The Dead War Series (Book 2): Desperate Times

by Simmons, D. N.

  “What about those soldiers?”

  “On their way to St. Louis. The rest, as you know are either dead or one of those things,” Cassian said. He turned toward Maj. Garrett, mentally releasing his hold over him.

  “How in the fuck did you do that?” Maj. Garrett spat out the moment his voice was free.

  “Something tells me I'm going to regret giving you the ability to speak,” Cassian commented as he arched a brow at the soldier.

  Maj. Garrett sat back further into the seat, studying the man before him. He didn't have the slightest idea what he was. Regular humans couldn't take away a person’s free will. “Cassian, is it? Cassian Aetius? You want to tell me why you're getting yourself involved and what do you want with us and my team?” He made sure to keep his voice steady, but stern as he attempted to regain some control of the situation. The fact that Cassian was skillfully avoiding answering their most dire questions didn't escape his notice.

  Cassian's lips quirked up at the tips. “You know my name, Maj. Gregory Garrett. Your intel is most reliable.” Again, he didn't answer the question presented.

  Maj. Garrett huffed, his nostrils flaring slightly. He wasn't planning on letting him off that easily. “It is. Now, my men, what do you want with them and why have you interfered with this mission?”

  “They are my men, now, as you are and because you need me.” It was all Cassian was willing to say.

  “I'm going to ask you one more time, what do you want with us?” Maj. Garrett stared coldly into the Cassian's vibrant blue eyes.

  Cassian smirked. “Look out below you, Major. Do you see what awaits humanity?”

  Both Vincent and Maj. Garrett looked out of the windows. The carnage was indescribable. People were being attacked, devoured and many rising as those things. The highways and streets were flooded with the monsters nightmares were made out of.

  “This epidemic, if you will, is spreading faster than you can contain it. As a matter of fact, you can't contain it, but you don't want to let the public know of this failure,” Cassian said. “Instead, you delude yourselves into thinking you have a plan, following protocols that have caused more damage and loss of life.”

  “What do you propose?” Maj. Garrett asked with a hint of sarcasm.

  “I propose you follow my orders and cease your line of questioning. When it becomes relevant that you know something, I will tell you.”

  “The government isn't going to allow you to get away with this scheme of yours,” Maj. Garrett threatened.

  “I'm betting the government as you know it will cease to exist by the end of the week. You know that I'm right. He knows it as well.” Cassian gestured to Dr. Powers.

  “What do you mean?” Vincent asked.

  Cassian looked at Dr. Powers, releasing his mental hold over him. “Tell him.”

  Dr. Powers cleared his throat as he gave Cassian a cautious glance.

  Cassian nodded at him. “Go on.”

  After exchanging glances from Cassian to Vincent, Dr. Powers decided to do what the strange man who could rip doors off of helicopters while thousands of feet in the air, told him to do. “For the past half hour, reports have been coming in from various states citing outbreaks.”

  “Which states?” Vincent pressed.

  “New York, Philadelphia, Kentucky and Missouri.”

  “Jesus Christ!” Vincent gasped.

  “They've already begun firebombing several cities, but the epidemic is still spreading. Millions have become infected by our calculations,” Dr. Powers added. “The good news is, fire does seem to have an effect on them from the updates we've been receiving, but they have to be burned to ash. If the body is still whole, those things can survive fire, which is kind of both good and bad news. The more alarming bad news is; there's too many of them out there to make a difference. We can't possible set fire to every inch of this country and we can't keep up with how fast this epidemic is spreading.”

  “So you see, the human race is standing at the brink of extinction. I want to make sure that doesn't happen,” Cassian said.

  “So you're like what? The good guy?” Maj. Garrett remarked. “You have our best interest in mind?”

  Cassian smirked at the soldier's abhorrent sarcasm. The man had no idea how beneath him he was and as far as the Master vampire was concerned, the soldier was far too arrogant and stupid to learn his place. Instead of ripping the Major's heart out which all of his instincts practically screamed at him to do, he opted for answering the soldier's questions instead.

