Empire of Blood [Box Set]

by Robert S. Wilson

  "I said," this time he thrust several of his fingers into her shoulder wound and spread them slowly pulling at the flesh and widening the wound, "where is the place they call 'the hive'?" Megan let out a gurgling sort of scream that, when Marcus was human, might have sent chills through his spine. Next he tried tearing the wound further and pressing on the open nerve. But she didn't answer. At least not with any useful words.

  Hours passed as he tore out fingernails, veins, and entire muscles to no avail. Finally he held the long blade that had been sheathed at his side to her eye and brought it closer and closer slowly until he lost all patience and shoved it through her head and killed her instantly. By this point it was maddeningly obvious that she wasn't going to talk. Her body twitched, head bolted to the wall with the blade, as Marcus stood up and brushed off his hands.

  There would have to be another way to find the other vampires. They couldn't be far. And maybe, just maybe they could wait for others to return. Though, he doubted he would get a difference in response than what Megan had provided. He'd been staring at her the whole time and just noticed it. Her one dead eye peeking through into his soul. He pulled the blade from her head and let her fall in a mess onto the floor then wiped the blade on his tongue and re-sheathed it.

  Faint visions from different times throughout Megan’s life flashed in Marcus’s mind. Particular moments of high emotion. Nothing of importance. Nothing that would lead them to the hive.

  * * *

  The truck was squealing tires as it turned onto Bourbon Street. Jonathan let off the gas some then and seemed to be trying to drive more casually.

  “Sit down, Toby, you’re going to draw attention to yourself,” Jonathan said.

  Toby sat, still pushing firm on Dustin’s dressed wound. He didn’t look good. Most of his shirt was soaked in blood and he’d been sweating profusely ever since they escaped The Blue Mermaid.

  Jonathan took another turn, this time Toby didn’t see what road it was, but he got the distinct feeling they weren’t heading toward a hospital.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The hive. They’ll be able to help him there.”

  Toby wasn’t so sure, but he had no reason not to believe Jonathan. The man had proven to be nothing less than honest and resourceful. The more they drove, the more dark and rural the area became. Before long they were surrounded by tall trees, broken down old trailers and houses and large fields Toby assumed were made of swampland. When they were finally at their destination, they pulled up to a clearing complete with several Darvender trucks parked in chaotic rows along the edge of the forest. The sounds of morning were starting to trickle to life when they opened the doors of the truck. Jonathan came around to the passenger side and pulled Dustin out from the cab. Dustin’s eyes rolled in the back of his head.

  Several men and women peeked up from inside the bed of the truck, then jumped out onto the ground and started to help Jonathan with Dustin’s limp body. A couple of them were wounded themselves but not as seriously. One of the men ran off ahead and before long there were vampires there surrounding them, and helping. Toby couldn’t help but hope to see his father soon. He’d missed him more these past days than ever before. Even when he thought his dad would never come back from that awful city in the desert.

  Eventually, with the help of several others, Toby followed as they all were helped into the cave entrance. Inside it was a beautiful site to behold, but he logged it all away as he kept focus on Dustin. When they came to a large cavern, the men set Dustin’s body down next to the fire.

  “Go get Ishan at once. His healing is needed,” a man Toby did not know said to one of the vampires. Several of them left and Toby did the only thing he could think of to do. He knelt down beside his friend and the closest thing to an uncle he had ever had. He sat there and waited for these people—these vampires to help him. A moment later he found his eyes wandering around the cave until they came to an overwhelming familiar sight.

  Hank was marching toward him, watching the two of them from beyond the fire, his eyes wet with tears. Toby got up at once and ran to his father, then embraced him tighter than he ever had before. Hank returned the hug in absolute silence. Toby turned to look back at Dustin and pulled at Hank’s hand to follow him but Hank wouldn’t budge.

  “Dad, please.”

  “No, son. Wait. It’s best that you and I wait here.”

  A moment later a short vampire with long black hair wearing some sort of strange tribal outfit came in and many of the vampires and humans bowed before him. The vampire leaned down and put his hands on Dustin’s chest and like magic in so many stories and films Toby had experienced, a golden glow began to emanate from the vampire’s hands and go into Dustin’s body. Almost immediately, Dustin took in a great gasp of air and sat up like a man jolted awake.

  The short vampire smiled and patted Dustin on the back and said something Toby couldn’t hear. Then the vampire stood up to leave and turned just for a second toward Hank and Toby. His expression was a complex one that Toby couldn’t quite understand. But in that long moment of examination, Hank’s hand squeezed Toby’s shoulder firmly. Then the vampire smiled again, nodded, and looked away and Hank’s hand loosened considerably.

  “Who was that, Dad?”

  “That’s Ishan, the leader of the vampires—well, sort of. Kind of a long story, son.” Toby decided to take his father’s word for it. They exchanged a look of joy then and ran back to be with their old friend.

  * * *

  It hadn’t been hard to find them. All she’d had to do was ask around. Everywhere she went people were glad to tell her when they last saw the vampires. Some of them might have even realized what they were talking to, but most of them she was sure were too busy being mesmerized by whatever power she was able to hold over them. Jackie had always wanted that kind of attention. She’d been called a whore many times in high school, but what did those assholes know about her? Just because she wanted some attention from time to time and was willing to do just about anything to get that attention didn’t make her a whore. It made her ambitious. At least that’s what she wanted to think.

