by P. T. Hylton
He’d carried a torch for Jessica a long time, but over recent weeks it had grown into something deeper. He truly cared about her, and the thought of her dying scared him in a way that he’d never quite felt before.
Brian finished bandaging the arm as best as he could with the towel. “All right, I think that will do for now.”
“Good,” Jessica said. “If you two are done fussing over me, let’s get moving.”
CB helped her to her feet. As they moved through the door into the work area, she put her good arm around his shoulders, leaning on him as they walked.
As they stepped into the work area, six workers dressed in identical orange jumpsuits and hard hats turned toward them.
“Guess we forgot to use the echolocator to make sure the path was clear,” CB grumbled.
“Uh, yeah, my fault,” Brian said softly. “Sorry about that.”
The workers stared at them, no one speaking.
Screw it, CB thought. They’d been spotted. Nothing to do now but put his faith in the people of Sparrow’s Ridge.
“My name’s Arnold Brickman,” he said. “You can call me CB. As you may have heard, I’ve had some trouble with the authorities recently. My friends and I are trying to bring Fleming down, but we find ourselves in a bit of a tight spot. The badges are turning the city upside down looking for us, and we need a little help.”
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then one of the workers, a woman who looked to be in her late fifties, turned to the others. “What are you waiting for? CB needs our help.”
Five minutes later, CB, Jessica, and Brian walked out of the sanitation building, dressed in orange jumpsuits and wearing hardhats, and stepped onto the crowded streets of Sparrow’s Ridge.
Five beams of light cut through the darkness in the storm tunnel under Denver. They shifted and bobbed as the GMT members moved, the light from their headlamps the only illumination.
Igor led the way, Firefly dangling from one hand. So far, Jaden’s plan had worked beautifully. Firefly’s physical discomfort at his perceived betrayal grew as they got closer and closer to his masters. They knew which turns to take by his squirms.
The group mostly walked in silence, the vampires still in shock at the loss of Robert, and the humans conflicted at the current state of their former teammate.
The silence was suddenly broken as a voice crackled in Alex’s ear. In the quiet of the tunnel, even the other humans could hear Owl’s staticky voice coming through the earpiece.
“Alex, we got it.”
“You fixed the ship?” Alex asked.
“Yep. It was a bit trickier than I’d expected. The person who sabotaged this thing wasn’t messing around. We had to jury-rig a couple components, but we’re up and running.”
“That’s fantastic.” She spoke softly, not wanting to give away their location to any enemies who might be lurking nearby. “Get everything ready for takeoff. We might not have the luxury of being able to give you much notice before we head your way. We have a job to finish and then we will be right up.”
“Copy that. Stay safe out there.”
After she signed off, Jaden slowed his pace a bit, falling in beside her. There was just enough room for two to walk side by side on the walkway. It didn’t take a keen understanding of vampire physiology to know he’d heard every word of her conversation with Owl.
“Alex, we don’t have a lot of time before dark,” he said. “I think you and your team should head up and get back to your ship.”
She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What, and miss out on the fun? I thought you needed our help.”
“We did. And you helped plenty. You got Natalie and Igor back to us.”
“Okay, but the job’s not over yet.” She was acutely aware that everyone on both the Agartha team and the GMT were listening closely to this conversation.
“Indeed. But honestly, this job is better suited for vampires. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true. With all the Ferals down here, we stand a better chance without you. Not to mention Mark and Aaron. They’ll be able to smell your human scent when we get close.” He stopped and turned toward her. “You and your team have held your own so far, but we both know things will be different after sundown. Facing a vampire, Feral or intelligent, at night is an impossible task for any human. Go to your ship. We’ll meet you in Agartha when we’ve finished here.”
Alex opened her mouth to respond, but Jaden spoke before she could.
“I respect your desire to see the mission through, but I am going to take the choice out of your hands. If you and your team don’t climb up the nearest ladder and get in the safety of the daylight, I am going to wake every Feral in these tunnels. I would rather not do that, but I need your team gone.”
“Jaden, don’t be an idiot. We can help.”
He turned to Natalie. “Do you have Firefly’s gun?”
“Right here, boss.” She held up the weapon, aiming the barrel at the ceiling of the tunnel. “Want me to fire a couple rounds?”
“That’s up to Alex.”
Alex stared at him for a long moment before answering. “God damnit, Jaden. Fine. You want us gone? We’re out of here. GMT, let’s head topside.”
In the beam of her headlamp, she saw a ladder not far ahead. From what Alex could see of her teammates’ faces, they didn't look too pleased about this turn of events.
Chuck was the first one up the ladder. When he reached the top, he called down, “You undead types might want to watch yourselves. Sunlight incoming.”
The vampires jumped back as he lifted the manhole cover and light streamed into the tunnel.
Wesley scurried up after Chuck, then Patrick moved to the foot of the ladder. He paused and said, “Man, I was really looking forward to fighting a nest of intelligent vampires under the city. That’s the kind of mission every little boy dreams about.”
