Trail of Tears (27 page)

He could see thralls walking between
vehicles, some laughing and others eating as they prepared to make
their move. He had long ago lost feeling in his legs and chest from
pulling himself along the ground but he forced himself to remain
still as he waited.

Gunfire suddenly erupted behind him and he
whipped his head around. There was gunfire from beyond their lines.
Shit! Cater had sent a force around them and had caught their
wounded unprepared. He heard furious answering fire but it only
lasted a few moments and then he saw a thrall emerge over the crest
and wave at the main force. There was nothing they could do now but
take their chances.

Harris rose and ran towards the first tank,
pouring controlled bursts at the thralls he could see. Shouts of
warning and answering fire erupted around him and he ran on. He
heard a sudden whoosh and felt heat behind him and he knew McAteer
had set the diesel alight. He looked to his right and saw three
thralls stumble backwards, their bodies covered in flame. The fire
greedily spread, consuming a barrel that other thralls had
abandoned and a sudden explosion rocked the area, sending thralls
and humans scattering for cover.

Harris risked a quick glance back and saw
the flanking force begin to make their way across the open ground
and then they were obscured by a wall of flames. That would hold
them for a few minutes but not much longer. The diesel would burn
ferociously but die out quickly. They had to push through the lines
before they got caught between the two forces.

Harris ran through the vehicles firing at
anything that moved and diving for cover when too many returned
fire. If he had any grenades he could have taken out the tanks but
he had none. Bullets ripped through the air around him and he dove
behind a tank, rolling under its metal belly and scrambling out the
rear, firing as he rolled. The camp was in total confusion with
many thralls still not sure what was happening. Behind him the
flanking thrall force were being shot at by their own forces who
did not know who they were, the flames and smoke obscuring them
enough to add to the confusion.

Harris shot out the tyres of any jeeps and
half-tracks he passed and soon he was past the enemy lines and back
into cover on the far side. For a moment his heart raced with hope
but then he saw only a few other figures rush into the undergrowth
around him. There were so few. The plan called for a swift attack,
taking out what thralls they could but concentrating on the tyres.
No one was to stay and fight the thralls; speed was the only
protection they had. Four people lay panting on the ground near
him. Despite the plan Harris waited for others but no one came.
Gunfire still stuttered among the enemy camp and flames continued
to rise high into the air. Thralls ran around in confusion not
really sure in which direction the enemy forces were attacking.

“Get out of here,” he shouted at the others
and ran back towards the camp. A thrall suddenly appeared in front
of him and he did not have time to bring his weapon to bear. The
moment seemed to freeze in time. He realised he had played the odds
once too often and he had a brief thought of regret that he would
not see Sandra again. And then the thrall suddenly fell forward
with the back of his head reduced to a pulpy mush. Warkowski. His
guardian angel was still in play, despite the fact that he should
have already pulled back. What else was new? He himself was rushing
back into the fray despite his own orders.

He ran on and saw McAteer pinned down behind
a half-track. The flames ahead of him had reduced to a low smoulder
and he could see the thrall flanking force surging forward, leaping
over the flames and rushing into camp. Harris took one of the
thralls from behind and caused the other two to turn in his
direction. He had no cover and their bullets stitched towards him.
McAteer rose up and took one of them out while a second man,
Caulfield he thought, surged upwards and took the last thrall with
a bayonet he had improvised onto his XM8. The thrall was driven up
into the air by the powerful man and flung to the side where he
withdrew the blade and drove it into the thralls face.

The men merely nodded and all three ran for
the far side of the camp. Harris noted as he ran that the camp was
smaller than he had expected. If that force of thralls had not been
sent to flank them it would have been impossible to make their way
through the camp. It had been a sound strategy by Carter but one
which had worked against him merely because the humans had acted
against logic.

