Dominion of the Damned (37 page)

Chris patted the semi-automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. “I’m good.”

Alek nodded. “Let’s go. Both of you, stay behind me. Chris—”

“
I’ll watch her back,” he said, following Alek out of the lab. Hannah paused before following, and looked down at the syringe in her hand. “Nothing to lose,” she muttered, before jabbing the needle through her jeans and into her thigh.

FORTY-NINE

Alek led them up the stairs and out of the old jail. They stuck to the shadows, avoiding the tell-tale sounds of moaning and trying to stay out of sight of the helicopters. He would have preferred that Hannah and Chris both stay in the lab, where he knew they’d be hidden and safe. But he also knew there was no way Hannah would have agreed to stay behind when Noah was in danger; and if Hannah wouldn’t stay, neither would Chris.

Besides, Esme would be gunning for them both, and it would only be a matter of time before she coerced someone into revealing their location—if she hadn’t already done so. He only hoped that she hadn’t harmed anyone to get the info. If she had, that would just be one more reason to kill her.

The old corral was on the other side of the historical section of the base, about a quarter-mile or so from their current location. The buildings there were fewer and farther between, with a lot more open ground between them. Esme’s forces had probably taken care of any shamblers that posed an immediate threat to the corral’s inhabitants, but there were still plenty of others milling about between the old guard house and the corral. And there were the helicopters.

“
We have to move fast,” he told his companions. “Try to leave any shamblers we encounter to me. Use the butts of your rifles like clubs if you need to defend yourselves. Don’t shoot unless you absolutely have to.” He looked at Hannah and Chris in turn. “Stay close.”

They both nodded. Alek edged out from the shadow of the guard house. Immediately, he was met by a lone shambler. He grabbed its head and twisted it off before it even had the chance to make a sound.

They made good ground, crossing the yard in silence, weaving and dodging their way around random shamblers and managing not to draw attention. They made it several yards before he heard Chris cry out behind him. Alek turned to see a shambler’s hand grasping the tail of Chris’s shirt. He and Hannah were double-teaming it, beating it down with their guns. That drew the attention of two more that were nearby, but Alek made quick work of them both. “Are you two okay?”

Hannah nodded. “Let’s keep moving.”

They were halfway to the corral, in the middle of open ground, when they heard the sound of a helicopter engine powering up. A moment later, a large black chopper rose from the center of the corral. “Get down!” Alek said, dropping to the ground and pulling the others down with him. As they flattened out on the ground, he hoped that the pre-dawn darkness would be enough to hide them. The helicopter passed over them without seeming to notice. When he looked back up toward the corral, he saw black-clad vampire soldiers leading a line of people out through the gate.

“
They’re rounding everybody up,” said Alek. “We need a better plan than this.”

“
We have a plan?” asked Hannah.

“
My point exactly.”

“
Guys,” said Chris, “They’ve got my mom.” He started to get up.

“
Wait!” Hannah said, pulling him back down. “We can’t help them by rushing in there.” She looked back up at the line. “Alek, Noah’s not with her.”

“
It’s all right,” he said, hoping it was the truth. “Don’t panic. That won’t help anybody.”

They were starting to draw attention. Not from the vampires, but from the shamblers. Alek could sense them closing in. “We need to get out of here,” he said, getting to his feet. He helped Hannah up. Chris was already on his feet, pointing.

“
Look!”

Some of the shamblers had taken note of the line of humans being herded toward the choppers, and their moaning was drawing others. They were starting to group up. “They’re going for my mom!” As he shouted, he broke into a run. This time neither Alek nor Hannah were quick enough to stop him.

“
Chris!” Hannah shouted as loud as she dared. “Get back here!” She started to run after him, but Alek held her back.

“
Let him go. If we get caught we won’t be able to help anybody.” As he pulled Hannah along with him to hide behind a nearby tree, Chris opened fire on the shamblers.

“
Get away from them!” he shouted as he fired. “Here! Come this way!”

“
What is he doing?” asked Hannah.

“
Getting himself killed.” He growled with frustration. “Wait here.” He started to go after the boy, but it was too late. The guards had already taken note of him, and so had Paula. She shouted and pointed at him as some of the guards rushed to put down the shamblers and retrieve Chris. “It’s okay,” said Alek. “The vamps will capture him, but they won’t kill him.”

But the sound of gunfire drew more of the creatures—more than the vampires could handle. The stupid, brave boy saw them closing in, and kept shouting and waving to draw their attention away from the crowd. “What’s he doing?” asked Hannah.

“
Being a hero. Damn it.”

“
We have to help him.”

Alek nodded, but cursed under his breath. “We’ll go around the back of the buildings and try to intercept. Maybe I can hold them off while the two of you—”

He was cut off by a distant scream, and a gasp from Hannah. Chris had been gaining ground, staying ahead of the shambler horde. But the noise had drawn another mob, and they closed in on him from the opposite direction. He was surrounded, and there was nothing anybody could do.

Alek didn’t know whose screams were louder, Chris’s or Paula’s. Hannah’s might have drowned them both out if Alek didn’t have a hand clamped firmly over her mouth. “Shh,” he told her as she struggled against him. “Shh, Hannah. We can’t help him. I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry.” She kept fighting him. “It’s too late for him,” Alek whispered in her ear. “We have to think about Noah.”

That took the fight out of her. As she went limp in his arms, he removed his hand from her mouth. “Oh, God,” she whimpered, collapsing against him. “Chris.”

“
I’m so sorry,” he said as she turned around in his arms and buried her face against his chest. “It’s up to us, now,” he told her. “We just have to stay hidden, and stay alive. Then we can come up with a plan. It’s not over as long as we’re alive, and free.”

