by Alex Dire
“What have we here?” belted a well-groomed newcomer to the rotunda. Several staffers trailed him like a royal train.
“Ah,” replied senator Davis. “Governor, nice of you to join us.”
“This is going to get bad,” said Georgios.
“Why?” asked Norman.
“Davis and Governor Hatch aren’t exactly the best of friends,” replied Rae.
“But they’re in same party?” said Norman.
“Davis challenged the governor in a primary in the last election,” replied Rae. “Hatch doesn’t let things like that go.”
Garcia ran to the governor’s side. “Thank God you’re here.”
“Thanks for the call, Garcia,” said the governor. “But I’m not sure I understood what you were getting at? Did you mention vampires?” Governor Hatch then addressed the crowd. “What are you all standing around for? Get to your offices. We have a terror attack to manage.”
The crowd began to shuffle about and move toward the stairwells and hallways as if vampires had never been mentioned. Now this was a terror attack again. If only these people knew the true terror that rapidly approached.
“We need to fix this,” whispered Norman.
“Let me try something,” said Rae.
Norman nodded.
Rae ran to the center of the rotunda. “Wait!” Her voice boomed with authority. Clearly, she’d absorbed some technique from this place. “Senator Walsh is telling the truth.”
The crowd paused. Norman knew she wouldn’t have them long. It was now or never. “I hope she makes this good,” Norman whispered to Rufus.
Rufus displayed no emotion in response.
As all eyes turned to Rae. She shouted once again. “I have proof.”
The governor shouted back in annoyed exasperation. “Proof of vampires? Who is this person? Does she work here? Security? Where’s security?”
“Yes, Governor.” In one instant, she stood in the center of the rotunda. In the next, she stood face to face with Governor Hatch. A gasp escaped nearly every mouth in the room.
The governor stood for a moment, speechless. “How did you do that?”
“Governor. I work here. I’m Senator Walsh’s Chief of Staff,” said Rae.
The governor looked around at the crowd whose eyes betrayed their disbelief at the display of speed they’d just seen. He regained his composure. “Then you need to get to work.”
Rae tightened her face. She reached out and grasped the governor from under his arms and lifted him into the air above her head. Eyes grew wide in the assembled body.
Then Rae was gone.
The crowd gasped once again. This time the gasp didn’t die down but was replaced by mumbles and voices expressing disbelief.
“We’re here,” said Rae from the balcony next to Walsh.
The noise in the crowd grew louder.
Rae placed Hatch down between herself and Walsh. “And if you need more proof…” The rotunda grew silent once again waiting on her next words. But they never came. Instead Rae bared her teeth. Her two massive canines shot down.
The governor’s facade of cool faded and fear gripped his face. Norman could sense the terror spreading from him like a disease.
He sped up the stairs and stood next to Rae, repeating her actions and showing his teeth. “There are more of us. More than you know.”
“What are you?” shouted Davis from the rotunda floor as if this information was brand new. As if the existence of vampires had not already been explained moments before.
“We are vampires,” said Norman.
The room exploded with noise. It seemed that, as in a classroom, sometimes repetition was the key to new learning.
“Not possible,” shouted Davis. “This is a trick.”
The room quieted to hear.
“Just wait a minute, Senator Davis,” said the greyed haired woman. “Let them speak.”
Norman wondered if he was watching a sincere interaction or if, even now, politics insinuated itself into the situation.
“Sandra,” said Davis, “you can’t be seriously considering…”
“That’s representative Barker, Senator.” She stabbed the words into Davis with her fierce and icy eyes. Then she looked back up to the balcony. “Rae. I know you. We’ve spoken so many times. How many of you are there?”
Rae looked down to the small huddle of vampires that still stood in the rotunda. Georgios and MacManus sprinted up the stairs. Norman saw them blur up, but to the humans, not used to tracking such speed, it must have seemed the just appeared there. They both displayed their fangs.
The crowd recoiled. Adrenaline and surprise were the only thing that forestalled all out fear. They needed to act before the moment passed.
“This is nonsense,” shouted Davis.
Hatch, seeing an opportunity, broke in with great volume and authority. “Don’t be too hasty, old friend. There’s definitely something new going on here. It has been an evening of complete strangeness in this city. It would be unwise to remain closed to new…possibilities.”
Norman hated that politics was dictating peoples’ words, but there was no way around it. He needed to get more people on his side. Of all places, the capital was about choosing sides.
However, Davis knew this too, and Norman watched as he began his next campaign for governor right then.
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Our governor is asking us to believe in fairy tales. This is beyond the pale. Governor, you may be in need of medical attention. “
Chatter ensued around the room. Clearly some members of this body agreed with the upstart.
“In fact, perhaps we should enact…”
Before Davis could say another word, Rufus appeared before him. The massive vampire looked down into his eyes. Davis stood, mouth agape, staring up at the burly, bloody, half naked vampire.
Dear God, thought Norman, all we need is for Rufus to kill a sitting senator. “Rufus,” he shouted out loud.
