by J. Thorn
He shook his head and then winked at Alex.
“Did you see where it was?” Zoe asked.
“No. I started out in this narrow hallway and then walked to the room. It felt like the stone had been carved, not built. Almost like it was hewn from a cave. And I have no idea what the symbols meant.”
“My money says that the cave or dungeon, or whatever, is nowhere near Bumfuck, Mississippi,” Saw said. “So, it doesn’t really do us a bit of damn good.”
Dax knew she was right, but it made him wonder why he’d been shown the Master’s lair at all.
“Do you know if they have the food ready?” Dax asked. “I really need to eat. I think we all do.”
“It’s ready,” Zoe said. “They were trying to call you to the table while you were passed out. That’s why we came to check on you.”
“How much longer are we staying here?” Saw asked. “Those Masters are going to catch up to us.”
“We’ve got some time,” Dax said.
“You sure about that?” Saw asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes. Let’s enjoy our time here while we can. Because those monsters are going to catch up to us eventually, regardless of how quickly we move.”
37
After eating, Dax walked through the kitchen and out the back door to get some fresh air. The green crops stretched to the horizon, their tops waving in the unseen wind like an emerald ocean. The sun had headed for the horizon, turning the rays into a warm, golden heat. He closed his eyes and listened to the soothing silence in an empty world. Dax thought about how different things had turned out here compared to New Orleans. Without the Screamers, people could live here—maybe even rebuild.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
The door opened, and Dax looked back to see Isabelle standing there. He turned back to the sun as she walked over and stood beside him.
“It is. You’re fortunate to live out here and get to see this every day.”
“Yeah, it’s the small things like this we seem to take for granted.”
Dax shook his head. “Not anymore. I appreciate every moment I’m alive.”
“Try telling that to children when I ask them to do their chores,” she said.
The remark made Dax think about the kids he was trying to save. About how he had failed them, and how he hoped there was still a chance to find them alive.
“You have to keep them safe,” Dax said.
“That’s all I think about. While Mary is my only child by blood—Derek and Laura, the little ones you saw, are Sam and Jean’s—I treat those two like they’re my own, as well. We’re all family now.”
“I get that.”
“You got kids?”
Dax bit his lip, ignoring her question. “You can’t stay here.”
Isabelle raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not safe.” Dax sighed. “Look, those Screamers—vampires, that I’ve told you about—are going to make it here. And when they do, you’re not going to want to be in this house.”
“And where would you suggest we go?”
“North. You can come with us.”
Isabelle laughed. “Yeah, we’ll pack everything and load the van and follow you like it’s the Oregon Trail.”
“There’s hardly anything you need to bring. It’s the only way to keep your family and friends safe, Isabelle.”
“You say this like you’re certain.”
Dax thought of the visions of burning towns and the ruins that had once been the city of New Orleans. “Because I am.”
Isabelle let out another chuckle as she stepped away from Dax. She looked at the blossoming sunset as the sun continued to slide beneath the horizon.
“You know, my husband—Thomas, God bless his soul—and his father built this house. Right after we got married. I was only nineteen, and Thomas was twenty-one. You ever known a twenty-one-year-old who could build a house? Yeah, me neither.” She looked at Dax. “My soul lives in this house. My heart is here.”
“But it’s just a house. You have your family. That’s all that matters.”
She shook her head. “It’s not.”
“Then what else does?”
“Humanity,” she said, looking across the jade waves. “If we choose to run, what are we really doing? We’re letting them win. What good is life if you spend it constantly trying to outrun death?”
Dax lowered his head, staring at the dirt. Isabelle put her hand on his shoulder.
“It might be your destiny to travel north, for whatever reason that might be, but it is not mine. I will stand here, with my family, and defend this place.”
Dax looked up. “And you’ll die doing so.”
She smiled. “To run would be to perish. I don’t fear death, Dax.”
The door to the house opened again, and all three Casket Girls walked out onto the patio.
“It’s time to go,” Alex said.
Dax looked up at her and nodded.
“You’re leaving?” Isabelle asked. “It’ll be dark out soon. You should stay here and rest for the evening. You can get up early and leave then.”
Dax smiled. “We really appreciate your hospitality. It was kind of you to tend to Saw’s wounds and to feed us.”
“It’s not a problem. Would you like some food for the road?”
“You’ve done enough,” Dax said. He gave her a hug, squeezing her tight. “You’ve helped me to keep the faith,” he whispered in her ear. “In us. All of us.”
They walked around to the front of the house then. The rest of Isabelle’s family had been waiting to say goodbye. Dax and the Casket Girls took turns shaking hands and thanking them for everything they’d done. Mary looked confused when Saw went to give her a fist bump, and it made Dax laugh. Saw then hugged the girl and smiled, and seeing Saw grin brought a tear to his eye.
Maybe there’s hope for us after all.
