

Revenant

By

R. Valentine

Epigraph

Nobody knows the exact time or day. Even the year it happened has been lost and forgotten—as time does when it slips by unnoticed—but the end of the world came and went, leaving in its wake a path of death and destruction.

The population grew to an alarming rate, and as a consequence, the human populace forced the world into rapid climate change; compelling the planet to turn on itself. Weather and natural disasters killed off the human race faster than they could get rid each other. Coastlines grew, while islands disappeared. Earthquakes and tsunamis took out entire countries, leaving extreme temperatures to take care of the weak and frail; starvation, dehydration and heat exhaustion were major players for team earth.

The apocalypse warned and foretold about for centuries was upon us, and millions perished under the force of rock, water and flame. Tens of thousands fled major cities seeking safety upon higher ground, while others went to smaller, underpopulated towns and untouched lands. Years of disaster passed leaving the planet's surface and the life on it forever changed. Buildings were ransacked, and towns were destroyed, and highways and streets were littered with abandoned vehicles. God and country had been replaced with fear and self-preservation; it was Martial Law, and then every man for himself.

Yet, this was only the beginning of Earths demise, with a forecast a barometer couldn't predict. The worst had yet to come, and it was then—during the quiet—that the eye of the storm finally showed its face.

The plague didn't spread like the old Hollywood movie scenes. There were no neat epidemic maps or calculations, and there was no Army, Navy or Air Force to guide us with direction and show us the way. The infection didn't spread like rolling waves or wildfire—there weren't enough of us left for that—but the infection was strong, and in the first days it spread quickly and with it taking thousands of the remaining few.

We have only ourselves to blame. When you bargain with the devil, he always collects his debt.

Life on our planet was dying, we wanted to survive, and they wanted to live, so when the Vampires offered a solution to both of our problems, we readily and greedily signed on the dotted line, neither party aware of the oversight they were making.

A world without humans meant a world without blood. Blood became the driving force that both needed to exist, so while they created "I-M", we formed the receiving lines. It wasn't mandatory; it was optional, but thousands of us lined up anyway.

Ageless immortality had been packaged neatly in a little vial. It kept the humans' human and the Vampires fed. The serum made us stronger, healthier and closely immortal without changing the person into one of them. For some it seemed a small price to pay to ensure the survival of the human race and in addition a regular blood donation was exchanged indefinitely, giving the opportunity for both species to live to see another day.

For the humans, it gave us an infinite amount of time to rebuild and learn from our mistakes; and with enhanced health, strength and durability to survive mother nature; it meant we were less subjective to the power and the force of her will. We would no longer die because of human frailty and disease. Sickness would no longer affect those who had taken the shot and our wounds would more easily heal.

The vampires gain was that of the sun, and with the creation of "I-M", they were no longer left to live in the shadows. Our blood was the key to their survival so when our population dwindled, so did their food supply. The inoculation was an antidote for death, it meant they would never starve and we wouldn't perish.

It wasn't until it was too late that we both understood what that would mean and that we had made a terrible mistake.

Everything dies, and when it does it stays dead—or so we thought.

Prologue

"Her heart has stopped!" The Vampire yelled.

The Doctor that sat across her body from him started compressions at the unspoken demand.

"Help me." He said as he looked up from her nearly disemboweled torso and demanded of the other Vampire in the room.

The Doctors CPR wasn't working, and she was dying. Dead really, but the Vampire refused to accept it. He would not let her die. And he didn't want to turn her against her will. Not her. But he was running out of options. And time. The floor of the bus was soaked with her blood, the metallic tin smell of it was heavy in the air, and her eyes were fixed on his face, unblinking and unfocused.

If this didn't work, then he'd have no choice. He would turn her. He had to. Even though they had only met a short time ago, he knew that his long life would be an empty and lonely existence without her. And he didn't want to be without her.

"Remove the bandage and open the wound." He told his friend.

The Doctor next to him stopped compressions and looked at the two Vampires. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Don't stop!" The Vampire barked at the Doctor, ignoring his question and the panicked demand of answers from her family and friends around him.

Ripping the sleeve of his shirt and exposing his forearm and intentions to the room, he brought his arm up to his face and opened his mouth, sharp white fangs were exposed for only a moment before they pierced his skin, deep into muscle. The canines sliced open his flesh, up from wrist to elbow, the cut like that of a master surgeon with a sharp blade, swift, precise and so deep the blood itself seemed shocked and hesitated to flow.

"Now." The vampire demanded, and then watched in horror as his friend pushed the tips of his fingers down into the serrated carving at her abdomen until his knuckles were deep within her flesh, covered in blood, and splayed her wide open.

Leaning over her, the vampire pressed down at the apex of his inner elbow and pushed his thumb down the cut he made at his forearm, forcing the blood from his veins and dissected flesh, and poured it into her.

Pushing down repeatedly on the gash of his arm to prevent it from healing shut, he drained his blood into her until it pooled in the base of her stomach.

"Let me help, you don't have enough blood to give." His friend said to him over the cracking of her ribs as the Doctor next to him continued to give her CPR.

Shaking his head at his friend and the creeping fogginess he was feeling, he kept going, pouring himself into her, pushing down and ripping open his wound again and again, feeling for the first time what it meant to be light headed.

"Then she'll take it all." He said, the desperation and despair laced in the words, as he poured his life into a dead girl.

Chapter One

"There's place and means for every man alive." – William Shakespeare

Running is an essential part of living these days. I run because I like it and I run to stay alive. Outrunning a carcass is literally a do or die kind of thing and a great motivator for daily exercise.

It was a crisp morning here in Thompson Falls, the air was cool enough I could see my breath with each exhale yet warm enough to be without a jacket. The small compound I call my home was still mostly asleep as I made a lap around the perimeter, keeping close to the steel fencing and guarded walls while I jogged. The uneven beaten down path of dirt and grass was a familiar comfort as I tried to ignore the world around me.

In the distance, just beyond the perimeter, I could hear the gnarling and shuffle of a straggler as it made its way closer. Only for a moment the desperate cries of hunger escaped the dead's lips before being cut off by the click, pull and a bang. The surrounding wilderness was quiet for a moment; my heavy breath a loud echo in the stillness of the early light, but soon the forest was happily chatting again, proving that even the creatures of this world were used to this new life.

As I rounded the last corner of my course the O Motel came into view and with it the first signs of life; my mother's room light was on. I remember when we first came to Thompson Falls. The O Motel had just been fixed and was the temporary housing that people were staying in until something permanent was available, but we liked it, so we made it our home.

Thompson Falls was a small town near the border of what used to be Montana. The area was colonized specifically because of its location and its uncontaminated condition, which was mostly unheard of. Thompson Falls is next to a brimming river and vast open lands, and because of its closeness to the mountains and the abundant life that live in them. It is perfect and ideal for hunting, fishing and growing crops. It's also a great location because it puts us far enough away from the bigger, infected areas but not so far that we could not to travel for supplies.

As I made my way in through the front door of the O the bell dinged with my entrance and the old door made a hollowing thud when I pushed it shut. I took off my running jacket and hung it on the coat rack before heading into the dining room. I could smell the fresh brew of the morning's first pot.

"Coffee's ready," my mother told me as she passed through the double swinging doors from the kitchen. The parchment colored paint was chipping from the small doors, exposing old pine wood through the cracks, but the rest of the O was nearly immaculate in its old-world charm.

The O was bright considering the floor, tables and countertops were all medium to dark toned wood. The light gray and tan stone accent walls helped with the light as much as the large windows around the space.

The setup was like that of an old bar and grill and became popular since it was the only place offering or serving anything like an old restaurant. We have a menu with daily specials, and close the kitchen after dinner, but we offer a place to relax with food and drink, and a bed to sleep on if you need it.

"Thanks." I said to her heading to the sink, first, grabbing a glass and filling it with water before pouring a cup of the hot stuff. "If you give me a few minutes to clean up I can make you something to eat before you go." I told her.

"Thanks, but you don't need to do that. I want to be early at the clinic today and I'm already running late." She said as she dumped the rest of her coffee into her chipped, oversized mug.

"So, you're running late for being early?" I cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Ha. Ha. Abby. Very funny." She said.

My mother Olivia and I first came to live here when I was nine. Commander Hendricks and his team found us after we had been on the run for several weeks. The commander was still putting the colony together when he found us and brought us to the Falls, when the small town had only around a hundred-people living in it. It wasn't long after our arrival though that my mother became something of a rock star and was quickly in high demand. Commander Hendricks was more than just the leader, he was also the resident doctor and until the point of our arrival he had been training people to help him practice medicine. Mom was being trained as a doctor when the plague first became known, and then after was forced to take a crash course as a field medic.

Unfortunately, it was quickly discovered there was nothing to be done once you were bitten or infected, and that the only cure for this disease was a bullet to the brain or a separation between head and chest. I was proficient at the former but found I lacked the required upper body strength to be any good at the latter – which didn't bother me all that much, getting up close and personal with any zombie was something that everyone strived to avoid.

Regardless, there were always other medical needs and for that the Hippocratic staff were always in high demand. When I was old enough to look over a gurney and into a person's mouth my mother taught me basic care and first aid, hoping I would follow in her footsteps and so I could help and work in the care center, but the job wasn't for me and after two years I threw in the towel. I didn't have it in me to stitch a person back together or hold a puke bucket for someone else to get sick in. I learned a lot over those two years, but I couldn't imagine myself taking care of people—in that setting—for the rest of my life. I knew she was disappointed; so was the Commander, but neither of them said too much, they both knew what I wanted to do. I guess I was more comfortable with the dead and killing them, rather than trying to save someone from it. Eventually, and as the town grew, more doctors and nurses came and my guilt over the disappointment became less and less.

"Will you be here when I get back later?" She asked as she gathered her things to leave for the day.

"Should be. We're still waiting for Rick's team to come in." I told her. Once I decided I would not work in the care center, I began 'slingin hash' (as Hendricks called it) here in the kitchen and serving drinks to the town's people when I wasn't on rotation. When I'm not working at the O I go out with the rest of the vanguard to collect supplies and gather essentials we can't make or produce for ourselves. Most cities that were still standing after the natural disasters stopped beating us down later became infected with the dead. They are crawling with grave mutants and the remains of which they refused to be, but are also loaded with product, food and supplies that will last us and generations for years.

There are thousands of cities and towns across what is left of the United States, Canada and the world, full of leftover commodities and it is our job to retrieve these items while disposing and clearing the zombied streets. Every time someone leaves the protective guard of the gates they are risking their life—and their death—but there are things left within the walls of old cities worth going after.

Our raids are rotated in shifts but there are several teams out in the morgue—the land outside the gates where the dead roam—hunting searching and rescuing, so when I'm not out there, I work here at the O and feed the locals, but, either way, I'm in the business of service.

"How long have they been overdue?" She asked me, trying to keep her voice even.

"Two days, but it's not a big deal so please don't worry about it."

"Uh huh." She said as she came over to give me a hug.

Olivia was just shorter than me by only an inch or two, putting her at around five-five and other than our smiles we look nothing alike. Shoulder length and wavy 'dish water' blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin are a complete contrast to my long and stark-straight dark brown hair, green eyes and olive colored skin. Apparently, I'm my father's daughter when it comes to appearances.

"And Zack? Have you heard anything else?"

"No. Hendricks hasn't said anything since they radioed a few weeks ago. I'm sure if he heard anything new mom, you and I would be the first to know." I smiled at her.

"You're right." She smiled back.

Zack was like my brother. He was with mom and I when we first came to the falls. He had no one so my mother took him in.

"Love you, mom." I told her as she moved toward the door.

"I love you, too." She said back with a smile.

We kept in contact with the other colonies and power the town with the energy from old solar, wind and water power plants left over from PEI, the Pure Energy Initiative enacted to combat global warming. Add that with our own minor production and we have close to a functioning civilization. It was one thing Hollywood did wrong in the old movies, we didn't lose all our technology or electricity, and we still had running water—usually.

We're able to keep in contact with the town when we are out on assignment using Satellite phones, CB's and radio waves, provided we have charged batteries and aren't too far away from a signal. I don't understand all the mechanics behind our ability to talk over long distances, or how we still have utilities most of the time, but I'm thankful for it. That's not to say it doesn't fail us often because it does, and it isn't an uncommon thing to lose contact with someone outside of the gates for no other reason than a battery went dead, or a wire got crossed, but it still makes us anxious and for my mom in particular its cause for alarm. She treats a lot of injuries and sees and hears things that make it hard for her when I'm out in the morgue and little things like a simple miscommunication make my life all that much harder.

After showering and getting cleaned up I passed the rest of the morning prepping for the lunch rush. Breakfast is cooked to order, but lunch needed to be prepared. There are a few regulars that come in and help in both the restaurant and the bar, and several part-timers that like to come in for the latest gossip or some other reason occasionally. Either way I hardly ever find myself overworked or asking for help to run the place.

The vanguard hang out here a lot when they aren't out on rotation and usually stop in for a drink before heading home when they get back, so the O usually gets the best beer, booze and frozen goods found (if there were any) when they return.

"Hey Gigi." I smiled at the little woman as she approached the serving counter a few hours later. "I didn't know you were coming in today." I said to her after giving her a hug. I can't help it, she's soft and warm and smells like my childhood.

"Sure, I am, it's Friday honey, this is when I make all my big tips." She said with a wink.

The world differs greatly from how it used to be, one thing we don't miss is the money. Currency, mostly, is null and void. We don't get paychecks, workman's comp or insurance—whatever that is—and we don't have banks, savings accounts or credit cards; we all just work in kind. We exchange in trade or barter; we do what we can to help each other out and provide a service in exchange for services provided.

The life we live now is beyond monetary gain or what we possess; being alive is the most valuable of all things and everything else is less than secondary. The items that used to be important or high end have little meaning in this new world—it all looks the same after it's been stained with blood, guts and rotting flesh—we use and take what we need and have no desire to compete with each other.

"What's on the menu today?" She asked, coming into the kitchen and wrapping an apron around her waist.

Gigi is a tiny thing, only about five feet tall and a buck twenty soaking wet. She has a head full of thick, stark white hair curled and usually in a bun. She has vibrant blue eyes and smooth and young-looking skin considering her age. She is in her late seventies, but you wouldn't know it, she's a spitfire of a lady and whatever Gigi says, goes.

"Fish and chips." I told her. "Grady's out back cleaning up the rest of his catch and Charlie's cutting potatoes."

"And you're making a mess with the batter." She said shaking her head at me. "Go clean yourself up and get out in the front." She ordered. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you kid."

This was her way of helping; taking my place and doing my work as a way for her to 'earn her keep' as she had once said. The O was one of a handful of places in town she could work at and it was only because it gave her purpose and pride I allow her to do anything. Gigi being alive and breathing and one-hundred percent human in this day and age were a blessing she didn't need to earn, but like I said—what Gigi says, goes.

"Ok Gigi." I smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading over to the sink.

"I see you got in trouble again, Abby." Charlie teased as she continued to cut up a potato.

"Yeah, I wasn't doing it right."

"You never do," She laughed, and then looked up at me, "kid." Rolling my eyes at her, I turned away and went to work in the front of the house—just as I was told—while ignoring Charlie's kid remark. I stacked plates and rolled silverware and made sure everything was clean and ready for when the lunch crowd showed up.

Gigi didn't talk about the zombies much, and she didn't use our terms when she did. If she ever spoke about them at all she called them the dead and nothing more. I think it was hard for her knowing what was going on outside the safety of the walls and she tried to forget about it by not talking about it in casual conversation like everyone else did.

Kooks, grave mutants, flesh monsters or any other term we could come up with applied to the original walking dead. They were the people that received the 'I-M' injection from the Vampires that would allow them to live close to forever, but then accidentally died from heart failure or brain injury or something else that couldn't be fixed with rapid healing. After they died, they came back as a walking, biting, infection spreading animated corpse.

Kids, evo's, ankle-biters, etc. were what we called their children. Kook spawn were smarter than their predecessors, they were stronger, faster and liked to hunt in groups. Essentially, they were the leftovers that got away. They are moving and mutilated body chunks on a mission to find blood and flesh. The kids were turned by the originals and somehow got away but were infected. Sometimes with just one bite, other times by not being completely consumed. These zombies are more intelligent through some sort of mutant evolution and prove to be the more dangerous of the two—even if they are uglier and sometimes have fewer parts to them—the kids parents are slow, dumb and weak in comparison.

Gigi wouldn't know the difference, she's never seen a kid and never will, it was only several years ago we realized ourselves that the kooks had changed into something else. When we finally realized it, most people that stay in town had never seen one and wouldn't know what to look for as far as differences. Unless you spend a lot of time hunting zombies, you don't pay too close attention to what you are shooting.

Plus, Gigi wouldn't use our terms to insult me, Charlie's just an ass like that.

"Abby!" Hendricks yelled as the door chimed with his entrance.

"Here!" I called back to him.

Commander Lane Hendricks, MD; Master of all trades was the big guy around town. He started up this colony many years ago and has been the man running it and in charge ever since. He's the go to guy for anything important, medical or anything directly related to the security of Thompson Falls, he's also the man that saved mine and my mother's lives.

"Hey peanut." He said as he sat at the counter across from me. He was dressed in his usual garb, a t-shirt, cargo pants and boots. "You have any of that lunch I've been hearing about all afternoon?" He said removing his cap and exposing his dark gray hair. He must have been to see Jess, his hair was freshly trimmed and buzzed.

"Grady's fresh catch of the day?" I teased. "I sure do."

"I'll take two."

"Coming right up." I told him as I turned to give Gigi the order. "Two fish n' chips please!" I hollered through the order window.

"You don't have to yell, I'm standing right here." She said surprising me as she dropped the fillets in the fryer.

"Sorry Gigi! I didn't see you."

"Well honey, we're the only five of us in here, I could have heard the good Doctors order from way in the back." She continued to chide me as she put down the sliced potatoes, "Even if you didn't see me, I'm not deaf."

I apologized again while stifling a laugh and turning back around to face Hendricks, he too was smiling as he greeted his mother, "Now ma, you be nice to Abby or she'll fire you." He said with a wink.

"She could sure try." She laughed to herself, "but I'd just keep coming back."

"Oh, I know." I said as I poured him a cup of coffee. I knew from firsthand experience she'd keep coming back; I'd already tried that once.

"Tsk-tsk." She murmured from the kitchen as she kept with her work.

"Abby, I need a favor," Hendricks said after taking a sip from his mug "and, I need you to keep it quiet." He finished saying, peaking my interest.

"Sure, what can I do for you?" I asked him eagerly. I'd been off rotation for a couple of weeks now and I was itching to do anything that didn't involve plates and beer.

"I need you to cover for me with your mother. I have to run over to outpost six and get rid of some neckers that haven't heard we don't work with their kind here." Neckers is a slang term for the Vampires that some of the guys use, the Commander has a strong dislike for them.

"I'm sure they're just passing through." I told him.

"This is the second time they've come this way, the guys at the post say they insist on aiding." He told me with a sneer.

Commander Hendricks had no use for vampires, and that was putting it mildly. When he first put this outpost together he made sure that everyone knew that it was an all human camp, no blood drinkers allowed. When he traveled, and made contact and allies with other communities, he clarified it he would deal with them but not their vampire counterparts. Most colonies were fine with this exception, but for a few it was a deal breaker. The protection of vampires was readily sought after in most communities. I couldn't blame them, they were stronger and faster and we all had to look out for ourselves and the ones we love anyway we can. If it wasn't for Commander Hendricks bringing us to the Falls, I'm sure we would have done the same thing.

The settlement itself is a decent size having just over six hundred people living here it isn't one of the biggest assemblies but still an impressive size compared to most. It is larger and stronger than some of the other outposts and provides protection that living outside the gates on your own lacks.

"Their people too Lane." Gigi chided him from behind the wall, "they're probably tired and hungry."

"They're not people, ma." He said through clenched teeth. "And they aren't welcome here. I will not have a bunch vamps sucking the life out of my people for protection we don't need. We can take care of ourselves, and they can move on."

Gigi came out of the kitchen and stood in the doorway while she waited for her son to finish speaking. She dusted off her hands on her apron and then folded then in front of her and gave him a look only a mother could before telling him, "You didn't always feel that way. It's best you don't forget that," and without another word she turned around and went back to work.

I wasn't surprised by their exchange, Gigi and Hendricks usually butted heads about this subject and most others, but it was enough to remind me not to get on her bad side. She may be in her seventies, but I was positive her wit alone would take me down without a fight.

No vamps, that was the one rule and because of this the outposts were constantly running off tourist vamps; they were the ones without any real purpose who were just looking for a warm meal in the form of a positive or negative blood type. It was a rarity we had any come this way that wanted to stay and help, most were just passing through.

Regardless, it didn't matter if they were tourist vamps or members of the VIG (Vampire Increment Guard), the Commander blamed all vampires for our situation, stating that it was their fault we had to protect ourselves from the dead and if it wasn't for the 'I-M' shot we wouldn't be living this way. I don't know if I agree with him, after all it was our human need and want to survive that is half to blame and neither party could have known the outcome of the choices they were making.

Even so, this was his place and his rules, or the rule and we all followed it. He was reasonable and listened in every other way and was open to suggestions, often making the people of the town take the lead on decisions just as long as they hurt no one else.

"Abby, please." He asked me again after a few minutes and a refill in his mug.

"Well, alright." I agreed to his request, "what would you have me do? I can be ready to go in five minutes." I told him guessing he wanted me to ride with him.

"No, no." He cut me off, "I need you to cover for me with your mom remember?" He said with a smile, "I can handle the neckers by myself."

"You mean actually cover with my mom? Why would she care?" I asked him skeptically, getting concerned that he wasn't telling me the whole truth. There's no reason he would need to hide what he is doing from her, this is our life and it was his job. She understood that, hell she was part of it.

"We are supposed to have lunch today." He explained after seeing the look on my face. "And after that, we were scheduled to do a minor surgery. I won't be able to make either since I'm going to the outpost; you're my buffer."

"Why wouldn't you just tell her? I'm sure she would have understood." I said as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"She was busy; I couldn't bother her when I got the call." He said.

I still wasn't convinced but Gigi had just put the orders up in the window, so I took the time to distract myself by putting them in to-go containers rather than analyzing his motives.

"Alright, well, take your lunch," I told him handing over the bag. "I'll put down more fish to go over there with."

He smiled at me as he stood, then kissed the top of my head before putting his cap back on.

"Abby, what do you think these are for?" He said with a wink. "You know I don't like fish."

* * *

"How was lunch with your mom?" Charlie asked when I came back later that afternoon. She had obviously been home to change since I was here last. She was in leather pants and boots that looked like they had socks over them at the ankle, a belt made of gears, coins and a chain, and her shirt looked like it was part corset. Her hair was rolled up in a messy bun and braids, and her lips were the deepest shade of burgundy I think I've ever seen.

"Remind me not to do any favors for Hendricks anymore." I told her deadpan, then grabbed a stack of dirty dishes and stomped off to the back where I vigorously washed them.

Lying by omission was still lying, and I wasn't too impressed with the good Doctor or his favor this afternoon. He left out the part that the 'minor surgery' they would be doing together was a cesarean section, in addition to the fact that it was my mother's first one solo. Pregnancies aren't all that common given the state of the world, and cesarean sections are rare because of it. She not only freaked out about the whole thing but as punishment for my part she made me scrub in and assist the other nurses. So, I am not very happy with Doctor Hendricks.

On the plus side, and after my initial shock and reluctance to even be in the room, we delivered a healthy baby boy and have added another member to our growing community. On the down side, we added another member to our community. It makes the job all that more important and worth doing but also adds the tiniest bit more pressure and about seven and a half more pounds of stress.

The dinner rush had come and gone by the time I sat again to take a break. Gigi went home after the lunch rush, so Grady took over in the kitchen while Charlie and I did the serving. Dinner isn't as busy as lunch, most people like to spend the evening and their dinner meal with their family, but we still feed a few and sometimes those families.

Friday's are busy nights for the bar, so we usually open the patio and pull back the sliding walls where the pool tables and extra chairs and tables are. Most people come in to blow off steam from the work week and get all the latest gossip and news from any vanguards that just returned.

The door clanged with the entrance bell as Don and John walked in, "Abby." Each brother greeted me with a head nod as they came in and went to the back corner to their favorite table. They were definitely brothers, they looked very similar in the face. Don was a little taller than John, but John was a little bulkier with muscle than Don. They both wore work boots, overalls and t-shirts. They both had dark brown hair, olive skin and straight white teeth. Don had green eyes and John had brown. They were quiet and well-mannered, and their accent reminded me of those old cowboy movies Hendricks liked to watch.

"Hi, boys." I greeted them in return, then grabbed a bucket and some beer. "Are you staying tonight?" I asked Grady through the order window in the back as he prepared to stock the cooler.

"Nah, not tonight. I've got some old computers Hendricks wants me to put together, see what I can come up with."

"Alright," I smiled at him while I filled the bucket with ice and shoved several bottles of barley in to keep them cool. He had fixed the ice machine earlier this week, so we were all excited about cold stuff again.

Grady was our go to guy for all the things techy, he was a genius. He worked magic on old computers and programs and helped keep the town organized for the Commander. I understand nothing that he does, but I know he had a hand in getting us connected with the other colonies through radio waves or some other magic form of communication. He also made it possible for us to keep in contact with the town while we were out on a job. He's smarter than all the other knuckleheads that serve, so naturally he takes a lot of flak from them about being a nerd, or what they assume a 'nerd' is based on ancient gossip magazines, tv shows and books.

Grady is older than me, but he has such a baby face he sometimes looks younger than I am. He's tall and wears his golden-brown hair in such a way that I'm never sure if it's on purpose or if that's just how he woke up. He always wears the same thing every day, a blue or gray t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Sometimes he wears glasses, they're either brown or black.

"Thanks for helping today." I told him before going over to deliver the beer to Don and John.

"How are my two favorite ranchers this evening?" I said with a smile as I sat their bucket on the table. "I hear I'll be getting some fresh corn soon."

"Yes ma'am, crops lookin' real nice. Shouldn't be more than a couple weeks er better and we'll get ya the best pickin' of the bunch." John drawled after taking a long swig off his cold beer.

"That's good to hear. We haven't had any since last season, it'll go quick here." I beamed.

"And how you doin' Abby? Them boys been treating you right outside the gates?" Don asked with his serious eye. It was a standard question from him and he always gave me a certain look when he asked.

"Oh, of course!" I waved a hand in front of me as if to knock the question out of the air. "Not one of those boys is dumb enough to mess with me Don. They know they'd have a world of hurt coming to them once they came back." I told him. "Plus, I carry a gun." I said with a wink.

"Well, if you ever need anything..."

"You'll be the first to know." I promised. "Holler when you need a refill. There's plenty more where that came from." I smiled at them again before turning and going back to the bar.

Don and John are two of the farmers that work over in the town fields; they're both big boys with fists and hearts the size of my head. The two brothers work hard and rarely come in, so when they do I try to keep them happy. The farm itself is located furthest from the main part of town but is guarded just as heavily as the rest. Thompson Falls is surrounded by a security fence much like you would have found around a prison back in the day, in fact the steel fencing is from an old prison; it's just the brick walls that are new.

The farm has some livestock and grows a lot of food for the town. That and with everything the vanguard brings in, what the hunters gather and the gardens we grow ourselves, we keep well feed.

By the time I went back to the front a small group of people had come in, and since Harper wasn't here yet and Charlie quit helping after dinner was served, I hurriedly went to the bar to take their order.

We had a decent amount of liquor to choose from and we never ran out of beer. We didn't always get the 'brand name' stuff left on the shelves from the old super markets and liquor stores, but we had a few people around town that had taken up brewing their own, so we kept the bottles and serve their private stock when it was ready.

I can't mix a drink to save my life, so unless the customer knew what was in it, they were shit out of luck. Blaise was the bartender, or mixologist as he liked to call himself, he was a chemical engineer with all forms of liquid. During the day, he makes Ethanol and Bio-Diesel for the town and cars to run on, so we don't deplete our stock when our PEI equipment is down, and, on the weekends, he mixes drinks for me here at the bar.

It was also nice to have him around when someone let the booze get the best of them and they got rowdy. Blaise was about six-five and two hundred and eighty pounds of muscle, he was a brick shithouse, and nobody messed with him. He looked mean even though he was as gentle as a teddy bear. His dark brown eyes, thick brows and long lashes matched his long black hair he wore it in a ponytail at the base of his head, every inch there was an elastic that kept the hair bound tightly together. His mocha skin complimented his features. Legend has it that someone picked a fight with him once and ended up in a coma for a month after one punch to the head. Blaise is a great guy and even though the boys like to talk shit, none are stupid enough to try and debunk the rumor.

By the time Harper had shown up Blaise had been here for a full hour and the bar was packed. She went straight to work after apologizing and giving Charlie the stink eye; those two had a thing for getting on each other's nerves (I told them it was because they were a lot alike, but neither agreed).

I was stocking the cooler in the back when the Commander opened the door and stood there waiting for me. I was still pissed at him for what he pulled on me earlier, but I knew it was nothing compared to what was waiting for him with my mother, still I gave him the silent treatment while I finished what I was doing.

After I was done with the cooler I started boxing up some of the empty bottles that had been cleaned and sterilized to send over to Summer's garage where she could fill them up again. Hendricks was a patient man, so instead of pushing me to speak to him he just helped me with my work and waited for me. I lasted about eight minutes before I broke.

"She made me scrub in." I told him. I tried to sound angry, and I was, but the truth was it was an amazing experience and I was glad to have been a part of it. I wish it would have been my choice however, and that I hadn't been tricked into doing it, but after I got over my initial reaction I was able to step back and allow myself to enjoy the experience. There aren't too many people who can say that as a waitress they went on break and instead of lunch they delivered a baby.

"She was really mad then?"

I looked over at him like he was crazy, raising my eyebrows at the ridiculous question, "Yeah." I told him nodding my head.

"I should probably get home."

"You should probably go into hiding and change your name." He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at me, "She'd find me."

"I have no doubt." I said, turning again to face him as he had done then gave him a smile to let him know all was forgiven.

"I wasn't completely honest with you today Abby and I apologize, I should have warned you about what you were walking in on. To be fair, I knew she would be fine and that your mother just needed to be pushed, but it was wrong of me to push you and use you as my poker, so, I am sorry." He told me sincerely.

I shrugged it off knowing he didn't mean any harm, "You're forgiven, but just so we're clear, I won't be doing any more favors for you...at least for a while." I told him seriously.

Commander Hendricks could be trusted—completely—that wasn't in question; his truthfulness or lack thereof got the best of him sometimes. When he thought he was doing something covert that would be beneficial but didn't want to tell anyone all the details if it fell through, he would dance around the truth. That it usually was beneficial wasn't the point either; he needed to learn that people could be trusted and that he could share his burdens.

"So, should I get her chocolates or flowers?" He asked making light of the situation.

"Well since we don't have either, I'd go with something more useful, say like a nice bottle of red from the back and a foot massage."

"Right." He responded solemnly, as if I just told him he would need a root canal.

"And unless you're looking to be scolded in front of a bar full of people, I would find her before she finds you." I added as I started for the door.

"Abby?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Giving him a nod, I made my way back to the front and behind the bar.

"Everything OK?" Blaise asked as I washed glasses and looked around for empties and those who needed refills.

"Yep, everything's great. How's it going out here?"

"Usual stuff, Charlie's in the back shooing away bar flies and hanging with her friends, the winos are getting ready to leave with a couple decanters of Pinot, the boozers broke two beer bottles and a glass knocking over a table on the patio, and Jeff just showed up and informed me Holden and the rest of the guys were on their way."

"So, same shit, different day huh?"

"You got it."

"Hey Abby, are there any more peanuts or popcorn in the back?" Harper asked as she came up to the bar with another tray of dirties for me. She was short, so I had to help her get it on the counter and then slid it away from her the rest of the way. "The farmer boys are looking for a snack." She finished saying once her fingers were free from the tray.

"Hmm, I think we have some popcorn, but not peanuts. Do you want to check, or should I?"

"I got it."

"Hey, are they hungry or just snacky?" I asked her as she made her way around the bar toward the double swinging doors to the back. The ankle of her jeans drug slightly on the floor over the back of her boots as she walked.

"Snacky?" She said and looked at me with an odd expression. "Really Abby?"

"What. That's a word."

"No, it's not." She rolled her eyes at me and flipped her blonde ponytail as she headed for the back. "And I didn't ask, I'll just get the popcorn and let you ask if they want anything more. I'm not opening that can of worms."

"Sure." I told her and then finished up the dishes before asking the two brothers if they were hungry. "Hey guys, did you want something more to eat than just popcorn? I can whip you up a couple of sandwiches really quick?"

"Thanks Abby, but we ain't wantin' to cause no fuss. This here popcorn will do us just fine." Don answered me and then took another pull off his beer.

"Nonsense. I'll be right back with two sandwiches and some chips." And with that I turned and walked away before they could argue any further. They provided our community with food; the least I could do was make it for them when they were hungry.

"I'll take a sandwich too since you're going back there." Holden quipped rudely as I walked by. He and the rest of his crew had just shown up and sat down while I was talking to the ranchers about getting them something to eat.

"Kitchen's closed, Holden, but we start serving breakfast at nine." I said as I kept walking past him without batting an eye. "It's going to be one of those nights Blaise, I hope you're ready." I told my bartender as I pushed through the double swinging doors and went into the kitchen to make two sandwiches for two of the handful of men I liked who were in the bar.

A few minutes later I was walking back over to the table with two stuffed veggie's on white –extra pickles, and homemade chips from this afternoon's lunch. "Here you go and if you need anything else don't be afraid to ask." I said to the two.

"I'll take a refill." Holden said pushing his empty bottle in my stomach as I walked by.

Looking down I yanked the bottle from him and slapped his hand away. "It's a little early for you to be acting like an asshole Holden. Maybe you should call it a night."

"I just got here Abby."

"And you're already finished with your second beer."

"Well I wanted a sandwich, but you wouldn't give me one of those, so I guess I'll just drink my dinner."

"Holden." I clenched my teeth and took a deep breath before continuing to speak. "You and I both know damn well that you don't want a sandwich. Why do you do this?" I paused for a moment until he formed his cocky grin. "You know what, I don't care. Do you boys want another round too?" I said turning away from him to face the rest of the table. Without bothering to get an answer from them I left Holden to make his smart-ass comments behind my back and went to the bar.

"I don't understand why you keep letting him come back Abby." Blaise commented as he filled up two buckets with ice while I grabbed the beer.

I didn't reply, I just shook my head at myself and in answer to his question. Sometimes I wondered the same thing.

"Hey, why don't I take his table for the night, you know, to make up for me being late today?" Harper suggested as she cleared off her tray. "He likes me."

"Deal." I said to her sticking my hand out to shake on it. "No take backs."

The next several hours went by smooth and by the time ten o'clock came around most of the patrons had gone home, leaving only the drinkers for the rest of the night.

Harper was good at containing Holden, she even convinced him to leave before midngiht, which meant that we could close early. Cleanup was quick and an hour later I shut down all the lights, locking up the doors and heading to my room for a much-needed shower.

I was snuggled deep under my blankets and almost asleep when the night bell in my room chimed. I thought I might be dreaming so I ignored it the first time, but when it rang again I knew that sleep would evade me this night. With a groan, I threw back the heavy comforter and climbed out of my warm bed. Sliding on my fuzzy boots I drug my feet over the carpet and toward the front door as I tied my beat-up robe around my waist.

The sound of sliding metal as it released from the latch was a loud echo in the empty motel, I would have treasured the sound if I had known then it would be the last quiet reverberation for a long time.

Chapter Two

"All great changes are preceded by chaos." -Deepak Chopra

Before anyone may enter the city limits several steps are taken and to be completed before entrance is permitted; for everyone, every time. It can be a tedious process and is guaranteed to get on your nerves, but it keeps the town clean and the people in it safe, it's also why Thompson Falls is one of the larger settlements that has never had an outbreak.

There is one main entryway where people can come and go, it includes three separate security checkpoints and tracked mesh security gates before you make it to the final approach that will lead into the town. The first is a guarded gate that allows you in based on who you are and what you are doing; the obvious requirement to process through this gate is that you display no visible signs of infection or have hostile intentions.

Once you've passed through the first gate you will be in the decontamination zone. A medical outpost in this guarded section is a mandatory check point for all breathers, including animals. This is also where weapons, clothing and any outside items are inspected and cleaned before being re-issued, destroyed or shipped to the town. Most clothing items contaminated with blood go to the incinerator. Weapons are cleaned and sterilized along with our protective gear.

Food items are inspected and if there are any signs of contamination it is also disposed of via incineration. Food is not known to be a carrier of the disease and the only time it is contaminated is if it is within range of blood spatter, it's also rare that any member of the vanguard teams ever brings back something that has the potential of infection, but it has happened, and nothing is left to chance.

Animals are not carriers of the virus either, so putting any animal through the medical bay is mostly cautionary and humane. Animals of all kinds will die from a bite, but they don't spread it, and thankfully they don't come back after death either. If an animal has a bite it will be euthanized instead of allowing it to suffer before its eventual death.

Any breathers that make it to the medical bay are stripped of all weapons and clothing and then showered. After you have been cleaned you are provided with a hospital gown and a member of the medical team will examine you for any bite marks or wounds. Once you are cleared there you will be given a blood test as a final inspection before clearance. The blood test is a finger prick where one drop of blood is placed on a slide brushed with a little mercury, if the blood is contaminated with the virus it will react with the mercury immediately upon contact. It was discovered, with the help of Vampires, that mercury has a deadly effect on zombies because of its known poisoning effect on blood, and since blood is their diet and consumes the reanimated in every way its effect on them exponential.

Even in humans, mercury in high doses will cause sepsis that could lead to death. Vampires have a high allergic reaction to it, but not as immediately severe as it is to the kooks. The mercury blood test is the only one really needed, but in the past, it has proved not to be fool proof which is why the physical examination is still necessary.

If you are cleared from the medical bay, you are given something to wear and processed through to the next gate. If you do not pass the exam or the blood test, you are taken to a holding cell in the decon-zone. What happens there varies from person to person.

The next gate is a precautionary entrance if contamination occurs or outbreak from the medical bay. This entryway leads to the main gate, or gate tower, that is like that of an old castle. The large gate tower is connected to the outer brick wall that serves as our main barrier and is one of three around the perimeter. The gate tower is the only one with steady flow in and out with the other two being locked and used for emergencies only.

The gate tower, which allows you into Thompson Falls, has two separate gates with turrets on each side and an armed guard always on post. Both gates can be opened manually but have controls on both sides of the wall for mechanical use. The first is a cantilevered sliding gate with infill and rotating serrated edge spikes at the top. This gate slides across the entire roadway easily allowing vehicles and groups of people of all sizes through before securely locking behind you. This gate is closed at all times with no exceptions. The second gate is a crash resistant solid sheet infill sliding gate closed only during emergencies. It is otherwise left open but always on the ready to be closed in a moment's notice.

The large brick barrier wall that surrounds the entire town is about 15 feet high. Zombies don't climb walls or use tools and since it was only designed to keep them out it isn't necessary to have it any higher, additionally the wall has guard towers every one-hundred feet, each with its own alarm, CB radio, armed guard and spot light. Past the brick wall and guard towers is the last line of defense for the town – the large steel fencing that borders my running track.

The steel fencing was retrieved from old prisons, airports and any other high security facility that was not capable of being re-purposed as an outpost or community. The fence is a high quality galvanized steel that measures approximately sixteen and half feet tall that's topped with coiled razor wire that adds between one and half to two feet of additional height. The fence in most areas is anti-climb with no toe or finger holes, giving it a flat profile and making it mostly impossible to climb and get past.

Once you're inside the gates of Thompson Falls you'll find nearly what a small town used to look like before the 'end of the world happened'. The small town and all the buildings were rebuilt or repaired but left almost exactly how they were originally, save for the new additions.

With some new buildings, roads and housing we put in ourselves the only things noticeably different are the extra wind turbines and solar panels. Everything else probably looks like it did when all the towns' people left.

The entire town runs alongside the Clark Fork River and even though it's our main water source and we use it to supply us with water energy from turbines, you can only hear the river flow as it passes by. The town walls block out most of the river view unless you are up higher than ground level and only then can you see the beauty around us. With the whole town being squared in by the protective barrier that keeps us safe from the morgue, you must see the river water with your ears and listen to the surrounding mountain tops and forests with your eyes.

We take pride in keeping our small home beautiful and try to make it comfortable given the circumstances and our surroundings. Every yard or space is filled with a garden, plants, trees or flowers to make up for the comforting but dreary view of our border.

All this is what everyone here in the town has seen and had to pass through before being allowed into our little community. It can make you feel separated from the rest of the world sometimes, but what's waiting for you on the outside makes these precautions necessary to keep you safe here on the inside.

* * *

The soft scrape of my slippers as I moved sluggishly across the floor was a quiet echo as I took the last few steps toward the entrance door of the motel. In the window, I could make out a few shadows through the curtain with the provided light from the full moon, the white beam illuminating one figure I recognized immediately while providing a glow of direction in the otherwise pitch-black darkness of the O.

I grabbed the cool round door knob once the lock had unlatched and opened the heavy wood barrier to find Commander Hendricks and two guards standing on the porch and the steps. "Hey Abby, sorry to wake you." Hendricks said as I moved aside to let them in.

"It's alright, sleep's overrated." I croaked back with a lazy smile. "What do we have?"

"Rick's team. He brought back a small group, five adults and three children." He told me as he waved his two men to bring in the people. Three men came in first, each with a small child in their arms, followed by the two women and the guards.

"How many rooms?" I asked no one in particular as I looked on at the group, the smell of burnt wood or campfire lingering around them.

"Four." Hendricks answered for them after a moment of silence. The commander was good at studying the information the people provided at the gate; he liked for them to know he was paying attention just as much as he liked knowing who was in his town. "This is Ryan and his son Connor." He introduced me to the first man. "They'll need a room."

Ryan was a taller, slim guy that looked to be about in his thirties. He had dark hair, dark eyes and a short dark beard. The boy he was holding, Connor, was just the opposite, light skin and blonde hair. He was sleeping but I could guess his eyes were probably blue.

"Alright." I answered him as I went around the front desk to retrieve keys and hand them out after introductions and according to Hendricks' direction.

"This is Lucas and the little one he's holding is Lexie. They will need a key." Hendricks said, indicating to the two. Lucas was about my height, five-seven-ish, with a little extra weight around his waist; he wore round glasses and had shaggy dirty-blonde hair and a kind smile. The little girl, Lexie, was awake and gave me a shy grin and wave while she halfway hid her eyes behind her dad's face. Her curly strawberry blonde hair complimented her tiny figure and highlighted her blush lips and cream skin.

"Here is Lucas's brother Owen and Owen's wife Emily and their daughter Madelyn." He told me. Owen looked like his brother, maybe shorter and slightly more overweight. He also had curly blonde hair and light eyes, probably in his late thirties. Emily was a little taller than her husband with a slimmer figure and light brown hair. She was all wide eyed and worried as she stood protectively by her husband and smoothed her sleeping daughter's' dark hair as she slept comfortably on the man's shoulder.

"And finally, this here is Paige; she'll need her own room." Hendricks said finishing with introducing me to the last girl. Paige looked my age, but maybe a year or two younger. Her shoulder length hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail with bangs that lay flat and almost in her eyes. The color was hard to gauge in the muted light of the desk lamp but if I guessed it looked auburn. She had long lashes and full dark lips and was pretty, I could tell that much even though she was dirty like the rest of the group.

"Welcome to Thompson Falls." I told them with a smile as I handed over the keys. "I'm Abby." Quiet and tired murmurs of thanks were followed by polite refusals of the sandwiches I offered before I showed each to their rooms. Once they were settled, I went back to where the Commander and his two guards were waiting for me. Hendricks had made a pot of coffee and was pouring himself a cup while the other two leaned against a wall. The smell was strong in the room and I guessed he made it extra stout for his long night ahead.

"How are they?" He asked before taking a cautionary sip of the hot beverage. His hand slipped as he sat the cup down, sloshing some of the liquid on him and the counter.

"They didn't say too much, but they all looked really happy to see the beds in the rooms." I told him grabbing a towel to wipe up the spilled coffee as he wiped his hands on the tan cargo pants he was wearing, his gun belt and weapon securely around his waist. "And the showers." I told them, and they chuckled.

"You look beat girl, you should get some rest." Malik, one guard, said as I flopped myself down in one chair. He was dressed almost identically to Hendricks, but his stocky, darker frame and long dreads gave the garments around him a more defined look. Josh, the other guard, was close to an exact opposite of Malik, his white skin and bald head where a contrast to his dark gray cargo pants and black t-shirt. Both men were attractive, in their mid-twenties and were rarely seen one without the other, on and off duty. They were allowed to continue and work together only because they were work partners before they were a couple.

"Oh, I'm only here in physical form," I told him, while I stifled a yawn and tucked my legs up under myself. "the rest of me is still passed out in my bed."

"Why don't you go back and rest Abby," Hendricks told me. "I'll clean up here after I finish my coffee, there's no need for you to be sleep deprived."

"What's the story with Rick's team?" I asked, ignoring him. "And where was this group found?" Hendricks only gave me the stink eye for a moment before telling me what I wanted to know, while Malik and Josh held back snorts and laughter.

"Rick's team was over in the Dakota's gathering medical supplies when we last had contact with them. They were circling around and heading back through the northern part of Wyoming when they found this group. They were coming from the Honor Camp near Newcastle; they say the place was overrun with kooks."

"And the eight of them were the only ones that escaped?" I asked surprised. Honor was a large settlement with numbers close to our own, plus it was once a prison of sorts, so its security was good too.

"They don't know for sure." He said nodding his head in the direction of our sleeping guests. "They each said it all happened so fast that when they saw an opportunity to escape, they took it."

"Wasn't Honor under Vampire protection?"

"Yeah."

"But, their facility is almost as secure as Thompson Falls, add that with the vamps..." I trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"That's where the details get a little strange." Hendricks said; his tone in agreeance with my own confusion. "From the sound of it, they were kook spawn and not your regular munchers, but the neckers should have been more than capable of running them off." Commander Hendricks shook his head in frustration as he relayed what had been told to him.

The reason vampire protection is so sought after is because they don't lose. Their stronger and faster and their senses are better than humans. Even if it was a large group of kook spawn attacking Honor, they would have heard them way before they reached the town and could have had the problem handled losing no one, let alone the entire community.

"Are we sure about them?" I asked him, indicating that I meant our new sleeping guests. "...or their story?"

