Chapter 8
Ezekiel Crosse. The adopted son of Jebbadiah Crosse, the fanatical preacher who'd led a group of pilgrims across the country on a search for the mythical city of Eden. Zeke, the human who'd fought so hard to get his people to safety, whom I had left behind at the gates of Eden. The boy I thought I'd never see again, and certainly not here, hundreds of miles from that island, in the territory of a vampire Prince.
Zeke, the boy I couldn't get out of my head, who'd haunted my thoughts even though I knew I'd done the right thing, leaving him behind. Who had kissed me, knowing what I was. Who had offered his own blood to save my life when I lay close to death.
Who was supposed to be safe in Eden now.
He looked older, somehow, more mature, though it had been less than a year since I'd seen him last. His pale hair was shorter, not quite so shaggy, and though he was still lean and muscular, he'd lost the gaunt, wasted look of someone barely eating enough to live. He looked healthy and confident and strong, and achingly familiar.
"Allie. " Zeke's voice was a breath, a whisper; I barely caught it even with my vampire hearing. It brought a storm of memories-our first meeting in the dead town, our first kiss, his hot, sweet blood spreading over my tongue. Everything about him came flooding back, and I stood there, reeling in the tide of emotion. Zeke was here, not in Eden with the others. He was right in front of me.
For a moment, Zeke stared back, blue eyes wide with shock, hope, relief. . . and something else.
But then, they flickered to the vampire standing beside me. And changed.
Recognition, followed by disbelief and rage. Those blue orbs turned icy cold, and a blank mask slammed down across his features. In one smooth movement, he stepped away and yanked the weapon from his back. I heard the hiss as he drew the string and leveled that deadly wooden point at Jackal's chest.
"Zeke, wait!"
I lunged in front of him as Jackal snarled, the animalistic sound booming through the chamber. Humans shrieked in terror, scattering like birds as they realized what had snuck into their safe little haven. Roach darted away, vanishing into the shadows as pandemonium erupted around us.
"Everyone, freeze!" Zeke's sharp, commanding voice rose over the chaos, stilling the panic. The frantic movement around us slowed as Zeke continued to hold the weapon on me and Jackal. "Stay where you are," Zeke went on, casting a split-second glance around the chamber. His voice rang with authority, composed yet firm. "Be calm, all of you. Do not move unless I give the word. "
Smart move. Zeke knew vampires, some of it from me. He knew that we were predators, and that fear, panic and frantic movements could set us off, goad us into giving chase. I felt my own demon rise up, sensing prey, eager to hunt and kill. I forced it down, trying to stay calm, focused. But it was hard, caught between a wooden stake and a volatile, murderous vampire, with the smell of blood and fear thick in the air. I felt balanced on a razor's edge, and needed only a tiny push for everything around me to explode in violence.
Behind me, Jackal chuckled, soft and menacing. "Well, isn't this fun," he crooned, making me want to kick him in the groin. "Tell me, human. How many of these little bloodbags do you think I can kill before you get that shot off?"
I glared back at him, hoping Zeke would not rise to that challenge. "Shut up! You are not helping!"
He shrugged. "Sorry. Kind of hard to think when you have a crossbow pointed in your direction. Makes me a little twitchy. "
"If you hadn't noticed," I growled, trying to keep my voice calm, "that crossbow is pointed at me. Because I was stupid enough to jump in front of you. Don't make me regret it even more. "
"Allison. " Zeke's voice was hard. My heart sank, and I turned to face those cold blue eyes. They glittered with anger, with shock and betrayal, as he shook his head. "Please tell me you have a valid reason for being here with him. "
He spat the word like a curse. I didn't blame him-Jackal had kidnapped Zeke's family. He'd murdered Zeke's friend, Darren, to set an example. He was responsible for the death of Zeke's father, Jebbadiah Crosse. He was a ruthless, brutal, cold-blooded killer, and Zeke had every reason to hate him.
