by Phil Maxey
“It was a small town we were in before the military base, vamps overran it.” Joel looked into the shadows which resided behind the storefronts. “Any of these places open during the day? Maybe we can get—”
“Holland likes to keep a tight hand on who sells and what gets sold. You know, for the good of the community.”
“Right…”
They turned to the north to an area Joel had not seen before. Neatly cut lawns sat ahead of single-story homes, most bounded by trees. Lights shone from beyond most drapes.
Art drove left and right further into the pleasant suburban sprawl then stopped. He pointed at two houses with only darkness within. “These two houses are yours. I know there’s a lot of you, but you’ll have to make do.”
Joel smiled. “They look great. We appreciate it.”
Art handed him the keys to both residences, and Joel got out. Shannon, Donnie, with Jess and Jasper, were already halfway to the closest house which was identical to the house to the right of it, except it had wooden paneling and a tree in the center of its front garden.
“There’s candles, some wood for the burners, and some food in the cupboards. Make sure you and the others are ready by eight a.m.,” said Art.
Joel nodded, and Art drove off.
The light from the day had almost completely gone.
Joel went to walk towards Marina but she kept on walking to the first house, clutching Flint’s leash and following her daughter. He continued on to the second.
*****
“Make it quick, I’m freezing my perfect ass off out here,” said Kizzy, rubbing her hands together.
Amos got a quick flash in his mind, a version of Kizzy that was at least one clothes size bigger.
“Yeah, why you got us out here?” said Dalton.
They all stood next to one of the still unused long huts, someway from their own. Shadows covered them, but they smiled and waved at guards that would walk past.
“We got a problem,” said Amos.
“Uh?” said Kizzy.
“The soldiers, right?” said Dalton.
Amos sighed. “That’s half of it”
“I knew it!” said Dalton.
Kizzy looked at both for answers. “What’s the big deal about them being soldiers?”
“They’re Copeland’s soldiers…” said Amos.
“Shit…”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the other half?” she continued.
“The woman who works in the office. She’s working for Copeland.”
“No… not the nice old lady?” said Kizzy.
“She’s been telling the corporation about who’s been arriving in the camp.”
“Why she been doing that?” said Dalton.
“Mostly to keep an eye on what the humans are up to, but also to see if any of our kind turn up.”
“Shit,” said Dalton.
“Yup.”
“She know about us? Do any of them know about us?” said Kizzy.
“I don’t think… or if they do, they hid it well within their own minds.”
Kizzy looked away. “Maybe we should just leave. Do you think they would try to stop—”
“I ain’t going anywhere,” said Dalton. “If they know then that means the humans running the camp don’t know, and that’s good enough for now.”
“And if they find out?” said Amos.
“Then we split. Anyway, you can tell us, right? If they know about us?”
“Maybe.”
“Where we gonna get blood from?” said Kizzy. “I already got the itch.”
“Not from this section of the camp. They had a break-in a few days ago. Turned out to be a soldier who turned. They kicked him out. So we need to sit tight for a few days, and hopefully—”
“Hopefully? I’m not too good with hopefullys,” said Kizzy.
“Either we wait to be let into the main part of the camp and find blood, or we leave. That’s our choices.”
Silence befell the small group all hating the cold bite in the night air.
“The soldier lady. The one in charge?” said Dalton.
“Carla?”
“Yeah, what’s your take on her?”
Amos thought for a moment. “She’s confused about what she’s doing, but she won’t admit it to herself. Maybe I can talk some sense into her.”
“Yeah, but not tell her about us, right?” said Kizzy.
“Of course not.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Joel awoke on the sofa in the spacious living room. He relaxed when realizing that the sun hadn’t come up yet.
Still got a bit more time before the heat.
He had gotten used to the sun feeling ten degrees hotter than it should, but it meant during the day his limbs felt heavy and he had to continuously stop himself from being irritable with those around him. When the light faded from the star in the sky, and night came, it was as if he were stepping into a pool of water. Compared to the daylight hours, he was floating. But, he was still mostly human, and he was glad to see the beauty of the day despite how it made him feel. He wondered if the others felt the same.
In the room around him was a wood burner, a large flat-screen TV, some shelves with photos in frames, and a few rugs. There was also Hardin snoring on the other sofa.
He could feel Anna and Evan in the rooms nearby, and that they were both still sleeping.
He sat up, put his boots on, and made his way into the kitchen, and then, pushing the rear door open, out into the back yard. As soon as he crossed the threshold he realized Marina was sitting on the back step of the property next to his. Flint was bounding around somewhere in the gloom.
He hesitated.
“Don’t go on my behalf,” she said casually.
He sat on his own back step. Despite the lack of light, he could see a large gravelly area with a workshop to one side and a child’s deflated plastic swimming pool opposite it. A neat pile of wood rested on the ground near him. The yard to the left, in contrast, was full of life. Small trees mixed with blooming late summer shrubs and he was sure he could make out some vegetables overgrowing in beds further back.
