《Gathering of the Gestalt: Book 1 of The Behemoth Gestalt》


 Prologue

    <u>Prologue</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    All stories have a good guy and a bad guy. There¡¯s always a big fight scene at the end of the story where good usually triumphs over evil. Sometimes the bad guy turns out to be not so bad, and on the rare occasion, the good guy turns out to be a total shit.


    In the real world, none of that happens. There is no final battle. Life continues on after one struggle, regardless of the outcome, only to saddle us with another, followed by another, until we eventually die. Even then, we don¡¯t know what struggles come after. That¡¯s for philosophers to debate.


    All of us have it in us to be both good and evil. We spend most of our lives somewhere between the two in our daily struggles. Granted, the concepts of good and evil are abstract, but that, again, is for those philosophers who somehow make a living sitting around thinking this crap up.


    I don¡¯t know why all that is going through my head right now. I have much more pressing matters at hand.


    The cold of the stone floor was seeping through my clothes and into my knees as I knelt before a pacing figure, the bad guy. He had the good guy, me, powerless and completely at his mercy. He was currently in the middle of a traditional storybook villain¡¯s monologue, and if I hadn¡¯t already been terrified beyond all rational thought, I¡¯d have rolled my eyes.


    It was true that I couldn¡¯t move. Somehow, he¡¯d managed to gain power over me and completely ruined my whole ¡°defeat the bad guy and save the day¡± plan. My plan had been bold and reckless, as most of my plans usually were. The only problem, aside from the whole being captured by the bad guy thing, was I didn¡¯t have a backup plan, and the heroine was just as incapacitated as I was.


    Had this been an action movie, this is the part where the comedic sidekick would come storming in and do something completely moronic, inadvertently saving the day. But this wasn¡¯t an action movie or even a dramatic horror flick. This was the real world, and that sort of thing never happens in the real world.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Bio-Habitat 00117


    <u>Observation Post 36211</u>


    <u>CR¡¯EON</u>


    I¡¯d finally learned to tone out all the standard sounds of the observation post. This made it easy to hear the chime, reminding me it was time to send in another status report.


    Putting the sharpening tool down, I brushed away the tiny onyx-colored fragments from my claws. While I didn¡¯t expect to enter combat anytime soon, it was an old habit to keep myself at the ready. A moment later the tiny shards fizzled to nothing as the room¡¯s refuse program initiated.


    ¡°Yeah yeah,¡± I mumbled as the chime sounded again.


    This is Cr¡¯eon, Bio-Habitat 00117, with my daily report. No detectible Angel Guard activity. Inhabitants remain unaware of their Bio-Hab containment. The unusual phenomenon I previously reported¡­


    I paused to review the status console.


    Continues to rapidly spread throughout the bio-hab. All data points towards the possible initiation of a culling protocol. I will update upon verification.


    I finished encoding the report and sent it off where I was sure it would be ignored, just like the 5,166 daily reports before it. Even if there was a culling protocol in progress, Behemoth had initiated it. The Daemon Corps were here to protect Behemoth, not interfere with its operations.


    With my daily duty done, I returned to the direct observation port and peered below. The white clouds covering the bio-hab¡¯s water and land masses were light today, giving me a good view. Not for the first time, I wondered what the inhabitants did to pass the time. If the broadcasts the bio-hab vomited out were any indication, there were plenty of opportunities for amusement.


    I, on the other hand, was stuck in this booth. Now I understood why my predecessor was so impatient to leave when she was training me.


    I returned to my console and plopped down unceremoniously in my seat. When I¡¯d first started this post I was full of excitement at the prospect of being the ¡°tip of the sword¡± and the ¡°first line of defense¡± when it came to defending Behemoth from the Angel Guard. Looking back on my wing commander¡¯s words, I couldn¡¯t believe how na?ve I¡¯d been.


    ¡°It¡¯ll only be for a few cycles,¡± my commander had said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll bring you back to the unit.¡±


    Lies, all lies. Once they¡¯d gotten rid of their ¡°problem child¡± my unit forgot me. Not a single one of my wingmates had contacted me since my transfer. When I tried to contact them, the transmissions were never accepted.


    Sighing, I removed the warskin from my feet and began to sharpen my toe claws. I had enough stims to keep me awake for my shift, now I just needed something to keep my attention.

 Z Day -6

    <u>Z Day -6</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    The funeral home was tastefully bland. Its beige walls had the paintings you would expect to find at one of those weekend art shows. Mainly the type of stuff you put over your couch to make people think you had taste when you didn¡¯t have a clue. Uncomfortable chairs decorated the walls along with small tables, each with a box of tissues for those recently bereaved.


    ¡°Can I help you, sir?¡±


    The voice startled me. Maybe I was a bit more off than I thought.


    ¡°Yes, uh, Debra Sable?¡± I said.


    The woman was only a few years younger than me, wearing a much too simple business skirt. Its blandness screamed, ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    ¡°And you are¡­¡± she continued, her hands clasped in front of her.


    ¡°Her son, James Sable,¡± I said.


    Her face automatically flickered to a well-prepared visage of somberness. ¡°Yes, my name is Stacy Wells. Come this way, please.¡±


    I followed her into a small viewing room off the side of the large entryway. I noted three similar rooms, each with a small sign in front describing the room¡¯s occupant.


    ¡°There is a book,¡± she said, pointing to a small table next to the door, ¡°if you wish to sign.¡±


    ¡°Maybe later,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The room had a few couches and chairs along the walls with cream-colored drapes and fresco pillars. The coffin sat at the head of the room with the top lid open.


    I saw my mother''s body lying at rest as we approached. She wore a pale blue outfit and was done up with light makeup. She looked at peace and almost normal. I continued to stare, transfixed by my cold kin. While this wasn¡¯t the first dead body I¡¯d seen, it was the most personal.


    ¡°Everything has been taken care of,¡± The sound of her voice startled me again and broke my stare. ¡°The service will be tomorrow at 9 a.m.,¡± she said. ¡°The viewing room is open until 8 p.m. this evening.¡± She paused a moment to see if I was going to say anything. When I didn¡¯t, she continued, ¡°Is there anything I can do for you right now, Mr. Sable? Some coffee, tea perhaps?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I said, turning towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the office if you need anything; it¡¯s on the right from where you came in,¡± She gave a well-practiced smile and left the room.


    When I turned back to the coffin, a half-burned hand reached for me. I froze at the sight of the badly burned Airman who had replaced my mother in the coffin. Its face was unrecognizable as the nose was gone, one eye boiled away, and a cheekbone was visible. The familiar smell of burning fuel and flesh hit me like a physical blow.


    ¡°Heeeelp!¡± the creature rasped, one charred hand outstretched to me in desperation.


    I blinked, and the creature was gone, my mother having returned to her resting place. I reached out and grasped the lip of the coffin to steady myself. Its polished wood was cool to the touch and helped to bring me back from the triggered flashback.


    Those horrid memories hadn¡¯t bothered me in a long time. I blinked hard and tried to remember the breathing exercises the shrinks taught me. The smell of the flowers on the surrounding tables helped clear out the memory''s stench.


    I glanced at my right hand and noticed it was trembling slightly. As I shook it out, trying to rid myself of the shakes, I had to think back to when I had my last injection. At this rate, I would need another much sooner than I had planned.


    ¡°James?¡± a familiar voice called me from the door.


    I quickly hid my hand in my pocket and turned to find my sister in the doorway. ¡°Miria¡­¡± I whispered as she rushed to embrace me.


    I hadn¡¯t seen my little sister since her wedding many years before. She was maybe ten centimeters shorter than me and was still sporting her mousy brown hair cut short around her shoulders. Her skin had that natural tan look to it, a stark contrast to my pale complexion. We had always chalked it up to her getting more of the American Indian from our mother¡¯s side than the Scotch/Irish I¡¯d inherited from our father¡¯s side.


    ¡°When did you get into town?¡± she asked, stepping back.


    ¡°Just now, came straight here,¡± I said.


    ¡°You should have called me; I would have met you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, sis, you¡¯ve got work,¡± I smiled.


    She gave me a stern look, ¡°If you think I¡¯m in any shape to work, you¡¯re out of your mind.¡±


    Last I heard, she worked for a small law firm on the outskirts of our hometown of Austin. It seemed the more ¡°well-to-do¡± businesses were opening small business parks out Southwest of the city¡¯s limits.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad your boss let you have time off,¡± I said.


    She nodded and glanced at Mom before looking back at me. ¡°Been here long?¡±


    ¡°Just a few minutes,¡± I said.


    Stacy stuck her head back in. She must have heard our voices and come to see if there was anything she could do. We waved her off, and she bowed out.


    ¡°They did pretty good, huh?¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Yeah, actually, they did,¡± I agreed.


    We stood silently, looking at our mother, when a cough came at the door.


    ¡°Hey, hon,¡± Miria said, glancing over her shoulder. ¡°You remember my husband, Richard, right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said as Richard crossed the room, hand outstretched. I pulled my still trembling hand from my pocket just long enough to shake the offered hand before hiding it once more. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± I asked as Richard moved over to stand beside Miria.


    ¡°Oh, as well as can be expected,¡± Richard nodded.


    Richard was a bit taller than I was, with short brown hair and a stocky build that was more muscle than flab. From what I could remember, he was some sort of contractor, but my failing memory never hung onto the finer details of what exactly he did. It didn¡¯t matter as long as he was good to Miria. So far, from the occasional e-mail, everything seemed to be going well between the two. So, well, in fact, they had been talking about trying to have a baby.


    ¡°Dad should be getting in late tonight; we¡¯re gonna pick him up at the airport. He¡¯s staying with us, but you¡¯re also more than welcome,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I already have a place out at the airport,¡± I said.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know if you would make it or not,¡± Richard added.


    ¡°Yeah, the military managed to let me go for this. Deaths are one of the few things they actually seem to care about when it comes to family.¡± I didn¡¯t mention I practically had to threaten my commander to let me go. I had been in the Air Force for over ten years and still found myself trying to upsell them when I had the chance. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t sent that Red Cross message, I¡¯d probably still be in the sandbox. Thanks.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just glad they let you come home,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Yeah, well, your mom only dies once, right?¡± I said, sounding a bit more callous than I meant. I was never a big family man, to be honest. It wasn¡¯t that I disliked family. I just wasn¡¯t the most open person. I took care of my family, but I¡¯d be the last person to organize a yearly reunion or anything.


    A man¡¯s scream echoed down the hall from the direction of the office, causing us to move to the door. A man in scrubs was speaking frantically to a man in a suit in the office. We couldn¡¯t hear more than the inflection in his voice as the glass muffled most of the noise. He was distraught over something, but before we could learn more, the suit noticed they had an audience and quickly pulled the man through the back door and out of sight.


    ¡°I wonder what all that was about?¡± Miria continued to stare in the direction of the office.


    ¡°Not a clue,¡± I said.


    We moved back to the coffin for a few more minutes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they put a guard or something on these rooms?¡± My job¡¯s mindset always made me think about security, even when it was inappropriate.


    ¡°Why?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°Well, I mean, I saw three other rooms like this. If there¡¯s other folk in there, what¡¯s to keep someone from just walking in here and¡­I dunno, messing with them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Who would want to?¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. There are plenty of weirdoes out there. This is Austin, after all,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°Yeah, Richard, keep Austin weird and all that, but I don¡¯t think they had dead people in mind when they thought up that business slogan,¡± Miria said.


    Richard shrugged.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long you were supposed to hang around one of these things and was beginning to wonder when Richard rescued me.


    ¡°I need a drink,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°I second that,¡± I agreed and turned to Miria.


    ¡°I guess, but let¡¯s not be too long¡­what James said has got me uneasy now,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sorry, sis¡­didn¡¯t mean to,¡± I said.


    She shrugged, and we made our way out to the parking lot.


    ¡°Where you want to go?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°The Platter¡¯s close by,¡± Richard answered his wife. When she shrugged, he turned to me. ¡°You want to jump in with us?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I can grab my rental when we come back,¡± I said.


    ¡°Cool.¡± Richard unlocked his truck, and we all piled in.


    The Platter was only a few minutes down the road heading towards the university. It was a small place crowded into one of those yuppie strip malls, the type that went for the more modern look by putting apartments on top of all the businesses. Double the rent was great for the landlord, but there were only half the parking spots for the customers.


    It took Richard several minutes, but he eventually managed to snag a parking space close to the bar.


    The bar was crowded, but we got one of the few remaining tables. Apparently, the Platter was a microbrewery. When I opened the menu, I learned it boasted over 400 different types of beer and more that rotated daily.


    Richard explained the gold and silver plates nailed high up on the wall were from those who had sampled all the different types. ¡°200 punches on your card, all different beers, mind you, gets you a silver plate. Gold is for the 400+ club.¡±


    ¡°What do you get when you drink 400 beers?¡± I asked.


    He looked at me with mild aggravation. ¡°A gold plate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Miria chimed in, cutting Richard¡¯s reply off. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying. I¡¯ve offered to buy him a real gold plate; it would be cheaper than these $12 beers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same!¡± Richard defended.


    ¡°Yes, dear, now tell the nice lady what you want,¡± Miria patted his hand.


    We were saved by a waitress coming up to take our order. While Richard fished out a meter-long piece of paper, supposedly with all the beers he¡¯d tried so far on it, Miria turned to me and whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t mind really. I¡¯m almost to my silver plate!¡±


    ¡°So, how is the military treating you?¡± Richard asked after we all put in our orders.


    ¡°Oh, you know. They say, ¡®Go here,¡¯ and I go. It¡¯s the same ole job no matter where you go, just different scenery,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re Air Force, right?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered slowly.


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Miria noted the tone of my voice.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m officially in the AF, but sometimes I get farmed out to work with sister services,¡± I explained.


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Richard said.


    ¡°With everything going on nowadays, the regular guys get tied up doing jobs they¡¯re not supposed to be doing. There¡¯s a lot of that going around now. So, we come in and backfill while they¡¯re off doing their assignment,¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a cop, right?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Yeah, for the most part,¡± I didn¡¯t want to share what I really did for the military. Bad memories started to rattle their cages in my head, so I changed the subject. ¡°Did you have any problems with the arrangements for Mom, Miria?¡±


    ¡°No. She had no will that I know of, but she¡¯d mentioned to me some stuff she wanted a while back. The rest I just kind of filled in,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve done awesome sis. You need any help?¡± I asked.


    She thought for a minute. ¡°Not really¡­maybe when it comes to the house. I know she¡¯s got a crap-load of stuff to go through.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she did like to collect stuff, didn¡¯t she?¡± I smiled.


    ¡°You could say that. Her unicorn collection is world record size,¡± She laughed.


    When we returned to the funeral home, an ambulance was on the side with flashing lights.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd; I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen an ambulance at a funeral home before,¡± Richard smirked.


    We learned one of the staff had hurt themselves, and an ambulance had been called. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Stacy assured us, ¡°everything¡¯s alright now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if it was my cop instincts, but I felt Stacy wasn¡¯t being entirely truthful.


    A few relatives stopped by to offer their condolences; most I had not seen in over ten years. I relied heavily on Miria to tell me who everyone was. She helped me fill in those awkward silences when I¡¯d shake hands with someone and then stand there awkwardly.


    I was never good at small talk, but I was getting plenty of practice tonight. I hadn¡¯t been home for a visit in over five years, having spent most of my time overseas. There hadn¡¯t been much use for small talk over there.


    ¡°Oh, I saw Shae the other day,¡± Miria said out of the blue.


    ¡°Shae?¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Yeah, you know, that girl you were so hung up about in high school,¡± she said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the one you proposed to?¡± Richard added.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Miria continued, ¡°he used to follow her around like a puppy. He was so wrapped around her finger. I¡¯m glad she turned him down. I would have hated seeing you that whipped.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± I demanded, a bit stronger than I intended.


    ¡°What?¡± Miria was taken aback by my tone. ¡°Now, where did I see her? Oh, it was on the news. They were doing a spot on one of those live action role playing (LARP) groups you used to be into. I guess she¡¯s still in it because she was running around dressed up like the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I tried to say calmly as I fought to control my rapidly beating heart.


    ¡°Well, pretty sure. I mean, she looked pretty much like I remembered her,¡± she eyed me. ¡°Oh James, tell me you¡¯re over her.¡±


    It must have been pretty evident on my face I wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Great, now I¡¯m sorry I mentioned it,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°What? Uh, no, I mean, yeah. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just jet-lagged, don¡¯t mind me,¡± I tried to play it off as I realized the shaking in my hand started working up my arm. ¡°Actually, I should probably head back to the hotel. We¡¯ve got a big day tomorrow.¡±


    Miria and I turned and looked at our mother before embracing once more. ¡°See you in the morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad they let you come home. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Richard said.


    I nodded and shook Richard¡¯s hand before making for the door. As I reached the door I heard them start to whisper behind me.


    ¡°He seem a bit odd to you?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°How so?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°I dunno, just¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re tired, baby, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    I glanced back to see Richard put his arm around Miria as she nodded. She looked over her shoulder at our mom one last time before leaving.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    I tossed my suitcases across the hotel room until I found the small, hard Pelican case bearing the USAF symbol. Punching in the codes, I quickly opened the digital locks and removed one of the small metal tubes. The safety cap snapped off easily as I pressed it to my arm for ten seconds.


    A sharp pain in my arm was followed by the sweet ecstasy of the drug coursing quickly through my arm and into my body. My veins lit on fire, warming me from within like a shot of good whiskey. I had almost waited too long; my teeth were chattering when I returned to my hotel room. Cursing myself for cutting it so close, I vowed to be more careful.


    Seeing Mom¡¯s body affected me more than I thought it would. Sure, I had seen plenty of bodies in my line of work; I¡¯d even volunteered to be part of human remains transfers for the fallen. But none of them had been family. Seeing her there, so¡­still, it didn¡¯t seem right.


    My mom had always been busy. If it wasn¡¯t working, it was running my sister and me to whatever sport or club we were involved with at the time. I knew I¡¯d not been an easy child to deal with, especially when it came to school. But my mom had always been there, trying to take care of us kids no matter what.


    I shook my head and smiled at the memories. The hard part was over, I told myself. Tomorrow would be the funeral, and I could make it through that.


    But now, after all this time, Shae had resurfaced. She had been the love of my life, as much as one could be while in high school. She was mysterious and much more mature than I had been at the time, me being in high school and her college age. We had been more or less inseparable for two years before I had asked her to marry me. She¡¯d never given me a proper answer as she¡¯d disappeared the day after I proposed.[1]</a> I¡¯d tried not to take it personally, but it had devastated me.


    I¡¯d spent a year of my life seeking her out and nearly ruined my education for a third time. But it was like she had disappeared off the face of the planet. In the 14 years that ensued, I never found a trace of her until now.


    While I couldn¡¯t directly blame her for the string of failed relationships since then, I could credit her with the fact that none of them compared to her memory. I¡¯d spent passionate times in exotic and sometimes terrifying locations, but they were all hollow in comparison.


    I thought I¡¯d moved on, but after my reaction to Miria¡¯s words tonight, it was apparent I hadn¡¯t.


    <hr>


    [1]</a> For more information, see Book 0. [Fair warning, it¡¯s ¡°teenage romancy¡± (and welcome back to those who already read it) ¨CRhiannon]

 Z Day -5

    <u>Z Day -5</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    The funeral was thankfully uneventful. For some reason I¡¯d been convinced something outlandish would happen. Probably just bleed over expectations from other parts of my life. Nothing ever seemed simple anymore


    A lot of people turned out, mostly friends and even more relatives I hadn¡¯t seen in years. Miria, Richard, and I sat off to the side, hidden from the rest of the mourners for ¡°privacy.¡± A man I didn¡¯t know spoke, and I was sure he hadn¡¯t known my mother, but then again, I couldn¡¯t think of anything better to say. I felt like I should say something, but for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t think of anything. *Story of my life,* I mentally sighed.


    I sat back, ruminating on the memories I had of my mother. As an adult looking back on my childhood, it was easy to see how selfish I¡¯d been. That¡¯s how it was when you¡¯re a kid, everything¡¯s about you. You don¡¯t stop and think about how what you say and do affects others.


    My mother sacrificed, scrimped, and saved to take care of my sister and me. She did everything she could to make sure we were taken care of. I know I¡¯d never told her how much I appreciated it, but I hoped I¡¯d at least said ¡°I love you¡± enough to let her know I cared.


    The trip to the cemetery on the South side of town was too quiet. What do you say to each other on the way to bury your mother? I didn¡¯t think there was any etiquette book written that could cover that instance.


    I helped carry the casket to the gravesite and sat beside my sister while they read more scriptures. It was brief, and at the end, people came up to shake our hands and offer their condolences. I could not keep track of who I spoke to; I was in a daze and couldn¡¯t focus. I probably sounded like a moron as I mumbled words in the general direction of those who talked to me.


    There was a small wake at my mother¡¯s house following. My uncle Roger and his new wife had planned it for us. He was a big hulk of a man, complete with a long ZZ Top salt and pepper beard. He looked like the roughest biker you would ever run across but had a 24-karat heart. I had liked him as a child, and as an adult, I liked him even more.


    Roger had married my mom¡¯s sister way back then, but she had died before I¡¯d gone into the service. Miria and I spent many a hot day at Uncle Roger¡¯s swimming pool out in the country. Those were good times, bright memories in my cluttered head.


    ¡°How you doing, James?¡±


    I looked up into the faces of two of my childhood friends. ¡°Oh, hey Trent, hi Mark,¡± I gave them both hugs.


    Trent worked for NASA now, running astronaut operations out of Houston, while Mark worked for a law enforcement supply distributor on the North side of town. I hadn¡¯t seen either of them in several years, with how infrequent my leave was.


    ¡°Sorry about your mom,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°Thanks. How¡¯d you get away from work, Trent?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a couple weeks till our next launch; I told them I had to go to a family funeral, so they cut me loose,¡± He smiled through his shaggy beard and long hair. He always seemed to carry himself in a dignified manner but had a relaxed, slightly scruffy-looking appearance.


    On the other hand, Mark looked very bohemian with his goatee and earring. They both wore suits but did not look comfortable in the slightest. They were my high school buddies, Mark being the same age as me while Trent was a couple of years older. We had played role playing games, watched sci-fi and anime, and done generally geeky things together.


    ¡°Liam would have been here, but he¡¯s still working on his final out-processing,¡± Trent said.


    Liam was the last of my high school trio of close friends. He had joined the Navy four years earlier to get electronics training. I had kept an eye on him through my military channels. Now his tour was up, and he was heading back to Houston to live with his very well-to-do but terribly nice parents.


    ¡°S¡¯OK, I know how the military is,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, what have you been up to anyway? We barely hear anything from you,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, Mark, they keep me on the go. I¡¯m back in the desert, more or less. Helping out the Army on some support missions,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Mark had that look in his eyes I typically saw anytime I mentioned the ¡°war¡± to people. They seemed to think the whole place was a free-fire zone of non-stop combat. In reality, it was sporadic, untrained, and unplanned violence. I, unlike some of the other vets I knew, didn¡¯t like talking about it. In my experience, the ones that liked to loudmouth about their service record either never did anything dangerous, were lying, or were straight-out nuts.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t let the media get you spun up, though. There¡¯s not a lot to it right now. I think I read the other day there were more deaths in Chicago every day than the entire country that we¡¯re ¡®at war¡¯ with,¡± I offered.


    ¡°You want to grab some dinner tonight? I gotta head back to Houston in the morning,¡± Trent noticed my tone and tried to change the subject.


    ¡°Sure, sounds good. Mind if I invite Miria and Richard along?¡± They didn¡¯t, but when I checked, they had other plans.


    Miria was drained and was going to leave soon. I told her to go on and I would take care of shutting everything down. She smiled and hugged me.


    ¡°Thanks bro,¡± she said wearily hugging me.


    I shook hands with Richard and turned back to my friends. I made plans with them to meet up later and went back to mingling.


    When Miria left it was the signal that it was OK for other people to start going. It was just my uncle, his wife, and me within an hour. I thanked them for helping set everything up and for cleaning up. When they left, she hugged and blessed me. I¡¯d found out during the afternoon that she was a part-time preacher.


    Then I was alone.


    The empty house was strange to me. My grandfather built the place when they moved to Austin, back when my mother was just a child. He had added on a garage and a few rooms, even put on a second roof (literally above the original one.)


    My grandfather had served in the Navy during WWII but didn¡¯t like to talk much about it and never said why. I now believed I had a good idea of why he stayed silent. He¡¯d been warm and caring and the other father figure I had growing up, my parents having divorced when I was in kindergarten. I didn¡¯t get to see my father near enough growing up and my grandfather filled in where he could.


    My father had also been at the ceremony and the reception but had excused himself part of the way through. While it had been many years since they had been together, I figured there were still feelings between my mom and dad after all. *I guess we love no matter how much time goes by,* I thought.


    I had asked my dad about dinner, but he had to catch a flight back shortly after the wake. Something was going on back in Colorado that my dad had to get back to but he didn¡¯t tell me what.


    I started to close up the house, deciding to come by tomorrow and give the place a good once over. There were still several things I had in storage on the property. Calling storage places was on my list for tomorrow as I would need to move my stuff.


    As it turned out, my mom had a will after all. The reading was not for two days and I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, but I didn¡¯t want to scramble at the last minute to get my stuff out.


    Miria had suggested I stay in the house instead of wasting money on a hotel. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about it yet and told her I¡¯d think about it.


    As I looked around, listening to the eerie silence of the place, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stay any longer and left.


    Later, I met up with my friends at my favorite Tex-Mex grill. Whenever I came to town, I ate there at least twice, filling up on all my favorites. I ordered another round of drinks as I sat across the table from my two old friends.


    We talked for quite a while as we stuffed our faces and slowly got tanked. Trent talked about the NASA missions he had worked on and how they had changed over the years. With all the changes lately, he didn¡¯t know what they were going to do with him as he was technically a contractor. He hoped they would move him over to revamping the latest rocket project, but he wasn¡¯t sure.


    Mark was still looking for something else to do. While he liked his job at the ¡°cop shop,¡± it just wasn¡¯t him. He¡¯d initially taken it because a friend worked there. But that friend had left, and he had quickly grown bored with the job, not being law enforcement himself.


    The conversation turned personal and I learned Trent was currently in an online relationship with a woman from California. They played an online computer game together and were making plans to meet up in person.


    Meanwhile, Mark was ¡°shacked up,¡± as he called it, with a girl. She was a medical student at the local college. They¡¯d met playing a LARP of all things. That turned into us talking about our time playing ¡°boffer¡± games way back when and how we¡¯d eventually angered the local ¡°druids¡± at the park where we played. The druids felt we were violating the sanctity of nature in the park with our violence.


    ¡°Whatever happened to that girl you used to bring around to the park?¡± Mark asked. ¡°She was hot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember Mark used to dress her up in costumes he¡¯d make,¡± Trent added. ¡°I always thought you were trying to steal her away from James.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? She wouldn¡¯t give me the time of day. She was nice and all except on the field. If you crossed the line she¡¯d cut you down to size. I saw one guy try to cop a feel once during a ditch battle. Never seen someone go down so quickly,¡± Mark said.


    I shook my head; it never seemed to fail. Whenever I came back to town, Shae¡¯s ghost would somehow slip back into my life. First Miria and now my buddies. It seemed Shae had made as much of an impression on my family and friends as she had on me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. We just¡­had a falling out,¡± I didn¡¯t mention the fact she¡¯d up and disappeared on me and how I¡¯d tried to forget her ever since. ¡°You still LARPing, Mark?¡± I tried to change the subject.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Mark said. ¡°We actually created our own LARP. It mixes some character creation aspects and moves away from the fighting and more towards role playing. We¡¯ve got a book online, complete with pictures and everything. We even have some old pics from back in the day. You might be surprised by some of the faces.¡±


    ¡°Tell me I¡¯m not in there,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nah, we could only use those who gave us permission. We couldn¡¯t ever get a hold of you, so you¡¯re out!¡± Mark laughed.


    ¡°Bet you have plenty of pictures of your sisters, though, haven¡¯t you?¡± Trent goaded him. Mark had identical twin sisters a couple of years younger than him. They were both beautiful and everyone flirted shamelessly with them back then. I don¡¯t know why men have this ingrained fantasy about twins. I mean, most sisters don¡¯t want to have sex with the same guy, let alone in the same room at the same time.


    ¡°Hey, they signed the releases!¡± Mark said defensively.


    We laughed, continued plowing ourselves with drinks, and reliving old memories late into the night. Eventually, the restaurant closed, and we had to say our goodbyes. Trent was heading back to Houston in the morning, and Mark had work the following day. I returned to my hotel room in a somber but not sober state. I had a few more drinks at the hotel bar to ensure I slept well before stumbling my way up to my room and passing out.

 Z Day -4

    <u>Z Day -4</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    Miria had been too upset to come over the day after the funeral. She said she would come over as soon as she could, but I didn¡¯t expect her anytime soon.


    So, I started sorting. We were pretty sure mom had left the house to Miria but wouldn¡¯t find out till tomorrow. Just to be on the safe side, I didn¡¯t get rid of anything, just organized it.


    I could not believe how much stuff there was to go through. I started going through my mother¡¯s possessions and soon realized I was completely out of my depth. She had been more of a pack rat than I was.


    Some things were easy, like clothes. My mother¡¯s attire did not fit Miria, and their fashion styles clashed. They were set aside to go to Goodwill. I had also found a few things of my grandmother¡¯s that would join the box.


    Cleaning out the fridge and deep freeze was also an easy chore. I threw away freezer-burned food and smiled at how my mother loved to take everything from its original container and place it into plastic containers she labeled. She still had some of her 70¡¯s Tupperware that was perfectly usable.


    I did make a brief stop to check on my gun safe. It had been installed right after I¡¯d joined the service. I wasn¡¯t allowed to take weapons with me when I went overseas. On the rare occasion I came home on leave and bought a gun, it went into the safe. When my grandfather passed, his collection also went in. Mom could never figure out how to work the combination lock, so everything was untouched when I cracked it open.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I quickly inspected and lubed the weapons, enjoying the feel of the powerful machines in my hands. I¡¯d learned how to do maintenance and rebuild guns in the service¡­before I¡¯d been recruited into my current line of work. Once everything was back in place, I shut the safe and returned to work.


    I pulled everything from the attic above the add-on garage and set it out to go through. I found my old Star Wars and G.I.Joes from my childhood and various old and/or broken odds and ends. A few blankets were packed with mothballs, and I even found an old Penthouse that I had hidden up there as a much younger man. The Texas heat had dried the magazine out and made the pages brittle. I thumbed through it, chuckling, remembering when I used to sneak up there for some ¡°alone time.¡±


    Chunking the magazine in one of the steadily growing piles of things to throw away, I opened another box. It was full of odds and ends: a sweatshirt my mother had decorated for me based on one of my favorite anime, a few G.I.Joes that had escaped the collector¡¯s case, and a handful of clothes pins. At the bottom of the box lie a small strip of red leather with two small strings from where it could be tied to your arm.


    The leather was warm, having been in the hot attic, and felt dry in my hand. I turned it over, trying to place where I¡¯d seen it before. It didn¡¯t take long for the memory to come back. It was like rereading your favorite mystery book. You knew who¡¯d done it and how it would end, but you still read it anyway, looking for something you might have missed the first time.


    I don¡¯t know how long I sat there looking at that old vampire LARP band Shae had given me. Eventually, I tossed it with the rest on the trash pile and returned to work. It was amazing how much someone could weave themselves into your life. I shook my head, wondering how many other reminders of her I¡¯d find and dreaded the answer.

 Z Day -3

    <u>Z Day -3</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    I had a skip dumpster dropped off at the house to manage the trash. I found broken furniture, old appliances, and boxes upon boxes of moth-eaten clothes. I felt like I needed a HazMat suit with everything I found.


    There was an oversized garage out back that my grandfather had built to house his travel trailer and spare truck when not in use. Both were gone now, replaced by rows and rows of plastic totes and cardboard boxes. It reminded me of the warehouse scene from Indiana Jones.


    Among everything I found, the pictures were the best. There were books and books of old portraits and Polaroid photos dating back to before the house had been built and my grandparents were teenagers. In the modern age of the digital picture, there was something about an old faded photo sitting under plastic in a book that just made you stop and stare at it for hours.


    I was the same way with books. Electronic books and the little tablets were nice for convenience and all, but nothing beat the smell of an old book. The library had been my favorite place to escape and avoid the world for the longest time. I grew up with my nose in science fiction books and my mind on faraway worlds.


    I continued to follow the photo timeline of my family, the housework forgotten. Year after year flowed as old black and white photos gave way to faded color ones, then standard color and finally digital color. I watched my sister¡¯s youth softball teams, followed by my youth soccer teams, family vacations to Six Flags and Disney World, along with long summer days at Lake Travis. My Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) photos from high school caused me to grin. Seeing myself so young, already in an Air Force uniform, caused me to shake my head with embarrassment even though nobody was around.


    As I turned the page, a photo fell out. I picked it up and examined it. It was of Shae and me from my JROTC dining out. I was in my uniform, and she was in the ¡°amazing green dress.¡± Yet again, she was popping up. It seemed she was woven into almost every facet of my life.


    I was so gullible back then; I couldn¡¯t pick up on the clues and put two and two together. It couldn¡¯t be helped though; I was just a kid, all ¡°whoremones¡± and no brains. The wonderful days spent with her were every boy¡¯s fantasy: a beautiful woman who wanted you. Too bad I was blind to what had been really going on.


    It was unsettling how strongly I still felt about her. It had been nearly 14 years since I¡¯d last seen her, the day she disappeared without a word. Back then, I¡¯d been used to her not showing up for weeks at a time. But when she didn¡¯t show up after six months, I figured she was gone for good, and it destroyed me.


    Now, I had been home all of three days, and her memory had managed to pop up every single day. Each time, it tugged on that old wound just a little bit more. It seems I¡¯d never gotten over her at all; I¡¯d just run away the first chance I got.


    I tried to finish up the garage, but I kept getting sidetracked with things from my childhood. It was nearly midnight when I called it quits and went back inside. It was late, so I decided to take a quick shower and catch a couple of hours of sleep.


    It took a lot longer to get to sleep that night. All the family memories kept cycling through my head unbidden. I finally had to run myself through calming exercises to settle down.


    Shae invaded my dreams for the first time in years. This time, she brought the memory of Drakes with her.


    Drakes had been a regular spot for Shae and me back in the day. I had a preconception of what a ¡°bar¡± was, mostly from TV and movies. Drakes was not a ¡°bar¡± by those standards at all. Most of the time, it was a high-end place with soft lighting in some sections and bright light in others. It was almost as if they used light as curtains to provide just enough privacy without having a wall in the way. But occasionally, like the night Shae first took me, they had a themed night and changed the place up.


    The clientele was everything and anything. I¡¯d seen women in business suits, rough biker types, the bohemian Austin casual dress, and even one couple in a tux and cocktail dress. You never knew what you would see when you walked into Drakes. It was like going into Walmart at 2 a.m.


    That was another thing about the place; I hadn¡¯t seen it from the street the first time. Shae had driven, of course, and parked down off 7<sup>th</sup> Street. We¡¯d walked a few blocks, passing a few homeless folks who seemed to give Shae a wide birth, and came to a plain white door on a side street.


    At first, I thought she was going in a back way, but later I learned there wasn¡¯t a back way out of the place. There wasn¡¯t even a sign. You either knew the place was there, or you didn¡¯t. At the time, I figured it kept the ¡°riff-raff¡± out as we were never bothered or jostled. There was never a brawl like you¡¯d see on TV.


    Drakes seemed to have a constant low hum in the background, almost like brown noise. It had always been soothing to me. Several times, I had to shake myself awake as I¡¯d constantly found myself ¡°zoning out.¡± If Shae hadn¡¯t nudged me, I probably would have nodded off more than once.


    Pulling myself from the memory, I realized I was now standing outside the door to Drakes. I figured this had to be a dream as I didn¡¯t remember waking up this morning, let alone driving here. It was mid-morning and the streets should be full of people, but they weren¡¯t for some reason.


    *Is this a dream?* I asked myself.


    Looking at the doorknob now, I hesitated. After Shae had disappeared for good, I¡¯d tried coming here many times, but the door had been locked and wouldn¡¯t budge. There was no listing for Drakes in the phone book, and everyone I asked hadn¡¯t heard of it. I¡¯d given up on the place, thinking it had closed.


    Now, as I stared at the door trying to figure out if I was awake or not, something told me this time would be different.


    The knob turned, and the door opened on well-oiled hinges. The interior was the exact same as I remembered.


    With a quick glance, I didn¡¯t see anyone in the immediate area and closed the door behind me. My heartbeat sped up and my hands flexed involuntarily as my instincts told me something was wrong here. The low hum I remembered was gone, replaced with an odd guttural noise that grated on my nerves.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    I¡¯d never been carded when I was here with Shae; as a matter of fact, no one seemed to have paid any attention to me. The bartender was the same guy no matter what time of day we had come in. Surprisingly, his name was Drake. He was a short, muscular man who I¡¯d seen pick up someone nearly twice his size before he threw them out. Drake was always well-mannered, proper, and spoke with just a hint of an accent I could never identify. He addressed everyone as sir or ma¡¯am, even when he was escorting them out.


    Drake was behind the bar, watching me with a passive look on his face.


    As I made my way towards Drake, it almost seemed that my feet were in thick mud or the floor was sucking on the soles of my shoes, slowing my progress with every step.


    ¡°My, but you are a determined one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Drake put down the glass he was stereotypically polishing and cocked his head. ¡°Normally, you can¡¯t open the door if you''re not welcome.¡±


    I sank heavily onto a bar stool, sweat pouring off my forehead from the strain of the walk from the door. I¡¯d never sweat in a dream before.


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re here, no reason to be rude; what can I get you, sir?¡± he smiled, his hands dropping below the counter and retrieving a clear glass of dark bubbling liquid.


    I immediately recognized the smell of Jack Daniels mixed in with cola.


    ¡°I apologize. I don¡¯t have the Gentleman Jack you now prefer, but the last bottle broke last night while I was dusting,¡± he smiled apologetically.


    While Gentleman Jack was my current favorite, it had not existed the last time I¡¯d been here. There was no way he could know what I now liked.


    ¡°Ah yes, you weren¡¯t very observant of your surroundings before. But that¡¯s to be expected,¡± he tutted. ¡°Any tap boy worth his salt would have eyes only for his owner.¡± Drake looked down at the drink. ¡°Please don¡¯t think I¡¯d dream of trying to poison you in any way; I wouldn¡¯t think of it, sir. No, it would also violate my neutrality, even if you are a norm.¡± He cocked his head, ¡°Say, you are a norm, aren¡¯t you?¡± He leaned close and sniffed.


    Automatically, I brought the glass to my lips before its cool contents began slipping down my parched throat.


    ¡°No, not so much now, are you? Curiouser and curiouser. Just what are you?¡± Drake asked.


    ¡°I guess I could ask the same of you,¡± I replied, finally finding my voice.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy, I¡¯m a simple barkeep. I serve up tasty beverages to weary travelers and have been known to bend an ear or two on the side,¡± Drake smiled.


    Snorting, I took another drink.


    ¡°Now, please, sir, don¡¯t be rude. It¡¯s an honest statement,¡± Drake held out his hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s honest, and there¡¯s truthful,¡± I said.


    His eyes became large, and his grin widened, ¡°Oh yes,¡± he purred. ¡°But enough on the simple chit chat, unless that is what you wish¡­no, of course not. To the reason why you¡¯re here...¡± Drake¡¯s look soured. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my mind can¡¯t seem to get around how you made it in here. Are you of the family?¡±


    ¡°I prefer girls, actually,¡± I said flatly.


    Drake rolled his eyes, ¡°How droll. I think you know I was not speaking of your sexual orientation but of THE families and no, no mafia jokes. While some similarities exist, they don¡¯t take kindly to the joke. But no, if you were with THEM, you would walk freely here...hmmmm, let me think.¡±


    While Drake touched his finger to his lips, I took another drink and hoped Drake could figure out why I was here, dreaming of this place.


    ¡°Oh hush, you know you¡¯re not dreaming and why you¡¯re here. Now, let me try to figure out this conundrum. Maybe¡­.no, the clothes are all wrong,¡± Drake shook his head.


    ¡°Actually, I have no idea why I¡¯m here and¡ª¡± I stopped, the glass still at my lips.


    Drake ¡°shushed¡± me. ¡°No, the skin color is wrong.¡± Leaning close, he tried to look over my shoulder. ¡°No, no tail¡­you wouldn¡¯t have an extra appendage, would you? Tattoo work? Humph,¡± Drake¡¯s annoyance increased with every statement. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re looking for Shae, and she¡¯s not here. She¡¯s not allowed in here anymore, not since you.¡±


    Jack Daniels, nor cola, or any other beverage for that matter, should ever be shot from the nostrils. Not only is it painful and unhygienic, but you totally lose cool points in a bar. On the upside, I definitely knew I was awake now.


    ¡°What?¡± I choked, trying to wipe the drink off my face. ¡°What about me?¡±


    Drake waved the question away, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me that; I¡¯m not allowed¡­the rules, you know. Horns, did you have your horns removed? Darn, I thought I had it that time.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously, what¡¯s going on?¡± I was annoyed and rose from my chair.


    Drake paused in his examination to talk to me and not at me. ¡°Wow, 14 years, and you¡¯re still carrying that torch? You do know what a tap boy is to one like her, right? You should move on,¡± Drake said.


    I don¡¯t know what came over me, but I was over the bar and lifting Drake off the floor before I realized what I¡¯d done. ¡°WHAT DO YOU KNOW?¡± I growled. The drink and my emotions got the better of me. In addition, I was supposed to have taken another hit of my medicine this morning, but I was pretty sure that hadn¡¯t happened since I was acting this frazzled. For all his bulk, Drake weighed next to nothing.


    ¡°Now, sir, really,¡± as Drake said it, the background noise flared, and I could no longer hold him up. The ground that had been sucking at my shoes now sucked at my knees and pulled me to the floor.


    ¡°I run a peaceful establishment here. This sort of behavior will not be tolerated, even by one as curious as yourself,¡± Drake picked me up with one hand and made for the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m forced to eject you for your behavior. Even if I wished to speak with you more, I can¡¯t right now without risking my own rules.¡±


    As we approached the door, it opened of its own accord.


    ¡°Now, once you¡¯ve regained your composure, come back and lets you and I try this again, sir.¡± Then, without ceremony, Drake tossed me outside like yesterday¡¯s garbage.


    Any pretense of this being a dream evaporated as I struck the pavement painfully. At least the horrid sound had stopped once I cleared the threshold.


    I briefly considered going back in but then thought better of it. My hands were scraped up and shaking again. I had over-exerted myself just walking into the bar. I doubted the door would open if I tried again. Instead, I picked myself up with as much dignity as I could and walked straight into a homeless man, knocking him to the ground.


    The homeless man groaned as he landed heavily on his rear. I glanced at him; he was dirty, his clothes in tatters and horribly stained. The smell coming off him was one worse than any of the third-country nationals I¡¯d ever smelled.


    I was about to apologize and offer the man a hand, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, causing me to freeze with my hand half extended. My instincts pushed me to withdraw my hand. I saw my car down the street and hurried towards it without looking back. I had enough weirdness for one day, and it wasn¡¯t even noon.


    I didn¡¯t notice as the man slowly got to his feet and started to shamble after me.


    My mind was a blur as I tried to piece together what had just happened. Apparently, Drake could read my mind better than I could read my own. The bar was some sort of neutral ground, but neutral for what? It was protected by something I could not fight or even understand, for that matter. I was also pretty sure Drake didn¡¯t know where Shae was.


    And that was it; that was why I had gone there. All the memories, one after another, dredging up the past. I did want to see her again. I wanted to know why she left me without a word all those years ago. Maybe then I could put her behind me and stop blaming her for what I had become.


    Maybe Drake didn¡¯t know where Shae was, but I was sure he would probably know someone who would. I resolved myself to cool down and try this again later. Maybe even apologize for my reckless behavior. Yes, I decided, Drake was all about propriety. I would have to devise a good apology if I ever hoped to talk to him again.


    Now, if I could just figure out how I got here.


    I returned to the car and was gone before the shambling homeless man reached the parking lot. As my car sped off, the homeless man¡¯s dead eyes followed me until new prey caught his attention.


    *Miria said she¡¯d seen Shae on the news, playing a LARP,* I thought as I got on the highway onramp. *There couldn¡¯t be that many LARPs in Austin, could there?*

 Z Day -1

    <u>Z Day -1</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    There turned out to be a lot of LARP groups in town, according to Mark. He had called me and asked if I wanted to go out for dinner. I told him I was having dinner with my sister that night but agreed to meet up with him the following evening. Before he¡¯d hung up, he¡¯d suggested trying the Internet for LARP groups.


    A lot of LARP groups were splinters from the same organization. I made several phone calls but had no luck until one ¡°Duke¡± said there was a girl who matched Shae¡¯s description that came to his park, but she didn¡¯t show up that often. He invited me to come out the next day, and I tentatively agreed.


    I considered returning to Drakes and was trying to figure out a game plan when I was interrupted by a phone call from my unit. It was a contact recall, checking on each of the members of the unit. There were no instructions other than to ensure I maintained availability in case something further developed. I pressed for details, but they wouldn¡¯t give me any over an unsecured line. Usually, that sort of recall only happened when a major incident occurred, usually on a global scale.


    I turned on the TV and scanned through the news channels. Aside from some sort of viral outbreak, there wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary going on. I didn¡¯t pay the outbreak much attention as the news seemed to be downplaying it. Some bug had hit multiple population centers almost simultaneously. Still, hospitals were keeping it under control, and people were being told the same old stick: wash your hands, avoid direct contact, wear a mask, and stay away from dead animals.


    It sounded like just another slow news day scare; lots of hype but no real epidemic. I shut it off and returned to boxing up my mother¡¯s things.


    By this time, I had checked out of the hotel and was staying at my mother¡¯s place. There were two empty beds, and it gave me more time to get things in order.


    Miria came over and helped when she could, but she was back to work and had little free time. Her boss had been generous and given her time off, but Miria still had bills to pay.


    Whereas I still had another six days of leave before I had to get on a plane. I was hoping to have the house done up by then, but as I looked at the stacks of boxes and the mountainous amount of work still to do, I didn¡¯t think I was going to make it.


    My mother¡¯s will had left the house to Miria. Aside from several outstanding bills and an old truck, it was all my mom had. I had talked things over with Miria and she didn¡¯t find the property so desirable for raising kids. The neighborhood had started slipping downhill and the local schools were following suit.


    I had thought about settling down in the place myself, but with all the years I¡¯d spent in the sandbox, Texas¡¯s climate reminded me too much of that hellhole. I would probably settle down somewhere a bit cooler, such as Colorado. My grandparents always liked the state, and my father lived there now. Maybe in a few years, I would try to see if I could make something of myself up there.


    I laughed to myself and wondered if the military would let me retire when the time came. I was pretty sure I could probably slide into another government program outside the military, but I was not sure how outsourced my ¡°specialization¡± could be.


    A police car screamed down the street, breaking my concentration. Its tires squealed as it rounded a corner. The first thing I thought was that the cop was going way too fast for this neighborhood.


    A new police substation had moved in a few years back about two kilometers away. I wondered if they always flew like that around here and how many kids had been hit as a result.


    That night at dinner, I kept hearing snippets of people talking about this new illness running around. I saw at least two ambulances while we were in the restaurant, and the talk seemed to put a damper on people¡¯s moods. Every time someone coughed, people would shy away from them. I would have laughed at their overreactions if the people weren¡¯t acting so seriously.


    In the morning, I took my medication and made a grim discovery. The remaining syringes of medication I¡¯d brought had broken their seals and leaked all over the case. I was not sure if it was the heat, the pressure changes from the plane trip, or what, but this was a serious problem. I would probably be fine for another day or two if I didn¡¯t do anything strenuous, but I¡¯d have to get new doses ASAP. With its specialty, there were not many military facilities that could handle it. Austin only had a National Guard base, but it wasn¡¯t set up to handle what I needed.


    I got on the phone and made several calls. I finally found what I was looking for at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio. They could acquire what I needed, shipped by courier, but it would not be there until the following evening at the earliest. They could not ship it straight to me due to the ¡°sensitive¡± nature of the medicine. I sighed, made plans to head down there tomorrow, and turned my attention to today¡¯s plan.


    I had found a box of my old clothes while sorting through the attic. My mom really did not like throwing anything away. The box was marked ¡°garb¡± and consisted of the old things I used to wear when I would play Boffguard. I tossed aside the old tabards and such and pulled my old black tactical pants out. I gave them the sniff test, decided they were passable, and pulled them on. They were faded, had a few holes in the knees, and were a bit too large in the waist for me. Nothing a belt couldn¡¯t fix. The old combat boots were a little stiff, so I used my current combat boots instead.


    Ignoring the shirts in the box, I chose one of the simple grey short-sleeved shirts I¡¯d brought with me. Looking in the mirror, I looked a bit scruffy, but I was going out into the woods to beat up people with foam weapons. It wasn¡¯t something you necessarily wanted to look your best for. I passed on shaving, noting my five o¡¯clock shadow was well into its 48-hour mark. I shook my head and made my way to the park.


    When I got there, the event was well underway. I had meant to get there about an hour earlier, but several car crashes on the highway delayed me.


    A group of people were sitting off to one side, dressed in period clothes that were in no way authentic but looked good nonetheless. They were discussing sewing or something. I nodded to them and approached the man standing over a big pile of foam weapons.


    ¡°Hi, care to join us?¡± the blonde-haired man smiled warmly.


    ¡°Uh, actually, I was looking for Richard,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hi,¡± extending my hand, ¡°James Sable, we spoke on the phone.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you were looking for your friend. You¡¯re in luck; I saw her earlier. I think she¡¯s down in one of the melees¡­near the far side of the park,¡± he said, glancing at the field.


    My heart rate suddenly spiked, and I had to clear my throat to continue. ¡°Oh, great. Thanks a lot,¡± I said, heading off in the indicated direction.


    ¡°Hold on. You ever play one of these games before?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah, but it¡¯s been a while,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well then,¡± he picked up a long foam blade covered in black cloth and handed it to me. ¡°You¡¯ll be needing one of these. Have fun!¡± Turning away from me, Richard spoke to one of the fallen warriors returning from the battlefield. ¡°Got yourself dead, huh? OK, come over here and sit for five minutes, then you can go back. Drink some water, though; it¡¯s hot today.¡±


    I hefted the padded weapon and nodded at the ¡°dead guy.¡± This fight was continuous, where people could come and go and come again. I headed down the hill and saw a group of people milling about near a group of trees. I scanned them and didn¡¯t find Shae among them.


    Something shot past my ear, drawing my attention from the small group. I immediately took cover behind the nearest tree, my instincts taking over. I relaxed when I realized the thing that had buzzed my ear was an arrow with a foam tip attached. It lay on the ground not far away. Glancing around the tree, I pulled my head back just in time as another arrow nearly clipped me on the chin.


    ¡°Sniper!¡± someone from the previous group yelled. They charged the bowman who¡¯d been sitting in a tree. The group¡¯s charge allowed me to move on without fearing being smacked in the back of the head.


    Moving through a cluster of trees, I could hear fighting behind me as the group attempted to de-tree the marksman. The noise almost covered the whisper.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Looking around, I found a man lying in the shade, a foam axe in his hand and his head propped up on his shield.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the dead were allowed to talk,¡± I said.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not dead. Just got my leg cut off, and it¡¯s too damned hot to hop back to where the healers are. So, I¡¯m just chilling, waiting for someone to pass by with a healing spell. You wouldn¡¯t happen to have one, would you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh well. The rest of them are straight through there and on the right. They¡¯ve been going back and forth for twenty minutes now. Been watching the ¡®dead guys¡¯ walk back and forth since I caught it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said.


    ¡°If you see someone with a red healing scarf, send ''em my way, OK?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, no worries.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said.


    I chuckled to myself and moved away from the ¡°injured¡± man. I could hear the sounds of the fight and made my way towards it. In a small clearing, ten people were going at each other. They seemed relatively even matched as they had spread out, pairing off and lashing out with sword, spear, shield and flail.


    One of the strangers was dressed all in black with a cape and played as a vampire class. I had liked playing that role back in the day, mainly because it annoyed Mark so much. For some reason, Mark had a serious aversion to all things vampire and had no qualms about saying so. If only he knew the truth.


    Round and round, the melee went as I searched each face for Shae. She wasn¡¯t there.


    I was about to head back when I caught sight of a black blur coming out of the bushes. The foam knife struck a man in the back, and he went down. I strained my eyes scanning the bushes, but the knife-thrower did not emerge.


    I heard footsteps behind me as the word ¡°Fireball!¡± rang out. At the same time, a soft thump struck me on the back. I turned to find a boy in a blue tunic running towards me.


    Picking up his ¡°fireball,¡± the kid shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°Sorry,¡± before running towards the mass melee. His arrival seemed to reenergize the short-manned group, and he began throwing ¡°fireballs¡± at people who tried to jump out of the way.


    ¡°He get you?¡± the injured man from earlier asked as he walked up behind me. He now has a red scarf tied around his ¡°injured¡± leg and seemed fine.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Tough break. But at least it¡¯s only a five-minute death in this game. You¡¯ll be back in no time. S''cuse me,¡± he roared and charged into the fray.


    I chuckled and moved around to the other side of the clearing, knowing someone was in the bushes that I couldn¡¯t see. Ignoring the grunts and sounds of weapons striking people going on behind me, I focused my attention into the forest. This was the only reason I saw the foam knife heading straight towards me. I managed to side-step it just in time.


    I caught the flash of a familiar face from inside the trees and shoved my sword towards it. My sword was batted out of the way, and Shae erupted out of the trees.


    She was holding two thin swords, custom-made, not like the generic one I had. Shae wore a brown leather tunic that hugged her shorter athletic frame while green leggings were tucked into soft leather boots. Her hair was startlingly white, pulled back from her strong Irish jaw and tied into a single ponytail. She came at me with those striking blue eyes that still caused my breath to catch.


    Shae lunged and parried my sword, bringing her other sword in close. I stepped back quickly, but she pressed the attack. Her blows relentless, each strike jarred my arm violently as she advanced. I quickly tapped into the reserves of my special abilities to keep from falling under the onslaught.


    ¡°Shae?¡± I called, but there was no recognition in her eyes. We continued to trade blows, our movements quickening until I had difficulty keeping up. *What was she doing?* I wondered.


    The others had stopped to watch the display, the young wizard asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t I kill that guy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he had a shield spell?¡± someone else said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see a yellow sash,¡± the wizard said.


    ¡°Shae, knock it off!¡± I barked, my sword striking one of hers with enough force to snap it off at the handle.


    Shae dropped the broken weapon, switched hands, and pressed with a mirthless smile.


    This time, I couldn¡¯t keep up, and as I backpedaled, I tripped over a branch and landed heavily on my rear.


    She lunged, slapped me on the chest with two rough blows, and then stopped. She stood over me in silent triumph.


    I stared up at her, panting. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me? It¡¯s me, James.¡±


    Shae¡¯s sword was still leveled at me, but the cold fury in her eyes flickered. She hesitated for a split second, then turned and sprinted back into the forest.


    I was instantly on my feet and after her.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s out of bounds!¡± someone yelled.


    Ignoring the voice, I gave chase to Shae.


    *God, she¡¯s quick,* I thought as I quickly began to lose sight of her.


    My phone suddenly squealed an emergency tone that caused me to hesitate. I couldn¡¯t help myself; I was forced to stop and check my phone due to the tone. I held the phone to my ear as I looked in the direction she¡¯d disappeared. Shae was long gone by the time I spoke.


    ¡°This is Sable.¡±


    ¡°This is a real-world recall. Immediately report to the nearest military installation and contact control via a secure line. Acknowledge?¡± The voice was quick but calm.


    ¡°Copy that. Out,¡± I sighed and ended the call. Glancing in the direction Shae disappeared, I cursed and made my way back. When I reached the clearing where the big brawl had been, a man was on the ground holding a bloody shirt around his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, he f¡¯ing bit me.¡± I overheard.


    ¡°A dog?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°No, some guy; I was moving through the woods trying to get a good backstab on and out of nowhere, this guy comes out and bites me,¡± the wounded man said.


    ¡°Biting¡¯s against the rules,¡± one voice added.


    ¡°No kidding. I don¡¯t think this guy was playing.¡±


    ¡°There are homeless guys who live in the woods sometimes,¡± another voice said.


    ¡°That looks bad; you should go to the hospital,¡± someone else added.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a lot of crazy stuff going on lately. I heard another lady got bit in a Walmart parking lot yesterday; it was on the news.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, just help me up,¡± the wounded man said.


    I wondered what was going on as I made my way to my car. First, Shae freaking out and acting how she did, then someone getting bit. I was still lost in my thoughts when I hit another traffic snarl. It was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and it took me a while to navigate around it.


    Apparently, a minivan had struck someone crossing the street. The woman was crying about how the man just walked out in front of her. ¡°The light was green, and he just walked into traffic!¡± she¡¯d said in hysterics.


    Camp Mabry ran parallel to one of the highways running through the city''s West side. I managed to make good time despite the heavy congestion on the highway. Traffic was moving slowly, and there were reports on the radio of even more accidents. People were being struck on the highway.


    *Who¡¯s stupid enough to walk into six lanes of traffic?* I wondered as I pulled into the National Guard installation.


    Flashing my ID at the gate would normally get me onto any installation. But as I drove up to the post, I noted the sign indicated they were in Charlie, the second-highest defensive posture an installation could be in. We had not been at this level stateside since the last big terror attack. The gate guards searched my vehicle before they allowed me through. I was directed to the provost marshal¡¯s office and made my way there.


    On the way, I saw the post more alive than I had ever seen it. There were troops everywhere. HMMWVs were at the main gate, complete with .50 machine guns mounted up top. It took a few minutes for me to find my way to the correct building, and what I saw worried me. This much activity could only mean something serious was going on.


    I learned just what while waiting for the secure line to come free. After explaining to the desk sergeant what I needed, I was brought back and told to sit and wait until the phone was free. In the meantime, I overheard the shift sergeants talking. The National Guard was being dispatched downtown as soon as they could muster.


    Streets were already being blocked off as there was a riot in progress. The first wave of troops had already been sent to the airport to secure it and a second wave to the state capital building. The next wave was being sent down to the hospital areas where more and more riots were breaking out. People were literally going nuts and attacking each other from the sound of it. There were reports of beatings, shootings, and knifings. The local police department was overwhelmed as the entire city seemed to be going insane from the inside out.


    The line came free, and I jumped on it before someone else could. I contacted my command and secured the line.


    ¡°Sable reporting in,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sable, where are you located?¡± the voice of Bob, my ¡°handler,¡± asked. Bob was my section¡¯s superintendent and direct supervisor for all general purposes.


    ¡°Camp Mabry, sir.¡±


    ¡°Camp where?¡± Bob said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a National Guard base in Austin,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is it secure?¡±


    I lowered my voice, ¡°It¡¯s a National Guard base, sir.¡±


    ¡°Understood, what¡¯s your medication status?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I explained what had happened, and Bob cursed.


    ¡°Hang on a minute.¡± It took a full minute before Bob got back on the phone. ¡°OK, you said a courier was heading for BAMC¡­scratch that. We¡¯re going to try and divert them to Randolph. We don¡¯t think BAMC is secure anymore.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Listen, James¡­things are¡­well, they¡¯re FUBARed right now. We¡¯ve got a lot of installations that have gone dark on us. Most of them have major medical clinics on them.¡±


    ¡°Clinics?¡± Then it clicked. ¡°Are you talking about that virus on the news?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s worse than the news is reporting. We¡¯ve got a full pandemic going here, and it¡¯s not only in the Americas. Your best bet is to make it to a real military base and hole up there.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you divert the courier to Austin? They¡¯ve got an airport. The guard is securing it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Listen to yourself, and then tell me how secure you think that place will be.¡± Bob¡¯s frown was almost audible.


    I had a lot of respect for the guard. I had worked with them in the field during the war and seen them do some pretty amazing things, but security hadn¡¯t been one of them.


    ¡°Just what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m having a hard time making out the reports, but our Intel tells us that these supposed ¡°riots¡± aren¡¯t. They¡¯re people attacking other people,¡± Bob said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what a riot is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cute. This isn¡¯t some protest gone wrong. These people commit blatantly violent attacks and straight-out murder for no apparent reason. We¡¯ve even heard rumors of cannibalism,¡± Bob said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Cannib¡­wait. Are you telling me¡­you¡¯re not serious?¡±


    ¡°We just went into Delta; we¡¯re ALL going into Delta,¡± Bob stressed.


    ¡°Are you saying we¡¯ve got zombies?¡± I whispered the word as quietly as I could.


    ¡°There are no reports that these people are dead. Just that they¡¯re attacking other people randomly and, in some cases, eating them,¡± Bob said.


    ¡°Sounds like a friggin¡¯ zombie to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°OK, come back to the real world with me now, James. I need you to get to Randolph and hole up. Don¡¯t let this go to your head, but you¡¯re an important asset to the military, and they want you locked down until all of this is over. So, get to Randolph, get your medicine, and keep your head down. Once this blows over, we¡¯ll bring you back,¡± Bob said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have a choice. We both know what happens if I don¡¯t get my happy juice,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. Focus on Randolph,¡± Bob ordered.


    ¡°Alright, I should be able to be there in a couple of hours, depending on the traffic,¡± I relented.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Bob said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you cared,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°Oh, I care. Do you know the paperwork involved if you don¡¯t make it?¡±


    ¡°I can feel the love, boss,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    ¡°Roger that. Out,¡± Bob signed off.


    I hung up the phone, and it was immediately seized on by another.


    Outside, I could see smoke coming from downtown, only a few kilometers away. I thought back to how normal the day had started. Now, my hometown was beginning to look like the war zones I currently called home.


    Once back in my car, I turned on the radio and scanned for news.

 Z Day

    <u>Z Day</u>


    <u>SHAE</u>


    The day had started so well. It was one of my nicer mornings. No alarm clock, no rush to get this or that done, just a lovely lazy Sunday morning. The sheets of my bed were cool, and, as I¡¯d fed recently, I felt quite content in all things.


    Stretching, I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes. I took in the blessed silence of the empty house. Having supernatural hearing was all well and good, except when you lived in a house with 30 other people. I looked at my phone and sighed. Reaching behind me, I retrieved my book from the headboard and propped myself up with pillows. I had time.


    Pagoda had left last night, but not before giving me another piece of his mind. Apparently, I had disappointed him in yet another spectacular way. I couldn''t even remember what he''d rambled on about this time; I¡¯d gotten so used to tuning him out.


    I didn''t understand why he cared so much. We hadn''t been together for over a year, and I knew he was already sleeping with another of his many ¡°subjects.¡± Not that he hadn''t been sleeping around on me while we were together. He wasn''t near as sneaky as he thought he was. I didn¡¯t understand his need to be sneaky to begin with. All he had to do was talk to me about it like a ¡°grown-up.¡± But for some reason, I''d always looked the other way. He just wasn''t the same as I remembered from so long ago.


    I tried to scrub him out of my mind. He was gone on business for at least a month and took most of the household with him. I sighed, found where I''d left off in my book and made myself comfortable before becoming lost in the pages.


    My phone beeped sometime later, reminding me if I was going out today, I needed to get a move on. Throwing off the covers, I padded over to the bathroom; the cool tile stones felt good on my bare feet. It didn¡¯t take long to wash, and I took a minute to examine myself in the mirror afterward.


    Turning this way and that, I checked for anything unusual. Of course, I didn''t find anything, but I still tried to check every month or so. Still no wrinkles, no sagging, nothing that would come close to showing anything but the 20-something I appeared to be. ¡°Not bad,¡± I murmured and smiled.


    Sometimes, I wish I remembered when I was originally born. But then again, it would probably end up marking a depressing day every year. It''s best to remember happier things.


    I sighed and stopped stroking myself in the mirror. If I didn''t get a move on, I''d end up missing it. I threw my clothes on and checked to ensure my makeup was in order before heading out.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone in the halls. Either they knew better than to get in my way, or I just got lucky.


    The garage was devoid of people as well. Several cars, from the most ostentatious Maserati, to an old beat-up Cadillac, to some military monstrosity all sat silently. Cars couldn''t keep up with me though; I needed to be able to move and keep moving.


    The thought made me pause. Why did I need to keep moving? Was there something chasing me that made me too nervous to hold still?


    Shaking the thought from my head, I donned the white leather riding jacket and straddled my bike. It was a silver Suzuki Stratosphere. It was originally shown off at the Tokyo Car Show. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it. While they¡¯d never gone into production, I¡¯d used Pagoda''s influence to get one of the concept bikes imported from Japan. It was sleek and different. Heads turned as I zipped in and out of traffic. A few people had even approached me about buying it, but I''d never sell it. I loved this bike. It was one of the few good things being with Pagoda had gotten me.


    I strapped on my overstuffed bag and started up the engine. Roaring out of the garage as soon as the door opened, the sentry at the main gate barely had enough time to get the gate open before I blasted out of the compound.


    The purr of the engine beneath me brought a smile to my face. I made a mental note to thank whoever had given it a tune-up last.


    All too soon, the park came into view. The games were already underway as I parked.


    Dropping my gear under a tree out of the sun, I peeled off my riding jacket. I didn''t need the jacket for protection; I just thought it looked good. I had on my typical brown leather outfit with green leggings. I''d been letting my hair grow for a while now and pulled it back into a single ponytail to keep it out of the way.


    Once upon a time, I had blonde hair. Then one morning I woke up and it had turned its current white color. They say it is typical for someone with my heritage to have white hair at a young age. Of course, contemporary styles had children dyeing their hair white to look ¡°cool¡± nowadays.


    I pulled the two foam swords from my bag and gave them an experimental twirl. Finding someone who could craft what I wanted had taken a while. Due to the game¡¯s safety rules, the two blades couldn''t be as thin as the rapiers I had ¡°enjoyed¡± in my youth. But, they were still agile, and I hadn''t broken one yet, even when I did get a bit carried away.


    I couldn''t remember discovering this park or this game, but I didn''t care. It was the way I seemed to feel about most things lately. They didn''t matter, and I didn''t care. What I cared about was that this was mindless fun, running around beating people up with big foam swords. And I was good at it.


    I spent the next hour mindlessly beating up folks who seemed to enjoy being beaten up as much as I enjoyed doing the beating. I had been lying in wait in a large clump of bushes when I sensed him.


    There was something wrong with this guy from the start. He didn''t smell or act right and wasn''t supposed to be here. I saw his face and lunged. I batted his sword away and laid into him with a flurry of blows that would have broken through anyone''s defenses. To my surprise, he recovered and began to defend.


    He wasn''t wearing garb, just some sort of cargo military pants. He was taller than I was, thin on a larger frame. He had close-cut hair, maybe a centimeter long, lightish brown, with a little gray mixed in. He had a five o''clock shadow going, and his eyes were a greenish-blue.


    But his movements were startling. I lost a bit of control as my need to beat this man became frantic. I needed to get rid of him; he didn''t belong, he was wrong. I don¡¯t know where the feelings came from but they were overpowering.


    I pressed the attack faster than I should and we locked swords. As I broke away, my hand brushed his.


    Suddenly, the world stopped and melted away. I was sitting in some institutionalized cafeteria, smiling and chatting. It only took me a moment to realize I was seeing myself through his eyes. Another blur and the two of us were in a car. Another shift and we were at Drakes and the world was fuzzy. Another blur and we were kissing, my breath cold and sweet on his face, the pressure of his lips¡­


    His strike lashed out and snapped one of my swords off at the hilt, ¡°Shae, stop this!¡± he commanded.


    He commanded? *Who was he to command me?* I switched hands, trying to shake the echoes of the images from my mind and lunged at him with enough force no one should have seen it coming. Had I a real weapon, it would have taken his head off.


    But he stepped out of range! It was infuriating as he shouldn''t be able to keep up. A smile crept onto my face when I saw his feet tangle on a tree root, and he fell. I took advantage of the trip and smacked him on the chest twice to ensure he stayed down. I¡¯d won.


    ¡°Don''t you recognize me?¡± the man said from the ground, looking up at me. ¡°It''s me, James.¡±


    The name sent a chill down my spine as I looked down on him. *How''d he know my name? I''ve never seen him before.* Then the images flashed in my head again. Confusion flickered in my mind, confusion laced with an irrational, overwhelming fear that caused me to turn and bolt from the park. I heard him start to give chase, but a noise, possibly from his phone, made him stop.


    I managed to reign in my panic before I got too far. Remembering my bike was still at the park caused me to stop altogether. My response to the man was utterly irrational. Nothing had ever sent me running away like this, nothing! I circled the park quickly and caught a glimpse of him getting into a car.


    Grabbing my gear, I mounted my bike and pulled an unused helmet from the saddlebag. Again, I didn''t need it for safety but to conceal my identity. I roared the motorcycle to life and followed him across town.


    All the traffic was a surprise. It was a Sunday, but there were a lot more people on the road than usual. Trying to stay inconspicuous as I followed him through back neighborhoods to avoid traffic jams was challenging.


    He made it to the front gate of Camp Mabry, the local Army National Guard unit in town. They had a small base just outside of Loop 1. I watched from across the highway as he eventually got onto the Army base. I had a lot of clout around town but didn''t have access to a military installation.


    Driving past the entry point, I noted all the big vehicles and automatic weapons focused there. A hundred meters down and around the corner, no one was on the fence. There wasn''t a gate, just a long stretch of fence with razor wire at the top. I stopped and looked around, noting an unusual amount of smoke from downtown.


    After waiting several minutes and not a single soul coming by, I walked over to the fence and waited some more. Finally, I decided it was now or never and proceeded to pick my bike up with one hand and toss it high over the fence. With as much speed as I could muster, I cleared the fence and quickly caught the bike, keeping it from crashing into the ground. With a relieved sigh, I gingerly lowered the bike back on its wheels and set off to find this man.


    I caught up to him as he left a building and headed for his car. I roared up behind him as soon as he''d gotten in and closed the door. I was off the bike and at the door in a flash. My hand lashed out through the open window and grabbed his seatbelt, pulling it tight across his body, pinning him in place.


    With my free hand, I pulled my helmet off and looked into his face. ¡°Who are you, and how do you know me?¡± When he didn''t answer, I tightened the belt to the point stitches started to pop.


    ¡°My name is James Sable. You were supposed to be my fianc¨¦ once, a long time ago.¡±


    *What?!?* I told myself. Aloud, I said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before today.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then why did you try to take my head off in the park?¡± he said hotly.


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the game.¡±


    ¡°What, using vampire speed and strength to beat down teenagers?¡± he said.


    He seemed to be angry about the game...a game! I looked at him this time, really looked at him, but couldn''t see anything familiar about him. The fact that he knew about vampires was a bit unsettling, but it didn''t give him credibility. If it weren¡¯t for the memory flashes, I wouldn¡¯t be here. ¡°What do you know about me?¡±


    ¡°Everything you¡¯d tell me. You are a vampire, you¡¯re in the service of your master Doreen, you¡¯re old, but you wouldn¡¯t tell me how old because you said it was an unladylike question, you¡¯ve got a dragonfly tattooed on your left hip, and you left me 14 years ago without a word!¡± his anger flared up, and he managed to push against my hold, straining the seatbelt to the breaking point.


    His strength surprised me again as his words confused me. I guess that¡¯s why I didn''t see him open the car door until it was too late. It hit me with enough force to knock me down.


    ¡°Now you can answer some questions for me, starting with what the hell happened to you!¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a vampire,¡± I said as I cautiously got to my feet.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m a tap boy with attitude; now answer the question!¡± he growled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before today.¡± *Tap boy?* I thought. I¡¯d never had a tap boy. I always preferred to get my blood from bags or the old-fashioned way.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re Shae¡¯s twin sister? What sort of bad soap opera BS is this?¡± he said.


    ¡°I have no sister and¡­¡± I started, but an explosion cut me off. It was close enough to cause both of us to stumble. A ball of smoke and fire was rising from the other side of the highway.


    Screams suddenly filled the air, and automatic weapons fire came from the direction of the main gate.


    ¡°OK, we can finish this somewhere else. For now, we need to get out of here, and I¡¯m not letting you out of my sight,¡± he said turning back to me. ¡°We¡¯re not getting out that way,¡± he indicated the gate. ¡°How¡¯d you get in here anyway? You¡¯re not military. Are you?¡±


    Shaking my head, ¡°No, but I have my ways.¡± I pointed a thumb behind me, ¡°Just drive through the fence.¡±


    It looked like he was briefly considering it when he said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving them with a gaping hole in their perimeter.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Who are they to you?¡± I was surprised by his concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s not happening, deal with it,¡± he said.


    I shrugged, ¡°Well, there¡¯s no other way out of here, just the front gate.¡±


    He glanced at my bike. ¡°Get on the other side of the fence. Don¡¯t look at me, do it.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him, ¡°Just because we¡¯re on a military base doesn¡¯t mean you can order me around.¡±


    ¡°Will you get on the other side of the fence, please and thank you?¡± he finally said.


    I stood frowning at him momentarily before realizing what he had in mind. Shrugging, I nimbly scaled the fence, easily slipping over the razor wire at the top. ¡°Now what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Catch.¡± He lifted my bike and, with a grunt, tossed it just clear of the fence. I caught it easily and set it down.


    I felt my eyebrows raise as I watched him scale the fence. He wasn¡¯t as graceful as I was, but still better than a human would be.


    ¡°Not a vampire, huh?¡± I said.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, a bit out of breath.


    I shrugged and climbed back onto my bike. ¡°Where to?¡± He climbed on behind me, and as he touched me, I froze. More memories flashed, exploding in my mind: the two of us laying on the warm sand of the compound¡¯s grotto, me in my green dress dancing with him in a military uniform, the two of us in a booth at Drakes.


    ¡°Home,¡± he said, snapping me out of the flood of his memories. Something was wrong here, and I wasn¡¯t letting him out of my sight until I figured out what.


    ¡°Scratch that. Head South, we need to make a stop first,¡± he said.


    I shrugged and gunned the bike to life.


    The trip South was surprisingly uneventful. The highway had turned into a parking lot allowing us to weave in and out of traffic to the accompaniment of honking horns and fingers given. James hung onto me for dear life.


    I was ready for it this time. The fact that I could access his mind by being in close proximity meant that we had been in blood contact at some point. With how easy it was for me to slip into his mind, it had been a lot of blood contact.


    When I touched his mind again, I wasn¡¯t ready for the sudden bombardment of drug withdrawal that swept over me. I had noticed his body trembling slightly but had chalked it up to adrenalin. As I skimmed his thoughts, careful to avoid becoming too distracted while driving, I learned he was addicted to some chemical the military gave him.


    While the drug gave him enhanced senses and strength, it was insanely addictive, and he¡¯d die without routine doses. The chemical burning through his veins was the bitter-sweet smell I¡¯d picked up from him back at the park. Now, he was out of this drug and in serious trouble.


    It wasn''t until I got into the neighborhoods down South that the weird ones showed up. I slowed as I approached one of the shambling figures and the smell hit me.


    Its face was half gone, like something had just ripped it apart as easily as peeling an orange. I glanced down and saw it was also sporting bullet wounds that would have killed any normal creature. This was a corpse, a walking corpse. *What is going on?* I thought.


    I sped away and steered well clear of the other shamblers I saw.


    We eventually arrived at the house he wanted. He was off the bike and up the sidewalk before I could get the sidestand down. I heard him calling to someone in the house, and they responded.


    A dark-haired girl was on the phone when I walked in. One look at her and I knew she recognized me, but I had no clue who she was.


    ¡°What¡¯s SHE doing here?¡± the girl asked James.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her Miria; I¡¯ll explain later, dial.¡± James turned and looked at me. ¡°Watch the street; let me know if you see any more of those shamblers we saw on the way here.¡±


    My hand lashed out faster than he could follow. I pushed him back against a wall and lifted him off his feet with one hand. ¡°That is the second time you¡¯ve given me a command. I am no servant nor an animal for you to boss around.¡±


    His eyes locked with mine for a moment before he surrendered. ¡°Please watch the street?¡±


    I held his gaze a moment longer before dropping him to his feet and stepping out the door. As I left, I heard Miria say, ¡°That¡¯s not the same girl, James.¡±


    Not a lot was going on outside. I could hear traffic on some of the side streets, an accident to the West, and a scream from far off to the North, but nothing was going on close by.


    Cocking my head back towards the house, I could hear James on the phone, giving frantic instructions to someone. Whatever was going on, James knew something about it, and he appeared to be rallying his forces. I briefly considered calling the compound, but I didn''t care. That place was a fortress anyway; they could take care of themselves.


    A horn honked from the end of the street, and I saw one of the shamblers coming this way, following the car that had swerved around it.


    ¡°James,¡± I called back into the house. He appeared a moment later. I nodded towards the end of the street. He muttered something under his breath and went back inside, telling Miria to drop everything and get in the car with him. Surprisingly, she did as he told her.


    I couldn''t figure out where this authority he was using was coming from. Something about his demeanor compelled you to want to obey. I had even hesitated earlier before I picked him up off the floor.


    ¡°Get in the car, Shae¡ª¡± James caught himself and added, ¡°Please.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and walked back to my bike. I wasn''t about to leave my bike behind.


    ¡°They can grab you right off of it,¡± he glanced at the bike, but his protest was short-lived as I ignored him and started the bike up. He shook his head, obviously not used to people ignoring his ¡°orders.¡±


    I fell in behind him as he drove out of the neighborhood. He continued south, sticking mainly to neighborhood streets. We ran into a few tight spots, but nothing that had us in any real danger.


    I was still getting over seeing that corpse. But I began to get nervous as I saw a second and a third. Something like this doesn''t just happen. It would have taken time for things to get to the tipping point like this.


    I didn''t watch TV, well, not much, I guess. I had a few shows I would record and watch when I was bored, but I didn''t watch the news at all; it was too depressing. The world I existed in already had enough horror stories without adding those of the human world. I guess my seclusion at the compound had backfired on me.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    We stuck to side streets, cutting through neighborhoods to get to my mother¡¯s place. During the next half hour of repeated backtracking and a few sidewalk drives, I briefly described what was happening across the globe to Miria. I left out my undead suspicions but emphasized the seriousness of the situation as we pulled into the yard of Mom''s place.


    ¡°Quick, close the gate,¡± I said.


    Miria got out and closed the chain link gate. The old fence was only about a meter and a half tall and wasn¡¯t sturdy. I figured it would fall if enough people leaned on it at once, but it was better than nothing.


    I turned off the ignition and realized Mark¡¯s car was in the yard. I jumped out and walked quickly over to the car.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mark rolled down his window and looked up at me. ¡°I was beginning to think you¡¯d forgotten about us.¡± His smile faded when he saw my face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Come on inside,¡± I said. When I reached for the front door, my hands were shaking. I cursed myself; I¡¯d forgotten about my medication. I was supposed to be trying to take it easy until I could get to San Antonio; so much for that plan. There was no way I could get all these people onto Randolph. I¡¯d have to figure something else out.


    ¡°You OK?¡± Mark¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as he and his girlfriend Rebecca came up behind me.


    ¡°Yeah, come on in,¡± I opened the door and led them inside before closing and bolting it. ¡°Miria, close the curtains and blinds on all the windows.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Shae¡ª¡± I started, but Mark cut me off.


    ¡°I thought that was you. Haven¡¯t seen you in forever; how¡¯s it going?¡± Mark said.


    ¡°Mark, not now. Shae, check out¡ª¡± I stopped myself and took a breath to slow down. ¡°Please keep an eye on our surroundings from the windows. Try not to give away the fact we¡¯re in the house.¡±


    ¡°James, what¡¯s going on¡ª¡± A gunshot cut off Mark¡¯s question. It came from somewhere in the neighborhood.


    I looked at Shae. ¡°Watch the perimeter; try not to give away our presence.¡±


    This time, Shae nodded without comment and started through the house.


    ¡°Mark, turn on the TV and find the news. Looks like things are getting worse. I¡¯ll be back in a minute,¡± I said.


    ¡°James, what¡¯s going on?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Give me just a minute,¡± I said over my shoulder.


    Mark shrugged his shoulders at his girlfriend, unsure what was happening, and started fiddling with the TV.


    Miria¡¯s phone rang, causing her to jump. ¡°Hello? Calm down, Trish. No, I¡¯m not at home; I¡¯m at my mom¡¯s place. Yes, OK, come over here and be careful. There¡¯s a lot of bad people out right now. Don¡¯t stop for anyone. OK, see you soon.¡±


    Trish had been Miria¡¯s friend since kindergarten. They¡¯d come up together through high school and even worked at the same law firm as legal clerks.


    ¡°Trish said her girlfriend attacked her,¡± Miria said. ¡°You think it''s part of all this?¡±


    ¡°Dunno, give me a minute,¡± I said from the other room.


    I quickly found the key and combination for the gun safe and opened it up. Looking around the cluttered garage, I grabbed a long black bag with a blue patch on one end.


    Dumping out my childhood Lazer Tag gear, I emptied the safe¡¯s contents into the bag. It was a tight fit, but I got it all and brought it back into the house.


    The TV was blaring away when I returned to the living room.


    ¡°To repeat, everyone is urged to stay in your homes. Do not go outside. Secure your doors and windows, and do not open them to anyone unless it¡¯s emergency response personnel. Phone lines are overloaded, so you may be unable to get through. If you have anyone injured, treat them and contact emergency medical services. Again, the phones are swamped, so it may take several tries to get through¡ª¡± the TV reporter said with a look of masked calm on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the word?¡± I asked.


