“I’d say I’m more charming than annoying. Wouldn’t you agree, Fluffy?”
Fluffy growled, and Carter scowled at the wolf.
Ryder grinned. The pack was coming together.
Mama Lou and Terrier did a sweep of Level Six to see if anyone else had the same disease as Vera. That meant checking all the rooms.
Most of the men weren’t thrilled with Mama Lou and Terrier interrupting their privacy with their women. Over the years, some of the men and women had coupled up and built normal relationships. Well, as normal as anything could be inside the bunker. Some pairs were like boyfriend and girlfriend, while others were like married couples.
Whether a couple was just talking or deep in the throes of bunker love, none of them took kindly to the unwelcome intrusion. Mama Lou had been forced to smooth a lot of ruffled feathers before she could explain what was going on in the rest of the bunker.
Most people reacted with fear and got their clothes on. A few didn’t give a shit and carried on.
When people did come out of their rooms, all of their faces registered shock at the scene above them. The glass floor was empty of people. There was an eerie silence in the bunker as if no one were left alive. It had never been this quiet.
People approached Mama Lou and Terrier from all sides, begging for answers. They filled in the worried people as much as they could, which wasn’t much.
Some of the men ran for the exit and failed to open the doors, as everyone before them had. Mama Lou knew that the men who tried to run had just been down here to get their dicks wet. The men who stayed actually cared about the women they were with. These were the ones who would help her fight against anyone who the disease turned into a monster.
Mama Lou wasn’t foolish enough to believe that no one else down here was infected. She had lived too long and seen too much to be an optimist. She just hoped the next person who turned wouldn’t be one of the other women.
Or even worse, one of the kids.
The thought scared her, which wasn’t easy to do. She placed her hand on Terrier’s arm. “We need to check on the children.”
He nodded. “I’ll lead the way.”
The crowd of people parted before Terrier’s massive frame, and he carved a path for Mama Lou through the masses. When they got outside the kids’ room, he paused for a moment to steady his breathing because he didn’t want to worry the children. He glanced at Mama Lou, and she nodded, so he opened the door.
Natalie had the kids sitting in a loose circle, singing songs and playing the wooden instruments Terrier and Ryder had made for them. Relief flooded through him. The terrible, off-key singing and generally awful playing had never sounded so good. It meant they were all right.
The kids stopped singing and ran for Terrier, tugging at his leg and pulling him with them into the room. Then they looked past him.
“Where’s Ryder?” one of the kids asked.
He forced a smile. “On a journey to a faraway land.”
“Oohs” and “aahs” came from the kids.
“Class, please let Terrier have his leg back,” Natalie chuckled as she came over to them.
Terrier had always liked Natalie. Like Ryder, she had been taken from her home when she was just a child, over fifteen years ago. So, Terrier had known her for most of her life, and he’d watched her grow up. She had long brown hair, which was back in its orderly braid after Shane’s assault earlier. Her frame was tiny, and her pregnant belly was big and round.
Her brown eyes rested on Terrier, and her pale skin made her eyes look even darker. She smiled at him like his mere presence made her feel like everything was going to be all right.
He hoped she was still smiling at the end of all this.
“Children, we all want to hear Ryder’s story,” Mama Lou told them. “No doubt it will be a very interesting one. But I need to steal Terrier away from you.” The children’s cries filled the room. “Hush now. I'll let him come back and tell you all about Ryder’s adventures once we are finished. I need to steal Natalie for a moment, too. Please keep playing with your instruments as loud as you possibly can. I want the music to reach everywhere, fill the entire level.”
The kids were happy. Natalie, on the other hand, shook her head. She knew that the rest of the day was going to be very long. She needed to get them back in their beds. The advisors’ announcement had scared them just as they were falling asleep.
The three of them left the kids’ room and closed the door behind them. They could hear the musical instruments blasting behind the door, just as Mama Lou had asked.
“What’s going on?” Natalie asked, her hands cradling her belly. “First, Afana comes down here. Then, the alarms sound. Something bad is happening, isn't it?”
Mama Lou clutched the girl’s hand in hers. “You have no reason to worry. We will take care of this. But you’re right—something is going on. We have been placed in quarantine. There is some type of disease in the bunker, and we have been very lucky that Afana has saved our lives by sealing us down here. You need to keep the kids in their room and keep the door locked from the inside. This point is very important. I need to keep the whole of Level Six safe and secure.”
Mama Lou paused for a moment. It was a hell of a lot to take in, and she was trying not to stress Natalie out. She really didn’t want her going into labor. But Natalie was a smart girl. She’d take it in her stride.
“This disease that you speak of, how does it spread?” Natalie asked.
“We don’t know,” Mama Lou said as she shook her head. “The advisor sent everybody to the sleeping units. I think it is the best way to stop the spread.”
Natalie looked worried. “Are there any symptoms I should look for in the children?”
Mama Lou paused, and Terrier said soberly, “If their eyes turn red and they try to bite you, then, unfortunately, it’s too late for them and you need to put them down.”
Natalie placed a hand over her mouth and gasped. “I can’t kill them!” She shook her head.