So why am I standing here, protecting him?
"Zeke, please. . . "
"Zeke," Jackal growled behind me, as if just figuring something out. "Ezekiel. Ezekiel Crosse. Son of a bitch, you're the kid the old bastard was talking about. You're the old man's son!"
Shit. I spun, but Jackal hit me hard, shoving me aside. I struck the cement floor just as the snap of the crossbow string rang out in the brief moment of silence. Jackal ducked, moving with the inhuman speed of our kind, and the deadly spike zipped by him, missing his face by centimeters. As I cursed and shot to my feet, he roared, baring his fangs, and went for Zeke.
I shot after him, praying to make it there in time. As Jackal closed the distance, Zeke dropped the crossbow and yanked a long wooden spike from a slot in his armored vest. Jackal snarled, but Zeke stood his ground, raising the stake in his fist as the vampire lunged forward.
Drawing my katana, I threw myself between them.
"Stop this!"
I turned on Jackal with the sword, barring his path and at the same time grabbing the wrist that held the stake. Jackal halted inches from the blade, eyes gleaming, and Zeke stiffened in my grip, but didn't try to yank free. "We are not doing this now!" I hissed at both of them. Jackal growled, and Zeke tensed, ready to lunge, and I shoved them back. "Dammit, we have bigger problems to worry about, like the city tearing itself apart around us. If you haven't noticed, we're sort of in a bad way here. And I'm not going to stand by and watch you two tear each other's throats out. " They both glared at me; I glared back and didn't relent. "I don't care about your personal vendettas. Kill each other later-right now, there are other things to deal with. So you boys are just going to have to suck it up and get over it!"
A brittle silence stretched between us. I could feel the violence pulsing on either side. I could feel Jackal's vicious intent and Zeke's pure, unfiltered rage, straining against the barrier that held them back. Me. I swallowed hard and waited, hoping they would not continue this fight. Because then I would be forced to take a side, and I didn't know what side I was going to choose.
Surprisingly, it was Jackal who finally smiled and stepped back, raising his hands. "Okay, bloodbag," he said, looking past me to Zeke. "Fine. I can be civil. For now. Observe. " He made a great show of looking around the chamber. "Nice place you got here. Love what you've done with it. If I'd known, I would've brought a housewarming gift. A shag rug to go with the lovely piles of garbage. "
I felt some of the tension diffuse and relaxed a bit, turning to Zeke. He yanked his wrist back, and I let him this time, dropping my hand. "Zeke-"
The look he gave me was withering. Anger, betrayal and a cold, appraising stare, as if he was seeing me again for the first time, and I wasn't the person he'd known before.
Zeke shoved the stake through his vest, where a number of wooden spikes hung, I noticed, and grabbed the crossbow off the floor. "What are you doing here, Allison?"
His voice was clipped, hard, and he wasn't looking at me. My heart sank, hurt and anger and frustration spreading through my insides. I watched him swing the weapon to his back and took stock of the rest of them. It was an impressive armory, different than the one he'd carried when we first met. Crossbow, stakes, heavy pistol, armored vest-he was ready for vampires this time. The only thing that was familiar was the machete, still strapped across his back beneath the vest and crossbow, and the small silver cross around his neck. He didn't look like a lost wanderer anymore. He looked like a soldier, more than he ever had with Jeb. He looked like someone who killed vampires for a living.
But why was he here at all? Why wasn't he back in Eden, where I'd left him?
"We're looking for someone," I said, searching his face for any hint of the boy I knew. His expression remained cold, closed-off, but I kept going. "He's in t
he Inner City, and the gates up top are sealed. We need to find a way inside through the tunnels. "
Zeke shot a glare full of loathing at Jackal, as if wishing he could pull a stake from one of the many on his vest and bury it in the vampire's heart. Jackal watched him calmly, the hint of a smirk on his face. I pushed back my despair. Keeping these two from killing each other was going to be difficult. But I had to try. I knew Zeke was angry; maybe he despised me now. But we still needed his help, and I couldn't let this stop me. Kanin's life depended on it.
