by Dale Mayer
Cody whooshed to a fast drop in front of her, a big smirk on his face when he realized that Motre wasn’t there. “Beat him.”
“Well, you did have the advantage.” She laughed. “Did you see anything?”
“No. I went up six flights. No exits that I could see and no end in sight.”
“Weird.” They waited for Motre. Only Motre didn’t return. Glancing over at Cody, she said, “I’m not liking this.”
“I’m not either.” And he jumped up, opened his wings, and gave a hard pull, disappearing up the columns of the twisting staircase.
She jumped up several stairs then several more, trying to make the distance between her steps widen to make her movements more effortless. She had a lot of jumping practice, but not so much up stairs. It was harder. More physically taxing.
She opened her arms and realized the curl of the staircase was tight enough that she could jump higher if she deliberately angled her efforts. She laughed as the stairs below fell away as she climbed higher and higher. She stopped and looked down, realizing how high up she’d come.
Beast was racing up behind her, anxious to not be left behind.
All this distance and she’d seen no exit. Why? Surely there was something along here. The men that had dropped down on her had to come from somewhere. Maybe a ventilating shaft? She took several shorter jumps, wondering where Cody and Motre had gotten to. Again, they hadn’t had time to get very far.
She kept climbing.
Mentally, she reached out to Cody, Where are you?
I’m here.
She jumped again and again. “Okay, this is getting bad. I feel like I must have passed you somewhere.”
No. The stairs end to an open room. Just keep coming. But carefully. The enemy snatched Motre off the steps and carried him up. Cody sighed. When I flew up, they were expecting me.
She froze. Are you a prisoner?
Not sure I’d use that term. Come higher and you’ll see.
Am I walking into a trap?
Yes and no. He laughed, but it was a bitter laugh. Don’t suppose you still have Beast with you, do you?
Yes.
Beast was climbing the stairs, but he was still a few flights below her. She could hear his footsteps, the nails clicking on the stone as he followed her. Cody should have carried him up with him.
Uhm, as much as I’d like to have Beast here with me right now, I’m not sure he’d have let me carry that fat ass up here.
He’s hardly fat. And now that he’s climbing all these stairs, he’s going to be tired, she warned.
She stopped and waited for Beast to reach her. He wagged his tail and kept climbing past. In fact, he didn’t look tired at all. He just powered forward. She walked at his side. They couldn’t have much farther to go. Suddenly Beast raised that huge shaggy head and sniffed the air. And started to howl.
At the same time, he picked up speed and raced up the steps.
Mystified but knowing Beast’s reaction was tied into whatever awaited them at the top of the stairs, Tessa ran behind the dog to the top of the stairs.
Beast jumped over the top. Instantly, horrific animal snarls filled the air.
Tessa crested the top and stared. Motre and Cody were pinned in an alcove but not restrained by anything as far as she could see. Then she caught sight of Beast. And understood.
Several big black cats circled Beast.
As in wild cats. Panther size. With long front fangs and claws that put hers to shame.
“Shit,” she said in a fervent whisper. “Where the hell did these guys come from?”
“I was grabbed by a flying vamp about halfway up.” Motre raced over to her. “He dumped me here, laughing his head off,” Motre snorted. “I managed to hide in here until Cody came.”
“And Cody came to the rescue, I see.” Tessa giggled as she eyed the three cats. They’d make mincemeat out of Beast. She couldn’t allow that though. He bristled at the felines, the hair on the back of his neck rising and his demeanor changing. He’d always been rough and dangerous-looking, but right now he was more demon than dog. She didn’t know if she should jump in and help him or if he’d be insulted by her offer.
Still, there were three. He might be able to take one out, but he wouldn’t be able to take on three without suffering some injuries. She walked closer. She needed to snag the energy spot and drop the cats before they could attack. It was not their fault. But unlike Beast, she couldn’t see any of the cats’ original energy. She didn’t think she’d be able to save any of them. And that broke her heart. If she couldn’t save them, she wanted to put them down as humanely as possible. Her world had become all about death and destruction.