Terrier placed his hand on her tiny shoulder. “We hope you won’t have to. I will do everything I can to keep you and the kids safe.”
27
Leandro could hear Carter talking, but he wasn’t listening. His eyes were locked on the smoke flowing into the sky. Dread filled his stomach—he knew what that smoke meant. There had been a death at Pinewood, and he needed to get home fast to make sure his dad was okay.
Ryder called to him as he ran, but he didn’t turn back to look at her. If he never saw her again, he would be sad, but the time he had spent with her was worth it. He knew Carter would look after her and keep her safe now. She didn’t need him anymore. His dad needed him, and he had already been gone too long.
Guilt raced through him with every pounding step on the uneven ground. He should never have left his dad alone for so long.
His dad was a vampire, but he wasn’t the same as other vampires. As the years had gone by, he had grown older since the lack of human blood was slowly killing him. The little blood Leandro had been able to feed his dad from wild animals simply hadn’t been enough. He needed more. He needed to drink human blood to bring the strength and life back to him. He was a vampire, after all.
Leandro wondered what had happened in Pinewood and hoped it was just that Massimo had decided to throw a bonfire party. But in the pit of his gut, Leandro had a feeling it wasn’t.
“Fluffy? Fluffy!” Ryder felt like an idiot calling after the wolf, but she didn’t want him to leave. There went her little fantasy that one day she would be able to let a kid stroke his fur. He was a wild animal, after all. Ryder and Carter watched as the wolf ran away.
Carter could see the disappointment in Ryder’s face. He didn't like anyone looking like that because it made him feel unhappy, too. “Come on, then. Are you up for a run?” Ryder looked at Carter for a second. “We’re heading that direction anyway.”
Carter took off running after Fluffy, and Ryder followed quickly.
&n
bsp; Carter was fast, even faster than Ryder, and he took the opportunity to show off very seriously. A few times he jogged back, asking if she was too tired and needed a piggyback ride, but he always ducked out of the way before Ryder could knock him into tomorrow. He was doing his best impression of an asshole, jogging backward as he teased her, and having the time of his life doing it.
While he was trotting backward, he stumbled on the uneven surface. Ryder laughed out loud and even snorted as he crashed to the ground. “That’s what you get, you clumsy jerk.”
Carter rolled over, placed his hand under his head, and looked up at Ryder, fluttering his eyelids. “Just resting. Why don’t you jog ahead, and I’ll catch up?”
Ryder looked down at him, grinning. “Why don’t I give you a good kick in the head to knock some of the bullshit out of you? Now, quit your playing. I don’t want to lose Fluffy’s trail.”
Ryder knew they couldn’t run as fast as the wolf. She just hoped he was heading toward the smoke, too. It might mean trouble, and if so, she wanted to be there at his side to make sure he was all right.
The music was playing loudly in the Old Dog, and people were singing and dancing. Massimo had done his job well. The choice of music was doing absolutely nothing for him, but it wasn’t playing for him—it was for his friends. Massimo hoped it would bring a little bit of joy to a sad day.
He hopped off his stool and waved Kelvin over. “It’s time for me to head on home and leave the young ones to it. They won’t miss having some old fart around. Make sure everyone’s glasses stay filled.”
Kelvin nodded. “I always do. Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s just been a long day, and I’m looking forward to getting into my bed. And also seeing Leandro—he must be home by now. I hope he’s got a good story to tell about where he’s been.”
“I’ll pop down tomorrow to hear all about it,” Kelvin said. He loved listening to Massimo’s stories. He had some of the best. He knew they were mostly true, but he had a feeling some of them had a sprinkle of bullshit. “Will you be okay getting home?”
Massimo smiled at Kelvin. He knew Massimo was a vampire and could take care of himself, but he always asked anyway. “I’ll be fine. Thank you, my friend. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Kelvin had brought the cart back in after the zombie incident, since he knew there would be a lot of empty bottles. Massimo would enlist Leandro’s help to refill them all the next day. The lad had been gone long enough. A little extra work wouldn’t hurt him.
The thought of his son being gone for so long did worry Massimo, though. He knew his son was strong and smart, but anything could happen in this crazy world. Your basement could explode, you could solve a murder, or you might have to kill the vicar when he turned cannibal.
You just never knew where the day would take you.
Massimo got the cart and headed back home with the hope that Leandro would have some exciting stories to banish some of the gloominess from the day. He would settle for just having the boy home again so he knew he was safe.
28
Leandro got to Pinewood as quickly as he could. He was worn out, but that wasn’t going to stop him. Then he did stop—he was still a wolf! He wished he had told the townsfolk that he was a Were. It would make walking into town a lot easier. He needed to change quickly.
Leandro lay down in the forest at the edge of the town, but then he realized that if he turned back into a human, he’d be as naked as the day he was born. That would also freak the townspeople out. He didn’t care about showing off his bits and pieces to the world. It was the trigger-happy townies that worried him.
Leandro saw that the smoke was coming up from behind the church, so he checked there first. His dad wasn’t there, but he smelled the ghastly stench of burning flesh. He wrinkled his black nose and swiftly put the fire behind him.
