Tandem of Terror (43 page)

Foreign countries thought that a radical
philosophy change was affecting the US and it meant the fall of
democracy...they were only half right. Dictatorships and communism
seemed like child's play compared to what was happening in the US.
And before long, it spread to the outside world. Foreign diplomats
and Ambassadors were welcomed in with open arms, bitten and sent
back to turn their homelands. Before long the entire world fell and
all governments would report to Namervoss, treating citizens as
cattle, living to breed and supply him with an endless supply of
plasma and with an army of undead at his fingertips there was
nothing that would oppose him...until now.

Night had fallen, blanketing the city of
Boston in a wave of fear. Not a soul on Earth favored the night
instead they loathed and feared it with a passion. Moonlight
ignited the skies with ghostly brilliance only compounding the
dread, making it easier to catch curfew breakers.

Nevertheless two figures made their way
through the bare streets of the enslaved; the flaxen tresses of a
woman stood out like a sore thumb. One would think she would have
worn a hat. But there was no time to prepare, only survive, and
money was scarce, extra clothing was not affordable.

A man traveled with her, clinging to her like
a second skin. They were brother and sister on a mission of the
highest danger, armed only with holy water and a cross, the two
most illegal but most powerful items in the world. No one ever
thought they'd see the day a crucifix could only be found on the
black market.

They crept from garbage bins to alleys, brick
walls to abandoned cars, eluding the watchful eyes of the beasts.
One behind the other they hopped a stone wall, the top which coiled
with gleaming rows of barbed wire. They continued around another
street corner until coming into view of a large dark building.

As they approached the building they heard
the death-like sweep of footsteps, their trained hearing picked it
up in a heartbeat and without second thought, like instinct, they
were ducking behind the overgrown bushes that sprouted in the
postage stamp yard of the building.

A figure walked through the darkness, the
streetlights finally picking up his features, revealing to the
siblings that their instincts had been right. Decked out in a crisp
black uniform the foul creature strutted past them, blood-red
straps of a harness indicated rank hugging his body tightly. His
polished black boots and gloves gleamed in the pale
streetlights.

He was random guard, making his rounds and
assuring all was well in the city. His face came into view. It was
sickly white, almost glowing like the moon. Shades of putrid black,
the shade of filth, surrounded his eyes and lips, giving his face a
sunken look. His ears were slightly pointed and as his lips parted
to catch an insect buzzing about his face, he revealed the ultimate
symbol of evil, his most vile weapon, a pair of razor sharp
fangs.

He turned and walked back towards the
building when he paused suddenly. His gaze shifted to the bushes
the siblings took refuge in and picking up his feet again, he
headed in their direction.

The two gasped, bodies trembling, wondering
if his demonic, unnatural sense had detected them.

But relief came swiftly as they watched the
beast transform into a bat and sore out of sight over the
horizon.

"
That was close, Liz," Ray
whispered to his sister, emphasizing the importance of their
actions this night.

"
It's going to get a lot
closer than that," Liz replied. "What we did tonight was the most
dangerous thing we've ever done."

"
You mean that you've ever
done. You forget I was in the Iraqi war."

"
I didn't forget. I just
think that pales in comparison. We are in a world wide Hell thanks
to those things."

Ray rolled his eyes and gave her an annoyed
glance. "Let's not debate this now. We've got to get back to
headquarters." She agreed and they darted down the street and
around the next building.

They crept through a junkyard, the corpses of
thousands of cars surrounding them. Darkness filled every crevice
and path that riddled through the piles and mounds of trash and
scrap metal. Liz checked all around, sure that nothing had followed
them as she clutched the cross to her body with ferocity.

They checked their backs one last time before
approaching a run down old school bus. They entered it and Ray
began tapping on its floor in Morse code. R A Y -- L I Z ---

Almost immediately following the spelling of
their names, a trap door opened in the floor, revealing a steel
ladder. They climbed down and slammed the hatch down behind
them.

They descended into a small manmade cave,
waiting there for them was a slender black woman who greeted them
with a bow and arrow.

"
It's us Mona," Ray said and
Mona lowered her bow.

"
I'm sure glad you guys made
it back ok. The gang was beginning to worry." Mona said.

Ray smiled: "No problemo Mona baby. The
Henbergs know how to take care of themselves." He put his arm
around her.

The three continued down a dimly lit corridor
where a door, flanked by two flaming torches waited. A massive
silver crucifix hung on the front of it. It was rather eccentric
but it made everyone feel safer.

Mona replaced her arrow in her quiver and
slung her bow across her shoulder. She gave the door three
successive knocks and with a whine and a clank it rumbled open, a
puff of dust scattering to the floor.

They entered the main room of the
headquarters that split off into dozens of other hallways and
smaller rooms. Torches and lanterns supplied light as families of
all races and creeds huddled together in fear. Men, women and
children lived here and were taught each other how to survive on a
daily basis.

Women raised the kids, managed the food
supply, filled balloons with holy water for raids, fashioned strong
bows with sharp arrows while men created plans of attacked,
calculated strikes, mapped out their strategies, trained and
strengthened their defenses spun out wooden stakes by the hundreds
and monitored a battery operated radio to see what was the outside
world was up to.

This was where all efforts were focused to
resist the vampire hold. Crosses lined the walls, food came in
boxes or cans only, water was stored in jugs and was warm, but
water was water. These people, varied in ages, from all walks of
life, had discovered the secret network of vampires and banded
together, fleeing from the life they once knew with a burning
determination to fight the undead and take back their world.

Every day new members joined them. Most
single women became fighters, as did married women without
children. The vampires had not yet determined this resistance, and
thus figured that the growing number of abandoned homes and
apartments were their own doing.