"No." He told me without hesitation. "But for now, we have nothing else that says otherwise. It seems unlikely that a group of zombies were able to overrun a town under the protection of vamps and wipe out more than three hundred people, but until we know for sure, that's what the story is."

Commander Hendricks downed the rest of what was left in his cup, and then went to the pot to pour the remainder in his thermos. The information told tonight was having a hard time taking root in my brain, I wasn't sure if it was because I was so tired, or that the story itself seemed outlandish, time and more information were needed for me to make any sense of it.

"What's the plan then?" I asked him. I knew that the Commander wouldn't just let this go, and once Rick's team was debriefed and he had all the information available, we would be learning more on our own.

"The plan for right now is for you to get some sleep." He told me in a disapproving tone. "Then, and only after you don't look like roadkill, we'll talk more about what to do."

"Fine. But if its beauty sleep you're after, then we're all screwed." I said to him as I stood getting ready to go back to my room.

"I'm leaving these two here for the night." He said jutting out his chin toward Malik and Josh.

"I figured." I said to him as I turned to smile at my two overnight guests. "You guys know the drill." I said to them as I walked down the hall. "Just make sure I have enough food left to feed the locals."

* * *

"If there aren't any other questions about this run, let's get home and get some rest, we will need all the sleep we can get." Hendricks said to the group of us, trying to lighten the mood after the evenings debrief.

For the last hour we had been sitting around in the school gym going over everything that had been told to us by Rick and the group of people they brought back with them. Everything that Hendricks told me last night was repeated today for the rest of the guard. All the raiding parties left in town were here with various members of the community, especially those that needed to know everything to keep the town running.

After all the information had been relayed, we planned a run down to Newcastle to see if we could discover any more useful information, or if anyone else was still alive. We rarely travel in as large of a group as we plan to this time, but under the circumstances we thought it better to be safe than sorry. It's a long trip and if we find a horde of kooks or evo's we will need all the hands and guns we can get, so in all there will be four teams going, equaling twenty-six people.

"Alright then, get some rest." Hendricks finished saying, dismissing us. "We'll leave tomorrow first thing in the morning."

When I was finally back at the O, the dinner rush was just dying down and the staff was getting ready for the bar crowd. Gigi, Charlie and Harper were running the place with several extras on the floor. Word must have gotten out that we would need help around here for a couple of weeks.

"Hey lady, how goes it?" Charlie asked me as I made my way up to the counter. Today she was wearing her short hair in spiky ponytails on either side of her head and her makeup was dark to match her clothes; a short tight skirt, tank top and knee-high boots. She looked like a cartoon character.

"We leave in the morning." I told her and then sat at one of the stools and took a big gulp out of the glass she was drinking from. I immediately regretted it as I forced the thick grassy liquid down my throat. Charlie was very earthy in her diet, she ate a ton of fruit and vegetables, which is great, but the drinks she would mix up...gross was putting it mildly.

"You should get some rest then, have you eaten?" She said trying to hide her smile as she watched with humor at my disgust.

"I'll get something and take it to my room, what did you guys make anyway?" I asked curiously after having just tasted her 'drink'. Usually it's Grady or I who come up with the dinner menu, but since neither of us were available it was left up to them to decide and make it. I hope people were able to eat it.

Charlie smiled, obviously proud of herself before telling me, "Pizza."

"Pizza? How did you do you that?" I was surprised. Pizza wasn't something we did often around here, and mostly because cheese was harder to make and keep fresh more than anything else.

"It was easy, and we needed something easy." She shrugged. "First we had Gigi show us how to make some dough since neither Harper or I knew how. Then we used some of the canned tomatoes to make the sauce and the venison sausage you had in the fridge, we chopped up some veggies and after I went over to Addley's and asked her for some goat cheese, viola'! Pizza!"

"Wow, well good for you two." I told her impressed. "I'm glad you guys were able to bond over food. It's a start." I smiled at her as I stood up to go hunt down some of their pizza, ignoring her eye roll and attempt to whip me with her wet towel.

The pizza was still warm, so after grabbing two of the remaining few slices I hollered to Charlie through the serving window I was going to bed. "Will you be here in the morning before I leave?" I asked her.

"Yeah." She called back as she cleaned and cleared off a couple of the tables. With that I ducked out through the back entrance and hurried to my room, so I could enjoy the comforts of civilization before I found myself out in the open and without the luxury of a good night's sleep.

After eating the surprisingly good pizza, I went in my bathroom and took a long hot bath. It's something of a going away gift to myself; a ritual I indulge in provided we have hot and running water. I fill the tub up as high as it will go and as hot as I can comfortably stand it and soak until it gets cold. By the time I get out my hands and feet are wrinkled, my skin is sticky, and every fiber of my being wants to crawl into my bed and fall fast and deeply asleep, which is exactly what I do.

By the time my alarm went off the next morning I had been lying in bed awake for close to an hour. I was of a mix of nervous energy and excitement; the adrenaline rush you get when you're out in the morgue gets the blood pumping.

After taking a shower and dressing I went to the kitchen to find a hot breakfast already cooking on the stove. My mother was pouring a cup of coffee for herself when she caught sight of me coming through the door. Without me having to ask, she grabbed another cup and filled it up and then handed it to me.

"Good morning Abby. How did you sleep?" She asked before going back into the kitchen to check on the items she was cooking.

"Good. And you?" I asked as I made my way over to sit next to Hendricks with his own cup of coffee in his hand.

"Oh, fine, I guess." She smiled. She was always more nervous about us going out into the morgue than anyone else.

Breakfast was quiet, much like it usually is before we go out on an assignment, and after we ate our pancakes and eggs (over medium) we said our goodbyes and made our way to the Safe.

The Safe is where we get in our gear, are given our weapons and check our supplies before heading to the Pit to load up in our vehicle and leave.

Over the years, people learned quickly that t-shirts and jeans were not suitable clothes for protecting yourself from a kook bite, and soon wore things that were more appropriate to withstand hungry teeth.

Our bite-proof suit is a requirement for all vanguard when they are out in the morgue. We've stockpiled hundreds of different clothing, cloth and protective gear that have proven time and time again to be the second-best defense against a zombie attack. The first being anything sharp or with a bullet. All our gear comprises one or a combination of cut proof cloth, shark chain mail and Kevlar.

The vanguard wears a uniform that starts with cut proof long underwear and a long sleeve turtle neck that's lightweight and form fitting, we have them tailored by Joni; our resident seamstress, to fit so they don't get in the way under everything else we pile on. A Black leather and Kevlar jumpsuit covers the underwear and knee-high leather biker boots go over top of that. Sewn on the front and back of the leather jumpsuit is a reflective red Japanese symbol that means Human. It basically looks like a fancy upside-down Y that's bright and shiny, reflective and crimson in color that's meant to protect us from each other or others if we are moving around in the dark. It's saved a few people a few times, myself included.

We also have bullet proof vests, gloves, body armor and hoodies or helmets to choose from and a slew of other things to pick from to layer on. It feels like a lot until you're being hunted and chased by something dead and infectious, it's then when you feel naked and curse yourself for not putting more on.

Once we're dressed, we grab our weapons and head over to the Pit where we load up our transport with more weapons, food, water and first aid supplies before heading to the gate.

Because this group is so big and because we are hoping to find survivors we are taking a larger array of vehicles this time, ranging from a blacked-out school bus with bars on the windows and spikes welded to the body and tires, to a caravan of trucks and military vehicles we've found and repurposed to suit our needs; Humvees, Army GILA, Armored Fighting trucks and Fords F250's. All painted black and reinforced with various weapons, roll bars, road armor, spot lights and grills.

When we travel, we stay away from main roads and highways as much as possible while avoiding the biggest cities. They hold the most dangers from both the living and the dead, and unless it's necessary we stay away.

Humanity has suffered more than in just the obvious and although there are still thousands of us who function on a basic human level, there are those who have lost all their way. It's unfortunate that the disease that has plagued the world wasn't enough to rid us of our indecencies against each other.

For those of us who are interested in surviving this nightmare, it has strengthened and united us in ways that once were only hoped for. We no longer hold prejudice or fears against one another based on antiquated beliefs.

"Stay close, we'll be drawing a lot of attention to ourselves this way, and we can't afford for anyone to fall behind." Commander Hendricks addressed us one last time as we stood around the gate readying ourselves to leave. "Keep your radios tuned to channel four. Our first stop is Seeley Lake."

The three-hour drive to Seeley Lake was quiet and uneventful, save for the few wondering kooks we picked off in the fields or on the sides of the road. It's one of our traveling games and we keep score. There's no prize, unless you count first dibs on any loot found. So far, I'm in the lead.

The town itself has been empty and cleared of infection for a while now and we use it because of that reason and because of it's out of the way location. We stopped in the small town to fuel up and stretch our legs, and for some to change their driving partners.

We use Seeley Lake regularly and take care and pride in what is left of the small town. We keep it stocked with supplies and come up this way to hunt and fish. Most of the town was burned long before we came here, but a few buildings were untouched and some cabins up further in the hills we use. We also have several fishing boats we keep here.

The remainder of the trip had lulls and peaks of calm and commotion. Once we passed through the small wilderness section between Deer Lodge and Clancy our trip through Townsend was accosted with gunfire. The small town is a hotspot for stragglers that come from the overrun capital Helena, and as often as we've tried to rid the town of the dead, the best we can do is make sure the road is clear of their remains for our journey the next time.

It took us a couple of hours to clear the bodies off the street and put them into a burn pile once we had killed them all. We touch the infected as little as possible and never intentionally come into contact with them and our bare skin. We keep boxes of bio gloves, disposable face masks and other protection gear on hand and have an array of shovels, meat hooks and trash pickers to move the bodies and their parts; we even have a plow attached to the fronts of most of our pickup trucks in case there are just too many to move by hand. If we can avoid it though, we try not to use the vehicles as weapons or clean up tools. They are a pain in the ass to clean and can sometimes take weeks to be cleared for use again.

I'd just scooped up a severed foot with my shovel when I saw Holden out of the corner of my eye. He was using his favorite clean up tool—the meat hook—and had just whipped it through the air, over his head, slamming the point under a kook's jaw and through its skull until the tip popped through one of its eyes, then he turned and pulled it into the burn pile.

"What?" He said in his cocky tone as he noticed I was watching him, then smirked at me and kept walking, dragging the dead body behind him leaving a trail of mess and old blood in its wake.

"You're disgusting that's what." I said to him then lifted the shovel up over my shoulder and threw the foot I had in it past him and into the pile.

"You mean efficient." He said back. I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him before heading back over to the other side of the road.

Blaise had just flung a bag full of parts over his back and was heading in our direction when he told me, "Just ignore him Abby, you know how he is."

I nodded in agreement then bent down and grabbed a half man by the ankles and drug him to the pile with the rest of the bodies.

Once the cleanup was done we dumped a gallon of fuel on the carcass heap and set it on fire. After that we loaded back up and headed out before anything else found itself drawn to our location.

By the time we reached the old abandoned airport hangar a few miles past the old Wyoming border we had been on the road for over twelve hours. Travel at night can be far more dangerous than traveling during the day, so after checking and making sure the area was clear and secure we parked our convoy and set up camp inside the large steel building.

"You should get some rest Abby." Hendricks said, sitting down next to me and the small fire we made.

"I will after you. You're the one that drove all day, besides I've napped on and off for most of the drive." I said to him. He nodded in acknowledgment then turned his focus on our guest.

"Ryan, how you holding up?" He asked the man as he handed me a bag of fruit jerky and then pulled off the tops of several soup cans to set them carefully around the fire. Ryan was one rescue from Honor that came back with Rick. When he discovered our planned trip to come back here he offered to be our guide into the town and to direct us in the best way to get there.

I couldn't decide if he looked better or worse after a shower and some sleep. His clothes were clean, but he still looked like a mess and his face was hollow from stress and weight loss.

"Thanks." He said as I passed the bag of dried meat over to him. "I'm doing alright, a little anxious to be honest." He said with a weak smile.

"Well, that's to be expected." Hendricks told him and then added after a few minutes, "We can't turn around or afford to send anyone back with you, but if you change your mind at any time, I'm sure we can find you a safe spot to wait until we're through."

"No." Ryan said sternly, shaking his head. "No sir, I want go. I need to know if anyone survived. There are people that we left behind, our families and friends."

Hendricks stared at him for a moment then said to him, "Understood." as if they had made some sort of pact or deal of some kind, before handing him one of the soup cans.

We sat in silence for a while after that; the three of us and ate our lukewarm potato soup and deer jerky. The silence between us interrupted by the crackle of the fire and the wind as it howled and rustled the metal sheeting of the building. You could hear the breeze as it whistled through the small cracks and fissures in the windows and the seams of the structure.

Outside the night was bright with a clear sky full of twinkling stars and a full moon that shone in through the glass. The faint glow shimmered in as it danced in competition with the blaze from the fire for attention.

In this flimsy shelter, I felt eerily comfortable out here in the morgue. Maybe it was the large group that was with me or the leisure of the night, but I was perfectly at ease in this place we had sought for protection. On a normal run, there are no relaxing meals by a fire and the quiet conversations and stories being had and told are a rare occurrence. It's rare we find a true shelter to wait out the night and our focus is usually strictly and soundlessly on the dark ahead of us.

I watched the two men that sat on either side of me and contemplated the thoughts going through their heads as emotions played across their faces. I wouldn't want to be in either of their shoes, the unknown of what we were walking into was enough without the added pressure of being responsible for everyone here, or the fear of what you might find at home. I couldn't imagine what Ryan was going through and I would never want to be the person that had to make the tough decisions that came with command.

We sat in silence for a while longer before making our way over to the others that were in our group. After setting up a watch rotation most of our party took to their vehicles or a quiet place to get sleep. I volunteered, along with a couple of the others, to be on watch for the night knowing we could sleep while we traveled throughout the day again tomorrow.

I made my way over to where I would be spending my night and settled in with a watchful eye out into the darkness of the morgue. The window I was looking through was filthy with a layer of old dirt and grime that looked like it had been collecting for years. Pulling up my sleeve over my wrist I cleaned it the best I could with just the pressure of the cloth. Once I was satisfied with the cleared circle I could see more clearly the night ahead.

As the hours ticked by and my mind wandered I couldn't help but think about what life must have been like before all of this, something I often fantasized about. I had an idea given from old magazines, newspapers and movies, but it was the feeling of security that often evaded me. The sense of caution I lived with daily was hard for me to imagine myself without, never fearing your own shadow and not fearing death. It was a wonderment as I envied those of the past.

As the night sky lightened into a blue and yellow hue I felt my reality settle back in and around me, off in the distance was an old burn pile of torched bodies. All that remained were the blackened bones and a pile of ash, but it was enough to erase the mild night of daydreams and wishful thinking to get me back to the present.

The group began to slowly wake and stir with the morning light and of the smell of coffee put on a small fire. My back was stiff as I made my way over for a cup of the black stuff; cream and sugar were luxuries that could only be found at the O, but I was thankful for the hot beverage anyway. After having our rationed breakfast of apples and bread I stretched, brushed my teeth and shook off the night and went back to work.

Ryan had drawn on a map, indicating the best way for us to enter Honor. He told us again everything he could remember about that night, that might help us today.

Less than an hour later we had reloaded and packed our caravan and were on the road. It would be a couple more hours before we were close to our stopping point and before we reached our destination, so when we were on the road I found myself in the backseat of a big Ford truck being lulled to sleep by the hum of the engine and the gentle rocking and sway of the vehicle as it moved and glided over the paved road.
Chapter Three

"At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace the savage races throughout the world." – Charles Darwin

I was in a field by a quiet lake; the sun was bright on my face and the heat flushed through my skin. The rays of light lit up my closed eyelids as they blazed bright and gold from within. The sun soaked in my hair as it heated each strand; warming my head and perspiring the crowning surface. I could feel the dew of sweat as it pooled on the cap of my head and ran down the side of my face, leaving a wet trail that felt cool before drying with the small breeze.

The birds chirped happily around me as I waded in the warm water, my jeans rolled up to my knees. I could hear their feather light wings as they flapped and fluttered together while moving from tree to tree, and the leaves as they rustled with the lightweight and gentle touch. As I stood in the cool drink I squashed the sand and mud between my toes and skimmed my hand over the rippling surface, the smell of fresh water, clean air and wet grass filling my lungs as it cleared my head.

"Abby..." A familiar voice called from behind me. I knew the sound; I was even comforted by it, so when I turned from the watery view I wasn't surprised to see my father approaching me. I could feel my cheeks pull up with the smile forming on my face as I turned toward him, the movement causing the water around me to lap up higher against my legs, dampening my jeans and leaving the flesh wet with its touch.

"Abby..." He called again, his advance quickening with each step as he moved toward me. I felt myself sinking into the mud and the sand of the water as I struggled to pull free of its grasp, my heels pushing into the soft earth first, followed by the balls of my feet as I sank in further with each shift of my weight. I tried to move toward him, but the pull of the water became heavy as the clay thickened around me. I was glad he was so close, my father, so he might help me escape this water.

I reached out for him, his name a mumble on my lips as he trampled through the water to get to me. He could see my struggle, his movements evident as he broke the calm surface with shattering force to catch up to me, each determined step bringing him closer as he walked with ease through the lake. As he moved deeper in, the liquid changed, and he too struggled against the immersion. His speed and stride slowed into dragging movements and his face converted from concern to desperate until finally consuming with need.

I flinched away from him, bringing my outstretched hands against my chest protectively at his approach. I tried to move back from him and his progress only to find myself still trapped by the mud and water and the wind as it pushed against my back and held me by my feet, caging me in and cornering me as if against a wall.

The world spun around me and I felt dizzy with despair as I looked into the hollow death on my father's face. His clothes were stained black with blood and dirt, ripped and torn as the threads tentatively held together. His jaw unhinged and skewed as his broken and dirty teeth clapped with anticipation, his eyes clouded and bloodshot, sunken and purple. I moved, frantic now, to get away from him, but my body wouldn't cooperate, I was stuck, dumb and slow and I felt heavy and defeated with dismay.

"Abby!" The coherent word bellowed clearly through his rotten lips just has his bony hand reached out and grasped me around my shoulder...

My panicked inhale accompanied by the gentle rocking woke me as my eyes flew open and I took in my surroundings. I bit down on my desire to cry out with tears of relief once I realized it was only a dream.

"Abby, are you alright?" Hendricks asked me as he pulled his hand away from where it had been lightly shaking me awake.

I nodded to him while swallowing the lump in my throat, unsure yet if I could trust my voice not to crack, and rubbed my eyes hoping to rid myself of any remainders of sleep or tears that might have escaped.

"We're about twenty miles out of town." He told me once I was upright and sitting. "You should get something to eat and drink, wake up and stretch your legs before we leave again." He said and then opened the doors for us to get out.

I did as I was told and walked off the remainder of the dream and let the fresh air clear my head. After getting something solid in my stomach and washing it down with a bottle of warm water, I went over to where the rest of the group was gathered and talking, waiting for everyone else to refresh so we could leave.

"I want everyone with their regular team members; you'll follow my lead and stay close." Commander Hendricks said. "Ryan, you'll be with me."

"Once we are in Honor, we'll see what we've got and go from there. Keep your radios on in case Grady gets a signal; otherwise we're going in with only the hope of finding survivors. Any questions?"

When no one said anything, he nodded to the group in approval, then looked over to Kat, his second.

"We'll be going in through the remains of Newcastle and circling back around to get to Honor." She explained and showed us on the map what she meant and how we would approach the town. Newcastle was the old city located next to the Honor Camp. "There we'll go in through the north side of the camp, which should put us on the main road that runs straight through the whole compound. Once we're in we'll radio for you to follow if it's safe." She said, then stepped back to let the Commander finish.

"Alright people, stay alert and stay alive." Hendricks said, putting his cap back on. "Let's move out."

We all followed his direction and found our teams then loaded up and finally headed out to Honor. Brooks, my team leader, had been assigned to follow Commander Hendricks and his team. The commander took the lead in an old military GILA armored vehicle, while we followed behind him in a military Humvee. Each of the lead vehicles had roof-mounted gun rings and turrets, each chosen to go in first specifically for this reason. Behind us were Blaise and his team in the Ford F250, followed by Dan's team with the bus and then Rick's in another Humvee taking up the back.

The twenty-minute drive felt faster than it was. As we passed through the ransacked and burned remains of Newcastle, I felt saddened at the thought that some of these people will have lost their homes twice. Newcastle itself had long ago been burned to clear out the infection and the Honor facility was where they went to start again.

As we slowly approached the perimeter of Honor it became obvious that whatever had happened was let in easily because the trauma was in trying to get out. The broken border surrounding the camp was expelled outward rather than in, the fencing lay and pushed out at awkward angles while piles of brick and debris scattered around the barrier as obvious attempts were made to flee. Small plumes of smoke still rose from various places across the small compound while other buildings blazed with the consumption of what was left.

We stopped outside the facility and waited as Hendricks went ahead and then signaled for us to follow. Dawsen sat as gunner at the turret in our vehicle while the rest of us took aim through the open windows as we crept in slowly, making our way to the middle of the town to stop behind Hendricks and his team. Once we were all in and parked we filtered out of our transports and waited for further direction.

The whole area looked as though it had been hit with a bomb; save for the fresh blood, bodies and fire, it looked as though it had been abandoned long ago. Layers of ash covered the surfaces all around while garbage and lost treasures littered the streets; burned, warped and faded. A sad and howling wind whistled through the broken windows and vacant buildings as it pushed the smell of smoke and pulled the scent of death through the area around.

As we walked around the vehicles and moved closer to the front, the sound of dirt and dust was a loud echo as it crunched under our boots, leaving our imprints in the dust of death. On the other side of the armored truck a chorus of shuffling feet and moaning made its way closer before being cut off by quiet pops from a silenced rifle, the sound that followed was a hollowing thud as a couple of bodies fell to the ground.

"Abby!" Lauren, one of my vanguard mates, whispered intently at me just as a kook rounded the corner of a building to my right.

"Got it." I said to her before putting a bullet between what was left of its eyes. It staggered to a halt, falling first to its boney knees before face planting itself to the earth.

As we made it to the front of the GILA, a dozen other pops and thuds went off all around us, intent whispers and quiet commands were the only discernible noises that could be made out between the carrion and quiet. As everyone made their way to the front we formed a half circle around the nose of the armored truck, watching and covering all angles and directions.

The Commander was positioned in the center and was whispering intently to Ryan with both of his hands wrapped around the man's face, making him look him in the eye. By the way he was acting I guessed that the sight of his home as it lay in shambles with no living person in sight was weighing heavier on him than he had thought or allowed himself to believe. A frantic and desperate look played on his face as he barely held it together, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, clenching and unclenching both his fists and his jaw.

We were almost in the middle of the compound and could see almost everything around us. The little town was destroyed. These people had fought back, that much was evident, but ultimately, they lost. Dozens of bodies littered the streets, some were old, their death unmistakable from long ago, and the ones that were new were only made out differently by the color of fresh blood.

The Commander had calmed Ryan down enough to give us directions on what to do next. "Search only the major buildings, stay in your groups and keep your ears on." He said to us. "Team leaders need to stay in constant contact; we'll meet back here when all the buildings have been cleared and confirmed empty." He finished saying to the group of us.

"Blaise, I'll need you with me, Kat will take command of your team." Hendricks said last, before my team broke away from the group to search.

There was only one reason Blaise and Kat would trade positions in a situation like this and it meant that Ryan wasn't stable. Blaise has a special way of dealing with hysterics and it usually involved quick reflexes and pressure points, his massive frame and upper body strength would also be needed to carry Ryan if he was put out.

This didn't bode well for the rest of us or our efforts to process through this town with as little notice as possible. We hadn't been in a situation like this in years, and we didn't make it a habit of walking into a fresh den of the dead, so we could only hope that Ryan was in control enough to allow us to do our jobs and get us all out of here safely.

Brooks, my team leader, indicated to us to follow him. We headed in the opposite direction of Blaise, Ryan and Commander Hendricks, and went for one of the larger buildings we were told was used for storage. And as we passed through the scarlet painted streets and the bodies that lay on them, we made sure that the dead would stay that way by silently keeping them in their resting places with bullets to their brains.

The whole front of the building we went to first, and the left side, had been burned away, leaving only smoking support columns and singed floors and walls to the right. The basement was where we were headed and after carefully making our way through the battered shelter we found the stairwell that would lead us to where Ryan had said people might have escaped to hide.

With our gun lights on we made our way down the uneven concrete stairs and into the basement. Only two directions could be taken once you reached the floor and they met up in the middle again, making a square route. We split off in half and swept the area, checking all the doors and rooms as we went. By the time we met back up with the rest of the team nothing had been found except for a stray cat that belted out in fear when one door had been opened. As we made our way back through the basement and up the stairs into the light, Brooks, while holding the scared feline, radioed to the other team leaders this building was cleared and that we would be moving on to another.

Brooks is a bad ass. He's a general surgeon, a master in martial arts, and a team leader that plans most of our runs and routes. He's a respected guys guy who doesn't bullshit around. And he looks as fierce as he is. His dark skin is littered with tattoos which visually makes him look even more hard core, plus the bulging rips of muscle over his whole body. When he's concentrating on something his face takes on a focused death stare, his eyes and jaw tighten into a scowl and his lips sort of purse together. Added with his cropped black hair, goatee and full brows he can make a person stop in their tracks with just a glance.

But holding this tiny, scared, dirty little cat in his big arms is sort of a glimpse into his soul. And everything you need to know about him as a person could be surmised in this instance.

We searched this way through two more buildings, finding only darkness and ransacked items. With three other teams doing what we were, we found ourselves finished of clearing the city quickly. There was only the one main building left and as we made our way back to our meeting place, Hendricks and Dan's teams radioed that they were getting ready to head in.

It was a few minutes later that the two teams who had made it back to the convoy had radioed that something was wrong. And as soon as we received the message we ran toward the group just as un-silenced gunfire permeated the vicinity.

We had just come into view when Hendricks belted over our ear pieces "All teams, Get out! Get out of here now!"

Next to the convoy there were two gunners working the turrets on the lead vehicles while the rest of the group stood around them shooting at the kooks from the ground. They were coming at them in troves, one after another, dodging around fallen bodies and pushing their way past each other to get to the front.

"Their evo's!" Brooks yelled into his radio, which blasted in surround sound for me, as he relayed the information to the rest of the party. Evo's were the smart ones; the group hunters and the most dangerous of the zombie breed.

We were heading toward the other unit to help when Kat noticed our approach. "Stay back!" She ordered just as everyone with her piled in the two lead vehicles.

We moved back and took cover following her direction just as the two vehicles tore out of the area they were in, but not before throwing out two Hg-80 bombs in the cluster of the dead. As soon as the two shell casings hit the ground a bluish-gray smoke of the mercury plumed out before exploding and then dispersing in the air. The kooks that weren't incinerated by the blast soon stumbled and faltered from the mercury left in the air as it attacked and attached itself to their dead flesh.

The fifteen or so that were left to be affected were soon a mound of melting and rotting flesh as the mercury ate its way through their systems, hissing and bubbling off blood and guts, leaving only scarred and broken bones to simmer in the slimy mess.

Hendricks noticed what was happening and stopped his team from coming any closer, instead turning them back around to face the building they had just come out of and kill off the kooks coming after them in that direction.

Brooks had ordered everyone but himself and two others to meet with Hendricks while they retrieved the vehicles. Evan, Lauren, Mike and I formed a loose circle around one another and headed toward the Commander, while Brooks, Dawsen and James went to retrieve the rest of the convoy.

The evo's poured out of the one building they were hiding in, and as soon as we made it to the Commander, they had us surrounded. There were seven of us and twenty of them and counting. As the horde grew and drew in on us Ryan fell apart as he prattled off random names that meant nothing to any of us, but something real and close to home for him.

He was inconsolable and every time any of us tried to get him to focus he would look out and see another face he recognized. He insisted on being here but bringing him was obviously a mistake. We couldn't control him and when one of us would shoot one of the dead he once knew, he would scream, and it would start all over again.

"Blaise!" Hendricks yelled out only one time, then went back to firing on the dead coming at us. It only took him a few seconds and Ryan was rendered unconscious and draped over the guy's shoulder hanging off his back.

The Humvee that James had retrieved plowed through a section of kooks, running them over and scraping them away. The F250 followed behind him was being driven by Brooks. When it stopped, Blaise shoved Ryan in the back as others crammed in taking the remaining seats.

Taking up the rear, the rotating blades on the bus tires sliced through a handful of evo's before coming to a halt. Dawsen pushed open the double doors as Holden ran to the back and flung the back door open and hollered at us to get in.

One minute we were standing there surrounded by advancing kook spawn, picking them off one at a time and as fast as we could pull the triggers, and in the next we were surrounded by members of the Vampire Guard and their long sharp swords as they sliced through the dead all around us.

"Get in your vehicles and leave." One of them ordered calmly, then danced and decapitated the dead in blinding speed.

Aston and Lauren were making their way over to get in the Humvee while Rick, Mike and Evan were making their way toward the front door of the bus, and Dan headed to the back where Holden was waiting to pull him in.

Hendricks, Blaise and I were still moving and shooting with the Vampires guarding our backs when we heard the horrific scream as one of us was taken down. I couldn't afford to look away from where I was shooting but I heard Hendricks curse the name Evan under his breath and could only guess it was him who was lost.

We finally reached the back of the bus just as the first two armored vehicles came back through the dead crowd, plowing through kooks and shooting the rest. Blaise was getting ready to boost me into the back of the bus when two stragglers came from around the side. I still had my rifle positioned and ready, but Blaise was too close and in my way for me to get in a good shot. The man was adaptable though and had his knife pulled out and planted through one of the kooks' eyes and into the brain before I was stable and on the ground.

I was just getting ready to put a bullet through one's skull when the zip of a stray bullet whipped passed me, landing in the Commanders left shoulder. Off in the distance Clay, one of Dan's team members was being taken down by an evo and the gun he was holding was shooting off aimlessly in our direction.

The commander caught another one in his leg before hitting the ground. As quick as I could, I shot the kook I had been aiming for and then knelt beside Hendricks. Blaise had pulled out his pistol and shot the others when a Vampire appeared and finished the small herd upon us.

As soon as the immediate danger had been abated my focus turned instantly to Hendricks and his wounds and no sooner had I set my weapon down to access him was he yelling at me "God dammit Abby get on the bus!"

I was about to protest when out of the corner of my eye I saw more of the dead approaching us. I picked up my weapon getting ready to aim when I was suddenly grabbed around the waist and hustled into the back of the bus. When I finally caught my bearings, I turned around to find Blaise and a member of the Vampire Guard working together to protect the Commander as he lay on the ground.

When there were only a few left, the Vampire knelt and picked up the Commander faster than I could keep up with my eyes and was bringing him over and slowly placing him on the floor of the bus. "Grab under his arms and pull him in." The Vampire instructed me before turning and going off in another direction.

I did as I was told and as gently as I could I pulled the Commander inside the bus as Blaise pulled himself in and slammed the door shut. The team members in the bus with me were shooting out of the windows, while the bus itself turned back into a grinding weapon as we drove through groups of the dead, sawing and eviscerating them in half, leaving in our wake a river of blood and entrails and loosely ground up flesh.

Over the radios, I could hear as the other teams confirmed they were clear of the town and were heading back to the hangar to wait for the others, making us the last to leave. The crew in the bus with me were still firing and killing off kook spawn as I worked on stopping the bleeding from Hendricks' wounds.

We pulled out of the town and were on the paved road heading away from Honor when I looked up and out the back-door window, seeing for the first time what and who we were leaving behind.

"Stop the bus!" I yelled at Dawsen before moving to the back readying myself to open the latched door.

"What the hell are you doing Abby?!" Holden yelled at me, pushing my hands away from the handle.

"We can't just leave them here! They'll get killed!" I yelled, pointing out at the four Vampires left on the street. There were dozens of evo's closing in on them and it didn't matter how fast they were, there were too many and I knew they wouldn't survive if they stayed and tried to fight.

Dawsen had slowed down the bus by this point and I had just unlatched the door and swung it open to yell at them when Holden pulled me back and clasped his hand over my mouth. The Vampires were fast and must have heard what I'd said because they were there and, on the bus,, just as Holden pulled me back and away from the door.

"Let her go." One of them said, his voice like ice as his words sliced the air and slivered down my spine, the threat laced in that came with defiance.

Holden wasn't hurting me; he hardly had a grip on me, so when I elbowed him in the gut he easily let me go so his full focus and attention would be on the four Vampires that stood before us.

"I wasn't hurting her. Now get off the bus." Holden said to them as he moved to stand in front of me; now blocking the aisle, and my view of the vampire, with his body.

The horde of dead left when the Vampires made their way onto the bus was now coming at us quickly, their hungry sounds and the smell of fresh blood pulled me back into the reality that the Commander was losing a lot of blood of his own and needed medical attention.

"We don't have time for this!" I yelled at no one as I bent down and picked up where I left off, removing Hendricks sticky clothes away from his blood-soaked skin.

"Commander?" Holden asked. We didn't deal with Vampires, that was the rule, and I had just gone and invited them in.

"Just drive." Hendricks looked at me with a weak smile, then passed out.
Chapter Four

"I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant..."

When I was sixteen I watched a man die. It was the first time I had ever seen anyone die up close and from something other than a zombie attack. It was my first true death and will forever be in my memory. His name was William and he was thirty-six.

I was working in the care center when one of the vanguard teams had come back unexpectedly. My mother made me go with her to the decon-zone to help with the wounded and it happened there in the medical bay. He had been shot several times by some spyders (they are the people that have chosen to live outside of humanity and have thrived by attacking and stealing from the rest of us) who had tracked them coming back to town and attacked them before they could get here and call for help.

He was barely alive by the time we had gotten there and had lost a lot of blood; so much I was sliding through it as I scrambled to the side of his bed. I slipped once and almost fell, and as I reached out to grab the side of the gurney he grabbed my hand and pulled me back upright. His face was dirty, and his eyes were bloodshot, but they were blue; the purest and brightest blue I had ever seen, like a glowing afternoon with a clear summer sky.

His lips were cracked and chapped, and his teeth were stained red from the blood leaking out both sides of his mouth. It was enough to leave wet trails that traveled from the corners of his lips down the small expanse of his cheek before reaching his jaw line.

His breath stunk like metal and blood and death as he pulled labored and gasping lungsful of air, it expelled from his chest just as intensely and harsh; the hot vapid breath sticking to my face as it wheezed by with my proximity. It felt thick and heavy on my skin and I longed for a wet washcloth to wipe my face, all while trying desperately to clamp down on my disgust to help this dying man.

His hand held mine tightly, keeping me next to him as he refused to let go. I could see the remains of hard work that stained his skin under the layers of blood and grime. His nails were dirty and black and there were scars lining his knuckles with the grease that had been stuck in the crevasses for years. His hand felt cold and rough against my soft skin, his calluses like sandpaper and his grip like steel bars as he wrapped his fingers around my hand like a cage.

My mother spared only enough time to look over his wounds and check his vitals before moving on to the next patient. I caught her eye only long enough to know that he wouldn't make it, and that neither her nor any other doctor would waste their time trying to save him when there were so many others that they could help.

He must have known, William, that this was his fate and that he would die because when I looked back at him only seconds later, the resignation was in his eyes—the now bloodied summer sky—and he gave me a weak smile and whispered that it was 'o.k.'

I felt panicked and angry that no one was bothering to help him, that they were leaving him to die without even trying, I knew, somehow in the back of my mind, there was nothing that could be done but it felt wrong and went against every instinct I had that they didn't even try. It was years later before I understood that if there had been any chance of saving him, they would have.

I tried to compose myself; pull myself together and be strong for this man, I was to be the last person and face he would see before his death and it wasn't fair or right for me to be anything but caring and serene. I knew that logically but putting it into practice was a task I was not yet up for.

I realized at one point I should be helping the others with the rest of the wounded; this man was a lost cause and I had—even if very limited—skills that could be used elsewhere. But I couldn't leave him alone, there was no one else in this room to take my place and he was my patient. I went to him first and therefore he had become my responsibility, if I could not save him, I could at least usher him into the next life with what little I had to offer.

I cried as I held on to Williams hand, now more tightly than even he had the strength too, and with my free hand I ran my palm over his forehead and my fingers through his hair. With my acceptance, William reached up with his other hand and wiped away a tear from my cheek, the movement was slow and jerky and the effort it took was evident by the determination on his face. As he let his hand fall back down against him an anguished sob escaped my lips before a new tear replaced the one he had just wiped away.

I kept up my ministrations, running my fingers along the side of his face and through his hair and even when his features began to lax and the life slowly drained from his eyes, I continued to hold onto his hand tightly as I whispered and mumbled an array of comforts.

His breathing became harsh as he drowned and choked more forcefully on his blood. And when his last breath left and there was no more gasping, I had to remind myself to still breathe. My throat hurt from choking weeps, my nose ran wet and my body shook with each hitching breath. Hot tears poured down my face as I looked into his now lifeless and dead eyes and continued to hold onto his hand.

It was sometime later that I pulled myself away from him, but not after closing his eyes and cleaning him up the best I could. I knew it was wasted effort, but I couldn't leave him dirty in his death and I needed to continue to do something with my hands.

Once the morticians were notified they came after him, first pulling the stained sheet over his face before wheeling him away. They spared me a brief, but sad look of pity as I watched them walk away while I stood in the mess of his half-dried pool of blood...

Hendricks' eyes are blue, and as we worked on getting his wounds to stop bleeding I kept remembering William and the way he looked at me while trying desperately not to make the comparison.

We had all made it back to the old airport hangar and were running high on anxiety and adrenaline as we secured the area, worked on the wounded and waited for news about the Commander.

Hendricks hadn't bothered to wake back up since he passed out on the bus, which made it easier for him to be worked on but harder for me to keep myself focused and in check. Kat had field medical training and Brooks was a Doctor and they were both working on him while Lauren, who was a nurse, fixed up and bandaged the wounds between assisting them.

The first bullet that Hendricks caught was in his shoulder and went right through; it was the one that landed in his leg that was giving them a hard time. While we were on the bus and with the help of Blaise I was able to stop the bleeding from his shoulder but only able to apply pressure to the femoral artery with a tourniquet.

"I can help him if you'll let me." The Vampire with the cool toned voice said.

"No." I shook my head in denial at his request and continued to pack on bandages and apply pressure to the leg. "He would consider it an intrusion."

"An intrusion?" He copied my choice of words with disdain. "He would rather die than accept help from a vampire?"

"Yes." I said, sparing only a few seconds to look at his face.

His eyes were the typical violet that all Vampires had, yet his were different, clearer and deeper somehow, they bore into me—into my soul—and in those brief seconds a chill ran down my spine.

Thinking back on the memory now gave me a similar sensation and I felt cool even though my palms sweated. Vampires often gave me a curious feeling; they were courtly and ethereal, untouched by age while old with wisdom. I've never been in a room with one long enough to explain my weariness, so I shrugged it off to lack of exposure.

Since our arrival, the Vampire with the commanding voice and his team members had kept their distance while maintaining a watchful eye, but every so often I'd feel eyes on me and when I would turn I'd find the one Vampire watching me. I'm sure I'm making him and everyone else in the room uneasy and nervous with my constant pacing and incessant questioning.

We've only been back for less than an hour but if feels like it's been days. Once we got Hendricks off the bus and onto a working table I haven't been allowed too close and since have caught glimpses of his face only with each passing pace.

Everyone else has long since been bandaged so I've had nothing to do with my hands for some time now except to wring them together. I could feel the blood as it pumped through my veins and the swoosh and pounding in my ears as my heart beat enthusiastically with the adrenaline that coursed through the vessels.

"Abby!" Brooks hollered at me and without hesitation I ran over to his side. "We need blood, you're O neg right?"

"Yes." I said to him eagerly as I rolled up my sleeve.

He gave me a quick nod and then with no more direction I sat down at the chair next to Hendricks and waited for Lauren to place the IV.

"What are you doing?" The Vampire with the biting eyes demanded before Lauren had time to place the tourniquet around my bicep.

"He's lost a lot of blood, we're doing a transfusion." She replied to him on auto pilot as she continued to prep my arm for the needle.

"She could die." He said more forcefully while stepping forward.

I looked up at the Vampire, surprised by him. "He could die." I said, confused by his not understanding this.

He was angry, this stranger I had yet to meet. He looked furious with brows pulled tightly together over squinted eyes while the muscles in his jaw clenched and contracted with the grinding of his teeth.

"So, you should both die in a feeble attempt to save one human's life?" He questioned me after a moment of locking our eyes.

"I'm not going to die!" I said back at him.

"There's no way to control the blood flow!" He hollered at me.

We were silent for a moment, both of us staring at the other with indignation and an unwillingness to concede. I couldn't understand why he would care but I also didn't have the desire to find out. "Just do it Lauren." I said to her finally, then turned my vision from him to her.

Lauren was good at her job and barely a pinch later red flowed from me, through a tube and into Hendricks, all while the Vampire stood furiously by.

"We aren't going to bleed her to death; we just need enough until we can get him home." Brooks said to the Vampire over his shoulder after a minute.

"If you would take mine he would be healed already." He said back to him in the same icy voice he used on the bus.

"True," Brooks agreed with him while pulling off his bio gloves, "but we've stopped the bleeding and only need enough blood to keep him alive for the journey. We aren't losing anyone today."

"I can ensure that better than you."

"And I would rather take my chances." Hendricks croaked, pulling all the attention back to him.

I turned toward him and grabbed his hand, I could feel my face flush with relief as a heavy sigh sagged and relaxed my shoulders. "How are you feeling?" I asked him as Kat looked in each of his eyes, flashing a little light back and forth between them.

"Like I've been shot."

"Weird." Brooks quipped giving the Commander a smirk.

"How long have you been hooked up to me." He asked, slowly turning his head in my direction.

"Not long." I said.

"Almost two minutes now." The Vampire talked over me. "She should be done."

I tensed in the chair, my back stiffening against the exchange, and continued to look warily at the Commander as I waited for his reaction. It had escaped me during the trauma of the last hour that the Commander may not appreciate the vampires still being here. And I, along with everyone else, had also failed to clarify that we didn't work with vampires, and that even though the Commander had given the go ahead for them to ride back with us they would need to leave and be on their way soon.

There was a quiet pause as everyone briefly stopped what they were doing and waited for Hendricks' reaction.

"Agreed." He said to him, then turned to look back up at Lauren who was still taking his vitals. "Get her off the drain and someone find her some OJ and cookies."

I was surprised by his agreeance, then annoyed by his dismissal, "No, you've lost a lot of blood and I'm fine for a few more minutes."

"Abby, I'm not arguing with you." He said. "Lauren."

Then, and as if to prove both him and the vampire right, I stood up to protest and nearly fainted. The world went fuzzy and black around the edges and the room turned, one minute I was upright and then next I was gently grasped and held in someone's arms.

A muffled voice of anger spoke next to my ear, the sound obstructed by my slight consciousness as it dimmed before slowly coming back into focus.

A few minutes later I better hung onto the present and even though I was light headed and queasy I could make out that the arguing had stopped.

"You'll feel better in a few moments." The soothingly rich voice murmured as I continued to blink everything back into focus.

"Here is a cool washcloth." I recognized Lauren's voice saying.

"My hand is cooler than this." The voice said back to her in a less than comforting tone.

I felt a warm wetness wipe across my arm, the cloth was being used to clean the IV wound I guessed, instead of it being applied to my forehead. "She'll need a bandage." He said, and then placed a hand over my brow.

I realized then that it was the Vampire that had caught me and wiped clean my arm, and his hand was cooler than the wet cloth used on my wound. I let out a comforted moan at the sensation and reveled in how the coolness whisked away the nausea.

Minute by minute my surroundings became clearer and clearer and soon I felt subconscious about my proximity to this stranger, the Vampire whose name I still hadn't learned.

I cautiously shifted my weight from around his protective grasp and slowly sat up with his help. He gently moved me from his lap but kept a hand placed on my back as I sat for a moment to collect myself.

"Thank you." I said to him quietly, then conceded to him as I looked in his direction, "I guess you were right."

"Usually." He smirked back at me then stood and moved out of the way. Lauren had come back with the bandage he had demanded and sat next to me as she took my arm.

"Sorry Abby." She apologized as she removed the warm cloth and carefully placed the adhesive. She looked tired and sort of scattered. Her normally neatly done hair was messy and was held together loosely by a knotted bun at the back of her head. Dark blonde bangs fell in her eyes and wisps curled around her ears and shoulders. She had unzipped her suit to her waist and her cut-proof under shirt was wet with sweat and splattered with blood and water. "We should have been paying more attention."

"It's not your fault." I smiled at her gently. "One thing we know for certain is that we can't be sure how much blood is being transferred when we use a direct line like that."

"I know, but we should have been paying more attention." She replied then reached over and grabbed the can of soda and a can of oranges she found in our food storage.

I took the cans from her and sat them on the chair next to me as I took a few deep breaths and watched as everyone else in the hangar packed up again to leave.

Now that Hendricks was safe enough to travel and his wounds had stopped bleeding we would be getting back to Thompson Falls. There was still a chance of infection and the potential that the quick repair job Brooks and Kat had done wouldn't hold up, so while he was stable, we would move.

The crack of the can and the release of the carbonation brought my focus back over to where I was sitting and to the outstretched hand that held the beverage for me. "Drink." He said in a stern voice.

I gingerly took the can from him and slowly took a few sips of the fizzy sugar water. "Thanks." I said, then mustered up the courage to look up at him.

He was very tall and muscular, but not nearly as large as Blaise. His dark hair was disheveled in a way that lay neatly on his head, long enough I could run my fingers through it, but the length was only just past his ears. The color was dark like mocha, and silky. Some strands wisped out in odd directions at the back of his head, while random pieces covered his forehead as bangs fell into his eyes. His dark brows had sharp arches that dramatically framed his piercing violet eyes and long lashes. High cheekbones and a straight nose led to a set of full lips with a prominent V and a plush of softness. Neatly unshaven facial hair spread across a square chin and strong jaw line and continued down his neck to create a 5 o'clock shadow.

And his mouth was open just enough so I could see the sharp, white points of his fangs.

His clothes were like ours; heavy boots, leather pants and a fitted long sleeve black shirt worn under a leather jacket; the only difference was that his belt held a longsword in addition to his gun.

He was arguably the most handsome creature I had ever seen; human or vampire.

"What's your name?" I said to him faintly as I traveled his body back up to his eyes.

"Ethan." He said with a little smirk before crouching down in front of me until he was at eye level. "Ethan Sterling."

His swift movement took me a few seconds to catch up with; he was much quicker than even my eyes could follow at this proximity and the small breeze that followed wafted cool air across my face. The freshly scented air a far cry from the musty smell of the hangar we were in, reminding me of summer and rain with sunshine in the woods on an early morning.

