A helicopter.
“It’s…” she started.
“I see it,” Josh said.
With each second, the image became clearer. She could see both ends of the propeller blade. One stuck out straight, the other hung down over the front of the cockpit. Smoke billowed out from the back end. As they got closer, the acrid smell invaded the inside of the van, pulled in by the fan. Josh closed it but Sami still smelled it.
Josh pulled the van to a stop twenty feet from the wreckage. As he turned off the engine and went to open the door, Sami grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“We have to get to the lab,” she said.
“We have to see if anyone’s alive.”
Her hand tightened on his arm. He covered her fingers with his hand.
“Come on, Sami. Just a quick look. We have to, you know that.”
She did know it but she still didn’t want to. She wanted to jump into the driver’s seat, turn on the engine and drive right past the helicopter. It wasn’t her problem. Michael was and she had to take care of him. But she also knew Josh was right. A quick look wouldn’t take too long and they had to do it.
“Dammit.” She released Josh’s arm and jerked the passenger door open. Josh was already halfway to the wreck when she stepped out. The stench of the smoke hit her like a hot glove. Grit scraped the inside of her nostrils and made her eyes tear. She coughed at the taste. Josh held his hand over his mouth and nose. Sami did the same. It only helped a little.
The first seemed to be smoldering from what she could see. The cockpit was cracked along one side and a large hole gaped outward. The glass looked like it had been pushed inward. That hadn’t happened in the crash, she thought.
Josh circled around the back as Sami moved to get a better look at the cockpit. A whiff of smoke gave her a coughing fit. She turned and bent over, coughing until her throat felt dry. Tears streamed down her face. She swiped at them with the back of her hand. Come on, she couldn’t afford to waste time here. Get a good look and get going. There obviously wasn’t any survivors. They’d send in a report when they got back to the city.
She stepped closer and noticed the body hanging just inside the door of the cockpit. The pilot. Lacerations on his face and the way his head hung at an odd angle indicated that he’d probably died in the crash. At least it looked fast, better than dying in the fire, she thought. She was about to turn away when she noticed the insignia on the pilot jacket. The familiar stylized “C.”
A Council helicopter.
What the hell was it doing out here?
“Josh,” she called.
He came hurrying back. “Find anything?”
“Just the pilot.” She pointed at the body. “Do you see his jacket?”
Josh bent over, peering through the hole in the glass. “Shit.”
“Right. Let’s get to the lab.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Let’s.”
He headed back to the van. Sami began to follow and then stopped. Dammit, she couldn’t leave it like this, she had to know more.
“You start the van, I’ll be there in a second.”
“Sami.”
“I’m right behind you.” She waved him away. He shrugged and trooped away..
Sami crept closer to the cockpit. Her hand over her mouth kept only part of the smoke out. The acrid taste burned the roof of her mouth. Her eyes teared again. The heat dried the sweat on her skin even as it beaded. Another two steps and she could see farther into the cockpit. Something was on the seat beside the pilot. Something small and square with the same stylized “C”. A Council compad.
The heat and smoke pressed at her. Her throat kept throbbing, threatening to close. She coughed, keeping her mouth closed. Another step. She could almost reach through the hole. Her fingers brushed the fabric of the pilot’s pants. Her hand spasmed. God, she did not want to touch that man. Steady, just keep moving. Another step forward and she could reach farther in.
Her fingers reached for the compad. Almost. The smoke seemed to thicken, as if trying to envelope her. The van looked far away, as if a grey curtain separated her from it. Another few minutes and it would encase her forever. She stretched her body, wishing her arm was just a few inches longer. Just a few…
Her fingers caught the edge. Another lunge and she had it. She pulled it back, just missing the pilot’s hanging head. She cradled the compad to her chest as she stumbled away from the wreckage and smoke. A cough exploded out of her and she fell to her knees, hacking out the soot that felt like it had taken up residence in her lungs. She felt hands on her arms and for a moment she thought it was Rick, but it was Josh, lifting her to her feet and steering her to the passenger door. Even as she settled into the seat, she clenched the compad like a prize.
Josh started the van and backed away from the helicopter.
“Just the pilot,” he said. “I didn’t see anyone else. Did you?”
She shook her head. Her mouth felt like the inside of a barbeque pit. “Water,” she whispered.
Josh grabbed a bottle from under the seat and handed it to her. It was tepid but smooth and clean going down. She rinsed her mouth, then opened the window and spat out. Closing the window, she took another long drink. Her throat felt raw and sore. Her nose felt clogged with soot. Draining the bottle helped.
“What is that thing?” Josh asked.
She replaced the cap on the bottle and dropped it at her feet. “A Council compad,” she said. Her voice sounded hoarse, even to her own ears.
“Why the fuck you go back for it? You could have hurt yourself.” His hands gripped the steering wheel, twisting around it. “I can’t deal with both of you.”
“I’m sorry, Josh.” She had to whisper. It was easier on her throat. “I had to get this. What is the Council doing sending a helicopter out here?”
“Well, they send some to other cities.”
She shook her head. “There isn’t another city in this direction.”
He frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.” She tapped the compad. “Maybe this will give us some answers.”
“Something better.” He hunched over the wheel. The van increased speed, bumping over the desert floor.
“We almost there?” she said.
“Soon,” he said.
Soon, she thought. Hang in there, Michael. The urge to check on him filled her. She set the compad down on the floor and climbed through the back to see him. The boy lay on the cushions. His breathing was quick and shallow but he seemed to be resting. She pressed her hand to his forehand. It was warm, warmer than the clammy coldness of before. She swallowed in her dry throat, telling herself that it was only the smoke and heat that sucked the moisture from her. It wasn’t fear. No, it wasn’t.
She kept her hands steady as she turned his head to look at his neck. The puncture marks stood out red and angry against his pale skin. He was too pale to be out here in the desert. Why had he been so stupid as to sign up?
She looked for the first ad kit again and remembered how she’d thrown it against the wall. It lay on its side near Michael’s feet, bandages and tools splayed on the floor. She picked up the stethoscope and listened to Michael’s heartbeat. The beat echoed her own but it was too slow, too sluggish.
Dammit. She clenched her teeth. The tears in her eyes weren’t from the smoke now. He was turning fast, too fast. It was his allergy to the virus, it prevented his body from fighting effectively against it.
“Sami,” Josh’s voice floated back to her. They must be getting close. Oh thank god.
She stumbled through the door and landed in the passenger seat. “Are we there?”
“No.” Josh hunched over the wheel. His hands were bleached white. Sweat dripped down the side of his face.
“Almost there?” she said.
“Sami,” he said. “Fuck. I’m lost.”
“What?”
“I’m lost. That smoke. I think it got me off course. I’m not sure where the lab is from
here.”
She couldn’t understand him. He was speaking words, she knew that, but it didn’t make any sense to her. She shook her head. “What?”
“I said we’re lost. Fuck. Fuck!”
Sami stared out at the desert, at the sand that shifted in the ever present wind revealing bleached colors like nowhere else on Earth. For miles it could look the same and then be different as the wind turned, wiping away sand from slabs of rock. It was like someone constantly redecorating. But even then there were still some regular features, some ways to know where you were in the desert. Small dips and distant mountains gave an general indication of location. Occasionally trees and the remains of a town could help. But when you were lost the wind and sand conspired to hide all traces.
“Can you triangulate where the city is?” Sami croaked out.
“Just a minute.” Josh fiddled with a few knobs on the dashboard. “Dammit, the satellite system is broken. I’ll have to do it manually.” He peered out the broken windshield, looking for the location of the sun.
A stillness descended on Sami. Too late, it was too late and she knew it. She put a hand on Josh’s arm, felt the tightness of his forearm.
“Stop,” she said. “Pull over.”
“What? I’m looking for...”
“Pull over,” she whispered.
Josh glanced at her. Something in her face made his shoulders slump. He nodded. The van slowed and came to a stop.
Sami crawled back past Michael and pushed on the back door. The door was warped and it took her a few tries before it swung open. Hot air flooded in bringing the taste of sand. When she turned back to Michael, Josh stood beside him.
“Help me take him outside,” Sami said.
Josh nodded. As he bent to lift the boy’s shoulders Sami wondered if she looked as stricken as Josh. She hoped so, she knew she should, she should look stricken because she certainly didn’t feel it. She didn’t feel anything.
She bent to pick up Michael’s feet and together they carried the boy outside. They set him down in the shade beside the van. As Sami straightened him, Michael half opened his eyes.
“Sami?”
“I’m right here, Michael.” She brushed his red hair off his forehead. The gel he used had melted in the heat, leaving his hair feeling greasy but it didn’t matter. She smoothed it back on his head.
“I feel hot,” he whispered.
“It’s okay, Michael. It’s hot out here.”
His hand fluttered up and she grabbed it. His skin felt paper thin and dry. She squeezed his fingers and felt him try to squeeze back.
“Where are we?” he said.
“We’re just stopping for a rest and then we’ll get going again,” she said. “We’re taking you where you can get help.”
His pupils, abnormally dilated, shifted to her. “Sami, I don’t want...” His voice trailed off.
“Don’t want what, honey?”
“Don’t let... I don’t wanna go like my dad. Sami...”
His fingers quivered in her hand. He was trying to squeeze again but he didn’t have the strength. The turning was coming fast on him, she knew. Somewhere inside a part of her was howling but mostly she still felt nothing, only an awareness of what had to be done.
“You won’t go like your dad,” she said. “I promise. Just rest now.”
He shook his head. His hand twitched in her palm.
“Please, Sami.”
“Just hush.” She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Don’t fuss. I promise.”
“I’m sorry.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Tell Gran I’m sorry.”
Her throat tightened. The howling in the distant part of herself threatened to sweep up and engulf her. She pushed it back and held fast to the nothing feeling.
“I’ll tell her, Michael. It’s going to be okay.”
He sagged back on the ground. His hand hung in the palm. She placed it on his chest and he left it there. His eyes half closed. She couldn’t tell if he was conscious or not.
