Pachmayer jumped down from the engine as the others did the same from the cars. He walked to the general and saluted. “As ordered, one locomotive, ma’am.”

  She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. She looked at Carla who was also smiling, then to the rest of the soldiers. “Job well done, people. Now get some rest. You’re all leaving on another mission in six hours.”

  Stifled groans came from the soldiers as they filtered away.

  Carla looked around for Gigi and Dalton but they were nowhere to be seen.

  In the street over from the tracks, the bell rang above the coffee shop door, heralding new customers.

  Dalton and Gigi walked inside, exhausted, and sat heavily on chairs.

  Some of the customers nearby held their noses and the waitress approached them awkwardly.

  Before she opened her mouth, Dalton spoke.

  “Coffee.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Joel sat in the passenger’s seat of the Humvee looking out into the absolute darkness, wondering if there was any human life still out there. He also wondered if that still mattered as he wasn’t sure what the difference was anymore. He was human, at least mostly. It had been tens of thousands of years since Homo sapiens had to co-exist with other humanoids. They did it before so maybe they could do it again. But then, that didn’t work out too well for the Neanderthals.

  Would that happen again? Would there only be one type of us left standing?

  That was a question for another day. For now, he needed to concentrate on the mission the general had asked him to be part of. He was surprised she did but was glad to be free of his babysitting duties at the warehouse. It also told him she wasn’t the kind of person to hold a grudge. ‘Trust is earned’ she said to him just before they left. And this was his and some others’ chance to do that.

  He was in one of three Humvees carrying Amos, Kizzy, Dalton, Gigi, Pachmayer, Keller, Carla, and another five soldiers.

  The mission seemed simple enough. Go back to the camp up north. Observe and get intelligence. Report back to home base so they could prepare for what the corporation had planned.

  Yeah, simple…

  He knew from his days in the HRT there was no such thing as a ‘simple’ mission. Just simple plans that fell apart in complicated situations.

  Still, large-scale war was not his thing. Targeted missions were.

  He pulled the helmet he had been given off and leaned back. If they drove through the night they should just about arrive at their destination before sun up.

  Closing his eyes, his mind drifted to Bill, the man who he thought was a little crazy when he first met but grew to respect.

  We wouldn’t have gotten all this way without Bill.

  Joel also liked Max and the other scientists. Including Josh, a usually quiet man that weighed in with important comments when they were needed.

  My blood turned him into a killer.

  Joel pushed the guilt from his mind. He was done with regrets and, instead, thought about the only positive thing from the last few days.

  Marina doesn’t hate me anymore.

  In the vehicle behind, Amos pretended to be asleep but was actually awake, scanning those around him. Kizzy’s head was leaned on his right shoulder which was weird for him. Any other time it would have been fine but surrounded by soldiers, and being driven into a possible battle, it felt off to ‘cuddle.’ He wanted to be seen to be a useful member of the team, not the weird guy with the weirder girlfriend.

  He looked down at her and frowned but couldn’t feel awkward for more than a moment. It was the end of the world and somehow someone still gave a shit about him. And not just for his abilities, in fact, that was the one thing she disliked.

  He thought about what the general had said to him some hours earlier. ‘Get as close to the enemy as you need to and find out what they’re up to. Then relay that information to one of the officers as quick as you can… oh, and don’t get yourself dead.’

  She patted him on the back and sent him on his way. He wondered if he was now a real soldier.

  Nah.

  The road north was mostly straight and, without any light from towns or cities, seemingly endless. After six hours they passed into Indiana and Carla informed everyone that in two hours they would be there.

  For most who were in that space between being fully awake and sleep the two hours seemed like two minutes.

  The convoy slowed, then the lead vehicle pulled off the road and into a gas station parking lot. Headlights lit up an ice dispenser, and stacked chairs.

  Joel lifted his head. He hadn’t been in much of a deep sleep. He had learned by now that as a partial vamp he could only really sleep comfortably during the daytime. Still, he was glad for the rest. “We’re here?” he said to Carla.

  She nodded trying to see anything in the void outside. Then she remembered who she was sitting next to. “You see where we are?”

  Joel blinked a few times then strained his eyes to their surroundings. To the south, a lone truck sat with one door open about twenty feet in front of them. Beyond that was small warehouses, fields then hills. He turned to the north.

  “This road runs between some stores. Looks like a small town… and I think there’s a bridge up ahead.”

  “Good, this is the right place.” She looked at her watch. “One hour till sunrise. We need to find boats real quick.”

  *****

  Iona Mathews looked out into the pre-dawn sky from a first-floor building. It was one of the largest in the small town she and her compatriots had invaded and was formally the makeshift camp HQ. Around her abandoned desks were covered in pieces of paper containing lists of the town's supplies, the number of people that needed to be fed, and the future plans they had to expand. All of it now redundant. The two hundred odd former occupants had been sent back west to the growing number of blood farms, and the Alkrons they discovered had been sent to the specialized Alkron camps where they were being trained for the corporation.

