The Shadows Awaken (Guardians of the Night Book 1)

by Robyn Wideman

  A war fought without nuclear weapons would be messy. Without the nuclear threat, countries would be more aggressive with their traditional weapons. The massive stockpiles of tanks and fighter jets would be used up in a war. Not to mention that the fuel sources for the armies would suddenly dry up. Jaden could see the plan in his head as clear as day. First, take out the nuclear threat, and then instigate a world war. Next, take out all of the world’s fuel sources, oil, and coal, etcetera. With the loss of communications networks as well, it would only take a matter of months for the world to fall into utter chaos.

  Jaden thought of the devastation that was about to reign down on the world. Billions of people would die in a war that they knew nothing of. Human nature fueled by vampire plotting would lead humans to their own doom. It was a scary thought, but everything the vampire council had done up to this point began to make sense. Jaden realized if he were planning to make vampires the world’s superpower, this is exactly the way he would do it. Make humans turn on each other until they are so weak that they can’t offer resistance. In a world without technology, vampires would rule without question.

  “Okay, let’s get going. Jess, where can we find your friend?” asked Jaden.

  “At home, she’ll be there waiting for me.”

  They packed what supplies Oscar and Jess had gathered together into the SUV and then everyone piled in. Jaden drove through the city towards Jess’s apartment building. The streets were eerily quiet. It seemed that everyone was being safe and staying home, waiting and watching their TVs for news of the war.

  41

  ERICA

  BRAD ARRIVED FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. As promised he had two new guests with him.

  Erica greeted them at the door.

  The first was an elderly, slightly portly, woman with long well-cared for grey hair. The second was a small, young girl.

  Brad introduced them. “Erica, I’d like you to meet Carrie Severton,” said Brad, as he introduced the older woman. He then turned to the younger new arrival, “And this young lady is Moira Jones.”

  Erica smiled. “Hello, Carrie, hello, Moira. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Carrie, the older woman, smiled while Moira just stood there clutching a small teddy bear.

  Brad spoke to Carrie, “Carrie, could you take Moira for a walk around the property? I need to speak to Erica.”

  Carrie nodded and gently took the young girl’s hand, “Come on, sweetie, let’s go explore a bit.”

  Brad and Erica walked into the house. They went into the living room and sat down.

  “How is Dante?” asked Brad.

  “He’s a man, who has been sitting in stone for decades He seems eager to learn more about the current century. He’s in the library, probably on the laptop, Googling God knows what,” said Erica.

  “Interesting,” said Brad. The idea that a gargoyle would be concerned about modern technology had never occurred to him. “So you mentioned conditions, when we spoke last.”

  “Yes,” said Erica. “I have a few. First I have a few questions.”

  “Fire away.”

  “How large is this property?” asked Erica.

  “The estate is over two hundred acres. The original house is still on it. That house you see just beyond the trees is the original house. We cleared a new home site when we moved the mansion here from Italy.”

  “I haven’t seen that house yet. Are there any outbuildings?”

  “It was a hobby farm. The previous owner had horses, so there’s a barn and a small stable.”

  “Is there any farm equipment?”

  Brad shook his head. “No, the equipment was sold separately.”

  Erica thought it over. A couple hundred acres was more than enough for what she envisioned. The farmhouse and barn would be perfect as well. It was time to tell Brad what she wanted to do. “If this property is going to become a shifter sanctuary, then it’s going to be a community. It isn’t just going to be a safe house where victims hide from the bad guys. It’s also going to be self-sustaining. I want a large greenhouse, an even larger garden, and the equipment necessary to maintain it. If the vampire problem becomes worse, as you seem to be hinting at lately, then we’ll build more housing. Housing that is suitable for the needs of each breed of shifter. I’ve been talking to Jeffery and Terra and getting a better idea of how wolf shifters and bear shifters live. How much the animal side of their nature affects their lifestyle.

  “The needs of a pack of werewolves are greatly different than those of an individual bear. I have also spoken with Dante about security. There are technologies available that we can use to make the entire property more secure, not just the mansion. I’ll need funds to implement the changes necessary, to turn this place into a self-sustaining and defensible community.”

  Brad was impressed. He had assumed Erica had more selfish demands to be met before agreeing to stay and have shifters come stay as well. So far, she had said nothing that didn’t make sense, or that he wouldn’t consider prudent and intelligent planning. Brad pulled an envelope out of his pocket. He handed it to her. “Inside is a corporate credit card with your name on it. Tomas’s interest in the Shifting Humanity Corporation is now yours. The corporation has access to a very large supply of capital. You’ll have no problem getting any of the equipment or building supplies that you have mentioned so far. When you’re ready to design additional buildings, we have a shifter who is a designer and a contractor. He’ll help you develop the property.”

  Erica took the envelope. “I have more on the list.”

