The Dead War Series (Book 2): Desperate Times

by Simmons, D. N.

  Both Chloe and Sajan nodded and walked off to fulfill their duty.

  “Master, I couldn't help but here a bit of your conversation and I have to ask, what do we do about the vampires who become infected?” Madison asked, coming up behind him. She pinned her dark brown, crinkly hair back from her eyes using several bobby pins she found in the beauty aisle. “You know, if there are too many?”

  Ovidius turned. “If we can't contain them until we cure them, we kill them.”

  “What about rank or age?” Madison asked.

  Ovidius pursed his lips. “Of course, every effort will be made to save one of our own who holds a substantial position among our kind. However, if in the event of trying to save one jeopardizes the others, we do what we must.” He slipped his hands into his pockets. “So basically the containment units are only reserved for vampires worth the risk. Does that answer your question?”

  “Yes. May I make a suggestion?”

  Ovidius shifted from one foot to the other. “And that is?”

  “That we use blood bags to feed vampires who've been infected. I think tossing humans inside the cages for them to feed on would be a drain on our resources if they feed, kill and then the fucking things rise up and bite the vampire and start the whole cycle all over again. Do you agree?” Madison's eyes scanned her Master searching for his approval. She so wanted to please him and was hoping her strategic suggestions were earning her points.

  Ovidius pursed his lips. “Good point. Blood bags it is.”

  Madison allowed herself a moment of internal gloating and celebration before another thought squashed her pride under foot. She frowned. “Oh, but what if an infected vampire needs fresh blood straight from the vein in order to restore themselves?”

  “Fucking hell, Madison!” Ovidius grimaced, his frustration getting the better of him.

  “Am I raining on your parade too much?”

  “Try torrential downpour.”

  “I'm sorry, you know how I am. I like to look at all of the angles,” Madison said in her defense.

  Ovidius offered a warm smile. He caressed her cheek lovingly. “I know. That's why I turned you. You're also very good at presenting those angles.” He sighed heavily, unable to hide his annoyance at their situation. It was hard to prepare for something when you didn't even know what the hell to prepare for. Fighting a territory war, that was easy. He excelled at that. The vampire who owned St. Louis before he took over gave it his best effort, but he was no match. Give him a vampire territory war over this shit any day and he'd happily oblige.

  He signed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We'll have to find out which one works when the times comes. Let us hope it doesn't.”

  Madison nodded. “In the meantime, I have arranged for a few of the extra cargo trailers to be sleeping quarters for all of the vampires coming to live with us. Oh, I took the liberty of getting a couple of nice trailers for us royalty to call our own for now.”

  “Did you think of this yourself?” Ovidius inquired.

  “It was a collective thought process between Cassy and myself.”

  “Are these the mobile home sort with all of the finery?” Ovidius asked, one eyebrow cocked.

  “But of course.”

  He gave her one quick nod. “Very good. Make sure they are reinforced from the outside. I don't want to be caught unawares because my door was too easy to open.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “I want you to continue to bring in more trailers, as many as we can find. I want this barrier wall to be higher, three trailers stack ought to do it. Also, make sure we have plenty of fuel for the generators.” Ovidius rubbed a finger over his eyebrow. It was a habit he did when he was a bit stressed which was rare. However it would be his fourth time doing it since he woke up that morning.

  “Yes, Master,” Madison said, then she turned, walking away.

  “Oh Madison,” Ovidius called.

  She faced him again. “Yes sir?”

  “We'll have to speed up our efforts. Those things have breached my city.”

  Madison nodded. “I'm on it.” She started to walk away, but stopped, turning slightly. “So, the notice goes out that vampires must not get bitten, or risk death if captured.”

  “It is what it is,” Ovidius said.

  “Very well.” Madison left, heading back to supervise the reinforcing of their location.

  Ovidius looked around their Costco sanctuary. What few entries they had were already being sealed with titanium slates on the inside and all of the shutters had been lowered and sealed in place on the outside with an extra layer of titanium shielding creating a triple defense. Only one entrance door was being utilized and the other was barricaded by a large steel slate. The perimeter, not including the gas station, was still being rounded off with trailers being stacked on top of each other, now by the threes after receiving the new orders. They had stolen several bulldozers, tractors and other construction machinery in order to get the job done as fast as possible. Their biggest tool however, was their own strength and speed. Even at limited power, vampires were an extreme force to be reckoned with. And time was ever of the essence. They knew that St. Louis would be overrun by the zombies within the hour. With the combination of Cassian's vampires, who were still arriving and his own, things were moving as swiftly as they could. He didn't know how bad it was going to get, but he was going to do the best he could to prepare. Ovidius walked out into the parking lot and took to the skies to check on the other location, the Target pharmacy.

  ~***~

  Ovidius landed at his destination. He took a walk around the entire building, checking on the progress. All of the windows and doors had been sealed off with thick steel plates. The only way in or out of the building would be through its rooftop entrance. As inconvenient as it might be, it was imperative. He had wanted more safe house locations, but that was out of the question at this point. The two locations would have to do for now. He leapt atop the roof, landing lightly on his feet and was greeted by one of his lieutenants.