    Mark looked up as I came in. ¡°Uh, the military has locked down the airport and most of downtown.¡±


    ¡°They say this disease is driving people insane,¡± Rebecca added. ¡°They say to stay away and, if you do make contact, to wash and disinfect quickly. You think it¡¯s really that bad?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Stay away from the windows and doors. Shae will keep an eye out. Rebecca, can you watch the TV? I need to borrow Mark.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s just Becca,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°OK Becca, see if they say anything about the roads between here and San Antonio.¡± I nodded at Mark, who squeezed Becca''s hand and followed.


    At the dining room table, I emptied the contents of my makeshift gun bag, causing Mark to whistle.


    ¡°Uh, James¡­I know you were a bit of a war nut as a kid and all, but this is a bit ridiculous,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, this is what happens when you play too much Lazer Tag as a kid and then go in the military. I was never stateside when I had money to buy guns. So, every time I saw something I wanted, I¡¯d buy it and have it sent here to be stored. Half this stuff I¡¯ve never shot.¡± I picked up the only rifle bag I had and set it aside.


    I had five pistols of various sizes, four shotguns, and two rifles: a .22 and an AR-15 I''d build myself. Sadly, I only had a handful of ammunition.


    ¡°OK, can you use any of this?¡± I asked Mark, who was still staring open-mouthed.


    Shae walked through the room and picked up the AR-15, a handful of ammo, and a couple of magazines before she walked out without a word.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Mark started.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± I said. ¡°OK, shotgun, I¡¯ve got a box of shells for it. Here¡¯s the basics.¡± I spent ten minutes running Mark through how to operate the shotgun and handed him five shells. I made him practice loading and cycling the weapon before I was satisfied he wouldn¡¯t hurt himself with the firearm.


    ¡°What is this all about, James?¡± Mark asked again. He¡¯d been reluctant to handle the firearm, but my urgency pushed his reservations to the back of his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain when everyone gets here. In the meantime, remember, safety stays on, and your finger stays off the trigger until you''re ready to shoot.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone coming up to the gate,¡± Shae called.


    I moved so fast it startled Mark.


    ¡°It¡¯s Trish,¡± Miria said and threw open the door before I could stop her.


    I watched Miria run down the steps and meet her friend at the gate. Trish had difficulty opening the gate and had to have Miria open it for her. The two of them came back into the house.


    When I saw her, Trish was shaking worse than I was. ¡°Is she OK?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Her girlfriend attacked her,¡± Miria said, her arm around Becca as they entered the house.


    ¡°Is she hurt?¡± I asked, startled.


    ¡°No, just shook up,¡± Miria said protectively.


    ¡°Miria,¡± I stopped her. ¡°You need to be sure.¡±


    She looked at me, a hard look in her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s fine. She just needs some time.¡±


    I watched Miria take her into a back room, then turned back to see Shae watching me. She had the, now loaded, rifle slung across her back. I couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing her handling a gun before. From what I remembered, she wasn¡¯t the military type at all. Something serious must have happened in those missing years for her to be able to handle a rifle the way she was.


    ¡°Highway patrol has shut down I-35,¡± Becca called out.


    ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± I asked. The thought that I might not be able to make it to my medication caused an involuntary shudder to run through me. I knew I was already in trouble as the shakes were getting worse; they were in both hands now.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re trying to isolate areas to prevent the infection from spreading,¡± Becca said. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    I cursed quietly under my breath. ¡°Becca, any good with guns?¡± I changed the subject.


    ¡°I¡¯m a boffer girl, not a steampunk. Why?¡± Becca said, then looked at Mark and his new shotgun. ¡°Why do you have a gun?¡±


    ¡°Just in case,¡± I answered. ¡°With all the crazy stuff happening, it''s just a precaution.¡±


    ¡°Pretty serious precaution,¡± Becca said.


    I sighed and went back to the table. I inventoried what I had left. There were enough shells to load the two remaining shotguns, nothing for the third. I had most of a box of .22 ammo, but I knew you had to be a pretty good shot to be effective against a person with such a small caliber. There was a box of .38 shells for the Smith & Wesson revolver, but the 1917 revolver still had timing issues and ¡°splashed¡± when fired. An inexperienced person would probably drop the gun the first time they fired it. There was half a box of 9mm and one last box of .223 for my personal rifle.


    I unzipped the case and pulled out my favorite rifle. I¡¯d always thought it was cool looking in movies, but my time with the Aussies downrange really sold me on the Steyr AUG. I¡¯d bought one with the money from my last deployment a couple of years ago. I¡¯d managed to sight in the scope and break in both barrels before putting it in storage here.


    I checked the scope batteries and loaded what little ammo I had into two magazines. Both barrels for the gun were still wrapped up. One was a standard short barrel, while the other was long, heavy, and had bipods for competition shooting. I attached the short one.


    I¡¯d always enjoyed shooting but wasn¡¯t too fond of hunting. Killing paper targets or steel plates was more than enough for me. Sometimes, I just liked the feel of the weapon as it discharged. I somehow found comfort in this. My buddies thought I was nuts, and they may have been right. I wasn¡¯t a redneck or a hardline NRA nut. I just liked guns, a lot!


    I loaded the pistol magazines with what ammo I had. Unfortunately, I only had one pistol holster, and it was for the 9mm. The rest of the pistols would have to be carried in regular pockets.


    Miria appeared as I was finishing up.


    ¡°How¡¯s Trish?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Resting, no thanks to you,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Miria,¡± I sighed, ¡°you have to understand that if her girlfriend hurt her, she could become one of them.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°I mean, she¡¯ll get infected like her girlfriend was,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if her girlfriend was infected. She was kind of a jerk to begin with. They might have just had a fight,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Fine, just keep an eye on her, OK?¡± I relented. ¡°Any word from Richard?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. His phone went straight to voice mail the last time I checked it,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s a good guy,¡± I said as I hugged her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said.


    ¡°Now, can you use any of this?¡± I asked, indicating the firearms.


    ¡°I know how to use the shotty,¡± she said.


    ¡°The shotty?¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Yeah. I am related to you, you know. You think you¡¯re the only gun nut in the family? I have shot skeet, you know,¡± she said.


    I looked at her with surprise. ¡°Really? You?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so shocked; I am a Texan, after all.¡± Miria pulled one of the 870s from the bag. ¡°Besides, Richard took me. I only did it the one time, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. It was fun.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s already got shells in it. It¡¯s all we got, so be careful.¡±


    She put the shotgun down and looked at me, ¡°Just what are we doing? I mean, we¡¯re holed up at our mom¡¯s house, your ex-fianc¨¦e has shown up after 15 years¡ª¡±


    ¡°14.¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Excuse me, 14 years, and you¡¯re packing an arsenal while people are losing their minds outside,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll explain when Richard gets here. I don¡¯t want to try to say it twice. It¡¯s gonna be hard enough one time,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°James¡­¡± she started to say something, then caught herself and stopped. ¡°Do I want to know what you¡¯ve been doing overseas? I mean, I never ask, and you aren¡¯t in touch all that often. I get most of my info about you from Facebook.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a boring story, sis. But one I¡¯ll tell you¡­eventually,¡± I said.


    ¡°Truck pulling up,¡± Shae reported from the front room.


    ¡°Richard!¡± Miria ran to the front door.


    Richard¡¯s truck was more than a bit battered. The front bumper was dented and pushed in, while scratches were all down the sides.


    ¡°Looks like you had a bit of trouble getting here,¡± I said as he entered the house arm-in-arm with Miria.


    ¡°Minor demolition derby. Nothing I couldn¡¯t handle,¡± Richard said, the excitement from what he¡¯d had to do to get here was evident on his face.


    ¡°You OK?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, just wondering what¡¯s going on and why you had me bang up my truck getting here,¡± Richard said.


    I nodded, ¡°OK, it¡¯s time to spill it. Becca, turn down the TV, please.¡± I stood before them as they settled around the living room, all but Trish.


    ¡°Now, some of what I¡¯m gonna say will sound like a bad movie, but please bear with me until the end. You all know why I came home, the funeral. What you don¡¯t know is that I work in a special missions unit for the Air Force. But that¡¯s not important right now. What¡¯s important is that I¡¯ve been in touch with my unit, and what¡¯s happening here is happening all over the world. It¡¯s not isolated.


    ¡°Some virus is causing people to turn into crazies that attack anyone and everyone and even¡­eat people. Hang on, I¡¯m not done,¡± I said as Mark started to say something. ¡°There¡¯s something else. I need to get to an Air Base in San Antonio by tomorrow or else.¡±


    ¡°Or else what?¡± Miria asked.


    I pulled my hand out of my pocket and showed how it trembled. ¡°The military gives me a drug that modifies my system. This is a drug I have to take every so many hours, or I begin to withdraw. The withdrawal symptoms turn violent and will lead to death if I don¡¯t get another dose.


    ¡°My entire supply was spoiled on the trip here. Another shipment is being sent to Randolph and should be arriving sometime tomorrow. If I can get there, I can get my medicine and be right as rain. If not¡­¡± I let the sentence hang


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Mark started, ¡°insane people are running around on the streets eating people, and you want to take a road trip right through the middle of it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the TV said the highways are closed,¡± Becca added. ¡°How do you plan on getting through?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I started, ¡°but if I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be around much longer.¡±


    ¡°What if the shipment doesn¡¯t make it through?¡± Miria stated. ¡°What happens then?¡±


    I held up my hands, ¡°I just gotta hope it does.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like much of a plan,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°I admit, it¡¯s pretty bleak. But what choice do I have?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°You can finish the process.¡± All eyes turned to look at Shae, who was still looking outside. She glanced back from the window, ¡°It¡¯s obvious what the military was trying to do. I guarantee your ¡®serum¡¯ is some blood derivative; that much I could tell from the smell on you. If you finish what they started, you won¡¯t need to go anywhere.¡±


    They all looked between Shae and me.


    ¡°James?¡± Miria said.


    I sighed. ¡°How much more insanity can y¡¯all take for one day?¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Neighbor¡¯s got company,¡± Shae said, turning back to the window as a scream echoed from across the street.


    Everyone was up and looking out the front windows now. We could see a figure trying to force its way into the house across the street. The woman who screamed was trying to force the door closed, but the large figure pushing against her was winning bit by bit.


    Ripping the door open, I stepped outside and yelled across the street. ¡°Halt!¡± I said intelligently, I¡¯d fallen back on my cop training. With my rifle held at low ready, I¡¯d just reached the fence when sound exploded behind me.


    The rifle¡¯s report was loud and echoed back and forth between the two houses. Gore splattered the front door as the figure dropped; its head shattered like a melon.


    I glanced back and saw Shae standing on the porch. She was still looking down the sights of her rifle. The only sound was of the single brass casing clattering as it bounced down the porch stairs. Of all the things, that was the sound that stuck in my head.


    The woman across the street was still trying to close the door. She was crying and yelling, but the figure had fallen against it, impeding her progress.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to shoot? Last I knew, you weren¡¯t a fan of guns,¡± I said as Shae moved past me.


    ¡°I live in Texas now; it¡¯s a requirement,¡± Shae said, not looking at me as she cleared the fence gracefully and was across the street before I could turn around. When I caught up, she was pulling the body away from the neighbor¡¯s house. The smell coming off the body gave rise to bad memories from the desert.


    The terrified neighbor had long since closed and bolted the door.


    Shae rolled the corpse onto its back and examined him. The body had several wounds, and its clothes were in tatters. She rolled up its sleeves and examined its arms as if it were the most normal thing. She frowned and rolled the corpse onto its back before pulling up its shirt, and before I could object, she pulled the body¡¯s trousers down.


    ¡°Just as I thought,¡± she said, standing up. Leaving the body on the lawn, she walked back across the street without a backward glance.


    I looked from her to the corpse and back. I caught up to her on the porch, but she didn¡¯t say anything and went straight to the kitchen to wash. She scrubbed her hands with soap four times until her hands were raw and then turned to me. ¡°Did you see it?¡±


    By now, everyone had gathered around her in the kitchen.


    ¡°See what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Goddess, this is a horror movie,¡± Shae sighed.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Becca asked.


    ¡°First off, the corpse had multiple wounds. None of them were fatal, but there were signs of a struggle. His fingers had been worn down to the bone, literally. The wounds around them weren¡¯t bleeding, and they weren¡¯t coagulated either. Some slimy brown fluid was there. He was also cold, ice-cold. But what finally sold me were the blood pools.¡±


    ¡°Blood pool? What, like Dirty Harry?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Shae started, ¡°when you die, your blood pools to the lowest part of your body and changes the color of that area. This man died on his back. He had signs of blood pool on his back and rear.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t die on his back; you blew his head off,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°No, that man died quite a while ago. It takes hours for blood pool to occur,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°It''s called lividity,¡± Becca said. ¡°It starts about half an hour after death.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Mark held up his hand. ¡°Are you trying to say that man was already dead when you shot him?¡±


    ¡°Zombies,¡± I mumbled, shaking my head.


    ¡°Wait a minute, James, I know you were always a fan, but that¡¯s just fiction,¡± Miria started.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡± Shae grimaced and returned to the front door, where someone had left it wide open. ¡°Rule #1: Close the door during the zombie apocalypse!¡±


    No one said anything for a moment, and then they all burst out talking at once.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±


    ¡°I gotta call my mom.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, zombies?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s gotta be some other explanation.¡±


    ¡°If anyone¡¯s curious, he¡¯s still out there; feel free to go look yourself,¡± Shae called from the other room. ¡°But that was the second one I¡¯ve seen today. The previous one had half his face missing and about eight gunshots to the chest, three fatal. But that didn''t stop him from strolling around.¡±


    I started washing my hands and glanced at Shae, ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, just tapped the side of her nose.


    ¡°No, I mean all that corpse stuff,¡± I said.


    ¡°I like crime shows,¡± Shae said flatly.


    I washed my hands twice, even though I hadn¡¯t touched the corpse. I watched the water flow out of the faucet as my mind started to put the past week''s events together. The unusual police activity, strange assaults on the news, that bum outside Drakes. *Could this really be happening?* If it was, then we were coming to a crossroads and needed to make plans.


    I left them in the kitchen and went to Shae. ¡°We gotta talk.¡±


    ¡°Ya think?¡± she said, not taking her eyes from the window. ¡°Kind of busy right now.¡±


    ¡°Mark,¡± I turned to the kitchen. ¡°Come keep a lookout, will ya? I need to talk to Shae.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mark said. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Mark shook his head.


    ¡°You load your shells?¡± After Mark nodded, I turned to Shae and pulled her from the window towards the front bedroom.


    ¡°Miria, get¡ª¡± I caught myself trying to give orders again. *These aren¡¯t soldiers,* I reminded myself. ¡°Could you get Richard the other shotgun, please?¡± I lowered my voice so only she could hear. ¡°Make sure nobody goes outside and nobody shoots nothing.¡±


    Miria nodded as I turned and led Shae to the front bedroom. Closing the door, I started, ¡°OK, how do you know about my ¡®condition?¡¯¡±


    Shae looked at me, ¡°You should know if you really were my tap boy. All it takes is close contact for me to touch your mind. What do you think I was doing that entire bike ride? That sort of touch doesn¡¯t give a lot of detail, but I know most of what you know about your condition.¡± She locked eyes with me. ¡°The only difference is I get to be objective about it.¡±


    I knew she could touch my mind when we were ¡°sharing¡± blood, but I hadn¡¯t known all it took was close contact.


    ¡°Would you like me to show you?¡± she began to take off one of her earrings, the same half-moon, surgical steel earrings she¡¯d had way back then.


    ¡°What, here, now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Trust me, it only takes a moment. Then we¡¯ll finally get to the bottom of what¡¯s going on for both of us.¡± She saw the hesitation on my face. ¡°James, I can¡¯t drain you right now; you¡¯re in withdrawal. I would probably kill you if I tried. All it takes is a little bit of blood.¡±


    I looked at the door, went to it, and locked it. ¡°Just¡­make it quick,¡± I said.


    ¡°A quickie?¡± It was the first grin I¡¯d seen from her, and it didn¡¯t exactly put me at ease. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you were the type.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Be serious.¡±


    She roughly pulled my head to one side, exposing my neck. Leaning in, she inhaled profoundly, making me feel like she was sniffing a bouquet of flowers. I heard her murmur the word ¡°familiar¡± before she jerked away from me.


    Taking my hand in hers, she used her earring to prick my finger. I watched as she squeezed my finger, making the blood well up, before placing my finger into her mouth. As soon as my finger touched her tongue, I felt something akin to an electric shock run through me as images burst forth in my mind.


    I saw what I wanted to see.


    After the night of my proposal, Shae returned home to find several vampires waiting for her in her hotel room. They were from Pagoda¡¯s clan, and she had an ¡°appointment¡± to see him immediately. Knowing they couldn¡¯t touch her due to her courier status, she¡¯d taken her time preparing and then went with them to see the head vampire of the Austin territory.


    At Pagoda¡¯s compound, she wasn¡¯t treated as nicely as she was accustomed to and was about to complain to Pagoda when he cut her off. Shae¡¯s master had been killed, and Pagoda was claiming the spoils, including her. While this was customary, it was considered bad form to not ask for the loyalty of the former master¡¯s subjects. Not only did he not ask, but as his men restrained her, he bloodbound her to him by force, enslaving her to Pagoda¡¯s will.


    I felt the pain as Shae¡¯s veins were opened, and she was drained of all blood. I felt her body growing cold and the stopping of her heart. The world seemed to change, all the color draining from it and becoming shades of gray.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re almost there.¡± Pagoda¡¯s face swirled into Shae¡¯s field of vision.


    Her limbs grew heavy, and she was released to collapse on the floor, unable to move. The floor¡¯s flagstones were warm to her cheek, but the sensation quickly faded as the gray world soon dimmed to black.


    There was a flash of blue light behind her eyes, followed by an explosion of colors, sounds, sensations and tastes! The warmth and flavor filled Shae¡¯s mouth, throat, and belly. Her heart began to beat as strength returned to her limbs. Fire shot through her veins, and her vision sharpened to her mouth on Pagoda¡¯s wrist, the animal instinct within drinking deeply.


    Pagoda grabbed Shae by the hair and pulled her away sharply. ¡°Yes, my dear, that will be quite enough of that.¡± He tossed her across the room with ease.


    Wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve, she stood on wobbly legs and looked about her in confusion. Things didn¡¯t seem right; she didn¡¯t know what was wrong, but something was.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. The bloodbinding process always leaves one a bit confused.¡± Pagoda came to her, placing an arm around her shoulder and smelling deeply of her hair. ¡°But I will put everything right, my dear, don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    My nose was near James¡¯s neck, breathing in his scent. *There is something familiar with this one,* I thought. Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself about to kiss his neck! I jerked back, my mind swirling. *Why did I almost kiss him?* I thought.


    I sliced his finger and placed it in my mouth. Something jolted through me. I¡¯d never felt anything like it in a bloodtouch before. It surprised me so much that I nearly ripped his finger from my mouth in alarm.


    His mind willingly blossomed at my touch.


    I saw what I wanted to see.


    According to his memories, I¡¯d spent years pursuing this boy. There was no way that was true. I¡¯d never pursued anyone in my life. Yet, some of the brief flashes of his memory felt somehow familiar. The more I tried to focus on those, the more elusive they became. That shouldn¡¯t happen, either. While I was in contact with his mind, I should be able to sift through it as I wished.


    The first of his memories that became clear to me started after Pagoda had taken me.


    After spending a year trying to find me, he finally realized he wouldn¡¯t see me again and joined the military. It was a guaranteed paycheck and promised to get him far away from Austin and the memories of me.


    He stood in a long line of recruits, their sleeves pulled up on both sides. Doctors with hypo-guns hit him in each arm nearly simultaneously. He took a step forward and received two more injections, this time by regular needles. The final stage brought a sharp pain to his forearm for his ¡°TB¡± test. A week later, a doctor looked at the arm again and made notes on a clipboard. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing, but we¡¯re going to take a little blood to make sure,¡± the doctor said.


    He graduated basic, then his military police tech school, then airbase ground defense training in New Jersey. He returned to Austin long enough to get his belongings and was sent to Germany for his first assignment. When he checked in, there were more shots and blood work. ¡°Just routine,¡± he was always told. Five more years of this passed, and he deployed and changed bases to Louisiana before he was directed to report to the base headquarters.


    A captain sat in the small office he reported to. He took James to a room without windows, and the walls seemed to dampen sound. A Colonel Branche came in and dismissed the captain before placing a folder on the table and dropping heavily into a chair.


    Branche eyed James with a stare that sent a shiver down his back. Opening the folder, the Colonel flipped through a few pages before folding his hands on the folder and saying, ¡°How long did you live with the vampires?¡±


    It turned out the ¡°TB¡± test also tested for ¡°tap boy,¡± the name given to a vampire¡¯s personal ¡°feed bag.¡± When James tested positive, he¡¯d been monitored and tested on without knowing. James fit the profile they were looking for and was recruited. There were not many TBs in the service, and many weren¡¯t viable for mental reasons.


    The drug they began to give James made him stronger and faster, but his dependence on it became severe. Without it, subjects would die. He wasn¡¯t equal to the power of an actual vampire and had none of the true mental abilities, but he didn¡¯t have any of the allergies we had either. It made him a better soldier for the military, and he received additional training before being farmed out to other services for special operations, including vampire eradication.


    I moved forward to recent memories and grinned when I witnessed him being thrown out of Drakes. A sudden pain burst in my head, causing me to gasp as Pagoda¡¯s forgotten, bloodbinding memory surfaced.


    The link between us broke, and we were back in the bedroom, his finger falling from my mouth.


    ¡°Pagoda took you,¡± James gasped.


    ¡°You¡¯re a chemical vampire,¡± I marveled. I¡¯d never heard of such a thing. The fact they¡¯d even tried it blew my mind.


    We stared at one another for a moment, both of our minds trying to get used to being back in our own skulls again. James was the first to recover.


    ¡°Sounds like the name of a bad rock band,¡± he said as he nursed his finger.


    ¡°The bloodbinding¡­it¡¯s the most powerful bond we have,¡± I started, my mind racing. ¡°The one giving the blood has complete control over the one taking it¡­the mindtouch is strong, nearly complete. He could have done anything while in my mind,¡± I know I was rambling, but I didn¡¯t care. How could I have forgotten a bloodbinding? I paced the room, hugging myself tightly, almost as if trying to keep from flying apart.


    The next thing I knew, James was approaching me, looking like he wanted to hug me. I put out a hand to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said sharply. ¡°Just leave me be.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d started chewing on my nails, a habit I¡¯d broken ages ago.


    ¡°No,¡± he said as he stepped closer to me.


    My retreat ended suddenly as I backed into a desk. I held up both arms to hold him back as my confused mind tried to play catch-up with everything I¡¯d seen.


    He did stop as soon as his chest touched my arms. He didn¡¯t push against me; he just stood there and slowly raised his hands until they touched my arms.


    I shoved him away violently, ¡°I said don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    He held up his hands in compliance.


    I was confused by his memories and the fact that some of my own now seemed questionable. It was like everything in his mind threw my world on its side. I didn¡¯t understand what was real anymore as my head swam.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, realizing what he¡¯d said. ¡°You said Pagoda took me. Did you see my bloodbinding?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± he said.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to do that. Bloodtouch is one way unless we both shed blood. You shouldn¡¯t be able to see into my mind. How did you do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I dunno. It just happened.¡±


    ¡°Nothing good ever ¡®just happens,¡¯¡± I said.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A few things.¡± I was quiet for a moment. ¡°Even though I saw some of your memories through your eyes, I still don¡¯t remember our ¡®courting,¡¯¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Can you believe it?¡± he asked.


    I was quiet for a while, thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°I can work with that,¡± he said quietly.


    A small smile tried to curl across my face, but I stifled it. I felt¡­odd¡­this wasn¡¯t how things worked. This man was wrong, that much I knew for sure, but I didn¡¯t know in what way. He seemed to be something new, and I hadn¡¯t seen anything new in a long time. Maybe some of the old rules were bending. Either way, my head was starting to hurt from all the confusion.


    ¡°OK,¡± I said, breaking whatever moment we¡¯d been having. ¡°Everything else aside, we need to take stock of where we¡¯re at right now.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he sighed, ¡°the zombie apocalypse is upon us. I¡¯m out of dope, and there¡¯s nearly 100 kilometers of zombie-infested highway between me and my next dose...maybe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that¡­¡± I started.

 Z Day (Evening)

    <u>Z Day (Evening)</u>


    <u>EVERYONE ELSE</u>


    ¡°What do you think they¡¯re doing?¡± Mark glanced at the door James and Shae had disappeared into an hour earlier.


    ¡°What, you think they¡¯re making out?¡± Becca asked, glancing up from the TV. More violence and mayhem were breaking out. A few channels were still playing regular TV, but most stayed with live broadcasts and mixed reports about what was really happening. So far, no one had mentioned the Z word.


    ¡°Knowing him, who knows? But I doubt it; she didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with her anyway? She seems like a pretty cold fish,¡± Becca said.


    ¡°Dunno. Last time I saw her was like 15 years ago. She was more like a mom figure back then, not your ¡®cold fish.¡¯ They were pretty hot and heavy for a long time, even engaged.¡±


    ¡°Then she ghosted him, right?¡± Becca asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he was pretty messed up about it, saying how we, his friends, just didn¡¯t understand. I guess we didn¡¯t back then. I mean, we were still in high school. We weren¡¯t thinking about getting married. We were just thinking about getting laid,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°And how about now?¡± Becca grinned at him.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Mark grinned back.


    ¡°With all this craziness going on, you think we should head back home?¡± Becca asked.


    Mark pondered it. ¡°I dunno. I mean, we live in an apartment surrounded by tons of people. I don¡¯t know how safe that is. Here, we¡¯ve got other people who we know are decent.¡±


    ¡°Most of them,¡± Becca added.


    ¡°OK, most of them. I say hang out a while longer and see what happens. I mean, it''s dark already. I don¡¯t really want to go out there with those things running around right now,¡±


    Becca nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s stay here, at least until morning. Then we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± Miria bellowed, pulling a pan off the stove and pushing it to the rear of the burners. While James had his impromptu conference, she¡¯d been trying to put something together for all of them to eat. So far, it wasn¡¯t going so well.


    Richard got up from where he was inspecting the guns on the table and came over to help. ¡°What can I do?¡±


    ¡°Hire a chef?¡± Miria said, nursing her hand.


    He smiled and gave her a brief hug.


    ¡°Just grab another jar of spaghetti sauce out of the pantry and take care of that, will you?¡± she indicated the burnt pan at the back of the stove. He kissed her on the cheek and did as she asked while she went to the sink and ran cold water over her hand.


    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s zombies, like your brother says?¡± Richard asked, fishing around in the pantry.


    ¡°You know, James has always been a bit odd, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s nuts. I mean, Shae shot that guy, what, an hour ago? You seen a cop yet? The guy¡¯s body is still out on the sidewalk,¡± she paused, thinking about what she¡¯d just said.


    ¡°I think all the cops are busy downtown. But do you really think the dead are rising?¡± Richard said, finally finding a new jar of sauce.


    Miria froze.


    It took Richard a moment to realize what he¡¯d said, and he quickly went to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    Then Miria was crying, both hands on the counter to keep her from sinking to the floor.


    He turned her around and pulled her close as she sobbed.


    Becca saw what happened from the living room and silently took over cooking, nodding for Richard to take Miria away.


    Richard moved Miria to the dining room and sat her in a chair beside him, still holding her. Grabbing napkins, he dabbed at her face. She took the napkin from him and wiped her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK,¡± she choked, trying to get herself back under control.


    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot,¡± he sighed.


    She patted his cheek, ¡°Yes, but you¡¯re cute. It''s one of the reasons I keep you around,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°Lucky me,¡± he smiled back.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    By the time James and I emerged, dinner was prepped. The weapons had been moved to the back bedroom, and warm food now sat atop the dining room table.


    ¡°Smells good,¡± James sniffed. ¡°You didn¡¯t let Miria cook, did you?¡±


    Miria shot him an evil look. ¡°No garlic bread for you, come back one year.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stand watch,¡± I said, relieving Mark. I needed some quiet time to absorb everything I¡¯d just learned. James gave me a look, but I shook my head, and he headed for the table.


    Pagoda had made me forget about his bloodbinding me, something I didn¡¯t think could be done. What else could he have hidden if he could suppress such a traumatic event? Could he have erased James from my memory? The idea of blanking out two years of memories¡­I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.


    Pagoda and I had been together over 10 years now. Was that real or something he made up? What all had he made me do since then that I don¡¯t remember? I had to stop, it was a rabbit hole I couldn¡¯t go down.


    Nothing I knew of had the kind of power Pagoda appeared to have. If James was breaking the rules of nature, perhaps Pagoda was as well.


    The others sat in the dining room and ate without much conversation. The news was still on in the background, but James turned it off. ¡°I think we can do without it for an hour,¡± he said. The mood seemed to lighten a little once it was off, but there was still a nervous buzz in the air.


    Things took a turn when Miria brought me a plate of food.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I shook my head at the food.


    ¡°Nonsense, you gotta eat just like the rest of us. I¡¯ll watch, you eat,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°No, thank you, really,¡± I protested, trying to be nice about it.


    ¡°Miria,¡± James said, watching the exchange from the kitchen.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m just offering her a plate. Is my cooking so bad your girlfriend can¡¯t eat it?¡± Miria¡¯s anger suddenly flared, causing me to shift uncomfortably.


    ¡°She can¡¯t,¡± James said flatly.


    ¡°What do you mean she can¡¯t? What is she a vegetarian or something?¡± Miria said.


    ¡°I mean, she can¡¯t eat right now,¡± James said, trying to calm Miria.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Miria¡¯s voice softened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Does your religion prevent you from eating right now or something?¡±


    I smiled to myself. For some reason, no matter how mad or nasty someone is, it¡¯s like a set of invisible brakes when religion comes into a conversation. It makes everyone stop and rethink what¡¯s going on.


    By this time, everyone was paying attention to what was transpiring in the front room.


    I looked at James and shrugged. ¡°Uh, she can¡¯t eat right now because her body won¡¯t process the food. You see,¡± James continued, seeming to choose his words carefully, ¡°she has a special condition that requires medication before she can eat.¡±


    I had to stifle a laugh. *Medication, he calls it.* It was true, though; I was running on empty. With all the exertion I¡¯d done today, it had burned through the blood I¡¯d had stored. If I were to eat right now, getting rid of it afterward would be an ugly process.


    ¡°Like a diabetic,¡± Miria provided.


    ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡± James started.


    I rolled my eyes at James¡¯s attempts to lie for me, he was obviously not good at it. ¡°I¡¯m a vampire,¡± I cut him off before he could fumble through more of the lie. I glanced back out the window.


    This caused everyone in the house to sit up.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± James sighed. ¡°Well, huh.¡± James seemed to be trying to figure out where to go from there as everyone moved into the room.


    Turning from the window, ¡°I¡¯m not one of those idiot humans that file their teeth down at the dentist and pretend to drink blood. I¡¯m also not crazy,¡± I added. ¡°You¡¯ve seen a zombie today; you might as well see a vampire while you¡¯re at it. You¡¯ll probably start seeing other things as well if this goes much further.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± James started. ¡°Are you saying you already knew there were zombies?¡±


    I smirked at him. ¡°Of course not. The idea of the walking dead is ludicrous.¡±


    James smirked back at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re not dead¡­not really¡­not like a zombie would be, at least.¡±


    James folded his arms and gave me an exasperated look.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you start on semantics with me!¡± I barked.


    ¡°You sure they weren¡¯t married?¡± Becca stage-whispered to Mark.


    ¡°Uh, kids, can we get back to the part where you¡¯re a vampire?¡± Mark interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±


    I turned to him and picked him up with one hand, holding him up to the ceiling. Holding out my other arm, I pointed at Miria, ¡°Feel my arm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± Miria said as she placed a finger on my arm.


    ¡°Use your whole hand, make sure,¡± I said.


    Miria did as instructed.


    ¡°Everyone, no groping, but touch my arm. My body temperature is well below yours but not as cold as a corpse,¡± I glared at James.


    James held up his hands in mock surrender.


    ¡°Uh, can you put me down?¡± Mark gasped. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said once his feet were on the ground and then he touched my arm.


    ¡°So¡­uh, you¡¯re not undead?¡± Richard asked.


    Shae sighed. ¡°When I feed, my body ¡®wakes up¡¯ and I have all the characteristics of a normal person. But as time goes by, everything slows down and stops working. Eventually, if I don¡¯t feed, I will die. Like dead. Like kicked the bucket¡ª¡± I stopped. ¡°Where did that come from?¡± I mumbled, having no idea why I said that last bit.


    James gave me a look of recognition I¡¯d have to ask him about later.


    Becca slapped Mark¡¯s hand away from my arm as he seemed to be lingering just a little too long.


    ¡°Uh,¡± was all Miria could manage as she tried to take in more supernatural information, ¡°and you drink blood?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°How do you, you know¡­do it,¡± Mark asked as Becca elbowed him. ¡°I was talking about drinking blood!¡± he yelped.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like vampires?¡± James asked Mark.


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± Mark said.


    *This is weird,* I¡¯d never talked with a group of ords about myself like this before; I wasn¡¯t supposed to.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not crazy scary like the movies. I won¡¯t go ripping any of your throats out or anything,¡± I said dumbly.


    A wave of unease at the mention of throat-ripping went through the group.


    ¡°And on that note, I think we all need a drink for what¡¯s coming next,¡± James turned to raid the liquor cabinet.


    ¡°Why, what¡¯s coming next?¡± Becca asked.


    It turned out all that was left were a few bottles of German wine James had sent home to his mom from overseas. Everyone but me took a glass and sat in the living room drinking.


    Once we were a bit more relaxed, I started. ¡°OK, to put it simply, James is a super-soldier enhanced by the military.¡±


    James flexed his muscles in a mock body-builder pose, the effects of the wine kicking in.


    ¡°The military used people who vampires had previously fed on. It seems there is a bit of fluid transfer during the process¡ª¡± I said.


    ¡°She said fluid transfer,¡± Mark snickered before being elbowed by Becca again.


    ¡°Resulting in some minor changes to James¡¯s physiology,¡± I continued, ignoring Mark. ¡°Normally, this means nothing. But the government found a way, using drugs, to exploit this change and make¡­uh¡­super-James,¡± I grimaced.


    Again, James struck a pose. The entire room seemed to be relaxing the more the wine flowed.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°The problem is, the drug is addictive. If he doesn¡¯t get it regularly, he¡¯ll die. The more he uses his ¡®superpowers,¡¯ the faster he uses up the drug,¡± I said. I¡¯d pulled all of this from James¡¯s head during our bloodtouch.


    ¡°Can you fly?¡± Mark asked, slurring just a bit and not getting an elbow from Becca this time.


    ¡°Nope, but I can see through your clothes,¡± James wiggled his fingers at Mark and laughed.


    ¡°OK, that¡¯s enough wine for you, I think.¡± I took away James¡¯s glass. For what was coming, I didn¡¯t want him too intoxicated.


    ¡°Wait, she fed on you back then, James?¡± Miria asked, ¡°and you wanted to marry her?¡±


    Richard patted Miria on the shoulder gently.


    I ignored the comment and continued, ¡°I believe the drug he took is a derivative of a blood agent.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Becca asked, her medical curiosity kicking in.


    I hesitated, ¡°I don¡¯t, it¡¯s just speculation. But what makes a vampire and gives it its original power is the blood of another vampire.¡±


    ¡°Were you planning on making my brother a vampire?¡± Miria asked, her voice full of hostility.


    I looked Miria in the eye. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. My memories from back then are¡­fuzzy. But I doubt it; there is a serious chance of killing someone just by trying.¡± I glanced at James.


    ¡°And now?¡± Becca.


    ¡°Now, becoming a vampire is probably the only way to save his life.¡± I held James¡¯s eyes.


    The tipsy crowd was silent and then burst out noisily, voicing pros and cons.


    ¡°Enough!¡± I had to shout to be heard over the crowd. ¡°We¡¯re trying to lay low here; keep your voices down!¡± I hissed, eyeing each of them in turn. I felt like a mom scolding her children.


    ¡°Listen to me. You¡¯ve all seen the news; you know his chances of making it to San Antonio are slim. The chance the courier made it is even slimmer. Even if he did make it and the medicine was there, what would he do after it ran out again?¡±


    I suddenly realized I was honestly worried about James. This man I¡¯d only just met today. The man I knew next to nothing about. I didn¡¯t want him dying on me, at least not until I got to the bottom of this mystery. The mystery, that was it. It wasn¡¯t James I was worried about; it was him taking answers with him to the grave. That was the only excuse for what I was feeling. It had to be.


    ¡°This whole thing will have blown over by then,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°Really?¡± I flipped on the screen just as a report confirmed more outbreaks in Europe and South America. ¡°You think it will blow over in time to save him? How long did it take Japan to recover from that tsunami? Or what about New Orleans and Katrina? Do you think the world¡¯s going to recover from this any quicker? Look!¡± I pointed at the TV as aerial views of city after city on fire splashed on the screen.


    ¡°Civilization is on a slippery slope. Protect yourself and the ones you love. Don¡¯t trust that anyone is coming to rescue you because they¡¯re not. You have to take care of you and yours.¡± I don¡¯t know what had come over me, but I took a breath and tried to calm myself down.


    ¡°As a vampire, James can survive on blood instead of the drug. That¡¯s a lot more realistic, not to mention easier to be had,¡± I said.


    As if on cue, James¡¯s body began to shake violently. ¡°Oh crap!¡± managed to escape his lips before the seizure took him.


    I was beside James in a flash, sliding him out of the chair and to the ground where he couldn¡¯t hurt himself. I ensured he kept breathing and stopped him from flailing into anything dangerous until it passed. I didn¡¯t realize I was stroking his hair until his body finally calmed. I jerked my hand back from him as if he were a live wire.


    Miria was wiping James¡¯s mouth with a washcloth and clearing away the sick from where his body had purged itself on the carpet. She looked into my eyes, and we shared a long moment.


    It was apparent Miria didn¡¯t trust me. Not so much because I was a vampire, but I¡¯d apparently broken James¡¯s heart all those years ago. Miria could hate me all she wanted, but James¡¯s condition was not my fault. Regardless of what may or may not have happened between James and me back then, he¡¯d been the one who raised his hand and joined the military. It was still James who¡¯d agreed to take the drug. I had nothing to do with that. Now, all I could do was deal with the situation.


    Besides, I felt I¡¯d get called ¡°home¡± soon enough, and there was no way I could resist Pagoda¡¯s orders.


    Miria seemed to be having some internal debate before finally saying, ¡°What do we have to do?¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Becca interrupted. ¡°You said the drug was a blood derivative. What if¡­can he just drink blood?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t thought of that. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen? He gets sick and makes even more of a mess. Then you can do what you must,¡± Becca offered.


    I contemplated it. ¡°I¡¯ll need a volunteer,¡± I said finally.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it?¡± Miria asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the power had to come from another vampire?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for the turning. Besides, I don¡¯t have much left myself, and I don¡¯t know if the process will kill him or not. It doesn¡¯t always work.¡±


    I looked around. ¡°Someone untainted would be best.¡±


    ¡°Untainted?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Becca slurred, earning a startled look from Mark. ¡°What? Do you think I¡¯m going to let him make out with his sister? That¡¯s just gross,¡± Becca wrinkled her nose at the thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about drinking blood; that¡¯s gross,¡± Mark countered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not drinking anything,¡± she patted him on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t get jealous; I¡¯ll let her eat you later.¡± Turning back to me, ¡°Now, hurry up before I sober up and lose my nerve.¡±


    I nodded and effortlessly picked James¡¯s limp body up before carrying him to the bedroom. Everyone crowded around as I laid him on the bed.


    ¡°OK, someone get some alcohol, bandages, and a towel.¡± I said.  As Miria went off to get what was needed, I turned to Becca, ¡°OK, sit on the bed against the headboard next to his head.¡± I used a couple of pillows to prop him up.


    As Becca got into position, Miria returned, handing the things to me with a look that was fierce enough to cause me to pause. ¡°This won¡¯t hurt him. The worst that could happen would be him getting a stomach ache and throwing it up,¡± I tried to assure her.


    ¡°And the best is that he becomes addicted to blood,¡± she said flatly.


    I smirked and spread my hands.


    ¡°Just do it.¡± Miria put her arm forcefully around Richard, who returned the gesture with a start.


    ¡°Give me your arm.¡± I took Becca¡¯s proffered arm and cleaned a spot on her wrist with alcohol. I spread the towel out on James¡¯s chest. ¡°OK, this will hurt for just a second until I can get it under control.¡±


    ¡°Just hurry up already!¡± Becca said impatiently, a touch of hysteria in her voice.


    ¡°Relax,¡± I tried to soothe her, but quickly gave up and took off my earring. I removed the small protective sleeve from the sharp blade and made a well-practiced slice.


    Becca didn¡¯t feel the incision itself. But when the cut started to burn and sting, she hissed and squeezed Mark¡¯s hand hard.


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow!¡± Mark yelped.


    ¡°Hush you, sissy,¡± Becca said through gritted teeth.


    I gently pulled Becca¡¯s wrist to my mouth, and my tongue contacted Becca¡¯s blood. Immediately, Becca¡¯s body relaxed, and a euphoric smile spread across her face.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Becca said. ¡°That¡¯s niiiiiice.¡±


    Having directed Becca¡¯s thoughts, I ran the small open wound to James¡¯s mouth.


    James resisted initially; I could tell the metallic-tasting fluid was thick and vile to him. He had to force himself to swallow and nearly vomited it right back up. He managed a second mouthful by sheer force of will but couldn¡¯t take anymore. ¡°No, stop¡­¡± he managed.


    James¡¯s face took on an almost green tinge, and I pulled Becca¡¯s wrist back to my mouth.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Mark bellowed, but I held up a free hand to stop him.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± James managed; his voice was pained, and he coughed. ¡°Her spit is a coag¡­co¡­it stops the bleeding,¡± he finally managed. He appeared to be fighting back another wave of nausea.


    My tongue worked vigorously over the small wound, pressing saliva into it while simultaneously claiming every life-giving drop. After a few moments, the wound had stopped bleeding, and I pulled it from my mouth.


    ¡°Stupid!¡± I berated myself as I watched another wave of nausea rolling over James. I paused long enough to tell Mark to wipe her wound with the alcohol and dress it to be on the safe side. I knew they didn¡¯t have to do any of this; the wound would already be sealed, but the show was for my audience. I hoped it made things look...I didn¡¯t know. Less monstrous?


    I lashed out at James¡¯s finger with the blade and pulled it into my mouth.


    Instantly, James¡¯s body relaxed, and the greenish hue faded.


    I mentally kicked myself for not thinking of this first. I soothed his mind, forcing his body to relax and not rebel against the hot lump of blood in his stomach.


    ¡°Do you have any orange juice?¡± I asked.


    Richard went to look and came back with a small juice box. When he handed it to me, I passed it to Becca.


    ¡°Drink it slowly, and don¡¯t move for a while. While he didn¡¯t take much, the first contact can be a bit disorienting,¡± I mumbled, James¡¯s finger still in my mouth.


    Becca nodded and tried to open the box but missed with the straw. Mark took care of it for her. Becca appeared lightheaded and slightly nauseous.


    I pulled James¡¯s finger from my mouth and looked down at him a little later. I didn¡¯t like what I saw.


    ¡°What?¡± Miria asked quickly, noting the look on my face.


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what to expect. For now, let¡¯s give it some time.¡± I peered into his eyes, checking for pupil action, ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Like I just ate a car ashtray,¡± James mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some mouthwash,¡± Richard said, stepping away.


    ¡°No, just water,¡± I interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t want him gagging on the flavor.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m gonna gag on that after what you just forced down my throat?¡± James said with a bit more force.


    I sighed. I hadn¡¯t realized a part of me had been coiled like a spring, and now it slowly unwound. ¡°You sir, are going to be fine.¡± If he was cracking jokes, he was already feeling better. I wasn¡¯t sure if this would work, but I was pretty sure he would at least be able to keep the blood down.


    The sound of glass shattering outside drew our attention.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch him; you go,¡± Miria told me as Richard reappeared with a glass of water and a trash can.


    I hesitated for just a moment before nodding and starting for the door.


    Miria took my place at James¡¯s side. ¡°How you feeling, big brother?¡±


    James rinsed his mouth and spat a mess into the trashcan. ¡°I¡¯ve honestly got no idea,¡± he rinsed again. ¡°But part of me hopes this doesn¡¯t work. I don¡¯t know if I can do it a second time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of you one way or another,¡± Miria patted his arm.


    I could easily keep track of the conversation going on in the room as I made my way through the house, checking windows. My eyesight cut through the night as if it were day. None of the others could see more than a few meters before the blackness stopped them.


    The fact that I still tasted Becca¡¯s blood in my mouth allowed me to keep a tentative feed from her mind. I could practically see what was going on in the room. As long as I stayed within the house, I could read most of her mind, at least for a few more minutes.


    The connection with James, though, was much more potent. It was aggravating that I didn¡¯t understand why.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Miria asked Becca.


    ¡°OK,¡± Becca slurped noisily on the juice box.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Uh, it hurt. Duh,¡± Becca said.


    I could hear Mark shake out of his hand of squashed fingers. ¡°Yeah, I know that, but¡­I don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was like skinning your knee until her mouth touched my wrist,¡± Becca said.


    ¡°¡­and?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°The pain was gone. I could feel her tongue moving around, but there was no pain. Stop thinking dirty, Mark,¡± Becca scolded him. ¡°You know how you get numbed up at the dentist? You can feel what¡¯s happening, but it doesn¡¯t hurt. That¡¯s what it was like.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± James managed. ¡°While in blood contact, a vampire can touch your mind and cause you to feel pretty much whatever they want. They can share ideas and even have a conversation. It¡¯s quite intense,¡± he finished.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is.¡± Miria¡¯s tone was not pleased.


    ¡°What did she say to you, in your mind?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Becca said, causing Mark¡¯s face to fall. She shook her head and mussed his hair. His sometimes childlike innocence was one of the reasons she loved him so much. He could be so serious sometimes, but most of the time, he was the kindest and likable guy she¡¯d ever met. He¡¯d go out of his way to make you feel better and smack the person who¡¯d hurt you. She smiled and kissed him briefly.


    I really didn¡¯t need to know all of that, but this type of connection had the ups and downs of a roller coaster. One minute you¡¯re getting surface thoughts, the next you¡¯re reliving childhood memories. You never knew what you¡¯d get.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Just for being you,¡± Becca said.


    ¡°Uh, guys. I am in the same bed with you. While a three-way sounds nice and all, let''s wait for better timing,¡± James groaned.


    Becca slapped James¡¯s chest, causing him to flinch. ¡°Down, boy, you¡¯ve already got my blood baby in there; don¡¯t be greedy.¡±


    *I¡¯ve got such weird friends,* James mused to himself for a moment before the reminder sent a rumble through his stomach and caused him to flinch. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought to keep his stomach under control.


    I considered going back in there, but James seemed like he had it under control.


    ¡°Just in case,¡± Miria said, moving the trashcan closer to the bed.


    ¡°Come on, guys, let¡¯s give him some space,¡± Richard said, ushering them out of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay,¡± Miria said.


    Richard nodded and left just as I stuck my head in.


    ¡°Whatever it was didn¡¯t happen close. Everything still seems calm out there,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep watch a while,¡± Miria said as a way of dismissal.


    I considered a retort but thought better of it and left. I learned a long time ago to pick my battles.


    Miria placed a fresh, cool washcloth on James¡¯s forehead. ¡°Now you, I want you to close your eyes and rest a while. I¡¯ll keep watch over you for a change.¡±


    James smiled. ¡°Thanks, sis.¡± His body was exhausted. Drug withdrawal, a seizure, and all the emotional turmoil in the past 24 hours had taken their toll. James faded as soon as he closed his eyes.


    As he drifted off, the connection broke. I was glad; I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to see what sort of dreams he might have. My brain was confused enough as it was.


    Miria came out a while later. She leaned against the doorframe to the living room and was listening to the conversation that started but a moment before.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here,¡± Richard was saying.


    ¡°Yeah, but where to go?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°We have to stay here a while, at least until James can travel,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°But then what? In all those zombie movies, they always overran the houses in the cities first. Hell, it happened yesterday right in front of our eyes,¡± Richard pointed out the front window.


    ¡°First off,¡± I started, ¡°this isn¡¯t a movie.¡±


    ¡°This from a vampire,¡± Richard scoffed, then thought better of it, ¡°sorry.¡±


    ¡°Listen, this is a lot for everyone,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s too much for any rational person. But if we use our heads, we can figure something out. Now, we need a defensible place. That means it has to have some sort of sturdy fence. It also needs to be away from a lot of people, preferably with access to water.¡± The thought of taking them back to the compound had briefly crossed my mind, but I dismissed it just as quickly. I had a feeling this group wouldn¡¯t fit in with our current residents.


    ¡°We?¡± Miria said, looking at me.


    This gave me pause. Why was I throwing in with this lot? The obvious answer was the mystery surrounding James. But I¡¯d be safe if I returned to the compound. Was the answer to this mystery worth it? Coming to a decision, I nodded at Miria.


    ¡°Karen¡¯s place,¡± Trish murmured, her first words since her initial breakdown upon arrival.


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed the woman sitting in the corner. Last I saw her, she was in one of the back bedrooms asleep. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d even come out for dinner.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Miria agreed. ¡°Our boss Karen has a ranch south of the city. It¡¯s got cattle fences, and I think it¡¯s on well water.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call her,¡± Miria turned and went into the kitchen to use the phone.


    ¡°Did you get a hold of your mom?¡± Mark asked Becca.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll try again later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine,¡± Mark soothed her.


    ¡°Your mom here in town?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°No, she lives up on the lake in Georgetown. But I haven¡¯t gotten her to pick up the phone yet. That might not mean anything as she¡¯s kind of forgetful sometimes,¡± Becca said.


    ¡°Father, or anyone else you need to check on?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Becca sighed. ¡°My father passed away when I was younger. Only child and all that.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t considered their families. It had been so long since I¡¯d had one that it never even crossed my mind. Their families would be their priority right now. We couldn¡¯t go off into seclusion without taking care of this.


    ¡°Something else we need to consider is if we¡¯re going to stay together or not,¡± Richard looked at Mark and Becca. You guys are more than welcome to stick with us if you want. If not, it¡¯s too late tonight to go out there with those things in the dark. I suggest getting some rest and figuring it out in the morning.¡±


    The events of the night seemed to have helped sober everyone up.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Becca said. ¡°We¡¯re sticking with you guys.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Zombies and vampires? We¡¯re not missing this show,¡± Mark grinned. ¡°What about your folks? Both of mine are gone, but I have two sisters in Houston. I got ahold of them earlier; they seem to be fine for the moment.¡±


    ¡°My parents are up in Chicago on vacation and not answering their phones. I don¡¯t have any other way to get a hold of them,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no answer,¡± Miria returned from the kitchen.


    ¡°You called your dad yet?¡± Richard asked her.


    Miria nodded. ¡°No answer. Trish, what about your mom? Did you get ahold of her?¡±


    ¡°Still no answer, but it''s late. I¡¯ll try again in the morning,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°The Internet¡¯s still working.¡± Becca was looking at her phone. ¡°Do you think we should tell our friends what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯d believe you?¡± I spoke up.


    ¡°Hmmm...¡± Becca thought a moment. ¡°I¡¯m gonna try anyway.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± I started, making Becca pause. ¡°Don¡¯t mention anything about me or vampires, please.¡± When she gave me a puzzled look, I continued, ¡°It might cause...problems. And I think our plate is quite full enough as it is.¡±


    Becca shrugged, ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll believe me about the zombies anyway.


    ¡°So, how far is this place?¡± I asked Miria.


    ¡°About 20 minutes southwest of here. It¡¯s not that hard to get to. It would be easier with the highway,¡± Miria continued. ¡°You think they¡¯ve shut down all the roads out of town?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Richard shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think they have the manpower.¡±


    ¡°But the news said the National Guard was called up.¡± Becca paused from her typing.


    ¡°The Guard are just folks with families, like us. If you saw what was happening, would you stick around or head home to take care of your family?¡± Richard¡¯s words brought silence to the room. ¡°OK, so we''ll leave as soon as James is on his feet. We can take my truck.¡±


    ¡°And my bike,¡± I added. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving that bike,¡± I said with finality.


    ¡°We can use Mom¡¯s truck,¡± Miria said. ¡°It¡¯s older and a bit beat up, but she kept it running.¡± Miria turned to me. ¡°The truck has a topper, so your bike should fit.¡±


    I reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°So, the two trucks,¡± Richard said. ¡°Do they have gas? No, OK, we¡¯ll deal with that tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We should probably load them up,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Now? It¡¯s dark outside!¡± Becca exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes, but if something happens and we have to make a quick getaway, we need to be prepared to get. I don¡¯t want to worry about trying to load up food and such while zombies are chewing on our heels,¡± Miria said.


    Everyone agreed and played musical cars, getting both trucks backed up to the garage without attracting attention.


    I watched from the roof as they loaded the two trucks with all the canned and dry food they could. They added bathroom supplies, blankets and everything that could hold water was filled and sealed.


    I only had to stop them once. We¡¯d doused the lights, and everyone held still as dark figures shambled down the street. Once they were gone, we moved faster and squared things away. The entire time, we could hear sirens in the distance, as well as the occasional gunshot. It was Texas after all, everyone had a gun.


    In short order, we were as ready as we could be, and everyone tried to get some sleep. Trish had finally managed to get a hold of her mom. Turns out she was in Galveston for some conference for work.


    I stayed up and kept an eye on things, as I didn¡¯t need much sleep. Not that I could have slept anyway. As time passed, more and more things popped into my head, keeping me awake all on their own.

 Z Day +1

    Z Day +1


    <u>JAMES</u>


    I woke up sometime later. The house was silent. Everyone seemed asleep except for Shae, who sat beside my bed.


    ¡°Looks like your shakes are gone,¡± Shae said, examining my hands. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­kinda¡­fat?¡± I said.


    ¡°Fat?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Bloated, maybe?¡± I said.


    She frowned. ¡°Your stomach staying put?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seems fine. Hungry actually¡­for food, real food.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a good sign.¡± She filled me in on their plan while I snacked on some crackers and water.


    ¡°And we¡¯re ready to move out now? Good, let¡¯s get moving,¡± I said, starting to get out of bed.


    ¡°I think we should wait until daylight,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s plenty light outside,¡± I pulled the curtain back, revealing morning sunshine flooding the street. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Uh, James. It¡¯s 2 a.m., and it¡¯s dark outside,¡± she said carefully.


    I looked back outside. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Does it look bright outside to you?¡± her voice had the tone of one talking to a crazy person.


    I nodded, still looking at the fully lit street.


    ¡°Maybe you should rest a bit more,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fine, but we¡¯re gone at first light,¡± I countered.


    We were loaded up and moving as the sun crested the smoke-stained sky. I could tell Shae was still worrying about me; she wasn¡¯t exactly trying to hide it. I had slept a few more hours and ate some solid food when I got up. Worrying about my condition faded into the background as we left the house.


    Driving away from the property I¡¯d grown up on, various memories ran through my mind. Past Christmases, Thanksgivings, Easter Egg Hunts. My family had always gathered here for the holidays. I remembered cutting the grass with my grandfather or helping him in the garden with the onions he loved so much. So many of my childhood memories were set here. As we left it behind I had to put them all away so I could focus on the here and now.


    Shae and I were in the first vehicle, along with Mark and Becca. Shae¡¯s bike had managed to fit in the truck''s bed after all. The rest of the crew were in the second truck. There was a CB radio in my truck, and the chatter was nothing but talk about roadblocks, delays, and what a bunch of assholes the National Guard were. The truckers had been sitting at roadblocks for hours or diverted back the way they came.


    The neighborhood didn¡¯t seem that out of place until we reached the edge by the police substation. There were cars parked all over the station and not a cop in sight. We weren¡¯t sure what to make of this and kept going.


    Our first stop was to be the closest Super Walmart. I was hoping it hadn¡¯t been thoroughly cleaned out yet, and I knew four gas stations were within a block of it. As we rounded the corner, we saw the stations were still open, but the lines were long. We queued up, and Shae and I got out to walk to the Walmart. Becca was supposed to call me when they finished getting gas and circle the parking lot until I called them back.


    The store wasn¡¯t as bad as I¡¯d expected. Many people were still paying heed to the news broadcasts and staying home with locked doors. It surprised me that the food side of the store still had several shelves full of food. It seemed people had gone for their favorite frozen treats as almost all the frozen food was gone, along with most fresh food.


    There were only a handful of checkout counters, as it looked like most employees had stayed home.


    Security was one of those who had come to work. There were two out front and two more inside the store. They didn¡¯t concern me much, but to ordinary civilians, four armed guards meant things were under control. I knew from experience that if the people in the store rioted, those guards didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    I made my way to the sporting goods section in the rear of the store. It appeared to have been cleaned out as well. I kicked myself for not coming last night.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± a clerk appeared nervously from around the corner.


    ¡°You have any ammo left?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Only .22. A guy just came and literally bought everything else,¡± the clerk said.


    Shae was gone in a flash.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take what you got.¡± I looked at the display cases that held firearms but knew better than to try to buy anything, as the background check and paperwork would take longer than we had.


    A scream from across the store made the clerk jump and drop his keys. More shouts and scuffling were coming from further back in the store.


    ¡°Code brown to hardware, code brown,¡± a frantic voice called across the intercom.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll¡­be right back.¡± The clerk hurried away toward the shouts, leaving behind his keys.


    It only took a few seconds for me to make up my mind. I¡¯d ¡°appropriated¡± more than my fair share of things since being in the service; it was part of being a cop. We were the worst of the lot.


    I had the display cases open and looked around. I knew there were cameras, and security would be on me in no time. Grabbing two large hunting bags, I stuffed the weapons and .22 ammo into them.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I jumped a moment later as a shopping cart smacked into the counter behind me. I turned and found Shae with a cart half full of ammunition boxes. A giant bolt of cloth was draped over them as concealment. She grinned at me as I took it all in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know,¡± I said as I tossed the two bags into the cart, and we turned around. Something caught my eye as we walked out of the sporting goods aisle. I stopped, pulling every machete and long knife off the rack beside me. I loaded them into the cart until they were spilling over the sides. My phone rang just as I finished, causing me to jump again.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty jumpy, Conner,¡± Shae said as I put the phone to my ear.


    ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± Becca said.


    ¡°Meet us out front and have the back open.¡± Turning to Shae, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    As we exited the section, I could see two security guards hurtling straight toward us at a dead run.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them,¡± I mumbled, bracing for them to come.


    ¡°What do you take me for?¡± Shae chastised me.


    The guards hadn¡¯t drawn their weapons, so I figured we had a good chance of taking them down without a fight, at least not a lethal one. My head started to pound as my heart sped up. I could feel the blood coursing through me as I tensed for the fight.


    At first, I thought it was just the guards who seemed to slow down, but as I watched, I realized the whole world seemed to slow to a crawl. The phenomenon was so distracting that I didn¡¯t realize the guards had passed us until Shae nudged me.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she hissed.


    I hurried, noticing a man lying face down in a fabric aisle as we passed. When we reached the front of the store, I knew there was no way we would make it through the checkout line, not with two duffle bags full of guns. The guards would be on us no matter what else was going on. Picking up my phone, I dialed.


    ¡°Miria, you out front? Good, leave one truck at the South entrance, tailgate open. Take the other back to the North entrance and cause a diversion. I don¡¯t care what kind of diversion, but I need it now!¡±


    I looked around nervously, precisely what a thief should not do to draw attention.


    ¡°Stop fidgeting; pretend like you¡¯re still on the phone,¡± Shae said with a bored look on her face. She looked like someone in a store who didn¡¯t want to be there.


    A few people noticed our cargo and were mumbling a short distance away while I pretended to talk on the phone.


    A loud screech from outside marked our distraction as I saw the other truck pull up. We pushed forward past the doors, setting off the door alarm. We got outside, still expecting guards to be waiting for us, and found they were on the other side of the store dealing with a traffic accident.


    ¡°Quickly,¡± Shae hissed, drawing my attention. I¡¯d been standing there, staring at the accident my sister had caused.


    ¡°Help me,¡± she said. I helped her pick the entire cart up and tip it into the back of the truck before closing the tailgate and camper shell.


    ¡°Did y¡¯all just steal all that?¡± Mark asked as we jumped into the back seat.


    ¡°Just drive,¡± I growled, picking up my phone. ¡°Miria, we¡¯re good. Meet you at Slaughter and Manchaca.¡±


    ¡°My, my, my, a cop stealing,¡± Mark scolded.


    ¡°It¡¯s called appropriation,¡± I snipped.


    ¡°Maybe in the military. Those of us in the real world call it stealing,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°Watch the road and stop bothering our thief¡­er appropriator,¡± Becca patted Mark¡¯s shoulder.


    I didn¡¯t feel right about stealing all of that. As a kid, my sticky fingers had gotten me into more than one spot of trouble. I¡¯d learned my lesson but knew it was easy to fall back into that habit once I figured out how easy some thefts could be. Regardless, it was wrong, even for a good cause. I turned to Shae, but she seemed to read my mind and held up a hand before I could speak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me a question you don¡¯t want the answer to,¡± was all she said before looking behind us to see if we were being followed.


    I swallowed my question about the ammo guy and kept my mouth shut as we made our getaway.


    We passed a burned-out car that had been pushed to the side of the road with another right behind it. I could see more smoke coming from inside the subdivisions around us and wondered if anyone was there fighting all these fires. Every gas station we passed was swarmed with cars from every direction, causing mayhem. At one of them, a shootout started right as we passed.


    We saw our first shambler while waiting for the second truck at the meeting point. We were sitting in the parking lot of a grocery store, which boasted being open 24 hours but was locked up tight. It was in a small strip mall with a Mexican restaurant on one end that had the best pralines. I wondered if we had time to stop by when the shambler came around the corner from the back of the building.


    It was far off, on the opposite side of the parking lot from us, and didn¡¯t seem to be coming our way. Instead, it seemed to be drawn by the moving traffic of the road closer to it. We watched its slow process with grim fascination. It was a man wearing jeans and a t-shirt that said ¡°Keep Austin Weird.¡± Its left arm hung limp at its side, and it dragged its right foot.


    ¡°Still wonder if it¡¯s a zombie?¡± Shae asked.


    Mark shook his head. ¡°Damn,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do something?¡± Becca couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it; none of us could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste the ammo,¡± I managed just as the zombie pulled itself up to the sidewalk from the parking lot and straight into traffic.


    The car didn¡¯t even slow down. No one expects a pedestrian to step out into traffic; it¡¯s just not done. Being struck at nearly 80 kilometers an hour can destroy anything it hits, including the vehicle.


    The shambler crushed in the front of the car before being flipped up into the windshield and over the top. It came to a rest back on the sidewalk it had come from. The damaged car screeched to a stop. The driver behind the first car didn¡¯t have time to stop and slammed into the first car. Several more cars attempted to swerve around the collision. A few scrapes followed, but no significant damage as the traffic slowed and began to weave around the scene.


    No one stopped to check on the two cars.


    ¡°Should we¡­¡± Becca started.


    ¡°Wait, look,¡± Shae said.


    Someone got out of the second car and made their way shakily up towards the first. They poked their head in the window and pulled out a cell phone.


    ¡°Look!¡± Becca indicated where the shambler had come to rest.


    The shambler¡¯s body had been mangled, but one arm still worked. We watched in horrid fascination as the one-armed ghoul began to pull itself towards the crash site. The wounded and shaken victims had no idea what was coming.


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t watch,¡± Becca said but didn¡¯t turn her eyes.


    ¡°OK,¡± I said, picking my rifle up off the floor and reaching for the door handle, but the door didn¡¯t budge. I absently reached for the door lock and realized it wasn¡¯t the lock, but the horribly burned face of a woman pressed up against the glass. I froze. I couldn¡¯t move, speak, or breathe as numbing fear gripped me.


    *No, no, no, no, no, no,* my mind cried as the world around me disappeared and was replaced with a burning desert.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    ¡°James!¡± I pulled James away from the door before kicking it open, knocking the blackened figure to the ground. I calmly crawled over him, stepped out and shot it in the head with the .357 I had tucked into my back. I glanced about the truck but saw no other monsters and returned to James. He was curled up in a ball on the seat. When I touched him, I could feel a hardened wall of pure terror around his mind. I couldn¡¯t tell for sure, but it didn¡¯t feel like it was because of the zombie.


    I climbed back into the truck and said, ¡°Move away from that thing and keep your eyes open.¡±


    Mark moved the truck without a word.


    I put James¡¯s head in my lap and tried to figure out how to bring him out of whatever he was in.


    ¡°Is he OK?¡± Becca asked, glancing back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, something¡¯s wrong,¡± I said.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s the drugs or blood?¡± Becca asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it''s either,¡± I said.


    ¡°PTSD,¡± Mark said as he moved the vehicle to another part of the parking lot. ¡°James mentioned he¡¯d been diagnosed a while back, something about a convoy being hit by a roadside bomb. All I could get out of him was it didn¡¯t end well.¡±


    Miria¡¯s arrival ended the conversation. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything yet. If she asks, tell her he¡¯s asleep. I¡¯m going to try and bring him out of it,¡± I said as I quietly pricked his finger and then my own.


    I hated full-blood-on-blood contact and avoided it at all costs. It was simply too powerful. There were no secrets or walls; either party could read the other¡¯s soul. It was also the only thing I could think of that might penetrate the barrier he¡¯d formed around himself.

 Z Day -1,825

    <u>Z Day -1,825</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    ¡°Hey, Juarez!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Sable?¡± The gunner glanced down from his turret to look at me in the backseat of the HMMWV, then put his eyes back on our surroundings.


    ¡°Can I use your X-Box when we get back?¡± I yelled into my headset¡¯s microphone. Even with the squad radio in my ear, the hummer was so loud we had to shout to be heard. It didn¡¯t help that we were cruising down a desert highway at a decent clip, either.


    ¡°Man, that¡¯s what I bought it for. You don¡¯t have to keep asking me; just use it.¡±


    ¡°K, thanks!¡± I said.


    ¡°What are you gonna play?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I just got the remastered Horrid Space in,¡± I said.


    ¡°I heard that¡¯s scary as shit,¡± Juarez, the biggest and baddest guy in our convey, said.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. Supposedly, you can use telekinesis to rip the arm off the monster and beat them with it,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°Cool.¡± Juarez swiveled the turret again, scanning his sector.


    We were an hour into the convoy, and things were just as dull as always. MSR 14 was a hot zone, but our weekly water convoys had yet to be hit.


    The insurgents seemed determined to take out the Army convoys, not the Air Force ones. I wondered what that was all about. I¡¯d had buddies at a base where the AF patrolled outside the wire, and they were never touched. But as soon as the AF rotated out and the Army moved in, their patrols were hit three times in the first week alone.


    I was hitching a ride with this convoy to return to my forward operating base (FOB). My last assignment had been a personal security detail escorting some retired General advisor around the region. It had been a huge yawing experience. But at least I¡¯d been able to ride in an up-armored suburban.


    These up-armored hummers sucked when it came to air conditioning. I laughed to myself. Not only was that the most Air Force thing to say, but with all the activity in the region, if bitching about the A/C was the only complaint I had, it was a good day. I figured with this next op, things were going to change.


    Supposedly, I was being attached to key leader engagements to identify and bag anyone needed. Experience told me that no matter what I¡¯d been briefed on, the mission always changed by the time you reached your target.


    I was about to ask Juarez another question about his X-Box when the lead vehicle disappeared in a cloud of dust. The ground beneath it seemed to bellow up like a volcano.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°IED IE¡­¡±


    The second explosion tossed our hummer like a rag doll.


    We had practiced roll-overs in full-sized simulators. We¡¯d done it again and again until it was second nature. I was slammed sideways so hard when the hummer flipped, I didn¡¯t have a chance to grab Juarez and drag him down from the turret.


    When the vehicle finally came to rest, it was on its side, and I couldn¡¯t move. My head swam, and my ears were ringing. All I could do was lie there, trying to figure out where I was and what was going on for what seemed like an eternity.


    Someone banged on the side of the vehicle, jerking me back to consciousness. I hadn¡¯t even realized I was starting to black out.


    I looked down to see that a piece of the door frame had torn loose and embedded itself in my leg. My hands were covered in blood, but I couldn¡¯t figure out where it had come from. I managed to brace myself and release the seatbelt, collapsing against the ammo cans strapped down beside me. I was sluggish and having a hard time breathing. My training took over, and I reached into my pocket and took out the container.


    All the guys who¡¯d seen it thought I was a big cigar fan. They didn¡¯t know what was really inside the container, and I never told them. I uncapped the vial and held it to my thigh as the auto-injector pumped me full of chems. The thumping on the vehicle was getting louder as I waited for the drug to do its job. I could make out someone trying to climb the hummer.


    Thumbing another vial open, I injected a second dose into my other leg. I shouldn¡¯t do it again so soon, but I knew if I didn¡¯t move, our ambushers might be coming to finish what they¡¯d started.


    Strength surged into my limbs from the second injection, dulling the pain and bringing my surroundings into focus. I looked around the cab and found the source of the blood: Juarez. Part of him was still in the turret, but thankfully, I couldn¡¯t see where the rest of him was. Shrapnel had taken out the driver and passenger from what I could see. I reached around the ammo cans and found a pulse on the rear passenger.


    When I couldn¡¯t rouse him, I braced myself and released their seatbelt. I held the man by the drag handle on his vest and gently lowered him to a stable position. Someone appeared from the front of the vehicle where the windshield had shattered and was bashing it in.


    ¡°Here,¡± I managed, my throat scratchy. ¡°I¡¯ve got two¡­three KIA, two wounded. Give me a hand,¡± I pulled the unconscious passenger up and passed him forward as arms reached through the window and took over. I followed, careful not to dislodge the metal from my leg.


    ¡°You¡¯re wounded, Sergeant,¡± one of my rescuers said.


    ¡°Later,¡± I said as I scanned the scene. Our twelve-vehicle convoy was a smoking mess. The lead and trail vehicles had responded to the explosions and were going vehicle to vehicle, looking for survivors. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Daisy chain, Sergeant, left side of the road. Best guess, a whole mess of 155s,¡± the soldier said.


    It was a massive ambush. Daisy chaining IEDs was a common tactic, but it was usually done in tandem with a dummy to cause the convoy to stop in the kill zone. This one skipped the dummy and blew them all as we drove by. Anyone on the road was in the kill zone.


    I hobbled to one of the other vehicles, where people were still trying to get damaged doors open to free their trapped occupants. Fire was bellowing up from inside the hummer, and screams were coming from within.


    I pulled and pulled on the heavy armored door, but it wouldn¡¯t open.


    ¡°Unlock the safety locks!¡± I yelled at the panic-stricken airman inside. It was standard operating procedure to ride with the heavy door locks secured to keep someone from opening the door from the outside. Now, these same locks were trapping people inside the burning hummer.


    ¡°UNLOCK THE DOOR!¡± I yelled over the sound of the roaring fire.


    ¡°Help me!¡± The airman pounded and yanked on the door latch, ignoring the door lock in his panic.


    I went to the passenger door, where its occupant was already slumped, but it was also locked. The screams continued from the first airman, and I used every bit of my strength to try and pry the door open, but it wasn¡¯t happening.


    The airman screamed as the fire reached him.


    I went to try and break the windshield like how I¡¯d been rescued. But before I could react, something inside the vehicle exploded, sending me flying into darkness.

 Z Day +1 (Continued)

    <u>Z Day +1 (Continued)</u>


    <u>SHAE</u>


    The detonation of the military truck caused my world to go white. A few moments later, color returned, and the flashback began again.


    It took all my strength to pull myself free of James¡¯s nightmare. I¡¯d been following along, a helpless observer since the moment of our bloodtouch. I jerked back to consciousness as we pulled up to Miria¡¯s boss¡¯s ranch.


    My original intent was to find a way to pull James out of the flashback he was in, but I couldn¡¯t communicate with him and didn¡¯t know what else to do. I barely made it out myself.


    The house before us was a ranch-style with Mexican accents. I moved my head to try and see better out the window.


    ¡°You go, I¡¯ll watch after him,¡± Becca said.


    I hesitated, knowing what was going on in James¡¯s head.


    ¡°You make things safe, then come get us,¡± Becca said.


    I nodded and gently laid James¡¯s head onto the seat as I scooted out.


    ¡°Stop, look, and listen¡± was something I¡¯d pulled out of James¡¯s head. It was from one of his zombie books, but it was still sound advice. So, I stopped where I was.


    I looked. The yard appeared to be free of shamblers. A cattle fence was about 300 meters from the house, along the main road. The gate we¡¯d entered appeared to be closed now. The fence disappeared into trees on either side of the property, and the tree line circled the house with a good 100 meters or so of clearing between it and the house.


    The house appeared intact, with no broken windows or doors. Our two trucks were the only vehicles present. A small outbuilding to the left of the house was large enough to house a car or two, but it was shut up tight. A covered porch and a small rock flowerbed adorned the front of the house.


    I listened. The first thing I heard was all of us. I motioned for everyone to stop and listen; they followed my lead. Next, I heard the pinging and popping of the engines cooling down. Other than that, I didn¡¯t hear anything else close. I closed my eyes and focused on the house, but after a moment, I realized there was nothing there.


    Nodding again, I fell into the rear of the group as they approached the front door. Miria tried the doorbell, which rang, to my surprise. They still had power. A minute passed, and she knocked, but there was no answer.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here,¡± Miria said softly.


    ¡°No cars; they might be somewhere else,¡± Richard added.


    ¡°Stay put,¡± I said and looked up at the roof. I¡¯d seen daylight when I looked through the windows. I was guessing there was an open courtyard in the center of the house.


    ¡°What are you going to¡ª¡±


    But before Miria could finish, I jumped up, grabbed the lip of the front porch¡¯s overhang with one hand, and swung myself up onto the flat top.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Richard said.


    The house was a big rectangle with a flat roof. Just as I suspected, the center of the house was open, with a small courtyard inside. I quietly walked the perimeter of the roof, checking for any signs of shamblers around the property before dropping into the courtyard with barely a whisper.


    I had the .357 revolver still in my waist, but I¡¯d left my rifle with Becca in the truck. All the doors and windows were intact here as well. I quickly glanced through each door, but everything appeared untouched. I unlocked and opened the front door for the others.


    ¡°Place appears to be empty. Everything looks normal.¡± I pointed at Richard, ¡°Help me clear the place to make sure.¡±


    He briefly looked at Miria and then followed me. We made short work of the place. I checked every room, closet and cupboard big enough for a child to hide or be trapped in. It was empty. There were several rooms, but only one bedroom. The living room, dining room, study, and office were all fully furnished. The pantry, fridge, and chest freezer were all full.


    With the house cleared, I checked the separated building I guessed was a garage out front. It was still locked, and I heard nothing inside when I knocked. I figured we¡¯d find keys in the house somewhere, so I left it alone and returned to the truck.


    ¡°Everything good?¡± Becca asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, opening the back door.


    ¡°No change with him, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Becca said.


    James appeared to be asleep now. His eyes had closed, and his breathing seemed to be normal. I didn¡¯t want to wake him up, so I gently pulled him out and carried him into the house. I went to the study. It had an oversized couch on the other side of the house from the kitchen and living room, where most of the noise would come from. I laid him down and propped his head up. I retrieved a wet washcloth from the bathroom and folded it, laying it across his eyes.


    I gently touched his forehead. The mental wall was definitely gone now; he was sleeping. I sighed with relief and turned to examine the room. Bookshelves were built into the walls, full of books and knickknacks¡ªa small desk and computer set off to one side by the window.


    ¡°Windows,¡± I heard Richard say as I approached the front room where everyone was gathered. ¡°This place has A LOT of windows. We need to board and cover them to keep light from getting out. We need to turn this place into a bunker,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°How¡¯s James?¡± Miria asked when I came into the room.


    ¡°Seems fine, just sleeping. I think everything¡¯s catching up to him,¡± I said.


    ¡°He does need the rest,¡± Miria nodded. ¡°How¡¯s the...uh...¡±


    ¡°Blood?¡± I tried to supply helpfully, knowing how she felt about it. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him with the shakes since last night. I think it might work.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him, promise,¡± I tried a slight grin.


    She just nodded and turned back to the group.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    *Oh well, so much for trying,* I thought. It didn¡¯t matter; I wasn¡¯t here for them. I was here for him. He seemed to be the key to a piece of my past I was beginning to believe in.


    Someone found the keys to what I¡¯d thought was a garage out front, but it turned out to be a workshop. Someone liked making large wooden signs. We used the wood we found to barricade the house and cleared enough space to get both trucks backed into the workshop.


    I pulled a couple of ladders from the workshop and set two up in the courtyard and a third lying on the roof. When they asked me about the third, ¡°It¡¯s so we can get in and out. I mean, once we board up the doors, we¡¯ll need a way in and out.¡±


    They looked at me as if I were crazy, all but Richard. He seemed to agree with me. The rest wanted to be able to get out of the house quickly if they needed to. They didn¡¯t want to use ladders when two perfectly good doors were available. I didn¡¯t argue with them. But they didn¡¯t move the ladders either.


    James somehow managed to stay asleep through all the noise we made. We¡¯d only had to stop working once. Someone had spotted a shambler coming out of the tree line behind the house, obviously drawn to the noise. I took care of it quickly and quietly, using one of James¡¯s appropriated machetes. After that, someone was always on the roof, keeping watch.


    I jogged a quick perimeter circuit, looking for how our unwanted visitor had gotten in. A small tree had fallen on part of the fence, making a large hole anyone could have walked¡­or shambled through. I patched it as best I could and noted that we¡¯d need to fix it properly later.


    I was coming in the house''s back door when suddenly, my legs went out on me. They just stopped, and I fell, managing to catch myself before I hit the floor.


    My head was swimming when I stood back up. It took a minute for the room to stop spinning, and Miria was there staring at me when it did. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a hallucination from my hunger or what, but she looked as if she was concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± I said weakly, ¡°just a little tired, that¡¯s all,¡± I lied. I didn¡¯t want to appear weak in front of this woman for some reason. I don¡¯t know if it was because she seemed most opposed to me or what. Regardless, I was hungry.


    I¡¯d been pushing my hunger to the back of my mind with all the insanity going on. I should have had a proper feed, but that wasn''t possible, with events being what they were. I considered going out alone, but after that little display, I was worried I might collapse again.


    Miria¡¯s hand on my arm brought my mind back into focus as she gasped in surprise.


    ¡°Christ, you¡¯re freezing!¡± My cold was radiating through my clothes. Without another word, she led me to the study Mark and Becca had claimed as a room. She walked me over, sat me down in one of the leather armchairs, and then turned to Mark, ¡°Feed her,¡± was all Miria said and left the room, closing the door behind her.


    *Giving orders seems to be a family trait,* I thought as I watched Miria go.


    Mark and Becca looked at one another and then at me.


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t awkward at all,¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°We need everyone we can get now, even you,¡± I heard Miria say through the door, but she was gone when I looked.


    *Progress?* I wondered.


    ¡°OK,¡± Mark chuckled nervously, ¡°so...how...¡±


    ¡°Come here,¡± I motioned to him, honestly afraid to stand up at the moment.


    I thought back and realized how stupid I¡¯d been for pushing myself this far. With our current conditions, I couldn¡¯t afford this level of foolishness. It was like the longer I was near James, the stupider I got. I had to be better prepared.


    Mark came and sat with me in the oversized chair. He looked up at Becca, who read his nervous face and came over to sit next to us on the floor, holding his hand.


    I didn¡¯t make any jokes at his expense. He had a right to be afraid. I¡¯d been terrified every time I¡¯d been in his place all those years ago. I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts of the past.


    ¡°OK, this...¡± I started, slightly out of breath, my mouth watering of its own volition. That was embarrassing, and I swallowed to cover my awkwardness. ¡°This is going to be much easier than with James. For him, we had to be careful because we weren¡¯t sure what would happen.¡± I continued to explain, ¡°So, I¡¯ll make the cut and drink at the same moment. By doing this, the pain is almost instantly gone and will be over much quicker.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve gone a bit longer than I should have without feeding. I¡¯ll need more than we gave James, but nowhere near enough to harm you. Not even as much as you¡¯d give at the blood bank.¡±


    ¡°Why not ask Richard?¡± Becca asked, ¡°If you need extra.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Miria would like that,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m more than willing¡ª¡± Becca started.


    ¡°Thanks, Becca, but...I have a feeling James may need you again when he wakes up. He really shouldn¡¯t be sleeping this long,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Becca replied.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I turned to Mark, whose face had turned a little white.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like needles that much. To be honest, I was always afraid to donate blood. A cookie and juice never seemed worth it, you know?¡± he chuckled nervously again.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± I said, lacing my voice with a bit of sultry. ¡°I¡¯ll make this worth your while.¡± I winked at Becca, where only she could see.


    His blush made me smile, and in a flash, I was holding his arm to my mouth, drinking from him. In my rush, I almost forgot to deaden the pain in his mind, but I remembered just in time, and a blissful expression came across his face.


    His warmth slid down my throat and was excruciatingly hot. As it hit my stomach, waves of flame started moving through my body almost instantly. I hadn¡¯t noticed my circulatory system had shut down until Miria told me how cold my arm was. Now it started up again, hard, hot, and fast. A tingling sensation crawled across my skin as my nerve endings fired back up.


    That was my cue. As soon as I could feel my fingers rubbing the tiny hairs on the back of my wrist, I knew I had as much as I needed. It was an old method, but it still worked. Of course, I wanted more, but I couldn¡¯t risk harming Mark. I began closing the wound while I gave Mark some mental urges to remember me by. Becca could thank me later.


    Now properly energized, I left the two of them there, telling them not to move, and headed towards the kitchen, but Miria had been faster than I and met me at the door. She handed me a glass of orange juice and a paper plate with cookies.


    ¡°You beat me to it. Thank you,¡± I said as I took the plate and glass, my hand brushing against hers.


