***
The edge of town was silent as the dead as Hank drew near. Nothing looked out of the ordinary other than the emptiness of the place; the lack of people and cars in the streets. He slowed to a stop and attuned his hearing to the distance ahead where he remembered stationing several of the snipers. Faint voices whispered in his ear from nearly a mile away. Someone was there all right, but who? He sent out his mental tendrils in attempt to control the visions the way the Queen had taught him. The first go brought nothing and he realized he was trying too hard. He calmed himself and let his mind wander.
A scene began to unravel through the haze and materialize around him. There were hundreds of them. Imperial vampires. Many of the other vampires lay dead in the streets beyond the block where Hank now stood. A handful of survivors were held captive, several Imperial vampires holding each one in place, their mouths gagged with some form of object Hank wasn't familiar with.
As the vision faded, Hank assessed his situation. He couldn't take on even a tenth of that number—not these creatures—and live. But the time to act was now and there wasn't much choice but to try and at least do what he could. He sent word to the Queen through the now strong psychic link between them, hoping she would call out to the other vampires waiting back at the town hall to come to his aid. Then, without any further hesitation he ran to the nearest building and began jumping his way up its side, using each window sill like a vast step from an enormous ladder.
Within minutes he was at the top of the roof running silently to the other end. Peering down below over the crowd of Imperial vampires, he quickly spotted their captives—seven in all—and began strategizing a way to get to each one. The majority of his enemy seemed to be waiting and watching the west, but a few occasionally looked elsewhere, one coming very close to spotting him, if he hadn't ducked at just the right second.
His body pressed down against the roof, he could feel something unexpected through the ceilings and walls below.
A single human heartbeat thrummed maddeningly.
His plan was already changing. Whoever was down there was in danger judging from the rhythm of blood pumping through their body. Hank backed away from the edge of the building and scanned the area for a point of entry. A small square hatch sat neatly in the center of the roof. He grabbed and pulled up on the door and it came up without resistance.
Sneaking down into the building, he closed the hatch behind him and slithered down to the floor. Following the human drum beating in his ears, he crept down several flights of stairs until he came to the floor where the sound was the loudest. His sense of smell told him there had been vampires here and at least one of them was dead. The other two he couldn't quite place. Heartbeats were easy to hear, but synapses were another story.
He followed the sound of flesh and blood to a closed door, opened it, and slipped inside. He could tell immediately that the sound had alerted the man to his presence—he could smell the man's testosterone in the air. With no patience or time to waste, Hank spoke.
"Who's there? This is Hank Evans, Chief Commander of the Foederati."
A young man Hank knew to be one of his snipers jumped up from behind one of the cubicle partitions with a grin that almost rose Hank's spirits for a moment. "Sir, it's Lieutenant Darby, thank God, I'm so glad to see y-"
"Never mind that, you won't be so glad to hear that we're both pretty goddamn screwed right now."
Darby's grin melted and before Hank could stop him, the young man turned and looked out the window. "Holy shit!"
"Yeah, like I said..."
"Is that our..."
"Yes those are our vampires they've managed to murder and capture."
"I've never seen so many Imperial bloodsuckers before. How the hell are we gonna—"
"Our best shot is to try and free some of our own first. Then maybe we'll have a fighting chance until reinforcements arrive."
"I don't know, maybe we should wait... We don't really stand a chance."
Hank sighed. "Maybe not, but..."
"But what, sir? It's suicide. There has to be a better way."
The kid was right. Hank's anger had gotten the better of him. He wanted vengeance and he wanted it now. He wasn't willing to wait any longer at the sight of his own people—vampire or not—lying in the streets like that. Some of them he'd come to know and respect quite highly.
"All right, you got any other bright ideas, kid?"
"Darby, sir. And maybe..."
Chapter 7
Invisible Stalemate
If there was one thing about home Dustin hadn't missed it was the cold. Walking in downtown Indianapolis, underneath the Fifth Third building reaching up into the sky above with a thousand other men and roughly two hundred vampires, he thought about what their next step would be. Nearly half the city was under siege by the Foederati since he and his crew had arrived just two weeks prior. He was proud of what they had accomplished so far, but he couldn't help but wonder whether they had enough man and firepower to finish the job.
Just six short months ago he'd been working in an office, living on the west side of town, keeping to himself. Now he was the commander of the entire Indiana chapter of the Foederati militia. Life has a way of keeping things interesting from time to time. It had been hours since they'd encountered any Imperial resistance in the area, but he knew from experience they would have to keep a watch out just in case. As they came around the side of the building, the gaping hole revealing dozens of desks, melted electronics, and ergonomic computer chairs from a recent explosion told him all he needed to know. Whoever had made that large opening was either waiting for them inside or somewhere else nearby, maybe right around a corner.
He was just about to send in some men to scour the area when one of the vampire soldiers by the name of Geraldo stepped up to him with a look of uncertainty.
"Sir, the Queen has sent us a message. Things aren't going so well in Carlisle, they need backup— more specifically they need more vampires."