  “Sire, progress is running smoothly,” Donovan, the tall and ruggedly handsome blue eyed, chestnut brown haired vampire updated. “As you can see from the exterior, all access points have been sealed off. With the technology that we have, sodding the metal has been a breeze.”

  The two men entered the building and began taking a tour of the interior.

  “Very good.” Ovidius looked around, taking in the busy vampires using blow torches to seal the steel bars for the containment units in place. There were others atop of the new steel gate applying extremely dangerous razor wire for added protection. Five cells were being constructed far away from the area where thick metal gates were being built to separate the containment units from the lab. All of the steel barriers were their first defense. The vampires themselves would be their second. “You've done well here.”

  “Thank you, Master,” Donovan nodded appreciatively.

  “Well, with the extra fuel tankers we have... it will ensure our generators will have some longevity. When the powerful finally goes down.”

  “It helps that we're outside the blast radius of the nearest nuclear power plant, too.” Donovan pointed out.

  “If it becomes too much of a risk, I'll have our engineers disable the nearest plant so it won't be a problem.” Ovidius turned towards Donovan. “Who do we have that can do that?”

  Donovan pursed his lips. “I'll have to find out.”

  “Please do.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Ovidius pulled out his cell phone to get the latest news report. He groaned. “Those bloody things will be here soon. They made quick work of Springfield.”

  “I heard several cities have been bombed, Chicago included, but it's still spreading fast.”

  “That's because those things aren't lingering in one city. They follow the essence of life or the scent of blood. They know how to seek it out. That's why they enter buildings and homes, searching for humans in every corner. To
hunt and feed, that is their only purpose. I've never seen anything like it.”

  “I wonder how many of Cassian's vampires made it out of Chicago?”

  “Those who were strong and wise enough to take quick action. The rest, are unfortunate. We can only hope that they were able to survive the bombing.”

  Donovan gave Ovidius a quizzical look. “I'm surprised you feel that way, Master.”

  Ovidius brows knitted. “Why does this surprise you? I wish Cassian's vampire no ill will.”

  “His vampires outnumber us. He is your maker.”

  “When this situation gets even more dire... we will need him. It's all about our survival.”

  “Yes Master. Of course.” Donovan nodded humbly.

  “How are we with the lab?” Ovidius asked, changing the subject.

  “Currently working on that, Master. We're gathering all of the necessary equipment as we speak.”

  “Excellent.” Ovidius nodded approvingly. “Carry on.”

  “Yes, Master.” Donovan walked back towards the under construction lab.

  Ovidius was following behind him when the ringing of his cell phone stopped him. He looked down, recognizing the number. He answered. “Yes, Cassie?”

  “Logan arrived with two soldiers.”

  “I would speak with him.”

  “Of course,” Cassie said. “See you soon.”

  They ended their call and Ovidius left the lab in the capable hands of his people and taking to the skies, quickly returning to the Costco sanctuary. He could sense where his child was and immediately zeroed in on him. He found Logan standing over the terrified humans the other vampires had gathered who were to be 'of service' which was the code they were all using. Logan was observing them as well as drinking in their scent of fear. It was an aphrodisiac to him, the smell of fear. Ovidius suspected Logan only wished it was night, so that he could completely indulge in his not-so-guilty pleasure.

  “Cassian sent you back?” Ovidius asked, coming up the rear.

  Logan turned. “Yes. He wanted me to save these two.” He gestured toward Nicholas and Gary, both of whom were still unconscious.

  “Ah, makes sense. We'll never fall out of need of warriors,” Ovidius commented.

  “To what capacity?” Logan asked.

  Ovidius frowned. “Your meaning?”

  Logan took Ovidius gently by the arm, ushering him away from the humans so that they could speak privately.

  “What purpose does Cassian have for obtaining more soldiers for his coven?”

  Ovidius grimaced, knowing the implications of Logan's words. “Until I speak with Cassian, I'll hold my concerns.”

  “Speaking of concerns, I have a few of my own,” Logan stated.

  “Them being?”

  “Food. We're going to need more humans than this. If it were just us, the vampires under your territory, we would be fine. But Cassian, he brings with him an army...I...” Logan trailed off.

  “Speak freely.” Ovidius ordered.

  “I'm not entirely sure allowing him sanctuary in our territory was wise.”

  “You don't think I haven't thought of the possible repercussions?” Ovidius asked, one eyebrow cocked.

  Logan swallowed hard, his Adam's apple visibly bobbing. “I'm sure you did, but--”

  “What choice did I have? He is my Sire, and as you've said, he has an army. One that will be of a benefit to us if this epidemic gets out of control.”

  “If he doesn't seek to control this territory for his own. How long do you think he'll follow your lead, Ovidius? Or be willing to lead by your side when he's never had to do so in the past” Logan licked his lips.

  Ah, the implication comes to the forefront. Ovidius mentally sighed. It was a scenario that he feared, which is why he was so reluctant to allow his maker sanctuary.

  Logan continued. “I'm concerned that a time will come when he won't let you rule and once we're outnumbered, you won't have a choice but to concede.”

