The Dead War Series (Book 2): Desperate Times (3 page)

“Oh, that's great!” Vincent sighed again. “What's in St. Louis?”

“A safe location.”

Vincent shook his head as he released his grip on Sarah. He leaned forward, hands before him as he attempted to reason with the Whatever-The-Hell-He-Was in front of him. “Listen, we need to get all of that material to the CDC in Atlanta so that I can figure out a cure. I need their labs and equipment to make that happen.”

Cassian couldn't let that happen. He needed to get to the doctor and take him where he would be under his protection. “I assure you, you will have everything that you need in St. Louis.”

“What about those soldiers?”

“On their way to St. Louis. The rest, as you know are either dead or one of those things,” Cassian said. He turned toward Maj. Garrett, mentally releasing his hold over him.

“How in the fuck did you do that?” Maj. Garrett spat out the moment his voice was free.

“Something tells me I'm going to regret giving you the ability to speak,” Cassian commented as he arched a brow at the soldier.

Maj. Garrett sat back further into the seat, studying the man before him. He didn't have the slightest idea what he was. Regular humans couldn't take away a person’s free will. “Cassian, is it? Cassian Aetius? You want to tell me why you're getting yourself involved and what do you want with us and my team?” He made sure to keep his voice steady, but stern as he attempted to regain some control of the situation. The fact that Cassian was skillfully avoiding answering their most dire questions didn't escape his notice.

Cassian's lips quirked up at the tips. “You know my name, Maj. Gregory Garrett. Your intel is most reliable.” Again, he didn't answer the question presented.

Maj. Garrett huffed, his nostrils flaring slightly. He wasn't planning on letting him off that easily. “It is. Now, my men, what do you want with them and why have you interfered with this mission?”

“They are
my
men, now, as you are and because you need me.” It was all Cassian was willing to say.

“I'm going to ask you one more time, what do you want with us?” Maj. Garrett stared coldly into the Cassian's vibrant blue eyes.

Cassian smirked. “Look out below you, Major. Do you see what awaits humanity?”

Both Vincent and Maj. Garrett looked out of the windows. The carnage was indescribable. People were being attacked, devoured and many rising as those things. The highways and streets were flooded with the monsters nightmares were made out of.

“This epidemic, if you will, is spreading faster than you can contain it. As a matter of fact, you can't contain it, but you don't want to let the public know of this failure,” Cassian said. “Instead, you delude yourselves into thinking you have a plan, following protocols that have caused more damage and loss of life.”

“What do you propose?” Maj. Garrett asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“I propose you follow my orders and cease your line of questioning. When it becomes relevant that you know something, I will tell you.”

“The government isn't going to allow you to get away with this scheme of yours,” Maj. Garrett threatened.

“I'm betting the government as you know it will cease to exist by the end of the week. You know that I'm right. He knows it as well.” Cassian gestured to Dr. Powers.

“What do you mean?” Vincent asked.

Cassian looked at Dr. Powers, releasing his mental hold over him. “Tell him.”

Dr. Powers cleared his throat as he gave Cassian a cautious glance.

Cassian nodded at him. “Go on.”

After exchanging glances from Cassian to Vincent, Dr. Powers decided to do what the strange man who could rip doors off of helicopters while thousands of feet in the air, told him to do. “For the past half hour, reports have been coming in from various states citing outbreaks.”

“Which states?” Vincent pressed.

“New York, Philadelphia, Kentucky and Missouri.”

“Jesus Christ!” Vincent gasped.

“They've already begun firebombing several cities, but the epidemic is still spreading. Millions have become infected by our calculations,” Dr. Powers added. “The good news is, fire does seem to have an effect on them from the updates we've been receiving, but they have to be burned to ash. If the body is still whole, those things can survive fire, which is kind of both good and bad news. The more alarming bad news is; there's too many of them out there to make a difference. We can't possible set fire to every inch of this country and we can't keep up with how fast this epidemic is spreading.”

“So you see, the human race is standing at the brink of extinction. I want to make sure that doesn't happen,” Cassian said.

“So you're like what? The good guy?” Maj. Garrett remarked. “You have our best interest in mind?”

Cassian smirked at the soldier's abhorrent sarcasm. The man had no idea how beneath him he was and as far as the Master vampire was concerned, the soldier was far too arrogant and stupid to learn his place. Instead of ripping the Major's heart out which all of his instincts practically screamed at him to do, he opted for answering the soldier's questions instead.

“On the contrary. I have
our
best interests in mind. We have to make sure the human race survives this demise of your own making.” Cassian turned toward Vincent. “Tell me, Doctor. What were you crafting in that little lab of yours?”

“A super serum for the military. They wanted the perfect soldiers. Faster, stronger, agile, smarter and more resilient to injuries and illnesses,” Vincent replied.

“What gave them the idea that they could create this serum?” Cassian inquired.

“I'm sure they've been trying to create super-soldiers for decades. Whatever that red liquid was that they gave us, I'm guessing that's what made them think it was finally possible.”

“Red liquid?” Cassian's eyebrows rose, showing his curiosity.

“It resembled blood in many ways. Much of it, I can't fully explain nor do I really understand. All I know is, after nearly six months, we had succeeded. Dr. Philip Pierce, my colleague, found the missing link. When we tried to heal one of our dying subjects, it all backfired.”

“Is Dr. Pierce alive now?” Cassian asked.

Vincent's eyes grew sad at the last memory he had of Philip: Dead, pathetic and crawling along the floor looking for human victims. The memory etched itself inside his mind and would no doubt leave him with nightmares for the rest of his life. “No. He was the second victim and the soldiers put him to final rest back at SciTech Labs.”

