C.O.T.V.H. (Book 2): Judgment (29 page)

"Copy that Bishop."  Judge's voice came across the radio.  "Continue to push forward into the complex.  We will meet up in the middle as planned."

Hearing this caused Jake’s stomach to drop around his ankles.  He wished more than anything he could run inside and help his Dad.  But orders were orders and it had been beat into his head enough times by his instructors to do what he was told.  Diana, Chris, and Whisper moved around restlessly as well.  Their fathers' lives were also on the line.

The thunder boomed up above causing them to jump.  The sun was getting closer and closer to being blocked out.  Blindingly bright lightning flashed across the sky.

"We've got survivors in the North Wing!"  Lt. Perry called out across the radio.  "I repeat that the survivors are in the wrong place!"

"Damn that's the smallest unit," Donnie said, pacing back and forth.  "They were just supposed to cut off any retreat from those not killed by the other groups."

"Damn vampires never do what they are supposed to do," Turner said, cocking his SAW.  "I'm going in.  Who's with me?"

"What?"  Jake, Donnie, and Diana all said, in unison.

"You heard me.  Let’s go, they need our help."

"What are you doing Turner?  You know we're not ready for this," Donnie said, crossing his arms over his belted chest.  His heavy battle-axe hung across his back.

"Stay if you want then Williams.  I always knew you were a punk."

"Donnie's right, Mr. Turner.  Let’s just follow orders," Amber said, standing next to her brother with her crossbow leaning over her arms.

"Orders?  Are you joking?  I guess Buck really does like them dumb.  We're not military sweetheart.  We don't have to follow orders."

"An asshole to the end, eh Turner?" Jake said, unable to hold his tongue any longer.  His encounter with Buck earlier that morning had been the last straw when it came to the Turners.  Everyone stopped and stared at him; utterly amazed those words had just come out of his mouth.  "Go ahead.  I'm sure your son is dumb enough to follow you into the grave but the rest of us are staying here.”

"You son of a bitch," Turner said, walking towards him.  “It’s time you learned a thing or two about manners, and boy I’m just the person to teach you.”

Donnie stepped in his path.  "Jake's right.  You wanna go, go.  But we're staying here.  You want to tangle with Jake, you’ve got to go through me first."

"Yeah, that goes for me too," Chris said.

"Bunch of chicken shit cowards," Turner said. “Alright Buck.  Let’s go kill some vamps."

"You don't have to go Buck," Jake said, “Follow orders, do what you're supposed to."

"Screw you pussy.  Go play with your new girlfriend while the real men take care of business."  Together the two of them jogged off toward the north side of the complex.

"Good riddance," Jake said, shaking his head.  "I hope they both get turned."

"You don't mean that Jake," Amber said.

"The hell I don't.  Those two deserve it if anyone does."

“God, can you imagine the vampires they would make?” Chris said.  “It’s like they were made for it!  I bet they’d be running the whole bunch within a day.”

"This is Smart.” The radio crackled with static.  “We just lost Perry.  Repeat Perry is KIA.  We're in full retreat."

"No . . .” Chris looked down sadly.  He and Perry had become close over the years.  He'd been her favorite student.  He gripped the rifle she'd given him tightly in his hands.

“I never thought they’d get her,” Diana said.  “There were times I hated her guts, but she was one of a kind.”

Damn, I always liked Perry.
  Jake thought to himself putting a hand on Chris' shoulder.  "You alright buddy?"

Chris nodded then put the rifle up to his shoulder and began scanning the buildings.

Lightning crashed nearby splitting a tree.  The whole team ducked and shielded their eyes.

“This is Bird One.”  One of the helicopter pilots called in.  “We’re going to ground, Colonel.  Lightning strikes are too close and too dangerous.”

“Copy that Bird One.”

A few seconds later another call came, “We're cut off!”  Smart said losing his usual cool.  “We are cut off! We've got thirty plus grunts on both sides of us, can't hold them long."

"Smart.  This is Castle.  Calm down and take a breath it's going to be okay.  Lucas? Are you able to help?"

"Negative.  That's a negative!"  Sounds of gunfire filled the airway.  "We've got our hands full."

Through all of the radio chatter, they could hear constant gunfire.  "This is Bishop! Smart hold on, we're headed to your position now," John’s voice called across the radio.