Dustin scratched at his bearded chin for a moment. He wondered why Hank hadn't gotten in touch with him personally about this.
He put his curiosity aside though and within minutes gunfire erupted from the street. Twenty minutes later, the area was secure again and he sent for Geraldo.
The vampire arrived minutes later. "Sir?"
"I need you to find out what's going on down in Carlisle and give me a full report. Also, send a message to the Queen to relay to Hank. Let her know that I don't really have any men I can spare to send down there, but if the situation is dire enough, we'll see what we can manage."
***
The eerie glow of overhead streetlights reflected off a growing pool of vampire blood in the middle of the street. Rosadelma held firm, doing her best not to noticeably stare at the bodies of her friends who were much more like family as part of the same tribe in some sense. And then there was Shanene... Rosadelma’s body tightened at the memory of her last breath. It had taken three Imperial vampires to bring Rosadelma down and she was still at a loss to understand why they didn't just drain her the same as they had Shanene, Mihalis, Sheridan, and many of the others. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to who they murdered in cold blood and who they currently held captive.
Of the handful of vampires they'd taken captive, Rosa only recognized Yaniv. The others she could see were an equal mix of male and female. Three males and three females. She held on to the stone-like expression she had assumed the moment they overpowered her. The Imperial vampires were fascinating to her. She'd only ever known her own race of vampires—of course she hadn't lived nearly as long as most of her peers, she was still shy of her first centennial birthday—and these others were very obviously just that; others. So far she hadn't noticed a single female among their numbers and she couldn't help wondering if there were any at all to speak of within the entire tribe.
Although she had kept her gaze cold and calculating for each of them to see every time they passed by, or every time
one of her "guards" switched out with someone new, she made sure they saw her confidence, but also, after noticing more than a few desirable looks, she ensured that each of them walked away from her with a sense of weakness. She had had this gift for as long as she could remember, even before she had changed into the creature of the night she was now. She would chip away at them all until eventually one, two, three, four, maybe even more of them were weak enough to break through and exploit.
Then she would have her revenge.
Shanene had talked her into coming in the first place. Rosa had wanted to stay behind with the Queen and the ancestors. She had seen enough bloodshed in the days of the Empire's rise to power and in her own times in the midst of Reynosa's deadly drug wars throughout most of her mortal life. But that had all changed when she met Shanene. The drug lords in the area had called Shanene La Blanco Demonio Mujer. She had a fondness for drinking from those who had spilled quite their share of innocent blood themselves.
One by one as random as they had arrived, these powerful men began to go away in body bags, the official stories at the time unsolved. However, a handful of the cases had witnesses that saw nearby either before or afterward, the presence of a pale naked woman traipsing on the ceilings of buildings, hiding in the branches of trees, and even once standing fearless in the wide open city streets in the middle of the night in the pouring rain. Each had beheld her beautiful deadly fangs and yet she let them live to tell about it.
Then came the city's Dia de los Muertos celebration of 1971. Rosa had been hooked on cocaine for nearly a decade by that point. She long ago left her family behind and never again would she see their dear faces alive.
Her muscles tensed within the arms of her captors thinking back to that night. She let it fade from her mind and tried to focus on her surroundings. She would take great pleasure in ripping each and every one of their throats out and draining the last of their blood. For the first time in her entire life, Rosa had something to fight for. And the rage that fueled her had grown into a thing of power waiting to be unleashed.
***
Darby had been watching the Imperial vampires and their captives for a good twenty minutes in his scope through the blinds of a high story window and still didn't think they had the slightest chance in hell. The Imperials could easily drain their captives and come after the rest of the town, but that didn't seem to be what they wanted. They were obviously waiting for something: orders, an attempt to rescue the captives, something. But whatever it was, they hadn't yet made any demands and that was the most surprising thing of all. Why breach the town, take out the majority of their most able warriors, spare a few of them to hold captive and then just wait.
One of the captives particularly caught Darby's eye every time he caught her in his scope. She was a beautiful Latina girl with strong sculpted muscles and more pronounced curves than Darby was used to seeing. He caught himself watching her far more than he intended to when, all of a sudden, her eyes morphed. The black of her pupils stretched out until a reflective onyx filled her eyeballs entirely.
"Find any weaknesses yet? Any vampires we might be able to take out without arising suspicions?" Hank said, knocking Darby back into reality. Darby put the scope away still staring in the direction of the girl, trying to focus and finding himself at a loss for words.
"I'll take that as a no. At least you're trying. I've sent word to the Queen to get in touch with the Indiana chapter as they're about our nearest faction who might have the means to help."
Darby turned and looked at the commander. He still didn't know what to make of this man, but he was starting to respect him at least. But something about the guy worried him. Something not completely in check, wild and ready to fire at any moment. "And?"
"And I haven't heard anything back yet. I'm not sure they'll be able to help us. The rest of our men here in town are protecting the townspeople and we can't risk bringing any of them here just to be in the same position as we are on top of minimizing our numbers there."