“I guess you got a plan for when Holland and his goons find out that we’re not human?” said Marina without looking at him.
“The only person important to Holland is Holland. He already knows there’s a good chance Copeland will send an army of vamps towards this camp, and he’s going to want every bit of help he can get… even from non-humans.”
“Especially non-humans,” said Josh, a few feet behind Joel in the kitchen. The archeologist squeezed past Joel and walked into the yard. He immediately noticed Marina. “How you both holding up for blood?”
“Got enough for now,” said Marina.
Marina got to her feet then disappeared back into her house.
Josh and Joel watched her go.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Joel nodded. “It’s fine.” He looked up at the tired-looking individual as Josh leaned on the wall next to him. There was something different about him.
Josh looked out into the darkness. “I’ll probably be getting that look from everyone.” He slid his hand across his face.
Joel smiled, realizing how the man’s face had changed. “Had a shave, eh?”
“New life. New look.”
“How you end up in the mountain?”
“Umm…”
“We’re past keeping secrets at this point.”
“I was part of a secret governmental group which looked into historical events and artefacts that had contemporary importance.”
Joel looked back up at him. “That’s a thing?”
“Well, it was. Me, Rachel, and Max are the only surviving members of the team that I’m aware of.”
A number of things occurred to Joel at once. “Did you know what Copeland was doing…? Did you know about the Tomb of Kings and what was inside it?”
“Yes, yes, no. We had some manuscripts from around 90
0 AD that mentioned what could have been in the tomb, but it was mostly just speculation. Most on our team did not think he would find it. Many had tried for a few hundred years and came up short.”
“I suspect most of them were not billionaires.”
Josh smiled and nodded.
Joel looked back to the horizon. He could feel the sun wanting to slide above it. “What do you make of what I saw when I was connected to the tablet?”
“The tablet shows you what it thinks you need to see. How it knows that is anyone’s guess…
“It’s almost as if the thing has a mind of its own,” said Max from the kitchen. He quickly poured himself some water and joined Joel and Josh outside.
The black of night was now tinged with blues and pinks.
“So, it’s like some kind of super computer?” said Joel.
“Err… we think that’s true, but it’s more than that. It’s probably an AI of some kind,” said Max, sitting on the pile of precut logs.
Joel looked surprised. “It’s a damn robot?”
“Well, the brain of one, yes,” said Max.
“Okay, but why show me the battle and what happened inside the throne room or whatever it was?”
Max sighed, shaking his head.
A noise from behind averted Joel’s attention. “You scientists sure do like waking early,” he said, looking at Rachel appearing in the kitchen.
She sleepily moved past him, and sat next to him on the step. She blinked, pushing her hair back from her eyes. “What’s the topic of this morning’s conversation?”
Josh looked at Joel. “You saw a scene of a city overrun by vamps and other things. Then you saw one of the leaders of the vamps, hybrids by what you described, arguing with another.”
“Yes, we all know this, Josh, but what does it mean for us now?” said Max.
“The tablet wouldn’t have shown it unless it meant something for us now,” said Rachel, looking back to the kitchen behind her. “Did anyone get some coffee on?”
“It’s trying to tell me something,” said Joel, looking at, but not seeing, the ground in front of him. “Tell me… that those hybrids were important…” His mind danced from one tablet-generated virtual image to another. “The sarcophagi? Could the hybrids I saw be the ones inside the sarcophagi?”
Josh and Max nodded in agreement.
“That’s a strong possibility,” said Max.
*****
Neon-orange numbers came and went increasing with each phase as the elevator plunged deeper.
Copeland didn’t bother looking at them as he stood in the specially enlarged space which was now big enough to fit a small truck. He knew when he was getting close to his location. The feeling of a thousand gnawing insects which plagued him on ground level or above during daytime was completely gone when he was at the bottom of the shaft.
The door opened to a wall of sound which instantly dulled when those contained within the cavernous space knew who had just arrived.
Copeland stepped forward past two individuals that were almost as tall as he was. They were covered in body armor and their wrists were tattooed with ‘A-21-1.’ Part of his elite guard.
Scientists looked down at their desks and microscopes as Copeland strode towards the only things that truly mattered to him.
Standing in front of them was Galen, his thin lips distorted into a fixed smile.
“You said you made—” Copeland stopped when he saw the energy flowing along guilt, gold and silver channels of the sarcophagi which sat like the prize jewels in a museum exhibit. Lights shone down from the ceiling twenty feet above their heads, focused on the five, eight-foot long, ornately crafted chambers.
Each one was alive with light, and Copeland was fascinated by what he was seeing. “When did it start?” he said, without looking around.
Galen walked closer, his hands still clasped together and resting on his abdomen. “Only a few minutes ago. I thought you would want to know…”
“You thought right.” He tentatively touched the myriad of glowing lines. “It’s warm.”