His brother patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, buddy. You’ll get your chance.”
Alex rolled her eyes and nodded toward the manhole. “Get moving, you two.”
As she climbed out onto the street, Alex checked her watch. They still had over an hour before sunset.
She saw the transport truck less than a block away. She gave a wave, and it began rolling forward. When it reached them, Owl leaned out from the driver’s seat, a grin on her face. “Need a ride?”
Alex climbed into the passenger seat while everyone else piled into the back. As she slid into her seat, she asked, “Is the tracker working?”
“Obviously,” Owl replied. “You think I happened to be right above you?”
She tapped on the tablet on the seat between them, and an image of a map appeared with a red dot in the center. As they watched, the red dot began to move.
“Think Firefly suspects anything?” Owl asked.
“I don’t think so. I’m sure he doesn’t know about the tracker."
Jaden had shoved the tracker into Firefly's leg while adjusting the metal bars just after Alex had told him the plan. Firefly had been in too much pain to notice the tiny device. Or so Alex hoped. She'd clued in the rest of the team through whispered messages, and she'd even managed a quick radio chat with Owl before they started down the tunnel with Firefly.
“Jaden did a good job making it sound like he wanted us to leave,” Chuck called from the back.
“Yeah, and how about that acting performance by me?” Patrick added. “I wonder if New Haven’s theater company is holding auditions anytime soon. I’ll bet I’d kill it on stage.”
Ed looked offended. “If anyone's killing it on stage, it's me. I have the voice of an angel. Mom always told me so.”
“Can we focus, please?” Alex asked. “We need to stay on top of that signal and pray the next part of the plan works.”
Owl drove slowly, tracking along with the red dot on the screen. Alex watched in silence, wondering what was happening twenty-five feet below the truck’s wheels.
Jaden crept through the
tunnel at the rear of his team. He liked to be in a position where he could see the whole team and any threats that might pose a danger to them.
This was a test of his mental discipline, he knew. Between the daysickness and Robert’s death, his mind was already on the verge of giving over control to his animalistic rage. To keep his mind right, he needed to keep his focus one hundred percent on the task at hand.
And then there was this crazy plan of Alex’s. As soon as she'd explained it, he'd immediately disliked it. There were too many variables, too many ways it could go wrong. Two things had convinced him to agree to the plan.
First, he knew that Mark and Aaron were selfish bastards who cared about their own safety above all else. Those two would send wave after wave of their soldiers after Jaden and his team, never daring to risk their own physical safety until the fight was truly over. Unless Jaden wanted to fight his way through the remaining two hundred Resettlers, he needed to find out Mark and Aaron’s location. This seemed like the best option to do so.
Second, and even more importantly, Jaden didn’t totally trust his own judgement in his current condition. Daysickness messed with a vampire’s mind as well as his emotions. Small things could seem more important than they really were while crucial details were easily overlooked.
Since he couldn’t trust himself, he had to select someone else to trust. He’d chosen Alex. Though he didn’t know her well, he had seen evidence of her rash, sometimes immature actions. But he knew that was a byproduct of her passion. She was battle-hardened and a capable warrior with experience planning and executing missions.
So, even though he didn’t love the plan, he’d decided to follow it. The most difficult part was still to come: trusting Alex and the GMT in battle.
Igor led the way, Firefly dangling from his hand. As they reached a cross section, Igor slowly began walking to his left, just as he’d done at every other cross section. Even from the back of the group, Jaden could see Firefly relax just a bit.
Wrong way. Igor turned back and started down the right-hand path. Firefly immediately began wriggling, desperately trying to get free. It was the strongest reaction he’d had thus far. They were close to Firefly’s masters.
Igor paused, glancing back at Jaden. The older vampire nodded, and Igor headed into the tunnel to his right.
He’d only made it a few steps before a rifle’s crack split the air. At the sound of the gunshot, Igor dropped Firefly and jumped back, ducking to safety around the corner.
The rifle fired again, and Firefly let out a muffled shout.
“Wait!” one of the vampires called. “I think that’s the captain!”
The sound of ten pairs of boots slapping against the tunnel floor filled the air, and Jaden grimaced. These new vampires were like a pack of wild dogs. A vampire should be able to move almost soundlessly, but these new bloods had no idea how to use their abilities. And clearly Mark and Aaron didn’t consider teaching their progeny a priority.
The thought of it stoked the fire of anger already raging in Jaden’s chest. Turning a human and teaching it the ways of the vampire was a sacred duty and it should not be taken lightly. In his long life, Jaden had only turned three humans, and each time he’d dedicated the following hundred years to their education. That was why he now had an army of skilled warriors instead of this rabble of armed dullards that were barely better than Ferals.
Jaden felt sorry for the Resettlers. They hadn’t asked for this. He hoped he wouldn’t have to kill too many more of them, but he wouldn’t hesitate if the situation required his application of the deadly arts.
“Don’t let them get the prisoner!” Igor shouted.
The Resettlers moved fast, grabbing Firefly and pulling him deeper into the tunnel.
