Vessel, Book I: The Advent

by Tominda Adkins

  * * * * *

  Stella Rosin knew Hollows. And, regardless of the Vessels' significance, she was sure that the Hollows would not try to harm them in the middle of New York City, or anywhere else. Not in broad daylight. Not when there was much easier blood to find.

  The Hollows were not interested in trophies. Their objectives were and always had been simple and straightforward: feed, grow, multiply. So Stella had doubted very seriously that they were interested in the Vessel enough to be a threat. She doubted that they even knew about the Vessel.

  She had been wrong.

  The backup unit had reached the Chicago fiasco long before she and Abe had, a circumstance which only added to her ire. The entire group was now gathered on the sixth level of a parking garage about a half mile away, a vantage point far removed from the fading smoke trails and flashing lights still visible at the studio. There looked to be ten or fifteen hunters in all, waiting around a row of parked ambulances, the only vehicles on the entire level.

  Stella cut the bike's ignition and removed her helmet. Her face was hardly a happy one, but it was as composed as ever. Behind her, she felt Abe slide awkwardly off the seat, mumbling something about ergonomics. He then staggered off, rather bowlegged, toward the ambulances and the other hunters.

  A solitary hunter approached Stella, his paramedic jumpsuit half unzipped to reveal the telltale black under-armor. The second in command―or "beta", as he was to be called according to protocol―for the length of this assignment. Stella set her kickstand and assessed him acutely in the seconds before he spoke. It was unlikely that she would ever know this man's name, but she quickly noted that his eyes were the same as hers―a snowy gray, a borderline silver―and among hunters that counted for something. He may have looked younger than her, but he'd been around long enough.

  "Thank you for coming here first," he said. "There have been some unexpected developments."

  Stella barely acknowledged either statement. She got straight to business. "How many were there?"

  "Just four. Very young. But they were definitely after our guys."

  Stella's eyes flicked to the ambulances. "I take it you've subdued them all?"

  Here the beta paused decisively.

  "Yes and no," he said. "Not much was necessary on our part. Not this time."

  Stella did not need to verbally ask for elaboration. She let her glare do the talking.

  The hunter paused again, gravely serious. He moved closer in order to speak in lower tones. Not for fear of being overheard, but because this was almost painful for him to admit.

  "Those Hollows are dead. All four of them, burned to death."

  It took a great degree of muscular control for Stella not to flinch.

  "Dead," she said.

  "Dead." The beta swallowed. "Look, I know you can't give me any details about our targets, but the others are beginning to speculate."

  Stella ignored him, tapping her foot. Dead Hollows. As incredible as the idea sounded, it just didn't seem right. Didn't seem ... natural. However intrigued she was, she decided to save any additional reaction for actual proof. There were other concerns at hand.

  "Our targets. You didn't stop them?"

  The beta shook his head. "We're under orders not to approach them without you or Dr. Sharma. But we're tailing them. And we've got word back already that they're all together. All five."

  Stella nodded. "Any idea yet where they're headed?"

  "Too soon to say." The younger hunter shrugged. "Headed south so far. They're not aware that our people are following, and there's no threat on board with them. Just fleeing blind, if you ask me."

  Stella paused to align the facts for herself. The Vessel were all in one place now. They had seen the Hollows firsthand. They had evidently killed said Hollows. And now they were bolting.

  Three other things seemed very obvious. One, judging by the ice mishap and the recent fire, there seemed to be no doubt that the Vessel were aware of their own abilities. Two, they did not seem to be aware of the Luna Latum's existence, or its purpose to assist them.

  Three. Considering the aforementioned facts, any direct attempt to surprise or corner the Vessel seemed extremely and unnecessarily stupid, in her opinion.

  "There's no way we'll let them out of our sight," the beta assured her. "The next move is up to you."

  Stella adjusted a pin in her helmet-flattened hair and stared at the rows of lights weaving along the highway system. She stepped around the bike, removing her gloves. Break over.

  "Alright," she said flatly. "We'll ask security for the need-to-knows on this arsonist. The singer, too, whatever they've dug up. Let's keep back for now, see if they're heading somewhere specific, and try to contact them in the meantime. Dr. Sharma would be the best person to ...."

  She trailed off and turned slowly on her heel to look around the garage. And just where was Abe? She could not see him, but she could hear him among the cluster of vehicles, his excited voice mingling with the lower, tamer tones of other hunters.

  "He's examining the four I was telling you about," the beta explained, hurrying behind her toward the farthest ambulance. Its back doors were wide open, casting a garish yellow light into the murk of the garage. "We got lucky. Picked them up before a single police car even showed up. No mess. Listen, they're not properly put away, but I assure you―"

  It didn't matter what he was trying to assure her of. Because the instant she stepped into the ugly yellow light behind that ambulance and saw what was inside, she had a gun drawn and aimed before the next instant ever knew it was due. No water this time. Combustable ammunition, silver alloy.

  "Stella, you must see this!" Abe gushed above the cross-hairs.

  Stella did not even notice that he'd spoken her name out loud in front of twelve other hunters. Had she noticed, she would likely have found it difficult not to put a bullet in him then and there. But Abe's fatal faux pas went utterly overlooked, because he was kneeling on the floor of the ambulance, pulling aside the flimsy sheets that covered two unrestrained Hollows.

  Charred Hollows.

  Motionless Hollows.

  But Hollows all the same.

  "Dr. Sharma, move!" Stella roared, barrel still trained on the twisted remains. Her composed expression awoke with shock and aggression. He was touching one. He knew better. They all knew better. "Move. Now."

  Abe didn't move. No one moved.

  "I told you," said the silver-eyed beta, calmly. "They really did it. Just look."

  Stella did not lower the gun. She did not remove her finger from the trigger. She looked from one of her fellows to another with stern misgiving, and then she looked back at the two Hollows.

  She closed her eyes. She halted her breath. And in the darkness behind her eyelids she saw―

  Nothing?

  "Come and see for yourself," said Abe.

  Stella opened her eyes. Without further hesitation, she holstered the gun and stepped forward to examine the first Hollows ever to die.

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