"Well, that's going to be difficult. " Zeke finally turned to face me, though his face and voice remained cold, businesslike. "I don't know a way to the Inner City through the tunnels. If I did, do you think we'd still be here, in the Fringe? I'd take everyone into the Inner City if I could. But even if I knew the way, we'd have to get past the mole men. "
"Are they threatening you?"
He nodded, once. "We've had several issues with them, and things are getting. . . nasty. One of my scouts told me they're amassing in huge numbers, something they haven't done in the past. They want us gone. "
Great. Bleeders up top, testy mole men below. . . and Zeke. Who, though he seemed completely at home here, in his element as the one in charge, did not know the way into the Inner City, as I'd hoped. Finding Kanin was proving harder than I'd thought possible. And we still had Sarren to deal with.
Zeke continued to watch us, his gaze blank and mirrorlike. "Zeke. " I gave him a pleading look, hoping that our past friendship, the times we'd saved each other, fought side by side against rabids and raiders and vampires, still meant something to him. "We have to get into the Inner City. Please, is there something you can do? Anything you can think of? It's important. "
He stared at me with hooded eyes. I could see the wheels turning in his brain, thinking things through, putting the pieces together. "Are you going to see the Prince?" he asked finally.
I blinked. That wasn't what I'd expected from him. "Yes," I replied. "Or, we're going to get as close to him as we can. We discovered something about the plague-we think we know who started it, and we're hoping Salazar can help us. It's his city. He has to be concerned that his food source is dying out. "
Zeke's expression hardened, and I wanted to kick myself for bringing up that last little fact. Damn, I think Jackal is rubbing off on me. "If we can get to the Prince, then he can help us find the one responsible, who might know how to stop it. " And hopefully rescue Kanin, too.
Zeke was quiet a moment longer, struggling with himself, before he sighed. "I don't know the way into the Inner City," he repeated. "I can't help you there. But there is a group that knows these tunnels better than anyone. "
Who? I wanted to ask, but behind me, Jackal made a noise of disgust.
"Oh, piss. You're talking about the filthy cannibals, aren't you?"
"The mole men have a lair not far from here," Zeke continued, ignoring Jackal. "I can take you there, but you'll have to convince them to lead you past the Inner Wall. They won't listen to me. A couple vampires, though. . . " He shrugged. "But, if you do convince them to lead you to the Inner City, I'm coming with you. "
That threw me. Zeke hated vampires, and the Inner City was crawling with them. "Why?"
He gestured back at the group. "Because nothing is happening to make this better. The food trucks have stopped coming, there are no resources down here, and no one can go topside without running into bleeders. If this continues, people will starve. I want to see what the vampires are doing to stop this, if they are doing something to stop this, or if they're just planning to let everyone die out here. "
Zeke. I shook my head sadly. You haven't changed. Still looking out for everyone, regardless of who they are. Even if they're a group of Unregistereds who would sell you out as soon as your back is turned.
Behind me, Jackal chuckled. "You sure you want to do this, bloodbag?" he asked, smirking. "Go up past the wall, where all the scary vampires live? Maybe you want to pour some honey or barbeque sauce over yourself before we leave, too. "
I turned on Jackal before Zeke had a chance to retaliate. "Will you, for once, stop being such an ass?" I snarled at him. "Stop antagonizing our only guide. Do you want to get to Salazar or not?"
"It's all right," Zeke said in a surprisingly calm voice. "He doesn't scare me. None of them do. Not anymore. " He gave us both a hard look, then backed away. "Wait here. I have to tell everyone what's going on, make sure they know not to venture topside unless it's an emergency. " His eyes lingered on Jackal, narrowing. "Can I trust you not to eat anyone while I'm gone?"
