by J. Thorn
“Dax!”
Dax gasped as his eyes opened wide and he sat up in the leather chair. He glanced over to Papa Midnight, who lay in the same position on his back.
“You all right, son?”
Dax put his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. “I can’t close my eyes without seeing Kevin.”
“You’re not going to get that out of your mind for a long time. Dead eyes see no future.”
“I know, but… Wait, what did you say?”
“I said, you’re not going to get that out of your mind for—”
“No,” Dax said. “Not that. The last part.”
“I said that dead eyes see no future. They only see the past.”
Dax was silent. ‘Dead eyes see no future’ was the exact thing that Yvonne had said to him telepathically.
What the hell is happening?
“Everything all right, son?”
Dax rubbed his head, trying to will away an oncoming migraine. “Yeah. I’m going to go check on Monica and Darius.”
A yellow raincoat hung on the wall near the door. Dax threw it on and then opened the door. Rain pummeled the boat, but Dax pulled the coat tight and tossed the hood over his head. He was careful while climbing down the ladder, which was slick from the rain.
When he arrived on the deck, he hurried through the cabin door.
“Whoo,” he said, removing the coat. “It’s coming down out there.” He hung the coat on a nearby hook.
Dax looked around the room. Darius lay on his side and stared at Dax with no expression on his face. Monica sat in a loveseat on the other side of the room. She looked straight forward, not even acknowledging Dax’s presence. They had lit two candles on a table in the center of the cabin.
“You guys shouldn’t have lit those candles.”
Neither kid said a word.
“It could draw the attention of someone outside,” he added.
“You really think a couple of candles are a problem?” Darius asked. “Look where we are, man.”
Dax glanced out of the nearby window. The kid was probably right. The chances of someone, or something seeing the candles, were slim. Dax set the argument aside for now. He walked farther into the room, noticing an open bag of peanuts sitting on the table next to the candles. Dax smiled.
“You guys found some food?”
“No,” Monica said. “We found some stale-ass peanuts.”
“Mind if I have one?”
Monica shrugged. “Free country, ain’t it?” She still refused to look at him.
Dax ignored her jab and moved around to the center of the room. He looked back and forth between the two kids. Each had found a magazine. Darius held a Sports Illustrated with Sidney Crosby on the cover, and Monica was leaning into the light and flipping through a boating magazine.
“Are you guys doing all right?”
“We’re great,” Monica said. “Why would you think otherwise?” she continued, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
He waited for the kids to make eye contact, hoping they would see his anger brimming. Dax grunted and leapt forward.
“Okay, enough of this crap.” Dax yanked the magazines out of each of their hands.
“Why the did you do that?” Darius asked. “Give that back!”
“You guys are going to pay attention and listen to me for a minute.”
“Why should we?” Darius asked.
Dax narrowed his eyes. “Because I’m going to—”
“He’s right,” Monica said, standing. “Why should we listen to you?”
“Because whether you like it or not, I’m in charge here. It’s my responsibility to make sure nothing happens to you.”
“Just like you did with Kevin?”
Monica crossed her arms and waited for Dax’s response.
He cracked his knuckles and stomped down on the floor of the boat with a heavy foot. Dax pointed at Monica.
“Listen here, you better not talk back to—”
“No,” Monica said, cutting him off again. “You listen to me. Since we’ve been with you, only bad stuff has happened. How are we supposed to believe you can keep us safe? Look at Chloe, and Isaac, and Neil. Look at Kevin.” Monica swiped at her eyes, trying to hide the tears she couldn’t stop from coming. She narrowed her eyes. “All of that is your fault. You’re responsible for them not being with us anymore. All you are is some thug who thinks he can straighten up his life.”
Dax stood there for several moments, letting her vent the frustration that must have been building inside of her for days. She raised her hand to her face and covered her eyes.
He glanced at Darius. The boy held Dax’s stare for a moment, then turned away.
Without saying anything else, Dax made his way back to the door. He took the coat off the wall, slipping it on and tossing the hood over his head.
“We’re sleeping here tonight,” Monica said. “But in the morning, Darius and I are leaving on our own.”
Dax stood up straight as his hand grabbed the door handle. He felt the blood rushing to his face, his pulse quickening.
She’s a teenager, and she thinks she knows everything.
Dax walked through the door and slammed it behind him.
Chapter 16
It was to be another sleepless night for Dax Harper.
He’d made a makeshift mattress out of an extra blanket, and Papa Midnight had given him the only other pillow on the real bed. Cots hung from the walls downstairs, but Dax wanted to be on the top level in order to have a better view in case he heard something strange outside.
But the shitty bed wasn’t the main reason Dax couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind wandered to one of the loved ones he’d lost. Most of all on this night, he thought of Kevin.
Monica was right—it was Dax’s fault the boy was dead. He wasn’t even going to try lying to himself about it. Dax ran back through each decision he’d made. How had he allowed Papa Midnight to get out of his sight long enough to wander off and find the people down the hall from the sporting goods store while he’d been searching for some stupid paddles? Should they ever have left the room they’d locked themselves inside of in the mall’s narrow corridor? Why couldn’t he have broken free from Serafino’s spell before the vampire could turn Kevin?
