Chasing The Cure: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Caitlin Chronicles Book 5)

by Daniel Willcocks

  She continued on her fight, doing her best to hold back on her powers. The smell of blood remained thick in the air, driving her crazy. Although the demon inside of her fought for control, she managed to wrestle it back down.

  For now.

  Caitlin’s sword clashed against the pirate’s. She forced him against the table until he had nowhere left to run, his head resting on the squishy flesh of his comrade.

  Caitlin held the blade at the pirate’s throat. “Call off your men, scumbag, before we take out everyone in this room.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” a voice boomed from the doorway. “At ease, gentlemen. Drop your weapons.”

  If the man standing in the doorway wasn’t the captain of the ship, Caitlin thought she would eat her own boots.

  He wore a royal blue jacket decorated with large golden buttons. His cuffs were rolled up to his elbows, and his leather boots reached his knees. His face looked worn, as though he’d spent far too many hours in the sun, and his eyes were a dark green. He held his chin high, an imposing, authoritative figure among the booze-addled pirates.

  “I said, drop your weapons.”

  He barked the command, and a clatter resounded as steel hit the floor. He glared at Caitlin, toe-tapping the floor impatiently. “That means you, too, princess.”

  Caitlin’s hand shook. Her fingers unfurled as she reluctantly let her sword drop to the floor.

  “Good,” the captain grinned. He spoke to his crew. “Now, bring them top-side. We’ve arrived.”

  Caitlin’s eyes caught Mary-Anne’s, both wondering what in the hell was going to be waiting for them outside the ship.

  Chapter Eight

  Prince Edward Island, Ontario

  The sunlight hurt Caitlin’s eyes as she was marched off the ship. A wide ramp had been locked against the ship’s side, steadying the boat and allowing safe passage on to a series of narrow walkways leading to the shore.

  There were people everywhere Caitlin looked. Some carried boxes to and from the ship, while others waited to greet the crew.

  On the shore and beyond, Caitlin could see a series of houses and homes where she presumed the pirates must live when not roaming about on the Black Lake.

  The captain, a mister Barnabus C. Worthy, by his own introduction on their way to the upper decks, walked a few feet in front of them, leading the way to the shore. When they arrived, they found Izzy and Jaxon waiting for them.

  Izzy stood between three pirates, her hands bound with a coil of rope. Jaxon was nestled in the chest of a buxom woman who, in Caitlin’s opinion, was wearing far too much makeup. Nearby, huddled on the floor and kissing the ground, was Tucker.

  She suddenly realized in the bright sunlight just how malnourished Tucker had become. His skin clung to his skeletal frame.

  A scream came from behind.

  Mary-Anne.

  Several pirates wrestled with the vampire, trying to drag her into the sunlight. She protested with ease, the others unable to move her as she demanded her hood and black traveling clothes.

  Barnabus called for his crew to obey her wishes and continued on his way, with Caitlin and Kain forced to follow.

  “I bet you wish you were nicely nestled back in your home at Silver Creek now, don’t you?” Kain murmured.

  Caitlin shook her head. “Are you kidding me? Number one, that place is now overrun with Mad, so who would want to go back there? Number two, we’re at a friggin’ pirate capital.”

  “You’ve got a weird sense of adventure, kid.”

  “Says you!”

  “Hey, I’m not saying it’s bad. I kinda like it.”

  Caitlin and Kain smiled at each other. His skin was wrinkled and worn around his mouth and eyes. Even in human form, she couldn’t help but pick out his wolfish features.

  They were marched deep into the town, a modest community surrounded by the waters of the Black Lake. Caitlin tried to look for any sign of the cities from which they had come but could see none. The group talked among themselves, clearly happy to be home. Eventually, they were taken to a house in the center of the town where Barnabus knocked on the door three times.

  “Password?” a voice commanded.

  “Yo-ho, ahoy,” Barnabus uttered with sincerity. He leaned toward Caitlin. “Apologies, security has been cranked up a notch in the last few months.”

  Clearly, Caitlin thought. With passwords like that, you must feel so secure.

  The door opened.

