The Savage Night

by P. T. Hylton

  Garrett raised an eyebrow. “Help with what?”

  “Resettlement.”

  There were many possible things he’d thought Jaden might say tonight, but that wasn’t one of them. He had absolutely no idea how to respond. The vampires of Agartha shouldn’t even know about Resettlement. And he wanted to offer help?

  Jaden waited him out, that small, knowing smile still glued onto his face.

  Finally, Garrett answered. “Look, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but—”

  “I’ve heard that Fleming wants to set up a settlement on the surface, and that you are in fact helping him do so. And, honestly, I think it’s a great idea.”

  “You do?” Garrett asked, the skepticism clear in his voice.

  “Of course. New Haven was never meant to be permanent. We knew it would have to come back to Earth someday. And I’d like to help make that happen. I have knowledge, resources, experience, and I’m willing to provide them all. Free of charge, as we used to say.”

  “Then why do I sense a but coming?”

  “No but. Only this. You have to do it at my pace.”

  “There it is. I knew this was too good to be true.”

  “It’s not,” Jaden said. “It’s what you need to hear. To do this right will take many years. Even selecting the site for the settlement is something we should research.”

  Garrett stopped trying to suppress his anger. This vampire’s arrogance had pushed him to the limit. “I’m not saying we are resettling, but if we were, we’d have all that covered. We’d have weapons to defend ourselves. An ideal location. A plan. You and your kind were the reason we had to leave Earth’s surface in the first place. So when it comes to your offer of help, thanks but no thanks. You can take your help and shove it up your ass.”

  Jaden laughed, true delight in his eyes. “This is a great conversation. I forgot that phrase even existed. This is why I love talking to foreigners.” His face grew a bit more serious. “But I’m not making the offer to you, Firefly. I’m making it to Fleming.”

  “I’ll take your offer to him, but I know his answer will be the same.”

  Jaden nodded. “Fine. That’s all I can ask. I can see you’re not having as much fun with this conversation as I am, so I’ll just bring up one more point for you to pass along. When a human is turned to a vampire, it must obey its creator. He or she will not be able to disobey their master. It’s involuntary. This obedience grows lesser over time, but it takes about a hundred years or so before a new vamp has full control over their own actions."

  “Why are you telling me this?"

  Jaden smiled again. "I thought you might want to consider that every human you send down to the surface could become a slave to a vampire. A slave who knows the layout, defenses, and inner workings of both New Haven and your settlement. If the people you send to Earth fail, it could be much worse than just a loss of life for the settlers. It might create an adversary who could destroy you all."

  With that, he stood up from the table.

  “I’ve taken up enough of your time. We have a suite prepared for you if you’d like to get some rest. I understand a ship will be here to take you back to New Haven in the morning.”

  “Yes,” Garrett said, his own voice distant in his ears.

  “Good. Thank you for passing along my message to Fleming. It was nice talking with you, Firefly.”

  24

  Three days had passed since Alex’s dinner with the team and Firefly’s meeting with Jaden. The past few days had been a blur of constant trips back and forth between New Haven and Fort Sterns. While their progress had been impressive, it had required them to spend nearly all their waking hours on the surface.

  And now they were headed back there for another day of preparations.

  As wonderful as the team had been about her revelations, Alex did need the occasional break from them, so today she was sitting in the cockpit of the away ship with Owl.

  “So how long do we have?” Owl asked. “Before Fleming decides to pull the trigger on Resettlement?”

  Alex shook her head. “Not long. A few weeks, maybe. Firefly’s encouraging Fleming to extend the testing phase a little. We’ll see how that goes.”

  Owl raised an eyebrow. “That’s how far we’ve fallen? We’re trusting that rat Firefly to buy us more time?”

  “Looks like. I don’t trust him, but he’s not a complete idiot. He sees the danger, and he wants Resettlement to succeed.”

  “Yeah, he wouldn’t want hundreds of people to die,” Owl said dryly. “It would be a real black mark on his record.”