He decided to run to the only clothes store in town, Leeming’s. It was named after the owner, whose family worked as the only tailors in Pinewood. Massimo had made sure the town had everything it needed, and right now, Leandro needed clothes.
Leandro made it around the back of the store without anyone seeing him. He could hear the noise coming from the Old Dog. It sounded like a party was going on. He was relieved by that because it meant that Massimo was either in the Old Dog or he’d made sure the party was well underway and slipped out. Leandro smiled, hoping the latter was the case.
He wanted to get home to his dad, have a drink on the sofa, and watch a trashy television show from centuries ago. He laid down on the grass on his side, pulled his legs up a little, and started to turn back into a human.
But it didn't work. He was still a wolf! Panic rushed over him.
What the hell’s going on? he thought. I have to change back. I need to see my dad. Clear your mind, focus on being a man. Turn back into Leandro.
Back on Level One, Afana stared at the monitors. Normally all twenty-five screens, each split into four images, displayed every corner of the bunker. Right now all of them were black.
“Why am I looking at black screens?” Afana asked with barely restrained rage. None of his advisors answered, which was the wrong answer.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Afana was trying to stop an epidemic, locate any red-eyed monsters lurking around, and track down a traitor hiding under his very nose. And every single one of those tasks required the fucking monitors to work.
Afana slammed his fist on the metal table, making everything on the table—as well as all the men in the room—jump. He left a huge-ass dent where his fist had landed.
He swept his burning eyes over the assembled advisors. He was about two seconds away from murdering every single one of them. “Whose fucking job is it to keep these fucking monitors running?”
George, the monitor technician, swallowed hard and tried not to vomit. He wanted to step forward and say something, but his body refused to obey. He simply couldn’t move.
Then the world moved for him. All the other advisors shrank away from him at the same time, leaving him standing alone and trembling in an empty circle. Thanks a lot, dicks.
“It’s my job, sir,” he managed.
Afana glared at him. “Well, give me a status report.”
The fact that George was still alive gave him a confidence boost. His voice sounded much less shaky when he spoke again.
“I had to reboot the system to identify which cameras aren’t functioning properly.”
“And?” Afana prompted.
“I’ve located the broken cameras,” George said. “But I need to repair the cameras first before the system will come back online. The screens will stay blank until the cameras are fixed.”
“Well, that’s a stupid design for a security system,” Afana said.
George nodded, feeling more at ease with the situation. “I agree, sir. Whoever designed it didn’t know what they were doing.”
Afana shot the advisor a dirty look. “I designed the system, George.”
The technician fought the bile rising in his throat. Outwardly, his face looked calm, but inside his brain was screaming the word “Fuck” over and over again in an infinite loop.
Afana didn’t wait for him to respond. He was just fucking with him anyway. He had designed the system, but it had been a stupid choice.
“It doesn’t matter,” Afana said. “What does matter is getting this shit up and running, George. You’ve blinded me here—right when I’m trying to save all your miserable lives.”
George nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“So, how about you go fix the goddamn cameras already?”
George turned and gave the stink-eye to the guards at the door. “I can’t, sir. They won’t let me out.”
The guards by the door straightened up now that they were in the hot seat. Afana scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling very tired. Maybe he should let all these idiots get infected and eat each other.
The image of all that suffering and carnage brought a smile to his f
ace and calmed him down. It was like going to his happy place. Someday, he’d watch this whole place burn, but that day wasn’t today.
“Are the general’s blood results back?” Afana asked, refocusing on the task at hand. He’d requested their blood be tested for any irregularities.
“They’re clean, Afana,” one of the advisors said.
Afana nodded. “Good. General Murray, go with Advisor George and fix the cameras. I need Advisor George to come back alive.”
“Yes, sir,” Murray and George said in unison. The general wasted no time walking toward the doors, and George followed him with his equipment.
“Open the doors,” George said smugly to the guards he’d been arguing with earlier.
The guards looked at Afana questioningly.
“For fuck’s sake, open the goddamn doors!” Afana snapped. He was surrounded by idiots.
As the two men left, Afana stared impatiently down through the glass floor, wanting to know what was happening on Level Six.
Sergei, Pavel, and Yegor were walking down a hill toward Pinewood when Massimo came into view, very drunk and pulling a red cart with empty bottles in it. He was singing “Danny Boy” as he walked.
Massimo could smell them before he could see them, but he kept walking anyway. They didn’t smell like death, so they weren’t zombies.
He looked at the three men, but he didn’t recognize them. Outsiders were welcome in the town as long as they abided by the rules. These had guns hanging by their sides. They weren’t going to abide by the rules, Massimo thought as he walked past them.
“Evening.” He acknowledged them but didn’t stop. They paused and looked down at Massimo’s cart. Sergei grabbed a half-empty bottle from it and took a drink.
“It’s beer,” the man said, grinning. The others grabbed partially filled bottles for themselves. “Where can we get more of this?”
“Sorry, boys, it’s all gone for the night.”
Madness Unleashed: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Live Free Or Die Book 1) Page 16