He held out his hand to shake so naturally that I responded to the gesture and placed mine into his "It's nice to meet you, I'm Abby Rose."

"It's nice to meet you too, Abby" He said back with a quick squeeze of my hand before flipping it over to place two fingers on the pulse at my wrist.

"What are you doing?" I asked him in surprise as I tried to pull free my hand.

"Checking your heart rate." He said as he continued to look at me through heavy lashes.

His eyes were so striking it was hard to look away. His pupil was the color of the darkest eggplant that drastically faded out to a thistle hue covering the entire iris, all while being held together and circled with a dark lilac ring.

"Thanks," I said to him trying again to pull my hand free of his. "but I'm perfectly fine, this isn't the first time I've been light headed after giving blood and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"I'm sure not." He said not unkindly then let go of my hand as he stood back up to his statuesque height.

"Abby! It's time to go." Holden said loudly as he walked up behind Ethan. "Say goodbye to your friend." He smirked and sneered, clearly trying to get a rise out of one or both of us.

Holden had also unzipped his suit exposing his cut-proof undergarment. He was wearing a tank top version that put his arms and upper body strength in full view. He's light skinned, tall and ripped with muscle like most of the other men in the vanguard, except that Holden spends an extra amount of time in the gym. His hair is nearly bald around both sides of his ears, shaved to a point at the base of his skull and only slightly longer on the top. He's scarred in various places, small ones on his head and face and a few over his arms and chest, and a long, bulbous and jagged one that sits higher on his skin, running from the top of his left bicep almost down to his elbow. He's said to have gotten it from an ax wielding spyder he fought before coming to Thompson Falls.

"Ignore him." I said to Ethan as I slowly stood from my chair. "He's a jackass that was turned into a real boy by a drunken fairy."

"Funny. Now let's go." Holden said deadpan. His face holding its permanent scowl as the deep-set lines between his brows bunched up as he furrowed them together.

"Ethan, thank you for everything." I said as I stuck my hand out to shake goodbye.

"You're not planning on leaving tonight?" He responded suddenly in a less than friendly tone, all while ignoring my gesture.

"We need to get the Commander back to our hospital as soon as possible." I told him, confused again at his disapproval as I pulled back my hand.

"It is nearly nightfall." He scowled at me clipping out the words, his whole demeanor changing in an instant. Even the air around us seemed to chill with is mood.

"It's also not up to her blood sucker, now back off." Holden stepped between us, again blocking my view of the now hostile vampire. "Abby get to the bus. Now."

Holden is known for being a hard-ass, but he's also one man you want to watch your back. I knew by his tone that now was not the time for our normal banter and so without hesitating I turned and walked past both him and Ethan toward the bus.

Blaise and Brooks were loading the Commander in through the back door when I came up on them.

"We need to get him all the way in and then turn him, so the stretcher will lay across two bench chairs." Brooks was instructing Blaise.

"Can't we rip out a couple of these back seats? Make it a little easier." Blaise said sounding a little frustrated.

"We don't have the time..." Brooks explained to him before being cut off.

"Commander Hendricks." Ethan's silent approach was marred only by the vexation in his voice.

"What are you doing?" I hissed at him, surprised by his approach.

Looking down on me with a steely gaze he ignored my question and walked past me toward where the Commander lay.

Hendricks was nearly unconscious and heavily medicated strapped to the stretcher. He looked uncomfortable and less than pleased with his condition. "Yes?" He croaked out, sounding as though he had just been woken from a deep sleep.

"You're aware your crew is planning to travel back to Thompson Falls tonight?" He asked, his tone just as cold as it was the first time I heard him speak on the bus.

"Yes."

"You think that's wise?" He said with disdain, "To risk the lives of all these people by traveling at night?"

"Under normal circumstances I would agree with your...disapproval, but in this case, yes. I do think it is wise." Hendricks said to him, returning his hostility, his voice growing stronger with each word. "That mess we left back there is on its way here, and I don't want my people anywhere near this tin can when they arrive."

Ethan stood quietly for a moment, his brow furrowing while he thought about what the Commander was saying to him. "Then we will join you." He stated.

I knew this would not go over well when the words were out of Ethan's mouth. If there was one thing that Commander Hendricks didn't like it was being told how and what to do, add that with the fact that it was coming from a vampire...

"You will do no such thing." Commander Hendricks practically snarled out the words. "I think you've overstayed your usefulness as it is."

Ethan's look was fierce, the muscles in his jaw and neck bunched and flexed in accord with his anger, and his eyes were drawn down into narrow slits as he stared at the Commander. He turned to look at me briefly as I stood motionless at the end of the bus before turning his glare back to Hendricks.

"Very well." He said giving the Commander a final look before turning and stalking off toward the other vampires. "We will follow you." He said defiantly, not bothering to acknowledge the Commanders protest.

* * *

Nearly an hour later we had finally loaded everything and secured the Commander in the bus and were making our way out of the hangar when the first signs of trouble were heard. The GILA and the military Humvee were leading the way (the same way we entered Honor) when they suddenly opened fire into the vast darkness. We were barely out of the hangar and were sandwiched between the two lead vehicles and the rear when we came to a stop.

I had chosen to ride in the bus with the Commander instead of with my team in the Humvee, so I had no idea what was happening, although I could guess. I scrambled out of my bench seat next to the Commander and retrieved Walter, my handgun.

Walter is a Walther P22 and has a laser site that never leaves my side when I'm out in the morgue. Walter has been a trusty side kick for many years and my guess is, is that he would prove to be once again tonight.

As I made my way to the front of the bus I listened for any response to Dan's request for information. He had radioed to Kat and Dawsen in the two lead vehicles when we heard the first signs of gunfire and have heard nothing for an explanation or a response.

While we waited, Dan pulled the bus door closed and locked it with the custom latch over the handle. He then turned to the window seat and armed himself with a DPMS Panther rifle while I took up a position on the opposite side facing the front. Holden was at the back with the Lee twins, Buck and Bush, two more huge vanguard boys packed full of muscle, strength and skill, while Brooks hovered over Hendricks with his own pistol drawn and facing toward the gunfire.

The barrage was quiet for only a few seconds before the turrets on the two leads fired off again, encouraging the rear Humvee to pull ahead and join in the assault.

With the three-blasting heavy artillery out into the darkness with the shots from the others and their rifles we finally saw what was headed for us. In flashing and strobe, we could see the mass of bodies ramble and shuffle their way toward our location. For every one that fell another would follow, tripping and dragging themselves over their fallen.

It was hard to see to know exactly how big the horde was, but from the look of the sea of bodies hurtling toward us I guessed they outnumbered us three to one. It looked like the entire town of Honor was coming down on us and possibly more, stretched out across both lanes of the highway, into the boulevard and over the fields. The gunners at the turrets were doing a lot of damage, but their numbers were too many and a few at a time they slipped by, making their way closer to our vehicles.

The shots behind us came almost when the thought left my mouth. "They're a distraction..." I said in a breathy observation.

"What?" Holden hollered at me as he looked around with unease.

"They are a distraction!" I said, this time more forcefully. I went from the front right side of the bus toward the back left, toward the new gunfire.

"Shit!" Holden clipped out in acknowledgment just as the evidence presented itself.

A group had come around from the other side of the hangar and began to onrush us. These kooks seemed faster and moved with more skill than the ones ahead of us. These weren't your ordinary munchers; they were their children, the evo's.

Without hesitating Buck and Bush ran over to the middle of the bus and while one was opening and climbing through the roof hatch the other was unloading a chest of weapons then handing them up to his brother.

When what we had was put to the top I went over to Buck, "Need a lift?" He asked me with a smirk while bending down to give me a boost. Stepping in his open hands he hoisted me up through the top where Bush grabbed me around the arms to pull me through the rest of the way. "Thanks." I said to them before holstering Walter and grabbing a rifle and taking my position.

The top of the bus was railed along the sides and painted with an anti-slip textured coating for situations like this; it allowed us a better view and gave us an advantage of height a security.

Once up there I could see a little better of what was ahead of us. The two forward vehicles were still firing away at the original mass headed for us, the pack was a little smaller but not by much. The last Humvee had stopped firing from the turret but every one of them was using a riffle either on top of the vehicle or through the windows, the gun turret was out of ammo or it was jammed, those being the only two reasons for its stopping its assault.

The F250 behind the bus and the guys in it were doing much of the same thing, each door was open with a man standing just outside and shooting toward the hungry and closing swarm while a couple of the guys jumped in the back and on the roof of that vehicle too.

We kept firing to allow the ground gunners to move up higher on the caravan as the army of dead continued to overcome us with their advance. After putting down at least fifteen or twenty of the kook spawn, I was reloading when I finally saw the vampires for the first time during the battle.

I couldn't make out their figures or tell who was who but I could see the gleam of the moonlight as it glanced off their blades each time they rose and flew through the air, like fast moving flashlights or dimmed glow sticks in the dark.

"BOMB!" Someone yelled from the front of the convoy just as I finished loading my rifle to shoot. Panic spread immediately through my body as I glanced back at the vampires still slicing through the mob of bodies surrounding them.

"Ethan!" I yelled just as one of the mercury grenades blew up a short distance away.

The next few moments moved in slow motion as I watched everything around me proceed at an exaggerated rate. One of the other vampires, Sylis I think, had made his way to the bus, first leaping to the top, then through the latch hole in one swift motion only seconds after the Hg-80 exploded. He was soon followed by all the others—except Ethan.

The sound of the bomb had nulled all the other noise, deafening the surrounding babble and leaving my breath to become the loudest roar around me. I looked out into the darkness, waiting for Ethan to appear or to see the gleam of his sword or any sign of his battle, but found only nothing. Another explosion minutes later pulled me back from the darkness, drawing my attention to the other side of the bus where I could hear muffled commands only until a piercing keening shrill broke through the muted clamor.

David was being pulled from the top of the F250 by several of the bereft while his comrades tried to hold him up and pull him back. Their attention was split, and their focus was on David which was allowing the mass of dead to gain and advance on them. I shot at the kooks and yelling at my group to help me lay cover fire to hopefully give them the edge they needed to reclaim him. The words were barely out of my mouth when suddenly David slipped through their hands before being dragged down and consumed by the mass upon him. His screams echoed through the darkness as clear as a bell, they reverberated and harmonized with the death sounds of the horde and the hungry and jealous cries of the zombies around him.

A chill ran through me as we kept shooting to take down as many as we could that were surrounding the rest until it was clear enough for them to move. The three that were left scrambled off the truck and ran to the bus where one by one they were lifted from below and pulled to the top with Ethan following them.

We made eye contact briefly before he handed Holden several more Hg-80 grenades and then leapt down into the bus through the hatch. Holden hesitated only long enough to pull the pins before he hurled them through the air and into the largest of the groups. I saw the first one glint through the air and the beginnings of an explosion before the world around me shifted and my stomach rose as my feet fell. The next thing I knew I was back in the bus with an oxygen mask being shoved into my hands.

"Put it on!" Ethan yelled at me before disappearing again through the roof opening with several more in his hands. I did as I was told then went over with another one and put it on Commander Hendricks, who was still passed out from heavy sedation.

One by one the men from the roof piled back into the bus as Sylis put it in drive and pulled away with the two lead vehicles following behind us.

Ethan opened the back door and signaled for the GILA and Humvee to move around and ahead of us as we came to a stop about one hundred yards from the throng of zombies. He jumped from the back of the bus and onto the roof in one smooth motion before coming back only moments later.

"Go!" He yelled, and the bus moved again, faster this time. I lurched forward nearly stumbling out of my chair as we took off before I could steady myself against the speed, but a few seconds later I was folded against a bench with Ethan pressing down on me. "Cover your head."

An explosion followed a few moments later that was so loud I could hear some windows around us shatter. The bus jerked forward with the force and we seesawed back and forth as Sylis fought to get it under control.

When Ethan finally let me up after the bus had straightened out, coherent words failed me as I looked on at the damage behind us.

The whole area we had just been in was up in flames, circled in a ring of fire as everything around and in it burned. The Hanger was engulfed with fire along with the F250 pickup we left behind. Piles of bodies flared while single targets flitted about before falling to their eventual and final death. Where there was once a black night was now ablaze with a bright and fiery glow, burning and illuminating the surroundings and carnage.

Chapter Five

"We allow our ignorance to prevail upon us and make us think we can survive alone, alone in patches, alone in groups, alone in races, even alone in genders." ― Maya Angelou

When we finally stopped several hours later we were in a small town about eight hours from Thompson Falls. We were in short supply of fuel and needed to find more before we could continue back home. Ethan had used up most of our fuel reserves when he created the fire that allowed us all to escape the hangar, and for us to take all the vehicles back home we would need to find more.

Hendricks was still stable and had slept through most of all the turmoil and the drive here. He was in pain and at risk for infection, but Brooks believed that the worst was over and if we could get him home quickly and safely he would make a full recovery with no lasting side effects.

The last twenty-four hours have been exhausting for everyone and more than anything we needed rest. Unfortunately, we could not waste time or energy when we still had so far to go.

I didn't recognize the town we stopped in, but someone else did calling it Absarokee. I did however, recognize the insignias on the sides of the buildings as our own. After clearing and stripping a town of all its resources and usefulness we tag the buildings with our red insignia to let other team members or vanguard that pass through know there is nothing left and to not waste their time. The whole town had been cleared and we would find nothing, especially fuel, here to help us.

Once the decision was made to leave vehicles behind we cleared out the ones that we would leave and loaded the bus and one of the Humvee with our gear. It wouldn't be as comfortable of a ride home as it was when we left but we would save time and fuel this way, hopefully getting us home sooner rather than later.

"I'm going to go wash my face." I whispered to Lauren while we waited around for the other vehicles to be parked and hidden. "Be right back."

The town was a small enough town in that you can almost see the end while standing at the beginning, so I wasn't concerned with leaving the group to wander off by myself, and since we arrived there have been no signs of kooks wandering around.

When we first arrived, we parked just past the bridge next to a river and once I was out of the bus I immediately craved the fresh water on my face. It was a short walk from where we parked and soon I knelt in a small bank in an area that was shallow and slow moving.

It had been nearly two days since I had taken a shower and I was feeling the filth on my skin, so without hesitation I unzipped my uniform to my waist and pulled my long-sleeved shirt off over my head. The air felt cool on my warm skin, the layers of protection and leather always left you feeling hot, but I didn't hesitate to dunk my shirt in the cold water and use it as a towel to wipe over my arms and chest before putting it back in again to wring it out over my head.

The water was cold, and it made my flesh prickle at the sensation, but it was clean and welcomed. More than anything I wanted to strip down the rest of the way and put my whole body in the water, but I knew there wasn't any time for that. I could imagine the cold water washing me as it flowed downstream, taking the last two days of dirt and grime with it, it was hard not to jump in, but with a few more splashes to the face I felt better enough to ignore the sensation.

I finished with wringing the water out of my shirt before snapping it open to put it back on. The fabric clung to my skin even tighter and the cold of it made me catch my breath, but I was glad to be clothed again before reaching for my gun and turning my body around to face who or what was approaching me.

With my finger next to the trigger I peered down the sight of Walter and into Ethan's not so surprised and humorous face.

"I was going to scold you about letting down your defenses and leaving yourself so vulnerable," He said with a smirk. "But I can see I was wrong."

"What are you doing down here?" I asked him with my gun still trained on his face.

"I'm not going to hurt you Abby." He said gesturing to Walter while ignoring my question.

"Are you following me?"

"Yes." He said matter-of-factly then slowly stepped toward me and pushed my gun down and away from both of us. "I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"Why?" I asked confused.

He smirked at me and then bent down to run his hand through the water. "It's peaceful here." He commented.

"Yes, it is." I agreed with him. "But you didn't answer my question."

He stood up from the water then, flicking the drops away from his fingers before rubbing the remaining wetness between both his hands. We both stood there silently for a moment, each of us assessing the other. It was hard not to look into his eyes, they were so striking and familiar, yet like nothing I had ever seen before, but anything longer than a couple of seconds and I felt embarrassed until I finally had to look away.

"Have you finished here?" He asked me with an amused tone, still not answering me, while gesturing to the water next to us.

"Yes." I said to him exasperated.

"We should get back then; they are getting ready to go."

We walked side by side back to the convoy in silence and even though it was not awkward, it still felt charged and the air was thick.

When we arrived back at the bus most of everyone was already loaded and ready to go. As I grabbed the railing of the bus before stepping in I was surprised to find a cool hand in place of the metal I was expecting. Ethan clasped my hand in support as I stepped onto the bus while informing Kat he and the other VIG's would be riding topside for the rest of the way home. Since the hangar, and saving us for the second time, no one questioned their continued presence. Once I was on the bus he released me and disappeared soundlessly to the top of the bus, but not before giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

My hand felt cool and tingled a little from the contact, but I was sure it was from the temperature difference between us and nothing else. Idly I found myself next to Hendricks, checking on him and making sure he was comfortable before sitting next to a window to stare out.

I was curious as to why the vampires weren't riding inside with us. I thought it was odd at first but then realized I knew nothing about them or their habits and wondered if it was out of respect for Hendricks and his rules, or for their comfort because of our blood. I wondered how being around humans affected them, if they could smell the blood, or if it was hard for them and how often they needed it to survive. I made a mental list of questions to ask Ethan the next time I had the chance and then wondered if I would even have the opportunity to ask. Before I realized it, we had driven the hour distance to Big Timber where we would look for more fuel, so I put aside all my wonderings and curiosities in exchange for duty and responsibility.

The small town was often littered with the dead so as we moved around the city we kept close together and found what we needed quickly. It was much easier and quieter having the VIG's with us, their quick movements and quiet weapon skill drew little attention to our presence and made our work fast. We had found enough fuel to get us back to Seeley Lake where we knew we had enough stock to get us back home.

The remainder of the journey was quiet and uneventful and the three hours it took to reach the familiar gates of the Falls went by quickly. I found myself disappointed that I could not ask all the burning questions I had on my mind, and that I hadn't had the opportunity to spend any more time with Ethan or the other Vampires.

"We really appreciate your help and escorting us back here." Brooks said to Ethan and his team while some of the guy's unloaded commander Hendricks out of the bus and onto a waiting gurney.

As Brooks was saying his goodbyes to the VIG's I suddenly found myself anxious, thinking about Ethan leaving and never seeing him again. I knew this was the end of the line for them but now that we had it I was conflicted and lingered by the bus anxiously waiting to speak with him myself before seeing him go.

"Don't you think we should offer them a shower or a place to sleep?" I whispered to Kat after tracking her down a little while later before she went through to the medical bay.

"Look," She nodded back over in the direction from which I just came. "Blaise is over there right now asking them to stay put for a bit. I need to try and talk to Hendricks before making a decision."

"You're going to ask them to stay?" I questioned her with surprise. I was expecting to have to explain to her why they should be allowed inside the gates not having her tell me what I wanted to hear.

"I want to know what they know Abby. Aren't you at all curious why they were in Honor the same day as we were?"

"I wasn't until now." I told her feeling foolish that the thought hadn't occurred to me.

"Why don't you get processed through and cleaned up. You're going to have a few extra guests tonight." She told me with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before heading off in the direction they took the commander.

***

It was late afternoon when we made it back and by the time I was processed and home it was early evening and time for the dinner crowd at the O. I was feeling anxious about my new guests that would be arriving soon and didn't know if their presence would be welcomed or not in our town.

I gave a quick wave to Charlie before hurrying off to my room. I wanted to be showered and changed before the VIG's came and was hoping to talk to everyone before they arrived. When I finally made it back out to the front it was almost twenty-five minutes later, my hair was dripping wet and I felt out of breath, but I was relieved to find that neither the Vampires or members of the vanguard were here yet.

I was also happy to see that most of the patrons had finished and had gone home leaving only a lingering few to be on their way. After giving Charlie a knowing glance, I went over to the check in desk by the front door and found four room keys for the Vampires before going to the window by the door and flipping the 'Yes, we're open sign' to 'Sorry, we're closed." It was unusual, but I thought it would be best if no one else came in for the night.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked when I made my way back to the kitchen.

"We're closing early tonight." I told her, "We have some...guests that I would like to give some privacy."

"Is everything alright?" She asked concerned.

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine." I smiled at her, then helped with what was left of the evening all while trying to convey nonchalance and feeling anything but.

When the last of the diners left and the extra staff had gone home for the night I pulled Charlie over to the serving counter intending to explain to her what was going on before the vanguard showed up with the VIG's. Unfortunately, I didn't get to say anything to her before the bell on the front door chimed.

Immediately I felt my nerves spike as I looked over toward the sound and the door. Kat and a couple guys that hadn't been with us walked through the door first and then were followed by Ethan and his three guard members.

"What the..." Charlie whispered trailing off before looking at me quizzically.

They were unmistakably Vampire. They carried themselves in a way that no human could, and even without seeing the violet in their eyes, or the points of their teeth, you knew immediately that they were not human. Their height alone was generally a giveaway; Vampires were usually taller than humans, match that with long muscular bodies and graceful gaits, they were discernible.

"Abby." Kat said as she made her way to the restaurant bar where Charlie and I stood. "Hendricks cleared them to stay, at least for the night." She said as she sat at one of the stools.

"I have room keys for each of you." I told them while reaching in my pocket to pull them out. "I can show you the way if you'd like?" I asked them, making my way around Charlie.

"I'm sure we can manage." Sylis said before giving me a quick wink and a smile.

Sylis was taller than the other three, but only slightly over Ethan; his features were stronger – boxier, and his shoulders broader. He wore his hair longer and it was as black as oil against his pale skin.

"Alright." I told him then handed the keys over to them one by one.

"I'm putting some guys on post inside and out for the night." Kat said sternly. "I don't expect any problems, but it is a stipulation, you understand." She said to them matter-of-factly.

"There won't be any problems, I assure you." Ethan said to her in the same ascetic tone.

The temperature between them was less than warm and I realized that I had no idea what had transpired between them to get here. We had been through a lot together over the last couple of days and the tolerant and collaborate relationship established seemed less friendly than it was a couple of hours ago. It concerned me, and it spiked my anxiety. I would need to get a hold on that.

"Would any of you like something to eat?" I asked, instantly regretting the words when Charlie turned to gape at me open mouthed. "I mean..." I trailed off feeling my face flush with heat.

"Abby." Ethan said in a kind voice after noticing my mortification. "We had sandwiches in the medical bay while we waited for entrance."

I was embarrassed—humiliated even, and nodded my head in acknowledgment

"Abby, I need to talk to you for a second." Charlie said then grabbed my hand. "Rooms are down that hall, breakfast is served at nine." She said to the Vampires before turning and pulling me through the double swinging doors and into the kitchen without waiting for a response.

"What is going on!" She whispered intently when we reached the back of the kitchen.

"Shh!" I clipped and lightly put my hand over her mouth before pulling her into the cooler. As I closed the door behind us I could hear Kat instructing the group with final directions before the doors closed and sealed us in.

As we stood in the cold cramped room of the walk-in refrigerators I could only hope that the fans and walls were enough of a sound barrier to mask my voice while I gave Charlie a short version of what had happened over the last couple of days.

She accepted the information exactly as I thought she would, with excitement and glee.

"I don't expect them to be here for very long." I whispered to her intently. "You need to stay out of trouble and keep your distance." I had no hope she was listening however; her eyes were already glazed over with possibilities.

"Charlie!" I yelled at her with a snap of my fingers.

"What." She rolled her eyes before conceding, "Fine. I'll be good."

I didn't believe her.

When we went back out to the front the Vampires were no longer there and a single guard was the only one left at the counter.

"They went to bed and Kat went home." Jo told both of us but looked directly at Charlie who was careening her head around the restaurant and bar looking for them.

"Did you volunteer or get chosen to baby sit tonight?" I asked Jo before making my way around the counter to sit next to him at the bar.

"Both." He smiled at me. "I don't have a problem with Vampires; I worked with them back east before coming here." Jo was middle aged with some gray and wrinkles but was known for his patience, sound advice and a good listening ear.

"I think maybe I'll stay the night too." Charlie announced. "You know, to help keep an eye on the place." She smiled.

"No." I told her shaking my head. "I think we have enough help here as it is."

"Abby..."

"No way Charlie."

"Killjoy!" She said as she headed for the door. "I'll be here first thing in the morning!" She announced and then quickly shut the door behind her.

"You know, you really don't need to stay either Jo. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I know, but you know I can't leave, Abby."

"It was worth a shot." I smiled. "Do you want me to get you anything to eat or snack on while you're here?"

"Just whatever is simple, don't make me anything—I'm not that hungry, but I could chew on something later." He said giving me a little wink, then indicated that he was headed to the restroom.

I went back into the kitchen and rummaged through the pantry and cupboards to find snacks that would keep overnight and required no cooking. There weren't too many things to choose from since everything was mostly made fresh, but I found some stuff that would keep a bored eater busy for a few hours. Chips, cookies, dried fruit, nuts and even some old stale packaged crackers and fresh jam.

Next to the check in counter was a small room with an entertainment system and two small couches and chairs. I took the loot in and set it out on the table with a cold glass I had brought from the freezer. I couldn't remember what Jo liked to drink so I grabbed a few beers and filled up a pitcher with some ice water. I didn't worry about getting the guys outside anything; they usually would bring a cooler of stuff and hang out in the truck and not come inside anyway.

"You're quite the little host, aren't you?" Ethan said from behind. I sloshed out some of the water from the pitcher in surprise and cursed quietly before carefully setting it down on the table.

"Did I scare you?" He mused.

"You seem to have made a habit of sneaking up on me." I said, turning to face him.

"I apologize." He said with a small incline of his head. "I will do my best to make myself more aware as I approach you in the future."

His hair was still dripping from an apparent shower and there were beads of water trailing down his neck, both of which caused little wet spots to appear as they soaked into his shirt. He looked more comfortable than he did the last time I had seen him, the clothes provided to him from the decon-zone seemed to work in his favor. His chiseled arms and chest complimented the navy-blue cotton t-shirt and loose-fitting jeans, which although were probably one size too big around the waist still hung nicely off his hips and contrasted handsomely against his olive skin.

"How was your shower?" I remarked after noting his wet hair.

"Hot." He said and then ran a hand through the locks. "Which was a nice surprise.

"We've been lucky with that for a few months." I smiled at him. "And how's your room? Do you need extra pillows or anything?"

"No." He chuckled at me. "The room is fine."

"Can I get you something?" I asked him after a moment. It was so quiet in the room the sound of my breathing seemed louder than normal which made me feel self-conscious as my face flushed.

"Or you're welcome to help yourself to anything here." My voice cracked as I wafted my hand out and around the room to place them behind my back rather than wringing them together like I wanted too.

"Anything?" He said ardently. I think even to his own surprise.

My breath audibly hitched as tension instantly filled the room. Seconds started to noticeably tick by while I struggled to think of anything to say. I felt my skin flush with heat when Ethan stepped further into the room, making the space feel even smaller than it already was. His hand twitched at his side and just as he opened his mouth to say something Jo rounded the corner.

"Hey." He said to both of us, blissfully unaware of the awkward silence he had just walked in on. "I didn't think anyone would still be up. I thought you were going to bed Abby?"

"I was, I am, I was just getting you a few things to snack on when Ethan here surprised me."

"Ah. Did you need something Ethan? Anything I can help you with, so Abby here can get some sleep?" Jo said walking over to the two of us, grabbing a beer while he waited for Ethan to answer.

"No. Thank you." Ethan said to Jo before turning back "Good night Abby."

Then he was gone, just as quietly and quickly as he had arrived.

"Vampires." Jo said shaking his head, taking a swig of his beer and flopping himself down on the couch. "Go to bed Abs, if I need anything I'll let you know."

Without another word and with only a few nods of my head I turned and quickly walked myself down the hall and to my room.

I let the door close behind me and sat on my bed. I felt overwrought and a little exposed. Ethan's appearance and our subsequent non-conversation left me feeling baffled and a little unsatisfied if I was being honest. He was exceptionally skilled at leaving me confused and wanting—wanting for what, I didn't quite know, which was also frustrating.

Needing to clear my mind, I put on some music and thoughtfully readied myself for bed. The relaxing and soulful sound of an old playlist quickly put my mind at ease and I soon found myself tired and crawling into bed. The crisp sheets and cool pillow finished whisking away any tension and soon I felt myself falling asleep.

I woke the next morning more rested than I have been over the last week and welcomed the cracking of my bones with each stretch of muscle. The music player I put on shuffle the night before was still quietly playing on the dresser, so I turned it up and made myself ready for the day. After a shower, I pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail and dressed down in a t-shirt and jeans and after brushing my teeth I slid on some shoes before heading out the door.

It was a little after eight in the morning and already I could hear the babble of conversation as I made my way down the hall toward the sounds of breakfast. I was sure Charlie had kept her word and was already here and, in the kitchen, and I knew that Gigi would be here too. I was surprised however to see her sitting around a table of Vampires as they ate whatever was on their plates and drank steaming cups of coffee and tall glasses of water. As soon as I approached the table Ethan stood to greet me which caused Gigi to turn and look in my direction.

"Well good morning honey." She smiled at me.

"'Morning Gigi." I said back to her before bending down and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Do you want something to eat?" She asked before turning her attention back to the group in front of her.

"No, not just yet, but thank you." I smiled at the table.

"Are you sure?" She said with humor. "Charlie came in early this morning, so I put her to work. She's been slaving away all morning making this meal."

I chuckled at that bit of information and looked over through the kitchen window to find Charlie back there and looking more than a little flustered.

"Good morning Abby." Ethan said bringing my attention back to the table in front of me.

"Good morning." I said back to him. "Did you all sleep well?"

"Quite." Ethan answered for them as the others nodded in agreement or grunted through mouths full of food.

"The boys here were explaining to me how all of you met." Gigi said. "It doesn't sound like good news for Honor."

"No, it wasn't good." I confirmed but let the topic slip. She wouldn't want to hear all the details and I wasn't in a hurry to talk about them anymore than I needed to. We all would already go over it more times than I cared to count and that wasn't including the conversation still needing to be had with the Honor survivors staying under this roof. Rick didn't come back to the O last night and the others would need to be told something as soon as they were up, so any of them overhearing a half conversation with Gigi was another reason to let the subject drop.

"Excuse me." I said to the table before turning and walking toward the kitchen. Gigi's reminder of the events that lead us here and what needed to be said to the Honor group instantly made my mouth dry.

After grabbing a glass of water and drinking half down I went in through the swinging doors to where Charlie was busy at work and leaned up against a counter to sip the rest of my drink.

"This isn't why I came in here this morning." She grumbled at me and dusted off her hands against the apron wrapped around her waist.

"You should have known that Gigi was going to be here and would put you to work." I told her as I tried to hide my smirk.

"Well, I didn't." She snorted.

"It could be worse." I said to her as I reached out and grabbed a pancake off the grill. "It could be the whole town wanting breakfast instead of just the guests. You're lucky I flipped over the 'open' sign."

"Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it is to make pancakes from scratch?" She whined.

"Yes, but they taste so much better than those old, stale boxed up versions don't you think?" I smiled at her as I took a huge bite out of the one in my hand. Charlie rolled her eyes at me and then went back to work, turning her body to ignore me.

It's not as if eggs, hash browns and pancakes were all that hard or complicated to make, even from scratch, Charlie just didn't like to be made to do something that wasn't her idea. She was pig-headed like that.

Taking the hint, I grabbed another small pancake and went back out to the front to get a cup of coffee. I had just sat down at the counter and added sugar and cream when the front door chimed. Kat came in with Rick following close behind her. Neither of which looked like they were ready nor willing to have the conversation they were both getting ready to have.

A small flash of relief quickly passed over Kat's face when she noticed us all in the restaurant and they both took the opportunity to stall and come over and talk with us.

"Good morning." Kat said to all of us at once. She went over to the pot and poured two cups of coffee, one for her and one for Rick before turning back around to face us all.

"Gigi put Charlie to work?" She asked in a humored tone.

"Yeah." I chuckled as we both watched her through the ticket window.

"Hey there kiddo, why don't you ever make me and Lisa breakfast?" Kat asked Charlie.

Charlie ignored her, which made us both chuckle at her again.

Kat and her wife, Lisa, took Charlie in shortly after she came to the Falls. Kat and her team had been the ones to find Charlie out in the morgue, she stayed here at the O for only a couple days before moving in with Kat and Lisa, who have basically become her adoptive parents.

"How's Hendricks?" I asked Kat as she took another careful sip from her cup after turning back around from looking at Charlie.

"He's okay." She said as Rick sat down next to me and wrapped both of his hands around his mug.

"Not great, but okay." She finished telling me before turning her attention to the VIG's. "It looks like you guys will be staying another night. Commander Hendricks isn't in any condition to meet with you today. Tomorrow will be better."

The way she made it sound was as if they didn't have a choice. And I'm sure that's what she was hoping to get across. But everyone knew that if they wanted to, the Vampires were more than capable of leaving whenever.

"We are glad to accept your hospitality and stay another night." Ethan stood and said to her. "If Abby will have us."

Heat flushed across my skin and immediately I felt several degrees warmer. "Yes, of course." I said.

"Very well. We will stay and meet with your Commander then as soon as he is able." He said.

"You'll probably want to stay closed for the night then Abby, just so we don't have any more to deal with."

"Yes." I agreed with Kat. Plenty enough goes on around here without adding more to it. I thought as I pushed my coffee away and reached again for the cold water.

"I don't want to tell you to stay holed up here in the hotel all day, and it's not as if there's a whole hell of a lot to look at in town, but it might be best if you stay out of sight for the time being." Kat addressed the Vampires again. "There are trails and a few places out of the way you can go to get some fresh air, but I would avoid the rest. At least for now."

To that nobody had anything to say and when I felt uncomfortable I volunteered Charlie for a job I knew she would be happy to do. "I'm sure Charlie would love to take you on some of the hiking trails that are out back and down by the river."

"Yes!" She said as she barreled through the kitchen, throwing off her apron and smoothing back her hair. "I can totally do that! Just let me get cleaned up and we can go."

"Oh child." Gigi moved up and out of her chair to head back to the kitchen, "you're nothing if not subtle." She said patting Charlie on the back before disappearing behind the wall. Obviously, she was being ironic. Kat laughed again but hid her smile behind her cup.

"If there's anything else you need that Abby or, Charlie can't get you, let us know." Kat told them before her and Rick solemnly and reluctantly went back to where the rest of the Honor survivors were staying.

Charlie was nearly bouncing out of her skin with excitement while she explained to the Vampires where they would go and how long she needed before she would be ready. "I'll just use Abby's room to get cleaned up and then we can go." She told them in lieu of asking me for permission. I'd need to visit Vickie's shop to replace whatever she took, because fate knows I'm not getting it back after she's done with it.

As Charlie scurried off to my room I grabbed a bussing bin and went over to clear the breakfast table.

"Will you join us?" Ethan asked while helping me clear the mess.

"No, I don't think so. I'm going to stay back and help Gigi in the kitchen."

He was quiet for a few moments after nodding his head before he finally spoke again, "Then may I join you?"

I stopped to look at him. "Wouldn't you rather spend the day outside with the others?"

"No." He said deadpan.

"You're a guest, I couldn't put you to work." I told him, still a little surprised that he wanted to stay. "I'm sure it would bore you."

"My anya kept a bakery once." He told me with a little smile.

"Your anya?"

"My mother." He said as the smile reached his eyes. "I'm sure you'll find me quite useful in the kitchen. She did."

I smiled back as he spoke, it was hard not to.

"I'll take you up on that offer." Gigi said moving through the swinging doors. "I have a few dozen pies to bake today and I would be happy for the help."

"It's settled then." He said taking the bin from me and following Gigi back into the kitchen where she promptly put him to work.

"He's skilled with all forms of cutting tools. And his hands." Sylis told me before finishing his glass of water. "Also, his anya made the best pies. You'll see." He said with a wink.

Chapter Six

"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" ― Abraham Lincoln

"This is your mother's recipe?" I asked Ethan before shoveling another heaping bite of warm apple pie into my mouth.

"Yes." He smiled and then took a bite of his own.

"And you know it by heart?" I teased. "Or are you in the habit of making delicious pies for everyone you meet?"

"Eidetic memory, and no, it's not something I'm in the habit of." He chuckled.

"Wow, eidetic memory, that's lucky!"

"Not really, it's a condition of my biology." He informed me.

"Really?" I said surprised. "All vampires have perfect memories?"

"Perfect may be a bit of a stretch, but near total recall is accurate." He said as if we were talking about hair growth. "Our biologists assume it's an evolutionary advantage due to our longevity. We're less likely to keep making the same mistakes if we can remember them." He said with a playful wink. "Do you not have total recall yourself?" He questioned me a little surprised.

"No." I chuckled at him and shook my head. "I mean, I have a pretty good memory but nothing close to total recall." I laughed again. "That's not a common thing for humans."

He nodded at me thoughtfully and then smiled and pointed to his head. "Of course, I know that." He smiled.

I laughed at him.

It was early afternoon by the time we had made all of Gigi's pies (including a few extra) and this was the first time we had sat down to relax. The morning went by a lot smoother than I anticipated and the three of us fell into an easy rhythm of work and conversation.

Ethan wasn't joking about being useful in the kitchen, even Gigi found him more favorable than I was based on his knowledge alone.

"Alright kids." Gigi said coming out of the kitchen, "I have the pies cooling on the counter, except for this one." She announced holding a covered dish. "I'm going to go look in on my son and feed him some of this wonderful pie. Thank you both for your help and thank you Ethan for parting with your anya's recipe." She smiled.

"The pleasure was all mine." Ethan stood with a smile. "And I hope Commander Hendricks recovers quickly."

"Oh, he'll be fine! He's too stubborn not to be." She stated, then headed for the door. "Now when your friends get back you share that pie," She indicated with her head. "and stay out of the others."

"Bye Gigi!" I said to her and then she was gone.

Ethan and I sat quietly for a few moments before the confused look on his face was too much for me to ignore. "Is everything alright?" I asked him as I moved my fork around the pie remains on my plate.

"Yes. Why?" He replied looking even more befuddled.

"You look confused is all."

Another quiet pause. "Is Commander Hendricks your father?" He asked.

"What? No." I chuckled at the question.

"But Gigi, your grandmother, is his mother?"

"Yes, she is."

"Then yes, I am confused." He confessed.

I laughed a little and then stood up to clear our plates. The day was so easy with Ethan here it never dawned on me that he knows about us as much as we know about him; which is very little.

"Gigi is Commander Hendricks mother, yes, but no, he is not my father. Although he may as well be." I explained to Ethan while cleaning up what little mess was left of the day. "He and my mother have been dating for years, and I suppose I consider him a father, a step-father I guess would be the term."

"I understand." He smiled. "Your Gigi is lovely."

"She is." I told him with a big smile as I headed into the kitchen with our dirty dishes.

He followed me. "Your anya, is she..." I let the question trail off.

"Yes, she is still alive." He told me as we washed and dried the dishes before going back out to sit down at the table. "She's in a safe place. I get to see her once or twice a year if I'm able."

"She must be far away then?" I said.

"Far enough that it makes it difficult to see her very often." He told me keeping it vague but answering the question. "What is the Commander's reason for not working with Vampires?" He asked before I could say anything else.

I had just taken a drink of water and coughed from the bluntness of his question. I guess he had as many burning questions as I did but he was getting right to the point.

"I honestly don't know." I turned to look at him after collecting myself. "He's never said, not really anyway, and whenever anyone's asked or brought it up he ignores the question." I told him. "All I can say for sure is that he didn't always 'hate' vampires, at least that's the impression Gigi gives, but there is something there from his past, I just don't know what."

He nodded thoughtfully. "The people who live here are all human then?"

"Yes, we have never had any vampires living within the gates, as far as I know." I told him feeling a little uncomfortable about that fact.

"Has anyone ever died and come back within the walls?"

"Not that I am aware of. We test everyone for the virus before they are allowed inside, and I'm not sure how it works but I think they have a way to tell if someone has had the 'I-M' vaccine." I said to him. "I suppose it's possible that someone could have had 'I-M' and still be here, but I don't know, and we've not had any problems. At least that I know of."

He paused a moment, almost as if to study my face.

"Where is your father?" He asked, disregarding the previous line of questioning.

"Whoa!" I chuckled again and held up my hands in pause. "That was a big leap."

"I apologize." He said, abashed. "I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's fine." I told him after seeing the look on his face. "I have questions too." I smiled.

"What questions do you have?" He returned my smile, then sat back in his chair conveying ease.

"I'm just curious about..." I trailed off suddenly feeling embarrassed about everything I wanted to know and thought about over the last couple of days. Some of which seemed very personal, especially now that we were alone.

Instead of asking him the things I wanted to know I looked away from his face and down into the glass I had spun slowly between my thumb and forefinger. "My father died when I was little, he and Zack's dad, and a few of the others in our group were killed by those things while protecting us."

"Zack?" He questioned.

"You haven't met him; he and his team are out on a run." I smiled. "Anyway, I was very young, and it was a long time ago." I told him in a rush and with a shrug instead of asking him the burning questions I had listed in my head. And, because I didn't like talking about my father's death. Those of us that survived that day became a family of our own, some of us are close. Being hunted and having to watch as your family and friends become something's meal has a way of binding the ties between you.

Suddenly he sat up and moved closer to the table and took my hand in his. "I am sorry to hear about your father Abby. It is difficult to lose a parent." He said.

"I think it was harder on my mom." I told him. "I was only six when he died."

"So, you don't remember him at all?" He asked.

"No, I do." I said. "Just very little. The memories are fuzzy, like trying to remember a dream." And then I laughed at myself. "Not that you know what an unclear memory looks like."

"No." He chuckled with me. "But I understand what you mean. I am very sorry to hear about his passing."

"And what about your father?" I asked since he'd only mentioned his anya earlier.

"I too lost my father in battle."

"Vampires can die?" I blurted out in surprise and then immediately regretted it. "I'm so sorry." I said to him. "That was terribly insensitive and rude. I apologize. Forget I said anything." I said waving my free hand in the air as if to erase the question from existence.

"It's alright, don't apologize. It was a very long time ago for me as well." He smiled. "And yes, we too can die. Nothing is truly immortal Abby, not even vampires." He squeezed my hand and then slid his chair even closer to the table.

And just like that, the strange intensity that often presented itself around us was back. Looking into each other's eyes, with my hand wrapped up in his as we sat so closely together the room instantly felt smaller. I could feel my heart pound heavier in my chest and the temperature rise with each passing second, my skin flushing. Ethan's hands felt cooler as mine grew warmer and I became acutely aware of everything Ethan. His smell, his eyes, his touch, I was surround by nothing but Ethan. Slowly he reached up and gently brushed back a few wayward strands of hair from my eyes, then softly ran a cool finger down the profile of my face.

"Abby," He said my name quietly before returning his hand to mine. "Is there someone..."

The back-entrance door scraped open as warped wood rubbed against metal and Charlie, Sylis and the other two vampires came in from outside.

Ethan and I both pulled away from each other and stood up from the table at their entrance, guilty like as if we were just caught doing something wrong.

"Hey!" Charlie beamed and walked toward the table we were sitting at.

"Hi." I said cheerfully back to her, "how was your walk?"

"It was great!" She said and turned back to face the vampires.

"It was nice." Sylis agreed with her and then took a seat at the table. "Is this anya's pie?" He asked and without waiting for a response grabbed a plate and took a slice.

"It really is beautiful up here." Seivor, one of the other vampires said. "You two should have joined us."

"It looks like they had a busy day themselves." Pike said slapping Ethan on the back and giving me a wink. "Is this all the pie that's left?!"

"No." Ethan told him, "but it's all you get."

"What's for lunch?" Charlie asked after taking a seat with the vampires and serving herself the last sliver of what was left of the pie.

"Whatever you can find and make for yourself." I told her with a smile.

"Aren't you making anything?" She said in surprise. "What about the other guests?"

"I'm not making anything until dinner, and the other guests are using one of the kitchenettes and cooking for themselves. Besides, they've had a rough couple of days, I doubt very much they want to be around a bunch of strangers in a new place for every meal. They'll come out of their rooms when they are ready."

"I guess I'll go and make me and the boys something to eat then." She said sweetly then sauntered off into the kitchen.

I had to laugh and roll my eyes, "I'm going to go and help her before she breaks something... or herself." I told Ethan. We smiled at each other and just as I was through the swinging doors to the kitchen, Sylis, Seivor and Pike began cat-calling and teasing Ethan with whistles and hoots of holler.

I quietly laughed again and pretended not to notice as I walked past the order window to where Charlie was digging through the refrigerator in search of food.

"Ugh, why is there so much bleeding animal carcass in here Abby? Where are all the veggies?"

"Grady's new trap worked a little too well and mostly in the garden until I need them, but here..." I said to her and opened the other side of the industrial sized refrigerator. "What are you looking for?"

"After that pie!? Anything to make a salad, it's really all anyone needs!" She said and grabbed arms full of fresh produce on the shelves.  
"Maybe, but just in case we should put something heartier together?" I told her as I pulled out some more fish. "Don't you think?" I asked her, so it would be her idea. "The guys looked pretty hungry..."

"Ok, yeah. But I'm not touching it." She said staring down the meat wrinkling her nose. "I'll just make the salad." She finished saying as she carried her loot over to the counter. Charlie didn't eat meat at all, or anything with a face as she liked to say, she liked all natural—from the garden or a bush or a tree—foods. The rest of us ate meat sparingly. Mostly fish but sometimes other things. The meat industry was a major contributor to the planets demise. It wasn't sustainable then, so we don't repeat the offense now. Everything we need nutritionally we get from plants and any meat we do consume is for various reasons, but mostly pleasure, which isn't reason enough to do it very often.

As we made lunch we talked about each other's day, how many pies we made and what kinds, the trails they took and where they went on their walk, with each of the men adding and joining in our conversation from out in the dining room. At first it was a little strange and took both of us off guard, we were talking normally and expected no one to hear, but as the conversations continued it became less and less awkward. Our easy exchange continued through lunch with each member of the VIG appreciating both the salad and the fish. After lunch Charlie and I sat and watched as they did all the cleanup.

It was midafternoon by the time we finished with lunch and them with clean up and I felt anxious about not having visited Hendricks since we've been back.

Charlie had opened the back room and while everyone was preparing to play a game of darts and billiards I decided that it would be a good time for me to get away. I waved 'bye' to Charlie and then went to my room to change into clean clothes. I was littered with flour and dough and felt I should be somewhat presentable since I was going to the care center for a visit. So, after changing both my shirt and my jeans I brushed through my hair again and put it back up in a ponytail before heading for the door.

