Assassins Bite (28 page)

Chapter Thirty

The Steel brainiacs had also designed a gadget to force the silver shards out of flesh. They called it a DRU, which I think stood for diamagnetic repulsion unit. I didn't understand how it worked, but when I held it against Aiden's breastbone, his whole ribcage vibrated and the shards came spewing out his back.

We did the same to Eloise, then stuffed her in a DTL semi surrounded by truckers armed with fangs, muscles and a whole lotta frustrated fight.

Aiden “replenished his fluids”, managed to heal most of his wounds, and after a quick shower and change of clothes, he put on his weapons vest and leather jacket and drove us to Linesville.

On the way I used his phone to call Milwaukee, Madison and Ric's human factotums. “Operation Black Eye is a go.”

As I spoke, I caught him watching me out of the corner of my eye. As soon as I hung up I said, “What?”

“Your hair.”

My new short cut. I barely kept myself from nervously fingering it. “I thought it was time for a change.”

He nodded. “Adult. Attractive. It suits you. I like it.” He paused. “I'm glad you moved on.”

It felt like he'd given me absolution. I swallowed tears of relief.

We set up on the outskirts of Linesville, well away from human habitation in a small abandoned cinder block building just west of a two-lane asphalt-and-gravel road. Possibly a park office once, the building was now bare except for a table and a couple battered metal chairs. We pulled a chair into the back corner and secured Eloise to it with the antivamp cuffs.

The big trucker named Elwood came in. “Intel spotted Nosferatu's forces on I-94 W, headed north.”

Aiden thumbed in a text. I read over his shoulder,
Found Eloise. Come get her.
He pushed send. “Nosy's headed here now. Do we have a landing time for our troops?”

“Nosy.” Elwood stifled a snort. “Milwaukee's ten minutes out. Madison is fifteen. I haven't heard from Minneapolis.”

“Thanks.” As Elwood left, Aiden shook his head. “Damn. Nosferatu will be here within the hour, and we don't know when Ric's forces will arrive.”

“Your forces,” I said. “Not Ric's.”

“They owe allegiance to Ric.”

I put a hand on Aiden's arm. “Tonight they're following you.” When he would have objected I said, “You're a tremendously talented warrior who brought them together. You've more than earned the right to lead them.”

“Right doesn't give me experience.” He looked away. “Or the sheer charisma I need to make them follow gladly.”

“Elwood and the others would disagree.” I pointed at the truck, parked to obstruct the road. “They're happy to have you lead them.”

He jerked an irritated shrug. “That's friendship. And before you say it, yes, I've made a few friends. But I'm no leader—”

“Aiden, enough. I understand, I really do.” I put a hand on his sleeve, gently, because frankly, I didn't know where all his explosives were. “You don't want anyone to get hurt because of your choices. But you're going to have to suck it up and be confident, because this isn't about you. It's for
their
benefit.”

His eyes cut toward me, listening.

“You want them to fight their best, right? Confidently? They need to have full confidence in their leader. That's you. There isn't anyone else, not at this late date. But to believe in you, first you
must
believe in yourself.” I paused for emphasis. “
I
believe in you.”

“Thanks.” He sighed and looked away. “It was easier alone.”

“Maybe. You're wise and strong. You certainly don't
need
other people. But you have more choices
with
them.”

“I really hate it when you're right.” He gave me a wry smile.

“This is why you only had one friend before. They're too annoying.”

A smile curled his lips. “For you, I'll suffer.” His hand found mine. We held hands and watched for Nosferatu together.

Elwood returned some time later, carrying some SMAWs and wearing a grin. “Madison's got access to National Guard weapons. Brought you a couple.”

“Nice. Thanks.” Aiden pointed to the table in front of the south window. “Put one there and distribute the rest evenly. News?”

“Nosferatu's convoy has been sighted twenty minutes away. Milwaukee and Madison are here. Where do you want the troops, Chief?”

Chief.
That made me smile. “Told you so.”

Aiden gave me such a look. But he stood straighter when he said, “Gather them in front of the bridge. I'll speak to them before Nosferatu arrives.”