Dax tried to clear his mind of such thoughts, but he couldn’t. Not even the constant rain could help him fall asleep.
He’d thought he’d seen the last of his insomnia after finally getting adjusted to life behind bars. His first two weeks in prison had been brutal. He couldn’t remember sleeping more than a few hours during that time, before he came to the realization that he was going to be there for a while and he might as well get used to it. He wasn’t sure if that same thing would happen now. There was so much blood on his hands.
After tossing around for nearly three hours, Dax finally gave up trying to fall asleep. His back ached from lying on the floor—the blanket had done little to provide comfort. He crawled to his feet, the muscles in his lower back now tight and achy. Standing, he bent over and reached for the ground in hopes of stretching out the cramps.
He went to the console and leaned on the wheel. Rain fogged the view through the windows, but there wasn’t much to see anyway. The moon hid behind the clouds, and a city draped in shadows was nothing to look at.
Dax turned his head and saw the black leather captain’s chair staring back at him. He plopped into it again and spun around. It was more comfortable than the floor, and he wondered why he hadn’t started the night there.
“Shouldn’t you be getting some rest?”
Papa Midnight lay on his back with his eyes closed. He looked asleep, but clearly wasn’t.
“Can’t sleep,” Dax said.
“I’ve noticed you don’t sleep very much.”
“Not exactly easy when you’ve seen the shit I’ve seen the past few days.”
“Of course. I guess that I haven’t seen anything you’ve seen.”
&nb
sp; Dax shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.”
“But it is true.” Papa Midnight looked over at Dax and smiled.
Dax looked into the man’s pale eyes. “How were you able to fight like that back in the mall?”
“I learned to do that many years ago.”
“But how did you know the Screamers were coming at you—what direction they were in so that you could fight?”
“You do not need eyes to see, Jackson. I see with my heart. And maybe my nose—a little.”
Dax laughed. “Okay. So, why did you wait so long before showing us that you could do that? I could have really used you on St. Louis Street, on the balcony of that house.”
“But you did not need me, correct?”
“I guess not.”
Papa Midnight sat up. He scooted back, leaning his back against the wall.
“There is something else you want to ask me. It is much more important than finding out about my fighting skills.”
Dax studied the blind man’s face. “How did you know I could break the curse Serafino had on me?”
“Ah,” Papa Midnight said. “And there it is.”
“You know more about these vampires than you’re telling me. I can see it in your face.”
The voodoo priest nodded. “And I believe now you’ve earned the right to access that knowledge.”
“Then tell me.”
“I have already told you that Serafino is not a Master. There are three others. You remember this, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Other than the lowest breed of vampires, there are those who serve the creatures like Serafino—ones who possess other powers.”
“Yvonne.”
Papa Midnight nodded again. “It does not surprise me that Serafino made her one of his leaders. She was a strong-willed individual. Much like our own military, the Screamers are a hierarchical organization. They are not simply brutal, vampiric demons.”
The blind man reached into his satchel and withdrew his bottle of whiskey. A few ounces rolled around in the bottom. He didn’t offer a shot to Dax this time. Instead, he raised it to his lips and threw back what was left of the Jack Daniels before tossing the bottle to the side.
“The legend prophesized a special human. One born with the power to see the location of the four Master vampire lairs.” He raised his head and looked towards Dax. “I felt it in you when we first met. It is not a coincidence that you found me under that bridge, Jackson Harper.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Dax stood up. “You don’t think that I’m some kind of savior? That I’m the ‘one’ this supposed prophecy spoke of.” He laughed. “You crazy as hell, dawg.”
“If it’s not true, then how were you able to break Serafino’s magic? How were you able to speak telepathically with Yvonne? And what of your dreams, Jackson?”
Dax narrowed his eyes. “What dreams?”
“The visions. The nightmares.”
A chill raised the hair on Dax’s neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man.”
A grin stretched across Papa Midnight’s face. “I suggest you try getting some sleep. We’ve got another long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
The voodoo priest lay back down, smiling.
Dax stared at him blankly. Was what the crazy old bastard had said true? Was he really some kind of fucking superhero? Were the nightmares he’d had and visions he’d seen somehow related to him being the one person on earth who could stop Serafino’s army from colonizing the entire planet?
He shook his head and laughed.
Yeah. Fucking right.
Chapter 17
As soon as the sun went down, Serafino retreated from the mall with his army and returned to the den.
Only a few blocks away from the mall and the river, Serafino had secured a strip of buildings. The Republic, a rock club on St. Peters, had been a perfect building for Serafino to convert into his palace. Though the bottom of the club was flooded, the upstairs balcony had hundreds of chairs. Serafino’s followers had also covered the flooding water below with a platform, this resting overtop of where the stage would have been. At the far edge of the platform, a throne had been placed against the wall. Only Serafino was to sit in the chair. He had also commanded his troops to knock down the walls shared with the other buildings. This move had given them the entire upper floor of every building on the block.