I squawked in surprise once I pulled the door open and found Ethan standing there with his hand up as if he were preparing to knock.

"Oh...!" I said and covered my mouth. "I thought we talked about this?"

He laughed, "I'm working on it."

"We should get you a bell." I said smiling at him as my pulse settle back into a normal rhythm.

"You're leaving?" He asked noting my clean clothes. "I thought we could play a game of pool together."

"I want to go and visit Hendricks. I haven't seen him since we got back yesterday, I want to make sure he is alright."

"If something were wrong I'm sure someone would have told you."

"I know, but I'd like to see him for myself." I said and then brushed past him after closing my room door. "Besides, you don't want to lose in front of all your friends do you?" I teased and started for the front door.

"Oh really?" He guffawed and took two long strides to catch up to me. "You sure are confident for someone who was sneaking away just as we were getting ready to play."

"I wasn't sneaking!" I told him. "I waved to Charlie."

"And she's the only one you thought to say goodbye to? Did our time together mean nothing to you?" He bantered, though there was an undertone to the words.

"Today was fun and I know Gigi appreciated the help with all the pies." I told him. "Besides, you all were in the middle of a conversation, I didn't want to interrupt."

"Next time, please do." He said as we stood in front of the exit door. "You're never an interruption."

A jolt of nerves ran up from my stomach and into my chest as he reached out and opened the door for me, the movement bringing him and his face right up next to mine, so close I would hardly have to move an inch to touch him.

"How long will you be?" He asked, his cool breath tickling the side of my face causing a trail of gooseflesh to prickle down my spine.

"Not long." I smiled brightly and stepped back away from him. "Maybe an hour or two." I told him as I turned for the door.

"After then," He said backing away from me with the door in his hand. "we'll have our game."

*****

"So, they aren't giving you any problems?" Hendricks asked for the third time since I'd been here.

"No. They are fine." I told him ― again. "They aren't tourist vamps, they're VIG's, I really do believe they just want to help."

"I still don't like it."

"I know."

"Kat better get some really good information for keeping them here." He mumbled.

"It's not as if they don't deserve our hospitality. They did help save your life." I told him exasperated.

"We would have been just fine without them." He insisted.

"Maybe. But I'm glad they were there."

"As am I." My mother spoke up after sitting quietly next to me for the last half hour of our conversation.

I looked over at her and then squeezed her hand. She looked tired, and even though we all knew that Hendricks would be fine, she still worried and stayed with him during all her spare time.

"So, you're going to be getting out of here tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yes. I really shouldn't have been down this long, but the bullets were laced with mercury, so we wanted to make sure there wasn't any latent poisoning." He told me. I knew they were worried about him getting an infection, but I didn't realize it was because of the bullets.

"Mercury bullets?" I questioned him.

"It's something we are trying out. It never occurred to us that one of us could get hit and poisoned too." He told me. "I still think it's worth it, what happened to me was a fluke."

"Still." I lamented. "You should have told us that you were trying out a new weapon."

"It wouldn't have changed what happened Abby." He said incontestably.

"That's hardly the point." I shook my head.

"We're still testing them to see if it's worth the effort, we'll weigh it with my experience now too Abs." He told me sensing my unease.

"Alright you two, enough business." Mom interjected before standing to stretch her back. "What are you making at the O for dinner tonight?"

"I haven't really put too much thought into it to be honest mom. We're keeping it closed while the VIG's are in town."

"Well you have to feed you, don't you? And I'm sure they'd like something to eat too." She chided me.

"What would you like?" I smiled at her knowing that that was what she was after.

"Well now that you ask." She gave me a wink. "Lane here has been talking about a burger all day long, do you have anything like that?"

"I have black bean and mushroom burgers." I told her. "We could grill some up?"

"That's sounds perfect!" She beamed. "What do you think?" She looked at Hendricks for approval.

"Sounds good to me." He smiled at her and then reached out his hand, so she came over to sit by his side. "With steak fries."

"If I can't bring it up myself I'll send it with one of the guys." I told them as I stood to leave. "See you tomorrow?" I double checked with Hendricks as I moved toward the door.

"Tell them I'll be there first thing in the morning." He told me, and then added, "If you can Abby, have the Honor group out of there too? Whatever the Vampires have to say it might be best if they don't hear it."

"I'll see what I can do." I told him, and with a little smile and a wave I left the room and headed back to the O.

When I arrived back to the hotel they were all still in the back by the pool tables and in the middle of a couple of games. The guys that were stationed to watch the O while the vampires were here were also inside and some of each were enjoying a drink.

"Abby!" Sylis hollered out when he saw me round the corner. "You're back! Now we can watch you kick Ethan's ass in pool!" He cheered.

"What's this?" I chuckled a little embarrassed.

"I heard you earlier tell Ethan that he would lose if you played him, so I asked Charlie and these guys here," he nodded toward the guards. "And both agree that you are worth your weight in salt." He gave me a little wink as he said this and then took a swig of whatever he was drinking.

"I don't know about that." I told him as I caught Ethan's eye. "But I've been known to win a game or two." I said trying to convey nonchalance.

"We heard that you're the one to beat in this town." Ethan said as he walked over to me with a pool cue in his hand.

"Obviously, they are exaggerating." I told him before peeking my head around Ethan to stare down Charlie.

"Don't look at me!" She said holding up her arms. "It was these two." She pointed at Malik and Josh.

"We're just making sure our guests here are taken care of." Josh laughed.

"We wouldn't want anyone to feel like they were being taken advantage of Abby." Malik said with a smile. "It's part of our job."

I laughed. "Is it part of your job Malik?" I said back to him in an undermining tone. "Don't you two still owe me a night's worth of work in the kitchen?" I asked them.

"No." He said shaking his head foolishly.

"No. I'm pretty sure we don't." Josh agreed feigning innocence.

"Yeah, I think you do." I laughed at both.

"So, what do you say Abby?" Ethan said, putting himself back in my line of vision. "Want to play?"

The way he said it implied that he wasn't just talking about the pool game, but the way he said everything made me think there was a double meaning and I couldn't be sure if there was or not. So, I ignored the panicky sensation that erupted in my stomach and took the cue from his hand. "Rack 'em." I told him and then walked around to the other end of the table.

I was good at the game. It helped that I had pool tables where I lived and sometimes when I was bored I'd hit the balls around by myself. What I didn't account for was Ethan and his superior vampire senses. It almost isn't even a fair match up if you take that into consideration.

The first couple of games I won, but now I'm sure that was him gauging and testing my ability. After that I had to concentrate and focus and only won a few more times between getting crushed. It was fun and a challenge, but Malik and Josh enjoyed it a little more than they should have. So, as punishment I called in their debt and made them grill the burgers, cut and fry the potatoes and clean up after dinner.

"Totally worth it." Malik fist bumped Josh as they sat at the table with the rest of us once they were done with the dishes.

"I agree." I said to them, "Those burgers were really good!"

"Yeah they were!" Josh said then cheersed Pike and Sylis who were agreeing with him.

Night had just fallen, and we were all still sitting around conversing with a few drinks and enjoying each other's company. It was a couple hours later though when someone knocked on the door.

At first it was just regular knocking, so I didn't hurry as I walked toward the front, but by the time I was half way across the room whoever it was banged on the wood so hard the window next to it rattled.

"Just a minute!" I hollered out in irritation.

"Open the door!" The angry voice yelled back at me.

I had just reached the front desk and was getting ready to grab the doorknob when suddenly Ethan was in front of me and Sylis was beside me. I startled a little bit but was getting so used to being snuck up on that the scare went away just as quickly as it came.

"Abby open the door!" I recognized the voice this time as he yelled.

"It's just Holden." I told them. "He's drunk." I said and then reached for the door to open it.

"Are you sure you want to let him in?" Ethan said putting his hand over mine before I could unlock the deadbolt.

"If I don't he'll just stand here and bang on the door until I do." I told him. "He probably just wants more beer or something. I'll see what he wants and then have Malik and Josh take him home."

Ethan nodded his head instead of saying anything else and then stepped back and to my side as I opened the door to a visibly and highly intoxicated Holden.

"It's about time!" He said before pushing himself inside. The door crashed against the wall after he bustled through and rammed into it.

"We aren't open Holden." I said following him as he stumbled his way to the bar.

He hit a couple of chairs and pushed a table as he clobbered his way deeper into the room. The stench of old booze and sweat left a heavy scent behind him, so strong that it was nearly nauseating.

"Is there something I can get you before you go back home?" I asked him.

"I don't need anything from you." He sneered at me and kept moving further inside. "'nd I know you're closed,...hiding these blood suckers 'n here...keeping' the town out."

"Hey man, why don't you let us take you home?" Josh said to Holden as he walked up to him.

Once Holden had reached the center of the room where everyone else was seated, it became obvious to the rest of them the condition he was in. Plus, the smell told it all.

"No, no, no" He slurred. "I'm here to help... watch 'nd make sure they don't eat 'nybody." He pointed with exaggerated gesture to each of the VIG members, squinting one eye and jabbing his finger toward them one by one once they were in his sights.

"Nobody is eating anybody Holden." Malik said to him. "And you are drunk man."

"And not on duty, let us take you home." Josh added and then tried to grab him by the arm.

"NO." He yelled before taking another long pull from the bottle he was drinking. "I came to make sure every...thing...is on the up 'nd up." He said wiping his mouth and stepping back away from Malik and Josh, who were now both next to him.

"Everything here is fine Holden." I said.

"You don't talk!" He yelled and pointed a finger at me. I stepped back as he spoke, one because his finger was right in my face and two because the booze on his breath nearly knocked me over.

"I'm not here for you...so shhhut! Mm here 'cuz it's my job!" He jabbed at the air and stumbled a step forward after me.

Malik and Josh said things to calm him down and Ethan moved to stand in front of me with Sylis and Pike taking up each of his sides.

"You have said enough and now you will go." Ethan told him. The cold and shuddersome tone I hadn't heard since we were all on the bus, coming out of Ethan's mouth again with a vengeance.

"Dn't tell me what to do suck'r!" Holden spit and stuttered to Ethan. "You don't b'long here!"

"Holden, you need to go home! You're just looking for a fight." I said to him even though we could no longer see each other.

He tried to push past Ethan and Sylis while yelling crude and intangible things at me. The way he was acting would have caused anyone to think the worst; he looked as though he would come after me but knowing Holden and dealing with him and his erratic behavior over the last year I knew differently.

But Ethan and Sylis didn't know that Holden was all talk, and that he would never actually hurt me. So, when Holden tried to push past them as if he were charging after me, they moved together as one and had Holden face down with both of his arms wrenched up and behind his back and his legs locked in place before any of us thought to blink.

"Whoa!" I said in surprise and in regard to stopping them from continuing to do whatever they were planning on doing. "Don't hurt him." I said as Holden dimmed out of consciousness.

"He was trying to hurt you Abby." Ethan seethed.

"No." I told him in as calm of a voice as I could, all while watching as Holden's eyes rolled to the back of his head. "He wasn't going to hurt me. I know this looks bad, but please, you have to trust me, he wasn't going to hurt me."

Ethan looked up at me just then, and the murderous glare on his face made my breath catch on an intake. His eyes had darkened to the deepest shade of purple I had ever seen; crimson and violet, but the rage in them was a certain warning of death. His fangs had elongated and were now glistening with venom while every visible muscle in his body was coiled and taut with bane.

"Please." I asked again in a careful tone while continuing to look only at Ethan.

It took several tense moments and what felt like an endless and quiet plea as we continued to stare at each other, but finally and slowly both him and Sylis moved from the subdued hold they had on him. Once Sylis had removed himself from where he held Holden, Ethan grabbed him around the collar of his shirt and sat him at one table.

Holden, for all intents and purposes was now passed out. His head lolled from side to side as he fought to stay awake and upright in the chair, while mumbling and drooling a meaningless slur of words.

Malik and Josh didn't hesitate to stand by Holden's side, each grabbing an arm as they prepared to haul him out of the bar and back to his home.

"We'll stay with him awhile, make sure he stays asleep before heading back over." Josh said as they carried Holden out of the room.

"Take your time." I told them while keeping my eyes on Ethan's face. "We're all fine here."

"Uh, speak for yourself!" Charlie quipped. "I need a drink after all that!" She said with Seivor following her to the serving counter in obvious agreeance.

"Make that two." Pike said and turned around to walk toward the bar.

"Three." Sylis smiled and followed, an eager and happy skip in his step.

Ethan said nothing about wanting a drink, so instead I indicated my head toward the back door. "Go for a walk with me?" I asked him. Walks always seemed to cool Zack down when he got all worked up, I was hoping it would do the same for Ethan.

He didn't say anything and instead nodded slightly before heading toward the back door. I quietly fell in step next to him until we reached the door, where he stopped and opened it to let me out first.

The night air was warm, and the slight breeze held the smell of wilderness as it rustled through the trees. Off in the distance the bustling sound of the river was accompanied by the babble and chatter of the nocturnal and the sky was clear; the moon and stars shining bright. It was easy enough to see the path as we walked in companionable silence.

After a while and once the O was far out of sight I decided that we had been quiet enough and I wanted to know if he was ok. "Are you still angry?"

He looked over at me after I had spoken. His face was relaxed and his eyes, I could tell even in the dark, had returned to their normal thistle hue. "Not with you." He told me. "I do however have a problem with Holden."

"He's not a bad guy, he just has a drinking problem."

"He wasn't drunk the first time I met him."

"True." I said to him thinking back again to the bus and how Ethan and Holden had exchanged heated words. And then again at the hangar. "He's been going through some personal issues." I told him rephrasing my excuse for Holden's behavior.

"That affects you somehow." He stated.

"It's complicated, and I know that's not a good explanation, but he's been through a lot." I told him hoping for a fraction of understanding, although I knew as I said it that that wouldn't be the case.

"You all acted as though this were a normal and acceptable behavior from him." He bristled.

"It may not be acceptable, and it shouldn't be normal, but for now it is, and we put up with it. Like I said, it's complicated."

"You may think so Abby, but I disagree. And you may want to believe he would never hurt you, but the man I saw tonight would very much like to prove you wrong and given time—he will."

I was surprised by his statement. Holden's actions had been getting more and more hysterical as the year went on and had increased significantly over the last few weeks. I decided though that instead of continuing to talk about Holden and what happened tonight, we would go back to walking quietly until he wanted to talk.

He must have agreed with the decision to stay quiet because we didn't speak for a long while. We had walked down the whole edge of the wall next to the river and only stopped when we reached the connecting wall.

"If we continue up this way we will end up closer to the town, right?" He asked me and pointed toward the connecting wall we just walked up on.

"Yes." I answered him but left it at that. I still wasn't sure about his mood, or if he wasn't angry with me about Holden and my defending him.

"Stay here for a moment." He told me, and then before I could respond or ask him what he was doing, he disappeared from my sight.

A few moments later he reappeared with a thud behind me, as if he'd just jumped from the wall. I turned around just as he was standing back up to his full height and was relieved to see a carefree look and glee on his face.

"If I ask you to come with me, will you trust me and know that I will keep you safe?" He searched my eyes.

"Yes." I said without hesitation.

"We are going to climb this tree, jump the fence and then the wall." He told me. "You will have to get on my back and hold on tightly, close your eyes if you have too, but you'll be fine. I promise."

"Really?"

"You'll be fine Abby, I promise you." He said again.

"I'm not worried about my safety Ethan. I know I'll be ok with you." I said to him. The exulting smile that spread across his face at my statement made me smile too.

"Then what are you questioning?" He asked me, his voice a little softer as he stepped forward and put himself in my personal space.

"The reason for jumping the fence." I chortled. "We could just as easily go back to the O and then go through the gate." I told him, now having to look up to see his face.

"Yes, but what fun is that?" He smiled again, then turned his back and bent down to the ground. "Grab on." He told me.

With childish laughter, I wrapped my legs and arms around his upper body; pressing myself to his back and holding on as tightly as I could. Making sure I was snug against him he held onto me with a firm grip. First scaling the tree and then finding a thick branch, he walked us along it like you would a balance beam before jumping over the steel fence. We fell gently to the ground once we cleared the razor wire topped barrier. He adjusted me after he stood and then took off at an incredible speed; running a short distance alongside the wall and then sprung from the ground to fifteen feet in the air. He stopped to catch his balance at the top of the wall. "Are you okay?" He asked me with a bright smile.

"Yeah." I told him cheerfully.

"Then hold on." He said and ran down the wall where the two ends of the border connected to make a corner. Without missing a beat, he leapt off the brick and over a small group of trees until we landed softly in an open bed of exposed rock on the middle of the river.

It was exhilarating, and I immediately felt the adrenaline junkie in me wake. "That was amazing!" I told him with elation.

"That didn't scare you?" He said quietly and smiled as he turned his face to look at mine. My arms were wrapped around his shoulders, my hands tight against his chest and my legs enveloped his stomach. He was holding me tightly under my knees by the tops of my thighs and his face was inches away from mine. The excitement between us was unequivocal and the blooming tension that flowed between our connected bodies was tangible. In an instant, the friendly mood between us changed and sparked the ever-present magnetism between us.

We stared at each other for several long and heated seconds until, gently, he moved his hands from my thighs and helped me down from his back. Once I was firmly on the ground I stepped back away from him to put some distance between us.

"Do you have any nieces or nephews?" I asked him casually as I looked around the space he had just brought us to.

"No." He chuckled. "Why?"

"You just seem like you'd be a fun uncle." I said with a little shrug and a small smile as I turned back around to face him.

"I'll keep that in mind." He chuckled. "Look over there." He said quietly and then pointed to where he wanted me to look.

The moon was bright, so I could see as we walked across the rocky expanse to the opposite side of the small bouldered island we were standing on. When we stopped next to the edge of the water he looked down at me again and then pointed in the direction he wanted me to focus on.

At first, I couldn't see anything. The edge of the forest in the direction he was pointing was dense with trees and vegetation. So much so that barely any of the moon's light made it through the branches to reach the ground. But as I continued to look my eyes adjusted and I finally saw what he wanted me to see.

At the edge of the forest was a mother bear and her three cubs drinking and playing in the water. The mother bear stood next to the river as she took several laps of the cool drink and watched on as the young cubs splashed around and play fought at the shore. There dark figures only visible against the black expanse of the forest from the reflection of the moon on the water they were next too.

Their little growls and grunts as they attacked each other made me giggle quietly as I watched. The littler one of the three would run around in circles, splashing through the water, before charging the bigger cubs and knocking them both down into the river. They took turns pouncing on one another with biting, pawing and 'bear hugs' in between their play. We watched them like that for so long that even the mother joined in on the fun before eventually breaking them apart and walking them back into the forest.

"That was amazing." I said still whispering as we watched them ramble off into the woods.

"I heard them as we were walking along the fence." Ethan said his voice returning to normal.

"I rarely get to see wildlife so comfortable in nature." I said to him. "Usually they're running from something."

He agreed with me with a solemn nod. "They should be safe if they stay close to this river and town." He said reassuring me as he turned around to look back at Thompson Falls.

I turned with him and saw for the first time a view of the town I had never seen before. From where we were standing I could get an almost complete, panoramic view of the small compound.

Off in the distance at the entrance gate was the only area brightly lit, the guard towers around the perimeter were darker than I would have thought too. Throughout the rest of the city there were no outside lights and the ones that were on were dimmed from curtains and windows, and those too were far and few between, but it was clearly visible against the night sky with the moons light shining down on it.

Thompson Falls was a tall, walled off fortress in the middle of tall trees in a dense forest. The dark twinkling sky was a magnificent back drop and the moonlit river flowing in front of it made for a breath-taking scene.

"It's really beautiful, isn't it?" I said to Ethan as I looked on at the town.

"Yes." He said agreeing with me. "Beautiful."

I smiled and looked at him and his agreeance. He was looking at me and not at the town like I had expected him to be. "Are you ready to go back?" He asked warily after I fidgeted and looked back at the town.

"Not unless you are?" I said to him in a questioning tone. It was so beautiful and peaceful, and the evening air was comfortable. We were protected where we were, surrounded by a fast-moving river and perfectly safe on the virtually inaccessible island. I was enjoying being outside, not on alert, not concerned with looking over my shoulder and not surrounded by a fence; just outside. It was nice, and I didn't want to go back.

"No." He said his sharp fangs making a modest appearance once again. "We can stay as long as you'd like."
Chapter Seven

"My destination is no longer a place, rather a new way of seeing." ― Marcel Proust

I slept in the next morning and felt in no hurry to get up, dressed or out of my room before I was ready. Ethan and I had stayed out well past my normal bedtime talking and walking up and down along the river, so my late start today resulted directly from our time together last night.

My head was now chalked full of new information about Ethan, and vampires, which gave me a sense of satisfaction we were no longer friendly strangers.

I was embarrassed to admit to him I knew nothing about vampires, save for the rumors and stories I'd been told all my life, and mostly by people with prejudices against them. I have select memories of my childhood, most of which involve being on the run and never feeling safe; and being hungry, tired or cold. All of which would explain why my adolescent brain chose to block out and forget most of that time, so any information I might have had about vampires during my youth would seem to have been 'lost' too.

Since being in Thompson Falls had limited my access to the vampire race, much of their lifestyle was still a mystery and I only knew the most basic and obvious things about their species. Violet eyes, enhanced senses and abilities, fangs and blood drinking were about as much as I knew. The development and distribution of 'I-M', the Vampire Increment Guard (VIG) and the partnerships they had with some human outposts rounded out my knowledge.

For most of history vampires quietly lived among humans and were only thought to be of creation wrote about in fiction novels. So, I wasn't surprised to discover that across the board most of the lore was unequivocally false, but that in almost every case something was written to be true. It wasn't any different than the stories humans wrote and dreamt up of our own species. Our Spiderman, X-Men and Demigods were just as fabricated and entertaining to their Dracula, Fright Night and Underworld examples. And sometimes, however rare and muted, even those stories and the abilities gifted to the characters found their way into real-life members of the human species.

If distant beings from another world read our literature as an account of earth's history, they would be just as confused and wrong about us as we are about each other.

The vampires of my world can be born to one another and are a natural and evolved species on this planet as much as any other across history. Yet, they obtain the ability to turn humans into one of them. A biological condition or anomaly specific to their species but not so dissimilar to humans passing a virus or the flu. True, one irrevocably changes its host while the other merely causes mild discomfort and annoyance.

A simple bite does not change a person, if that were the case then every time they fed from a person, the person would change. Blood in someone's system when they die also is not a cause for turning. Turning someone into a vampire is a very deliberate process and something that cannot be done accidentally.

Vampires fangs, he explained, are similar to those of a snake. The venom must be consciously delivered through a bite, where then once the venom is delivered, the vampirism process begins. It works much like an antidote would, the venom they produce can be transfused to a recipient through their fangs essentially 'curing' the host of being human. The change can be an uncomfortable and a lengthy process. All vampires can change a human and all humans can be turned, provided they live through the process. Sometimes the human body will reject the change and instead will shut down and die. They generally turn humans only to save their life and typically only if they want to be turned because of the risk of mortality.

Vampire births are rare among the race, probably due to some cosmic and evolutionary balance to their life expectancy, but they can, nevertheless, reproduce. And unlike humans who have a limited amount of time on this planet, vampires don't make up for it by reproducing exponentially, like bacteria or a plague; infecting and multiplying as much as possible to ensure its survival.

Vampires have beating hearts, bleeding veins and death, that, when presented, is as unavoidable as our own. They are biologically immortal, similar to other species on this planet, only sentient. It's true that they live much longer lives and are harder to break, but they are just as mortal as everything else that is living and breathing. And as mortal as those that are not.

I braved through the list of questions I had compiled and finally learned the answers to my curiosities. Blood was what I was most curious about and Ethan explained vampires relationship to it the best he knew how. Sensing or smelling blood wasn't exactly right, but those were the words he used when trying to describe how it attracted them. Every human's blood was different; it's flavor specific to the person. Blood types, heritage, gender and diet all slightly changed the flavor. He likened it to meat and how differently cow, deer and elk tasted compared to chicken, lamb or fish. Their diet and life experiences factored in. Each very distinct and dissimilar.

They must consume it regularly like anything else for nutrients and survival. Humans require water much the same as Vampires require blood, however they can live exceedingly longer without it, unlike humans without water. Again, not exactly the same, but it was the analogy he used to compare the need.

He estimated that at the peak of their population, before the global catastrophe, there were approximately ten million vampires living around the world. Compared to the approximately twenty-three billion humans, their numbers seemed relatively small.

They worked and lived alongside humans in many instances, but mostly kept to themselves. High ranking officials and world leaders knew of their existence but their wish to remain private was respected since they didn't involve themselves in human relations unless it affected them. It helped a great deal that humans were not a threat to vampires. Their technology was years beyond anything humans were capable of, as was their cohesion as a race. Social economic status, religion, borders and their physicality were not a hindrance to their race, allowing them to evolve and move forward more quickly as a species. Unlike the humans who surrounded them.

'A world within a world.' Ethan had said. Humans were a self-involved, narcissistic species. 'It's easy to hide something from someone who doesn't see.'

We talked for hours about our similarities and differences, exchanged stories about families and friends and spent a fair amount of time sharing our war stories of battling the dead. He is older than me, much older, so I enjoyed time teasing him about his age. He returned my jabs by calling me an infant, and by the time we were back at the hotel he nearly had to carry me to bed like a child I was so tired.

Our time together last night was well spent, so I was excited to see him and the others this morning and quickened my pace down the hallway once I finally left my room.

As I rounded the corner I wasn't surprised to see everyone sitting around a large cluster of tables with plates of food, cups of coffee and glasses of water. The scene was much the same as it was yesterday the only difference being Charlie and Harper sitting with the group rather than Gigi. And Paige from Honor was there, holding the small black cat Brooks had found while we were looking for survivors at her home.

"Good morning." I said to everyone before getting myself a cup of coffee and then pulling up a chair to sit next to Ethan at the table.

Malik and Josh were already here, and they too were also sitting around the table with full bellies and coffee breath. If they were still under orders to be on watch here with the vampires, you could have fooled me.

I asked how Holden was and if they had seen him since last night, all while pretending not to notice Ethan's jaw clenching at the mention of his name while he sat beside me.

"How are you doing Paige?" I asked her when Josh was done talking about Holden and his hangover.

"I'm okay." She said solemnly. She was looking down at the little black cat that sat purring on her lap as she stroked its fur. "I'm so glad you found the little guy." She said quietly.

"Does he have a name?" I asked her. I was still a little surprised that Brooks had managed to hang on to the cat during the attack and brought him here safely. When Ryan asked Brooks what he would do with the little guy, Brooks offered the cat to him. Instead Ryan brought him back here to give to Paige. She didn't have anyone, not anymore, and he thought she would benefit the most from the cat's company. He was right.

"I don't know what his name was." She said sadly. "But, I'm going to call him Wicket." She looked up and smiled at me. "My little brother had a stuffed cat that he called Wicket. I think he read the name in a book somewhere. I always thought it was a silly name until now." She said looking down on her new pet, sadness laced heavily in the words.

"Ah, Wicket." Sylis said coming to kneel to pet the cat. "A fitting name for this little warrior." He said smiling to Paige.

"You know the name?" Paige asked him a little surprised.

"Of course!" He guffawed. "No self-respecting Jedi wouldn't know the great Wicket!"

The table of people laughed at him. Sylis always seemed to know when to swoop in. He told her about the story of Wicket and where the name came from. Her and several others seemed captivated. And the story was interesting enough that we all listened on. When he was finished, Paige excused herself to her room, with her new little warrior Wicket sleeping in her arms.

"That was nice." I told Sylis once she was out of the room.

"Ah, well." He said sitting in her vacant seat. "Poor kid has been through a lot."

Everyone nodded their heads solemnly in agreement.

"So, what other stories do you know?" Charlie asked him, leaning against the table and resting her head in her hand to look at him.

"Well..." Sylis perked up.

Rolling my eyes and laughing at the two I turned to Ethan instead of listening to the story. "Did you sleep well?" I asked him conversationally.

"I did." He smiled at me. "And you?"

"I did."

"Me too." Pike teased as he stood up to stretch his long body, "not that anybody cared to ask."

I didn't say anything and instead just chuckled to myself quietly. Everyone's sense of humor seemed to be on point this morning.

As the morning continued we all fell into companionable conversation, much the same as we had the day before. Everyone got along so well it was weird to think that we had only just met the vampires a few short days ago. We seemed and acted much like old friends.

As we waited for Hendricks to show up we moved as a group to the back room for some rematches of pool games and dart throwing to pass the time. I think that it was on everyone's mind that this may be the last day we spent together in such a casual setting, and we all wanted to enjoy it for as long as we had. I know for myself that it had been weighing heavily on my mind all morning long.

Ethan was hovered close as he gave me a standing lesson on dart throwing and how best to hold my position and stance when the front door chimed open several hours later. We all quieted for a beat but continued doing what we were doing until the last moment.

The marching sound of several heavy boots soon came to a stop by the back room. We all stopped doing what we were doing and turned around together to look at the group that had arrived behind us, expecting to find Hendricks and the team leaders.

Instead, Kat, Dan and Blaise were standing there with two other vanguard members and team leaders in place of Hendricks.

"What is it?" I asked suddenly panicked. "Is he alright?" I moved forward getting ready to run out of the door and to the care center.

"Abby he's alive." Kat said in a hurry. She came to stand in front of me and put her hands on my shoulders to calm me down. "He still isn't doing well, but he is alive." She told me.

The quick rise of panic and then crashing relief made me catch my breath. I nodded my head and tried to calm my now racing heart as she continued to explain what was going on.

"He tested positive again this morning for high levels of mercury in his blood and the infection in his leg is still spreading. They thought he was doing well enough to be released today but the mercury is making it harder for him to heal and overnight he worsened instead of getting better. They are making him stay and they don't know how long it will be." She told us.

"But he seemed fine yesterday?" I said out loud and a little confused.

"And he may have been when you last saw him. The mercury that was unintentionally put into his system is not your average poisoning Abby. This is all new to us and the doctors." She explained.

"What do you mean? I thought the bullets were just laced with mercury? As in a coating or something?" I asked her, getting annoyed again at the fact that we weren't told about this new weapon and it's testing.

"They were mercury tipped." She said. "They had concentrated doses of the liquid form that shatter when the target is hit, then the mercury releases into the system where it attacks the blood, like how the HG-80 works. We used some of the same technology, just smaller and less explosive." She finished saying.

I could feel my face flushing with heat as anger coursed through my veins. "He could have died!" I yelled.

"And he would have if the first bullet hadn't passed all the way through and if the second one hadn't bled so much." She said getting defensive but trying to remain calm. She knew I was worried.

"What is wrong with using regular, run of the mill bullets? What is the need to use something so dangerous?" I asked her, shaking my head in frustration. "It's not necessary."

"It is necessary Abby." She said bluntly. "We need better weapons, not all of us have the ability to hit our targets in the head as accurately as a few of you! These would be a huge advantage to us out in the morgue. We could hit the kooks once—anywhere on their bodies—and move on to the next knowing that the mercury tips would finish the job. It would be game changing, think about how this would have helped us in Honor if we had all been using these? We might not have lost anybody that day!"

It didn't take me long to understand and see her point, but I was still so mad I couldn't say anything to her so instead, I nodded my head that I understood, crossed my arms over my chest and grit my teeth while she continued to explain.

"We should have, but we never imagined that one of us would be on the receiving end of an HGB. It was a terrible oversight and we will take it into consideration going forward." She finished saying and then paused for a moment before continuing. "Regardless, that is why Hendricks is still down. He just needs a few more days to clean out his blood and some rest. He will be okay."

"What would you have us do?" Ethan asked her.

"Hendricks has temporarily left me in charge and, if you are willing, I think it would be beneficial for you and your team to stay here in Thompson Falls." She said to him.

"He has agreed to this?" Ethan asked her.

"He's not exactly in any position to argue with me, but yes, he has reluctantly agreed to this." She said somewhat annoyed with him and his question.

"You want them to stay in hiding?" Charlie asked. The look she received from Kat made her shrink back into the room and stay quiet for the remainder of the conversation.

"Yes, in hiding." Kat answered Charlie's question. "We think that, for the time being, it would be best if you stayed out of public view."

"How long?" Ethan asked.

"Until Hendricks is recovered. We don't know for sure, but they are optimistic he will make a full recovery in a week."

"A week!" I said in shock. "We can't expect them to stay hidden in town for a week!"

"I know it's not ideal Abby." She said but continued to look at Ethan. "Are these acceptable terms?" She asked him without hesitation. Apparently, Kat had had enough arguing for one afternoon. She seemed eager to get to the point.

"It shouldn't be an issue." Ethan said back to her just as abruptly.

"Excellent." She said and nodded to him before turning around to leave. "I'll let the Commander know."

She had turned around and had taken a few steps when Ethan suddenly said, "Understand that this is a favor to you." His voice boomed, transitioning from a conversational tone to a commanding one while his back straightened as he spoke. "We will stay hidden from the people of your town, but we will not be expected to hide. We will come and go either through the main gate—or over it—as we please. We will report to you when necessary and as we see fit, but we are not your subjects and we do not answer to you. We are accepting your hospitality as a favor to you but know that we can and will end our arrangement at any time. Are these acceptable terms?" He said to her ominously, echoing her words back to her.

Kat stopped walking and stood there staring in the direction she was facing for a few long seconds. Her posture was rigid, and she didn't move an inch while we all waited for her answer.

Finally, after what seemed like too long of a pause, she turned her upper body slightly and looked over her shoulder back at Ethan, where he too, was standing just as firmly as she. "It shouldn't be an issue." She said back to him, then turned and walked unhurriedly out of the door.

As soon as the door was closed behind her the tension in the room immediately lifted and everyone exhaled a sigh of relief. We all stayed quiet for a few moments as we shuffled around the room either to get back to where we had been and left off or, and in my case, to go to the bar and grab something to drink.

"I didn't take you for a drinker." Ethan stated as he sat down at a bar stool in front of me. I was standing behind the counter and had poured myself something to drink and had taken a huge gulp of it when he sat down.

"I'm not." I said in a tight voice after choking down the gross tasting beverage. Wiping off my mouth I huffed out hot breath and waited for the burn to dissipate before saying anything further. "I don't really like this stuff at all."

"Then why are you drinking it?" He said in a disapproving tone. There was a little humor in the statement as evident of the smile and glimmer in his eyes.

"I thought I needed it after all that."

"Something a cup of tea could have easily accomplished don't you agree?" He said lifting an eyebrow at me as he made the obvious statement.

"Completely." I said and nodded in agreeance, then, and almost as if to defy him, I finished what was left in my glass in one fell swoop. "But sometimes, this is better." I said hoarsely, my throat burning once again.

"Don't let him get your goad Abby." Sylis said from around the corner. "He's been known to drink his fair share of sorrows and trouble."

I smiled at that and gave Ethan the 'oh really' look while I poured another glass and then sat it in front of him before putting the cap back on the bottle. "Drink up hypocrite." I teased before turning around to put the bottle back on the shelf where I had gotten it from.

He waited for me to turn back around before drinking the liquid, keeping his eyes focused on mine and then sat the empty glass back down. "Wow. That is disgusting." He said pushing the cup forward and away from him with the tips of his fingers. "What is it?"

"I have no idea. Summer makes it and brings it over." I told him chuckling at his reaction. "It does its job, whatever it is."

"And then some I'd say." He said and stood from the stool he was sitting on.

Together we walked back over to the group and fell back into our earlier rhythm but after another hour of being cooped up in the O and playing more pool and darts than anyone should ever have to endure, we all escaped outdoors to stretch and get some much-needed fresh air.

"The guys and I will need to go out this evening." Ethan said after a few moments of tensed silence. We had all been hiking on the trails and laughing until it suddenly became quiet.

"Oh?" I said hoping to convey nonchalance at the unexpected change in mood.

He stopped me after that, gently grabbing my upper arm and walked us away from the others and down an unbeaten path that led closer to the river wall.

Off in the distance I could hear the others as they kept walking and the conversation picked back up. Seivor and Pike were back to making jokes and wisecracks with both Harper and Charlie laughing while Sylis, Malik and Josh were in a heated debate about what was better; cake or pie.

Ethan and I walked a little way further before we finally stopped in a thick of grass next to a large ponderosa pine.

"We have been here in Thompson Falls for nearly a week now and the four of us will need to feed soon." Ethan said as soon as we were out of hearing range of the others. "So, as I said, we will need to go out this evening." He finished and then looked down at me.

"Yeah of course, how long will you be gone?" I questioned.

"Less than two days."

"Two days!?" I exclaimed, surprised that it would be so long. "What, are you eating the whole cow?!" I said and then became embarrassed about the statement. "You know what I mean." I smiled sheepishly.

He chuckled at my reaction and grabbed my hands. "I do. And I did say less than two days." He said holding onto my hands and lightly rubbing his thumb across the backs of each as we stood standing in front of each other. "It's entirely travel time that will make the trip so long."

"Where will you go?" I asked him after another moment, and then gave his hands a gentle squeeze before letting them go.

"We have donors not far from here in Glacier National Park." He said a little louder and then put his hands behind his back. A look I couldn't put a name too flashed briefly across his face just before we both moved toward the others, making yet another path in the unbeaten grass and terrain.

"There's an outpost in Glacier?" I asked him surprised.

"Yes, in a way." He told me. "Only VIG members know of the camp. It's a feeding outpost."

"No one lives there?"

"No, not anymore." He said. "And we only use it for a meeting place. Would you like to join us?" He said, again surprising me. "It's really very beautiful, I think you would enjoy yourself."

"Really?" I questioned him unsure. "That wouldn't be..." I said but stopped because I was drawing a blank.

"What?" He prompted after a few seconds. I could tell by the look on his face he was curious as to what I would say.

"Well, I don't know... inappropriate? Awkward? Weird?"

"No." He said plainly. "I'm not suggesting you join us during our feeding Abby. That would be awkward and weird—for you. But nothing about this invitation is inappropriate. I really do believe you would enjoy yourself. All of us can go." He said indicating to all the others of our little group.

"I would have to clear it with both Kat and Hendricks if we were all to go." I told him.

"Very well." He said with a smile.

"They may not agree." I said making sure he knew that it wasn't a done deal yet.

"Are you a prisoner here?"

"No." I asserted.

"Then I'm sure we will all go." He said confidently just a we reached the others.

* * *

"You want to go where?" Kat said a little befuddled as I sat in a chair in her office.

"Glacier." I told her again. "The VIG's need to feed and I was thinking that the few of us that know them could tag along."

"So, let me get this straight." She said in an ironical tone. "You want to travel over three hours in rough terrain and through kook valley to join a bunch of vampires while they feed on other humans?"

The look on her face was a mixture of speculation, curiosity and mockery.

"Well, when you put it like that, it does sound crazy." I said to her, putting her obvious thoughts into a word.

"And explain to me why this is such a good idea?" She said ignoring my jab.

"You want to keep tabs on them, right?" I said as I tried to come up with reasons to say to her other than 'because I want too'.

"Right." She agreed with me while I paused.

"They need to feed." I told her stating the obvious. "And feeding inside of Thompson Falls is a no go."

"Absolutely."

"If we go, it'll just ensure that they come back."

"You don't trust them to come back on their own accord?" She asked me leaning forward in her chair.

"No! Of course, they'd come back. I just mean that they would come back sooner and maybe they won't be gone as long. So that when Hendricks is well enough to talk to them, they are here and ready."

"Oh-kay." She said sitting back in her chair, not sounding nearly as convinced as I hoped she would.

I exhaled a deep breath and dropped my head to my chest. "Look, I just want to go." I said when I finally picked my head back up. "I've never been to Glacier. None of us have. We all get along well, and I thought it would be fun. And, I really do think that if we go they would come back sooner."

"Abby," Kat rolled her eyes at me with exasperation. "why didn't you just say that?"

"I don't know." I admitted to her with a little defeat in my voice.

"You know, you—and anyone else—can go wherever you want. Within reason and provided you're taking safety precautions." She said as I was preparing for her to tell me this wasn't a good enough reason or safe. "I think that you should go."

"Really?"

"Yeah absolutely." She agreed again, more relaxed now. "But do you think it's wise to take Charlie?" She asked me with a little humor in her voice.

"She'll be fine." I smiled at her.

"This little adventure will need to be more than just recreational though." She said more seriously. "You can decide what vehicle or vehicles to take, but it'll need to be productive. More so than just 'keep an eye on our new friends'." She said, saying the word friends a little tighter than the rest.

"I thought about that." I told her, regaining my courage and excitement about getting out of town. "The route that they told me we would be taking is close to a food distribution center that we have yet to finish clearing out. There is at least a truck full of canned goods and dried beans and grains we could get. It wouldn't be a wasted trip if we loaded up and brought all that remains there back with us."

"Perfect." She said again agreeing with me. "It's a deal then."

"Great! Thank you!" I said to her brightly and then stood to get up to leave.

"One more thing before you go."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Holden will go with you." She said matter-of-factly.

"What! Why?" I squawked.

"You are more than capable of taking care of yourself Abby, don't get me wrong. Malik and Josh are also excellent guards and the VIG's are lethal and I'm sure they will provide you with superior protection. But, I want someone with you that will be a voice of reason. Someone who isn't so...easily won over." She said after thinking about her last couple of words.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I instantly became defensive as I felt the implications of her words.

"It doesn't mean anything Abby. I only meant that the five of you are quite comfortable with the four of them, as you've already stated, and you may not see certain situations as objectively as someone like Holden. I trust him and his judgment like as if I were there with you myself."

"But you don't trust me?!" I said in a snide tone.

"That's not what I meant either Abby. Please try and understand that this is out of protection for you and our people. This is not a punishment."

"Then why does it feel like one?" I said back to her. I was not happy, and I knew that she could see that by the look on my face, if not by my words. I didn't have a problem going out in the morgue with Holden. He was an asset for sure. But Ethan and he did not get along, and I knew this wasn't going to go over well.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Abby. But, I insist." She said crossing her arms over her chest as she sat back in her chair.

I didn't say anything else to her, what could I after all? So, I conceded with a slight head nod and turned and walked out of the door.

* * *

"I agree with her Abby." Hendricks said as he sat up against a pile of pillows on his bed in the care center. "I would have told you no, so this seems like an agreeable compromise if you ask me." His voice sounded raspy and worn and he looked paler than yesterday, chalky even.

I rolled my eyes at him and his statement. "Well then, I'm glad to have Holden come along!" I said in mock glee. I knew he was teasing me, but I also knew he was being serious. Which made me grateful that Kat was in charge and he was not at the moment.

"The good news is that by the time you get back, I'll be out of here." He said. "In fact, I'm going to be released at the end of the week. I don't suppose they can wait to leave for another day or two?" He asked sounding hopeful.

"I don't think so." I said to him shaking my head. "Ethan made it sound like it was necessary. But I'm glad to hear you are doing so well!" I finished saying hoping to change the subject from the Vampires and our trip to him and his health.

"Finally." He said deadpan. "This is stupid how long I've been here."

"Better here than in the grave." I said to him quietly.

"True." He agreed with me and gave me a small smile. "We will definitely be tweaking the potency level of our new bullets." He told me after a moment. "And we'll have to do some careful field tests before we put them into use again. Something more controlled." He confessed.

"That would be a really good idea." I said agreeing with him and only slightly smug.

"Yes, a good idea indeed." He said as he itched his arm carefully around the tape and tubes and wires.

"You know, we could round up some kooks and take them down to Deer Lodge and test out the bullets there? Like we did with the HG-80's." I said in suggestion.

The old prison there was battered beyond repair and couldn't be used as shelter, but it worked well for testing out new weapons and training new recruits. It was enough of an isolated environment for testing and training if not for anything else.

"That's a great idea." He said agreeing with me again. "We will definitely do that as soon as I'm all patched up."

"Are you getting stir crazy?" I said with a chuckle.

"No, not at all!" He replied with fake enthusiasm. "I love it here!"

"Well what's not to love?" I joined, in jest. "Four walls, a bed and three squares a day! It sounds wonderful!"

"Don't forget the best part," He said with mock elation. "the twenty-four hour—no privacy—even when I don't want it—service to attend my every need!"

I laughed at him then. He hated it here and I'm sure everyone knew it. He was a private man with his personal life, except for the work he intentionally put himself in the middle of, so this was a bonafide nightmare.

"You better live it up, you have a full plate when you get out of here." I said to him as I stood and approached his bed to say goodbye.

"And I'm ready to dig in." He said honestly.

"Bye." I told him with a smile before bending down to kiss him on the cheek, his stubble slightly pricking my lips and cheek with the little pressure.

"Be safe Abs." He told me as I stood back up to leave. "Take Walter with you."

"I always do." I reassured him before walking out of the door.
Chapter Eight

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." ― Maya Angelou

"Where is this place that we will stop for supplies?" Ethan finally said in a reserved tone, but clearly displeased if not all together annoyed with the news that Holden would be joining us on our trip to Glacier.

"Outside of Missoula. It will add about an hour to the trip each way, not including loading time." I told him.

Since telling him of Kat's condition this was the first thing he has said in several minutes. Before this he paced back and forth a few times as the group continued to talk without him and tried to make light of the situation. After the pacing, he stood stoically and stared at the map again before finally saying anything.

"Show me." He said and then walked closer to the table with the map laid out on it.

"Here." I pointed at the location with my finger.

He looked at the map quietly for a moment before indicating to the other VIG's to come closer to the table.

"There are back roads that we can take to get us around Kalispell from there." He said as he looked up at the other Vampires.

"We've not been there before," Sylis said as if answering some unspoken cue from Ethan to look at the map and tell him what he wanted to know. "But this area here is overrun. It's not close, but we should proceed with caution regardless."

"These back roads are overgrown." Seivor pointed to the map on the table. "They are covered in vegetation. We'll need to move slower through this area as well."

"It shouldn't be a problem." Pike said looking over the map and nodding with everything the others were saying.

"You said that we may take any type of vehicle we want?" Ethan looked up at me as he asked.

"Yes, whatever we need, we can take."

"Is there anything with a plow big enough to fit ten?" He asked as he stood back up to his full height.

His voice had returned to normal, but he was all business now. I knew he wasn't happy about the whole Holden situation, none of us were, but evidently, he would make the best of it.

"We have a couple of different options," Josh told him. "there is a Bear MRAP that would hold all of us once we drop off the delivery truck. One has a plow, another has a train bull bumper. Each are armed with gun turrets."

"Perfect." Ethan said sedately. "Tell me about the shipping truck."

"They have only been armored with truck grilles, window bars and razor wire along the sides. They're all like that so they're not weighted down and can carry more. It's usually never a problem since they don't travel alone."

"Good enough then." Sylis said as the rest of them agreed with head nods.