Darby nodded. The commander stepped up to the window and peeked through the blinds. Something in his body language caught Darby's attention. "What is it, sir?"
"Looks like we have more company. Not sure who the hell it is, but I see dozens of trucks and a couple of unusual helicopters on their way here."
Darby slipped his scope in between the blinds again to get a look for himself. Sure enough, just as the commander had said. About thirty or more pickup trucks and two helicopters. How the man could see them was obviously another inhuman trait the Commander possessed. Darby tried to get a closer look for any insignia or defining characteristics, but couldn't see anything that told him anything. "Commander, I might be wrong… but I think those could be good ol' fashioned civilians."
Hank looked again. "Yeah, I think so. Now the question is… who are they here to help, us or them?" He nodded down to the vampires filling the streets below.
Chapter 8
Thicker than Water
Simon stood at the edge of the swamp, watching the reflection of the moon against the dark muck. It had been two days since he saw the flashes. And both of those days had been long and void of any new developments. At least when it came to the visions he had seen. News that Hank and his small faction of humans and vampires were in some kind of dire position in Carlisle had arrived via the Queen. She was too weak to relay every detail in words, but Simon had learned a lot of it through images she sent to him telepathically. Meanwhile most of the other news coming into the hive was mixed between victory and defeat. Captain Holden, the new leader of the Arkansas chapter of the Foederati, had sent word by secure radio signal that Little Rock was now officially Foederati territory. And it looked like it wouldn't be long before the entire state became the first fully claimed renegade to the American Empire.
Similar victories were being reported from various parts of the country but were intermingled with the occasional story of Imperial soldiers burning entire cities with a high likelihood of rebellion to the ground before the Foederati could get there in time. And at least two state factions had been wiped out altogether.
Ever since the New Orleans chapter had driven out the Empire from southern Louisiana, there hadn't been any signs that they were trying to reclaim the city. But they were heavily guarded nonetheless. Unlike the Emperor, they still had their Queen and that was a strong advantage, even if she was weak for the time being. Simon longed to go out into battle. Jackie had been more than a little right about that. But his obligation to the Queen was too strong to act on it or even let it show.
The night was calling to Simon and he could no longer ignore it. He slushed his legs forward into the swamp at a human pace, letting the cool liquid fill up his shoes. Eventually the swamp was at his waist and he felt a sense of freedom he wasn't used to. He longed for more and before long found himself running within the thick mud and water. When he was done he stepped from the sludge covered in the stuff and dripping brown liquid. A soft giggle came from the darkness.
Jackie stepped into the moonlight, her eyes lit up by the biggest smile Simon had ever seen on her face. "You look quite a mess there, Mr. Withers. Did the urge to take a dip overcome your good sense?"
Simon smiled. "You say that as if I have any good sense left. For the first time in a long time I think I'm getting quite ridiculously bored."
Jackie laughed again. "Well, that makes two of us." She was moving closer. This wasn't the first time, of course, but Simon was finding it harder and harder to fight her advances. She was too young by far, that much was surely true. Yet, she had matured a great deal in an incredibly short time. And so much between them was the same. They had both spent most of their lives under the Emperor's spell and now that they were awakened not only to the lies, but also to this new life beyond the dead, they were linked somehow.
Jackie slipped into Simon's arms and lay her head against his chest. He found himself pulling her close despite his reservations. It was just as he had feared. Her embrace was
like home after so many years in distant lands among strangers. She raised her head and, beneath the haunting blue glow of moonlight, their lips met for the first time.
***
Heavy with blood and drifting off to sleep, the Queen's mind filled with visions. After millions of mornings and even more glimpses into the future, this was nothing new. But in her weak state, she couldn't quite cope with the number of them coming all at once anymore. She tried to tune the majority out and sift through what was most important. In her mind, fires erupted, buildings tumbled and large crowds were gunned down and still she cast these aside. Cold and calculated as always, she looked for what was most important to her and her children. And after some time, she was as sure as she could be that she had found it.
From the shadows of the Hive, a Foederati soldier crept toward her cavern. His face was obscured but his thoughts were not. He was looking for Ishan. He slipped into the small room as she and her most beloved lover slept and he walked over to Ishan’s side. Careful to make sure no one was aware of his presence, he knelt down and took out the metal stake from inside his jacket. It wasn't like the Foederati stakes. This was something new.
What came next was so painful to watch she almost forgot it was a vision, but she let it play out in her mind and her heart all the same. There was no choice at this point. The man reached up high and drove the metal stake into Ishan's chest, breaking through the skin almost too easily. The man was human, that much was clear, so he shouldn't have been able to manage such a feat on his own. Ishan's eyes opened, though he was hardly aware, and he stared in agony at nothing as his body shrank into a dried out husk. Within seconds the man was dead, his neck broken as Simon stood over his body and stared at the shriveled thing that had once been his brother in blood and death.
Empire of Blood: A Dystopian Vampire Trilogy (Bundle, Boxset) (Plus Two Empire of Blood Short Stories) Page 57