Aiden stood on the brown grass in front of the small building. Dead grass, but he could feel the new sprouts curling under the soil through his feet. Spring was coming. He had to believe there was hope for his forces too. For him.

He'd once said to Ric it would be a relief to finally fight Nosferatu head-on. For himself, he was glad. Too bad this wasn't about just him and Ric anymore.

But Sunny was right, as she usually was. While not easier, this way was ultimately better.

He looked over the amassed troops, trying to slow his heart rate. He had exquisite control over his body and could regulate everything from temperature to chemical balance, but in this case he only managed to slow his respiration from hummingbird to Chihuahua.

Then Sunny stepped up beside him. Her warmth ate through the last vestiges of nerves. He looked out at Milwaukee's and Madison's troops—

No.
His
troops. Time to let them know it.

He lifted Sunny in his arms and leaped onto the building's flat roof. It was a cloudy night but Elwood helpfully lit emergency flares and set them on the roof's edge, so even the humans could see. With Sunny securely at his side, he faced his troops and pitched his voice to carry to the back of the crowd.

“Today we face an enemy. One of our own kind, yet coming unlawfully into
our
territory. Coming, not with peace in his heart, but with
war
.

“This enemy must have
no doubt
that we are bringing his rightful destruction.

“It is always a big step to take another's life, and not to be done lightly. If any surrender, let them go. But those who want a fight, well, as British Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins said, we aim to please.

“This enemy would crush us all under his will. We must not let that happen. We do this, not for ourselves, but for our kin and households, so they will live free from oppression. We must win. We
will
win. We have
already
won in our hearts and minds.

“Go out and make it history.”

Silence. All eyes on him.

He swallowed dry fear.

Then Sunny cried, “Blackthorne!”

Elwood, Kitty and the truckers echoed, “Blackthorne!” The cheer swept through the troops. “Blackthorne! Blackthorne!”

Aiden let them shout until he saw the specks of Nosferatu's approaching convoy. He raised his fist in victory then swept Sunny into his arms and leaped down. After setting her on her feet, he strode briskly to where Elwood waited. “Nosferatu is here. Douse the flares and turn on the truck's headlights to blind his troops. Deploy Milwaukee on our east flank, Madison on our west. Damn it, where's Minneapolis? When they get here, tell them to take the middle.”

“Smart,” Sunny said as the trucker went to relay the commands. “Each protecting his or her home direction. They'll fight harder.”

She understood. He draped his arm around her. “Let's go back inside.”

“Shouldn't you stay with the troops?”

“I need to be able to radio commands without shouting.”

Inside, Eloise spat at them. They ignored her to stand in front of the south window, with its clear view of the bridge.

That bridge was key.

Trucks appeared on the horizon, a hilltop crest about a half-mile away. Aiden extracted a pair of field glasses from his jacket and raised them to his eyes. “He's here.”

“How many?” Sunny craned her neck beside him, then snatched the glasses from him. “Five…ten…that looks like a couple dozen. Holding maybe fifty each, Nosferatu could easily have his thousand troops, or more.”

The glasses fell from her hands. He caught them midair. He could smell her worried perspiration break out and sympathized—their troops were a third Nosferatu's number, and not all of Aiden's were vampires. He put a gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulder. “The key to fighting a larger force is establishing local superiority. See that?” He pointed out the window and swept his finger along the river.

“How does a river stop hundreds of vampires?”

“It doesn't. But it does funnel them. To get to us, Nosferatu has to cross the river, but the only viable way is the bridge, and that's blocked by the truck. Like pouring sand into an hourglass, only a few grains get through at a time. All his numbers will narrow down to a thread.”

“Can't they just ford the river?”

“They're vampires. Running water distracts and slows them, and the steep slope makes it a death trap. Like shooting fish in a barrel for us. So they'll use the choked bridge, and we'll only fight a few dozen at a time, at least to start.”

She gave him a tremulous smile. “Good.”

Sure enough, the enemy transports stopped on the south side of the bridge. Aiden relaxed marginally. Even good theory was only that until the choices were actually made.

