Blood Apocalypse - 04 (15 page)

Matt closed the file and sat back with a sigh. “Do you know what the docs are saying?”

Dom shook his head. “No, sir.”

“They say you aren’t ready for duty,” he replied quietly. He saw Dom’s eyes grow wide and he prepared for a battle, but Matt threw a hand up. “Ultimately, it’s up to us.” He pointed at Laura and himself.

“I’m ready sir,” Dom stated, trying not to be too forceful.

“I know you think you are, but I wonder about your mental health, son.” Matt looked to Laura but she was still flipping through her copies. “I’m not trying to bust your balls either, I am genuinely concerned.”

Dom blew out his breath and shook his head. “Colonel, with all the crap he shot into my head, I don’t know how anybody could ever be prepared for something like that. But I’m dealing with it.”

Matt nodded. “Well, I don’t think you’re going to grab a weapon and start shooting at monsters that aren’t there or an
ything like that.” He gauged his reaction to the comment, “But I do worry about the stress of the situations we throw you boys into and I don’t know if you’re ready yet or not.”

Dom sighed and looked the colonel in the eyes. “What do I have to do to prove myself?”

“I don’t know.” He sat back and looked at Laura. “What are your thoughts, XO?”

Laura continued to study the reports and tapped at the side of her head. She looked up and saw Dom’s inquiring eyes on her. She glanced at Matt and tried to disconnect herself from her own emotions. She knew the right thing to do was to ground him for further psychological evaluation, but she couldn’t bring he
rself to do it. “I think,” she began, “we should throw him into intensive training with Tufo and the other squads.” She turned her eyes on Dom to watch his reaction. “Give him the most stressful environment we can and see how well he does. At the same time, I think he should continue to see the shrink.” She heard Dom groan.

“I don’t need a head shrinker, sir.”

“He asked for my honest opinion.” Laura set Dom’s report down on the desk and squared her shoulders. “You want back onto the grinder? This is how. You get back onto the teams, but you go through intense training so we can see how you deal with the mental and physical stresses. You also go and see the doc for another round of psych eval,” she stated firmly. “Otherwise, it’s cartoons and three square meals a day while you sit around and get fat and watch the other boys and girls play with all the cool toys and blow shit up.” She shot him an evil smile.

Dom shook his head and shot her a smirk. “I always knew you had a badass side to you,” he quipped. “If it’s a take-it or leave-it offer, then I guess I’ll take it.”

Matt slapped the table. “Good. Get your ass over to the doc for another round of tests so we can get it over with and as soon as Tufo gets back, help him set up the new training area.”

“Roger that, sir.” Dom stood and turned to leave then paused at the door. He looked down at Laura in her chair and whispered, “Thank you” to her before leaving. Laura blushed slightly and tried to hide her face in the medical file as she co
ntinued to browse the reports.

After Dom left Matt leaned back in his chair and studied her. “What did you really think?”

Laura glanced up and barely met his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.” The corners of his mouth began to form a smile.

Laura closed the folder and sighed. “I couldn’t do it to him, Matt. His getting abducted was
my
fault…”

“Bullshit, Laura!” he exclaimed. “We’ve been through this already.” Matt grabbed his bottle of scotch and a glass.

“Don’t.” Laura stood and took the scotch from him.

“What?” Matt asked. “You know it has no real effect on me. I just like the taste and the burn.”

“Then stop.” She stood over him, her eyes penetrating.

Matt looked at her as if he had just been chastised by his mother. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked, truly meaning it.

Laura sighed again and sat down. “I’m just so tired of it all. Matt, I’m burned out.” Her eyes threatened to betray her as she stared at him.

“It’s going to be okay, ya know? We have this attack to deal with, but we’re ready for it. We have monsters coming in to deal with the flood of monsters and we have weapons specially made just for this…”

“That’s not it, Matt. Not...entirely,” she said. “I’m just burned out. I’m tired of it all.” Laura stood up and walked to his window. She zoned out as she stared out at the campus. “All of it. I’m tired of watching the people I care about get hurt. I’m tired of feeling responsible for everything, even if I’m not. I’m tired of feeling…scared. I’m tired of…hell! I’m just TIRED.”

“You need a vacation.”

“I need a change of life,” Laura said with a chuckle.

Matt nodded. “You do tend to throw yourself into your work.”

“And sometimes my work throws me into a brick wall.”

Matt reached for the scotch anyway and poured two glasses. “Here’s to you, Laura.”

She turned and looked at him holding up a glass to her. “What are you doing?”

“Toasting the best damned Executive Officer I could ever have hoped to have.”