“So, you are the sole survivor. This makes you a very important person.” Cassian studied Vincent, his eyes traveling from head to toe, assessing the doctor. He scanned the human's mind of his most recent thoughts. “Most people accept the praise, but not the criticism. They are more than willing to take in the accolades, but are quick to place the blame elsewhere. I admire you... to an extent... for accepting your part in what is happening.” Cassian shifted his position, making himself a bit more comfortable in his seat. His cold, blue eyes never left Vincent. He exhaled. “So tell me, how does it feel knowing you are at least, partly responsible, for what looked like the end of the world?”

“I never wanted this to happen.” Vincent's voice was strained as he struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to erupt.

“Of course you didn't,” Cassian patronized.

“I really wanted to help mankind,” Vincent added in his defense.

Cassian made an offhanded gesture. “I've already scanned your mind, Mr. Masterson and heard your pity speeches. I was looking for a straight forward answer.”

Vincent stared at the thing before him. He was pretty sure Cassian wasn't human, he just didn't know what the hell he was.

“I'm waiting.” Cassian's arched both brows.

Vincent swiped the back of his hand along his forehead to clear the layer of sweat that had gathered. He shifted in his seat and took hold of Sarah's hand, holding it closely to his chest. “The honest, straightforward truth?”

“If you would be so kind to oblige,” Cassian remarked.

“Like the lowest form of shit and there are moments, brief moments, where I want to die or disappear. I think the only reason why I haven't put a bullet in my head is because I feel like I can help. I
know
I can. And as long as I'm alive, there's a chance for me to redeem myself,” Vincent said.

Sarah turned to him, her eyes bulging at his reveal that he wanted to die, however fleeting the drive was to commit suicide was, it still unnerved her. She knew how Vincent felt about what was happening, but she didn't know how deeply it was affecting his psyche. She wanted to say something to him, but whatever it was that Cassian had done to her prevented her from speaking. Her eyes drifted back to the man sitting across from them, who terrified her almost more than the zombies did. He was powerful and could do things to them that the zombies couldn't do and on top of it all, he was no mindless killing machine. He was calculating, intelligent and she couldn't shake the feeling that he was as ruthless as they come. She returned her gaze to Vincent and squeezed his hand reassuringly as she slipped her other arm around his waist, holding him closer.

Cassian noticed the intimacy between the two, how much the loved each other, but said nothing. His expression betrayed none of his emotions. He liked that the human scientists didn't try to insult his intelligence by lying. That wouldn't end well for them.

Vincent looked around at the others. Again he asked: “How are you doing this?  I mean, how are you controlling us?”

“In due time. For now, I would have silence. Sleep.” With that, Cassian placed the humans under his mental hold, rending them unconscious, save the pilot. He pulled out his cell phone, dialing his second in command, Sajan. When he didn't answer, he called his lieutenant, Chloe.

She answered immediately.

“Yes Master?”

“Cease your harvest of Chicago. It is doomed. For now, focus all of you attention on readying our stronghold,” Cassian ordered. “I'll be there shortly.”

“Very well, Master.”

He ended the call and sat back, gazing out of the window, frowning at the gruesome sight below. Not in all of his time of walking the earth had he been witnessed to such devastation. Such hopelessness. Anger began to rise inside and he took deep breaths to calm himself. The last thing he wanted to do was rip the young scientists’ head from his shoulders in a fit of rage. He studied the unconscious human in front of him, wondering if he'll be able to come up with a cure and how long would it take? He sat, thinking about other strategies as the helicopter continued its journey towards St. Louis.

***

Sajan landed on the rooftop of Costco for the fourth time on his round trip from Chicago to St. Louis. He had with him a doctor and a nurse, both were unconscious. Several of Ovidius' vampires guarded the rooftop, keeping an eye out. One of them bowed then opened the door so that he could take the humans inside.

“If you don't mind me asking, who are these two, sir?” Gavin asked. Being a lower level vampire, he had to show respect to his elders as was the custom.

“Found them hiding in a tree with several zombies clamoring for them. Both are from the medical field, so they will be of use to us,” Sajan replied, walking past the vampire and taking the stairs two at a time carrying both humans over his shoulders. He took the humans to the area where they were keeping the ones who would be 'of service' as Cassian ordained.

“I just got a call from Cassian,” Chloe said, approaching him. “He said to cease our harvest of Chicago. I guess they're planning on bombing the city now.”

“So that must have been him calling me earlier. I was in flight, couldn't answer,” Sajan said as he finger combed his dark, brown hair. He pulled out his cell phone and checked the
missed calls
log and snorted. “Yes, it was him.”

“I wish we could have brought more, I feel as though we'll need it, but we did what we could considering the horrible timing of this thing,” Chloe said.

Sajan shrugged. “Ovidius ordered his people to bring more humans here, as well. We're not done harvesting, it's just Chicago is off limits, plenty of people here.”

“I would think all of Illinois is doomed.”

“We have St. Louis for now. So, how are preparations going?” Sajan adjusted his shirt, tucking the ends back into his pants.

Chloe nodded. “For such a short notice, they are very organized.”

“He's a child of Cassian, did you expect him to be anything less?”

“No. We've tripled out human stock. Another good note being a lot of vampires from our territory have made it. I've put them to work, doubling our efforts here and around the city. Mobile homes have been brought in for our comfort and security.”

“The grounds look well-fortified.”

“For the most part. There's still some work to be done.”

“We have to work quickly then. I've already seen those things attacking humans at the border.”

“How far away were they?” Chloe asked, her voice going up an octave in her concern.

“I'd give it twenty minutes to a half hour at most before they come knocking on our doors.”