It took a while for the trucks to gather. The Lestats spilled out of the transports, undisciplined, but they made up for it by spreading across the land. He had to admit, the numbers were impressive. Probably closer to the two thousand mark.

Nosferatu's open car stopped at the head of the bridge. The old vampire sat in the back seat like a general, straight and confident.

Sunny grabbed the field glasses again. “Smug bastard.” She tossed the glasses onto the table and snatched up Madison's SMAW. “Let me out there. I'll shoot the bastard and that'll be the end of it.”

“Satisfying, but his lieutenants would simply take him home to heal and we'd have to do this again.”

“Phooey.” She set the SMAW back with a reluctance he found endearing. “What's the plan?”

“We hand him defeat—and rub his nose in it.” Now that the battle was underway Aiden's nerves had disappeared. He picked up his field radio. “Report ready.”

The radio crackled. “Lake Team ready.” Milwaukee.

“Capitol Team ready.” Madison.

“Hold,” Aiden said into his comm.

Nosferatu stood—and pointed at their building.

The enemy mob swarmed the bridge, the two lanes forcing them into a narrow phalanx.

“Now!”

Madison, in a black jumpsuit, led vampires and humans flooding around the sides of the tractor-trailer. Using it for cover, Aiden's troops shot light artillery into the oncoming vampires.

Masses fell in a single volley.

More Lestats climbed over the fallen, like a blanket of ants. They tried to fire back but Nosferatu's stinginess hadn't changed since the 1800s. Aiden's intel said the average Lestat had to supply his own weapons and binoculars confirmed that only Nosferatu's personal guard carried heavy armaments.

Sunny pumped air. “Yeah. We've got them now.”

“For a while, at any rate.” He rubbed her arm, keeping his gaze riveted to the battle.

“What do you mean? The bad vamps are falling like snow.”

“And like snow, they're piling up. There. See?”

The heaped bodies became a bulwark. Now Nosferatu's Lestats had cover too. They gained ground until they spilled past the truck, first a few at a time, then by the dozen.

Nosferatu gestured at the truck, roaring, “Get that thing out of the way!”

“Capitol Team—fall back,” Aiden said into his comm. “Terrace maneuver.”

Sunny said, “But won't that leave the truck vulnerable?”

“It has served its purpose.”

The troops fell back into a predetermined formation on the west side of the road, four lines girdling the slight incline, prone, kneeling, short humans, tall vampires. Aiden waited until Nosferatu's troops pounded toward the building. “Capitol Team commence firing!”

Madison relayed the order. Each row fired over the heads of the line in front of them. Death blew into the oncoming mob like a vicious hail storm, a steady whoosh of arrows and rat-a-tat of bullets punctuated by the
toohmp
of grenade launchers. Another quarter of Nosferatu's troops fell.

But Nosferatu still had nearly a thousand troops while Aiden had just shy of five hundred on the field. Timing his next move was critical. He focused his entire being through the field glasses, ready to pounce at the exact right instant.

He was only aware Eloise had gotten loose when Sunny started choking. “A-Aid…”

He spun. The comm dropped from his hand. Impressions crowded on him, thick and fast.

Eloise, bloody fangs tearing into Sunny's throat.

Sunny's fist jammed to Eloise's side.

A blond man next to Eloise's vacant chair, blowing into mist and escaping under the door.

The spit of electricity from Sunny's fist, the Viper biting into Eloise. The stink of singed cloth and flesh.

Sunny and Eloise falling. Sunny bleeding. Eloise twitching. Sunny's pale luminous face.

He misted to his knees, snapping solid with his tongue already stemming the flow of Sunny's blood, pressure and saliva to heal her wound. The bite was in front, away from major blood vessels. He breathed a prayer of thanks.

The instant the cartilage of her windpipe closed she rasped, “Cuff her.”

Aiden stifled a laugh of relief and snatched the comm from the floor. “Elwood, assist.” The door banged open and Eloise's twitching body disappeared. Aiden licked until Sunny's flesh was completely knit.