    ¡°You¡¯re...warm now,¡± she said, distracted. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she added as an afterthought, her mind pondering something else.


    I set the cookies in his lap, careful not to brush his arousal, and handed him the glass. ¡°See, OJ and cookies aren¡¯t so bad, are they?¡± I tried for a bit of humor.


    Looking up at me with wide eyes, he said, ¡°No,¡± and then turned to Becca, ¡°Not bad at all.¡±


    Knowing where this was going, I said, ¡°And I¡¯ll just leave you two to it then,¡± before bowing out of the room.


    I sighed, giving myself a moment to enjoy the memory of youth. Not mine, theirs.


    Sunlight was streaming through the courtyard now that the sun had started descending towards the horizon. I walked out into it, pulling my outer shirt off revealing the sports bra I was wearing beneath. I always kept a change of clothes in my bike¡¯s saddle bags. If I hadn¡¯t, I¡¯d still be wearing that boffer outfit from the park.


    I slowly turned in the sun, stopping to face it, eyes closed, arms outstretched as the rays warmed my skin beyond even what the fresh blood did. A post-orgasmic smile spread across my face as I enjoyed the blood afterglow in addition to the sun¡¯s kiss on my skin.


    I had to have been basking there 10 minutes, when someone cleared their throat.


    ¡°Wow,¡± that someone said.


    I turned, opening my eyes to find Trish staring at me, open-mouthed, as she leaned against a post.


    I slid my shirt back on and pulled my hair out of it. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I thought vampires burned up in the sun.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± I sighed, ¡°but I¡¯ve got SPF two million on right now.¡± Then I thought about the genuine possibility those treatments wouldn¡¯t be available much longer. ¡°It will wear off soon, so I have to enjoy the sun while I can.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± Trish asked.


    ¡°A week at the outside,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s sad,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°It is what it is. Not a lot I can do about it. Still, it beats the alternative,¡± I said with a shrug.


    The silence lengthened.


    ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous, by the way. In case you didn¡¯t know,¡± Trish said quickly.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Just then, you were standing so still I thought you were one of those Greek Goddess statues I¡¯d seen pictures of.¡±


    I felt a bit of warmth creep into my cheeks. It had been a while since I¡¯d had cause to blush. I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until you started crooning that I snapped out of it,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Crooning?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, more like purring,¡± she said.


    ¡°I do <u>not</u> purr.¡± I was abashed that I¡¯d relaxed and let my guard down with these people I¡¯d just met. Or had I met them before? I was starting to get confused with all the he-said, she-said memories.


    ¡°Whatever. I just wanted to say you were pretty,¡± Trish shrugged and turned back towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I managed to get out, still a little shocked.


    Trish waved at me without looking back and went inside.


    *What an odd girl,* I thought.


    I regularly checked up on James, each time checking to make sure he was still asleep and not lapsed back into his nightmares. I was sitting backward in a desk chair across from him, lost in thought when he finally stirred.

 Z Day +1 (Evening)

    Z Day +1 (Evening)


    <u>JAMES</u>


    I jerked awake, unable to breathe and sat bolt upright. The wet wash cloth fell off my face, revealing the darkened interior of an office.


    ¡°Relax, you¡¯re safe,¡± Shae¡¯s voice came to me from a chair across the room. She rose and came to sit next to me on the couch. Her hand was gentle as she firmly pushed me back down.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I could ask you the same. One look at that zombie, and you went comatose.¡± When I didn¡¯t speak, she continued, ¡°We moved on afterward and made it here.¡±


    ¡°Everyone safe? Good. Where are we?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Miria¡¯s boss¡¯ house. No one was here when we got here,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°We need to secure¡ª¡± I started, my mind immediately going into security mode.


    ¡°Hush, it¡¯s been done. You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s read the zombie guide. Apparently, Richard has as well, whatever that means. Doors and windows are secured and draped. The property¡¯s been swept, and the fence is secure. We¡¯re as safe as we¡¯re going to get.¡±


    ¡°What about¡ª¡± I started.


    ¡°Richard¡¯s on the roof keeping watch,¡± she smiled at me. ¡°We¡¯ve got it covered.¡±


    I let out a long breath. ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°About 15 hours, give or take. You hungry?¡± she asked.


    I knew what she was talking about and swallowed hard before looking at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s working, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    My shakes were gone, as were the pins and needles accompanying my withdrawal. It pained me to admit it, but the blood seemed to be working. I nodded somberly.


    Sighing, she asked, ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±


    I gave her a questioning look.


    ¡°If you were a fresh vampire, I would know what to do; it would be easy. Hunger does most of the work, but apparently, your need is not the same. Add to that the thought of feeding is not appetizing to you, is it?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°How could it be?¡±


    ¡°And just what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± It was her turn to cock her head at me with her eyebrows raised.


    Her tone made me cringe. ¡°Sorry, that came out wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it did.¡± She got up and left without another word.


    I stared at the wood-planked ceiling with raw timber beams as a long stream of curse words ran through my head while I mentally kicked myself. Before I could wise up and go after her, she reappeared. I was about to try and apologize when Becca followed her into the room, and the words evaporated on my lips.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Becca asked as she sat on the couch beside me, nudging me to move over.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± I obliged, making room for her.


    ¡°You had us worried.¡± She held out her arm to Shae.


    I started to object, but Becca shushed me. ¡°It¡¯s alright, James, I don¡¯t mind. Shae tells me it will be easier this time.¡±


    We repeated the gross events of the day before; only this time, Shae kept a finger in touch with Becca¡¯s blood and, in turn, her mind. I tried to think of anything besides what I was doing and took a mouthful without gagging. I could feel Shae soothing Becca and tried to do the same.


    ¡°Now, you try to seal the wound. Push your saliva into the wound and hold it with your tongue,¡± Shae said.


    I tried, and while the blood flow slowed, it didn¡¯t completely stop. Shae finished the job and cleaned things up with the washcloth from before. She handed Becca a glass and left the room.


    ¡°What did you do to piss her off?¡± Becca sipped the glass of juice.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m just an idiot, that¡¯s all,¡± I said honestly.


    Nodding, she looked down at me. ¡°Most men are but you need to fix this. She may have the ice princess act down, but it¡¯s pretty obvious she¡¯s hung up on you. She might not be showing it in all the normal ways, but we¡¯re not exactly in normal-land anymore, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I had no idea what to say, so I shut my mouth.


    ¡°By the way, I felt you in here,¡± she tapped her head, ¡°during. She was doing all the heavy lifting, but I could feel you like a little cheerleader in the background. It was pretty cool.¡±


    ¡°A cheerleader? Really?¡± I said, surprised I¡¯d managed to touch her mind since I had no idea what I was doing.


    She nodded. ¡°Deal with it. You¡¯ve got a lot to learn¡­especially about girls.¡±


    ¡°And vampires,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now, what is that supposed to mean?¡± Becca said.


    ¡°Shae said the same thing,¡± I said.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± She took another gulp. ¡°OK, from what the others told me, y¡¯all were all hot and bothered for like a couple years back in the day. Did you find out she was a vampire back then, and that¡¯s what screwed it up?¡±


    ¡°No, she left me,¡± I said defensively, then realized she didn¡¯t leave me; she was kidnapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why. OK, how did it change your feelings when you found out she was a vampire?¡± Becca said.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s eating you now to treat her like a leper? She¡¯s still the same person she¡¯s always been, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Becca asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s different,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember me for one,¡± I said.


    ¡°OK, I can see where that can be off-putting. What else?¡±


    ¡°She¡­her mannerisms are all wrong,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wrong?¡± Becca said.


    ¡°Yeah, well different. And¡­she¡¯s meaner¡­and uses guns¡­and rides a bike!¡± I rambled, not really heading anywhere, just spouting random things. ¡°And she doesn¡¯t remember me.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. So, ask yourself, what¡¯s changed in all that time?¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, she¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s changed that¡¯s not her?¡± Becca asked. ¡°Yeah, think about it. Use a mirror if you need to. None of us are the same after 14 days, let alone 14 years, James.¡±


    I started to say something but closed my mouth.


    ¡°Ever since I laid eyes on this woman,¡± Becca started. ¡°She¡¯s done nothing but try and take care of you. You have a seizure; she''s holding you, keeping you from hurting yourself. Then she comes up with a crazy plan to keep you alive by feeding you blood, which seems to be working. Then you have a flashback, and who¡¯s got your head in her lap as she does some psychic trance to try and bring you out of it? She carried you into the house while you were unconscious, for goodness¡¯ sake, James¡ª¡±


    ¡°OK, I get it,¡± I said, trying to halt her recap of the past 24 hours. ¡°To be fair, the drinking blood thing was your idea.¡± When I met her eyes I shut up and let her continue.


    ¡°While you¡¯re at it, you might have noticed we¡¯re in a bit of a predicament at the moment and kind of need everyone we can get. So, figure out what you have to say, kiss, make up, and let¡¯s get on with staying alive, shall we?¡± Becca said with a bit more steel than I¡¯d heard before.


    I honestly didn¡¯t know Becca that well. I¡¯d seen posts with her and Mark online but I¡¯d never met her in person until yesterday. I was starting to think Mark had met his match with her, or for that matter, his better.


    ¡°Speaking of Mark, how¡¯s he taking all of this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Uh, we were talking about you. But he¡¯s fine,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really? The whole blood thing hasn¡¯t freaked him out?¡±


    A tiny smile crept across her lips. ¡°Actually, I held his hand when Shae tapped him last night. Let¡¯s say that whatever she put in his head during made for a very inspirational afterward,¡± she shook her head. ¡°Anyway, now that we¡¯ve both done it and he realizes what¡¯s involved, his jealousy monster has settled down. Besides, you already knew we were both open to new things,¡± Becca smiled.


    ¡°I think I remember something about it on Mark¡¯s Facebook page,¡± I grinned sheepishly.


    ¡°Ah, speaking of Facebook, I need to check mine to see if there¡¯s anything new,¡± she said.


    ¡°Did you hear from your mom¡­wait, what?¡± I said. In all the zombie fiction I¡¯d seen and read basic utilities had instantly disappeared once the zombies took over. I kept having to remind myself this was reality, not a story.


    ¡°Mom, yes. She¡¯s OK and over at my uncle¡¯s place up on the lake. She said there¡¯s been a couple of incidents, but so far, so good. And yes, we have Facebook here. We haven¡¯t slipped all the way to the dark ages yet.¡± She swallowed her drink and stood up. ¡°You good?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m going to go see what the others are doing.¡± She stepped to the door.


    ¡°Becca,¡± I started.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said.


    ¡°Uh huh, but work on that apology will ya¡¯?¡± she said.


    I nodded as I threw back the covers and stood up before stopping and pulling the covers back over myself. ¡°Uh, where are my clothes?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± She¡¯d managed to get an eyeful before I¡¯d covered back up. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re in the wash. Check the closet over there.¡± She pointed to the corner and left smiling.


    A few days passed as we watched the news and the Internet. It really was a zombie outbreak. Rumors were numerous and varied on the Internet until it stopped working three days after we arrived. We couldn¡¯t tell if it was local or broader spread. Phones followed shortly after. Luckily, everyone except for Miria and I had gotten a hold of their parents, even Richard. They all seemed to be fine for the moment.


    The TV still had a few channels playing canned news footage. New live coverage was getting increasingly sparse. Instead, the stations were relying on whatever anchorperson they could get to relay messages. They painted a grim picture. I was glad we¡¯d gotten out of the city when we did. From the looks of it, had we stayed another day or so, we probably wouldn¡¯t have made it.


    Most major cities were quarantined, and those citizens inside the quarantined zones were directed to move to ¡°inspection stations¡± set up on the perimeters. They would be examined and cared for there before being transferred to other safe zones set up by federal personnel. I couldn¡¯t imagine how they were managing this; there just weren¡¯t enough people to run that sort of system. Mark supposed the inspection stations had more nefarious purposes, and most of us agreed.


    Military stationed abroad were consolidated inside their areas of operation until the crisis could be resolved. Many countries had sealed their borders and dealt with the problem in a much more direct slash-and-burn fashion. The UN tried to oppose these ¡°harsh¡± tactics but were generally ignored by the world.


    I wondered which bases they pulled back and consolidated in. What would I have done: stay put or try to reach home? With most air travel now restricted, there would have been no way for me to get back to the States commercially. I tried to imagine a plan to appropriate a plane and crew but surmised it just wasn¡¯t realistic.


    If my mother hadn¡¯t passed, I would have been stuck over in that sandbox¡­and probably never returned home.


    Religious fanatic groups pronounced the end of the world was here as the dead rose from the grave. Mass suicides were reported, and other spiritual strangeness made the news. The one thing the news did assure us was that the dead were not rising from the grave. There were no reports of graveyard residents relocating.


    They finally admitted the recently deceased were reanimating, but in every case the individual had been in direct contact with the zombies already walking. They advised anyone bitten or scratched to be immediately treated, and the injured person watched as it took up to 12 hours to succumb to the disease. Once dead, reanimation was usually within minutes, but there had been cases of it taking up to 15 hours. Always double-tap, just to be sure.


    Again, the movies got it right, with severe head trauma being the only way to permanently down a zombie. The loss of a limb and usually fatal injuries only slowed the zombie. An unconfirmed report stated decapitated heads could continue to be a threat.


    One scientist said they couldn¡¯t understand where the disease had come from. It appeared a dormant part of the brain was somehow triggered and caused the start of the whole process. The scientists had no idea exactly what happened, how it happened, or why. To me, it sounded like they were grasping at straws.


    The news programs still had their spin doctors and ¡°experts¡± who tried to put their own opinions into the news broadcasts, pitting one network against another. I missed the old days of news when that¡¯s what it was: just news, not entertainment. News programs didn¡¯t have ratings in the same manner as TV shows. Each channel had its own news team, simple as that. They usually reported the same basic info; the only difference was if the team was a man or woman, blonde or bald, etc. In a time when information was vital to survival, they needed to toss out the personalities and report the facts.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    One thing I had always hated in the movies was the fast zombies. To me, zombies had always represented death''s slow, unstoppable approach. The zombie itself was a simple metaphor wrapped in modern-day entertainment. Something about the fast zombie was just cheesy to me. It was an affront to the idea of the zombie, thrown in to get more screams out of movie audiences.


    Unfortunately, there were fast zombies. Once infected, the victim would start to succumb to the virus, eventually ending in death and reanimation. The problem was that the virus could also begin to affect them before death, depending on the injury''s severity, the victim''s health and many other things. This is where the ¡°rabies¡± or ¡°rage¡± movie zombies came in.


    As a victim began to succumb to the virus, they would lose their mind and start attacking anything around them. They could move faster and with more coordination as they were still technically alive. This made them much more dangerous and harder to distinguish in a panicked crowd. Many a police barricade was overrun by panicking mobs who had infected in their ranks. This is another reason the containment of some areas failed. People who were infected and still acting normal were let through; the guards only stopped the slow, shambling ones.


    We had our first taste of a fast zombie when Shae got sick of the news not giving us any solid information and took matters into her own hands.


    ¡°How¡¯d you talk me into this?¡± I asked for the third time.


    ¡°Oh, shut up and keep your ears open. I don¡¯t want one of these things sneaking up on us,¡± Shae said.


    We were out the back of the property, outside of the fence. Shae wanted to get up close and personal with one of the infected and didn¡¯t want to attract attention to our new home. As a result, we¡¯d gone out the back and circled in a wide arc back towards the road.


    The thick brush thinned out as we approached the roadway. It was weird not hearing any road noise on a lane that would usually be busy. Looking both ways, we searched for a subject to study.


    It burst out of the tree line on the other side of the road and came running towards us full tilt. The woman¡¯s clothes had been ripped and torn, exposing parts of her body that, under other circumstances, would have been erotic. The creature''s eerie moan caused me to freeze. I froze like it was my first firefight all over again.


    I had read about the zombie moan in lots of books and how disconcerting it was. Nothing ever written prepared me for the real thing. I wondered if the moan itself had some mental attack connected to it. So many things that had once been fantasy had become reality when I met Shae. Nothing was beyond my scope of imagination now, or so I thought.


    The zombie hit me full force, bowling me over and ignoring Shae completely.


    I went down hard but managed to regain enough sense to try and keep her mouth away from me.


    Her jaws snapped at me, black fluid spilling from her mouth and splattering on my chest. Bile rose in the back of my throat from the smell of her and the filth from her mouth. I fought the urge to retch through sheer force of will as we wrestled on the ground.


    Shae rescued me by picking the fiend up and pinning the zombie¡¯s arms behind its back. ¡°Let¡¯s move this back away from the road, shall we?¡±


    We moved back into the woods, the creature struggling the entire time. Once far enough away from the road, I went to work binding the creature¡¯s legs and arms before wrapping a rope around the neck and tying it to a sturdy tree. We took an old shirt we had brought and, using a thick stick, shoved it down the thing¡¯s throat to muffle the moan.


    Shae slowly released the zombie, making sure its bonds were secure. It immediately strained against the rope in an attempt to get at me and fell over. Shae moved towards it again, but it seemed to pay her no attention. Curious, she removed the leg bindings and picked it back up. It rushed at me again.


    ¡°Oh, she likes you, Burke,¡± Shae chuckled.


    I looked at Shae with a questioning expression.


    ¡°Cameron¡¯s a God,¡± she shrugged.


    I turned back to our captive. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like you¡¯re not even there, hey, be careful!¡± I said as Shae moved in closer.


    Shae walked up to it and slowly circled it. It wasn¡¯t until she tapped it on the shoulder that it showed any reaction. It quickly lost interest though and turned back to me. Shae even got bold enough to put her hand right in its face. It seemed confused for a moment and then went back to ignoring her.


    ¡°I¡¯m invisible,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°Yeah, to this one. Maybe she doesn¡¯t like girls?¡± I said.


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± Shae smirked.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re done so I can take care of Miss Chompy here,¡± I said, my hand on the machete I¡¯d brought.


    ¡°Come feel her skin for me; I¡¯m too cold and can¡¯t get a good feel.¡± It had been several days since Shae¡¯d fed, and she¡¯d need to soon. She took a firm hand on Ms. Chompy as I reached out tentatively.


    ¡°She feels warm, like a normal person,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s probably freshly infected but still hasn¡¯t died,¡± Shae said. ¡°That would account for the quickness. I wonder if I could feed on her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± I bellowed a little too loudly. ¡°You have no idea if you can be infected or not.¡±


    ¡°Relax, she¡¯s not my type,¡± Shae waved at me dismissively.


    We both stepped back and looked at the thing for a minute. Shae couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it, as it fascinated her for some reason.


    I didn¡¯t appreciate it as much.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    ¡°OK¡­wait...I want to try something; come here,¡± I said to James.


    ¡°What?¡± James asked.


    Without warning him, I took him into a bone-crushing embrace. Before he could protest, I had opened his neck and was feeding.


    Instantly, I could tell something was wrong; his blood tasted wrong. It didn¡¯t taste human at all. My body didn¡¯t reject it, but as it was absorbed in my stomach, the fire that spread through me felt like it was laced with acid. Spikes shot through me. During our previous mindtouches, I¡¯d never taken blood from James, only touched it.


    James started to struggle, but my mindtouch instantly soothed him into docile compliance. I didn¡¯t take a lot, especially considering how it felt. I knew he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this had I asked, and trying to rope another zombie was even more dangerous. I tried to explain all this to him during the feed, but it did nothing to calm the quiet rage that was building in him.


    I lowered him to the ground, propping him up against a tree. I could tell he was OK, just a little light-headed. A few minutes later, he¡¯d recovered enough to begin the argument.


    ¡°It¡¯s done; you can realize I did the right thing later,¡± I said. ¡°For right now, I need you to come help me,¡± I cut off his impending protest.


    He muttered something nasty under his breath and carefully got to his feet.


    James¡¯s blood began to course through my system, causing my heart to beat faster and my skin to tingle. Every pulse felt like I was being sliced by a razor from the inside.


    ¡°How warm do I feel now?¡± I managed through gritted teeth.


    His hand was gentle and warm on my arm. ¡°Getting warmer.¡± Then he saw my expression, ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± All his anger was forgotten.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I lied, ¡°indigestion, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I would say it serves you right, making a bonehead move like that.¡± He studied me more closely. ¡°But...you don¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°Just help me get this over with so we can get back to the house,¡± I said. James¡¯s burning blood continued to spread through my system. ¡°OK, distract it and draw it off to the right.¡±


    It was already watching him, so it was easy to get it to follow him to the desired position.


    Once it was where I wanted, I circled it, moving quickly around to the left side. The zombie continued to focus on James. I clapped my hands together to get its attention.


    The zombie glanced at me but turned back to the closer prey.


    I slowly walked towards the zombie, clapping my hands with every step.


    ¡°James, step back,¡± I continued forward, trying to draw its attention as James withdrew. As soon as I was closer than he was, the beast swung in my direction and started snapping at me.


    ¡°Well, what do you know?¡± I said.


    I took several minutes to see all the different means I could devise to disable the fiend. It had been a disgusting process of elimination, but it was necessary. Once the body took enough damage, it expired and reanimated. I had untied it from the tree and discovered it could only do the slow shamble we¡¯d seen previously. We also learned if we didn¡¯t destroy the brain, no matter how much damage we did to the rest of the body, it would continue to attack. Even after being decapitated, the head surprised me by still snapping at me.


    I frowned at the unexpected fact the news had gotten it all correct.


    This entire time, the agony of the burning blood grew more intense. There had been a few other things I wanted to try, but I couldn¡¯t take much more and put the zombie down.


    ¡°James, get me back to the house,¡± I managed, flinching with every step.


    James didn¡¯t wait; he picked me up and ran. He wasn¡¯t careful or quiet about it either.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just hurry,¡± I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. I was starting to think maybe it had been a boneheaded move to feed on him after all.


    We hit the clearing at the house''s edge. ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± I managed. ¡°We can¡¯t take these clothes in; they¡¯re way too contaminated.¡±


    We stripped down to our underclothes behind the house. I made a mental note to burn those later. He helped me onto the roof so we could drop into the courtyard.


    When James initially saw the defenses, he asked why we hadn¡¯t boarded up the doors. The other¡¯s excuses didn¡¯t cut it with him, and he boarded them up himself. Everyone had been using the ladders since then.


    ¡°Bathroom,¡± I said weakly. Once inside, I pulled the curtain out and climbed into the tub. I turned the hot water on and let it spray down on me. Luckily, we still had power; I didn¡¯t want to think about how hard this would be with cold water.


    ¡°What are you¡ª¡± James started when he saw me reach for my earring.


    ¡°Your blood...I think it poisoned me. I have to get it out...ALL of it,¡± I said.


    ¡°But¡ª¡± he started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°Get anybody who will volunteer,¡± I said. ¡°You will have to wait until it is all out, do you understand? ALL my blood. Then you¡¯ll need to cut the volunteer and bring me back.¡± I was already cutting myself, opening multiple wounds to drain the razors from my veins. The blood hurt so badly I didn¡¯t feel the cuts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me drink too much. I will kill someone in that state. You have to make me stop.¡± I was proud of the fact I hadn¡¯t hurt someone since I was a newborn vampire. The memory of that time caused me to shudder.


    The blood was starting to drain now. ¡°Promise me, James, don¡¯t let me hurt them.¡± I looked up at him through red-tinted eyes. The poison was in my eyes now. ¡°This was my mistake...my fault...¡± Already, I was getting sluggish. I really had been low on blood. It seemed to take forever for my eyes to blink back open. I could barely feel the hot spray on my skin anymore.


    I managed to glance up, and James was gone. Good. He didn¡¯t need to see this. I was dying. I hadn¡¯t been this close to death since Pagoda bound me. But the bloodbinding hadn¡¯t felt like this. My body was slowing. I couldn¡¯t feel my extremities anymore. But the pain...I could feel the pain as it coursed out of my wounds. Now, even that was fading. I couldn¡¯t hear anymore, couldn¡¯t see. I was becoming nothing.


    And then I was nothing.


    But, I was still conscious in the nothing.


    But, there was nothing I could do.


    I didn¡¯t have a body anymore.


    *Could I have thoughts without a body?*


    *Of course, I was having them, wasn¡¯t I?*


    *Or was I?*


    *Wait, am I dead?*


    *Like, really dead?*


    *Did it not work?*


    *James should have been back by now.*


    *How long has it been?*


    *It¡¯s been too long.*


    *Something must have happened.*


    *Maybe no one volunteered? Couldn¡¯t really blame them.*


    *It didn¡¯t work.*


    *I am dead, for real.*


    *D¨¦an tr¨®caire ar m¡¯anam.*


    *Soooo, now what?*


    *No angels. No demons. Purgatory?*


    *And why is everything blue?*


    *Ugh. Well...actually, I guess color is something.*


    *OK, seriously. It¡¯s not funny anymore. I don¡¯t care which way I¡¯m going. Up or down, let¡¯s get on with it, shall we?*


    *Please?*


    *Good job. See what you¡¯re brilliant, spontaneity got you this time? D.E.A.D.*


    *Eejit.*


    *OK, what? WHAT DO YOU WANT?*


    *You want me to say I¡¯m sorry, fine, I¡¯m sorry.*


    *Sure, I¡¯ve done some bad things in my life...OK, I¡¯ve done a lot of bad things. From the looks of it, I probably have time to list them all. Is that what you want?*


    *I¡¯ve gone nuts, haven¡¯t I?*


    *How long have I been here?*


    *This can¡¯t be existence; there¡¯s nothing TO exist.*


    *SIGH.*


    *Wait. Did I sigh, or did I say the word sigh?*


    *I don¡¯t know.*


    *I don¡¯t care.*


    *COME ON!*


    *So...this is it? Really?*


    *No one else is here; might as well get comfortable.*


    *I¡¯d kick my shoes off, but...I don¡¯t have any feet!*


    Something flashed in the corner of my eye. A long string of characters, most of which I didn¡¯t recognize. I could only make out the word ¡°loading v.3.1¡± before it was gone. Then everything turned black.


    It was hot.


    *I wish I could take my shirt off; it¡¯s getting hot.*


    *Is there a dress code in the afterlife?*


    *There¡¯s no one else here; who cares?*


    *Wish I had some water. My throat is itching like crazy.*


    *You don¡¯t have a throat.*


    But I did have a throat, mouth, and stomach from which the heat was now radiating from. I had arms now, with hands that were clawing at something. Something that pulled away and then returned.


    *Oh Goddess, this feels good.* I had a torso again; legs seemed to slowly grow out from it, complete with feet and toes. My fingers were coming back, but they were empty again. But then they weren¡¯t, and I could feel my head again.


    Sound! I heard something; my ears were back, but I couldn¡¯t make out what it was.


    My nose brought the smells of...things...I wasn¡¯t sure what any of them were, but there were things there...that smelled.


    Then chaos.


    Sight: too bright, too many images, too much color, moving too fast.


    Sound: screaming, hollering, tearing, ripping sounds, and growling.


    Smell: Fear, blood, terror, more blood.


    Taste: *OH GODDESS, the taste.* Thick, rich, savory. The best meal I¡¯d ever had. I couldn¡¯t get enough; I needed more.


    Touch: Hot needles splashing across my body, soft skin on my lips, hands holding me back.


    Sight: blurry figures moving around the room, some on the floor, still, others moving erratically.


    *ENOUGH!!!* Something roared through my mind.


    *What was that?* It scared me, making me jump and then the blood and water were gone. I was cold. There was something heavy on me, pinning me, crushing my arms to my chest. *Did the roof cave in on me?*


    Time passed.


    ¡°You still with me, luv?¡±


    Words. Familiar voice. I still couldn¡¯t move, but my eyes fluttered open. The blurry world focused into James¡¯s face.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± James said.


    I was still confused. ¡°Where did I go?¡± I croaked my throat on fire. James was lying on top of me, holding me in a bear hug that would have crushed a bear. I could feel his heartbeat through my chest as we were skin to skin. He was trembling. ¡°You¡¯re cold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said through chattering teeth. ¡°Can I let you go?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Are you in control now?¡± he asked.


    I flexed my toes and wiggled my fingers. Everything seemed to be working properly. ¡°I believe so.¡±


    This caused him to relax and sit up cautiously.


    I didn¡¯t move.


    Someone draped a towel over him. He pulled it off and covered me with it before taking another one for himself. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said to someone.


    I looked over, and Miria set down a stack of towels next to the tub. She had a large bandage around her forearm. Then I saw Richard and Trish sitting on the floor, their backs to the wall as far across the room as they could get from me. They had similar bandages on their arms.


    ¡°What...happened?¡± I asked cautiously.


    ¡°You died,¡± James grimaced. He held my head up and placed a towel behind it, cushioning it from the cold tub. Then he patted himself dry and wrapped the towel around his shoulders.


    ¡°We,¡± he indicated the trio on the floor, all of which appeared to be quite groggy, ¡°we brought your back.¡±


    ¡°I...I didn¡¯t...hurt anyone, did I?¡± I held my breath.


    James looked over at the small group. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any permanent damage, no.¡±


    ¡°I told you not to let me hurt anyone,¡± the words were a whisper. I¡¯d rather have stayed in the ¡°beyond¡± than hurt any of them. I couldn¡¯t look at any of them, I tried to crawl further down in the tub and pulled the towel over my face.


    The room was silent for a moment.


    The towel was pulled down, and Miria was looking down at me.


    ¡°James isn¡¯t very good at this. Can you stop this bleeding?¡± she held her arm out, blood still welling under the bandage.


    I looked at her arm and then back to her face. ¡°Are you sure?¡± My voice was tiny, I didn¡¯t recognize it.


    ¡°Better than the alternative. Besides, you¡¯re you again, right?¡± She cocked her head at me. ¡°You¡¯re not that thing from before. It¡¯s gone now, right?¡±


    I knew she was trying to help, and it made me feel worse. ¡°Right,¡± I nodded and gingerly took her arm in my hand. I pulled the bandage aside, exposing the wound. It wasn¡¯t the neat, precise cut I¡¯d usually make; this was something else. This was something a monster would have made. Something that gnawed at the wound until it was a jagged hole.


    I flinched back at the sight as if someone had slapped me. I looked up into Miria¡¯s face, ¡°I...did...THAT?¡± I¡¯d never done anything like that. Even when I was young, I¡¯d always had the control to be more delicate than this. This was monstrous...and it made me nauseous.


    Miria¡¯s hand touched the back of my head and pulled my mouth to it. I hesitated a moment and had to steel myself to the task. It didn¡¯t take long to mend the wound. My saliva was not only a coagulant but also a healing mechanism designed to hide what we did. But on a would like this, it would still take time to fully heal. I don¡¯t think the one I now carried in my heart ever would.


    I was so appalled and embarrassed at what I¡¯d done that her blood wasn¡¯t appetizing. Believe me, it takes a lot to turn a vampire¡¯s stomach.


    The others were just as bad, and I patched them as quickly as I could. By the time I finished up on Trish, I was shaking so hard I couldn¡¯t hold her arm still enough. Instead, I had her rest it on the tub while I did my work.


    When I was finished, Trish leaned over and kissed my forehead. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± her words broke the last shred of my control.


    I bawled like a baby. I knew part of it was due to my rash actions in the woods. I knew another part was the whole being dead just now thing. The entire zombie apocalypse and the end of life as I knew it was in there too. But most of it was that I¡¯d never felt more like a monster than I did right now.


    Trish hugged me for a while but quickly handed me off to James. I didn¡¯t find out until later that I was sobbing so badly; I was hurting her, which made me feel bad all over again.


    In the meantime, everyone left us alone as James pulled me out of the tub and wrapped me in a fresh towel before cradling me in his lap and holding me while I fell to pieces.


    I don¡¯t know how long we sat on that bathroom floor until I finally stopped, exhausted. I remember James wrapping my hair in a towel and carrying me to the couch in our room. He pulled the blankets back and tucked me into it. As he turned to leave, I grabbed his hand, my expression pleading.


    He smiled down at me kindly, ¡°I was just going to get the lights, promise.¡±


    Feeling sheepish, I let him go. He was back a moment later and climbed behind me on the couch. It wasn¡¯t a giant couch, and for once I was glad. Feeling his warmth curled behind me under the blankets made me feel better. When he wrapped his arms around me and rested his head against my neck, I unexpectedly relaxed.


    I was exhausted and still confused about this man who obviously cared for me. I tried to speak; I didn¡¯t know what to say, but I felt I should say something. He seemed to sense my unease and ¡°shooshed¡± me gently. He just held me tightly as exhaustion finally claimed me.

 Z Day +9

    <u>Z Day +9</u>


    <u>SHAE</u>


    Everyone walked on eggshells around me and tended to shy away from me one-on-one. I couldn¡¯t blame them; I¡¯d freaked out the first time I saw a vampire feed. We were genuinely terrifying when we let our basic instincts overwhelm us.


    As the days passed, everything seemed to worsen in the world. While the chaos appeared to be slowing, there was no sign of it stopping. New cases were reported outside the quarantine zones hourly. It appeared nowhere was safe, and the government wasn¡¯t exactly leading the way.


    The president had addressed the nation from an unknown location, stressing everyone to remain calm and cooperate with authorities. ¡°Everything that can be done is being done. This crisis will be over quickly as long as we all come together as Americans, pitch in, and do our part.¡±


    Miria had made the comment that pretty much summed it up for all of us. ¡°The country is being eaten alive, and that guy is running for re-election!¡± she spat in disgust. ¡°Why the hell did I vote for that asshole?¡± That at least had brought a chuckle amongst us.


    We¡¯d been cooped up for so long, and outside contact was slowly failing. The normal phones and cell phones were gone now. So was the Internet and a few TV stations had disappeared.


    Shortly after the president¡¯s speech, the emergency broadcast system activated, replacing all channels with the same generic information we¡¯d already been told. Report to safe zones. Travel by day. Report any injuries for immediate treatment. Avoid all contact with the infected.


    While the news had admitted some of the infected were dead, they still refused to call them zombies, as if anyone had any doubt at this point. It was like if they used the z word, they wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously.


    ¡°Why is it most of the zombie books take place in Texas? Have you ever noticed that?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t read that stuff Miria,¡± James looked up.


    ¡°Well, you shipped enough of the damned things to me to store for you; I figured I¡¯d see what all the hype was about. They were usually too gory for me, though. Seemed all they wanted to describe was intestine eating. Blecch!¡± Miria said.


    ¡°I dunno, maybe all the undead nuts are here in Texas? Maybe because we love our guns too much?¡± James indicated the pile of weapons on the bar. ¡°I mean, we do need something to shoot at that¡¯s more entertaining than road signs.¡±


    ¡°I never understood the word undead,¡± Mark said. ¡°I mean, if you¡¯re dead, you¡¯re dead. If you¡¯re undead, wouldn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re alive? How¡¯d undead come to mean dead things that were still walking around?¡±


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s what the word actually means,¡± Richard replied. ¡°You and I are undead, while someone who¡¯s dead is just that, dead. It wasn¡¯t until Bram Stoker used it in his works that it took the meaning of someone who was once dead but is now reanimated.¡±


    Miria looked at him incredulously.


    ¡°What? I read too, you know. Got a degree and everything,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°Stoker!¡± I exploded, causing everyone to stop and stare. ¡°Oh, I wish I could get my hands on that man.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯ve read the book. What complete and total garbage! He gave vampires, and the Irish such a bad name. I personally feel that a lot of our bad apples are because of him. Those eejits wanted to live up to that hype.¡± I shook my head in disgust.


    ¡°Just like that whole chivalry drivel that everyone thought was made up by that idiot Mallory! Did King Edward¡¯s Order of the Garter get any credit whatsoever? No! Just oh, King Arthur this and Galahad that. BLARG!¡± I finished my tirade by feigning a swoon.


    Everyone looked at one another, speechless.


    ¡°Blarg?¡± Becca mouthed to Mark, who shrugged.


    ¡°Did you know King Edward?¡± Richard finally asked since no one else would.


    No one had pressed me for any information about my past. While I¡¯d slowly started to warm up to James, the rest were still outsiders I tried to keep at arm''s length, but they were beginning to wear me down.


    I blanched. ¡°How old do I look?¡± Shaking my head, I left the room.


    I could practically hear all heads turn to James.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not going there, so don¡¯t even think about it!¡± James said.


    The TV stations cut out entirely shortly after. The radio still carried emergency broadcasts, but they were more of the same and had started to repeat.


    ¡°We¡¯re starting to run short on food,¡± James told me during one of the few free hours we shared. He was rubbing my shoulders as I sat on the floor in front of him on ¡°our¡± couch.


    James had been on daywatch while I¡¯d taken over nights. With my ¡°spray on tan¡± fading, I was forced to return to the night. The black blister on my arm was a grim reminder I remained a ¡°creature of the night,¡± as Mark would say.


    I had forgotten how depressing the lack of sunlight was. I missed the simple act of walking in the sun. The last forty years or so seemed like a dream already. Realizing I may never do it again stressed me out to the point my shoulders had started hurting. James offered to rub them, and I wasn¡¯t about to pass up a free back rub.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to start working on foraging, huh?¡± I said.


    ¡°You mean like shooting deer?¡± James said.


    ¡°Do you know how to dress a deer? Or how to butcher one? Didn¡¯t think so. No, I mean like raiding the local shops and abandoned homes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± James said, flushing slightly.


    Over the past week, James and I had eased into some sort of relationship. I still wasn¡¯t clear on the details, but the more time I spent around him, the easier I found it to be myself. I still found myself pulling back from him if things became too personal, but it was happening less and less.


    We had cautiously shared a bloodtouch, careful not to exchange too much blood. I figured when the government made James¡¯s serum, they¡¯d laced it with a poison. They probably figured if one of their Airmen were captured by a vampire, they¡¯d act like a ¡°blood bomb¡± and give the vampire a nasty surprise.


    James seemed to be doing OK on blood. He still couldn¡¯t¡¯ handle more than a mouthful or so at a time. I was pretty sure it was psychosomatic, but I couldn¡¯t prove it.


    More disturbingly, I noticed a few things were still off with him. He always had to move, usually his leg, tapping or bouncing up and down when he sat. There was also this weird tick in his left eye. Sometimes, James would forget what he was doing right in the middle of it.


    I was starting to worry the blood may not be enough. Maybe the military had put something else in the drug that wasn¡¯t blood-related; I didn¡¯t know. In addition to this, I noticed his shortening temper. I knew he was on edge; we all were, but James seemed to get a little worse every day.


    Meanwhile, we had fallen into a cycle with Mark and Becca. I only took a small amount from Mark every three days, whereas James took an even smaller amount from Becca every other day. The results had been a bit unexpected.


    The couple enjoyed the afterglow a little too much and even came to me asking if they could do it more frequently. I told them that anymore, and they would both become sick and too weak to enjoy the ¡°afterglow.¡± This seemed to take the wind out of their sails, but I felt it wasn¡¯t the last I¡¯d heard about it. From what I sensed from them, they would bring it up again and possibly expand it into a more group setting.


    When I told James some of the images I¡¯d pulled from Mark¡¯s mind, James felt we may have bitten off more than we could chew with those two.


    When we did share blood, it remained thumb pricks, just enough for me to slip into James¡¯s mind. I tried to fill in memory gaps I didn¡¯t know I had with scenes from his mind. It was sometimes tedious and sometimes entertaining as I would stumble upon something he didn¡¯t want me to see. It was good to know he could still blush. I had a feeling he had managed to delve into my past as well, but James didn¡¯t talk about it except when it came to our shared nightmares.


    I shut James down when he wanted to talk about my reoccurring nightmare concerning my captivity at sea[1]</a> back when I was still human. It had taken my previous master many years to get me mentally stable enough to get by day to day. I don¡¯t think I would ever truly be over that experience, and we had enough problems as it was.


    James pretty much did the same to me regarding his desert war tragedies. The military had sent him into some genuinely horrible situations that didn¡¯t always involve the supernatural. It seems humans could be just as scary as monsters sometimes.


    Soon, we both realized we were well and goodly damaged, and no amount of therapy would probably fix us. Strangely, it somehow brought us closer together.


    ¡°He still hasn¡¯t summoned you?¡± James asked.


    ¡°No.¡± I¡¯d explained how Pagoda could summon me, and I would have to go to him. Pagoda couldn¡¯t touch my mind unless I were in direct blood contact with him, but certain things, like a summons, could traverse kilometers.


    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s dead.¡± James¡¯s warm hands ran over my cool shoulder blades, finding knots and working them smooth.


    ¡°No,¡± I sighed. ¡°If he were dead, I would have felt that¡­probably. Besides, I don¡¯t have that kind of luck.¡± The more I thought about it, the more I wouldn¡¯t know if Pagoda was dead or not. When my previous master had died, I never felt a thing.


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± He put his arm across my chest and pulled my shoulders back, rotating them and forcing the blood to circulate. ¡°You¡¯ve still got me.¡±


    ¡°Your moderate masseuse abilities aside, what else do you bring to the table?¡± I teased and immediately berated myself. James¡¯s ability to put me at ease was unnerving. Usually, keeping my guard up was easy, but with him, I couldn¡¯t seem to keep him at arm¡¯s reach. It was as if my body recognized him, even if my mind didn¡¯t. It was maddening.


    James put his knee in the middle of my back and grabbed both arms, pulling them back and popping my breastbone. ¡°Moderate, huh?¡±


    My body shivered with the tension release and, to be honest, the manhandling. It had been well over a year since Pagoda had touched me. He¡¯d been the only one since¡­since he¡¯d bound me. The thought sent a not-happy shudder through me. I wondered how much of my past decade with Pagoda had been real and how much had been commanded. Were there other things he¡¯d made me forget? Other things he¡¯d made me do? I tried to push those thoughts from my mind and return to the present.


    ¡°Above average?¡± I tried, but my heart wasn¡¯t in it.


    James held my arms behind me forcefully and brought his lips to the base of my neck where it met my shoulder and bit; not hard enough to break the skin, but enough I knew it would leave a mark.


    I gasped and shuddered, finding he was strong enough to keep my arms pinned at the awkward angle. My body betrayed me as a quiet moan escaped my lips, and my eyes closed as he continued to use his mouth.


    Sexual tension had been building between us since the day all this started. I initially ignored it, too confused with the mixed-up memories. I knew James wanted me desperately. I felt it every time I touched his mind. It was like static electricity when we were around each other. The more physical contact between us just made it worse, and we¡¯d been practically inseparable since Z Day.


    ¡°James¡­¡± I whispered, my voice barely audible.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± he said, his mouth still busy.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I managed through the chaos of my own emotions. I still couldn¡¯t tell whose emotions I felt regarding us.


    He gently kissed my neck one last time and pulled away, releasing my arms and returning to kneading my shoulders.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time things had become heated between us in the past week. I honestly wouldn¡¯t mind the attention if it weren¡¯t all the uncertainty between us. I felt his frustration as much as I felt my confusion. To his credit, James always backed off with the gentlest of nudges.


    I leaned back against him, sighing.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I could feel the tension in his body; he was as taut as a bowstring. I briefly considered relenting but couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do now. I didn¡¯t want to be a tease, but I didn¡¯t want to leave either. He solved it by pulling me up onto the couch with him.


    ¡°Sleep?¡± he smiled at me.


    I didn¡¯t trust myself to speak, so I nodded.


    I curled up in front of him on the couch, spoon-style. James always seemed warm to me. When I brought it up, he joked it was because he ate too much salsa as a child. His warmth against my cool back was like having a warm blanket. It was more like a warm sweater, as James had a good deal of chest hair. I never thought I¡¯d like a man with chest hair, but¡­and I stopped my train of thought right there.


    ¡°What I would have given to have you with me in the desert,¡± James said.


    ¡°What?¡± I looked back at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cool, like my own cold pack. You would have come in so handy in the heat of the desert,¡± James said.


    I frowned at him. ¡°Were you just in my head?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said. Somehow, he¡¯d been able to touch my mind occasionally. He shouldn¡¯t be able to do that, adding even more confusion to the situation.


    ¡°I hate saying it, but I don¡¯t think we can stay here,¡± James said a minute later.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re still too close to the city. Eventually, those infected in the city will wander out looking for food. We¡¯re still on the outskirts and next to a main road. We must find a place to hole up in the middle of nowhere,¡± James said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. With the phones out now, the others have been worrying about their family. Some have even talked about trying to go after them. I think you might have a hard time convincing them to follow you,¡± I said.


    He kissed my shoulder just once. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t stop them if they want to go. But I can¡¯t see how they would make it if things have gotten as bad as I think.¡±


    ¡°Would that deter you?¡± I asked.


    James admitted it wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°In that case, maybe in addition to food on these scavenger runs, we should try and find what they will need to survive on their own. Maybe we can get some new information and come up with a new plan?¡± I said, snuggling up against him and letting his warmth penetrate deeper into my body. With my restricted diet, I¡¯d been much cooler than usual, and his warmth was a welcome pleasure.


    I sensed he wanted to say something else but kept it to himself.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    That night, a small handful of shamblers paraded past the property, causing a long discussion in the morning. I used the previous night¡¯s visitors as just one reason I wasn¡¯t satisfied with our current place and wanted to find someplace safer. I also mentioned that some people were worried about their loved ones and made everyone put it on the table.


    Becca wanted to go to Georgetown to look for her mom but was too afraid to go through the nightmare that was Austin to get there. She finally concluded that her uncle would keep her mom safe until things settled down enough for a realistic attempt to check on her.


    Miria, while worried for our father, knew if Becca couldn¡¯t check on her mom a couple of towns away, there was no way she could make it to Colorado.


    This hit me harder than I thought it would. I¡¯d been so busy keeping up with our immediate problems that I hadn¡¯t had time to stop and think about my father.


    Our dad lived in the middle of a small town in Colorado. It wasn¡¯t a huge town, but there was enough population to overrun the place if things turned ugly. Miria had tried twice a day while the phones still worked to get a hold of him but never had.


    I wanted to think he was up in the mountains in one of those little secluded towns he liked to go to for painting classes and such. When I shared the thought with Miria, she said when Dad had been in town, he¡¯d told her he had to get back because he was in an art show in one of those little tourist towns in the mountains. We just hoped he was still OK.


    Richard dismissed his folks way too quickly for my liking. I wasn¡¯t sure if they weren¡¯t that close or if he was just in denial. Regardless, he agreed with wanting someplace safer, but he wasn¡¯t going anywhere without Miria.


    Trish had finally started coming out of her shell. She took turns cooking but never took a watch. She didn¡¯t seem comfortable around guns and was still prone to mentally shutting down at random. She didn¡¯t speak that often, and when she did, it was usually only to Miria. When we asked her about family, she just shook her head and said her mom was in Galveston.


    I told everyone to be thinking of places they thought might be defensible and write them down. We¡¯d sit down and discuss them when we got back from scavenging.


    Miria and Trish were the only ones who knew the area. They said there were a couple of ¡°stop and rob¡± gas stations around, but nothing like a Walmart. They didn¡¯t know much else about the area aside from that.


    It was eventually agreed that we would need to scout the area more before anything serious could be planned. The priorities were food, fuel, transportation and ammo.


    The bullets we¡¯d stolen from Walmart had made a good-sized pile. The problem was I knew just how quickly a pile of ammo could disappear in a firefight. I had to be honest with myself; I was working with untrained civilians. If things turned sour, panic fire would eat our reserves up quickly. So far, we had only used a few rounds daily, dispatching the stray zombie who took too much interest in the ranch. Besides, you could never have too much ammo. I was pretty sure John Wayne had said that, or maybe it was John Woo.


    There was a burned wood sign on the front of the house that said, ¡°Welcome to our Hacienda.¡± So, we¡¯d started calling the ranch the Hacienda.


    Our next problem was deciding who should go scavenging and when.


    We all agreed that no one would go alone. Shae volunteered to go, but that required a night operation. Anyone going with her would be blind in the dark. My new-found night vision would make me the perfect choice to go, but it wouldn¡¯t leave a trained ¡°soldier¡± at the ranch, and I wasn¡¯t comfortable with that.


    A day operation was more desirable. We could make out the lay of the land better and use sunlight to get into buildings where power was out. The flaw was that the Hacienda would be short a body as Shae couldn¡¯t come out into the sun.


    Ultimately, I was outvoted and voluntold for a night operation with Shae. The others were offended when I tried to express how I didn¡¯t want to leave them without someone trained. I probably could have said it better, and I probably would still be arguing if Shae hadn¡¯t dragged me out of the room.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    We used my mom¡¯s truck as it was still in pretty good shape and had three-quarters of a tank of gas. We went towards a small town west of us, each taking a rifle, a pistol and a machete.


    The machetes I had grabbed from Walmart at the last minute turned out to be one of the best things I could have grabbed. They were actual steel, had sheaths and were solidly built.


    I remembered what the survival guide said: swords were great, but good ones were rare and required a lot of training to keep from chopping your leg off. I bought a practice katana while stationed in Louisiana. It was long, heavy, and solid. I had beat on a few trees but quickly learned I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what I was doing. I swung it like a baseball bat and tried the fancy moves like in the movies, but after a few flesh wounds, I had gotten rid of the thing.


    The machete was long enough to keep the zombies at arm¡¯s reach. It was also light enough to keep you from getting tired swinging it. As a bonus, I had yet to cut myself with it. All in all, I liked it much better.


    The road towards town was deserted. We came across a Walgreens across the street from a 7-11 convenience store. Both were pitch black as we slowed and shined the headlights over them. We looked at one another as we saw the glass of the 7-11 doors were smashed in. A vehicle by the gas pumps appeared to be abandoned, its door hanging open and a blood trail leading into the darkness.


    The doors to Walgreens seemed to be boarded up. A large white truck that delivery companies used was parked off the side of the Walgreens and appeared untouched.


    ¡°You think the gas pumps still work?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Not without power,¡± I said.


    ¡°What about the refill points, where the big trucks fill the tanks?¡± Shae pointed at several small utility plates on the ground to the side of the station.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, never messed with one before. Let¡¯s check it out when we hit the 7-11. But back to the question, which first? Both places usually have food,¡± I said.


    ¡°True, there¡¯s drugs in the pharmacy as well,¡± she said.


    ¡°You know anything about them or what to get?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue.¡± Becca was the only one with medical training above basic first aid, and we hadn¡¯t considered meds when we planned this trip. ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t needed much in the way of medical supplies for a while now.¡± Shae smiled at me.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess not,¡± I said and waited.


    ¡°Not going to ask this time?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°To be honest, I got tired of asking how old you were. Doesn¡¯t matter anyway. Would you answer if I did?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°There you go.¡± I shrugged.


    We debated briefly and decided to try the 7-11 first. It was a smaller building, and we could quickly see if anything was worth keeping.


    We parked close to the building, shining the lights on the broken fa?ade, and turned off the engine.


    I grabbed Shae¡¯s arm as she started to get out. ¡°Just wait and listen.¡± This was something else I¡¯d picked up from the survival guide. Zombies weren¡¯t stealthy. You¡¯d hear them if they were around.


    ¡°I know that!¡± she whispered harshly and shook off my hand. ¡°But you can¡¯t hear a lot from inside this truck now, can you?¡±


    I nodded and got out to wait with her. After a minute, we looked at one another and moved forward.


    We didn¡¯t have flashlights. That was one of the things we hadn¡¯t thought of when making our initial ¡°escape from the zombie apocalypse¡± kit. No matter how much you prepare for a trip, you always forget something. We forgot flashlights and hadn¡¯t found any at the Hacienda. Luckily, we both had good ¡°natural¡± night vision now. But I still wished I had a flashlight, just in case.


    We slung our rifles and proceeded with pistols drawn. We didn¡¯t have suppressors and knew gunfire would bring all sorts of unwanted attention. Trigger pulling was a last resort, but I¡¯d much rather make noise and beat a hasty retreat than end up zombie chow.


    I knelt beside the tank refill covers on the ground and examined them while Shae kept watch. I used my knife to pry open the cover, cringing at the clatter and drawing Shae¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Well?¡± she whispered low, where only my enhanced hearing could pick it up.


    ¡°Some sort of locking valve. Not sure how it would open, to be honest,¡± I said.


    ¡°Leave it; we¡¯ll figure it out later,¡± Shae said.


    Our shadows played over the store as we stepped into the headlights the closer to the store we came. The sound of crickets and the truck¡¯s engine occasionally clicking or thudding as it cooled down was the only noise to be heard.


    Shae stepping on a piece of broken glass was like a gunshot going off and caused me to jump. She glanced at me, and I shrugged.


    *It shouldn¡¯t have been that loud,* I thought to myself.


    We picked our way through the busted glass and into the store.


    The smell of soured food hit us like a wall. It had been nearly two weeks since the whole mess started, and we were pretty sure places like this had been looted, but we had to check.


    We pressed forward and glanced down the short aisles, trying to look for signs of movement. We made a slow circle of the inside, noting the bare shelves, broken glass, and other goods that appeared to have been destroyed in the chaos.


    Unless we wanted old lottery tickets or torn magazines, there wasn¡¯t much for us to take. Shae grabbed a handful of cigarette lighters next to the register and was about to leave when there was a quiet thump from the back.


    I spun, thumbed on my Beretta''s laser, and scanned the area. It wasn¡¯t like a flashlight, just a simple red dot used to pinpoint a target. But the electronic eye blazed and illuminated shadows for my newly delicate eyes. It acted like a miniature sun for Shae.


    The door to the back had a small window that neither of us could see through; it was pitch black beyond. Again, the thump came, and we looked at one another. Shae shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not worth it¡ª¡±


    The door exploded outward, knocking us back as the zombie crashed through. It wore the remnants of a clerk¡¯s uniform with a nametag that read ¡°Dante.¡±


    We sat in stunned silence as the creature began to pick itself up and reached out, grabbing a hold of Shae¡¯s leg. She immediately began to kick at it, but its grip was like iron.


    I finally recovered and reached with both hands to pull the arm away from her leg, only to jump back as the thing¡¯s vile teeth snapped at me.


    Shae got her other boot up and kicked it in the face, knocking teeth loose and dislocating its jaw.


    I grabbed its legs and pulled, half pulling Shae with it as I tried to drag it away from her. My actions caused Shae to lose her footing and fall back, hitting the back of her head on the floor with a hollow thud, dazing her.


    With a limp victim in its hands, the creature drew Shae¡¯s leg to its ruined face and attempted to gnaw on Shae¡¯s leather boot.


    I dropped the legs and reached for the clerk¡¯s hair, pulling his head back and reaching for the jaw, trying to keep the mouth away from her. Not realizing the jaw was already dislocated, I grabbed it roughly and pulled. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my newfound strength or the creature¡¯s state of decay, but its jaw ripped free, sending a cascade of gore across the floor.


    Shocked, I let go of the fiend as its head snapped forward and bounced off the floor.


    Having been released and regaining some of her senses, Shae rolled away as I brought my boot down onto the creature¡¯s skull.


    At first, my boot just bounced off, but I grabbed a nearby counter for balance and proceeded to stomp the creature repeatedly until the skull split underneath my boot and stopped moving.


    We both stood panting and trying to shake off what had just happened.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just use your machete?¡± Shae asked, rubbing the back of her head.


    ¡°Machete?¡± I¡¯d completely forgotten it in the heat of the moment. ¡°Uh, I was afraid I¡¯d hit you,¡± I lied, trying to cover my embarrassment.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Shae glanced at the back room. ¡°Might as well see what we can find,¡± she swallowed and pulled one of the lighters from her pocket.


    The backroom was pitch black with no windows. There was a door to the cooler that neither of us felt like opening since we already knew it was empty by looking through the glass soda cases out front. We found a few bottles of cleaning supplies and some toiletries but nothing else. We claimed the bottles of bleach and toilet paper so that we weren¡¯t leaving empty-handed.


    Shae tried the water faucet, but nothing came out. ¡°Water¡¯s out already.¡±


    ¡°Good thing we¡¯re on well water at the Hacienda. Let¡¯s put this stuff in the truck.¡± I picked up a stack of magazines as we headed towards the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Boredom. Not a lot to do around the ranch; people are getting a little nuts,¡± I said.


    ¡°And the porn?¡± she noted the pornographic magazines; I¡¯d grabbed everything there was on the shelves.


    ¡°Uh, for Mark,¡± I started, and then she gave me a look. ¡°Diversity?¡± I tried.


    Shae rolled her eyes and started to leave but stopped. She moved around to the other side of the counter and started looking at the low shelves. She found a stack of paper manuals in the farthest back corner, buried beneath a bunch of other crap. She pulled them out and put them on the counter. ¡°Eureka!¡± Shae smiled, holding up a manual detailing the gas pump workings.


    ¡°Genius,¡± I smiled and pointed at a metal box on the wall, ¡°probably keys.¡±


    Shae reached over and flipped the box open, revealing rows of keys. ¡°Not too shabby yourself.¡± She pocketed them all as we returned to the truck.


    We turned and looked at the Walgreens. It didn¡¯t have big plate glass walls like 7-11 did. It only had two glass doors in the front. Upon closer examination, the boards blocking the doors were propped up from the inside.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Probably just as wiped out, but we should check,¡± Shae said.


    I nodded and repositioned the truck so the lights could shine on the broken doors, providing a little light. The building was much bigger than the 7-11 next door.


    We found that the boards would, with a bit of effort, slide to the side. They¡¯d been propped up with pushcarts.


    ¡°You know, this would be much easier if you could turn into a bat and fly around and check it out inside,¡± I complained.


    She glowered at me. ¡°Bats can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they got that echolocation thing,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I can¡¯t do that, so shut up and push.¡±


    We climbed through the small opening we¡¯d made and entered cautiously. We stepped down off the carts and onto more broken glass. There was merchandise scattered all over the place. It was more of a mess than anything else. There was also the smell. Again, soured food but also the funk of body odor this time.


    Taking our time, we cleared each aisle, slowly circling the store.


    I stopped at a display and grabbed a package off the shelf. I tore the plastic open and handed the flashlight to Shae before grabbing another for myself.


    She looked at the light, shook her head, and put it in her back pocket.


    I crossed the light under my pistol and panned it around the store. I was trying to figure out why there was still so much stuff here and who¡¯d boarded the place up.


    As if in answer, we heard movement from the back of the store near the pharmacy. I pivoted my flashlight in that direction as another noise came from behind one of the counters near the front. Another noise and another all followed it from different locations.


    ¡°No heartbeat, no breath, and silent most of the time? These things are starting to creep me out,¡± Shae whispered.


    ¡°Yeah, I bet when you¡¯ve been able to hear every living thing around you up till now, suddenly having blind spots with teeth is unnerving,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Uh, I think I know why this place is untouched.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± she said.


    We made our way to the front exit, only to find it blocked by four ghouls. Two were employees, while the other two appeared to be shoppers.


    ¡°Where did they come from?¡± I said aloud.


    ¡°Not sure; I thought we checked everything on this side!¡± Shae said.


    ¡°You think they decided to hole up in here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care,¡± Shae said as she spun, discovering four more coming from the side and another two from a different aisle. ¡°We need to move; it¡¯s getting crowded.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try the back door,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why? Just shoot them.¡± She had her back to me now, covering the six shamblers approaching.


    ¡°Ricochets¡­and drawing others,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Well, whatever you¡¯re going to do, do it fast,¡± she growled.


    ¡°Aliens again?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for her reply as we sidestepped the group and headed back towards the pharmacy.


    A double set of doors was off to my left, leading to the back, while the pharmacy was off to my right. I was about to turn into the double doors when the doors started to open towards us. Instinctively, I kicked the doors hard, causing them to swing back on their hinges and hit whatever was inside.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± I said as I leaped up onto the high pharmacy desk. *Why do they make these pharmacy desks so high?* I pushed the stray thought aside as I quickly shined the light around the rows of drugs as Shae swung up effortlessly behind me.


    We stood on the high desk as creatures approached from different angles. The double doors opened again, and more shambled in from the back, all in various states.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Shae asked as she swung her pistol at the encroaching crowd. ¡°I don¡¯t see a door back there.¡±


    ¡°Nope, but there is a window.¡± I hopped down behind the counter and came face to face with a shambler in a white lab coat. The smell almost knocked me over as its hands closed around my shoulders.


    My training kicked in as my hands came up between the creature¡¯s arms and knocked them to either side while, at the same time, I brought my knee up into the zombie¡¯s crotch, having absolutely no effect. I pushed hard, knocking both of us off balance. I recovered as the creature struck a counter and fell.


    ¡°Come on!¡± I yelped, excitement getting the better of me.


    Sprinting to the far wall, I found an old-fashioned drive-thru window and tried to open it but found it locked. ¡°Shit, I need a key!¡± I glanced around the area, looking for a key hook or anything, and froze as a gunshot rang out.


    I turned, finding Shae kneeling over the lab coat and rifling through his pockets. Her pistol was smoking, as was a hole in the pharmacist¡¯s head. A moment later, she approached with a key ring.


    ¡°Try one of these,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± I yelled, my ears ringing from the gunshot.


    She pushed me out of the way and started to go through the keys until she had it open. We snaked our way out of the window as fists pounded on the door to the pharmacy within.


    The truck started quietly, and we pulled away from the parking lot before more trouble appeared. We drove for a few minutes in silence. The next building we came upon was a CVS pharmacy. It seemed to have the same setup as the Walgreens. We shared a silent look and kept going. A nearby restaurant looked like it might have something, and we considered stopping, but when two ghouls stepped out from behind the building, we drove on.


    Something was gnawing at the back of my mind like a fly that wouldn¡¯t go away. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it was getting annoying.


    As we approached the outskirts of a small town, we passed a retirement home, causing me to shudder at the thought of the old being attacked helplessly in their rooms by infected orderlies.


    The thought made old memories come flooding back, making my agitation flare into anger. I didn¡¯t understand what was happening to me, but we needed to get this done, so I gritted my teeth as we pulled into a ¡°Wag-A-Bag¡± convenience store next to a liquor store.


    I was out of the truck practically before it had come to a stop. I fell back into my combat mindset as I pulled my pistol and flashlight. It was comfortable and easy when I turned off the thinking and let my instincts take over. I entered the store, not waiting for Shae.


    ¡°James!¡± I heard Shae hiss.


    As I entered the store, a creature rose from the back aisle. I pivoted and fired twice, striking it in the face and shoulder. As it fell, I continued to clear the store. Again, my pistol barked as I put another zombie down.


    ¡°James!¡± Shae caught up as I turned and was about to enter the dark back rooms. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°To hell with this!¡± I growled, glad to be letting go of the stealth approach. A dynamic entry was so much easier. I ripped the door to the back open, revealing nothing beyond but an empty storeroom. I was disappointed; it had felt good to pull the trigger again.


    I stepped into the cooler and ensured nothing else was in there, ignoring the smell of old milk and soured beer.


    I could sense Shae watching me. She was doing an excellent job of avoiding my line of fire, which was surprising since we hadn¡¯t practiced any movements together.


    Shae kept glancing outside nervously.


    We¡¯d both brought plastic garbage bags from the Hacienda and pulled them out. I filled mine with the few boxes of dry cereal and other foodstuffs left behind in the haste of the panic. Shae followed suit, grabbing anything useable.


    We tossed our spoils into the truck before Shae whirled on me.


    ¡°What is going on, James? What was all that about?¡± Shae demanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s all going to hell, can¡¯t you see?¡± I turned away from her, my head starting to pound. I knew I was wound up. Not the best way to enter a fight, but we needed to get this done. I began walking towards the liquor store.


    If Shae saw my hands shaking, she didn¡¯t say anything as she caught up to me halfway to the door. I took a breath and tried to calm my shaking hands, but I didn¡¯t stop. Neither did my hands.


    ¡°These things are literally eating our society,¡± I said as I kicked in the door to the liquor store hard enough to shatter what glass remained. My pistol spat flame repeatedly as I put down two more shamblers.


    Shae''s revolver barked as I reached for one of the few intact bottles on the shelf.


    The head of the zombie that was about to take a chunk out of my arm splattered, jerking the body to the side. In my haste, I hadn¡¯t seen it, even though it was right beside me.


    I glanced at her, my eyes hardening momentarily before grabbing the remaining bottles off the shelf and heading back to the truck.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    I shoved James over on the seat so I could drive. I didn¡¯t trust him in the state he was in. I could feel waves of rage pouring off him and didn¡¯t understand why. Yes, things were bad and getting worse, but why was he acting like this all the sudden? Was it more withdrawal? Was it being out and seeing the state of the world? All I knew was this trip was over. James was a liability in this state.


    I saw several more shamblers coming from the area of the old folks'' home we¡¯d passed. I quickly headed back the way we came before James could jump out and start shooting again. We rode in silence all the way back to the house. Glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, I could see his leg trembling violently.


    Once we were back, James was out of the truck before I could put it in park. He avoided all questions put to him as he entered the house and went straight to our room, closing the door.


    The others looked at me questioningly as I came in behind him, arms full of our meager haul. I just shook my head as they helped unload the truck.


    ¡°After our grandfather passed away, our grandmother went downhill quickly,¡± Miria explained as she and I sat in the kitchen a little while later.


    I told her what happened as James still hadn¡¯t emerged from our room.


    ¡°She soon became too much for our mom to handle, and she had to be put in a home as we couldn¡¯t afford the full-time nurse she needed. We really couldn¡¯t afford the home either, but James and I pooled our money to help pay for it. It wasn¡¯t the best place, but it was the best we could afford. I think James still blames that home for her dying.¡±


    ¡°Was she mistreated?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, not really. I mean, have you ever been to one of those places?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°Vampires¡­don¡¯t have those types of places.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Miria continued, ¡°well, it was an older place. The staff seemed nice enough, but apparently, they had a high turnover rate, so they were always shorthanded. The ones like my grandmother couldn¡¯t take care of themselves, and when one person¡¯s trying to do the work of three, things fall by the wayside. It¡¯s not an excuse, just a fact of life.¡±


    ¡°So, when he saw that rest home¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°It probably just added to the crap already on his mind,¡± Miria said.


    Standing up, I said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go check on him.¡± Having a little more background gave me some insight into what might be happening in his head.


    While James¡¯s mental state worried me, the physical issues like his shakes made me more nervous. For all the strangeness going on with him right now, he was still just a human with human mortality.


    As I entered the room, the smell of the whiskey nearly knocked me over. He was sitting in a chair by the boarded-up window, leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed. The bottle sat beside him, 1/3 empty already.


    ¡°You know, I actually don¡¯t like the taste of this stuff,¡± he mumbled through closed eyes.


    ¡°Then why do you drink it?¡± I crossed the room and leaned against the wall beside him. I could smell the alcohol already coming out of his pores.


    ¡°Some people say it makes you forget, eases pain, or lowers inhibitions. I just like the feeling it gives me once I¡¯m only a little drunk.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like being a little pregnant, James. Either you are, or you aren¡¯t.¡± I nodded at the bottle, ¡°and seeing as you just downed 1/3 of that bottle, I¡¯m gonna call second trimester.¡±


    He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the slobbering on myself, falling down drunk. I¡¯m talking about that warm, floaty feeling you get once you start. That¡¯s what I like. Besides, I play video games better in that state anyway.¡±


    I knelt next to him, took the bottle, and set it down on the dresser out of reach. ¡°There are ways to get that feeling without that poison,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, but I never did drugs,¡± he sighed. ¡°Never smoked, never touched drugs, and never drank to excess. I was a friggin¡¯ poster boy for the military.¡±


    I straddled him in the chair and took his face in my hands. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about drugs, my dear,¡± I said as I kissed him lightly.


    ¡°You are a drug to me,¡± he sighed. ¡°When you left¡ª¡±


    ¡°When I was taken.¡± I kissed his forehead. I could sense¡­something that seemed to be coiling inside his mind, something I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I was lost¡­for a year; I was a complete wreck. I didn¡¯t care about anything but trying to find you,¡± his words slurred. ¡°I drove my friends and my family nuts. You were the only thing I¡¯d talk about, and they got sick of it.¡±


    ¡°They love you.¡± I held his head to my chest as he continued.


    ¡°When I finally gave up, I joined the service and got as far away from your memory as I could. I didn¡¯t even like coming home for visits cause it hurt. It was like an open wound that would never heal. The few times I came home, I¡­would start looking as soon as I got to the airport. I¡¯d search every face, expecting to find you, and being disappointed when I didn¡¯t. I would drive by places we¡¯d been to on the chance you might be there. I¡¯m sure my friends and my family thought I was a complete nutter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not crazy,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°There were others¡­¡± he sighed, seeming to collapse in the chair. ¡°But¡­they just weren¡¯t you¡­they couldn¡¯t be. It was nice for a while, but they couldn¡¯t fill that spot in me. It was like they were a piece of the wrong puzzle trying to be wedged in. It just didn¡¯t work¡­I was ruined for anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here now,¡± I said.


    ¡°But for how long?¡± he asked.


    I pulled back and looked at him.


    ¡°What happens when Pagoda calls you?¡± James asked. ¡°What happens when you leave to go to him and I never hear from you again? I can¡¯t take that, Shae.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± I searched his eyes. ¡°Come with me to him. I¡¯ll say you¡¯re my tap boy again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to yourself; you know that won¡¯t work. He wants you. I saw that in your mind as well,¡± James said.


    ¡°He¡¯s sick of me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, but I might change that just because I want you,¡± James said. ¡°When he discovers me, I¡¯ll be disappeared quickly and quietly.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen,¡± I said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t protect me, not from him,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill him.¡± The words were out of my mouth before my brain could register I¡¯d said them.


    ¡°I thought it was impossible for one to kill their master,¡± James asked, looking up at me.


    ¡°It is. Normally, one can¡¯t even think it, let alone say it.¡± *What is going on?* I thought in a panic. ¡°Listen to me, James. I know today was rough; we had some close calls, and some bad memories came up, but I want you to know this.¡± It took a moment for his eyes to clear and meet mine. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere unless you send me away.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl,¡± he slurred. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you I was addicted to you? I couldn¡¯t turn you out if I wanted to¡­I don¡¯t have the will.¡± The last part came out as a mumble.


    I could feel his mind fading as the alcohol finally caught up to him.


    Sometime later, we lie dozing. I was behind him, watching the artery in his neck pulse. My hand was on his chest, feeling it rise and fall when I felt his mind stir.


    ¡°You know, I was thinking,¡± I said gently as he woke. ¡°Pagoda¡¯s compound is out in the middle of the hill country and has a four-meter cement wall around it.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm, sounds like a fortress,¡± he murmured, still groggy.


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s guarded by dogs and familiars. The house itself is an old mission converted into a sprawling Spanish monstrosity. Lots of rooms and such,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sounds like a LaQuinta motel to me,¡± James mumbled, eyes still closed.


    ¡°Uh huh¡­got its own water supply straight out of the aquifer as well.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice; aquifer¡¯s bout the only thing that doesn¡¯t run dry during the¡ª¡±


    I could almost hear his mental wheels clicking into place as he came fully awake.


    ¡°How many familiars?¡± he asked.


    I bit my lip out of habit. ¡°But first,¡± I turned him to look at me, ¡°how do you feel?¡±


    A smile crossed his face as he curled back into me. ¡°That¡¯s a silly question,¡± he said, his words still slightly slurred.


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious,¡± I said. ¡°Have you noticed anything strange in the past week? Headaches, shaking, trouble concentrating, anything?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, yeah,¡± he said.


    ¡°I thought so.¡± I was quiet then, thinking.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s just stress. We¡¯ve had a lot going on,¡± James said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I sighed. ¡°You may not know this, but I kind of keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you cared, Mom,¡± James said.


    I slapped him lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± I grabbed his chin, ¡°Be serious a minute.¡±


    ¡°OK, one minute. Aaaaaand go!¡± He looked at his watch.


    ¡°Maybe now¡¯s not the time.¡± I shook my head and let go of him.


    James rolled over to face me, his expression sobering. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please,¡± he said.


    ¡°It was little things at first.¡± I looked down at his chest. ¡°I¡¯d notice a tremble in you after feeding. I just chalked it up to your body adapting. But then I¡¯d notice you getting the shakes at other times. Shakes like the ones you had that first night, the withdrawal shakes. You didn¡¯t seem to notice it.¡±


    I looked up into his eyes, ¡°Then there¡¯s your mind.¡±


    ¡°My mind?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. When I¡¯ve...touched you. There¡¯s this...jumble...like a tangle of thoughts in your head. The first time I felt it, it was small, nothing to it. I didn¡¯t pay any attention to it until I encountered it again later, and it was bigger. Each time, it¡¯s gotten bigger and...and you¡¯ve become more erratic.¡± I was having difficulty putting my thoughts into words, at least words that made sense.


    ¡°Erratic?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Losing control, making bad decisions. Like tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Listen, tonight was a bad night, I admit. But I didn¡¯t lose¡ª¡± James started, but I cut him off.


    ¡°You lost control. You went into that shop guns blazing like some John Wick movie! You NEVER would have done something that reckless two weeks ago, even if you were that angry.¡± I realized I was angry with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be this professional soldier, James. You¡¯re the one that should be keeping us together when it comes to fighting, not the other way around,¡± Shae said seriously.


    He paused a long while, letting my words sink in. ¡°OK,¡± he said finally. ¡°You¡¯re right; I shouldn¡¯t have run into that store. I¡¯m sorry; it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to chastise you,¡± I said. ¡°Am I angry? Sure, but I¡¯m not your boss; that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you saying?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the blood is working,¡± I sighed, ¡°not completely. It might be helping to stave off what¡¯s coming, slowing it down, but I don¡¯t think it will stop it.¡±


    Then, we were both quiet.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± he asked soberly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know James,¡± I said honestly.


    <hr>


    [1]</a> Again, see Book 0. [Maybe it wasn¡¯t all teenage vampire romance after all. --Rhiannon]

 Z Day +12

    <u>Z Day +12</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    ¡°That¡¯s nuts!¡± Richard said, having listened to the plan.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re going to take over a vampire¡¯s lair?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so dramatic,¡± I chided Mark. ¡°It¡¯s a small estate, one that Shae has intimate knowledge of. I¡¯ve talked with her and discovered some massive holes in their security we can exploit.¡±


    Shae nodded. We¡¯d spent the rest of the night coming up with the plan. We¡¯d also explored the possibility of just going to the compound and asking to stay. Shae didn¡¯t feel it was a good option for the collected group¡¯s survival.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s going to be easy, but if we do this right, we¡¯ll have an honest-to-God fortress where we can hold out indefinitely!¡± I said.


    ¡°But what about the vampires themselves?¡± Becca asked.


    We¡¯d pulled everyone off guard duty for this meeting.


    ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of the plan; it doesn¡¯t call for us to engage them for the most part. The real issue is going to be getting this diversion going,¡± I said.


    Everyone was gathered around the dining room table, looking down at the makeshift sand table Shae and I had set up.


    ¡°Say this works,¡± Miria said, ¡°and we take the place. Then what?¡±


    ¡°Then we start planning long-term,¡± I said.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Long term?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Yes. With basic necessities taken care of, we can look at what to do next, not just trying to survive day to day. Trying to find lost family and friends, that sort of thing,¡± I said.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like it. We¡¯re not soldiers,¡± Miria said flatly.


    ¡°You know what a soldier is?¡± I started. ¡°A soldier is a normal person with training and a purpose. Besides, it¡¯s a simple plan that calls for minimal risk. Simple plans are the best because there¡¯s not much that can go wrong. It¡¯s not the movies, nothing¡¯s gonna go wrong anyway.¡±


    ¡°Argh! I can¡¯t believe you just said that,¡± Mark said. ¡°James, every time you ever said that in gaming, what happened to your plan?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I started.


    ¡°It went wrong; that¡¯s what happened. Mr. Murphy came up and kicked you in the junk, and now you just went and did it again!¡± Mark said.


    ¡°That was a game, Mark; this is real life. I¡¯ve successfully pulled missions like this off in the past,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve attacked a vampire fortress before?¡± Mark smirked.


    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± I nodded.


    The statement stopped everyone.


    ¡°Really?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Yes, the last one was in the sandbox. It¡¯s classified, but so much for that anymore,¡± I said. ¡°They sent us in to take a guy out who was running operations against us. It was a simple plan, and it worked,¡± I stated flatly.


    They all seemed to take this in.


    ¡°Now, you all know we can¡¯t stay here indefinitely; we need a more secure place to work from. If we can get this place, we can start trying to find out what¡¯s happening in the world,¡± I stressed.


    After a bit more discussion, the meeting broke up. The group didn¡¯t like the idea. However, the possibility of reuniting with family somewhere safe appealed to them greatly.


    Shae caught up to me outside.


    ¡°Is that true, what you said about attacking a fortress?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What? Oh, yeah, it¡¯s true,¡± I said.


    ¡°What didn¡¯t you tell them?¡±


    ¡°That we lost 30 men in the process,¡± I said. ¡°But the bad guy knew we were coming and chose to fight to the death instead of giving up.¡±


    She looked at me. ¡°It¡¯ll work, it¡¯s a good plan.¡±


    Nodding, ¡°I just hope we can pull it off without the casualties.¡± I frowned. I was confident the plan would work; I had to be; otherwise, none of the others would buy into it. But it didn¡¯t stop that little voice in the back of my head from chattering away at me. It was the same voice I heard every time I ran an operation, and it never had anything encouraging to say.


    ¡°We will,¡± she said, patting me on the shoulder.

 Z Day +18

    <u>Z Day +18</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    We made a series of scouting trips to gather what we needed. Along the way, I began a strenuous training regimen for self-defense for the group. Even Trish got involved when it came to the hand-to-hand. I tried to keep it simple: a few basic escape techniques modified for zombies.


    Machete fighting was something I didn¡¯t know anything about, unfortunately. The closest I¡¯d learned was the baton.


    Shae and Mark came to the rescue. When I asked Shae where she learned to fight with a machete, she said she hadn¡¯t; she just had experience with bladed weapons. When I pressed her for more information, she just smiled and said, ¡°Later.¡±


    There was never a later. That was one of the few things the new Shae and the old Shae had in common; they both liked to dodge any questions about their past. Even when she would give me answers, I suspected they weren¡¯t the whole truth. I never pressed, though; I figured she¡¯d tell me when she felt like it. It didn¡¯t make it any less frustrating.


    Mark was a huge help. His boffer skills gave him the agility and reflexes to wield the weapon easily. All he had to do was adjust his tactics from a few quick blows to a relentless attack that would either destroy his opponent or quickly incapacitate them so he could escape. He¡¯d trained other people before and ended up being our primary teacher.


    We could use each other for the hand-to-hand practice, but the machete training required training aids. Richard and Miria put together several practice dummies made from trees and old clothes to give us something to hack through.


    Firearms were an entirely different matter. Due to the noise, I refused to use them for training anywhere near the house. Gunfire tended to draw a crowd both from the living and the dead. I¡¯d contemplated teaching them using the silenced rifles but figured most of what they would need would be up close and personal.


    As a result, I started running daytime scouting trips that were paired with firearm instruction. We had enough ammo to get some decent training in, but I didn¡¯t want to go overboard as I didn¡¯t know where our next supply of ammo would come from. Everyone seemed to pick up firearms rather quickly, except for Mark. Mark was still having difficulty hitting the target, even with a shotgun.


    Mark and I were atop an old Dairy Queen across the street from a Chevron gas station. Mark had parked our truck right up against the building, where there was a ladder to the roof. We could slide down the ladder and right into the open driver¡¯s window without fear of attack in a pinch.


    Even though we had found the manual, we still hadn¡¯t been able to get into the tanks of the gas station. None of the keys we¡¯d found had worked on the locks. So, we continued siphoning gas out of vehicles as we came across them. We¡¯d drained all the cars around the Chevron and managed to fill a dozen gas cans in the back of the truck. In the process, we¡¯d attracted a bit of attention. I felt it was the perfect opportunity for some shooting practice.


    We moved to the front of the Dairy Queen roof. An old-style child¡¯s playscape was in front of the store, and the uppermost climbing tower was bolted to the front of the fa?ade for stability. It was easy for me to hack open the top of the plastic tube slide. We carefully crawled into the tower and slid down to the bottom. The play area was a fenced-in enclosure utterly inaccessible from the outside. The only way into the child¡¯s area, aside from the way we came, was through the store behind us.


    ¡°OK, this should be relatively simple. They can¡¯t get to us, so let¡¯s start with some basics,¡± I said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to be the ones in cages with us outside looking in?¡± Mark said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a whole new world,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s start with your shotgun.¡±


    Mark was still sporting a pump-action shotgun. It had an extended tube capable of holding five shells. The stock had been replaced with a pistol grip, and the foregrip had a surefire flashlight embedded in it. I had built it based on a police special I¡¯d seen, thinking it was perfect as a home defense weapon. I¡¯d never thought it would be used to kill zombies.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Ok, the 870 doesn¡¯t kick a whole lot if you¡¯re using a stock, but with a pistol grip, it¡¯s a bit different. If you don¡¯t hold it just right, it¡¯s gonna tear up your wrist or its gonna jump on you and pop you in the nose.¡± I adjusted Mark¡¯s grip on the weapon as a shambler slowly approached us.


    Mark was paying more attention to the shambler and less on my instructions, so when he pulled the trigger, the gun kicked and caused his wrist to pop.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Mark cried.


    ¡°Pay attention. Look, he can¡¯t get in here,¡± I said.


    Mark had only managed to wing his target, spinning the zombie to the side. The shambler had recovered and was now straining against the bars to the playground.


    Mark swallowed hard as he looked at the man who¡¯d been wearing jeans and a button-down.


    ¡°Now, focus. Up close, the shotgun is an incredibly destructive weapon.¡± I took the shotgun from Mark and fired it into the zombie''s chest. Bone, muscle, tissue, and dark, thick fluids exploded outward, leaving a ghastly mess that was the creature¡¯s chest. The force of the blast knocked it over. After a moment, it slowly got to its feet.


    ¡°But as you can see, even at point blank, it will only¡ª¡± I turned to find Mark retching into a nearby trashcan. I rushed over, ¡°Hey, boss, I¡¯m sorry. I probably should have warned you.¡±


    Mark waved me off as he recovered and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Mark took the shotgun from me and looked at the zombie who¡¯d returned to his place at the bars. He calmly leveled the weapon at the creature, raised the muzzle until it was even with its head and squeezed the trigger. The explosion as the weapon discharged caused Mark to flinch, and the zombie dropped, a complete mess.