"Hey. " Jackal raised both hands in a placating gesture. "Don't worry about me, meatsack. I'm being a good vampire tonight. I get the feeling the other murdering bloodsucker in the room wouldn't be too happy if I went and tore your pretty head off. "
Zeke's dark expression didn't change. Without another word, he spun on a heel and left, calling to the rest of the group, gathering them along the far wall. I watched him go, my stomach in knots, wishing I could talk to him alone. I had so many questions. Why was he here? Why did he leave Eden? Where was the rest of our original group; were they still alive, were they safe? How did he even get here?
And why did he have to show up now, when I had brought Jackal with me, the vampire who'd killed his family?
My blood brother stepped up beside me, also watching Zeke talk to the group of humans, his low, calm voice rising above the confusion and fear. "Well, this has gotten a lot more interesting," he mused, crossing his arms. "So that's the stubborn old man's little whelp. Ezekiel. Tell me, sister, how much does he know about the cure?"
I eyed Jackal warily. "What makes you think he knows anything?"
"Oh, please. Don't play dumb, not with me. " Jackal continued to watch Zeke, his gaze hungry now, intense. I didn't like it. "After you and that little bloodbag set my city on fire-destroying everything I worked so hard for, I might add-you led him and his little friends to Eden. You said as much yourself. And I'm betting the old man left him all his research, everything he knew about the cure and the experiments they ran on the vampires sixty years ago. So don't tell me the kid is innocent to all of this. He knows just as much as the old man. "
"There is no cure, Jackal," I said, remembering what Zeke told me once, when I'd discovered the real reason they were looking for Eden. "He might be aware of the research, but there's nothing he can do about it, even if he wanted to. "
"But he has come from Eden," Jackal went on in that same appraising, eerie voice, making me very nervous. "Look at him, sister. Armor, stakes, crossbow. . . " He snorted, shaking his head. "The kid left Eden with a purpose, and he knew he would run into vampires. He's not here by chance, that's for certain. What is he looking for, I wonder?"
I didn't know, but that wasn't important. What was important, and far more worrisome, was Jackal's sudden interest in Zeke and the cure. "Leave him alone," I warned, my voice low and threatening. "You already killed his family. He'll be looking for any chance to return the favor. "
Wait, why was I warning Jackal about Zeke? Why was I even defending him at all? Before all this, I'd wanted the vampire to pay for what he'd done, and yet here I was, traveling with him. Stepping in front of a crossbow for him. Worse, the person on the other end of the crossbow had been Zeke, who had every reason in the world to want Jackal dead and who probably thought I'd turned on him now. But I couldn't let either of them die. For different reasons, I needed them both. Even if I had to keep them from killing each other.
Dammit, when had this all become so complicated?
Jackal only chuckled. "I know vengeance, sister," he said in an equally low voice, giving me an evil smile. "I know the boy will try to kill me someday. It's not like this is the first human I've pissed off. " His smirk grew wider as I glared at him. "Don't worry, I'm not about to eat your little human pet, unless he tries to kill me, of course. This is more of a warning for you, my dear sister-if you want that kid to
live, you'd better make sure he doesn't come after me. The second he does, I'll tear him in half. "
"All right. " Zeke walked back, unaware of the tension between me and Jackal. "I'm ready. "
"Zeke, wait!" Roach crept out of the shadows, eyeing me and Jackal fearfully, but turning a desperate gaze on Zeke. "You can't go," the Unregistered kid pleaded. "You're the only reason the mole men are staying away. What if something happens? You said you'd take care of everyone. "
"I know. " Zeke raked a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "I'm sorry. I have to do this, but I'll come back as soon as I can. " Roach's eyes hardened, flashing betrayal, and Zeke sighed. "Here," he said and pulled something from his belt, a small rectangular device with a short antenna poking up from the side. "Take this. " He handed it to Roach. "It's a walkie-talkie. If there's any trouble, hold this button down and talk into the speaker. I'll be able to hear you if I'm not too far away. " Roach took the device gingerly, brow furrowing as he turned it over in his hands. Zeke put a hand on his shoulder. "Only use it if there's an emergency, all right? The battery life is limited. "
Without another word, Roach scurried off with his prize, vanishing into the shadows. Zeke shook his head and turned back to us, his eyes gone hard and cold again. "Let's go," he said briskly. "The mole man lair isn't far, but I'm assuming you'll want to reach it before sunrise. "
"Oh, give the human a prize," Jackal said as Zeke swept by us, walking toward the exit where we'd come in with Roach. The vampire looked back at me and grinned. "Next thing you know, he'll be informing us that vampires might drink blood. "
I stifled a groan, already dreading this trip, knowing I'd probably have to step between these two again to keep them from killing each other.
