by P. T. Hylton
“Chuck, take us home,” she said. “We’ll report back to the Council.” She glanced at Felix. “Or our babysitter will. Either way, we’ll try to get permission to come back tomorrow. Hopefully, whatever’s going on will have blown over by then.”
Owl followed Jaden up the steps of the old office building. It was no easy task, because he moved more quickly than she’d ever been able to as a human. Now, she was able to keep up, but the growing hunger that pulsed inside of her threatened to distract her, and a moment’s distraction could mean she lost him altogether.
“You know,” she said as they passed the sixteenth floor, “this might be easier if you told me what we’re doing here.”
“Easy isn’t my main concern.”
Owl frowned. This was the way it had been going between the two of them for the past day or so. Jaden was content to give her terse orders, communicating just enough that she was forced to obey but not enough that she had any idea what was going on. This was doubly frustrating because Jaden was clearly focused and driven. He was trying to achieve something, and he had yet to let her in on his goal, let alone his plan.
They reached the seventeenth floor and Jaden opened the door. “In.”
Owl immediately obeyed. She found herself in an open office area filled with cubicles. A half-dozen glass-walled offices stood in the center of the room. A faded sign on the wall displayed what had presumably been the name of this company, Devorandum, Incorporated.
“Wait,” Jaden ordered, and Owl froze, suddenly unable to move.
For five minutes, Jaden searched the office, moving at an incredible speed, digging through desks and closets, offices, and even trash cans. Finally, he stopped, a scowl on his misshapen face. “Nothing.”
“Listen, I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, boss, but maybe if you told me what you were looking for, I could help. I’m GMT, remember? I have some experience with this sort of thing.”
His head whipped around and he shot her an angry look. “Trust me when I tell you, you’ve never experienced anything like this.”
“Fine.” Her voice sounded bitter when she spoke. “You’re right. I’m just a dumb baby vampire. What do I know?” She paused. “I get that you’re pissed at me about the whole virus thing. But the way I see it, you and I are all alone here, at least for the moment. Let me help you, for real.”
For a long moment, he didn’t answer. Finally, he spoke. “This was her company. One of them, anyway.”
That was cryptic, but it was more information than he’d given her so far. “Okay. Her, who?”
He took a step forward, standing directly in front of Owl. “The vampire who caused all this.”
“Sorry, I’m still a little confused. The vampire who caused all this what?”
Jaden waved his arm toward the window. “All this everything. The infestation. She was the one who started the chain reaction that led to the world falling apart.”
Owl tried to take a step back, but found she was still unable to move. “She started this, like, on purpose?”
Jaden chuckled at that. “Very much so. And she infiltrated the Four Horsemen Program. She manipulated the virus. That was one reason why I was so adamant that it not be used. I didn’t know what it would do, but if she’d had a part of it, I knew it couldn’t be good. Not all good, anyway.”
“And you think she’s here? On the island?”
Jaden walked to the window and looked out over the empty streets of San Juan, the city aglow in the early morning light. “That’s a question I’ve been considering since the virus was released. It makes sense that she would stay here just in case the virus was discovered and used. I believe she’s like us now, a twisted thing that can walk in the light.”
“So that’s the plan? Find this vampire chick and take her out? Also, can I move now?”
“It’s not going to be that simple. She’s brilliant. And insane. She wants to rule the world, even if that means ruling over a kingdom of bones. And, yes, you may move.”
Owl stretched her arms out, relief flowing through them, and stepped to Jaden’s side. “You’re telling me this lady’s so tough that the combined strength of your vampires and the GMT can’t take her down? I don’t believe it. We took down Fleming. Insane, power-hungry leaders aren’t new to us.”
Jaden frowned, his eyes on the street far below. “From what Alex has told me, Fleming believed what he was doing was in the best interest of humanity. He thought a speedy Resettlement was necessary. Even if he went a little insane at the end, he was ultimately a misguided idealist. This woman is…different.”
“How so?”
His voice sounded distant when he spoke again. “She was already a trained killer when I met her. She’d worked special forces for a time, and then she’d gone into the private sector. She was a contract assassin, and she was the best in the world.”
“She was human then?” Owl asked.
“Oh, yes. We met on a job in Eastern Europe. We were both going after the same dictator, though for very different reasons. We worked together and got the job done.” He paused a moment. “I’m sure it seems strange, the idea of me befriending a contract killer. But there was something about her. She had a lust for life that struck me as unique. I’d never seen someone who delighted in learning and experiencing new things as much as she did. When she learned of the existence of vampires, she became obsessed. She tracked me down, all across the world, again and again. At first it was surprising. Then it became annoying. Then, after a long while, it became impressive. For ten years, she doggedly tracked me across the world. Each time she found me, she’d beg to learn more about vampires. Robert said I should kill her, that she was a danger to us, but I found her tenacity admirable. So, eventually, after one of my oldest friends died in battle, I gave her what she wanted.”
It took Owl a moment, then she got it. “You turned her.”
