by P. T. Hylton
Jaden crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, clearly enjoying this.
Owl drew her weapon and held it in a two-handed grip, as if not sure where to point it.
Robert paused for just a moment, looking at her dumbly with the jacket in hand. Then he reached out and grabbed her by the wrist once again. This time, his eyes widened as his hand began to smoke, and he drew in a quick breath before pulling it way.
Jaden stared in surprise at her silver chainmail suit. Clearly he hadn’t been expecting that. “Fascinating.”
She lunged at Robert, throwing a flurry of punches, aiming for his face. The punches wouldn’t be enough to take him down, she knew, but maybe she could keep him off balance long enough to get her sword back.
Each blow met only air. The vampire moved so quickly, she barely knew where to aim her jabs. Still, she kept attacking. As long as he was on defense, he couldn’t be on offense. If she just kept going at him maybe she could―
“Enough,” Robert said firmly.
Alex didn’t see the punch, but she certainly felt its impact. His fist slammed into her stomach, and the air rushed out of her. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath.
She watched through watery eyes as Jaden turned to Owl. “Would you please lower your weapon?” He nodded toward the man at the control desk, who was watching all this with wide eyes. “Anthony is very much human, and a bullet will kill him. If your friend wants to throw a temper tantrum, fine, but if you shoot Anthony, I may get cranky.”
Temper tantrum? That made Alex even angrier than before.
She struggled to her feet, regaining her breath a little more with each gasp.
Owl wavered, looking back and forth between Robert, Jaden, and Alex. After a moment, she lowered her weapon.
“Thank you, Owl,” Jaden said. “Nice to see cooler heads can prevail. Now that we’re through with that nonsense, we can talk like civilized people.”
Owl sighed. “You clearly don’t know Alex very well.”
Alex lashed out with her leg, knocking Robert’s feet from under him.
He barely touched the ground before he popped back up. Grabbing her by the throat, he lifted her two feet off the ground. A few tendrils of smoke drifted from where the bottom of his hand touched the chainmail, but he ignored it.
Alex beat at his arms and hands, squirming to get out of his grip, but to no avail.
Robert’s eyes glowed red as he glared up at Alex.
Jaden turned to Owl. “She’s not going to stop, is she?”
“Alex, calm down. I don’t think he is our enemy,” Owl yelled.
Alex didn’t pay any attention to Owl’s advice. Instead, she pressed the chain mail covering her arms against Robert’s hand, causing it to smoke even more.
Jaden shook his head sadly. “All right then. Sorry about this in advance, Alex. Robert, put her out.”
With the flick of a wrist, Robert sent her flying across the room. She slammed against the wall, sank to the floor, and the world went dark.
2
After the briefing with the GMT recruits, Brian followed CB to the hangar. Neither man spoke as they walked, both wanting to make sure they were out of earshot of the recruits before they had their conversation.
When they reached the hangar, CB led him aboard the backup ship. It was of a similar design to the away ship the GMT usually used, but not as well maintained. For years, this ship had gotten the second-best parts and the second most attention. It also hadn’t had Owl obsessing over every inch of it the way the main away ship had.
“You know what Owl’s going to say when she sees us pull up in this pathetic thing?” CB had his hands on his hips, and he cast a disdainful eye at the cargo hold as they stepped aboard. “She’s going to laugh her ass off. And that’s before she sees a team of green recruits pile off and start mucking around in the snow.”
Most of the gear for the mission had already been loaded aboard by Brian’s team, and once the crew received their personal gear, there would be nothing left to do but wait for the ship to be in the correct position for the flight to the surface.
Brian felt a twinge of envy as he thought of the recruits heading down to search for the team. Not that he had any desire to set foot on the surface. He’d lived his entire life in the sky, and he had no intention of changing that now. Nor did he have any desire to fight the vampires who lived there. Whatever it was inside the members of the GMT that caused them to get excited at the thought of deadly combat and life-threatening adventures, Brian didn’t have it. He preferred the intellectual thrill of a clean new design and the knowledge that his work was saving lives.
He sighed as he looked around the ship. “It may not be as sleek as the main ship, but it’ll get them to their destination and back. I have no doubt about that.”
CB just nodded absently. It was clear his mind was on other things.
Brian waited a moment, and then he asked the question he’d been waiting to ask since they walked out the briefing room door. “Captain, what’s the real plan?”
CB turned and looked at him, a confused expression on his face. “What do you mean?”
For a moment, Brian wasn’t sure how to respond. “The plan. I heard what you told the recruits, but what are we actually going to do here?”
“I still don’t understand. The plan is the plan. The recruits are going dirtside to bring our team home.”
“Okay, yeah, I get that. But what are we going to do about Fleming?”
CB just looked away.
Brian didn’t know the details of CB’s conversation with Fleming, or why exactly they’d been released from their jail cell in the Hub. All he knew was that CB had been taken away by some guards to have a discussion with Fleming, and thirty minutes later Brian had been released from his cell. He hadn’t asked CB for the details. He hadn’t needed to because he trusted the captain. He trusted that whatever trick he’d pulled to get them out of there had been rooted in the knowledge that they would move against Fleming
But for the first time, it occurred to Brian that that might not be the case. A sickening realization came to him, and shocked anger quickly followed. “CB, tell me you didn’t make a deal with Fleming.”