They powered through the light cover at the
back of the camp and continued running. Harris’ lungs were burning
from the exertion and the cold air he was dragging into his chest.
That was it. They had done everything they could. Now they would
have to make their way to the train and hope they had done enough.
Carter would have less vehicles to scout with and the tanks would
slow him down but he was still able to travel faster than they
could walk. It would be close.

“Fucking madman.” He turned his head towards
McAteer who was beaming. “How the fuck are you still alive?”

They ran on into the brightening sky.

* * *

Carter surveyed the ruins of his camp and
wondered again at his luck. He had done everything correctly. His
strategy was sound, his forces had an overwhelming advantage and
yet they had come off second best again. It didn’t matter that the
humans had picked the one counter strategy that he had never
thought of. In all fairness you did not expect a small force to
attack a superior line of tanks head on.

Bodies littered the ground, some of them
human, he noted, but nowhere near enough. He wasn’t worried about
the thralls who had died; he was more concerned about his vehicles.
He had ordered tyres moved between vehicles to give him the most
mobility possible. He didn’t care if the tyre didn’t fit properly,
as long as the vehicle would move. He had already sent four jeeps
and three trucks out to pick up the human’s trail.

He knew now that somewhere out there was a
large body of humans desperately trying to escape him. He would
have them. They couldn’t be too far behind if Harris and the others
had risked so much to delay him. Despite his defeat he felt upbeat.
He was so close now. He called for a map of the city.
Where
would they go? Where could they hope to escape his forces?
There was no way they were staying in the city; he could tear the
whole place apart with his tanks. Harris was no fool. He would want
to get his people out of the city. But he wouldn’t leave them
vulnerable to the vampires either so whatever he planned it allowed
for them to shelter from the vampires’ keen senses.

There were no mountains or caves nearby and
nothing less would shield them. His eyes poured over the map. He
ignored the cries of pain and shouted commands around him. He had
given his orders and they would be obeyed...for now. The tanks were
ready to go but in which direction? Where could Harris be taking
his people? The map showed the city and its environs and Carter’s
eyes scanned the lines coming into the city. The map was dated from
before the fall of civilization so there were hundreds of lines
depicting roads winding into the city and disappearing into the
large mass that portrayed the city. His eyes strayed to the blue of
the rivers and he felt his heart miss a beat. He traced the rivers
from the city but none brought him to anywhere that would provide
good cover.

His eyes continued to study the map and then
his finger traced a line from the city. His mind remembered a
daring escape a few months ago and he slammed his hand on the map.
“Oh you sneaky bastard, Harris.” Carter laughed and called his
Captains to him. There would be no need to search after all. They
were using the train they had used before. It would give them the
speed they needed and would get them far from this state.

Only now Carter would get there before
them.

Tomas Ventredi was appalled. Of the twenty
vampires who had flown proudly to their destiny only five returned.
The others had been put out of their misery, though their mottled
skin, diseased flesh, and obvious pain from the radiation exposure
had not put off the other vampires who were clamouring to be
included in the next run.

Ventredi wasn’t so sure they should risk
their forces this way. The radiation had not made them any
stronger, only changed their dependency and allowed them to exist
in daylight. While this was a huge advantage, was it worth losing
more than half their forces? Did they really know what the
radiation was doing to them? They could all be rotting from the
inside. Though, he had to admit he did not feel as though he was
rotting. He felt really good. His mind seemed clearer and he had to
admit that the sun on his face was something he had missed.

Even Von Kruger seemed calmer. He did not
fly into rages quite as often as before. He had received the news
of the low number of converted with stoic acceptance, though he had
torn one of their human food supply to pieces. Old habits died
slowly it seemed.

On the plus side they had added to their
number today. Seven of Flynn’s vampires had come to them looking to
join their cabal. They had heard of their ability to walk in
sunlight and wanted to do the same. Of course, it could be a ploy
by Flynn to learn their secrets so Ventredi advised caution and Von
Kruger, uncharacteristically, agreed.