  “Let’s just hope CB and Kurtz can pull off a miracle before Fleming pulls the trigger.”

  After the ship landed, Alex gathered the team in the yard and split them up into teams of two. As was their routine, their first order of business was checking the buildings on the grounds to make sure the lights were still on and that they were clear of Ferals.

  “Barton brothers, you can partner up. Wesley and Chuck. And me and Owl.”

  Patrick shook his head. “The GMT is a real girls’ club. When will the men get equal opportunity for facetime with the boss?”

  “Today you’ll have to be content admiring me from afar,” Alex said. “Everyone stay sharp out there. Just because the buildings have been clear the last three days doesn’t mean we can assume they will be today. Let’s move out.”

  Alex and Owl headed toward Buildings Six, Seven, and Eight. She glanced up at the wall where Firefly’s team was working on installing more railguns. The majority of the area outside the wall would be protected by the pole-mounted daylights, but there were still a few blind spots. Hence the railguns. Firefly said he wanted every inch of the exterior within range of both daylights and railguns, but if Fleming kept pushing, it looked like that might not happen before the first group of three hundred Resettlers moved into Fort Sterns.

  Firefly didn’t always come on these missions; he often stayed on New Haven to help with the training of the Resettlers. Today, however, he was atop the wall, directing his team. Alex had to admit he’d grown into more of a leader than she would have thought possible back when he’d been a withdrawn loner on the GMT.

  Alex checked the exterior lights on Building Six and everything was in working order. Then they went inside.

  Owl and Alex moved cautiously through the building. Like every day since the lights had been installed, it was clear. As they reached the basement level, Owl said, “Looks like we’re vampire-free.”

  “Indeed, it does.”

  Owl glanced at the generator and the backup batteries next to it. “You know, this is actually a pretty horrible redundancy system. If something takes out the generator, the batteries are just a few feet away.”

  “Why is that a problem?”

  “Well, say there was an explosion down here. Both the batteries and the generator would be destroyed, right? Boom, no lights.”

  Alex nodded. “That’s a good point. I’ll bring it up to Firefly. Along with the mile-long list of concerns I’ve already mentioned to him.”

  Owl glanced toward the steps to make sure they were alone. “Have you talked to CB? Any progress?”

  “Some, but he needs more time.”

  “We might not have it. Fleming’s going to move the Resettlers down here soon.”

  “I’ll set something up for tonight. Just the core group.”

  Owl seemed satisfied with that, and she headed toward the exit.

  After searching the other buildings, Owl and Alex rejoined the other groups in the yard and confirmed that their searches had had similar results.

  Firefly climbed down the steps leading up to the wall and joined them. “How we looking today, Captain Goddard?”

  “Clear as a bell, Captain Eldred.”

  “Excellent. The daylights are working. Brian McElroy really is a genius. We should name a building after him or something.”

  Alex had to admit the results had been impressive. The daylights had been working
as a better deterrent than she had expected. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if that would hold true once the buildings were occupied. A vampire might not be willing to risk burning to enter an empty building, but one filled with humans? That, she didn’t know.

  “Let’s just make sure we test everything before we start moving people in,” Alex said.

  Firefly clapped her on the back. “Don't worry so much, Alex. We’ll make sure that everything is working perfectly before anyone stays the night down here."

  Alex, Brian, CB, and Owl sat around CB’s kitchen table, waiting in silence. Alex felt weary. She’d lost track of the number of missions they’d been on lately. Every day seemed to bleed into the next. And there was still so much work left to do.

  Finally, Jessica walked through the front door, a large container under her arm. “Sorry I’m late, but I brought enough slop from Tankards to feed us three times over.”

  “Hell yes,” Owl said. “I’m starved.”

  CB waited until they all had plates of food in front of them to begin talking. “We’re running out of time.”