    ¡°Got it, aim for the head,¡± Mark said, racking the action smartly.


    I patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Yeah, you hit him, just not in the head.¡± I pointed at the zombie who was trying to get back to his feet.


    ¡°But I was aiming right at his head!¡± Mark said in astonishment.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Shooting takes time and practice. Let¡¯s try it again,¡± I said.


    We spent another hour working on the shotgun. In that time, Mark never made a headshot, but he did manage to pinch his hand in the action. I couldn¡¯t understand how someone could be so bad at shooting a scattergun.


    Mark went as far as to put the shotgun right up to a zombie¡¯s head, but when he pulled the trigger, he would flinch so bad it wouldn¡¯t hit where he¡¯d intended.


    I was grateful Mark was good with bladed weapons. I prayed Mark would never need to actually shoot something.


    That children¡¯s playground became my preferred training zone for firearms. I could safely get in and out of the area, and there always seemed to be a plethora of targets to choose from. The several strip malls nearby seemed to provide plenty of fresh prey.


    The nearby restaurants provided some much-needed dry rations. Most of what we¡¯d been coming across were either spoiled or looted. Luckily there were still essential dry goods we could use to expand our food selection and provided caffeine jolts for the long hours we were pulling.


    As we continued scouting, we came across things both helpful and painful. The remnants of a flower shop gave me pause. Glancing through the dried and wilted contents was a painful reminder of where the human race seemed to be headed.


    The sheet metal shop next door to the metal fabrication shop was raided for reinforcing the windows and doors of the house before being filed away for future projects.


    We discovered some clothes left behind in a combination alterations and dry cleaning shop that we brought home. Mark and Becca were mean with fabric, a needle, and thread. They requested a few things from the shop, which we got them. Between the two, they¡¯d mended most of the clothes we had and reinforced knees and elbows to help them last longer.


    A furniture store gave us replacement beds. They weren¡¯t anything fancy, mainly just mattresses for those of us sleeping on couches and blankets.


    Once everyone was more comfortable fighting zombies, we returned to Walgreens and cleared the place out. It had been a multi-day operation, but it had been worth it.


    The first day, we¡¯d gone in guns blazing; this time, it was from the pharmacy side. The high counter allowed us to dispatch the shamblers safely.


    With the building secure, we¡¯d left two folks to start quietly packing everything they could. The rest of us made a lot of noise and lured anything outside away before circling back and helping to load up. It took several trips, but we were well stocked now.


    We had grabbed a couple of pharmacology books, but trying to read one was like reading a German dictionary. You could make out some things but fell asleep before making sense out of it. Luckily, Becca had better luck.


    Not all the buildings we found were still intact. A Starbucks was attached to a Quiznos that had caught fire and gutted both restaurants. It was a grim reminder that you had to rely on yourself now as there weren¡¯t fire departments, medics, or police to help you anymore.


    During this time, Shae had been keeping a watchful eye on me. I could tell she was worried. The more we talked about it, the more she told me about disturbing things she¡¯d noticed that I hadn¡¯t. We had tried changing feeding habits, more per sitting or more frequent feedings, but it didn¡¯t seem to make any difference. I reluctantly agreed with her that blood alone wasn¡¯t doing it.


    Several times, I went to Shae explaining how I had lost control again or became angry for no reason. The shakes were with me constantly now. I tried my best to hide it from the rest of the group, but it was only a matter of time before someone would notice, and then the cat would be out of the bag.

 Z Day +32

    <u>Z Day +32</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    ¡°What is it?¡± Shae looked me in the eye. It was one of the rare moments when we were both off-duty.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said, scratching my chin. My beard was growing in, and I still wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to shave it. Having open wounds when you could be hand-to-hand with a zombie made me think twice.


    ¡°Still worried about the plan?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course. But¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something that could help us,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you.¡± I locked eyes with her.


    ¡°Because of Pagoda?¡± It was more of a statement than a question.


    I threw my hands up in disgust. ¡°God, I hate this.¡±


    Her cool hand on my arm slowed my outburst of anger. While the anger had been increasing lately, her touch seemed to settle me down. I looked down at her hand and thought back to when I used to jump when someone touched me.


    ¡°Is it something you can do on your own?¡± she said.


    I chewed my lip, ¡°I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°Then how can I help?¡±


    ¡°Well, I need to get to San Antonio,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think you could start the serum again?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Well, what we¡¯re doing now isn¡¯t making things better, just delaying the inevitable.¡± The look on her face told me that it pained her to say it.


    Things between us were in a strange place. I could tell she had feelings for me. I wasn¡¯t sure to what extent because she intentionally blocked that part of herself from me when we bloodtouched.


    We sometimes slept together, but it was never sexual in nature. Anytime things seemed to be heading that way, she would pull back. I could tell she was interested but wouldn¡¯t let herself give in to the moment for some reason. While frustrating, I never pressed, no matter how much I wanted to.


    ¡°No,¡± I sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking of that. There¡¯s something that would give us an edge that we desperately need.¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°BAMC. Brooke Army Medical Center,¡± I said.


    ¡°I thought you were supposed to meet a courier at Randolph?¡± Shae said.


    ¡°I was supposed to get the serum at Randolph. What I¡¯m thinking of is so secure, even if the base fell¡ª¡± I paused. I called all military installations bases out of habit, but BAMC was Army. ¡°Even if the post fell, this stuff is kept on such lockdown no one could get in to loot it. It¡¯s gotta still be there.¡±


    BAMC was one of the five emergency storage points in the US for all aspects of the Phobos Project, my super-soldier project. All the storage points were housed in hospitals at major military hubs. San Antonio was a natural choice, having so much military support there. Had BAMC been my home base, I could have picked up my serum on the same day. Unfortunately, I was based elsewhere.


    ¡°Did you want to try Randolph first?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°No. BAMC is our best bet all the way around,¡± I said. ¡°Now, the only question is how would I get there and back quick enough.¡±


    ¡°Quick enough?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave our group undefended,¡± I started.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this,¡± Shae said, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re not that essential, you know. We¡¯ve left them on their own before.¡± She scowled at me.


    I gave her a flat stare, and she held up her hands.


    ¡°I can stay behind while you¡ª¡± she started before I cut her off.


    ¡°No!¡± The word tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop it. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you out of my sight again.¡± While things between us were not close to the way they were, I was still surprised with the force with which I said that. So was she.


    Shae looked at me calmly for a minute, her head slightly tilted. She looked like she was considering her words carefully.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I managed before she could talk.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­alright,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± I tried, my throat suddenly going dry. ¡°I can¡¯t risk losing you again. I don¡¯t think I would survive this time.¡± I stared at my hands for a long moment before looking up.


    It was a long time before she spoke. ¡°James, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened with us. I¡¯ve seen your memories of us and feel they¡¯re the absolute truth through your eyes. But it¡¯s all a fog to me. I wish I knew, if for nothing else than to put both our minds to rest,¡± she sighed. ¡°I am fond of you; I know that. You''ve grown on me in the time we¡¯ve been together since Z Day.¡±


    ¡°Like a fungus?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, a fungus¡­and despite some of the things that come out of your mouth, somehow, I still find myself attracted to you.¡±


    I smiled a little sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, I kinda figured that one out.¡±


    ¡°But¡­there¡¯s nothing more. At least, not as much as you have for me.¡± She took a deep breath and blew it out. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m not going anywhere till I get this figured out.¡±


    Her words stung. I¡¯d felt we¡¯d been getting closer these past few weeks. From what she was telling me now, I was wrong. A pregnant pause filled the room.


    ¡°So,¡± she said finally, ¡°what are we going to do?¡±


    After more discussion, we decided to leave at dusk the following day. With Shae¡¯s sun protection gone, we were forced to travel by night. We still had her bike and filled her tank from our reserves. Usually, a trip to San Antonio would take about an hour. We weren¡¯t sure how long this trip would take but planned on having to stay over until the following night.


    I set up a watch schedule for the rest to follow and contingency plans if they had to bug out. If things got bad, we had meet-up points established.


    Miria had practically pushed me out the door when she got sick of all my contingency plans. She complained loudly about what all the training had been for if I was never going to leave.


    I-35 was surprisingly easy to navigate. Shae was driving while I was keeping an eye out. Shae had a single helmet that I was currently wearing. When I protested, she pushed it on my head with enough force that I saw stars.


    All the military roadblocks were either gone or deserted. At the same time, there were a lot of dead cars on the road in either direction. The wide, four-lane Texas highways gave plenty of room to maneuver.


    I only saw a few shambling figures, nothing like the giant hordes you read about in books. We didn¡¯t meet a single breathing person.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± I yelled into her ear.


    ¡°What?¡± she didn¡¯t take her eyes off the road. She was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses to keep the bugs out of her eyes. I had no idea how she could see anything in all this darkness.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing like 150!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Relax, we¡¯re barely at 80,¡± she continued, speeding up a bit as she weaved around several cars. She must have missed being unable to open her bike up as she continued to flirt with disaster.


    As I clung that much tighter to her, my head pressing into her back, I swear I could hear her grinning at me. It was true; I didn¡¯t have much experience with motorcycles. The closest I had was when Trent let me borrow his scooter to run an errand across town. But that thing topped out at like 88km/h. Downhill. With a tailwind.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this bike anyway?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, what¡¯s the deal? You refused to leave it behind both times we¡¯ve bugged out. It obviously means something to you,¡± I said.


    ¡°It was a concept bike at the Tokyo Motor Show several years back. I thought it looked amazing, so I pulled some strings and had it shipped over. They still haven¡¯t started producing them, and I guess they won¡¯t now. That makes it one of a kind.¡± This time, she glanced back at me for a split second. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s cool,¡± she smiled.


    In no time, we were in San Antonio, where the roads became more of a mess. The divided highways lost their spacious shoulder and medians. What little space there was was choked with broken-down cars. We didn¡¯t see anyone else, but I did note there were still some streetlights working on the highway and in some neighborhoods.


    As we crawled down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic, I saw more moving figures. Most were off the road out in the neighborhoods. They were all attracted to the sound of the bike. We kept moving to stay ahead of the growing trail of shambling bodies.


    An overpass brought us high enough in the air to see where downtown should have been. The skyline was dark. We could see a handful of lights but couldn¡¯t determine if they were electric or fires.


    The exit ramp was choked with cars, forcing us off-road to get off the highway. The last few kilometers to the post was a much smaller road clogged with cars. You could see the hospital from the road. It was a monstrous building built to replace the old and crumbling hospital on the central part of the post.


    I tapped Shae on the shoulder, ¡°Stop here.¡±


    She glanced around and slowed to a stop.


    ¡°If we hop the fence here, we can jog the rest of the way,¡± I said.


    ¡°Guards?¡± she asked.


    I glanced again at the dark and silent building.


    ¡°There¡¯s not going to be any. This place is dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of,¡± she said.


    We stashed the bike in a nearby ditch and covered it. We quickly scaled the fence, careful of the barbed wire at the top. Had it been razor wire, it would have been a bit more of a challenge, but the old barbed wire was easy to avoid.


    The hospital was about a kilometer off the highway. We went through the grassy field and up to the small concrete walls surrounding the building. I pulled her up short as we crouched behind the wall. Tapping my ear, we paused and listened.


    Shae had admitted to me she¡¯d never been the military type. She¡¯d never gone for all the tactics, special weapons, and all that. The only reason she knew guns now was because Pagoda had required it. Most of her life had been spent working the halls of the vampire elites. She knew enough about intrigue and espionage, but when it came to assaulting a building, she acquiesced to my experience.


    Not finding any large rocks around us, I motioned her to the stone wall. She reached over and singlehandedly ripped a large chunk from the wall before throwing it quite an impressive way. It practically exploded when it hit the pavement with a most satisfying sound. Shae looked at me and winked, dusting her hands off.


    We waited. Nothing moved. When the crickets came back to life, I decided we were as ready as we would be. We pulled the machetes from our waists and headed towards a promising-looking window. While that window was shattered inwardly, I noted the one next to it was unlocked. We slipped into what looked like an administrative office.


    Pointing at the glass, I side-stepped it and moved towards the door to the inner hallway. At the door, an icy hand made me freeze. I looked back at Shae, who was pointing at an emergency exit map on the wall. I nodded and quickly took a look.


    I¡¯d never been in this hospital. I¡¯d visited the old one back when I was escorting some burned airmen back from overseas. They¡¯d been treated as much as they could at Landstuhl, Germany, before being moved here for long-term treatment. I had no idea where the secured facility I was looking for was, but I had a general idea of where it should be.


    Looking at the map, I identified where we were and noted several possible locations. We silently stepped out into the hall. We moved down the center of the hallway slowly. Shae was walking backward, watching the other end of the hall. She could move quieter backward than I could forward.


    We had practiced a bit for this part. I knew we¡¯d be in close quarters and had to work together as silently as possible. I taught her a few hand and arm signals, but nothing complicated. I believed in the K.I.S.S. doctrine.


    Normally, I¡¯d be used to someone hanging onto my belt to stay in formation, but Shae¡¯s senses allowed her to know exactly where I was without touching me.


    She did grab my belt once. She¡¯d heard something and touched her ear when I glanced at her. She didn¡¯t take her eyes off where she¡¯d heard it from, just like I¡¯d taught her. My ears hadn¡¯t caught whatever she¡¯d heard, and after a moment, she patted my leg, and we continued moving.


    The hallways weren¡¯t cluttered, which was surprising. If they had evacuated, it was the neatest one I¡¯d ever seen. So far, no bodies. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was happy about that or not.


    We rounded a corner, and the smell hit me, causing me to hesitate. At my hesitance, Shae span around to stand beside me.


    The hallway was smeared with gore. There were bits of blackened things littering the floor and the counter of the check-in desk. The walls were riddled with bullet holes. There was no pattern to the violence, just pure panic fire. Still, there were no bodies.


    We paused, listening again, but nothing stirred. I reached down and picked up a discarded PR-24 from the ground. It was a policeman¡¯s baton with a handle that jutted out 90 degrees from the stick. It was laminated with a resin that was designed to not break. I tucked it into my belt and looked around one last time.


    Steeling myself, we moved through the gore and towards the back, where a set of double doors barred our way with ¡°restricted access¡± and ¡°employees only¡± signs.


    This time, I heard something. Maybe clothes brushing against something? I froze, reaching back to touch Shae and then my ear. I pointed down a side hall on our left. The sound didn¡¯t repeat, and after a minute, I pushed on the door; it didn¡¯t move.


    A glance told me it was a hydraulic door with an RFID pad on the right. Had I a proper security card and power, I could touch the pad, and the doors would open for me. Right now, I had neither. I started to reach up to test the seam when a cold arm pressed me hard against the door.


    By the time I turned around, it was over. From what I could surmise, the shambler I¡¯d heard earlier had finally emerged from the shadows. Shae had seen it and pushed me out of the way. From the shape of the crumbled corpse on the floor, she¡¯d smashed it with a backhand that had sent it crashing into the wall and crushing its skull.


    I reached up and took the offered hand. She pulled me to my feet effortlessly. ¡°So much for the machete,¡± I whispered.


    She shrugged and reached for the closed door. She dug her fingers into the door with one hand and pulled it open with a ¡°pop¡± of the lock.


    I nodded in respect, and she grinned at me. We paused, listening to see if our noise had attracted any attention.


    I glanced at the corpse. It was in an Army uniform with a leather MP armband. I¡¯d found where the baton had come from. I quickly sliced his belt off and removed the baton¡¯s carrying ring before stuffing it into my pocket. I took a shallow breath through my mouth, trying not to smell the hallway and moved on.


    The hall beyond was filled with doors on either side. A nurse station was halfway down the hall on the left. We made our way slowly towards it, once again in our back-to-back formation.


    We both froze, glancing at the ceiling as we heard something moving on the floor above us. I found I¡¯d been holding my breath and slowly let it out as we moved forward again. Each of the rooms around us had their doors closed.


    I saw a shadow move inside one room just before a face smashed against the small window. The sound was deafening in the quiet hallway. The pale face smeared black gore across the window as a loud thumping began, its hand beating against the door.


    Suddenly, the pounding began on the other side of the hall as another face appeared. The doors opened into the individual rooms, so the wretched creatures were trapped inside. We''d have been in trouble if they¡¯d had enough intelligence to pull on the door.


    ¡°Move,¡± I muttered, and we were in motion. Noise discipline was gone now as our footfalls were easily covered by the chorus of door pounding that continued to grow.


    We reached the nurse¡¯s station and turned left into the small dark hall that cut through to the other side of the ward. Halfway down the hall was a dark stairwell.


    Shae took the lead; her night vision was vastly superior to mine. While I could barely make out the stairs, she could see as if it were day. We dropped down two levels and came to another door.


    We paused, listening to the thumping still going on upstairs. A faint red glow came from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Good sign,¡± I whispered. At her questioning look I continued, ¡°The only level with emergency lighting still on.¡±


    She nodded, pulled the door open and slipped inside. The hallway was dimly lit by red emergency lights running the length of the walls, one every five meters or so. This hallway had no doors.


    As we followed the hallway, it turned left, revealing another hallway with no doors. We walked to the end of it and turned left again. This time, a door was on the left side of the wall. The wall looked like it continued to make another left, forming a large square around a center room.


    As we approached, a blue-white panel lit up next to the smooth metal door. I placed my hand on it, feeling the stinging sensation as the computer sampled my hand. A moment later, another screen lit up with a tiny digital keypad.


    ¡°Well, power here seems to be working,¡± she said in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Internal power source probably. This is the right place.¡± I typed in my system password, and the panel turned green.


    The door didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Uh...¡± I placed my hand on the scanner to start the whole process over again, but nothing happened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. That worked. I got the green light and everything. It should have opened,¡± I frowned.


    A moment later, a speaker clicked on, and a hushed voice said, ¡°Oh-my-God. The door didn¡¯t work. What could possibly be wrong?¡± a familiar voice taunted.


    ¡°Travis?¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself, my mouth hung open in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, maybe the whole zombie apocalypse?¡± the voice continued as if he hadn¡¯t heard me.


    ¡°How the hell did you make it out of Taynon Provence?¡± I asked.


    ¡°And maybe someone smart might have thought, ¡°Oh, maybe I should go stock up on what I need to stay alive?¡± the voice continued.


    I shook my head. It was definitely Travis. The same voice and the same annoying mannerisms.


    ¡°Travis shut up and let me in the damned door,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh wait, I know. First, let me grab some bimbo to bring down here, and we can spend the whole apocalypse in my secret lair.¡±


    ¡°Bimbo?¡± Shae glared at the speaker.


    ¡°She¡¯s good, Travis. Just let us in,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, wait. The bimbo had this snarky VD problem, and now I can¡¯t stop itching,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°James?¡± Shae was losing her composure, something I hadn¡¯t seen before.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, relax.¡± I turned back to the console, ¡°Seriously, Travis, we¡¯re all secure.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± his voice sounded dejected. ¡°But on your head be it.¡± The door slid open to reveal another smaller room with a second door.


    ¡°Airlock?¡± Shae asked, stepping into the small room.


    I nodded as the first door closed behind us.


    ¡°In all seriousness though, Sarge, why are you bringing a vampire into the clubhouse?¡± Travis was on the intercom again.


    I sighed. Travis was running through duress procedures, seeing if I was in trouble by giving me time to pass a duress word to him in a normal conversation.


    ¡°Remember Shae?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°The crazy bitch you used to go on about who refused to marry you and ran off without a word?¡±


    I motioned toward Shae and said, ¡°Ta-da.¡±


    After a pregnant pause, ¡°You want me to gas her now or later?¡±


    Shae growled under her breath; I¡¯d never heard her do that before.


    ¡°Play nice,¡± I said to both of them.


    A loud sigh came across the speaker, ¡°Fine.¡± The inner door popped open.


    Inside was a small laboratory. Metal-plated walls surrounded metal-grated floors. Several sterilized metal tables sat in the room, each with different pieces of equipment on them. A small inner chamber was off to the back left corner, housing an operating bed under dark blue lights that looked slept in. A glass wall on the right housed a bank of computer screens, which a tall man stood behind. He was a big man, muscular, not fat. His hair was cut short, almost to the scalp. He wore a tank top with a military logo that showed off his vast shoulders. He also wore a guarded expression.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Travis!¡± I smiled. He and I had been on several operations together and had gotten along rather well. I was amazed to see a familiar face. ¡°Seriously, what are you doing here? Last I heard, you were on convo in Qatar.¡±


    Travis nodded, ¡°Yeah, the convo didn¡¯t go so well, and they shipped me back here for more rehab.¡± He glanced at Shae. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡±


    ¡°Long story,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, I got enough MREs for about four years. That long enough?¡± Travis said.


    I smiled, ¡°Yeah, that should do it. But first, what¡¯s OUR status?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re done. The entire chain of command went silent. I don¡¯t know if we lost them or if they are too busy with this whole mess to worry about us right now. So, it looks like we¡¯re on our own,¡± Travis said.


    I exhaled sharply, ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Good?¡± Travis asked.


    ¡°I was worried there would be complications,¡± I said.


    ¡°Complica...what do you mean?¡± He looked down at the monitors a moment later. ¡°Holy shit! What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Another long story,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, you better start talking ''cause I¡¯m about five seconds away from flushing the both of you,¡± Travis said.


    Shae tensed.


    ¡°Now, everyone calm down.¡± I put my hand on her shoulder, feeling her muscles coiled and trembling with fury. ¡°Short story, ran out of juice, had to improvise. I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    Travis seemed to relax a little, ¡°And the long story?¡±


    I sighed and looked around. ¡°Don¡¯t happen to have any chairs in here, do you?¡±


    An hour later, I was finishing up, ¡°And that brings us to the here and now.¡±


    He watched the two of us for a minute before seeming to come to a decision. He walked to the door to his control room and pressed a button, the door sliding open. He crossed the room and held out his hand to me. I looked up at his two meter frame and took his hand carefully, unsure what was happening.


    ¡°OK, still human, I guess,¡± Travis said.


    Turning to Shae, he held out his hand, ¡°I apologize for all the¡ª¡± was as far as he got before her hand slapped him hard across the jaw.


    ¡°Bimbo?¡± she snapped.


    Travis stretched his jaw, his eyes blinking furiously as he rubbed his jaw gingerly. ¡°OK, I guess I deserved that. Like I said, I apologize for all that went on before. I had to be sure James wasn¡¯t being held hostage.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± I started, trying to refocus the group. ¡°How long have you been holed up here?¡±


    ¡°About a year now. The first eight months were rehab. The last four have been minding the store since the last courier went MIA,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Missing? What¡¯s that about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Supposedly, he went out and never came back. They said since I was already here, I might as well hang out until they could get someone else. Then all this happened. I¡¯ve been hiding out down here ever since,¡± Travis shrugged.


    ¡°The entire time?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Mostly. I¡¯ll occasionally go up to the roof for a breath of fresh air. They haven¡¯t been able to get into the stairwells yet, so that¡¯s been my safest route. City¡¯s gone to shit. Not that it was that great to begin with,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°So, where is everyone? You¡¯ve still got the feeds?¡± I asked.


    He nodded, turning and motioning for us to follow him. The control booth had more screens than you could see from the outside. Most were internal security cameras, some were SIPR and NIPR connections, and a couple were civilian broadcast and satellite feeds.


    ¡°Not a lot getting through nowadays. Governments gone to ground in Colorado. Seems to be mostly intact but not doing much. Cities have mostly cleared out, people running in any which direction. Some shelters and protected zones are still holding, but not a lot. The folks left are mainly holed up in their homes, if you can believe that. No services, no water, heat, etc., but they¡¯re still hiding in their attics and basements. Sadly, most of them aren¡¯t going to last much longer. Food and basic needs just can¡¯t be met,¡± Travis shook his head.


    ¡°The military?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The ones still on duty aren¡¯t doing too bad. There was a huge desertion rate when they realized what was going on. The Navy is one of the few still intact. That¡¯s mainly because they are isolated on the ships.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t last,¡± Shae said.


    We turned and looked at Shae.


    ¡°I know something about what happens when you try and hold a ship¡¯s crew hostage. It doesn¡¯t end well,¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°What about the rest of the world?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s global. I never thought the sci-fi geeks would get it right, but they called it. Once this thing got out, it spread like wildfire. There¡¯s not one unaffected country that I know of. Course, I¡¯ve been mainly focused on us and the few bases where we still have active troops overseas. I feel sorry for those guys. They¡¯ll probably never see home again,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see a lot of shamblers on the way down here. What¡¯s that about?¡± I said.


    ¡°Shamblers?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sounds better than zombie. I still can¡¯t get used to saying the word aloud. So, shamblers,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right. Shamblers it is. Although, the world is calling them zombies. The US military calls them Zeke, and the US of A is calling them the living impaired,¡± Travis grinned.


    I chuckled at that one.


    ¡°So, what can I do for you and your vampiric girlfriend? Are y¡¯all together now? All lovey-dovey again?¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Shae, can you give us a minute?¡± I asked, nodding outside the control room.


    ¡°Sure, just don¡¯t let him ¡®flush¡¯ me,¡± she made air quotes and headed for the door, apparently relieved to get away from Travis. I had a feeling they weren¡¯t going to end up bosom buddies.


    Once she left the room, I asked, ¡°How sealed is this room?¡±


    ¡°I can make it airtight. And shade the glass,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Do it,¡± I said.


    He touched a few buttons, and my ears popped; the outside room where Shae was tinted slightly green. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Travis asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a nest in Austin; I want to take over its compound,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sounds simple enough.¡± He turned to the computer, ¡°Do you have a name?¡±


    ¡°Pagoda.¡± I saw him flinch. ¡°You know the name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he sighed, tapping several keys on his console. A satellite image of Austin appeared. It wasn¡¯t real-time, as the image was in the daylight. He zoomed into the Barton Creek Greenbelt with a few more keystrokes. The digital outlines of multiple buildings appeared over the heavily wooded area. It was Pagoda¡¯s compound.


    ¡°Looks like a fortress,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Close. It was a mission a long time ago. Reinforced walls, multiple buildings, sentries and possibly some underground tunnels, but our imagery isn¡¯t good enough with all that clutter.¡±


    I nodded, looking at the overlay. ¡°Forces?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Pre-Z Day, you were looking at forty residents,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Forty? How¡¯d he maintain that many?¡± I said.


    Travis clicked through several files before settling on one. ¡°He was smart, never used locals. He had people trucked in under the disguise of a drug-induced rave party. Like literally, he would have people put into the back of a giant U-Haul, bring them in, tap them and then send the bodies back with blanked memories. But someone got a little too excited and ate someone instead of just tapping them. Needless to say, he hasn¡¯t been the party type since,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°What about now, any intel?¡± I said.


    ¡°Not a whole lot.¡± He ran through several more sets of photos. ¡°We don¡¯t have the Intel imagers we used to, so we¡¯re pretty spotty. If I had to guess, maybe four guards on the walls at any given time, two more mobile. I don¡¯t know about residents,¡± Travis said.


    He adjusted the map to a section near the rear of the compound. ¡°But this is interesting,¡± he circled a small area. ¡°This building back here has seen a lot of activity the past few weeks, more than the main building.¡±


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Computer doesn¡¯t understand it, just tags it as increased foot traffic. But, if I had to guess, I¡¯d say he¡¯s stocking the larder,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Remember that chump in Turkey that we ran into? He had that whole medieval castle ruin on top of a mountain,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Yeah, the locals used to take tourists up there for a couple of bucks. Heard one fell off the cliff once,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one. The guy didn¡¯t live in the ruin; he just liked it and kept it for whatever reason. Anyway, he had his compound in the town, part of an old Roman fort,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I remember now. When you were up on the mountain, you could look down and see where the lines of the old Roman city were. What about it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t like going out to eat, so he had his own private food source. He had several live-in tap boys that stayed on his property. They had their own houses on the compound and everything they could want, so they never had to leave. They lived fat and happy, only having to give it up occasionally,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s what Pagoda¡¯s done here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my guess. It makes sense.¡±


    ¡°But, who would want to live that way?¡± And then I answered my own question, *We would.* With the current state of things, giving up a pint of blood every six weeks or so was a fair trade to be kept safe and fed. I had a couple of troubling thoughts I filed away for further contemplation.


    ¡°What sort of strike force do you plan on using?¡± Travis asked.


    I frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    He looked at me, ¡°Why ARE you here? You apparently don¡¯t need the juice anymore; how¡¯s that working out for you?¡±


    I made a sour face, ¡°Not good.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you could go back on the drugs. From what the computers tell me about your condition, you¡¯d probably have to start the treatments from scratch. No one has ever done that before.¡±


    ¡°No one has ever survived doing that,¡± I corrected. ¡°Anyway, I need to try and level the playing field or, if nothing else, give my people a fighting chance against that compound. I need Jewels.¡±


    Travis frowned.


    ¡°Not a pallet or anything, maybe enough for a dozen people,¡± I said.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s going to be enough? From looking at this previous data, you¡¯d need a hell of a lot more to take that place out,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Let me worry about it. I need to know what you can give me,¡± I said.


    Travis spun around in his chair and stood up. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about quantity.¡±


    He punched in a series of buttons, and a door slid up from the back of the room I hadn¡¯t seen before. Lights started flicking on in the room behind. It was a dry room, dehumidifiers working overtime to keep out the San Antonio humidity. Three rows of pallets, at least eight deep, were in the middle of the room, while shelves were piled high with crates all the way around the edges.


    I whistled.


    ¡°Yeah, so what¡¯s her story?¡± Travis asked, pointing a thumb at Shae.


    ¡°Bloodbound to Pagoda,¡± I said, still looking at the ammo pallets.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Travis hissed.


    ¡°Yeah. Any idea about his movements? Would be nice to know when he was coming home,¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything in the notes, but again, Intel is not what it used to be. Our field operatives are a little bit sidetracked at the moment,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say. Hopefully, they¡¯re not slouching and moaning.¡± I thought a moment, ¡°Any other Phobos operators in the area?¡±


    ¡°Not in Texas,¡± Travis shook his head.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. Any chance you might...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, boss, I¡¯ve got to hold down the fort,¡± Travis said.


    It was a long shot, but I had to ask. ¡°No biggie,¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°So, what can I do you for?¡± Travis turned back to the storage room.


    I sighed, pulling up the mental inventory I¡¯d prepared.


    He read the look on my face. ¡°You need me to get a cart?¡±


    ¡°No. Like I said, I don¡¯t need a lot. Besides, we came down on a bike, so what we can take back is pretty limited.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm...¡± Travis rumbled.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmmmm. How bad was the highway on the way down?¡± Travis stroked his chin.


    ¡°Pretty bad car-wise, not so much Shambler-wise. Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I might be able to get you a bit more cargo room.¡± He turned back to the monitors and flipped through screens outside until he found what he was looking for.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I complained.


    ¡°What? Not the right color?¡± Travis asked.


    ¡°Oh, no, not that. I didn¡¯t realize the sun was already coming up.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Travis said.


    ¡°It means we¡¯re stuck here.¡± I threw a thumb at Shae and could tell he understood right away.


    ¡°Got it. Well, I can clear off some space if you two don¡¯t mind shacking up.¡±


    I thought about it. ¡°I¡¯d probably better ask.¡±


    ¡°I thought y¡¯all were close,¡± Travis looked at me curiously.


    ¡°We were, once upon a horror story. Now it¡¯s turned tragedy,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Sorry man,¡± Travis said. ¡°Despite what the books and movies would have you believe, these sorts of things don¡¯t normally work out.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡± I turned back to the motorcycle with a sidecar on the screen, ¡°Do you know if it¡¯s good to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Used it a few times myself when I got sick of MREs and wanted something different,¡± Travis nodded at the bike.


    ¡°There¡¯s only so much Jalapeno Cheese Spread one can eat,¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Amen, brother. Listen, why don¡¯t you two bed down? You look beat to shit. I was just starting my shift anyway. Give me your list, I¡¯ll pull what you need, and I¡¯ll make sure she can¡¯t identify it. I¡¯ll wake you up an hour before nightfall. Sound good?¡± Travis said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lifesaver, Travis,¡± I patted him on his boulder-like shoulder.


    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯re the first real people I¡¯ve talked to in weeks. I need to try and keep the interesting ones alive,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°And not because I owe you $50?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, there is that,¡± his grin was huge. ¡°Now go on, take the operating room. If you want, the windows will tint just like these. There¡¯s an emergency shower over there; it¡¯s cold but clean. I¡¯ll get to work in the back room. Let me know if you need anything else.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Thanks again, Travis,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Your girl¡¯s got quite the arm,¡± Travis touched his jaw again.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that,¡± I said.


    He shook his head, ¡°It all comes around.¡±


    I returned to the main room, where Shae was investigating some of the more unusual-looking equipment.


    ¡°Is this a vampire-killing lab?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Something like that; I¡¯d be careful what you touch,¡± I said as she turned to look at me. ¡°Long story. But first, Travis¡¯s going to prep what I need. It¡¯s already daylight, so we¡¯re stuck here for the duration. He¡¯s offered us his accommodations until tonight,¡± I pointed at the operating room.


    ¡°For some reason, I¡¯m not enthused about sleeping on a table used to dissect vampires,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°If it makes any difference, that table is not for vampires; it¡¯s for my kind.¡± Seeing her look, ¡°Again, a long story,¡± I said.


    ¡°All your stories seem to be long,¡± she said, coming over to me. ¡°Also, sounds like you have a lot on your mind.¡±


    ¡°Just dreading a cold emergency shower,¡± I glanced at the yellow curtain off to the side.


    A twinkle came into her eye. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you and Travis were so close.¡±


    A snort of laughter escaped the control room. Apparently, Travis hadn¡¯t resealed it. Shae threw the control room a dirty look. A moment later, the hiss of Travis sealing the room filled the air.


    ¡°It was funny,¡± I offered.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she nodded, grabbing my hand and heading towards the operating room. ¡°You don¡¯t smell that bad,¡± she said, closing the door behind us. ¡°Can you block these windows as well?¡±


    I briefly glanced at the controls and fumbled with a few keys before the windows changed to the same shade of green I¡¯d seen from inside the control booth.


    ¡°Sound too?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will matter¡ª¡± but her look cut me off. I flipped the pressurize switch, and my ears popped again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care too much for your friend,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed with all the slapping and such,¡± I said.


    Shae turned away and went to the operating bed. It looked like seat cushions from several chairs had been laid out and covered with several sheets, making a lumpy bed. She sighed and effortlessly pushed herself into a sitting position on the side of the bed, her legs dangling. ¡°You tired?¡±


    I suppressed a yawn, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, you know that?¡± she smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve said so before,¡± I said.


    She curled her finger at me with a ¡°come hither¡± look.


    I went to her and stood by as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I looked up at her, one eyebrow raised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± She put her arms around my neck and pulled me to her, burying her face in my neck. ¡°I just want...I could use this,¡± she nuzzled the base of my neck, running her nose along my collarbone. ¡°I wish I knew why this is so relaxing to me.¡±


    I could feel her almost purring against me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly call it relaxing,¡± I said, shifting slightly. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely not unpleasant.¡± I pulled back from her slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t get you. You¡¯re hands off one minute, and the next, you¡¯re rubbing against me like a cat.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it either,¡± she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s like my mind says one thing and my body another. My mind doesn¡¯t like to let me relax around you; it''s really confusing. When I find something that lets me break these weird rules I don¡¯t understand, I try to hold onto it but am scared to do anything else in case it ruins it. Does that make any sense?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Shut up and come here,¡± she pulled me up onto the table. Curling up in front of me as the small spoon, she nestled into my body. My arm instinctually wrapping around her. I noticed for the first time that our bodies seemed to fit together better than they had so long ago, probably because I¡¯d grown a bit.


    ¡°Now, tell me all your dirty secrets,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°We have to leave tonight; there¡¯s not enough time for all that,¡± I scoffed.


    She slapped my thigh playfully. ¡°Tell me your long story before you fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°You sure you want to hear it? It¡¯s not a good bedtime story,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know all about horror stories,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Some of it I¡¯ve already seen in your memories. But I want to know the truth of it. Let me have it.¡±


    ¡°You asked for it.¡± I shrugged, burying my nose in her hair. Even though we¡¯d been riding all night, her hair still had the faint smell of Jasmine. I wondered what shampoo she used to keep that smell so long.


    ¡°So...after you disappeared, I went kinda nuts trying to find you. I continued to go to school by some miracle, remembering how you were the last time I tried to quit.[1]</a> After graduation, I still couldn¡¯t find you, and no one had seen you either. That lasted another several months before I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and ran away.


    ¡°Well, I tried to run away. I went off and joined the Air Force with the promise that they¡¯d send me as far away from Austin as I could get. I was desperate because I couldn¡¯t get you out of my head. I didn¡¯t care what I did for them, so they made me an Air Force police officer, as there never seemed to be enough of them. After six months, I knew why nobody wanted the job. For how important the job was, the duty hours were crap, the deployment tempo ridiculous, and everyone treated you like garbage. But I was in for six years, so there was nothing I could do; I just embraced the suck.


    ¡°A couple years passed, and I was in Louisiana when they came for me.¡± I suddenly stopped, thinking about what I was about to say and to whom I was saying it.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that...well, everything I¡¯m about to tell you is highly classified.¡±


    ¡°And if you tell me, then you¡¯re telling Pagoda?¡± she said.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Well, I already know the military has a top-secret program that augments humans into semi-vampires, and they go around the world policing things. What else is there?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think they will be holding court martials anytime soon either. Where was I?¡±


    ¡°They came for you,¡± she prompted.


    ¡°Ah yes, Barksdale AFB, armpit of the Air Force. A man shows up all 007 and wants to know about the vampires I had hung out with. Turns out most tap boys end up with a genetic marker from all the spit shoved in our bodies. The marker remains dormant until triggered by the chemical they¡¯d developed.¡±


    I yawned trying to remember how long I¡¯d been awake now. My sleep patterns were erratic so I tried to catch a few hours wherever I could.


    ¡°The drug makes us faster, stronger, tougher than normal humans. It enhances our senses, aids healing, the works,¡± I said.


    ¡°To what extent?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not a normal vampire. I¡¯d say we¡¯d probably be on par with the weakest vamp you could come across. Anyway, they enrolled me in the program and started giving me injections.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a choice?¡± She cocked her head.


    ¡°No, not really. They had given me a starting shot through a glass of water I¡¯d drank. At that point, there was no turning back. They said without continued injections, I¡¯d die.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Why do they give you shots if you can take it in water?¡±


    ¡°Noticed that, did you?¡± I nuzzled her neck.


    ¡°Stop that.¡±


    ¡°What? You did it to me,¡± I said, my nose tucking behind her ear.


    ¡°Stay focused.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said.


    She sighed, ¡°On with the story, eejit.¡±


    ¡°Eejit?¡±


    ¡°Story,¡± she said firmly.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed, kissing the back of her head. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t catch on to that fact until later. Complete lie. They just used it as a hook to suck you in. It seemed they¡¯d been watching me for my entire career. You know those TB tests they give you where they stab your arm with four little needles, then you have to come back a week later to see if you had a reaction?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no,¡± she laughed. ¡°That was a bit after my time.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, remembering she¡¯d probably been a vampire long before the test had been developed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to remember how old you are sometimes since you haven¡¯t told me.¡±


    ¡°Be nice,¡± she scolded.


    ¡°No, seriously. You act so ¡®normal,¡¯ or ¡®modern,¡¯ or whatever. I mean, you don¡¯t even have an accent,¡± I said in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m not making sense.¡±


    ¡°I adapt to the times. It makes things easier. You try walking around speaking old English, or old Spanish, or even Gaeilge Chlasaiceach, for that matter, and see what happens. But you¡¯re starting to babble. Story.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, it wasn¡¯t only tuberculosis they were testing for. One of the needles had an agent that would react with the tap boy genetic marker,¡± I said.


    ¡°TB test...tap boy test.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah. Needless to say, I spent the next six months at a military medical center like this one, undergoing initial processing and then another six months of training. By the end of the year, I¡¯d learned to use my newfound abilities to ¡°maintain order¡± in the world: more propaganda.


    ¡°They sent me all over doing this mission and that mission, easy stuff at first. Personnel protection, guarding convoys, things like that. Then they started farming me out to other agencies, and I started going through raids, assaults, assassinations, you name it. Most of the time, it was just ordinary bad guys, or at least what I was told were bad guys. Occasionally, we¡¯d run across other supernaturals, and things would get dicey. If we knew about them in advance, we¡¯d only go in as a team or multiple teams. If we didn¡¯t know about them, it never ended well.


    ¡°When my six years were finally up, they extended my enlistment. I didn¡¯t care, where could I go? I knew I would have to take that drug for the rest of my life, and they made it abundantly clear I was cut off if I ever separated from the service. We¡¯d heard horror stories about guys who quit. They supposedly died of heart failure, severe seizures, aneurysms, etc. So, I stayed on willingly. What did I have to lose?


    ¡°It also definitely kept my mind off you. That is, except when we were sent in to raid a lair. My nerves would kick in then, worrying if I might come across you and what I would do if I did. Those days, I always took an extra dose even though we weren¡¯t supposed to. Afterward, I¡¯d drink myself into unconsciousness; it was the only time I ever overindulged. The guys always figured it was the fact we were going up against vamps that did it to me. They never knew.


    She pulled my hand off her chest and kissed it. ¡°Sorry,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Tell it to my liver,¡± I tried to laugh it off. ¡°It¡¯s in the past. What can you do?¡± I meant it rhetorically, but she rolled over to face me, the loose cushions shifting around.


    Shae touched my face gently. The touch of her cool skin made blood rush to my face. I put my hand on hers and moved it to my mouth, kissing it lightly. Again, I tried to stifle a yawn, making her smile.


    ¡°OK, no more stories. Go to sleep now.¡± This time, she rolled me onto my other side, and she lay behind me as the big spoon. She pulled me tightly against her, wrapping one leg over the top of mine and one hand under my arm, resting flat on my chest.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s one good thing about being a vampire,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Your arm doesn¡¯t go to sleep,¡± I said, turning my head and kissing her arm beneath me a moment before relaxing again. I could hear her chuckle and feel her chest shudder against my back. Then I was asleep.


    I woke up a few hours later with someone breathing in my ear. I lay still for a minute, collecting my thoughts. When I felt Shae shift slightly against my back, I realized she was still asleep.


    Feeling her wrapped around me, asleep and completely vulnerable, caused something inside me to start burning. The burn rose slowly up until it crept across my cheeks. Her touch''s coolness, combined with my body''s warmth, caused me to relax and fall back asleep.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    I snapped awake, remembering in time not to jump as James was still in my arms. I checked, and sure enough, he was still racked out. I gently removed myself and rolled out of the bed. I stretched, listening to the occasional pop inside my body.


    I managed to figure out how to open the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind me quietly.


    ¡°There¡¯s coffee if you want it,¡± Travis¡¯s voice startled me. I¡¯d been too focused on James and didn¡¯t notice him sitting on one of the tables, drinking coffee.


    ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t think I could handle it right now.¡± I hadn¡¯t had a good feed in a while and didn¡¯t want to risk it. Besides, coffee was just burnt water; tea was better. There was nothing like a good cuppa.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got tea as well,¡± he said, almost as if reading my mind.


    ¡°Under normal conditions, yes, please. But,¡± I shook my head, ¡°not now. Thanks.¡±


    A sudden flare of understanding appeared in his eyes. ¡°Oh.¡±


    I clicked the side of my mouth and pointed my finger at him with a ¡°you got it¡± gesture.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± he asked.


    I looked at him.


    ¡°When you can and can¡¯t eat,¡± he said.


    ¡°After a while, you just sorta get used to how your body reacts. Kind of like when you¡¯re eating, and suddenly your body goes, ¡®Hey, that¡¯s enough; I¡¯m full.¡¯ It¡¯s subtle and easy to miss, so sometimes you gorge until your stomach hurts. I¡¯ve gone through great pains to avoid that.¡±


    ¡°We,¡± he started. ¡°We don¡¯t get to talk to your kind very often.¡±


    ¡°Mostly just ¡®hands up¡¯ and ¡®freeze,¡¯ stuff like that?¡±


    ¡°Yep, pretty much,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°Most of the ones we do get to talk to either don¡¯t want to talk or spend the entire time cussing us out.¡±


    ¡°I can see why, under the circumstances,¡± I motioned to our surroundings. When I looked at him, he was looking at the floor. ¡°Why the change of heart?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, you went from bimbo to coffee pretty quick,¡± I said.


    ¡°It...¡± he started. ¡°Well...¡± he seemed downright embarrassed.


    ¡°You were listening in, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a video feed to the room,¡± he sighed. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been by myself a while now.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± I offered.


    ¡°Like I said, we don¡¯t get to talk to your people; I was curious. Normally, all we have to go on is what we see, read and are told. You¡¯re not what I was expecting at all,¡± he said.


    ¡°Not sparkly?¡± I said, making him smile.


    ¡°No, definitely not,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°What changed your mind?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Watching the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I said.


    He looked genuinely sad then. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about you or what happened back then, just what James told me.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine how that went,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    ¡°No...not like that. He only ever spoke good things when he¡¯d talk about you at all, which wasn¡¯t very often. Usually, when he¡¯d go on one of his benders.¡± He chuckled to himself. ¡°But watching you with him. There¡¯s no way that is a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if I was buying this, but he seemed sincere enough.


    ¡°Forget I said anything,¡± he said as he shook his head and walked back to the control room.


    ¡°Did he ask about the serum?¡± I asked.


    Travis stopped and turned back. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been out since Z Day. We¡¯ve been supplementing with fresh blood. It seems to have helped slow the deterioration, but he¡¯s getting worse. In body...and mind,¡± I said in a rush.


    ¡°Z Day?¡± he whistled. ¡°OK, talk to me.¡±


    ¡°The shakes are back, random but more than just tremors. Hands, arms, legs, you name it. His mental acuity is sporadic. He¡¯s prone to sudden outbursts, rage and reckless decision-making.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he sighed. ¡°That¡¯s stage three withdrawal, alright.¡±


    ¡°Stage three?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a stage four,¡± he said with finality.


    I shook my head, understanding the ramifications. ¡°Do you have more serum?¡±


    ¡°I do, but each serum is custom-tailored to us. I don¡¯t have his. It was supposed to be flown into Randolph, but Z Day happened, and it never made it. The best I could do would be a generic baseline serum we use for newbies. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s been off it so long, I don¡¯t know what it would do to him,¡± he said, shaking his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s already dying; what¡¯s there to lose?¡± I asked.


    ¡°True,¡± he rubbed his eyes, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t use it unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, just in case. You can¡¯t test it; it¡¯s an all-or-nothing formula.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said.


    He nodded and went back into the control room, coming back a little while later with a black pelican case. Inside were a dozen cigar-sized metal tubes.


    ¡°Each one of these is good for a day,¡± he said.


    ¡°One day?¡± I was shocked.


    ¡°Like I said, they¡¯re designed for the newbies. They were given one daily so the techs could monitor and adjust the formula as needed. And before you ask, neither of us knows how to do that. So, if you must use one, and it works, you¡¯ll have 11 days to get back here.¡±


    ¡°How much do you have?¡± I asked.


    He looked grim. ¡°I might have another 90 days, 100 at the outside. After that, the only other option would be to hit up another lab, but I haven¡¯t been able to contact any of them, so they may be gone.¡±


    I took the case from him, ¡°Thank you,¡± I said sincerely.


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t have better news,¡± he offered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take what we can get.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s the rest of the stuff James wanted,¡± he indicated a stack of black pelican cases stacked off to one side of the room.


    I took two auto-injectors from the pelican case before closing it and putting it up with the others. I slid the two tubes into the cargo pocket of my pants.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bike up top with a sidecar I¡¯ve been using. It should be able to hold all this stuff for you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I was going to ask. I didn¡¯t think James would hold all this on the way home.¡± I smiled at him, a genuine smile to the man I¡¯d slapped only a few hours before.


    His broad grin back was refreshing. ¡°Just take care of that idiot in there.¡±


    ¡°He is a bother, isn¡¯t he?¡± I sighed.


    Travis chuckled, ¡°That he can be, yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do when we leave?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll soldier on. I have enough food, water and power to keep me supplied for years. I¡¯ll keep my ears open and pray the powers that be somehow manage to get this thing under control and eventually get us back to some semblance of normality.¡±


    ¡°All by yourself?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Someone has to do it. Besides, now that I¡¯m all by my lonesome, I can walk around nekkid anytime I want.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure and knock when we come for a visit,¡± I said.


    ¡°Probably a good idea,¡± he laughed. He glanced at his watch. ¡°Sundown soon. Might as well go wake sleeping beauty, moonlight¡¯s burning.¡±


    I looked at him for a long moment before nodding and heading to wake up James. I paused and looked over my shoulder. ¡°You know, not all of us are monsters. Most, yes; I have to admit that, but not all.¡±


    ¡°In my experience, the vampire good-to-bad ratio seems to be pretty much the opposite of what humans have,¡± he said.


    ¡°In my experience,¡± I started, ¡°you¡¯re not wrong. Just remember, though, the term monster is not exclusive to us. I¡¯ve seen a fair share of humans who earned that moniker as well.¡±


    He nodded as I turned back to the door.


    <hr>


    [1]</a> Yup, you guessed it, more Book 0 references. [Maybe you should check it out. -Rhiannon]

 Z Day +34

    <u>Z Day +34</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    The next time I woke, Shae was shaking me.


    ¡°Come on, time to hit the road,¡± she said.


    I sat up too quickly, the room spinning. As I waited for the room to come to a full and complete stop, I noticed Travis was sitting out in the main room, several pelican cases stacked up.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± he called out to me.


    I used my middle finger to dig sleep out of my eye as I entered the room.


    ¡°I was afraid I would have to start making small talk with Miss Bittie here,¡± he grinned at her, and to my surprise, she grinned back. I had missed something while I slept.


    ¡°OK,¡± he continued. ¡°I got everything you asked for, plus a few things you might want.¡± Travis lifted the lid on the top case, revealing a small Toughbook-type computer. ¡°I¡¯ve loaded the last intel updates for the entire state onto this laptop. It¡¯s charged, but you¡¯re on your own for power once it runs out. I don¡¯t have any solar cells.¡±


    Next to it in the case was a phone the size of a small brick. ¡°GPS phone. We don¡¯t have a lot of satellite coverage anymore, but this will still work better than any commercial cell phone. I¡¯ve pre-programmed it with our primary numbers.


    By giving you comms, you¡¯re still under orders.¡± He glanced at me. ¡°Which means if you choose to lose it, then you¡¯re not. Understand?¡± He continued when I nodded, ¡°Good, now I can say I tried IF anyone ever gets the program back up and running.


    ¡°Last,¡± he handed me a rolled map. ¡°I¡¯ve highlighted the routes I know are least congested with vehicular traffic between here and Austin as of two hours ago.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said with genuine gratitude. It was all much more than I was expecting.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have much else to do than go through sat data while you two snored away all day.¡± He looked at Shae, ¡°And I do mean you TWO snored.¡±


    Shae rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Wait, how did¡ª¡± I started.


    ¡°You need to learn that when you seal a room, you must also turn on the internal air system. The alarm tripped, and I had to crack y¡¯all¡¯s air seal,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Oh. Well, thanks.¡± I looked at the crates. ¡°We clear to move out?¡±


    ¡°Sun went down ten minutes ago. The idiots upstairs finally went quiet, and the parking lot appears clear, for the moment,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never.¡± Shae lifted the two largest cases.


    I picked up two, and Travis grabbed the last two as we headed out the door. Travis turned left, down the hall we¡¯d not explored; a large set of elevator doors was set into the far wall.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we take the stairs?¡± I said as he stopped and waved a card at the doors.


    ¡°No. You¡¯d have to go through that ward again. This dumps straight into the loading docks where I¡¯m parked.¡±


    The doors opened, and something slammed into me, sending me reeling back. I hit the ground hard, the air getting knocked out of me.


    One of the cases had landed on my chest, helping the air vacate from my lungs. A naked rotting corpse landed on top of the case. The case saved my life as it kept the zombie just far enough out of biting range that I had time to get my arms up to protect myself.


    I saw Shae swinging the cases she had at more shambling figures spilling out from the elevator. Each swing sent a group of zombies flying one way, then the other. Travis had dropped his cases and was clawing for his sidearm as he backed down the hall on the other side of the mob.


    I finally managed to roll to the side, freeing myself and staggering to my feet just in time to catch another zombie coming at me, arms outstretched. Instincts took over as I slapped the arms away and kicked out, contacting the kneecap I was aiming for. With a sickening crunch, the zombie¡¯s knee gave way, and it fell to the floor.


    ¡°Shae!¡± I yelled, sidestepping the first zombie who¡¯d been reaching for me from the ground. Shae was still in the middle of the hallway, nearly surrounded now. The wide arcs of the cases kept the horde at bay, but it was only a matter of time.


    A loud crack interrupted my thoughts as the handle on one of the cases she was swinging snapped off.


    Without thinking, my pistol was in my hand, and I fired¡ªno suppressor on this weapon. The roar of the pistol was deafening in these close quarters as I struck one of the zombies surrounding Shae. The gun barked again, the shot going wide and hitting another zombie in the chest that I hadn¡¯t been aiming at. I¡¯d been trained to aim center mass my whole career. ¡°Two to the chest, one to the head¡± was the mantra. My third shot tore into the back of my intended target¡¯s skull and dropped.


    A tug at my pants caused me to jump back as my first attacker tried again to sink its teeth into me. I fired the gun into the thing''s head at point-blank range, sending gore and bone fragments exploding outward. I felt some of it brush my pants. Wondering how I¡¯d ever get that stain out, I turned and fired again at the crowd around Shae.


    By this time, my wits had returned. Several shots later, and my weapon locked open, empty. Four more zombies lay on the floor in an arc as I sidestepped to keep Shae out of the line of fire.


    Now, I heard gunfire coming from down the hall. Apparently, Travis had retreated around the corner and was beginning to dispatch his assailants.


    Shae threw the remaining case at one of the zombies between us and ducked under the arm of a second to escape the zombie huddle. She stood next to me, her shoulder touching mine as I reloaded, and she fired.


    It was all a matter of time then. Her carefully placed shots fell every zombie she aimed at without fail. We slowly retreated down the hall as the remaining zombies followed, stumbling over their fallen brethren. I still had two bullets left when she dropped the last one in the hall. When I glanced at her face, it was stone, with zero emotion, just a cold, calculating killing machine. It sent a chill down my spine.


    The shooting had already stopped from the far hallway.


    ¡°Hallways secure, Travis report,¡± I called out.


    ¡°Friendly!¡± he called as he stepped around the corner. ¡°Wasn¡¯t about to come out into that shooting gallery.¡±


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Shae barked, causing Travis to stop, his hands up.


    I looked over and Shae¡¯s gun was still up, now leveled at Travis.


    ¡°Hey, same side,¡± I said, leaning over to touch her arm. It was a rock, and it wouldn¡¯t lower.


    ¡°I said, what was that?¡± Shae repeated.


    ¡°How should I know? That¡¯s never happened before.¡± He was at the elevator now and glanced inside. With his hands still up, he looked around the car.


    ¡°I saw you swipe the card. It¡¯s a secured elevator. How could they have gotten into a secured elevator?¡± At her words, I paused and turned to look at Travis.


    ¡°You think I did this on purpose? Seriously?¡± His surprised expression appeared genuine. ¡°Why? For what reason would I do this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Shae seemed to hesitate.


    ¡°If he¡¯d wanted us dead, he could have done it while we slept,¡± I added. This time, Shae¡¯s arm lowered at my touch.


    Travis waited until the gun was lowered all the way before he dropped his hands. He stuck his head back into the elevator and examined the control panel.


    We started towards him when a stinging on my leg made me hiss in pain.


    ¡°What?¡± Shae turned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± I looked down at the outside of my leg and saw the bloody mess.


    ¡°Are you bit?¡± Shae spun on me and knelt.


    Travis stuck his head out of the elevator. ¡°Who¡¯s bit?¡±


    Shae yanked up my pants, revealing several oozing scrape marks but no bite wound. She hissed at the sight. ¡°Travis, get that door back open.¡±


    The world span as Shae yanked me off my feet and ran back down the hall towards the control room. Travis was right behind and had the door open in seconds. With one arm, she swept the remains of our bed off the operating table and laid me down on it.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your PMEX kit?¡± Shae ordered.


    ¡°Here,¡± Travis reached out, pulled a sizeable sealed tub from one of the cabinets, and handed it to her as she ripped the top off.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Hold still, eejit,¡± she said as she cut the bottom portion of my pants off. She threw the scissors down and reached into the tub. ¡°Hold his leg still.¡± She demanded as she ripped the top off a bottle and poured it across the wound, causing it to sting even more. ¡°Give me a probe and forceps.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Travis asked, but Shae didn¡¯t reply.


    Shae grabbed a small light off her belt, turned it on and stuck it in her mouth.


    Travis peeled the two instruments from their packaging and handed them to her. ¡°Forget that,¡± he said, reaching up and pulling the large four-lighted mechanical arm down. I saw spots when he flipped the lights on before angling them toward my leg.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Shae spat the light out and focused on my leg again. ¡°Don¡¯t move, James,¡± her voice was grave. ¡°Hold him.¡±


    Two vice-like hands locked on me, one around my ankle and the other just below my knee. I couldn¡¯t move if I wanted to. I felt something, and then a burning hot razor shot up my leg, causing me to gasp. ¡°Holy shit, what was that?¡±


    ¡°Skull fragment, from the looks of it,¡± Shae said tightly.


    I heard it when it hit the table; it sounded large. I hadn¡¯t seen the wound, so my imagination was working overtime with possibilities.


    ¡°Irrigate it again,¡± she said as Travis took one hand off my leg and reached for the bottle. It felt like he was pouring liquid fire onto my leg.


    I felt her touch me again, and fresh fire shot through me.


    Shae mumbled words in another language I didn¡¯t understand as she jabbed deep into my leg, this time saying, ¡°Get back here.¡±


    I locked my teeth to keep from biting my tongue. My body had broken out in a sweat, and my stomach started churning. An eternity later, I heard another thump as a second piece of bone hit the table.


    ¡°Irrigate.¡± She glanced at me and saw my green expression. ¡°Oh, come on now. This isn¡¯t nearly as bad as when you were digging rocks out of my shoulder that time after playing that silly boffer game,¡± she forced a grin, ¡°and you didn¡¯t see me throwing up on you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I managed through clenched teeth as the liquid fire came on again. ¡°But I was green that time, too.¡± I tried to force a smile that twisted with the pain. ¡°Wait, you remember that?¡±


    Shae shrugged, not looking up, ¡°Must have seen it in your head.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I guess,¡± I said before pain pushed everything else from my mind.


    ¡°Hang in there, almost done,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± I choked out as I felt the probe slide inside my leg. ¡°What. She. Said,¡± I managed through gritted teeth.


    Travis laughed, but Shae¡¯s expression was sober as she focused on my wound.


    ¡°OK, where are you?¡± Shae growled.


    I could feel everything she was doing, and it wasn¡¯t good. My stomach started a fresh round of complaining.


    ¡°I know I saw one more. Irrigate.¡± Shae ordered.


    ¡°That was the last of it,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Then grab another bottle!¡± she barked.


    He span back to the cabinet and started opening doors.


    I swore I heard her say something that sounded like ¡°fuck it,¡± but that couldn¡¯t be right. I¡¯d never heard her cuss once in all the years I¡¯d known her. Suddenly, the universe stopped. The pain, my body, and the whole room were gone. All I could see was white. I was floating; it was surreal.


    Then it was night. The stars were bright, and I was lying on the hood of a car. The sound of crickets floated on a warm Texas breeze through the night. I knew it was Texas because I knew where I was. The scene was still as serene as the night it had happened. Only this time, I didn¡¯t have teenage butterflies in my stomach.


    I rolled off the car and stood up, looking around. I was alone.


    ¡°I come here when I want to escape,¡± a voice behind me said.


    I turned and found Shae lying on her side atop the hood. She was propped up on one elbow, watching me. She wore the same outfit she had the night this memory was made.


    ¡°Peaceful, isn¡¯t it?¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯m always happy here. No matter what¡¯s wrong with me, I come here, and it all washes away. Wish I knew where it was.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize this place?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. And with it being so dark, I can¡¯t make out any landmarks. Probably better off not knowing; it might ruin the moment,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s Georgetown,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± she sat up, startled.


    For a moment, I could hear someone saying, ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± But it was far off and unimportant.


    ¡°It¡¯s my father¡¯s place. We¡¯re in the driveway leading up to the big garage. See?¡± I pointed at a large shadow straight ahead, blocking out part of the skyline. ¡°And behind us is my father¡¯s house over there.¡±


    When she turned, a dark house was in the shadows behind us.


    ¡°How have I never seen those before?¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not turning him!¡± One of the distant voices interrupted and then started to fade. I felt that voice was important, but it was already slipping away from my mind.


    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± Shae asked, turning back to me. She was sitting on the hood now, her feet hanging over the side.


    ¡°Because,¡± I said slowly, as if in a daze. My mind was groggy and slow. I don¡¯t know how, but suddenly, we were both on the hood, leaning against the windshield and looking at each other. ¡°This is the night I first told you I loved you.¡±


    I watched her eyes flicker in confusion. She couldn¡¯t believe what I said. It didn¡¯t make sense to her.


    Suddenly, the side of my leg felt like it was on fire, and I screamed in pain.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, and the pain was gone. ¡°You distracted me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about; it will be over soon,¡± she said.


    ¡°What will?¡± I asked.


    She said nothing for a long minute. ¡°You really said you loved me? Here?¡± When I nodded, she shook her head. ¡°I just don¡¯t remember it. I mean, I can see it; we¡¯re here. I just don¡¯t remember it.¡±


    Before I could repeat it, the night disappeared, and reality reappeared. My leg was throbbing, but the burning seemed to have slacked off. I waited a moment for the room to stop spinning, then rolled my head to the side to see what was happening.


    The first thing I saw was blood. A lot of blood. The second was a crushed pistol lying on the floor beside all the blood. At first, I thought someone had been shot, but when I looked, Travis was holding my leg still, and Shae was leaning back against a wall, blood smeared across her face and shirt. She seemed to be trying to breathe and having a hard time of it.


    ¡°Shae?¡± My voice came out as a croak, but a worried croak.


    Her eyes snapped to me, and she seemed to regain some composure. She sat up and leaned forward. She spat bright red on the floor as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s OK, we got the last fragment. It¡¯s over now. Just need to bandage you up.¡±


    Travis grunted, but I was suddenly exhausted and couldn¡¯t move my head to try and see what was left of my leg as the world swirled down to darkness again.


    Needless to say, we didn¡¯t leave that night after all.


    Later, I found out what had happened. The last skull fragment had worked its way deep into my leg, and Shae had started sucking on the wound hard. She¡¯d sent me to that memory via bloodtouch to keep me occupied while she sucked down mouthful after mouthful of my blood, trying to get the fragment. She¡¯d spat out as much as she could to try and ensure my blood didn¡¯t poison her body again.


    Travis thought she was trying to convert me into a full vampire and had drawn his gun when she wouldn¡¯t stop. He¡¯d been one step too close to her when he drew, allowing her to reach over and crush the gun.


    She¡¯d found the fragment on the next mouthful and sealed up the wound as best she could.


    The next few days passed as we waited and watched my wound, worried about infection, but nothing happened. By the third night, I was recovered enough to head back home.


    Our second attempt at exodus had no surprises. Travis still had no idea how the zombies had gotten in the elevator. He figured they must have somehow followed him from his last trip out as they didn¡¯t seem to be from the hospital. There had been some weird power spikes lately that could have opened the elevator up top. He was grateful we¡¯d been here; otherwise, he might have gotten overwhelmed.


    Since we¡¯d stayed the extra time, I¡¯d taken a minute and snagged a computer while Shae wasn¡¯t looking. It took me a few tries as I didn¡¯t know how to spell it properly, but eventually, Google gave me an answer.


    ¡°What the hell is Gaeilge Chlasaiceach?¡± Travis asked over my shoulder, making a mess of the pronunciation.


    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s classical Gaelic, used until about the 17<sup>th</sup> century.¡± *Wow,* I thought, remembering back to when Shae mentioned trying to speak Gaeilge Chlasaiceach nowadays. I hadn¡¯t a clue what she was talking about at the time, but seeing the Wiki page describing it, I had to wonder just how old she was and where exactly she was from. A long time ago, she¡¯d told me she was from Ireland but wouldn¡¯t elaborate further.


    Travis handed us two brand-new military ID cards as a final parting gift. Shae¡¯s picture had been lifted from a surveillance photo on file.


    ¡°Major General?¡± I looked from my ID card¡¯s rank to Travis.


    ¡°Field promotion. Lots of vacancies up top,¡± he smiled. ¡°I figured if you run into any actual military types, it might be nice to have the clout. It¡¯s all legit; I updated it in everything, even DEERS.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s SA?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Special Agent. OSI doesn¡¯t have rank on their ID cards, just SA. This means you could be any rank, and no one would know,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°OSI?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Office of Special Investigations.¡± I looked at her blank expression. ¡°Like being FBI for the military.¡± When she nodded, I turned back to Travis. ¡°Thanks, boss; hopefully, we won¡¯t need these, but thanks.¡±


    Travis only smiled in response.


    Thankfully, the trip home was just as uneventful as the trip down. The bike and sidecar Travis gave me were just big enough to handle all the boxes he¡¯d given us. The only close calls were the two times we¡¯d had to push the thing through some mud I hadn¡¯t noticed. That and Shae¡¯s constant complaining about how slow I was going.


    When we returned, everyone was still intact, only having had one scare when a shambler appeared at the back of the property. Mark and Richard had taken care of it quick and quiet. I¡¯d been impressed and let them know as much.


    As I related our tale, they were surprised to hear how Fort Sam had fallen and how the hospital was ¡°infested¡± with undead. I skimmed over details on who and what I found in the sub-basement, trying to give just enough detail to make them uninterested.


    When the bandages came off my leg, there were only red scratches where large wounds had been only a few days before. It appeared Shae¡¯s emergency medical attention had paid off. I had no fever, chills or any of the other signs of early zombiehood.


    It took a bit of planning to establish enough privacy to brief everyone about our new ¡°advantage¡± without Shae hearing it. She¡¯d volunteered to go out on patrol, but I vetoed that, not wanting her off the property. Instead, she settled for guard duty on the roof, and I prepared several pieces of paper to explain.


    I gathered everyone into one of the side rooms and closed all the curtains. I held my finger to my lips and made eye contact with everyone there so I knew they understood. I popped open the first case to reveal several black metal boxes. I opened the first one and pulled out the long 5.56mm rifle cartridge. It was completely silver in color from bullet to primer. The bullet jacket had several small openings in a spiral pattern. Looking closely, you could make out an amber-colored core beneath the jacket.


    Miria held up a card. Everyone had pencil and paper in front of them. I¡¯d felt silly setting up a written briefing in flashcard format, but it was the only way I could think of to get around Shae¡¯s supernatural hearing.


    Miria¡¯s card said:


    Silver?


    I shook my head and held up a prepared card.


    These are anti-vampire rounds. Inside is a suspended compound that once it makes contact with vampire blood explodes violently.


    I flipped to the next card.


    These are not perfect. They are based on how much blood a vampire has in their system at the point of impact. If they have recently fed, there will be more blood in the body and a stronger reaction. If they haven¡¯t fed in a while; there¡¯s not a lot of blood, so not much reaction.


    I flipped the final card.


    If you hit a vampire in the arm and there¡¯s enough blood, the arm will explode. Leg, same thing. Chest or head, and you¡¯re looking at an instant kill. Very messy, instant kills. These rounds are coated, so do not touch them with bare hands, hence why I¡¯m wearing gloves. If you do touch, immediately wash your hands. It shouldn¡¯t affect you, but don¡¯t take any chances. All of you have been ¡°tainted¡± by either Shae or myself, so be careful. Questions?


    Richard scribbled something and held it up.


    When we finally do this, can we sneak into the place? Try and blend into the rest of the people there?


    I shook my head and replied.


    Believe it or not, he¡¯s got everyone LoJacked in there.


    Richard quickly wrote something else.


    They¡¯re tagged like cattle? Sounds like a really great guy!


    I nodded as I put the ammo back up and sealed the case. There would be many more questions as we started training; I was prepared for that. I just hoped this advantage would be enough to tip the scales in our favor.

 Z Day +38

    Z Day +38


    <u>JAMES</u>


    ¡°I miss Taco Bell.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shae asked, looking up at me as I sat down beside her.


    ¡°I miss Taco Bell,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Taco Bell?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s a¡­seriously?¡±


    ¡°I take it that it¡¯s a food place?¡± Shae continued when I nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t exactly do restaurant reviews now, do I?¡± She gave me a look.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°Uh, in other news, I think I might have solved your problem,¡± I said.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Shae scoffed.


    We were sitting on the back porch facing the wooded end of the property. The sun had just set, and the sky was still a blaze of reds and golds. When I saw the light reflected off her face, I couldn¡¯t speak for a moment; her eyes were practically on fire. My head spun as I gaped.


    ¡°What?¡± She had turned to face me and I knew I was busted.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I shook my head, feeling light-headed. ¡°You looked really pretty just then.¡±


    She smiled, shaking her head. ¡°You just haven¡¯t seen me in the light in a while.¡±


    ¡°What were you thinking a minute ago?¡± I asked. She¡¯d been lost in thought with a strange expression on her face.


    ¡°Oh, just remembering what it was like to walk in the sun. It gets rather depressing being restricted to the nighttime. It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s only been a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know the feeling,¡± I said.


    She frowned at me.


    ¡°I spent a year in England; we had like six sunny days a year; the rest were overcast. Plus, I worked nights.¡±


    ¡°Not the same.¡± She rubbed her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s not seeing the sun and not being able to see the sun,¡± she sighed. ¡°As silly as it sounds, I sometimes wish I was one of those sparkly vampires.¡±


    ¡°Sparkly vampires?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know, the book series,¡± she said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a book series called Sparkly Vampires? What is it, teen fiction?¡± And then I couldn¡¯t keep a straight face as we laughed softly.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your idea?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± I picked up the laptop and opened it to the page I¡¯d discovered. ¡°You ever met this vampire?¡±


    The picture was of a long-haired brunette in her early thirties with a permanent pouty expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She looks familiar, though,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°Her name is Natalie, no last name. According to this intel, she was still in the local area as of six months ago,¡± I said.


    Shae looked at me for a long moment. ¡°Sure seems to be a lot of personal information in these files.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is there a file in there on me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is.¡±


    ¡°What? You haven¡¯t looked me up?¡± she said.


    I looked at her for a long moment. ¡°No,¡± I eventually said.


    ¡°Never?¡±


    Something inside me started hurting just a little bit. ¡°No,¡± I said slowly.


    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Back then or now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Back then¡­I was afraid of what I¡¯d find. I didn¡¯t want to know.¡± I took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°It hurt too much to think about.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡± she watched me.


    ¡°You never know what they put in those files. The thought did cross my mind but it felt like I would be invading your privacy. I felt if there was anything you wanted me to know about you, you¡¯d tell me eventually,¡± I said.


    She studied my face a long, long while before continuing. ¡°So, what about Natalie?¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s a blood-worker and a damned good one from what the file says,¡± I said.


    Blood-workers specialize in the mind. When they were in blood contact, they could do almost anything with the mind they were in contact with. They were highly trained, rare and highly sought after.


    ¡°Blood-workers aren¡¯t really vampires,¡± Shae said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of any blood-workers in the area.¡±


    ¡°She likes to keep a low profile, working through intermediaries for her jobs; that way, she could keep neutral in any disputes,¡± I said.


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°Malik,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± she said.


    I sighed. ¡°During my...dark times, I went everywhere we¡¯d been and talked to anyone I could find. I found Malik because he¡¯d told me where he worked the night we went to that council meeting disguised as a vampire LARP[1]</a>. He, of course, didn¡¯t know where you were, but he was the only person I knew who was in the know on the vampire scene.¡±


    ¡°Who would tell Malik anything? He was the biggest gossipmonger I knew,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°It was Herk. He had a flair for the dramatic,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, he flared alright. Right regular flamer,¡± she said.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Drama king,¡± Shae continued.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± My head had suddenly gone from being lightheaded to an icepick headache.


    ¡°Wannabe soap opera star.¡± She wouldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back; tell me how you really feel,¡± I chided.


    She shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s alright, I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, after I started hanging out with Malik, a really good guy, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I know who Malik is. I knew him long before you,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°OK,¡± I held up my hands. ¡°Anyway, I found myself being invited to more and more events.¡±


    ¡°Malik invited you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, Shelby. She seemed to take me on as a charity case. Apparently, Malik had been telling her my woes. Anyway, I was always unofficial, a hanger-on, as it were. I honestly thought Shelby wanted to see Malik and me get it on.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°You have no idea. That girl had some fetishes.¡± Shae seemed lost in thought. ¡°Shelby? Really?¡±


    ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong with Shelby?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just...she¡¯s my friend. I was in contact with her before she moved, and she never mentioned you, not once. Maybe she wanted you to herself?¡± Shae said.


    I sat back, dusting imaginary dirt off my shoulder. ¡°Well, I was a complete beefcake back then. I was beating them off with a broomstick.¡±


    ¡°Beating them off, huh?¡± she grinned wryly.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you start. No one ever touched me, at least not in a blood way. I went to all kinds of vampire parties, and not once did anyone try anything,¡± I said.


    ¡°All kinds? Just how many parties did you go to?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was looking for you toots,¡± I said.


    ¡°Toots?¡±


    ¡°Just slipped out. Anyway, at one of these parties, I met Natalie. When I first saw her, she was lying across the lap of two guys and a girl. She wore a low-cut cocktail dress and had written ¡°free show¡± across her cleavage with lipstick.¡±


    ¡°Classy,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°She was wasted.¡±


    ¡°I should hope,¡± she said.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Anyway, she was very friendly.¡±


    ¡°Just how friendly?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s not part of the story. Are you jealous?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just how friendly?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°She was friendly with everybody.¡± I sighed, but at the same time, was thrilled at the thought Shae might be jealous of a 14-year-old memory. ¡°At one point during the night, she cornered me,¡± I could see Shae actually tense up, and I chuckled.


    ¡°I was more worried about the girl throwing up on me; I¡¯d never seen a drunk vampire before. I wasn¡¯t sure what she would have barfed up. Anyway, she put her hand on my face for just a fraction of a moment and stopped swaying. She looked me right in the eyes and said one word, then stumbled away,¡± I said.


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°She said the word ¡®shiny.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think anything of it until I was asleep later that night. I started my regular dream-nightmare combo, and right in the middle of it, Natalie was there. The dream froze; I couldn¡¯t move as she slowly walked around the scenery. But it felt more like she was wandering around in my skull, flipping through my memories like they were pages in a comic book. It was an odd feeling, but I wasn¡¯t scared, at least not until the end.


    Right before I woke up, she turned to look at me. The expression on her face was disconcerting, almost like hunger. Then she slowly walked towards me, and I knew something terrible would happen if she got to me. I had no clue what, but I had to get away. Every synapse in my brain screamed for me to escape, but I couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Just as she raised her hand to touch my cheek like she had earlier, she stopped. I thought I heard the word ¡®fine¡¯ come from her, and then my father shook me awake. Apparently, I¡¯d been screaming in my sleep, and I scared the shit out of him.


    ¡°Later, when I talked with Malik, he told me what she was and that I should keep my distance. When I asked why, he told me that while she always seemed like a nice, crazy drunk girl, she wasn¡¯t all there.


    ¡°He¡¯d heard that blood-workers had to be a bit unstable to begin with to deal with other people¡¯s minds the way they did. Either that or so much contact with other people¡¯s minds tended to loosen their grip on their own personal reality. Either way, he¡¯d never heard of anything like the dream I¡¯d told him.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d she do it?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Best guess? Shaving,¡± I grunted, rubbing my temples. It felt like I had an actual ice pick jammed into my skull now. ¡°Microscopic cuts that still had blood in them. I¡¯d shaved that day, so some were probably still fresh.¡±


    ¡°She did all that from a shaving cut?¡± Shae said.


    I nodded, ¡°Tell me about it. Freakiest damned thing...well, until I saw the shamblers.¡± I shook my head, trying to clear the memory.


    ¡°If we can find her, I¡¯m betting she could figure out what¡¯s wrong with your memories,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d want her help, considering what you just said,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we have much choice,¡± I said.


    ¡°We?¡± she looked at me.


    I steeled myself and looked back at her. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want those memories back; I¡¯d understand.¡± I had to admit to myself it was a crazy idea, trying to find one vampire in a city full of zombies just on the off chance she might be able to bring my old girlfriend¡¯s memories back. It was practically a teenage fantasy, and suddenly I felt like that high school boy again, all butterflies and awkwardness.


    Shae took a long look into my eyes. ¡°This means a lot to you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She didn¡¯t need me to answer; she already knew. ¡°And what if we don¡¯t find her? Would you be content with me the way I am?¡±


    I blanched and reeled back as if she¡¯d hit me. ¡°Of course.¡± My voice was barely a whisper. ¡°I just thought you would want...to know the truth.¡± I was having a hard time finishing that sentence.


    ¡°And what if we do find her, she fills in all the blanks, and I¡¯m still the same as I am now? Then what?¡± she said.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if she was getting angry or if this was something else. I was out of my depth in this conversation. That and my headache had spread to my entire head now; I was having a hard time seeing straight.


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± I managed, my hands starting to tremble as anger flared inside me.


    ¡°I want you to take a hard look at what you are thinking. We¡¯re talking about wading into a city full of hungry corpses. Leaving your friends and family behind unprotected again. All so you can try to get your old girlfriend back.¡±


    Did I wear my thoughts on my sleeve so easily? Had she read my mind? My look of confusion caused her expression to soften.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to be a blood-worker to figure this out, genius,¡± she sighed and seemed to relax. ¡°Listen, I do want my thoughts back, my true thoughts, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth the risk, even for you.¡±


    The last bit stung. I don¡¯t know if she meant to say it or not, but it stung hard. I closed my eyes, trying to pull myself together as my body seemed to be trying to fly apart. My hands reflexively came up and covered my face. I blew a lungful of air out and ran my hands through my hair. I slapped my legs and stood up. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I grabbed the laptop and snapped it shut, ¡°stupid idea. Sorry.¡± I left her sitting there and stormed into the house.


    *What the hell is wrong with me?* My mind was racing, my blood was pounding in my ears, and my face was hot. I slammed the computer back in its case, much harder than I should have, but I didn¡¯t care. The world was...my world was coming apart. I¡¯d been holding it together all this time with JB Weld and duct tape, but they weren¡¯t good enough anymore. Nothing was good enough anymore.


    *The world is being eaten by zombies.* I spun around the room, searching for something but not knowing what. *My mother was gone, probably my father and everyone else I¡¯d ever cared about.* That started my chest hurting in a whole new way; the room was becoming blurry. Maybe I¡¯d pass out and wouldn¡¯t have to think of any of this shit anymore.


    The anger I¡¯d been feeling flared. I wanted to hit something. Hit something HARD. The room was suddenly too small, the house was too small, and I had to get away from here before I did something that would ruin this too.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I tore out of the room and into the central courtyard. I leaped onto the roof, using a single hand to lift myself up and over the roof, startling Richard, who¡¯d been on guard. But I was gone before he could catch his breath.


    Off the roof, across the yard, and into the trees. They blurred around me as I weaved silently through them. Even angry, I couldn¡¯t help but be silent; I had to protect what was left and couldn¡¯t draw attention to the house. It was the only safety we had left.


    Whatever this was raged inside me as I burst out of the tree line, crossing a road and clearing a broad field in seconds, more trees waiting for me beyond. I couldn¡¯t stop; I was still too close. This feeling was bubbling up inside me, this blackness that hungered for me to let go as my eyes blurred with tears. I no longer tried to keep them inside, and I could feel things breaking loose inside me, moving around.


    My chest contracted, and a sob ripped through me so hard it made me stumble. I went down hard, slamming into a tree in the dying light of the day.


    *You¡¯re so stupid,* I chanted to myself. *Stop crying; you¡¯ve no time for this,* it went through my head repeatedly, but my body wasn¡¯t listening. My body was shaking uncontrollably as everything came pouring out of me. The hurt, anger, and betrayal all came out like a lake, bursting through a damn. I didn¡¯t understand any of it. I always acted like I did, not wanting to look as ignorant as I felt, but not anymore. In the cold dirt, I didn¡¯t care.


    Then something else took over, something angry. I was on my feet, my face encrusted with dirt. The first strike splintered the tree I¡¯d slammed into before. My hand lashed out again and sent a large piece of bark flying into the growing darkness. My kick fell the tree with a loud CRACK!


    *That felt good,* I thought.


    I took two long strides, winding up and shattering another tree. While each punch or kick hurt, it seemed to more I did it the less my head hurt.


    The next tree was larger; it took several blows before it, too, went down. I don¡¯t know how long this went on. I knew it wasn¡¯t right. I knew there were other monsters in the trees that would be attracted to the noise.


    But I didn¡¯t care; I wanted to rage. Bring on the monsters; I¡¯d take care of them too. I¡¯d take them all out so the world could get back to normal.


    Normal. What did that mean? Nothing had been normal in my life since that day in high school when Megan turned me down all those years ago. That was the last normal thing I¡¯d been part of.


    Megan. I wonder what happened to her? Did she move on? She¡¯d talked about military service; maybe she got away from here. No, probably not. She¡¯s probably one of the rotting masses out there right now.


    The rock exploded into pieces. This gave me pause. I¡¯d never broken a rock before. My hand stung; I wasn¡¯t used to that either. But it didn¡¯t stop me; my muscles bunched for the next strike, and the next, and the next.