The sad part was she’d become very good at it.
She strode confidently forward, stepping into the circle to stand beside Beast.
“Uh, Tessa, that was not a good answer…” Cody called out. “Those cats are vicious. Not sure they’ve been fed or what they need to feed on at this point in their development.”
“The blood farm has obviously developed more shitty animal experiments,” Motre said, shaking his head. “These cats are unbelievable.”
“True, but I find it reassuring.” Tessa said, trying to keep her eyes on the cats. “If their numbers have been decimated to the extent that they have to resort to using cats and dogs for their fighting, then we are making progress.”
“Not enough. Do you have any idea how many cats and dogs there are in this town,” Motre snapped. “Soon no one will be safe.”
She tilted her head, considering that. “It would be more effective to work with the rats instead. They run everywhere. One bite and the vamp is gone.”
“Thanks for that,” Cody snapped. “I was just thinking the dogs and cats would likely be the worst they could throw at us, but if they start with rodents, then we are in major trouble.”
Tessa only half heard him, her gaze on a particularly lethal cat that had locked its gaze on her. She didn’t dare let it out of her sight. But while she was tracking that big cat, she knew there were two more that could be getting ready to slice her back open. She dropped to her knees, her claws extending as the cat lunged. High and strong it rose.
But Tessa was ready, she flashed her hand through the energy right at the cat’s heart region as it rose above her. Without a whimper, it crashed to the ground beside her, the long legs catching Tessa’s shoulder on the way.
She scrambled back, her hand instinctively rubbing the injury. The damn animal had big claws and one had cut her. Still, it was nothing compared to the damage the cat could have done and indeed what the others were still trying to do.
“Tessa!”
She spun around, catching sight of Cody as he bolted toward her.
“Behind you,” Motre yelled.
She twisted. The second large cat had snuck to the other side and lunged at her.
Tessa cried out as claws and teeth found their mark. Then she was free. She hadn’t had time to react before Cody tossed the cat to the floor beside the first one – dead.
“You okay?” He reached over and tugged her into his arms, pulling her hair back so he could take a look at her neck.
“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just a scratch.”
“But a decent-sized one,” Cody snapped. “You could have let Beast deal with them.”
“How fair is that?”
Cody spun her around to show her Beast standing over the last cat and calmly cleaning his paws. “He’s not a normal dog. This is fun for him.”
“He’s a beast,” Motre joined them, his voice admiring. “Like wow. He took that cat out like it was nothing.”
“How could they do this to these poor animals?”
“Considering how they were treated, I’m sure death is a kindness to them. Beast would be in the same condition if he wasn’t so damn big. But you saved him from that fate, and now he fights on our side.” Motre shook his head. “Could our lives get any weirder?”
He kicked first on
e cat then the other. “Thankfully, they are dead.”
“Good,” Cody said. “Let’s go find the flier that dumped you for the cat’s next feeding.”
*
David slowed down after climbing stairs steadily for at least ten minutes. The stairs spiraled up as far as he could see, with no other doors and no windows to show if they’d made it above ground level or not. He’d seen no other footprints, but then, there wouldn’t be. The cut steps were dry and hard and clean. He glanced behind but Jewel was staying close. He went around one more bend and slowed. The stairs ended. At a door.
He took a deep breath and studied the ground in front of them.
“Where do you think it goes?” Jewel asked.
“No idea,” he whispered. He leaned forward and placed an ear against the wood. He couldn’t hear anything on the other side. “Get ready.”
The door opened silently, well-oiled and maintained even if it was a heavy plank door that looked more appropriate for a medieval castle than Council Hall.