  “On the contrary. I have our best interests in mind. We have to make sure the human race survives this demise of your own making.” Cassian turned toward Vincent. “Tell me, Doctor. What were you crafting in that little lab of yours?”

  “A super serum for the military. They wanted the perfect soldiers. Faster, stronger, agile, smarter and more resilient to injuries and illnesses,” Vincent replied.

  “What gave them the idea that they could create this serum?” Cassian inquired.

  “I'm sure they've been trying to create super-soldiers for decades. Whatever that red liquid was that they gave us, I'm guessing that's what made them think it was finally possible.”

  “Red liquid?” Cassian's eyebrows rose, showing his curiosity.

  “It resembled blood in many ways. Much of it, I can't fully explain nor do I really understand. All I know is, after nearly six months, we had succeeded. Dr. Philip Pierce, my colleague, found the missing link. When we tried to heal one of our dying subjects, it all backfired.”

  “Is Dr. Pierce alive now?” Cassian asked.

  Vincent's eyes grew sad at the last memory he had of Philip: Dead, pathetic and crawling along the floor looking for human victims. The memory etched itself inside his mind and would no doubt leave him with nightmares for the rest of his life. “No. He was the second victim and the soldiers put him to final rest back at SciTech Labs.”

  “So, you are the sole survivor. This makes you a very important person.” Cassian studied Vincent, his eyes traveling from head to toe, assessing the doctor. He scanned the human's mind of his most recent thoughts. “Most people accept the praise, but not the criticism. They are more than willing to take in the accolades, but are quick to place the blame elsewhere. I admire you... to an extent... for accepting your part in what is happening.” Cassian shifted his position, making himself a bit more comfortable in his seat. His cold, blue eyes never left Vincent. He exhaled. “So tell me, how does it feel knowing you are at least, partly responsible, for what looked like the end of the world?”

  “I never wanted this to happen.” Vincent's voice was strained as he struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to erupt.

  “Of course you didn't,” Cassian patronized.

  “I really wanted to help mankind,” Vincent added in his defense.

  Cassian made an offhanded gesture. “I've already scanned your mind, Mr. Masterson and heard your pity speeches. I was looking for a straight forward answer.”

  Vincent stared at the thing before him. He was pretty sure Cassian wasn't human, he just didn't know what the hell he was.

  “I'm waiting.” Cassian's arched both brows.

  Vincent swiped the back of his hand along his forehead to clear the layer of sweat that had gathered. He shifted in his seat and took hold of Sarah's hand, holding it closely to his chest. “The honest, straightforward truth?”

  “If you would be so kind to oblige,” Cassian remarked.

  “Like the lowest form of shit and there are moments, brief moments, where I want to die or disappear. I think the only reason why I haven't put a bullet in my head is because I feel like I can help. I know I can. And as long as I'm alive, there's a chance for me to redeem myself,” Vincent said.

  Sarah turned to him, her eyes bulging at his reveal that he wanted to die, however fleeting the drive was to commit suicide was, it still unnerved her. She knew how Vincent felt about what was happening, but she didn't know how deeply it was affecting his p
syche. She wanted to say something to him, but whatever it was that Cassian had done to her prevented her from speaking. Her eyes drifted back to the man sitting across from them, who terrified her almost more than the zombies did. He was powerful and could do things to them that the zombies couldn't do and on top of it all, he was no mindless killing machine. He was calculating, intelligent and she couldn't shake the feeling that he was as ruthless as they come. She returned her gaze to Vincent and squeezed his hand reassuringly as she slipped her other arm around his waist, holding him closer.

  Cassian noticed the intimacy between the two, how much the loved each other, but said nothing. His expression betrayed none of his emotions. He liked that the human scientists didn't try to insult his intelligence by lying. That wouldn't end well for them.

  Vincent looked around at the others. Again he asked: “How are you doing this? I mean, how are you controlling us?”

  “In due time. For now, I would have silence. Sleep.” With that, Cassian placed the humans under his mental hold, rending them unconscious, save the pilot. He pulled out his cell phone, dialing his second in command, Sajan. When he didn't answer, he called his lieutenant, Chloe.