She shook her head as she reached for the glass. She held it in her hand and stared out the window again. “Mark will make a good XO for you.”

“Mark’s a good man. He can be a tough son of a bitch, too. A little rough around the edges…”

She snorted and shot him a dirty look. “And you’re not?” she asked mockingly.

“Well, yeah, but you’re so smooth and polished that toget
her we seem…I don’t know…
normal
somehow. With two rough edged SOBs, it’s going to be tough around here.”

“Now,
that
I can drink to!”

They tossed back the drinks and she winced. “Wow. I can’t get used to that.”

Matt smiled. “You don’t have to anymore.” He rose and patted her shoulder. “Go sign that silly letter of yours and pack your bags,” he said sadly. “I’m sure somewhere is a beach that could be vastly improved by your being on it in a bikini or something.”

She stared at him open-mouthed. “What?” Matt shrugged. “I didn’t mean that in a sexual harassment sort of way, you know.”

“I know that, you big goofball!” She slugged him in the arm. “I just…you mean…I thought you wanted me to wait until the whole attack thing was over?”

Matt shrugged again. “Why wait? You’re toasted. You need out. So go.” He hooked his thumb out the window. “Mark can step up and do what needs done.” She saw his eyes get misty and he turned away from her.

She couldn’t help herself. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him. “I’m going to miss you.”

Matt wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. “I know.” He sniffed. “I’m going to miss you, too.” He fought back an emotion that was foreign to him. The only way he could d
escribe it was that he was losing a daughter. He fought like hell not to think about it or he might do something totally un-macho and cry. “You got my addresses, so you better write,” he whispered in her ear before she let go of him.

She gave a choking laugh as she wiped her eyes. “You know I will.” She laughed nervously, unsure if this was really happening. She turned to leave his office and stopped at the door. “Thank you, Matt.”

“For what? I should be thanking you for all you’ve done.”

“For not holding me to my promise.”

“Forget about it. You need this more than we need you staying here acting all mopey and shit.” He waved her off. “But, what are you going to do about Evan?”

Laura shook her head. “I don’t know yet,” she admitted. “I’ll definitely tell him that I’m going, but I may have to come back from to time to visit, if that’s okay?”

“You’re welcome back anytime you want. We’d be glad to see you.”

“Thanks, Matt.”

“Now get your skinny little butt out of here and get packed,” he barked. “Otherwise, people might think that you really want to stay.”

“Roger that, sir.” Laura gave him a salute.

Matt smiled as she walked away and fought hard not to cry as the realization sunk in that she was the closest thing to family that he’d had in nearly a decade. He sat back at his desk and reached for the bottle of scotch. There was just enough left for one last glass. He stared at the amber liquid and heard her voice in his head when she said, ‘then stop’. He poured his last drink into his glass and placed it on his desk. Matt stared at it for a very long time, slowly spinning the glass between his fingers, still hearing her voice in his head.

11

Damien crept along the shadows as quietly as he could, his eyes darting back toward the sentries that were always on guard for any humans who might escape their confines and try to make their way out of the underground facility they were in. The dull thrum of the giant ventilation fans could be felt along the wall as he made his way along toward the stairwell that the vampires had been warned were off-limits. Apparently the stairs and the walls supporting them were of questionable condition, so the humans had declared them condemned. The vampires found rooms above and below the main floor they were on and felt that the dark lower floor would be a good place to store the bodies of the dead they drained, their bodies ripped asunder to prevent r
eanimation.

Damien had watched many humans dumped down below while still alive…so wasteful. Some with plenty of healthy, young, tender flesh clinging to their delicate bones, and the thought was driving him mad with desire. The others had fed ravenously when they arrived, feasting on the humans that were brought with them as if they would be their last meal and D
amien watched in horror as the warm quivering meat was dragged to the lower levels to be tossed away.

Paul told him he needed to regain his strength, so he had drained a young illegal immigrant and wanted so badly to render her throat—to chew his way all the way to the bone—but he dared not or Foster might get wind of his actions and lock him up again, or worse. So he was left scavenging from the wrecked detritus that was tossed away like so much garbage, left to rot and stink and putrefy down below their collective feet.

As he made his way along the back wall, he slipped from trailer to trailer, always hiding, sneaking his way to the stairwell. He followed the scent of blood, now congealed along the stairs where it had dripped or fallen from the dead they had carried to be hidden away like yesterday’s trash. When he was sure the coast was clear, he slipped under the chain and made a straight shot down the stairs into the darkness below. Almost instantly his eyes adjusted to the nearly pitch black of the huge open expanse where the bodies had been scattered. He found the remains of the young Mexican girl he had just fed from and went directly to her. He wanted so dearly to finish what he started.