  They let themselves into a large hallway. Stairs met the end of the area leading to the upper floors. The curtains were drawn, only a faint glow of light allowed to enter the house. Caitlin, Kain, Mary-Anne, Izzy, and Tucker were pushed to the front of the group and forced down to their knees.

  Jaxon yipped and wriggled in the buxom lady’s arms.

  “Back so soon?” a man’s voice called from upstairs.

  Mary-Anne’s nose wrinkled, and her eyes grew wide. She turned to the others and mouthed a word that sent chills down Caitlin’s spine. Vampire.

  “Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?” another voice, this one female. “So what if they’re back early? It just means they’re efficient.”

  Kain sniffed the air and nodded at Mary-Anne. He mouthed the word, “Were."

  “Efficient or lazy?” Two figures appeared around the corner, working their way down the stairs.

  The man on the left looked down at them with a devilish smile. He walked with unmatched grace, the hook of his arm looped around the woman, who sported a pair of worn cowboy boots.

  “Barnabus, put Royland out his misery,” the woman ordered, a smirk on her face. “Are you a lazy piece of shit, or an efficient piece of shit?”

  There was a playfulness in her tone that lowered Caitlin’s guard.

  “Efficient, Lady Cammie.” Barnabus gave a doff of his head with two fingers. “You wanted us to scan the perimeter, we’ve scanned the perimeter. No change since last month.”

  “Quite a few more Mad, though,” another pirate blurted before he could stop himself. He caught himself and fell quiet.

  “More Mad?” Royland ran a hand down his face. “Every time I think the population is finally depleting, the numbers suddenly swell. It’s got to end at some point, surely? Where are they all coming from?”

  “It doesn’t matter where they’re coming from, the important part is we can still kill them.” Cammie turned her attention to Barnabus. “Casualties?”

  “Just the one.”

  Cammie smirked. “And a load of prizes, too.”

  Caitlin couldn’t help but notice an accent thick on her tongue. A drawl that she was unfamiliar with.

  “What presents have you got for us?”

  Barnabus worked his way down the line.

  “A thief and a coward,” he said, pointing at Tucker. “This little shitbag tried sneaking up on our ship at night and stealing our supplies. We saw him drawing his blade on one of our own before we put a stop to it. We let him go out of pity, and he came back again the following night. We’ve had him caught ever since.”

  Royland nodded. “Good. No second chances.”

  The pirates echoed, “No second chances.”

  “We’ve also got two more humans,” Barnabus continued. He pointed to Caitlin. “This one attacked us right in the middle of a situation with the Mad. We managed to get her down quickly, but she’s certainly got a knack for causing headaches. She escaped her cell in the ship and had our crew at blade-point before I intervened and drew it to a close.”

  Caitlin made to protest until Kain elbowed her in the side.

  Barnabus continued, pointing to Izzy, Kain, and Caitlin. “These three offered a truce, joining us aboard to come and see the island.” He motioned to Izzy, “But this one couldn’t keep her hands to herself. She attacked us at night and tried to find her friend. Had to keep her locked up for the rest of the journey, too.”

  “And the others?” Cammie asked, her eyes ignited with intrigue.

  Ca
itlin wondered if they could smell the true identities of Kain and Mary-Anne.

  Her suspicions were confirmed when Cammie added, “Where on Earth have you managed to find a Were and a vampire?”

  “You’ve got a good nose on you,” Kain admired, ignoring the dirty stare he got from Barnabus. “It’s nice to see some Weres never lose their gifts.”

  Cammie nodded, a coy smile on her face. “I can smell shit from a mile away.”

  Kain’s smile dropped.

  “And you.” Royland pinned Mary-Anne with a searching look. “Vampire.” He took the last few steps toward them and knelt before Mary-Anne. His hand found her chin and he raised her eyes to meet his own, removing her cloth mask in one quick sweep. “This is not how we vampires meet our kin.”

  Mary-Anne gasped as Royland reached forward and hugged her. “You can’t begin to imagine how long it’s been since I’ve met another vampire. I thought we were all gone, off into the stars with Bethany Anne.”

  Mary-Anne laughed. “That seems to be the trend for our kind.”