“Yes. And for twenty years, I didn’t regret it. I immediately freed her from my control, but she followed my orders as if I hadn’t. She took to her new life faster than anyone I’d ever seen. And she drank up knowledge more quickly than I could dispense it. Fighting techniques, vampire history, military strategy—she wanted to know it all. She seemed to delight in every morsel of knowledge I gave her.”
“So, how’d your protege bring about the fall of civilization?” Owl asked.
“She was still a baby vampire, only twenty years into her new life, when she betrayed me. I believe she’d planned it all along. I’ll tell you the details of those events sometime, but they’re not important now.” He turned and looked at Owl, and his eyes shone with intensity. “What is important is that you understand what we’re dealing with. She’s a brilliant strategist and the most natural warrior I’ve ever known. And we have to make sure she never leaves this island.”
Owl nodded slowly. “Finally, a plan I can get behind.”
“The virus is out. There’s nothing we can do about that now. But Maryana cannot be allowed to find Agartha or New Haven. If she does, everything we’ve worked for these last one hundred and fifty years is lost.”
Maryana. It felt odd hearing the name of the vampire who’d brought down civilization.
“So how do we find her?”
“She’s wanted her shot at me for a long time. So I’m thinking, all we have to do is make our presence known. Then, she’ll find us.”
11
The digital clock on the wall seemed to be stuck. George knew that he had been staring at it for at least five minutes, but it still said 7:01. Then the one blinked out of existence and a two took its place.
Cynthia sat next to George in the conference room. She was in charge of day-to-day operations of the city. She made sure all the departments worked together and things like the schools and infrastructure were well maintained. George was technically under her, but he worked directly with Jaden and the vampires. Jaden had always made it seem like running the city was a fifty-fifty split between the humans and vampires, but
George knew who was really in charge.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened. Natalie walked in without saying a word and took a seat at the table.
“How are you, Natalie?” George knew that it was a stupid thing to ask, but he needed to break the silence.
She looked at George like he was a slow child. “Has there been any news from New Haven?”
George shifted in his seat uncomfortably. It had been a day and a half since they’d found out the terrible news from Ambassador McCready. Jaden was dead. The news had spread quickly, and it had sent a shockwave through Agartha, creating a rift in the usually cooperative relationship between the humans and the vampires. Cynthia had announced the news to the humans, and the vampires had retreated to deal with the death of their friend and leader in their own way.
It might have been easier if there had been time to grieve properly, but they had more important things to deal with. If what Ambassador McCready said was accurate, Jaden’s wouldn’t be the only vampire death.
“I spoke with the ambassador today,” George said. “The virus is very contagious. It’s spread to everyone on New Haven. None of our people can come home without infecting everyone here.”
“What about a cure? How long before our science department can make one?” Natalie snapped off the question.
Cynthia's voice was timid when she answered. “Without a sample of the virus, they don’t even know where to start. They said that there is no way to work on the cure without more information.”
“Then have New Haven send us a sample. If everyone on their ship is infected, they have plenty of material.”
George swallowed hard. “They won’t send one. Frankly, I don’t think they want any kind of cure to exist. They want the virus to spread.” George looked down at the table when he said that last sentence. He knew that the people of Agartha were excited about a virus that killed all the Ferals. None of them wanted the vampires to die, but it was a trade most of them were willing to make.
“Those ungrateful bastards,” Natalie muttered. “Have you found a way to send a signal to the island? Maybe we can talk to Firefly and get the real story.”
George stared blankly at Natalie. They’d worked for two years trying to find a way to directly communicate with the island, and eventually, to circumnavigate the problem, they’d built a ship that could fly there. She knew that the infrastructure for long-range communications simply didn’t exist.
Cynthia met Natalie’s eyes. “You know that we can’t send any messages directly. We need to relay them through New Haven. I don’t think they’d lie to us about something this big.”
“Jaden is not dead,” the vampire said flatly. “He is too strong to die at the hands of a few humans. He acts, he gets things done, he survives. We’ve kept you alive for decades, and now it’s your turn to repay the favor. You need to come through for us. Can you do anything?”’
George and Cynthia sat in silence for a moment, surprised by Natalie’s bluntness. Finally, George spoke. “I double-checked the air filtration systems and their specs. They were designed to keep out radioactive materials and all biological materials in the event of a pandemic. As long as we all stay inside, you should be safe from the virus.”
Natalie rested her head on her hand. “New Haven has attacked our leader and released a virus that may kill us, and your solution is an air filter? Come up with something better. And do it soon.”
Sweat dripped down the back of CB’s neck. He cursed, realizing that he still had four flights of stairs left to climb. Sitting behind a desk was making him soft. He took a deep breath and continued up the stairs.
The bright light of New Haven’s eternal day hit his eyes as he opened the door and stepped onto the roof. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw Alex’s silhouette against the skyline. All of the strength and skills that she possessed seemed small against the entire city in the background.