He picked her body up from the cold concrete floor and lif
ted her to his eager mouth. As his fangs descended and he ripped a mouthful of tender flesh from her throat, he barely chewed the soft muscle tissue before swallowing. He tore off a second bite and relished the fullness that the flesh gave him as it hit his stomach. His hand slid down her front and ripped the short sweater from her torso revealing her small, pert breasts. He devoured her with his eyes before his mouth lowered to the closest one and he sank his teeth into the tender flesh, ripping it from her chest. He chewed the flesh slowly, rolling the nipple of her breast around in his mouth a moment just for the sheer joy of it before chewing it and swallowing it down and rending the other breast from her body.

Damien sat alone in the dark enjoying his meal of the larger muscle groups, the buttocks, the shoulders, the tender strips of muscle that run along the length of the back. He was just about to start on the inner muscle of her thighs when he heard a noise coming down the stairs. At first he wanted to panic…the thought of being caught eating the flesh of a human again. Foster’s words echoed in his mind again and he did
not
wish to see the true death. Especially for something as simple as satiating his appetites.

He glanced around the room and saw that the largest pile of body parts was right near the entrance. He dragged the remains of his meal with him and settled himself in with the other bodies and pulled the girl’s remains in on top of himself, hoping to hide from whoever was coming down the steps. Damien shifted the girl’s head to one side so that he could see out of the pile and waited for the intruder.

As the vampire entered the room, Damien couldn’t see who it was; he could feel his presence, though. He was an older vampire, at least a century in age. The power that came off of him was unmistakable. Damien feared it was one of the guards, probably one of Foster’s personal guards if he had to guess.

He watched as the vampire entered the room carrying two human corpses. The vampire paused and dropped both bodies to the floor. He ripped the head off the first body and threw it across the room, then tossed the body in a pile on the opposite side of the room. He then bent and retrieved the other body and pulled the head from it. He slung the head across the room by the hair then froze in mid action. He turned his head one way then the other, sniffing the air both times. Damien watched as the vampire strained his neck to listen. He turned first one way, then the other. Damien feared that he sensed his presence and forced every fiber of his being to remain still.

The older vampire stood for a very long time. He listened to every sound to the point that the silence was deafening. Finally he turned and picked up the body and slammed it against the wall with the other corpse. The older vampire stood at the entrance to the room, his foot on the first step of the stairs. He didn’t look back into the room but he spoke quietly, “I don’t know
who
is in here, but I know that you
are
in here.” He waited another moment before he spoke again. “Whatever it is you’re doing, you may well wish to rethink it.”

Damien didn’t think, nor did he make a conscious thought to act, but his body slipped from the pile of bodies just as the older vampire began making his way back up the stairs to the main floor. Without conscious thought or effort, Damien, co
vered in the blood of the bodies he had hidden under attacked the older vampire from behind.

He didn’t attack with fists or feet, but with his fangs, going straight for the neck, ripping out his throat, his hands attaching to either side of the older vampire’s jaw and pulling for all he was worth. The older vampire, not suspecting the attack, was taken totally by surprise and pulled back down the stairs and into the darkness of the room where Damien continued his assault.

The older vampire tried to get his feet back under him and counter, but Damien was like a madman. He jumped back on the older vampire’s shoulders and grabbed for his head again, pulling for all he was worth. The older vampire grabbed him and pulled him forward to face him, but Damien hooked an arm up and under his shoulder that allowed him to flip back and up on the other shoulder to sink his fangs into the vampire’s throat from the other side. With no way to call out for help and with his black blood gurgling forth, the older vampire was weakening quickly.

He lunged for Damien, who sidestepped him and got a shot to his knee, crumbling the vampire to the concrete floor. Damien jumped on his chest and sunk his hand deep into the older va
mpire’s chest, grasping for his heart. When he found the withered muscle, he grasped it firmly and ripped it from his chest, bringing it instantly to his mouth. The older vampire lay on the floor, his eyes wide with shock as he watched Damien devour his heart in front of him moments before the true death came to him.

As Damien chewed the withered heart and swallowed it, he felt this sickening feeling come over him. He suddenly felt
much
stronger. It was if he had stolen the other vampire’s power when he ate his heart…as if he had stolen his
years
when he swallowed the flesh. The sick feeling soon passed and Damien felt a rush of energy. He felt rejuvenated in a way that blood and flesh had never made him feel before.

He stood up straighter and squared his shoulders. Glancing at the doorway that led to the stairs, Damien knew that up that flight of stairs were countless other vampires, their accumulated years went beyond
centuries
…into MILLENIA!

