Jade: Earth's Last Hope Against the Undead (4 page)

When the last of this horde had passed out
of sight, the scaffolding shook to life, on its journey upward once
again. Rising into the top part of the tree, Jade began to consider
how long such a large tree, some ten or so feet at its widest, had
been here. It had likely seen and survived many wars, one of the
biggest in fact.

But will it survive this one?

On top, she exited the scaffolding, still
following Kat. They walked along a large leveled base, as Jade
stared up at a green umbrella that was so thick she couldn’t feel a
single raindrop. They crossed to a very large limb and Kat
disappeared somewhere near the branch, heading down into the base
of the tree.

Dim lights, clearly the sort powered by some
solar resource, lit the now visible corridor. These lights escorted
them down a tight spiral staircase that ran in circles around the
outer rim of the tree. They came to a ladder and one by one they
climbed down into the base of the tree, where the quarters were
cramped and tight, but far more comfortable than the cottage.

“Who do we have here, Kat?”

His hair was graying and slicked back,
trying to appear younger than his true age. The look on his face
was astute and his thick-rimmed glasses suggested a higher
intelligence. She watched as he observed them.

“My name is Trent.” He extended his hand,
which this man stared at for a second before shaking. “And this is
Jade. We traveled here from New Jersey.”

“I see. And how did you hear of this
place?”

“It’s Valley Forge. How do you think we
heard of it?” Jade said.

He examined her with a curious eye, not
judging, but intrigued. Then he looked at Kat, waiting for an
answer.

“A horde was coming and they were in the
path. I decided it would be best to avoid them being eaten. That
might draw attention.”

He seemed to consider this for a long time.
Then he shook Jade’s hand as well. “Well then, so nice to meet you.
My name is Dr. Joseph Michaels. Welcome to our humble abode.”

“This tree is amazing.”

“Why yes it is, Jade. But you haven’t seen
anything yet.” He paused, grinning. “And this isn’t a tree at all.
It may very well look like one from the outside, but it's far from
anything so natural. Kat, why don’t you show them to the guest
quarters below?”

Kat continued down another set of stairs,
this time a much wider spiral. Jade pulled Trent, her interest
piqued. The farther they descended into the underground facility
the more she began to wonder how long this had been here and why
hadn’t she ever noticed it in the few times she'd come to visit
these historical grounds?

They were led from a vast conference room,
through a weight room, and other various rooms for singular
purposes. Their path continued down a long narrow hall that must
have extended some forty yards out under the surface. At the end,
they were each offered a room of their own. They accepted most
appreciatively.

“You can rest for now. We can go over the
rules later, when you are up to it.” Kat eyed Trent, perhaps a
little more than Jade liked. “But don’t go wandering off too far.
One can get lost in here.”

Jade looked at Trent and he grinned. Jade
couldn’t tell if it was the result of Kat flirting with him or
because of the enticement of good sleep. Either way, after that
glance he put a calming hand on her shoulder and patted it before
disappearing into his room. Jade entered her room and closed the
door.

In her dreams, she saw Trent. He stood along
a watery embankment, looking at her with tantalizing eyes. She
drank him in, smelling him, knowing his scent well. Then she was in
his arms, strong and supportive. He huddled over her, pressing her
face into his neck. Her arms wrapped around him and he shrouded
her.

Jade woke, her sheets wet with sweat. She
was hot and, though awake, still caught in a dreamland state where
Trent was hers for the taking. She closed her eyes, trying to stay
in that world. But the image of Trent faded to one of a woman named
Hiru. Confused, Jade lay awake for a very long time before giving
up and opting to check out the facility.

Her door popped open and Jade stepped out
into the hallway. The lights were dimmer now, their power beginning
to fade. She pulled the door shut, but not closed all the way, and
preceded down the corridor.

When Jade reached the stairway, she quickly
ascended; surprised no one else was awake. She wondered what time
it was, if someone might be awake up on top. Surely there would be
a guard at the very least.

As she reached the strange circular room, it
too was empty. Whatever candles had once lit the place had since
been doused. She found the other stairway and began the long climb
upward.

When she neared the top platform, Jade
hesitated, letting only the crown of her head surface as she
scanned the surrounding area. When she was convinced it was safe,
she climbed up and stared into the canopy above.

Hints of bright moonlight streamed down upon
her, and for the first time in a while she felt safe. She extended
her arms, stretching out her fingertips, and imagined the thin
streams of moonlight somehow revitalized her.