  “I’m sure you do. I’m not worried about your list.” Brad paused and took a breath before continuing, “I think everything you have planned is excellent. I want to talk to you about vampires. You were right. The vampire problem is getting worse. In the last few weeks there have been a very large number of attacks against any humans that are involved at all with shifters. I didn’t know the extent of the problem until recently. After the attack on you here, I started calling around to people who do the same things we do. They’re all gone. The deaths all seem isolated, occurring all over the world, but the one common thread to all of the deaths is shifters. Anyone involved with shifters is being killed off.

  “I’m afraid that the vampires are making a statement, and will come after you. They’re not just killing humans now. In the last few days, the homes of shifters who support the idea of humans as equals, have been attacked. Carrie lost her husband. Moira’s entire family was slaughtered. Moira is only alive because she was at a friend’s house for a birthday party when her home was attacked. The need for a shifter sanctuary has never been greater. I don’t know why these attacks are occurring, but they’re not random. Someone, somewhere, has a plan and killing you is high on their agenda.”

  Erica was not surprised. The logic behind hunting her down seemed strange. But, as part of a bigger plot, killing her made more sense. Tomas had been a big part of integrating shifters and humans. If the vampires didn’t want that, and were planning to actively campaign against anyone who worked towards harmony between shifters, vampires, and humans, then any peacekeepers would be a target. Killing her was symbolic. Go against the vampires and you and your entire family would perish. It was a powerful threat. One the vampires seemed intent on seeing it through. Erica felt bad for Carrie and Moira. She knew the devastation of losing loved ones. For Moira, a small child to lose her whole family, the idea was heartbreaking. “I’m glad you brought Carrie and Moira here. They can be the first to join our small project. Are Carrie and Moira shifters?”

  “Carrie is a lynx shifter and Moira is a true mixed blood. Her father was a half-vampire and her mother a half-werewolf. The vampires will see Moira as an abomination. She’ll be hunted, even more than you. She is a symbol of the possibility of harmony between shifters and humans, between vampires and humans. They’ll stop at nothing to kill her, once they find out she is still alive. This house, with Dante as your protector is likely her only shot at survival.”
Brad paused, as Dante walked into the room.

  “Am I interrupting?” asked Dante.

  “No,” said Erica. “Your timing is perfect, come join us.” Erica turned to Brad, “I would like you to meet Dante De Bello. Dante, this is Brad.”

  “I know who he is,” said Dante coolly.

  Brad ignored Dante’s icy demeanor. “Dante, it is a true pleasure and honor to meet you. I hope you don’t mind that we moved your home. We felt a great need.”

  “It’s nothing. This new land is interesting. This time in history is fascinating. I’m glad to have been awakened,” Dante said. He truly did find his new surroundings interesting. After hundreds of years of seeing familiar territory, this move and all the new technology had given Dante an abundant source of material to explore. Dante was invigorated and enjoying his time in human form, more than he could ever remember.

  “I’m relieved to hear that. Your involvement is critical. The idea of turning this property into a shifter sanctuary only works if you’re here. The vampire threat is becoming increasingly, concerning,” said Brad.

  Dante shook his head. “If the vampire threat is only just becoming increasingly concerning, then it means you have only begun to pay attention. Vampire attitudes towards humans have not changed in hundreds of years. The only thing that has changed is that humans now have technology and are developing it at a rapid pace. You, above all, Brad, should have seen this coming.”

  Erica watched the two men talk. Something about Brad irked Dante, but what? Did Dante think of Brad as a rival, or was there some information here she was missing?

  She interjected quickly to diffuse the friction. “Whatever the reason, we need to worry about the now. We shouldn’t bicker about what caused the problem.” It wasn’t what Dante said that alerted her to an underlying tension. It was the tone in Dante's voice and the set of his mouth.

  “No,” said Brad, “Dante’s correct. I should have known better. There are vampires out there that will never accept the work that we do. They will never want a world where vampires are not the top of the food chain. When I first started working with Tomas and other humans, I thought they would attack right away. But the attacks never came. We let our guard down and now are paying for that mistake. Dante is correct. I, above all, should have known vampires are patient and were only waiting for a time of their choosing to strike.”

  “So what do we do now?” asked Erica.

  “We keep doing what we started,” said Brad. “I keep trying to help shifters, but now instead of trying to help shifters acclimate to human society, I will be looking for survivors. First they attacked just humans, but the last few days they have been attacking shifters. The only reason I came here today was to make sure you understood the severity of the problem, and to make sure that you were safe here with Dante. I have leave. I will be taking Terra and her pack. We are going to search for survivors.”

  “I didn’t realize the situation had become so dire,” said Erica.

  “The attacks against shifters only started a few days ago. From the information I have been able to gather, it appears the vampires are following a strategic plan. First, they hunted and killed humans with knowledge of shifters. Now they are hunting shifters who sympathize with humans. Many vampires and shifters who were neutral to humans have stopped talking to us. I believe the vampire plan is to divide humans and shifters. Place a wedge of fear between us.”

  “Divide and conquer,” said Dante.

  Brad nodded in agreement, “The only question is who they’re planning to conquer, the shifters or humans?”

  …

  After Brad left, Dante turned to Erica. “Did he agree to everything that you asked?”

