Vampire Apocalypse Books 1 - 3, page 22
The third lieutenant, Thiebes, took a hellish form like nothing even Nero had ever seen. Sticky ochre, the colour of congealed blood, covered its body. Its face was stretched impossibly over a cavern of wickedly sharp teeth. Its red eyes were set deep into its angular head. The creature pivoted back on its short arms and brought its massive legs crashing into the door in a seesaw motion.
The concentration and energy needed to assume and retain these forms was phenomenal. All three would need to feed immediately after they broke through. Indeed, they would need to gorge on the humans to recover from such exertions.
Still, thought Nero, there’s plenty to go around.
The noise was unbearable. The constant hammering made everyone flinch with each impact. Harris looked over at Rodgers and Reiss, both men injured with their legs in bandages, but adamant that they would not slow down the escape party. Rodgers caught Harris’ eye and winked, a stupid, wide grin transforming his features for a few seconds before grim determination took its place. Harris smiled in acknowledgement and shook his head.
Things just wouldn’t be the same without him, Harris thought.
Reiss lay propped against the far wall, his leg heavily bandaged. Four machine guns lay against the wall beside him, and a pile of magazines sprawled on the floor in easy reach.
Dan Harrington and Father Reilly crouched together to his left, and just past them Harris could see Pat Smith, the portly, bald-headed chemist upon whose “magic” bullets all their lives depended. Smith must have sensed Harris’ gaze as he glanced over and nodded towards him, attempting a smile; nervousness got the better of him and the smile fell from his lips.
He felt a hand touch his own and broke the gaze to look at Sandra Harrington and smile. She smiled back, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She looked tired and frightened. He took her hand in both of his and squeezed gently, and then looked along the line at the forty or so men and women. A deep pride swelled in him. No one here had chosen this path, but each and every one of these people was prepared to die, prepared to give the others time to escape through the water tower.
While the vampires” attention was centred on the main entrance of the Cave, the rest of the community would make their way through the water tower and into the forest beyond. They didn’t worry about the vampires trying to use that entrance as they had left just enough water in the bottom of the tanks to make assault impossible for the creatures, even if they did find it.
Harris looked at his watch.
Another ten minutes and they’ll be clear, he thought.
Now that Crockett was dead, only Father Reilly and himself knew about their final, desperate gambit. The knowledge weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had sought and received absolution from Father Reilly earlier, and now kept checking his waist for the small metal box secreted on his belt.
All along the line, men and women dried their sweating hands against trousers and occasionally shifted position when muscles cramped. Each person’s attention was riveted on the metal door.
The pounding continued.
The metal finally split with an ear shattering crash. A tear appeared almost perfectly down the centre. The remains of the door flew to either side and the entire corridor shook when the heavy doors crashed against the walls. People swallowed on dry throats and knuckles went white as they gripped their weapons tighter. From the faint mist of dust and destruction emerged three visions from hell that pushed through the smoke and approached the humans. The barricade had looked strong and unassailable just minutes before, but when Harris looked up at these creatures it now seemed woefully inadequate.
“Steady!” he heard himself croak and he gripped Sandra Harrington’s hand tighter. His legs felt less than steady as the creatures thundered closer.
“Steady!” he called again and then, just as the creatures came in line with a mark on the wall, his arm flashed down.
“Now!” he shouted.
Chapter 29
Rodgers heard Harris shout and swung his axe against the tail end of the rope that was held taut to a metal clasp in the wall. The rope was thick and tied securely to ensure it could hold the enormous weight of their last surprise. The rope snaked up the wall, held in place with tacks, until it reached a metal ring set into the ceiling. Attached to this was a hook that held a very large wooden frame in place, flush with the ceiling. The frame stretched across the entire corridor and, before it had been tied in position, had reached down to about three inches from the ground.
The frame had multiple spikes protruding from the wood and their points were wickedly sharp. This gambit had worked well in the forest and Rodgers hoped to God that it would stop the three creatures that were advancing on them now. Fear rose like bile in his throat and he hacked repeatedly at the rope. Sweat seeped into his eyes.
Sweat rolled down Harris’ back as he watched the creatures get closer. His eyes moved frantically between Rodgers and the creatures like some demented tennis match, and he willed the rope to break. The lead creature, some form of Minotaur, had the longest legs of the three. It cleared the smoke, seemed to notice Rodgers, and stopped suddenly. The other two quickly caught up.
* * *
The creature known as Pollock thundered down the corridor in triumph. The energy it had exerted from destroying the door and retaining its form had worked up an appetite that gnawed at him. The hunger, like a physical pain deep in his stomach, wanted to be sated; its massive jaws dripped saliva as he anticipated the slaughter to come.
Pollock looked down at the humans crouched in fear behind a pitiful barricade and laughed at their stupidity. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a human frantically strike the wall and he slowed, well aware of how tricky they could be.
