Bloodbreeders: Lies Beneath London

by Robin Renee Ray,

  “Kill it!” Tammy yelled as it towered over her, its mangled genitals swinging grossly between its legs. She held her arm up, not to ward off its bite, but to block the horror that was dripping from its rotting, dead flesh. “Get it away from me!”

  Derek made a move to swing his blade at it, but it knocked him into the wall like he was nothing but a speck of dust. I couldn’t understand how it could be so strong if it was barely held together with decayed bits.

  “Jacob, his leg,” Monroe called out, readying his own weapon toward the thing. “Wolf beast, his snout!” Fala ignored Monroe and continued to give Derek aid.

  “Fala, we need you!” Jacob yelled.

  “Get it off of me!” Tammy screamed.

  “Fala!” I screamed.

  Fala threw back his wolf head and let out a sound that put chills over my entire body and made me very grateful he was on our side. He turned as he stood, stormed over and latched his forearm around the thing’s huge snout and clamped it shut.

  “Cates, take the back of the neck until you remove the head. Jacob, on the count of three. One…”

  “No! Wait! Not over me,” Tammy cried out.

  “Two, three!”

  Jacob, Monroe, and Cates swung their blades in unison and the beast fell where it had been standing. Garvin grabbed one of Tammy’s feet and Sydney the other, pulling her free right before the thing hit the ground. Cates stepped over its severed legs and finished what he had started by removing its head. “There is always a first time for everything, yes, Master Jacob?”

  “Yes, Master Cates. That is indeed one for our journals.”

  “What the hell was that thing?” I asked, sliding back into the room from the hall.

  “Now you join the fun,” Jacob raised one brow.

  “I was…just watching our backs from the other way. Yeah, it scared the crap out of me and I was getting out of the way, so there. Tammy, you okay?”

  “And she changes the subject,” Derek laughed.

  “Hey, whose side are you on anyway?” I bumped him as I walked by.

  “I do not think it wise to go down,” Fala said in his gruff voice. “Even the cats have disappeared.”

  “That’s right, where did Lane and Luther go?”

  “They are not a violent being and more than likely went home,” Monroe said.

  “If that’s true, then why did you and your buddy kill their friends?” Derek asked, pushing the thing's arm away from him with his foot, while holding his own arm where he had made contact with the wall.

  “Reed had no stopping point. Two slices with his blade and it was too late, the other two barely got away before I could stop him.”

  “You know, why is everyone, all of the sudden, supposed to just trust you anyway? You may be his long lost brother and all, but maybe that’s the card these elder people are playing. Have any of you even thought about that?” Derek looked around the room. “How did he know how to kill this walking dead wolf?”

  “You remove the head on all walking dead,” Monroe replied coldly. “Why would I ask your mistress to mark me as she has you if I were setting a trap for the elders?”

  “Let’s get one thing straight right here, right now. Renee didn’t just mark me buddy,” Derek poked Monroe in the chest. “She is my maker and I will kill any who even remotely think about harming her. Do I make myself clear, asshole?”

  “Then you are looking in the wrong direction. Do I make myself clear, anus?”

  “If I don’t get this shit off of me, I’m going to kill everyone. So, shut the hell up and get out of my damn way!” Tammy pushed past Monroe and Derek, continuing down through the stone hall with Cates right behind her.

  Cates returned a few seconds later. “She’ll need something to cover her…” he made a move over his chest with his hands. “She’ll need to borrow a shirt.” He looked around at all the boys. “Her chest is so…never mind.” He disappeared back through the opening.

  “If even one of you laugh, I will pop you,” I whispered holding up my finger and fighting back a smile.

  ***

  Alex was coughing and yelling out for anyone to come help free him before he choked to death. The smoke was filtering in through the same air vents that were meant to keep breathable air in the lower levels. Martin was working diligently, trying to move the stones that had collapsed in the narrow passageway that would lead them to safety in the tunnels.