Rufus spoke slowly through angry teeth. “Senator Davis. Please instruct your staff to go home. Then announce to the room that they must leave if they value their lives.”
Davis’s face softened and any false emotion he displayed for political purposes faded. “Connie, would you please round up the staff and tell them to take the rest of the night off.”
“Yes, Senator,” said a woman standing nearby. She whispered to several people who all stood around Davis.
Then Davis swirled around to address the room. “Folks, I have no desire to die tonight. You heard what’s going on here. I think we should all go home. Our families need us.”
The chatter in the room increased as the new information processed its way through the rotunda. A sort of stasis ensued as if it did not quite yet compute. Many turned their heads to Rufus who stood with stoic strength. He opened his mouth and his fangs shot down.
Garcia ran to the center of the room. All eyes turned to him. He raised his weapon high in the air like a staff. “Fly you fools!” His staccato words broke the log jam and inaction transformed to panic. Members and staffers made their way at once to the smashed-in doorway. The unruly mass threatened to become a mob.
Then the ground shook. A boom sounded in the distance. Paint flecks rained down and dust fell from the domed ceiling high above.
Norman ran to a window. In the distance, he could see a massive plume of black smoke and fire rising to the sky.
“What is that?” asked Rae. “Is it Skeete?”
“That makes no sense,” said Norman. “It’s farther than the warehouse. It’s in the opposite direction.”
“What the hell’s going on?” said MacManus
“We need to move,” said Rufus, appearing at their sides. “I think we may have misjudged their plans.”
“You said they were coming to the capital?” replied Norman.
“I may have misunderstood.”
“What now, then?” asked Rae.
Why are they heading away from the ca
pital? Skeete's mutant vampire army was on the move, and Norman's little band were the only ones who had a chance at figuring out their scheme. “We move.”
He smashed his hand through the window, leapt, and was gone.
28
Mr. Smith
Burned bodies lay around the massive fire that raged. Every pump at the gas station was gone and in its place massive plumes of flame spewed into the air.
“They’ve been here,” said Rufus. “These bodies are drained.”
“Look!” shouted MacManus He pointed across the street to a movie theater. The glass walled entrance had been smashed.
They sped inside. The ticket and concession areas were empty.
“I think I know what’s going on here.” He ran to one of the auditoriums and opened the door. Inside, a movie played on the screen. However, no one watched. At least no one who was still alive. Dead bodies lay strewn about the seats, each with holes in their necks. It was a packed house. Some bodies lay in the isles. Some were torn to shreds. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan played loudly over the mess.
Georgios rushed in beside him. “It’s the same in all the theaters.”
“They were feeding.”
“Between the homeless people and this, they’ve left quite a trail of bodies,” said Georgios.
“It seems they need to feed pretty often.”
“Could be a function of their mutant genome.”
They sped to the lobby and rendezvoused with the others.
“Who would do this?” screeched Felicia. “What do they want?”
“It’s what they’ve always wanted,” replied Rufus. “And now they have the means to do it. This was just the beginning. The real combat starts now. This will be the end.”
“I don’t get it,” said Georgios. “You said they were going to the capital?”
“This is in the opposite direction?” said Felicia.
“Maybe I heard wrong,” replied Rufus.
“No,” said Norman. “You heard right. They’re going to a different capital. They’re going to Washington D.C.”
Moments later the small band of vampires sped through the streets of the city and then through the outskirts. They screamed passed the abandoned parking lot where Norman and the Nymphs had first established contact with Nebulous. Norman pushed his frantic pace through the suburbs until they wound their way along country roads.
“Wait,” panted Felicia.
The group stopped. Felecia dropped her hands to her knees and drew in deep rapid breaths. “I need a break.”
“We’ll never make it if we have to stop every few minutes,” said Rufus. “The sun will be up in less than an hour.”
Felicia replied with more panting.
“Our enemies have no such restrictions, in case anyone needed reminding. If we don’t fight them tonight. It’s over.”
A phone rang. Rae reached to her pocket and picked it up. “Hello?” She listened for a moment. Looking to Norman, she reached out with the phone. Her face looked dire. “It’s for you.”
Norman took the phone and placed it against his ear. “Hello?”
Before the last sound left Norman’s mouth, the voice on the other side began a hurried tirade. A moment later Norman tapped the phone off and handed it back to Rae. His glance dropped to the ground.
“Well?” said Georgios.
Norman could hear his own heart pounding over the sounds of vampires catching their breaths. “It was Matt. He said we need to get to D.C.”
“We already knew that,” said MacManus “Brilliant, these guys.”
Norman looked each of the members of his little team in the eyes. “We have to fight.”
“Wait, what about Georgios’ mixture?” asked Rae.
Norman's throat dried, and he had to force his words through. “We have to fight until they’re ready to deploy it.” An impossible fight. A doomed fight. How could the few of them delay those monsters for even an instant?
“By ourselves?” said Rae
“Matt said that others would meet us there,” said Norman.
“Who?” said Rufus, his voice dripping with suspicion.