  The Avengers were exactly how she had pictured them. Tall, strong warriors ready for battle. The first one she met, Ovidius, was now leading her to the head guy he called Marcus. All of their names seemed to end in “us.” She laughed at this and Ovidius gave her a strange glance. She stifled the laugh as best as she could. A few minutes later she was standing in front of an even taller man with broad shoulders. He wore a long blade at his side and a strange variation of the Imperial uniform. Ovidius introduced her as “some crazy girl who’s been looking for us.”

  Marcus gave her a long look. He seemed to notice what mostly no one else had instantly. Jackie wasn’t even sure Ovidius had noticed. Marcus grabbed her jaw and squeezed so that she had no choice but to reveal her fangs. His face was full of confusion then. It was as good a time as any, so Jackie took advantage of it.

  “I hear you’re looking for those other vampires.” She smiled as Marcus raised an eyebrow. “If you can promise me I’ll be safe,” Jackie stuffed her shaking hands under her arms, “I can tell you how to find them.”

  Part Four

  Communion

  Chapter 34

  Gathering to Die

  Dustin sat opposite Hank in Hank’s small quarters, the drink in his hand still mostly full. He was obviously trying to take in everything Hank had told him and it was taking some time to sink in.

  “And what if I said you’re full of shit?” Dustin said. They both laughed.

  “I wish that was the case, man. But there’s too much at risk here to do anything more than wish. And I need you to keep this between us. I don’t understand what’s going to happen to make me want to do such a thing but already so many things I never expected to happen have and I’m not the same person I was before. I’m not even really human anymore. So, I can’t be sure what I’m capable of. And having seen what I’ve seen, I have no ch
oice but to expect the worst.”

  Dustin sighed and chugged the rest of his drink, slammed it down on the table. “All right. I’ll keep an eye out and make sure you don’t do anything… crazy. But the Foederati’s asked me to help out on the arms side of things and I intend to do that as well, so it might be wise for you to find a backup just in case.”

  Hank nodded. “That’s more than fair. And really, Dustin, I owe you my life for everything you’ve—“

  “Oh, shut the fuck up, man. You don’t owe me shit.” They both grinned at each other and then embraced in a long firm hug.

  * * *

  All throughout her life, it had taken a lot to make Jackie really feel any fear. In school, none of the kids or even the teachers ever managed to intimidate her. The first real time she had ever been afraid was the night she got herself and her sister stranded in Necropolis. Karen. She hadn’t thought of her little sister in some time. She wondered what her family was doing right at that moment as she looked up at the sky. For the longest time the clouds just hung in the air, moving so slowly as to almost not be noticeable. But they were moving and they were huge. Jackie was shaken from her nostalgia as moonlight parted what she had thought to be clouds and unmasked them for what they really were. Thousands upon thousands of ancestor vampires hung on the air floating at the ready.

  She followed them down to the ground where directly below a line of hundreds of Imperial Army trucks made its way downhill toward them. For the first time in a long time, Jackie was afraid. Very afraid. What had she done? There wasn’t any backing out now, she knew that. It was almost too much, like that night so long ago when she lost her humanity and all ties with her family forever. What would she lose this time? What would be the ultimate consequence for her actions? Watching the army that was arriving before her, she was sure she would find out soon enough.

  * * *

  All around the hive, Ishan could feel the tension as Foederati, human, and ancestor vampires prepared for the inevitable. And through it all, the Queen sat on her throne, a jewel in the midst of all the chaos. He made his own preparations, keeping in mind the various plans and backup plans that were in place in order to protect the Queen and take out as many Imperial vampires as they possibly could. Ishan had been in many wars throughout the years as both a participant and a spectator, but never had so much seemed at stake.

  I sense your worry, child. There is no reason to let such things master your emotions. Go and see the lower chambers and see for yourself if we have reason to fear.

  Ishan knelt before the Queen and kissed her fingers. “I shall at once.” He smiled and then left her there as he traveled along a narrow cave corridor beyond the main cavern. Several more twists and turns both horizontal and vertical, Ishan found himself at the entrance to the lower levels. It had been several centuries since he’d set foot here. He’d long ago decided that if he stayed too long, watching the sheer number of his children would cause him so much pain as to never leave.

  But when he was inside and got a clear view of the entire open pit, he nearly fell in at the shock of the site before him. What at first appeared to be only darkness spread out and moved organically in various places. Ishan’s eyes zoomed in and showed him exactly what it was he should have seen all along. Ancestors. Millions upon millions of them hanging from the cave walls and floating on the air in between. Ishan’s heart lurched from his chest with the pure love that stretched out for all those millions of creatures. Pride intermingled with that love as Ishan watched over his children. And with that, his worry vanished completely.

  * * *

  Charlie Duncan and several of his closest friends were gathered at a local pub the night the book hit the streets. It wasn’t long before the whole country went up in a roar. One of the bar maids ran up and turned up the volume on the large flatscreen TV hanging against the wall behind the bar.

