by Maxey, Phil
Murmurs of agreement ran around the crowd.
Joel sighed, looking at Marina, then back to the others. “We can’t protect you from this many vamps if you stay. If we can get to the lake, we might have a chance of getting away.”
Most nodded warily.
Joel clicked on his radio again. “How far out, Lucian? Over.”
“We’re pulling up now!”
Joel grabbed Marina’s shoulder. “We keep them close by.”
She and Evan nodded.
Joel took lead and ran back into the stairwell. The others, human and hybrid, followed close behind. They were soon all emerging from a side entrance at the school that came out to the large parking lot.
Lucian leaned out of the Humvee’s window, beckoning everyone towards him. Above him sat the tubelike device which had been used by Corvin days before.
Vince seated behind it, spun it around in the direction of growls and grunts from the streets nearby.
“Come on!” shouted Lucian.
Joel ran on ahead, as the train of people moved as quickly as they could after him.
A sedan skidded along a street, smashing into a vamp which bounced off of it, and then moved into the lot, skidding to a halt alongside the Humvee. Anna was driving with Lee in the passenger seat.
“We’re going to the north shore!” shouted Marina in Anna’s direction. Anna nodded, then slowly moved the car off, keeping it alongside the group of people as they all moved out onto the main street. The Humvee and another pickup moved slowly with them at the rear.
The sound of scampering and scraping fought with screams and gunfire as Joel led the convoy of people and vehicles through the picturesque town. His head throbbed as the unhinged minds of the invaders tried to crowd out his thoughts, but he bent his mind to his will, and focused on the threats which were growing nearer.
As he jogged forward, every shadow hinted at possible danger, and he could feel the primal part of his nature wanting to take control.
He heard and smelt the thirsting creatures before he saw them, and like ants emerging from a nest, vamps appeared from all avenues, some clambering over roofs of otherwise innocent-looking homes.
Those behind him opened up with what weapons they had.
Bright streaks ripped through the darkness, some hitting, some missing their targets as the vamps moved lightning quick, shifting from side to side to avoid the sizzling projectiles coming at them.
At the end of the street a wall of vamps appeared, instantly breaking into a run as they spotted Joel and the others.
Joel went to run forward into the melee when a purple beam, so intense it seemed solid, tore into the horde. Instantly, the air filled with the smell of burnt flesh, and each of the affected creatures squealed and jumped to the side, clearing a path for everyone to run through.
The wagon trail of people and machines arrived at a junction and took a hard left, they continued running as Vince swung the turret left and right shearing through swarms of vamps as they tried to get near.
Marina jogged along with the rest, keeping Jess and Jasper bundled in her arms. Jess tried hanging on to Flint but he was too strong, and he pulled away from her, immediately taking down two vamps that ventured too near. She looked back desperately as Flint started to fall behind, and he frantically snapped left and right at other vamps trying to get at him.
Anna’s car careered into the fury of vamps attempting to bring the dog to the ground. She flung the door open, shouting for Flint to get in, but he was lost to his bloodlust.
“Drive the car!” she shouted to Doctor Kemp next to her, who quickly shifted seats as she got out, running to the dog.
Kemp pulled off catching up with the others, while Anna ripped into the vamps, pulling them off Flint. She then grabbed his leash and pulled him backwards with her. They both ran and caught up with the rear cars, then ran past them joining the others.
Joel could smell the damp of the rocks and sand, and soon the rocky north shore came into view, as well as the wooden platforms which boats were moored up against.
He stopped and let the others past him, pointing forwards. “Over there, get to the boats!” He kept looking up at the featureless skies.
I know you’re watching.
Lee’s sedan, as well as the Humvee and pickup, bumped over the uneven grass which led to the water, all skidding to a halt. Those inside immediately got out and started firing at the vamps that were closing in from the town behind them.
The noise of spluttering came from the Humvee, as the light started to blink on and off in sync with it.
Vince shouted down to Lucian below him. “The generator’s almost out of juice!”
Lucian looked behind him to the bank of batteries which took up most of the rear where the seats used to be. Sparks jumped from the concoction of wires which held the apparatus together.
He swore under his breath, then jumped out, taking his shotgun and a backpack with him.
He felt the presence above, before he looked up and saw it. “What the hell?” Before he could react, Copeland swooped down and sliced open two people, their screams cut short. They both fell forward onto the grass.
Lucian fired upwards into the darkness, as he, Vince, and five others ran to the shore. Three large wooden boats had already left the docks and were heading out onto the lake.
“Vince, grab that—” He felt a gust of wind hit his back. Turning, he saw the face of his friend receding into the night sky above him. Vince struggled, firing his gun upwards, but it was only seconds before he was hundreds of feet up. A blood-curdling scream was followed by his friend’s silence.
Lucian couldn’t keep the animalistic part of himself contained any longer, and his incisors grew as his hands became claws. His eyes turned darker than the shadows around him, and he leapt on top of the Humvee, scouring the sky for the thing that had killed his friend.