“Yes, since they umm… switched on, their surface temperature has increased five degrees.”
Copeland stood then moved quickly to the next one, repeating the same caressing as previously. “Do you know what this means, Galen?” he said, his eyes transfixed by the dance of light.
“No, sir, what does it mean?”
“It means we do not have long to wait.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Joel, Max, Josh, Rachel, and Bill sat around a large dining table. A guard stood at the door to the hallway while at the head of the table sat Holland. To his right sat a woman and his left a man who looked like a slightly younger version of the man in charge.
Max shifted slightly in his seat. The wooden base was proving unforgiving and he wanted the person who ran Westlands to get on with things. Even the small glass of red wine wasn’t helping his patience.
“First, let me introduce my daughter, Adeline. She takes care of all the people stuff. You know, making sure everyone is happy, and all that bullshit.”
The woman, with flowing blonde hair and slightly too much makeup, briefly smiled.
“And this here, is Boyd, my oldest. Boyd also takes care of people, but in a different way.”
The man with the square jaw and crew cut hair remained stony faced.
“Tell them how many vamps you killed,” said Holland with pride.
The man frowned. “A lot.”
“No, go on, tell them.”
Boyd looked at his father then looked away, sighing. “Fifty-six.”
Holland slammed his hand down on his son’s shoulder. “Fifty-six!” He looked at the others. “And this is why no fucking suit is going to take over my town!” He looked at Bill. “What’s your name?”
“Bill.”
“Something bothering you, old-timer? You look like you got somewhere else to be. Where you got to be, Bill?”
“I reckon I’m where I need to be.”
“You’re not scared of me, are you, Bill?”
Most eyes flickered between Bill and Holland.
“No.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because there are scarier things than you in this world.”
“Is that so?”
“Umm, if I may,” said Rachel.
Holland swung his head to his left slowly. “And who are you?”
“Rachel Frost. I’m a—”
“Yeah, yeah, I don’t care what nerd name you give yourself. Just say your piece.”
“It would seem that Daniel Copeland of—”
Holland rolled his hand vertically. “Speed it up.”
“—He’s a monster, and if he can control the infected, well, then you have to prepare.”
“I already know this! This is what Joel told me. What I need you science-types to tell me is; how do I stop him?”
“Your fence can hold back maybe a few vamps at a time, but a sustained attack will short it out,” said Max.
“And then you got zero defense,” said Joel.
Boyd looked at him. “We got guns and men. We got defense.”
“Against ten thousand vamps?” Joel’s mind slipped back to the vision he saw in the desert.
“And… there are other types of the infected…” said Rachel.
“Go on,” said Holland.
Rachel’s eyes darted to Joel then away. “Well, there are what we call Hybrids…”
A few minutes later, the microbiologist had informed Holland of what she knew of the Alkron variants.
Holland leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin. “So, these other types. They could be in the camp and we wouldn’t know?” Before she had a chance to answer he continued. “They could be sitting around this table?”
“Well, umm… yes,” said Rachel, not wanting to meet Holland’s gaze.
“They need blood?” said Boyd.
“Yes.”
Boyd looked at his father. “We in
crease the security on the blood. That will flush them out if there’s any inside the fence.”
“You’re missing the big picture,” said Joel to Holland.
“And what would that be?”
“The hybrids are not like the basic vamps. They’re mostly human—” Joel heard the click of a gun from beneath the table. “—And they can be persuaded to work for you. Help you stop Copeland’s forces.”
“Why would they help us?” said Adeline. Holland looked at her angrily as if she had stolen something from him, but then returned to looking at Joel for the answer, regardless.
“They want to live like you do.”
Boyd went to talk but Holland raised a finger on his free hand. “These hybrids are strong, fast. What’s stopping them from turning on the humans once Copeland is taken care of?”
Joel looked at Holland directly in the eyes. “Nothing. You’re just going to have to trust them.”
Silence fell across the occupants while the gaze between Joel and Holland remained locked.
Holland smiled, bringing his gun hand back above the level of the table. “Good answer.” He leaned back again. “How many like you are in the camp?”
Boyd’s eyes widened and he went to push his chair back when his father’s hand came down on his wrist like a clamp. “Stay where you are, Boyd.”
A ripple of discomfort ran around most at the table, and the guard at the door unslung his rifle. Holland shook his head, and the man lowered it.
“But he’s a vamp!” said Boyd.
Holland looked at his son. “And if he wanted us dead, we’d be dead. Which means he wants something else. Joel wants to do business. That, I can respect.”
*****
Carla looked through the metal links of the large fence which ran for miles around the camp and the town within. Beyond were bogs and canals with ripples of waves caused by the strong southerly wind. The landscape looked barren and unforgiving.
Perfect.
It reflected her state of mind. She had discovered two more rare Alkrons in the Jackson camp, and handed them off to another team that stayed there. As far as she knew, the camp was still operating, the people inside completely unaware of what was about to befall them.
