There were houses and churches, small areas of green parkland and ponds. Around the edge of the town stood an impassable wall with a barbed wire top, presumably the town’s defense against the Mad.
And, along the water’s edge, standing proud like the ships of old, were several dirigibles, docked and awaiting voyage. The small fleet of airships all bore an uncanny resemblance to the one Caitlin now rode and the one she had seen crashed down in Silver Creek forest.
I must be dreaming, she thought as the wind stung her eyes. This is impossible.
It was a paradise contained in the ruins of the old world. A tiny glimmer of hope in a landscape of misery. People waved and shouted as they passed over, but she couldn’t make out their words.
Cammie did her best to navigate the ship toward an empty dock, but the dirigible lurched several times before she could get a comfortable landing.
They landed with a thump.
“Welcome to Chicago,” Cammie announced as she hopped down from the upper deck. Her head was sweaty, and she looked exhausted from navigating the ship safely. “A haven among all of the shit.”
“You don’t often speak of us so kindly, Cammie,” a voice called from somewhere below. “Cat get your tongue?”
Over the guardrail and on a small jetty where several bright-eyed men were busy positioning a platform to allow the crew to debark, stood a short, stocky man with his hands on his hips, and a bright, wide smile on his face.
Cammie laughed. “I didn’t think we’d find you so soon.”
“Well, when a ship comes wobbling through the skies like a drunken sailor is at the helm, I automatically know that it’s you two on your way.”
Cammie’s eyes narrowed, but her smile did not leave her face.
“Are you coming down, or what?”
Cammie hopped onto the rail and jumped the twenty feet to the ground. She ran over and hugged the man tightly.
Caitlin waited for the platform to be put safely into place, then she and Jaxon ran down to join them.
“Wow,” the man admired, his eyes fixed on Jaxon. “Been a while since I’ve seen a dog take to the skies. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”
“Of course,” Cammie told him. “This is Caitlin Harrison of Silver Creek, and this here—”
“This is Jaxon,” Caitlin interjected, offering a hand to the man.
He looked at the hand for a few seconds before another smile broke out across his face. “Confident. I like that! Well, hello, Miss Harrison. My name’s Diego. Welcome to Chicago—the safest place on Earth.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago was beyond anything Caitlin could ever have dreamed.
A vision of safety, harboring a community of at least a hundred thousand within its borders. Chicago was everything that Caitlin had envisioned for her town of the future.
Diego gave them a rundown of the city’s quarters while they walked. There were buildings dedicated to school and learning, communities that dealt with nurturing the crops and cattle. The perimeters were constantly watched by scouts armed with pistols, assault rifles, and strange batons that spat electricity.
There were bathhouses and areas for prayer and meditation. Congregations met for church several times a week, and once a month, the city came together for a feast and to pay homage to those they’d lost and share their gratitude for living.
Leading them all was Diego, a Werecat who had chosen to exist in his human form. “We had everything running on nuclear power for a while,” he told them much to Kain and Mary-Anne’s amazement. “We couldn’t keep it going after Ted and the others left for space.”
“How is this even possible?” Caitlin asked as they walked through the streets, past the marketplace and a group of children laughing and chasing each other.
Diego shrugged. “You’ve just got to find the right people to do the right job,” he told her. “When the Madness came, our little piece of heaven came under threat faster than you can believe—especially after Sarah-Jennifer shut down the blood trade on the coast.”
Cammie gasped. “You don’t say?”
Ezekiel made a face at the mention of Sarah Jennifer.
Caitlin looked between the pair, waiting for someone to enlighten her. She turned to Ezekiel and his eyes met the floor, his ears flushing red.
Diego laughed, then continued. “So, we took the lessons we learned from years of traveling and surviving and put them into practice. You don’t free a city from the throes of a bunch of shit-eating humans trying to harvest vampires for blood without picking up a few skills along the way, am I right?”
“Right.” Caitlin grinned.
He called over his shoulder. “How about you, Royland? You still remember those days, don’t you?”
Royland confirmed that he did, his eyes constantly darting to the rays of light which continually tried to sneak under the large, wide parasol which he and Mary-Anne now walked under. Ezekiel and Kain brought up the rear, both of them silent.
Eventually, Diego found them a quiet place to talk. A small garden, fenced with metal railings, and greener than anything Caitlin had seen. They sat on benches and soaked in the display of flowers as insects buzzed around them, and Cammie told Diego everything.
Diego’s face went through a kaleidoscope of emotions. His eyebrows raised at Caitlin’s story, and he broke into laughter at the misunderstanding in New Toronto with Caitlin and the pirates. His face straightened at the crash landing in the wilds, and when it came to the encounters with Helena and Ezekiel, he was harder to read than ever.
By the time she had finished speaking, the afternoon had worn on, and the midday heat had begun to subside.
Diego turned to Ezekiel. “Do you really hear Her voice?”
“When the world and my mind are quiet, it’s as if she’s sitting right next to me.”
Diego nodded, deep in thought. As if seeming to come to a decision, he turned his attention to Cammie and Royland. “Take whatever it is you need. We have dirigibles and ammunition to spare. If you need a handful of my men to accompany you, just say. I’m happy to give you whatever it is you need to make this journey happen.”