“I did what I had to do,” the captain replied, his voice void of emotion. “My only objective was giving us a shot at saving our team. We’ll figure out everything else later.”
Brian couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Fleming blew up the council. He’s got General Craig locked up in the Hub! We have the best weapons in New Haven and a team of recruits trained to use them. They might be green, but they’d follow you into hell. You know they would. So what the hell are you thinking?”
CB took a step toward Brian, and his voice was almost a snarl when he answered. “You want to know what I’m thinking? I’m thinking Alex. I’m thinking Drew. And Owl. And Wesley. And Jessica. I’m thinking about the nuclear reactor down there, and the parts that can keep this ship afloat. I’m thinking about my team—my friends—down on the surface in the darkness. Best-case scenario, they’re huddled inside NORAD, desperately hoping they’ll make it through until morning. That’s what I’m thinking about, McElroy. The rest of the world can go straight to hell.”
Brian drew a deep breath before continuing. “Look, I’m not saying we don’t go after the team. I’m just saying―”
“I know perfectly well what you’re saying. You’ve got a fantasy of us storming the Hub, guns blazing, and throwing Fleming into a cell. Reclaiming New Haven for the good guys. Only it wouldn’t go like that. We take up arms against the Hub, we better be strapped in for a long fight. How many badges will side with us? How many with them? How long before the civilians start taking sides and picking up weapons?”
“I don’t have all the answers.”
“You damn well better. If you’re going to start a civil war on this ship, you better have counted the cost.” CB turned away and stared into the depths of the ship for a long moment before continuing. “
Look, I get it. I’m just as pissed off about what that bastard did as you are. But our first priority has to be getting our team back. That’s our responsibility. You know damn well that if you and I were trapped down there, Alex would be doing anything she possibly could to get down there to search for us.”
Brian had to admit the captain had a point there.
CB continued, “Besides, look at the practical side of it. If we want to have any chance of taking back this ship, we need our best people. And right now, our best people are down there waiting for us to come grab them. That’s our first priority. We’ll figure out everything else when we get back.”
Brian nodded slowly. What CB was saying made sense. He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t argue with the logic.
“So, are you onboard?” CB asked. “I need your head in this thing one hundred percent. We’re running a dangerous mission to the surface with a bunch of recruits who’ve never set foot off New Haven. It’s going to be tough enough without having to worry about whether you’re second-guessing me. Can I count on you?”
Brian paused only a moment before he answered, “You can count on me, Captain.”
He didn’t like the fact that CB seemed to be ignoring the harsh realities of the GMT’s situation, and he definitely didn’t like that they were taking orders from the man who’d killed the rest of the city council. But he’d go along with it. He’d trust CB. For now.
The first thing Alex saw when she opened her eyes was Wesley. He was lying on a bed across the room from her, and he was out cold.
For a long moment, she had absolutely no idea where she was. Everything looked unfamiliar. She had the sudden, nonsensical idea that she’d made a terrible mistake and slept with Wesley. But then why was he in another bed?
It all came rushing back in an instant. The crash. The vampires in the snow. The hidden city in the mountain. Jaden…
She sat up with a start. Jaden! The city of vampires.
A hand touched her shoulder, and she almost lashed out. A familiar voice spoke before she could.
“Relax, Alex. You’re safe.”
It was Owl. Alex turned and saw the rest of her team gathered around her, not just Owl but also Firefly and Jessica.
As her head began to clear, she turned back to Owl. “I’m safe, huh? That’s exactly what Jaden said before his buddy threw me against the wall.”
“You think you had it bad?” Firefly asked with a grin. “I’m going to have to live with the knowledge that I missed watching you get your ass kicked. Anyone ever tell you that you suck at making new friends?”
“It’s been brought up.” She put a hand to the back of her throbbing head.
“You got a nasty lump,” Owl explained, “but no permanent damage. Luckily it was just your brain, and you weren’t using that anyway.”
Alex flopped back onto her pillow, and the room seemed to spin. She squeezed her eyes shut until it passed. “So you guys are good with being trapped in a city with a hundred vampires?”
“Not good at all,” Firefly said. “But what’s the alternative? Besides, if they wanted us dead, they could have just left us outside in the snow. Or they could have killed us in that hallway the moment we walked in. Instead, they patched up our boy.” He nodded toward Wesley. “They saved his leg, not to mention his life.”
“I’m not ready to trust them just yet.” Alex sat up and swung her feet over the side of the bed. “I am done lying here, though.”
“Good,” Jessica said with a smile. “I have someone you need to meet.”
Jessica led them out of the hospital and to Engineering. They crossed paths with a few citizens of Agartha on their walk. Most of them nodded a friendly greeting as they passed, but none exchanged any words with the New Haven team. If they knew these people were strangers to Agartha, they gave no indication.