When Serafino entered The Republic, every Screamer in the room fell silent. They bowed to him as he passed, walking down the row of seats and arriving at his throne on the far side of the room. Candles lit the space, casting long shadows that trailed off into the darkness.
Serafino sat down on his throne and then motioned for his followers to rise. Every seat on the U-shaped balcony was filled with his creations. Several more vampires stood in the back of the room.
On one side of Serafino’s throne, Yvonne looked out to the crowd with her hands laced behind her back. On the other side of the vampire leader was his newest creation, Kevin. The boy stood tall, his own glowing eyes also looking out over Serafino’s army.
Serafino ran his fingertips down Yvonne’s arm. “Summon Jonas to me.”
The vampire leader could have called on the Swede himself, but he was still insulted by Jonas not reaching out to him directly with his message. He hadn’t had the right to share such information with Yvonne before giving the message to his master.
Jonas entered the building at Serafino’s right, and Serafino didn’t have to look to see him coming. He could feel Jonas’ presence. The Swede bowed before Serafino.
“My lord.”
“Rise.”
Jonas stood up, pushing his blonde hair out of his face before clasping his hands behind his back. “Might we speak in private?”
Serafino grinned. “Why? You communicated with Yvonne before me. Why the need for secrecy now?”
Jonas bowed his head. “I do apologize. But the reason I sent the message to Yvonne was that I was worried you were being tracked. I didn’t think that—”
Jonas’ feet left the ground as Serafino’s eyes widened, the glow in them intensifying. Serafino had used the same spell on the Swede that he’d used on Yvonne. The glow dissipated from Jonas’ eyes, and the need to breathe returned as he slowly became human again. And as the Master had done with Yvonne, Serafino pulled back before the transformation could be finished. Jonas dropped to the ground, and the bright glow in his eyes returned.
Serafino leaned forward. “You are not to make those decisions. Do you understand?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Now get onto your feet.”
Jonas stood again. Serafino licked his lips as his eyes moved over Jonas’ young, muscular frame. He smiled at the Swede.
“How did you retrieve this message?”
“The powers you have blessed me with—they are becoming stronger. I felt the presence of another, and I honed in on her. The message was scrambled, but I am sure that there is one from another clan roaming our city. A spy.”
“If this is true, then we must find her,” Yvonne said.
“I have already sent a scout to look for her,” Jonas said.
“Very good,” Serafino replied.
With his right hand, Serafino caressed the top of Yvonne’s shoulders. With his other, he took the hand of Jonas.
“Your powers are growing. In both of you.”
“We are here only to serve you,” Yvonne said.
“That you are,” Serafino said.
“Who is this?” asked Jonas.
Serafino followed Jonas’ gaze to Kevin. The boy continued staring straight out into the crowd, ignoring everything happening around him.
“He is my newest creation.”
“He is a child.”
“He was with a human who very much interests me.”
“The one spoken of in the message?”
Serafino nodded. “I have toyed with Dax Harper long enough. I have let that man get away from my grasp twice now.
All because I chose to play a game with him. But now we are running out of time. The others are coming, and we must bring him here before they find him.”
Jonas bowed again before Serafino. “I would be honored to hunt him down and bring him back to you.”
“You’ll do no such thing. I want you here. Both of you. We have seventy-two hours to find him, correct?”
“Less than that now. But we do have time. And we are closer to him than any of the others.”
“Then we shall get to work—now.”
Serafino looked over his crowd of children. Telepathically, he commanded three groups of five to stand.
“I want you all over the city,” Serafino said. “Go out and find Dax Harper.”
The vampires snarled, and then turned around and exited through the windows at the front of the building.
“Which faction do you think has a spy in our city?”
“I do not know, precious Yvonne. But I can assure you that, whether it is the Europeans, the Asians, or the Africans, they are impinging on our territory. This is a violation, and will result in all-out warfare.”
Jonas said, “What will we—”
Serafino raised his hand, cutting the Swede off. He looked to his left, staring through the adjacent building. He could feel the presence of another. And soon enough, appearing in the dim candlelight, there was a group of his followers entering. They held a figure captive.
Serafino smiled. “I think we are about to get our answer.”
Chapter 18
Without speaking, Serafino ordered his servants to bring the traitor before him. They forced her to her knees, and she stared up at Serafino with unblinking eyes.
The woman wore her long, straight black hair past her shoulders, and the glow in her eyes was deep, characteristic of a vampire that had been turned a long time ago.
Serafino studied the vampire’s face.
“You are Jing’s.”
The vampire did not reply, but she didn’t have to. Serafino could see in her eyes that she was Jing’s creation.
As the Master of the Asian faction, Jing was one of the oldest vampires on earth. Some claimed the man had been turned in prehistoric times, during the Jōmon period almost 15,000 years ago. Serafino wasn’t sure if he believed it, but regardless, he knew Jing was probably the oldest vampire in existence—and one of the most powerful.