  Things were proceeding well. Which was why she was angry that Rynon deemed it necessary that his two brothers come to babysit her. Having spent seventeen years in the army reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before being recruited by the CIA and eventually running her own station, she was used to others taking her lead. Still, the world had changed, and as her original CIA mentor used to tell her, ‘Adapt or die.’

  She saw the two Alkrons walking up the street towards the building. In the burgeoning light, she could see the dark patches covering their lower jaw.

  They have been feeding.

  Her irritation was added to by who they must have been feeding on. Her soldiers. She made a mental note to do a roll call at noon, to see how many were now missing.

  One of the brothers, the one with the long tied back hair, patted the other on the shoulder who seemed disinterested, then they disappeared from her view, entering the building below.

  A tinge of fear ran through her knowing they would soon be standing close by, but she crushed it. She wasn’t Carla Antos, she wasn’t going to run just because her new masters had fangs. Copeland and now Rynon were ruling by an iron hand because that’s what was needed. The Scourge destroyed society. That wasn’t going to be put back together easily.

  There was a light breeze, and she knew Tyror and Eltir were already in the same room as her. “I hope you did not kill too many of my soldiers.”

  Tyror laughed and walked a few steps forward, standing next to her. “Why is it I can never sneak up on you? You sure you’re not like us?”

  She looked at him, then back out at the sky now covered in streaks of pink and orange. “Nope, still human.”

  He placed his hand on her shoulder. She didn’t flinch.

  “Well, maybe one day I can change that for you. You would make a great hybrid.”

  “Leave her alone, Tyror. We need to discuss what comes next before the sun has fully risen. I’m tired. I do not care for the machines and the journey we made in them to get here…”

  The words lingered in Eltir’s mouth. It was obvious to Iona he hated where he was.

  Tyror enthusiastically sat on a desk, pushing some of the sheets off. They glided to the ground joining the others. “Yes. This other human camp south of here. We were told by our brother that the humans there are warriors?”

  Iona turned to face the hybrid king. “Former military of the country you are currently within. Yes. And my spies tell me they have a lot of, umm… you would know them as war machines…”

  “More of your human technology?”

  “Yes.”

  Tyror frowned. “Do we not have the same? I have seen a number of human flying machines here?”

  “We have some helicopters, yes. But they are just troop-carrying, not equipped for air to ground attack. I have squads currently looking in the military bases within a hundred miles from here to bring back what they find, but that’s going to take at least a few days—”

  “Rynon wants the camp taken sooner,” said Eltir. He looked more tired than the last time she had seen him. She wondered how that could be if he had just fed.

  “We attack with human technology or we attack with Alkrons—”

  Tyror stood. “No. Rynon says we do not use the Alkrons unless we have to. Humans and their technology will be used to take the human camp.”

  “Then we have to wait…”

  She noticed a flash of anger in Tyror’s blue eyes, which he quickly hid by walking away. Eltir joined him, leaving the room first.

  Tyror looked back from the doorway. “Only four.” He smiled, then closed the door behind him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Joel pushed through the long grass up the steep incline. He stopped and looked back to make sure the others weren’t far behind. Carla led Dalton, Amos, and the others up the trail from the creek. After leaving the parking lot an hour earlier they had found more than enough small boats in people’s yards near the river to take them in the direction they needed to go. Towards the small town of Hullstop. It had only been a few days since they were just five miles further to the south and west of their current location, and they presumed the corporation was still there. Back at the camp, a small hill, the highest point for miles was chosen as the perfect location to spy on the town below.

  As Carla and the others drew close, Joel turned and continued up the slope, which had changed from being a field to being a large backyard of one of a few homes perched on the hill. A radio mast also stood proud against the early morning sky.

  He approached the back deck of a large single-story home and ignored the sounds that were behind him, instead concentrating on the shadows within the wooden house.

  No vamps, no humans.

  He walked up on the planks and pulled the screen door back, and then tried the handle of the rear door which opened. Inside, the world had not ended. Pillows sat neatly on a patterned sofa. A coffee table contained vases with dead flowers, the petals having fallen onto a few large hardback books about exotic locations. A flat-screen TV sat mounted on a wall, and to his right kitchen counters filled out a smart looking country kitchen, with only dust to spoil the scene.

  “I presume no one’s home,” said Carla, walking inside behind him.

  Before Joel replied Dalton did. “Ain’t been anyone here for months.”

  All the others started to pile inside.

  Carla continued walking along the central hallway and then split off to a bedroom which was at the front of the home. This room was equally well kept with the bed looking like it had never been slept in. She ignored the comfort and walked to the window. It had a perfect view of the town three miles to the northwest. The main street with a series of mid-twentieth century buildings stood out in stark contrast due to the long shadows. From there a series of linear streets spread into a small group of suburbs, broken up by three or four larger multi-story buildings which she presumed were a school and maybe a medical center. The exterior camp fence was just visible running across nearer fields being lost when it continued into woods. She nodded to herself then walked back to the dining area.