  She answered immediately.

  “Yes Master?”

  “Cease your harvest of Chicago. It is doomed. For now, focus all of you attention on readying our stronghold,” Cassian ordered. “I'll be there shortly.”

  “Very well, Master.”

  He ended the call and sat back, gazing out of the window, frowning at the gruesome sight below. Not in all of his time of walking the earth had he been witnessed to such devastation. Such hopelessness. Anger began to rise inside and he took deep breaths to calm himself. The last thing he wanted to do was rip the young scientists’ head from his shoulders in a fit of rage. He studied the unconscious human in front of him, wondering if he'll be able to come up with a cure and how long would it take? He sat, thinking about other strategies as the helicopter continued its journey towards St. Louis.

  ***

  Sajan landed on the rooftop of Costco for the fourth time on his round trip from Chicago to St. Louis. He had with him a doctor and a nurse, both were unconscious. Several of Ovidius' vampires guarded the rooftop, keeping an eye out. One of them bowed then opened the door so that he could take the humans inside.

  “If you don't mind me asking, who are these two, sir?” Gavin asked. Being a lower level vampire, he had to show respect to his elders as was the custom.

  “Found them hiding in a tree with several zombies clamoring for them. Both are from the medical field, so they will be of use to us,” Sajan replied, walking past the vampire and taking the stairs two at a time carrying both humans over his shoulders. He took the humans to the area where they were keeping the ones who would be 'of service' as Cassian ordained.

  “I just got a call from Cassian,” Chloe said, approaching him. “He said to cease our harvest of Chicago. I guess they're planning on bombing the city now.”

  “So that must have been him calling me earlier. I was in flight, couldn't answer,” Sajan said as he finger combed his dark, brown hair. He pulled out his cell phone and checked the missed calls log and snorted. “Yes, it was him.”

  “I wish we could have brought more, I feel as though we'll need it, but we did what we could considering the horrible timing of this thing,” Chloe said.

  Sajan shrugged. “Ovidius ordered his people to bring more humans here, as well. We're not done harvesting, it's just Chicago is off limits, plenty of people here.”

  “I would think all of Illinois is doomed.”

  “We have St. Louis for now. So, how are preparations going?” Sajan adjusted his shirt, tucking the ends back into his pants.

  Chloe nodded. “For such a short notice, they are very organized.”

  “He's a child of Cassian, did you expect him to be anything less?”

  “No. We've tripled out human stock. Another good note being a lot of vampires from our territory have made it. I've put them to work, doubling our efforts here and around the city. Mobile homes have been brought in for our comfort and security.”

  “The grounds look well-fortified.”

  “For the most part. There's still some work to be done.”

  “We have to work quickly then. I've already seen those things attacking humans at the border.”

  “How far away were they?” Chloe asked, her voice going up an octave in her concern.

  “I'd give it twenty minutes to a half hour at most before they come knocking on our doors.”

  “Shit!” she hissed.

  “Regarding Cassian, where is he at now, did he say?” Sajan asked, one eyebrow arched.

  She nodded. “He was in Springfield, but he told me he's on his way here.”

  Sajan smirked. “I suppose he wasn't concerned about the vampire Master there... what's his name, William?” His words were seasoned with a definite hint of sarcasm.

  Chloe snorted. “That child?” She laughed, unable to contain it. “Oh please, he wouldn't dare challenge Cassian. Not if he wanted to live to see another second.”

  “I agree, not if he was smart. Well, if he's on his way here, that means he found the scientists and intercepted them before they could get to Atlanta.”

  “There was no way Cassian would risk Ade getting to this guy first.”

  “Oh indeed.” Sajan gave her a knowing nod.

  “Cassian's going to want this scientist under his protection,” Chloe stated.

  “His Control,” Sajan corrected.

  “Tomato-tomahto,” she shot back.

  “I take it Cassian's planning on bringing the scientist here to work on a cure. That would be the reason why he's been procuring all of these doctors and other scientist, I would presume,” Ovidius speculated, interrupting the conversing vampires as he approached.