"When can everyone be ready to go?" Ethan asked looking around the room at our group. "Someone will need to inform Holden and make sure he is on time as well." He stated evenly.

"We're always ready to go." Malik said of him and Josh. "We just need to stop by the house and grab our bag."

Josh agreed with him just by simply nodding along as Malik spoke.

"I'll need an hour." Charlie said.

"An hour?" Malik repeated. "Girl, we're not going on vacation!"

"You may not be!" She said to him in the same tone. "But I haven't been outside of these walls in almost a year. If I'm going, I'm going to look good doing it!"

"Then you better take a couple of days and rethink your whole style." He said to her cocking up an eyebrow. Sometimes Malik got a little sassy.

"Now play nice." Sylis said comically.

"It's not going to matter what you bring Charlie." I told her in the kindest way possible. "We'll be out in the morgue, you're going to have to suit up like the rest of us."

"What?" She squawked. "Then why do those two get to take a bag?!"

"All that will be in our bag is some underwear, hygiene products and few personals." Josh said to her. "You can't even where that"—he said pointing to her outfit— "under the suit."

Charlie was wearing a black tutu type leather skirt, a black tank top, holey tights and clog boots. She did have an interesting take on fashion. I couldn't wear it and have people take me seriously, but it looked great on her and she pulled it off.

"Well what the hell!" She pouted and put her hands on her hips.

"So then...under an hour?" Seivor asked her skeptically.

"Yes, under an hour." She said to him exasperated.

"I'm ready too, I just need to grab my bag." I told no one.

"We'll go get Holden." Malik and Josh announced as they headed for the door. "We'll be back in two shakes of a leg!" Malik joked and winked at the group before they both turned and walked away.

"I guess I'll be right back too." Charlie said sullenly and followed the two men out of the door.

"Do you need to grab some things Harper?" Sylis asked her as he came over to stand next to the two of us.

"No." She said with a smile before looking down at her hands. "I'm not going to go this time, I'll stay here and keep an eye on the O."

"I bet Gigi would be perfectly happy to do that for you." He said brightly.

Harper looked up from wringing her hands together and glanced over at me.

"I'm sure Gigi would be more than happy to do it." I said playfully. "And that's exactly why someone else needs to be here. To make sure she goes home." I said in explanation. "She can't stay and run this place all day and night, even though she would try.

"And... I have other things I need to do around here." Harper said more convincingly. "Plus, I don't mind staying. I'll see you guys when you get back." She smiled but didn't offer anything else on why she wouldn't be going with us.

"Absolutely." Sylis said and lightly bumped his shoulder into her playfully as he sat at a stool next to her.

It was obvious that Harper didn't want to go, and even more so that she didn't want to explain why. Luckily Sylis was adept at catching on to cue's and reading undertones. Not that it would have taken a genius to figure out that Harper was uncomfortable and that the subject needed to be changed and or dropped.

"I'm going to go and grab my things." I said moving away from where I was standing next to them.

Harper smiled and moved with me. "I'm actually going to go...so you guys can get ready and leave." She said with a smile. "I'll see you in a couple of days?"

"Yep." I hugged her goodbye. "We'll be back in two shakes of a leg!" I quipped as she chuckled and then squeezed me tighter.

* * *

"This thing fits me like a glove!" Charlie said turning in a full circle to look at her reflection again.

"They're supposed to." I told her as I sat back up from lacing my boots.

There were several styles of suits that people wore out in the morgue, most of the others were loose fitting jump suits that you could wear over your clothes. The uniforms the vanguard wore were tighter and made to be like a second skin.

"I'm not going back to them ugly ass jumpsuits you guys give out to the 'commoners'. Next time I want one of these!" She declared and turned to look at me pointedly.

"I'll let the uniform police know." I told her mockingly as I stood and zipped up my suit the rest of the way.

When she was done checking herself over, Charlie and I left the Safe and headed over to the Pit where everyone else was loading up.

"Josh and I will drive the delivery truck." Malik was telling me. "You and Holden will take the big guy." He said indicating to the Bear MRAP.

"The four of us will split up between the two vehicles." Ethan stated. "Sylis and myself will ride with Holden and Abby. Pike and Seivor will go with you two." He said to Malik.

"Cool." Malik and Josh said in unison and then exchanged forearm shakes with Pike and Seivor.

I was standing in front of Ethan and had just given him my bag to put in the Bear when his features hardened and his back straightened.

"I'm driving." Holden said brazenly as he brushed past us, threw his bag in the back and proceeded around to the driver's side.

"Well this ought to be fun." Charlie said as she handed over her bag to Ethan's outstretched hands.

"It'll be fine!" I said cheerfully as I tried to make light out of the now tension filled situation.

Taking Charlie around the arm and linking our elbows I spun her around and walked toward the passenger side of the Bear. "You're riding with us, yeah?" I asked her

"Oh...yeah." She said after looking over her shoulder and giving Sylis a side glance.

Once we finished loading up, Holden drove us out of the Pit and toward the main gate.

"Where you guys headed?" The gate guard asked us. He was just being polite and making conversation. There were no restrictions for leaving, and we didn't have official papers or clearance we needed to present before we left.

"Supply run." Holden said to him socially. "Why? You need somethin'?" He asked the guard jokingly.

"Let me get you my list." The guard jibbed back.

"Ya sure, we'll wait. We've got all day!"

"Ha. Ha. Alright man, you guys be safe out there." The guard told us humorously and then waved us through.

"Take it easy." Holden said to him with a fist bump before slowly moving us forward.

We passed through the other two gates without pause and soon found ourselves on the stretch of highway leading away from Thompson Falls and toward the small town of Victor.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned around in my seat to get a look at the back of the rig we were riding in. I planned on moving back there and away from Holden when we were out of sight of Thompson Falls.

"Sorry." Holden said solemnly.

I knew he was referring to the other night and his behavior, but I wasn't in the mood, so instead I said to him, "Thanks for driving." and then moved to the back.

Facing Charlie, I sat down next to Ethan. She gave me a look of inquisitive curiosity that I responded to with a head shake and an eye roll. She understood my silent cue and let the topic go with a couple of pats on my leg. I didn't want to talk to Holden about his terrible behavior which meant I didn't want to talk about it at all.

Nearly three hours later we finally reached our first destination. We all piled out of the vehicles to stretch our legs and find a safe place to leave the hauling truck behind.

It was a large fenced area with several steel buildings. The ones that we had cleared already were open and tagged with our insignia.

"I'll pull it in that building there and we can shut it in." Josh said of the delivery truck as he indicated to the closest building. The building was mostly still its usual gray color, but parts of it were rusted and oxidized. The heavy doors made a terrible screeching sound as they were closed and locked into place and the rust on the door tracks flaked down on us from the movement.

We were all piled back in the bear MRAP and on the road again in less than fifteen minutes. A short while later we were passing through West Glacier and past the old national park entrance. And Ethan was right, it was stunning.

Even with the buildings being ran down and destroyed, the roadway and property borders covered with overgrowth and vegetation, and the general 'lifelessness' of the small empty town, it was still breathtaking. And we were only at the beginning.

We continued through the entrance gates and found our way onto a scenic road that ran along a large lake. I stared out of the window in awe of the view while Sylis drove us carefully over the unkept and overgrown road to our destination.

The old rustic lodge and surrounding cabins looked out of place after seeing the state of the town and other homes and buildings. The lodge looked perfectly intact and well kept. The grounds around the entire estate were maintained beautifully. The trees were trimmed, the grass was mowed, and the flowers were potted beautifully and in bloom.

The zombie virus and Apocalypse that plagued the earth was not visible here.

"Whoa." Charlie said in awe turning around in a full circle to take in the view once we were out of the vehicle.

"This is amazing." I said, copying her sentiment and movement.

"I knew you would enjoy it." Ethan said as he approached me from behind.

I was staring across the lake and unable to tear my eyes away from the view. "It's so beautiful. How to you keep this place a secret?" I asked surprised.

"The area is patrolled, and we have security surveillance." He told me. "But to be honest, there hasn't been a lot of human curiosity. It was left abandoned, so we took it over. Anyone that does come this way are usually lost and looking for a home. So, we find them one."

Across the crystal-clear water were sloping hills of green. I knew it was far, but the lake was like glass it was so still, and the hills were so large they looked deceivingly close. Further in the distance were snowcapped mountains varying in shades of gray, blue and purple. The sky was clear, and the sun was bright, and despite the hot temperatures we were normally used to, it was a comfortable seventy degrees.

"Do you want to come inside?" Ethan asked after several minutes.

"Not really." I smiled and turned to look at him. "But, sure."

"We'll come back out."

"And drive around and hike the trails?"

"And boat on the water if you'd like." He smiled back at me.

"Yes!"

He laughed as we moved forward to meet up with the others.

"We're going boating!" Charlie exclaimed once we were in earshot of the others. Soon everyone was making plans and deciding where to go and what to do with the rest of the day and night we would be here.

The inside of the lodge was just as enchanting as the exterior. Large, dark logs served as beams and frames for the structure. Massive fireplaces and oversized furniture crowded the large space and exuded welcome and comfort.

The upper floors were lined with bedrooms filled with the same jovial comfort as much, if not more so, than the lobby downstairs.

After we all picked rooms to stay in for the night, and had something to eat, we each set out on various adventures around the park.

The lodge was stuffed full of more than just comfortable furniture. There were speed boats and pontoons, dirt bikes and ATV's, canoes and rafts, scooters, bikes and skis. Everything you could think of to explore the great outdoors was ready and available for use at the lodge.

We piled on four-wheelers and dirt bikes and found trails to explore that took us down and up and deep into the mountains of Glacier National Park. Safety was still a major concern, so we had our weapons strapped to us and a few extra bungeed to the rides we were on.

Ethan had assured us however that the surrounding land was constantly patrolled and anything that shouldn't be in the vicinity was rid of. The vampires had also put up a fencing perimeter and taken other measure to keep the area clean and secure.

The views were spectacular. The fun was plenitude. The company was welcome. The land activities eventually gave way to water sports and we spent the rest of the evening boating, water skiing and tubing up and down the lake. And when our bodies were physically spent from the water aerobics, we lazed in the sun on rafts floating in the water.

When the sun set, and the temperature dropped, we coasted back to the dock and cleaned ourselves up for dinner.

Holden participated as much as Holden-ly possible, and although he didn't join the fun of being in the water, he had a hand in catching our dinner. And when Pike and Josh weren't doing flips off the boat or daring Sylis and Malik to various contests, they too, were fishing and catching lake trout.

Amazingly, there were vegetables in the garden we were encouraged to pick, and soon our bellies were full of BBQ fish, salad and a variety of crisp, ripe vegetables.

Just after sunset, when dusk set in, a small cluster of vehicles came into view as they approached the lodge. The large trucks looked out of place next to the beauty of the park and were only visible in the twilight by the brightness of the headlights.

We were all sitting outside around a small fire enjoying the approaching night when the feeders and their vampire escorts stepped out of their vehicles.

Our casual setting and comfortable gathering turned awkward in a matter of a few short minutes.

"Excuse me." Ethan said looking over at the new arrivals and then disappeared over to them almost instantly.

He was only in front of the small group for a few seconds before indicating with his hand toward the lodge. Together the nine of them walked inside and about five minutes later, Ethan stepped out of the door closest to us and called for Sylis, Pike and Seivor.

The three excused themselves as the rest of us politely acknowledged them, fidgeted in our seats and tried not to make a normal, and necessary situation, weird and uncomfortable.

I caught Ethan's eye as he stood in wait with the open door for his three comrades to pass through. His kind smile reminded me of the vampires I was getting to know, and it reassured me that everything was good and proper, and this was just a fact of life for him and his species. Like water and air. I immediately felt better with his small gesture and knew that the humans, and their veins, were not being taken against their will.

And when he stepped back inside, closed the door behind him, and disappeared up to one of the many bedrooms where a feeding companion waited for him, the only emotion I felt was pure, unadulterated jealousy.
Chapter Nine

"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."

― Mother Teresa

The feeding didn't last nearly as long as I imagined it in my head. Ethan and the VIG's were gone for maybe ten minutes.

But it didn't stop me or my vivid imagination from spinning a web of scenarios in my mind. Some of which included Ethan running off with the human he was feeding on, never to be seen or heard from again. That, of course, led me to imagine the innocent female turning into a flesh-eating zombie, wherein I became the hero who saves the day. My reward, of course, was winning the heart of the dashing vampire. Which was completely stupid since we had virtually just met and were only friends. Nevertheless, my fantasies continued, and, in the end, I was always rewarded. Handsomely.

I also managed to chew down all eight of my finger nails, and I was getting ready to start on my left thumb nail when Sylis and Seivor came bounding out of the door, jumped over the railing and were back sitting in their seats like they had never left.

"See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" He chuckled and then smiled at me with a wink.

I flushed out of embarrassment. They couldn't read minds, could they? How mortifying that would be.

Ethan and Pike followed the first two only moments later, and then we were all back around the warm fire, looking up at the night sky and marveling at the magnificent expanse. And the feeders, with their escorts, disappeared just as quickly and quietly as they had arrived.

An hour or so later the others excused themselves up to bed or off to do their own night time activity.

"Are you ready for bed?" Ethan asked me after Charlie left seeking the warmth of a heavy blanket.

"No."

"There are some trails on the other side of the lake we didn't get to earlier. How do you feel about a night ride?"

"Sounds cold," I said to him brightly as I stood from my chair. "I'll go get my hoodie."

We were on a trail cruising over dirt and gravel at breakneck speeds, in the middle of the night, on one of the biggest 4wheelers I had ever seen in my life. It was so big it was like riding in a car, and the seat was so comfortable it might as well have been a sofa. And I'm certain the seat was why this ride was so comfortable, and not because I was pressed tightly against Ethan's back with my hands wrapped around his waist. Absolutely certain.

We rode up and down big hills, and over rocks and small streams, through the forest and past trees, climbing higher and higher up a sizable bluff.

When we finally reached the top, we found ourselves perched close to a cliff in a small clearing bare of trees, that gave way to a breathtaking view of the expanse all around, and beneath us.

From our high position, we could see and insanely beautiful view. As far as the eye could see were mountains of all sizes, shapes and even colors. Some were snowcapped, others were green with trees and some were brown and gray with jagged and rocky edges. There were lakes so large and clear they reflected their surroundings and the night above like a mirror. With other, smaller versions dotted among the base of the forest floor like gems or stepping stones.

The milky way arched across the sky in spectacular clarity. A long-stretched cluster of bright white and light blues nestled together to form an imperfect line. All around the main vein of the galaxy were thousands of stars sprinkled across the deep blue expanse like sugar. And streaks of light from shooting stars wisped past and through our glimpse of the cosmos.

The view of the star system high above made me feel both alone and connected. I felt homesick for the unknown and longed for the ability to be among the stars. And under the light of the cluster I was small, yet powerful and thankful that the problems of this earth were only here and that the plague that wrecked my home wasn't capable of infecting anything out there.

"It's so beautiful." I murmured.

"Look, there." He said, pointing a finger toward the sky. "That's Sagittarius."

With a little help and redirection, I finally saw what he was looking at. "Amazing." I said, letting my hand fall from his grip. "It's so awesome up here." I exhaled in awe.

"Next time we'll bring a telescope."

"Next time?"

He turned his head and smiled at me. "And we'll find a trail that takes us up higher too."

"Ok." I said smiling back at him.

I was still pressed tightly up against his back when our eyes locked. The mood changed between us almost instantly and our connected bodies only seemed to increase the energy that was normally a slow burn. This time however, we were alone, and our passion quickly grew beyond its usual simmer.

Ethan turned his body and spun me around until I was no longer against his back, and instead encased by his arms and pressed firmly to the front of him. Our eyes stayed connected for the briefest of moments and then his mouth was pressed against mine; soft cool lips against the flame and heat of my own, his deep and throaty groan made me mew upon contact.

As we found our rhythm I moved my hands from around his waist and finally indulged my desire to thread my fingers through his thick hair; it was just as cool as his skin and soft as silk. Ethan loosened the grip he had around my thighs and wrapped one arm around the small of my back; pulling me closer to him, while his other hand slid up my spine to settle around my neck.

I don't know how much time slipped by. It could have been minutes, seconds or hours and I wouldn't have known I was so lost in Ethan. When the urgency between us waned, a sweetness took its place. The kiss initially fueled by a veiled and burning rapture simmered to an acknowledgment of the others feelings and desire.

We moved in order with one another it seemed, we relaxed and unwrapped ourselves from each other but remained in contact as we eased away from the fire that had just surrounded us.

"I have wanted to do that since last week." Ethan said as we sat with our foreheads resting against each other.

"Last week we were in the middle of a zombie attack." I reminded him.

"I know."

"Maybe it was in the hangar, after the attack. Or on the bus?" I offered up instead.

"No." He smiled, "It was in Honor, when I first saw you." He said and then kissed me again.

"Doesn't this seem fast?" I questioned after turning myself around to rest against his chest. Somehow, the stars seemed even brighter than they did a few moments ago.

"Time, and everything humans measure by it, works differently for our species. When you have an infinite amount of it, everything isn't as easily defined by it." He said. "Like age for example, which is just another form of measuring time, we don't allow ourselves to get caught up in. If we did, we would be limiting ourselves to a very small existence."

"Because if you did, you and I wouldn't be here like this."

"Exactly." He smirked. "So, what works for someone in a week, can take a year for someone else. But what does it matter?"

"I'll try to be less human in my constraints." I teased.

"I think you'll find it easy to conform." He teased back.

"Are there other outposts like this one?" I asked him after a few moments of quiet stargazing.

"I'm sure there are more than even I know about." He said.

"It seems strange that this was here the whole time, virtually right under our nose, and we had no idea." I mused. This place was so spectacular it's hard to believe we missed it all this time.

"Keeping places like this is not without effort." He explained. "But humans are easily detoured. Roadblocks, intentional herding of the undead, destruction as camouflage, basic manipulation and regular patrols keep out what we don't want in."

"Tricky."

"Necessary." He corrected. "Safe places like this are essential to our survival. And to most of the other species on this planet. There should be a reprieve from what's happening. There should be safeguarding. There are some human colonies, like Thompson Falls, that do their best. But we can't live this life forever, we can't continue in this existence and never have something to return too. When the last kook has been killed, we must rebuild. When the cure has been found, we must be able to move forward. Outposts like this protect the things worth saving, human and vampire alike."

"So there not all just recreational and feeding outposts? Or secret vampire towns?"

"No. Although there are a lot of those." He chuckled. "Vampires worked with humans for years to save a protect what we could before it was all destroyed. Even now."

"A world within a world." I used the words he had said.

"You have no idea."

We stayed on the mountain stargazing and kissing intermittently until it was cold enough I could see my breath. Once we finally made it back down the mountain and to the lodge, we said our goodnights and went to our rooms.

The next day we all left Glacier the same way we came, and several hours after that we were back at the storage facility to load up the dried and canned goods we promised to bring back with us.

We hadn't been here for a while and even though it was cleared of kooks the last time we were here, didn't mean it was still a safe zone.

Charlie wasn't very good with a weapon, so instead of her tripping us up as she followed, we left her to keep watch standing on top of the Bear MRAP.

Once we retrieved the hauling truck from the building we had parked it in, we drove over to the front of a large steel building where the food was stored. Before we opened it up, and loaded the truck, we would need to sweep the immediate area to clear it of any dead.

We split up in the same groups we rode in together and each went in opposite directions to clear the area faster. We were just outside of a little town, and part of the area was blocked off by an old fence, so we were only clearing a small portion around us and around the building we would be pulling stock from.

"I see something over there." Charlie whispered into her radio.

"Over where?" Josh asked her from the opposite side of the abandoned yard where Holden, Sylis, Ethan and I were.

"Can you be more specific?" Holden said to her a little annoyed.

"Sorry! Holden, to your left, behind that red van." She said.

We moved slowly in the direction she indicated. There were two vehicles parked where she was sending us that weren't ours and weren't aged and caked with grime.

"I hear something." Ethan said as he moved forward ahead of us a little faster.

Ethan quickly made it around the van and had his sword raised when he stopped and stood there. He lowered his weapon just as Holden and I came around the corner with Sylis right behind us.

A stray dog was pulling at a deer carcass; it's mouth had latched around one leg as it pulled with all its strength trying to drag it away. The dog was growling at us once we were in its sights, but the poor thing was too hungry to let the deer go.

Each of us slowly backed away from the dog, not out of fear, but as a sign to the animal we were not a threat.

I would have liked to save the little guy, but stray animals were feral, and the older they were the harder it was to tame them out of the wild. They were too used to fighting for meals and defending their prey from dead versions of us to ever be fully trusted.

"We have something over here." Josh said over the radio. The sound scared the dog enough that he let go of the deer leg and barked and growled loudly at us.

"Go." Ethan said to us. "I'll keep the dog from following."

Without a second thought the three of us turned and ran toward the other team. When we reached the other side of the building, Pike was taking down the last of two zombies while the others stood guard and watched, waiting for more.

"Just the two?" Sylis asked.

"No." Pike answered him just as we heard the moans from inside the building. "These were the two that got out."

"How many?" Ethan asked from behind me. I hadn't heard him approach.

"Six." Seivor told him, "and a litla." He finished saying.

Ethan nodded at him.

"What's a litla?" I asked when it became apparent that they would not explain any further.

"It means little." Ethan said looking down at me, "It is the term we use to describe the little ones."

"Little ones?" I asked him. I was confused for only a second and then sadly realized what he meant. "Oh." I said somberly.

Everyone was quiet for a moment after that, only the noise of the kooks hitting up against the door and the walls, while crying out in hunger could be heard.

"Uh, guys?" Charlie's voice cracked over the speakers of our radio's. "Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're good." I told her. Shaking off what we were about to do.

"Why don't you go and keep watch with her." Holden said giving me a little head nod toward the truck. "We've got this."

"I'll just cover from back here." I told him kindly.

"Seriously, Abby." He said cautiously. "Go."

Instead of responding to him for a second time I just shook my head to him and put myself in position. I armed myself with Walter and aimed down at the ground until everyone else was in ready form.

Pike was the one to open the door to the steel building. After swinging the heavy steel door open he jumped back and faced the door with Ethan, Sylis and Seivor. The four made a half circle around the exit door with the rest of us positioning ourselves behind and between them to cover anything that they might have missed.

The two kooks pushing against the door when Pike opened it fell face first into the dirt once the barrier holding them back was released. The rest then trampled out and over their fallen inert kin. The two immediately following made it over the grounders without pause and continued forward toward the group of us with throaty cries.

Ethan and Seivor made quick work with their swords and had their heads off and rolling just as the remaining kooks in the building tripped and clawed their way out of the door and over their smelly friends. Malik and Josh each finished them by putting a bullet in their lobbed heads.

The position the remaining dead found themselves in was a benefit to us as was evident by how quickly and easily the VIG's could kill them. Their piled-up bodies trapping each other to the ground like a snare, holding them awkwardly together while they fought and battled each other to get free.

In synchronized motion Ethan, Sylis, Pike and Seivor all made their way to the kooks and pierced their heads with their blades. The litla, as Ethan had called it, was the last one left and was slowly making her way out of the door.

She couldn't have been older than two years of age when she was turned, she was barely the height of my knee. Teeth marks and bites of missing flesh lined her tiny arms and legs and chunks of hair and skin were missing from her scalp.

As she stumbled forward in tiny steps, one foot dirty and bare while the other was covered with a filthy sock and shoe, it was hard to tell the difference as she walked, whether the incoordination was from death or young age. Her arms were stretched out in front of her either in reach for flesh or for balance and her little hands and fingers opened and closed as she clasped out in hungry greed.

Her cries were barely audible, however familiar in sound as those of the dead, the tenor only quieter; smaller.

How she had managed to stay this whole and intact was curious and I idly wondered about her and her story. Another thing for the list of questions I would never know the answers too.

I knew I was staring in awe and complete shock, the little ones were always surprising. I understood the nature for reproduction, but I couldn't understand the desire some had to bring children into a world such as this. To risk the lives of the thing people claimed to love so much seemed incredibly selfish to me. And as she continued to stumble forward everyone was briefly shocked and stock-still. And I knew I was looking at the only birth control method I would ever need to use.

Ethan stepped in front of me to block my view right before Pike stepped forward to put her to rest. The view he could cut off, but the sound of a blade as it silenced snuffling cries couldn't be prevented, and neither could the reality as it solidified my fruitless desire.

* * *

The small burn pile was nearly out; the child's body hidden at the bottom, when we were finally loaded up and ready to leave the storage facility.

Holden and Sylis argued for a few minutes over who would drive the Bear, while the rest of the group talked about the litla, and how horrible and sad it was. Everyone except for Holden and myself.

Sylis eventually won the argument after reminding Holden of a bet he had made and lost while we were in Glacier. He conceded and was moving toward the passenger side when Malik tossed him the keys to the haul truck. Holden nodded to him and then sauntered off with a smile on his face. He drove the haul truck alone, and by the time we were loaded up and, on the road, Charlie had segued from what had just happened to something from my past.

I took to looking out of the window as the conversation continued, wishing I had ridden with Holden, instead of having to listen to and think back on a day I would soon rather forget, than to ever talk about again.

Chapter Ten

"The life of the dead is set in the memory of the living." ― Marcus Tullius Cicero

It was in Twin Falls Idaho. Close to the new pacific coast where Nevada used to be. It had been pouring rain all day as we made our way through the city; dredging through building after building, looking for anything salvageable. We were wet, cold and tired. Tired from exhaustion and tired of each other; we hadn't been working with our regular teams and everyone was running on a short fuse.

We'd been scouring the streets for a few days hoping to find some running vehicles or usable parts. The other teams, on their own missions of food and medical supplies, were at least finding what they were looking for. Coming up empty handed was getting the best of us.

We eventually came across a large concrete building that was once a parking garage and made our way around to the entrance, hoping that we had finally found something.

The smell of rot and death was so strong that it took your breath away. The weather only seemed to make it worse, as if the rain and cold temperature kept the stench grounded as it hovered and clung to the building, rather than dispersing out into the open air.

Once we were inside it was obvious where the smell was coming from, and that we would have to put down all the dead before we could look for which we came.

The mess of blood, guts and everything in-between stained the floor, and parts of the walls, the sodden floor causing us to slip as we moved around.

There was a large group of kooks, in the corner leading to the second floor, with just as many waiting up there if the noise was any indication.

We tried to be quiet, but even our silenced rifles made enough sound to draw their attention to us. The evo's came after us first, and once they moved against us, the rest of them soon followed.

There were too many to count and we backed up out of the building when it looked like the entire horde would overtake us. We kept shooting and killing them until eventually they tripped over their fallen brethren; it slowed their forward motion down enough we could gain control over the situation and cleared the first floor.

Making our way to the second floor we cautiously walked up the car ramp with our backs against the wall and easily finished the remaining group of kooks. There weren't as many as we had originally thought and because these were regular run-of-the-mill munchers, they were dumb and slow, which made them easy targets.

The ones leftover were random stragglers throughout the building that had separated from the pack. It didn't take long after that to clear the remaining two floors, and everyone broke off to look for anything useful.

I was coming back down from the third floor when I noticed Harper over in the far corner. She was standing there facing the wall; her back so I couldn't see her face. Her gun was hanging in front of her, against her waist, and at an odd angle. I hollered after her a couple of times and when she didn't answer I got worried.

"Harper!" I yelled at her again. This time running toward her.

As I moved closer to her, I slowed, and then stopped once I saw what was in front of her.

It was the strangest sound.

Indescribable.

In the corner where one wall met the other was a heaping mess of what was once a whole person. One leg had been torn off, the bones and what was left of the ankle lay tossed aside and away from the rest of the body. The other leg was pulled up and bent at an odd angle where an arm should have been – where it used to be – strings of connective tissue and attachments were the only things left clinging to the bones.

A shoulder and humerus bone were left on the right side. Nothing else.

The breast tissue, neck and face had been chewed off, leaving only snarled clumps of blonde hair and ears attached to a scalp. A gold earring was pierced through the lobe on the left side, dangling and holding on to some sort of gemstone or bead.

It was a gruesome mess; the concrete was stained with blood; like paint spilled all over the floor. Black, and brown, and red still in some areas. If it were a nameable palette color it would have simply been called 'death'.

The kill itself was fresh, maybe only a day or two at the most. I would guess the same for some of the bodies downstairs. The smell indicated that it was still new; the tin of blood and decomposition were strong.

However, this was nothing unfamiliar, we saw these sorts of forgotten meals all the time – that wasn't the part that was so disturbing, it wasn't what was astonishing. It wasn't why I remember it so vividly and clear, or why I've thought of it as the saddest and sickest thing I've ever seen.

The slightly protruding belly on the female corpse was what initially caught my eye, it was almost perfectly intact, it was weird and why it immediately drew my attention. When the dead get you down, they usually go for the belly first. It's soft and easy to tear into.

But that, even still, wasn't what caught me off guard, it was the baby that lay next to the body that was so horrifying; the umbilical cord still attached.

The infant was lying in the pool of dried blood; making that strange sound as it thrashed about.

It was a tiny little thing; a girl, sort of purple in color and wrinkly with loose paper skin. It's little arms and legs kicked and waved erratically in the air and its head rolled from side to side; it's little jaw quivering with each whimper and cry of hunger.

It was not human. Not anymore. That much was obvious.

So, innocent; so, deadly, yet somehow seemingly harmless.

Harper and I both moved closer to the little thing after a few moments of complete and utter shock.

"It's just a baby." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly on the words.

She was right, it was once just a baby. A brand-new baby. Or at least it would have been if not for its death and current condition.

I was clueless and at a total loss for words. A million things running through my mind and nothing simultaneously. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think.

It was just another kook. But, it was a baby. An infant.

We had all seen zombie children before. It was horrible and heartbreaking and inconceivable, but we had never seen a baby. A brand-new baby, fresh from the womb? Alive but dead? I never even considered it as a possibility.

Harper handed me her gun and I took it from her out of reflex. She bent down, cut the umbilical cord and wrapped the newborn in a piece of blood stained cloth from the floor.

"Whaaat the hell are you doing Harper?" I questioned her in horror and shock.

"It's just a baby." She repeated; staring down at it in wonder.

It was still making that sound.

Up close it was even more clear what it had become. Purple lips, ashy translucent skin, clouded, bloodshot and lifeless eyes all sat in a tiny face. Matted, curly black hair was held in place by its mother's blood and dried afterbirth.

"Shh..." Harper shushed as she shifted it around in her arms.

"Harper."

"What are we going to do?" She looked up at me.

I couldn't think of anything to say, so I shook my head.

Harper tucked the cloth around it a little tighter and then bounced back and forth as she hummed. She rubbed the top of its head and wrapped its little fingers around her thumb.

"Shh..." She cooed

I knew she wasn't crazy. But I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know what to do.

"I need help." I said over the radio. It was vague, it wasn't helpful, but I was confused.

"Abby? Where are you?" Holden answered me immediately.

"Second floor."

"Are you alright?"

"No."

"What's the matter?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" He yelled at me.

"Abby! What the hell is going on!" Hendricks roared over the radio. I could hear them running; the echo of their footsteps and voices bouncing off the walls close by, so I knew they weren't that far away.

"I need help." I repeated myself. I didn't know what else to say. I felt so stupid. I thought I might be losing Harper down the rabbit hole.

I couldn't stop staring at the thing. I couldn't take my eyes off Harper, and the way she held it against her, stroking and cooing as she tried to sooth it.

Hendricks, Holden and Brooks approached us only a few moments later, Kat shortly after that. They had their guns ready as they approached us slowly. I couldn't see them; my back was facing their direction, I just knew by the sound of their approach.

I didn't turn to look at them, I still couldn't break free from my fixed view of Harper and what she was holding.

"Abby?" Hendricks questioned as he took a few more steps forward.

"I don't know what to do." I said to him baffled.

"Harper?" He said getting her attention.

She had just shushed it again.

"It's just a baby." She answered him with an empty tone. "What are we going to do?" She asked, turning this time to face Hendricks and the others.

No one made a sound, but I could hear the shift of metal as their guns were lowered and the weight from gravity transferred down.

"It's ok." Hendricks said to her after switching on the safety and putting his gun around his back.

That sound. I wish it would stop making that sound.

Kat walked around me to get closer to Harper, the look on her face was hard to place.

"Jesus Christ." She exhaled slowly.

Harper moved her hand, briefly touching the side of its cheek, it's tiny head whipping toward the movement, rooting for something to eat.

"Give it here." Hendricks said to her.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll take care of it while you go wash up and get some air."

"What?" She questioned him confused. "It's just a baby."

"Harper, give it to me." He repeated himself gently. He was holding out his hands now. "Please."

"But," She stammered. "It's not hurting anything. It's just a baby."

"Harper, it's dangerous." Kat told her kindly. "Let Commander Hendricks take care of it."

"No." She said, pulling it closer to her protectively.

"It's already gone Harper." Hendricks told her.

"It's just a baby." She repeated, tears filling her eyes.

"It's already gone." Kat said to her quietly.

"I know." She hiccupped. "But, it's just a baby."

"I know."

"It's not hurting anything. It can't."

"Harper." I relented. "It's not fair. You have to let it go."

Tears streamed down her face, and mine soon followed; big, hot, messy tears that blurred my vision, made my throat hurt and caused my nose to run. I knew in that moment it was Harper's baby, the one she had lost not so long ago, she was projecting in this situation.

"It's just a baby." She cried through broken breath, her whole body jerking with pain; snuffling with air as she pulled it in, causing her to snort.

I held out her gun for someone to take from me– Holden I think–while I moved mine to hang off my back, and then went to her. I pulled her, and the tiny bundle she was holding, against me and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Resting her head against mine and looking down at what she held in her arms, we cried together for a while, her for what was lost, and me for both that and my broken friend.

Sometime had gone by, not too much, not too little, before she handed it over to Hendricks.

It was still making that sound as Harper shifted it around and placed it in Hendricks' arms.

Once it was out of her hands, Harper turned and wrapped herself back up into me, tucking and hiding her face in my shoulder, I held her while she cried until she was finished.

Hendricks and Brooks took the little thing far away from where the rest of us were. So far, they were gone long enough for Harper to collect herself.

She washed her hands and her face with water from a bottle I poured out for her, then wiped over her clothes with a disinfecting towel.

There wasn't a gunshot to be heard, but as we approached Hendricks and Brooks on the first floor, I noted as Hendricks carefully slid a small hunting knife back into a sleeve attached to his belt and watched as he discreetly threw the dirty rag he used to clean it behind him.

***

I must have zoned out a little while after Charlie finished telling the story about Harper and me with the baby, my attention was brought back to the group only when Ethan, who was sitting beside me, patted me gently on the knee while saying my name.

"Abby..."

"Hmm?" I murmured and turned my head to look at him

His smile was sweet, but his eyes were guarded. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." I assured him as I rested my head on his shoulder and placed my hand on his leg.

It was a good thing we were so close to Thompson Falls because it was dark out. We were driving slower and more cautiously now, but I could see the guard towers off in the distance.

"Is that why Harper didn't want to come with us?" He asked me, resting his head against mine.

"Yeah." I nodded. "She hasn't been out in the morgue since that day."

"I feel like a giant shit now for trying to get her to come with us." Sylis said. He was sitting with his head resting against the wall of the truck and his arms crossed over his chest. His brows were furrowed and pulled tightly together in a scowl that wrinkled his forehead in frustration.

"You didn't know." I said to him, brushing off his guilt. "She gets better each day. She just doesn't have any desire to be out here anymore." I smiled at him as I sat myself up straight for a stretch and let the topic drop.

We were greeted by the night guards at the entrance of Thompson Falls and processed through routinely, and after, we each went our separate ways.

Chapter Eleven

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." – Anais Nin

I woke early the next morning to go for a run. I felt sluggish even though I was wide awake and hoped the exercise would clear my head. It finally worked after the first lap around the town and as the sky had lightened. With the surge of energy and the familiar and engaging burn in my muscles I picked up my speed and pushed myself until I was nearly out of breath.

My legs were tight and felt like jelly when I finally made it back to the O. Running a few extra laps left me feeling parched and my hair and shirt drenched in sweat.

"Morning." I panted as I made my way to the sink to grab a glass of water.

"Well, good morning." Pike said.

"You're up early." I said to him after a few gulps from my glass.

"You too."

"Couldn't sleep." I told him between breaths.

"Same." He nodded. "I've been restless since we returned. Do you do this often?" He said indicating to my running attire.

"Every morning if I can. It keeps me sane." I smiled at him.

"Maybe I'll join you sometime."

I chuckled. "I'll try to keep up!"

"Not possible." He laughed putting his coffee mug down. "But, I'll keep pace with you."

"Keep pace with what?" Sylis asked rounding the corner.

"Running with Abby."

"Wouldn't that be more like walking with Abby?" Sylis jabbed as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Hey!" I said. They both just laughed.

I finished my water and excused myself to clean up just as the sun shined through the windows. It wouldn't be long and everyone else would be up, Harper would be over, and breakfast would soon be served, and I desperately needed a shower.

When I returned to the front everyone was there just as I suspected. Gigi had come in and was cooking breakfast for the group with Harper's assistance. The Vampires were all sitting around a table with Charlie, except for Ethan, who was in the kitchen with Gigi making biscuits.

I smiled at him through the window, poured myself a cup of coffee and sat with the others.

A short while later my mother came in with Malik and Josh in tow.

"Hello Olivia." Sylis stood to greet her.

"Good morning." She said with a guarded smile as she scanned the room. "Hendricks will be on his way in a few hours. He is being released and wanted me to let you all know he'll be over as soon as he is out of the care center." She finished saying looking through the service window at Gigi and Ethan. Olivia and Ethan locked eyes for the briefest of moments, his face an unreadable mask, before flicking his eyes to me then turning around and away from view.

Neither of them has said anything about the other, not really, but I know Olivia was there with Kat that first night the VIG's came to Thompson Falls. I would bet my mother backed Kat and whatever she said that night, and probably had a few things to say herself. Olivia was opinionated when it came to the protection and safety of Thompson Falls and had a strict set of rules she liked to have followed. She was also very leery of new comers, had always been, and would often be the last person to warm up to and trust new people.

"He's better?" I asked her as she took a seat next to me. Ignoring my curiosity about that night in the medical bay.

"Yes. Finally." She smiled. She was noticeably relaxed by the good news. "I'll be glad to sleep in my own bed again." She said giving me a wink.

After breakfast Ethan and the VIG's excused themselves and mom and Harper helped me with the cleanup. Gigi went back into the kitchen to continue canning, she had mounds of vegetables from the garden she had been working on since before we left for glacier.

"I'm going to go and grab a few things from my room if you two don't mind finishing up?" Olivia asked.

"We're good." Harper said as she rinsed the last of the dishes. I just smiled at her and nodded in agreement as she moved to walk away.

Her and Hendricks split their time staying between here and his place, separately and together. I didn't try and keep track or figure out their schedule, it had no rhyme or reason and made zero sense. I just knew that they were either here or there.

I grabbed a washcloth to wipe down the stove and counter tops and got flour all over myself in the process.

"You have a hard time staying clean in here don't-chya honey?" Gigi said coming around the corner with a tray of empty jars.

"I guess so." I chuckled and tried wiping myself off, which only made it worse somehow. The flour that was only on my shirt ended up smeared down the front of my pants and up my nose in puffs of white dust. Ah-choo! "Oh great." I said in between sneezing all over myself.

"I don't understand how you get anything done in here." Harper laughed at me and the mess I made. "It's astonishing that this is even a functioning facility at all." She jabbed.

"She has a lot of help." Gigi joined in on me as I tucked my face in my elbow for another sneeze.

"You guys are funny." I said sniffling. "We should do a comedy night."

"That's a great idea." Gigi perked up. "I bet people would pay big money to come and watch you stumble around in here." She said whipping her towel over her shoulder to screw the lids on her now full jars. She'd accomplished more in the last three minutes than I had in ten.

"That's not what I meant." I said trying to defend myself through another sneeze.

"It would be quite amusing." Harper said as she put the last of the now dry dishes away.

"You're like Lucy and Ethel wrapped up in one." Gigi laughed to herself.

"Who?" Harper and I said in unison.

"Way before your time girls." Sylis said on the other side of the wall through the serving counter surprising us all. "I agree with Gigi though, you are a train wreck here in the kitchen."

"I am not!"

"Sure, you are hun." Gigi said coming over to me while Sylis laughed at my expense. "But we love you all the same." She said as she reached up with her tiny, wrinkled hand and gave my face a tender pat and a pinch. "Now go get cleaned up. Some of us have real work to do in here." She said turning me toward the door and walking me out.

"We all have our faults." Sylis said leaning against the counter. "Except for me, obviously. At least you're good with a gun." He quirked a smile at me.

"Shut up." I said rolling my eyes at him and then stomped away toward my room. Luckily, I knew they were right or I might have been offended.

I was cleaned up and changed in a shorter amount of time than it took for me to get dirty. When I came out of my room and around the corner I all but walked into my mother and Ethan having a very heated conversation. 'Don't push me Olivia.' Is what I thought I heard before they both stood up straight and turned to look at me.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing." My mother lied while Ethan stood there silent.

"It doesn't look like nothing." I said looking at both. "Is there something I should know about?"

"Olivia was just reminding me of our conversation from our first night in Thompson Falls. Reminding me of the agreements we all made." Ethan said with a tight jaw.

"Why?" I bristled. "They haven't done anything to warrant an interrogation."

"Of course not." She smiled at me and walked over and took my arm in hers. "It's protocol, all for the safety of the town. That's all." She smiled again as we walked. "Nothing to worry about."

"I've never heard about this 'protocol' before?" I said emphasizing the word.

"I'm not surprised you didn't know Abby. It's not part of your job." She said somewhat abrasively. She didn't like being questioned, especially by me. "I'll see you later." She said abruptly, effectively ending the conversation after giving me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Mom?" I said to her as she walked away.

"Love you!" She smiled and waved as she walked out of the door, the chime of the bell ringing the only indication of her ever being there.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" I said as I turned around to face Ethan.

"Standard questions." He said evasively.

"Then why were you so angry?"

"I don't like my character and motives being questioned." He said. "She's just being protective. They all are. We're still strangers to them. It is understandable." He told me. "Now let's drop this and join the others." He indicated with his hand to the group at the back of the room.

"All cleaned up Abby?" Sylis asked removing the triangle from the rack of balls on the table.

"Still stating the obvious Sylis?" I jeered back in the same joking tone he had used.

"Always." He winked and handed me a pool cue. "You're up buttercup."

* * *

"Déjà vu." Sylis remarked before hitting the cue ball into the triangle of colored balls on the opposite end of the pool table.

It was true, waiting for Hendricks while we all played various bar games was becoming a habit for our little group.

We had been at this for a couple of hours when we heard the hanging doorbell ring with someone's entrance.

I felt a surge of panic and looked back at Ethan as the door shut. It hadn't occurred to me until that moment that today was the day they could be asked to leave. Maybe that's what Ethan and Olivia had been discussing earlier?

Throwing the dart that was in my hand (and completely missing the board) I tucked myself into Ethan and he wrapped me up in a tight hug.

As the sound of footsteps grew closer, I clung to Ethan tighter as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

The others in the room remained quiet too. The heavy footfalls growing louder and louder with each step, thrumming to the beat of my heart.

The excited greetings from Malik and Josh confused me for only a moment before I recognized the other voices from the group that had just come in.

"Zack?" I said straightening myself from around Ethan's embrace and turned to see the familiar face that matched the voice I more than recognized. "Zack!" I yelled out as all the apprehension and anxiety drained from my body and then bound over and leapt into his waiting arms.

"Hey there gorgeous!" He marveled as he spun us around the room in a crushing embrace. "Damn I missed you!" He rasped once he stopped spinning but held us together in a tight hold.

As I stood holding Zack, my best friend, everyone else in the room happily chatted with each other and ignored us as much as we did them.

"When did you get back?" I asked him once he loosened his hold and I could look up at his face.

"Late last night." He told me and wrapped both of his big hands around my face before kissing my forehead.

"Why didn't you come and wake me?"

"We were so tired Ab's we spent the night in the decon zone." He smiled and then pulled me in tight for another hug.

Zack and the rest of his team had been out in the morgue for over twelve weeks doing a long run up into old Canada. Their team had volunteered for the mission knowing they would be gone and out of contact with Thompson Falls for much of the time and without knowing how long it would take or an ETA on their return. We weren't expecting them for a couple more weeks, but I was beyond relieved to have him home.

"You look good." He said as he let me go and spun me around. Without releasing my hand, he pulled me over to a table where we could sit.

"So do you!" I smiled. "Maybe a little thinned out." I teased and pulled on his shirt.

"We heard about Honor. I'm glad you're ok." He told me after we sat at the first closest table and chairs. "It's too bad about Evan, Clay and David. That's a lot to lose in one run Abby."

"Yeah." I nodded at him and wrapped my free hand around our intertwined ones. "We're having a memorial tomorrow, it's nice that your home for it."

"Yeah." He said. "That's good timing. Not that I want to go to any of those things ever again, but I'm glad we're here." He nodded and then changed the subject after a moment.

"Hendricks was getting ready to head over. We saw him as we headed this way, he said he'd be only a few minutes." He said and looked around the room. "What's with all the vamps?" He questioned with an eyebrow lift.

"I thought you said you heard about what happened in Honor?" I quipped back to him.

"I did. But I didn't expect to find a hangout session going on when I walked in."

"Stop." I told him.

"Just looking out for my girl is all." He said and pulled me from my chair and onto his lap in one fell swoop before standing us up and tucking me into his side. "I can't have you becoming someone's dinner." He whispered with a little laugh in my ear as we walked toward the rest of the group.

Zack had always been protective of me, ever since we were little. He's only a few years older than I am but took on a lot of responsibility at a young age, especially after our fathers were killed. He was eleven when we found him. He and his dad had been alone for over a month after losing his mother and the group he was with. It didn't take long for him to get comfortable with my family and soon my father was training him how to fight and use a weapon. After both our fathers died protecting us, Zack always said it felt like it was his responsibility to make sure I was safe.

When I started up with the vanguard he was not happy. He tried everything to get me off rotation and when that didn't work he spent months pestering Hendricks to put me on his team or let him switch over to mine. Hendricks finally had had enough and told him that if he didn't like it then he could leave, which shut Zack up about it but didn't make it any better for him. When he finally accepted that he would not beat the system or change my mind, he trained and taught me everything that he knew about fighting and weapons. Training was something I was already going through as part of the program to join the vanguard, but it wasn't good enough for Zack, so he pushed and kept pushing me into mastering the skill until he was comfortable with the result.

'At least you'll know what you're doing, and I'll have done everything I could to protect you.' He'd said once.