  “Yes,” she said. “He gave me total control over the project, and said there was funding for everything that I want to accomplish.”

  “You don’t sound as enthusiastic as I expected,” said Dante.

  “Well, it wasn’t what I expected. He didn’t question anything. He didn’t want any input. It was too easy.”

  Dante could almost see the wheels turning as Erica worked the issue over in her mind. Dante had his own ideas about what was going on, but he wanted to see Erica come to her own conclusions, to see if her thoughts echoed his.

  Erica continued, “Helping shifters relocate and adjust to human society has been Brad’s main mission and purpose for years. Yet, he asks nothing about my plans. His only concern seems to be that you are alive and protecting us.” Erica paused, letting the questions that had been forming in the back of her mind for days now come to the forefront. “I think maybe the vampire problem is bigger than he’s letting on. I think as bad as things are, they might get worse.”

  As Erica processed her own thoughts, Dante watched her. She was a smart and a perceptive woman. During the times when she talked to him as Garg, he had gotten to know her mind, her thoughts on her deceased husband, and her own future. But now that he was here as a human, he was able to watch her in action, to see how she dealt with adversity and interacted with others. She was handling herself well. The nerves and insecurities that he saw before were gone. Having a cause, and people to care for, had brought out something akin to maternal instincts in Erica. She was a protectress. It was a trait Dante found very attractive. Erica was much more than a pretty face and a beautiful body.

  “If I am right and things are that bad…” Erica paused, the ideas were still formulating in her mind, “then it is important that we start working right away. I don’t have a great grasp of the number of shifters that are in danger, but Brad and Tomas did this for a long time and I would assume every client they ever had is now in danger, so our sanctuary could turn into a refugee camp,”

  Dante shook his head, “No, I know how vampires work. If you and Brad are correct and the vampires behind these attacks are targeting all shifters who respect humans, then most are already dead. There will be some survivors, but I believe you’re right. The attacks on humans such as your husband followed up by this new wave of attacks might be part of a bigger plan. I’m not sure what their goal might be, but this idea you have for a sanctuary is likely more important than ever.”

  Erica agreed. It scared her that Dante, one who had lived so long and protected so many, agreed with her. It was bad enough that the vampires were targeting her, but to kill thousands, just because they believed humans to be equals and not just a food source to be harvested, was tragic. Erica knew that the callous disregard for human life was nothing new. Man had been showing those same flaws since the beginning of time. But vampires, with their supernatural powers, wanting to declare themselves at the top of the food chain were a particularly scary thought.

  Erica focused on Dante. “I need to go find Jeffery. I have to start getting organized, but we have two new guests to see to as well.”

  “I will go find our new guests and you go find Jeffery,” said Dante.

  42

  BRAD

  Brad closed his eyes as Terra drove him and her two pack mates Luke and Steven back towards the city. Vampires didn’t need much sleep, but he’d been going none stop for days now, trying to save as many as he could. Unfortunately, the number of shifters to save seemed to getting smaller and smaller by the day.

  The vampire council were going to extremes that he never imagined. The planning and preparation must have taken decades if not longer. From the news and what info he had from the Guardians every single military in the world had been infiltrated. A world war, surgical elimination of nuclear weapons, and the mass targeting of shifters and vampires that didn’t agree with the concept of vampires as rulers of the world. It was a bold and ambitious plan that Brad could admire for its technical excellence. But it was also one that filled him with dread. The council was creating an apocalypse, an earth changing event that could kill billions and forever alter the future of those who survive.

  As he contemplated the future his cell phone went off. It was a bit of a surprise as the networks had been sporadic at best for days
. “Hello.”

  “Brad, thank goodness I reached you. I’ve been trying for days.”

  Brad sat up in his car seat. “April, what is wrong?”

  “The Guardians are under attack. Most are already dead. Scott Paul and what remains of the european branch are holed up in Rome.”

  Scott was in Rome? What the hell was he doing there. Or was America so far gone that Rome was a last stand for the Guardians? It was a terrifying thought. If the vampire council had defeated the Guardians then there was little hope left.

  “I’m at the airport, I’ve been sleeping here for two days making sure the jet and pilots were safe and ready to go,” said April.

  “Okay,” said Brad. “Terra and the pack are with me. We are almost to the city now. We can be at the airport in less than an hour.”

  “Brad, before you get here stop at an electronics store. Get short wave radios. This might be the last chance to grab any. I have a feeling all communications satellites are being targeted.”

  “Shit. Of course, they are. We’ll grab what we can.”

  “You know this means I am out of a job right? A world with no communications networks means you don’t need a computer analyst and network specialist anymore.”

  Brad paused. “April, I need you now more than ever.”

  “Does that mean your finally going to jump my bones?” asked April. “The world is coming to an end you know. You might not get many more chances.

  “If that is what it takes to keep you working for the company,” said Brad. The spunky fae was like no one Brad had ever known. And he was growing very fond of her. Her sexual advances were no something he was going to laugh off.