    The white-hot rage carried me on into the night. I was blind, not seeing what I was doing and not caring. I should be worried about myself, but didn¡¯t want to care anymore.


    So what if the world was fucked up now. *I don¡¯t care,* I thought.


    I couldn¡¯t feel my hands anymore.


    So what if my family was dead? *I don¡¯t care,* I told myself.


    My arms were heavy; it was becoming hard to swing anymore.


    So what if monsters had driven us from our homes? ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I said aloud.


    So what if she didn¡¯t love me...didn¡¯t want to love me anymore? ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I shouted.


    I couldn¡¯t care anymore. It hurt too much to care...about anything or anyone. No matter what you did or how hard you fought, it didn¡¯t work. It wasn¡¯t fair...nothing was fair.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE!¡± I bellowed as I found myself on the ground again. I couldn¡¯t move anymore. My arms were pins and needles, my legs hot iron rods.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE!!!¡± I raged, the sobs again taking hold of me as I repeated the phrase over and again, each time becoming weaker and weaker.


    I realized, if I didn¡¯t get up, I was going to die here. I¡¯d broken my body just like I¡¯d broken my mind. But it hurt too badly; it was too much. I didn¡¯t care anymore. I just wanted it to stop¡ªall this madness. Every time I tried to hold onto something good, do something good, it didn¡¯t work. It wasn¡¯t fair. It never was.


    My sobs had finally died to the point I lay there, tears and snot drying on my face in the cool night air. My body and mind finally exhausted; I was at peace. I was empty. Then, I was cold.


    Whatever had been pent up in me was gone now. All my pretenses had been burned away in this chaotic flight. All that was left was a scared little boy who desperately didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    I caught up to him lying in the dirt, sobbing. He looked like he¡¯d fallen, leaving a gouge like a meteor in the ground. I held back, trying to read him and only getting this chaotic barrage of feelings: shame, pain, anger, betrayal, confusion, self-loathing, and then the blind rage again.


    I didn¡¯t like this; it scared me.


    I was about to do something, but he was suddenly on his feet again and beating on a tree, falling it in seconds. That seemed to get him going as he moved to the next and, after demolishing it, the next. I knew he was breaking up his arms; I could hear the bones breaking.


    I was about to try and stop him, but that¡¯s when I saw the shamblers and began to dispatch them, leaving James to finish whatever this was. But it didn¡¯t end; he just kept going.


    Suddenly, he was pulverizing rocks with his hands, feet, arms and legs. This was insane; there was no way he could keep this up, but he just kept going. I kept having my hands full, protecting him from the zombies he was attracting.


    When I heard him roar, ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE!¡± I stopped; I didn¡¯t care about the zombies anymore. There was something in that voice that made what little blood I had left run cold.


    When I found him, he was just a mess on the ground. It looked like he¡¯d collapsed. Both arms were just bloody bags; bone shards protruded from various places. His legs were similarly in a bad way. His breathing was faint with a rattle in it that sounded more zombie than human.


    Had I missed something in San Antonio, a skull fragment? Had his meds finally fried his brain and sent him over the edge? I¡¯d never seen anything like this; he¡¯d literally beaten himself to death.


    And that¡¯s when I realized what I was looking at: a corpse in the making.


    I listened and could hear his heart barely beating; his breath was nearly gone. I heard his thoughts; he knew he was dying and didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    *None of us want to be alone,* I pushed my voice into his head, knelt, and touched his bloody brow. *No matter how stubbornly we think we do.*


    His eyes were open, but looking into them, I knew he couldn¡¯t see anything.


    And then the terror hit me. *No, not here. Not yet.* Before I realized what I was doing, I ripped open the two tubes I¡¯d been carrying since San Antonio. I hit him with one in each leg and prayed. The next thing I knew, I had him in my arms and ran full tilt back towards the Hacienda.


    *I don¡¯t want to be alone,* he managed.


    *You¡¯re not alone,* I desperately tried to keep my mind voice calm, but I was having difficulty seeing; my eyes were blurry with tears. *You have people who love you more than you love yourself.*


    *I know,* his mental voice was weak.


    *I don¡¯t think you do. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have done this idiocy.*


    Anger touched my thoughts, and I tried to keep it out; this wasn¡¯t the time. *This may be the only time,* a voice in the back of my head whispered to me.


    *Yeah. But I want more than that; I need more,* he pleaded.


    *It¡¯s never enough.* I was exasperated. It was like talking to a five-year-old.


    *But it was,* he thought, and I could feel broken things moving around inside him as I ran. *It was incredible; I was complete. I didn¡¯t have these holes in me that I kept having to push around, trying to hide them. Or filling them with other bullshit that doesn¡¯t mean anything.*


    Suddenly, he stopped; his mind was gone. I dropped to the ground and started CPR.


    *No, it¡¯s not ending like this.* I felt him come back a moment later and was desperate to keep him talking/thinking.


    *I don¡¯t know what you mean,* I tried.


    *I know. That¡¯s what makes it worse. You used to. I always thought that if I found you again, things would return to how they were. Things would be better; I would be better. But that¡¯s never going to happen; you can never go back. I don¡¯t want to go back anymore. It hurts too much.*


    *Pain is how we know we¡¯re alive,* I said.


    *Being alive sucks,* he said.


    *Sometimes.* I surprised myself with a chuckle. We were moving through the night again. We had gotten farther away from the Hacienda than I¡¯d realized. *But sometimes it¡¯s worth it.*


    *Like when?* he asked.


    *Like 14 years ago, apparently. You decimated a forest because you cared so much about a memory. Looks like a twister cut a swath right through the hill country.*


    *You saw that?* His voice was sheepish.


    *I followed the Tasmanian devil. Figured he¡¯d tire himself out eventually. Plus, you weren¡¯t in any shape to protect yourself.*


    *I would have taken care of it,* he said with a five-year-old¡¯s defiance.


    *You didn¡¯t. I had to do it for you as you were so wrapped up in ¡®not caring¡¯ to notice.*


    *Oh¡ª* and he stopped again.


    I felt his ribs break this time as I started CPR again. I was not as careful as I wanted, and my terror began straining me; the serum was not working. He was not going to make it back.


    Miria was going to kill me.


    I looked around and made up my mind. I cleared the nearby fence with him and laid him down in the center of the field. The fence wasn¡¯t high, but it would protect us long enough. I made short work of what I had to do.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    *You still with me?* Shae asked.


    *Yeah,* I managed, her voice pulling me back from unconsciousness.


    *Good, you scared me there for a second,* Shae said in my mind.


    *What happened?* I asked.


    *You stopped breathing,* she said.


    *I did? Didn¡¯t notice.*


    *I did. No dying on me until we get home, OK?* She tried to be playful with her tone but couldn¡¯t hide the worry in her voice. *Drink this.*


    I didn¡¯t realize there was something to my lips until I felt her hand tilting something into my mouth. I sputtered at the warm liquid that coated my mouth. *The hell?*


    *Shut up, <u>SWALLOW</u>,* she ordered.


    I obeyed. It was still vile but seemed to warm my insides. I hadn¡¯t realized I was cold. So cold it hurt inside.


    *Take <u>MORE</u>,* she commanded.


    I obeyed. The second time, it wasn¡¯t as bad. It was still vile, but my body seemed to welcome it. The thought was startling.


    *Why does my chest hurt?* I asked.


    *Sorry, I broke a few ribs,* she said.


    *Why?*


    *Your heart stopped,* she said simply.


    *Oh,* I said as if it were normal for someone¡¯s heart to stop. My head was still foggy. *I can¡¯t see anything.*


    *<u>DRINK</u>!*


    The third time, it slid down easily. My body didn¡¯t shutter at the stuff this time, and I couldn¡¯t seem to taste anything.


    *Still with me?* her voice came again in my head.


    *Hmmm?* Warmth seemed to be spreading through my entire body now. *Yeah,* and then I drank more without prompting.


    *Come back. Follow my voice,* she soothed.


    *Hmmm?* I found it hard to stay awake, but I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between conscious and unconscious anymore. I seemed to be drifting somewhere between the two.


    *That¡¯s it. All the way now,* she continued.


    I could feel something touching my hand, making my arm jerk.


    *Good. How about this?* she said.


    My leg jerked as something poked one foot, then the other.


    *Cut it out.* I was groggy. It''s like I was trying to wake up from too much cold medicine the night before. Something poked at my other hand, causing me to pull it in protectively.


    *Five more minutes,* I tried.


    *Wakey wakey,* her voice teased, but I sensed an underlying anxiety. She feared something. I tried to look at what she was afraid of and heard her gasp. An image appeared: me, bloodied and broken, lying in her arms on a baseball field. I wasn¡¯t moving.


    *Gentle...gentle,* her voice told me firmly, like someone telling a dog to be careful as it took the treat out of their hand.


    My attention snapped back to her face. I could see genuine worry lining her eyes. I¡¯d never seen lines on her face like that before.


    I opened my eyes. Had they been closed?


    She was still staring at me. It was daytime now, even though crickets were chirping. I reached up to touch her face.


    *You OK?* I managed, running my hand down her warm cheek. I noticed there was blood on her mouth. *Are you hurt?*


    *No, not me, lie still,* she said.


    I assessed my body without moving. *I feel fine. A little stiff, sure, but nothing some vitamin M won¡¯t cure.* I flexed my hand, her eyes still carrying those worry lines. *Really, I¡¯m OK. Had worse mornings after a trip to the gym.*


    Then memory caught up to me. *Oh God, what did I do?* The blur of the night came back in bits and pieces.


    *No, you¡¯re fine,* Shae soothed.


    I groaned, embarrassed by what I¡¯d done. *I¡¯m an idiot.*


    *Eejit,* she corrected. *And for once, you¡¯ll get no argument from me,* a bit of the miffed tone from the night before came back.


    *I¡¯ve...never...lost control like that. Never,* I whispered.


    *I think a lot of repressed thoughts suddenly caught up to you, along with your withdrawal. It was bound to happen. You were the last one.*


    *Last one?* I said.


    *Yes, everyone else had already had their breakdown. It was a while ago, but I don¡¯t think they were as used to repressing things as you are,* she said.


    *Is everyone OK?* I asked.


    *Yes. Everyone ELSE is fine.* When she laughed out loud, I could see her eyes were moist.


    I looked at my hands. I seemed to remember having broken both of them. *Am I fine?* I felt confused again, off-kilter.


    *After a fashion,* she smiled.


    *I was hurt,* I said


    *Yes.*


    *I lost my mind,* I said.


    *That is a BIG yes,* she said.


    *But I¡¯m fine now?*


    *That¡¯s yet to be seen. Can you sit up?* she asked.


    I pulled myself up easily. There was no pain, not even the feeling of muscle straining. I looked around. We were at the baseball fields in Manchaca. I¡¯d played little league here for a year when I was younger. I sucked at baseball.


    *We¡¯re not that far from the Hacienda. Why¡¯d we stop?* I asked.


    She avoided the question, *Can you stand up?*


    I stood easily, looking around to ensure no shamblers were sneaking up on us. I didn¡¯t see anything, but I could sense...something. I couldn¡¯t make out what it was, but it bugged me.


    *Not bad,* she nodded, chin in her hand as she walked around me, giving me the once over like a used car. *I don¡¯t know how...I mean, it was my first time...but look at you! Can I cook or can¡¯t I?*


    It was...I focused harder on what was drawing my attention. There was something...just outside...and then I had it, ¡°A heartbeat!¡± My voice startled the deer sleeping in the ditch, and it sprinted away. The sound of my voice jarred me; I didn¡¯t recognize it. I glanced around again, spotting the sun.


    *Shae, the sun!*


    But she wasn¡¯t bursting into flames or even smoking. She stood there with her arms crossed, looking at me. Not crossed...her arms were wrapped around herself as if trying to keep herself together.


    And then the pieces fell into place, one acme safe-shaped piece after another.


    *That¡¯s not the sun, is it?*


    She shook her head.


    *That was really me I saw in your head,* I said.


    She nodded apprehensively, too afraid to speak.


    *I died, for real, didn¡¯t I?* I finally said.


    *Twice. The second time¡­* she said.


    *You couldn¡¯t bring me back,* I said slowly.


    She shook her head, her eyes shimmering.


    A shiver ran through me. *Your skin...the deer¡¯s heartbeat...my...voice.* I looked up at her. *How are we talking without blood contact?*


    *We¡¯ll always be able to do this now. A creator can always hear those they created and vice versa.*


    *Creator...* The ground came rushing up to meet me as I landed roughly on my rear. *I¡¯m...a...vampire?*


    She nodded solemnly, *My first.* When I didn¡¯t reply, she continued, *You were dead. You wouldn¡¯t respond. I panicked and tried. I¡¯d never done it before; I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work. We¡¯re not allowed to without permission,* she rambled. *But it did work, and you¡¯re here. You are...still you...right?*


    I didn¡¯t recognize the mental voice coming from her. I was hearing the voice of a scared young girl.


    *Of course I¡¯m me. Who else would I be?* I frowned.


    *Sometimes, people change...personalities change with the crossing,* she said.


    *I¡¯m a vampire.* The thought wouldn¡¯t sink in. *Oh God,* I groaned.


    *What, what?* She was at my side, her hand on my shoulder, concerned.


    *What am I going to tell Miria?* I groaned.


    Shae blinked at me. Twice. *What?*


    *How am I going to explain this to the others?* I said.


    *I turned you into a vampire, and your first worry is how you will tell the others?*


    I shook her off and turned around. *No...not the vampire part. I basically...* I swallowed hard, trying to speak the thought. *I killed myself.*


    Her arms surrounded me, holding me with strength I¡¯d never realized. How much had she held back before? Would I ever have that sort of restraint?


    *Of this, I¡¯m certain. You did not go out there with the intent to kill yourself. Did you go bonkers for a while? Sure,* Shae said.


    I sighed and turned to face her, still in her grasp.


    *You were right; I had been bottling it up. You didn¡¯t cause me to lose it; I did. I had the grand mal of temper tantrums, and it killed me.* I tentatively put my arms around her, and she pulled me tighter. I was still trying to deal with the fact we were talking about my death...in the past tense.


    *How do you feel now?¡± she tapped my head, *in here?*


    I had to think about it. *Clearer. The headaches are gone,* I said, looking down at her. *I have to admit, though. Trying to follow your moods is making me dizzy. One minute, it¡¯s cuddle time; the next, keeping me at arm''s reach.* I buried my head on her shoulder.


    *Trust me, I¡¯m not always following it either,* she said.


    We sat there for a while, not moving, when I suddenly recognized the large brown shape next to me. *Why is there a dead cow there?*


    *You had to feed,* she said.


    I pushed her far enough away to look into her eyes. ¡°I drank a cow?¡± I said aloud incredulously.


    She nodded sheepishly. *It was either that or someone from back home.*


    *That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t take me all the way back,* I said.


    Nodding, *If it worked, you were going to need a lot more than any of them could have given.*


    *Where¡¯d you find it? I thought the shamblers had gotten them all,* I said.


    *It was sleeping under that clump of trees over there. Almost like it had been waiting for us,* she said.


    I thought about that for a while.


    *Come on, we¡¯ll need to get back soon; the sun will be up,* she nodded towards the horizon, which was already starting to lighten.


    *That will take some getting used to,* I said.


    *I thought you said you knew how it felt after living in England,* she said.


    *Shut up,* I mumbled, giving her a shove that sent her flying ten meters. *Oh shit, I¡¯m so sorry!*


    She landed nimbly on her feet and pirouetted back towards me. She glided across the gravel road, hardly making a sound.


    When she was next to me again, I swallowed hard and said, *How¡¯d you do that? I¡¯ve never seen you move like that.*


    *You have no idea how hard it is to move in a way that is ¡®natural¡¯ to humans. But you will, I¡¯ll teach you.*


    We walked down the road in silence a while, both our minds reeling from the new status quo.


    *Yes, I¡¯ll go,* she said finally.


    *What?* I said.


    *To look for Natalie. I¡¯ll go,* she said, not looking at me.


    *But, I thought...* I started.


    *I can¡¯t have you running off on another temper tantrum again. I wouldn¡¯t be able to help.* She glanced sideways at me.


    *Hey, at least when I lose it, I just hurt myself, not try to drink three other people dry!* I said playfully.


    She turned a flat stare on me.


    *I¡¯m never going to live this down, am I?* I said.


    She shook her head. *But seriously. I want to go. If the memory of us was powerful enough to drive you to this, I want to know why.*


    *But you can see my thoughts,* I said.


    *I want to know for myself. I know you miss this other Shae, but I need to do this for me. Someone did something to me, and I want to know who and why. Also, what else was done to me that I don¡¯t know about?* she seemed surprised by her thought. *Not to mention, I¡¯m curious about this other Shae in your memories. I¡¯d like to meet her.*


    *Alright,* I said as we rounded the corner and could see the fence line for the Hacienda. *Oh God, this is going to be awkward.*


    *You have no idea,* she smiled and patted me on the shoulder. *But I¡¯m here; I¡¯ll help.*


    *Thanks,* I thought a moment. *Does this mean I can call you mom?*


    She looked at me knowingly, *Do you need an Oedipus complex on top of everything else?*


    *Right. Nevermind,* I said quickly.


    *And don¡¯t call me mom, ever,* she said seriously.


    From her ¡°tone,¡± there was something more to that. That was the second time she¡¯d said something like that. I tucked it away to ask later, knowing I¡¯d probably not get an answer.


    We waved at the house as we approached. Richard should still be on guard duty, and we didn¡¯t want to get shot coming home.


    *Hey Richard,* I called as we passed over the roof and into the house.


    *Honey, he can¡¯t hear you,* Shae said.


    *Oh. My bad.* I shook my head. *This is going to take some getting used to.* It seemed that speaking mentally was easier than speaking aloud.


    She patted me on the shoulder as we silently moved through the house to the small room we¡¯d been sharing. When I say silently, I mean it. It was almost as if my feet weren¡¯t touching the ground. I could only hear the shuffling of my clothes when I moved.


    As soon as I saw the couch, I was suddenly bone tired. I ripped off my ruined shirt and collapsed onto the couch with a whisper, *This is too weird.*


    *You¡¯ll get used to it. Now, get some rest. Your body should be crashing any time now. You¡¯ve had a rough night.*


    *You¡¯re not coming?* I felt a wave of apprehension at the thought of not being around her.


    *That¡¯s a natural response. You and I will be inseparable, even for us, for a while. We call it fledgling syndrome. I¡¯ll be right back; I need to make a few arrangements, five minutes tops. Now <u>REST</u>.*


    The last was a command from her, and I immediately felt myself go limp, my eyes fluttering closed.


    *I¡¯m going to have to watch that,* I heard her say before I passed out.


    <hr>


    [1]</a> Another shameless plug to read Book 0. [Yeah, I got nothing. -Rhiannon]

 Z Day +39

    <u>Z Day +39</u>


    <u>SHAE</u>


    I left the room once I knew James was asleep. As much as he worried about separating from me, I now had this¡­need to be with him and make sure he was OK. I had been taught how the new vampire felt but hadn¡¯t been told about the maker¡¯s feelings.


    I found myself lingering in the doorway again and forced myself to leave. I¡¯d never had a child when I was human, but I think this is what that probably would have felt like¡ªthis uncontrollable urge to protect.


    I found Miria a minute later in the kitchen. Mark was with her.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Miria started as soon as I rounded the corner.


    ¡°Everything is OK now,¡± I tried, putting both my hands out in front of me defensively. Luckily, I¡¯d managed to clean myself up before we got home. I didn¡¯t think walking into the house blood-stained would have set the best tone. I glanced at Mark.


    Miria, bless her, picked up on my glance immediately and stood from the table. She nodded to the door and led me back to her and Richard¡¯s room.


    ¡°Uh, bye?¡± Mark said.


    I nodded at him with a somber expression that made him look down.


    Richard was still on the roof when Miria closed the door, leaving us alone. She sat on the bed and crossed her arms.


    I¡¯d been trying to devise how to say this, but every time I started to say something, it would die on my lips.


    ¡°Just tell me,¡± Miria said after my indecision.


    ¡°OK,¡± I started, ¡°the truth.¡± I started pacing. I still didn¡¯t understand why I was always nervous around her. I guess it was because she was the only family he had. I didn¡¯t know. I had started chewing on my lip out of nervous habit when she spoke again.


    ¡°Sit down. I¡¯m getting whiplash from watching you pace.¡± Her voice was soft and patient as she patted the bed beside her.


    I sat down but couldn¡¯t bring myself to look her in the eye.


    ¡°OK,¡± I tried again, ¡°first off, he¡¯s fine.¡± I thought about it and changed my mind. ¡°Sort of. I mean, he¡¯s still him and OK. Look, he¡¯s a vampire now, all the way.¡±


    She nodded at me, no expression on her face, which prompted me to continue.


    ¡°He was dying,¡± I started and then began to go through the incident again. ¡°I tried the drugs they gave me in San Antonio, but they didn¡¯t work on him.¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed my hands were shaking. ¡°Then his heart stopped. I managed to get it going that time, but I couldn¡¯t get him to come back the second time.¡± I was starting to fall apart again and sniffled to try and keep myself together. Apparently, there was a lot I was suppressing as well.


    Miria hissed as she jerked her hand away from my arm. I hadn¡¯t realized she had reached out to me. ¡°You¡¯re burning up!¡± she said


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I started. ¡°Making James took everything I had twice over. I had to bleed a cow in order to bring him back. There was more than either of us could use, and I didn¡¯t want any to go to waste, so I gorged.¡± I shrugged. ¡°On the plus side, I won¡¯t need to tap anyone here for a while.¡±


    ¡°You do what you have to. I need you to take care of that moron, now more than ever. And I don¡¯t have the first idea of what he¡¯ll need. But I do know if you don¡¯t take care of yourself, he will shatter again,¡± she said forcefully.


    I reached out and sensed James was still asleep and relaxed a little bit.


    ¡°Now,¡± Miria said calmly, ¡°tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know everything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, everything,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°For you, I will,¡± I said. ¡°But¡­there are some things that no one else needs to know. Things James doesn¡¯t need other people to know. Can you understand? You¡¯re family, so you deserve¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just tell me,¡± Miria said impatiently.


    I did. I went through all the previous minor incidents where his withdrawal showed through; she hadn¡¯t a clue. She had thought his drinking blood had taken care of everything. I talked about San Antonio, what Travis told me about stage three, and the custom serums. Then I told her about tonight. About how he¡¯d gone out of his mind entirely, and it resulted in his death and resurrection.


    ¡°He was never suicidal,¡± Miria said softly. ¡°He¡¯d mentioned he¡¯d had his gun taken away once while in the military because a shrink had asked him if he ever thought about suicide. He¡¯d said yes, but everyone has thought about suicide. My saying the word makes you think about it. They just worded the question wrong. James hadn¡¯t made plans or considered it as a path.¡±


    ¡°That does sound like him,¡± I said quietly. ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why no one else needs to know about that part. Does that make sense?¡±


    Sighing, ¡°Yeah. I understand. But he really didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°You know that, and I know that, but it will take some time for him to accept it,¡± I said.


    ¡°He can be thick,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°You got that right,¡± I agreed.


    It was quiet between us.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it sooner?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°Turn him?¡± I rubbed my eyes; I was tired. The change had taken a lot more out of me than I thought. Even with all the blood, I was exhausted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t always work. Sometimes, they don¡¯t come back. Sometimes, when they do, they¡¯re not themselves anymore. It¡¯s almost like something else comes back in their place. I wasn¡¯t going to take that chance, so I didn¡¯t even offer it to him.¡±


    ¡°Why is it so hard for you to accept your feelings about him?¡± Miria asked.


    I groaned. ¡°You too?¡±


    ¡°It just seems so obvious to the rest of us; why is it so hard for you to accept that you care about him?¡± Miria said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand everything involved,¡± I tried.


    ¡°Then explain it to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand everything myself,¡± I said.


    ¡°You must admit, I¡¯ve been very patient with you. Give me something to work with, Shae.¡± Miria insisted.


    And that was it. I understood why I was so worried about her approval. There wasn¡¯t much of a memory there; it was a confusing jumble of images and words. ¡°Did you know your mom threatened to have me arrested once?¡± I spoke as the memory flashed through my mind.


    Miria looked confused by the sudden change of topic.


    ¡°It was¡­back when we were dating?¡± I held onto the evasive memory, trying to coax it forward. This wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened, but I hadn¡¯t been able to hang on to any of the others before.


    ¡°I¡¯d come over to pick him up to take him somewhere. She¡¯d met me at the door as he was getting ready, and your mom threatened me because of our age difference. I think she meant it as a joke, but nothing your mom ever said could be taken at face value.¡± I looked up into Miria¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why I¡¯m so scared of you.¡±


    ¡°Scared of me?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°Yes. When it comes to him, I worry about what you¡¯ll think, what you¡¯ll say, what you¡¯ll think of me. It¡¯s because you remind me of how she was so protective of him. You¡¯re the same, just in your own way,¡± I said.


    Miria looked at me with a passive expression I couldn¡¯t read.


    ¡°Just like that. I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking, and it worries me,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re stalling,¡± she said flatly.


    She was right. ¡°Yeah. The thing with me is that someone messed with my mind all those years ago. They muddled up my memories, made me forget things, and changed other memories. They made me forget James, which is why I disappeared.¡±


    ¡°They can do that?¡± Miria¡¯s visage cracked slightly.


    ¡°My world isn¡¯t a particularly nice one. There are a lot of ruthless and amoral people out there who have real power. Some are from other times and cultures and don¡¯t respect other people. They refuse to come into modern times and want to remain in the distant past.¡±


    ¡°So what? You lost those memories from back then. You¡¯ve been with him for weeks now. What¡¯s wrong with the new memories?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°Nothing. I care for him, but how intensely he feels for me...it¡¯s overwhelming and scary,¡± I said.


    ¡°You have no idea how much he cares for you, Shae; you weren¡¯t here back then,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°But that¡¯s just it; I do know how much. We¡¯ve shared minds. I¡¯ve actually experienced his love through his eyes, and it terrifies me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Miria asked.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve never felt anything like that in my life. I¡¯ve never had anyone feel that way about me. It¡¯s too big. Maybe if I had all those old memories, I¡¯d understand it better, be able to accept it.¡± A yawn interrupted me. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You need to rest,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Me too, for that matter. But I want you to think about something. Finding someone in this world who cares about you is hard. Finding someone who has gone through what he has and still loves you so unconditionally that¡¯s damn near impossible. Most would turn bitter, let the memories sour, or worse. But every time he sees you, I watch his eyes light up like he was that high school kid all over again. You need to appreciate that, if nothing else. Especially now that our world has gotten so much smaller,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Now, get some rest. Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but you look like death,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± I said, rising unsteadily to my feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re not planning on going anywhere this time, are you?¡± Miria stopped me.


    ¡°No. As a matter of fact, we¡¯re going to do something foolish to try and get my memories back,¡± I offered.


    ¡°Sounds like something James came up with.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°You OK?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Go deal with our little vampling,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°What are you going to tell everyone else?¡± I asked.


    Miria sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them he had an accident, which is true. The chemicals from the serums he was taking ended up killing him unexpectedly, which is also true. And that you saved his life by turning him into a vampire.¡± She looked at me and let a small smile escape. ¡°Also true.¡±


    I didn¡¯t trust myself to speak.


    ¡°Is there anything we should be worried about when it comes to him right now?¡± Miria was back to being serious.


    ¡°No. None of that fictional stuff about blood-crazy new vampires is true. He¡¯s just as sane as I am,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that for what it¡¯s worth,¡± Miria said flatly.


    I chuckled, shaking my head. ¡°So much like your mother.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Miria said, turning away.


    When I got back to the room, James hadn¡¯t moved. I curled up with him and fell asleep, listening to his breathing.


    I woke a few hours later, and he was still out cold. He didn¡¯t even stir when I slid out of bed.


    I showered, trying to get the dirt and grime out of my hair from last night. Luckily, we¡¯d scrounged a small generator from one of the houses we ransacked. It couldn¡¯t handle the whole house, but it did keep a few essentials like the water pump and water heater going. Afterward, I combed my hair with my fingers and let it air dry.


    Miria and Mark were in the kitchen when I walked in, giving me a strange feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu from last night. ¡°Y¡¯all know anyone who cuts hair?¡± I said, frowning at the tips of my wet hair.


    ¡°No,¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to either find someone or a book or something.¡± I sat down at the table. ¡°Sorry about last night, Mark. Didn¡¯t mean to be rude.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Miria told us what y¡¯all talked about,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°And?¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy. But I¡¯m glad he¡¯s OK,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°That makes two of us.¡± I gave him a genuine smile.


    ¡°Welp, I¡¯m off to guard duty. Later.¡± And Mark was gone.


    Miria yawned. ¡°I gotta get some sleep; something kept me up all night.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept yet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, couldn¡¯t. Too many things running through my mind,¡± Miria said as she stood up and made for the door.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all I could manage.


    ¡°Uh, James?¡± Miria was standing in the kitchen doorway, looking out into the courtyard with a shocked expression.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    I woke up some time later to the sounds of the house. I could hear everything: a mishmash of heartbeats, dishes clinking, and chairs creaking. I could also hear footsteps, the wind blowing, and someone¡¯s breath as they snored lightly.


    I stood up and stretched. Nothing creaked, nothing popped, and nothing ached. None of my old scars and wounds bothered me. I rotated my right shoulder, amazed there was no strain in it. I¡¯d had surgery for some damage a while back, and while it didn¡¯t hurt afterward, it never felt right. I used to be able to tell when the weather was changing just by how my shoulder felt. Not anymore, I imagined. I felt terrific.


    I slipped out of the room and into the courtyard, where the sun was just clearing the lip of the courtyard. Basking in the sun¡¯s morning light as it came streaming into the courtyard, it was warm on my skin and tingled slightly. It was amazing how sensitive I was and how much I could feel.


    ¡°Uh, James?¡± Miria said from the doorway to the kitchen.


    ¡°You finally up, you lazy¡ª¡± Shae¡¯s sentence cut off as she saw me and froze.


    Dust motes sparkled in the air, swirling around me in the sunlight. I looked at the two girls and said, ¡°This feels nice.¡±


    *<u>STEP OUT OF THE SUNLIGHT!</u>* Shae¡¯s command in my head was undeniable. I stepped away from the sunbeams, and Shae was there, touching my chest and face, examining me for damage.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK, really. I feel great.¡± My mind still hadn¡¯t caught on to what Shae was worried about.


    ¡°I thought,¡± Miria began, ¡°you said he was a vampire now.¡± She was shaking her head.


    ¡°He is.¡± Shae turned me around, examining my bare back. ¡°He¡¯s supposed to be.¡±


    Then I caught on, ¡°The sun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, eejit, the sun,¡± Shae said in a ¡°duh¡± tone.


    I automatically reached for the light, but Shae yanked my arm back. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Seeing if it was a fluke.¡± I shrugged off her hand and put mine back into the light. Aside from me setting the dust motes dancing again, nothing happened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t...¡± Shae began, reaching her hand out to mine. As soon as her skin touched the sunlight, it began to smoke. I yanked her hand back before she could.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Miria said. ¡°That was fast.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she meant Shae¡¯s skin starting to burn or my yanking her hand back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t burn.¡± Shae¡¯s voice was awestruck.


    ¡°I¡¯m like Wesley Snipes in that vampire movie, a day¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Shae said firmly.


    ¡°Aww, come on, it¡¯s cool,¡± I whined like a child.


    ¡°What are you, like 12? There is no way I¡¯m calling you¡­that. You have no idea the amount of ridicule that movie received in my circles. Even if the comic was pretty good,¡± Shae said.


    *Fine,* I huffed. *But that movie was cool.*


    *Aloud,* Shae chided.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I huffed again.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never, NEVER had anyone able to do that without the skin treatment,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°Apparently,¡± I strutted, ¡°I¡¯m special.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Miria chimed in, ¡°so special you¡¯re destined to be cared for by the state.¡±


    ¡°Zip it you,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°How are you really?¡± Miria had come over to stand by me, her arms crossed. She looked as if she wanted to touch me but was afraid to.


    I held out my hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. At least I feel fine.¡± I looked at Shae, *Am I fine?* When she nodded, I gently took Miria¡¯s hands in mine and brought them to my face.


    ¡°You¡¯re warm,¡± Miria said, keeping her hands on my face as I lowered my arms.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be that way for a while. As time passes, his body will absorb all the blood from last night; then, he¡¯ll cool a bit. The more blood he ingests, the warmer he¡¯ll be,¡± Shae explained.


    ¡°So odd.¡± Miria stroked my cheek and ran her hands through my short hair. ¡°You don¡¯t look any different.¡±


    ¡°It takes time,¡± Shae interjected. ¡°As his body...adjusts, it will make some changes. It may take a few weeks before the subtle ones become noticeable. I can already tell his throat has changed, his cheekbones are slightly higher, and his chest has tightened up a bit.¡± She seemed to squirm with that last part.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    *Can you blush?* I asked.


    *When I have enough blood,* Shae replied.


    ¡°I can still see it,¡± I said to Shae.


    ¡°Wow, your voice is different. I hadn¡¯t noticed before,¡± Miria said as she pulled her hands back.


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Shae tells me you¡¯re planning a trip back into town,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°We need to do some planning first, but yeah, we need to go,¡± I said.


    She nodded at me. ¡°I might have something for you when you go. Something for you to do that is.¡±


    ¡°A honey-do? What do you need, bread and milk?¡± I joked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll let you know,¡± Miria said.


    I nodded. ¡°Just let me know; I¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±


    Miria looked like she wanted to hug me but thought better of it and nodded instead. She headed towards the back of the house.


    *Is she scared of me?* I mentally asked Shae.


    *A little bit,* Shae said. *It¡¯s normal; everyone fears what they don¡¯t understand. Give her enough time, don¡¯t do anything too scary, and she¡¯ll get used to it.* Shae paused a moment. *Even now, you still surprise me.*


    *What? Oh, the sunlight thing. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a talent. I wonder if it has anything to do with the drugs,* I rambled.


    *That has to be it. There¡¯s no other plausible explanation. Now, come sit down; we¡¯ve got a lot to discuss.*


    *Did you sleep?* I asked as we made our way to the kitchen table.


    *Enough,* but the tired expression contradicted that statement. *I¡¯m fine,* she soothed, *Really.*


    We sat at the table before she began.


    *OK, some of this you may know, some you may not, so bear with me,* Shae started. *First off, food. Stop eating normal food. Strictly blood for a while until your system fully adjusts. Once it settles, you¡¯ll be able to eat human food if you really want to.*


    *Why wouldn¡¯t I?* I asked.


    *There are no waste products when you¡¯re on a strict blood diet. Your body absorbs 100% of the blood. Meaning you don¡¯t have to use the bathroom, ever,* she said.


    I thought about that for a while. *Handy.*


    *One of two things will happen if you start eating human food. Either you¡¯ll have enough blood in your system that your body will pass it the old-fashioned way, or if there¡¯s not enough blood, you¡¯ll have to get it out of your stomach the hard way,* she stuck her finger in her mouth and mimed gagging.


    *Charming,* I mumbled. I wondered if I could mumble telepathically.


    *Yes,* Shae confirmed.


    *Wait, you heard that, too?* I asked incredulously.


    *Yup, say goodbye to privacy. Your every thought is now available for my perusal,* she grinned evilly.


    Through no conscious action of my own, at least that¡¯s my story, my mind automatically thought of some of the more embarrassing thoughts and fantasies I¡¯d had. I then realized what I¡¯d done and prayed she hadn¡¯t picked up on that either.


    Shae gently put her hand on the side of my face. *If you think of something I¡¯ve never thought of trying, I¡¯ll give you five bucks. Relax. Let that be a valuable lesson in mind control. All you have to do is tell someone not to think of something, and they think of it. Like if I told you not to think of rainbows.*


    I automatically pictured a rainbow in my head.


    *You think of rainbows,* Shae mentally held her hands out in a ¡°there you go¡± fashion.


    *Sounds like fun,* I grinned.


    *Great at parties,* she smiled.


    I loved her smile and the way her eyes crinkled just a little bit. Then, there was the barest hint of her dimples. Oh, how I¡¯d missed her dimples. *So, don¡¯t think about...*


    *Later.* She patted my cheek. *Right now, school¡¯s in.* She ran her fingers through her hair and sat up straighter. *OK. So, you know about sunlight. It¡¯s lethal to us, well, all the rest of us. You freak,* she added. *I told you about our eating habits.*


    *Not entirely,* I interjected. *You told me what we eat, but not the how of it.*


    *I was trying not to scare you off just yet,* she said.


    *I can handle it,* I jutted out my chin defiantly.


    *You can knock off the tough guy act; I¡¯ve seen just how strong you can be,* she said.


    *Not everything,* I muttered, trying hard not to think of my darker side and the things I¡¯d seen and done.


    *Why do you keep thinking about that ¡°hang in there kitty¡± poster? The one with the kitten hanging out of a tree?* She cocked her head at me.


    *Just curious if it could block...certain...things,* I said honestly.


    She sighed. *Our minds aren¡¯t a constant two-way street. I won¡¯t hear every last thing that pops into your head. Only when I¡¯m actively listening or you ¡°scream¡± it out. You really do have some privacy, and I usually don¡¯t go where I¡¯m not invited.*


    *Sounds like a line I used to use on girls,* I said.


    *And how¡¯d that work out for you?* she said.


    *Not one accusation of sexual harassment or a rape charge,* I said proudly.


    *Something to aspire to, nice for you. So, feeding. We don¡¯t have this raging bloodlust like you read about in so much fan fiction. Food is just food. When you¡¯re hungry, you want food. It will not cause you to lose your mind and go on a killing rampage. If you go too long without feeding, it will affect your body. The more blood in our systems, the closer to human we seem. The less blood, the slower we get and the closer to corpses we become.*


    *What happens if you¡­er, we run out of blood?* I asked.


    *You become a corpse,* she said flatly.


    *You die?* I said.


    *No, you already died to become this.* She waved her hands down my body. *Whatever sustains us keeps working even if we run out of gas. You saw this when your blood poisoned me. You remain semi-conscious but don¡¯t experience the real world; it¡¯s more like a dream state. Your body stops, and the mind keeps crawling along. I¡¯ve heard stories of those who went mad because they were out too long. Having experienced it myself now, I believe it. The little time I was out felt like an eternity.*


    *Too long?* I asked.


    *As soon as your body gets blood again, it returns to ¡°normal,¡±* she said. *That¡¯s the only time a bit of bloodlust comes into play, just be aware of that.*


    *So, its kinda like those Underworld movies?* I asked.


    *Yeah, kind of. They stole that from us. Do you relate everything to movies?* she asked.


    *Well, yeah. I grew up on movies. There sure seem to be a lot of them that kinda sorta got it right, though,* I said.


    *There¡¯s a reason for that,* Shae smiled. *We¡¯ve got folks in Hollywood, just like we have folks in the government, that keep an eye on the state of ¡°fiction.¡± When it starts to get too close to the truth, people are nudged to change it. Or the story is bought and radically changed. Or the ratings board comes down on them for being inappropriate. It was a devilishly good idea to create that ratings board. You can control most aspects of a movie by threatening to give it an ¡°R¡± or ¡°X¡± rating. Anyway, we try to keep the ords fat and happy.


    *Ords?* I asked.


    *Ordinary folks,* she said.


    *Were you conscious? You know, during the poisoning?* I asked.


    *When I drained myself? Yeah, I think so. It was really odd, like being in a sensory deprivation tank. Anyway, back to blood. We need about a pint a week to maintain a normal healthy system. Less than that, we start to feel like we are coming down with a cold. More than that, we can get a bit of a ¡°high.¡±*


    I guess she saw the question starting to form in my mind and continued.


    *Some gorge on blood. It does make them stronger and faster. They heal quicker, but it also speeds up bodily processes as well. Not only does your body burn through blood faster, making you need to ¡°top off¡± sooner, but it can speed up the brain. It fires quicker than the body can handle. It¡¯s kind of like having the worst case of ADHD you could imagine. Some folks burn out, literally frying parts of their brain, and either they¡¯re never the same or go nuts and have to be put down.


    *So, stick to a pint a week,* Shae continued. *A human needs six to eight weeks to recover that pint of blood. So, you can¡¯t survive on one single person indefinitely.*


    *Tap boys,* I said.


    *Got it in one,* she nodded.


    *Wait. How have you¡ª* I started.


    *Been surviving since we¡¯ve been here? Rationing. Haven¡¯t you noticed I was never warm? I¡¯ve been an ice princess for some time now,* she said.


    *But, doesn¡¯t that¡ª*


    *Hurt?* she finished my sentence for me.


    *Please stop doing that,* I said.


    She smiled at me. *No, it doesn¡¯t hurt running low on blood. Like I said, it will start to feel like you¡¯re coming down with a cold if you go too low. I¡¯ve been hovering right above that.*


    *Which explains why you¡¯ve¡ª* I tried to finish a sentence on my own and failed yet again.


    *Had a couple of bad spells? Sorry, this level of communication is new for me as well. But yes, when I¡¯ve overextended myself, it¡¯s come back and bit me, pun intended. So, take my experiences to heart. Hmmm, we¡¯ve already covered how we die; it''s pretty simple.*


    *Is there like a ruling body or something?* I asked, my mind randomly firing questions.


    She shook her head. *I swear to the Goddess, if I ever get my hands on that woman, I¡¯m going to give her a piece of my mind. No, no big Italian mafia types are trying to lord over everyone. It''s much, much simpler than that. Territory rulers. Vampires who¡¯ve staked a claim in an area and managed to keep their claim either by force, loyalty, or service.


    *We do have ¡®the council,¡¯ but they¡¯re not a ruling body,* Shae continued. *They¡¯re more like¡­the U.N. They do a lot of talking about the state of affairs in the world but don¡¯t really do anything on their own.


    *There are also vast areas of unclaimed land vampires live in,* Shae said. *But if you enter a claimed area, you are expected to abide by their rules. If you don¡¯t like them, don¡¯t go there or face the consequences.*


    *How do people know when they enter territories?* I asked.


    *There is a network out there now, thanks to the Internet. Or at least you used to be able to look up the rules online for where you were going. The larger kingdoms correspond with each other, keeping up relations and treaties by sending couriers. These intermediaries carry messages and such of a much more personal nature than an e-mail. Plus, that was the more traditional way of doing things back in the day. Not everyone respects the old traditions. Some would rather play the sparkly vampire route.*


    *You really didn¡¯t like those books, did you?* I said.


    *Ah, they were alright. Just too sappy for my taste. Whiney little girls don¡¯t do it for me.*


    *But whiney little boys do?* I asked.


    *You weren¡¯t that whiney.* She rubbed the short hair on my head. ¡°It¡¯s like a puppy at the beach,¡± she smiled.


    *Wow, now we¡¯re into B5,* I said. *I don¡¯t remember you being so nerdy back in the day.*


    *I¡¯m diversified; I like a little bit of everything. Anyway, we can¡¯t have children either.* She rolled her eyes. *We died to get this way. No matter how much blood we drink, we don''t produce anything living. We can still produce fluids if we¡¯re good and full. The body needs them to make everything work like ¡°normal,¡± but there¡¯s nothing really in them.*


    *How, exactly, did you make me?* I asked.


    She shook her head. *Nope, you¡¯re not allowed to know that for quite a while. Tradition, that one, and I¡¯m nothing if not a traditional girl,* she slapped me when I scoffed.


    *Be nice. Let¡¯s see; there are no animal or mist transformations, as far as I¡¯ve heard. No direct mind control, well, not to those who aren¡¯t your creation or bloodbound. You can influence people through bloodtouching, but that¡¯s only by getting into their heads and playing their minds against them. Does that make sense? Good. We heal pretty fast. It''s not Deadpool fast, but it''s still pretty quick. Serious cuts that would require stitching will heal in a few hours. Limbs take a few days.*


    *Limbs?* I said.


    *Yeah, you do NOT want to go through that. Believe me, it¡¯s not worth it. If someone does lop your arm off, do not try to put it back on. It¡¯s nearly impossible to get it to heal properly, and you¡¯ll probably end up having to chop it off again to try and fix it,* she said morosely.


    I shook my head, not believing we were talking about this sort of thing.


    Mark walked into the kitchen just then. ¡°Hey guys.¡±


    *Hey,* I said.


    *Aloud,* Shae corrected me.


    ¡°Er, howdy,¡± I managed. As I watched him go to the pantry to rummage around.


    *Hmmm, all our senses are different now. They are more sensitive than humans. My voice, for instance, it sounds different now than it did before, doesn¡¯t it?* Shae said.


    *I just thought it was a trick of my mind, but yes. It¡¯s clearer somehow; I hear more of the sound, like the depth and pitch. It¡¯s like all those controls you don¡¯t use on your stereo. The only ones you really cared about were bass, maybe treble, and balance. The other twelve, you never messed with. But now I can hear all 15, all at the same time. Sight too,* I answered, seeing the question in her head before she asked it. *It¡¯s like going from a black and white TV with bunny ears to a 4K TV where you can count the number of clogged pores on a news reporter¡¯s face. It''s overwhelming,* I said.


    *Sight¡¯s not so bad; it¡¯s the hearing that takes practice.* Shae said. *It¡¯s not something you can just shut off, like closing your eyes or holding your breath. You will have to practice tuning out the ¡°background noise¡± so you can focus on one person. I¡¯ll show you how. Of course, you¡¯ve already discovered taste is drastically different. You¡¯ll soon find things that were once your favorites aren¡¯t anymore,* she said.


    *Yeah, cow blood sucks,* I nodded.


    *Ah yes, blood. Each animal, including humans, has its own taste based on numerous things. It¡¯s all a matter of taste testing,* she said.


    *It doesn¡¯t bother you about the human blood?* I asked.


    *Of course not; why would it? We¡¯re not monsters. We don¡¯t have to kill to get what we need. We can easily find those who willingly offer it up in exchange for what we can give them,* she said matter-of-factly.


    *Buy me dinner, and I¡¯ll give up a vein?* I offered.


    *More like give me an orgasm, and I¡¯ll do anything,* she said. *You¡¯ll find sex can be a potent tool. Most humans will do just about anything for it.*


    I felt myself starting to blush. I wasn¡¯t used to hearing her say anything like that.


    *Your blush is just so cute,* she grinned.


    *Shut up.* I shook my head and realized Mark was still in the room, staring at us. How long had we been talking?


    ¡°That¡¯s just creepy,¡± Mark said.


    *What¡¯s that?* ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I corrected.


    *Nice catch,* Shae said.


    I wondered if you could mentally frown at someone.


    *Yes, but don¡¯t. It looks funny,* she chuckled once.


    ¡°Y¡¯all were just sitting there staring at one another, not moving or even blinking for minutes. It was weird. Y¡¯all OK?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°Just trying to get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Miria told us about the whole vampire thing. Sorry bout that dude,¡± Mark said.


    I stared at him a moment. ¡°Sorry bout that dude?¡±


    He nodded, munching on some crackers. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not that crazy when you think about it.¡± When I just stared at him, he continued. ¡°We got zombies wandering around now. I think that¡¯s much creepier than vampires. I hope there are werewolves out there too.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Shae chimed in, causing Mark to stare at her.


    *Are there werewolves?* I asked.


    *No idea,* she smiled.


    ¡°OoooKkkkk then. I¡¯m just gonna...go...somewhere else,¡± Mark said as he made his escape.


    *I really do like him,* Shae stared after him. *And he tastes good too.*


    *TMI lady,* I said.


    *What? It¡¯s not my fault you have good taste in friends,* she teased.


    I groaned. *Somebody kill me again.*


    *Not a chance.* There was a weird spark in her eye. *You¡¯re all mine now.*


    *Again, with the hot and cold,* I chided.


    *Just go with it,* she said, leaning forward and kissing me on the lips.


    After a moment, I asked, *Can vampires be bi-polar?*


    She slapped me lightly and got up.


    *Was that a yes or a no?* I asked.


    *I like the Bi part, but I''m not too fond of the cold.* She walked out of the room before I could pick my mental jaw up off the floor.


    *No-no-no, you can¡¯t say something like that and just leave.* I stood up to follow her.


    *I just did,* she said in a sing-song voice.


    I spent the rest of the day adjusting to my new nature. That and snoozing on and off. I kept going from incredibly hyper to exhausted. My brain just didn¡¯t know what it should be doing and my body couldn¡¯t figure it out either.


    *We¡¯ve got watch, so shake a leg,* Shae said just past dusk.


    *I don¡¯t have watch until tomorrow,* I said.


    *Try again; you¡¯re on night watch now,* she said.


    I groaned. *Back on mid-shift, ugh.* I used to hate working the midnight shift.


    *And it¡¯s my watch; you¡¯re staying up with me,* she said.


    *But¡­* I tried.


    *Come along, young Padawan. You have much to learn of the ways of the Force,* she said in a low, deep voice.


    *Did you...just quote Star Wars?* I asked.


    *Suck it up, princess, I don¡¯t want to be late,* she said.


    Sometime later, we were sitting on the roof in the dark. The house had gone quiet an hour ago as the last person went to bed. The flip-flopping of hours seemed to make everyone more tired than usual. We were trying to figure out a new schedule to create a routine for everyone, but I was throwing a wrench in that.


    *It¡¯s quiet tonight,* Shae chimed in.


    Her thought startled me. We were sitting on opposite sides of the house, allowing me to practice with my various senses. We¡¯d already run through several exercises, me identifying people by their breathing. Finding zombies by sound, occasionally smell. I wasn¡¯t so good with smell, it seemed, except when it came to Shae. She could shut her body down to near silent and hold so still she blended into the background, but that light jasmine smell gave her away every time. I couldn¡¯t remember if it had always been there or not. But now, I could follow my nose to her every time.


    *How do you think the others are doing?* I asked.


    *What do you mean?* she said.


    *I mean, how are they holding up? You and I have been out and about a lot compared to the rest. They¡¯ve all been confined to the house except for the occasional training op,* I said.


    *Oh, they¡¯ve been out. They make the occasional scrounging trip. They don¡¯t go too far, but they¡¯ve been out enough that they are gaining some confidence,* Shae said.


    *Most are still worried about their families. But it¡¯s not like they can hop on a plane and go check on them. They know they need to stay put, so they hope for the best. But we may want to dig up some board games or something. They were all used to the constant barrage of input from TV and movies. Without that, they¡¯re having to learn how to interact with each other again. In the long run, it¡¯ll be a good thing,* Shae said.


    *Yup, spin the whole zombie apocalypse to mean we¡¯ll be getting to know our neighbors again,* I said.


    *It¡¯s true,* Shae said.


    I nodded silently.


    *You finally going to tell me what¡¯s wrong?* she asked.


    *I can¡¯t really keep anything from you, can I?* I said.


    *Even before this, I would have been able to tell something was bothering you,* she said. *Spill it.*


    Sighing, *it...it¡¯s about when I¡­died.* I still felt weird saying it. I didn¡¯t think it had really sunk in yet.


    *Oh?* she asked.


    *Yeah. Do you remember when you died?* I asked.


    *That¡­was a long time ago,* she shook her head.


    *Do you remember anything? Lights, music, voices, anything?* I asked.


    She was sitting next to me now. I¡¯d heard her coming, but she surprised me with how fast she was. I wondered if I¡¯d ever get that fast. Her arm snaked around my shoulders. *What is it?*


    I sighed, took another breath, and blew that one out too.


    *I saw something. Something I don¡¯t understand,* I said slowly.


    She nodded, squeezing me a little tighter.


    *They say you see your life flash before your eyes. You see your loved ones or a light at the end of the tunnel, but I didn¡¯t see any of that,* I shook my head. My thoughts were fuzzy, like trying to remember a dream the morning after.


    *What did you see?* she asked, and I could feel the concern coming from her.


    *Don¡¯t laugh, OK?* I said.


    *Now, you¡¯ve piqued my interest.* She put her head on my shoulder, looking away from me, trying to make it easier.


    *Do you know what the BSOD is? The blue screen of death? No? It¡¯s an error screen you sometimes see on a computer when it crashes. It completely locks the machine up, and you have to unplug and restart it to try and get it to clear.*


    *You saw a computer?* she asked.


    *No...well, not really. I saw a big blue screen, like that was all I could see, a blue screen. There was writing all over it, but I didn¡¯t recognize any of it.* I was fighting to remember and the memory was slipping away faster now. *Then there was a girl, not a real person, but animated, like one of those Japanese cartoons. She just looked at me and wagged her finger like she was trying to get me to stop doing something. Next thing I knew, she¡¯s gone, along with all the weird writing. Then the words ¡®loading v.5.0¡¯ flashed and I woke up,* I was sweating by the time I got to the end of that memory. I was sure there was more, but I¡¯d already lost it.


    *So...* Shae started slowly, *your version of heaven was a hentai website?*


    I frowned. *Seriously?*


    *I don¡¯t know James. When I died, we didn¡¯t have computers, or anime for that matter. There might have been some flashes of light, but it was so long ago.* Shae looked up at me. *This just happened to you and look how hard it is for you to remember,* she said.


    *I¡¯ve never been very religious, but I was hoping maybe I¡¯d get to find out one way or the other when I died,* I said.


    *Maybe your version of heaven is a cute blue-haired anime girl. Or it might be Hell; you did say she was scolding you. Was she wearing leather?*


    I could tell she knew I was being serious, a little too serious for her taste.


    *Listen, the brain is a seriously complicated organ. What you saw might not have been an afterlife experience but a random firing in your brain. You may never know. Try not to let it get you down because, regardless, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it, so don¡¯t worry.*


    *Be happy?* I managed.


    She squeezed me again. *Yes, sir.*


    I was glad I got it off my chest. I may not have gotten any closure on the event, but at least I had shared it. I hoped now it would go away. I had enough to worry about as it was.


    *Do you believe in God?* I asked, suddenly remembering something. *I heard you mention the Goddess before.*


    *I¡¯ve believed in a few things over the years, but I wasn¡¯t a big Catholic schoolgirl,* Shae started and then slapped me upside the head. *Yes, I do have that outfit, and for that rude thought, no, you can¡¯t see it.* She grinned.


    *With everything I¡¯ve done and seen, I believe there is more going on than we can explain. I don¡¯t know exactly what is doing what, but I do feel there are higher powers at work. Do I think that one religion is right over another? No. I had a friend from Japan once explain it to me like this: ¡®Everyone is on their own path, whether Christian, Hebrew, Shinto, Buddhist, etc. But all these paths lead to the same destination, no matter what you call it.¡¯ I like that idea. Kind of like the Vorlons, just without the whole space aliens thing. Besides, given enough years, a deity¡¯s name and values tend to change. Trust me, I¡¯ve seen it.*


    *That¡¯s like three sci-fi references tonight. Your true geek is showing luv,* I ribbed her. *I don¡¯t remember you being so into sci-fi.*


    *That¡¯s what happens when you have way too much free time on your hands,* she said. *I had little to do when I moved into the Austin compound. I wasn¡¯t a courier anymore. I didn¡¯t go anywhere or have any responsibilities.*


    *What did you do?* I asked.


    Shae hesitated, *I was basically a trophy wife to Pagoda.*


    We were both quite a moment.


    *But that took up so little of my time I had to find something to keep myself from going insane,* Shae said. *Sci-fi filled in a big chunk of time for me. Escaping to far-off lands, dreaming of a better future. Who wouldn¡¯t enjoy that?* she smiled.


    *Sounds like it was just what you needed at the time,* I said before coming back to the topic at hand. *Well, I believe there¡¯s something out there as well, but I don¡¯t think we have the¡­words to properly describe or understand it. Which is one of the reasons I absolutely hate church dogma.*


    *Great movie,* she nodded.


    *True, Kevin Smith¡¯s a genius. But I can¡¯t see how a collection of stories penned by humans, then translated multiple times over a couple thousand years, could remain true to the original, even if the original was true.* I frowned. *Sorry, that thought kinda got away from me. Don¡¯t even get me started on the council of Nicaea,* I said.


    *I just don¡¯t like someone coming between me and what I want to worship. I don¡¯t think God is a man, a woman, or anything that has sexes to begin with. I don¡¯t think I have to go to one place to talk to a deity, pray a certain way, or even act a certain way. If they are truly all-powerful and all-knowing, then they already know all my faults. Why should I feel bad about who I am?* I shook my head. *OK, again, I¡¯m rambling.*


    *You have no idea how glad I am that I can read your mind. Had I just heard the words, I¡¯d have no clue. But because I could read the thoughts behind the words, I understand and can agree with you for the most part,* she smiled.


    *The main thing is, I can accept how you want to worship without feeling it¡¯s an affront to my beliefs or feeling I need to change you. I¡¯m comfortable with what I am and you can do your own thing. I don¡¯t care as long as you don¡¯t try to bother me. If more people stopped getting so angry and realize what really matters we wouldn¡¯t have so many problems in the world,* she said.


    I nodded. *I still prefer some of the D&D goddesses though...soooooo hot!* I chimed in.


    *Ugh. Male whoremones. I wasn¡¯t ready for that,* she shuddered. *That¡¯s going to take some getting used to. Seriously, with everything going on, you¡¯ve thought about sex at least six times in the last hour. They say the only thing guys think about is sex, but I didn¡¯t really believe it till now,* she rolled her eyes.


    *Tell me about it. You think hearing it is bad. Try living with it,* I said.


    *Seriously? Every time you see a woman one of the first things you think about is if you can sleep with them or not?* she said.


    *It¡¯s not as cool as it sounds. Honestly, I''m not too fond of that part of me sometimes. My brain automatically goes to these places and thinks these things. I have to mentally slap myself around to get my brain to knock it off. I used to worry that one of these times, the person I was thinking about would be able to read my mind and go off on me. Guess that finally happened,* I chuckled.


    *You really can¡¯t help it?* she said.


    *What guys say about ourselves is usually the truth. Sadly, we¡¯re simple creatures at heart.* I could feel her looking deeper into my head, which made me feel a bit exposed.


    *It really does just happen?* She shook her head. *Wow.* She then looked at me sharply, *Do you...*


    *Every time I look at you. EVERY time. And I¡¯m not one bit sorry.* I could see just the faintest touch of color on her cheeks.


    She looked at me for a minute. *Just do me a favor and try to keep it short, will ya?*


    *More with the quickies, my specialty!* I said, trying to mask my uncertainty.


    I heard her groaning in my head.


    *Are you telling me you don¡¯t think about sleeping with people you meet?* I asked.


    *Not every single person, and it¡¯s not my first thought,* she defended. *How¡¯d we get to talking about this? We were talking about vampire stuff.*


    *Spoilsport,* I said.


    *Later,* she said.


    *Sure. I¡¯ll believe it when I see it.* Then I saw the look on her face. *What? I was just teasing.*


    *No, it¡¯s not that,* she looked puzzled. *Something you said earlier¡­*


    *Which part? I¡¯ve rambled quite a bit,* I said.


    *Your death screen thingie,* her face was screwed up in concentration.


    *What about it?* I asked.


    *I¡­I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s something¡­* she trailed off.


    *What?*


    *That¡¯s just it, I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s something there, something about what you said that¡­ugh. I don¡¯t know,* she looked up at me. *You ever have that feeling where you¡¯re talking, and suddenly you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying anymore and can¡¯t remember what you were trying to say in the first place?* she asked.


    I looked at her. *Yeah, I¡¯m kinda feeling that now.*


    She gave me a look. *I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s like having something on the tip of your tongue, but you can¡¯t say it for the life of you.*


    *Now that I understand,* I said.


    *That¡¯s what this feels like,* she said.


    *Well, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sure if it¡¯s important enough, you¡¯ll remember it right in the middle of sleeping or something,* I smiled.


    *Probably. Let¡¯s get you back to your exercises,* Shae said.


    *Yeah!* my cheer was filled with mock-enthusiasm.

 Z Day +41

    <u>Z Day +41</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    It didn¡¯t take us as long as we thought to devise a plan. We had an address on Natalie but didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d be there. She might have bugged out with the others or simply moved. But that was all we had. So, our brilliant plan was to go to her place and see what happens.


    Turned out, Natalie had a straightforward, plain-looking house in the middle of a very average suburban neighborhood.


    *Seriously?* Shae looked at the little one-story house.


    *Maybe being an all-powerful blood-worker doesn¡¯t pay that well?* I offered.


    It hadn¡¯t taken us that long to get here. Thankfully, even Texas back roads were relatively spacious, so even when the bike came across a traffic snarl, we could usually either ride the side of the road or take the median.


    We¡¯d decided to take the bike with the sidecar. While I felt silly sitting in the sidecar, I had to agree taking two bikes meant using twice as much gas. That and while I could ride a motorcycle, I wasn¡¯t very good at it.


    Considering our natural speed, I¡¯d asked why we didn¡¯t just run. Shae had vetoed the idea due to not only my fledgling status (I could trip and rip my head off) but also that the more we did supernatural things, the more blood we expended. And as it was, people to get a ¡°refill¡± from were in short supply.


    On a weird side note, it turned out that drinking animal blood was some sort of taboo. Who knew? When I pressed Shae about why, she seemed embarrassed and didn¡¯t want to discuss it.


    The closer to town we got, the more shamblers we saw. Most of them seemed to wander around old businesses and developed areas. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was due to muscle memory or what. We didn¡¯t see too many in the more rural areas. We still hadn¡¯t come across any giant hordes, not that I was complaining.


    Natalie¡¯s front door was unlocked. We stepped inside and stopped to listen. Neither of us heard anything.


    ¡°Hello? Natalie? Are you home?¡± I called out and then waited, listening. There was no movement anywhere in the house I could detect. Frowning, I closed the door, and we started in.


    The inside of the house was just as normal as the outside appeared to be. Slightly worn couch, older TV, and messy kitchen. I was starting to think maybe our Intel was wrong when Shae pointed at several pictures on the wall.


    *That her?* Shae asked.


    I looked, and there were several pictures with Natalie and other random people. I never saw the same person with Natalie twice. Each picture was in a different location, too. One looked like a vacation photo from Mexico, another from an unknown beach, another in snow-covered mountains, and another on the bow of a cruise ship.


    *Yup,* I pointed at the last picture, *that¡¯s Natalie. A cruise ship? That seems a bit reckless.*


    *Probably the Triumphant. They offer a ¡°vampire-friendly¡± cruise several times a year,* Shae said.


    *Seriously? I¡¯ve heard of gay cruises and nude cruises, but not a vampire cruise,* I thought about it for a moment. *How do they...* I started.


    *You probably don¡¯t want to know...yet. Let¡¯s just say they have a lot of ¡°in-cabin services¡± not normally provided.*


    *Sounds...naughty,* I finally managed.


    *Naughty?* she thought about it for a moment. *Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way. Let¡¯s keep looking.*


    We¡¯d been speaking in each other¡¯s minds pretty much non-stop. It seemed to come naturally to us. When I wanted to speak aloud, it took an actual act of will to do it. It was strange at first, but it made talking on the bike trip over pretty easy.


    The rest of the house offered nothing interesting until we found the bedroom. Shae started working on a laptop she found there; it still had battery power.


    *I thought you weren¡¯t good with computers,* I said.


    *Just because I don¡¯t know what a blue death screen is doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know how to work a computer,* she scowled.


    I was walking around the bed when the floor squeaked, causing me to freeze. *Austin still has that high water table, right? That hasn¡¯t changed since I lived here, has it?*


    *Nope,* she said off-handed, continuing to type away.


    I got down on one knee and felt around the thick carpet.


    *What did you find?* Shae asked, not looking over at me.


    *I think...I found a basement,* I replied.


    *Austin doesn¡¯t have basements; the water table is too high...oh!* she said.


    I glanced up at her, unsure if she had said ¡°oh¡± to me or something else. It was something else.


    *Check this out,* she turned the laptop around and pointed it at me.


    On the screen was an open e-mail that outlined how Drakes would continue to function during the current crisis and, for a not-so-small fee, offer its elite clientele sanctuary until the crisis was resolved.


    *Nice work,* I said as my fingers found the latch I¡¯d been looking for. Part of the carpeted floor swung up and out of the way, revealing darkness below. I started to reach for the small flashlight I had in my back pocket when I stopped.


    *Shae.*


    *Yeah?* she said.


    *Come here and look at this.*


    She was beside me a moment later. *What? Looks like a big black pit.* Then she got it. *Why can¡¯t we see down there?*


    *Yeah.* I pulled the flashlight out and clicked it on. I shined the beam into the hole, but the darkness swallowed the light.


    *OK, that¡¯s just creepy.* Shae took a step back. *Leave it alone.*


    *But what is it?* I asked.


    *I don¡¯t know. And in my experience, when I run up against something I don¡¯t know, I leave it alone,* she said.


    I shined the light on the floor and let it trail into the hole. As soon as part of the circle of light passed from the floor to the lip of the hole, that part of the light disappeared.


    Her hand touched my shoulder. *There are still many things in our world that I don¡¯t know about and can¡¯t explain. I seriously believe there is magic at work around us, and this would fit into that. <u>LEAVE IT BE</u>.*


    I lowered the hatch and stood up to face her. *You don¡¯t have to command me,* I said gently, placing my hands on her arms. *I trust your judgment, especially regarding the weird shit I¡¯m not into.*


    *I can¡¯t help it,* she sighed. *You have to understand, this is a first for me too. I¡¯ve never been connected to anyone like this outside of direct blood contact. When I get worried, it just sort of happens. Besides, I just kept seeing a tentacle slide out of there and drag you down,* she grinned.


    *Yeah, tentacle monsters...never really got into that myself, but thanks for saving me,* I smiled and batted my eyelashes at her. *Awww, you worry about me?*


    *Goddess knows why,* she sighed.


    *Don¡¯t get me wrong,* I smiled, seeing how this bothered her as much as it bothered me. *I don¡¯t mind doing everything you say, especially under certain circumstances.*


    She shook her head and rolled her eyes, *All the time with you. Come on, let¡¯s try Drakes.*


    *Wait. All the God talk earlier, and you still never told me why you keep saying Goddess,* I said.


    She looked thoughtful for a moment, *No. I didn¡¯t, did I?* Then she walked outside without another word.


    I swallowed my frustration and followed her.


    On the way to Drakes, I found what Miria had asked me to keep an eye out for. I stowed it away for later.


    Downtown was a mess. We had to try two bridges over Town Lake before finding one with enough room to squeeze by. As we approached Drakes, I realized it wasn¡¯t there anymore. The entire block had been gutted by fire.


    Shae didn¡¯t slow down as she turned into the parking garage for a nearby conference center. As we drove through it, I noticed there weren¡¯t a lot of cars here. I cringed at how much noise the bike was making inside the concrete structure. She parked on the third level above ground and turned off the bike. The silence that followed was almost as deafening as the bike had been.


    I was immediately on my feet and scanning our surroundings to see what unwanted attention we¡¯d attracted. But everything was tranquil.


    *Relax,* she said. *This is a protected place. I doubt even zombies could get through these wards.*


    *Wards?* I asked.


    *Magic, remember?* Shae said. *All sorts of fun and imaginative things protect Drakes. The place is a veritable fortress.*


    *Fortress? Why don¡¯t we bring the others here then?* I asked.


    She looked at me flatly. *Ords can¡¯t walk into Drakes. They either have to have business there or be escorted. Even if they did get in, do you think they could handle being entirely in my...er...our world?* she corrected.


    *Wait. I was at Drakes right around Z Day, and it wasn¡¯t here. It was like two blocks over in that burned-down area.* I pointed.


    She smiled at me patiently. *Things change when you cross the barrier, James. Part of the protection of this place involves illusions, misdirection, and straight-out giving you the heebie-jeebies. Now that you are part of the world Drakes exists in, you¡¯ll see things for what they are.* She turned and headed off towards the back wall.


    *Wait, you¡¯ve been here without me?* Shae asked as she approached a plain metal door. *Oh yes, I remember catching a glimpse of that fiasco in your head back on Z Day.* She stopped at a plain metal door and reached out to turn the knob.


    The touch of my hand stopped her.


    *Yeah, um...I probably should have mentioned that,* I started.


    *Oh?* she said.


    *I kinda got thrown out,* I frowned.


    *You what?!?* she yelled at me. *Wait, you did, didn¡¯t you. What exactly happened? The only way to get thrown out of Drakes is to threaten violence. You didn¡¯t?*


    I shrugged, *I was trying to find you. I kinda lost my temper. Drake was very nice about tossing me out.*


    *He usually is. How¡¯d you get in?* she asked.


    *That¡¯s another story altogether.*


    She removed her hand from the door and listened as I explained what had happened.


    *Usually, getting thrown out means you get barred.* She frowned.


    *He didn¡¯t mention that.* I said. *He actually commented on the fact he¡¯d see me again next time.*


    She tapped her chin in thought. *In that case, you should be the one to open the door. To make sure you¡¯re allowed,* she said.


    *Actually, Drake said it was you, not me, that wasn¡¯t allowed in here,* I said. *His exact words were ¡°Not since me¡± but he wouldn¡¯t explain.*


    *That¡¯s odd. I haven¡¯t done anything. Of course, I haven¡¯t been here in ages, so...* She shrugged.


    *OK,* I said and put my hand on the plain metal doorknob.


    The door burst to life in bright colors. It was as if the entire door was a giant video display with multi-faceted colors swirling around it. I was momentarily stunned. I¡¯d never seen anything like this. It definitely hadn¡¯t happened on any of my previous visits. The colors solidified into the simple name of Drakes. If I looked close enough, each mote of light that made up the letters seemed alive and quivered as they held together to form the name.


    *Wow,* I managed.


    *Yeah, it¡¯s like that the first time for everyone. Kind of cool getting to see it through your eyes, though. Looks like you¡¯re good to go; open her up,* she said.


    I twisted the handle, and the door swung inwards without a sound. At first, I thought the place looked the same. Rectangle bar in the center of the room, surrounded by round tables and ringed by private booths. But then I saw there were now multiple levels to the place.


    Three more levels were above us; the first was just catwalks crisscrossing the place, and the second was a balcony that framed the room, leaving the center open. Finally, at the very top, there seemed to be several dark rooms with glass walls that looked down on the club.


    This time, the club was not empty either. Dozens of people lined every level, mingling with one another. A grand piano sat off to one side of a small stage where a jazz quartet was pounding out a loud, lively rhythm that reminded me of time I¡¯d spent in New Orleans.


    *Oh, Demetrius is playing. I love his band,* Shae smiled as the words of ¡°Watermelon Man¡± floated to her across the club. *This is one of my favorites. He combined Oscar Brown Jr.¡¯s lyrics with Herbie Hancock¡¯s rhythm. It¡¯s just amazing,* she reigned in her gushing. *Sorry, I guess I¡¯ve missed this place a bit more than I thought.*


    I had no clue what she was talking about and just nodded.


    The door closed behind us on the outside world. Inside, there were no problems, no troubles, no worries, and no zombies. I noted that I walked freely this time, nothing grabbing at my feet like last time as we approached the bar. The absence of the growling noise was a pleasant change as well.


    Drake was behind the bar, alone again. I didn¡¯t recall ever seeing anyone else tending bar, and as I watched, I could tell why. Drake appeared to be everywhere at once. He seemed to shimmer between four identical versions of himself. One was behind the large bar and I could see at least three more copies of him walking the floor, delivering drinks and taking orders.


    *How¡ª* I started, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.


    *Drake is one of a kind. I have never seen anyone like him,* Shae said in answer to the question I hadn¡¯t even finished.


    *But there¡¯s more than one of him,* I said again in confusion, my brain stuttering with what it was seeing.


    *Yeah, the most I¡¯ve seen is 12¡­I think. No one knows how he does it. Some say he¡¯s an alien, others a powerful sorcerer. Personally, I think he¡¯s the bar,* she said.


    *The bar?* I asked, watching the copies of Drake moving about, taking orders, delivering food, and holding conversations.


    *I think the bar is alive and just projects Drake to make it easier for us to accept the place,* Shae said.


    I thought about that as we sat down at the bar. *Well, the bar definitely looks like it¡¯s bigger on the inside,* I said, but from Shae¡¯s blank look, she didn¡¯t recognize the reference.


    Shae turned back to the bar as Drake appeared. ¡°Drake!¡± she said aloud.


    It was the first time I¡¯d heard her voice in a long time. While it was definitely the same voice I heard in my head when we spoke, it was somehow different. It was less, almost like it was hollow, if that makes any sense.


    ¡°Ms. Shae, so good to have you back with us.¡± He turned to me, ¡°And Mr. James. I see you found what you were after; I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, listen,¡± I started, ¡°about last time, I¡¯m really sorry about how I acted. It was inexcusable, and I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Pish posh. We all have been known to act a bit...theatrically from time to time, especially regarding affairs of the heart. Water under the bridge and all that. And might I say, you look rather well considering how you appeared last time we met. Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± I grinned. ¡°You ever figure it out?¡±


    He touched the side of his nose. ¡°Not completely, but that doesn¡¯t matter now, does it?¡± He held out his hand for mine.


    *Careful,* Shae cut in.


    *What?* I asked.


    *Just be careful. He doesn¡¯t usually touch anyone,* she said.


    I held my hand out for him to examine again. Just as before, he turned it this way and that, looking for something.


    ¡°Curiouser and curiouser. You are a strange one, aren¡¯t you, Mr. James?¡± Drake asked.


    ¡°I try,¡± I said, not sure what to say.


    Drake smiled. ¡°I¡¯m so glad. It does get ever so tedious with the same-ole-same-ole. It¡¯s like a breath of fresh air when something new strolls through my doors. And as such, a celebration is in order.¡±


    Drake pulled two cups from beneath the counter and set them in front of Shae and me. Both handless, ceramic mugs were filled with a dark steaming liquid. He pulled a third cup for himself from behind the bar. His cup was made of iridescent crystal filled with a glowing fluid that seemed iridescent as well. He held it up to us in toast, ¡°To new beginnings.¡±


    ¡°New beginnings,¡± Shae and I repeated, picking up and hoisting our cups.


    The mug was warm like it was fresh from a dishwasher. I brought it to my lips and took a sip. Just before it touched my tongue, I smelled spices, like cloves, and then the liquid was coating my tongue. Its warmth filled my mouth, causing my sinuses to open in surprise. It reminded me of the spiced gl¨¹hwein I¡¯d had in the Christmas markets of Germany. But this was so much richer, with layer after layer of flavor. I found I¡¯d unintentionally drained the cup in one go.


    Shae looked at me, slightly startled, as I put the empty cup down.


    *What?* I said.


    *Thirsty, are we?* she asked.


    *It was good!* I said.


    *Yeah, well, take it easy. We don¡¯t know how much it costs yet,* she cautioned.


    Drake smiled, putting his own drained cup down on the bar. ¡°So, what brings you out into this wretched apocalypse? I¡¯m sure it couldn¡¯t be my humble establishment unless you¡¯re looking for sanctuary, but I feel that is not the case as of yet.¡±


    *As of yet?* I asked.


    *Hush,* Shae replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for someone,¡± Shae started, taking another small sip from her mug.


    I looked down and found my mug full once again. I hadn¡¯t seen Drake refill it, but I wasn¡¯t about to look a gift mug in the mouth. Then I thought about what I¡¯d said, chuckled, and looked the gift mug right in the mouth as I brought it to my lips. I took a moment to enjoy the aroma before taking a mouthful. I managed to control myself with the single mouthful and savored it.


    The first cup was already setting fire to my insides, the flames radiating from my stomach. This one chased after the first, and once again, I found the cup empty.


    ¡°She goes by Natalie,¡± Shae said.


    I put my cup down and kept one eye on it, watching to see if it magically refilled itself again.


    ¡°Oh yes, the young mistress is here, has been since this whole mess began. It¡¯s always a blessing when she comes to visit. She always brings such interesting stories,¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Where can we find her?¡± I asked, glancing up at him and then back down at my cup. It had filled itself in the moment it took for me to ask my question. I found my hands were already around its warm ceramic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if she¡¯s available. Drake?¡± Another Drake seemed to appear next to Drake at his summons. ¡°Could you check and see if Ms. Natalie is accepting visitors tonight? I have a pair that would like to speak to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but she¡¯s a bit...shall we say ¡®pre-occupied¡¯ at the moment,¡± the other Drake said.


    Drake nodded, and the second Drake disappeared into the crowd.


    My cup was empty again.


    *How many is that?* Shae demanded.


    *Uh...* I managed. The fire had spread to my arms and legs, heading up towards my throat. I was feeling good, REALLY good. I was mellow, that comfortable feeling I always sought when I drank.


    *That¡¯s what I thought.* She put her hand on top of my cup before it could refill and took it away.


    ¡°The young master has already paid if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about,¡± Drake offered, ¡°and you¡¯re more than welcome for the evening if events get...carried away as it were.¡±


    Shae and Drake locked eyes for a long moment. Something passed between them that I couldn¡¯t catch, and then the other Drake was back. The warm fuzzy in my head made the room sway back and forth slowly.


    *No, the room¡¯s not moving, that¡¯s just you. You¡¯re swaying on your stool, you lush,* Shae said, reading my mind. Her hand on my shoulder made the room stop moving.


    ¡°She says to send them right up,¡± The other Drake said as he returned.


    Drake beamed, ¡°Excellent!¡± before turning back to us. ¡°I¡¯ll have your things sent up.¡±


    The other Drake motioned for us to follow him and headed towards the back wall.


    ¡°Thanks, Drake!¡± I slurred slightly, standing to follow.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Drake replied.


    The other Drake passed the stage to where a small elevator sat in an alcove. He stepped inside and held the doors open for us. Once inside, the doors closed, and the elevator moved swiftly but silently up to the third balcony.


    I had an idea. ¡°Drake?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Last time I was here, you said Shae wasn¡¯t allowed back here because of me. What did you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me that; I¡¯m not allowed¡­the rules, you know,¡± Drake tutted.


    *He said the same thing last time I asked,* I said.


    *Then he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. I¡¯m here now; that¡¯s all that matters. Let it go.* After a moment, *Seriously, that was a horrible movie.*


    *Sorry, the songs are catchy. I couldn¡¯t help it,* I said, still humming the theme song.


    *Try,* Shae sighed.


    Drake led us down a short hall and stopped by an unmarked door before knocking slowly. ¡°Your guests, madam,¡± he said and then left us, heading back to the elevator.


    The door opened just as the elevator doors closed.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE (more or less)</u>


    Natalie stood in the doorway looking just as James had described her: a meter sixty tall, platinum blonde hair below her shoulders, and a pouty expression. What he hadn¡¯t mentioned was her curvy figure and rather large endowments. She wore a silky off-white nightdress complete with a matching robe. All she needed was a long cigarette holder and she¡¯d look like she¡¯d just stepped out of the 1920¡¯s.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Natalie,¡± I began but was ignored as Natalie threw her arms out and pulled James into what his panicking mind called a ¡°squishy booby hug.¡±


    ¡°My shiny!¡± Natalie squealed before holding James out at arm¡¯s reach and examining him more closely. ¡°Oh, but how you¡¯ve grown, exactly as I remember. Amazing! Come, come inside and sit,¡± Natalie said excitedly.


    James looked at me with panic-stricken eyes as he was pulled into the room.


    *Help me,* James¡¯s intoxicated brain cried out to me.


    Chuckling, my only reply was *Squishy booby hugs?*


    *I like yours better?* He offered by way of an apology.


    *Oh, hush you two, you¡¯re being rude!* Natalie¡¯s voice came through both our minds clear as a bell. Natalie pushed James down into an overstuffed armchair and climbed onto his lap, dangling her legs over one arm of the chair.


    Natalie gently stroked what there was of James¡¯s hair. ¡°Not as nice as before,¡± She sighed but didn¡¯t stop petting him.


    ¡°Shae, please lock the door. Thank you,¡± Natalie chimed like a bell.


    *How are you in our heads?* I frowned as my body responded to Natalie¡¯s affections of its own accord. This wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d expected.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    *And what did you expect, my dear? Ouija boards and crystal balls? Besides, it¡¯s not just your heads I¡¯m in,* Natalie grinned devilishly. *It¡¯ll be confusing at first, but it¡¯s a necessary evil.*


    *Wait,* Natalie sat up in James¡¯s lap and looked over at me, *are you still mad at me?*


    *Still mad at you?* I asked. *For what?*


    *Oh,* Natalie seemed to search her own thoughts. *I¡¯m not making you angry, am I? I honestly don¡¯t mean to.*


    *Uh, no?* I ventured. I wasn¡¯t angry, just confused by this odd woman. I¡¯d heard blood-workers were a bit off, but this was something more.


    *Don¡¯t worry, my dear. The six of us are quite good friends; you two just don¡¯t know it yet,* Natalie smiled.


    Before I could express more confusion, Natalie continued.


    *And don¡¯t worry, neither of us is the jealous type. He¡¯s always been yours; he always will be, no matter how many of us get our hooks into him,* Natalie said, relaxing back into James, who didn¡¯t appear to mind in the slightest.


    *You¡¯re not making any sense,* I said.


    *Seconded.* James finally seemed to find his voice.


    *I will. One day, you will look back on this and understand. For today, just know I love all of you and couldn¡¯t be prouder of what the five of you¡¯ve done together,* Natalie beamed like a proud parent.


    *Five of us?* James asked, looking around the room in confusion.


    Natalie gave a little huff before saying, *Listen to me now, think about it later.* The bad Schwarzenegger impression disappeared as Natalie continued. *Trust your instincts. Inside, you know I am not going to hurt you, either of you. Besides, what have you got to lose?*


    I quickly ran through everything that had happened since we¡¯d walked through the door, trying to see if I¡¯d missed anything that would help make sense of the situation. Before I could come up with anything, Natalie continued.


    *So, what is it this time?* Natalie asked.


    *This time?* I managed.


    *You¡¯ve come to me before, haven¡¯t you?* Natalie looked between the two of us. Her eyes seemed a bit wild and out of focus. To me, it looked like she was hopped up on something.


    *Nope, no drugs,* Natalie giggled.