Jake held his breath as the fight ensued.  Rain began pouring from the clouds above.  The sun was now completely gone.  Jake heard something crash not far away.  "Holy shit!"  Chris yelled out staring through the scope on his rifle.

“What?” everyone said looking in the direction he was looking.  At least a dozen forms were running across the grass, their skin smoking.

Donnie got on the radio, "This is Echo!   We've got bloodsuckers moving across the lawn coming from the west building!  I repeat Vampires are in the open!"

"Williams this is Judge.  Where is Turner?"

"Your guess is as good as mine sir.  Him and Buck took off about twenty minutes ago."

"Son of a bitch.  Okay.  Williams take your team and move on those vampires, I repeat move on the vampires."

Jake cocked his shotgun and prepared for battle.  Donnie flung his battle-axe from off his back.  “Yes sir!” he yelled into the mike on his shoulder.

"Negative Judge!" Billy Williams’ voice came across the radio.  "Donnie.  Sit tight."

"Get off the radio Billy!  I gave an order; I expect it to be followed!"

"I don't care what you ordered Judge; I'm not sending my kids, against Makers!  They’ll be slaughtered."

"Williams this is a direct order, engage those vampires immediately!"

Donnie looked from Jake to Amber unsure of what to do.  "What do we do guys? Tell me what do we do?"

None of them spoke.  It was the report of Chris’ rifle that broke them from their trance.  One of the Maker’s tumbled over, a large hole in his head.  "That was for Perry!”  He yelled cocking the rifle and firing again.  Another vampire toppled.  “The sun is still hurting them!  We’ve got a chance!”  Donnie and Jake nodded to each other and took off running yelling a battle cry as they went.

The vampires were almost into the tree line, where they’d be safely out of sight from the sun. Suddenly Billy’s white van crashed through the chain link fence and slammed into the lead vampire before coming to a stop.  Billy and Cort climbed out shotguns in hand.

"Grandpa!"  Amber screamed running toward them.

Billy pulled his machete from its sheath and severed the head of the vampire stuck under his van.  Another swung his claws at him, Billy ducked taking its arm off at the shoulder, then swung around again decapitating it.  He could move amazingly fast for such a big man.

Cort shoved the barrel of
The Cleaner
into one of the monster’s mouth hard enough to shatter its teeth and pulled the trigger.  Its head splattered into bits.  Giant Bowie knife in hand, he thrust it through the beast’s chest severing its heart. 

Donnie was faster than the rest of the group and was the first to make it on scene.  He tossed the battle-axe over his head, burying it deep into the chest of the first Maker in his path.  Rather than taking the time to pull it free, he yanked the short swords from his belt.  His hands moved with blindingly fast speed, chopping, cutting, and stabbing.  

A bolt from Amber's crossbow pierced the chest of one that was about to jump on her brother's back piercing its heart.  Chris was firing his sniper rifle with precision accuracy, one by one splitting their heads open like watermelons on a firing range.  That coupled with the UV rays still streaming through the clouds was enough to slow them down. Whisper’s bow fired razor tipped arrows with precision accuracy, each one making contact. 

Billy and Cort quickly took the heads of any that hit the ground.  All of this happened in mere seconds but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. 

Jake lifted his own shotgun and sighted the closest vampire, a beautiful redheaded woman dressed in an elegant evening gown with a dark fur wrap over her shoulders.  He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened.  He cocked it ejecting a shell and pulled the trigger again.  Still nothing happened.  Dropping the shotgun, he pulled out his Smith and Wesson .357 and aimed it at her head.  She was now less than six feet from Donnie. 
Don’t miss!  Don’t miss!
Nothing happened.  He pulled the trigger nine times in succession.  Nothing.  
My God!
 "Donnie!  Look out!" he screamed at the top of his lungs dropping the revolver and grabbing for his axe.

Donnie turned at the last instant, impaling the vampire on his two Roman short swords.  But it wasn’t enough; she sunk her claws deep into Donnie's chest piercing his suit. Jake swung his axe with everything he had burying deep into the vampire’s back.  With a single hand she knocked him off his feet.

Jake landed hard on the ground and bit the inside of his mouth. Before his eyes the woman picked Donnie up off his feet, smiled a fang-filled smile at him, then squeezed, crushing his ribs.  A tiny gasp escaped from his lips as blood gushed out of his mouth. 

“No!”  A gut wrenching scream escaped from Amber’s throat. 