He glanced behind to find Jewel texting the news to his father. As she had been every step of the way. David understood. They had the technology to keep in touch. Given the circumstances, someone needed to be alerted to their position. He peered into the darkness. It was a small anteroom. A place to get out of the way of the stairs and keep watch of people coming and going without letting their position away. Well, that worked for him too. He motioned for Jewel to join him then closed the door. Just the two of them almost filled the space. He pointed to the second door. The second door was more modern and had been replaced sometime in the last millennium. Good. That meant someone had been using the place. With a shrug and a warning look at Jewel, David opened the second door.
*
Serus had to admit that being back in command wasn’t so bad. If only those under him weren’t pimply-faced kids.
Could they get any younger? He hoped not. He wanted seasoned warriors to lead. Hell, he wanted to be at the helm himself. Somehow the kids here had latched on him as their leader in Sian’s absence and he was stuck. He couldn’t let them down. He must be getting soft in his old age.
They were down to three able-bodied Councilmen, considering several had died and several were still battling drugs, leaving Goran, Adamson, himself, and Rhia, who no one else would count as being on active duty. They were going to have to reassess the Council when this was over. With any luck, he might be able to move David up the ranks. Although it should be Seth first. He frowned, hating to have that big worry back into his head. He’d seen his son’s attitude and actions. That would need to be fixed before Seth was going anywhere good. He understood Rhea’s point of view. She was a mother. One always had to make allowances for those. But he was a father, and he wasn’t so damn sure what he’d seen had been drug-induced.
Like Goran had much to deal with over his son’s traitorous actions and subsequent death, Serus was struggling to make allowances for his own son.
Besides, the council members only ever picked from vamps of honor. Those with decades, even centuries of service. Serus knew that Goran had hoped to put his son’s name forward when the next position opened up. They opened up rarely. Most Council members served for centuries, and some much longer, like Deanna. He hated that name. She’d have been the next spot to open up. Given her age, it wouldn’t have been much longer. A decade at the outside. Now look at the mess she’d left.
No, David wouldn’t be eligible for a long time. But he could move higher in the hierarchy. And he deserved to. He’d shown himself to be a good man in this disaster. So had Cody. That would make Goran proud. They both had lost one son – permanently in Goran’s case. Lucky for the two of them, both had sons who’d stepped up to the plate in a big way.
None of them would be the same after this.
The society wasn’t going to be same. They’d all been affected. Their innocence destroyed. They’d be years pulling their world back together again. And it wasn’t even at the point where they could yet. He was very much afraid that the worst was yet to come.
*
Instead of attacking, Rhia dropped to the floor and scooted under the big desk, coming up on the other side of where the crone stood. There was something in his profile that was familiar. But what? And who was he? She glanced around quickly, looking for a weapon. He had to be killed or there’d be no freeing her son. He’d send out an alarm and that would be it. She’d have the whole blood farm on her back.
“You’re not going anywhere,” the crone snapped. “Do you really think I’m going to let you walk out of here? No, you will be used as bait to bring the last two ancients on our list. We need Goran and Serus here.” He shook his head. “You don’t even know me, do you?”
She stared at him. Then shrugged. “No, I don’t.” At the twist in his features, she added, “Who are you?”
“Resnick. I served as financial advisor to the Council for over a century. Not one of the Council. Just always on the outside. A useful add on, but never one of you.”
Really? She didn’t recognize him. Hell, his own mother wouldn’t recognize him. He was nothing like the young man who’d attended council meetings to give updates on the business affairs. “What happened to you?” she asked in a compassionate voice. She waved her hand toward him in a helpless motion. “You look so…different.” She winced at the fumble, but it was hard to come up with something not derogatory that wouldn’t inflame him.
Too late.
“Oh, don’t feel sorry for me.” He laughed with a tone of bitterness. “I’m so much more than I was. I got in on the experiments early on. My brain functions faster and better than yours – of course it always did, but now it’s a super model to your old, slow one. My physical body might not look the prettiest, but it’s stronger, faster, and will outlive yours.”
She blinked. “This is all from the drugs and enhancement experimentation?” She shook her head. “I gather you’re not the poster boy for getting new younger vamps to sign up?”