Kain had been mid-mouthful of a drink that was both juicy and sour when he spat it out and said, “It’s just that easy? Crash-land in your city and get pretty much everything we need?”
Diego smiled. “The world needs heroes, and there are precious few in supply. If two of my oldest friends say they need to make this happen, and they believe that there may be an answer somewhere in all of this by traveling over to Europe and tracking down Lilith, then I am more than happy to give what I can.”
“But you barely know us,” Caitlin protested, not sure why she was contesting Diego’s kindness.
Diego laughed. “I’ve lived in this world for three hundred years. I’ve fought bad guys, I’ve journeyed with vampires, and I’ve seen them take to space. There’s nothing that I don’t believe anymore, so if your friend says that this is the only way to make it happen, then let’s go ahead and kick some Madness ass before it’s all too late.”
Excitement grew on Caitlin’s face. “You’re coming, too?”
“Oh, god no,” Diego protested. “I’ve got a city to run. Someone needs to stay behind and keep the world turning, ready for your victorious return.”
“And it’s for the same reason we have to stay behind, Caitlin,” Cammie admitted, looking awkward as she took a seat beside Royland and held his hand. “We’ve got our own people to lead. Our own town to look after.”
“On that shit stain, Prince Edward Island?” Diego smirked.
“It’s not a shit stain!” Royland countered.
“I still don’t get why you don’t join me over here. There’s plenty of room for you both. Sandra and I, we’d love to have you two here.”
Cammie’s mouth dropped. “What did you just say?”
Diego gave her a knowing look. “I said Sandra, and I would love to have
you.”
“Sandra? She’s still alive?” Royland remarked. “But…how?”
Caitlin’s head moved between the groups, confusion on her face. “Who’s Sandra?”
“I am,” a woman answered, appearing at the gates of the park.
Cammie ran excitedly over to Sandra and wrapped her arms around her. “Sandra! You look so young!”
She grinned. “Amazing what Were blood can do, isn’t it?”
Royland waved from the shadows.
Sandra crossed over to him and embraced the vampire. “Royland, it’s been too long.”
“You look fantastic,” Royland replied.
Cammie and Diego both coughed. They looked at each other and laughed.
When everyone had calmed, Caitlin discovered that Sandra had once been a human and fallen in love with Diego while out on their adventures. She had always contested becoming a Were, but as she aged and her time grew shorter, she began to long to spend more years with the one she loved.
Reluctantly, Diego had assisted in the process, meaning that the woman who Royland and Cammie had believed to have been long passed was alive and sitting in front of them.
“How’s the baby?” Cammie asked.
“They’re not babies anymore,” Sandra chuckled.
Royland choked. “They?”
Sandra kissed Diego’s temple and laughed. “Three of them, now. Two boys and a girl. Terri, Tommy, and Cisco. I would introduce you to them, but they’re somewhere off in the city doing what it is they do best.”
“Causing trouble?” Diego suggested.
“Of course,” Sandra replied.
Diego and Sandra took Caitlin and company to a small guesthouse located near the docks. They enjoyed an evening of drink, hot food, and laughter as the sun set outside and the night grew dark.
They finally met Terri, Tommy, and Cisco, and spent some time discussing the road ahead. Caitlin, Ezekiel, Kain, and Mary-Anne described in-depth what they would need for the journey, and when dawn came and they boarded their brand-new dirigible, there were boxes, crates, and bags containing everything they’d need for the road ahead.
Cammie stood beside Caitlin at the wheel and gave her a final reminder of the instructions she’d given her the night before on how to fly the dirigible. It didn’t actually feel too difficult while they were on land. She supposed she’d see how all of that translated into practice.
All too soon, they had come to the goodbyes. The ship seemed emptier without Cammie and Royland, but they knew that the journey had never really been theirs to bear.
From the moment the Governor had set Caitlin out on her mission to catch Mary-Anne, there had always been a part of her that had known she would eventually find her way to a moment like this. That finding a cure would be an itch she’d have to live with until it was done, or she was dead.
“You take care of yourself, Caitlin Harrison,” Cammie told her, wrapping her in her arms. “You’ve got a long road ahead, but if there’s anything I’ve learned from the short time we’ve spent together, you’re as prepared as you can be.”
Caitlin laughed. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
Royland was next. “Keep your head strong, keep your heart light.” He leaned in closer to Caitlin. “And never trust a Were or vampire.”
“It’s a good thing that I have neither on board with me,” she smirked, hugging Royland so tight a croak was forced from his throat.
Diego and Sandra stepped forward. “Take this.” Diego placed a small golden compass in Caitlin’s palm. “This compass and the stars are your only way to cross the sea and find your way to Siberia. Use Ezekiel as your guide, and you’ll be fine.”
Caitlin thanked them both and tried to hold back the tears in her eyes. To go from years of desperation and tyranny under the Governor’s rule, to experiencing the overwhelming volume of kindness from Royland, Cammie, Diego, and Sandra was almost too much to bear. She found her way onto the ship and set the engine into motion. The dirigible rose with the slow grace of a giant waking from a slumber. Somehow, the wheel felt natural in her hand.
