After the Fall (39 page)

“They were all full green when I got them.”

“The hell they were! There’s no way. Look, they’re all dead.”

“I don’t know how old these batteries are. It’s not like anybody’s making batteries anymore.”

“All right, enough! I don’t wanna hear another word about it. Just guard the damn cage.”

Rayna, who had managed to catch a nap, woke up at the end of the argument. She jumped up and looked at the stalking ghouls. When the memories came back, so did the hatred. She was no longer afraid for her life, not when she was too busy meditating on my destruction. If thoughts could kill, I would have disintegrated on the spot.

“What the hell’s taking this guy?” asked the leader. “I’m gonna get me a cigarette. Y’all hold it down.”

“We got it,” replied the one named Colin, who seemed a little disappointed that he could not join him.

“Why is he going over there? He could light up here. It’s not like zombies get lung cancer.”

The truth was, their leader stepped away because he needed an excuse to take a break from the banging and groaning. I can’t say I blamed him much for that.

“Screw this,” Colin said, pulling out a cigarillo and lighting up.

All twelve of the zombies rushed over to the light. They seemed more fascinated by the light than the man itself. A funny comparison came to me. They were like moths. Ugly, nasty, flesh-eating moths that liked pretty lights.

Colin was immersed in the pleasure of his cigar when I heard a cracking sound. It snapped him right out of his blissful state. He panicked and pointed the submachine gun at the plexiglas. I don’t know if it went off on its own or if he fired. The end result was the same. The whole dozen of them pushed into the plexiglas, undeterred by the bullets punching holes through them. Cracks began to spread until they covered the whole pane and it exploded outward, spilling a pile of zombies all over Colin. The other four rushed over to help. This was the opening I needed.

I hit the one closest to me so hard I felt his neck bones snap. His last dying act was to fire his shotgun. I made sure it was aimed at his companion’s chest. The other two didn’t even have the time to register what just happened before I rushed behind their backs and did the same to them. Colin was still on the ground screaming while the ghouls feasted on his flesh. Some of them split off and started to feed on the others.

I didn’t get much time to enjoy the grim view. A bullet whizzed by me and I realized that the fearless leader had returned. The shot caused two of the zombies to chase him. He panicked and started taking wild shots at them. I picked up one of the rifles and fired at him. Most of the rounds found their mark. He fell to the ground and was overtaken. Now there were two screaming men in the street.

“Come on!” I said to Rayna. “Let’s go, while they’re busy.”

She jerked her hand away. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“We’re as good as dead if we stay here.”

“And who got me put in that cage in the first place?”

“Just come on. We’ll talk this out somewhere else.”

“I’m not going with you.”

I grabbed her arm and dragged her.

“Let me go! I told you I’m not going with you.” She was pulling her arm away, but her efforts were halfhearted at best. We disappeared into the side streets, leaving behind the screaming men. Two trucks with flashing lights approached and we hid. I had a good idea where they were headed.

We rushed over to the apartment and gathered a few supplies. She sliced a blood bag open and almost inhaled its contents. A few more perished in the same manner. Since it might be a while before the next meal, I joined her.

After filling up on blood and supplies, we snuck out through the fire exit. There were no death squads marching up the stairs just yet. They seemed to be busy with the commotion at the plaza. When we were back at the street, Rayna broke free of my grip and went the other way.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Doesn’t matter. Anywhere you’re not going.”

“We can survive better together. I can help you.”

“You want to help me? Get their attention. Distract them long enough for me to get away.”

Despite her objections, I followed her through the empty streets. There was no one out there except for the emergency responders. Nothing works as well as a zombie threat to keep city dwellers locked up in their homes. We hid in the alleys when we saw the patrolling Armored Personnel Carriers, or APCs for short. They were painted black to represent Anathorn’s elite guard, part police, part military, all trouble. The elite troops were out. That meant the Queen must be getting worried.

Once I noticed where Rayna was headed, I seized her by the shoulder.

“You’re going to her house, aren’t you?”

“You’re a quick one.”

“That’s suicide. She’s bound to have an army of guards waiting.”

“So what?”

“You’ll be dead before you even get in the house.”

“Why are you worried, Mordecai? You’d get right in, being the Queen’s lover boy and all.”

“I’m not her…wait, that could actually work.”

“What, going back to her house so you can have a little slumber party?”

“That’s not true and you know it.”

“Do I? Because there’s a lot about you I don’t seem to know.”

“I had no idea they were recording the conversation, I swear to you.”

“You mean the Queen doesn’t tell you about all her secret operations?”

“I told you, I didn’t know. You have to believe me.”

“I don’t have to do squat except get as far away from you as I can.”

“I’m not letting you go in there.”

“Try and stop me.”

“I just might. There’s no way you can get in. The place will be crawling with guards.”

“There’s gotta be an opening somewhere. There’s passageways I don’t even think the Queen knows about.”

“And you would?”

“I could figure it out.”

I grabbed her wrist. “There’s somebody who might know. Let’s go pay him a visit.”

Lucretius

Lucretius’s mansion was a well-defended stronghold, as were all the council members’ homes. The complex took up a whole block of real estate. There were high brick walls topped with razor wire around the entire property. Those brave enough to reach them would have to contend with the platoons of soldiers and guard dogs patrolling the area.

“Eight-foot walls should be no problem. Now, assuming we can get across the open yard, past the guards and attack dogs, we should be fine, right?”