* * *
Fear engulfed Harris when he watched the creature trace the line of rope with its eyes. He registered a change on the monster’s face. He couldn’t read the features, but he reckoned that the creature had worked out what was about to happen. The monster turned to shout a warning, but in the same moment the rope finally separated and Harris heard a whoop of delight from Rodgers.
Freed of the rope, the hook slid easily from the clasp in the ceiling and the frame began its downward descent.
* * *
The other vampires held back to allow the three lieutenants the first blood. The air was charged with the expectant carnage that was sure to follow. Nero watched his lieutenants approach the barricade.
Finally, this annoying resistance comes to an end, he thought. His eyes glowed with anticipation. The rest of his brood waited impatiently at the entrance, like puppies straining against a lead. Nero held them back with a glowering look; he wanted to savour this victory. The vampires were impatient, but held their positions reluctantly, each one raising his head and sniffing the air. The stench of fear was rank in the enclosed area and Nero knew that even his iron will could not hold them once the carnage began and the blood scent reached them. At that stage, though, there would be plenty for all.
* * *
Narcissus saw Pollock slow and then stop. His eyes flickered in every direction, and he wondered why Pollock wasn’t moving. He knew there must be a good reason and so slowed his own advance. Pollock turned toward him, and Narcissus watched the frame swing down from the ceiling and impale the vampire with such force that his body was picked up and lifted high as the frame completed its swing. One of the spikes ripped through Pollock’s neck muscle, and bright blood pumped outward in great gushes. Narcissus barely had time to react before the frame continued its arc, ripped into his flesh, and shattered his bones. He felt spikes tear into his shoulder and his left arm went numb as the sheer force of the blow crushed muscle and cartilage. The second spike nicked his upper thigh and, rather than penetrating the flesh, it tore a ragged furrow along his leg.
The third and final spike tore through his middle, destroying his spleen, colon and stomach on its way. The pain was excruciating and, though he knew he could survive such damage, the wounds would never truly heal.
The frame ground to a jarring halt and slammed into Thiebes. Narcissus screamed when the weight of Thiebes slammed into him and dragged against his own body. He fell to the floor and his wounds tore further when he slipped down the frame. Narcissus looked over at Pollock, but the creature wasn’t moving.
He heard Thiebes bellow with anger as he pulled himself from the spikes and gripped his leg where a nasty wound bled copiously. Narcissus knew that all three of them would be dead if Pollock had not seen the trap at the last minute. Slowly he began to pull himself from the frame and slumped to the ground, panting. The pain was so intense that it distracted him. The change came upon him and his ruined body slipped back to human form. Agony tore through him, but he savoured it, knowing he would use the pain to focus. He would allow himself just enough time to heal and then he would enjoy repaying the humans for their trickery.
* * *
Nero’s grin of triumph slowly melted when he saw the frame drop from the ceiling and slam into his lieutenants. The sheer speed of the trap took him completely by surprise and caused him momentarily to lose control over the other vampires. The heavy, sweet scent of blood filled the enclosed area and sent the other vampires into frenzy. Relaxing his control allowed the pack to swarm into the charnel zone.
Relatively new vampires that had never experienced a massacre on this scale were intoxicated by the scent of blood. They immediately attacked the source of the precious liquid and pounced on the wounded lieutenants, ripping into their torn bodies with wild abandon. Teeth tore into any exposed area, and fresh blood gushed into eager throats and splattered everywhere.
Thiebes grabbed two of the attacking vampires, gripping their heads in his massive hands, and tore them from him before he slammed them against the wall. Their heads were smashed to pulp and their bodies dropped limply to the floor. Thiebes reached for two more of the frenzied creatures.
Narcissus lay on the ground. Three Vampires descended on him and plunged their teeth into him greedily. The recent excesses of holding his massive form together and the subsequent shock to his system by the frame had obviously left him weak. He didn’t even try to stop them as they literally drained him.
* * *
Nero recovered from the shock and screamed at them to stop, but his voice was lost in the general melee of screams and growls coming from the corridor. He focused his will and sent out a strong command through the mind link he maintained with his clan. The mental command was so strong that it was like a physical blow. The Vampires all stopped immediately, stunned by the force and disorientated by the unexpected communication.
Thiebes ignored the command, picked up another vampire in his massive arms, and tore it in two.
Nero was with them now. He lost his temper and in a blur of motion he appeared beside his lieutenant and reached out to stay his hand when he reached for another.
“You fools,” Nero hissed. “They are the enemy.” His arm shot out and pointed at the barricade and the humans behind it.
* * *
Harris was at a loss to explain the carnage that erupted after the frame had come down, but was delighted to see the Vampires fighting amongst themselves. One of the older creatures was definitely dead. The other two were injured, although how badly he couldn’t tell. At least twenty other Vampires were left, including Nero.