  “Martin, I’m scared.”

  “No need, the ceiling will hold. Just keep moving the smaller stones, we will be through soon.”

  “What about Alex? He could help us.”

  “It is best to leave him be. He could also try and take our lives and go back to his own, little one. I cannot have your safety in more jeopardy than it already is.”

  “Are we going to die down here, Martin? I mean, if we can’t get through this tunnel? Is there only one way out?”

  Martin didn’t reply he just dropped the stone he was moving and took Tanda into his embrace.

  Chapter Thirty

  It was very apparent that the twin sisters had gotten away, and with my ring to boot. We knew that Bernard had said that Inara had plans on hitting the open water if things didn’t go as she had planned and that sure didn’t happen. They didn’t go according to mine either but all of London was on the run. Lord Cheree was a pile of ash and Angelica’s fine castle estate wouldn’t stand when we were finished. I, for one, wasn’t going down into the dark with God only knows what, so we closed the trap wall and headed back to the ballroom.

  As for Angelica’s whereabouts, it was just a guess but it was likely that she wouldn’t be boarding a boat with her sister. Monroe said he saw several coming and going from a little village south of London, fairly deep in the woods. He had followed them one night when he and his companion first made it into London, thinking they were us. It would be up to the whole group to make the decision on whether or not we would go after her. The open water was a different subject all together and not knowing which way a traveler goes, it is next to impossible to track them.

  “Tear the curtains down and lay them at the base of each fireplace. It will not take long to catch and burn this place to the ground. If Angelica did go up and not make her escape, she will wish she had,” Cates said, and then belted out a laugh.

  “My demented man,” Tammy shook her head and then started tugging on the curtain closest to her.

  “Go and open every door to the outside that you can find,” Jacob said to no one person.

  “Why?” Derek asked.

  “So, if there are any inside, they will not be trapped by the fire.”

  “And if it’s the ones we want trapped inside?”

  “You are as stubborn as your maker,” Jacob growled with his brows pulled in.

  “With a compliment like that how can I refuse those orders?” Derek shrugged looked at me, then looked back at Jacob. “I’m opening the doors, great one.” Derek gave Jacob a mocking bow and took off.

  “If you had been much older, I would have sworn he was your given son,” Jacob yanked the curtain down next to me. “He is a good man.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ll keep him.” I took the curtain from Jacob and dragged the enormous thing over to where Garvin and Sydney were feeding them into the fireplace’s massive girth. Fala was doing the same at the matching fireplace across the great room.

  Once the ballroom was ablaze, we ran to the other main rooms on the first floor and set every room on fire that had a fireplace and then ran out the front. Our drivers had already moved our coaches onto the main road when everyone left and remained there to my surprise. I guess Martin had given them a very strict order to wait for our return. We ran to the gates and then turned to watch the beautiful home of the most powerful of London go up in flames. One would not think a stone structure could burn as brilliantly as a wooden one, but they do.

  “Something burns to the north,” Fala said.

  “I wonder what that could be?” Tammy
added, as she tied the makeshift piece of material across her torso, covering the most important areas.

  “Do we have time to get to Inara’s and set her big house ablaze like this?” Derek asked, still looking at the one we just set on fire.

  “The sun will rise in two, maybe three, hours. I think we should make our way back to Martin’s home,” Garvin added as he leaned back on the gate showing he was ready for this night to end.

  “Well, I say we go burn that bitch's house to the ground, get in the tunnels after, and make our way back tomorrow night. Tanda and Martin are as safe as they can get in the lower levels.”

  “Unless that is Martin’s home burning,” Fala replied.

  That was all that Derek needed to hear, sending him and I running for the coaches. Derek jumped up by the driver and took control of the horse, while we piled into the coaches. My mind was running like mad. All I could think of was what if the twins did have Martin’s home burnt to the ground while we were playing dress-up at some stupid gala. I know it was to make a strategic stand by taking down the head seats, but we got one leader and took down one house. If Martin’s home was taken down then we didn’t do crap in my books, and all was for nothing. And if he and Tanda were harmed in any way what so ever, there would be more than a few die in London. I would make damn sure that all who were involved would pay.