  “Listen up everyone,” said Carla. “Stay low near the windows, especially near the front of the house. Keller, Ford. You’re both on first watch. You got your notebooks. I want everything you see in those binoculars and scopes jotted down and then passed to me. Next shift starts in four hours.”

  Everyone looked at their watches, then Keller and Ford disappeared into the bedroom.

  Amos, Dalton, and Gigi moved into the living room making use of the sofa, while Kizzy was raiding the kitchen cupboards.

  The sun was now fully above the horizon and bathing the right side of the house in warmth. Joel could feel the presence of the sun’s rays and fatigue was starting to weigh on him. “When you sending the first recon team out?” he said to Carla.

  “Soon. First, we see what we see for an hour. Try and get a sense if they have any patrols out.”

  “They don’t,” said Amos, leaning back in an armchair.

  “You can’t sense anyone nearby?” said Carla.

  Kizzy squealed on finding a box of crackers.

  “Nothing within a few hundred yards,” he replied.

  “What about further? Can you sense the town from here?”

  Kizzy brought the box with her and sat in front of the TV, her eyes fixed on the lifeless box. Amos laughed to himself on seeing her mind playing some of her favorite shows on the blank screen. He looked up at Carla. “From this distance, I can just sense a mass of people, that’s all. Like white noise. I’ll need to be a lot closer to get a read on individuals.” He leaned down trying to grab some of the dry food from Kizzy.

  Carla nodded. “Everyone get some rest. We got a long day ahead of us.”

  *****

  Marina’s eyes were heavy but Jess had woken and she wanted some time with her daughter. The sun streamed through the blinds of the apartment she had been given. Marina kept her distance from the bright strips that were slowly making their way across the kitchen worktop. As Jess ate some breakfast cereal she sucked on the straw of a blood bag, some of the supply she had snatched from the warehouse.

  “Are we going to go shopping today?” said Jess.

  The question took her mother by surprise. “Shopping?”

  Jess nodded while taking another spoonful of the sugary pieces.

  “I… are there shops open in the town?”

  Jess nodded again.

  Jasper wondered out from one of the bedrooms, rubbing his eye. Marina could never tell when the boy had been sleeping or whether he had just laid there for hours fully awake. But as he walked and then jumped up on a stool in the kitchen he looked tired.

  Jess pushed the cereal box, carton of long life milk, and a plastic bowl across to him, and without questioning the offer, he started to make his breakfast.

  Marina secretly smiled. She still didn’t fully understand what the boy was, other than he had an uncanny knack to know where vamps were at all times.

  Another bedroom door opened and a sleepy looking Mary stepped into the hallway. She started to talk but stopped when a knock came from the apartment’s front door.

  Everyone looked at each other.

  “I’ll get it,” said Marina, stepping off her own stool. “Who is it?” she said to the wooden door.

  “It’s General Galloway. I was hoping to have a word with you.”

  Marina opened the door. The smaller woman stood with her usual army cap hiding her graying blonde hair. Marina stepped back.

  “I was hoping to talk in private.” It was said more as a statement than a question.

  Marina looked back to make sure Mary was with the kids and then moved outside, pulling the door closed. She noticed the soldier standing guard at the end of the hallway near the entrance to the stairs.

  The general smiled. “Let's go for a walk.”

  A few moments later after descending two floors, they were walking along the sidewalk near the center of town. The morning sun beamed down, and she regretted not having sunglasses, although the heat didn’t seem to bother the general.

  Galloway noticed Marina squinting. “Yes, the sun isn’t quite as pleasant for us as it is for most other folks. But I still enjoy my early morning walks regardless!”

  They continued walking in silence. The soldier kept up with their pace, staying a few yards behind them. Marina waited for the general to tell her what the point of this was but hadn’t really had a chance to explore the area, so was glad to do so. She was surprised to see open stores and people going about their business.

  Galloway briefly waved her hand in front of them. “I can tell you’re surprised.”

  “I’ve not seen a camp yet that has managed to hold on to the old way of life. This place is the first.”

  The general smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Then her demeanor grew darker. “But it hasn’t been without its sacrifices.”

  They stopped in front of a small lawned area which was positioned in front of a church. The general walked forward and sat on a bench, Marina sat next to her.

  “I wanted you to see what we’re fighting for. Life… all life, human, whatever the hell we are. All of it can still have nice things. The things we all used to have.” She shook her head. “As if we didn’t have enough on our plates already with the vamps, now we got our kind working against us as well.”

  For a moment Marina wasn’t sure what she meant, then she realized she was referring to Copeland.

  “And that’s what I want to talk to you about…”

  Marina was still waiting for the point.

  “I make it my business to know the abilities of all those that I allow to stay within these walls. And it has come to my attention that the boy who is in your care—”

  Marina’s face grew tight. “What about him?”

  Galloway briefly lifted her hand. “We’re just having a conversation. That’s all. But I have learned that he has the ability to track our kind over great distances. That he even tracked Joel across the country? And that’s how the corporation caught up with all of you?”