by Kyle West
“Howler!” Daniel said.
I reached for where my Beretta was usually holstered. Finding the holster empty, I cursed, and backed away through the doors of the MGM. James and Daniel stood in front, blocking the way into the building.
The Howler appeared from the darkness, his clothing ragged and mouth agape. Purple slime coated his entire body. He had a hole where his left cheek should have been, revealing a gray, lifeless tongue and gums. The completely white eyes burned, almost glowed, in the night. The Howler careened forward, arms outstretched.
James fired his rifle, nailing the Howler twice in the shoulder. The monster screamed in pain, but didn’t slow. Michael raised his AR-15, firing a few shots. One of the bullets connected with the Howler’s head, sending the thing crashing to the ground.
The body, now grounded, quivered and convulsed. The skin bloated and stretched, threatening to pop.
“Inside, now!” I yelled.
Everyone rushed inside the building, through sliding glass doors that already stood halfway open. Anna, Michael, and I were closer, and made it inside easily. James dove, his hulking mass shooting past me as he rolled into the hotel lobby. Daniel ran, but not fast enough. The Howler exploded, sending globs of purple goo sailing through the air. Daniel was caught in the torrential downpour of virus-infected sludge.
Daniel stared at us all. His eyes were wide, horrified.
Then he turned to run.
Recovering, James scrambled up, aiming his rifle into the darkness. He fired.
Daniel fell to the ground.
James panted, looking out into the night where his compatriot now lay dead. He turned back to us, his hardened face like stone.
“Go inside. Boss Dragon is waiting.”
“Howlers are in the city!” I said. “Aren’t you going to do something?”
James shook his head. “Howlers have always been in the city. Their numbers have grown, and they roam the city at night. I have never seen one on the Strip, though.” He sighed. “It isn’t a good sign.”
Michael placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump.
“Come on,” he said.
We turned from the grisly scene, and walked into the darkness of the MGM Grand.
Chapter 7
Anna grabbed my hand, holding it tightly, as we followed James and Michael past the doors.
“You alright?” I asked.
“I’m more worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “I just thought this place was safe for some reason.”
We followed the line of marble on the floor, between long-defunct slot machines, emptied cafés, and stained card tables. The screens of some of the machines were riddled with bullets.
“Nowhere is safe,” Anna said.
I felt a chill pass over me as we went deeper into the darkness of Dragon HQ, lit feebly with lines of torches. I was beginning to regret our decision to come here. If it weren’t for Michael, then I would have walked out of this place in a heartbeat.
On our right was a series of large glass windows, through which I could see rocks and fake trees. A sign above the windows read “Lion Exhibit.” I peered into the darkness of the habitat, but the lions, if there ever had been any, were either long gone or long dead.
“So, all the Dragons live in here?” I asked, as we passed a bank of elevators.
“Most Dragons do. The Boss lives in a villa on the premises. But with recent events he is staying somewhere that is more secure.”
“Recent events?” Anna asked.
“The Kings tried to nab him a few weeks ago. Since then, he’s insisted on staying in his penthouse.”
“Doesn’t it irk you to have to call him Boss all the time?” Anna asked.
Michael shrugged. “Not really. I’ve had a boss in one form or another all my life. I could have done much worse than the Dragons. I’m glad I came across them first, rather than the Kings or the Reds.”
“What’s so bad about the Reds?” I asked.
“The Reds are bad because they live outside city limits. It was actually a good thing for them at first, because being so distant made them safer from attacks. Now, though, they’re an easy target for Blighters.”
We stopped before the open doors of what used to be a fancy restaurant. Within the dark interior, torches burned from the walls, and a line of candles lit a table where a muscled black man in dark clothing sat. His face was hidden by shadow, but his forearms, in the light of the fire, were visible. On each one was a tattoo of a dragon, one light blue, breathing ice, the other red, breathing fire. They both seemed to glow in the darkness.
The hands raised, gesturing to nearby seats. “Sit.”
Michael led us inside the restaurant, and we sat. Closer, we could more easily see the Boss’s facial features. He was a big man, maybe in his late thirties. He wore all black — black pants, black shirt — which, coupled with his dark skin, made him blend in with the shadows.
“You Makara?” he asked Anna.
Michael answered for her. “She is meeting with Char and the Raiders. I brought two of their high-ranking members here to represent her.”
“High-ranking?” The Boss gave a sideways grin. “What is this, Lord of the Flies with spaceships?”
I had to smile at that, even if it was an insult.
“She’s about our age, yeah,” I said. “We’re not kids, though.”
Boss Dragon snickered. “Yeah, alright. Of course you’re not. The question is, why should I listen to you?”
Before I could answer and get us into any trouble, I felt Michael kick me under the table. “Actually, Boss, the New Angels were hoping to have the opportunity to meet with you, as well as with the rest of the gangs.”
Boss Dragon eyed Michael skeptically “What kind of business would we have to discuss? If it’s protection, that’s already been decided. We’re not letting anyone in until this Blight mess is over.”
“Then no one is getting in,” Anna said. “The Blight mess won’t be over until Vegas is gone. Makara wants a meeting to decide what to do about that. And she has a plan to stop it.”