  “Faster Derek, faster!”

  “They’re going as fast as they can, Renee!”

  “Why couldn’t we be made with wings?!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

  “They’ll be okay, they’re underground. They will, won’t they?” Tammy spoke, first to me but then looked over at Cates.

  “The stone is good, but the tunnels are weak. There could be a few collapses under the side structure of the foundation, depending on how much weight falls to the stone floor above or the earth to the side; if it truly is his place that is on fire. Many things in London burn.”

  Before I could answer, Jacob yelled from the other coach that it was Martin’s home and that we would soon be there. My heart sank, even though I had already had a feeling that it was. The coaches started to slow outside the gates and we were leaping out before they could stop. Once out, all that I could do was put my hands on the top of my head. I could not believe what I was seeing. What we had left hours ago was nothing like what we drove up to witness. The top floor on the left side had collapsed and the outer wall was leaning in as flames reached for the sky. The wooden arch over the front entrance came crashing down, throwing debris and sparks all the way to the gate where we were standing.

  “There has to be another way in other than the way we came in that first night. That way would take too long and we would end up falling to the light of day before we ever made it to the tunnels entrance.” Jacob kicked a piece of burning ember.

  “It would have to be at the back, right? That swampy stuff is to the right and all the way around that cemetery, unless one of those graves is the door to the tunnel, of course,” Derek rambled.

  “What did you say?” Jacob asked.

  “What? That it has to be in the back?”

  “No, about the grave.”

  “I was just saying that maybe the door to Martin’s secret tunnel is one of those graves. They have huge headstones and look what watches over that weird place. I doubt many that go in there come back out to talk about it.”

  “You have a wonderful mind.” Jacob kissed Derek on the cheek. “Hurry, we must go find where Martin buried his father.”

  Neither Jacob nor I, had told the others what Martin had told us about his real father, the one who raised him. So, I didn’t correct Jacob when he called the man who once owned this place, Martin’s father. My worry lies only on finding those we left below its foundation.

  ***

  With one hard push, Martin broke through into the first tunnel that would take them to the tunnel that would lead to their safety. He pushed more of the earth out of the way then reached back for Tanda to take his hand. “Come, I think you will fit.”

  “I can’t go without you.”

  “Once you get on the other side you will go until the narrow breaks into a ‘T’ then you will go left…”

  “Stop it, Martin. I won’t do it! But I will go through and start digging from the other side until you can fit. But, do not say another word on my leaving you here. It will not happen.”

  “I have a great deal to learn about this new way of thinking, don’t I?”

  “I’m afraid you do.” Tanda got down on her stomach and pulled herself through the small, oval opening with Martin pushing on her feet once she was halfway through. “Now start pushing some of these loose rocks towards me and I will roll them away.”

  “The earth is weak above the stones that have fallen. We must hurry if we do not wish this to be our final resting place,” Martin smiled through the dirt on his face as he pushed one of the large, square stones toward Tanda. “I, for one, would rather not be a part of this city’s thousands of unknowns in these miserable tunnels.”

  “I think if you shove some of the dirt from here,” Tanda dug her hands into the mound of debris on the left side of the opening, “it will become large enough for you to slide through.”

  “How many stones do you see above your head?”

  Tanda searched the tainted air, trying to see through the dimly lit area that held a fine layer of mist-type dust that had been created from the aftermath. “I can’t tell; it’s too hard to see. Should I try to feel for it?”

  “No, you may cause more to come down on top of you. Stay there, I will be right back.” A few minutes later, Martin returned with a burning torch. “Move back so I can hand this to you.”