The man who was a full century younger than her but looked several centuries older snarled, his teeth bared like a dog. Jesus, he was a mess. Putting him down was a kindness.
“Did you really think you’d be able to walk in here and take what you wanted and no one would know?” He slowly took a step toward her. “Your son is one of us. Always has been. Even now he’s being given the enhancements he asked for. We saved him from you. He’s a rising star in our world. And you are a dying star. Your time to shine is over. It is our time.”
He took another slow step toward her.
“Where is he?” she said in a hoarse voice, her voice rising to a scream, “Tell me where he is.”
“It won’t do you any good.” Resnick smiled at her – if that movement of lips over teeth was classified as a smile.
He glanced at his watch. “He’ll be heading into the lab any minute. And you’re so damn close. Almost close enough to stop it. Just a few doors away. But instead, I think we’ll take you as a prisoner so you can see what he becomes and hate it. If I save you for him to kill, he’ll thank me for it. You never knew him. Mothers are the last to really understand what they truly spawned.”
And he sprang.
*
Ian could hear the horrifying conversation through the door, but he’d been so shocked he’d been slow to react. He shoved the door open, Wendy behind him. A shivering and trembling Jared stayed outside in the hallway. Finally awake, he’d been desperate to escape the room and once capable of standing, he’d tottered his way to the hallway. That’s when they’d heard Rhia’s voice. And Resnick’s, a man Ian had only known by sight and not for many years.
Inside the room, Ian found Rhia, her back to him, with an unrecognizable Resnick on the ground, one of the syringes Ian had seen Rhia use before jabbed into Resnick’s throat.
Words gurgled out of his mouth, but they were hard to decipher. Something about how they couldn’t kill him.
Rhia cast Ian a hard look, making him grateful
he was on her side. He held up a silver spike he’d taken to carrying full-time. In fact, he had several on him. Her gaze lit up and she nodded to the bastard she held down. Ian stepped forward and stuck him through the heart with the spike.
It was a tribute to the drugs that Resnick didn’t go up in ash like earlier vamps. Nor did he sizzle and burn before blowing to ash. No, he smoked like a bad brisket, the stench making him gasp.
Rhia withdrew the stake and stabbed him a second time, this time in the throat. Rescind gurgled and smoldered a little more.
“That is so…” Wendy coughed then ran out of the room to stay with Jared.
Ian stared grimly down at the dying man. “He’s not gone yet, is he?”
“No,” Rhia whispered. “Going, but not enough yet.”
Ian pulled out two more stakes and though it was grim job, they all needed this over with as fast as possible. Rhia took one and stabbed the messed up vamp in the chest. Ian stabbed him in the belly.
Finally, as if all the weapons pulled together, he shifted from alive and smoldering to crumbling parchment.
He missed the ash stage altogether.
Ian stood up. “Jesus, I hope to never see that again.”
Rhia stepped back, reached out, and kicked the vamp’s head. Or where it should have been. Ian agreed. They needed to make sure this bastard couldn’t be saved.
She turned to Ian. “We have to hurry. They are about to give Seth the exact same drugs.”
With that, she bolted into the hallway.
*
Goran loved to fly in the early evening. Before, the vamps were all stirring and clogging the skies. Not that there were many fliers anymore. Deanna was right about the lines diluting. He loved to fly. Was delirious when he found out that Cody had wings. He’d loved taking the young’un on flights, teaching him to soar through the clouds and glide on a full moon. They’d been special days. He wasn’t particularly paternal, certainly hadn’t been with his first born – he couldn’t bring himself to say his son’s name. The tears would flow. He’d always been happy to know that he’d leave behind the best part of him. Now he realized there was only Cody, who was easily a better man than Goran. Or would be when he made it there. Goran’s current goal – to do everything to make sure that boy lived a long healthy happy life and not turn to a group like those at the blood farm in search of something better.