Slowly a smile started to curl the corners of his mouth as he realized where the true power lies. He knew he had work to do and little time to do it. He looked down at the remains of the older vampire and ripped a chunk of muscle from his thigh b
efore kicking the remains over into the pile of human corpses. Damien sat in the darkness and ate while he went about hatching his plans.

*****

Maria dropped her practice sword and glared at Hank who was dripping with sweat and breathing hard. “You’re going easy on me. Don’t do me any favors.” She ground her teeth.

Hank stared at her hard for a moment and lowered his sword. “I’m not going easy on you.”

“Yes you are!” She renewed her defensive stance.

Hank shook his head again and approached her but she braced herself again, preparing for an attack. “Wait.” He held a hand up to hold her. “Maria, I’m
not
going easy on you.”

“You were harder on me last night in the motor pool,” she said with anger in her voice.

Hank blanched at the thought that she might have been overheard. “Maria, what has come over you?” He quickly filled the gap between them and whispered at her, “Where is this anger from? I’ve told you to center yourself. Not to fight in anger.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” She pulled her arm away from him and turned her back to him.

“Then tell me.” He placed a hand on her shoulder gently so as not to get another brush off. “Open your heart to me.”

She turned on him and her eyes held not anger, but sadness. “I have opened my heart to you.” Her eyes threatened to water over. “But there are some memories that I’m not ready to r
ehash.”

Hank studied her a moment before simply nodding. “Very well.” He cupped her face. “But know that I’ve never held back when we spar. You’ve simply grown too skilled as a swordsman for my tutelage.” He cracked a wry grin.

Maria shook her head. “I’ve seen you fight,” she whispered. “You were like a madman on that hilltop. Nothing could stand in your way and I could barely see your blades flashing in the moonlight.” Her words dripped with awe. She turned wide eyes to him and all but whispered, “I want to fight like that.”

Hank heaved a sigh and shook his head. “Then let som
ething threaten somebody you love more than life itself and you’ll see yourself fight like that.”

She stared at him dumbstruck. It took her a moment to form the question that hung on her tongue. “You loved me even then?”

Hank hung his head and didn’t dare look into her eyes. “Maria, I’ve loved you from the moment I set eyes on you. I had never believed in love at first sight, until I saw you.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Her voice cracked in her throat.

“You seemed…satisfied with Apollo.”

She snorted and shook her head. It was her turn to avoid his gaze. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

“I know. He’s become a very good friend to me as well.”

“He was there when I needed a physical urge met.” She f
inally met his eyes. “That’s all.”

“I know.” He pulled her to him and felt her melt into his arms. “I don’t want to hurt him either, but I also know that I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”

“You won’t. I don’t love him. I don’t think I ever truly felt anything for him.”

They stood there for a moment and lingered in the sweaty heat of each other’s presence. Hank finally pulled back and kissed her gently on the forehead. “Let’s not think of unpleasant thoughts right now.” He pushed her back and brought his sword to the ready position. “Let’s finish our workout. I need to try to improve my game.”

“You need to improve
your
game?” she teased. “Now who’s the teacher?”

“I think
you
are.”

As the two went back to their workout, wooden swords clacking against each other, neither noticed Dave Marshall had started to enter the back of the gym. He had paused at the door and heard their conversation. He quietly stood near the back and slipped back out when they returned to their practice, his thoughts heavy with the knowledge that Apollo was about to get his heart broken. Although he liked Apollo, and really didn’t care one way or the other if he and Sanchez were bumping uglies, he wondered if it made him a bad person that his biggest fear was how this would bode for the team if it all blew up b
efore the big war with the vamps. Would it tilt the odds against them? Marshall didn’t know one way or the other, but he hoped that Maria and the Padre had the good sense to keep their little tryst to themselves… at least until afterwards.

*****

Laura placed her bags into the back of the golf cart and waited while the crews offloaded the supplies from the plane. She intended to catch the flight back to OKC and take a taxi to Tinker, pick up the rest of her belongings and maybe go home for a while, perhaps visit her family for a bit before deciding what to do with her life.

She hesitated as she glanced back at the bunker, knowing that Evan worked diligently deep below in the bowels of the f
acility in his laboratory. She sighed heavily and pushed away from the wall she had been leaning on and strode purposefully toward the bunker. She had told herself that she could simply leave and maybe call him later to explain that she was never good with good-byes. That was why she couldn’t see him off when he was ordered to be imprisoned. It was why she couldn’t visit him. She couldn’t deal with the separation, the pain of seeing someone she cared about and not touch them, hold them, feel them wrap their arms around her.