"How long have you been here, Zeke?"
He glanced at me warily. We'd been walking several minutes in tense, weighty silence, the only sounds the shuffle of our footsteps on the concrete and the occasional scuttle of a rat in the darkness. Around us, the Undercity-the labyrinth of tunnels, corridors and mazelike passageways-spread out in a tangled mess, hiding any number of secrets. Zeke held a flashlight, its thin white beam cutting through the shadows, illuminating the decay around us. He'd kept several paces ahead of me and Jackal, not looking back, and his cold silence had begun to eat at me.
So after several minutes of struggling with myself, wondering if I should try to reach out to him, I'd finally quickened my pace and caught up. He was going to have to talk to me sometime, and I had too many questions that I wanted answered.
I thought he was going to ignore me, and if that was the case, I would just keep pushing until he said something. But after that first suspicious glare, he sighed and looked down the tunnel again.
"About a month. " His low voice echoed faintly as we stepped into a huge cement pipe, ducking slightly as we walked through. "Give or take a few days. I got here a couple weeks before the plague hit and the vampires sealed everything off. It was pretty crazy. "
"How did you end up down here?"
"I got in through the tunnels, probably like you and Jackal did. " He gave me a split-second glance. "Came up in Sector Four of the Fringe and met Kyle's gang, and they were pretty suspicious of me at first-I just sort of showed up out of nowhere one night, armed and definitely not from around here. They thought I was a pet or a guard or something. No one believed I came from outside the Wall.
"But then," Zeke went on, "people started getting sick, going crazy, and attacking each other. Just a few at first, isolated incidents here and there. But in a few days, it was an epidemic, spreading through all the sectors. I was there when Kyle went nuts and tried to kill Roach. " His expression turned grim. "I ended up shooting him. There was nothing else I could do. "
I winced in sympathy. Zeke hated killing, taking human life, even when it was necessary.
"After that," Zeke went on, "everyone started rallying around me, wanting me to take over, to tell them what to do. Maybe because Kyle was dead, and they were all freaking out. Or maybe it was just because I was armed. I couldn't say no-they needed help. " He sighed. "I remembered this place from when I came through the tunnels, and it seemed safer than anywhere up top. That was before I knew it was right on the edge of mole man territory. " His brow furrowed, and he shook his head. "But anyway, we came down here, and more people followed. It's sort of become a refugee camp now, for anyone trying to escape the craziness up top. But things are getting pretty bad. There's no food, and the mole men are getting bolder. Something has to be done, or everyone here is going to die. "
And you can't let that happen, I thought. Even if these aren't your people, even if they would turn on you the second something better comes along, you've never been able to walk away from those in need. You really haven't changed at all.
But that still didn't answer the most important question. "Zeke," I began, and he tensed as if he knew what was coming. "Why are you here? Why aren't you back in Eden with everyone else? Why did you come to New Covington?"
He gave a short, bitter laugh. "It's obvious, isn't it?" he snapped, sounding angry again. I blinked, hearing the veiled hurt in his voice, not knowing where it was coming from. He stopped and turned, blue eyes glittering, facing me down. "Because of you, Allie," he said, almost an accusation. "I came here looking for you. "
Oh.