The group traveled another hour north on Route 49 before stopping at a gas station for the night. Zoe was still shaken from the earlier accident, so Alex had been driving, sitting in the cab with Dax and Saw. Alex pulled into the empty parking lot of the abandoned gas station and turned to the others. “It’s as good a place as any,” she said.
“We’ll only be here for a few hours to grab a quick nap,” Dax said. “We need to keep moving. I don’t think it makes sense to wait until daylight anymore. We’ve not seen any Screamers, so we might as well try to stay ahead of the ones we know are on our tail.”
“That sounds damn good to me,” Saw said.
“Girl, do you ever take a break?” Zoe asked Saw as she hopped out of the bed of the truck. “You go 24/7.”
“All night long,” Saw said with a smirk. “I’m just glad we didn’t come across any of those fuckers while I was riding up front. My dead grandmother could shoot better than you from her grave.”
Zoe smiled sarcastically and gave Saw the bird. Saw laughed.
“Knock it off, you two, or I’ll make you sleep in the same sleeping bag,” Alex said.
“Nah, she’d like that too much,” Zoe said.
Saw was walking behind Zoe and slapped her on the ass. “Damn right.” She ran away laughing as Zoe chased her.
Alex smiled. “It’s good to see those two goofing off. Things have been way too serious.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a serious situation,” Dax said.
“What did you say to Isabelle?”
Dax thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s check this place out.” He grabbed his bag out of the truck and stepped away before Alex could ask him any further questions.
The inside of the gas station had been raided, and someone had spray painted the word “Repent” on the walls, but they saw no signs of humans or vampires. Zoe grabbed a Mississippi State Bulldogs t-shirt off the floor and put it on. She tied the oversized shirt into a knot on her hip.
With only candlelight, Zoe and Saw played poker. They’d offered to deal in Dax a
nd Alex, but both had refused. Dax and Alex chatted in the corner instead, mostly about Papa Midnight, before Dax decided to turn in for the evening.
“You all need to get some rest, too,” Dax said. “We’ll be heading out in a few hours.”
“Yeah,” Saw said, “I’m about tired of whipping this girl’s black ass anyway.”
“Screw you, honky,” Zoe shot back.
Dax and Alex laughed.
“Hey,” Alex said to Dax. “Tell Papa Midnight ‘hi’ for me, all right?”
“Who’s to say you’re not going to be able to tell him yourself?”
“I think he’s going to be more interested in talking to you tonight.”
Dax didn’t reply. He just rolled over and closed his eyes.
He soon fell asleep, too, only to discover that Alex’s hunch had been right.
38
Dax had seen the tree burn the last time he’d been there, but now it stood in the exact place it had been before. Gone was the ash and the death, although the red clouds above pushed down on the land, suffocating it.
He felt a presence and spun around.
Papa Midnight stood in the center of the dirt road. His white suit had been replaced with garments fit for a funeral. He wore a black suit and hat—even the cane he held was black.
“What’s been happening to me?” Dax asked him. “I keep getting these visions when I’m awake.”
“It’s because they know about you. They are not far behind. In fact, I would question whether or not you should even be here with me right now.”
“But why am I getting these visions?”
“You’re getting closer to the Angel. He’s making your powers stronger.”
“I keep seeing one Master, in particular. It’s the red-headed woman.”
“Yes. Bronwyn. She is the most powerful of the four. She looks the youngest, but it is only because the others were older when they were turned. Do not let her appearance fool you.”
“They’re doing exactly as you said they would, leaving every town in flames on their way to find me.”
Papa Midnight furrowed his brow. “What do you mean ‘they’?”
“The Master vampires. I’ve seen their combined armies in my visions, burning towns, killing and turning people.”
“Oh, God,” Papa Midnight said. He dropped to one knee, the cane in his hand shaking as he struggled to hold himself up. Dax rushed over.
“What’s wrong?”
Looking at the ground, the voodoo priest shook his head. When he looked up at Dax again, tears filled his eyes.
“It’s too late, Jackson.”
Dax narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“The Masters have formed an alliance. This isn’t something I expected to happen. Their hatred for each other is ancient. None of the texts ever foretold them coming together.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you can’t win. They will not stop until they find you. And destroy you. Everyone you love will be killed. There is no hope now… not even the Angel can save us.”
Dax stared into Papa Midnight’s face. The man who’d had so much faith in him—the man who had encouraged Dax to forge on and find the Angel before the vampires destroyed everything—had disappeared entirely.
“What are you saying?” Dax asked. “Are you saying that I should—”
“Give up? Yes. Hide and distance yourself from the ones you love. You will only bring them suffering and death. Maybe you can find the Angel, but the Masters are relentless. And now that they’ve formed an alliance, it all feels…”
“But I don’t understand. This doesn’t make sense.”
The wind blew and nearly knocked Dax over. He looked back to see the top of the tree reaching for the ground. At first, Dax thought a light snow had begun to fall from the sky. But when he put his hand out, he saw that gray ash was being dropped by the wind.