Those that were with him, looked on afraid, but then quickly fired again at the vamps that were now just yards away.
Joel looked at Marina, floating away on one of the boats, Jess, Jasper, Flint, and Anna by her side. They looked back at him, waving him to follow, but he knew there was no getting away from Copeland. He needed to stop him somehow.
Seeing Lucian growling into the night, he knew this was the time.
The darkness burst from him, untamed by his human nature and his eyes grew dark. He leapt forward and was soon with Lucian, who looked at him and snarled. The older man then looked upwards, but not before Copeland’s claws tore into his shoulders, carrying him upwards. Lucian clawed at the beast above him, but to no avail.
Joel, seeing what was about to happen, sprinted forward, leaping onto the roof of one of the lakeside homes and kept running. At the edge, he surged into the air, smashing into the winged vamp, sending all of them crashing into the front of another building.
Joel fell to the ground, rolling then springing back up to his feet.
Copeland had Lucian around the throat three feet off the ground, pinned up against the building, whose windows and wooden paneling were coming apart.
Joel sprang forward. As he neared the back of the beast he ducked, knowing what was about to happen and, on cue, Copeland’s lizard-like wings sheared through the air above him. Before Copeland knew he had missed, Joel sliced his own claws across his back. He roared in pain, dropping Lucian who grabbed his own throat, growling, but trying to get air back into his lungs.
Copeland whirled around, his razor-sharp claws flailing at Joel. But the former FBI operative was too quick, moving in a series of blurs, each one a strike at the large vamp in front of him.
Copeland staggered back growling, his eyes glowing intensely. He went to surge forward once again, when a lintel, at least eight-feet long slammed into his side, sending him careening through the air, eventually crashing back to the ground some tens of yards away.
“Take that, bitch!” shouted Lucian, then collapsed back into the ground out of breath.
Joel lo
oked back to where Copeland had landed and started after him when the winged creature got to his feet, staggered forward, and took to the air. With each bound, Joel grew closer, but Copeland was already too high and soon became just an unwanted shadow amongst the clouds.
Sounds of the army of vamps kept on coming though as their leader deserted them. They tore through garden fences, over cars, and through buildings, all descending upon the two hybrids.
Joel ran over to Lucian, both of them now in their more familiar human forms. He leaned down and placed Lucians arm over his shoulder. “Come on, there’s one boat left.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Carla Antos had seen the townspeople make their getaway on small rickety boats across the lake through night-vision goggles, and, despite her cynicism of their future chances of survival, couldn’t help but feel joy at the sight. She also saw the hordes that Copeland had brought swarm over Haven, until only a carcass of its former self was left.
She and the mercs under her command could have easily stopped the humans and others escaping, but she had been given direct orders from Copeland to keep out of it. It was for him and him alone to retrieve his son.
Like that thing cares about anything.
A small tinge of fear moved through her, making the hairs on her arms become erect.
My thoughts are my own, he can’t read minds.
She wasn’t actually sure of that though.
Now the sun was above the horizon, she felt somewhat less burdened, and looked out over the glistening lake to what was left of Haven. She wondered how many other human refuges she would be forced to witness the destruction of.
She had watched the battle play out in real time, and had been impressed by whoever was in charge of the defense against an overwhelming force. She wouldn’t have been able to do a better job herself.
The boss beast himself was nowhere to be seen. There had been rumors that he had taken a beating and took to the skies, heading back west, but either way she was glad for the time off-mission.
A noise came from the mud path to her right. Whoever it was, wasn’t going to stop her enjoying her moment with the breeze and the sun, which was covering her in warmth.
“Any new orders? The guys are getting restless,” said Carlson.
“You’ll be the first to know when I do.”
Carlson remained.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Speak, soldier.”
“Why weren’t we allowed to engage the enemy last night?”
By ‘enemy’ she was fairly certain he was talking about the people of Haven. “Because our orders were to remain on this hill. And despite not serving the government, we still follow orders.”
“But some of them got away!”
Carlson’s lack of empathy started to irk her. “Yeah, they did, why that got you so riled up?”
His words seemed to suddenly get stuck in his throat, resulting in him looking down, shaking his head.
“Well?”
He looked at her straight in the eyes. “You know I’m not a man who easily fears, but Copeland, or whatever the hell he’s become, is friggin crazy. He wanted that town dead. And we just all sat up here and did nothing as some got away.” He briefly looked to the broken homes of Haven. “I didn’t have anything against those people down there. But I ain’t dying because Copeland thought we would take some initiative and finish the job!”
Carla’s face grew angry and she sprang up, standing just a few inches from him. “You questioning my authority, soldier?” Without directly looking, she was acutely aware of where her second-in-command’s hands were in relation to his sidearm and knife. As she was her own.
His face relaxed. “I’m just saying, I don’t want to become like Jacob… and…”
“And?”
Carlson looked at the skies above their heads and leaned in closer. “Maybe, we take the birds and go…”
Carla examined the eyes of the man in front of her, as he did hers. “And where would we go?”