  “You’re telling me,” Owl said, pausing to swallow a bite of slop. “Fort Sterns is just about ready to go. It won’t be more than a couple weeks before the Resettlers go down.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Brian said. “We’ve only made about half the railguns he ordered, and we’re out of parts again.”

  “Huh,” Alex said. “Won’t he just strip the parts from somewhere else on New Haven?”

  Jessica frowned. “Not if he wants to keep this bird in the air. We are down to the bone. I’ve taken everything that won’t cause an immediate shutdown of vital systems. It’s wildly irresponsible how many backup systems we’ve dismantled. If something happens…”

  She let the thought hang in the air, unspoken.

  “Same in the lab.” Brian’s voice was a little hoarse. He looked even worse than the last time Alex had seen him. “We’ve got every tech making lights, but we’ve burned though most of what the GMT got in Las Vegas.”

  CB turned to Alex. “Sounds like the defenses of Fort Sterns are coming together.”

  “Surprisingly, yeah.” If there was one group she could be honest with, it was this one. “I thought the vampires would have that place torn apart by now, but that hasn’t been the case.”

  CB nodded. “Okay then. That leaves my report.” He paused. Everyone had stopped eating. This was the report they’d been waiting for. “I spoke with Colonel Kurtz today, and he’s making great progress with the badges. A core group of their leaders are onboard, and he’s convinced the rank and file will follow their lead. Especially when they see the GMT is anti-Fleming.”

  “Believe me, they are,” Alex said.

  “However, he said we’re not ready to make a move.”

  Everyone around the table groaned.

  CB held up a hand. “We’re close. We’re just not there yet. Kurtz says he has a witness who saw Sarah in the council room just before the meeting. He has to convince her to come forward with her story.”

  “Couldn’t he do that later?” Owl asked. “When Fleming’s sitting in a cell, we’ll have all the time in the world to build a case against him.”

  “Not really,” CB countered. “A military coup of a democratically elected leader isn’t something to be taken lightly. The people will want rock-solid proof of why we took action, and we damn well better have it. However, Kurtz says we’re talking days, not weeks. He thinks he can convince the witness by the end of the week. If not, we move forward without her.”

  They all took that in and the clinking of utensils against plates was the only sound.

  After a few moments, Jessica said, “Can I throw something out there?”

  “Of course,” CB said.

  “Would it be such a bad thing if we let Resettlement move forward?”

  Alex raised an eyebrow. “Um, are you new here?”

  “CB said it himself. A military coup is not to be undertaken lightly. Let’s say we let everything play out. Best-case scenario we’re wrong and Resettlement succeeds.”

  “Not going to happen,” Alex interjected.

  “Okay, then look at the other side. What’s the absolute worst thing that happens?”

  “Three hundred people die horrible deaths at the hands of vampires,” Brian said.

  Jessica held up a finger. “Exactly! That’s what I’m saying. Three hundred people die. I don’t mean to be cruel, but would that really be terrible? It would be tragic, but Fleming would be exposed as a fraud, we’d have even more grounds to remove him, and the question of Resettlement would be, err, settled.”

  Alex set down her fork and glared at Jessica. “I’m sorry, are you actually suggesting we just let three hundred people die?”

  “I don’t want anyone to die, but if it gives us our best chance to save everyone—”

  “I don’t believe this,” Alex said, the anger rising in her voice. “That’s Fleming’s way of thinking. ‘If I blow up the council, it’ll save lives in the long run.’ That’s exactly the mindset we’re fighting against here. Once we start calculating how many lives are acceptable losses, we become the bad guys.”

  CB held up his hands. “Alex, calm down. Jessica’s just bringing up a question that needs to be asked. We have to consider this from every angle. That said, I agree with you. We can’t sacrifice lives.”

  Jessica glared at Alex for a moment, then broke into a smile. “Me too. I just wanted to see how you’d respond to the question.”

  Alex laughed and she felt the tension go out of her. “I sort of hate you right now. So, are we going to come up with a plan that doesn’t involve people dying?”