Dax said, “Papa Midnight, I don’t—”
But when he turned around, the voodoo priest was gone.
Thunder cracked, and lightning bolted through the red sky. Flames engulfed the horizon, raging down the road like a tidal wave.
Dax looked up as the wall of flame approached. He spread his arms, and the fire engulfed him.
Dax opened his eyes. He did not gasp. He did not startle. There was no cold sweat. He simply opened his eyes and awoke from a nap. It was still dark, and he didn’t know how much time had passed, but it appeared to be the middle of the night.
“There you are.”
He looked over to see Alex staring at him. She sat in an old lawn chair while Zoe and Saw lay on the other side of the room, fast asleep—the playing cards left scattered on a nearby table.
“Why are you up?” he asked.
“I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to dream about Papa Midnight—like I knew he was visiting you and I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation.”
“I spoke to him.”
“You didn’t spring awake like every other time.”
Dax shrugged. “I must be finally getting used to the ride.”
“What did he say?”
Dax hesitated. Papa Midnight had given up so easily. The man had been his mentor, teaching him how to fight the bastards. How could he not have foreseen the possibility of the four Masters forming an alliance? It didn’t make sense.
“He said it would be impossible to defeat them, now that they’re working together, and that I should run. The Masters will torture and kill everyone I care about, and they’ll find me before I can get to the Angel.”
Alex frowned. “What? Why?”
“Because the Masters have formed an alliance, combined armies. Papa Midnight said that wasn’t foretold in the texts, and that it will be impossible for us to defeat all four of them.”
“But we can’t give up. You can’t give up.” Alex’s voice cracked. The other girls stirred but did not wake.
“I know. But I don’t think I can do this without his help. He’s gotten us this far.”
Alex sighed. “What are we going to do?”
Dax shook his head. “I don’t know. Everything Papa has said so far has been correct. So why would he be wrong now?”
“We can’t stop fighting, Dax.”
“I know. But what if I don’t hear from Papa again. Then what?”
“Doesn’t sound like we will. Sounds like we’re on our own. So, what are we going to do?”
Dax stared out of the window at the moon. The Masters rode beneath the same moon, pursuing them with a massive army of Screamers. They were destroying every city, town, and village they moved through on their way to capture him. The guiding force in his quest had just given up, though, and told Dax that all hope was lost.
His only chance was taking his band of misfit women to find a hidden Angel now… one that may or may not even exist. And if they found this Angel, then what? Without Papa Midnight’s guidance, Dax felt as blind as the voodoo priest.
He drew in a deep breath.
“I don’t know.”
39
Ambrose stood tall as he watched the vampire armies level the town. They had begun by killing or turning the survivors and then set the place on fire. Humans ran from the buildings that were engulfed in flames. Others stood face to face with soldiers who’d been turned and then recruited into the four undead armies. Screams pierced the air. Fire and black smoke filled the sky, and it made him smile.
The plan was coming together. His alliance with the other Masters had brought destruction to everything in their path. He’d waited so long for this moment, as he knew the others had. This was only the beginning. It wasn’t that he trusted Bronwyn as far as he could throw her. And the other two Masters were undoubtedly up to their own secrecies. But would he expect anything less from the four most powerful beings on the planet? What they didn’t know was that he had a contingency plan for the capture of the human—an ace up his sleeve that would guarantee ultimate victory.
Not too far to the north, hidden in the Mississippi Delta, his lieutenant Isaac held captive Dax’s only remaining loved ones. And according to Ambrose’s scouts, the human was falling right into his trap. The man would rush to save the children, practically jumping into Ambrose’s arms while the other Masters would lose the opportunity to capture him. Ambrose knew there could only be one true Master—they all did. Despite Bronwyn’s sexual charms and cunning ways, he would end up with the ultimate weapon and turn it on the rest of them.
Ambrose would not only use Dax, but he would break him before using the man against the other Masters. One by one, Ambrose would torture and murder the children before his eyes. And he would savor the act, taking weeks, or perhaps even months, to kill them.
Papa Midnight’s girls had found Dax, but they didn’t worry the Master. The Casket Girls had demonstrated the ability to fight off some of the more immature creatures, but they would be no match for a Master like him. Like the old voodoo priest, the girls would die and serve as a warning to others who were trying to resist the inevitable.
One of Ambrose’s lieutenants approached, bowing long and low.
“Speak,” Ambrose said.
“We have destroyed everything here, Master. And we have driven every human out of their holes.”
“Good.”
“Shall we gather everyone and continue?”
Ambrose could almost taste the man’s psychic energy. He smiled.
“Yes. On to the next town, continuing north.”
40
Zoe and Saw woke up to see Dax and Alex sitting in silence on the other side of the room.
“How long have you guys been up?” Zoe asked, her voice raspy.
“Not long,” Alex mumbled.
Zoe sat up. “Is everything all right?”
Alex shook her head. “I’m not sure. Dax had another dream. Papa Midnight told him that we need to—”