Zeke spun and started walking again. Jackal snickered behind me. "Ahhh, young love," he mocked, making me want to turn and kick him. "Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "
"Shut up, Jackal," I muttered, trailing after Zeke. I felt even worse now. Zeke was here. . . for me? Why? Not because. . . of what Jackal said, surely. That was crazy. He wouldn't trail me all the way across the country for that.
And anyway, it didn't matter. I'd said my goodbyes to Zeke when I was turned away from Eden. I hadn't thought I'd ever see him again, and I had almost come to terms with that. He'd worked so hard to get his people to Eden safely- why leave that all behind to go searching for a vampire who could be anywhere? Zeke had to know that anything between a vampire and a human wouldn't work. Even now, following him through the tunnels, watching his shoulders and the back of his neck, I couldn't help but want to bite him. To sink my fangs into his throat and draw his essence into myself. Worse, I knew what he tasted of-he'd given his blood to save my life once, and it was hot and powerful and intoxicating. I wanted more.
With a start, I realized my fangs had slid out, poking my bottom lip, and I retracted them with a shiver.
"You know. . . " Jackal mused as we walked down a narrow metal bridge over a crumbling levy. Water must've run through it at one point, but now it was mostly dry, covered in rubble, broken bottles and other hazardous things. "This reminds me of a certain puppy I saw one day. Cutest little thing-one of my raider's pets, I believe. This puppy was friendly with everyone, it didn't know a stranger. Until one day, it tried approaching a dog-a bitch-that was guarding another raider's bike, wagging its little tail, wanting to play. And that other dog ripped it to pieces. "
"Thank you for that disturbing and completely pointless story," I said, ignoring the obvious reference. "Maybe you should stick to death threats and intimidation. Or better yet, don't talk at all. "
We reached the end of the tunnel, where Zeke waited for us, clicking off his flashlight. If he'd heard Jackal's story, he didn't comment on it. "We have to be careful through here," he murmured, nodding into the shadows. "Up ahead is a big chamber where the mole men sleep. There's no way around, we have to go straight through. "
"Oh, good. " Jackal smiled. "I was getting awfully bored. Nothing like a good massacre to get the blood pumping. "
"We're not here to fight them," Zeke reminded him, narrowing his eyes. "We need them to show us the way through the Inner City tunnels. Unless you would rather wander aimlessly around until the sun comes up?"
Jackal snorted. "Oh, right, because the murderous, flesheating cannibals are just going to give us what we want
because we ask them nicely. "
"They usually don't attack larger groups," Zeke insisted. "And they're terrified of vampires. This doesn't have to be a bloodbath. "
"I know, little meatsack. " Jackal bared his fangs in a savage grin. "I just hope it is. "
We continued down the tunnel, a bit slower this time, as Zeke had turned the flashlight off and everything was pitchblack now. For Jackal and I, that wasn't a problem-our vampire senses allowed us to see in absolute darkness, but Zeke's human vision wasn't nearly as good. But we didn't want to alert the mole men to our presence and have them scurry off into the maze of tunnels before we could talk to them.
As we came out of the passage, the ceiling rose up into a large domed room, surrounded by tunnels on every side. The chamber was strewn with rubble and trash, piled unceremoniously into corners. Filthy, stained mattresses and piles of rags were scattered around a fire pit, the ashes cold and gray. There was no one else in the room.
"That's weird," Zeke muttered, sweeping his flashlight around the chamber again. The beam flickered over mounds of junk and glinted off stripped white bones, scattered throughout the rubble. Some were definitely animal bones, rats and dogs mostly, but a few were. . . questionable. "They were here a few days ago. I wonder what made them clear out?"
"Maybe they heard rumors of vampires in the sewers," Jackal suggested, and shrugged. "Pity. I was looking forward to a nice bloodbath. So. . . " He picked a yellow cat skull out of an alcove, turned it toward me, and moved the jaws up and down as he asked, "What do we do now?"