Boss Dragon looked at her. “I don’t care if it’s about tea and crumpets. The gangs won’t meet for any reason. Too much blood, and not enough water. No one will meet unless safety is guaranteed.”
“We aren’t going to try anything,” I said. “We can meet somewhere that’s open, so that there’s no chance of an ambush.”
“We could use the runway,” Michael said.
Boss Dragon looked at Michael, as if wondering whose side he was on. “You said Makara has a plan. What is it?”
“We figured out how to stop the xenovirus,” I said. “The xenovirus is what controls all the Blighters. And…” Anna looked at me, and I realized I probably shouldn’t reveal too much, too soon. “Makara can explain the rest at the meeting. But one thing you should know is that the xenovirus and the Great Blight are a lot more powerful than you think. First it was Raider Bluff. Next, it will be Vegas.”
Boss Dragon’s eyes appeared troubled. After sitting in silence for at least a full minute, the candles on the table burning on, he looked at Anna and me in turn.
“I’ll arrange a meeting. By tomorrow, every gang lord will know that Makara will be parlaying on the runways.”
“We can let her know tonight,” I said.
“Actually, you both will be staying here tonight,” Boss Dragon said.
“I’m not staying here any longer than I have to,” I said.
“I’m not taking you hostage,” Boss Dragon said. “It’s too dangerous to be out on the streets this late. I would be remiss to allow it.”
“Staying is a good idea,” Michael said. “Especially if Howlers are out.”
I didn’t like it, but I decided to trust Michael’s judgment.
“Until tomorrow, then.” Boss Dragon looked at Michael. “Escort them to some of our guest rooms. You are to stay with the Angels until the meeting is over. Keep me updated.”
> Michael gave a slow nod, and just like that, the meeting was over. We got up from our chairs and followed Michael out of the restaurant, toward the bank of elevators we had passed earlier.
“At least he agreed to set something up,” I said. “We got what we wanted.”
It was hard to tell if Boss Dragon was friend or foe, but for a gang lord, he didn’t seem that bad. Michael led us up some stairs, taking us to the third floor. The interior was dirty, smelling of dirt and must. I guess that’s what happened when a carpet hadn’t been properly cleaned in over thirty years. The doors — at least most of them — were still intact.
Michael led us to the end of the hall, opening a door on our left.
“You can stay here,” he said. “I’ll come back for you in the morning.”
Makara was going to be wondering where we were tonight. “Is there any way you can give Makara word about where we are?”
“Give me the right channel, and I can try contacting Odin.”
I gave him the channel, and he brought the radio to his mouth.
“Odin, you have a copy?”
He waited ten seconds or so, before trying again.
“Odin, do you have a copy?”
“They must be off the ship,” Anna said. “You can try again later.”
“I’ll try to let her know what’s going on by tonight. As far as you guys stand, you have nothing to be afraid of. The Boss sees you as messengers, and he won’t do anything to provoke Makara. Stay here until morning. We’ll meet by the fountain. You can catch me up on everything then.”
Michael reached out a hand. I shook it.
“Alex. It’s good to see you alive. Try to stay that way.”
He nodded to Anna, and walked down the hall.
We went inside the dark hotel room, and locked the door behind us.
Chapter 8
The next morning, Anna and I sat on the edge of the empty fountain out front while Michael went to find breakfast. He came back a few minutes later with some corn bars and water.
“Sorry for the small portions,” he said. “We’re being careful about food around here with the Blighters around; our supply could be cut off at any time.”
“When is this meeting supposed to happen, specifically?” Anna asked, taking a big bite of her bar.
“Not sure, yet,” Michael said. “Probably sometime this afternoon. I’ll have my radio on me, so Boss Dragon will let me know the details when he arranges something.” Michael turned to me. “Now that we have some time, maybe you can catch me up on everything that has happened. How’d you get out of Bunker 108?”
So I told him — the whole thing. I started with the fall of Bunker 108, and getting out with Khloe. That all seemed so long ago. The memories were distant, but all the same, the cold fear of that night was still there, along with the pain of losing Khloe and my father.
“Me and my family must have gotten out just before you,” Michael said. “We headed for the motor pool and took one of the Recons.”
“Smart,” I said.
“It was one of the Recons that was already prepped with some supplies, so we were able to set out into the dust storm. We didn’t make it far that first night. I only went far enough to feel safe before parking near the mountain.”
“How’d you end up here?”
“I knew L.A. was bad, because of the Reapers, so I set off for Vegas from the start. On our way we ran into raiders and Blighters. We ran out of juice halfway, not able to find water to fuel the vehicle. We ditched the Recon and walked the rest of the way, making it to the Vegas outskirts a week after leaving Bunker 108. There, a Dragon patrol found us. Before they could do anything, they were ambushed by some Reds. I helped fight them off, and the Dragons right then and there led us into the city. They gave us food and water, and then I met Boss Dragon himself. He asked me to join up with him. So I did. Since then, my wife, daughter, and I are all staying here.”
“Where are they now?” I asked.
