the ship."
Alex nodded toward Wesley. "See if one of the vampires can help us find some gear for George. It looks like the GMT just got a new temporary member."
CB, Brian, and Jessica pressed onward through the tunnels.
"How much further?" Brian asked.
"There's not a direct route," Jessica answered. "Plus, we're going to have to wait for the shift change if we want to have any chance of—"
"Hang on," CB interrupted. He didn't like the sound
of their voices. Raising his headlamp, he inspected them in the light, confirming his suspicions. "Listen, I want to apologize to you two."
"What? Why?" Brian sounded annoyed. "If you're going to say you’re sorry for bringing us into this fight against Fleming, you can shut up right now. We've been over it, and we knew what we were getting into."
"It's not that. I've been pushing you like you're GMT members."
"So?" Jessica asked. "We need to push if we want to carry out our plan."
"Yeah, but we also need rest. The truth is, you don't have GMT training. That's not a knock against you. I mean, each of you have skills no GMT member has. But pushing through the pain, carrying out a mission for days on end without sleep and still being able to physically dominate an opponent when needed, those things take practice. It's no different than…" he waved at Brian vaguely, "programming a daylight to fry vampires."
"That analogy doesn't even make sense. You don't program a light."
"My point is you two are wiped. I can see if in your faces. You need rest. And I wouldn't mind a little break myself." He thought a moment. "Jessica, we're near Sparrow's Ridge, right?"
She nodded slowly. "Damn near right under it."
"Good. I know a place. Just get us to Hanger's Point. You know it?"
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly the best part of town."
"That's kinda the point."
Five minutes later, Jessica led them up from the maintenance tunnel onto a street in the worst part of Sparrow's Ridge.
Brian looked concerned. "This place makes Tankards look like a restaurant in the Hub."
"You ain't seen nothing yet," CB said with a grin. "Follow me."
He led them to a dilapidated building at the end of the street, then down a set of stairs to the basement. From there, he took them to a door at the end of the hall. He crouched down and picked the lock in a matter of moments.
Then he led them inside.
"Oh God, please tell me no one lives here," Jessica said.