“Yeah,” Rayna replied. “A walk in the park, really.”

“How do you figure? You have some secret weapon I don’t know about?”

“No, but I used to do security for Lucretius. I know about weaknesses and secret passages even
he
doesn’t even realize exist.”

“You never cease to impress me.”

“Whatever.”

We scouted the perimeter. There were cameras placed at regular intervals on top of the wall. It would be easy enough to bypass those as long as we moved quickly. We hid behind a hedge by the sidewalk and wondered how we would proceed. Between the two of us, we had one rifle and what was left in the clip for ammunition. Compared to what the small army was carrying inside those walls, it was a recipe for suicide.

“We need some kind of distraction,” Rayna said.

There were some rustling and shuffling sounds. A dark figure approached us. I aimed the rifle at it. The thing turned out to be a zombie hobbling towards us. My index finger started to press the trigger when my heart nearly jumped out of my throat.

Another zombie came up behind us. Instead of attacking, it stood there, breath wheezing in and out of its lungs. Two more came up behind them and I was able to identify one of them. It was Dan, or at least the walking corpse that used to house Dan. I lowered my weapon.

“What are you doing?” asked Rayna.

“Look at them. They’re not attacking us,” I said.

Her jaw dropped. “Then what
are
they doing?”

“I don’t know, waiting for instructions, maybe?”

She gave me a dirty look. “
O-kay
. You four, go cause a diversion. Go on, shoo.” She waved them away, but they stayed put. “Go. Attack.”

“I don’t think they understand word commands.”

“No shit. What now?”

“I guess we’ll try to ignore them and go back to our plan.”

“Ignore them? They’re just standing out in the open. The cameras will spot them soon, if they haven’t already.”

“Okay, just hurry up. We’ll let them cause the diversion out here while we slip in.”

Rayna thought about it. “Okay. That might work.”

The four of them seemed to disapprove of her plan and walked away.

“Hey, where are you going?” I whispered, as if they would turn around and answer,
‘We’re just going to grab a quick bite and come back, Mordecai. Just sit tight.’

“Okay, so they’re gone. Let’s just do this. We’ll jump the fence and try to rush our way inside. We’re much faster than any of them.”

I gulped. “What the hell. Let’s do this.”

We jumped the fence and the alarm went off. At first I thought we tripped some sensor, but the guards started to rush out to the front of the property. There was a barrage of shots coming from that direction.

I added, “I think we have our diversion. Let’s go.”

We rushed through the wide open space without seeing one guard. The scenery was a blur around us. I started for the windows, but Rayna pulled me to the side of the house.

There was a door leading to the basement. It burst open and a squad of men ran out to secure the outside. We hid behind the open door and entered the house when they were gone. The door shut and locked behind us. We had snuck into the house, but I didn’t believe for a moment it could be this easy.

We walked through the basement level into the house. The blaring alarm seemed to announce our presence to all, but no one came. Rayna led the way to Lucretius’s study on the upper floor.

“You really think he’s in there?” I asked her.

“If not, at least that’s where the damn alarm panel is. We can make a little more fuss for them.”

“After you,” I said, motioning to the door. She huffed at me and entered the room.

The study was as empty as the rest of the house. I started to doubt if Lucretius was even here. The cold gun barrel I felt in the back of my head clarified that for me.

“Don’t move a muscle unless I tell you. You might be fast, but I’m faster,” Lucretius said to us. “Both of you, go on inside. Don’t even think about trying some hero stunt. These are fifty caliber hollow points. You won’t even have a head left after I press the trigger.”

My fists balled up in rage. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins, but it was of little use right now. He walked behind me, with the gun pressed so tight it felt like he was trying to ram it through my skull.

“You mind easing up on that thing?” I said.

“Just be grateful you can still feel this. Go sit down, Rayna. I’ll take that,” he said, yanking the rifle from my arms. He was quite strong, far stronger than me.

“So, what brings you two here?” he asked in a more relaxed tone.

“Oh, just thought we’d pay our old buddy a visit,” I said.

“Shut up,” he said, jamming the barrel into my head. “I’m asking her.” 

“I was coming to get answers out of you and kill you when I was finished.”

“Hmm. That sounds more like it.” He safetied the gun and threw me onto a nearby seat. I rammed into it like a rag doll. He walked over behind his desk and stowed his gun before taking a seat. He continued, “I don’t want to kill either of you. Just ask whatever you came to ask and go the way you came.”

“We need to get into the Queen’s mansion,” she said.

Lucretius chuckled. “Is that it? Girl, you never ask for something simple.”

“What do you mean?” Rayna asked.

“Never mind. I know you mean to kill the Queen. I agree. You have my blessing.”

“Because you want to take her place?”

“No, that’s not what I want,” he said. “Remember that mockery of a trial at the square?”

“No. Refresh me.”

“There was that recording the Queen played, the one where you say she’s an impostor.”

“The recording
someone
made,” she added, snapping her head in my direction.

“I didn’t make that,” I said. I might as well have been talking to the wall.

“Setting aside whatever quarrel you two have, you’re absolutely right, Rayna. The Queen is an impostor.”

“What? I swear to you that—wait, did you just agree with me?”

“That’s right. When our beloved Queen passed, I didn’t know what to do. I turned a mortal woman with Elder blood and had her surgically reconstructed. I really thought I was doing a good thing, but her
re-education
didn’t take too well. She has been slipping off the edge for many years. I’m afraid she might have gone over for good.”