  Royland nodded. “Tell me your name. Let us not be strangers here.”

  Mary-Anne did.

  “Hey! Boy-toy!” Cammie called between cupped hands. “Don’t tell me I’m going to have to kick another vamp’s ass to keep your heart.”

  Royland and several of the pirates laughed. “Oh, come on. We all know you could never kick a vampire’s ass. Didn’t Valerie teach you that long ago?”

  Cammie snorted. “Hell, no. I was just being kind so as not to hurt your feelings.”

  Mary-Anne’s mouth fell open. “You knew Valerie?”

  “Knew her?” Royland leaned back and let out a loud bellow. “We were her traveling companions. Man, have I got some stories you would never believe!”

  “Is this the Valerie you spoke of in the city?” Caitlin asked, unable to help herself.

  “Oh, so you’ve heard of our friend?” Cammie asked, joining Royland. Caitlin couldn’t help but glance at the pistol strapped to Cammie’s side. “Yeah, we knew her. A long time ago. She disappeared with Bethany-Anne into the stars to fight for Justice for the rest of the worlds.” Her smile slipped slightly. “It’s a shame they’re not around to fix this mess now. If they could only see what’s become of the world they saved.”

  “Hold on,” Kain said, hands pinching his temples. “I’m struggling to process all this. You’re telling us that, not only are you long-lost friends of this Valerie vamp, but you also know the Matriarch?”

  “The Matriarch?” Royland scoffed, turning to Cammie. “Who the hell is the Matriarch?”

  “It’s the name for the Queen Bitch for those who aren’t in the know,” Mary-Anne replied. Caitlin smirked, finding it funny how Mary-Anne seemed to sit up taller now that she was around another vampire.

  “Her legend stretches so far that people have begun to think of her as a goddess in her own right. Her and Michael. The Matriarch and the Patriarch.”

  “Well, that’s certainly one name for them,” Royland said, wiping a tear of laughter from his eyes. “I’ve heard many others.”

  Cammie moved closer to Kain, her nose wrinkling as she sniffed in his direction. “And what’s your story, Were? Who are you, and how have you managed to survive the apocalypse?”

  Before Kain could open his mouth to speak, Royland interjected. “Not here, Cammie. I think our guests have had enough of sitting on the floor. Let’s find somewhere more comfortable where we can parley.” He clapped his hands together. “This is exciting. You’ve done well, Barnabus, in bringing us our guests.”

  Barnabus nodded, then stepped beside Caitlin. “What about the nuisances? This girl and the little skinny one?”

  “Oh, just chop off their heads,” Royland said with a wave of his hand.

  Caitlin’s face fell. A silence fell across the room.

  “Just kidding!” Royland beamed. “They’re all part of the same tribe, let them all dine in peace and comfort for a change.” As they rose to their feet, he pointed to Tucker and added, “Except that one. No second chances. Barnabus, you can pick the punishment.”

  Barnabus clapped his hands together and called for the buxom woman to follow him. He kicked Tucker ahead of them and pushed him out the door. Just as he was about to exit, Cammie shouted, “Oh, any punishment except death, that is.”

  “Ah, man,” Barnabus whined. “What else is there?”

  “Exile,” Cammie replied.

  Jaxon growled.

  “And leave the dog,” Cammie added. “We reward those who are loyal to us. This furry guy clearly has a love for you, Caitlin.”

  Caitlin nodded.

  The buxom woman hesitated a moment, then at a glance from Barnabus, reluctantly let Jaxon drop to the floor. He barked enthusiastically and sprinted toward Caitlin. He planted himself by her side and growled at the men and women around her.

  “Don’t worry, Jax,” Caitlin whispered. “I think they’re the good guys.”

  They were guided through the house and into a large dining room. The furnishings were bare—likely the best they could do given the outbreak of the Madness across the world.

  “So, there’s another city?” Royland asked after the food had been served. Plates were piled high with vegetables, there was a china pot of potatoes, and a large roasted hog was the centerpiece. “And just across the lake from New Toronto, too?”

  Kain nodded, unable to speak with a mouthful of food.

  “Remind me why we stopped checking there?”