Then a noise startled her and she quickly
made her way behind one of the big limbs, trying to use it as cover
so she wouldn’t be discovered. Her eyes keen on the stairwell, she
watched as Kat rose from the depths below, also taking in the
night. But soon there was company Jade had not expected. Kat
addressed a vampire right there on the platform.

Concern overwhelmed Jade.
What have we gotten ourselves into?

She instantly lost that sense of being safe.
It was clear the vampires had found these people and, although they
were safe from the zombies, they were still very much in
danger.

She thought she could possibly make it to
the stairs without being seen, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to
leave just yet. Jade's stomach fluttered, demanding her to remain,
as she hoped to hear some details.

As much as Jade wanted to stay, she knew she
could not. She made her way quietly to the stairwell, not alerting
either of them to her presence. She began to descend into the
darkness. Before she could no longer see Kat or the vampire, she
paused. To her surprise the vampire’s eyes centered on her, wide
and dreamy. The look on the woman's face was one of curiosity. She
squinted, her face scrunching up.

Could this be Hiru?
Jade didn’t think so.

Still, she looked right at Jade and she at
the vampire. Their eyes met for only a fraction of a second and the
vampire smiled. Jade’s heart leapt, but Kat didn't appear to notice
any of this. Jade was both afraid and excited as she made haste
back to her room.

Jade didn’t sleep another wink. She was too
worried about what she'd witnessed. In fact, she couldn’t wait for
Trent to wake up so they could leave this place. She crept to her
door and opened it in hopes of not disturbing anyone.

“
Good morning, sunshine,” Kat
said.

Jade leaped back from the door, surprised by
the unexpected intrusion.

What time is it?

She scanned her room for signs of the time
but found none. She peeked past Kat, hoping to see a hint of the
time, maybe sun rays poking through. They were far too secluded for
anything like that.

“
It’s almost noon, if that is what you
were wondering.”

Jade gasped audibly.
Noon? How can it be noon?
It must
have been around midnight when Jade spied Kat up top, and now it
was already noon? She hadn’t slept a wink and yet somehow had lost
time. That wasn’t probable.

“
I need to see Trent.”

Kat hummed. “I’m afraid that isn’t
possible.”

Jade's cheeks flushed, and she felt more
trapped than ever. Yet she didn’t want to give up the facts of what
she'd observed the night before.

She knows. Why hide it if she already
knows?

But Jade didn’t know that for sure.
The vampire might not have said anything.
What would be the point of that? Why wouldn’t the vampire say
something?

She considered this, thinking of the
most obvious of answers.
Maybe she wants
to deceive them and saying anything about me would cause
mistrust
. Jade nodded to herself.
No. Maybe the vampire just wants me, to drain me
dry.

“
Wait, did you say it wasn’t possible
to see Trent?”

Kat nodded, a grin finding her small face.
“He’s gone out.”

Now Jade reddened with agitation. “Out? Out
where?”

Kat smiled, gingerly avoiding the question
to some degree. “All will be explained soon.” She scooted to the
side, ushering Jade through the door with her hands. “For now, you
can get ready for your day. Dr. Michaels wishes to spend some time
with you.”

Kat produced a fresh white towel from behind
her back.

Jade took it with a huff and went out into
the hall. Kat followed, closing the door behind her and leading the
way to the showers.

There, Jade would ready for her day with
many thoughts pressing. Where had Trent gone? What did the doctor
want with her? What about Kat and that vampire? And how had the
entire morning passed her by without her knowing it?

After her shower, Jade was led to a
conference room far below. The walls were lined with various
charts and graphs, likely war data and strategies for future
use. In the center of the room was a long wooden table. Several
chairs surrounded it. At each end rested a plate full of fruit.
Jade presumed one of these was for her. She sat in the seat closest
to her.   The doctor walked in, appearing a little grayer
this morning. It was obvious he too had lost some sleep and Jade
couldn’t help but wonder how much of that might have had to do with
the fact she'd missed time.

"My dear Jade. How are we this morning?”

Jade nodded, grabbed an apple and bit into
it. The sweet juices of the fruit surged into her mouth and she
couldn’t help but let out an audible hum.

“
Quite good, isn’t it?”

Jade nodded again.

“
It is the labor of hard work and
hydroponics.”

She had heard of hydroponics before. She
knew very little about the process, but she had a general idea of
how to grow produce without soil, using all the latest technology.
But where would they find the space to grow such things?

“
I’m afraid this facility is far
larger than you could ever imagine, dear.” He smiled coyly. “There
are several stories still underground that stretch out for miles.
Many tunnels. Many unknowns. And far too many dangers.”