They walked through a set of double doors and into a large, open room with a dozen or so people bustling around. A balding man in his fifties gave Jessica a friendly wave when he saw them and hurried over.
“This is George,” Jessica told Alex. “He’s the head of Engineering. Speaking of which, how are we coming, George?”
“Ahead of schedule for once,” he answered. “The console is just about packed up and ready.”
Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at Jessica. “We got the parts we need?”
“Without a doubt.” Jessica was practically beaming with pride. “George, fill Alex in on what you were telling me about life in Agartha.”
George’s head bobbed up and down. “Of course. Where to begin? I’ve lived here all my life, so it’s difficult to know what’s unique about this place. But based on what I’ve read, it does have some advantages over most societies of the past.”
“Like the vampires?” Alex asked dryly.
George nodded. If the comment offended him, he didn’t show it. “People in Agartha are free to pursue life basically as they see fit, as long as they don’t hurt others and they contribute to society in some way. Humans and vampires work side by side to keep things running smoothly.”
“What if you want to leave?” Alex asked.
George thought a moment. “I suppose you could. Though it might not be a good idea with all the Ferals out there.”
“‘Ferals’ is what they call the less friendly vampires outside the city,” Jessica explained.
Alex nodded, still trying to wrap her head around a society that distinguished between good and bad vampires.
George continued. “We’re pretty self-sufficient, but when we need supplies, the vampires go out and get them. The Ferals leave them alone for the most part. No human blood. I guess they smell different than we do.”
“Of course,” Alex said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“What else? We have schools for the young ones, and every family has their own bunk unit. Space is tight here, but we make do.”
As he continued talking, Alex noticed a woman who couldn’t have been more than five feet tall and maybe ninety pounds walk up to a massive crate, lift it up like it was nothing, and approach them.
“Where do you want this, George?” the woman asked.
He gestured toward the other end of the room. “Oh, on one of the Jeeps, if you don’t mind.” As the woman walked away, George laughed and shook his head. “I hear you don’t have vampires where you come from. How do you survive without them? How do you get supplies?”
Owl started to answer, but Alex cut her off.
“We make do.” She wasn’t ready to start revealing the details of New Haven to these strangers. There wasn’t a protocol for this kind of thing, but she knew she needed to be careful.
Yesterday she’d thought New Haven was the last human city. Now she knew not only that there was another city, but that they had vampires fighting on their side. If some conflict did arise, the only advantage New Haven would have was that their location was a mystery. She didn’t know if Agartha had any airships, but she wasn’t about to risk it.
“Ah, glad to see you’re up and about!” Jaden walked toward them, his gaze fixed on Alex, an easy smile on his face. “Ready for round two?” He held up his fists and screwed up his face in the goofy imitation of a snarl.
Alex felt herself blush. She’d hoped to have a little more time to compose herself before having to talk to this vampire again. “Jaden, I need to apologize. To you and Robert both. You invited us into your city, and I shouldn’t―”
He waved the thought away. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, that was the most fun I’ve had in months. Things have gotten stale around here.”
“For the record, I’m not usually like that. It’s been a tough week.”
He turned to Jessica and George. “So, did we get the parts squared away?”
“That we did,” George said.
“Good. Now we can attempt to contact your people and have them come pick you up.”
Alex hesitated before answering. “Look, we really appreciate all you’ve done
for us, but I think it would be best for all of us if we rendezvoused with our team somewhere away from Agartha.”
The smile slipped from Jaden’s face, and he nodded slowly. “That’s understandable. We’ll do whatever makes you comfortable. I guess trust has to be earned.” He paused for a moment. “Speaking of which, Alex, could I talk to you alone for a moment?”
Concern leapt into Firefly’s eyes, but Alex gave him a reassuring look.
“Of course,” she said to Jaden.
The vampire led her away from the group and into a long, empty hallway. He stopped and turned toward her.
“Alex, I thought it was time we had a conversation. We need to talk about New Haven.”
For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. “How do you even know that name?”
Jaden chuckled softly. “Oh, Alex. I know about New Haven because I helped build it.”
3
“You helped build New Haven?” Alex asked, the skepticism clear in her voice. “Was this before or after you became a vampire?”
He drew a deep breath. “Look, you have to understand, things were crazy then.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“No,” he said with a smile. “It’s not. Like I said earlier, trust has to be earned.”
She stifled a laugh. “Fair enough. When you say you helped build it, are you saying you were one of the guys holding a wrench or a blowtorch or whatever, actually putting the thing together?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“Okay, now I know you’re screwing with me.”
“I got involved fairly late,” he explained. “It was already clear humanity was on the way out. We’d been ravaged by the first two waves of the infestation, and we had two desperate plans left, both of them crazy. Build a city in a mountain or build a city in the clouds. The teams were kept separate for fear of both becoming compromised. I was one of the few who knew about both.”
“So you were a bigwig then?”
Jaden shrugged. “My point is I’m glad to see New Haven is still flying. There were plenty of people who said it couldn’t be done, just like there were plenty of people who said we couldn’t turn this small NORAD facility into a functioning city. We proved them wrong on both counts.”