“
No,” she said. “No, we can’t let them take Noah. Alek, we have to find him.”

“
We will.” He pulled her down to a crouch behind the tree. “Esme probably has him, but she won’t hurt him. She’ll use him to bait us. He’ll be okay.”

She nodded, and her face crumpled with grief as she slumped back against the tree. Alek sat down and pulled her into his lap, and held her as they waited for the coast to be clear. He didn’t speak as she shuddered against him with silent sobs. They needed to be as quiet as possible, and besides, there was nothing he could say to make this better.

She was all cried out by the time the helicopters lifted off. He knew Esme too well to believe she was on one of them. She was still here, somewhere, hunting them. “There’s a chance she’s still at the corral,” he whispered to Hannah. “If not, she’ll probably look there for us eventually.” He looked up at the sky. It was beginning to lighten, turning from black to the deep purple that signaled pre-dawn. “We don’t have a lot of time, and neither does she.”

“
Then let’s go,” she said, her voice dull and raw. He helped her to her feet, and hand in hand, they started across the open yard toward the corral. Without any shadows to hide them, they were easily visible to the remaining shamblers, who were turning to follow them.

“
Alek,” said Hannah.

“
I know. Just keep moving.” He broke into a run, albeit a slow one so that she could keep up with him. They reached the outside of the corral when she staggered and fell. “Hannah, get up.”

“
Look out!” she pointed behind him, and he turned just as a shambler reached him. He dispatched it quickly, and when he turned back around, Hannah had her weapon up, firing at more of them. But her arm seemed to grow heavy, and her aim was off. “It’s not working,” she said. “Damn it!”

There was no time to ask what she was talking about as Alek stood between her and the shamblers, taking them out one at a time. As they started to gang up, he went into overdrive, letting his vampire reflexes take over as he destroyed one after another, working his way out from Hannah, until not one of them would be getting up again.

He didn’t give himself time to reign in his vampiric side before rushing back to where she had fallen to her knees. “Hannah? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“
I’m sorry, Alek. It didn’t work.” With visible effort, she raised her arm to show him a fresh bite mark. “The vaccine’s no good.”

He stared at the bite. “What? No.” He looked at her. “When?”

“
When that one grabbed Chris. It got its teeth in me while we were fighting it off. Alek, I took the vaccine before I left the lab. I thought it was working. I thought I’d be okay.” She closed her eyes, fresh tears falling from them. “I’m so sorry.”

“
No.” He grabbed her face in both hands. “No! Hannah, you don’t do this. You stay with me.”

“
I’m sorry,” she said again. “I’m so sorry.” She slumped forward, and he caught her in his arms. “Please take care of Noah,” she said. “Tell him I’m sorry.”

“
No.” Alek held her and rocked her. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t. He had to be able to save her. It hadn’t worked with Zach, but he had to try. He couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try. “Hannah, I’m sorry. I know I promised… but I can’t lose you now. Not like this. I can’t just let you die.”

“
Alek,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I love you.”

“
I love you,” he said. “Hannah, I love you so much. Please don’t leave me.” He brushed her hair back from her shoulder, stretched open her collar, and kissed the spot on her neck just over her pulse point. He wasn’t sure whether the tears he tasted were hers or his own, but the saltiness of them mingled with the coppery taste of the blood that filled his mouth as his fangs punctured her carotid artery. Her heart had already begun to slow. As her blood pressure dropped, he had to work to drain the infected blood out of her. It tasted foul, and
wrong
, and he could feel her life fading fast. He had no time to waste, no time to be careful about damaging her neck or leaving marks. He had to drain her fast.

When it was done, he used his teeth to tear open his own wrist, and pressed it to her mouth. “Come on,” he said when she made no move to respond. “Please, Hannah. Drink. Come on!”

At last, she swallowed. Unconsciously, she took his blood into her, replacing what he had taken. When it was done, she lay still as a corpse, and looked as pale as one, too. “Please,” he said, picking up her hand and pressing her fingers to his lips. He said it over and over again. “Please. Please, please, please.” It was a prayer, a benediction, all that remained of the last shred of hope he had in this world. “Please let it work this time.”

All that was left to do was wait. The sky had already begun to lighten. Alek looked around to see where they were, and realized they were in the old corral. It was open in the middle, but surrounded by a stone wall, and horse stalls. He picked Hannah up and carried her to the shelter of one of the stalls, and then lay down beside her, continuing his pleas. “Please come back to me. Please don’t leave me like this.”

He lay there and watched shadows form around the wall as the sun began to rise. It was high enough to bathe the center of the corral in sunlight when she began to stir.

Fear and hope wrestled for domination as Alek got to his knees beside her. He leaned over her, stroking her hair. “Come on,” he urged. “Come back to me.”

She opened her eyes.

“
Hannah?”

They looked around wildly, unfocused and disoriented. His heart and stomach began to sink. “No. Please. Please, Hannah.”

Her eyes fixed on him, and focused. His heart lifted again, almost soared right out of him as he realized that her eyes had turned a bright, pale, icy blue. “Hannah?”

She licked her lips. “Alek?”

“
Oh, God,” he said, gathering her into his arms. “Oh, God. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Slowly, she raised her arms to embrace him. “What happened?”

“
I’m sorry,” he said. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. “I know I promised, but I had to try. I couldn’t lose you.”

“
You… what did you do? I feel different.”

“
I know. But you’re still here.”

“
I feel… strong.”

"You know,” said a voice from across the corral, “there’s a penalty for turning them.” Esme emerged from the shadows on the opposite end of the corral. “But I’d say you’re in enough trouble already.” She stood at the edge of the stalls, just beyond the reach of daylight. In her arms she held Noah.