Ignoring him, I turned slowly, taking a deep, careful breath. I smelled the grime and filth of this place, the stench of human waste in the tunnels nearby, and caught a hint of rotten meat from the mole men's last feeding. But through all that, I discovered a trace of something else, something instantly familiar.
I followed the smell around a large, rusty pipe until I found the source. Crouching down, I studied one of the mattresses, where a dark stain blotted one corner, soaking the fabric. The scent of fresh blood was suddenly very strong in my nose and mouth, and the Hunger responded eagerly. I pushed it down, gazing at a line of drops spattering the floor, leading away from the mattress until they vanished into a pipe on the far wall.
Jackal peered over my shoulder. "Well now. Looks like someone left behind a trail. How very careless, not taking care of that properly, especially with vampires in the tunnels. " He took a deep breath and chuckled. "It's fairly recent, too. We should probably try to catch up, before he bleeds out and dies. That would just be a waste, wouldn't it?"
I rose, moving away from Jackal, toward the pipe. "Where do you think they went, Zeke?"
"I don't know. " Zeke stepped over a pile of rocks and scattered bones to join us. "From what I understand, and this is mostly hearsay, they're fairly nomadic, moving around the Undercity at will. But individual families do have permanent nests like this one, and they stay away from other clans. They don't trespass into other territories. I don't have any idea where they could've gone. "
"Well. . . " I stepped to the entrance of the pipe. I could still catch the faint hint of blood, even through the mold and rust and other smells. "I guess we're going to find out. "
I noticed Zeke's cold stare, directed at Jackal as he sauntered past, and I motioned the other vampire forward. "After you," I told Jackal. "Unless, of course, you're afraid the mole men are waiting for you. "
Jackal gave me an evil, knowing smile, chuckling as he stepped into the pipe. He knew what I was doing: keeping a body between him and Zeke, separating them. I knew Zeke wouldn't stab his enemy in the back or shoot him from behind-he wasn't like that-but Jackal was sadistic enough to say something unforgivable just to set Zeke off. And then he would have "no choice" but to defend himself when Zeke attacked him.
I hoped they both would keep it together, at least until we found Kanin. I couldn't watch the two of them every second of every day.
The pipe was narrow and claustrophobic, and all three of us had to duck so our heads wouldn't scrape against the top as we went through. Jackal was in front, moving as lightly and as smoothly as a cat, the edge of his duster trailing behind him. I could feel Zeke at my back, hear his steady breathing. And, even though I knew he wouldn't, I kept imagining how easy it would be for him to take one of those stakes at his belt and drive it through my back, maybe clear into my heart. Then, with me out of the way, he would have a clear shot at the vampire who'd killed his father. . . .
I shook myself. No, Zeke wouldn't do that. I knew him. He hated vampires with a passion, and he was a fierce, determined fighter when he had to be, but he was also one of the few truly good people left in the world. He wouldn't stab me in the back in cold blood.
Or. . . would he? I realized I was being naive. Just because Zeke had known me before, that was no reason to drop my guard around him. It had been months; he could have decided I was a murderous, soulless monster after all and what we'd shared, what we'd done, was evil and wrong. If he hadn't reached that conclusion before, my showing up with Jackal- the embodiment of everything humans feared in a vampire- certainly hadn't helped.
And Zeke didn't even know about our. . . family tie yet. What would he say once he discovered Jackal was my brother? He might stake me on principle.
Enough, Allison. I pushed those thoughts from my head. What's done is done. Either Zeke will accept it, or he won't, but you can't worry about him anymore. Finding Kanin is the important thing now.
The tunnels went on, and so did the blood trail. Just when I'd think we'd lost it, Jackal would nod to a dark smear on the wall, or a single drop of blood on the stones. Whoever this was, he was obviously badly hurt, and I hoped we wouldn't stumble across a corpse in the center of this endless maze.