  Brian scratched his chin. "I think that once Fleming announces the date he’s sending the Resettlers down, that’s when we need to move. If I know Fleming, he’ll want to make a production out of it. That’s when we stop waiting for more evidence and get moving."

  “Agreed,” CB said. “The announcement will be our last chance to make our move, assuming we haven’t already. Jessica, how many people in engineering will be on our side?”

  “It won’t be difficult to get the key people from most departments. They’re pretty pissed about the way he’s stripping the ship.”

  “Good. If things don’t go our way, we’ll have the ability to shut down systems. That’s great leverage.”

  Owl sighed. “I can't wait for this to be over. I just want to have a stable city again. All this is too much for me."

  “Don't worry,” Alex said. “It won’t be much longer.”

  The group went back to their meals, and the conversation got lighter. As the meal went on, Alex felt herself relax for the first time in days. She was enjoying a meal among friends. Little moments like these were so important; they represented the very life they were fighting to protect.

  Alex’s radio beeped, interrupting her thoughts. She sighed. “Duty calls.” She pressed the radio and said, “Captain Goddard here.”

  “Alex, it’s Garrett. Fleming needs to see us immediately.”

  Just as he finished speaking, CB’s radio beeped.

  Before answering it, he smiled at his guests. “I hope you three don’t mind cleaning up. Looks like Alex and I have somewhere to be.”

  25

  “The water system?” Alex asked, a hint of panic in her voice. “That seems important.”

  “It is,” Fleming replied. “Thanks for your keen observation.”

  CB and Alex were in Fleming’s office. Unlike most times they spoke to him, there was no entourage. Firefly, Sarah, reporters; none of them were present. It was only CB, Alex, and Fleming. He’d even shut the door to his office.

  That had Alex concerned. It meant this was serious.

  And then he’d confirmed her fears by telling them there was a problem with the water system.

  “More specifically, a problem with the system that collects moisture from the atmosphere,” he explained.

  “The one that
we use as our only source of drinking water,” CB said flatly.

  “And irrigation. Bathing water. Sanitation.”

  “So all the water then?” Alex said.

  Fleming nodded. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. It’s bad. We have enough water stored up that no one outside the essential teams will know anything is wrong for the next day or so. But after that, all bets are off. Which means we need the parts to fix it, and we need them tomorrow.”

  “Guess the GMT needs to saddle up,” Alex said.

  “Very much so.” He tapped a quick sequence on his tablet. “I’m sending you the location we’ve identified for replacement parts. Thankfully, any major city from the pre-infestation days would have what we need in their water-treatment plant. So we’re sending you down to Denver, the old city closest to Fort Sterns. That way your trip won’t impact Captain Eldred’s work.”

  Alex grimaced. Even now he was prioritizing Resettlement.

  Fleming looked at CB. “Colonel Kurtz, you, and I will meet with some of the badges tomorrow morning to apprise them of the situation. Just in case word gets out and things go badly.”

  “You’re thinking there could be riots?” CB asked.

  “If people don’t have access to water, sure, it’s possible. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  CB nodded. “Why doesn’t Jessica know about this? We just saw her and she didn’t mention anything about this.”

  “Water collection technically falls under the umbrella of agriculture.”

  “Yeah, but isn’t her department involved in maintaining the system?”

  “Yes. And we’ll have to tell her tomorrow. But do me a favor. We don’t want this getting out, so don’t say anything about it to her or anyone else. I’ll handle the communication. Got it?”

  CB and Alex both said they understood.

  “I want the GMT to leave before dawn, Denver time. That way you’ll be ready to land when the sun comes up.”

  “Yes, sir.” Now that there was a real crisis, she felt everything else slipping away. It was almost a relief to have a straightforward, save-the-city mission. No politics needs. Yet something bothered her about all this and she couldn’t resist the urge to bring it up. “Sir, how did the water-collection system and the backup system go down at the same time?”