Kain, Ezekiel, and Mary-Anne—clad in a fresh set of coveralls to protect her from the morning sun—waved goodbye while Jaxon barked and yipped as he ran around the deck excitedly.
Caitlin performed a few test loops over the city, much to the excitement of the children below, and found her groove with the dirigible’s flight patterns.
Then, with her compass tight in her palm, and the needle pointing East, she stared at the horizon and took a deep breath.
Kain, Mary-Anne, and Ezekiel stood beside her, each one squinting against the rising sun.
Kain broke the silence. “You know, we may never come back from where we’re going.”
Mary-Anne rolled her eyes. “Trust you to say the most depressing thing you can think of at the monumental moment we finally take off.”
“Oh, come on, sweet-fangs. Like you weren’t thinking it, too.”
“I wasn’t. I was thinking of how beautiful the sunrise looked.”
Ezekiel laughed. “I never thought I’d hear a vampire say that.”
“She’s bullshitting,” Kain growled, glaring at Mary-Anne. “Maybe it’s the Madness inside of her. Quick, Ezekiel. Get her with your laser eyes.”
Ezekiel smirked. “Good boy.”
“If I’m showing any kind of Madness, it’s caused by distress of being stuck for days on a ship with you,” Mary-Anne retorted.
“If you lot don’t stop arguing, I swear, I’ll turn this ship around.” Caitlin smiled, ignoring the onslaught of bickering around her. Although she knew that there was a very real possibility that they were all now flying to their deaths, she’d somehow never felt more at peace than she did at that moment knowing that one way or another action was being taken, and there was a very real possibility that they could fix the Madness.
Epilogue
Archangelsk, Siberia
The dirigible floated silently through the dense clouds. The world below them was nothing more than a sea of white, while stars sparkled and glowed high above them. Caitlin, she felt as though she could be sailing on the seas, the cresting clouds creating the white foam which surrounded them now.
“Did we lose them?” Kain gripped the guardrail and stared down below. Not more than an hour ago, they had seen them, roving in their thousands. At this height, no more than mere beetles amassing and following a morsel of food.
Caitlin brought the ship lower, allowing the clouds to swallow them whole. Soon they were below the clouds, high above a vast green and white landscape. Snow speckled the land like sugar sprinkled over a cake. The land was uneven and rose and fell in great mountains and valleys, broken only by the ribbons of blue and silver water between.
“I hope so,” she murmured. She looked over the wheel and toward the helm of the ship. The place where Ezekiel had been sitting cross-legged and silent for the best part of three hours. Occasionally he would call a command to Caitlin, a minor course correction. But mostly, he had been quiet.
If she had been able to open his eyelids, she would have been able to see the red light that shone from his irises.
“Do you think he’s okay?” she asked.
Kain shrugged. “He’s gotten us this far, hasn’t he? He’s even managed to keep Ma in check. Do you really think that now is the time to start doubting him?”
In the week or so of constant flight, they had kept their eye on Mary-Anne. Over the first few days, she had exhibited minor episodes of Madness but had been easily calmed and controlled by Ezekiel’s powers and Helena’s concoction, which they had mixed from the raw ingredients gifted by Diego and his men.
But over the last few days, her condition had begun to take a turn for the worst. Once, only a couple days ago, her Madness had come on without any kind of warning. She had managed to tear her way to the upper deck of the ship and lunge for Caitlin before Ezekiel had had a chance to open his eyes and see what was going on.
Now she lay beneath the deck, strapped and lashed down on a makeshift bench. It was for her own good, and the good of the crew on the ship. They had left her with a small bell to ring, should she require anything at all in the meantime.
Caitlin wished that had been the worst news that had followed them. To be flying seemingly endlessly through the sky with an unpredictable vampire on board was nothing short of exhausting, but that was second to the Mad who had spotted them from below and begun following them across the land.
After days and days of nothing but endless seas, they had finally found land. A small island which, if they had known their geography, they could have recognized as the United Kingdom.
They cheered upon sight of land, clapped and whooped, and soon were traveling over the landmass they knew to be Europe.
Winding roads, uneven mountains, rivers, lakes, and streams, they all passed beneath their silent watchfulness. They saw no other signs of life for a while. Not until they crossed their first plain and saw them all running, running, running…
The Mad were hungry in Europe. They looked at the sky and eyed the dirigible like wolves chasing birds. At first, they had been hard to see because of how few they had been, but then they had run into more, and their group had grown, swelling to a size that was easily viewable from their height.
Thousands of Mad, swarming like insects, all sprinting to keep up with the ship. After several hours of the mass growing bigger, Caitlin had raised the dirigible higher than she was comfortable with, disappearing into the clouds in the hope that they might shake them off their scent.
She just hoped that it had worked.
“Can you see any?” Caitlin asked.
Kain moved around the upper deck and leaned over the edge of the ship. “No more than usual. A small smattering here or there. I think we may have finally shaken off the bulk of them.”
Chasing The Cure: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Caitlin Chronicles Book 5) Page 18