    *Uh no,* I said. *This is the first time we¡¯ve been here.*


    *OH!* Natalie¡¯s eyes got wider. I didn¡¯t think that was possible, but they did. *Oh,* she said a moment later in a softer tone. *You must excuse me; I don¡¯t always experience things...linearly.* She turned to look at each of us in turn. *Understand?* She pointed at James before he could say anything. *Yes! Correctamundo!*


    *What?* I asked, my head starting to hurt from the woman¡¯s chatter. I was getting tired of being confused.


    *I didn¡¯t say anything...or think anything that I know of,* James said helplessly as the image of a marshmallow man briefly appeared in his mind.


    Natalie reached over to the table and picked up a mug before wrinkling her nose. *Ick, this one¡¯s yours.* She handed the mug to James.


    It looked to be the same mug from downstairs. James took it and, before I could say anything, drained it without hesitation. I sighed.


    *Literally?* James slurred slightly and smacked his lips.


    *Linearly,* Natalie corrected. *Weren¡¯t you listening?*


    *Time. You¡¯re talking about time,* I interjected, happy to have found at least one piece of this messy puzzle, not that it helped.


    *Uh huh,* Natalie nodded, grinning hungrily at me. *God, I can¡¯t wait to get you in bed. We haven¡¯t yet, have we? I would hate to have missed it.*


    *No¡­* I said carefully to the woman wiggling in James¡¯s lap. I felt waves of intoxication mixed with lust coming from James and¡­it was strange. The strangeness wasn¡¯t his feelings, I was getting used to his hormonal outbursts. The strangeness was that I was feeling what he felt, almost as if we¡¯d traded bodies. Something Natalie was doing was causing the bond James and I shared to¡­blend to the point I couldn¡¯t tell whose emotions I was feeling. It made me dizzy.


    James seemed to feel my distress and finally had the sense to set his drink down and push it away.


    *Wait, what?* I sighed in frustration, feeling like I¡¯d said the word twenty times already. Natalie¡¯s mind bounced around like a pinball. It was hard to follow. As soon as I thought I knew where she was going, she bounced off in a seemingly random direction.


    *Both of you, of course.* Natalie glanced at James, then turned to me and winked. *But that¡¯s not why you came this time,* she sighed, then paused, *or was it?* She was staring at me now. *I already know his answer,* Natalie wiggled in James¡¯s lap, causing him to shift uncomfortably.


    *Maybe next time, he¡¯s still a bit fresh,* I said as something inside me seemed to relax and all the anxiety that had been building in me drained away suddenly.


    I felt James suddenly starting to panic, but Natalie reached over and patted his cheek.


    *It¡¯s alright,* Natalie soothed James. She smiled at him and turned back to me. *I can wait. For that, I¡¯ll wait,* she sighed.


    I felt James connect another piece of the Natalie puzzle just before he said, *You¡¯re¡ª*


    *Out of phase,* Natalie completed for him. *Just a little disconnected in time...sorta...kinda...more like I¡¯m at most of the points some of the time...like now...* She ground herself into his lap with gusto. *I see both of you...this room. God, y¡¯all are hot together,* she sighed wistfully. *So annoying not knowing when I am.*


    *Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey,* James said.


    *Yes! Correctamundo!* Natalie squealed.


    I glanced at James to see if he recognized Natalie¡¯s comment from earlier. He was looking at me with the same expression.


    *You. Shae,* Natalie purred, *please come hither,* Natalie¡¯s voice was throaty as she said it. She had one arm around James¡¯s neck and held the other out to me as I hesitantly approached.


    Natalie looked up at me through her lashes with her best pout on. *Come now, don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t done this a hundred times already.*


    I locked eyes with Natalie.


    I could feel my anxiety return, almost as if it were a tangible thing. Something in me was fueling these emotions. It was beyond the simple confusion of the here and now.


    Natalie nodded, *Yes, part of you knows what happened back then and is terrified of me. No one can ever cover it all up, not even someone like me.* Natalie unhooked her arm from James and took my hands in hers.


    In my confusion, my body didn¡¯t resist as Natalie pulled me down to eye level with her. I barely felt it as Natalie¡¯s hand snaked behind my head and swiftly brought our lips together.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d kissed a woman, far from it. But it was the first time I¡¯d seen stars at the touch. It felt like explosions were going off in my head, and I found I couldn¡¯t move. The surprise and soft warmth of Natalie¡¯s mouth distracted me long enough for her to slip deeply into my mind.


    A moment later, my head started to resist, quivering beneath Natalie¡¯s touch. The world returned as my legs gave out, and I found myself on my knees, still connected to Natalie at the lips.


    *You¡¯ll have to do better than that,* Natalie said in our collective mind as she crawled through my skull.


    I still resisted, not understanding, as my thoughts struggled to make sense of this odd woman. *What was she doing? Who was she? What was going on?* One thought after another came, and still, I was frozen, unable to move.


    *Fine,* Natalie sighed, breaking our kiss. *Let¡¯s start with him, then.*


    I found myself being gently guided until my mouth found James¡¯s.


    My body reacted on its own at his touch. My mind could no longer stop it. All the hesitation and fear my mind had used to keep my body in check these past weeks disappeared. My mind gave up trying to stop it as my hands clawed at the back of his head, pulling his mouth harder into mine as our tongues danced.


    The sudden need for him was intense, insatiably so. I wanted him like I¡¯d never wanted anything else in my life. The memories of our frantic couplings all those years ago slipped into my mind from out of nowhere. My mind tried to stop and ponder this, but my body growled at it in frustration, and then I didn¡¯t care anymore. My brain stopped thinking and I just kissed him with everything I was.


    My need filled my mind to bursting. The stars I¡¯d seen when Natalie had kissed me began to explode all over again. These stars didn¡¯t scare me or confuse me as before. These weren¡¯t Natalie¡¯s stars. These stars were from¡­my¡­boy.


    *That¡¯s the one,* Natalie¡¯s voice suddenly rumbled in my mind, her touch returning to the back of my head.


    My eyes practically burst from their sockets as my body involuntarily tried to escape Natalie¡¯s touch. I arched as if being electrocuted. Every synapse was on fire, and my body crackled with the energy flowing through it.


    Then it was over. The energy was gone, and I collapsed onto Natalie¡¯s lap, unable to move. My mind felt like an open book, lying on a desk for anyone to read.


    Natalie cradled my head gently, her hands sliding my hair out of my still-open eyes. I felt Natalie¡¯s fingers as she began to delicately sift through my mind, searching for something.


    Without my direction, my mind reacted, swirling as if trying to get away. But Natalie was persistent, searching until she found what she wanted and pulled.


    A cascade of suppressed and altered memories erupted from a hidden place in my mind. Like a damn bursting during a flood, my entire existence exploded in sound and color behind my eyes.


    *Yes,* Natalie said gently. *Easy now, not too fast.* Natalie¡¯s featherlike touch continued sifting through my mind. She slowly organized the chaotic jumble of my memories into their proper places.


    *Don¡¯t worry about all of them at once; you¡¯ll have plenty of time to sort later,* Natalie said.


    Amongst the chaos of my own mind, I felt a thin thread of need and followed it into Natalie¡¯s mind. Natalie desired me; she had ever since we¡¯d first met 14 years ago in Pagoda¡¯s compound on the night my master died.


    *Oh?* Natalie said, surprised to find me inside her mind. *Are we that eager then? Fine, but first, allow me to explain myself before you¡­decide what to do with me.* Her trepidation was unexpected but sincere.


    *Of course it''s sincere. You¡¯re in my head Shae, I can¡¯t lie to you in here.* Natalie sighed, *Now let me get this out.*


    *Pagoda contracted me for a standard mind alteration, nothing unusual at the time. Plus, I really needed the money back then.* Natalie said.


    *Before an alteration contract can be finalized,* Natalie started, *I had to first ¡®examine the goods¡¯ as it were. AKA, I had to examine your mind to see if it could be done. If it couldn¡¯t, I¡¯d erase my presence of ever being in your head, get paid a small fee, and go home. If I could do it, then terms would be hacked out and the contract finalized before I did anything else.*


    I lay, unmoving, as Natalie explained all this to me. She¡¯d somehow cut James out of this, giving us our privacy. James, in the meantime, sat there like his personal pause button had been pushed.


    *I¡¯d done forced alterations before, it was something I did when I was desperate.* Natalie said. *I was never proud of it and tried to forget it afterwards but it always stuck with me, no matter what I tried.


    *I knew there was a problem before I ever touched you,* Natalie said. *Pagoda, the dumbass, had already bloodbound you and tried altering your mind himself. Of course, the amateur had fumbled the job; they always do. You resisted him and he couldn¡¯t handle it. The problem was, in your battle of wills, your mind had been torn to pieces by Pagoda¡¯s hack job. You weren¡¯t quite a mental vegetable, but you were pretty close.


    *At first, I straight up refused. I told Pagoda there was too much damage and I couldn¡¯t do it. Of course, he threatened me and tried various underhanded tactics to get me to bend to his will. He made me dive back into your mind again and again but all it did was strengthen my resolve to not do it.


    *But, during these dives I started finding pieces of you. Involuntarily, I started stitching them together and the more I found, the more I wanted to know about you. I quickly became obsessed and agreed to the job but told Pagoda it wouldn¡¯t be a quick fix. This was going to take time. It was true, it would take time but I dragged it out because I wanted to know you more.


    *Pagoda agreed to my conditions, he didn¡¯t care, he just wanted it done. He practically gave me a blank check when he signed my contract without reading it fully.


    *I had my work cut out for me and I took my time. Not only did I want to put you back together again properly, but I wanted to know how your story would turn out. I wanted to be a part of it. By the time I was done, my obsession with your story was absolute. I¡¯d made you whole, but at the same time I¡¯d made you Pagoda¡¯s property. The only thing that helped me sleep at night was the fact every memory I changed, I¡¯d tucked away for safekeeping in your mind. When the day came, I¡¯d be able to fix all the wrong I¡¯d done to you, to your mind at least. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough for forgiveness, but¡­I hoped.*


    Natalie cleared her mental throat. *Now, I¡¯ve put everything back the way it was before that night. If you want, I can change the time between then and now. I can make it so you don¡¯t remember what you went through these past years. I can change as little or as much as you want. It¡¯s the least I can do for you and your story¡­* Natalie trailed off.


    I felt it as Natalie withdrew from my mind, but I chose to remain in hers a while longer.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I felt yet. I knew I was whole, and my mind was clear, but there was a lot to take in.


    Focusing on Natalie, I searched her feelings. Everything she¡¯d told me was true. Pagoda had destroyed me, he¡¯d threatened Natalie, and he would have killed both of us if she¡¯d refused. She didn¡¯t have to save my thoughts; she could have done the job and never looked back. No one would have been the wiser. But she hadn¡¯t.


    *I know what it¡¯s like, being forced into necessary evils¡ª* I started when an avalanche of Natalie¡¯s thoughts, feelings, and memories engulfed me.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe; images flashed through my head, scenes blurred before my vision, and a cacophony of voices, thoughts, and feelings pummeled me. I couldn¡¯t keep up. It was too much. Just as I was about to be ripped apart, it all stopped, and the world disappeared.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>(???)</u>


    Water.


    Drowning.


    Heat.


    Hissing.


    Cold.


    Falling.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, Mom.¡±


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    *NO!*


    Natalie¡¯s voice in my head jerked me back to the present. My body shuddered, and my eyes popped open.


    I slowly sat up from Natalie¡¯s lap and leaned back.


    Natalie watched me with a shocked expression, *How did you do that? You shouldn¡¯t be able to do that!* Her voice was filled with real fear, not the teasing, unhinged voice from before.


    *What was that?* I said, glancing at James, who was still seemingly frozen.


    *That¡­that was me. That¡¯s how my mind works. I said it before. I am not always in one place. You got caught up in one of my jaunts. It should have ignored you or killed you. But that¡¯s not what it did.*


    I couldn¡¯t read the expression on Natalie¡¯s face.


    *What was¡ª*


    *Shae, you can¡¯t be there yet,* Natalie said, all pretense of the confusing woman act from before gone. *I have to take that back,* her voice dripped with genuine remorse.


    *Take what? I don¡¯t understand.* I said, finding I couldn¡¯t move.


    Natalie reached out and touched my forehead.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    *I know what it''s like, being forced into necessary evils¡ª* I started.


    *Forgive me,* Natalie whispered, interrupting me.


    I looked up at her from her lap and couldn¡¯t identify the expression on her face. Was it sadness? Her eyes looked moist. I sat up and leaned back slowly.


    *Shae?* James said, drawing my attention. He was moving again, and back in my head.


    My James.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    Shae came up to kiss me so fast that our teeth bumped, something that only happens to teenagers. But that¡¯s what it felt like we were, and I couldn¡¯t help but grin stupidly as tears formed in the corner of my eyes.


    *Shae, what¡ª* But I was interrupted as Natalie¡¯s hand tapped me on the forehead.


    *Learn.* The voice was Natalie¡¯s, but it also wasn¡¯t. It was ancient and filled my head with memories.


    Shae and I were sitting on the car''s hood at the nature preserve all those years ago. She was holding my engagement ring, and I told her to think about it.


    The scene shifted. Shae came to her hotel room later that night, where a dozen vampires awaited. She was ¡°escorted¡± to Pagoda¡¯s compound.


    Shae¡¯s master was dead. Pagoda was claiming dominance over Shae. While she could do nothing against the claim, her mind used my memory as an anchor during the rite.


    This angered Pagoda when he saw it through their new bloodbond, and he tore Shae¡¯s mind apart.


    Then Natalie was there. She stood in dark robes, shades of black on black. She reached out at Pagoda¡¯s command and dove into Shae¡¯s mind.


    Pagoda ordered Shae¡¯s memories of me to be erased. He went as far as to have me replaced with himself in some of her memories, further twisting Shae¡¯s mind to his will.


    I opened my eyes in the here and now to find Shae staring back at me. We stared at one another for a long while, saying nothing, thinking nothing, just staring. Finally, she broke the silence.


    *We¡¯re not losing anymore time,* Shae said before turning to Natalie, *and you¡¯re not going anywhere either.*


    I sensed hesitation from Natalie. Then she shrugged and grinned. *I hadn¡¯t planned on it. This is my room, after all.*


    What followed would have filled a year¡¯s worth of Penthouse Letters. Whatever power Natalie had over us was complete. The strange link the three of us shared continued and deepened. Half of the time, I didn¡¯t know which of the three of us I was.


    TWO DAYS LATER


    The three of us were on Natalie¡¯s bed together when I returned to any sense of reality. I wasn¡¯t sure I knew what normal was. I wasn¡¯t sure of anything anymore.


    Natalie stirred behind me. Her arm was wrapped around me, cupping my breast while she pressed into my back, her lips on my shoulder blade. I was draped around James, my hair a complete disaster.


    Then I remembered I was James, and Shae was curled on my chest with Natalie behind her. They were both asleep. I tried to lie still, not wanting to move for fear of waking them. It took a moment for me to realize the mental rapport we¡¯d shared the past few days was still going, and they were slowly stirring.


    *What,* my mental voice seemed out of breath, *was that?*


    Shae¡¯s voice answered first, *Amazing?* I could hear her mental sigh of contentment. *Truly, truly amazing.*


    *You¡¯re welcome,* Natalie mentally yawned.


    *Did we really just spend two days¡ª* I started.


    *Making the beast with two backs?* Shae completed my thought.


    *Three backs,* Natalie corrected, teasing my...er, Shae¡¯s body.


    I watched Shae reach back and softly caress Natalie.


    Natalie snuggled closer, nuzzling behind Shae¡¯s ear.


    *Three lovely backs,* Shae amended, mewing like a kitten.


    Then Natalie¡¯s words came back to Shae from before *It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t done this a hundred times?*


    *Spoilers.* Natalie kissed the back of Shae¡¯s ear.


    *I don¡¯t think ¡®thank you¡¯ is a strong enough expression,* I added.


    *Well, I would take money,* Natalie¡¯s mental voice seemed to stretch as she did, *but money¡¯s not worth anything anymore.*


    *Eternal servitude?* I offered.


    *Ditto,* Shae yawned, starting to move a bit herself.


    *Done and done,* Natalie sealed the deal. She reached over and ran the back of her hand down my face. *Be good. I¡¯m going to take a shower...if I can make it that far.*


    I smiled and enjoyed watching Natalie roll out of bed and get to her feet stiffly. She raised her hands high above her and stretched up onto her tiptoes, a little squeak coming out of her at the apex. It made me chuckle, and she grinned back at me.


    *I think you ruined him,* Shae said, seeing Natalie through my eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t tell when Shae was doing that. There was no sensation when she was in my head now.


    *He¡¯ll be expecting this every time now,* Shae chided.


    *I¡¯ll teach you how to do it,* Natalie winked at me.


    *Really?* Shae picked her head up from my chest to look at Natalie.


    *No,* she grinned evilly. *If you could do it, y¡¯all wouldn¡¯t need me anymore, and I¡¯d never be invited.*


    Shae threw a pillow at her, but Natalie stepped out of the way at the last minute and closed the bathroom door.


    *Your cups are on the nightstand,* Natalie started, *You both need to finish them off completely before you leave. That includes refills. And before you ask, just shut up and drink.*


    We looked over, and sure enough, our mugs from before were steaming on the bedside table. We sat up and took tentative sips. It had the same wonderful flavor as before, but we instinctually knew it wasn¡¯t spiked this time. Both famished, we drained our mugs. They immediately refilled and we drank again.


    *Truth?* Shae asked Natalie as I was chugging my drink.


    *When you need it,* came her gentle reply.


    *Was it all necessary? Could you have given my memories back without...all this?*


    *True truth?* Natalie asked.


    I could feel Shae thinking about it. I knew she¡¯d always wonder later if she didn¡¯t ask.


    *Please,* Shae finally said.


    *Yes,* Natalie smiled.


    I could actually feel Natalie¡¯s smile over our link.


    *Which one?* Shae growled.


    *I never hurt the ones I love, sweetie. Not permanently, at least,* Natalie said.


    Something about the way Natalie said it made me hesitate, and I could feel Shae do the same. Then, Shae seemed to let it go, so I did as well.


    *But, I do need to say this,* Natalie said to Shae.


    I could still hear her, but I knew Natalie was directing it toward Shae. This link was so weird.


    *I saw several of your memories had bled through before today,* Natalie started. *That shouldn¡¯t happen. That doesn¡¯t happen even to the weakest blood-worker. Once we¡¯ve sealed something away, it stays sealed until we open it. I don¡¯t understand how you broke the rules and got ahold of those memories.*


    *Don¡¯t ask me, I don¡¯t know how it works,* Shae said.


    I waited until I knew they weren¡¯t going to say more and jumped in. *Shae?*


    *Yes, dear?* Shae said, finishing off another mug.


    *Is this how all vampire sex is?* I heard Natalie snort from the bathroom and saw Shae throw a dirty look her way.


    *No. Nothing like that at all. That...that was something else entirely. I think she might have ruined me, to be honest,* Shae admitted.


    *You¡¯re making me blush,* Natalie said, turning on the shower.


    I was both relieved and disappointed at the same time. I was blown away by what we¡¯d just experienced. There was nothing in my life or fantasies to compare this to. It wasn¡¯t sex, and it went well beyond lovemaking. This was...I didn¡¯t have words for it.


    *Still blushing,* Natalie said.


    I¡¯d forgot they could hear my thoughts and quickly tried to rein it in as my cheeks burned.


    *Why is Deadpool shooting a ¡®hang in there¡¯ kitty poster with a dart gun?* Natalie asked in confusion.


    It was Shae¡¯s turn to snort with laughter.


    I watched Shae laugh and smiled to myself. She seemed to be more comfortable with herself and with me, for that matter. Whatever Natalie had done had seemed to¡­¡®restore¡¯ her. That was the best I could come up with to describe it.


    *Anyway, Natalie showed me what happened to you back then Shae, but¡­* I tried to think of how to phrase my question in a way that didn¡¯t sound stupid.


    *What exactly happened?* Shae asked. *It''s not a stupid question. Let me see if I can break this down for you.* Shae took a moment to collect her thoughts.


    *In a nutshell, Pagoda killed my master, bloodbound me to him, and then had Natalie mess with my head,* Shae said.


    *It¡¯s a living,* Natalie was shampooing her hair.


    Shae continued, *Pagoda was so pompous he gave Natalie the wiggle room to lock away my memories, not erase them.*


    *It wouldn¡¯t have mattered.* Natalie was rinsing her hair now. *Contracts terminate upon death. Since I know you¡¯ll kill him, I wouldn¡¯t have been bound by it. If anyone asked, I would have told them¡ª*


    *Wibbly wobbly, timey whimey,* I muttered.


    *Spot on Mr. Smith.* Natalie started in on conditioner.


    *OK, what do you keep saying, and who¡¯s Mr. Smith?* Shae chimed in.


    *You¡¯ve got your work cut out for you, James,* Natalie chuckled.


    *Yup,* I laughed and felt Shae grabbing me in a way no man should ever be grabbed in anger. *OK, OK, I¡¯ll tell!*


    *Y¡¯all don¡¯t have time for that,* Natalie interrupted. *Sadly, you¡¯ll need to be moving along soon.*


    *Awww,* the two of us said in concert. I could hear Natalie¡¯s eyes roll.


    *Gluttons,* Natalie mumbled.


    *Seriously though, Natalie. How long is this rapport thing going to last?* Shae couldn¡¯t keep a worried tremor out of her voice, causing me to look at her.


    *Don¡¯t worry; it will fade as you leave,* Natalie said, then paused. *More Deadpool and kittens, what IS that about?*


    *James¡¯s attempt at a block,* Shae said.


    *Does it work for you?* Natalie asked.


    *Nope,* Shae said.


    *Me neither,* Natalie said.


    *But it¡¯s cute to see what he comes up with,* Shae smiled, her hand releasing its hold on me and turning it into a caress.


    *Not enough time,* Natalie chided us. *I¡¯m out of the shower, jump in, jump out, and get dressed.*


    *Yes, Mom,* we said in unison, finishing our mugs again. As we sat them down, they refilled yet again.


    *This rapport thing is weird,* I said to Shae. *Our normal mind link is one thing, but this is so much more than that.*


    *Y¡¯all are both weird. Now get out of my bed!* Natalie said, starting to sound impatient.


    An unfortunately short time later, we were toweling off. Natalie had disappeared on us while we were in the shower.


    *She seem different to you?* I asked.


    *Who Natalie?* Shae asked.


    *Yeah. I mean, she was all sorts of loopy when we first got here. Now she seems¡­*


    *Lucid?* Shae provided an end to my sentence.


    *Yeah, I guess that¡¯s as good a word as any,* I said.


    *I honestly don¡¯t know what to tell you,* Shae shrugged and continued to towel off. *She¡¯s the first blood-worker I¡¯ve met, so for all I know, they could all be that way.*


    Shae hesitated and then looked at me. *Nat had to make a hard choice. It was a decision that was worse than ¡®the lesser of two evils.¡¯ Something tells me you can relate.*


    *Uh, yeah.* I said slowly.


    *Well, now she¡¯s living with the consequences, and I¡¯m not the type of person to make that sort of thing worse. There¡¯s not always a ¡®good¡¯ or ¡®right¡¯ choice, and in my experience, we¡¯re less forgiving with ourselves than strangers are.*


    I stopped and looked at Shae in a whole new light. She would never have said something like that to my younger self. I could never have understood it back then if she had.


    I realized I had been looking at Shae all this time through the eyes and memories of an 18-year-old child. I couldn¡¯t do that anymore. I owed it to her to open my eyes and start thinking of her as more than a childhood fantasy.


    Shae looked at me and smiled kindly.


    *I don¡¯t deserve this woman¡¯s love,* I thought solemnly.


    *That¡¯s for her to decide, James. Just make sure you continue to earn it.* Natalie¡¯s voice came through gently, and I knew Shae couldn¡¯t hear it this time.


    I nodded to myself as I continued to dry off


    *OK¡ª* I started a minute later, but Shae cut me off.


    *I was wondering how long it would take,* she said.


    *Can you really read me that well?* I asked.


    *Right now, I¡¯m having difficulty telling which of our bodies is mine,* she sighed. *It¡¯s going to make getting dressed really difficult.*


    *Tell me about it, the shower was hard enough,* I chuckled.


    *Is it all back then?* I asked, *your memories, I mean.*


    Shae stopped drying her hair and looked up at me with familiar eyes. *Hello, boy,* was all she said before kissing me deeply.


    We reluctantly broke and stepped away from one another.


    I couldn¡¯t stop grinning. Her calling me by my old pet name caused my eyes to get a little moist.


    *OK,* I cleared my throat, trying to calm myself down. *So, what just happened? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m in no way, form or fashion complaining about the last two days, but¡­to put it simply¡­huh?*


    Shae chuckled softly, dropping her towel. *First off, a little perspective. Most of us who¡¯ve been in the vampire world a while now...kind of...well, we shed social stigmas after a while. We get sick of playing games meant for other people.


    *Some stick closer to normal human ways, and some run 180 degrees in the opposite direction. It¡¯s all a matter of perspective. So, when you¡¯ve been following an uptight, strict morality code for a hundred years, it¡¯s not surprising that we want to cut loose occasionally,* Shae said.


    *So...what does that mean...for you...for us?* I said, trying to wrap my head around it.


    Shae turned and faced a mirror, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. *I¡¯m not one to jump into bed with people I just met.¡± She glanced at me in the mirror. ¡°I don¡¯t think Natalie really counts as ¡®people.¡¯*


    *Granted,* I sighed, not being able to turn away from watching her.


    *Look how long it took me with you,* Shae said.


    *Oh, I remember, trust me,* I nodded.


    She turned to face me. *I¡¯m doing this all wrong; it¡¯s not coming out how I want,* she sighed. *I am faithful.* She closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath, and then locked eyes with me. *I keep faith with the ones I¡¯m with. I never cheat, and I never lie when it comes to the heart.*


    *I can get behind that,* I said softly. Our conversation was taking an unexpected turn, but it didn¡¯t feel like the right time. *Listen, this...feels like something we should talk more about, but not here, not now. Does that make sense?*


    *Surprisingly, yes.* Shae had been standing in front of me for a few moments now, her hands on her cocked hips without a stitch of clothing on.


    My breath caught in my throat, and my heart did a weird double-beat thing when I realized she was showing off for me. My heart hadn¡¯t done that since I was in high school.


    Shae smiled, seemingly satisfied with my admiration, and continued. *Anyway, back to what that was all about. From what I got from Natalie¡¯s mind, blood-workers aren¡¯t like vampires. Once they¡¯ve had contact with your blood, they can access your mind any time you¡¯re near. The only time it goes both ways is during direct blood-on-blood contact, just like a vampire. We both avoid it because it¡¯s unpredictable.*


    *How so?* I was finishing up drying off and sat on the bed.


    *Contact with someone¡¯s blood directly links to every aspect of their being: thoughts, memories, and emotions. It comes through raw and unfiltered. It can be overpowering and potentially damaging if they¡¯re not careful,* Shae said.


    *Then, why would you do it at all?* I asked.


    Shae strolled across the room and straddled me, sitting on my lap and putting her arms around my neck. *You would do it for someone you cared about. So they would know, without a doubt, how you felt. What do you think the last two days have been about?*


    My blank look caused her to kiss my forehead.


    *But how?* I said.


    Shae grabbed her mug from the nightstand and held it up a moment before finishing it.


    I¡¯d lost count of how many times our mugs had refilled now.


    *What do you think we¡¯ve been drinking? Who do you think you¡¯ve been drinking?* Shae corrected.


    My eyes grew wide. *That was Natalie¡¯s blood? With all the stuff in it?*


    *That¡¯s her blood straight, no additives. She made sure Drake had it ready to go when we walked in. She¡¯d seen us coming. I¡¯ll be honest; I¡¯ve never tasted anything like that before, so you¡¯re right to be impressed.*


    *Did you know?* I asked.


    *Nope.* Shae kissed my cheek. *I, like you, thought they had added spices or something.*


    *But how did she¡ª" I tried, but Shae was being very distracting, *get our blood?*


    *The ways of the Jedi are subtle and often overlooked by the weak-minded,* Shae said, kissing down my jaw to my collarbone.


    *More Star Wars references?* I was mentally out of breath as my body reacted instinctually.


    *Seriously!* Natalie¡¯s mental scolding came from nowhere, trying to throw cold water on our blossoming amorous activities. *Knock it off before I turns on the hose!*


    Shae slid off my lap and knelt beside the bed, her head in my lap. *Make me,* her voice was a throaty whisper in my mind.


    *Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!* Shae was on her feet, on her tiptoes, her head cocked to the side as if someone had grabbed her by the ear and lifted her up.


    Natalie was still nowhere to be seen.


    *Now,* I felt Natalie¡¯s voice ¡®turn¡¯ to me. *If you would be so kind as to put on some pants while I have a little conversation with Shae here.*


    I didn¡¯t need any other prompting and started pulling on clothes like a kid who¡¯d just heard his girlfriend¡¯s dad¡¯s car pulling up to the house. While I knew Natalie wasn¡¯t speaking to me, I could still hear their conversation.


    Natalie turned her attention to Shae. *OK darling, here¡¯s the deal. There are legitimate reasons I am trying to get you going. It¡¯s not because I want you gone. If I had my way, neither of you would leave my bed for a month, possibly longer if I thought I could take it. But you both are on a dangerous path right now, and there are more threats to you out there than you know of. I¡¯m sitting with one of them right now. So, pretty please, zip it up and get on the road, OK?*


    *Yes, ma¡¯am,* Shae said as she was lowered down from her tiptoes. She rubbed her ear sulkily as she pulled on her clothes.


    *You know I love you, so don¡¯t pout,* Natalie whispered.


    *Now, you two have a bit of a trip ahead of you. I recommend saving any more discussion until you¡¯re safely back home. You two are too easily distracted for your own good.* I could feel Natalie¡¯s mental eyes glowering at Shae. *Now shoo, more later.*


    Drake awaited us outside the door to escort us back to the elevator. Drake seemed to be trying to ensure we didn¡¯t deviate from our course.


    Once in the elevator, Drake said, ¡°I hope you enjoyed your visit here. Know that we always have a room available if you wish to pay another visit or perhaps stay a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I managed while Shae kept to her sullen silence.


    The bar downstairs was relatively quiet. I glanced at my watch, realizing the sun had just set.


    Drake saw us to the door.


    ¡°Once again, thank you for your patronage. Please be careful upon leaving the garage; it¡¯s still rather¡­unseemly out there.¡± He nodded once and closed the door when we were outside.


    Natalie was right; we should have saved the talk for when we got back to the Hacienda. Instead, we talked via mind-speech the entire way back, oblivious to the fact we were being followed.


    We came to the turn-off where we normally stashed the bike. We had decided to have the two trucks at the house for real emergencies. Anything else we needed more regularly, like the bikes, was stored a good kilometer from the house. That way, the noise they made wouldn¡¯t attract attention to the house. Shae¡¯s bike was kept on the opposite side of the property.


    We stashed the bike under a tarp and then pushed it into a pair of overgrown bushes. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but you would have to be looking for it to find it. I scuffed over the tire tracks.


    Shae took my arm and leaned her head against my shoulder as we walked back. I could sense that part of her was still trying to accept her ¡°new¡± memories. She hadn¡¯t been comfortable with public displays of affection before, but since she got her memories back, she didn¡¯t seem to care anymore. It was an odd mix that was confusing for her. If we hadn¡¯t had this mind link, I never would have been able to understand what was going on with her.


    On the other hand, I was anxious. Shae had all her memories back now and seemed to be OK. I wasn¡¯t sure what would be coming next for us. It wasn¡¯t as if she was a completely different woman. She was still the same woman I¡¯d spent the last month with. We just had to figure out how we fit together now.


    *Shae?* I asked.


    *Yes?* She looked up at me from her own thoughts.


    My train of thought was interrupted as we came in sight of the Hacienda.


    I signaled the lookout as we came out of the trees. We¡¯d come up with all these signals and watch rules. It took some getting used to, but it was now the norm for everybody.


    Miria was on the roof and waved back.


    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± Miria called once we were close enough. ¡°You finally decided to come home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry. We got...sorta...sidetracked,¡± I said.


    ¡°Uh-huh, seems to be a habit with the two of you,¡± Miria said, looking from me to Shae and back.


    ¡°We miss anything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Good, coming up.¡± I used the lip of the roof to easily swing up. On the way up, I thought I heard something but dismissed it as the roof creaking under me.


    Shae followed effortlessly behind me.


    ¡°Did I miss something?¡± Miria looked back at us and nodded at how intimate we were acting.


    ¡°Hush, and watch your sector,¡± I grinned. ¡°Oh, here you go,¡± I said, handing her the brown paper bag containing what she¡¯d asked me to get.


    There was that sound again.


    Shae also caught it this time and looked back the way we came.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± came a woman¡¯s voice from the tree line.


    Even Miria heard that and moved her rifle to cover the trees.


    A moment later, I heard a body hit the ground.


    Shae and I were off the roof and into the trees moments later. We found the body in question just inside the tree line.


    The woman was dressed in the remains of an expensive blue dress with matching shoes that appeared to be broken. Her extremely long black hair was a tangled mess about her, and she had scrapes and cuts all over her body.


    *Where do you think she came from?* I asked.


    ¡°Speak aloud, we¡¯re home now. From the looks of her, she followed us from Drakes,¡± Shae frowned.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t followed. I didn¡¯t see a single car the entire trip,¡± I said.


    ¡°She was running,¡± Shae replied, not taking her eyes off the woman.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I shut my mouth. I knew we hadn¡¯t been going that fast, but I still couldn¡¯t believe someone had kept up with us on foot the whole way back. ¡°Well, I guess you were right about the run tiring us out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get her inside before we attract any more unwanted attention,¡± Shae said, scanning our surroundings.


    I didn¡¯t realize how large the woman was until I tried to pick her up. She wasn¡¯t fat, she was tall and had serious muscle on her. Parts of her body were hard as a rock.


    ¡°Down boy,¡± Shae teased, shaking her head. ¡°Men.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±

 Z Day Interlude

    Z Day Interlude


    <u>RHIANNON</u>


    So, yeah. This is the part of the story where you get to learn all about their ¡°stalker.¡± My story isn¡¯t all lovey-dovey and full of a high school boy fawning all over a vampire girl¡­well, sorta, not yet, but we¡¯ll see how this turns out. I¡¯m stuck at this point in the story because the asshole creator hasn¡¯t allowed me to read ahead, even though it¡¯s my own damned story!


    So, anyway, this next part is all about me; no stupid flashbacks between now and back then, just straight me, me, me until I catch up to where we are now. Why he couldn¡¯t write me into the beginning of this story, I don¡¯t know. I mean, I was there for the opening scene. He could do a little ¡°yeah, and there¡¯s this dweeb of a freshman girl sitting in the background watching this lame scene,¡± but I guess it turns out I was an AFTERTHOUGHT! Real nice. Way to stroke a girl¡¯s ego.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Anyway, my story starts as all high school love stories do¡­shitty...shittily? Is that a word? I mean, Google says it¡¯s a word, but there¡¯s still a little red squiggly line under it. I dunno, moving on.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    Wait¡­WHAT?!? What do you mean he¡¯s cut out all the flashbacks and made them into something called ¡°Book 0?¡± That means they¡¯ll have no idea what I was just talking about! That means I have to cut, like, 18 pages and just bring us to the present. How are they supposed to know my fantastic backstory if you cut it all out? This sucks.


    I bet I¡¯m not in Book 0 either, I am? I¡¯m a what? You¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­you no talent hack.


    FINE.


    Talk amongst yourself or something; I¡¯ll be back.

 Z Day +44

    <u>Z Day +44</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    I carried the woman into our room and placed her on the couch. Strangely, Miria said nothing about me bringing a nearly naked woman into the house.


    Shae turned on a lantern. As the light came up, it struck the woman''s face, and Shae gasped, ¡°Oh no.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I turned to look at her.


    ¡°I know her. She''s from Pagoda''s compound. She''s an assassin,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°An assassin? A vampire assassin?¡± I shuddered at the thought. Our ¡®vampire assassin¡¯ had pale skin with a light smattering of freckles. Her face was thin with sharp lines, including her eyes. She was easily taller than me and built like she played professional sports.


    ¡°We have to kill her before she wakes up,¡± Shae said, her eyes wide in uncharacteristic fear.


    ¡°Now, hold on. We can''t just¡ª¡± I started.


    ¡°Yes, we can. If she wakes up, she''ll kill us all. You haven¡¯t heard the stories; she¡¯s Pagoda¡¯s attack dog. She¡¯s known as a cold-hearted monster. I can¡¯t imagine her letting any of us live if she knew what we were up to.¡± Shae started chewing on a fingernail.


    ¡°Who knows how long she¡¯s been watching us? I probably just didn¡¯t see her at Drakes,¡± Shae said. ¡°Wait, Natalie said, ¡®I¡¯m sitting with one now.¡¯ Natalie must have been buying us time to get away. We¡¯d been safe in the club; it was neutral, but once outside, we were fair game.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take the paranoia down just a peg for now. I doubt anyone has been spying on us, let alone Pagoda. Besides, I think we can handle one vampire between the seven of us. Let''s think this through,¡± I said.


    Shae seemed to ignore me and started to step forward. ¡°You don¡¯t understand the danger, James¡ª¡±


    The woman¡¯s kicks came from nowhere. She caught both of us simultaneously and sent us staggering, all while her eyes were still closed. Her eyes popped open as she leaped up, kicking us again while we were off balance. Her strikes hit like a truck and sent us flying.


    Shae flailed and managed to grab a handful of the woman¡¯s long hair. The hair ties that normally kept it up had come apart, letting it flow out behind the woman like a cape. Shae yanked hard on the hair to keep herself upright and prevent the woman¡¯s escape.


    The woman tilted her head back and helicoptered around, her left arm wrapping around her hair to protect her head. At the same time, she yanked on her hair, surprising Shae and brought her stumbling forward, right into the woman¡¯s elbow. The elbow struck Shae in the throat, and she dropped like a stone.


    Meanwhile, I was trying to get around behind her, thinking I was about to surprise her. She surprised me as her leg lashed back and hit me right in the babymaker. I discovered getting hit in the groin as a vampire still hurt just as badly as when I was human.


    I folded like a cheap suit as she effortlessly leaped over me, heading for the door. I managed to lash out an arm and connect with her just before she touched down.


    The woman crashed into the far wall, breaking sheet rock and wood studs. This also effectively woke the whole house as people started vaulting out of bed, thinking World War 3 had begun.


    Shae, having already recovered, helped me stand up. I risked a quick glance at her and saw her throat was already turning black and blue. Whatever the woman had done probably would have killed a human.


    We looked down at the woman who had landed in a heap on the floor, partially in the wall. Her left arm was bent at an unnatural angle. Glancing at it, the woman shook her head and muttered, ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what''s¡ª¡± was all Richard got out as the woman used the distraction to lash out at us, trying to knock us off our feet.


    Shae and I leaped clear of her legs as the woman continued to swing her leg around and knocked out several more studs, giving her enough room to burst her way into the next room.


    My enhanced hearing heard the woman¡¯s arm popping back into the socket as she went through the wall.


    ¡°After her!¡± Shae croaked. ¡°She can''t get away!¡±


    I dove through the hole after the woman as Shae sprinted for the door.


    ¡°Move!¡± Shae yelled at Richard, who was frozen with shock.


    The woman had just managed to scramble to her feet when I tackled her, grabbing both her legs and driving her to the ground.


    She spun as we hit the ground, but I had both of her legs locked in a death grip. It was like wrestling with a greased-up electric eel. She slithered and moved, evading or escaping every attempt I made to pin her down. I swore she smiled at me for a split second, and then I saw stars. The woman¡¯s knee, how she''d gotten it up there I''ll never know, caught me under the chin and sent me reeling backward, arms flailing.


    Shae got to the door just in time to see me flying backward and the woman getting to her feet. Shae didn¡¯t wait, coming in fast to try and punch, but the woman read her like a book.


    The woman spun just in time to catch Shae''s punch and yank, flipping Shae over her hip.


    At the same time, I recovered and leaped at the woman, not realizing my newfound strength, as I slammed into her again. I never played football, but I was pretty sure if a coach had seen this tackle, they would have put me on varsity.


    We went crashing back into a nightstand that collapsed beneath us.


    Shae leaped onto the woman¡¯s legs as I straddled her mid-section, each knee on one of her arms, pinning them. The woman flexed, nearly lifting both of us off the ground.


    *God, she¡¯s strong!* Shae and I thought simultaneously.


    The woman¡¯s head snapped forward as if she were trying to head-butt me, but I was just barely out of range. She tried to roll, but by now, Shae had pinned her hips and legs, laying across them to keep her down.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled as the woman continued to thrash beneath us, not showing any sign of giving up.


    ¡°Just kill her!¡± Shae strained through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I won''t if she stops and listens for a minute,¡± I yelled into the woman¡¯s face.


    The woman showed no sign of listening, as with a demonic growl, her body arched and nearly threw us both again. I had to shift at the last second and use all my weight to slam into her midsection. The woman¡¯s backside slammed into the ground, splintering the wood flooring.


    Three things happened at once: Shae yelled she was losing her grip on the woman, there was the sound of a shotgun chambering a shell from the doorway, and through gritted teeth, I said, ¡°Careful of the splinters.¡±


    The woman stopped as if someone had flipped a switch. She was frozen in place, body still in the act of trying to squirm out from under us, but she didn''t move.


    ¡°What?¡± her voice was a strained hiss through clenched teeth as she stared at me in amazement.


    Taken aback, I almost let go. ¡°Be careful of the splinters?¡± I repeated, realizing as I said it how stupid it sounded.


    In my military police training, I¡¯d been both commended and chastised for how I¡¯d spoke to suspects. I was always ¡®sir¡¯ or ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯ and ¡®please¡¯ and ¡®thank you¡¯ even to the bad guys.


    The woman relaxed, letting every muscle in her body go limp before she started laughing. Not a normal laugh or a ¡°hey, that was a good joke¡± kind of laugh. But a full-on toddler belly laugh. The infectious kind you couldn''t help but smile at even though you had no clue what the joke was.


    She continued to laugh as tears started rolling down her face. She kept laughing, still not trying to escape as Shae readjusted her grip to get a better hold.


    Mark approached with the shotgun, but I shook my head.


    Finally, the woman caught her breath, ¡°Do you know how stupid you sound?¡± She continued to chuckle, beginning to wind down. ¡°We''re rolling around in a life and death struggle, and of all things, you''re worried I might get a splinter in my butt?¡± And she was off again.


    This time, her laughing did manage to pull a chuckle from me. I saw in her brilliantly hazel eyes that she wasn¡¯t capitulating, just bidding her time. What came out of my mouth next wasn¡¯t planned.


    ¡°Yeah, splinters are the worst,¡± I had no clue where this stuff was coming from. The whole situation was just a little too surreal.


    ¡°Fiberglass splinters are the worst,¡± the words also seemed to come out of the woman¡¯s mouth unbidden.


    ¡°Yeah, those little invisible slivers you can''t get out. Never buy a hammer with a fiberglass handle,¡± I kept yammering. I saw it when the fight left her eyes.


    A moment later, the woman shook her head twice and seemed to collapse, her eyes closing.


    ¡°How did I get here?¡± she whispered to herself before she slammed the back of her head into the floor twice, both times hard enough to make everyone cringe. ¡°Stupid! Stupid!¡± she growled at herself. ¡°I can''t do it. This is too fucked up.¡±


    No one in the room spoke. The only sound was everyone''s heavy breathing.


    ¡°I was going to try and con you into dropping your guard, then making a big show of being cooperative before trying to make a break for it,¡± the woman said in disgust. ¡°But I can''t; none of my plans ever work out right when it comes to¡ª¡± She banged her head against the ground again. ¡°Stupid!¡±


    ¡°Stop that!¡± I said sharply.


    ¡°See,¡± the woman opened her eyes and looked into mine.


    *His eyes are green today. I''d forgotten how pretty they were,* the woman¡¯s voice in my head caused me to pause. But it didn¡¯t feel like she had been talking to me.


    ¡°There you go again,¡± the woman continued aloud. ¡°I''m the bad guy here. Stop looking out for me; I can take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Shae muttered.


    *Not helping!* I mentally hollered at Shae.


    The woman ignored Shae¡¯s comment and shook her head slowly.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± I looked down at her.


    The image of Natalie''s hand sliding off the woman¡¯s face appeared in my mind; it seemed to trigger the woman, setting her anger off again.


    ¡°What now? I¡¯ll tell you what now,¡± the woman started. ¡°If I get out of here and get my hands on that blood witch, that''s right, I said it! Blood witch, blood witch! I''m going to punch her right in her smug, smiling face! There¡¯s your prediction bitch!¡±


    As I watched her working herself into a rage, I saw her raise her head as if to slam it into the floor again. My hand lashed out on its own, slapping her hard enough to make my hand sting, which was saying something. I felt her freeze beneath me and I sat back, freeing her arms.


    Slowly, the woman raised one hand to her face, where the faintest outline of my hand started to appear.


    ¡°Let her up,¡± I said to Shae and stood up. As I stepped away from the woman, my groin reminded me it was still unhappy. I wondered how long that was going to last.


    Shae looked up at me questioningly, and I nodded. *Trust me.*


    Slowly, Shae got to her feet and stepped back out of kicking range.


    I looked at Mark in the doorway; he still had the shotgun at the ready, with his finger on the trigger. I¡¯d have to do some remedial training with him later. ¡°Give her room. If she wants to leave, let her leave.¡±


    ¡°But James,¡± Shae started to protest.


    ¡°But nothing.¡± I turned back to the woman who had smoothly gotten to her feet. ¡°If you want to go, go. If you want to stay, stay. But make up your mind because we''re done fighting.¡± I was blindly following my gut on this one.


    Something was going on here, and it wasn¡¯t the assassination job Shae thought, that much I knew. Besides, if this woman really wanted to, I¡¯m pretty sure she could have wiped the floor with us.


    The woman was watching me now, confusion and mistrust apparent in her eyes. Her hand was still on her face, gingerly touching where I¡¯d struck her.


    The room was silent, not even breathing this time. No one moved as the moment drug on.


    ¡°And just look at what you did to the wall!¡± I burst out melodramatically. ¡°Do you know how hard it will be to find a carpenter in the middle of a zombie apocalypse?¡± I motioned to all the damage around us. ¡°It''s going to cost us a fortune to fix it!¡±


    I knew, without looking, all eyes were on the crazy man now, not the newcomer.


    I glanced at the woman out of the corner of my eye. After a moment, she tilted her head slightly. I hoped she understood what I was doing because I wasn¡¯t so sure I did. We had been at a stalemate earlier. My only option was killing her, something I didn''t want to do. So, I was taking a risk to see if we could come up with another option.


    ¡°I can pay?¡± the woman said after a moment. Her voice sounded young now, not the furious one from earlier. ¡°I''ve got a credit card,¡± her voice became more confident as she pulled the plastic from somewhere in the remaining scraps of fabric that clung to her.


    ¡°Well now, that''s different,¡± I smiled at the woman. A genuine smile, one she seemed to return. As if on cue, the tension seemed to drain from the room.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Richard, since you''re up, can you go stand guard with Miria and tell her what''s happening?¡± I said, spotting him standing behind Mark in the doorway.


    ¡°Sure, but you have to tell me what''s going on first,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°It''s OK. We''re good,¡± turning to the woman, ¡°aren''t we?¡± I asked.


    She nodded, confusion still on her face.


    Richard shrugged and headed towards the roof.


    ¡°Everybody else, shows over. Try to get some sleep,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah right, stupid vampires,¡± Mark grumbled and headed for the kitchen, shotgun swinging at his side.


    I glanced at Shae and motioned for her to follow.


    *Why didn''t you just say something?* Shae asked.


    That stopped me as a sheepish expression crossed my face, *Sorry, old habits?*


    Shae rolled her eyes.


    I turned to the woman, ¡°Want something to eat?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± the strength in her voice began to return.


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± I turned to Shae and examined her throat, leaving my back to the woman. *You OK?*


    *Oh, just peachy. What is going on?* Shae demanded.


    *Hang with me a little longer, please. Trust me,* I tried to imbue her with confidence I didn¡¯t have.


    Shae eyed me wearily but nodded.


    ¡°You do know that''s really rude, right?¡± the woman said irritably.


    ¡°So''s coming busting through someone''s wall like the Kool-Aid Man, but no one¡¯s perfect,¡± I shrugged and headed towards the kitchen. Mark was leaving, avoiding eye contact with us but watching the woman, his hand tightening on the shotgun briefly.


    I pulled a glass from the cupboard, filled it with well water and handed it to Shae.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she croaked, making me cringe.


    ¡°Water?¡± I turned to the newcomer.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± the woman put her back to a wall, her eyes darting about the room, noting the exits. ¡°I''ve had enough of people drugging what I drink for one night.¡± She flexed her hands before shaking them out.


    ¡°Oh, my hair,¡± the woman cried, noticing the tangled mess for the first time. Immediately, she started trying to get it in some sort of order.


    It was quiet for a moment as I poured a second cup of water. The woman and I examined each other through our reflection in the boarded-up window I was facing.


    I¡¯d seen the tremor in her hands before she started messing with her hair. I also noticed her leg tapping, the constant shifting of posture, her roving eyes, and a few other things. They were all PTSD symptoms I¡¯d seen in troops downrange and in myself. I turned and sat at the table with my glass of water.


    The woman was obviously uncomfortable against the wall but refused to sit out of apparent spite.


    Shae and I exchanged a look.


    A moment passed with nobody talking. Shae held the cool glass to her throat, and I rubbed her arm.


    *Wish we had ice,* Shae said.


    *Sorry,* I said.


    *I''ll survive. James, what¡ª* Shae started.


    *Just a little longer,* I promised.


    ¡°You''re doing it again,¡± the woman growled, giving up on straightening her hair.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine, but next time, I''m taking out this wall,¡± she pointed her thumb at the wall behind her.


    ¡°What''s the limit on that credit card?¡± I tried a smile.


    ¡°Enough,¡± the woman frowned, crossing her arms across her chest. *Why can¡¯t I think straight around him?*


    For the third time, I heard the woman¡¯s thoughts. Shae had told me I shouldn¡¯t be able to do that. Whatever it was between us wasn¡¯t constant; I only caught stray thoughts. I wondered if she picked up mine as well.


    ¡°Army PSYOPs, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°How''d you figure that one?¡± the woman asked.


    I pointed at her exposed chest, ¡°You''ve got the insignia right there, plain as day.¡±


    She uncrossed her arms and looked down, realizing for the first time her dress had completely ripped to pieces and was hanging by a few threads. Her half-bare chest and bra made it easy for me to see her Army tattoo. She ripped the few remaining threads and threw what was left of the blue dress into a nearby trashcan, sighing *I really liked that dress.*


    I picked that one up as well. ¡°There''s a coat in the closet if you want it,¡± I pointed at the door near her as she now only wore a bra and panty set. It was very elegant and high-end, definitely not something you''d find at Walmart.


    *And when did you become a connoisseur of women''s undergarments?* Shae¡¯s voice tingled in my head before adding, *I didn¡¯t know you liked freckles.* Indicating the light smattering across the woman¡¯s chest.


    *Shhh,* I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts.


    The woman smiled at my apparent discomfort before flipping a chair around backward and straddling it for maximum effect.


    ¡°Well played, you''re very distracting. But like I said, you can leave anytime you want; we won''t stop you.¡± I motioned to the door and paused, ¡°Actually, that door is boarded up, you¡¯ll have to use the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited James; she¡¯s not allowed to be touched, Pagoda¡¯s orders,¡± Shae said, eyeing the woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the same order applies to you, princess,¡± the woman said cooly. She eyed Shae a moment and then turned back to me.


    I looked from Shae to the woman and back. I didn¡¯t understand the hostility between the two and didn¡¯t have the time to figure it out right now.


    ¡°When were you in?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In-between,¡± the woman answered. Her leg was vibrating so badly I could feel it through the table. I took a drink from my glass and then pushed it towards her.


    ¡°In-between the wars?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± It was the woman¡¯s turn to look uncomfortable.


    ¡°Sniper or IED?¡±


    Most of the mainstream public knew little of what really happened in the war zones of the desert. They only ingested what they saw on TV every night or the online news sites. But the second you mentioned IED, everyone knew something terrible had happened.


    The woman sighed, ¡°IED, alright? Are we done playing micro-shrink 101 now? I''ve had my fill.¡±


    ¡°Just trying to establish some¡ª¡± I started, but she cut me off.


    ¡°Yeah, common ground. I know. But I''ve got enough common ground as it is alright? So, skip it,¡± she spat. ¡°I could ask you the same,¡± she said, glancing at the slight tremor in my own hand.


    I had dealt with many soldiers who''d had bad things happen to them and still returned to keep fighting. They had taught me the basics of what to look out for to avoid guys cracking up and fragging friendlies in the field. All my training told me this woman was a ticking time bomb...or a string of them daisy chained together.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I leaned back from the table. ¡°Why''d you follow us home? Drakes doesn''t have a closing time.¡±


    The woman just stared at me in silence.


    ¡°Can I talk now?¡± Shae turned and looked at me.


    ¡°You let him shut you up, too? First Pagoda, now this guy?¡± the woman said.


    Shae turned to the woman ignoring the barb, ¡°When James is being an eejit, I humor him. It makes him feel important. You know how fragile male egos can be.¡±


    I frowned as Shae patted my hand like a child. The woman laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to know you at least know how to handle this one,¡± the woman said.


    Shae ignored the jab. ¡°We''re both from Pagoda''s court, but I''m sure you know that. You know who I am, and I know what you are, but I don''t know what to call you.¡±


    ¡°Establishing rapport with the subject...yeah, yeah. Call me Rhiannon,¡± she said. *Why am I still here?*


    I picked up that thought.


    ¡°Actually, I was being polite,¡± Shae said. ¡°I don''t have all these fancy mind tricks or negotiator training that you two seem to have.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve had training,¡± Rhiannon said. ¡°I¡¯d call being a trusted courier plenty of training in how to manipulate people.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been a courier in a long time,¡± Shae said. ¡°Regardless, you two can measure each other later.¡±


    That brought a slight grin to Rhiannon''s face.


    ¡°But in the meantime, since you¡¯re not here to kill us¡ª¡± Shae probed.


    ¡°Why would I be here to kill you?¡± Rhiannon asked.


    ¡°Regardless,¡± Shae said, shaking her head, ¡°I''d kind of like to know what is happening. I haven''t felt him, so I''m thinking Pagoda''s still out of state,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rhiannon said. ¡°That''s common knowledge.¡±


    ¡°So, he didn''t send you...¡± Shae let the sentence hang there


    Rhiannon reached forward and took a drink of water; her hazel eyes flashed as she glanced at me before turning back to Shae. The silence stretched on until, ¡°Well shit. I don''t know what I was expecting. I''ve got no plan. I''ve got no ulterior motive. I don''t even know why I''m here. All I know is that when the two of you left, I had to follow. It''s probably that blood witch; yeah, I¡¯m still saying it in case you''re still listening,¡± Rhiannon seemed to talk to the air above the table. ¡°She''s the one who drugged me, making me pass out like that. That''s just demeaning,¡± Rhiannon muttered. ¡°Probably made me lose the fight too.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Natalie?¡± I asked.


    Rhiannon nodded. ¡°Yeah, the blood witch,¡± she spoke into the air again. Looking back down at us with a crooked grin, she said, ¡°she hates it when I say that. She comes down right before you do, slides into my booth, big as brass, and starts babbling nonsense at me. Next thing I know, I''m following you into the parking lot, and suddenly, I can hear your thoughts.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Should have known she was just playing with me. No way anyone''s taking out Pagoda.¡±


    At the mention of that, Shae and I looked at each other as if we''d been caught in the act. *What?* we thought in unison.


    ¡°HEY!¡± Rhiannon knocked on the wall, ¡°Kool-Aid Man, remember. Aloud, please.¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± I cleared my throat and started to reach for the glass of water but thought better of it. ¡°What exactly did she say to you?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. She''s sorta scrambled up upstairs, you know?¡± Rhiannon said.


    We both nodded.


    ¡°Please try,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°She came down asking what I would do now that Pagoda was dead. I told her he wasn''t dead, and she acted like it was a done deal, only it hadn''t happened yet,¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°She give you the spiced blood too?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, Drake did,¡± Rhiannon said cautiously.


    ¡°Did she touch you at any time?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I only remembered her pulling her hand away, not putting it on my face,¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°Be glad you didn''t get stuck there for two days,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°First time I''ve heard you complain about it,¡± Shae snapped.


    I held my hands up in defeat. ¡°But wait, she told us our rapport would end when we left her room.¡±


    ¡°And it did,¡± Shae confirmed. ¡°She didn''t mention anyone else, so it''s not like she lied to us.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else get the feeling we''re being used here?¡± I asked.


    *Oh, she used you alright,* Shae patted my cheek. *We both did. Multiple times.*


    ¡°Now, what was that? Why''s he blushing?¡± Rhiannon complained.


    ¡°That was my fault, sorry. But some things are private.¡± Shae was still grinning at me.


    Rhiannon looked miffed. Apparently, she wasn''t used to being excluded.


    ¡°OK, I''ll say it. We want to kill Pagoda and take his compound.¡± I threw it out there, causing Shae to hiss through her teeth. ¡°No more games, I''m sick of them. Too much is at stake for games at this point.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be honest, there''s no love lost between Pagoda and me, but I''m bloodbound to him, and so is she,¡± Rhiannon motioned to Shae. ¡°He could pick this out of either of our brains at any time. Trying to move against him would be rough with that kinda tactical disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°That''s why I''m keeping Shae out of the planning sessions. Even if she does get her brain picked, he''ll just know there¡¯s a threat, not when it''s coming or how,¡± I said.


    Rhiannon frowned, ¡°Still not smart.¡±


    ¡°Not much of a choice. This place is a box trap; we could hold it for a while, but not indefinitely. We need somewhere better,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why Pagoda¡¯s compound? I''m sure there are plenty of other buildings that aren''t armed to the teeth with homicidal vampires. Why not one of those?¡± Rhiannon asked.


    ¡°It''s a known commodity,¡± I began. ¡°It''s self-sufficient with water, power and facilities.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hot water is nice,¡± Rhiannon agreed. ¡°I just don''t see how you''re going to coordinate something like this without proper planning.¡±


    ¡°Ehh, plans are overrated anyway. They never survive first contact,¡± I said flippantly.


    Rhiannon scowled at me, ¡°Plans are essential.¡±


    ¡°But Natalie did say it had already happened, right?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°That''s what she told me. Why not take the compound now while he''s not there? You''d have the tactical advantage of me on the inside,¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°We would?¡± Shae interrupted.


    From the look on Rhiannon¡¯s face, she was just as surprised by her words as we were.


    *Why¡¯d I say that?* Rhiannon thought to herself.


    *Because it''s your best bet for getting out from underneath Pagoda¡¯s thumb,* a second voice in Rhiannon¡¯s head replied.


    *Shut up, head,* Rhiannon said to the voice.


    I heard all three of those thoughts and was even more confused by the second voice I¡¯d heard in Rhiannon¡¯s head.


    Finally, Rhiannon nodded.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I started, ¡°but then what? Pagoda would find out what we''d done and come for us in force. The compound is too large to defend from a large-scale force like that by ourselves,¡± I explained. ¡°He¡¯d also be able to bring in additional support with him. Not to mention, he could just order the two of you against us.¡±


    ¡°What about getting help from other clans?¡± Shae asked. ¡°There are other smaller clans in the region that weren¡¯t happy with how Pagoda had been running the area before Z Day.¡±


    ¡°If these were normal times, sure. But, many of the others have gone to ground, only worried about taking care of themselves,¡± Rhiannon said. ¡°Those not hiding are out of state with the same big conference Pagoda¡¯s at. We¡¯re on our own.¡±


    ¡°If these were normal times, I''d make a phone call, and the military would take the place out,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°Long story,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°Our best bet is going to be crushing the head of the snake,¡± I said.


    ¡°OK there, Rambo, let''s reign it in,¡± Shae patted my hand.


    I shrugged, ¡°Doesn''t make it untrue.¡±


    The three of us eyed one another.


    I could sense Shae¡¯s unease with the woman and how open I was being. At the same time I got a sense from Rhiannon she wasn¡¯t exactly being honest with us. There¡¯s no way we could join forces if we didn¡¯t have some sort of trust to build on. That¡¯s when the stupid idea hit me.


    ¡°Shae, let me have your earring,¡± I said, holding my hand out.


    *What are you¡ª¡± She started.


    *Something stupid,* I said.


    Shae only hesitated a moment before removing one of her earrings and placing it in my hand.


    I slowly removed the sheath before nicking my finger, allowing a spot of blood to well up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rhiannon asked as I placed the earing down on Rhiannon¡¯s side of the table.


    ¡°From what I understand, we can¡¯t lie to one another when in direct blood contact. You don¡¯t trust us because you don¡¯t know us. That goes both ways. There¡¯s no way in hell we can pull something like this off if we don¡¯t have some level of trust.¡±


    *James, you don¡¯t know how to do this,* Shae said, a sense of alarm in her voice.


    *Yup, that¡¯s why you¡¯re going to tag along in my head,* I said.


    ¡°Why would I want to do this?¡± Rhiannon asked.


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to be a slave anymore than Shae does,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re your best¡­we¡¯re your only chance of getting out from beneath Pagoda¡¯s thumb.¡± Glancing down at my thumb, ¡°You do this, you know if we¡¯re worth the risk.¡±


    Rhiannon looked at the earring, then my slowly bleeding finger, and finally to my eyes.


    ¡°Just Pagoda. You don¡¯t need more than a moment to see the truth of my intentions.¡± Rhiannon said. ¡°You go digging anywhere else and you¡¯ll be losing a lot more than a few drops of blood. Understand?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be intimidated, her voice promised ruin if I broke her trust.


    ¡°I understand. The whole point of this exercise is trust,¡± I said.


    Rhiannon reached for the earring and picked it up.


    ¡°Full disclosure,¡± I said causing her to pause and narrow her eyes at me. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever initiated this, so I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing. Shae will be riding shotgun in my head to help make sure I don¡¯t screw it up.¡±


    Rhiannon looked at me a moment then at Shae. ¡°That¡¯s dumb,¡± she said as she carefully pricked both of her index fingers. After laying the earring before Shae, Rhiannon laid one finger in front of me and one in front of Shae.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it that way¡­¡± Shae started, a confused expression on her face.


    ¡°Watch me,¡± Rhiannon said, staring in defiance at Shae.


    ¡°We¡¯re not exactly doing trust falls here,¡± I said.


    Shae gave me an annoyed expression before picking up her earring and slicing her finger.


    I exhaled loudly, ¡°OK, so how do we¡ª¡±


    Without a word, Rhiannon joined everyone¡¯s hands together.


    It took me a moment to recover from the sudden blast of emotion that came with touching Rhiannon¡¯s blood. Her mind was filled with anger and rage that seemed to be held just below the surface of her control. I steered away from it, afraid it might burst forth at any moment.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was looking for and Shae¡¯s presence was absent from my mind. I reached out, trying to find something that would tell me if she was lying to us or had plans to betray us, but found nothing.


    I was abruptly ripped from her mind as I saw Rhiannon jerk her hand away from me. When the room stopped spinning I looked up to find Rhiannon and Shae locked in a staring contest. Looking down, I saw they were still in bloodtouch.


    *Wait,* Shae said as I went to check on her. I felt her push against me, keeping me out of her mind. *Your turn to trust me.*


    Keeping my mouth shut, I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my head. I¡¯d developed a headache from touching Rhiannon¡¯s mind. It was so different from Shae¡¯s.


    Where Shae¡¯s mind was warm, inviting, and comforting, Rhiannon practically had a riot line formed in her mind with tear gas already in the air. It was so hostile I was glad she¡¯d pushed me out when she did.


    I watched and waited. I knew mental communication was faster than talking in the real world. So, when five minutes passed and neither women had moved, I started to worry.


    Without a word both women blinked and brought their hands apart. They looked at one another a moment longer before nodding simultaneously.


    ¡°Yeah, well it doesn''t look like we''re going to get a lot accomplished right now,¡± Shae said, glancing at me before turning back to Rhiannon. ¡°Would you like to stay the day?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± was all Rhiannon could manage for a moment. Her hand reached up and rubbed her temple. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don''t attack anyone, it''ll be fine,¡± Shae soothed. ¡°Besides, we could loan you some clothes¡ª¡±


    ¡°What''s wrong with my clothes?¡± Rhiannon said defensively.


    ¡°Well, if he,¡± Shae pointed a thumb at me, ¡°is any indication of how the rest will act, nobody will get anything done today.¡±


    ¡°What''s wrong with the girls?¡± Rhiannon looked down at her chest.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I coughed, not able to stop myself.


    ¡°Case in point,¡± Shae held out her hands.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Rhiannon grumbled.


    ¡°The other thing is, we don''t know if whatever Natalie gave you is out of your system or not. It wouldn''t do for you to pass out somewhere between here and there.¡± Shae continued with a grin, ¡°You might wake up being violated by a zombie.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I could get a rise out of the dead?¡± Rhiannon leaned into the banter.


    I got the feeling people didn¡¯t normally talk to Rhiannon like this¡­like a normal person. She was enjoying it. I was still worried she¡¯d change her mind and come across the table at me though.


    ¡°I''m saying your girls may be able to raise the dead,¡± Shae said as the two women shared a brief chuckle.


    Shae and Rhiannon seemed much more comfortable with each other now. Whatever they had said to each other during the bloodtouch obviously called some sort of truce. The way they were joking with one another hinted at something more than just a truce.


    I could feel Shae¡¯s relief with Rhiannon¡¯s humor. I just hoped it was genuine and not the prelude to more homicidal rage.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the fact it''s almost morning. You''d never get back in time,¡± Shae said.


    Rhiannon looked at Shae and frowned, ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So? You''d get burnt up by the sun,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°No, I wouldn''t,¡± Rhiannon looked at Shae incredulously. ¡°I had my treatment just a couple of days ago. I''d be fine.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Shae reached out and grabbed Rhiannon¡¯s hand. It took a moment for her to realize what she''d done and brought her hand back, Rhiannon eyeing her the entire time. ¡°The treatment center at the compound still works?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Do you think we wouldn''t have backups for something so important?¡± Rhiannon said.


    Shae looked at me, her eyes glittering. *We''re so taking that place.*


    ¡°What did I miss?¡± Rhiannon asked cautiously.

 Z Day +48

    Z Day +48


    <u>JAMES </u>


    Rhiannon stayed the day and then a few more.


    Shae was still being overly cautious around Rhiannon. Even after their long bloodtouch, Shae was treating everything Rhiannon did or said with suspicion.


    When I¡¯d asked about the bloodtouch, Shae hadn¡¯t told me much. She told me all I needed to know was that she hadn¡¯t found any evidence of Rhiannon wanting to betray us right now. That didn¡¯t mean she might change her mind later on.


    This coincided with my bloodtouch results with Rhiannon. Shae said what I¡¯d done, just reaching out with my feelings, was basically the right thing to do. As for the hostility of Rhiannon¡¯s mind, that may have just been her, or it could have been her version of a block. If that was true, it put my ¡®hang in there kitty¡¯ defense to shame.


    Shae felt my easy acceptance of Rhiannon was more about her physical assets than her status as a former soldier. I had to admit there could be some truth to what she said.


    What sold Shae on keeping Rhiannon around was the mental flashes I kept getting from her. I shouldn¡¯t be able to do that, and Shae wanted to know how it was happening.


    Shae found Rhiannon some clothes that mostly fit; at least they covered her up so she wasn¡¯t as distracting. Of course, this didn¡¯t stop the others from ogling her. Richard seemed to keep his cool around her, although it seemed a bit forced. This may have been because Miria took an instant dislike to Rhiannon, more so than she had to Shae initially.


    Mark, on the other hand, had no shame. While he didn¡¯t make any open advances on her, he always seemed to be within earshot of Rhiannon. He seemed to be always underfoot until Becca finally reined him in.


    Then there was Trish. Trish took to worshipping Rhiannon as if she were a goddess. Her puppy love manifested in her constantly bringing Rhiannon things and asking if she needed anything.


    For her part, Rhiannon took it all in stride. While she appeared to look down on the ¡°mere humans,¡± she was obviously attention-starved. She held up her aloof act while never once stopping them from fawning over her.


    When Rhiannon learned how ¡°young¡± a vampire I was, she asked who''d been training me. When I''d told her it hadn''t come up, she shook her head in disgust.


    ¡°How do you expect to pull off this insanity if you''re not even trained?¡± Rhiannon tisked.


    ¡°I''ve been trained, have been for quite some time,¡± I said defensively.


    ¡°Really?¡± Rhiannon said stepping into the courtyard. ¡°Come here.¡±


    I stood and approached her.


    ¡°Attack me,¡± Rhiannon said.


    I had seen her fight. I knew she was good, and she probably knew what she was doing right now. ¡°Listen, I don''t want¡ª¡± I feinted left before going right. She caught my fist effortlessly in her hand as if I were a child and twisted me to a stop.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Did you feel it?¡± Rhiannon asked me, releasing my arm.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I was rotating my shoulder, ¡°it was a weird tremor.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Your body is trained for human fighting. It''s slow and limited. Your new body doesn''t want to move that slow or hold back,¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°It did feel off-kilter,¡± I said.


    ¡°Uncoordinated. The fact that you understand that means you''ll probably pick it up quickly, but you still need to be taught,¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°You offering?¡± I asked.


    She raised a thinly sculpted eyebrow at me. Even in her frazzled, three-day mussiness, she maintained an elegance that transcended her current state. ¡°If I was?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t make you pay for the wall,¡± I grinned at her.


    ¡°We''ll need room and a place we can get loud,¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°I figured you were the type,¡± I teased, feeling way too comfortable around her. As much as it was nice to be back around a fellow soldier, she was still an unknown commodity. I couldn''t help it, though; I kept falling back into my military ways. Testing the boundaries of what I could say or do before finally being reeled back in. So far, Rhiannon wasn¡¯t stopping me; she seemed to have less of a morality filter than I did.


    The military gave us classes multiple times a year on how not to sexually harass people, be politically correct and all that. It might have worked for the folks who only saw each other eight hours a day in the office. The rest of us ¡°grunts¡± spent nearly every waking moment together. We either laughed through the training or took notes on all the ways to do what they told us not to do. Don''t even get me started on those suicide prevention briefings.


    ¡°What type?¡± Shae said, walking into the courtyard.


    ¡°Apparently, my new instructor¡¯s a screamer,¡± I nodded towards Rhiannon, who just shook her head while rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Can you provide overwatch while we...feel each other out?¡± Rhiannon asked Shae, who raised her eyebrow. ¡°See, I can do it too,¡± Rhiannon smirked at me.


    I had to chuckle.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Shae said cautiously.


    An hour later, we''d made our way to a large pasture where the grass hadn''t grown up too high yet. Shae had an AR with a suppressor and kept an eye on the perimeter while Rhiannon instructed me.


    ¡°First thing, throw out any katas or training routines you know. They will slow you down and could hurt you in the long run. You will need to start with the basics: simple strikes simple movements. Get used to how your body reacts. You''ll find that as you incorporate movement, many things you used to do won''t work anymore. Understanding that you can ignore some physical human rules will help you form a more complete understanding of what you''re capable of,¡± Rhiannon said seriously.


    I looked at her, trying to absorb everything she just said. ¡°That sounds like some serious ¡®there is no spoon¡¯ crap, Neo.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That''s what my sensei tried to teach me. Simply put, you now get to cheat the shit out of the system.


    ¡°Fighting a human is ridiculous now,¡± Rhiannon said. Ignore them for the most part as they can''t do much to you unless they''re hunters. The zombies? Bat-shit, stupid easy to take care of, even in large groups. But no matter how easy your opponent may be, don¡¯t get lazy. Bring your ¡®A-Game¡¯ first; never play with an opponent. If you find yourself having to ¡®get serious,¡¯ you¡¯ve already lost. If you start to get bogged down, jump the fuck away, regroup, and get back in there.


    It''s the other vamps you''ll have to worry about. That''s what we''re going to work on. You can figure out the rest on your own. I also suggest making a simple workout routine so you can get used to how you move.¡±


    Rhiannon approached me. ¡°Most vamps rely on their sheer speed and strength to carry them through a fight. Most have no serious training besides the Karate or boxing lessons they took as human children. They know just enough to get themselves hurt. They aren''t the ones you''ll have to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Most vampire security has a bit more training, but don''t let that make you cocky. They make up for their lack of skill with technology. They''ll all have some basic Kevlar, tasers, guns, that sort of thing. Occasionally, you''ll find an old police officer who still likes using a baton, but those break too easy on us,¡± Rhiannon schooled.


    ¡°Even with proper training, you''re still going to be outnumbered,¡± Rhiannon continued. Once the fighting starts, everyone will know about it and be prepared. You''ll need to improvise strategy on the fly. Adapting as many times as needed until you''re done.¡±


    ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s a lot of information,¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, am I going too fast for you? If so, speed up. You¡¯ve got a lot to learn but nowhere near the time to learn it,¡± Rhiannon shook her head.


    ¡°OK, let¡¯s start simple. Taking down a vamp is easy. Keeping one down is the hard part. Decapitation will incapacitate relatively easily, but that can be rather hard to do, even with the right tools. The easiest is kneecapping them. If you can get in close and break a kneecap, preferably both, they''ll be unable to walk.¡±


    ¡°Roadhouse rules,¡± I said.


    She eyed me a moment.


    ¡°You know, the movie Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze? Be nice until it''s time to not be nice? Didn¡¯t catch that one, huh? I heard they did a remake.¡± I finally shut my mouth.


    Rhiannon continued as if I hadn¡¯t interrupted, ¡°Even with their mobility cut, they''ll still be able to fight, so don''t underestimate them. Again, beware the technology.¡±


    ¡°Now, let''s knock out some basics,¡± Rhiannon said as she began to show me how to punch and kick. Some actions were relatively simple and easy to adjust to. It was when you combined multiple moves or added movement that things became harder.


    I kept finding myself getting tangled up with my own limbs. At one point, I literally tripped over myself. I hadn''t felt this clumsy since tech school. After a couple of hours, I had most of my simple moves tightened up.


    Rhiannon wasn''t impressed with my progress and seemed to enjoy telling me how quickly I was going to die.


    Several times, she would show me what she was talking about. Watching her move was like poetry in motion. The moves were effortless, like flowing water, but tight and precise. There was no wasted effort. She did just enough to get the job done. It was efficient killing, and it was scary as hell.


    ¡°Where''d you learn all of this?¡± I asked when we were taking a break a few days later.


    Rhiannon had created a training cycle for me. She ignored everything else going on and focused on ¡°spinning me up,¡± as she called it. She said everything else was meaningless until she could instill the basics in me.


    The AR15 cycled as Shae dropped a shambler who''d come to investigate the noise. All you could hear was the metal inside the rifle, shifting back and forth. The suppressor or ¡°can¡± on the end of the rifle displaced the sound from the bullet firing, but there was no way to counteract the sound of the machine''s moving parts.


    ¡°After the service, there was a man,¡± Rhiannon paused, her facade shifting a little. ¡°He taught me a lot about fighting. Then, I had a while to get firsthand experience with the down and dirty. Finally, I attended a school in Japan that filed down all my rough edges and honed the sharp ones.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a lot of sacrifice,¡± I said.


    Rhiannon looked me in the eye. ¡°Yes. That''s one way of looking at it. Now let''s continue.¡±


    Her training was grueling, but I felt more comfortable with what I could do than I had at the end of our first night. I didn''t feel I was as good as I''d been when I was human, even though I was so much faster and stronger now. Of course, I''d had ten years to perfect that style. I''d only been doing this vampire stuff a few days.


    As we were returning from another intense session, I heard Rhiannon mumbling to herself. ¡°What was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was just saying how much work I''ve got cut out for me,¡± Rhiannon said.


    I frowned, ¡°I''m not that bad.¡±


    ¡°Right. Denial is the first step. I''ll give you one more day; then, I must check-in. Some of us,¡± she looked at Shae, ¡°are actually missed when we''re gone.¡±


    ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡± Shae snapped.


    Shae and Rhiannon had been acting hot and cold toward one another since that first night. Constantly sniping at one another one minute, then giggling together like school girls the next. I didn¡¯t understand the relationship, but then again, I never claimed to be able to understand women. The closest thing I could think of was they were acting like rival siblings. There had to be more there I just wasn¡¯t privy to.


    ¡°Take it for what it''s worth, Princess. You''ve been gone, what, two months? I seriously doubt anyone has noticed. It''s not like you had a real job,¡± Rhiannon snapped.


    ¡°Hey, easy¡ª¡± I started to Rhiannon but Shae cut me off.


    ¡°No, the Ice Queen here has a point,¡± Shae said.


    Rhiannon cocked her head.


    ¡°I hadn''t had a purpose there for quite a while,¡± Shae admitted.


    ¡°I wouldn''t call boffing Pagoda much of a purpose,¡± Rhiannon scoffed.


    I saw Shae''s jaw tighten as she restrained herself. She handed me the AR and turned to Rhiannon. ¡°What is your damage?¡±


    ¡°My damage?¡± Rhiannon said.


    ¡°Yeah, what''s your deal?¡± Shae said. ¡°You''ve been plain nasty since you arrived, and all we''ve been is hospitable. We saved your life when you passed out and didn''t kill you when you freaked out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not for lack of trying, short stack. As if you could have anyway,¡± Rhiannon added.


    I looked at the two as they faced each other. Rhiannon was easily a head taller than Shae and had a good fourteen kilos of muscle on her. I didn''t know if that sort of thing mattered to vampires.


    ¡°OK, fine. Yes, I wanted to kill you at first; could you blame me? I¡¯m sure you would have done the same in my place.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Meh,¡± Rhiannon shrugged dismissively.


    ¡°But, it''s like you go out of your way to say the nastiest things possible. No wonder you''re always alone; no one wants to be around you,¡± Shae spat with uncharacteristic venom.


    I instinctually grabbed Shae''s arm, ¡°Easy...¡±


    She turned to me, about to bite my head off, but saw my expression and froze.


    ¡°Yeah, you''re right,¡± Rhiannon mumbled and was gone.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I called after her retreating form, but it was too late. I turned to Shae.


    ¡°What?¡± she barked, still angry.


    *You really don''t see it?* I asked.


    *See what? The reason she''s being a witch?* Shae said; it was the closest I¡¯d ever heard her get to cursing.


    *She''s hurting bad,* I said.


    *Aren''t we all?* Shae retorted sharply.


    *No. Not like this. We have each other, friends and family who care about us. From what you said yourself, she''s alone. And she''s just as much a slave in that compound as you are,* I said gently.


    Shae frowned, *That still doesn''t give her the right to treat everyone like garbage.*


    *No, it doesn''t. But it also doesn''t mean we have to return the favor,* I said.


    Shae was quiet a moment before finally sighing, *Oh, shut up. Don''t lecture me on what I already know; I''m the adult in this relationship, not you.*


    I smiled, *Yes, ma¡¯am.*


    We turned and started back towards the house.


    *It¡¯s not that I hate the woman,* Shae started, *She just seems to have a way of pushing my buttons in all the wrong ways.* She looked up at me, *and before you turn that into something smutty, it¡¯s not, OK?*


    *I didn¡¯t say a word,* I said in defense.


    *You didn¡¯t have to, you thought it,* Shae said, rolling her eyes.


    When we got back to the house, Rhiannon was gone. Miria was the only one up as she was on guard duty.


    ¡°Miria, you see Rhiannon come through here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah, she was in and out of here pretty quick. Y''all get into it or something? She seemed more ticked off than normal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don''t blame her, considering how you used to treat her,¡± Miria said.


    I stopped just as I was about to drop down into the courtyard. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Back in school. You were pretty much a jerk to everyone back then, but she kept trying anyway,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I honestly hadn¡¯t a clue.


    ¡°Don''t tell me you don''t remember. Geesh, you really were an asshole,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°Miria,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°It was your senior year after Shae had disappeared on you. You know, your zombie year,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°What''s she talking about, James?¡± Shae looked at me with concern. ¡°Zombie year?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± I said, clearing my throat uncomfortably. ¡°Remember, I told you after you disappeared that I was kinda a mess?¡±


    ¡°Kind of a mess?¡± Miria said incredulously. ¡°We talked about having you committed, you moron.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shae whispered.


    ¡°He used to just sit there and stare off into space most of the time, sometimes drooling,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°I didn''t drool,¡± I said defensively.


    ¡°Shut up, you didn''t have to watch. I still have no idea how he passed enough classes to graduate. When I''d visit him at Dad''s he didn''t eat unless someone made him. He never left the house unless it was for school or to look for you. He slept all the time and didn''t do anything. He just shuffled around the house like one of those shamblers,¡± Miria said.


    ¡°It wasn''t that bad,¡± I said.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Miria disagreed. ¡°All that girl did was try and cheer you up.¡± Miria turned to Shae, ¡°She''d sit next to this useless vegetable at lunch nearly every day talking to him, and I don''t think he ever said two words to her.¡±


    ¡°James?¡± Shae looked concerned. ¡°You knew her in school?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what Miria''s talking about. I''ve never seen that woman in my life,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Miria exclaimed. ¡°I asked around school about her. Apparently, she''d had a crush on you for like two years, but you were going out with Shae and didn''t give her the time of day. You really don''t remember her? She used to ride your bus.¡±


    ¡°She rode my bus?¡± Now I started to feel bad. I''d been so self-absorbed and depressed in school...had I really ignored that girl? That girl who was now a lethal killing machine.


    The sound of a bike starting up in the distance reached my ears. It was the one we''d driven back from Drakes. ¡°I have to go after her,¡± I said.


    ¡°It''s too close to sunrise,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°You stay, I''ll go. Sun''s not a problem for me,¡± I said.