The vampire dropped Donnie’s broken body to the ground and licked his blood off her hands.  Cort, Chris, Amber, Whisper, Diana, and Billy all fired their weapons into the woman vampire at once.  She took the shots as if they didn’t harm her at all then yanked Donnie’s blades from her stomach and Jake’s axe from her back tossing them all to the ground.

Whisper put two more arrows into her chest.  The beast pulled them free and sent them back in her direction.  Both hit her square in the chest, she toppled to the ground, blood oozing from her chest.

“NO!”  Diana screamed throwing her trident with everything she had.  At that instant God answered the team’s unspoken prayers.  The sky parted for the briefest of moments letting the sun's rays pour through.  The red headed vampire, her skin ablaze, now with a six-foot tridents protruding from her back, escaped into the cover of the forest.  She gave Jake one last fleeting glance, smiling her fanged filled mouth at him then disappeared through the trees.  The last two Makers screamed out in pain as they burst into flames.

Donnie lay bloodied, a scorched skeleton sitting half on him.  Jake crawled over to his severely wounded friend and kicked it off him then knelt at his side.  "Donnie!  Oh no, no, no!  Donnie!" he cried out tears already streaming down his face.  “Come on man.  You’re going to be okay.  You’ve got to be.”

Amber cried out in agony, dropping her crossbow and falling to her brother's side.  “Donnie!  Donnie!” 

Diana let out a wail and dropped to the grass next to her severely wounded sister.

“Whisper . . . is she .  . .” Donnie wheezed.

“She’s fine.  She’s just fine,” Jake lied.

“Amb . . .” he tried to get out.

“I’m here Donnie.”  She gripped her brother’s hand.  “Just hang on okay.”

He nodded then looked up at Jake.  “Take care . . . of . . .”   he started to say between shallow, bubbling breaths.  His hand dropped from Ambers grip, his lifeless eyes stared up unmoving at the gray sky above.  He was gone.

"Come on Donnie!  Come on son!  Stay with me!  Stay with me!" Billy cried out.

"We need a medic now!" Chris yelled into his radio cradling Whisper in his arms.  “Whisper and Donnie are down!”

Jake wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand then grabbed Donnie’s battle-axe off the ground where it had landed when the vampire had turned to ash.  Without a word, he took off at a steady trot toward the wooded area beyond. 

“Jake!”  Cort called after him.  When Jake didn’t answer, he yelled again. “Damn it boy!  You getting killed isn’t going to bring him back!”

“We’ve got to find her!” he yelled back but didn't turn around.  He couldn’t bear to look at Donnie’s lifeless body. 
Whisper is she . . .
not now!  I’ll deal with it later!  Later!  First I’m going to kill that bloodsucking bitch!
  “She can’t have gotten far with the sun out, even in the trees!” he yelled back at his Grandpa.

“I know you’re hurting boy but don’t . . .” Jake crashed through the tree line ignoring the rest of his grandfather’s speech.

He heard someone coming up behind him; he turned expecting his Grandpa or Billy to be there, trying to stop him.  Instead, he found Diana.  Her eyes puffy and swollen, her face contorted into an unrecognizable mask of pain.  “Diana.  Go back.  Stay with the others!”

Diana knelt down in the grass examining footprints in the soft dirt.  “She’s headed North.” 

Jake gave her a skeptical look. 

“Look!  I may not be up to Whisper skills and I’m nowhere near Dad’s level, but I can track a lot better than you can.  Now.  Let’s find this bitch.  And when we do, I’m going to rip her fucking heart out!  I want her to watch me kill her.”

“Can you find her?” Jake said, kneeling down next to her.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Diana said, taking off into the woods.  Jake followed her closely, watching her work her magic.  They moved fast, Diana stopping here and there.  She lost the trail more than once and had to backtrack, but each time she’d find the tinniest imprint of that barefoot in the mud or a broken twig and she’d be back on the trail.  An hour and several miles later, they came upon a stream and the tracks disappeared completely.  Diana waded across the chest deep water and searched the other side for twenty minutes before shaking her head in defeat.

“Damn,” she said her voice filled with frustration.  “I lost the trail.”

Jake rested Donnie’s axe across his shoulders.  “Are you sure?”

“Yes I’m sure!” she snapped at him.  “If you think you can do any better have at it!

“I didn’t mean that,” he said, quietly.  “I just meant . . .” he trailed off.