  Tanda took the flaming light and made her way down the pile of collapsed ceiling debris and wall ruble, where the two had caved in when the house had given way to its own weight. Shock took the words that she tried to articulate as she looked at the roots of the plants from the earth above. There was no stone above her head where she and Martin were digging, and it was only the side walls and the intertwining of the roots that was keeping all that she saw from coming down.

  “What do you see?”

  “We have to hurry.”

  “That is not what I asked you, but it is answer enough.”

  Tanda stuck the end of the torch into the soft earth and she and Martin began to work in haste.

  ***

  Jacob ran past the side iron gate, but I stopped, and then yelled out for him to do the same. “Wouldn’t this be shorter?” I watched as he slowed and lowered his head. He turned and put his hand on his hip as he began walking back toward me. By the time he got to where I was standing, the rest were stopping behind me.

  “We have to go over this when we could simply move the wood stack and go over the shorter cemetery fence and start looking from a corner angle.” I could tell by the description of his plan that he was perturbed at me.

  “Then go, Jacob. Take the ones who have a hard time going over this wall with you and I’ll take the others with me. We will find Martin’s Pa’s grave even faster. But, if you get shitty with me like that one more time, I don’t care what we’re doing, I’m gonna kick your ass so hard you’ll be taking off your pants to get a drink.”

  “Talk about gettin’ it around the ears,” Derek snickered, then covered his mouth. Once he saw Jacob glaring at him, he quickly scaled the wall by way of the gates hinges.

  Cates and Tammy were already moving in the direction of the exit by way of the secret hole in the wall, while Garvin and Sydney followed Derek. Fala stood at my back as I waited for Jacob to reply.

  “When things have settled you will have to explain why kicking ones ass would cause them to remove their pants to partake of fluids. Your words made no sense to me at all. No matter, once you reach the main gate, stay to the right until you have made your way to the far wall, then start working your way to the middle isle, reading the headstones and we will do the same. Fala, it seems, is already doing h
is job but keep Garvin’s eyes watching the direction that he is not.”

  “Yes, daddy,” I smiled. “Make sure you all watch out for those pig things and those shifter ghosts.”

  “Those words I understand.”

  Jacob reached out and touched my cheek then turned and ran with Monroe at his heels. I looked up at Fala who only shrugged. I was about to say something to Fala when he lifted me into midair so I could grab the top of the gate and wall, pull myself over and jump down to the other side. A few seconds later, he landed beside me. He was as good in human form as he was in his wolf, or what he liked to call, his natural form.

  When Fala’s body went ridged, my worry went from those whom I was praying were safe where we left them, to hoping we all stayed safe until we made it underground. A wave a nauseating stench floated on the night air, much like the odor that comes from a cow carcass that had been bloating in the sun for several days and just burst. That’s when I started searching for my three boys who went over the wall before we had. We were almost to the cemetery entrance when Fala and I both saw something that I hadn’t even thought about it. Fleshers.

  “Are those like the ones that we killed by the church?” I whispered as Fala and I hid behind some overgrown hedges about five feet from the gate that would lead into the cemetery.

  “I believe they are all the same if they are hungry. These have a scent as if they have recently fed on the foul insides of their kill. Not all would do that, my people would not do that,” Fala said, sounding disgusted at the last. “I do not mean to overstep my place, but we must prevent crossing their path at all cost if possible, and should maybe go over the wall at this point.”

  “You do know you’re free to do whatever you want, don’t you? If you have something to say, Fala, you are welcome to say it.” I took his hand. “I’m glad you’re here, for many reasons. We need you Fala.”

  A loud, animalistic growl reverberated throughout the surrounding area. Fala had his hand on my back, pushing me down as he leaned over in a protective manner. As soon as things became quiet, we stayed close to the ground and moved closer to the stone wall. Fala stood taking a look around, then faster than I would have liked, yanked me up and tossed me over. I know the sound I made had to be heard but I was hoping I hadn’t sounded any different than the rest of the high pitched birds that had sang out when one of the fleshers gave its yell.