“Everyone works in Vegas,” Michael said. “They’re out in the fields, on the lake. I don’t want them to be out there, but there’s little choice. Anyone who can’t fight, works. I see them at night, though, when they come home.”
I picked up the story where I’d left off. I had to tell him about Makara first.
“Do you remember when you were with me on my first recon, and we came across the man from Bunker 114?”
Michael nodded, his brown eyes haunted. “How could I forget? That’s what started it all.”
“Well, at Bunker 114, they were studying the xenovirus. One of their test subjects escaped, infecting the first person it encountered. The xenovirus just…spread. That person we found — he had escaped from Bunker 114, and was coming to 108 for help, or to warn us. I still have no idea why Chan let him in that night.”
“So, what is the xenovirus?” Michael said. “I know from what you’ve said so far that it causes the Blighters.”
“It’s an alien virus that was buried in Ragnarok. It spreads the xenofungus. And now, it infects humans, turning them into Howlers. It created the xenodragons you now see flying around.”
“How do you know all this?” Michael asked.
“Makara, Samuel, Anna, and me…we’ve been through a lot. After Khloe died, I wandered the Wasteland for about a week before running into Makara. There’s something I need to admit — I saw her there, Michael. When we found that man, I saw her watching in the distance from behind a rock, but I didn’t say anything.”
Michael hesitated a moment, then finally understood what I was saying. “Why did you stay quiet?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Something kept me. I guess it was the shock more than anything. Makara ended up hiding again, and it was only later that I learned that she, or at least some of the raiders she was with, killed that man. Makara said they found him on the road, and that he was sick at the time.”
Michael’s expression darkened. “If she hadn’t had done that…” He looked at me. “If you had just said something…”
“I’ve thought about it a lot since then,” I said. “I’m not sure if anything could have been prevented. I think CSO Chan might have been expecting that guy from 114. He sure let him in quickly enough.”
“I don’t know about that,” Michael said. “I mean, wouldn’t Chan have said something to us? He probably would have said something to me, the senior patrol leader. I knew nothing about a visitor from Bunker 114.”
“Maybe not, then,” I said. “Whatever the case, I feel like the CSO knew something we didn’t. He might have known what happened at Bunker 114 even before we did.”
“So, it really is gone?”
I nodded. “Yeah. There’s nothing left. We’ve tried contacting other Bunkers, but nothing.”
Michael was quiet for a moment. “I was hoping for some good news, there. I was hoping that me and my family could leave here, one day, and find another Bunker, somewhere. I guess that won’t happen now.”
“Whatever happened,” I said, “Chan allowed that man inside Bunker 108. Maybe he saw it as a way to increase our understanding of the xenovirus. I didn’t see that at the time, but looking back, I think that might be why he let him in. He wanted news of Bunker 114’s fall. Both my father and Chan had no idea what would happen that night.”
“And the rest is history.” Michael shook his head. “It’s amazing we survived. Without my family, I don’t think I could have found the will to carry on.”
“I was the same way, until I met Makara. Long story short, we ended up in Bunker 114 not too long after, when Makara learned that her brother, Samuel, had gone there to investigate its fall. He led a team out of Oasis, and all of them ended up dying except for him. Well, we got into the Bunker, and discover something in its digital archive called the Black Files.”
“The Black Files?”
I nodded. “It’s just as bad as it sounds. The Black Files hinted at what the origins of the xenovirus were. And if we knew the origins, we might
be able to find a way to stop it. But the Black Files weren’t in Bunker 114.”
“Where were they?” Michael asked.
“Bunker One.”
“And you went there?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t easy.”
Michael smiled. “Damn, it seems like you’ve seen more fighting in your first week out of 108 than I’ve seen in my life.”
“I’m surprised I’m still alive,” I said. “But we discovered the Black Files in Bunker One, in Cheyenne Mountain.”
“You just flat out went across the Great Blight?”
“Yeah,” I said. “We had no idea what we were in for.”
Michael shook his head again, eyes wide. “You’ve got brass balls, buddy.”
“Well, it was Samuel’s idea,” I said. “I wanted to just hole up in Oasis, to be honest.”
“So you crossed the Great Blight and found the Black Files. What happened after that?”
“Well, between all that I met Anna. She was Char’s personal bodyguard in Raider Bluff, and she agreed to guide us to the Great Blight. She ended up keeping her path crossed with ours. Now she’s here, helping us.”
“Anna,” Michael said, “all I have to say is, I’m sorry you met this guy.”
Anna smiled. “Yeah, well, I’ve decided to just roll with it at this point.”
“She’s an expert katana user,” I said. “Just wait until you hear about our vacation to Mexico.”
“Interesting choice of word there,” Anna said.
“I’ll fill in the details later,” I said, “but yeah, we made it to Bunker One, found the Black Files, and learned about the xenovirus. If no one stops it, the xenovirus will take over the world. So now, it’s kind of our crazy mission to stop it. What’s worse, there is this alien consciousness, located in Ragnarok Crater, called the Voice. We don’t know exactly where it comes from, but it seems to be directing all xenolife.”
“Well,” Michael said, pointing westward, “I don’t need any Black Files to tell me the world is being taken over. I see it every day.”