Jackal was never quiet, continuously spouting some cruel remark or observation as we followed him through the labyrinth of corridors and pipes. He spoke in whispers, and many of his comments were intended to needle the human in our party. Much to his credit, Zeke ignored the vampire, remaining calm and businesslike even when Jackal asked him an obvious, goading question. I finally kicked Jackal in the calf and growled at him to stop.
"Hey, I'm just making conversation. " Jackal's grin made me want to slug him in his pointed teeth. "I'm curious what the little meatsack has been up to since he burned down my city and disappeared with my cure. Is it in Eden, bloodbag?" His voice was no longer mocking or curious; it now bordered on menacing. "Is a new team of scientists studying that research? The failed vampire experiments? How close are they to discovering a cure?"
"Why would I tell you any of that?" Zeke asked softly.
Jackal bared his fangs, but a noise up ahead caught my attention. For a second, I thought I heard the shuffle of feet over the stones, and the low murmur of voices. "Quiet," I whispered. "Someone is out there. "
They fell silent, and we eased through the tunnels, being careful not to make a noise. The footsteps scuttled away, and the snatches of conversation vanished with them, but I knew we were getting close to something.
"This way," Zeke whispered, and turned down another pipe that cut through a brick wall, into the darkness. Low voices echoed down the tube, a lot of voices, growing stronger the farther we went. I took a breath and smelled blood and smoke and the scent of many, many humans, all mingled together.
The pipe abruptly ended, coming out of the wall nearly fifteen feet off the ground. A thin line of water flowed past our feet and trickled into the large open room beyond. The air here was damp and smelled of metal, smoke and stagnant water. Rusty pipes snaked over the walls and ceiling, and several steel drums smoldered with a thick, greasy smoke in the corners of the room.
The pale, hunched figures of several dozen mole men milled about the chamber, their low, raspy voices drifting into the pipe. Some huddled around smaller fires throughout the room, gnawing on unidentifiable chunks of meat. Some lay curled up in rags, tattered blankets or each other, sleeping
or trying to stay warm. One woman, her hair falling out in patches, pulled a skewer of rats out of the fire and handed one to a skinny, wild-eyed boy, who took the charred rodent and darted off to an isolated corner. Crunching noises drifted up soon after.
Beside me, Zeke blew out a slow, quiet breath. "So many of them," he whispered as we drew back into the shadows of the pipe. "I've never seen so many in one place. Why are they gathering now. . . . " He trailed off, his voice turning grim. "The base. They've been threatening to drive us off, back to the streets. If they all decide to attack the base, we won't be able to stop them, not with those numbers. They'll kill everyone there. "
"Take it easy," I soothed, putting a hand on his knee. He glanced at it in surprise, and I pretended not to notice. "We'll talk to them. There has to be a way to make them listen without bloodshed. "
Behind us, Jackal gave a disgusted snort. "Hope springs eternal," he muttered, but didn't say anything else as we backed out of the pipe and searched for the entrance to the lair.
We found it a few hundred feet from the pipe, a crumbled section of wall with firelight spilling out of the cracks, flickering over the stones and rubble. No one guarded the entrance; I guessed the mole men didn't have many intruders in their twisty, mazelike world, especially not vampires.
I glared at Jackal as the entrance loomed closer. "We're not here to kill anyone," I reminded him, and he rolled his eyes. "Try to remember that, okay? I don't want to have to fight the entire mole man population of New Covington, and if we kill them all, we won't have anyone to show us the way to the Inner City. "
"You don't give me much credit, do you?" Jackal replied, shaking his head. "I ruled an entire raider city before you two ever came along. I know how to deal with large groups of killers. So don't worry, I won't threaten the bloodthirsty cannibals. " He smirked. "But if you think we're going to get out of here without some kind of bloodshed, you're more naive than I thought. "
I didn't answer, because we had crossed the rubble pile that led up to the crumbling wall and entered the lair of the mole men.