Zack held on to me as we walked over to the group that was chatting and making idle conversation with one another. When we reached the group, Zack introduced himself to all the vampires one by one, shaking each of their hands and, in his own way, sizing them up.

Ethan and I had made eye contact when Zack and I walked over, and we kept it through each of Zack's introduction to his team.

"I'm Zack." He said finally to Ethan and extended his hand out in gesture.

Ethan's face was impassive while we continued to stare at each other after the introduction and it took a few moments before he finally looked away from me to acknowledge Zack and introduce himself. "Ethan." He replied before sticking out his hand to shake Zack's.

I'm not sure how tall Zack is, but he barely had to look up to meet Ethan in the eyes. In everything else Zack was a contrast to Ethan. Dark blonde hair, blue eyes and lighter toned skin. Zack was slightly bulkier with muscle than Ethan, but otherwise they looked evenly matched in size and weight.

As soon as they contacted each other, both their demeanors changed, and I felt the tension roll off each. Zack's arms tensed around me as both strained in a tight handshake. From my peripheral I could see Zack's jaw tense and his eyes slightly squint. And as soon as Ethan released Zack's hand, Ethan clenched his jaw and turned and walked away from us.

"Excuse me." He said in a hard voice before exiting the back door.

"Was it something I said?" Zack joked before greeting Josh and Malik. He released me from his side to give Charlie a hug and I took that opportunity to find Ethan.

As I stepped outside I was accosted by a bright and clear afternoon sky and the sweet smell of fresh air. I hadn't realized until now how stuffy the O had become over the last couple of days. Having no traffic in and out of the hotel and not opening the windows, the air had become malignant and stale compared to this. It was an unexpected and welcomed treat, so I indulged in it and closed my eyes as I took in a deep lungful of fresh air.

After a few moments, I looked around outside and over by some trails in search for Ethan. He wasn't immediately outside like I had expected him to be and after a few minutes of not finding him I realized he must have wanted to be alone because he was nowhere in sight.

I jogged back up to the O and in through the back door just as Hendricks, Kat and Brooks all walked in through the front door.

Sylis turned when I came back in and gave me a quizzical look once he noticed that I was alone. I said nothing to him but shook my head and raised my shoulders in answer back at him as indication I didn't know where Ethan had gone.

As I walked toward the group the door behind me suddenly opened and Ethan came strolling inside. I stopped and turned to look at him intending to talk to him, when instead he just looked at me and kept walking, only sparing me a quick nod of his head.

I was a little taken aback and looked after him as he continued to walk away from me and further into the room. He went up to Hendricks and as they exchanged a few words I noticed the rest of the VIG's move to place themselves next to Ethan. When he and Hendricks finished their short conversation, the vampires moved out of the way and Hendricks whistled to get everyone's attention.

"Whoever doesn't need to be here, now is the time to leave." He said and looked pointedly at Charlie.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going." She wafted her hand in the air before heading to the door with a few others, including most of the guys that run with Zack. Since they had just gotten back and had been gone so long, they weren't on duty and weren't required to be here. Unless they wanted to be. Most were obviously taking the break they deserved.

"The rest of you, grab a seat." He said then stood back while everyone else sat down around the room. Every vanguard member that wasn't on duty was here and the room was packed.

I eased into a chair at one table and soon after Zack sat down next to me. He looked over and gave me a wink before sitting back and resting his arm around the back of my seat, then tipped back and balanced his weight on only two legs of his chair. I've seen him fall doing this twice. I hope he keeps his balance this time. There are a lot of extra people to laugh at him today if he doesn't.

Soon everyone, except for the VIG's had a seat and were waiting quietly for the Commander to begin.

Hendricks looked up at me and before he asked, I already knew what he wanted to know, "Abby?" he questioned.

"They're all gone." I told him referring to the Honor group staying in the hotel.

I had hit up Harper after breakfast and asked her if she would distract them for the afternoon while we used the O for a meeting. I didn't know all what she had planned for them, but I knew she would take them down to Vickie's clothing store, give them a tour of the school in case they stayed, and she would show them some housing options. For lunch, she was taking them to the bowling alley where they served a few things and to play games. After that they were going to the grocery store. I didn't expect them back for at least several hours, which would be plenty of time for Hendricks to have his meeting.

He nodded his head, a silent gesture of 'thanks', before starting to speak. "Basically," He started, "I just need some clarification from you guys for everyone here." He said and looked over at Ethan and his team. "I've already been told some things and want them to hear it from you before we continue."

Ethan nodded to the Commander as in accepting his terms but said nothing, instead standing there as impassively as he had earlier before being introduced to Zack.

"Can you explain to me and the rest of us how you ended up in Honor the same day we were there?" He asked looking directly at Ethan for an answer.

"We knew there was going to be an attack." He said point blank.

I think I was as shocked by this as everyone else in the room because every head in the group turned to look at Ethan and the rest of the VIG's in surprise.

"Whoa! What!?" Zack sat up and blurted out.

Hendricks eyes shot over to where the both of us were sitting, "Do you need to leave?" He asked him.

Zack didn't say anything and by the look on Hendricks face now was not the time for us to be questioning this conversation, so he put up both of his hands and eased back in his chair.

"So, you all knew that the Honor facility was going to be attacked?" Hendricks turned back to face Ethan.

"No. We didn't know that Honor was going to be attacked specifically; we knew there was going to be an attack, but we didn't know where or when." Ethan answered him deadpan. "We've been tracking similar incidents for a while now. We were in the area when we saw your group traveling in the direction we were already headed."

"So, you followed us?"

"We were already headed in that direction." Ethan repeated himself. "We continued and intercepted once we knew you were in trouble."

Hendricks crossed his arms over his chest and preceded to ask his next question. "And what exactly is happening, what are you tracking that led you there?"

"We don't know who or what is attacking these towns and as far as we can tell, they are doing it at random. All we know is they have been moving west from across the eastern seaboard." Ethan answered the question, sounding less than willing to be giving out the information. I wondered while he spoke if his sudden mood change was because of Hendricks and the animosity they showed between them or if it was something else entirely.

"How many times has this happened?" Hendricks asked.

"As of a week ago, twenty-eight." Ethan stated.

"Twenty-eight!" Someone yelped out.

"The recent attacks over the last couple of weeks and months have increased significantly which has raised the number that high."

"How many in the last month?" Hendricks asked.

"Four in the last week, including Honor." Ethan told him. "Eight total in the last month."

"There have not been any survivors—human or vampire—until Honor." Ethan followed up his last answer with another. I'm sure someone, if not all of us, at some point would have asked or wondered about that same thing, so it was good that Ethan put it out there right away.

"How are you tracking them across the country but are unable to know or warn what town they are hitting next?" Brooks asked him.

"We've been one step behind them since the first attack. Whoever is doing this is smart and they know our tactics." Ethan looked over to him as he explained. "We can only assume that the trail they leave for us is as intentional as it is when it goes cold."

"Do you have a best guess as to what we're dealing with?" Hendricks asked.

"Another mutation in the zombie virus is our only working theory at this point." Ethan said and looked back to Hendricks.

Nobody said anything for a while after that. We all just sat there as the information settled in and around us. This wasn't what I was expecting to hear when the conversation started. I had no ideas of what I thought I would be told, but this sure as hell wasn't it. Another mutation in the zombie virus sounded like the worst news we could have received.

Being in Honor I knew the kooks we were dealing with were evo's. I just assumed it was some sort of dumb luck in large numbers that had allowed them to take out an entire town. Or, and an even less appealing thought, was that it was a new tactic by the outlaw spyders, the groups of human thriving miscreants, thieves and murders. It wouldn't be the first time they used the dead against us.

The last thing that any of us wanted to hear was the kooks and evos we were fighting were still evolving and getting smarter. And that they weren't just going after the weak and frail or distracted anymore, but were now taking on entire towns and colonies, and succeeding with precision and acuity.

"This makes things more difficult." Hendricks said after a long while. "Have you ever engaged them before Honor?"

"Not exactly." Ethan told him. "We have cleaned up after them, but never witnessed an organized attack until Honor."

"So, you've never actually seen whatever it is we're dealing with now?" Blaise asked from his seated position at the front.

"We have not." Ethan said to him. "We've only seen what they are capable of by what they leave behind. Which is usually nothing but bodies that didn't survive a feeding and those that weren't able to travel with them when they left."

"So, we only know that it is some form of kook. Smarter, stronger, faster and capable of keeping us in the dark." Hendricks said as he pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment and then let his arms fall to his sides before he paced the floor.

"Precisely." Ethan told him.

It was quiet for a while. My shoulders felt heavy as I slumped in my chair.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Kat suggested after a few moments. "Regroup in a couple of hours. After everyone has had time to think."

Hendricks nodded his head. "Are you fellas ok to stick around for a while yet?" Hendricks turned and looked over at the VIG's.

Ethan looked over at me just then and caught my eye before answering the question. "We really should..." He started to say and then Sylis cut him off.

"We can hang for a bit." He said over Ethan as he clapped him on the shoulder before continuing. "We're not in a hurry and we'd be glad to help with anything else. And it might be beneficial to get a second opinion and a new perspective. Right Ethan?" He finished telling the Commander, then looked to Ethan for confirmation.

The look he gave Sylis made me think he wanted to do anything but agree with him, but instead did so in a hardened tone. "Right."

"Great." Hendricks said. "Why don't you guys hang tight and we'll come back in a couple hours." He finished and looked to Kat and Brooks. "We'll go back to post."

With that everyone stood up and split off into groups and had their own conversations. Hendricks, Kat and Brooks went to Ethan and the VIG's and exchanged a few words before heading for the door.

Zack turned "So, we've got a couple hours before we have to be back here." He said with a smile and bright eyes, "What should we do?"

I kept my eyes on Ethan while Zack spoke. They had all huddled up once Hendricks left their conversation and it looked as though whatever they were saying wasn't being well received by them all.

"Abby..." Zack sing-songed my name to get my attention. "Hello...Earth to Abby." He said again after a few seconds and then waved his hand in front of my face.

"What?" I said to him and pulled his hand down from out of my view. "Sorry, I didn't hear you." I smiled at him.

"I noticed." He said back and squeezed my hand.

"What did you want to do?" I asked him quizzically, I vaguely recalled him saying something about him going somewhere.

"I said, what should we do? Since we have a couple of hours." He told me, emphasizing on the we.

"Oh, uh. I don't know." I told him and then turned to look back over at Ethan. "I thought maybe we could just hang out here?"

"Why?" He laughed a little before adding, "You never want to hang out here."

"Yeah, but we have to be back in a while anyway so..."

He bent in and whispered conspiratorially in my ear and then jutted his chin toward the group of vampires. "Are you afraid to leave them alone in your hotel?"

"What? No!" I looked over at him like he was insane. "Not at all." I told him emphatically and then turned back to catch Ethan's eye. I knew he and the others would have heard Zack's comment and had that confirmed by Ethan's hardened gaze. Sylis on the other hand must have thought it was funny because he had a smile on his face and gave me his all too familiar wink.

"Can we talk?" I asked Ethan.

"What do you want to talk about?" Zack said still hovering close and looking over toward the VIG's.

"Give me a few minutes?" I turned and patted Zack on the leg and then stood up and quickly walked over to Ethan.

"We aren't going to take anything that doesn't belong to us." Sylis said mockingly, placing a hand over his heart and bowing. "I promise." He swore.

"Knock it off." I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"Maybe I should go tell him then?" He said looking around me to where Zack was still sitting.

"Sylis." Ethan said to him sternly.

"Ethan." He said back to him tauntingly as he backed up a few steps before spinning and making his way over to Zack.

"It's hard to believe he is the oldest of us all." Pike said looking after Sylis and shaking his head, then he and Seivor moved away from Ethan and I to stand over by the bar with Malik and Josh.

"Do you have a minute?" I asked Ethan to get back his attention now that he was focused on Sylis and Zack.

He looked down at me with careful eyes. "This really isn't a good time Abby." He said.

"We have a couple of hours at least before they come back." I said to him confused.

"Your leaders are only just outside, they'll be back in a few minutes to retrieve my team and myself for a private meeting." He said banally.

I nodded my head to him a little, still addled by his mood. "Maybe after then?" I suggested.

"I doubt there will be time." He told me bluntly. "We'll be leaving right after."

"You're leaving?" I squawked. "But we haven't even..."

"I'm sorry." He cut me off, "They are ready for us." He said with a nod before moving away from me and toward the door.

"Ethan?" I called after him, but he kept moving away, heading for the door with his team soon behind him. Hendricks came inside and after looking surprised to find the Vampires waiting for him by the door, he ushered the VIG's out through the front and closed the door behind them.

I was dumbfounded by our exchange and a little hurt by the brush off. I had thought this whole time he was in a foul mood because of Hendricks, this meeting and the uncertainty of what would happen afterward, but now I was almost certain it had more to do with me than anything else.

"What was that about?" Zack said as he came up beside me.

"I have no idea." I dismayed.

Chapter Twelve

"Only the dead have seen the end of war." – Plato

The afternoon hours had passed by quickly and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the O.

Zack and I had left the hotel once Hendricks and the VIG's went to have their private meeting so there was no reason to hang around the place after that. We went to Zack's shop, which is also where he lives, so he could check in on his 'baby'.

Zack is an auto mechanic when he isn't out on rotation, he is one of several guys that keep the vanguard vehicles up and running. He and a few others are also the ones whose handiwork is visible on the vehicle's exterior protection. Zack is particularly proud of the 'grinder', which is what he calls his wheels of death that are on the bus and several other trucks we use.

He also spends a large majority of his time working on what I call, 'the love of his life'; a 1970 Boss 302 Mustang named 'baby'. It is a fully loaded, tricked out muscle car with one of a kind accessories. She's painted blood orange with black racing strips and windows so dark you can barely see out of them.

Over the years, he has had several hobby cars, but this one was like finding air for him to breathe in after drowning in water. He. Loves. This. Car. Personally, I don't get it. I mean, it's a nice-looking ride, but, it is just a car. It is as old as dirt and finding it in as good of condition as it was -was something of a miracle. But still, just a car.

Not to Zack though. He treated this thing better than he treats himself half the time. Always washing and waxing it, constantly tuning the engine and polishing the inside. It was weird how much energy he put into this hunk of metal, but it was him and something he loved, and I loved him, so...I indulged him without saying a word.

He had taken the cover off and once he was satisfied that it was sufficiently wiped down he insisted that we take it out for a drive, 'get the juices flowing after sitting for so long' he said. We drove around town for a while before driving it back over to the O where it had its very own parking spot.

We had been back for only about fifteen minutes when Hendricks came in to the O—alone. We all pulled ourselves away from whatever we were doing and sat down, waiting for Hendricks to get done pacing and tell us what was going on.

"Based on the new information we received from the Vampires today." He told us, "We have asked them to stay."

"What do you mean stay?" Zack butted in, as was his habit because patience was a foreign concept to him.

"I mean, Zack," Hendricks said giving him the 'sit down and shut up' look. "that because we don't know what we are up against, and they have been tracking this thing for months, that we can use their help. And I believe, we can help them. So, we've asked them to stay put for the time being."

"In town?"

"Yes, in town." Hendricks confirmed.

"Here at the O?"

"Yes Zack, in town, here at the O." Hendricks repeated himself. "Do you have any other stupid questions, or may I continue?"

"Sorry." Zack balked at him.

I chuckled a little but stopped when Hendricks looked over at me, I gave him a little 'sorry' shrug before he looked away and continued.

"As I was saying, they will be sticking around with us for a while. I know it goes against everything I've ever said about Thompson Falls being vamp free, but from the way it sounds and the pattern this thing is traveling, it could end up on our front step next, and I would rather all of us be safe than sorry."

"Does this mean I'm going to have to keep the O closed?" I asked.

"No." He said shaking his head. "I've asked them to stay and that means they are now our guests and will have the same freedoms anyone else would have. I will however make an announcement tomorrow night at the service gathering so the town will know and be aware of their presence."

"Where are they now?" I asked uncertainly.

"They left." He told me. "Some business or arrangements needed to be made on their part. I don't know, but when they are done, they'll come back here and bunk at the O as agreed."

"And what about what they eat?" Zack sneered.

I didn't know he had such an aversion to vampires until today and I wondered when it had started. I never knew him to be so standoffish with outsiders, spyders yes, but everyone else he has always given the benefit of the doubt.

"They won't feed on anyone in town, that was made very clear." Hendricks stressed to all of us.

"And what about the people that don't like vampires? Or the one's that came here because this was a vampire free town? What are we supposed to tell them?"

"Send them to me." Hendricks said. "This is my town, and it was my rule. If I want to change it, I'm going to change it. Especially if it means keeping this town and its people safe. I don't like it any more than you do, but until we know what is going on out there" - he said jabbing his finger toward the main gate - "we will do whatever we have to too make sure it doesn't affect us in here."

After a few more random questions from some guys, Hendricks and everyone else left, leaving just Zack and myself in the restaurant.

"You're comfortable with this?" He asked me once everyone was gone.

"Yes, absolutely."

"I don't like it." He said shaking his head. "It just doesn't feel right."

"What are you talking about?" I laughed trying to get him to mellow out.

"It's weird Abby!"

"Why? They have been nothing but helpful and if it wasn't for them you might be attending a memorial gathering for more than just Evan, Clay and David. Myself and Hendricks could have easily been added to that list Zack." I told him not unkindly. "Lighten up."

"We'll see." He said before giving me a smile.

We spent the rest of the day and the next afternoon together like we usually did, continuing to catch up with each other and visiting people around town that would have wanted a visit from him. I told him the news from around our small town and our recent trip to Glacier. He was not impressed. He told me how they fared on their long trip, if it was successful and whether he would ever volunteer for such a long haul again. Other than the lack of sleep and warm showers he said he would do it again and told me of all the things he saw as they traveled, good and bad.

He told me about a town called Revelstoke and how similar it was to Thompson Falls and how creepy it still is to pass by all the underwater cities that were once filled with scores of people. He likened most of Vancouver BC and its surrounding cities to how Seattle now is, flooded and covered with water, only leaving the tops of the highest buildings left to be seen.

He helped me with my work at the O; gutting fish, chopping vegetables and cleaning the restaurant and rooms. And then I returned the favor by polishing and dusting the dash of his car, then watched him work on a transmission and experiment with a weapon idea for a new vehicle attachment.

Later the next evening it was time for the memorial service to begin for our fallen friends, so Zack and I headed down to main street where the festivities would be held.

It is our tradition to have such a gathering when we lose someone out in the morgue and a regular service can't be performed. We sometimes have them when people die for other reasons too. It depends on the person and their wishes, but we rejoice in remembering them and not focus on their death.

Anyone who wants to come down is welcome. Tables and chairs are set up, food is brought by those who attend. There is music, dancing and general celebration of the life for our lost friends.

Zack and I walked down the center of the old paved road, side by side, joking and laughing until we reached the stage setup where the band would play and the people who wanted to say something for the deceased could have a platform to do so.

Evan and David were the youngest of the three men that passed away. Evan was in his early twenties and David had just finished high school the year before. Neither men had a significant other to speak of, but they still each had both of their parents, who were in the front row receiving people's condolences.

Clay was the oldest of the three, he had a wife and a young daughter that his unfortunate death had left behind. His wife was younger than him, maybe only a few years older than me, they met here in Thompson Falls. It wasn't long after they dated that they were married and were expecting their first child.

His wife had a small but consistent group huddled around her, each taking turns and playing with the clueless and happy two-year-old girl.

As I moved through the crowd of people I made my way over to Clay's wife first to show my support and offer her any help I could give before going over to Evan and David's parents to do the same. I couldn't do much, it was really just a gesture, but there was always a cooked meal at the O, so I offered that.

Zack was with me when we left the receiving line and found my mother and Hendricks as they waited off to the side of the stage. Hendricks usually said a few words before letting people come up and say what they wanted to before the band started up.

"Hi Zack!" My mother beamed as he bent down to give her a big hug. "How are you my boy, I'm so glad you're home!"

"Thanks ma, I'm good." He said back to her once she released him.

Zack has been calling my mother 'ma' for years, so long in fact it would be weird to hear him call her anything else. After we lost our fathers she became the only parent figure he had, and she took him on as her son, no questions asked.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you until now." She said to him apologetically. "But your group is keeping us busy at the care center with all the goodies you brought us! Well done!" She cheered.

"Thank you, I'm glad it was worth it! Abby's been keeping me company." He said turning toward me then pulling me into his side.

"Well, we're glad to have you back, we missed you around here." My mom said to him.

"It's good to be back."

"I'm going to get this thing started." Hendricks said to us before bouncing up the stairs and onto the stage.

He didn't say too much in opening, he was basically just trying to get everyone's attention so those who wanted to speak could. Once he left the stage it wasn't long before a line formed and a good forty-five minutes later everyone seemed to have said what they wanted to say so Hendricks went back up to share his final thoughts, so the band could play.

"It's never easy to lose someone you love or care about, but it always seems worse when it happens outside of these gates." He began and then paused for a second. "Clay was a good friend of mine and a damn good soldier who won't easily be replaced. We worked together for a long time and I know he'd want you and that little girl of his taken care of and looked after. So, if you ever need anything -anything, Rachael, you come to me." He said looking at the young woman now holding her sleeping child.

Her eyes were red rimmed from crying on and off, but she looked grateful for all the kind words and condolences. She was surrounded by good people who would help her get through this and help her with her daughter who would grow up and rely on their stories as the only way to know her father.

"Evan was a bright boy with a lot of potential and one helluva right hook." Hendricks continued, and the crowd laughed as he looked over at Evan's parents. "Funny too, he had a good sense of humor, which made the nights out there that much more bearable."

I had never worked with Evan before the other night, but I knew of him from some of the guys. There is a work out facility we use to train and stay fit and in one of the bigger rooms is a large mat he used as a boxing ring. Evan was always ready to spar with anyone who wanted to go a few rounds and was always willing to teach those who wanted to learn the skill. He was the reigning victor of the ring, and he'll forever be the undefeated champ.

"David," He said then took another pause. "David was a great kid who was taken far too soon. And even though he was only with the vanguard for a short time, he more than pulled his weight and you should be proud of your boy. He was brave and strong and will truly be missed." Hendricks said to his parents.

"You should all be proud. Not one of these guys can be replaced and they sure as hell won't be forgotten." He told all three families before looking out into the crowd. "And all of us should be grateful for the sacrifice they made for this town. I don't take it lightly and neither should any of you."

Without another word, Hendricks grabbed the glass he was drinking from and raised it in cheers. Those in the crowd followed his lead and did the same thing; saluting and toasting our fallen friends with a moment of silence for thanks and a blessing of peace.

"I need to change gears here for a minute." He said straightening his back after setting his glass back down. "I normally wouldn't make announcements at a remembrance ceremony, so I apologize for that." He said looking at the families once again, "But it has everything to do with why we are here in the first place."

The crowd stayed quiet and those who were spread out gathered and moved closer to the stage, so they could better listen to what Hendricks had to say.

"As most of you now know, the Honor camp and all of its people—except for the survivors we have here—were all lost." He said, then waited for those in the crowd that didn't know, to get over their surprise and quiet back down. "It would seem that there is a new threat—a new breed of kook that we need to worry about." He told them and then stressed the next part as he continued. "Now, Thompson Falls is still the safest place to be, we're lucky in that way, but these new breeds are smart and capable. Like nothing any of us have ever seen before."

"We met some new allies while we were in Honor. They helped us escape and if they hadn't been there, we would have with no doubt lost more of our people, if not all of them. Myself included." He paused for a moment and looked around at the crowd. "I've asked these new allies for their help. They know the enemy better than any of us, they know their habits and how they work. These guys have been tracking them for longer than we've even known they existed."

"Now, as this town's leader, I have agreed to keep Thompson Falls and all its residents safe. Safe by whatever means necessary. In this case that means by accepting help from an outside source. I know some of you may not agree with my decision, and that's fine, but I ask you to keep an open mind."

By now the crowd was getting restless and the chatter was like a low hum around the area. People were guessing and speculating on what Hendricks was talking about and I could see a few of the town blowhards puffing their chests in anticipation for a fight.

Hendricks, ignoring the crowd and the growing agitation, looked over in the direction that my mother, Zack and I were standing and jerked his head in a 'come here' motion. I knew he wasn't indicating to any of us, so I turned to look behind me and saw the VIG's waiting in the shadows. Without hesitation the four Vampires, and a couple more that I didn't know made their way to stand next to Hendricks—center stage.

The few towns people I knew would cause problems did not disappoint. As soon as the Vampires were on the stage they spouted off at the mouth about everything from this being a set-up or a trap, to becoming dinner on a plate. Plus, the long list of insults, species and racial slurs from the rest who didn't know how to control their noise holes.

None of the Vampires or Hendricks reacted to the crowd, instead they all stood stoically while they waited for them to quiet and calm themselves down. Hendricks' presence is commanding and as he stood quietly looking on to the people in his town, it didn't take long for them to notice his displeasure under his powerful gaze. And as the crowd fell silent he continued to hold their attention for another minute to castigate them with his disapproval.

"As I said before, some of you may not agree with my decision, but I ask you to keep an open mind." He began. "These are VIG members. They are not tourist vamps here for a warm meal. They are soldiers fighting in this war as much as we are. They are why I am standing in front of you today." He said to them emphatically.

"They started this war!" Someone yelled.

"What about the children?" Yipped a hysterical woman. I couldn't help the eye roll as I shook my head at her ignorance.

"This town is supposed to be vamp free!" Another cried.

"Enough!" Hendricks barked. "This is not a debate and I am not asking for your permission! Or your opinions! They are our guests. They are here to help us! Better yet, they are here to continue to help us! And they have agreed to follow all my rules! Each of us, human and vampire started this war all those years ago." He said looking at the man who shouted out from the crowd. Hendricks must have been channeling his mother when he said this because these are words she had used on him before.

"The children have never been safer than they are now." He said looking down on the dramatic woman. She shrunk down in her seat, obviously embarrassed by the acknowledgment.

"And this town is what I say it is." He looked at the other man. "I built Thompson Falls. I say who is and who isn't welcome. My responsibility to this town is to keep you all safe and I will do that however I choose and by any means necessary. Everyone is welcome here, but if you don't like it—there's the door." He bellowed as he pointed to the main gate.

No one moved or said another word as they waited for Hendricks to continue. I wasn't surprised by their initial reaction I thought it would be much worse from a select few.

"Now, if there are any reasonable questions, I will answer them."

"Where will they be staying?" An elderly man from the front asked as soon as Hendricks was done speaking.

"They will be staying at the O." He told him.

"Are they accepting visitors?" The gentleman asked with a follow up question.

Hendricks was a little baffled by the question but turned and indicated to the VIG's for an answer. A couple of them looked at each other just as confused and then nodded to Hendricks.

"I guess they are, yes." He told the man still a little unsure about the question.

"Oh good!" The old man said with a smile. "Very good. I ran with some vampires when I was a young buck myself."

There were a few chuckles at the old man's delight and I couldn't help but laugh too.

"What will they eat?" Someone asked.

"They will eat food at the O. All their other sustenance needs will be provided to them by their own donors outside of the gates."

That answer seemed to noticeably relax the entire crowd and the tension dissipated. Most people weren't scared of vampires, they were just scared of being consumed; in any fashion.

After a while the people seemed to run out of questions. Hendricks introduced the VIG's each by name to the group—a few of them answering their own questions, while some of the others kept their silence. After Hendricks closed the topic and called up the band, he thanked the crowd for their understanding and then directed their attention back to the memorial service.

They all left as a group once they exited the stage and I watched them as they moved past the crowd. Some people avoided them and stepped aside while others made their way up to them to shake their hands. All things considered it was the best reception to their presence we could have hoped for.

The band was playing, and people were mingling and eating and generally enjoying this celebration of life. My mother, Zack and I had just sat down to eat after going through the buffet line when Hendricks pulled out a seat next to my mother and sat down with his own plate of food.

"That went well." I said to him sincerely.

He didn't respond, instead he grunted and picked up an ear of corn and ate.

Zack pulled me out into the crowd to dance once we were finished with our meal and before I knew it several hours had went by and I was feeling tired.

"I'll walk you home." Zack told me after I said goodnight to my mom and Hendricks. "Maybe I should stay at the O with you for a while." He said once we were away from the crowd.

"Why?" I snickered.

"Why do you think?" He said back less than amused.

"Will you stop!" I told him and gave him a shove on the arm, which did nothing to him but had me catching my step.

"I'm serious Abby." He said wrapping an arm around my neck helping me steady my balance. "I agree with some of the others and I'm worried about you."

"Where did this prejudice come from?" I asked, stopping in the middle of the street.

"I don't know." He said honestly. "I suppose it came on after seeing them in our town. You know what goes on out there, you've heard the stories."

"Zack, you can't hold an entire race of people accountable for a handful of backsliders."

"I just worry about you, that's all." He said staring into my eyes as he reached out and brought me into him with a tight hug.

"You have nothing to worry about." I told him once he released me. "Besides, I'm sure Hendricks will have vanguard around the clock here anyway. But honestly, they really are great." I told him as we made our way to the front door of the O. "You'll just have to get to know them like I have for the past week." I said emphasizing the word week.

"Hmm." He grunted. "I guess time will tell. Where's Walter?"

"Under my pillow." I assured him.

"Good." He smiled. "I'm going to go back and help them tear down the stage. Unless you want me to stay?"

"No, go!" I said waving him off.

"See you tomorrow for breakfast?" He said after kissing me on the cheek.

"I'll be here." I told him as I pushed open the heavy door and walked inside. I watched him walk a little way and waved to him again when he turned around before closing the door.

Chapter Thirteen

"Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living." ― Mother Jones

I went to bed after waiting up for Ethan for several hours. When I nodded off in the night watch office I called it a night and got some sleep.

The next morning the VIG's were still not in their rooms and by the look of it, they didn't come in at all. Luckily, I had plenty to keep myself occupied and my mind busy, so I couldn't spend a lot of time thinking about Ethan.

After the announcement at the memorial, the O was officially reopened to the public and it was as busy as ever. I didn't realize that I had missed my routine until I was in the middle of doing it again.

Breakfast was steady all morning. When it slowed down, and the morning people switched out with the afternoon crew I took the opportunity to get some fresh air.

I took a long leisurely walk along the trails behind the O and passed a few hours by that way.

"There you are." Zack said exasperated. "Where have you been?" He asked as I took a seat next to him in the diner awhile later.

"Down at the trails, what's going on?" I asked him while taking in the crowded dining room of the O. Either the towns people missed the food over the last week, or they wanted to catch a glimpse of the vampires staying here.

"The VIG's returned a while ago with news." He said before telling me. "Another settlement was attacked."

I now understood why I hadn't seen Ethan since last night, he had been out in the morgue and had just returned with the information. Evidently, they had gotten word from some of their fellow VIG members and were told the news by them.

"Where is everyone now?" I asked Zack.

"Hendricks has all the team leaders and the vampires in a meeting. We'll head over in an hour." He told me after taking a long pull off his now empty bottle of beer.

Zack seemed as though he was in a foul mood so while we waited for the meeting I opted to leave him alone and help with the restaurant instead. Almost all the tables were full of hungry (or nosy) guests and the back was crowded and loud with chatter.

Grady and Harper were in the kitchen cooking and Charlie was serving with some of the other helpers that had come in, so I cleaned up tables for them and ran drinks until it was time for us to leave.

At the high school, we found Hendricks and the VIG members standing on the court in conversation as we all piled in and took our seats on the benches. Ethan and his team were there with the other vampires I still hadn't met and all the available team leaders.

Once we were all seated and quieted down Hendricks addressed the vanguard and told us what information they knew and how we would proceed going forward.

Henry Stampede Park in old Idaho was a small island that housed around a hundred people. There was nothing in or around the area that would have made living there comfortable or secure, so its attraction was suited for only those who were content with camp style and rugged, outdoorsy living.

The only way on or off the island was by boat because of the higher water level that swallowed up its connection to the mainland. This had been thought of as their defensive perimeter and as it was understood, no other precautions were taken except for personal gear.

The park, for whatever reason, was a favored and frequented pit-stop for tourist vamps. The settlers there welcomed them, and the open invitation was always accepted. At any given time, you could find at least a handful of vampires on the island.

The attack on this little town was startling and disturbing news. It meant that our new enemy was either capable of swimming long distances, or clever enough to use and operate machinery – neither of which were good or welcomed news for us – it also meant that, yet another vampire protected outpost had been successfully overthrown.

There was nothing left and no survivors of Henry Stampede Park.

"When you say nothing?" Someone from the group on the benches asked.

"I mean nothing." Hendricks said to all of us. "There was nothing left. There were no bodies; human, vampire or kook."

"But lots of blood." Pike said looking up and over to the man that originally asked the question. To that, no one had anything to say.

"How was it discovered?" Zack asked no one. "If there were no bodies..."

"A citizen some VIG members came across reported it. From there a team was dispatched and confirmed their findings to the Vampire Increment Guard. The information was then relayed to us." Ethan told the room.

"Citizen?" Hendricks asked.

"Tourist vamp, I think is what you call them." Sylis quipped.

Hendricks finished up the meeting soon after that, giving us instructions and orders on how we would be moving forward. Hendricks, and the vampires had come to a mutual decision that further weapons training for the vanguard, and any towns people that wanted to learn, would be beneficial given the increase of attacks and their proximity to Thompson Falls.

Their years of experience and skill with a blade would be a valuable and practical technique to learn. Swordsmanship was a quieter defense and with little training and virtually no skill, some said that anyone could defend themselves easier than they could with a gun. Melee weapons also meant less up keep. Bullets out in the morgue were hard to find, swords required no additional resources to use. Training would start first thing in the morning for the vanguard and would be open to the public immediately after that.

Once we were dismissed I stayed behind while everyone filed out of the gym the same way we came in. I wanted to speak with Ethan since I hadn't seen him since the memorial and hadn't talked to him since Zack's return a couple days ago.

He was in a large group in the middle of the gym talking. I found a seat closer to him on the first level of the bleachers and waited for him to finish his conversation. He made eye contact with me several times during his visit, each time inching away from the group and moving closer to me, but mostly unsuccessful in his attempt.

Finally, after what seemed like another hour of waiting, he excused himself and made his way toward me. I stood up stiffly from the bench, my back and bottom sore and numb from being on the hard surface for so long and greeted him with a smile.

He was halfway over to me, his face a mask of impassiveness, when Hendricks called after him from across the room.

"Ethan!" He hollered, stopping Ethan's advance and bringing both our attentions and focus over to Hendricks and away from each other.

Hendricks didn't say anything, instead indicating to him with an understood and universal head jerk of 'come here'.

Ethan nodded back to him but continued in my direction.

"Abby." Zack hollered at almost the same time and walked toward me, his eyes focused only on Ethan.

Ethan stopped, looked over to Zack, back to me briefly and gave me the same nod he had given to Hendricks before turning from me and moving to where Hendricks was standing in wait.

"Ethan?" I said surprised by the abrupt dismissal, but he kept walking with no acknowledgment.

I knew there was important business to attend too, but I was getting annoyed by his dismissal.

I wondered if I had done anything to upset Ethan as I left the high school gym in chagrin. This was the second time he had virtually brushed me off without a second thought and I couldn't think of a reason on why.

On the opposite, it also seemed silly of me to worry about his mood when we had so many other and far more important things to consider. I didn't really know him, and we were in the midst of a war, for all I knew that was normal behavior for him. I was curious yes, but I had plenty to keep myself busy until I could talk to him.

"Hey, are you alright?" Zack asked me as we walked back to the O.

"Yeah, I'm good." I smiled at him. I wasn't really. But again, there were more important things to focus on at the moment.

Hendricks had officially put the town on high alert after hearing about Henry Stampede Park. The patrol guards were increased along the wall and teams were being sent out to posts further around the town.

"Are you being sent to the wall or an outpost?" I asked him as we continued to walk to The Safe to get in our gear.

"East outpost on the exit road." He said. "You?"

"West." I smiled up at him.

"Figures." He said annoyed. We both knew Hendricks still separated us when he could.

As we approached our destination we noticed Hendricks and Ethan facing off against each other in what appeared to be a heated debate. The rest of the VIG's were standing around as were members of the vanguard.

"What's going on?" Zack asked in a tight voice once we reached the others.

Holden, who was resting his weight on one hip with his arms crossed, looked over at us with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. "Abby's boyfriend is trying to tell the Commander how to do his job." He said with a smirk.

Zack's eyes tightened, and his jaw clenched at Holden's comment. "He's not her damn boyfriend." He said in a harsh tone.

"Coulda' fooled me." Holden said, his smirk turning into a full smile.

"You're such an asshole." I told him in a hush before moving forward closer to where Hendricks and Ethan were.

"Abby." Sylis said after a little whistle to get my attention.

"What's going on?" I asked once I was next to him.

"Just a minor disagreement on where to place us." He told me. "How's it going there Zack?" He said looking over me.

"Better ten minutes ago." Zack clipped in a tight tone.

"What is your deal?" I asked turning around to face him. "You've been foul all day."

He didn't say anything he just looked down at me, his giant blue eyes boring into mine.

Zack was a big guy. Tall and thick with muscle. His neck was as big as my thigh and when he was angry his veins would bulge on corded muscle. If I were anyone else, and he were anyone else, the look he gave me would have scared me into backing away. His normally sky-blue eyes had darkened like deep sea water and his brows were pulled down and tight over the lids. "Bad day." He said.

"Get a load of Captain Obvious over here." Sylis said jokingly to Pike and Seivor.

"Excuse me?" Zack looked up from me to Sylis, stepping forward.

"Alright. That's enough." I said and put a hand on his chest.

"Calm down friend." Sylis said in a light tone. "I'm just joking around."

"I'm not your damn friend." Zack blustered.

"Put your people wherever." I heard Hendricks tell Ethan during Zack and Sylis' exchange of words. "Just don't tell me where to put mine in the future."

"Fair enough." Ethan said to him.

"Zack, is there a problem?" Hendricks hollered at Zack.

Ethan suddenly appeared next to me and I realized I was in the middle of three very large and apparently angry males.

"No, sir." Sylis looked around Ethan and gave Hendricks a thumb up. "Just a misunderstanding. Zack doesn't get my jokes." He said lightly.

"Let's save it for the enemy then, shall we?" Hendricks said.

"Absolutely!" Sylis agreed with Hendricks.

"Abby." Ethan said next to me, staring at Zack. "You need your gear before we can go. Sylis and I will be on post with you."

"I don't think so." Zack said, turning his aggression from Sylis to Ethan in an instant.

"It isn't up to you." Ethan said to him offhanded.

"I told you to stay away from her." Zack said through clenched teeth.

"Excuse me?" I said. My hand was still resting on Zack's chest so when he didn't acknowledge me, I shoved him.

"It's not up for debate." Ethan responded to Zack as he talked over me.

"I told you to back off!" Zack said.

"Hey!" I tried again to get in the conversation.

"I have." Ethan spoke over me again. "But I will not when it comes to doing my job." His voice turned from being bored to dangerously cold as he said the words.

"What the hell is going on?!" Hendricks hollered as he walked over to where the four of us were still standing.

"I don't want this blood sucker around Abby." Zack fumed.

Ethan stayed quiet and still.

"I would like to know what the hell is going on too!" I said.

"We don't have time for a cock fight!" Hendricks said annoyed. "Abby, Zack – go get your gear on. Ethan, send your people to work."

"I'm going with Abby." Zack said to Hendricks.

"God dammit Zack, no you're not!" Hendricks shouted back at him.

"Commander!" Kat hollered from out of nowhere. "We have an emergency; Burke Canyon is under attack." She said effectively ending our conversation as she ran over with a couple vanguard close behind her.

Seconds later the warning bell sounded as we all ran toward the main gate. Around the entire perimeter were noise canceling and isolation devices to mask any noise we created inside, or near the town. The alarms were loud enough for the town to hear, but the sound was at an octave the device could still control. If you were outside the gates and walls of the town, you wouldn't hear a thing. Grady's genius at work yet again.

The alarm was a signal to all the vanguard to report to the main gate and it meant that we would get our gear and head out to help.

"They radioed in a few minutes ago." Kat continued to explain loudly over the sound of the bell as we continued to run for The Safe to get our gear. "A small group of kooks triggered their defensive perimeters on both ends of ID-4. They killed them off and called St. Marie's and us for help before the connection went dead."

"What about Wallace?" Hendricks asked as we rounded the corner.

"They didn't know anything for sure, but they heard explosions and were starting to see plumes of smoke from their direction." Kat told him between panting breaths. Kat was a little overweight, not from lack of exercise – we all had plenty of that, but from a medical condition I wasn't privy too. She had a small wet spot on her back and her short spiky black hair was sparkling in the sun from sweat, but she kept up her pace and finished telling Hendricks what she knew.

We made it to The Safe just as groups of other off duty vanguard filtered in. Ethan had split off from us once we were inside the building.

"What rigs are ready to go?" Hendricks asked both Zack and Jeff since they were in charge of keeping our vehicles running.

"Everything but the bus." Jeff answered him as he zipped up his leather jumpsuit before sitting down to put on his boots. "It hasn't been cleaned."

When we were in an emergency, modesty went out the window. Men and women had separate sides of the dressing room, but it was still one big open space. Normally there would be separation and we would take turns, but not in a critical and time sensitive situation.

I was standing in my under garments fighting to get my hair braided and pulled back when Lauren, my team mate, approached me suddenly. "Can I help you with that?" She smiled at me as she indicated to the knuckles and knots in my hair.

I liked getting my hair up before putting the cut-proof clothes on because they caused static electricity, which made it harder to get all the little hairs into one rubber band. "Thank you!" I said to her before releasing the messy locks and turning my back to her, so she could get started.

"Why don't you slip on your bottoms first before I get started, then you can lace your boots while I'm braiding your hair. That way we'll be multitasking." She said as she pulled apart some tangles I had created.

"K." I agreed with her, it made sense to move quickly.

"When you're dressed, and armed, find your team leaders, we're taking whatever vehicles are lined up first to go." Hendricks informed the group. "Sylis!" He yelled getting the vampires attention.

"Yo." Sylis respond.

"You want to drive that bus again?" Hendricks called out to him as he headed for the exit.

"The meat grinder?!" Sylis said with excitement as he jogged after him "Hell yeah!"

"It's all yours." Hendricks said. "Let's move people!"

Lauren had just wrapped the band around the end of my braid, so I could stand and put my tops on when it dawned on me that Walter was still under my pillow on my bed. "Damn." I cursed quietly before spinning to head to the armory.

"Is there something wrong?" Ethan asked from behind me which caused me to jump and squeal just a little.

"Sonofa!" I said whipping my head around to face him. "Ethan!" I scolded. "Nothing is wrong, I just don't have Walter with me, that's all." I told him in answer of his question.

"Walter?"

"My gun. He's my good luck charm." I said to him with a smile.

"Abby! Let's go!" Zack hollered impatiently at me from across the benches by the lockers.

"I'm ready!" I yelled back at him in the same tone and then continued to head for the door. I was still angry with him for whatever he had said to Ethan and was in no mood for his bossiness.

"You guys are..." I said as I turned my head to talk to Ethan, and then noticed that he was no longer next to me. I stopped and turned around in a full circle before I finally seen that he had already exited out of the door and was heading to the bus with the rest of the VIG's. I needed to get to the bottom of whatever Zack and Ethan had talked about, so I could make things right and so Ethan could stop dodging and disappearing on me at every corner. Our timing was just off and as soon as we were all back here safe and sound, we would be sitting down and having a conversation.

I loaded up in the armory and then found Brooks and my team standing next to a big beefy truck. I smiled at Ethan when he looked in my direction, he nodded at me and then went through the main gate to exit Thompson Falls and go to the decon garage where the bus he and the VIG's would be driving. It was still filthy with dirty blood from when we used it in Honor. Hopefully it wasn't too uncomfortable for them, I knew that with their heightened senses they could still smell the rot, I just hoped it wasn't overwhelming.

Hendricks stood on top of his GILA with a megaphone to speak into and waited a minute for everyone to quiet down. "My group and the VIG's are taking the lead, the rest of you fall in line from there. Our focus is getting to the old mine, they went there to take cover and that's where we will look. We don't know what we are up against or what we are walking into, so we get in and get out. If there is no sign of life we blow up the town on our way out the door! We will not lose more people today! Do I make myself clear?" He said and looked around to all the vanguard he was speaking too.

Everyone nodded to him while some shouted out 'yes sir' in acknowledgment. "The St. Marie's guard is coming in from the opposite direction so keep an eye out for uniforms when shooting, but if it looks dead or something close to it, shoot it. We are not taking chances today." He said to the group.

"Keep your masks close, we will be using mercury and fire to clear the town. Stay with your team and your vehicle and keep to the road! I don't want anybody going off grid here! At the first sign of danger we clear out and I need you all to stay in a smooth straight line as we do it. No heroics today people!" He finished saying and then jumped down. "Let's move out!"

Burke Canyon was an ancient mining town when it first became known and then was a ghost town until the outbreak. The people who moved there blocked up the streets going in and out and put up a barrier around the tiny space. They lived in parts of the mine that hadn't collapsed and around the small town. Only a fifty or so people lived there that we knew of and there weren't any vampires at last count.

From Thompson Falls it was just over a hundred miles away and if the roads were clear we could usually get there in about an hour's' time. We didn't often have too much communication with the small town and only traded with them when we needed lumber, or they needed medical, but we considered them an ally and would check in with them a couple times a year.

Once we were out of the gates it didn't take us long to pick up speed as we headed for the mountain. The road for the most part was a straight shot, so it was easier to see what was in front of us and allowed our convoy to travel faster.

The closer we came to the town the more smoke we could see off in the distance and it wasn't clear if it was from Wallace, the town next to them or if it was Burke on fire. Whichever it was hopefully would burn out fast, a forest fire was not something that could be controlled or put out with ease, and it would also draw unwanted attention, from both the living and the dead.

As we continued our approach we could see that the main reason for all the smoke was further away than Burke, but it too, was on fire. The road barrier to the town was still in place and could only be opened from the inside.

As soon as the bus stopped, Sylis and Pike jumped the fence to open the gate but were only there for a few short seconds before jumping back over. Both VIG's ran halfway back to the bus before stopping in the middle of the street to turn back and face the town, they each threw two bombs before racing to get back into the bus. The first two bombs they threw didn't blow up the gate but instead released the mercury smoke, the second two exploded just moments after that. The metal frame of the barrier rocked on one side and blew open on the other giving us our first view of Burke once the dust settled.

Just inside where the gate used to be was a small horde of kook, maybe fifteen, in a mass of bubbling and smoking flesh. Beyond that where we could see was another small group making their way toward the commotion.