  Both bowed, showing him respect as a Master vampire.

  “You're correct.” Chloe answered.

  “Fortunately, I planned ahead.” Ovidius smiled.

  “A hospital?”

  “Of sorts. A laboratory to be exact. The Target pharmacy is the perfect place for them to work on finding a cure. It's also a better location to house our vampires if they happen to contract this ... what did that teen call it? 'Zombification virus' ...” Ovidius huffed, his eyes closing. “I can't believe I just repeated that ridiculous word.” With a shake of his head, he continued. “Our vampires can go there for treatment, away from our human stock. I've ordered my vampires to seal off a section strong enough to contain several powerful vampires while the area where the scientists will be working remains unencumbered.”

  “Well, as they say these days, 'sounds like a plan',” Chloe said.

  “It's the best one we've got considering our precarious situation. It's only useful for moderately powerful vampires. For example, if you...” He pointed to Chloe. “...Or Logan should ever become infected, the containment unit wouldn't be able to hold you until we could control your blood lust, so be mindful not to get infected.

  Chloe nodded. “And God forbid if Cassian should become infected.” A chill ran down her spine causing her to shiver slightly at the grisly prospect. “I don't want to think about it.”

  “Neither do I, but we should be prepared, nonetheless. The same goes for me as well.”

  Chloe nodded. “Just know we'd try to save you first.” she offered him a sincere smile.

  Ovidius returned it. “I know.” He sighed. “Furthermore, if our blood can't save an infected human before they turn into one of those things out there, I wouldn't waste time or resources putting them in the units waiting for a cure, save maybe one or two for testing.”

  “Then it's a really good idea the lab is not on this location.” Chloe nodded.

  “If I may add to our strategic planning, we need a location to put vampires who've been bitten,” Sajan said.

  “That's what the lab is for,” Chloe stated.

  “Perhaps I should rephrase, since my meaning has escap
ed you,” Sajan remarked.

  Ovidius frowned. “Strategic planning isn't your strongest suit, is it, Chloe?”

  “I hardly think that was fair.... sir,” she gritted out. “Cassian chose me as one of his lieutenants, to question my intelligence would be to question his. I don't think he'd take too kindly to the insult.”

  Ovidius' lip quirked. “Is that so?”

  Her jaw tightened, but Chloe maintained her temper in spite of the rage that was coursing through her that was pointedly directed at both males. “I've proven myself more than worthy on the battlefield. I'm more than capable of creating a defense against our own kind and any human retaliation. I'm sure even you have to admit this situation is uncharted waters for us all. Prepare as we may, we still don't know what we're in for.” She turned her gaze onto Sajan. “Perhaps you should be clearer towards your meaning.

  Ovidius' expression remained stoic, concealing his admiration for the pretty blonde lieutenant. “I'm sure you are. I wouldn't imagine Cassian appointing someone unworthy into his inner circle,” he offered.

  “If you don't mind me asking, then, why the remark, sir?” Chloe questioned.

  “You're his youngest, I was testing you.” Ovidius flashed her an approving smile.

  Chloe glared at Ovidius long enough to get a smirk from the Master vampire, but not long enough to piss him off. She turned her gaze onto Sajan. “Please clarify.”

  “I believe he was referring to those vampires who were infected, but then regain themselves. Am I correct in my assumption?” Ovidius asked Sajan.

  Sajan nodded. “We don't know if they can still infect another being. We don't know if when they attempt to feed, their bite will transfer the virus to either human or vampire.” He turned to Chloe, smirking slightly as if to say, 'see, he got it'.

  Chloe rolled her eyes, but remained silent. Her feelings toward the first lieutenant were thinly veiled to say the least. But as a fourth rank lieutenant, she had to bite back her insults and swallow and heavy dose of her pride.

  Ovidius caught the unspoken dialogue between the two lieutenants and he lowered his head to hide his smile. He remembered all too well, the competition within the ranks. Once his smile faded, he raised his head to address the two younger vampires. “You make a valid point. I'll set aside a section here to house those vampires until they can be tested,” he said. “Now, I believe you have orders to carry out.”