He took a breath, trying to slow his heartbeat after the climb. “I’m glad you’re here. Would have been a shame to climb all those stairs for nothing.”
Alex didn’t turn. She kept her gaze on the city below. “That’s why I like it up here. The stairs keep people from bothering me.”
“Stairs or no stairs, I’ll always be here to bother you.” CB crossed the flat roof and stood next to her. Below them, people went about their day. Some joked with their friends as they moved from building to building. Others hurried along in silence, racing to do important work. A mother came out of a store carrying a bag in one hand and dragging a small child with her other hand.
“I think he’s dead, CB. I think they’re all dead. I shouldn't have released the virus.”
“Firefly has survived a lot. There is no reason to think he’s dead. We aren’t even sure that this thing kills Ferals yet.”
“I know what I heard. I haven’t stopped thinking about it. I know that tone, that sound of desperation. He was in the worst kind of trouble when he gave us that warning. We need to get back down to him. Brian should be working on a cure for Firefly and his troops.”
“Should he?”
Alex turned, the muscles in her arms tense and her hands forming tight fists. “I can’t believe that you’re suggesting letting Firefly and his troops die.”
“Yes, you can. You know that we’re talking about an entirely new world. One that you and I have never known. This virus could change the world forever. I don’t want to sacrifice anyone, but I will. I know you will, too. Every time you go out, you risk the lives of every person on your team. Firefly’s as dedicated as any of them. He knows that stopping this virus is the wrong thing to do. That’s why he told you not to come down.”
Alex knew CB was right, but she would never stop fighting for the people she cared about. “He was giving me a warning. Something isn’t right down there. He said that ‘She is here’. We need to find out who ‘she’ is. Who could scare Firefly with an army behind him?”
“Brian thinks the virus might affect the vampires’ minds. You saw it in the Ferals you encountered. They were confused and sick. Firefly may have been hallucinating, or just plain crazy. He and his troops may be a danger to themselves and to us. Whatever it is, we will investigate. We just need to do it the right way.”
Alex stared at the people hustling below. They didn’t even know how unnatural this life was. Living in a steel city. A world where the sun never set. They didn’t care that Firefly was probably dead. They didn’t know how hard the decisions were that she had to make. They didn’t have to watch Patrick’s body burn. They didn’t see Owl attack her under Jaden’s orders.
CB put an arm around Alex’s shoulders. “I know what you’re thinking. Do they deserve what we are trying to bring them? There is something magical in every one of those people moving through the city. They love, they fight, they make each other laugh. To say this week has been tough is the understatement of the year, but don’t lose sight of the big picture. The world is changing, and we are the ones changing it.”
A single tear escaped Alex’s eye and ran down her cheek, and the two stood looking at the city in silence.
12
“There’s no way,” Ed said, as he glared at Felix. “You don’t know shit.”
Felix shrugged. “You want me to start at the beginning? The first field commander of the GMT was Mallory Grandolt. She was the daughter of--”
“No, man. You think I care about those old guys? You could be making up names, for all I know. Start with the most recent and work your way back.”
Alex was barely listening to the two men arguing. It was background noise for her, just like the rumble of the away ship’s engine. She wasn’t exactly thrilled by the presence of a Council watchdog, but she wasn’t going to waste her time harassing him, like Ed. There was too much else to think about already.
“Owl and Patrick, of course,” Felix said. “Then we’ve got Wesley Aaron. Hope Briar. Garrett 'Firefly' Eldred. Drew Lawton. Lincoln Simmons. Regina Yuan. I believe Captain Goddard t
ook her place on the team.”
“That right, Captain?” Ed asked.
“Yeah,” Alex answered, glad she’d heard the question. “She was good, from what CB told me. Died in a drain pipe accident.”
“Oh.” Ed’s brow furrowed. “Wait, what does that even mean?”
Felix continued without letting Alex reply. “Then there was Herb Moretti. Brandon Connors. Tim Valez. Gale Cato. And that takes us back to CB’s original team, led by Captain Shannon Murphy.”
Alex zoned out as Felix continued his list of names. Somehow, it didn’t make her feel better to hear the names of a bunch of former GMT members. People who’d risked death—and often found it—to keep the people of New Haven safe. They’d given up everything. They’d faced Ferals, bled out on the surface, died in violent and terrible ways, sometimes scared and alone. Some of them had been her teammates. Her friends. Her lover. And what were they now? Nothing more than a list of names some desk jockey memorized to try to give himself street cred with the real warriors.
Try as she might these last twenty-four hours, she couldn’t get the desperate sound of Firefly’s voice out of her head. The question of whether Owl was still alive remained unanswered. As did that of the identity of the mysterious “she” Firefly had mentioned. And here they were, embarking on another mission. But this one wasn’t to Puerto Rico. It was to some remote area of central Europe. Brian had successfully created another batch of the virus, and the City Council was eager to see it used. As much as it rankled Alex, she’d vowed to follow orders from here on out. She’d let the Council call the shots; she’s let them aim the weapon, and she’d pulled the trigger.