  “The Empire has put out an all points bulletin for the people of America to stay away from a privately distributed book called The Rise of Caesar. The Emperor himself has gone on record to announce that the book is full of misinformation and lies. Hal Bedford has the scoop. Hal, what do you make of this?”

  Charlie winked at his buddies and gave a cheerful laugh as they clinked the necks of their beer bottles together. The Empire had made the exact mistake Charlie had hoped they would. They banned the book and made a spectacle of it. Before long everyone would see the damn thing. And you could lie, you could smear the truth, and tell a story all you wanted to, but that book would tell its own story for anyone with eyes and a reasonable bit of common sense.

  Chapter 35

  The First Strike

  “Yes, Lord Caesar. I have 10 factions ready to move in now. The rest will stay behind in the event that our little informant has fed us false information. In which case she’ll be right by my side and well taken care of.” Marcus winked at Jackie from behind his cell phone.

  She just looked at him from across the room with the same defiant expression she always wore.

  “Consider it done, sir.” Marcus put the phone away and in the same flash of movement grabbed hold of Jackie’s hair and held her just in inch off the ground so that her reaction was to try to stand on her toes.

  Jackie held in the painful moan that was fighting to escape her.

  “I don’t think you realize just how serious this is. If you’re lying or hiding something from me, I will drain you of every last drop of precious blood before you can even think of getting away from me. So, if there’s going to be any surprises coming up you need to tell me about, you had better get it out of the way now.” Marcus looked her in the eyes as she stared back, teeth clenched, determined not to make a sound. Then slowly she relaxed her jaw and spoke.

  “As much as I’d like to bash your fucking skull in right now, I hate them even more. They made me what I am and they left me alone to deal with it. So, to answer your question, no, I am not hiding anything from you,” she said and clenched her mouth shut again.

  Marcus grinned and then dropped her. Jackie landed on her back with a loud thud and glared back at him.

  “What’d you do that for?”

  “Consider it a warning and a little nudge to shape up your attitude. Be ready to leave in the next ten minutes. As I said you will be right by my side when we arrive at the hive if I don’t kill you before we even get there.” Marcus’s grin widened into a sneer.

  Jackie fought to keep her cool even though she wanted nothing more than to jump up and scratch out the bastard’s eyes. Instead she looked away and got back to her feet. By the time she turned back around Marcus was gone, leaving only the echo of his laughter in his wake.

  She thought of Simon then and wondered if he truly deserved what she was doing. There would be no way to know now. She sighed, near to tears. Instead she let her emotions harden and become the anger she’d grown so often accustomed to shielding herself with. By the time her tears where completely gone, Marcus was back and grabbing her by the hair again. He dragged her out the door of the small office room without a care in the world. She kicked at the concrete sidewalk and stairs to try and get back on her feet but it was all she could do to keep up with him. The last orange rays of the evening sun were just over the horizon and scores of howling cries like nothing Jackie had ever heard were calling up into the early night.

  Before long the cries were so loud she couldn’t block the sound out by plugging her ears. Thousands and thousands of ancestor vampires were floating above them waiting and watching Marcus as if they were the rabbits and he held one giant fucking carrot. He let out a loud screech up to them as he climbed into a small armored Jeep and pulled Jackie in behind him. The next second the engine was revving and then the Jeep pulled forward with a jolt and sped away.

  Jackie was practically heaped into the backseat floorboard. The truck rattled and shook as it drove faster and faster, swerving here and there. She could see the many following vampires in the moonlight above. They looked like a massive spreading
and transforming blackness taking over the night sky. The swerving became more frequent making Jackie dizzy. It just seemed to get exponential until finally the Jeep came to an abrupt halt.

  Marcus grabbed her up by her hair again and pulled her from the truck, dragging her as he made his way toward the clearing at the edge of the forest. Dozens of waves of flying vampires began to swoosh down ahead of them toward the forest then disappeared into flashes some of them soundlessly while others made large splashes. Then there was a solitary long screech from over to the east.

  “Good, they’ve found the cave. It looks like I might not have to kill you after all,” Marcus said and laughed an almost resentful laugh. Then he took in a deep breath and let out a long returning screech and every vampire in the sky came together in a huge ribbon of darkness and shot down to where the original screech had come from. Jackie took a step away from Marcus as he stood waiting. There was a slight rumble from beneath the ground for a moment. Then silence again.

  A single bird called out in some mocking tone capturing Marcus’s attention. Then the ground all around them and all the forest exploded into chunks of dirt, roots, tree limbs, and bushes and even the body parts of vampires. Fire erupted from the ground to the east like a doorway to hell had just been blown open.

  “You bitch,” Marcus screamed in an almost girlish pitch. He rustled forward in the dirt trying to grab Jackie, but she’d already had a running start. He leapt forward and grabbed hold of her ankle, digging his claws into the flesh and tearing the posterior tibial artery. Then with strength Jackie had never imagined him capable of he pulled her still running ankle to his mouth and began to take in her blood and within seconds she was near to passing out. She fell to the ground and tried kicking at his head with her other foot.