  Ovidius had to secretly admire his children. There were reasons he turned Donovan, Logan, Cassie and Madison. They were master tacticians with great military prowess. He wasn't surprised to learn that his concerns, even unspoken, troubled them as well. Still, he had to keep them focused on the present and leave the future to him.

  “Right now, we are not at that point. It may never happen. Although, had I denied him entry, it most certainly would have. Come...” Ovidius placed his hand on Logan's back, walking them towards the humans and gesturing to them. “As you've stated, we don't have enough. Join the others in the procurement.”

  Logan nodded and walked away leaving Ovidius to ponder their conversation.

  Chapter Three

  Dante swallowed the last drop of succulent blood he's siphoned from the shredded neck of his latest victim. The vision in his hazel eyes began to clear and the raging and gnawing hunger he was suffering started to dissipate. The pain of his unquenchable thirst subsided enough for him to concentrate on his surroundings. He pulled away from his victim the very moment the silver of a sharp blade slashed in front of his face. He fell backwards, scrambling away from his newly decapitated victim and the powerful vampire who was now standing over him. The vampire advanced on him, snatching him up and flying fast away from the zombie onslaught that was quickly approaching. He landed on the rooftop of an apartment building, tossing Dante several feet away. Dante landed hard on the tar-covered roof, grunting and rolling painfully to a stop. He turned, attempting to gather himself on his hands and knees when a powerful boot connected with his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him and breaking two of his ribs. He yelped as he flipped on his back, coughing and whizzing from the agony and before he could regain himself, a foot was pressed upon his throat, the pressure painfully increasing on his larynx.

  “The only reason you still have your head is because you finally came to your senses,” the mysterious vampire said.

  Dante looked up at his attacker, he could feel the aura rolling off the vampire in waves. The vampire was Caucasian, chestnut hair in a long ponytail. His brown eyes angrily bored down at him, making him feel that his life was in jeopardy.

  “P... pl... ease,” Dante croaked as he vigorously patted the vampire's foot, silently begging for relief.

  The vampire growled, but obliged. He took a step back, allowing the intruder room to rise. He kept his sword in his hand, ready to use it if necessary.

  “I don't recognize your scent, so you're not one of mine. What territory are you from?” the mysterious Master vampire asked.

  “Where am I?” Dante looked around.

  The Master vampire advanced on Dante, quickly backhanding him. Dante's head jerked back painfully from the impact and he stumbled several paces back, but managed to catch his balance. His vision blurred for a few seconds before it cleared again showing one vampire standing before him instead of two. He dabbed his lip and saw blood on the back of his fingertips. He looked back up at the Master vampire who was standing still and glaring his way.

  “Answer my questions or prepare to have your head removed from your body,” the Master vampire warned.

  The threat was to be taken seriously. Very fucking seriously.

  Dante licked his lips and quickly replied. “Chicago, I'm lord over the South Chicago district. My name's Dante Sullivan.”

  “So you belong to Cassian.” The vampire sighed. “Fucking Cassian,” he grumbled.

  “I take it, you're a Master?”

  “I am, but you already knew that, so don't waste either of our time asking stupid questions.”

  Ouch, Dante thought then he cleared his throat. “Where am I?” he asked, hoping that was a smart enough question for the vampire.

  “Louisville... Kentucky, to be exact. My name is Michael and you are an unwelcomed guest in my city.”

  “Shit, how the fuck did I get here?” Dante ran a hand over his bald head in complete bewilderment.

  “You were bitten by one of those fucking things down there. You get bitte
n, you go into some crazed blood lust feeding frenzy. Your mind goes blank and all you see is blood,” the vampire said, then he peeked over the edge of the roof as the zombies rushed through the street looking for fresh victims. He watched as they broke through windows and knocked down doors, entering buildings where people were taking sanctuary. He listened as a chorus of screams, snarls and growls filled the area.

  With a sneer, Michael turned to face Dante. “You were instrumental in bringing this upon my city!” He advanced again, grabbing Dante by his bloody shirt and lifted him from the ground, holding him high enough so that his feet dangled as the younger vampire kicked and struggled in his grasp.

  “What the fuck... I don't understand!” Dante exclaimed as he gripped the Master vampire's hand that held onto him like a vise.

  “When you and others like you came here, feeding on my vampires and the humans of my city, you spread this virus!” Michael held Dante over the edge, gaining the attention of the zombies below.

  “Shit, don't! Please!” Dante pleaded. “I'm sorry. I didn't know!”

  With a swift toss of his hand, Michael slung Dante back onto the roof. Dante landed hard, once again on the tar-covered roof, skidding to a stop. He groaned as his body registered the intense pain of skinned elbows and a fractured wrist.

  The vampire turned, giving Dante an intolerant expression. “You have a lot of catching up to do. I suggest you contact your lieutenant or Cassian and find out what you need to know. I have my own city to attend. I expect you gone very soon without causing further damage.”

  Dante nodded. “I'm sorry about the shit I did do.”

  “Couldn't be helped under the circumstances,” Michael said through gritted teeth. “However, I won't allow you to cause any more, so I suggest you take flight if you're able.”