Hendricks radioed for Jimmy's team to pull around and take the lead to clear a path for the rest of us. I watched nervously out my window as Zack drove the only truck with a plow past the group and into the fire and smoke to push the bloody mass out of the way. As soon as they were through the gate the rest of them fired out of the windows at whatever else was in there.

"Let's go!" I whispered intently as we waited for Hendricks and the VIG's in front of us to move. They were barely inching forward while we waited in stand-still to get moving. I was in the middle of the front seat and unable to do anything but watch, and it was stressing on me. Even more so now that Zack had gone in and we could hear them firing but weren't in there to help.

Finally, after what felt like forever we were moving and slowly gaining speed. The guys seated by the window in our truck positioned themselves with their guns out getting ready to fire as soon as we were able to see anything. Lauren and I were stuck in the middle seats, but she was at least able to turn herself around and position herself out of the back window. I had a job, it just wasn't doing what I wanted to do, which was to kill kooks. Instead I took over control of the truck once we were through the gate.

Dawsen was driving and when it was time he positioned himself out of the driver's side window and released control of the pedals and steering wheel to me. As everyone in the truck shot at the dead through their windows, I slowly drove the truck from my middle seat position behind the bus until we all came to a stop.

Once we were all inside and at our destination we exited our vehicles when we were sure that all the dead would stay that way. We had parked close together and as near to the door of the mine as we could get in case there was any trouble. We made a large half circle around the VIG's and the Commanders team as we walked back and inched closer to the door. They would be going into the mine to see if anyone had survived and we needed to provide protection and cover for them.

It was quiet in Burke Canyon, and not in a natural sense. There was no wind or air movement of any kind blowing through the trees, the birds were silent along with the other living things in the woods, even the river seemed dimmed of sound as we stood around waiting to rescue anyone from the mine. The muffled vibration of the motors from our vehicles hum was the only noise we could here off in the distance.

The doors to the mine were locked from the inside, the electronic keypad next to the handle had been destroyed and the surveillance cameras hung around the area were either knocked down and broken, or damaged and hanging at odd angles.

Hendricks pounded on the door and yelled several times to no avail. The sound was so hollow you could almost hear the echo from the metal as it moved inside and down through the hallway and into the shaft.

Once it was clear no one would answer or let us in, the decision was made to break in. With a crowbar and some tools, the vampires pried the door open enough to let one in to release the locks and open the doors for the rest.

"We'll be right back." Hendricks said to us as he switched on his head lamp and motioned for the rest of them to do the same.

As the group entered through the dark door, Dawsen, Brooks and Blaise took up a three-pronged position in front of the door and aimed inside, just in case something that wasn't alive came out. Pike had stayed back with our group and positioned himself behind the three men in such a way he could defend them from either the front or the back if anything approached.

We had been standing there in our positions, quietly waiting for about ten minutes, when Zack moved around to stand next me.

We said nothing to each other, it wasn't the time for that, but he always made his way next to me on the field when he could.

It was quiet for another few minutes when off in the distance a loud explosion was followed by two more in rapid succession.

Everyone tensed and raised their weapons a little higher, the sound wasn't close enough to be coming from Burke but was close enough it could have come from Wallace.

"What the hell was that?" Hendricks yelled over the radio.

"Not us." Brooks replied to him. "It sounded like it came from Wallace."

'Get back, get back, get back!' A distorted and garbled voice said over the radio just as Brooks finished replying to Hendricks.

'They're coming this way!'

'Circle back!'

"What is going on up there!?" Hendricks yelled again over the radio when he finally got through.

"We're fine sir! It's not us!" Brooks told him in a hurry. "There's interference, we're picking up someone else's signal!"

'Get back to your trucks!'

'Mack, where are you guys?'

'Stuck in the storage building! We're surrounded!'

'Stay put, we're on our way!'

'No! It's too dangerous! We're dropping HG-80 all around us!'

'Hank there's a group headed your way!'

"...ROOKS!" Hendricks was yelling again when he finally broke through the signal.

"I hear you!" Brooks said back to him.

"Get a team down there and help them, that's Mack from St. Marie's!" He said in a rush.

"Roger that!" Brooks said. "Dan, Jimmy, your teams are with me, Blaise you take over." He shouted and we all moved with his direction. "Pike, you're with us!"

Zack and I both headed for our vehicles since both of our teams were going. "Stay close to me when we get there Abby!" Zack yelled at me as he ran for his truck and I climbed into mine.

"He sure is bossy." Lauren said as we both sat down in the same positions we had when we first arrived.

"Yep." I said to her popping the 'P' at the end.

Once we were all loaded up we drove the rest of the way through the small town of Burke. On the opposite end of where we had come in was another barricaded gate we needed to open, thankfully we were on the inside this time and there were no kooks to deal with, so it was quick work and we were on the road.

Burke was a short distance from Wallace, only about ten miles, but as we approached Wallace we realized that all the commotion wasn't coming from the town itself, but a stretch of abandoned housing just outside of the city border.

There were trucks littered all around the end of the street where we were entering the small outlying area. Old houses and buildings were on fire or blown up, with broken structures and ruined land making up the rest of the area

As we approached we could see a small group of St. Marie's guard members firing on a pack of undead as they tried to rescue their trapped team members from inside an abandoned building.

In front of a two story brick structure was a bubbling mass of kooks blocking the exit doors on both sides, they had obviously used an HG-80 on the heaps and inadvertently trapped themselves. The guards left inside were now trying to escape out of the broken windows of the structure, while their team members protected them from the remaining kooks on the outside by providing them with cover fire. There were two guys standing on top of a truck shooting at the zombies while the men helped each other out of the building.

They seemed to have everything under control as we came to a stop and got out of our vehicles when a loud explosion and a bright flash of light blasted around us and threw us to the ground after blowing us back several feet.

My ears were ringing, and my eyes were readjusting to the daylight when I felt someone next to me grab my arm to help me up. Everything was slow-moving when Zack put his face in front of mine while mouthing words I couldn't understand or hear. He wrapped his large hands around the sides of my face, making me focus on him, as he continued to look and speak at me intently. It took what felt like several minutes before my hearing adjusted and I could see clearly and understood what he was saying through the loud vibrancy.

"Abby!" He hollered again.

"I'm ok." I said to him just as loudly. It sounded normal through the damage in my ears, but I knew we were yelling at each other by the strain in my voice and on Zack's face as he spoke.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good." I nodded to him and then moved so he would release his hold from around my face.

Everyone was getting up slowly and dusting themselves off and the few of us that were already up pulled out our weapons and were on high alert.

The truck that the two St. Marie's men had been standing on was on its top and burning from the explosion and the men in the building were dead from the blast, fresh blood splattered the brick side of the building while some of their bodies lay in a heaping mess.

None of us understood what went wrong, everything happened so fast, so as we moved forward we stayed knit together nice and tight and moved slowly through the street.

There were a few stragglers as we moved further into the old neighborhood, loners that were burned from various blasts and limping dismemberments from light exposure to the mercury bombs, but no guards or humans or anything alive that we could see.

We had just moved past the brick building and burning truck when we heard screams before another small blast detonated from down the road about a half a block. We stayed in formation as we moved faster and closer to the commotion.

As we drew nearer our targeted position we pressed ourselves up against a building and waited for Brooks to look around and give us direction. The look on his face was something of confusion and concern, but he motioned for us to get in position and follow his lead.

As we rounded the corner we could see what had put a troubling look on his face, and I too found myself in dismay at the sight.

In the middle of the street between one demolished building and another burning, was a row of tall posts, like the kind used for radio wires, but shorter and closer together. They were old and looked like they had been put there in the middle of the street a long time ago, there was pavement and patchy concrete around the beams that stood straight up and down.

This however was not what was concerning, it was odd for sure, but not any more strange than other things we've seen across old states. What was cause for alarm was the woman that was lassoed around the neck and hanging from the pole. She was alive and struggling to stay upright as she teetered precariously on her tiptoes, while struggling to stay still and catch her breath. Her hands were free, and she fought to push her fingers between the rope and her throat with panic.

My first instinct was to run to her aid and free her from her hanging, but as I moved forward to do just that I was stopped, by not only both Zack and Holden, but by the woman herself. She held up a shaky hand in my direction, indicating to me to stop, and shook her head slightly while mouthing and choking on indiscernible words.

"Nnnnn...tttttr....ppp." She spit and stuttered, her face turning redder than before with the struggle. She gasped again for air bringing her outstretched hand back up to the rope around her throat as she began to frantically pull at the twine as she fought to breathe.

"Hold on!" I yelled at her before looking at Brooks for direction.

Next to the dangling female were six others hanging from each pole, there struggle was over, and their deaths were new, and I knew the woman would be the next one dead on the list if we didn't act fast.

"No Abby!" He shouted at me as he continued to look around the smoke-filled space, knowing what I would ask.

"Fine!" I said to him defiantly, then raised my weapon and took aim directly at the woman.

I shot off three quick pulls when I had the long rope in my sights, I missed the first time but connected with the last two, loosening up the rope enough to give the woman a chance to catch her breath.

"Hold still!" I shouted at her as I re-aimed my position to take the last shot. I was just getting the line in my sight when a discharge went off next to me and the rope snapped, dropping the woman to her knees with a heavy thud and a thwack as the rope fell next to her.

Zack had fired the last round that broke the rope. She was free and breathing and although that was a positive, the attention we had just brought to us was a huge negative, and Zack and Brooks were none too impressed with my defiance.

"Dammit Abby!" Brooks roared through a tightly clenched jaw before yelling at the woman. "Get over here!" He said to her, taking on our new responsibility without missing a beat.

"I couldn't let her die." I defended my reckless decision as I raised my gun and looked around.

"You should have waited!" Zack yelled at me. "We could have cut her down!"

I knew he was right. Pike could have cut her down quick and easy, but she was running out of time and waiting for clearance to cut her down was taking too long. "It was taking too long, and she wasn't going to make it."

"It doesn't matter now!" Brooks hollered at both of us. "Focus!"

The woman was still struggling to get up from the ground, the lack of oxygen and overuse of her muscles to keep herself upright had left her weak. She would stand halfway, balancing her weight on one leg, as she pushed herself up to stand on the other, just to lose balance and fall again to the ground. With each turn and subsequent fall, she would land coughing and choking while grabbing at her neck and gasping for air.

"Come on lady!" Holden, who was beside me, yelled in the woman's direction.

"I can get her." Pike said confidently.

"No." Brooks barked at him.

Pike didn't ask any questions or defy his order, he just nodded at the command and stayed where he was.

"Crawl to us if you have to!" I said to her, hoping to give her a new idea and some encouragement.

It seemed to work, because she nodded a couple of times before finally pulling the heavy twine up from around her neck and throwing it to the ground. She took a loud deep breath and then moved toward us on all fours, slowly at first but then picking up speed.

A few guys took shots from around us as newly made kooks filtered in through the smoky streets. In the distance, you could hear more of them coming at us, their hungry cries loud in the eerie haze, smoke and dust. Their direction attracted to the sound of gunfire.

The woman had moved a few feet when she stopped again to stand up, motive anew with the danger of death so close. Her foot slipped on the first attempt, but she recovered quickly and was up and, on her feet, taking her first steps in our direction in no time.

She looked frantic and panicky but had started running after an unstable and shaky stride, when without warning, her head violently wrenched back, and her feet kicked out from under her.

One moment she was moving our way to safety, and the next she was again dangling in the air—or at least part of her was, her head was held up high like a prize by a fist full of dark blonde hair as her decapitated body fell spilling its contents loosely to the ground.

Chapter Fourteen

"The certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour of death is a source of grief throughout our life" ― E. Morin

My gasp was audible, and shock didn't describe the emotion I felt.

The keening, gnarling, wicked laughed that escaped the creature's lips would haunt my dreams for years and the sight of the woman's lifeless head dangling from his hand like an ornament on a tree would be forever burned into my memory.

He was grotesque and unsanitary; sickly and ghoulish all while somehow appearing lucid, comely, and robust. And oddly familiar.

He was tall and muscular, and his pitch-black hair was pulled back tightly and held by a band. His skin was chalky gray, his lips purplish and dark rings were under his eyes. He was clearly in some form of death.

He disregarded the woman's head with a simple toss, before disappearing into the smoke just as quickly and quietly as he appeared for his murder. It was almost unreal in its occurrence, and if it hadn't been for the lady's disparaged remains in front of me, I would have considered the possibility of it being a nightmarish dream.

The smoke around us swirled with movement as kooks appeared. And those poor souls that were hanging on the poles slowly woke. We were surrounded by death as the nonliving emerged for attack, bursting through, one by one out of the grayish white smoke and hurdling themselves at us.

A barrage of gunfire lit up the chalky smog as we each took aim to protect ourselves and each other. One by one, they kept coming at us from the same direction, so as a group we moved back.

We were in a half circle formation as we walked back through the streets the way we had come. The zombies attack had slowed once we were around the corner from the poles in the street, so we took the opportunity to spread out a little.

Brooks had sent some of the guys from our flanks to fall back and clear a path to our trucks, as the rest of us stayed forward to screen as bait. Once we had made it back to the burning truck, we were taking turns moving around the charred metal as the others safeguarded each person's turn with cover. Half of us had made it around the pickup when another swarm of kooks came at us.

"Move Abby!" Brooks yelled at me as he took shots at the oncoming mob.

With my twitchy finger resting next to the trigger of my gun, I hugged the rifle close to my body and made my way around the truck as quickly and carefully as I could.

Those of us that had made it to the other side of the burning vehicle took our positions and laid cover fire for the rest of our group, so they too could get around the burning pickup.

As we fired at the group of kooks and our team scrambled around the truck, the rest of our people from the mine radioed they were on their way. Their roaring engines and squealing tires loud in the distance; a kind of calming balm from the hungry cries of the dead around us.

Brooks was second to last getting around the truck, leaving only Pike on the other side when a booming crack echoed through the area. The sound was loud, like the snap of wood that comes from a large tree as it breaks before its fall. Acting on instinct we each momentarily ducked for cover and paused our firing.

We didn't know what it was, or what had caused the noise, but the consequence was immediate.

Like an ocean wave rolling in, row upon row of zombie staggered and stomped toward our position, with their gruesome leader leading the way with Pike in tow.

The beast that had killed the woman was leading the horde of kook. While Pike was pushed forward, held by the back of his head, the creature steering him by a fist full of his hair.

The demon was taller than Pike, larger and obviously stronger. Pike was struggling with one hand to get free, while the other arm hung loosely against his side, swinging with their movement, but useless otherwise.

Whatever had made the distracting noise had allowed him to take Pike as his hostage.

The swarm of dead was a loud roar in front of us. Their moans and gnashing echoing around us without the barrage of gunfire to quiet the sound.

Hendricks and the VIG's had made it from the mine with a screeching halt before joining us as the herd of dead staggered in stand-still before us.

Ethan, Sylis and Seivor were all in front of our group before Hendricks and the remaining vanguard made it out of their vehicles.

The creature laughed again. The same cruel cackle he had right before he killed the woman.

"Let him go!" Ethan yelled. The words seething with hate.

The monster before us continued to bluster in an eerie, deep throated way. The sound clearly inhuman.

"Ethan..." The fiend cawed huskily, drawing out the syllables in a menacing wheeze.

Ethan stepped forward and we all raised our weapons with him in response.

The monstrosity guffawed.

Slow motion.

Everything was happening so quickly, yet in slow motion.

The creature smiled a slow, dirty smirk, exposing filthy fangs that seemed to glint with a razors edge even through the rottenness. Wrenching on Pike's head, he snickered before clamping down hard on the strained muscle, ripping through Pike's flesh as he tore through to his jugular. Pike's choked scream pierced through the air before abruptly cutting off with a loud snap as his neck was broke.

The roaring wail from Ethan, Sylis and Seivor was an ear-piercing war cry.

The monster laughed again as the three vampires moved to kill him. Fear for his life was obviously lost in his transformation into death, he turned his back on them without a second thought, picked up Pike's lifeless body, flung it over his shoulder and disappeared into the sea of the dead.

As if moving on some silent order, the horde advanced again. Coming at us at different speeds and direction. Kooks and evo's working together toward a common goal of devouring need.

The VIG's killed their front line, stabbing and slicing their way through the mass, trying to get to the murderer of their friend.

Following their lead, we too began our assault, careful not to hit any of them as we sprayed bullets in every direction.

The dead's numbers seemed to keep growing as our ammo disappeared, and after several reloading times it was becoming increasingly dangerous for us to be here.

"Fall back!" Hendricks yelled when it became obvious this was a losing battle.

"Get back to the trucks!" Brooks ordered in alliance.

"Go now!" Hendricks hollered. The designated drivers stop firing and left for the vehicles without missing a beat. They were required to be ready to go before anyone else was loaded up.

We were reasonably spread out over a large area and almost surrounded by kooks, so moving out of the area was a process. The more we tightened our ranks, the more the horde seemed to grow.

"Abby, go!" Zack yelled at me once we were closer together and nearer the trucks.

Hendricks heard him yell at me and ordered me to do the same. "Now!" He said and then returned to firing.

I shot off a couple more rounds and put down a few of the dead before dropping my weapon and hugging it to my body so I could run. I spun around and headed straight for the truck my team drove in. The drivers had turned the vehicles around and were on the ready for when the last person loaded.

As I made my way to the back of the large truck that sat taller than my head, I rounded the bumper and stopped short as I came face to face with the kook with fangs.

His fiery red eyes squinted at me slightly, as he cocked his head in an odd way. He leaned into me so fast I barely had time to flinch, and then smelled the air around me, one long pull of oxygen through his nose from the base of my neck, up the length of it and ending at my ear. He smelled of rot and death.

The sound of metal shifting as I moved to shoot him was stopped by a punching force in my stomach. The pain didn't immediately register, and not until he twisted the knife did I feel any discomfort, the impel and roll was what finally sent up the first wave of agony.

I stared at him with wide eyes as he watched me intently. And as I choked and spit up blood he slowly withdrew the sharp blade from my stomach; the retraction slicing open unbroken skin, carving through muscle and derma and spilling plasma as the serrated blade wrenched and dissected me internally.

Instinctively I dropped the weapon that had suddenly become too heavy for me to hold and placed both of my hands over the wound almost as soon as the blade was free. Thick warm liquid flowed densely from my body as it coated the top and palms of my hands, covering them like gloves. The itchy sensation of blood weaving through my fingers before spilling to the ground was as annoying as it was alarming. The hot tacky liquid pouring from the wound like water from a drain. And as it hit the turf, I could hear the drip and splash of its sound, pooling at my feet.

I coughed up blood, the movement tensing my stomach muscles, sending pain through my body like lightning through the sky. I watched the creature in horror as he tasted the blade that ran sticky with red. Running his sickly black tongue up the length of the sharp blade, he held my gaze with his creepy eyes. My blood was bright and shiny as it ran into his dark and dirty mouth and spilled over onto his lips; the overflow dripping down his chin.

Seconds. It was all happening so fast I knew it could only have been a matter of seconds. The attack was so clear that I noticed everything around me, catching everything in my peripheral surroundings as vividly as if I were watching it straight on.

I still couldn't hear clearly from the earlier explosion, but the ringing in my ears was louder and dimming the commotion. Gunfire that blasted and lit up the smoke-filled sky was barely a muffled vibration of sound, the colors from the explosions and bullets flashed and faded from bright to dark; flashing in strobe. The voices and yelling like murmurs through a wall or underwater muffling, the words were dragged and slow; a non-distinguishable string of sounds and syllables. The movements of each person exaggerated and leaden; everyone and everything around me moving in slow motion.

Even the smell of smoke was potent before being replaced and turning repugnant at the scent of my own blood.

Something throaty was mumbled through the monster's lips, something I couldn't make out or understand, but his lips moved with my blood between them; the proteins sticking and holding together like string with the separation and movement. Little splatters of blood dotting his gross face and finding their way to mine.

I coughed again, more blood spilling and splattering out of my own mouth, speckling the beast in front of me. His eyes moved past mine and to something behind me before returning to recapture my gaze. Then he disappeared, a black blur, now empty space.

I was still holding myself together when I caught sight of Zack out of the corner of my eye as he scrambled to get around the truck. I turned to face him, confused and unsure of what I was supposed to do as I continued to bleed out from my belly and looked to him for help and direction.

The reaction and horror on Zack's face at the sight of me was wearisome. "Abby!?" He screamed in questioned slow motion. Dropping his gun to his side he ran toward me, his face stressed and his muscles in obvious strain.

I lost my footing and my legs finally gave out on me. I dropped heavily to my knees, the crack I heard with the impact the least of my worries as I fell with both hands still pressed to the weeping trauma at my midsection. The hard landing jolting another wave a pain up into my body and choking me on my own blood again.

I looked up in search of Zack as I fell to my side. He was still several feet away, a smaller version of himself off in the distance, and too far away to help me break my fall.

My side and shoulder hit the ground first and I felt my head jerking toward the earth, but I could not stop myself or brace for the blow.

Ethan appeared by my side catching my head in his hand before the pavement and I made our acquaintance. Securing and cradling my head with his hands he gently laid me against the hard earth and turned me over onto my back before ripping open my suit.

I was wheezing as I choked and coughed around my blood. "So much...for cut proof." I stammered.

"It was through the zipper." He said as if speaking to himself.

Zack had finally made it, falling to the ground next to me, tenderly grabbing my face and turning my head toward him. All around the three of us the commotion was still going strong. Shots being fired, bombs being thrown and blown up, commands and direction for this and that, from person to person. Time was catching up with me as things shifted back into acute focus, along with the pain.

"Get her to the bus!" Hendricks ordered. I could barely see him, but he was standing close by. "Brooks!" He yelled for the doctor and then fired from his rifle again.

"I've got her!" Zack shouted and shoved his arms under my neck and legs.

"NO!" Ethan hissed at him and shoved him back. The force jerked him out from under me and put him several feet away, the jolt of his removal caused me to moan out in agony.

"Brooks!" Hendricks yelled again.

Ethan put something on my stomach, "Hold this tight against you Abby." He told me as he placed my sticky hands over the cloth covering the wound. His shirt, I noticed, was no longer on his body. Once I had pressure against myself, he moved his hands, one arm sliding under my knees, the other around my neck and then he lifted me. I barely felt a thing.

As we moved in blinding speed I heard Hendricks yelling at everyone to get to their vehicles. "Stop firing and run..." The sound and the rest of his sentence cut off as Ethan carried me onto the bus.

A loud keening from protesting metal filled the quiet around me, and then I was laid on the hard floor at the back of the bus. The last four seats missing from the space I now occupied.

Brooks knelt beside me once Ethan released my legs and rested my head against the bus floor.

"I'm going to take a look." He said gazing into my eyes.

Brooks moved the cloth I had pressed against me and I felt a surge of warmth run down both of my sides. He quickly pushed it back down, harder and with more pressure than I thought I could handle. My breathing became more labored than it had before, and I choked more forcefully against the compression. A frame of shadow dimmed the light around my eyes.

"There isn't time..." Ethan was saying. I hadn't heard anything from anyone before his words.

Ethan was taking off his coat, "She needs my blood." He stated.

"NO!" Zack yelled from nearby. I hadn't seen or heard him since before when we were outside. I realized then that I must be losing time.

"DON'T!" Hendricks hollered over Zack.

"She's dying!" Ethan roared back. Exposing his sharp white fangs, he bit down hard on the thick of his forearm just as he scooped up my head with his other hand, bringing his bleeding arm to my mouth.

"NO!" Zack yelled again and moved toward the three of us.

"Do it!" Brooks shouted and then stood up to block Zack. Sylis and Seivor moved beside him as they made a wall. I could hear a struggle and guessed that it was Zack being tackled to the ground.

"Brooks!" Hendricks demanded.

"She'll die." He stated. His voice was strained and a little muffled, but I guessed that was just my hearing.

The world was getting fuzzy. Dark spots clouded my sight where there once was light, and I knew I was slipping in and out of consciousness.

"Drink." Ethan commanded as he pressed his vein against my mouth. "Drink!" He ordered as he shook my head.

'I thought I was drinking...' I mused, then felt both of my hands fall heavy to my sides. My feet felt cold and my body felt numb. The only warmth I felt was present and increasing at my stomach, but the pain was gone again.

Ethan moved his arm and bit down into it again, ripping his teeth up the flesh and exposing a now gushing vein. Shoving his forearm into my mouth he yelled at me again. "Drink Abby! Now!"

His blood filled my mouth, and then poured over the sides. I could only feel a trickle making its way down my throat as the liquid pooled in my mouth. I couldn't control anything, my awareness being the only thing I still had control of, and that too was failing me, so swallowing it seemed was an impossible task.

"Drink Abby!" Brooks yelled at me this time, kneeling beside me again.

I wanted to comply. My eyes were so heavy. I tried to focus as I clung to consciousness, but my body wasn't doing what it was being told.

"She's not breathing." Ethan stated as he moved his wrist from my bloody mouth. Something was wrong with his face, he looked dead as he said this.

I could hear Zack and Hendricks cry out in the distance. Then Ethan tipped my head and grabbed my neck a certain way and the blood in my mouth slipped down my throat and into my belly before a cold rush of air filled my lungs.

Darkness crept in further around my eyes.

My mouth was again full. Then another cold rush of air.

"I'm starting compressions."

My head rocked back and forth on the floor of the bus. Which was kind of annoying.

Mouth full, cold air. Repeat.

I lost my focus as my eyes finally closed. Everything in me relaxed and there was no more tension in my body. I nearly felt nothing. Nothingness just occupying a limited amount of space.

Repeat. Mouth full, cold air.

The loud ringing in my ears was suddenly quiet now. I could no longer hear a thing.

Mouth full, cold air, repeat.

Nothing.
Chapter Fifteen

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." ― Henry Ellis

My eyes flew open with a sudden stinging cold throb.

"She's awake."

"Hold her."

"Do it."

Hot searing pain ripped through my abdomen once again.

My sight was almost in focus as I watched Ethan push down on his forearm and pour his blood into the wound at my stomach, which was being held open by Sylis's hands.

The scream ripped through my throat, the strain rasping it raw before cutting off and getting stuck in the passage. My head lolled to the side at the defeat of sound.

"...stopped again."

"Then start compressions!"

The cracking was loud in my ear with each jerk on my body.

"Let me help, you don't have enough blood to give..." Sylis was saying, I think.

"Then she'll take it all."

Cold air.

Darkness.

Cracking.

....

I woke in a dim room. Quiet besides the beeping. I felt cold and stiff and too heavy to move.

I was so tired, somewhere between still being asleep and trying to wake. Like after a long day and going to sleep only to be woke again too soon. When your brain feels heavy and slow, things around you don't seem real and the only thing you can think about is getting back to sleep. Being physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted at being awake to the point where it almost hurts. Knowing that if your life depended on it, you probably couldn't make awake work long enough to save yourself. An almost physical pressure crushing your consciousness into submission until you relent.

I didn't fight it, I didn't want too, the acceptance almost euphoric as I gave in, and I felt myself slipping into the deep, dark recesses of the sleep I craved.

...

Once I stayed awake for over forty-six hours. I was so tired it was hard to fall asleep when I finally had the chance. But when I did it was like blinking out of existence for a while. Like a light being shut off. The sleep was so deep, so sound, it was a surprise to finally wake up. I didn't move. I didn't dream. It must have all been the deepest, longest non-REM sleep I'd ever had. Normal sleep I'm somehow still aware of the passage of time. This felt like time travel. I knew I had slept, I knew time had passed, I felt rested upon waking, but it all happened in an instant.

Waking up now felt much the same. Only surreal this time around.

After a few moments, I suddenly felt wide awake. More alert and focused than I had ever been after just waking up in my life.

I sat up to get out of bed and then remembered why I was in the care center. Frantically I pushed away the blanket and pulled up my gown. Surprised by the lack of pain at my movement.

What I saw was shocking. My stomach was almost perfectly smooth. No bandages. No wound. Just the faintest, softest, smooth irregular pink line that ran up my stomach.

The images of what happened were very clear in my mind, so I knew I couldn't have been dreaming, then or now.

Checking over myself again I realized I wasn't hooked up to any machines. I remember barely waking a while ago and hearing the beeping from the heart monitor, the cold in my arm from a saline drip and the sting from the IV tape and tube. None of which were present now.

It was light outside but from the way the sun was shining in through the curtained window, it was evening, not morning or the middle of the day. The ticking of the clock on the wall confirmed my suspicion.

Moving the blankets, I stood easily from the bed before padding over to the window. It was dusk, and Thompson Falls was quieting down for the night. Porch lights were coming on, kids were going home, and stores and shops were being closed. Night guards traded places with their daytime counterparts and evening patrols began.

The door creaked as it was opened before florescent light flooded the dark room. "You're awake!" Zack said in a muted tone, rushing over and pulling me in for a gentle but firm hug.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, gingerly grabbing me around my shoulders, and leaning me away from him. "And why are you up, you should be in bed!" He said pulling his eyebrows down into a scowl.

"I'm fine." I said to him hoarsely, the sound the only indication I had been out of commission for some time. Pulling his hands away, I moved past him back toward the tangled sheets and thin mattress and climbed back in the bed and covered my legs. "Really, I feel great." I said to him once he finished shifting my blankets and tucked me in.

"Do you want anything?" He asked and cautiously sat on the edge of my bed. Then he placed a hand over my forehead as if to gauge my temperature and took my wrist with his other hand to take my pulse. I don't know what he thought he was doing, he isn't a doctor or anything near it, and he has, at best, basic first aid knowledge.

"No, I don't think so." I said to him as he moved his hand all around my face. "Stop." I smiled and brushed his hand away finally. He was being ridiculous, I felt fine.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

And then my stomach growled at the mention of the word.

"Oh yes! I am really hungry." I confessed as I placed a hand on my empty stomach. Registering for the first time the hollow pit. "And thirsty." I realized now that I was thinking about it.

"On it!" He said as he stood and ran out of the door before I could tell him what I wanted. Although I didn't really care at this point, now that I was aware of it, I felt like I was starving. My mouth even salivated at the mere thought of food. Any food.

Zack was back only a few minutes later with the largest mug full of water I'd ever seen, and I gulped it down when he gave it to me. I felt the cold flow down my throat and coat the inside of my stomach entirely. It was so cold in hurt my throat, but it tasted so good I kept drinking.

"They are bringing something up." He said as I tore into the crackers he had handed over. "These will hold you over...hopefully." He chuckled when I shoved the whole second saltine in my mouth. My stomach grumbled and cheered as the substance made its way to the empty space.

"Hank que." I said around the dry paste that coated my mouth and then chugged more water before swishing it around to clear some of the stickiness.

"You're welcome." He laughed. "Your mom and Hendricks are on their way, they should be here soon." He said as he sat down in the chair next to me.

I nodded at him as I swallowed and broke open a third pack of the tiny crackers before taking another drink to loosen the gluey coating they created in my mouth.

He was watching me like a caged animal, and I laughed at his expression when I realized I must look insane, cramming the crackers in my mouth like I was.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He laughed back at me. "And look, you're totally normal!" He teased.

"Ha ha very funny." I chuckled and said to him as flakes of cracker spit and puffed out of my mouth.

He laughed and waved a hand in front of him as if to bat away the spray of food. "Say it don't spray it." He teased me as he handed me a couple more packets.

"What happened?" I asked after a few more crackers and clearing my mouth completely with water.

"You were gutted and almost died." He said quietly. "What do you remember?"

I mostly remembered everything from the attack. Somehow. And I knew I would be hearing recounts of it repeatedly for some time. War stories and battle wounds were always conversational pieces. Like how moms compare their labor and deliveries and when dad caught that big fish that one time.

"That's not what I'm talking about." I said and then took another small bite. "What did you say to Ethan?"

"Abby..."

"Zack, just tell me." I cut him off before he could give me some excuse on why it wasn't the right time for this.

He slowly released a deep breath through tense lips and rubbed his palms on the front of his jeans. I imagine he forgot about the fight that happened before we were pulled away to Burke, or hoped that maybe I'd forget, or at the very least wait a while before bringing it up. I did almost die after all.

"Zack..." I chided as he stalled.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." I replied with a little shake of my head. I knew that.

"No, Abby." He brushed off my response by looking away for a moment before refocusing on my eyes. "I'm in love with you."

My throat became tight and instantly dry. I swallowed hard as if I could push down whatever was now blocking the passage, but that didn't seem to do anything since there was nothing there. I put the crackers down and grabbed the water again and took a couple of drinks. Still the lump in my throat persisted.

"Oo..oh." I nodded. "Wait. What?" I asked confused after looking back over to him.

He released another deep breath and then slumped a little in his chair. "I'm in love with you and have been for a while." He confessed.

"No, you're not" I said in disbelief. "You are just scared because you thought I was dying."

He shook his head at me. "No Abby."

"Zack..."

"I know you don't feel the same way." He said as he rubbed his hands over his face. "I kept waiting for a sign from you, thinking that if I gave you time you'd finally start to see me. I was going to tell you before I left on that medical run, and then I thought, 'maybe time away from me will change how she feels'? So, I didn't say anything, I just left. And while I was gone I imagined how things between us would be different when I came back and promised myself that I would tell you."

"Zack..." I said again but he just kept talking.

"And then when I finally made it home all full of hope and courage, we heard about Honor and the attacks and that we were hosting vampires! I couldn't believe it. And then I walk into the O and things are the exact opposite of what I expected to find. I see you wrapped around one of them in a hug and... all the courage and hope I had built up over weeks and weeks in the morgue just...vanished."

"But Zack, you never..."

"So, I didn't say anything in the moment. I was caught off guard. We fell back into our normal rhythm and it was so nice to be home and clean and around you again that I decided to wait. And the longer I waited the more I noticed how you and Ethan looked at each other. Before I knew it, my disappointment turned into annoyance and then anger. Not toward you, but to him. I was convinced he was toying with you. Using you for some reason. And then my anger turned into hatred. He was always there. Always around. Making demands where you were concerned."

"Zack!" I tried again when he paused for breath.

"Just let me finish." He put his hand up. "I ran into him the night before Burke. Now keep in mind that I had been villainizing him for days and falling for you for years and here this sonofabitch waltzes in to my town and sweeps you off your feet in a matter of days. I was hurt and pissed off." He chuckled to himself a little.

"So, I see him and without thinking, I march up to him and tell him to back off. I told him that we had been in a relationship, that we were together, and he was getting in the way. He was a vampire and you were a human and it would never work. You were never leaving Thompson Falls and he would never be welcomed or happy here. When he started to argue, I cut him off and reminded him of our reunion when you left his side and ran into my arms. I used every example of our closeness that he might have seen. Things that I knew someone on the outside would easily misconstrue as intimate. Then I made sure to be around you as often as I could and keep you two apart. He hated me in that moment as much as I hated him, but he said he would back off. And he did for the most part."

"Zack." I scolded.

"I know." He confessed. "I almost got you killed because of it. I'm so damn stupid!"

"You didn't do this to me!"

"I know. But he's why you're alive. And to think I put that in jeopardy. If he hadn't been there with us...if he had backed off and left because I told him too. He wouldn't have been there to save your life."

"That's ridiculous. You couldn't have known." I told him.

"That doesn't matter." He shook his head and looked away from me. "I misjudged him." He said out loud, maybe to me, but mostly to himself. "He never gave up. Not once. He saved your life and I owe him everything for that."

"So, he knows that you and I never..."

"No. But I will tell him." He looked back over to me. "And I'll back off too. I'll do whatever you want me too Abby. I just can't lose you. Almost losing you forever gave me an entirely new perspective. You're the most important person in my life and above anything else I can't lose you."

"You won't." I promised.

"Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, I forgive you." I told him sincerely. "I don't want to lose you either Zack. You're my best friend. We'll figure this out."

"It won't be weird, that much I can promise you." He got up and sat on the edge of my bed. "Things can be just as normal as they have always been. If you want."

"Ok." I smiled at him. "It'll be fine Zack." I told him. I didn't really believe that he was in love with me. Being in the morgue can do strange things to a person. And I'd be lying to say I hadn't had confusing thoughts and feelings out there myself.

There was a quiet knock on the door just then. "Yeah?" Zack turned his head toward the sound.

My mother and Hendricks came in in response, and my stomach flipped at the sight of the tray of food she was holding.

"Oh, perfect timing ma!" Zack stood up and grabbed the food from her.

"Finally!" I said as my mouth swam with anticipation. "I'm so hungry!" I moaned as Zack wheeled the bed table to hover across my lap.

Removing the tray lid, he revealed mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, two dinner rolls, fruit and what I guessed was supposed to be some sort of 'meat' loaf of mushrooms, wild grains and quinoa. Whatever it was didn't matter. It was weird and delicious and filled my empty stomach to the point of pain and I had never been so grateful for a meal in my life.

While I shoveled food in my mouth the three of them carried on a conversation about what had been going on around town. I was surprised to discover that I had been here and in sleeping recovery for five days. I even choked on my potatoes and had to swallow them down with some water.

"Five days?!" I said once I caught my breath.

"You didn't tell her?" Hendricks looked at Zack.

"We didn't get that far." Zack looked back at me with a small smile.

"No wonder I'm so hungry." I said smiling back and then continued with the shoveling.

When I was halfway through my meal I felt better enough to slow down my greedy consumption to enjoy the food. This also allowed me to ask questions between bites.

"So, what did you find out?" I asked.

I knew I didn't need to ask specific details, they all understood shorthand. My mother fidgeted in her chair a little which prompted Hendricks to reach over and take her hand, but otherwise she didn't object to the conversation I was asking for.

"I don't know what you remember about your attacker." Hendricks explained. "But evidently vampires are now just as susceptible to the zombie virus as humans are."

"I wasn't imagining that then? They can be turned?"

"It would appear so." Hendricks confirmed.

"But they don't turn into a mindless zombie." I stated.

"No. They do not." Hendricks said. "That's what we're assuming at any rate. Everything we witnessed from it suggests higher reasoning. A kook has never attacked with a weapon before. Or commanded an army. And we've never seen that level of organization before. Ethan confirmed that they too have never witnessed anything remotely close to what we encountered at Burke. But said that it made sense with the other attacked towns and outposts. He surmised that that thing had learned something new with each instance. This is all brand-new territory."

"So, what are we doing then?"

"Everything that we can for now." Hendricks told me.

"Speaking of." Zack stood from his chair. "My shift starts soon." He said looking at Hendricks as he stood.

"Your shift?" I asked him.

"We've added extra patrols and posts outside the gates and inside, walking the perimeter and the town." Hendricks said. "We sent up a large crew a few days ago to clean up Burke of anything left behind. There were some kooks left, but not as many as we imagined. We don't know where they went. They could be coming this way, or they could be with their leader. Either way, we need to be prepared. We've also armed everyone in town that was willing and able to carry."

"Oh." I said a little surprised. This must be the 'everything we can' he was talking about.

"We're being cautious. We know what they are and what they are capable of now." Zack said.

I nodded in agreement.

"I'll walk you home tomorrow after my shift." Zack stated. Then he bent down and kissed my forehead before turning to leave.

Smiling at him I waited until he was out of the door. "I feel fine. Better than fine actually. I don't want to stay another night."

"I told you." My mother smiled at me before looking at Hendricks.

"Yes, you were right." He chuckled.

"I'd like to check over you again before you go though." She said.

"Really, I'm fine, it's like it never happened!" I said excitedly. It was still surprising that there were no signs of trauma whatsoever. "Look." I said and before either of them could object, I moved my food tray, pushed down the blanket and lifted my robe exposing my stomach. "There's nothing there!"

Olivia stood and came around the bed, while Hendricks rolled the stool he was sitting on, forward next to me.

"Remarkable." She said looking down at me. "Lie back." She said pushing on my shoulder. "When I examined you yesterday there were still sutures and what looked like thick scar tissue. Both are completely gone now." She said running her hand over the smooth surface of my abdomen.

"May I?" Hendricks looked at me in question.

I nodded to him. He pushed on my stomach, putting pressure in various places. "Does this hurt?"

"No." I told him.

"Here?"

"No. It feels fine." I told him as he kept palpating my stomach. "I'm telling you, I feel great."

"It's amazing." Olivia marveled again as she sat down in the chair Zach had been sitting in.

Hendricks pulled my robe back down, covered me with the blanket and sat away from the bed.

"What's wrong?" I asked him as I sat back up.

"You died." He said deadpan. "More than once. And here you sit in perfect condition. I'll never be able to repay him for that."

"I remember him giving me his blood."

"He did more than that Abby." He looked at me. "He never gave up. He did everything in his power to save your life. Even when the rest of us thought it was hopeless, he still kept fighting." He said sounding like he was still baffled by this. "He tried to...feed you, I guess is the term, and you weren't swallowing, somehow he was able to get it down you though."

I watched him and listened intently as he recounted.

"When that wasn't working, and your heart kept stopping...I remember watching in horror when he moved the bandages from your gut. I even yelled at him, I think. And I nearly lost my mind when Sylis reopened your wound. It's a good thing there were others around to hold Zack and me back from stopping him." He chuckled darkly. "He ripped open his whole forearm it seemed and poured so much blood inside you I thought he might bleed to death himself." He shook his head at the thought.

"I was surprised. I remember at that point that I stopped fighting whoever was holding me back. I just gave up trying to resist. I knew in that moment that he wasn't hurting you or doing anything to hurt you." He choked back tears as he continued. "He was saving you."

He looked at me then. "He could have at any moment turned you."

That surprised me. I never thought about that as a possibility until he said the words.

"Sylis told him too. He kept telling him that you were gone and to turn you before it was too late. But he wouldn't do it. He just kept breathing for you and doing CPR. It would have been so much easier to turn you." He said seriously.

"But he didn't." I said.

"Never even considered it as far as I can tell." He smiled a crooked smile and wiped at his eyes. "He didn't leave your side for three days. I don't know if I'm supposed to tell anyone this, but he even fed from Sylis and Seivor, so he didn't have to leave your side in case something happened. After giving you so much of his blood he needed to replenish himself, but he refused to leave, so that's when they offered him their veins."

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"As soon as he knew you were no longer in danger and wouldn't need any more blood, they went looking for the revenant." He told me. "That didn't stop him from filling a couple of blood bags for you just in case." He chuckled and shook his head in wonderment.

"The revenant?" I asked him confused at the term he used.

"It's what we're calling that thing." He told me, his voice going dark. "It isn't a kook or an evo, not like we're used to. Revenant seemed to be the most fitting term. Of course, it was Grady who came up with it and immediately Sylis agreed with the term. It stuck after that." He said.

"And they went after it?" I asked surprised.

"They went after it but returned a day later. They had lost the trail once it hit water." He said. "But then picked it up again near an extinct old town on the map called Murray. They asked for some help, so we sent Brooks and your guys and Rick's team with them to check it out. They're still there, but they checked in. They are fine. The rest of our resources are being used here to protect the town."

"That's really close." I said to him. I remember seeing Murray on our maps. It's in our territory and less than an hour away.

"Which is why we didn't send an arsenal with them." If there's trouble they can't handle, we are in radio contact with them and have guys ready to go in a moment's notice. But it's too close. We must protect the town."

"I agree." I said to him emphatically. "And it's all the more reason for me to get out of here tonight."

"Listen, Abby." He said. "I know you feel like new. And surprisingly you look and act as if nothing is wrong, and we're willing to let you get out of here tonight." He said wafting his hand between himself and my mother. "But there's no way in hell you're gearing up and walking the wall. You're not going out to meet your team. You're not doing any patrols. You can go home and that's it. Paige is still there and I'm sure she'd feel better with someone else in the O, but you're not going back on duty." He told me with finality in his voice.

"I feel fine. I can help." I argued even though I knew it was a lost cause.

"It's not negotiable." He said conclusively. "The answer is no."

"First thing tomorrow morning all bets are off." I told him.

"Tomorrow then." He said. "Maybe." He added with a small smile.

"Ok." I agreed. It was better than a hard no.

"Ok." He said, his voice lightening up.

"Are you ready then?" My mother asked as she stood to retrieve the bag of clothes she had brought with her.

"Yes please!" I told her. Then threw off my blanket to get up and get dressed.
Chapter Sixteen

"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet." ― Emily Dickinson

"Abby!" Charlie and Harper ran to me as soon as my mother and I walked through the front door of the O.

"Hi!" I laughed and hugged them back. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We saw Zack and he said you were awake." Harper said.

"So naturally we came here because we knew you wouldn't be staying another night at the care center." Charlie said through a chuckle.

"Even though Zack told us you weren't coming home until tomorrow." Then they both laughed together.

"Oh, poor Zack." I joined in with them. "When will he ever learn?" I smiled as the three of us hugged.

"I think he may have been hoping she would stay more than he actually believed it." Olivia winked at them as we walked into the dining room.

"Yes, he's a dreamer." Charlie said.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Harper hugged me again. "You had us all really worried."

"Yeah." Charlie chided. "Don't do that." She said as she pushed my shoulder.

"I'll try to remember for next time." I told them jokingly.

"There will not be a next time." My mother said. She didn't seem amused.

"So, fill me in." I asked the two of them. I was glad to see they were getting along again.

We talked for a short time before they both left for the night, promising to be back tomorrow to help Gigi open in case anyone wanted to eat. With the heightened tension, we didn't think there would be too much recreation going on, but cooking and taking food to everyone on duty was something the O did normally, and with all the extra security it meant extra cooking and delivering.

Once they left my mother watched me while I shut off the lights. "What's the matter?" I asked her.

"I'm just so happy you are ok." She said tearing up. "You had me worried. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."

"Oh mom." I said and wrapped her up in a tight hug. I let a few tears fall as I held on to her tightly. It was scary for me, I can only imagine what it must have been like for her, sitting on the sidelines as her daughter fought to live, knowing that something purposely attacked her and put her in her current condition. It was her worst fear come to life. I felt terrible for putting her through it.

After a few minutes, she said. "Ok. I'm done." And mopped up at her face with her hands and a tissue.

"I'm sorry I scared you like that." I told her, and I wiped at my face. "It's part of the job."

"I know." She said as her voice quivered. "I try my best to keep a positive outlook. I know you know what you're doing. But it still scares me."

"I know." I smiled at her and hugged her again. "I love you." I said to her.

"I love you too." She smiled at me once I let her go. "Ok. I'm going to go and grab a few things and then Lane and I will be back." She said through the thick in her throat.

"I'm going to go to bed." I told her. "Unless you want me to wait up for you until you get back?"

"No, don't be silly. Go get some rest." She said.

I still felt great, but I was glad she let me off the hook of waiting for her, I was getting a little tired again.

"I'll check in on you." She said. "I want to be close just in case you need anything."

"I think I'll be ok." I told her sincerely.