Natalie sprayed a few rounds in their general direction to sell their pursuit. She even chased them a little way down the tunnel.
Igor called after them, “Don’t let them get away!”
Jaden put a hand on his shoulder. “I think that’s enough.” Then he raised the radio to his mouth. “Alex, they took the bait. Just make sure they don’t wiggle off the hook.”
“We got this, Jaden,” she answered. “We’ll let you know when they stop.”
“We’ll be ready.”
Natalie trotted back toward them. When she reached them, she turned to Jaden. “What do we do now?”
“We do the thing we’ve become so good at over the past few centuries,” he answered. “We wait.”
22
Alex and Owl watched as the red dot on their display stopped directly below them.
“Think this is it?” Owl asked.
“Let’s hope so,” Alex replied. “The sun isn’t going to be up much longer, and we need to finish this before night falls and things get way more complicated. Facing a vampire army during the day is bad enough. When night arrives, these guys are going to be unstoppable.”
They watched for another thirty seconds, making sure the dot wouldn’t start moving again, then Alex radioed down to Jaden.
“They stopped,” she said. “I think we got them.”
He answered immediately, “Roger that. Give me a moment to move in and confirm.”
As they waited, Alex looked around the area. They were parked in the middle of a large intersection where two wide roads crossed. Glancing around, she saw four manhole covers, one near each corner. Good. Multiple ways down meant multiple points of attack.
Still, she didn’t love the thought of descending in a spot where Mark and Aaron could see them coming. They needed something that could serve as a distraction.
“What’s the plan, Captain?” Ed called from the back. “Are we going down to kill some vampires or what?”
“Hang tight. It shouldn’t be long now.” She thought a moment. “Owl, remember that palace in Las Vegas?”
“The one where we almost died under three tons of sand? Yeah, I have a vague recollection. Why?”
“I’m wondering if we could use the same approach here.”
Owl stared blankly for a moment. Then she got it. “Alex, we don’t know exactly how large that room is down there. It would be guesswork. Assuming we could do it at all.”
“Well, you are smarter than I am. Give me your best guess.”
Owl looked around. “I think that the tunnels meet up here. Theoretically, I think it’s doable.”
Alex was about to respond when her radio crackled to life.
“Alex, the army is gathered in a large room. I’m going to see what I can do about clearing out the army so you can take out Mark and Aaron. You up for the task?”
“Get the Resettlers out and we’ll take care of those two bastards.” She paused a moment. “Think you could give us ten minutes before you make your move? I have a really dumb idea.”
“Ten minutes, no more. We’re losing daylight, and you don’t want to face Mark and Aaron at night.”
Alex couldn’t disagree. She remembered Firefly’s story about how those two had taken out three hundred Resettlers in a matter of minutes. “Roger that. And make sure your vampires are out of the room before you send the signal. We’d hate to accidentally kill your people.”
“I would also hate that. Wait for the signal and then attack. Good luck, Alex.”
“Same to you, Jaden.” She turned to her team, wishing she’d thought of this plan sooner. They’d have to move quickly now. “Owl, drive the transport about a block away. Chuck and Wesley, use your cutters to get down a foot or two into the street and fill it with enough explosives to collapse a tunnel. Everyone else with me.”
The team got to work, moving quickly, aware the signal from Jaden could come at any moment. Alex didn’t know if the explosion would allow enough sunlight down into the tunnel to make a difference, but it would be one hell of a distraction and it might give them an alternative route from which to attack.
She just prayed Jaden could come through on his end of the plan to draw the Resettlers away. The whole point of this was to sav
e the Resettlers, and it would sort of defeat the purpose if the lot of them died in a hail of gunfire.
When Wesley and Chuck finished cutting their hole in the pavement, they loaded it with explosives from Wesley’s pack.
“This might be overkill,” Wesley said.
“This is the rare case when I say better too many explosives than too few,” Alex replied.
“Then I guess we’re ready,” Wesley said.
Patrick and Chuck waited by one of the manhole covers, and Alex and Ed waited by another. Wesley and Owl stood by a third manhole cover, ready to climb down as soon as the explosives blew in the pavement.
They were in position and ready. All they needed was the go signal from Jaden.
Firefly groaned, unable to get any words out around the gag in his mouth, though his body desperately wanted to shout. He had information that could possibly help his masters, and everything from the metal rods through his limbs to the shoulder wound he’d sustained when his own soldiers accidentally shot him took a backseat to that.
His orders had been to get information on Jaden and his team’s whereabouts. Now he had that information, and his body needed to obey.
But all that came out were muffled grunts.
Jaden had done a thorough job stuffing Firefly’s T-shirt down his throat. If Firefly had still needed to breathe, he’d be in serious trouble. As it was, the lack of air bothered him far less than his inability to speak.
Two of the Resettlers carried him, one supporting his legs and the other lifting him by the shoulders. As vampires, they were each certainly capable of carrying him alone, but both probably wanted credit from their masters for bringing him back.