    *I¡ª* Shae started to say something but stopped herself.


    *I just¡­I don¡¯t think she¡¯d turn us in¡­but¡­I have to¡­something tells me I have to go after her.* I wasn¡¯t sure what was compelling me; it felt like I was being pulled in two directions.


    After a moment, Shae took my face in her hands and looked me in the eye. *Trust your gut.* Something else flashed across her face for just a second and disappeared. ¡°Be careful,¡± she added.


    ¡°I will,¡± I said.


    ¡°I meant with my bike,¡± Shae said with deadly seriousness.


    I kissed her on the forehead and then was racing through the pre-dawn light. The thought of having alienated this girl in school, then not recognizing her here and then what Shae had said...it was too much. Something inside me wouldn''t let this go. I had to talk to her, even though I knew this wasn¡¯t rational. Most of my life hadn¡¯t been rational lately; why change now?


    Shae¡¯s bike was still where she had stashed it, untouched. It fired up at my touch, and I roared down the back roads. While the sidecar slowed down the other bike, Rhiannon still had a good head start on me. Not to mention, I still wasn¡¯t the best rider, so I was taking my time on the roads. I figured Rhiannon was heading back to Pagoda¡¯s compound, so I headed that way. I didn¡¯t think I could just drive up to the place, but that''s exactly what I did.


    We hadn''t done a lot of recon on the compound, mostly just studying the surveillance maps of the area and getting details from Shae. I¡¯d visited the compound a few times with Shae all those years ago. My knowledge was limited to the one or two areas we stuck to during the visits. She¡¯d always driven, but I still had a good idea of where I was going. After a few wrong turns and a lot of detours to avoid shamblers, I finally pulled up to the gate.


    A guard stuck his head over the four-meter stone wall and gave me the once-over. ¡°Go away,¡± he said before disappearing back behind the wall.


    ¡°I''m here to see Ms. Rhiannon,¡± I called from the bike.


    This seemed to give him pause¡ªapparently, no one called on Rhiannon.


    ¡°Is she expecting you?¡± His head reappeared, and he seemed to be appraising me more closely now.


    ¡°Of course. She asked me to come,¡± I lied.


    He gave me one more disapproving glance. ¡°No weapons inside. Check them at the gate box.¡±


    The steel gate clambered open, revealing a large driveway that led to the front of the main building. Just inside the gate was a large metal box on top of a table outside a guard shack. While Mr. Hospitality secured the gate, a second guard told me to place my weapons in the box.


    I took off the pistol and machete before retrieving the knife from my boot. The guard closed the box, locked it and handed me a metal chit, like he was valet parking my gear.


    ¡°You can park on the left side of the road,¡± the guard pointed. There was a large building to the left with several garage doors coming out of it. There was a small paved area adjacent to it that he indicated. If they recognized Shae¡¯s bike, they didn¡¯t say anything about it. I parked and walked up to the main building.


    It was a stone structure with high walls and small windows. It was still the original mission building but heavily remodeled. The front door swung open as I approached. A gentleman wearing slacks and a button-down with rolled-up sleeves ushered me inside.


    ¡°You''re here to see Ms. Rhiannon Kachou?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Yes, she asked me to come,¡± I lied again.


    ¡°Very well. Please follow me.¡±


    He led me into a small side room that appeared to be some sort of study. Books lined one wall, while a desk and chair lined another. There was a small couch against the front wall near the window.


    ¡°Please make yourself comfortable,¡± he said before retreating out of the room and closing the door.


    My head still spun from the mad dash here, and I started pacing the room like a caged tiger. After a while, I relaxed and began thinking about this place. I tried to remember everything I''d seen and compared it to the intel we already had. My trained eye started making mental notes that I''d have to double-check once I got outside again.


    My brain filled up to bursting on trying to analyze the place. I pulled a book down from the shelves to try and center myself. I''d picked a book at random and plopped down on the couch. It turned out to be a book of poetry. While I wasn''t big on poetry, the author appeared to have been a vampire soldier during the Civil War. I was fascinated.


    So much so that time breezed by without me noticing. Only the sound of a car outside pulled me from the book. I heard shoes crunching on rocks outside before the front door opened and closed.


    ¡°Where?¡± I heard Rhiannon bark.


    ¡°The study ma''am,¡± the man replied.


    The sound of heels clicking on the tile floor marked her approach. The sound was ferocious as I could hear her stomping towards me. I put the book down and stood up just as she threw the door open. I caught a brief glimpse of a cream-colored pantsuit, and then she was crushing her body against mine with enough ferocity that I froze in shock.


    Her mouth locked on mine as she rudely shoved her tongue into my shocked mouth. I was just getting my senses back when she bit my lip hard, drawing blood.


    *Don''t say a word, and for God''s sake, kiss me back like your life depends on it because it does,* she ordered, the bloodtouch allowing her to speak in my mind.


    I reluctantly followed her lead and, overcoming my initial shock, wrapped my arms around her. One of my hands wrapped roughly around the back of her neck, the other slipping down and pulling her tighter to me.


    *They''re watching, don''t stop,* she commanded.


    I caught the doorman glancing at us as he passed, an odd look on his face. My hands raked her back as my body automatically responded to the extremely close proximity of the beautiful woman.


    *Should I take you right here?* I half-joked.


    She seemed to shake herself and regain some self-control I hadn''t realized she''d lost.


    *No, my bedroom, now.* She turned without another word and left the room.


    It only took a moment for me to regain my composure and follow her up a set of stairs to the second floor. I kept my mouth shut the whole way, wondering what was going on. We passed two others who I couldn''t tell if they were house staff or security.


    She turned left into a room and pulled me inside before closing and locking the door. She put her finger on my lips and grinned at me seductively before pulling me towards one of the biggest bathrooms I''d ever seen. Again, she closed the door behind us, pushing me against it and kissing me deeply.


    *Not a word. Follow my lead and try to look like you''re enjoying it,* she broke away and went to the walk-in shower. When she turned it on, steam appeared almost immediately. I nearly cried out of jealousy as our water heater had stopped working while I¡¯d been in San Antonio.


    As she stripped out of her clothes my brain finally regained enough control to speak, ¡°Rhiannon¡ª¡± was as far as I got. The next thing I knew her finger was on my lips as she somehow got me out of my clothes one-handed.


    *Not a word yet,* she said, her finger touching the blood from my lip.  She grabbed me in a most unladylike manner and pulled me into the shower.


    By this time, the steam was filling the room, fogging the mirror and the glass walls of the shower. She pulled me under the blissfully hot water and meshed our bodies together, her mouth once again on mine.


    *What is going on?* I started. My brain was trying to ignore her amazingly distracting act and failing miserably.


    *First off, you''re a moron for coming here,* she said.


    I shuddered as my body continued to respond to her. I would love to say my love and devotion to Shae made me immune to Rhiannon¡¯s talents but said talents were quickly chipping away at any form or restraint I had.


    *Second, they watch everything here. And I do mean everything.* She arched her back and motioned her eyes to the corner of the room where a small dome was.


    I thought it was a smoke detector at first but realized it was a camera after closer inspection.


    I surprised myself when I grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her roughly back to my mouth.


    *Oh yes, cowboy,* she purred, not acting this time.


    *They watch you in the bathroom?* I asked, incredulous.


    *Whole damned house is wired. Pagoda doesn¡¯t care about privacy; it''s his house. To him, he owns everything in it, and he gets what he wants.*


    I felt her shudder as her frantic grinding seemed more genuine than before.


    *Of course, it''s genuine you...I can''t think of anything bad enough to call you right now. I''ve never had anyone here. NO ONE is allowed to touch me; it''s Pagoda''s #1 rule when it comes to me.*


    *Then why the hell did you attack me?* I asked, trying to think about anything other than what she was doing to my body right now.


    She clawed at my shoulders and shuddered again. *I panicked. They told me I had a visitor when I showed up. I had no clue who it was until I saw Shae''s bike in the yard.* She seemed to briefly lose control of herself. *Oh fuck this is good.* I watched her eyes roll up a moment. *I figured it would be her, but then I saw you, and all I could think about was this.*


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to take that last part, but I soon didn¡¯t care as I was losing control of myself. What I thought was supposed to be an act between us was quickly becoming something more.


    *But Pagoda''s rule,* I gritted my teeth momentarily as I felt her shuddering against me again.


    *Fuck Pagoda...he''s not here...but security is,* she said.


    I couldn''t take much more of this. My body was screaming at me as her slick body writhed against me.


    Her mind was suddenly in mine as I realized she''d bloodied her own lip, allowing our blood to mingle. This time, there were no defenses keeping me out. There was no rage or anger being held back. Now, all I sensed from her was need.


    And then what happened in Natalie¡¯s room was happening all over again. I couldn''t think straight or tell who was who. Was this need mine or hers and did I really care?


    I spun her around and pressed her roughly against the wall. Her passions, her need filling my mind, sweeping caution and restraint aside.


    *YES!* she growled.


    An indeterminate time later, we were both lying on her bed, still joined. Her long, wet hair was tangled about us. It was a good thing we had mind speech, as with the way we were both panting, neither of us could speak.


    *Holy shit,* I heard her voice in my head even though we weren''t kissing anymore.


    *How?* I started.


    *You probably broke something¡­down there. It''s been a while,* Rhiannon said nonchalantly.


    *Oh,* was all I could manage, my body finally calming down.


    *The hell you are,* she said in response to me starting to relax. She shifted her hips to keep me from relaxing and froze. *Ow,* she grunted.


    *Are you OK?* I asked, concerned.


    *I''m pretty sure,* she slowly relaxed her body back down on top of mine. *Like I said, it''s been a while. I should have stretched out first.*


    *Do you want me to...* I started, trying to think of something to help.


    *Would you just shut up?* she shook her head. *Anyone ever tell you you think too much?*


    I chuckled as we lay there for a minute. I felt the water from the shower still on our skin getting cold, and I pulled the blanket up around us as best I could without moving.


    *Such a gentleman,* she sighed. Then she looked me in the eye, *Why are you here?*


    *I...was worried,* I said lamely.


    She studied me for a minute. *You do realize I am in contact with your mind, right?*


    *Am I lying?* I asked.


    A confused look came across her face, *No. You''re not.*


    *I felt bad for what Shae said; she was out of line,* I said.


    *Not by much, she wasn''t. I don''t know if you noticed, but I have a bit of a temper,* she said.


    *No. You?* I chuckled. She squeezed down on me like a vice, making me inhale sharply. *Uncle?*


    *You wish.* She slowly released me, but not before my body redistributed blood flow.


    *And then there was¡ª* I started.


    *Leave it to your sister to recognize me,* she frowned, reading my thoughts. *You really don''t remember me, though?*


    I could feel the hurt coming from her, but she wanted me to be honest. *I''m sorry. I was a real mess back then.*


    She stared into my mind¡¯s eyes for a moment. *Damn. You were, weren''t you?*


    I nodded, and she sighed.


    *I never had a chance with you, did I?* she shook her head.


    I frowned, *Sorry?*


    A moment later, she laughed out loud. *Don''t worry about it. I''m sure there''s something you can do to make it up to me.* Again, she was squeezing me, but this time, it was a strange rhythm that I couldn''t describe if I had to. All I knew was she had me at attention in moments.


    *Honestly, don''t worry about Shae. I did this to you,* she said, reading the sudden wave of guilt in my thoughts.


    I''d been caught up in the moment with her at first, trying to keep up the ¡°show¡± for security. Looking back, it had been stupid to go along with it. But the shock of having someone throw themselves at me like that blindsided me. It hadn¡¯t taken long for me to get lost in the combination of our lust and give in to it.


    *No, it was me; that was my lust I pushed on you,* she said.


    *Not entirely,* I confessed.


    *You think I''m ¡°cute?¡±* she blinked, rereading my thoughts. *Do you really think the word ¡°cute¡± applies to me?*


    *Hey! You said cute, not me,* I said.


    *Holy Toledo! You think that too?* she was shocked by the thought that followed.


    *You are a woman, after all. Underneath that fa?ade of control, you''re sexy as hell,* I said honestly. *Well, until you said holy Toledo that is.*


    She smacked me upside the head a bit more than playfully. *You don''t have to flatter me; you''re already well inside my pants now,* she teased.


    I couldn''t help myself; I pushed...just a little.


    She grunted and smiled. *OK, I release you. We''ve done enough to appease the cameras.*


    But I could sense something else there...a deeper sadness or loss? I couldn''t put my finger on it as the connection seemed to fade.


    *For pity¡¯s sake, James, take her again,* Shae¡¯s voice seemed right behind me.


    *SHAE?!?* I couldn¡¯t help the sudden panic I felt.


    *Ow, not so loud,* Shae said.


    *How the? Who the? What the?* I stammered, trying to figure out how Shae was talking to me.


    *Don''t ask. For the last hour or so, I''ve been piggybacking on you two¡¯s¡­¡°conversation.¡± Now take care of her; that''s what you''re there for,* Shae said.


    *But¡ª* I started, not able to understand what that last part meant.


    Her sigh came through our link. *We keep faith with one another,* she paused then continued, *but we also take care of what is ours,* Shae said.


    *I don''t understand,* I tried again.


    *I''ll explain the morality of a 300-year-old vampire later. Right now, take care of her. There¡¯s more going on than you know,* Shae¡¯s voice was cryptic.


    *You''re 300?* She¡¯d never even hinted at how old she was before. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the number.


    *Not now, focus,* Shae¡¯s frustration bled into the link.


    *But¡ª* I said.


    *Goddess, you''re stubborn .* Something seemed to ¡°click¡± in my head, and then I heard her talking to Rhiannon.


    *Rhi?*


    *Shae?* Rhiannon was suddenly very, very still as she glanced around nervously.


    *Please do me a favor and bang this eejit¡¯s brains out again? He won''t listen to me when I tell him to do it,* Shae said.


    *Uhhh...* Rhiannon was at a loss as well.


    I didn¡¯t understand how I could hear Shae from so far away. It went against everything she¡¯d explained to me. The three of us talking to each other like this also made no sense.


    *Argh! Seriously? After what I just watched, now the two of you have cold feet?* Shae exclaimed.


    *How¡ª* Rhiannon didn''t understand either. *How are you talking to me, too? No one has called me Rhi since¡­what the fuck is happening?*


    I don¡¯t know exactly what happened next. Our bodies, seemingly smarter than our minds, and took over of their own accord. All I could do was hang on.


    *Wow, you were right,* Shae seemed to say to someone else I couldn¡¯t hear. Then, Shae turned back to the two of us, *Have fun, you two.* And her presence was gone.


    *That¡ª* I started, but Rhiannon stopped me.


    *Don''t know...don''t care...don''t stop!* she said as she pushed back against me.

 Z Day +48.5

    <u>Z Day +48.5</u>


    <u>SHAE</u>


    *You have to admit, they''re cute,* Natalie said in my head.


    *I don¡¯t think cute is really the appropriate word for what they¡¯re doing,* I sighed. I leaned back on the couch in my room at the Hacienda and opened my eyes.


    Natalie had shocked me when her voice suddenly spoke in my mind out of nowhere. She told me what was happening with James and wanted me to pay attention to the pair. For some reason, I went along with her suggestion and didn¡¯t regret it.


    *What? Still a little jealous? Even after all that 300-year-old morality talk?* Natalie asked.


    *I can''t help it. It¡¯s as if I just got him back yesterday,* Shae said. *But if what you just told me is true, Rhi¡¯s going to be a part of ¡°us.¡±*


    *There are a lot of variables,* Natalie began, *but ALL of the positive outcomes involve Rhiannon being with you.*


    I sighed again, wondering if I¡¯d ever get used to this new strangeness in my life.


    *He¡¯s not that little boy you knew back then, you know,* Natalie said.


    *Oh, that much I know,* I said. *There¡¯s so much more to him now. Back then, he was so innocent, so¡ª*


    *Young?* Natalie finished for me.


    *Yeah, I mean he¡¯s still young¡­but yeah,* I sighed again.


    *You really should be ashamed of cradle-robbing,* Natalie teased.


    *Hey, he was legal! And it was my first time doing anything like that,* I defended. *And it''s not like I didn¡¯t plan on sticking around.*


    *Were you?* Natalie asked, *Planning on sticking around?*


    *I¡ª* but I didn¡¯t know how to finish that sentence. I don¡¯t know what I would have done after James¡¯s marriage proposal. I¡¯d never gotten a chance to come to a conclusion the night I was taken.


    Natalie seemed to mistake my reluctance for something else, *You don¡¯t have to defend yourself to me,* she said, holding up her mental hands.


    *He¡¯s changed so much,* I said, shaking myself from the mental rabbit hole I¡¯d started down.


    *Of course he has. He grew up; he¡¯s not a boy anymore. I¡¯m not saying what happened to you way back then was a good thing, but could you imagine what would have happened had the two of you stuck together? Him growing up as your tap boy? Do you think you might have ended up being more of a mom to him than a¡ª*


    *OK, stop,* I shuddered at the thought of where she was going. I closed my eyes again and saw James and Rhi still entwined.


    *I can turn it off if that will help,* Natalie offered.


    I was conflicted; more than I thought I¡¯d be. But I couldn¡¯t stop my curiosity *No¡­I¡­like watching him,* I sighed.


    *Me too,* Natalie¡¯s grin floated through the strange link.


    *This is so weird,* I said before turning from the two lovers and mentally ¡°facing¡± Natalie. *It never goes away, does it? The rapport.*


    Natalie was quiet for a moment, *Truth?*


    *Yes please,* I said.


    *The moment we exchanged blood, we were bonded for life. That''s why we blood-workers don''t exchange. We normally keep it one way only,* Natalie said.


    *Then why¡ª* I asked.


    *Why with the three of you? Spoilers.* Natalie grinned through the link again.


    *That''s annoying,* I said.


    Natalie seemed to take a deep breath, *There¡¯s more.*


    I waited as Natalie seemed to be taking a really long pause for dramatic effect. *And?* I finally prompted her.


    *I was going to hold off on this for a while, but things are kinda fluid right now.¡± Natalie began. ¡°So¡­the rapport is going to change you¡­all three of you.*


    *How?* I questioned, worried about the answer.


    *You¡¯ll start to¡­blend,* Natalie cautiously said.


    *Blend?*


    *Yeah¡­* Natalie drew the word out, stalling as if looking for the right words. *You¡¯ll find you can speak with one another without touching. With practice, you¡¯ll be able to experience what the other is doing at that moment.*


    *Like how you¡¯re letting me see them?* I asked.


    *And then some. But because of this bond you¡¯re forming¡­how do I put this?* Natalie collected her thoughts before continuing. *The more you¡¯re in contact with one another, the longer the rapport goes on, the more your minds will synch.*


    *Our minds will synch?* I asked.


    *You¡¯ll start to complement each other. You¡¯ll share each other¡¯s burdens and strengths. You¡¯ll each still be you, but you¡¯ll be more.*


    *You said the three of us, not you as well?* I asked, trying to take this all in.


    *Oh no,* Natalie laughed. *You don¡¯t want me included in this any more than I already am. Trust me.*


    I chewed on that a minute before continuing, *Can you really see the future? Or is that all propaganda?*


    *I get flashes of possibilities, guesses if you will. They¡¯re always changing, so it can become hard to keep things straight. Does that make sense?* Natalie said. *I can tell you this: your gestalt isn¡¯t complete yet.*


    *Gestalt?* I asked.


    *Yeah, you¡¯ll know when it¡¯s complete,* Natalie said, but wouldn¡¯t speak more about it.


    We watched James and Rhi through the link the four of us now shared.


    *They are cute...* I finally admitted.


    *Don''t fret. You''ll get your turn soon enough,* Natalie said.


    *What?* I sat up a little straighter. While I was nowhere near a prude, even I was hesitant about this oddity we seemed to be forming.


    *You really don''t pay attention, do you? I already told you this the first night you came to me,* Natalie said.


    I tried to think back. Was it really only a few days ago? But then, my attention was drawn back to James and Rhi¡¯s antics. The look on Rhi¡¯s face was blissful.


    *Do we need to worry about her?* I asked, genuinely concerned.


    *Rhiannon? No, not in so much that she¡¯d betray you, not willingly. She has a vested interest in seeing Pagoda removed, but not as much as she¡¯s interested in your boy. Even if she doesn¡¯t understand it yet.*


    *Will she hurt him?* I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    *Not after today. As weird as it sounds, she¡¯s getting part of herself back that she didn¡¯t know she¡¯d lost. She¡¯ll always attribute that piece to him¡­and eventually¡­to you,* Natalie said.


    *I don¡¯t understand,* I complained.


    *Watch, and maybe you will,* Natalie said in her cryptic way. *If not now, eventually you will.*


    *Was never much into that,* I said as I turned back to the current amorous activity.


    *Takes the right partner,* Natalie stated simply.


    *Maybe,* I conceded.


    *No maybe, listen to your elder,* Natalie scolded.


    *You''re like 30!* I said.


    *Yeah, and by your looks, you¡¯re not old enough to drink,¡± Natalie retorted. ¡°Fine, come back to Drakes, I''ll show you.*


    I dismissed the idea almost immediately. *No, someone¡¯s got to keep an eye out around here. I''ve got a feeling things are going to start spinning up soon. Besides, one of us needs to pretend to be the responsible grown-up.*


    The couple suddenly became more forceful, almost violent. It was more frantic than I had ever experienced or wanted to, for that matter.


    *He''s going to hurt her,* I finally said.


    *No. Look at her face. This is what she wants right now,* Natalie grinned.


    I looked. Rhi¡¯s eyes were screwed so tight I would have thought she was in excruciating pain.


    Then Natalie opened the connection wide, letting me feel just a moment of what Rhi was experiencing. I gasped loud enough to slap a hand over my mouth, hoping no one had heard. I could feel my blush radiating off me.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Natalie chuckled. *You¡¯ll be able to open your link up like that, on your own, soon enough.*


    *Do you always watch people you''ve been with?* I asked, looking around the room to make sure no one could see me.


    *Wouldn¡¯t know, you¡¯re the first I¡¯ve tried this with. Plus, you guys are way too entertaining,* Natalie chuckled again.


    I made a strangled sound as Natalie opened the connection again.


    *OK, stop!* I panted, my heart racing. *Maybe that wouldn''t be so bad after all,* I admitted, scarcely believing the intensity of the connection.


    Natalie laughed, *We''ll change your spots, just wait.*


    *How long are they going to be at this?* I asked.


    *Her? She''ll tire out in a few hours. You must understand, it''s been quite a while since she''s been able to practice her skills on someone. Your boy is just what she needs right now,* Natalie said knowingly.


    *I guess,* I sighed as I watched the two''s intensity start to climb once again. I couldn¡¯t stop watching the pair. I¡¯d never had a ¡°front-row seat¡± before. It was going to be hard getting to sleep tonight; I was so keyed up that my body was thrumming.


    *Would you like me to help?* Natalie offered.


    *What do you¡ª* I started, but suddenly I was back in Rhi¡¯s place. I wasn¡¯t getting snapshots of what she felt, like before. I was her, experiencing everything she did in mind and body.


    When Natalie finally returned my mind to my own body, I discovered I was trembling with aftershocks.


    *Wow,* I panted, finding my hair was a sweaty mess.


    *Yeah,* Natalie said, *and that was an echo, not the real thing.*


    I shuddered again as my body slowly started to calm down. The calmer I became, the heavier my eyelids felt until they would barely stay open.


    *Night sweetie,* Natalie said just before the cool emptiness of sleep took me.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    Rhiannon and I clung to one another in mutual release. After a minute, we relaxed enough to let blood back into our fingers and collapsed onto the bed. We were both panting as sweat rolled off us.


    *I haven''t had anything like that...* I started but found I was at a loss for words.


    *I try,* Rhiannon said smugly.


    *You succeed!* I said enthusiastically.


    *Not so bad yourself, cowboy,* Rhiannon said.


    I grinned at her like an idiot. *Shower?*


    *In a minute...I can''t feel my legs right now,* she managed, rubbing her trembling thighs.


    *What do you...wait, why are we still in rapport?* I asked.


    *I...actually, now that you mention it, I don¡¯t know,* she said.


    *You know what that means, right?* I said, my suspicions rising.


    *No, what?* Rhiannon asked.


    *Promise you won''t get mad?* I braced myself.


    *Why would I get mad?* she asked.


    *Because there''s only one person I know that could do this sort of thing,* I said cautiously.


    *You mean that blood wi¡ª* she started.


    *Be nice,* I cautioned.


    A not-so-quick shower later, we were lying sedately in Rhiannon¡¯s bed.


    I was on my side, my head propped up on a pillow while she lay on her stomach, curled around another pillow, looking at me. I ran my fingers slowly through the hair that she had laid out next to her.


    *Your hair is amazing,* I said in awe.


    *It should be for all the work I put into it,* she said.


    *Doesn¡¯t it get in the way, being so long?* It was past her rear, straight and raven black.


    *Of course,* she said.


    *Then why¡­* I asked.


    *Because I like it. Sure, I have to spend time tending to it every day, and sure, I have to adjust how I move, sit, and fight. But it turns heads. I like that,* she stretched.


    My fingers ran down her back, tracing the outlines of her sharp shoulder blades. *Wow.*


    *What?* she looked at me.


    *How long do you work out every day?* I asked.


    She chuckled. *A few hours.*


    *It shows.* I ran my fingers across her back again. *I like your freckles.*


    *Ugh, I hate those things,* she groaned.


    *Why?* I asked.


    *It¡¯s like dirt that you can¡¯t wash off,* she complained.


    *I think they¡¯re kinda hot myself,* I said.


    *You probably played with too many Connect the Dot books as a kid,* she teased.


    *Now that you mention it, you got a pen? I wonder what picture would show up on you,* I grinned.


    *Probably a pentagram,* she grumbled.


    *You¡¯re not that twisted,* I said.


    *You have no idea,* she warned.


    Changing the subject completely, *Sorry for¡­what happened back then,* I said.


    *Oh?* She cocked her head at me.


    *Miria told me about the crush you had on me in school. About how you tried breaking through to me, and I ignored you. I''m sorry.*


    *That was a long time ago,* she began. *Besides, usually, when you look back on high school, it''s with disappointment or shame from all the odd moments. It¡¯s rare to have something affiliated with that time turn out to be better than expected.*


    *I''m glad your expectations were low,* I smiled.


    She slapped my chest.


    *So, was that what this was? You finally putting that demon to bed?* I asked.


    *I think you have a high opinion of yourself,* she teased.


    *Quit evading.* I stroked her hair gently. *I got a better look at your ¡°security camera¡± in the bathroom. There isn''t any security in your room, is there?* I watched as just a hint of color flooded her cheeks.


    *If I can''t be touched, he sure as hell wouldn''t let them watch me. All the cameras were disabled,* she shrugged.


    *You''re a very sneaky girl, you know that?*


    She nodded and looked uncharacteristically apprehensive.


    *What''s that look for?* I asked, running my fingers around her shoulder blades again. I couldn¡¯t seem to keep my hands off her.


    *What?* she looked at me from behind her hair.


    *That look. What was that?* I asked.


    *You notice too much,* she said.


    *I''m a cop. You can¡¯t really turn it off,* I shrugged.


    *I tricked you. I...betrayed Shae. I really am a horrible person,* she frowned.


    *Hmmm,* I said.


    *What?* she said.


    *First off, sure, you tricked me, but I didn''t have to go along with it. I could have left, but I didn¡¯t. And after the first time, I stayed. Even after I found out it was a trick, I chose to stay. You are a lovely and amazing woman, not to mention incredibly talented in the bedroom,* I said.


    *And the shower,* she said.


    *And shower,* I agreed.


    *A few other places, too.*


    *I''ll take your word for it,* I grinned.


    Her eyebrows rose.


    *As for Shae, I hate to tell you this, but that woman is smarter than you and I put together. Do you think she didn''t see something like this coming? OK, well, maybe not this EXACTLY, but she had my thoughts. She knew my desires even before I did. And in case you forgot, she kinda ordered us to do it the second time.*


    *Yeah, I don''t get that,* Rhiannon said.


    *I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t either, not that I¡¯m complaining.* I cocked my head at her, *Why are you two always picking on one another?*


    *She scares me,* Rhiannon said.


    *She scares you, the big bad assassin, and so you pick on her?* I asked.


    *I¡­I dunno,* Rhiannon said. *Her reputation precedes her, maybe it''s gotten into my head a bit. That, and it''s fun to pick on her. Her reactions are hilarious.*


    *Reputation?* I asked, ignoring the rest.


    *As a courier. Most couriers are trained to read people without a bloodtouch; to slip behind someone¡¯s personal mask, even more so than a trained shrink,* Rhiannon chuckled. *The longer the courier, the better they are.*


    *And you¡¯re afraid she¡¯ll slip behind your mask?* I offered.


    *Aren¡¯t we all?* Rhiannon said. *Well, maybe not you. You and Shae are¡­* she trailed off.


    *In love? Oh yeah,* I smiled, *We have been for a long time. But what we just did doesn¡¯t change the way I feel about her. I have a feeling she somehow knows that more than I do.*


    *Oh no,¡± she said melodramatically, *my rash plan to fuck you into loving me didn¡¯t work?* she asked with an odd expression on her face I couldn¡¯t read.


    I stopped and looked at her. *Uh¡­I don''t think so. I mean, we''ve only just now started to get to know one another.*


    *Good,* she said.


    *Good?* I said.


    *Yeah, good. If you''d tried to tell me you loved me, I would have tossed you out the window for being a liar or a damned fool.*


    I smiled at her. *I will tell you this. I''ve never gone to bed with someone I didn''t care about.*


    *But you totally seem the bar-hopping one-night-stand kinda guy,* she teased.


    *Woman, I am a geek. That''s not in our vocabulary.*


    *Maybe it wasn''t back then. But geek is the new chic. There are geek bars now, or at least there were. There are more deviant online geek sites for like-minded nerds to meet up and fuck than you can imagine. I''ll be honest; nowadays, the geeks are getting laid more than the jocks and cheerleaders.*


    *Huh,* was all I could manage. *Wait, how do you know all this? You don¡¯t exactly strike me as the geek archetype.*


    *I have a lot of free time on my hands so I end up reading a lot,* she shrugged.


    *Well, it looks like I''ve been missing out on this geek scene,* I said.


    *That''s alright, I think we''re more than making up for lost time here,* she smiled.


    *And what about you?* I asked.


    *Me?*


    *Are you in love with me?* I asked.


    *Oh, honey. You''re cute and all, but I don''t love anyone,* she chuckled.


    *Why not? Not me I mean, why not anyone?*


    *It doesn''t work out,* she said plainly.


    I felt her close the book on that topic as a strange tension filled the air.


    *OK,* I started, *How f¡¯ed up, are you?*


    *What?* she asked, raising an eyebrow. *Is that you¡¯re idea of a tension breaker?*


    *How screwed up are you according to the military?* I tried again.


    *Oh! Your pillow talk needs some work. Lets see, where to start¡­* She starting ticking off fingers, *PTSD, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), Anxiety Disorder (my favorite catch-all), Depression, Adjustment Disorder, Mood Disorder, Dissociative Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, Cognitive Disorder, and that¡¯s just the mental shit.*


    *You got me beat by a long shot. They initially had me on 15 meds to straighten out my mental juices. I can¡¯t image how many they were pumping into you,* I said.


    She just smiled. *What was your damage then?*


    *Which time?* I asked.


    *Tease me,* she squinted at me.


    *Biggie was the IED attack that took out my convoy. I still have a hard time riding in cars. Driving, I¡¯m OK, but being a passenger is hard. Then, there were a couple of firefights that didn¡¯t end well for anyone; those still give me the shakes occasionally, especially if I¡¯m around gunfire or explosions when I¡¯m thinking about it.


    *But strangely enough, the one that really fucks me up wasn¡¯t combat related at all. I was first on scene to some 18 year-old MP who decided to check out while downrange. Poor kid was still alive and choking on his own gray matter when I got to him.*


    *Damn,* she whispered.


    *It wasn¡¯t all the blood and gore that really got to me. By then, I¡¯d seen my fair share of nastiness. It was the fact we had to keep him alive for 23 minutes until the medics arrived. There¡¯s not much worse than feeling helpless while you watch someone fade away right before your eyes.*


    She nodded as there wasn¡¯t much to say.


    *Anyway,* I took a couple of deep breaths. *For some reason, of all the shit I¡¯ve seen, watching that 18-year-old kid choking on his own brains fucks me up to this day.*


    *Was it a suicide?* she asked.


    *That¡¯s just it, we weren¡¯t sure. The wound was at a really weird angle. The military deemed it an accidental discharge, but we think it was to spare the family. A kid, fresh in country, that quick out of training, seeing the crap we were seeing back then¡­he wouldn¡¯t have been the first to make his own way out.* I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. *What about you?*


    *Not a whole lot with me,* Rhiannon said. *There were a few combat actions, but not a lot and nothing big. We were PSYOPS and we didn¡¯t really go around storming buildings and kicking in doors. No, most of my damage was from an IED. It rattled my brain bucket hard enough to put me into a coma for nearly half a year.*


    *Ick,* I grimaced.


    *Yeah, it¡¯s weird waking up after six months and not only finding out you¡¯ve lost all that time, but your body¡¯s changed on you. You have no idea if orderlies had been molesting you in your sleep or posting naked pics of you on the Internet. Not cool.*


    *Yeah, I¡¯d say so.*


    *Add to that you can¡¯t walk or read, and it makes for a real bad day,* she said.


    *Well, shit, now I feel my story is complete BS,* I said.


    *Well, duh. You¡¯re Air Force; y¡¯all think the AC going out is a bad day,* she smiled at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile back.


    All the services ripped on one another all the time. But God forbid a civilian make an unkind remark towards one of us. We would climb over one another to defend each other. It was like having a kid brother no one else could pick on but you.


    *Now what?* I asked.


    *Now? We curl up and sleep. It''s been a long day. When we get up, I''ll give you a quick tour, maybe a quick fuck and then send you home,* she said matter-of-factly.


    *I can work with that,* I said and glanced down at her. *You don¡¯t mind me sleeping here?*


    *Kinda an odd question, don''t you think, considering?* she frowned at me.


    *Not at all. Sex is one thing, sleeping is another. Sleeping with someone says you trust them implicitly. I mean, they could kill you in your sleep,* I said dramatically.


    *And this is supposed to be making me feel better?* she continued to frown at me. *You overthink things, you know that?*


    *Yeah,* I acknowledged.


    *Just come here,* she said, pulling me into her arms facing her. *Let me know if you want me to let go.*


    *Trick question?* I said.


    *Nope,* she chuckled.


    I rested my hand on her back and felt her hard muscles roll beneath my touch as she moved. *Wow.*


    *What?* she said.


    *Your body, it just feels amazing. It''s like steel wrapped in velvet.*


    *Thanks, now shut up.* She settled in and became very still.


    I waited, my own tiredness pulling me closer to sleep. *Rhiannon?*


    *Yeah?* her mind was foggy with sleep already.


    *I might love you a little,* I said quietly.


    *That¡¯s nice, dear. Now, in the immortal words of Samuel L. Jackson, ¡®Go the fuck to sleep.¡¯*

 Z Day Interlude (Continued)

    Z Day Interlude (Continued)


    <u>RHIANNON</u>


    See, told you I¡¯d be back.


    Wait, wait, wait. You threw out all the flashbacks and put them into a separate book, but you kept part of my flashbacks? Make up your mind, would you? You put the ¡°hack¡± in hack writer, you know that? You suck.


    *What¡¯s going on?* James¡¯s voice was groggy since he was still asleep.


    Don¡¯t worry, James, you¡¯re just getting my backstory in a dream sequence. Seems since we slept together, the creator thinks it entitles you to the secrets of my deep, dark past.


    *Huh?* James said intelligently.


    Just kidding, I was going to tell everyone anyway. I tried a little earlier, but SOMEONE cut me off. So just keep sleeping and enjoy.


    *OK,* James said.


    Oooookaaaay. Where was I? Oh yeah-


    Being in love sucks.


    The boy you''re in love with, not knowing you exist, sucks rocks.


    I was a year behind him in school, a freshman when he was a sophomore. We rode the same bus together to and from school. Looking back, I had two years to do something about it, but back then, I was afraid of my own shadow, let alone talking to the boy I was infatuated with. I always thought I''d have my moment.


    I didn''t have a lot of friends...well, any friends, really. I was an awkward, brainy girl without much in the looks department, at least at the time.


    I followed him around and coveted him from afar. By the middle of my sophomore year, I almost had the nerve to talk to him, and then he disappeared. Just stopped coming to school. I tried to find out what happened to him, but no one knew. Someone said he''d moved away. Someone else said he''d been kicked out of the house. Regardless, I was crushed. I was finally ready to talk to him, and I couldn''t.


    The summer between my sophomore and junior years was when my body decided to grow up. I shot up, thinning out until I looked like one of those gymnasts you see on TV. But unlike them, I now had boobs. And my girls were serious. I''m not talking about the need for a reduction before my back breaks, but I was close. My face cleared up; my hair was banging; I was set. This was going to be my year.


    My new body drew a lot of attention from others over the summer. But all those boys were only interested in me for one reason. Go ahead and guess. I''ll give you a hint: it starts with ¡°Bo¡± and ends with ¡°obs.¡± I mistakenly went on a few dates that were all one-shot disasters that destroyed what little reputation I had, even though nothing ever happened. Not for their lack of trying.


    When my junior year started, I was ready to move on. I''d gotten over my boy crush during the summer and looked forward to pressing through high school to move on to college. My braininess had all but guaranteed me entrance into several schools already.


    I''d taken an interest in psychology at an early age, my mom being a shrink and all. It seemed to come easy to me, and it made it easy to understand people, even if they didn''t understand themselves. It was also how I''d managed to keep my legs crossed this whole time. I was ¡°saving myself¡± for my wedding night, just like my mother had taught me. Can you feel my eye roll from here?


    So, when that boy showed back up at school, everything I''d planned went up in smoke. Apparently, he had been kicked out of the house because he''d stopped coming to school last year. Now, he was back to finish. I knew I shouldn¡¯t get involved; I really did. But it was like seeing him regressed me back into that sad freshman I¡¯d been. That girl wasn''t about to let him get away again and devised yet another hair-brained scheme.


    I''d lay all these subtle hints and clues about my interest in him. Let him hear just the right sort of rumors to get his brain thinking about me. I''d make sure and keep myself away to keep up the mystery. So that when he finally couldn''t take it anymore, I''d be there waiting for him to pledge himself to me, and we''d finally be together.


    And then that plan got shot all to hell. He had been seeing some girl...some woman, as she was older than we were and didn''t even go to this school. Well, she''d left him in the lurch, and now he seemed to have had some sort of mental break.


    So, what did I do? Did I move on from this pathetic creature and get my mind straight? No, of course not. Instead, I came up with a new plan. I would befriend him, be that shoulder to cry on, to confide in. I''d win his trust, and eventually, he''d see me as the love of his life that I was all along. The only problem was he wouldn''t talk to anyone, including me. I tried a lot in the halls and in the lunchroom. I''d sit at the same table as he was, but he never heard me. I don''t even think he saw me, to be honest. I thought he might legitimately have something wrong with him.


    So, the boy I''d been in love with for three years had turned into a zombified vegetable. (Oooooh, foreshadowing!)


    Graduation came for him, and he went away again, leaving me to grind through my senior year. By the time my graduation came and went, I wasn''t the same self-assured, life-planned-out girl I had been. While I was great at Psychology, my interest in other subjects waned, and my plummeting grades prevented me from getting a scholarship. My mom made just enough money to put me outside any of the ¡°assisted¡± college funds as well. So, I turned to student loans and racked up the debt.


    They say you should consider college loans as ¡°positive debt,¡± but after four years and over $100,000 in student loans, it was hard to see anything ¡°positive¡± about that debt. especially when all the entry-level jobs I found expected you to have five years of experience already. With zero job prospects after graduation and those painful student loans looming over me, I turned to the one place willing to help any young patriotic soul willing to ¡°do their duty.¡±


    The Army was interested in my Psychology degree. They had a specialty called Psychological Operations (PSYOPs) that they felt was right up my alley. PSYOPs'' purpose was to win the hearts and minds of the people of our enemies, undermine governmental control, and generally stop the fighting through sneaky, non-violent means. That was all well and good, but when they said they''d pay my student loans in exchange for a couple of years of service, I raised my right hand and signed up.


    Eight months of training later, I found myself in the middle of some of the ugliest places on the planet, trying to win those hearts and minds. That and feeding lies and deception to the right ears to sabotage a meeting, get us Intel about upcoming attacks, and even incite a couple of coup attempts.


    By this time, I''d put some muscle on; my legs were amazingly long, and my hair had grown out long and was jet-black. I had lashes, cheekbones, DSLs, the works. I was also no longer saving myself for my wedding night. A drunken night in the barracks during training had seen to that. I was disappointed, to say the least. Later, on a different night with a different person, and while it was better, it still wasn''t what I imagined. I pretty much wrote sex off as way-over-hyped.


    Being in the service got me back on the path academically. Between the military training that also counted as course credit and the classes the Army paid for, I¡¯d just earned my Doctorate when they pinned Captain on me. Things seemed like they were going pretty well for me when my world was turned upside down yet again.


    We were en route to another meeting to get those hearts and minds when the bomb went off. They told me later it was a roadside IED. It tossed our HMMWV like it was a Hot Wheels car. I remembered nothing of it other than a loud noise, pressure, and my head slamming into the truck''s frame so hard I didn''t wake up for six months.


    When I came to, I''d been sent to BAMC in San Antonio, Texas. I''d apparently been there in a coma for half a year. Things...weren''t right after that. They called it TBI. It meant the explosion had scrambled my brains to the point that they wouldn''t let me be in the service anymore. They would be medically retiring me just as soon as they put me back together. On the upside, all my loans were paid off, yeah!


    I was missing a lot of time and memories. Luckily, I''d retained my vocal memory, so at least I could still speak. Other things, like walking, I wasn''t so good at. I had to relearn the basics of walking¡­walking, for God''s sake! Something we learn by the time we''re one! It took me that long just to be able to walk across the floor without stumbling.


    I still had all my school knowledge, but I had to learn to read again! How the fuck does that work?


    It was about this time that the visions started. I''d been out of the service for about a year; I''d been medically retired at 100% due to my ¡°Mental Disorders.¡± HA! Mental Disorders...just because I heard voices, saw shit that wasn''t there and had the occasional homicidal rage incident, they put me on all these medications. Add to this the PTSD nightmares and the fact I still couldn''t get into a car without freaking out. I had to go to the VA docs nearly every day. But that wasn''t so bad. I was already going to the VA for rehab, and the shrinks had decent coffee.


    Oh, the shrinks. When my mom heard about all this, she wanted to know every detail. She''d gone as far as to talk to the VA shrinks herself, even offering advice! My mom was a hoot. I eventually gave up trying to have any privacy and signed over power of attorney to her so she could collaborate with the VA on my treatments and medication.


    I won¡¯t lie; the drugs were good. They helped me act more ¡°normal.¡± At least, normal enough to play the game.


    Part of my rehab had me taking martial arts, nothing too strenuous, more flexibility and strength training. After so long on my back, it was tough to get back to the shape I''d been in while in the service. The instructor was nice, really nice. He was a guy named Gerold¡ªa big, strong guy but flexible and quick. I was amazed at how gracefully he moved for such a big guy. It didn¡¯t hurt that he was amazing to look at, either.


    Amazingly enough, he started offering me ¡°private¡± lessons ¡°off-duty.¡± After six months of the same boring, lethargic martial arts moves, I took him up on it. At first, it really was martial arts training¡ªa weird mix of various styles meant to be dirty, no holds barred, and deadly. I took to it immediately. It seemed anything violent and dangerous brought me out of the blah/zombie-like mood I was always in.


    (See what I did there? My second Z reference before the outbreak. It¡¯s like I¡¯m setting the scene!)


    Amazingly, the VA had gotten me a job working with their mental health section. I guess they figured I was already there so much; they might as well employ me. I think they didn''t want me out of arms reach in case I had another ¡°incident.¡± I didn''t do a lot, mostly filing, running the front desk, that sort of thing. That paycheck and my disability check managed to pay for a small apartment and kept me fed. My mom wanted me to move back in with her, but that wasn''t going to happen. Living at home with your mom? I was 28, for crying out loud!


    Eventually, I let Gerold take me out. He was friendly and all, but I just wasn''t into the whole romance thing. My life was fucked up enough as it was. I didn''t want to burden it with any more complications. But he was persistent and kind, I guess. Looking back, I was such an easy target. How I lasted as long as I did, I''ll never know.


    We''d been going out for about a year when we were mugged on the Riverwalk downtown. We''d just had dinner; it was late, and Gerold had decided to walk me around the more deserted part of town down near the lock gates. One minute, we were walking along; the next, a guy was in front of us, holding a knife and demanding our money.


    I didn''t even pause. My hand lashed out, crushing his windpipe while the follow-up ruptured his spleen. His SPLEEN! Seriously, who else do you know that killed a man through his spleen? I watched the man fall to the ground, clawing at his throat. He thrashed violently, strange gurgling noises managing to escape from his mouth, and I couldn''t look away. Was that all it took? I''d never known it was so easy. He eventually stopped moving or making sounds and just lay there. I knelt so I could see his face in the darkness. His eyes were open and bloodshot.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Gerold had been watching me and reached down to pull me to my feet. He asked me if I was OK, and I just shrugged. It was no big deal; he was a bad guy. I''d been taught what we did to bad guys in the Army. I just hadn''t had to do it with my bare hands before.


    ¡°This isn''t the first time you''ve killed someone?¡± His voice was cautious.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said simply. I mean, I''d shot a couple of people while in the desert. Sure, the first time was a bit of a shock, but after that, it was surprisingly simple.


    He seemed to be amazed at how I was reacting and just nodded. He pulled out a phone and spoke briefly into it before leading us back towards the more brightly lit areas.


    I was feeling better then. Not as in relieved or anything; I just seemed to be in a bit more chipper mood and asked him to take me dancing.


    He seemed to be confused but didn''t say no. Turns out he was a terrific dancer, too.


    Things were different after that. Gerold seemed to relax around me more. He seemed less formal...less courteous. I should have taken that as a sign, but I wasn''t myself. HA! Wasn''t myself; that''s a laugh. I didn''t know who or what ¡°myself¡± was by then.


    We''d been sleeping with each other for a while now. I still wasn''t impressed with it. I wondered if my body was broken somehow. From all the material I''d read and even professional texts, it was supposed to be one of the pinnacles of human existence. It wasn''t for me.


    Gerold took me to an MMA fight one night, and it hooked me. Something about how the bodies would flow together, lock, and then break with one person no longer able to move fascinated me. We started attending various fighting events and even shifted our training sessions to something much darker and more lethal. I couldn¡¯t get enough of it.


    Then, he took me to the club where I died.


    It was an elegant place. All red leather couches, dimly lit tables, curtained booths, the works. A ring was in the center, where a dance floor would usually be. But this ring wasn¡¯t for boxing or mixed martial arts. This thing was a bizarre collage of mismatched steel bars mashed together to form a large dome with a single door.


    Eventually, two ¡°men,¡± I say that loosely, were put inside and proceeded to tear each other to pieces. The ferocity and violence of the act lit something inside of me. When two girls were put into the ring next, I was out of my seat and right up on the bars with some of the other more zealous patrons.


    My eyes bulged as I watched the two dance around each other before darting in with snake-like quickness so fast all I saw was a blur, and then blood pouring from a wound that hadn''t been there a moment before. Over and over, they picked at each other; more and more blood flowed from their wounds until it was over in a millisecond. One girl had darted in and launched herself up from underneath the other girl at the last second. The first girl¡¯s knee caught under the other girl¡¯s chin, lifting her off the ground and crushing her skull into the metal framework overhead.


    I felt Gerold behind me then. ¡°I want that. Teach me that,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can give it to you if you really want it,¡± Gerold said.


    I turned and looked at him. ¡°I''ll do anything you want, but I WANT that!¡± I remember my body being on fire, my heart racing. I''d felt more alive than ever before.


    So, he took me into a back room and proceeded to kill me very deliberately, very violently. I remembered thinking, THIS is what sex was supposed to be like. Whatever I''d done before was nothing compared to the raw power of that act.


    After that night, I never had to take another pill again. No more drugs, no more rehab, no more shrinks. I never went back to my apartment, instead moving in with Gerold, who taught me the ways of being a vampire. Not only that, he taught me how to fight as a vampire. Things I didn''t think were physically possible, I learned. I learned to defy gravity and sometimes physics, but then again, I was never very good at physics.


    It turned out Gerold was much, much older than I was. He''d once been a gladiator who''d been bought by a female patron, who also happened to be a vampire and added him to her collection.


    He had a second home, his real home, that I started living in. He couldn''t leave too soon as my disappearance would undoubtedly raise some questions if he also disappeared at the same time. A year after I''d dropped off the face of the planet, we moved to Dallas. He introduced me to more vampires who liked fighting, and I got better. I learned more ways to maim and dismember. Soon, I was inside cages, taking other vampires apart a piece at a time. It was easy, it was fun, and I loved every minute of it.


    That is, until Gerold was killed.


    My reputation as a skilled fighter had spread a little too far, too fast. Apparently, a local vampire chieftain named Krenner took a special interest in me and wanted to buy me. Gerold was affronted, saying I wasn''t property. Krenner took that as I was fair game to claim in his domain. Gerold lost his temper and attacked Krenner. Krenner wasn¡¯t a better fighter than Gerold, but he did have security that cut Gerold down.


    I completely lost my shit at this point and attacked Krenner myself. It took six of them to pull me off him and hold me down. Krenner bloodbound me on the spot. I''d never believed in the bloodbinding until Krenner''s commands cut through the red sea of my rage and tamed me like a puppy.


    I seethed at the loss of freedom and tried repeatedly to find a way to get at Krenner. But apparently, this wasn''t his first rodeo. He had taken a great deal of time to give me specific sets of commands that continued to thwart any of my attempts to murder him.


    In the meantime, I became the top fighter in his stable. I have to give him this: he wasn''t stupid enough to try and take me to bed. After seeing how I fought, I don''t think he believed even his strongest command would protect him in bed.


    I fought, killed, maimed, and murdered. After a while, I learned how to do each better, quicker, and easier. I learned vampire physiology, how they worked, and new and more exciting ways to kill them.


    Then, another man showed up and changed everything again. Looking back, I probably should have moved to a convent or something. I mean, men had literally been the death of me. OK, so this time, I had a fair excuse for my poor decision-making. I was literally insane, entirely out of my mind by this point. So, I didn''t see what was coming in the slightest; sue me.


    He called himself Pagoda; what a stupid fucking name. Made me think of a Chinese gazebo. But he was all charming and suave and debonair. Yeah, I said debonair. Does that tell you how far gone I was?


    On the flip side, I was an animal. I''d been treated as an animal for so long that I didn''t know any better. I also think making me into a vampire fucked me up more than I was before.


    *You think?* the voice inside my head said.


    *Shut up, head,* I told myself.


    I mean, they had me on this massive regiment of pills to try and stabilize my brain back when I was human. Becoming a vampire didn''t exactly ¡°fix¡± my head now, did it? Sure, becoming a vampire physically changes you some, but not mentally. Add to that, I could no longer take the pills because they did jack bupkis to a vampire''s physiology. Then, throw in a few bad influences; you can see how things all added up to me being some nut-bag, weapon-x reject who already had one leg over the coo-coo''s nest.


    Pagoda told me if I would agree to come work for him, not only would he get me out of the cage I was in, he''d kill Krenner for me...and a bunch of other stuff, but I started and stopped listening when he said he''d kill Krenner. I didn''t care. At that point, I would have eaten my own foot to see that bastard dead. Can you guess what I said?


    Oh, he was true to his word; he did kill Krenner spectacularly. I don''t know all the exact details, but I''d like to think it involved chains, five horses, and some Honey Nut Cheerios because, you know, you get hungry at a show.


    What that fartbag didn''t tell me was that he''d bloodbound Krenner before he killed him. Then he came for me and I changed hands like a hooker at a bachelor party.


    On the flip side, he did get me out of the cage. He had me sent away; don''t ask me where cause I wasn''t in a state of mind to know. But I¡¯m guessing it was somewhere near Japan, as everyone spoke Japanese. I was assigned to a woman named Natsuko no Kimi. Pagoda had ordered me to study beneath Natsuko no Kimi and follow her every order as she was an Onna-Musha of international repute.


    At first, it was ridiculously difficult to do so, as she only spoke in Japanese! How the hell was I supposed to do what she wanted when I couldn¡¯t understand her? But I was a quick study, as disobedience resulted in severe punishment in the form of withholding food.


    That brought me up short. I''d never been hungry as a vampire, not really. I''d eaten when I wanted, as much as I''d wanted. The whole rapid aging due to starvation rumor really scared the shit out of me.


    The first year was hell, with only a few brief moments of OK thrown in just so I didn''t get so used to hell that it wouldn''t mean anything. I relearned how to be human.


    So, just to recap, I got blown up and forgot how to be human. Then I got turned into a vampire and forgot how to be human. And then I was turned into an animal that forgot how to be a vampire. Needless to say, it was hard. Harder than learning to read again. God, how my life sucked...but I did learn, and as I learned, my life became easier.


    After I learned how to be a ¡°civilized human,¡± I began learning how to be a ¡°civilized vampire.¡± That took another year. You''d think a year was a long time, but when you no longer have an expiration date, time sorta stops mattering.


    The last year I was there, they taught me to be an elegant killer. Not so much assassin/ninja training, but how to ¡°inhumane¡± people [thanks, Mr. Pratchett, it''s a great word], both human and vampire, in a manner that is: A. not offensive to others and B. not going to get me arrested and/or killed.


    Oh, did you think I''d stopped training on how to beat the crap out of people? Wrong! During my entire stay, I trained. I learned something new every day and was expected to master it by the next. They had me doing weird shit you only saw in the really bad Kung Fu movies. Only, since I was a vampire, I could actually do some of that crazy shit! It''s hard to keep a grip on your sanity when every day you find reality, as you knew it, doesn''t exist anymore.


    The whole experience was excruciating. But three years after I arrived, I left as an actual person again. Regardless of everything else that bitch Natsuko no Kimi (you have to say the whole thing or no supper) did to me, I must thank her for that.


    When I returned to Pagoda, he''d set up his court in Austin. Luckily, everything that had happened to me since my disappearance had changed how I looked so much that my own mother didn''t recognize me. Cause yeah, I went to check on her one day when I was feeling relatively nostalgic. It happens. I do, occasionally, have a human moment.


    Anyway, I was added as an official member of Pagoda''s court. I was treated respectfully, given my living space, expenses and a nice car. He never once tried to touch me. I wasn''t sure if that was because he didn''t want to or he was afraid to.


    Seemed men were scared to be alone with me, let alone naked with me. I didn''t know why at the time; I mean, I was smoking hot. My body was totally rockin'', my girls never perkier, and I was limber enough that I could practically pleasure myself. And my hair...oh, my hair. It was still jet-black, not a strand of gray, soft, slick, and it ran down past my rear. You could tie me up with my hair. Actually, I would have really liked it if someone had tried...I think.


    But Pagoda put a ¡°no touchy¡± order on me. No one was allowed to lay so much as a finger on me, EVEN IF I ASKED FOR IT!!! The sad thing was that I''d learned to like sex while I was with Natsuko no Kimi. Part of my re-learning of humanity had been teaching me about sex and how to do it properly. I wish there were a correspondence class that she could send out. So many guys, and girls for that matter, could make themselves and others happy with that knowledge.


    I didn''t do a whole lot for Pagoda. I was at every function, just there in the background, like an unsaid threat. I later learned I was basically his muscle. Natsuko no Kimi...see, even today, I still have to say it cause she trained me to. She had the reputation of creating the most lethal creatures out there.


    So, I''m living the good life, sorta. I''m assigned to stay at the Austin residence and keep things just so when Pagoda is out of town, which he''s out of town A LOT! But that''s fine; it leaves me plenty of free time to enjoy just being for a while. Seems most of my life up till then had been progressing at a flat-out run. I''m finally at a place where I can relax, take my time, study up on what¡¯s new in the psychology world, and chill.


    So, of course, Murphy comes along and kicks me in the taint. Yeah, I know, but it''s a cool word that doesn''t get used enough.


    Z Day. Seriously? Fucking zombies. I never liked the idea, never liked the movie and thought Romero was an ass for making it all so popular. Although, Max Brooks did a fine ass job with the World War Z book. Fuck Pitt¡¯s movie. Shouldn¡¯t have used the WWZ title. Call it ¡°Brad Pitt¡¯s Zombie Movie.¡± People would have still gone and seen it and the book fans wouldn¡¯t be pissed. But I digress.


    Anyway, so we vampires¡ª


    I mean, seriously, what is it with TV and movie people nowadays? They find this really popular story and decide they want to reboot it, but instead of following the original, they want to do their own horrible fanfic version. You want to do that? Great! Do it, but call it something original. Don¡¯t swipe off someone¡¯s IP when you¡¯re going to fuck it up!


    *AHEM* (sorry)


    Anyway, so we vampires aren¡¯t the only ones running around eating people anymore. Oh yeah, you must be saying, ¡°But Rhiannon, if no one''s allowed to be around you, how do you get your blood?¡±


    Good question, and to put it bluntly, however the fuck I wanted. I find tap boys kinda gross. I mean, you just sorta lay around and let people slurp on you whenever they want. It makes me think of a public drinking fountain, and no one wants to drink out of one of those dirty fuckers.


    So, I go out. I wander around until I find someone who seems nice and bite them. Then, I make them forget about it and go about my business. Simple. Neat. Elegant even. No teen-vampire fanfic gazing into each other''s eyes wantonly in the middle of a golf course crap. Wham, slurp, thank you, ma''am.


    Something those two idiots above should have learned.


    *What?* James mumbled.


    Nothing, cowboy, go back to sleep; I¡¯m almost done.


    Did I mention my wardrobe? Oh my God, my closet is the size of a house in some countries. It came fully stocked, but then I took Pagoda''s lovely business charge card and overstuffed it. More on that later.


    So, zombies. At first, it wasn''t that big of a deal. Small outbreaks that seemed to get handled. As it grew larger, there were some murmurs amongst the vampire community. Rumors popped up about someone accidentally drinking from one of them...how can you accidentally drink from a zombie? No one ever knew the person directly; it was always the whole six degrees of separation thing.


    When it got big enough for cities to start being evacuated and highways to get shut down, the bigwigs of the vampires called for a serious meeting to discuss the now-contaminated food supply. Word came down that no one was allowed to kill another human for food purposes; they were becoming too valuable. There was even talk of vampires being sent to protect evacuation camps. And even more talk of evacuation camps being set up by vampires just so we could keep clean stock lines.


    Another rumor was that they had finally broken through on the synthetic blood they''d been working on for decades. Of course, I''d never seen it, but the rumor was out there.


    Pagoda was at this big world conference, leaving the compound all but deserted. Only a handful of security was still in residence. Most of them had gone with Pagoda to beef up his personal security detail. Apparently, Pagoda had some serious worries when it came to zombies; go figure. Even the few normal residents we had had returned to their homes to protect their property from being overrun by the undead.


    I, on the other hand, was bored to fucking tears. I''d spent my nights bounding through the surrounding forests, killing every zombie I''d run across. They weren''t much of a challenge, to be honest, at least not once the fight started. They didn''t react to vampires as they did to humans. So, they just stood there and let you slaughter them. Oh, sure, once you attacked them, they automatically tried to fight back, but it was over by then.


    My days were spent making sure the place was running smoothly. The tedium had me starting to pull my hair out. You can only work out so much.


    I was in desperate need of a change of scenery.

 Z Day Interlude (Continued Some More)

    Z Day Interlude (Continued Some More)


    <u>RHIANNON</u>


    By now, I was craving...not companionship, but some sense of normalcy, and decided to start visiting Drakes. Aside from a few private residences, it was the only social scene in town since this whole zombie thing started. That, and as always, it was the most secure.


    I''d normally go, have a few drinks, and sit in the corner watching people. Most everyone there knew my reputation as Pagoda¡¯s enforcer, so they kept their distance. But Drake was still a character. I didn''t care if he was some house demon; he was a good bartender, fair company, and never dull.


    I was sitting in my usual out-of-sight booth when I saw him. Big as brass, he walks in and right up to the bar as if he owns the place. I watched him slam back several cups of something before being escorted to the back elevator to head upstairs.


    ¡°Drake,¡± I asked as one of them passed by.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Kachou?¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± I said, indicating the couple who¡¯d just entered the back elevator. I was pretty sure I knew who it was, but I had to make sure.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. James and Ms. Shae.¡±


    ¡°Does he come in here a lot?¡± I said, trying to keep my voice under control as teenage memories and desires started flooding my mind.


    ¡°Oh no. He''s only been in two or three times.¡±


    ¡°Where did he disappear off to?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To see Ms. Natalie,¡± Drake said.


    I frowned at that. If it had been anyone other than her, I would have interrupted. But that girl...even I knew to stay away from a blood-worker. Nothing good ever came from them.


    ¡°Let me know when he comes back down,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Yes, ma''am. How long were you planning on waiting?¡± Drake asked.


    ¡°I said,¡± I turned my best-affronted look on him. ¡°Let me know when he comes down.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma''am. Will there be anything else?¡±


    I thought a moment. ¡°Tell me what you know about him.¡±


    ¡°Not too much to know. An interesting...man, so to speak. Seems very single-minded when it comes to...¡±


    ¡°You said, so to speak. What do you mean? He''s not a man?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, I''m sorry, I thought you knew. No, he''s a very recent vampire, so to speak.¡±


    So, he''d only recently been turned. I frowned. If he''d been turned all those years ago, that would explain all the weirdness during school. And speaking of weirdness, why the hell did I care? I felt the butterfly wings flutter in my stomach like I was that damned 15-year-old girl again. What the hell is it with this guy? Even after all these years, how can one guy affect me like this? I pushed the thought out of my mind.


    ¡°So to speak?¡± I said finally.


    ¡°Yes...¡± Drake looked pained. ¡°He''s a vampire, very much so. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I said.


    ¡°But he''s different.¡±


    ¡°Different, how?¡± Maybe this was why I was feeling so strange.


    ¡°That''s the rub. I don''t know. I''ve been trying to figure it out since the last time he came in, but he keeps changing,¡± Drake said.


    I''ve been told I have a complete arsenal of looks, one for every occasion. I know I do; I practice them. It just sounds badass to have other people tell me that. I gave him my best ¡°AND???¡± expression.


    ¡°The previous time, he was human...but not...there was something different. I ran through most of the species I''d encountered, but none fit, so I guessed he was something new. I mean, he was completely human the first time he came in.¡±


    ¡°When was his first time?¡±


    ¡°About 17 years ago,¡± Drake said.


    ¡°The SOB was still in high school AND human. What the hell was he doing in here?¡± I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d spoken aloud until Drake answered me.


    ¡°He seemed to be the tap boy of a young lady.¡±


    *He was a tap boy?* I groaned to myself. That explained a lot: the weird behavior, strange illness and absences. He''d been a vampire chew toy. No wonder I couldn''t catch his eye back then. How could anyone compete with a vampire? Then I remembered he was with someone when he came in.


    ¡°Who was he with?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Shae,¡± Drake said.


    ¡°No, not when he came in today, when he came in back then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Miss Shae,¡± Drake repeated.


    ¡°He was with her both times?¡± I asked.


    ¡°As far as I can remember,¡± Drake confirmed.


    Then the name clicked. ¡°Not the Shae that is assigned to Pagoda.¡±


    ¡°The very same,¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± I yelled in a very unladylike fashion. I know it is hard to believe that I can lose my temper, but it does occasionally happen. I¡¯ve also been known to speak the French occasionally. Of course, I''m talking about my new external persona that I must keep publicly presentable. Y''all already know I''m a foul-mouthed hussy underneath, but that''s why you love me, or you will.


    While I didn''t personally know Shae, I knew <u>of</u> Shae. She was yet another of Pagoda''s harem in court. He had a few he kept around for when he wanted something pretty. But if I remembered right, she had fallen out of favor with him a while back. I guess he got tired of her or something. Maybe she saw through all his bullshit like I did.


    Blind raging fury balled up in me for the first time in years, or else it was a 15-year-old¡¯s hormones; it''s sometimes hard to tell the difference. He''d have been with me if she hadn''t interfered so long ago and ruined my plans. We''d have been happy with kids and a dog and shit. Instead, I get blown up, fucked up, vampirized, caged and then chained. All because of Shae.


    Drake could read my expression almost as if he could read my mind. ¡°With all due respect, ma''am, I must remind you that this is still a neutral place. Violence of any kind will not be tolerated.¡±


    He was right; this didn''t call for rage; this called for subtlety. I needed more information before I decided what to do. I''d wait.


    I took a deep breath and blew it out again, calming myself and putting on my best smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Drake, that won''t be necessary. You have my word.¡± Besides, I''d seen Drake throw out a 2-meter hulk with one arm. He''d make short work of me.


    *But we''d make him work for it,* the voice in my head said.


    *Shut up, head,* I told myself.


    Drake seemed to consider it a moment and then bowed before departing.


    I sat back in my booth to relax and wait.


    TWO FUCKING DAYS LATER


    I was still sitting in that same booth. My hair was a mess, my dress was wrinkled, and I was in a foul mood. I was pretty sure Drake had sensed it as he''d brought me over something warm and rich that warmed up my insides nicely. Do you know how much of a flat spot you can get from sitting for two days? I''ve got a pretty nice ass, and now I was worried about it being lopsided.


    *I''m sure it''s still just as cute and perky as before,* my internal voice chimed into my head as the blood witch girl slid into my booth. *You could bounce quarters off it.*


    *Shut up, head,* I scolded myself. *It is not polite to brag, even if it is true,* I told myself.


    ¡°And what can I do for you, Natalie?¡± I tried to reign myself in and be pleasant. I''d seen what Natalie could do with a simple touch and ensured I was sitting as far away from her as possible.


    *I won''t bite,* she said playfully, *unless you ask nicely.*


    I bit off a retort about Pagoda''s decree that I was strictly off-limits to anyone.


    *HE,* Natalie said the word with disgust, *doesn''t own me.*


    I bristled at her words. Being bloodbound was the same as being owned, to be honest. But even though I couldn¡¯t do anything about it, the comment still stung.


    *Sorry,* Natalie tried again, gently. *I didn''t mean to be rude,* she sighed. *Sometimes, it feels like I have a couple of teenagers going at it in my head; it can be...distracting. What I meant to say was that...if you wanted to, I would. But my timing threw all that off, didn''t it? What else is new?* Natalie mumbled.


    I think that was her way of hitting on me, but my head felt kinda fuzzy when I tried to decipher her words.


    ¡°Right,¡± I frowned. ¡°What''s this about?¡±


    *Oh right,* her voice seemed distracted like she was listening to something else. *Yeah. It''s about...OK...yeah. So, now that Pagoda is dead, were you still planning on...*


    ¡°Pa-Pagoda¡¯s...¡± The words shocked me so much that I stuttered. ¡°Pagoda¡¯s dead?¡±


    *Isn¡¯t he?* she asked.


    ¡°No, he''s in Nebraska,¡± I said.


    *Oh, too soon, then. OK, never mind. I''ll try again next time.* And with that, she started to stand.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I commanded.


    She turned back to look at me.


    ¡°Is he really going to die?¡± A slight tremor of hope ran through me, breaking my normal, calm facade. I knew blood witches could see future things, but I''d also heard it wasn''t an exact science.


    *Would that make you happy?* She looked at me seriously. I''d never seen the expression from her before. I guessed I wasn''t the only one with an arsenal of expressions at my disposal.


    Looking into Natalie¡¯s eyes, I could tell she already knew my answer. You couldn''t keep anything from a blood witch. I was still pondering the implications of my answer when she took her hand from my face and walked away.


    *Woah, deep thoughts...* My head said.


    For once, I didn''t tell my head to shut up. With a start, I realized Natalie had been touching me. I didn''t recall when she started, only when she stopped. I also realized she¡¯d been speaking in my head this whole time.


    ¡°Blood witches,¡± I mumbled, trying to shake the fog from my brain.


    Then Drake was there. ¡°You wanted to know when Mr. James came back down, ma''am. They just left.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I jumped up. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°You were with Ms. Natalie; she doesn''t like to be disturbed.¡±


    ¡°And I don''t like to be disappointed,¡± I growled as I leaped out of the booth and made for the door. I caught up to them still in the garage. The girl whom I took to be Shae was sitting in the sidecar of a motorbike with James kneeling next to her.


    *She looks stupid in that sidecar,* my inner voice said.


    *Yeah, now shut up!* I scolded myself, straining to hear while staying hidden behind a pillar. They just looked at each other for a long time as I watched. I started thinking I was in some lousy romance novel when I realized what was happening.


    *For the love of Christ, they¡¯re mind-speaking.* Either she was another blood witch, or more probably, she was his creator. *Well, that''s fucking great, how the hell and I supposed to hear them now?* I was starting to feel like a peeping Tom when something in my head tingled.


    *No more blood witch, OK?* it was Natalie¡¯s mental voice.


    I was about to give her a piece of my mind for still being in my head when the voice in my head spoke up, *Shut up and listen.*


    Then I could hear them. As I sat there listening to them, all the 15-year-old schoolgirl BS welled up in me again. I finally managed to push the feelings down so I could focus.


    *Damn, you''ve still got it bad,* my head interrupted.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    *Shut the hell up!* I yelled at myself, really hoping those two couldn''t hear me.


    *No, that¡¯s not it.* It was Shae.


    *Then what? Just because I have all eternity to wait now doesn''t mean I have the patience to match.* That was James. Hearing his voice after so long¡­feeling it in my head. The fucking schoolgirl bullshit welled up even harder. I furiously pushed it back down.


    *I¡¯ve never felt anything like that before. The way she controlled me, it wasn¡¯t right,* Shae said.


    *What had the blood wi...blood-worker done to her?* I thought.


    *Well, you were being a brat,* James offered.


    *It just makes me wonder what else she may have made us do,* Shae said.


    *OH?!?* I wondered just what Natalie had done to them.


    *Are you having regrets about these past two days?* James said.


    *No, it was wonderful,* Shae sighed. *I guess I am just embarrassed after all. I haven¡¯t acted like a schoolgirl in a long time. I normally don''t let myself go like that. And when I did, I got busted for it. I''m just embarrassed, that''s all.*


    I wasn''t sure why or how Natalie was letting me hear all this.


    *There¡¯s my girl,* James said.


    *I am your girl, aren¡¯t I? And you sir, are my boy.* I saw her pull him to her for a brief kiss. *Now and always.*


    I was starting to feel nauseous. This conversation was reminiscent of that Book 0 nonsense.


    *I¡¯m sorry for everything that¡¯s happened since back then,* Shae said.


    I watched James get on the bike and start it up. Its roar rumbled through the garage but didn''t interfere with my hearing them.


    *Don¡¯t be silly. There was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened,* James said.


    *What? What happened?* I thought.


    *Still, I should have been more cautious. I should have seen his treachery coming,* Shae said.


    *Treachery? Who uses that word anymore?* I thought.


    *His treachery?* James seemed to echo my thoughts.


    *Yeah. I sounded like a bad pulp novel just then, didn¡¯t I? Regardless, I am sorry¡­for what could have been¡­for forcing you into the service and you being pulled into that program.*


    *Wait, hold up, what''s going on here?* I thought.


    Then I had a problem: They were leaving. I knew I couldn''t follow them in my car; the roads were way too deserted to be covert about it. My only option was to follow them on foot.


    Sighing, I ripped my dress up to my hip on both sides. I cringed with each rip; I really liked this dress. Luckily, the streets were still a mess, so they couldn''t drive too fast. I¡¯d have plenty of time to pick my hiding spots.


    *Just stop,* James said. *Coulda, shoulda, woulda. We don¡¯t have time for it; let it go. Besides, you didn¡¯t force me into anything. I ran away on my own, that¡¯s on me. I¡¯ve got you back now; that¡¯s all that matters to me.*


    *Got her back?* I was struggling to put the conversation together.


    *WE got each other back,* Shae said, then laughed. *I got myself back.*


    *That, and the fact we have all of eternity for you to make it up to me,* James said playfully.


    I saw her smack his leg, *I am still your creator.*


    *Thought so,* I thought.


    *Which would you prefer, master or mistress?* James said.


    *Oh God, he''s flirting with her,* I thought.


    *Tradition dictates master, regardless of sex. But, as we¡¯re kind of throwing things around now, make it mistress,* Shae said.


    *And she''s flirting back, ick,* I thought.


    *Only if you wear the leather,* James teased.


    That thought interested me, I had to admit.


    *You already have the outfit? Where is this supposed house full of costume wonders you keep mentioning?* James said.


    *Yes, tell me where you''re going so I can stop this insane chase. I''m ruining my shoes,* I thought.


    *Oh, it¡¯s a long way off in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice place. I could go there to clear my head. I lost it when Pagoda took me,* Shae said.


    *Took her?* I thought.


    *Pagoda wanted me close after he killed my master, so he put me into his compound here in Austin. All my personal stuff was moved into storage,* Shae said.


    *You didn¡¯t bring your stuff into the compound with you?* James asked.


    *No. After Pagoda, my priorities¡­changed. I didn¡¯t want to bring anything personal anywhere near Pagoda. So, I kept them far away and safe.*


    *I hear you sister,* I found myself thinking, then realized what I''d said and shook my head.


    *Pagoda. You mentioned he replaced some of your memories of me with memories of him?* James asked.


    *What the shit? He can do that?* I thought.


    I felt Shae shudder. *Yes. Looking back and understanding what happened makes me sick to my stomach.* There was a pause before she continued. *Pagoda¡­used me. Being bloodboud to him¡­he made me think I liked it. Anything he wanted, any whim¡­he made me think it was my idea.* Shae said.


    As I listened, I felt like my stomach was trying to squeeze itself inside out. At least Pagoda had spared me that much, but it didn''t seem like much of a consolation.


    *After a while, he got lazy and stopped making me think things were my idea. I don¡¯t know if this was on purpose or not. He seemed to enjoy the growing discomfort I felt. When I got to the point of rebellion, he¡¯d start making me like his¡­desires again. This back-and-forth went on for years until he finally seemed to grow bored with his game and lost interest in me. I guess I wasn''t much of a prize now that I''d been conquered,* Shae said.


    I found myself shuttering again. Being powerless against him was one thing. But being made to think I liked him touching me...it made my skin crawl.


    I could feel the anger rolling off James. I saw her touch his leg, and he seemed to relax.


    Gerold had sometimes done that to me. When I''d get too worked up, all he had to do was touch me, and my body would chill out. I felt my stomach do a flip-flop thinking back on it.


    *Is that such a bad thing?* Shae said.


    I scolded myself for getting distracted in my memories. I¡¯d missed part of the conversation.


    *Not even close,* James said.


    It was a while before they spoke again, which was fine with me. They were coming to more open country, and I had to push myself to keep up and hidden at the same time.


    *Tell me more about Pagoda. How did he get control of you?* James finally continued.


    When Shae spoke, she sounded like she was in teacher mode.


    *When one clan defeats another clan, the victor gets the spoils. Normally, they execute the bloodbound leader, but not before bloodbinding them to the new leader. This effectively enslaves the remaining living members of the defeated clan. Wow, that was a mouthful.*


    *That¡¯s what she said,* James and I said together, causing me to chuckle.


    *Come on, you totally walked into that one,* James said. *So, if someone were to bloodbind you, would that mean I¡¯d also be bloodbound to them? Am I bloodbound to Pagoda now?*


    James¡¯s thought made me sick to my stomach.


    *Easy¡­slow down,* Shae comforted James, who apparently was stressing out. *OK, first off, no. You are my creation; you are bound to me and only me, forever.*


    While I knew that, I still relaxed a bit at hearing it.


    *Forever?* James said.


    *Close enough. We do age, but so slowly you won¡¯t notice it. We¡¯ve never had anyone die from old age before,* Shae said.


    *Yeah, we kill each other off first,* I thought.


    *Who¡¯s the oldest?* James asked.


    *Solmsat,* I thought. He was the oldest I''d ever heard of. He was a hermit that lived in the middle of fucking nowhere. Which made it hard to get take-out, but he didn''t have anything anyone wanted. So, he was left alone in his isolation. Besides, he looked like a raisin and no longer spoke.


    *I don¡¯t know,* Shae said. *My master was over 2,000 years old when she was killed. You can¡¯t imagine the network she had established that¡¯s now in his hands.*


    *She must be talking about Doreen,* I thought. When I''d been brought to Pagoda''s home, the first thing I did was dig into his histories. Everything he had on file, I read. A lesson from my teacher in Japan.


    If I remember correctly, Doreen had been based in Louisiana. While she didn''t have a vast kingdom, it was very influential due to the people she kept in her clan. All the stranger mystics that seemed to have real power stuck to Louisiana and fell under Doreen.


    *And to answer before you ask,* Shae continued, *yes, I want to be with you. You¡¯re stuck with me until one of us dies or we get tired of one another.*


    *Like that¡¯ll ever happen,* James said.


    I rolled my eyes.


    *I guess we¡¯re stuck with each other then,* Shae said.


    *Seems like it,* James said.


    I stumbled. I''d been dancing around an abandoned car when a root caught my foot, and I went down hard. I heard my dress ripping even more as I rolled back to my feet. I ignored the burning of several new cuts and scrapes as they¡¯d probably be gone before sunup. My dress, on the other hand, was in shambles. I considered just ripping what little was left off, but a little spark of modesty stopped me.


    *They love each other,* the thought hit me hard. They really, truly did. They''d been through a massive breakup, but it hadn''t changed how they felt about one another. I could feel it through the link. I wondered how Natalie did it; I''d never felt something so substantial this way before.


    It almost made me stop right there and go home. I seriously thought about trying to truly put the boy...the man, out of my mind for good. Then, what Natalie had said about Pagoda''s death kept me going. I wasn''t sure what would happen, but I was positive they would have some hand in it.


    *What was the second?* James continued to be oblivious to my presence. Aside from the ripping of my dress, my fall had been silent. I was good.


    *Huh? Oh, if you were not my creation and just bloodbound to me, Pagoda would not have control over you until I died. We don¡¯t know how it works. The control only exists with the closest living bloodbinder above you. Pagoda had to perform the ceremony as I was created by my master, not bloodbound,* Shae said.


    *So, in a hostile take-over, they only get the bloodbound, not the created?* James said.


    *Correct,* Shae said.


    *Geesh, I¡¯m getting a headache,* James said.


    A zombie appeared as if by magic in front of me. I held my arm out, not stopping, and took its head off without effort.


    *How far back does this go? Is there someone who has been bloodbound to various people repeatedly due to hostile takeovers?* James seemed to be going somewhere with his line of questioning.


    *There are some, but it doesn¡¯t last as long as you think. With each mind change, the bond gets a little weaker,* Shae said.


    That one, I didn''t know.


    *Most just let the bonds dissolve naturally over time. Others will renew bonds when there¡¯s someone they want to make sure and hang onto,* Shae said.


    *Does it work on humans?* James asked.


    *Of course not; what a stupid question. How young was he anyway?* I thought.


    *What, bloodbinding? Not really,* Shae said.


    *What do you mean, not really?* James asked.


    *Yeah, what you talking about Willis?* I thought.


    *Let¡¯s just say the bloodbinding and creation ceremonies are rather similar. Oh no,* Shae stopped, knowing she''d said too much.


    The image of a red ninja, complete with swords, mooning a poster of a cat stuck in a tree with the words ¡°Hang in There, Kitty¡± popped into my head.


    *What.The.Fuck?* I could hear them laughing, so it had to be some inside joke.


    *I guess it really doesn¡¯t work,* James chuckled.


    *But it¡¯s fun. I so suck at this creator thing, huh?* Shae said.


    *Not at all, luv. What about vampire hunters? Do they exist?* James said.


    I could feel her staring at him.


    *What?* James said defensively.


    *YOU, you eejit. You¡¯re a vampire hunter.*


    *Wait, what? A vampire hunter turned vampire is in love with another vampire. What sort of sick Romeo and Juliet Zom-Rom-Com have I fallen into?* I thought.


    *Oh yeah,* James said.


    *So he was a vamp hunter, seriously? Those guys always get killed off. I wonder how he''s lasted this long,* I thought.


    *But aside from you, there have been several in the past. If you bring up Helsing or Buffy, I swear to the Goddess, I¡¯ll kick you off this bike right here and now,* Shae said.


    *Ditto,* my head chimed in.


    Strangely, my head and I seemed to be getting along. It was a scary precedent. But it was true; I couldn''t stand watching or reading anything about vampires. Everything seemed to be purposely made dumb.


    *Good young Padawan, learning to control your emotions, you are,* Shae said.


    *The shit?* I thought.


    *OK, what the Frak? Star Wars references now with a Yoda impression?* James said.


    *Seriously?* I thought.


    *A girl can¡¯t like Star Wars?* Shae said.


    *Uh, no,* I thought.


    *Of course,* James said. *I¡¯m not falling into that trap again.*


    *What?* I thought.


    *Then what¡¯s the problem? You a Trekkie or something?* Shae said.


    *Oh God, no,* I thought.


    *You have a gold bikini cosplay, don¡¯t you?* James said.


    *Please kill me now,* I thought.


    *Maybe,* she said slyly.


    *I''m gonna puke,* I thought.


    *You totally do! OK, where¡¯s this storage shed?* James said.


    *THEY¡¯RE BOTH GEEKS!* I shook my head.


    *Represent girl!* my head said, and I felt her trying to give me a mental fist bump.


    This night was turning out too strange. I understood now why people weren¡¯t supposed to hear what others were thinking. I''d been running for a while now and, on top of the headache I was getting, I wasn''t feeling so good.


    *That¡¯s all your fault, you know,* Shae said.


    *What?* James said.