Liz and Ray were approached by a tall, built
man with a salt and pepper beard. "David, you'll be please with our
discovery." Liz said, enthusiastically.

"
Tell me Liz, Ray. What have
the blood suckers established in Boston?" David asked, hoping this
would aid them greatly in the first offensive operation they were
planning.

Ray began: There's a minimum security station
just by the border of the city. This is to make sure no one enters
or leaves the city. We've seen night crawlers flying in and out of
it in bat form. It's guarded by two fiends on the outside and
that's it. I believe it's an easy mark for our first overthrow of
their grip."

David seemed please and excited. "Do you
agree, Liz?"

"
Yes, I've seen it. It will
make a perfect base to deploy supplies and ammunition provided we
defend it well."

David smiled and nodded, gesturing them to
follow him to the planning room.

The date was set. Tomorrow at dusk. Seemed
odd, usually attacks would be at dawn, especially when dealing with
vampires. But the rules had to be changed. They had to meet the
creatures head on, to determine their strength and powers. In any
case, their were other reasons not to attack during the day...

"
Has all been quiet
tonight?" asked the tall, raven-haired vampire. Her sleek form
stood perfectly at the top of the stairs. She was thin, slightly
muscular and attractive for an undead. Her name was Lymora, once a
highly intelligent computer programmer now in charge of the night
watch station of Boston.

"
Yes commander," replied the
chubby male vampire as he monitored his computer screens. "The
simple minded humans obey like ignorant animals. They wouldn't dare
break curfew or try to slip by this station."

"
Well done. We're making
such good progress." Lymora smiled, turned away and descended the
stairs.

She stepped onto the main platform and curled
her lips, fangs glistening with saliva. Her station was running so
perfectly she couldn't help but beam with pride, finally vampires
had come to power. No more feeding on lowlifes, bums and
prostitutes, now she and her brethren fed on the cream of the crop,
how sweet the taste, no more blood filled with alcohol or
disease.

The station buzzed and hummed with all types
of machines that flickered with a myriad of lights. Vampires
swarmed the inside of it. There have never been so many of them in
one place. Upon seeing a such a sight, the average human would fall
dead on the spot; the abomination was just so overwhelming.

During the night Lymora oversaw everything,
and in the day Braddock took over, a former gang leader turned
traitor. He along with the other former gang members served the
side of evil, in hopes of being spared and allowed to climb the
ladder of world power. That would be their fatal mistake. Traitors
would all soon learn that no human was to be spared.

Rebellion Headquarters

"
Why don't we strike the
station at dawn?" Taylor a loud-mouthed but strong fighter
asked.

"
That does sound logical
David," Sarah, the former owner of a health club and fitness center
and quite a skilled lady, joined Taylor's questioning. "Everyone
knows the vamps are their most prone during the day."

"
That may be Sarah," David
answered. "But we're not sure where they sleep and we know they're
protected."

"
By traitors." Jason gritted
his teeth. "Damn dirt suckin' traitors. They're selling us out."
Jason was the gung ho macho man of the group and he absolutely
despised the traitors.

"
Calm down Jason," David
said. "I hate them too but our enemies are the blood suckers not
humans. When the dead heads are dust the traitors will be nothing
but the scum they were. We spare all humans,
understood."

Everyone agreed.

"
Good," David nodded.
"Besides, I wanna kill the things when they're awake. It'll be more
sporting. Another reason to strike at night, they won't expect
it.'

That seemed to satisfy Taylor and Sarah as
they began checking their crosses and holy water.

"
I suggest we all get some
rest," David announced, looking out at the sea of faces that stared
back at him, all counting on him, believing in him, the look of
hope in their eyes. "It won't be an easy fight folks. God be with
us all."

The next day.

Dusk.

The time for the attack came fast, maybe too
fast for some. They filed in around the demonic station in groups
of two, Liz and Ray, Jason and Mona, Sarah and David, Taylor and
Jessica and dozens of others. The vampire guards stood just outside
the doors, watching but totally oblivious. To them, this night was
like any other night.

"
Bring the human inside!"
they heard the call of Lymora through the night. Something was
up.

Lymora watched as two of her guards brought a
shambling frame of a man, his eyes watering, his body convulsing
with terror. He knew his life was over.

"
Braddock!" Lymora called
and through the doors of one of the sleeping quarters came a
muscular, medium build man. He dressed in studded leather and wore
a patch over his left eye.

"
You summoned me great
Lymora," he said in an almost seductive manner, he was always
sucking up to her. A few times they had sex in his quarters. She
knew he was curious of what it was like to bang an undead and her
lust knew no bounds, human, vampire, it made no difference to her,
so she indulged. But she had grown bored with him and moved on long
ago...he had not.

"
This is one of yours, is it
not?" she asked.

"
Yes it is. It's
Clinch."

"
Your men are aware of the
law are they not?"

"
Yes."

"
Well," she continued,
dragging on the inevitable. "What do advise we do with about this
Braddock?"

"
He broke the law...kill him."
Braddock said devoid of all sympathy.

Braddock turned his back to leave as the
howls of his former friend filled the station, they were music to
Lymora's ears as she bit into his Clinch's throat, teeth sinking
deep into his warm flesh and pulsing veins. A river of blood
spurted her face and gushed down her chin. "Leave the station
Braddock," Lymora called with gargled words and crimson-coated
lips. "Refresh your men of the law."

"
Look," Jason called with a
hush. "It's the king of all scum, Braddock." He aimed his bow. "Let
me kill him."

"
No!" David called. "We do
not kill humans, lower that weapon Jason."