"I know you will." She kissed my cheek. "But I want to be here. I want to be close to you." She said. "It's a mom thing." She told me with a little humor in her voice. "And don't worry about anything here tomorrow, everything is taken care of. You rest and move at your own pace."

"Okay."

"Okay." She said back.

"Take your key." I told her as I walked her to the door.

"I'll see you in the morning." She kissed my cheek again.

Leaving a lamp on for her by the door I clicked off the remaining lights as I walked down the hall to the rooms.

I went the opposite direction of my room first, knocking on Paige's door. I wanted to check in with her and make sure she was ok. She was the only guest still here from the Honor group and I wanted her to know that I was back and that she wasn't alone. When she didn't answer after my second attempt I figured she was asleep and went to my room.

On the opposite side of the building my room was one of only two down the small corridor. They were once four double rooms but had been converted into two living spaces, one for my mother and one for myself.

The door to my room was ajar and dim light was coming through the open crack. The soft glow casting a warm hue in a line against the dark carpet.

Reaching for my gun on instinct I silently cursed when I remembered that I didn't have it. I thought about running to the kitchen for a knife or heading out of the door to find someone to help me. But then I thought I might be overreacting and before I knew it I was pushing open the door, peering around the barrier as it opened and stepping in.

"Hello?" I called out as I swung it open a little wider. "Is someone in here?" I asked pushing the door open the rest of the way.

Standing in front of the window facing away from me was a tall dark figure. The lamp on my bedside table was on, illuminating just enough of the room to cast shadows that had alerted me to the open door.

"Ethan?" I questioned and then moved further into the room. "When did you get here?" I asked him.

As I made my way past the bathroom and to the end of the wall that opened to the rest of the space, I knew in that moment I had ignored my gut and regretted it instantly. I should have run to the kitchen to get a knife and then ran outside to get help and scream or call for an army.

Paige was standing, near the foot of my bed. Her shoulders were hunched over, and her arms dangled loosely to her sides. Her hands and fingers twitched with movement and her body swayed oddly as her head jerked up to look at me as I entered the room.

Her hair was bloody and matted to her neck and face, clumps circled together sticky and hard, while the rest lay plastered down against her scalp, smooth and shiny with wetness. Beads of blood dripped from the ends, landing on her bloody clothes and the clean carpet.

Her pallor was ashen, her eyes were hollow, sunken and black. The once whiteness of the sclera in her eyes was now blood shot and dull yellow. Her pupils were cloudy, the vibrant blue now muted and gray. And a sound like congested breath wheezed through her skewed and gaping mouth.

"Paige?" My voice trembled in question, the sound just above a whisper. Her unfocused eyes and head jerked and twisted at the sound.

"I didn't know what would happen once I fed off her." Pike said as he turned around to face me. "I had hoped she would be more like me. Alas, she woke a mindless drone." He said and then picked up a twisted lock of her hair. "Rather disappointing." He said dropping the hair he held and then rubbing the wet red between his forefinger and thumb before sucking it off. "She follows directions though, so that's something." He said looking at me as she stumbled a few steps away from him, a demonstration on his part.

"Why?" I asked through broken breath. Fear and sadness laced in the words.

"Why what?" He sneered. "Why have I come? Why did I turn her? Why am I doing this?" He took a few steps closer to me. "All good questions Abby." He said.

His voice I noticed had changed. It was as if he was detached from the sound. All the warmth and kindness I knew was no longer there. And in its place, was something sinister and cold.

"I did this." He said pointing toward Paige as if she were a thing. "To see what would happen. Of course, I was hungry. But mostly just curious. Poor girl, in the wrong place and the wrong time." He said dismissive of her and what he had done. "I thought she was you." He said bored.

"This isn't you." I said to him, my voice stronger. "This is not who you are."

"It is now." He replied and continued to move toward me as he droned on, "Blood and power and power and blood. It's all that consumes me now Abby. I want more, I need more, and I'll do anything to get it." His voice was dead as he said the words, stalking toward me like a cat hunting prey. His admission as serious as a threat.

"What do you want." I shrunk back away from his approach. I was terrified and all alone.

"I came for Ethan." He said answering me. "Where is Ethan?" He asked me.

"I don't know." My voice broke on the lie.

He stood in front of me now, the smell of death on his tongue like the breath of whiskey on a drunk. I wanted to recoil but was scared stiff, too afraid to move.

"I can smell him on you..." He said quietly. "In you.... coursing through your veins." He nearly whispered as he raised a hand, slowly bringing it to my face.

Pressing a cool finger against my neck and running it down the carotid artery he asked me again. "Where's Ethan?"

The words caught in my throat, so I shook my head 'no' instead of answering his question.

"Liar." He seethed. Then he wrapped cold fingers around my chin and grabbed me tightly, jerking my head to the side, the pressure so great I knew I must be instantly bruised.

He bent his head and inhaled at the base of my throat where my neck meets my collar bone. A deep throaty rumble vibrated through his chest. It sounded something in between a growl and a purr. "I wonder what you taste like mixed with all his blood swimming in you." He mused sorely in my ear.

Then he tightened his grip around my face and slammed my head into the wall.

Chapter Seventeen

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." ― Lord Acton

The air was rancid.

That's what woke me. The stench of death.

It was so strong it felt heavy and thick; like humid summer air next to a warm ocean. I could feel it around me like a fog, coating my nasal passages with each inhale, clinging to the delicate skin and sticking to the tiny hairs. I was careful not to open my mouth; afraid of the taste, as I grabbed on to consciousness and collected myself.

My wrists hurt from the binding around them. My shoulders screamed out in pain; stretched beyond a comfortable limit at being pulled behind me and wrapped around a pole.

My legs were left free and unbound, but cold to the bone from the concrete below.

The back of my head throbbed. The sore spot thrumming to the beat of my heart, each pulse a twinge and an ache of pain.

Opening my eyes didn't help or reveal any new information. It was so dark there was nothing to see.

I wasn't alone however. Wheezing, groaning and gurgling breath was all around me. Slight movements and shuffles, teeth clanking with impact as jaws slammed together.

My legs were stiff and numb as I bent them. Pushing past the pain and into the floor with my heels, I inched my way up the pole until I could stand with flat feet. My thighs burned from exertion, my spine sore from the pressure against the hard surface at my back and my feet tingled as they regained feeling.

Once standing the room didn't seem as dark. Either my eyes were adjusting to the blackness or, more likely, I wasn't in a four-solid walled room.

Taking runty steps, I inched my way around the pole, ignoring the skin burns as the thin sheath around my wrists stretched with protest at the movement.

As I made my way around I could see the dimmest light coming through several windows. And the shadowy figures responsible for the smell and the noise. At the sight of confirmation, I stopped in my tracks, only a quarter of the way around, as my heart rate jumped, and my breathing spiked. I could hear the blood swoosh in my ears.

This seemed to agitate the creatures around me. Their shifting movements increased along with their groans of hunger.

"Careful." A gnarly voice graveled from a distance, dragging out the word. The sound was so grave, so deep, I felt the baritone vibrate through my chest.

I whimpered. The sound of his voice set off every alarm in my body. I knew that voice. My body even seemed to recognize it. I'd heard it once before and it instantly frightened me to the core.

"Mhmm..." He murmured near me now. The kooks in the room stirring at the sound, their own deadly chatter whirring with a buzz.

"You remember me..." He crooned in my ear, the deep bass quaking through my body. His cold breath stung my flesh and sent chills down my spine.

He hovered there. Breathing. The sound itself dark and hollow.

Pushing myself against the pole, my own breath was shallow as I tried to shrink away from him.

Abruptly he turned away and a loud growl ripped through his chest. I could hear a drag and shuffle as something moved toward me.

Panic shot through me as I realized the revenant wasn't in full control over the creatures that loomed in the room surrounding me. I worked the binding at my wrists, stretching and pulling at the material around them, but the stinging pain only seemed to make things worse. I had broken open my skin.

Another roaring growl escaped the revenant's lips before a cracking sound of a skull splitting filled the room. I recognized the sound after hearing it happen for so many years.

A hard hand wrapped tightly around my throat and squeezed as I gasped for air. "Don't...move..." He seethed, his face directly in front of mine, his breath on my face.

The scuffle of the dead slowed, as did their avid cries, soon after their dead comrade hit the floor. He had regained control. And at that at least, I was relieved.

He panted noxiously in my face as I struggled against his hold for breath. One hand pressed firmly against my throat as the other swiped up my hand, catching the trickle of blood that was rolling down my wrist from the binding.

A deep mumble gnarred from his chest as he lapped at the blood from his fingers. The sound of his mouth opening was nauseating, the drag of his tongue on his finger to capture the blood was revolting.

"Vampire..." He mewed at the taste, probably referring to Ethan's blood in my system. And then pushed on my stomach with a cold hard fist.

The sudden and quick pressure nearly knocked the wind out of me as it forced all the air from my lungs and the pain felt like an old bruise almost healed.

"Get... away..." I panted. "Get...away...from...me."

He grabbed my face then, almost in the same way that Pike had, hitting the bruises and sore spots along my jaw a neck and twisted my face this way and that. As if to look closely.

"Appy." He said as if mispronouncing my name but saying the word clearly. My heart pounced in my chest.

"Abby." I corrected him through clenched teeth. I didn't need to, but I wanted to win something over this horrible creature that held me captive. Even if the victory was something as small as correcting my name.

"Happy...Abby." He said just as clearly, the words sending chills down my spine.

Panic flooded my system and I instantly needed to leave even more than I had before. The urge to run and hide and cover my ears had never been stronger. I tried to jerk my face away and move my body, but I didn't budge. "No." I yelled trying to rip by jaw from his grip.

"Happy... Abby..." He held firm to my face as he repeated the words.

"NO!" I screamed again as my chest constricted, a crushing invisible weight pressed down on me as my mind reeled.

"Appy..." The revenant thrilled.

"NO!" I screamed again.

"Appy..." The wicked creature called me again with a torturous glee. A nickname only my father used to use.

"Get away..." I said, my voice smaller than I meant it to be. The dead around me stirred at the growing tension.

It wasn't him. I kept thinking to myself as he continued to taunt me with the word. It couldn't be him. My father died a long time ago. And he wasn't a vampire. It couldn't be him.

"You... remember...me..." He said in his drawn-out way. "Don't....you.... Appy..." He said. The kook's hungry moans and clamping teeth piped music as a terrifying chorus to his words.

"Get away from me!" I seethed, finding my voice once again only to have my breath hitch on the words. "Get away!" I wailed as my eyes burned with unshed tears.

The revenant guffawed in my face and jerked my head toward his, making me look him in the eyes.

The door kicked open with a bang and a muted wash of gray splayed through the room. "Release her." Pike demanded, his voice like acid.

Around me I could see the kooks with the newly entered light, their agitation simmering instantly to calm compliance at Pikes entrance. Where they had once swayed, and shifted anxious around the room, they then stood still and nearly motionless.

Releasing his stranglehold from around my neck, I gasped for breath. The influx painfully stretching my throat open where it had been closed off, the air stanching the burn in my lungs but not in my heart.

"Get away from her." Pike said to the revenant.

"She's...my..." His baritone voice droned in defiance.

"You're daughter." Pike said. His words piercing me like a knife. "Yes, I know." He said looking at me dead on, knowing his words would cause me pain, waiting for a reaction.

I remember what he said right before he knocked me out. 'Blood and power and power and blood.' He wanted this power over me. This devastation consumed me while feeding his hateful rage.

Denying him what I knew he most wanted was all I had left, so instead I only spit at his feet.

"Did your parents not teach you any manners?" He raged before back handing me across the face. The impact blurred my sight and confused my senses. The sting of my lip splitting open barely dulled the pain of all that surrounded me.

The revenant turned on Pike. "No..." He demanded. His voice was just as deadly and cold as Pike's. "Mine..." He said to him staking his claim.

"And you'll have her." Pike told him with irritation. "When we're finished using her."

The revenant hummed deep within his chest. The sound again vibrating through me, sending chills up my spine. I knew finally that I wasn't getting out of this alive. Not as I considered it.

It would appear, that even in death, the driving need to procreate one's species was at its core. And I would be the child of death itself.

With confirmation he would get what he wanted, the revenant backed away, catching me in his sight as he slipped into the darkness, swallowed up in the sea of the dead, but never taking his eyes off me, holding me hostage with his eyes.

I refused to believe that that thing was my father and as I watched him disappear I tried to remember his face. The memories were distorted and fuzzed, bringing them up something that I had never been successfully able to do. Fragments and pieces were the most I could see, recalling moments and snippets of events but never a full or complete picture.

It's not him I told myself. But it didn't stop the pricking in my eyes.

Chapter Eighteen

" _Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." ― Friedrich Nietzsche_

Grasping both my shoulders tightly in his vice like grip, Pike cut into my view, grabbing my full attention. "Comfortable?" He said in a snide tone. Then, knowing it would hurt me, he spun me around the pole slowly, the skin that was in contact with it stretched, pulled and burned with the movement. I yelped once but bit down on my cries when my pain made him smile. He continued to spin me around, my spine grating against the hard surface and my arms threatening to pull free from the sockets, until I faced the other side of the room.

"Why does he listen to you?" I asked him when the pain from the movement ebbed enough I could speak without my voice cracking.

"I'm stronger, more powerful." He answered me without hesitating. He's proud of this fact. "Evolution of the virus." He continued. "He doesn't have the same control over them as I have. I'm older. My blood is stronger." He assumes with his theory freely. Offering more information than I asked for. "He's not as cognitive aware as I am. I remember everything, where he seemed to remember over a long period of time. Learning and gaining knowledge and power along the way. Where I am exactly as I was before, only better."

"You are not better." This time my voice broke as I remembered the vampire he was before.

"You know not of what you speak." He said, some of the old Pike slipping into the words.

"He knew you and Ethan." I said to him, remembering back to Burke when the revenant said Ethan's name as he held on to Pike.

"Yes." He told me. Saying nothing else.

"How?"

"Ask Ethan." He smirked.

"How will I do that when you intend to kill me?" I bristled in fear as I said the words.

"Kill you? No." He chortled. "I'm not going to kill you Abby. I'm going to turn you."

My sharp inhale and shocking gasp lit up his face.

"You can't." I all but whispered.

"I can." He thrilled.

If they didn't kill me I knew that they would turn me into one of their lifeless drones. But turning me into a vampire first was something I hadn't considered.

"You failed with Paige." I told him.

"I tried and failed myself. I won't make that mistake again."

"How then?" I needed to know.

"I have the vampires from Henry Park." He boasted. "Well, one of them. The others were too delicious not to kill. And there was virtually nothing left to reanimate once I was finished."

I was horrified.

"Why are you doing this?" The words, full of shock and horror, fell out of my mouth. "You remember what it's like to be alive, to fear these things and the need to get rid of them."

"Yes." He said matter-of-factly. "And I no longer care. It seems as though I no longer have morality to contend with."

It made sense. After what he had done, what he did to Paige. The Pike I knew would have never done these things.

Closing the space between us with one step, he reached out for me. "What are you doing?" I ask him through clenched teeth once his hand wrapped around my jaw. He squeezed and pressed on the bruises he'd left the first time, wrenching my head from side to side.

"Checking for scratches or bite marks." He told me. "I can't have you turning dead before becoming a vampire. Especially before Ethan gets here." He said pulling my face back to look at him. Once he released me, satisfied that I hadn't been infected, he smoothed down my hair, pushing wayward strands from my face.

"Before Ethan gets here?" I repeated his words in question. "How will he know where to find us?"

"Paige will tell him." He sneered and then backed away from me.

"She can't speak!" I yelled at him, angry for killing her. Angry at him for not caring that he did.

"Of course not, but he'll get the message." He said turning away from me before walking out of the room.

Fear latched onto me again when he closed the door behind him. He must have planned to use the captured vampire to turn me into one, and then hoped to turn me into whatever he was. Not as a prize for himself. Not as part of the deal he made with the revenant. But as some stolen victory over Ethan. It seemed he was obsessed.

It wasn't long until he reentered the room in a hurry and put himself in front of me again, facing the door he turned his back on me.

He cocked his head in a weird way, turning an ear toward the door with his eyes down looking at the floor. A low chuckle rumbled through his chest as he peered back to look at me, a satisfied leer on his face.

Two kooks appeared suddenly, flanking my sides as Pike stepped back, nearly pressing himself against me. His two dead friends moved in closer, pushing their faces next to mine, the stench of rot and death choking me as I gasped in fear and shock, their teeth as they chomped together so close to my flesh I could feel the whisper of air as it passed over me from the movement.

The door burst open with a bang, the sound stopping short once it hit the wall, the knob lodging into the surface with a thud.

"You got my note." Pike crowed.

The kooks around the room stirred, a low moan and movement of shuffling feet filled the quiet space.

"Where is she!" Ethan yelled from the door he busted through.

"Ethan!" I yelped out before Pike turned slightly and wrapped his vice like grip again around my throat.

"Don't. Or I'll snap her neck." Pike said comely, pointing at Ethan and holding up his index finger in disapproval, like you would when scolding a child.

I could barely see Ethan around where Pike had a hold on me. But at Pikes threat, Ethan stopped removing his sword from its sheath and instead held his hands up in surrender and slowly lowered his arms.

"Pike." Ethan said calmer this time. "Let her go."

"Why would I do that?"

"You don't need her. You have me here now."

"I knew you'd come for her." Pike said to him smugly. "So predictable."

"Let her go." Ethan tried again, his patience waning as the familiar threat from defiance laced in the words.

"Noo..." Pike told him, drawing out the word. "She's still useful. She'll be your first meal after I turn you." He says menacingly. Another version of Pikes ever changing plan coming to light.

"NO!" I screamed, and Pike tightened his grip, cutting off the sound. I tried to wiggle away, my shoulders screaming out in pain, but I could no longer stand here doing nothing.

Pike turned his head and caught my sight, his eyes full of hate. "Stop moving. Unless you want your mother to join this family reunion." He spat at me before turning back to face Ethan. His threat worked and immediately I stopped trying to break free. Nothing was safe from him.

"You will not harm her!" Ethan yelled at his old friend.

"Hahaha!" Pike bellowed. "You cannot stop me!" He roared like a madman. "You have no idea what I have become, what I am now! The power. The freedom. I rule an army! And I will turn you and you will serve me!" He paused before tacking on at the end of his tyrant speech. "Or you will serve me in other ways and become my next meal!"

And then it hit me. "Or you will serve him." I squawked around the tight hold on my neck.

"What!?" Pike whipped his head around to look at me.

"He will take over your rule, just as you took over your makers." I could barely speak but I got out the words. 'Power and blood' he had said. Blood is not equal to the power he craves, or we might all have been dead instead of this. He knows Thompson Falls. Power is what he wants.

Pike looked at me with fiery eyes, but he said nothing to contradict my words. I could see it there, crossing his mind as he silently processed what I said. The distraction worked so I pressed on.

"You were stronger than your maker, you said it yourself. Evolution. Blood strength." I choked out against his ever-tightening hold. "Ethan is older than you. Stronger than you in every way." My words made him angry and his brow furrowed deeper with rage at what I was saying. "He was your better when you were alive. He will be again in death." I strained out in a whisper as his grip tightened with each passing second.

With Pike's attention split and focused on me as I brought his fears to light, Ethan slipped out his sword.

"You will serve him." I told Pike, hitting him with a final blow to his ego. "He will take all your power!"

A shot rang out and the kook to my left dropped, forever dead, to the floor.

Pike roared and let me go to turn on Ethan and defend himself from the sword coming down at him.

All around me the dead moved of their own accord. Pike's distraction had released whatever hold he had over them and set them free to resume their mindless wander and search for sustenance.

The kook still standing to my right came back from his controlled stupor and grabbed my arm with surprising strength for something so rotted.

My scream filled the room as did the loud pop of my arm as it dislocated from my shoulder when I instinctually pulled away from the threat.

I watched in horror as the dead brought his face closer to the meaty bicep of my arm, unable to move or stop what was about to happen. "No no no no no!" I prattled fruitlessly at the thing as I continued to try and break free from its grasp and my restrained hold against the pole.

"Abby!" Ethan yelled but unable to get to me as Pike descended on him.

The kook was a near breath away from taking its claiming bite of death from my arm when its head wrenched back sharply, its neck bones snapping with a loud crack before being twisted and ripped from the rest of its body.

The revenant popped the kooks head like a tomato between its powerful hands and kicked its body out of the way. All the while a disgruntled roar escaped his lips as he defended the prey he had claimed for himself.

Shaking the waste off his hands, he looked at me with determined eyes and stepped closer.

Two more figures with long swords blurred through the door as the windows around the room shattered with the spray of bullets from outside.

Sylis charged the revenant at my side while Seivor took on the surrounding horde closing in on us.

Ethan and Pike appeared to be evenly matched, each taking hits from the other, but neither gaining the upper hand. The ear-splitting sound of metal against metal as their swords met, chorused with the pops from gunfire sounding off in the room.

I agonizingly watched on in horror until I was finally and abruptly sprung free. Once Seivor had cleared a path around the pole I was trapped too, he cut me free.

At my release, I fell heavy against the floor. Freedom was a painful surprise, the concrete was hard and unforgiving, and my dislocated arm was an excruciating reminder I was of limited help in this room full of the dead.

Nevertheless, I forced myself from the floor. "Give me a weapon!" I yelled over the din of chaos, hoping someone here had something extra for me to use.

To my great surprise, Walter slid across the floor, bumping into the boot at my feet. Along with two extra magazines.

"Ethan thought you might want that." Sylis boasted from across the room. Then turned with his sword for another swing at the revenant.

"He was right." I said to myself and bent down to grab my gun and his companions. With the vampires around me and my weapon in my hand, I felt focused and controlled.

I was still wearing the t-shirt and jeans I wore home once being released from the care center. Being out in the morgue with these clothes wasn't any better than being out here naked, but I couldn't help but feel in luck today as I pulled my useless arm across my body and shoved my hand down the waist at the front of my pants, securing it in place as best I could. I couldn't have done that had I been wearing my vanguard suit and my arm would have been a hinderance to me as I fought to keep it under control, fought through the pain while fighting for my life.

Normally I was right handed, but I would have to work with my left if I wanted to be of any help at all. I had practiced shooting with my left hand before, and even though it wasn't great, it would be better than nothing today.

Taking aim with Walter, I stepped closer to the fray of dead and began to fire.

As the sun continued to rise, the room lightened, revealing the space and the dead around us.

I recognized the room and almost immediately put it together, understanding what Pike meant about leaving Ethan a note. We were in Honor. Paige was the message.

The room looked like a war zone, dead bodies lay all around it, in various shades of blood and decay. Once I emptied my clip I bent down to the ground to reload Walter. Having only one working hand, and not being very coordinated with it in my current condition, it took longer, and I struggled more than I was used too.

"Abby behind you!" Seivor yelled as I stood to take aim.

Spinning around I elbowed the kook coming at me in the temple, knocking it off balance enough for me to swing the gun around and shoot it in the head at close range.

Before it even hit the ground, another came at me, through a connecting room door that was once empty.

I waited for it to get closer. My shots weren't perfectly accurate, and Sylis was still battling the revenant in line with my target, and I was afraid I would miss and hit him.

As I counted my breaths and watched it move toward me I knew we weren't dealing with the regular dead anymore. This one, along with the one I just killed, was an evo. The determination behind its eyes looked a lot like awareness. It's steady and deliberate movements spiked a new wave of fear in my chest. We were losing ground.

The room had nearly been emptied of kooks. Seivor was practically killing one with each raise of his sword. Add that with the shots from the Vanguard out of the windows and the several I took down, we almost had the upper hand.

Fighting off evo's could be done. But if there were even half of them as there were regular munchers, we wouldn't make it. Their just fast enough. Just smart enough to make it far too dangerous to take on in large groups. And we were in their den.

And we didn't know how many more were like Pike and the revenant. Who's to say they were the only two?

Without knowing how far reaching the revenant and Pikes influence went, there's no way to know what was waiting for us. Pike set this trap, and he certainly was no fool.

Just as the kook was close enough to reach out I stopped it short with a single bullet between the eyes. "We have to go!" I screamed out to the room.

At my declaration, the revenant roared like a beast, grabbed Sylis's sword with both hands as it descended on him and shoved him backward, throwing him through the air and crashing through and out of a window.

He turned to me, taking long heavy strides in my direction, conviction plastered all over his grotesque face. "No....mine!" He yelled out at me.

My gun was still raised and with each step he took, I pulled the trigger. I couldn't think about what I was doing or who I could be shooting at. Or who he used to be if it were true.

I didn't want to miss, but I did. The first one landed in his shoulder and did nothing to slow him down. The second and third pull both missed, instead planting in the plastered wall behind him. Once he was closer, the remaining five bullets didn't miss, but only landed in his chest.

I dropped to my knees again to reload. I knew I wouldn't make it in time, but I had to try. I wanted to holler out for Ethan, but I didn't want to distract him. Seivor was now fighting off evo's that were barreling through the side door. And I wasn't sure if Sylis was hurt, or even alive, after being thrown out of the window.

Impending death marched brazenly toward me as images flashed across my mind from our first meeting, and even more disturbingly, clear images of my father. Fear took over, seizing my focus, stealing me hostage, and making my muscles shake. I wasn't convinced that it was him, but the possibility still poisoned my mind. If he reached me, it would be over. If he took me away from here I knew I'd never survive. The idea of living a gruesome existence in death nearly paralyzed me with fear.

Unable to reload my weapon in time, the revenant grabbed me by the hair, tilting my head up to face him. "Mine..." He roared in declaration.

Silence.

It erased everything around me as my brain shut off the sound and the truth stared me in the face.

It was him. I knew it was him and I was frozen in shock and sadness. My vision blurred between memory and reality as the two faces merged together. The one I remembered from my childhood and the one standing before me here.

"NOO!" Pike yelled from across the room, an anguished, murderous glare on his face as he scrambled to stand up from his fallen position on the floor. His detached hand now lying on the floor, still holding his sword. Ethan's blade now covered in a dark liquid.

The revenant pulled me away, the kooks and evo's around us no longer bothering to come after me.

Ethan kicked Pike's hand and sword away and swung his own toward Pike's head, aiming to take it off. Jumping back Pike nearly missed being decapitated and fled from the room.

Instead of following him Ethan turned his attention to me and the revenant.

"Release her." Ethan's voice bellowed from across the room. He pointed his blade in punctuation of the demand toward the revenant and even though it was now covered in dark blood, the sharp edges still glistened with a razor's edge in threat.

After wrapping his forearm around my neck to hold, and pull me with him better, the revenant merely laughed at Ethan as he continued to drag me away.

I tried to pull and claw myself free with my one good hand, but I wasn't strong enough and if he noticed I was fighting him at all, he didn't show it.

Ethan move toward us and with every other step fought off either a kook or an evo.

With my arm dislocated I found it difficult to fight back, but I still had to try, and so I did. He wasn't holding me tight enough to choke me out, but he was still strong and much larger than me. I tried to wrap my foot around his leg to trip him, but that didn't work and caused me to lose my footing instead.

I tried to reach up and jab him in the eyes but the angle he was holding me, and that he was again much larger than myself, made it a pointless attempt.

I dropped my center of gravity to catch him off balance and then elbowed him in whatever part of his body I could reach, even trying to punch him in the groin several times. He didn't react except for shifting me back up while he continued to drag me away.

"Let me go!" I yelled at him as we approached the door to the other room.

I knew if he pulled me through the door it would be over. That he could run, and Ethan wouldn't catch us.

Using my stomach muscles and ignoring the pain, I kicked both of my legs up into the air as high as I could get them and jerked forward. If he were human and I had tried any of these attempts to break free, I could have broken his hold and fought back or run away. Using this on the revenant wasn't the same, but the shift of my weight and the force I got out with kicking forward was enough to pull him with me and stop his dragging me away.

And it was enough of a distraction and pause for Ethan to get to me.

The movement of my kicking left me on my knees and the revenant bent over at the waist with his arm still wrapped around my throat. I tried to wiggle out from his grip.

"Bram." Ethan said. Calling the revenant by name. My father's name.

Shock pierced my heart and pain seized me by the throat. The revenant grabbed around my neck at Ethan's approach and address. The tight grip around my throat was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. Ethan had confirmed what I just figured out myself, that this creature was my father. And he knew him.

"Let her go!" Ethan yelled at him this time.

I was still on my knees but was being made to stand when Ethan demanded that I be let go. The revenant didn't respond to him other than looking up at him, but the grip around my throat tightened as he pulled me up and toward him.

Two small jerks in quick succession thrust us back, followed by the sound of gun shots as blood splattered the side of my face. Someone had shot and hit the revenant.

The revenants grip loosened as he jutted back from the impact of the bullets, that of which allowed me to yank myself forward and free from his grip. The force I used to free myself had me plummeting toward the floor, but Ethan was there in an instant, catching me.

Sylis jumped through the window suddenly, followed by armored vanguard.

Pike appeared behind the revenant just then, in the doorway that he was pulling me toward moments ago. The revenant was holding his neck where he had been shot and roared a gurgling sound as black blood spit out from his mouth and oozed through his fingers.

They were both staring across the short expanse at Ethan and myself, anger and hatred plastered plainly across their faces as they each looked over to the window and then back at us again.

The revenant looked torn as his eyes darted back and forth between me and the army of humans that were now overtaking the room.

Pikes teeth were clenched, and his eyes seemed to glow red with hate as he stared at Ethan.

Through the door behind them, evos and kooks continued to pour into the room. Sylis, Seivor and the guards, both inside and out, went to work killing them as best they could, while the four of us stood off against each other.

The seconds ticked by like years full of tension. Pike roared an ear-piercing cry of frustration as he took small steps back, edging toward escape through the door. The revenant following and doing the same.

Pike looked away from Ethan long enough to stare down at me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood in fear and warning, my skin tightened as my blood ran cold.

I knew he hadn't said anything, but he didn't have to use his words for me to understand.

The threat was there. It was written all over his face.

He wasn't giving up.

He was enraged.

And he was coming for me.

Chapter Eighteen

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." ― Buddha

Ethan stepped forward as if to run after them when I grabbed him around the arm.

"Ethan!" I yelled at him as I stood. "We have to go!"

He turned to look at me, but not before scanning the room around us.

The vanguard, Sylis and Seivor were fighting off and killing kooks and evos faster than ever, and their efforts still weren't enough. They had slowly moved closer together, the dead forcing them to move back as they lost ground.

"Clear the room!" Hendricks shouted. It was the first time I had paid attention to which of the guard members were in the room with us.

"Your men go first!" Ethan yelled back at him over the loud sound of gunfire.

With a wave of his hand, the vanguard ran back to the windows they had come through and disappeared through them just as quickly as they had arrived.

"Abby let's go!" Hendricks yelled at me as he stood next to the window and waited.

I turned to run toward him but was stopped.

"She's with me." Ethan told him. Then swept me up in his arms.

Sylis and Seivor circled around us as we went to the window and jumped out.

Once we were on the ground there was no time to do anything but run.

The vanguard and VIGS entered Honor on foot as to not alert Pike, the revenant and the dead of their arrival, so they parked away from the town.

"I can run if you put me down." I told Ethan as the group of us headed in what I assumed was the direction toward the waiting vehicles.

"Not with that arm." He told me without missing a breath. "Your balance is off. You'd just end up falling. I've got you." He said and then tightened his hold around me, bringing me closer to his chest.

"We're almost there, start the engines." Hendricks said next to me into the radio at his chest.

"Is everything in place?" Ethan asked him.

"Yes." He said. "As soon as we are on the bus Grady will hit the detonator. If they do their job, there will be nothing left of Honor but a steaming pile of rubble."

There wasn't much left of Honor anyway, but I couldn't help but look back on the small town and feel the sad swell of loss at what once was.

When we reached the convoy everyone went to their assigned vehicles and loaded up.

"Abby!" Zack ran up to Ethan and me as Hendricks opened the back of the bus for us to get in. "Oh, thank fu..."

"Zack!" Hendricks yelled at him. Where's Grady?!"

"Here!"

"There." Zack pointed.

"Are you ready?" Hendricks asked him.

"Yes sir." Grady said with a smile on his face. He loved when he was able to use his remote detonation devices. Actually, I think he just loved to blow stuff up.

"Then get to it son!" Hendricks hollered at him and clapped him loudly on the back.

Ethan turned us sideways and walked us up the few stairs and into the bus, Zack followed behind us.

Several clicks and beeps went off on Grady's panel, and then he too was on the bus followed by Hendricks, and before the door was closed, we had driven away, taking up the rear of the convoy out of Honor one last time.

Several muted explosions could be heard from around the town, followed by louder and bigger booms. Like domino's, once the first ones went off, the others followed in line, one after the other until the town was one loud echo of a bomb, filling the sky with fire and light, and dust plumes of gray.

The stain that Honor had become on the earth was being washed away by the cleansing fires. As it raged on I imagined all the pain and sadness that happened there being wiped clean.

"Nice job man." Zack said as he fist bumped Grady.

"They all worked this time." He said looking back on the town, a huge smile across his face.

"That's good." Hendricks said. "That's real good. Small victories in a large war, are still victories."

We knew it wasn't over as we drove away. Pike was still out there. But his army was gone, at least for now, and that was something.

* * *

"Do you want me to set your arm before you shower or after?" Brooks asked me once we were in the decon zone in Thompson Falls.

Hendricks, Zack and Ethan had been fawning over me the entire ride home and now that we were back, I had my mother to deal with too.

"Maybe you should shower first Abby." She said. "Then we could give you something to put you to sleep and fix up your arm without you feeling a thing."

"I don't want to be unaware of anything for a while mom." I told her.

"But you've already been through so much."

"I'm alright." I told her for the hundredth time. "Really."

"She has a point Abs." Zack said sitting on one of the rolling stools as he leaned with an elbow on a bed. "It's going to hurt like a bi..."

"Zack." Hendricks interrupted him. "Shut the hell up."

"Let's just set the arm first." I told Brooks. The anticipation was nearly as bad as I knew the pain was going to be. "That way if I pee my pants I won't have to take another shower."

"This isn't funny Abby!" My mother snapped at me.

"I'm not joking mom." I told her as I settled in and focused on the ceiling.

"Maybe we should clear the room, give Abby some privacy." Brooks said to the four of them. He must have thought it possible on some level I would wet the bed.

"It's fine." I looked over at him. I knew my mother wasn't going anywhere, and she would want Hendricks for support. Zack wasn't leaving, he made that clear when he sat down and got comfortable. He also announced it to the room.

And Ethan hadn't left my side since he picked me up in the abandoned building in Honor.

"Okay." Brooks smiled down at me, put a rubber strap between my teeth and then reached for my limp arm. It was still tucked into the waist of my jeans, where I left it the whole way home instead of just dealing with it.

As soon as he pulled at my hand to move my arm, I knew I was in for a treat. With my free hand, I grabbed the padded mattress in a tight grip, closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. Ethan said nothing but placed his hand on top of mine for support.

"Ready." Brooks said.

I nodded.

"On the count of three." He said. "One, Two..." POP! He shoved my arm back in the socket with a hefty jerk and a grunt.

"SONOFAMOTHERFORKINGBISCUITEATER!" I yelled out in pain. I pulled my hand from Ethan and grabbed my shoulder. "Mother of pearl that hurt!" I complained as I shoved my feet into the bed. I focused on my breathing and took deep, even breaths as I waited for the shock to subside.

I could hear snickering around me, but I ignored them as I rocked back and forth and caught my breath.

"You'll need to wear a sling for a couple months. "Brooks told me while trying to hide the humor in his voice and sound professional.

"A couple of months?!" I squawked and opened my eyes to look at him.

"Twelve to sixteen weeks. And that's if there aren't complications and you have no fractures." He told me, serious now.

"Well this is bullshit." I said a little annoyed now. Pouting was more like it.

"Actually," Ethan smiled down at me. "You may only need to wear it for a couple of days. Any complications or fractures will heal quickly in that time. You still have my blood in your system." He said.

"That's right." Brooks nodded in agreement with him and then looked back at me. "I forgot about that. A couple of days then. Just to be sure."

'That's better." I said with relief. "I can do that!" I smiled and rested my good arm across my brow. I really was relieved. I broke my leg when I was younger, and it was the worst ten weeks of my childhood. Being laid up and immobile for someone like me is like a prison sentence.

Once I was sure I could move after my arm was set in place, my mom helped me to the shower room where she cut off my shirt and bra, undressed me and helped me into the shower. While in there she looked me over to make sure I had no bites or scratches. Then helped me into fresh clothes before taking me further into the medical bay so I could take the blood test.

When that came back negative, and once everyone else was cleared to leave the decon-zone, we all went back to the O to get something to eat. The place was dark and locked up but inside we found leftovers in the refrigerator that were easy to warm up.

"We'll be staying here tonight." Hendricks told me once we were all finished eating. "And for the foreseeable future."

I didn't respond. Instead I just nodded as I pushed the few sliced carrots around on my plate.

"As much as I love the smell of pancakes in the morning..." Zack said as he stood to clear the table. "I'll be staying home." He told me and then looked at Ethan. "You've got these guys and Hendricks here with you, you'll be safe." He smiled before taking the plates to the kitchen.

"You're all staying then?" I asked quietly still looking down at my full plate.

"Yes, and we'll be bringing more VIGS to join us to protect and train the town. I don't want to take any chances with them out there." He said and then looked at Hendricks.

"Them." I said deadpan. Looking up.

Ethan, Hendricks and my mother looked at each other and then looked at me.

"You mean Pike and my father." I stated.

Dishes crashed to the floor and Zack burst through the double swinging doors.

"What?" He demanded.

"Did you know too?" I looked away from my mother's surprised eyes and to Zack's face.

"Know what?" He snapped. I could tell by his demeanor he did not understand what I was talking about but was already amped up at the mention of my father.

"That Bram was a vampire." I stated matter-of-factly, using his first name.

That caught Zack off guard. He had nothing to say and instead looked in question to my mother.

"Abby..." She said, her voice breaking on the word.

"Did you know?" I questioned Hendricks.

"Yes." He said not bothering to deny it.

I felt my eyes swim with tears.

"And you obviously knew since you called him by name." I turned in rage toward Ethan.

"Abby..." He said as he reached out to me.

Jerking my hand away from him I stood up and went to stand by Zack, who was still in shock but clearly getting angry himself.

"You lied to me." My breath hitched on the words.

"Abby..." My mother said again, this time standing from the seat she was in.

I cleared my throat. "You two knew each other?" I said looking between her and Ethan.

"Yes." She said quietly. "But it..."

"How?" I interrupted her. "How do you know each other?"

She looked to Ethan after a moment and he looked at her before standing from the table too.

"Maybe this can wait after everyone has had some rest." Hendricks stood and spoke before Ethan could say anything.

"Hell no." Zack said. "I want to know what's going on and I want to know now." His voice was calm, but he was clearly angry.

"Zack." Hendricks said.

"Not this time Hendricks." Zack held his ground.

Zack was staring down Ethan and Ethan gave him a sideways glance before looking back to me.

"How." I demanded.

"I turned him." Ethan said without hesitation.

I lost my breath as an invisible fist punched into my gut.

My mind swam as things clicked and fell into place.

"When?" I said through panting breath as hot tears streamed down my face.

"Before you were born." He told me, never taking his eyes off mine.

"Then he isn't..." I said as I turned to look at my mother.

"He is your father." She cut me off before I could finish the sentence.

"She's not a vampire!" Zack yelled. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"It can happen, and it does make sense if you understand vampire biology." Ethan seethed at him. "Bram was human. I turned him. Half-breed children can take after either parent."

"Half-breed?" I repeated the word.

"Abby, I didn't mean it like that." Ethan said as he stepped toward me.

"Don't!" I put up a hand toward him. "Don't come near me."

Even though pain rippled through my chest from the truth and lies revealed, anger made my voice strong. "You knew who I was." I stated, my back straightening.

Ethan clenched his teeth and swallowed hard before answering me. "Yes."

"In Honor when we met."

Hesitation. "Yes."

Another wave of shock punched through my chest as he said the word.

"But not immediately." He defended himself. "And I wasn't sure until we arrived here at Thompson Falls and I saw Olivia."

"That's why you two would fight." I stated again, remembering the argument I walked in on. "And why you two acted so hostile toward each other." I said looking at Hendricks.

He didn't say anything, instead he looked away from me and back toward my mother who was now crying her own river of tears.

"I wanted to tell you." Ethan said as I continued to stare at my mother.

"I was only trying to protect you." She choked.

"From what?!" I yelled.

She just shook her head, refusing to say anything further.

"You told me he was dead!" I yelled at her.

"I thought he was." Her words were barely audible now.

"You knew it was him." Zack stated. "Didn't you?"

I turned to look up at him, confused by his question. "What?"

"The revenant." He said looking down at me with big eyes before turning back to the three of them. "You knew it was him and you didn't say anything."

I turned with him to look back at them. They each looked at each other. And didn't say a word in their defense.

I grabbed on to Zack's arm for support. "You knew?" I said as I swayed on my feet.

"We didn't think..." Ethan said.

"That we would find out." Zack said to him through clenched teeth as he took the arm I was holding on to and wrapped it around me.

"He tried to kill me!" I cried.

I felt sick.

"Abby." Ethan said, his voice full of concern as he stepped forward again.

"I said don't come near me!" I yelled pulling myself closer to Zack while stepping back from Ethan. "You used me!" I hollered.

"No!" He asserted. "I never used you!" His voice was as loud as it was firm. "I would never do that!"

"Liar!" I snapped back.

The reaction on his face was as if the words themselves slapped him. Ethan was a vampire of integrity. Being a liar was a stain on his character. A contradiction to who he was.

"It's not his fault." Olivia spoke up in his defense. "I told him too."

"You're right, it's not just his fault." I looked away from Ethan's face. "It's yours too." I said to her. "And yours" I told Hendricks. "You both lied to me."

"To protect you." Hendricks said.

"Protect me?!" I yelled. "He tried to kill me!" My breath hitched. "Twice." I said, the word barely audible.

"My father tried to kill me twice." I said as my voice trembled with pain. "And you knew it was him the entire time."

"Abby..."

"No." I said wiping at my face. "I'm done."

I straightened my back and headed for the door. "I'm done with all of you."

Epilogue

"I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you." ― Friedrich Nietzsche

"I'm taking baby out for a spin. I can drop you off instead of you walking today?" Zack said from his tiny kitchen just before downing the rest of the chocolatey protein shake in his glass.

"That'd be great." I grunted at him from my bent over position on the couch as I tied my shoes.

I had just gotten back the night before last after being out on rotation for the last two weeks and I was going back to the O this morning to help with breakfast. My team had done a supply run and hit the jackpot finding an old company warehouse full of breakfast related foods. Gigi took full advantage of it and put out the word there would be a huge assortment of muffins, scones, pancakes, waffles, biscuits and gravy with eggs. The last time she put on a huge feast like this at the O we could barely keep up and had to ask some diners to help serve other people when they were done eating.

Needless to say, I expected it to be crazy and wanted to get there early. "I'm ready when you are!" I stood up once my shoes were tied.

The summer months were long and hot here in Thompson Falls and even though it was still early morning, it was already bright and warm.

"Ooh it's going to be hot today." Zack said rolling down his window.

The cool breeze through the windows as we drove disguised the temperature steadily rising. "I probably should have worn shorts." I second guessed myself as I looked down at my jeans.

"You can change at the O."

"If there's anything left." I said looking out the window. Most of my things were at Zack's place now.

"I'm sure you can find something." He said turning into the O parking lot and going to his designated space.

"Are you staying for breakfast?" I asked turning to look at him.

"Yeah right." He looked at me with a goofy grin. "I just had that huge shake."

"That's never stopped you before." I reached over and patted him on the stomach.

"Hey!" He said and then grabbed my arm and tickled my side.

"Stop it!" I laughed and kicked my feet as I tried to scoot away.

"You started it!" He reached for me again. I was quick this time and could get out of the door before he could reach me.

"You started it!" I said back to him in a mocking tone.

"Real mature Abby." He laughed and rolled his eyes.

The smile dropped from his face when he looked over my shoulder and then quickly got out of the car himself. I could only guess what made him instantly so cross and confirmed my suspicion as I looked behind me.

Standing on the porch at the entrance door of the O was Ethan. And he was staring at both of us.

"On second thought." Zack reached in through the open window and turned the ignition to shut off the car. "I think I will stay for breakfast."

"He'll leave." I said shutting the car door and looking back to Zack.

"Who?" He said dismissing Ethan as if he weren't there. "I'm just hungry is all." He said as he sauntered around the car, twirling the keys around his finger.

I smiled up at him as he threw his arm over my shoulders and we walked in the building.

It had been just over two months since I found out about my father and all the lying. Since that night, I have been staying with Zack at his place. I didn't want to be around Ethan, my mother or Hendricks and since they had all vowed to stay at the O after Paige was killed there, I couldn't stay there myself. Or at least I didn't want too anyway.

The first two weeks I stayed away. I didn't want to see or speak to any of them. I was still too hurt and angry. After two weeks though I went back to work. I wasn't the one that should be staying away, I had nothing to be sorry for. And I missed my regular routine.

I still haven't spoken to any of them, other than acknowledgments or short answers to questions. I understand the need and want to protect someone, but I'm not just anyone, I'm a very capable, self-reliant member of the vanguard. And, apparently, half-vampire. Not that that meant anything. What did they think they were accomplishing by lying and hiding the truth? I'm not a little girl and I certainly wouldn't have run after my not-so-dead father in a fit of daddy issues.

Zack has been my leaning post, taking my side completely. He feels betrayed too. It was information that they kept to themselves.

"Good morning Abby." Ethan said once we were on the porch after climbing the stairs.

"Ethan." I nodded my head once in his direction. Refusing to look at him. I feared that if I looked at him, into his eyes, I might be swayed to listen. And I wasn't ready for that yet. If ever.

"Kick rocks bloodsucker." Zack said to him, moving around my back and putting himself in the middle of the three of us.

Ethan and Zack would often exchange words with each other, never pleasantly, and I never stuck around for it.

Reaching out for the door Ethan ignored Zack and addressed me further, something he rarely did. "We have news."

The three words stopped my step and froze my hand on the door knob.

They had new information about Pike and the revenant, my father, Bram. I was instantly curious and wanted to know more, but I also knew this was exactly what Ethan wanted, and I would not play that game.

"If that's true." I said without looking at him and implying that nothing he said could be trusted anymore. "Then I will hear it from my team leader and only if I need too if it concerns me."

And then I turned the knob to the door, opened it and walked away.

REVENANT **Publisher:** **R.Valentine,** Smashwords, Inc.

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© 2016 R. Valentine

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Cover by R. Valentine.

Smashwords Ebook ISBN: 9781370391264