    *My geekiness. You introduced me to all those shows, movies, and conventions. It stuck with me, even after I was taken.* There was a pause before Shae continued, *I like this.*


    *What?* James said.


    *How easy this is for us,* Shae said.


    That made me shut up. Nothing in my life had been easy, especially not when dealing with someone else.


    *You expected something different?* James asked.


    *I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if I got my memories back,* Shae sighed.


    *Damn, this girl sighs a lot,* I thought.


    *Since we were reunited, I¡¯ve been on guard, not trusting myself because I felt too comfortable around you. I¡¯ve been fighting it for these past few weeks, but my control kept slipping,* Shae said.


    *Hot and Cold,* James said.


    *Like the song?* my head chimed in, feeling we were buddies or something now.


    *Not now, I want to hear this,* I said as I could feel my head''s mental eyebrows rise.


    *Yup, that was me. But I can accept it now because I understand why I felt that way. I remember you and our time together. Yes, you¡¯re older and things have changed, but you¡¯re still you on the inside,* Shae said.


    *Holy shit, you''re welling up!?!* my head exclaimed.


    And it was true; the scenery was blurring around the edges, my chest was tight, and I could feel emotion just beneath my control, waiting for me to let go.


    *The hell with that!* I rubbed my eyes and sucked in a huge lungful of air before blowing it out like a steam engine. Thankfully, what she said next made it all better.


    *I love you,* Shae said.


    *Awwww, BARF!* I thought.


    *That''s better,* my head gave me a mental pat on the back.


    *I know,* was all James said, and suddenly Shae hauled off and punched him in the thigh. I could hear the hit over the roar of the motorcycle.


    *Eejit!* Shae barked before they both chuckled.


    *What happens to a vampire¡¯s bloodbound minions when a human kills the leader?* James said.


    *And he¡¯s back to asking stupid questions. Why was I in love with this boy again?* I thought.


    *Hey!* my head started, but I cut it off with a shake of my head.


    *OK, but remember, you did say it,* and the voice in my head was back to hiding where I couldn''t find it.


    *As far as I know, nothing. The bond breaks, and they¡¯re free again,* Shae said.


    ¡°Shae,¡± James said aloud, and my heart stuttered.


    *It''s cause you''re tired, girl. Not because you swoon at the sound of the boy''s voice,* my head tried to reason with me.


    I had to be honest; I did like his voice. What would it sound like to say my name?


    *I''m going to throw up inside your head if you don''t stop that,* my head warned me.


    Luckily, the bike slowed just then and turned off the road. I found a suitable hiding spot and watched as they shut the noisy thing off and covered it with a tarp and overgrown bushes. They headed off South across a small field. They didn''t seem to be talking anymore. I wasn''t sure if they were trying to be careful or if Natalie''s bond had finally broken. Regardless, I followed.


    A while later, they disappeared into a small grove of trees that seemed to have been grown as a property boundary. As I followed, they stepped out the other side. I was getting closer than I wanted to, but I didn''t want to lose them; they were being so quiet. I put my hand against a tree, trying to steady myself. My head was woozy, and my legs were trembling.


    *You need to get to the gym,* my head teased.


    I ignored my head.


    Beyond the trees was a clearing with a squat, single-story house on it. The windows had been boarded up from the inside, and curtains tried to block out any light, but the residual light still bled out around the edges. I could hear several more normal heartbeats, including the not-so-stealthy lookout on the roof. My eyes blurred out of focus as I tried to look at her.


    *You need to leave,* my head warned me, her voice full of genuine alarm. *You need to leave right now!*


    But I wasn''t having any of it; I wanted to know what was happening here. I looked back at the house. They were both standing in front of it now and seemed to be discussing something quietly with the lookout above them. I watched, and they both swung easily up onto the roof, their forms silhouetted by the stars behind them.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± escaped my lips as my legs gave out. I didn''t know what was going on. I''d gone much longer than this on much less blood. I tried to struggle to my feet, but my legs wouldn''t move...couldn''t move. It felt as if someone was commanding me to stay, but Pagoda was too far away for that.


    I heard something from the house as I fell over sideways, my face scraping the ground as I could no longer use my arms. My whole body was going numb, which didn''t make any sense. I felt like I was out of blood, but I¡¯d had a top-off at Drakes just before...


    *Just before she linked you to the love birds?* my head confirmed my suspicion.


    *Oh, that dirty whore,* I thought.


    *Language.* I heard Natalie¡¯s soft chuckle in my head just before the world went dark.

 Z Day +49

    <u>Z Day +49</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    A few hours later, I woke up in tangled sheets, my brain fuzzy from all the new memories Rhiannon had shared with me. I stared at the ceiling for a minute, trying to remember where I was. I''d slept under so many ceilings you''d think they''d blur together. But they didn''t. Even if they were the same texture and color, you might have a water stain in the shape of Abraham Lincoln or a line of thin spiderwebs clinging to a piece of dust it snatched out of the air.


    I''d long ago mastered the art of waking up. For the longest time, I was someone you''d throw something at from across the room because when I woke, I woke instantly like I was in some bad horror movie. Now, I''d taught myself not to move and continue to act as if asleep until I was fully awake. I could still bolt out of bed when needed; being in so many sandboxes made me keep those reflexes in the back of my head.


    Rhiannon wasn''t in bed, or the room for that matter. I appeared to be alone. I listened and could hear other people in the house, but I hadn''t had enough experience being around her to pick her out of a crowd yet.


    I sat up and swung my legs off the bed before pausing to let the blood flow catch up to my brain. Then I remembered I didn''t have to worry about that anymore and stood up, enjoying the newfound freedom. I stretched and went to the bathroom to take care of necessities (I still had human remnants). I was washing my face when cool fingers ran down my back, making me jump.


    *Geesh! Don''t do that!* I hollered, grabbing a towel and wiping the water from my face. I turned and found Rhiannon looking at me with a canary-eating grin. Her approach had been silent. She''d not even made noise opening and closing the door to the room.


    *Why so jumpy, Conner?* she said.


    I narrowed my eyes at her. *Not you, too.*


    *Me too?* she asked.


    *Seems like the women around me continue to surprise me with their geekiness lately.*


    *I am not a geek,* she balled a fist at me.


    I held my hands up defensively, *No! Absolutely not,* I shook my head. *How are you so damned quiet?*


    [I tried to find the fourth wall to make a comment about James¡¯s inability to keep up but couldn¡¯t find it. Then I realized this part was being told from James¡¯s perspective and sighed.]


    *You¡¯ve seen my past, James. You know I¡¯ve had secret ninja training. But seeing as you¡¯re an American, now you¡¯ll probably write a book about it that will be turned into a shitty movie followed by an even shittier line of ¡°how to¡± videos that will end up on the home shopping network as a freebie for buying a set of steak knives. Now I¡¯ll have to swear you to secrecy so I don¡¯t have to kill you,* Rhiannon said.


    *I swear,* I said, holding up three fingers.


    *You were never a Boy Scout,* she said.


    *How would you know?* I asked.


    *What do you think I was doing while you were getting my backstory?*


    *Narrating?* I offered.


    *True, but my other little voice was neatly thumbing through your memories to find all your secrets,* she smiled innocently.


    *You actually hear another voice in your head?* I asked.


    *Yeah, you¡¯ve heard it,* she said. *You know how some people have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? Well, instead of that, I have an asshole who lives in my head.*


    *Yeah, but it has your voice,* I said.


    *She-is-not-me,* Rhiannon said with finality. *We¡¯re very different.*


    *Right,* I nodded slowly.


    *Shut up and eat,* she said, handing me a ceramic mug. *I figured after yesterday you might be hungry, but if you¡¯re going to be snarky.*


    *No, no,* I said, taking the warm mug. I glanced down at its contents and hesitated.


    *Trust me, it''s fresh. I slaughtered the baby myself after making sure it had been ritually purified,* Rhiannon said in that matter-of-fact tone she enjoyed using to disquiet others.


    I frowned at her, *That''s not funny.* But then I took a sip and did a double take. It was human blood, it had to be with how good it tasted. It was fresh and it was good. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know where it was from, but as soon as it hit my tongue, I was ravenous and chugged it down.


    It amazed me with how much my body had changed. Only a week ago I¡¯d detested having to touch blood. Now, I held the cup upside down letting the last dregs drip into my mouth while Rhiannon chuckled.


    *We do have more, you know. You don''t have to lick the cup,* she said.


    I felt her cool hands on my face, pulling me towards her and pushing the cup aside. I thought she was about to kiss me, but she slipped to the side at the last second, and I felt her tongue sliding across my chin.


    *You missed a bit,* Rhiannon said as she finished cleaning up my dribble. She leaned back and licked her lips, *Waste not, want not.*


    She left me in the bathroom to finish cleaning up, and I watched her go with some trepidation. I brushed my teeth twice, using what I took for her toothbrush, I don¡¯t know who else¡¯s it would be. I''d learned that, while I now liked the taste of blood, old blood in your teeth was disgusting. Not to mention the smell.


    *I hope you don¡¯t mind, I used your toothbrush,* I said.


    *Yes. That''s it. That''s the line you weren''t allowed to cross. You can violate my body in ways that would have you arrested, but using my toothbrush is just beyond the pale.* She was pulling on a fresh set of clothes from a closet.


    Rhiannon put on a simple pair of blue jeans, a black tank top tucked into them, and a matching pair of trainers. She topped it off with a white button-down shirt she left unbuttoned and untucked but rolled the sleeves up halfway. The outfit looked like something you''d see on anyone, except every piece was a designer label only the one-percenters could afford.


    *Get dressed,* she told me.


    *What''s up?* I said as I pulled my clothes on.


    *Well, you''re the first guest I''ve ever had. As I don''t want people to think I paid you to come here and believe me, the rumors are already going around, I need you to do me a favor and...well...be my...boyfriend for a little bit.*


    *I dunno, me liking you? That might be a bit of a stretch,* I teased.


    She punched me in the chest so fast I didn''t see her move. There was enough force behind it to cause me to take a step back to keep from falling over.


    *If this is going to be an abusive relationship, I''m leaving you right now, and I''m taking the kids!* I said, rubbing my chest.


    Rhiannon leveled a finger at me, *You should be able to dodge that by now.* She rolled her eyes when I didn¡¯t respond. *Come on dummy,* she said as she grabbed my arm and lead me out the door.


    *Seriously, what do you want me to do?* I asked.


    *Just relax and act natural,* she said.


    *Natural...in a compound full of vampires,* I replied.


    *Ugh. Fine, pretend I''m her,* she gave me a sideways look.


    *You''re not fucking with me again, are you?* I asked suspiciously.


    She stopped and turned to me. *If I were, I wouldn''t be THAT cruel. I may be a bitch on occasion, but I''m not an asshole,* she said as she took my arm.


    *Out loud then?* I asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± she confirmed.


    ¡°All right then, lead on Macduff.¡± *What should I talk about?* I asked.


    *Well, not the Scottish play since you screwed that line up royally. Just relax. I''m going to give you a simple tour of the place. Ask normal boring shit,* she nodded.


    She led me through the house''s corridors, showing me the various rooms and halls within. Some of the rooms were simplistic, reminiscent of the old monastery style. Others were elegant and fine, like the main hall. It was decked out in dark woods, tapestries, chandeliers and finery reminiscent of a big-budget King Arthur movie.


    *He likes to go overboard on his ¡°throne room.¡±* She pointed to an actual throne on a raised dais at the head of the room. Pillars lined either side of the room, complete with stained glass windows. *There¡¯s a back entrance to it as well.*


    ¡°Wow, that''s beautiful,¡± I said aloud, followed by *It''s hideous.*


    ¡°Yes, sir, sure is,¡± she agreed.


    We''d passed several people in the halls, all appearing to be household staff. Most of them paid us no attention, at least not openly. I could already hear the whispering going on after we passed by. We made small talk that was completely empty of any real substance to put on appearances while keeping a running conversation going in our heads.


    *Are all the staff here human?* I asked.


    *Yes, Pagoda likes to be able to push and order around anyone he pleases. He knows he can get away with anything when it comes to humans. With vampires, it''s a whole different kettle of fish,* she said.


    *Why is it you¡¯re showing me all this again?* I asked.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    *Why? Tired of my company already?* she said.


    *No, it''s just that¡ª*


    *You aren¡¯t very good at this, are you?* she said.


    *Good at what?* I said confused.


    *Gathering intel,* she said. *I have no idea how you¡¯re going to pull this off.*


    I shut my mouth, realizing she¡¯d been trying to help me map out the compound. Instead of replying, I opened my eyes and started taking frantic notes.


    She nodded as we moved outside. We wandered off into the woods, and while it felt as if we were alone, I noticed the multiple camera emplacements cleverly disguised on the trees. We did get close to one of the walls, and I saw some sort of TASS system set up. We used something similar on Air Force bases to monitor motion, occasionally thermal, but it was twitchy as hell, and we were always responding to false alarms.


    After twenty minutes, we came across another group of buildings. A large, older building sat amongst several smaller buildings that looked relatively recent. They reminded me of the portables most older schools must set up to handle the ever-growing student populace.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, these are the herd quarters,¡± she said.


    ¡°Herd quarters?¡± I looked at her.


    ¡°Yes, I call it the corral. Some residents stayed here as full-time tap boys and girls. Once the outbreak happened, Pagoda expanded to ensure a healthy supply in case things went bad,¡± she said.


    ¡°What do they do? I mean, when they''re not ¡°contributing¡±?¡± I asked.


    She laughed. ¡°Pretty much whatever they want. They have the run of the grounds but not the main house or the grotto. They have a large entertainment facility that most of them seem to enjoy. Some have started a garden on the far side to help out during...you know.¡±


    ¡°A victory garden huh?¡± I looked at the compound, and a few people were wandering around. ¡°And they all know...¡± I started.


    ¡°About vampires? Oh, sure,¡± she said. ¡°Although, there are some that don¡¯t really believe it. But they go along for the safety.¡±


    I shook my head, trying to wrap my head around it. ¡°Can I take a look?¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°Sure.¡± She led me inside the main herd building.


    Ever since she said the word ¡°herd,¡± I''d been expecting holding pens with hay and the smell of manure, but once we walked in, I was taken aback. I felt like I was walking into a health spa. There were rich colors, wood accents and plants everywhere. There was some incense in the air I couldn''t identify, and I could hear soft music playing from somewhere. There were large, oversized chairs and couches with people lounging around the place. Some were wearing large white fluffy robes, their hair wrapped up in towels as if they really were at a spa.


    There was a large counter at the entrance with several hallways leading off in various directions. A woman looked up at us and immediately stood as we came in.


    ¡°Ms. Rhiannon Kachou. What can we do for you, ma''am?¡± She wore a white pantsuit and the expression of a flight attendant addressing passengers as they departed the plane after a 19-hour flight.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± was all she said. I hadn''t noticed that she''d detached herself from me just before we entered. Her relaxed atmosphere was gone now, and her no-nonsense expression was back. ¡°Return to your work.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma''am. Please let me know if I can help you, ma''am,¡± the woman said.


    *Rhiannon, that woman is terrified of you,* I said as we turned and walked down one of the halls.


    *She should be. Remember, I''m the queen bitch of the universe around here. Other people are supposed to be all warm and fuzzy, not me,* she said, then added, *and it¡¯s Rhi, James. I¡¯m pretty sure you qualify as one of my friends now.*


    *I wasn¡¯t sure; I didn¡¯t want to assume anything, your highness.* I rolled slightly with the punch I figured would be coming my way. When it didn¡¯t, I looked and saw Rhi visibly restraining herself. *Doesn''t it get old? I imagine it would be tough to keep up this act around the clock.*


    She hesitated a moment before answering, *Yes and yes.* But then she returned to her normal hard expression. *It''s why I''m kept around.*


    I didn''t touch that one as we started seeing rooms on either side of the hallway. It reminded me of a nursing home kinda, just without the smell of stale piss and dread. I saw medical equipment hidden away in quiet alcoves where no one could see it. All the people I saw seemed to be in good spirits and enjoying themselves.


    *There are children here?!?* I asked incredulously.


    *Of course, we''re not monsters. Normally, only adults would have been here. But when Pagoda started ¡°stocking up,¡± he brought in people''s families. You couldn''t expect them to leave their kids outside the front gate, could you? These people are here because Pagoda said he would take care of and protect their families.*


    *What a pillar of humanity. But...* I started.


    *We DON''T feed on children, James. As sick as Pagoda can be, he does follow the golden rules.* she seemed to shudder as if the mere thought sickened her.


    *Sorry,* I said honestly.


    We came across a large room with various gaming tables, video games, vending machines, pool tables, you name it. There was even a large bar along one wall. It reminded me of Dave and Buster''s, just not as loud.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said.


    *Yeah, there''s a restaurant as well that''s well stocked. Aside from the perishables, it''s got enough food to keep all these people fed for quite some time.*


    We passed a computer lab, a well-stocked library, a couple of movie rooms and then came to a gym.


    *The entirety of the floors above are dormitories. We weren''t prepared for the families, so that''s why they built the temporary buildings outside, trying to give them a little privacy and everyone else some quiet time away from the kids.*


    I couldn''t believe how big this place was or how many people were here. The report I''d read on the place from San Antonio didn''t have ANY of this information. I was starting to think coming here was a bad idea. This place looked like its own mini-base. But then again, the larger the base, the harder it was to keep tight security.


    Inside the gym were several people playing basketball in the main area. I could see cardio and weight machines behind a glass wall off to one side. Then, there was a break in the game and I saw Pete.


    *Oh shit,* I said.


    *What?* Rhi said, instantly alert.


    *I know that guy. We used to go to school together,* I said.


    *Which one?* she asked.


    *The tall guy.*


    *They''re playing basketball; they''re all tall, James!* Rhi said.


    A crazy thought hit me then, and I quickly pushed it down and out of my mind.


    ¡°Can I talk to him?¡± I pointed out Pete.


    ¡°Sure, hang on.¡±


    I watched as she walked over to the court and right into the game. When they saw who it was, they all froze, the basketball rolling away forgotten. She turned and came back towards me. Pete was in tow with a confused expression on his face.


    ¡°Meet you back up front?¡± I said as she approached.


    A confused look crossed her face a moment, but then she nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± She continued past me.


    I stepped between them as she passed, ¡°Hey Pete.¡±


    Pete stopped, glancing at me, then at Rhi as she left us. Then he did a double take back at me. There was a glint of recognition, but he couldn''t place me.


    ¡°It''s James Sable from R.J. High, way back in the day.¡±


    ¡°James Sable...¡± he tried to remember.


    ¡°We rode the bus together with Megan. We used to eat lunch together. I was two grades below you.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! How you doing, man? You in here, too?¡± Pete said.


    ¡°Yeah, uh, no. Listen, is there somewhere we can talk?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure, come on back to my room.¡±


    I followed him down several hallways before he stopped at the door, unlocked it and went inside.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± he waved me inside.


    The room wasn''t spacious, just big enough for: a bed, desk, chair, computer, TV and a small assortment of trinkets. It was still bigger than some of the places I''d lived downrange, when I wasn¡¯t living in a tent, that is.


    ¡°Nice room,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, what can you do, right? Space is at a premium around here. So, what''s it been? Like 16 years or something, hadn''t it?¡± Pete said.


    ¡°More or less. Listen, mind if I sit?¡± I sat down at the computer desk.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± He closed the door and sat on the bed. ¡°What have you been up to since school, man?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know. Trying to survive. Joined the service after school and pretty much been doing that ever since,¡± I said.


    ¡°Still?¡± Pete said.


    ¡°Sorta, we''re kinda on a break right now,¡± I smiled.


    He laughed, ¡°I bet.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, I went to UT for a couple of years. Didn''t really study anything, just took classes. Then picked up a good job with Dell. I didn''t need college after that. Been with Dell ever since. Well, until¡­you know,¡± Pete said.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. How''d you end up here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Would you believe I was here when this all started?¡± Pete said.


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They were having problems with their internal servers, network kept crapping out on them. So, I was down here trying to get them back up and running. I had been here three days already and practically had to replace the entire farm when the big outbreak hit. I was up to my neck in cables and didn''t even know until late that first night when I tried to leave,¡± Pete said.


    ¡°I didn''t believe them at first. But then I started checking the news. I saw my apartment building on fire and had nowhere to go. They offered me a job running their network maintenance and a place to stay. It wasn''t until later that I learned what was happening here,¡± Pete said.


    ¡°So, you didn''t know that they were¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°Vampires, yeah. It was bizarre at first, but the humans who already lived here took me under their wing and spun me up. They give a class to newcomers now,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Do you like it here?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged. ¡°I mean, I can''t complain. It''s not like I''d be better off out there, and the tradeoff isn''t bad at all.¡±


    ¡°What do they make you do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About once every six weeks or so, I''m supposed to donate blood. That¡¯s it. Well, that and the IT stuff. I was worse off living in the dorms at UT. There I was eating ramen most of the time and not able to afford to go out anyway,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°What about your family? You still have your mom?¡± I asked, remembering he¡¯d lived alone with his mom back in high school.


    His face fell a little. ¡°She was down in Houston visiting my aunt. The last I heard, she was safe in one of the camps. The main guy here said they would be picking up family members and bringing them back here. But, he''s been gone a while, so I don''t know what¡¯s going on as no one here has any updates.¡± He shook his head. ¡°But enough on me, what''s going on with you? How''d you end up here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s a bit of a story,¡± I said.


    ¡°Got all the time in the world here, man. Lay it on me,¡± Pete said.


    Sometime later, I met back up with Rhi in the foyer.


    *What''s with the red Power Ranger and the cat picture?* Rhi asked.


    ¡°For now, keep it verbal and don''t go upstairs, OK?¡± I said, tapping my temple.


    She seemed to think that over for a minute before shrugging, ¡°OK.¡± She led me out of the building. ¡°You''ll want to be heading out now, won''t you?¡± she almost sounded sad.


    ¡°Probably for the best,¡± I said, taking her hand.


    She dropped it immediately. ¡°Best, we shouldn''t touch, just in case.¡±


    ¡°I did say you were the smart one, right?¡± I said.


    She shook her head, ¡°Not really.¡±


    We walked back towards the front of the main compound in silence until I got to where the bike was parked. ¡°You could come back with me,¡± I offered, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head, ¡°my place is here.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I understand. That doesn''t mean I like it.¡±


    She looked up at me and smiled. ¡°It doesn''t mean I like it either. Oh, the other bike is at Drakes, FYI.¡±


    I embraced her fiercely and kissed her, my thoughts firmly rooted in the previous night and all the things we''d done to one another. She seemed stunned when we broke apart.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± she whispered, still reeling from the blast of emotions I had thrown at her during the kiss. ¡°Feel free to visit anytime,¡± her mind was still swirling with the memories.


    ¡°Oh, I''ll be back alright, I promise you that.¡± I grinned at her. ¡°Just keep up the ice queen act. It''s fun thawing you out.¡±


    ¡°Get the hell out of here.¡± She went to punch me, but I gunned the bike and was out of range.


    I still wasn''t sure what all was going on with Rhi, or with Shae and me and Rhi for that matter. All I knew was that we were coming back here one way or the other.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>SHAE</u>


    James was away for the next four days. He¡¯d used the rapport link to tell me he would be working on something and not to contact him unless it was an emergency. I figured he must be working on whatever plan he¡¯d devised for taking Pagoda¡¯s compound. I knew why he had to keep me out of the planning; anything he told me was basically telling Pagoda. It didn¡¯t make it any easier.


    I missed him, and I wanted to talk to him about Rhi. I knew he wasn¡¯t as innocent as he had been back in school, but he still had a kind heart. Sometimes, too kind.


    Rhi was still dangerous. Yes, we¡¯d had a long bloodtouch. I¡¯d seen a lot about her and vice versa. She didn¡¯t appear to mean us harm, but that didn¡¯t mean things couldn¡¯t change.


    Of course, I could be overthinking this, and Rhi was being entirely honest with us. Even Natalie¡¯s affirmation couldn¡¯t completely erase my concerns.


    Then there was James. I was worried he might be letting his hormones make decisions for him. I mean, I couldn¡¯t blame him. Rhi¡¯d won the genetic lottery; she was gorgeous, but so was a Lily of the Valley.


    Being away for four days gave me a lot of time to sort through the memories Natalie had given back to me. I relived some of my early meetings with James, including the first time when I¡¯d been out scouting for a local tap boy due to Pagoda¡¯s harping and Shelby¡¯s dare.


    I wasn¡¯t prepared for memories of my master to ambush me. They hadn¡¯t been taken from me, but they had been suppressed. Having her in my thoughts again reminded me how much I¡¯d loved her before Pagoda murdered her.


    My master had saved me from a truly horrible fate so many years ago. She¡¯d taken years to put me back together as a person before giving me a new purpose in death.


    Meanwhile, life moved on. The Hacienda seemed to be running smoothly. After nearly two months, everyone had fallen into a routine.


    Strangely, everyone had become comfortable handling zombies. No one shied away from going on supply runs anymore. Most actually looked forward to them just to get out of the house.


    While everyone hadn¡¯t entirely accepted our infested world as the new norm, they were coping the best they knew how. At the same time, squabbles popped up here and there but were usually squashed pretty quickly.


    Whatever James was planning, I hoped it would be soon. It was only a matter of time before our good luck ran out.

 Z Day +56

    <u>Z Day +56</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    I didn¡¯t have everything ready when our time ran out. Once I¡¯d returned from Pagoda¡¯s compound, I''d tried to keep myself mentally separated from Shae. I hated doing it, but I was too afraid of her learning what I was up to. It was painful not having her in my head. It was weird not having that link anymore, almost like what phantom leg syndrome was supposed to be like.


    We had talked a bit about Rhi. Strangely, that was a safe subject. Shae didn''t seem surprised by what had happened between the two of us. She was surprised I''d let myself be suckered that easily. But she didn''t appear jealous, which I couldn''t understand because I still felt guilty.


    ¡°We never did get to finish this conversation, did we?¡± She smiled at me patiently and said, ¡°If this helps, here are the rules. First, no lies. You do something...or someone, we tell each other. If you want to do something¡ª¡±


    ¡°Or someone.¡± I helped.


    ¡°Yes, then we talk about it. As much as I hate the phrase ¡®it just happened,¡¯ sometimes that''s the truth. If you feel the need to hide something, then you probably shouldn''t do it and come talk to me,¡± she said.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Second, at the end of the day, we come back to each other. It¡¯s not always feasible, but as best we can,¡± she said. She tapped her chin as if she were trying to think of something. ¡°Oh yeah, no animals, that¡¯s just wrong.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. The things I saw in Amsterdam did not look inviting at all,¡± I said.


    ¡°No children.¡± She was serious again.


    I gave her a look. ¡°Uh, pot¡­kettle?¡±


    ¡°A child is defined as someone not mature enough to understand what they''re getting into,¡± she said.


    I nodded at that.


    Then the look came. ¡°And never...under any circumstances, without permission.¡±


    I so wished I could have touched her mind with that one. There was much more behind that sentence than words could express. I made a mental note to come back to that.


    ¡°Do those make sense?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± I nodded.


    She sighed, ¡°When you''re older, you''ll understand why I didn''t need to tell you any of these silly rules. But for now, if it gives you peace of mind, so be it.¡±


    ¡°Says the girl, who looks 19, talking to a guy in his 30¡¯s,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now, who¡¯s the cradle robber?¡± she teased. Then she straightened her shoulders and looked at me with a very formal expression. ¡°Now then, what rules would you like to give me to live by?¡±


    I gulped. I hadn''t considered that at all. I was the idiot running around doing stupid things, not her. I didn''t feel my age anymore; I felt like I was that high school kid again.


    ¡°What? You think you''re the only one with desires?¡± She kept that damned formal expression as she spoke. ¡°You think I haven''t considered someone or a few someones? Sure, the selection is much smaller, but you never know when things might ¡®just happen.¡¯ So, what are your rules for me?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know,¡± I finally managed, my mind a jumbled fog of emotions.


    ¡°That, sir, right there,¡± Shae said. ¡°What you''re feeling right now is pure, concentrated jealousy. Maybe the first real dose you''ve ever faced from the look of it.¡± Then, her face softened. ¡°Your first lesson is understanding that you are jealous of something or someone.


    ¡°The next step is accepting that it is a natural reaction for you and that you will feel it when you''re afraid of losing those precious to you,¡± Shae continued. ¡°The last,¡± she put her hand on my cheek a moment before pulling back. ¡°The last is understanding there is no way you''ll ever lose me. I don''t care if you bang the entire city...Well, I take that back; that''s just unhygienic. That would bother me.


    ¡°For a while, your body will be adjusting, and since you were a ¡®normal¡¯ hormonally driven man, you''ll find some things are a bit overwhelming for you. I''ll help all I can, but you must talk to me for me to help,¡± she said.


    She saw the confused expression on my face. ¡°I know, it¡¯s a lot, and you don''t understand yet, don''t worry. Give it twenty or thirty years, and we''ll have this conversation again. You''ll see it in a whole new light. In a hundred years, you''ll laugh at this whole thing.¡± She restrained herself from patting my cheek.


    ¡°For now, no lies and be honest to yourself. That, and I love you, no matter how twisted you might end up. That should see you through. If not, just talk to me. OK?¡± she smiled kindly.


    I''d nodded, still in a daze, and wished once again for the touch of her mind. I''d never known how inadequate words were until this conversation.


    We were unpacking new-found supplies in the living room when Shae seemed to stiffen and turn to me.


    ¡°James¡­¡± was all she managed before the focus drained from her eyes.


    Before anyone could ask what was happening, I had cleared the table between us and hit her in the head with everything I had. Luckily, Rhi had taught me exactly where and how to hit her.


    Shae hit the floor, out cold.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Miria yelled.


    ¡°He¡¯s back.¡± I rubbed my hand as I knelt beside her, checking to see what damage I¡¯d done. Thankfully, it seemed superficial. ¡°Richard, there¡¯s a Dallas Cowboys bag in my room under my bed; bring it to me quickly and grab a pillow off the bed, please.¡±


    Richard reappeared with both a moment later.


    I unzipped the bag and pulled a pair of old handcuffs out.


    Mark raised an eyebrow. ¡°And just what are you doing with those under your bed?¡± he mused.


    ¡°Not now, Mark.¡± I secured the cuffs to Shae¡¯s wrists behind her back and double-locked them before pulling a small plastic strap out of the bag. I crossed Shae¡¯s feet and looped the zip-tie around her ankles length-wise. Finally, I removed the pillowcase and put it over her head, tying it in a loose knot at the bottom to secure it.


    ¡°Give me a hand, please,¡± I said before Richard helped me pick Shae up and place her into a closet. I quickly emptied what little was inside the closet and closed the door, leaving Shae inside.


    ¡°OK, what was all that? Who¡¯s back?¡± Trish asked, drawn to the room by the commotion.


    ¡°Pagoda,¡± I said.


    ¡°The vampire guy?¡± Trish asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re so screwed,¡± Mark shook his head.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°James,¡± Richard started, ¡°you know she belongs to him; she told us so. If he¡¯s back and called her, she will go to him and tell him anything he wants to know, including our plan. She has no choice.¡±


    ¡°Why now? Why didn¡¯t he call her before?¡± Becca asked.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± I said. ¡°We knew he wasn¡¯t dead, and their link had a limited range. The fact she felt him means he¡¯s back in the area.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s just around. Maybe he hasn¡¯t called for her yet?¡± Miria said.


    ¡°She told me what to look for and what to do when I saw it. If I hadn¡¯t gotten to her, she would have left and gone through anyone who tried to stop her. I¡¯m just glad it happened now and not while she was on watch alone,¡± I said.


    ¡°You mean this could have happened at any time?¡± Miria said.


    I sighed and nodded grimly. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to be by her side since I returned. It¡¯s also one of the reasons I made sure the house was so secure, in case we woke up one morning and she was gone.¡±


    ¡°Well, great. So what now?¡± Mark said.


    ¡°Now?¡± I smiled. ¡°Now we follow plan B.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Richard asked.


    I explained that Shae and I had devised a contingency plan for when this happened. We¡¯d spend many a long conversation running through scenario after scenario until we could come up with one that seemed like it had a decent chance for success.


    ¡°But wait, if she¡¯s involved with it, doesn¡¯t that mean Pagoda will know too?¡± Becca said.


    ¡°Only if he asks specifically or racks her brain for the info. Besides, there are a lot of variables in it we can use to keep him in the dark. He may know something¡¯s going on, but never expect what¡¯s coming when I hit him with plan C,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, plan C?¡± Mark said.


    I was grinning like an idiot now. ¡°Yep, plan C, that¡¯s the one I¡¯ve been working on for a while now. The one she doesn¡¯t know anything about. So, listen up while I run through this. We don¡¯t have a lot of time before she wakes up.¡±


    The next twenty minutes were spent explaining what I wanted in detail. I laid out what I''d already done, what had to be done and the best way to do it. When I asked for questions or suggestions, there were only a few; some were rejected, others I adopted. When we were done, everyone left me alone with my captive, but I grabbed Trish before she left.


    ¡°What?¡± Trish was lost in thought about what she needed to get done.


    ¡°I need you to kiss me,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± she said.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± I said.


    ¡°James, you do know I''m a lesbian. I know you know this because I''ve told you,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Will you trust me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Trish leaned over and put her mouth on mine. She was surprised when my tongue slipped into her mouth and even more surprised when I bit her lip. A moment later, her eyes were as big as saucers.


    Two hours later, I was sitting in the closet with Shae. I could sense her coming awake even though she didn¡¯t stir.


    ¡°Do you need to go?¡± I asked. When she didn¡¯t answer, ¡°If you are going back to him, I will drive you. I don¡¯t want to let you out of my sight. And if he lets you go again, I want to be the one to get you out of there. Do you understand?¡± I waited. ¡°Shae? Yes, we had plans; we both know they¡¯re pretty much shot, and we didn¡¯t have enough time to do anything about it. Believe me when I say I only want to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°Then take this bag off my head,¡± she said bitterly, some of the pre-returned memory Shae coming back.


    I slipped the bag off.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to dislocate my jaw,¡± she moved her jaw back and forth.


    ¡°I sorta missed in all the excitement. So, what¡¯s the deal?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s back, and he wants me by his side. Are you going to drive me?¡± she asked.


    I held up the keys. ¡°I said I would, didn''t I?¡± I wasn''t sure if Pagoda had somehow managed to mess with her head from a distance or if it was her sliding back into old ways, but I was nervous around her again.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll take you straight to him, no deviations, no BS. I want to go with you ''cause I don¡¯t want to lose you again.¡± I freed her from her bonds and helped her to her feet. ¡°Come on.¡±


    We walked through the house towards the front door.


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Uh, they weren¡¯t sure what you would be like when you woke up, so they¡¯re keeping their distance.¡± I could feel the hurt from Shae as she nodded. She¡¯d spent so long with them, and they still feared her.


    I hadn¡¯t thought about her bike when I offered to drive her. She reminded me of it once we were outside, and I shook my head. I¡¯d been so concerned with other things that I¡¯d forgotten her motorcycle.


    We were on the road a few minutes later. It was late into the night as we sped through the Texas hill country heading west. She drove her bike as I held on behind her. We had to take our time due to all the shamblers. It seemed they were finally starting to migrate out of the city.


    It took nearly two hours before we were on the single-lane gravel road winding through the forest. We¡¯d turned off the main road onto this private one several kilometers back just as the horizon lightened. The fresh light helped me focus on the road but didn¡¯t help me see into the dense live oak and cedar forest on either side. Occasionally, there was a small pull-off in case you met someone on the road.


    ¡°James,¡± she spoke for the first time since leaving the house, ¡°I¡¯m going to try. I really am. But if he finds out¡­¡± She let the words hang.


    I grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it tightly; it was time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m just a little tap boy to him, remember? No matter what happens, Shae, I love you.¡± And with that, I threw myself off the back of the bike.


    I tucked, rolled, and came up, running into the dense forest, away from the compound. I saw her taillights flare briefly, but then the bike continued down the road.


    I tightened the straps on my backpack as I ran. It felt good to stretch my legs and let my body take over. It is easy to ignore the horrible things running through my mind while I focused on running through a forest at night. After a while, I heard the water and knew I was close. I''d run a good thirty minutes to reach the hole I''d made.


    I paused at the edge of the dark pool to secure my gear before plunging into the icy darkness. The water didn''t hurt like it had the first time I''d been here. My new, tougher skin seemed desensitized to the temperature. Or maybe it was because my body temperature was closer to the water''s temperature than before.


    I¡¯d spent the days after I''d left Rhi exploring this underwater cave system.


    The first day, I''d had to sneak into the grotto, which wasn''t as complicated as I''d expected. The grotto was a marvel. A man-made, indoor, cavern-like structure filled with artificially warmed sand and a deep entrance into the aquafer. Just as on my previous visit[1]</a>, there wasn''t anyone in it. I was going to have to ask Shae about that if we survived the coming insanity.


    I''d spent the next three days diving through the caves, looking for a way out. I knew there had to be one because of how the water flowed. I was just afraid I wouldn''t find it in time. I would sleep for a few hours when I needed it in the special place Shae had shown me all those years ago. Aside from learning how not to breathe, the most challenging part was the darkness. I''d found a couple of flashlights in the service area Shae had mentioned, but they didn''t last long, and once more, I was in the dark.


    The tedium set in as I had to keep returning to the grotto¡¯s pool to orient myself each time I branched into a new tunnel. It was too easy to get lost, and I didn''t want to spend the rest of my afterlife down here. I didn''t have the best memory, and being turned hadn''t helped much.


    Late into the third day, I found an exit that led to the surface upstream. I''d had to widen the opening enough to get through, but it had only taken a few hours. I''d rested and then spent the entire following day memorizing the route between the exit and the grotto.


    Now, I used the current to get me to the grotto in record time. I slowly approached the surface, keeping myself below it as I looked through the clear water at the motion sensor and camera mounted on the far wall. I sat there motionless for at least twenty minutes as I watched the little red light. When it blinked on and off three times, I relaxed and carefully surfaced.


    While the water''s temperature didn''t hurt as much as it had, I had to admit it felt incredible getting out of that pool and into the warm room. Now I understood why they had kept it so warm in here.


    I walked over to the small rack and pulled a couple of towels off it. I wiped myself down as best I could, at least stopping myself from dripping everywhere. I pulled my boots from the plastic bag I''d put them in earlier. While in a pinch, I could get by with wet clothes; squelching wet boots were unsuitable for sneaking.


    I retrieved the plastic bag containing the little yellow walkie-talkie from my backpack and removed it, turning it on as low as possible. A moment later, I heard Pete''s voice crackle through.


    ¡°You hear me?¡± Pete said.


    ¡°I got you,¡± I whispered. ¡°What have you got?¡±


    ¡°Cameras and sensors are looped, but I''ll need to watch them to keep them updated as the sun''s coming up now.¡±


    I pulled the plastic bag of dry clothes from my backpack and quickly changed. I''d set aside an old pair of cargo pants for this. They were loaded with what I thought I''d need, and I secured them with my good belt. I tucked in a t-shirt and pulled a baggy shirt over it, keeping it unbuttoned and untucked. In another minute, I had my hardware in place and put the wet clothes back into the bag, burying it under several layers of towels.


    ¡°Calvary is on the way,¡± Pete informed me as I tucked myself as far back underneath one of the overhangs as I could and waited.


    A few minutes later, I heard the door upstairs open. ¡°James?¡±


    I leapfrogged my way up the ledges and cleared the lip of the central hole to find Rhi by the door.


    ¡°I thought it was a bad joke when that man called me and said you were here. I figured I would have to make an example of him for messing with me. Guess I was wrong,¡± she said.


    I thought of a witty reply but didn''t have the time for it. ¡°Where''s Shae at?¡±


    ¡°She came in about thirty minutes ago. She''s in one of his waiting rooms right now. Pagoda''s having a meeting with someone I''ve never seen before,¡± Rhi said.


    ¡°Who all did he bring back with him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The usual servants and his security detail. A couple of VIPs that I don''t know also came in,¡± Rhi said.


    ¡°How many on the detail?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About a dozen. Are you seriously going to try this?¡± Rhi¡¯s eyes were wide.


    ¡°I''m not sure exactly what I''m going to do; things are still fluid at this point,¡± I grinned.


    ¡°You don''t have a plan?¡± The shock on her face was evident.


    ¡°Oh no. I have several plans.¡± I smiled maniacally. ¡°I just have no idea what I''m doing yet.¡±


    ¡°You what?!?¡± She yelled.


    ¡°Package on its way; you''ve got about two minutes.¡± Pete chimed in.


    ¡°Thanks. I''m sending Ms. Rhiannon Kachou up to escort,¡± I said.


    She eyed me suspiciously. ¡°What are you really doing?¡±


    I waggled my eyebrows at her. ¡°Would you be a dear and go escort a delivery onto the compound? It''s a delicate package and must be handled with care.¡±


    ¡°And where''s it going?¡± she said flatly.


    ¡°The escort driver will fill you in. Now go-go-go-go,¡± I said with a ¡°shooing¡± motion of my hands.


    She gave me a look reserved for those who had lost their minds. But she didn''t argue and turned to leave. She hesitated and looked back. ¡°If this doesn''t go well¡­¡±


    ¡°Nope, no chick flick moments. It''s not that kinda story. Save it for afterwards.¡± I grinned enthusiastically.


    ¡°Shae was right; you are an idiot.¡± Rhi smiled, shook her head, and left.


    ¡°Alright, Pete, let''s get to work,¡± I said, trying to psych myself up.


    Getting Pete to help me had been a bit of a chore. At first, it took him a while to realize I was a vampire, not a new ¡°guest¡± of Pagoda¡¯s compound. It took even longer for me to convince him of Pagoda''s agenda. Since I only had third-hand knowledge, I couldn''t exactly do the Vulcan mind meld on him to show him proof. But as we''d talked, he''d started remembering things he''d seen or heard, putting together some rather unhappy realizations of his new surroundings.


    What finally tipped the scales was his mother. He was still counting on Pagoda to bring her to the compound with him when he returned. I knew that wouldn''t happen and told him when Pagoda gave him an excuse for not bringing her back, he''d have his proof. I also gave him my word that if he did help us pull this off, I''d personally take him to Houston to look for her.


    The only rub was that I wouldn''t know if Pete came through until I showed up here. When that camera flashed three times while I was in the pool, I breathed a huge sigh of relief¡ªonce I could breathe again, that is.


    Pete had been the one to provide the walkie-talkies to me. Apparently, he used them when he went out to check wires and such. It let him coordinate with whoever was at the main switch. I didn¡¯t care what they were for; I only knew they were vital on this op.


    ¡°Way ahead of you. Been tripping TASS points all over the compound on and off for the last ten minutes. The guys they keep sending to check on them are pissed when they don''t find anything. It shouldn''t be too much longer now.¡± As if on cue, there was a knock on Pete''s door. ¡°Here we go,¡± Pete said.


    A minute later, Pete was back. ¡°OK, I''m going to go and give them the bad news. It¡¯ll probably take five minutes or so. If you''re right, you should see some movement a few minutes after that. Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Thanks Pete. Do me a favor and leave your room and laptop unlocked, OK? Keep your head down and stick close to buildings today.¡±


    Pete didn¡¯t answer as I checked my gear for the third time and sat back to wait.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>THE TRUCK CREW</u>


    ¡°I''m sorry, you''re not on the schedule,¡± the guard was telling the truck driver.


    ¡°I don''t care if I''m on the schedule or not. I was told to bring this shipment in, so that''s what I did. Do you know how hard it is to get a truck this size through the streets nowadays?¡± Mark said.


    ¡°I''m gonna have to call it in.¡± The guard started to turn away.


    ¡°That''s fine. I''ll wait. Pagoda wanted fresh supplies for his return, but I''m sure he''s a very patient man. What was your name again? Cause I''m not taking the blame for any spoilage.¡± Mark grabbed a pen from the dashboard.


    ¡°I''ll take care of this,¡± Rhi said as she arrived on the scene.


    ¡°Yes, ma''am, " the guard said immediately and got out of her way as she climbed onto the cab''s passenger side. The guards made way for them as the truck rumbled into the compound.


    ¡°Mark, Becca, Trish,¡± Rhi recalled their names from her time at the Hacienda. ¡°So, what''s the plan?¡±


    Mark chimed in first. ¡°No idea,¡± he said as he drove the truck slowly forward.


    ¡°What!?!¡± Rhi hissed.


    ¡°We''re at the end of plan C, at least our part,¡± Becca added.


    ¡°He really is a fool¡ªwhat?¡± Rhi turned to Trish, who was staring at her intently.


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°What is this? Have all of you lost your minds?¡± Rhi said in disgust.


    ¡°He told me to tell you to kiss me,¡± Trish said. ¡°And he said to kiss me HARD.¡± This time, Trish¡¯s expression was more of a leer as she was practically bouncing in her seat.


    Rhi studied the girl momentarily and then crooked a finger at her.


    Trish gasped, her mouth popping open as Rhi grabbed her and took her mouth, biting into the soft flesh of her tongue. This time, Rhi¡¯s eyes opened to the size of saucers.


    ¡°He''s out of his goddamned mind!¡± Rhi whispered.


    Trish just smiled smugly and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. ¡°He is, isn''t he?¡± she leered again.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Rhi scolded her.


    ¡°So, what are we doing?¡± Mark asked, the truck crawling towards the main house.


    ¡°Take a left; we''re not going to the main building,¡± Rhi said.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Becca asked.


    ¡°To the corral,¡± Rhi said.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>PETE</u>


    ¡°What do you mean the entire system is down?¡± The watch commander was asking me.


    ¡°Something has fried your relays. I don''t know if something chewed through the cables or if the humidity shorted something out. All I know is you''re not getting accurate readings, and that''s why you''re getting false alarms,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can you fix it?¡± The commander asked.


    ¡°If it''s just wiring, sure. That''s easy; it is just a matter of checking all the wiring for damage. If it¡¯s not the wiring, then not so much. I don''t have much experience repairing that kind of tech. I only know what I know because my uncle was in the Air Force,¡± I said.


    ¡°It''s going to take hours to check all the cabling,¡± the watch commander complained.


    ¡°More like all day, longer depending on how much y''all buried,¡± I said.


    The commander shook his head. ¡°Fine, take some help from the house and start looking.¡± Turning to the other man sitting at the console, he said, ¡°Arthur, recall everyone. We need to post out on the perimeter until we get this fixed.¡±


    ¡°Good thing we just got the rest of the boys back. We''ll be stretched thin as it is,¡± Arthur said.


    <hr>


    [1]</a> See that pesky Book 0 again. [Last time, promise. -Rhiannon]

 Z Day +56 (Continued)

    Z Day +56 (Continued)


    <u>RHI</u>


    ¡°Do not,¡± I started, ¡°get out of this truck. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Don''t have to tell me twice,¡± Mark said.


    I quickly looked at Trish before climbing down and closing the door behind me. Walking to the back of the truck, I looked up at the doors.


    ¡°You are so going to owe me if we make it through this,¡± I grumbled.


    The truck had stopped in a denser part of the woods along the road to the corral.


    Removing the safety latch on the door, I took hold of the handle. I counted to three and yanked the door open as zombies began spilling out from the back of the truck.


    From what I pulled from Trish¡¯s mind, James had rounded up all the shamblers he could fit into the cargo truck and sealed it shut. James found the truck at a Walgreens during his first scouting trip. He''d made sure and hobbled the shamblers. They could still walk, but at a much slower pace. They''d been locked up in that truck for a couple of weeks now. The stink coming from them was legendary. I wasn¡¯t happy with this plan, but if there was a chance it might work, I¡¯d play along for now.


    I allowed a handful to fall out before slamming the door shut again. Making a mental note of how many were sprawled on the ground, I climbed onto the back of the truck and slapped the side twice.


    Mark rolled forward, continuing towards the corral.


    The zombies were getting to their feet as we drove away. We drove 100 meters and repeated the process. We did this until we were in sight of the corral. Then, I had the fun job of climbing into the back of the truck and pushing the rest out, tossing the last one as if he were a bag of laundry. I glanced down at my clothes and winced.


    ¡°He is buying me a lot of new clothes for this,¡± I said.


    Slapping the wall of the truck three times, the truck made a beeline for the main building of the corral. We pulled off around the backside and waited. The first shambler didn''t take long to emerge on the road.


    ¡°You''re up, Trish,¡± I called before leaping up onto the roof of the building and making my way to the front to watch the ensuing chaos.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>TRISH</u>


    I climbed out of the truck and ran to the entrance of the large building. Bursting through the front doors, I began yelling in a panicked voice, ¡°They''re inside! They''re on the road, coming this way!¡±


    ¡°Who''s inside?¡± the clerk behind the counter stood up, eyes wide.


    ¡°Zombies. They''re right outside! We gotta get out of here!¡± I yelled in panic and ran past the desk, deeper into the building.


    The clerk stood dumbfounded momentarily before cautiously walking to the doors and looking through the window. Her eyes flew open in terror before turning to run back to the counter. She had enough peace of mind to run back to the doors and lock them before racing for the phone.


    ¡°Help!¡± She barked into the phone once someone picked up. ¡°We''ve got zombies in the corral! Send help!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the other end of the phone called out.


    ¡°Those things, they''re here,¡± the clerk said desperately.


    ¡°Where''d they come from?¡± the guard on the other end of the phone asked.


    ¡°I don''t know; I''m not going to go out and ask them! Just send help!¡± She dropped the phone and ran when the first one slammed against the door.


    I nodded from my hiding spot around the corner before sprinting down the halls and reading room numbers. It took a minute, but I finally found the one I was looking for. I went inside and locked the door behind me. Moving a dresser over in front of the door for good measure, I turned back to the room.


    Sure enough, a laptop was sitting on the table, just as James said there would be. I sat down and opened it up. The screen showed several camera feeds from within the compound. I pulled the small two-way from my pocket and turned it on.


    ¡°You there?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Glad you made it OK. Everything good?¡± Came James¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m barricaded in the room and looking at the laptop. What exactly do you need me to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just be my eye in the sky, OK?¡± James said.


    ¡°I''ll try,¡± I said, experimenting with the cameras to see what they could do. ¡°By the way, thanks for Rhiannon.¡±


    ¡°Not the time, Trish,¡± James chided.


    ¡°Just in case,¡± I smiled, the memory of the big woman¡¯s lips still fresh in my mind.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>RHI</u>


    I watched from the rooftop as the zombies shambled into the corral. Most followed the crowd to the main building, but several others wandered off towards the temporary buildings. The family buildings.


    A scream spurred me into action. I was sprinting across the roof toward where it came from.


    Besides her massive crush on me, Trish''s mind had told me that James wanted me to protect the corral. He didn''t want me to eradicate the threat; that would defeat the purpose of drawing more security to the area. All he wanted me to do was keep people from getting hurt.


    I could have hunted down all the zombies and taken them out individually, but there was a good chance someone would get bit that I couldn''t get to in time. So, I was to play defender, making surgical strikes to keep the shamblers at bay until security could show up and secure the area. I was also to carefully count the number of zombies loose in the compound and ensure they were all taken care of at the end of this, no matter how it turned out.


    The screamer in question was a young woman with two small children, maybe eight years old. They''d been walking between the buildings when a zombie had rounded the corner at them. The woman screamed and pushed her kids behind her. Both kids were trying to look around their mom to see what was going on.


    ¡°Just run, lady; even your kids can outrun that shambler,¡± I mumbled to myself. But the woman just stood there as the thing dragged its dead foot ever closer to her. I scanned the area and saw no other immediate threats, so I swung down and headed towards the scene.


    It was then I realized I didn''t have a weapon of any kind; why would I? I was inside the compound; I didn''t need one. Only security was allowed to carry weapons; not even knives were allowed.


    I glanced down at my ruined dress again. It had been just a nice, simple, lacy summer dress. Perfect for these hot and humid Austin days. Granted, it was a Han Chong; I wouldn''t wear anything less, of course. I hoped James had his credit card because it was gonna cost him to replace this one.


    I knocked the zombie aside just as it started to reach up for the woman.


    ¡°Run, you idiot, get inside and lock the doors!¡± I picked up the two children, and drug the woman into one of the open buildings. I pushed them inside and shut the door before turning back to check the area. As I was swinging up onto the roof, I heard the dress rip as it caught on something. I landed smoothly, sighing again at another ruined dress.


    *I''m gonna start wearing sweatpants around that man.* That¡¯s when I heard the first gunshot.


    ¡Þ?¡Þ


    <u>JAMES</u>


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Security''s started shooting zombies,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°That''s my cue,¡± I said as I sprinted up the stairs and out of the building. It took but a moment for me to get my bearings, and then I headed towards the main house. I could hear fighting now, off to the West and hoped everyone was OK.


    ¡°Looks like you''re clear to the house,¡± Trish said just as I slammed into a figure emerging from a path hidden by bushes. The impact sent me spinning.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the figure said.


    When I looked back, the man, who was obviously security, was pulling a handgun from his waist and yelling at me to stop.


    My training took over as, without thinking. I raised the pistol I was holding and fired twice. The first shot went wide, but the second connected with the bicep on the security guard''s gun arm. The wound erupted violently, leaving exposed bone and muscle as the now useless arm dropped to the man¡¯s side.


    The guard screamed but kept his feet and took another step towards me.


    My third shot caught him square in the chest and liquefied his internal organs. The guard dropped to the ground.


    Before resuming my trip to the main building, I glanced around for anyone else.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Trish said through the 2-way.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. Find me Shae and Pagoda,¡± I said.


    ¡°They''re in the main house, some really big room,¡± Trish said.


    ¡°Got a throne in it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Trish confirmed.


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said as I broke the tree line, the house now in sight. I entered through a side door and tried to remember which way to go. People were running all over the place, mostly servants who appeared to be panicking.


    They''d never had anything like this happen before. When I¡¯d asked, Rhi said no one had thought to hold emergency drills.


    Trish eventually guided me to the throne room.


    I took a deep breath, checked my ammo and slipped into the room from the back door. A small wall blocked the main room from view of this door, but not the sound of Pagoda''s voice. I¡¯d forgotten how irritating his voice was.


    ¡°I''m gone a couple of months and come home to find you leading a coup against me?¡± Pagoda said.


    I peeked around the corner to find Shae kneeling in front of the throne, head bowed, unmoving. Blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. Pagoda was dressed in some Asian high-necked long coat made from black silk with embroidered flowers on it. He looked like a cross between Neo and Darth Maul.


    ¡°You don''t know what is happening, but you had a hand. Was this your idea? Is this because I set you aside due to your insolence?¡± Pagoda chuckled at her. ¡°Well, you obviously didn''t react well to being ignored, so I guess I''ll just have to give you the extra attention you desire.¡±


    Pagoda raised his hand to strike Shae again as I stepped out from hiding, pistol raised and level with Pagoda¡¯s head.


    ¡°<u>NO</u>,¡± Pagoda said. ¡°I was wondering how long you would eavesdrop before joining us.¡± Pagoda returned his hand to his side.


    Every synapse screamed for me to take the shot, but something held me back. I slowly circled, trying to get Shae out of the backdrop.


    ¡°It''s over Pagoda. Release her,¡± I demanded, sounding like a bad cop show.


    ¡°Ah, the tap boy returns.¡± Pagoda was still looking at her, not me. ¡°I can understand why you fell in love with him. But you really should have listened to your master and left him long before I became involved. It would have made things so much simpler.¡±


    I finished circling and now had a clear line of fire, but still, I didn''t pull the trigger.


    ¡°Or perhaps I should thank you?¡± Pagoda was still talking to Shae as he turned to me. ¡°I mean, you did deliver an interesting new breed of vampire to me. We hadn''t considered this could happen. It''s very intriguing. I wonder if it has anything to do with what your first master did to you back then on that ship.¡±


    ¡°Last chance, Pagoda. Let her go, or I will shoot,¡± I warned, still trying to figure out why I hadn¡¯t already pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Oh, will you?¡± Pagoda smiled smugly at me. ¡°I think not. <u>FREEZE</u>.¡±


    Suddenly, my body locked up like I was made of stone.


    ¡°<u>KNEEL</u>,¡± Pagoda commanded.


    I dropped to my knees involuntarily.


    ¡°Didn''t see that one coming, did you?¡± Pagoda smiled at me and waved someone forward from behind me. My pistol was plucked from my hand by Travis, who circled around to stand beside Pagoda.


    ¡°Oh, come now, buddy, don''t look that way. It''s a whole new world out there. You gotta make sure you''re on the winning side,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can''t take credit; it was all Mr. Pagoda''s idea,¡± Travis nodded to Pagoda.


    ¡°Yes. It was an interesting proposal the military made me,¡± Pagoda started, ¡°they wanted to do research on making vampire soldiers. They offered me pretty much whatever I wanted, and all I had to do was give a little blood.¡±


    ¡°You should see what he has down in his garage,¡± Travis said. ¡°All the toys they should have given us, they gave to him.¡±


    ¡°To us, my friend, to us. We share in the spoils here. I reward loyal service.¡± Pagoda patted Travis on the shoulder.


    Part of me was hoping Travis was just playing along. Any second he''d take that pistol, put it to Pagoda''s head, and pull the trigger. But instead, he just smiled back.


    ¡°Now, let''s see what other little surprises you have planned.¡± Pagoda stepped up and slowly slid a metal finger guard with a razor tip down my cheek, tracing fire as he did.


    Then Pagoda was inside my mind. It felt as if something was punching the inside of my skull as Pagoda roughly sifted through my thoughts and memories.


    ¡°I must have a little talk with our friend Natalie. Seems she doesn''t honor the intent of a contract,¡± Pagoda shook his head.


    A moment later, Pagoda withdrew and left me feeling as if I had bruises on my brain.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Tell security to pull the perimeter guard and send them to the corral to clean up. Make sure to bring Ms. Rhiannon Kachou to me as well. I have a few questions. Also, have a few guards brought in to help clean up the mess that''s about to occur here,¡± Pagoda grinned.


    ¡°Right away.¡± Travis paused in the act of turning before turning back to Pagoda, ¡°Sir?¡±


    Pagoda looked up at him. ¡°Oh.¡± He sighed. ¡°Fine, if you must.¡±


    Travis smiled and approached Shae. In an instant, his hand flew out and snapped her head sideways with the force of his slap. ¡°Karma, bitch!¡± Then, with one more smug smile at me, he left.


    Pagoda shook his head, sighing. ¡°So, what to do, what to do? We have a few minutes; what sort of fun shall we have, hmm?¡±


    ¡°You...the whole program?¡± I managed.


    ¡°Why yes,¡± Pagoda began, ¡°I mean, give credit where credit is due. Only in America could you get the government to create a personal army for you. I love this country.


    ¡°All I have to do is tell the generals where the ¡®bad vampires¡¯ are, and they send in the soldiers to eliminate anyone who opposes me,¡± Pagoda monologued. ¡°I move in afterward and set up shop. And I don''t have to worry about them ever turning against me because they don''t know you¡¯re all bloodbound to me.


    ¡°But I guess we''ll need to come up with another term for what you are. You''re the first to survive the transformation from tap boy to chemical vamp to full vampire. There¡¯s definitely something special about you. I will enjoy taking you apart piece by piece until I find out what it is.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime,¡± Pagoda turned back to Shae, ¡°you''ve proven you''re not able to be trusted. What should I do with you? Killing you would be far too easy and not nearly as pleasurable. I must admit I''d lost my desire for you some time back. But now that I see this newfound rebellious side, I find it quite...intoxicating.¡± He held up a strand of her hair and sniffed it. ¡°Oh yes.¡±


    ¡°But alas, I hear my guards returning, so we''ll have to save this for another time. Don''t fret. You''ll each have your turn when...¡± Pagoda¡¯s words trailed off as the main doors flew open. ¡°What''s the meaning of this? Who are...¡±


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± a voice cried from behind us, followed by the roar of a cannon going off in the room.


    Pagoda''s head exploded into pink mist.


    Instantly, I could move again, and I saw Shae sag to the floor out of the corner of my eye. I was by her side in an instant. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What happened?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°You guys, OK?¡±


    We both turned to see Mark standing in the doorway, smoking shotgun in hand.


    ¡°What?¡± Mark looked at us. ¡°That was the bad guy, right? Y¡¯all looked like you were in trouble, so I shot,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°But you never hit anything you¡¯re aiming at,¡± I said, glancing at Pagoda''s corpse. He was most definitely dead. There wasn''t any coming back from having your head blown off.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say that anymore,¡± Mark grinned smugly, then followed my glance and immediately turned green and covered his mouth. ¡°That''s just nasty,¡± he managed.


    ¡°I told you what those rounds do. I wasn''t lying,¡± I said.


    ¡°What rounds?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°I''ll explain later; for now, we need to¡ª¡± but before I could finish, four guards stepped into the room, took one look at the scene, and drew their pistols.


    Before I could react, Mark raised his shotgun and yelled, ¡°<u>DROP IT</u>!¡±


    All four of the guard¡¯s guns hit the ground simultaneously.


    ¡°What the?¡± I looked at Mark, who looked just as confused.


    ¡°You didn''t turn him, did you?¡± Shae asked.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Then how''s he controlling them?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Controlling them?¡± Mark glanced at us. The guards took that as an invitation to spring, but Mark recovered quickly, ¡°<u>FREEZE</u>!¡±


    All four became statues, one losing his balance and falling to the floor, frozen in place.


    ¡°<u>JUMP UP AND DOWN</u>!¡± Mark couldn''t help it. He grinned as they began to jump at his command.


    Shae was the first to recover; she pushed herself to her feet, wiping the blood off her chin and walking over to him.


    ¡°Mark, tell them to stop and take a knee,¡± she said.


    ¡°<u>STOP</u>,¡± Mark commanded. ¡°<u>TAKE A KNEE AND DON¡¯T MOVE</u>.¡± Mark rubbed his throat and coughed. ¡°This is killing my throat.¡±


    The guards obeyed Mark. They didn''t look happy, but they obeyed.


    ¡°Say exactly what I say. Do you understand? Every word, every syllable,¡± Shae¡¯s voice was commanding.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°By rights old and new. I, Mark, lay claim to the kingdom of Pagoda. He who was slain by my hand, who laid claim before me, I now claim by ancient right. Bear witness and serve. Answer.¡±


    Mark followed her lead, and as he finished, all four guards responded in unison, ¡°We witness and serve as is right.¡±


    ¡°It worked,¡± Shae said in wonder.


    ¡°What worked?¡± Mark said.


    I started laughing as I understood what was going on.


    ¡°Mark, you''re now a Vampire Lord!¡± I remembered how much Mark had hated the vampire characters back in our Boffguard days; he¡¯d always thought they were silly. I didn¡¯t think Mark thought it was silly anymore from the look on his face.


    ¡°Mark, order them to follow orders from James and me,¡± Shae said.


    Mark did as Shae instructed.


    Shae immediately began spouting off orders, commands, and rules. She recited as if from rote. Then, she released them to spread the word through the compound.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Mark asked. ¡°What was all that you just said?¡±


    Shae turned back to him and smiled, pushing the shotgun down to point at the floor. ¡°You, sir, are now the lord of this manor. Somehow, everything Pagoda had now belongs to you, including his bloodbound servants. I just gave them the standard ¡®you''re not allowed to kill your boss¡¯ speech. To make sure, we''ll have to do that several more times for all the others here.


    ¡°But I still don''t understand how that worked; you''re human. No human has ever been able to...¡± Shae paused and looked at the arm Mark was holding the shotgun with. She moved the gun and pulled his wrist up to her nose. ¡°James, did you feed off of him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I took just a little from everyone before you woke up. I wasn''t sure what would happen, so I topped off,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Shae glanced at me. ¡°Mark, order James to sit down.¡±


    ¡°James, <u>SIT DOWN</u>,¡± Mark repeated.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Welp, that didn''t work,¡± Mark laughed.


    ¡°James, order me to sit down,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°Shae, <u>SIT DOWN</u>, please,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Mark added.


    ¡°Nope, nothing. I wish one of those guards were here; I want to try something else,¡± Shae said, tapping her lip in thought.


    ¡°Well, right now, we should focus on matters at hand. Namely zombies in the wire and a still unknown hostile security force,¡± I said.


    Shae nodded. ¡°Right, let''s get to work.¡±

 Z Day +72

    <u>Z Day +72</u>


    <u>JAMES</u>


    The rest of that day had been organized chaos. All the zombies had been rounded up and destroyed. Rhi had protected the corral without injury to any of its residents. As a matter of fact, besides Pagoda, the only fatality had been the one guard I''d shot. We''d taken the entire compound without a scratch...well, aside from the one on my cheek, Shae''s busted lip, and Rhi¡¯s dress, which she would not shut up about. I was utterly astonished.


    We could never have done this without Mark. The whole being bloodbound to Pagoda thing had blown every plan I had out of the water. If it wasn¡¯t for Mark and his miraculous shot, we¡¯d all be dead, or worse, right now. Of course, we could never tell Mark that, or we¡¯d never hear the end of it.


    Pete got the sensors up and running again when he removed the bug he''d inserted into the system.


    There had been a large gathering of all staff where the change of command from Pagoda to Mark was explained. Many were confused by Mark''s status as a human, and Shae came up with the most reasonable explanation. Since I''d recently used Mark as a tap boy, my altered vampire DNA spit was in his system. Since Pagoda''s blood had been used to start me down the path, she figured that, somehow, whatever happened was a one-time deal that could have only worked with Pagoda.


    I gave up trying to understand it and just accepted it. I tried to give commands to see if I could control any of the bloodbound, but the one-up rule continued to apply, so Mark extended his orders to include taking orders from Shae and myself to everyone.


    Shae had gone into her whole court etiquette routine which seemed to consist of her becoming this hard ass who constantly ordered people around and for some reason it worked. People seemed to want to jump when she said jump. Somehow this was what vampire etiquette consisted of. When I jokingly warned her about ¡°ordering people around¡± as she¡¯d warned me on multiple occasions, she just told me to shut up.


    Of all the staff, only three requested to leave. While they were bloodbound, Mark and the rest of us decided it would be better to let them go rather than have dissidents in the compound. Before they left, Shae and Rhi had very specific words to guarantee we wouldn¡¯t be having problems with them in the future. The rest didn''t want to take their chances outside the wall. They had it too good here.


    The civilian population was another thing altogether. Most hadn''t really understood what Pagoda was and didn''t want to understand it now. They just wanted to know they were safe from the zombies and had food, water and shelter. They were told nothing would change for now. But I had a feeling we were going to have some problems there.


    Once the compound was secure and some semblance of peace returned, we transferred Miria and Richard from the old house. They''d stayed behind just in case and were relieved everyone was safe and sound.


    Miria laughed when she heard Mark was now ¡°King of the Vampires.¡± She, too, knew about his aversion to vampires back in the day and found it terribly ironic.


    In the two weeks that followed, I tuned up security with Rhi¡¯s help. She seemed to have a better grasp on it than I''d expected from someone who''d never worked security. When I asked her about it she said, ¡°It''s not a hard job, James. I mean, you did it.¡±


    It was scary how easily the change of command happened. But most people didn''t care. They didn''t care who called the shots as long as they were safe.


    The only one who seemed to be on the fence about the new situation was Becca. With Mark now in charge, Becca found herself constantly having to defend him from ¡°floozies¡± who kept trying to sidle up to him. But I don¡¯t think she really minded. I felt she was organizing more of those group activities they¡¯d expressed an interest in way back when.


    I collected the anti-vampire ammunition and secured it. No one other than our group knew about it, and everyone agreed we wouldn''t be telling anyone else.


    Travis had managed to escape in the confusion. I guessed he returned to San Antonio, but I wasn''t sure if he''d feel safe enough there after betraying us. I still wasn¡¯t sure if he had betrayed us. For all I knew, he¡¯d been under Pagoda¡¯s influence/orders this whole time. I had a feeling he''d cleared out of BAMC for greener pastures. But I made a note to check on it if I got the chance.


    We had a few leads on other clans out in the surrounding areas. We knew we''d need to establish some alliances, trade, that sort of thing if we planned on making this place viable in the long term. But that was something we''d have to attend to another time. Right now, I had a promise to keep.


    We were finishing loading the L-ATV, one of the many toys Pagoda had in the garage Travis mentioned. It was a military vehicle designed to replace the HMMWV, made by Oshkosh, not to be confused with OshKosh B¡¯gosh, who made children¡¯s clothes. It had horrible gas mileage, but it was agile, tough and could carry enough gas cans to get us to Houston.


    ¡°Need a hand with anything?¡±


    I heard Shae behind me and turned towards her. ¡°Nope, I think we¡¯re all set. All we need¡ª¡± And the sight of her caused me to stop.


    Shae had cut her hair. In place of her shoulder-length cut, she now wore the lopsided pixie cut she¡¯d worn when I¡¯d first met her.


    ¡°I like your hair,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    ¡°Thanks. There¡¯s a girl who knows how to do hair here. She doesn¡¯t have a lot of supplies, but she managed to help me with this. Besides, it''s much easier to take care of.¡±


    I knew the girl she was talking about. She¡¯d helped me buzz my hair back short, the way I wore it in the service. I¡¯d also found a razor and had my first shave in a long time.


    ¡°It looks good on you,¡± I said, pulling her close.


    ¡°What about this?¡± she held up her left hand where a small gold band with a diamond chip sat on her ring finger. ¡°How does this look?¡±


    ¡°Where did you find that?¡± I stammered, looking at the engagement ring I¡¯d bought her all those years ago.


    ¡°It was buried in Pagoda¡¯s safe. As soon as I saw it, I remembered what it was and took it back,¡± she grinned.


    I couldn¡¯t help it; a big, goofy smile spread across my face.


    ¡°What? You said to try it on for a while and see if I liked it,¡± she wore an innocent expression.


    ¡°And?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know,¡± she smiled and kissed me briefly.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I didn¡¯t let her get away with it and pulled her in for a much longer lip lock.


    ¡°AHEM,¡± Rhi cleared her throat, causing us to come up for air. ¡°If you two are quite finished, you need to come see this.¡±


    ¡°Jealous heart,¡± Shae chided.


    Shae and Rhi had seemed to bury the hatchet over the past two weeks. There was still the same picking at one another occasionally, but it seemed more like good natured siblings now. It only bothered me when they ganged up on me with their teasing. The bother came from me not being able to find a suitable comeback to the pair.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± was all Rhi said as she turned to lead us back into the main building that I¡¯d started calling the Alamo due to its similar fa?ade.


    We followed Rhi into the back where Pagoda¡¯s bedroom had been. Natalie was leaning against one of the bedposts as we entered the room.


    Pagoda¡¯s style of bedroom was something straight out of 16th-century Austria. The room held a giant four-post bed with drapes, oversized furniture, tapestries, and rugs. The bed alone looked like it weighed about 1,300 kilos.


    ¡°Natalie,¡± I said, feeling Shae stiffen beside me. I glanced at Shae, but she was looking at the ground. It was the first time she¡¯d seen Natalie in the flesh since Drakes.


    ¡°Yeah, she just popped up when I opened that,¡± Rhi pointed at a trap door in a small closet off the side of the room. The hinges appeared to be on the inside, so it would be nearly invisible when it was closed.


    ¡°There was something just like that at¡ª¡± I started.


    ¡°My house.¡± Natalie finished for me. ¡°Yes, the head of every clan has one, so now Mark has one. I¡¯ll be honest, I didn¡¯t see that one coming. Who knew?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Shae said quietly, looking at the trapdoor.


    *Oh, stop that!* I heard Natalie¡¯s snap at Shae and watched as Shae looked up.


    Natalie held out her arms and enveloped Shae in them.


    *Now, knock it off, would you? I understand; you¡¯re a warm-blooded woman who¡¯d just gotten the love of her life back. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to get dressed either. But the fact of the matter was, I needed you to get gone, and your rut was keeping you in place. I did what I knew would get you going, nothing more. No hard feelings?*


    Natalie held Shae out at arm¡¯s reach and made her look into her eyes.


    Shae nodded.


    *Good.* ¡°Now, what you¡¯re looking at is a gateway to Drakes.¡±


    ¡°Gateway?¡± I asked. Natalie was acting more lucid than I¡¯d ever seen her before. It was freaking me out.


    ¡°Yup. You can step into it, and you¡¯ll appear at Drakes as if you¡¯d just stepped through the door. It works both ways. Drake always wanted to ensure he could provide hospitality to the more elite clientele, so he provided these.¡±


    ¡°Drake made these?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he made them; I just know he provides them. Now to the matter at hand. Drake heard you were planning a trip to Houston and wanted to ask a favor. I offered to convey the message since he couldn¡¯t come here himself. Plus, I just wanted to see you guys again before you took off,¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°So, apparently, the Drakes in Houston has ¡®gone dark¡¯ as it were.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Drakes in Houston?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Drakes in almost every major city,¡± Shae whispered.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®gone dark?¡¯¡± Rhi asked.


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any word in or out of the place for about two weeks. Normally, there are these gateways between the two, but the one on the Houston end is not working. While the personal gateways, such as this one,¡± Natalie pointed at the closet, ¡°these can be secured just by closing the lid. The ones at Drakes always remain open. There are emergency ¡®doors¡¯ that can be used to close the portals but even if closed, the link remains active. So, the fact that the Houston link is no longer working means something serious has happened.¡±


    ¡°Maybe just power loss?¡± I offered.


    Natalie smiled patiently, ¡°Darling, they don¡¯t exactly run on electricity.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I managed, chagrinned. Again, we were getting out of my comfort zone. Vampires and zombies, I¡¯d started to accept as a given. Magical portals? That¡¯s a bit out there for me.


    ¡°So, Drake just wants us to check on it?¡± Shae asked.


    ¡°Yes. If there¡¯s any way to get the link reestablished, then Drake can take over and fix whatever else has gone wrong. That and he can offer you a much quicker ride home.¡±


    ¡°I know where it is,¡± Shae said. ¡°I¡¯ve been there a few times while visiting family in Houston. I¡¯m pretty sure I can get us there.¡±


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll let Drake know you¡¯re on the case,¡± Natalie smiled.


    ¡°You said these are given to the heads of ¡®clans,¡¯¡± Shae started, ¡°how do you have one in your house?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was hoping you hadn¡¯t noticed that little slip.¡± Natalie seemed to consider it for a few moments. ¡°Let¡¯s just say Drake considers me a VIP.¡±


    ¡°He did seem a bit smitten with you,¡± I said, remembering my last conversation with him.


    ¡°He did?¡± Natalie seemed taken aback.


    ¡°Anyway, how do we let Drake know what¡¯s going on once we get there?¡± I asked.


    Shae patted me on the shoulder. ¡°You know that link that was supposed to fade after we left Natalie¡¯s room? The one I used to talk to you and Rhi? Yeah¡­it doesn¡¯t fade¡­ever.¡±


    This time, Rhi was the one that tensed up next to me.


    I looked at Natalie, who had the courtesy to look sheepish, scuffing her toe on the carpet. She looked as if she was about to say-


    *Aw, shucks,* Natalie said, finishing my thought.


    ¡°You and I are having words once they¡¯re gone,¡± Rhi was glaring at Natalie, who nodded in return. ¡°But right now, y¡¯all are wasting daylight; you need to get on the road.¡±


    Aside from a hairstylist, one of Shae¡¯s favorite features of the compound was the UV baths. She¡¯d started using it as soon as things had settled down. It was a large room complete with several large tubs recessed into the floor. They were filled with the UV solution that allowed vampires to walk in the sun.


    A vampire had to submerge themselves in it for a minimum of thirty minutes. That bath provided about a week¡¯s protection, allowing us to travel during the day again. Shae reveled in the sun every chance she got now, having been without it for nearly two months.


    ¡°Right, take care, Natalie,¡± I said as we hugged briefly.


    Shae also hugged Natalie.


    I turned to Rhi, ¡°you, take care of yourself and keep an eye on the others, would you?¡± I went to hug her, and she caught me tightly.


    ¡°The hell with that,¡± she kissed me deeply, taking my breath away as she plastered her body to mine. It was my turn to be overwhelmed by her thoughts and the warmth of her body. When we broke sometime later, the room was spinning.


    *Wow,* I managed.


    Shae chuckled at the two of us and took Rhi into her arms cautiously. ¡°Stay safe, OK?¡± She whispered in her ear and kissed her on the cheek.


    Rhi stood stiff and awkward as she was hugged. It seemed Rhi wasn¡¯t quite ready to be touchy or huggy with Shae yet.


    From the smile on Shae¡¯s face, she was doing it on purpose.


    Rhi and I hadn¡¯t had a repeat of our marathon night together. Instead, Rhi seemed to make a game of ambushing me in the most easy-to-get-caught locales and doing as much as she could get away with. It was always a surprise and while Rhi seemed to enjoy almost getting caught, we never were.


    When I told Shae about these encounters, she just laughed and patted me on the head. She never acted jealous or told me to knock it off. I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the whole thing. All I knew was that the three of us had a complicated relationship.


    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t want to put him back together if something happened to you,¡± Shae said, holding Rhi at arm¡¯s length.


    Rhi nodded. ¡°You take care of him, alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Shae said.


    ¡°Alright, enough with the mushy stuff. Get gone, you two. Rhi and I need to have those words.¡± Natalie turned to Rhi and looked at us over her shoulder. ¡°Shae, be a dear and close the door on your way out,¡± Natalie grinned evilly as Rhi glowered at her.


    And that was how we left those two.


    ¡°You think she¡¯ll be OK?¡± I asked Shae.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Shae smiled back at me.


    Shae and I had already said goodbye to the rest of our group from the Hacienda earlier. Everyone seemed a bit rattled by the change in scenery but were adapting quickly. It¡¯s amazing how much hot water showers can take your mind off things.


    Mark had asked me to look in on his sisters in Houston if I could. I told him, ¡°Of course,¡± and then started thinking of Trent and Liam. Trent lived near NASA, and Liam lived in Baytown with his folks. I wasn¡¯t sure how feasible, but I¡¯d also try to check on them if we could.


    I put on the headset for the L-ATV and plugged it into the intercom. ¡°You all set, Pete?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± came Pete¡¯s response over the headset from the back seat. He still had his nose buried in the user manual for the L-ATV. Every time he came across something he found ¡°fascinating,¡± he¡¯d make sure and give us a detailed description. I figured by the time we got to Houston, we¡¯d know this thing like the back of our hand.


    Pete was already belted in and anxious to go find his mother.


    I looked over at Shae, who was just buckling in, and she gave me a thumbs up. I looked around at the bustling compound.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine until we get back,¡± Shae¡¯s voice came over the headset.


    I nodded, looking around one final time. The trip to Houston would typically take about four hours, give or take how you drove. I knew it would take longer than that for us, considering all the dead traffic that had to be between here and there. I just hoped this trip would be as uneventful as the one we¡¯d taken to San Antonio.


    (It wasn¡¯t.)


    FIN ¨C Book 1


    [But not really, keep going -Rhi]

 Bio-Habitat 00117 Observation Post 36211

    <u>Bio-Habitat 00117 Observation Post 36211</u>


    <u>CR¡¯EON</u>


    This is Cr¡¯eon, Bio-Habitat 00117, with my daily report. No detectible Angel Guard activity. Inhabitants remain unaware of their Bio-Hab containment. The culling protocol continues into its 80<sup>th</sup> day local. Culled figures attached along with current population densities and locations.


    I glanced through the pages of data before finding what I was looking for.


    Behemoth predicts Chosen Army candidates will be selected within the next 30 days. The updated candidate list along with their locations is attached.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    My skin prickled as I looked at the next data set.


    Behemoth is predicting Bio-Hab failure within the next 400-600 days at the current culling rate. I will update as Behemoth revises that figure.


    I closed my eyes and shook my head at the thought of sitting in this box for another two years. I consoled myself with the thought that at least the end was in sight.


    Who was I kidding, I¡¯d probably be transferred to overwatch a different Bio-Hab once this one was gone. My unit sure wasn¡¯t going to take me back.


    Minor system fluctuations have been observed near the attached coordinates, designated: Austin. The cause and extent are unknown. The area has been flagged for additional observation. All known Chosen Army candidates in the indicated area have been tagged for additional screening. Results pending.


    Sighing, I encoded my report and transmitted it.


    I stood and walked the short distance to the direct observation port. Looking down on the Bio-Hab below, I took note of how the once-white clouds had turned a dingy gray while a fine brown mist seemed to lie just beneath the clouds.


    The constant broadcasts had mostly ceased. Seems the inhabitants didn¡¯t need entertainment now that survival had become a daily struggle.


    ¡°At least they¡¯re not bored anymore.¡±

 Epilogue

    <u>Epilogue</u>


    <u>RHI</u>


    Ahhh, there, that¡¯s better.


    This is for those of you who are worried about me and my virtue since those two morons left me in the clutches of that evil blood¡­Natalie. Just so you know, I survived and am alive and well in The Gestalt Complete, Book 2 of The Behemoth Gestalt Series. Things¡­take a turn in that book. So, try and keep an open mind.


    And then there¡¯s Cr¡¯eon. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering about her and just what all that has to do with anything. If you¡¯ve figured it out, good for you. If not, hang in there.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    OK, choose your own adventure time:


    -If you have already read What Went Before the Gestalt, Book 0 ¨C Good job! Grab yourself a juice box and move on to Book 2. (You know they have wine in juice boxes now? Man, don¡¯t mix those up when packing your kids¡¯ lunch!)


    -If you haven¡¯t read Book 0 but don¡¯t care what happened before ¨C move on to Book 2 (no one will judge you, even if Book 0 is pretty short and wouldn¡¯t take much time to fill in all the blanks before you continue to Book 2. Oh, and I narrate it, so there¡¯s that.)


    -If you haven¡¯t read Book 0 and just have to know what happened back then or you¡¯re one of those completionists, or just a really big fan of watching a 300-year-old vampire woo a high schooler, or just want to get more of moi¨Cmove on to Book 0 (again, no one will judge you if you don¡¯t, honest.)


    Either way, I gotta get back. Got a wedding to get to and a new business to open. See you in Book 2, or maybe Book 0, your choice.