Carlson stretched his hands out. “We find a town, somewhere in the mountains, better protected than Haven… we can make it work.”
Images of living off the land, a frontier experience started to seduce her, until the scene from the night before, of the hordes devouring their human prey forced any alternative life from her. “Copeland gives me commands, and I obey. That’s how it works, now—” She realized the man in front of her was trembling. “What’s wrong with you?”
He started to back away, looking up with each step. “I’m sorry, he made me… I… had… to see…”
Then she felt it, a gush of wind, and a spray of her old friend’s blood across her face.
Carlson grabbed his throat, then collapsed in a heap on the moist grass.
Instinctively, she pulled her Glock from her side and waved it at thin air, still in shock of what just happened.
“No need for that, Carla…” Copeland’s words had their usual dreaded weight, and his huge wings beat furiously as he landed behind her. Around his head and shoulders was a black shawl. He seemed somehow smaller because of it.
“Why did you kill him!” her words came out with a vigor that she immediately regretted despite her grief. She quickly realized her error. “We… we needed him! He was a good—”
Copeland stepped forward uneasily.
He’s injured. Good.
“After seeing so many of your own kind slaughtered, I needed to know if you were still loyal to me. What better way to find that out than one of your oldest friends asking you to leave?”
Emotion threatened to cause her to do something stupid, no doubt ending her own life. It took all her will to force her rage back to a place where it could be managed.
“Like I said to him, you’re the boss. Killing a bunch of cultists doesn’t change that.”
Copeland nodded. “Good… I respect loyalty above all else.” He turned and looked at the lake. “Some of them got away. Unfortunately, taking my son with them… my children are sleeping now, so my enemies move further out of reach.”
Initially, she hated how he spoke after the change, being a parody of some b-movie villain, but then she realized that the beast was a truer version of him than his former human self.
He turned towards her. “There are other things that you should be aware of…”
*****
The sun beat down on Joel as he walked at the head of a trail of tired legs and slow-moving vehicles. Hours earlier, once they made it across the lake, they quickly found a single pickup, which some of the injured were put inside of. The other twenty-two humans, though, still had to walk, including a few elderly. As they traipsed through the dark, keeping to the main road which wound through hills, they gradually discovered other vehicles, until they reached a point just a few miles from civilization where most were seated in the comfort of a car, truck, or pickup. The hybrids though kept outside, keeping watch over the few there was still no room for. And because of that the convoy moved at a snail’s pace.
“There’s a town up ahead,” said Marina to Joel, walking alongside him.
“Yup.”
“Towns mean vamps,” said Evan.
“Yup.”
“You sensing any?” said Marina to Joel.
“Nothing so far.”
“Maybe Copeland collected them all from these areas before he attacked Haven?” said Evan.
“Hopefully.”
An engine revved and a pickup sped past. Joel and the others caught sight of Lucian in the passenger seat.
“Hey!” shouted Joel as the rear of the vehicle disappeared down the country road, which sloped down to the valley below.
“I can probably keep up with him if I go now?” said Evan.
Joel shook his head. “Let him go. We need to concentrate on getting these people to somewhere safe.”
Marina looked at the dark red stains across the back of Joel’s jacket. “You healed yet?”
“Getting there.”
It wa
sn’t long before large detached homes appeared at the side of the road.
A young woman and man broke from the pack and ran across the smart drive towards the front door of one of them.
Joel whipped around. “Get away from there!”
His request was ignored, and they started kicking at the shiny painted door which was shaking against its frame.
Joel went to move when Marina beat him to it. “I got this.” She quickly moved to them, pulling both of them back. Joel heard her harsh words for the young people, and their equally hard replies, but they both turned and walked slowly back to the column of people walking past.
Marina jogged back to Joel. “So, what’s the plan? We can’t walk forever.”
He looked along the road which stretched into a more built-up area of suburban homes and businesses beyond, a few of which had vehicles parked outside, then briefly at the people behind him. “We just need another maybe, two vehicles. Sedans, or whatever you can find, then we can get out of here.”
Marina and Evan nodded, then sprinted off into the distance. By the time everyone had caught up with them, one beige RV was parked off the curb with its engine running.
They were both out of breath.
“Took a while to find the keys, but here you go,” said Marina.
Joel wanted to smile, but the idea of anything being pleasing about the situation they were all in made it pointless.
He nodded. “Good.” He turned to those that were still walking, and pointed them to the RV. A group of five, all young, hurriedly walked forward and went inside. The last of them was Shannon, who sighed before boarding.
Joel walked back to the first car. Inside, Lee, Anna, and three others in the back looked at him. “We’ll drive some way out of the suburbs, maybe a hundred miles, then find a small town to rest up.” They all nodded. He then looked specifically at the two in the front. “Any injured that will need more urgent attention?”
They both looked at each other, then shook their heads.
“Mrs Baxter has a broken ankle, but for the others it’s mostly cuts and bruises,” said Lee.
“A few are out of various medications, so if we see a pharmacy, we should stop,” said Anna.