She’d heard of others turning this fast and if it was daylight and they were outside, the new vampires started combusting before they even finished the change. She wouldn’t let that happen to Michael.
She stood up, brushing sand from her pants. Josh stood half hidden by the back door of the van. His head stayed bowed as she walked over.
“I have to get something from the van,” she said. “Watch him for me.”
“Sami, I’m so sorry.” His whispered voice barely reached her ears.
The howling in her head surged to the fore front and she took a deep breath, forcing it back. She touched his arm.
“It’s already too late, Josh.” She pitched her voice low so Michael couldn’t hear her. Josh flinched.
She left him and stepped into the van. Even with the air conditioning off, the inside was noticeably cooler. For a moment she listened to the ticking of the engine cooling. It sounded like the ticking of her heart, just about ready to stop. Keep moving, she had to keep moving. If she stopped, she would crumble and Michael needed her. He needed her to be strong.
In one of the storage bins, she found a small revolver. She checked the ammunition then grabbed an axe before leaving the van. Josh stood in the same spot, head bowed. As her feet hit the sand, he turned toward her.
“Let me,” he said. “I’ll do it.”
“No.” Her voice carried a strength and conviction she didn’t feel. “I’ll do it.”
Josh looked up. “Sami...”
“No. He’s my family.”
She stepped past him. Josh raised one hand then let it fall away. The sand crunched beneath her boots. The weight of the axe seemed to increase with every step. Michael lay with his one hand curled on his chest, the other lying by his side. His red hair stuck out in all directions. His skin was paler than normal. His eyes were now closed, his dark red eyelashes outlined against the paleness of his cheeks. His breathing was even faster and shallower than before. Too fast, it was happening too fast. Even if they were at the lab right now it was still too late.
She had to believe that.
When she reached his side, she let the axe slip out of her hand. She knelt beside him and brushed his hair off his forehead. A soft moan issued from his lips. She cradled his head in her hand then leaned over to kiss his forehead. She felt the intense heat of his skin on her lips.
“I’m so sorry, Michael,” she whispered in his ear. “I love you.”
Another sound came from him. No words. It was well past any words.
Sami lifted the revolver, tucked it under his chin and fired.
The explosion deafened her. She didn’t hear Michael’s head fall back against the sand or Josh cry out. There was nothing to hear. Nothing she wanted to listen to ever again.
She knelt beside him for a time. She didn’t know how long. She just knelt and watched his blood seep into the sand until Josh came and touched her shoulder. Then she stood up and hoisted the axe, ready to finish the job. She had to. She was a part of the Night Killers and they took care of their own.
CHAPTER TWENTY
They reached the lab as dawn broke over the horizon. Lucy left the truck engine running as she climbed down into the lab. A minute later, a rumble sounded and the large lift ascended. Peter lay in the back of the truck, his eyes closed against the weak sunlight. Already his head was throbbing from it. The pain started in his forehead and traced across the top of his skull and down his neck into his shoulders. He wanted to sit up and drive the truck onto the lift but he couldn’t even open his eyes.
He heard Lucy return and the truck roared and shuddered as she drove it onto the lift. The lift engaged and he felt sand sprinkle his face as it descended. When he was sure the top was closed, he opened his eyes a crack. Darkness. Thank god.
But it wouldn’t last for long. Once they got down to the lab proper, he would have to contend with lighting again. He would have to ask Lucy to help him to his room. He needed to lie down in darkness and hope that the pa
in went away.
It scared him, this pain. Worse than before, than ever. Had he pushed too far and broken something in his mind? Back in the city, he could have seen doctors and specialists who could help him. Out here, he was on his own.
The engine switched off. Peter sat up. Even with his eyes closed, the movement sent pain pulsing across his head. He hissed at the sharpness. All his muscles clenched and he had to force himself to relax. He heard the door slam shut and footsteps moved along beside him. A clang sounded. The back of the truck bed opening.
“Peter?” Lucy’s voice.
“Help,” he said. “I have to lie down.”
“Is something wrong with your eyes?”
“The light hurts. Everything hurts.”
The truck bed creaked and he felt it bounce up and down. A hand touched his arm.
“Come on.” Her voice was right by his ear.
He allowed her to help him out of the truck. As his feet hit the floor, he felt another presence to his left. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the children like a burning ember in his mind. He turned away from them. He could feel the girl tapping at the edges of his mind. He lashed out. His hand brushed something.
“Hey,” Lucy said. “Watch it.”
“Sorry,” he said. “Please, I really need to lie down.”
“Okay.” He felt her hands on his arm. “Stay here, kids.”
She moved forward and he stayed with her. The echo of their footsteps dulled as they entered the hall. Every step took him farther from the children, from the girl pressing against his mind. He felt himself relax a little. Now he could recover.
“Lucy, there’s something different about those kids,” he said. “You need to run some tests.”
“I will,” she said. “You just rest.”
He bumped into a bed and she helped him lie down.
“What about the village?” he said. “We have to tell them we couldn’t get the little girl and that Rucas was killed.”
“I’ll take care of it,” she said. “Rest.”
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