“Damn!” Harris muttered when he saw the creatures stop their infighting and turn their attention on the humans. One of the larger creatures, the one covered in a dark red, almost claret, sticky substance, leaned back on its massive arms and kicked at the frame. He shattered it with one leg lunge. Harris ducked down as splinters and shards of wood flew at the barricade and ricocheted off the metal in a dangerous hail. Some people grunted as wood cut flesh and ripped into muscle. Harris glanced up and down the line to ascertain the damage and saw numerous people holding limbs, but no serious injuries. He sighed with relief and then saw the hoard advance.
“Heads up people!” he shouted. “Here they come!”
Chapter 30
The Vampires descended on the barricade in a swarm, snarling and growling their hatred. The sheer speed and ferocity of their attack took many of the humans by surprise; some of them actually dropped their weapons and backed away from the barrier. The remaining humans frantically tried to stretch their numbers further along the line to make up for the gaps. Harris could see their fear. They shifted their gaze from him to the approaching creatures and back again, waiting for the signal.
The creatures moved unbelievably fast and crossed the distance in no time. They were nearly on top of the barricade. Guns started to slip in palms slick with sweat. Still, Harris stood with his hand raised. It wasn’t until the first slavering creature actually touched the far edge of the barrier that Harris dropped his arm and the humans finally let loose a devastating hail of fire on the creatures.
The first volley of fire slammed into them like a wall and stopped them dead in their tracks. The lead Vampires laughed when the bullets hit them, but then uncertainty replaced their original confidence. Pain registered on their faces, a hot searing pain that remained long after it should have. The bullets continued to fly and the enclosed corridor stank with cordite. The force of the bullets pushed the Vampires back and their bodies jerked spasmodically with each impact.
The five leading vampires took the brunt of the barrage and their bodies were riddled with bleeding holes. The humans who had initially dropped their weapons could now see that the vampires were being forced back. Encouraged, they began to filter back, pick up their weapons and add to the carnage.
“Hold your fire!” Harris screamed until he was hoarse. He saw that the vampires were falling back. Sporadic fire continued for a few more minutes and some people, deafened by the noise, had to be shaken by their colleagues to bring them back to reality.
The silence in the corridor was eerie and the smoke from the gunfire only added to the gothic atmosphere.
“Did the bullets work?”
Harris’ ears were still ringing from the noise. He barely heard Sandra Harrington’s question.
“I don’t know!” he shouted his reply. “We pumped so many rounds into them that even normal bullets would have driven them back. We’ll have to see if they heal.”
* * *
Nero fumed as he looked down at the creatures that had led the charge. “What’s wrong with them?” he bellowed. “Why don’t they heal?” His voice had a touch of desperation about it and the other creatures shifted uncomfortably at this lack of confidence.
The creatures, six in all, were horribly deformed. The sheer force of the bullets had torn flesh from their bodies; bloody, oozing holes covered their torsos. Normally these wounds would have already begun to heal, but the skin around the open wounds was still burning and the smell of charred flesh was heavy in the air.
Two of the creatures were already dead, agony frozen on their faces. The other four looked dead. An occasional movement or groan was the only indication that they were still conscious. Nero had never seen vampires so weak and his mind was in turmoil.
This new development scared him.
Vampires were immortal, created to rule this pitiful planet and all its inhabitants. It was bad enough that they had a weakness for wooden stakes and holy water, but a smart vampire easily avoided these. Bullets, however, were a different story completely. The sheer scope of the problem nearly overwhelmed him and his indecision was having a negative effect on the other vampires.
Nero straightened to his full height. He had made his decision. These humans must be destroyed no matter the cost. The alternative, if they survived, was incomprehensible. This new weapon could see the tide turn for humans. They might regain their dominant position on the earth and that could not be allowed to happen.
“Thiebes!” he shouted, confidence again oozing from his erect figure. “This new development cannot be allowed to go any further. It must end here. Do you understand what I am saying?” Nero looked straight at his lieutenant as he spoke.
Thiebes nodded his understanding, bent down to two of the dying vampires and lifted them easily. He draped them over his shoulder, settled them in position to cover his vital organs, and looked one final time as his master. He nodded and then pounded back down the corridor toward the barricade.
* * *
Harris felt the thump of the approaching vampire long before he saw him. The massive figure suddenly came into view and Harris blanched at its sheer size. He had only caught glimpses of the ancient creatures before the frame had slammed into them, and the distance had made them seem somehow less impressive. This creature, however, was still thirty feet away and already seemed to fill the entire corridor. He looked down the line and could see the terror in his people’s faces. Each powerful step that rumbled down the corridor caused everyone to cringe as they watched in fascination as death itself approached.
Harris snapped out of his terror with an almost physical wrench. He could see that everyone was literally petrified, unable to attack or even to turn and run away.
Twenty-five feet.
Desperately Harris raised his weapon and shouted, “Pour it into the bastard!”
Then he opened fire. The recoil slammed into his shoulder repeatedly. Bullets flew across the short space and impacted with dull thuds. The volume of his shout and the hammering of the machine gun seemed to break the spell. People along the line shook themselves and, one by one, they all raised their weapons and began to fire.