Norman shook his head.
“Bah,” belched Rufus. “Unknowns. Who knows who these mystery allies are? I’ll take a straight up fight against Skeete and her minions. I never trusted that group. Nebulous. Why hide? Why not face the world? Make your intentions known. Sneaking. Bah.”
“We don’t have much of a choice,” said Norman. “Felicia?”
“I’m good.”
Norman sped off again with the others close behind.
They arrived, exhausted, at the Capital with a half hour left before sunrise. The eastern sky glowed with the approaching morning. They slowed to human pace and walked down Pennsylvania avenue toward the White House.
“How do you know they’re heading there?” asked Felicia.
“That’s where I’d start,” said Norman. “The president sleeps there.”
As they passed Lafayette Square on their left and approached the bleached structure, Norman made out a group of about thirty protesters marching in a circle in front of the White House gate. A few yards away, two police leaned against their car chatting and monitoring the group.
“Weird time for a protest,” said MacManus
“Indeed,” replied Norman. He walked toward the group. They held signs that read “Stop The War” and such. As he passed by, he notice one of the protesters eyeing his team and their archaic weapons. His spider senses didn’t prick up. Perhaps they were just peaceful protesters or perhaps….
A tall muscular man with a knit cap stepped forward. “You the teacher?”
“Norman. And you?”
“Name’s, Jack.” He extended a hand to Norman. “Nebulous sent us. Said to meet you here ready to fight.”
“You brought signs?” said Norman.
“They were on the sidewalk when we got here,” said Jack. He turned to the group. “It’s them.”
They all stopped their circular march and moved around the newcomers. The two police at the car stood up and took notice. One of them reached to his shoulder and spoke into his radio.
“So what’s the plan?” asked Jack.
“Fight,” said Rufus from the back of the group.
Jack eyed Rufus’s tattered uniform. “Military. What the hell happened to you? You look like you’ve been through the ringer.”
“Who are you?” asked Norman.
“Survivors. We thought we were pretty much alone. I have to say, I’m not eager to fight, but it’s great to see you. Are there others?”
“We’re a group of survivors as well. There are groups scattered throughout the world.”
“What brings you here, and who is it we’re fighting? I thought the war was over,” said Jack
Norman shook his head. “You watch the news tonight?”
Jack shrugged. “A little. why?”
“The terror attack wasn’t what you think.”
“Oh no?”
“The Corps. V have engineered a breed of vampire soldiers immune to wood and sunlight.”
“Impossible.”
“No,” said Rufus stepping forth. “I have never fought anything like them. I’ve only been able to slow them down.” He indicated his torn and bloody uniform. “This has been the cost.”
“If a VR special ops soldier can’t beat them, what are we supposed to do?” said Jack.
Rufus repeated, “Slow. Them. Down.”
“I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t sound like a fight we can win.”
“Either we fight tonight,” said Norman. “Or we die tomorrow. Once the sun comes up, it’s over. There’ll be nothing between the Corps. V army and the White House.”
“Wait,” said Jack. “Did you say army? How many?”
“Three hundred,” said Rufus.
“And thousands more on the way,” added Norman. “This is just the first wave.” He let the words sink in. “We have to
win tonight. There's no tomorrow.”
“Bu--” said Jack.
“Nebulous may have a solution. There may be a flaw in the VR…design. We need to buy time to exploit it.”
A burly man with a gruff beard threw his picket sign down on the ground and stepped up. “Then so be it. We fight.” He looked to Jack. “We’ve been hiding long enough. Let’s make an end of it.”
“It seems we have no choice. The Corps. V have made it for us.” Jack looked to Norman. “Okay, teacher. What next?”
An explosion erupted near the horizon. Yellow flames and black smoke formed a plume that rose into the sky.
The two police immediately leapt into their car and drove toward the conflagration.
“These guys seem to have a thing for gas stations,” said MacManus
“I’m going to miss your sense of humor when we’re all dead,” said Felicia.
“Not more than me,” he replied.
Norman heard them first. The sounds of hundreds of boots marching in unison, like slow thunder. Then he saw them. They marched in formation down Sixth Street and into Lafayette square across from the White House in disciplined lines.
The burly man tensed the muscles in his face. He pulled the sign off the end of the wood post he held and cracked the end to make a sharp point. “We’ll see how immune to wood they are.”
“I like this one,” said Rufus. “What’s your name?”
“Frank” replied the bearded vampire.
“Appropriate,” said Felicia.
Norman smiled at his student’s word play. His Shakespeare class had made an impression.
Felicia drew her dagger and flicked a switch at the bottom. Rufus whipped out his assassin’s knives. Rae grasped the handle of the stake with the streaked silver tip she’d brought from Garcia’s office. Georgios and MacManus held their weapons at the ready.
Norman’s fists vibrated with fear and anticipation. He struggled to grasp his spear. Sweat compromised his grip. If he couldn’t hold it, his fists and fangs would have to do. He just hoped they’d get him through until Nebulous did whatever they planned to do.
29
Once More Into the Breach