Flynn was going to be a problem, he knew.
The man was far too clever. If he managed to discover the secret to
changing he would either replicate it or find a way to counteract
the advantage. Von Kruger had inflicted a major defeat on him but
Flynn had more vampires than they had so he could afford a few
losses. And if Von Kruger continued to risk their numbers on
converting their ranks then they would be doing Flynn’s job for
them. This was a complicated new world. Ventredi longed for the
simplicity of life when he had first become a vampire. He looked
about him now at their cabal and felt shame.

He was the eldest vampire, except for Von
Kruger. Most of their ranks were filled with vampires from modern
times; many of them were dirty, with blood and gore staining their
tattered clothes. There was no pride among these children. Only
power and sensation. They gorged, they fought, and they gave into
their basest desires. Not one of them spent a moment thinking or
planning. Not one considered their position as anything more than a
step to their next feed. He hated them if the truth be known. They
did not deserve to be vampires, for that matter many of them did
not deserve to be human either. And yet, they were now part of his
cabal whether he liked it or not—bonded together for all eternity,
or until the nuclear fires died out anyway.

Ventredi wondered if it was worth it
anymore. Would he care if he were to slip into oblivion? Should the
vampires allow the planet to heal itself? Had their time come and
gone? He had found himself thinking like this more often of late.
The many centuries had passed slowly at times— to be sure— but he
had never doubted his place in the world. He had never considered
the crawling passage of time as anything but a slow seasoning of
his skills. He had hunted, pitting his skills against many hunters
who had discovered their existence. He had watched in fascination
as humans had pulled themselves from one age to the next, their
short lives fuelling their rapid advancement.

But now there was nothing to measure himself
against. There was no foe worthy of their notice. The world had
changed too much. Was it time to slip away or take everything with
them in one last blaze of agony?

He would think on it. He watched as Von
Kruger approached them and he could feel the rising excitement
among those vampires who yearned to be converted. His Lord’s face
gave nothing away as he faced his cabal. Two hundred vampires
thronged the area, many standing and others swooping low overhead,
unable to contain their excitement. Still others perched on the
ruins of shattered buildings from an age that was gone forever.

“We shall no longer wonder if we are worthy.
We will take the reins of our own destiny and forge ahead.” He
paused but Ventredi already knew what he was going to say. The dye
was cast and the fate of the world lay in how many survived Von
Kruger’s decision. He would not hedge his bets and keep some of his
forces as blood vampires. Von Kruger had always been a creature
willing to risk everything. And now he had decided their fates.

“All our brothers will purge themselves in
the fires of rebirth and we will see who among us is worthy.” There
was a huge roar and the vampires surged into the air. Ventredi
watched his cabal rise like a great shadow. Not one vampire
hesitated. Such was the power of Von Kruger’s oratory skills and
the promise of achieving that which others could not. Ventredi
could not help wondering if they would all be better off if they
died in the nuclear fires. He sighed and took to the air. It didn’t
matter what he thought in the end. He would remain at Von Kruger’s
side no matter what. And he would follow him to final death if that
was where he led.

* * *

Chandler Flynn watched from distance and saw
the vampires surge into the air. Whatever was going on it was
certainly serious for Von Kruger to pull all his resources
together. All along his territory vampires had abandoned their
stations. Flynn had been received reports from his thralls and
vampires—whole areas had been abandoned. It was certainly an
opportunity to grab more territory but Flynn had never been one for
the quick win. Most quick wins were fleeting at best.

Von Kruger would not abandon his boundaries
without good reason. Anything that took such a risk must also
promise a game changing reward. Flynn was tempted to advance his
forces but that would stretch him and make him vulnerable along all
his fronts. Instead of expanding Flynn was considering
consolidating, combining his considerable forces and waiting out
whatever Von Kruger had planned. He had plenty of human food and
his thralls were still obedient. He would not assume they were
loyal. He had heard too many reports of the rebel thrall, Carter,
and his breaking away and challenging for dominion against Von
Kruger. He would not be so naïve as to assume his own thralls’
loyalties.