  Cammie thought about this. “I honestly don’t remember. Something about Mad infecting the shores and killing our men?”

  “Drowners?” Izzy asked. “Mad with dark skin who inhabit the shores and trudge through the mud.”

  “Sounds about right,” Cammie nodded. Her eyes turned to Caitlin. “And what about you, girl?”

  Caitlin’s eyes narrowed, not appreciating being referred to in that tone. “What about me? And who are you calling ‘girl?’”

  “Well, we’ve heard from Mary-Anne and Kain. What’s your story? How have you managed to find yourself rubbing shoulders with giants? Y’know, before you ran in to attack our men.”

  Caitlin thought about giving a snarky response, then thought better of it. She explained to them what her plan had been with introducing herself to the pirates, then went back to the start of her journey on the road to where she was now.

  It felt strange to her, regaling strangers with the tale of her first outing from Silver Creek. The town where she had grown up now felt like little more than a distant memory. She told them of her first meeting with Mary-Anne, and the attack of the Mad. When she mentioned her sword and about how it had been taken from her, Royland ordered nearby pirate to go and find out where the blade had gone.

  She told them of the attack on Silver Creek. Of her pursuit to cure the Madness. They were particularly interested in the stories of the Broken City and the hidden colony of Weres beneath the city. At this, Cammie remarked to Royland about how they would have to get in contact with the city and establish trade routes and communications with their kin.

  Caitlin finished up with her rationale for her so-called “attack” on the pirates, how all she’d wanted was to meet people and find out information that would help her hunt down the woman who had led them on this chase across the world.

  “Helena Millican, you say?” Cammie sat back in her chair now, cowboy boots kicked up onto the table. She picked at gristle between her teeth with a small toothpick. “Why does that ring a bell?”

  Royland shrugged. He leaned back, a hand over his full stomach. A glass still stained with blood in front of him. “I don’t know.”

  Cammie scratched her head. “Didn’t Diego say something about a Helena at one point? A vampire who had come from nowhere and tried to help them out?”

  “Help who out?” Caitlin leaned forward in her chair, unable to hide the sudden excitement on her face. “You’ve heard of her? Who’s Diego?” Jaxon shuffled in her lap.

>   Royland waved a hand. “An old friend. I don’t know, that guy talks a lot. How am I supposed to remember what he said and what he hasn’t?”

  Cammie rolled her eyes. “Fat load of good you are.” She touched her chin. “I’m sure it was him. Remember that time we flew over to visit a few years back? Ended up out in the woods hunting Mad and almost got ourselves infected?”

  Royland shook his head. “Serves us right for thinking three of us could go out into the wild and try to re-live old times.”

  “Almost got us when we realized that we probably shouldn’t risk shifting anymore.” Cammie cracked her back, reliving the ghost of the memory. “That last shift was painful. Seriously, I thought I was going to be stuck forever.”

  Caitlin’s mouth hung open.

  “Kitty-cat,” Mary-Anne muttered. “You’re being rude.”

  “Did you say you flew?” Caitlin said. “Like, in the sky? Where the birds live?”

  “Birds don’t live in the sky,” Kain scoffed.

  Cammie and Royland looked at each other as if not able to believe they were being questioned. “Erm…Yes?”

  Mary-Anne reached forward, an apologetic look on her face. “You’ll have to forgive her. She’s had something of a sheltered life. Even though we found an airship crashed and abandoned in the woods, I still don’t think she believes it could truly fly.”

  Caitlin shot daggers at Mary-Anne.

  “Well, if you want, we could always get one of our dirigibles going?” Royland suggested. “I mean, it’s been a while since we’ve been down south to visit Diego, perhaps we should get one of the beasts fired up again and take it for a spin. Y’know, before the…um, chassis sticks and the… um, transmission rusts?”

  Cammie placed a hand on Royland’s cheek. “He’s cute when he tries to talk technology. Stop it before you hurt yourself, dear.” She kissed his cheek. “It’s not a bad idea, though. How about it? You and we take a little trip to Chicago to visit our old boy, Diego?”

  Caitlin nodded eagerly, heart racing at the thought of taking to the air and seeing the world from the perspective of the birds.