***
I woke later, not knowing what time it was. The hum of the overhead lights was the only sound that hovered in the atmosphere of this underground bunker. I wondered where everyone was and how late it was. I checked my watch and realized that it was about one in the morning. I had slept for so long I had missed dinner. Sighing, I swung my legs out and stretched, wishing I hadn’t slept so much. I would be up for a while now because of it. It hadn’t occurred to me that maybe the vampires were nocturnal, even if they could walk in the sunlight.
I got my boots back on and ran the brush through my straggly hair, pulling it back into the ponytail it had fallen out of. Pretty sure I looked like I had just rolled out of bed, I stood up and flattened the wrinkles in my outfit. My stomach rolled, filling with hunger pangs as I licked my lips, feeling parched. The dry desert air lingered down here too, sucking the moisture from my body. I had to eat and drink something but finding my way around this underground labyrinth would not be fun alone. I wondered what Rye was up to, if he was still awake or not. No one else was in the sleeping quarters; the place was as silent as a tomb. I walked to the door and hoped I would find him, Miranda or Blaze nearby.
The hive was vast. I was sure that it ran the length of the airport, at least. The long runways above used to vibrate above the freeway tunnel that led to this bunker, now forever silent. It had been so long since I’d seen a plane in the sky. This had been a place full of planes, twinkling in the evening skies like stars lined up and evenly-spaced as they came in to land. Now not even the bright lights of The Strip kept the night sky from showing the real stars, no lights to take over the natural brilliance of nature.
I wondered how long it would take for nature to overtake the city. It was already evident after one year of neglect. Weeds and litter were strewn across every street. Dead landscaping and crumbling trees were everywhere. A thick layer of dirt and mud stuck to the windows of the once magnificent Strip of Las Vegas and Fremont Street. Shimmering glass shards lay everywhere. No place was untainted by the viral epidemic. Apparently not even me.
I rounded the corner and came to dead stop. Before me stood a woman, dirtied and with wild hair. Her face was streaked with grime and rips ran through her clothing. Blood had dried in dark red and brown splats on her shirt and pants and the large Rambo-like knife that she fingered in front of me. She was ready to pounce, slowly shifting on her legs as she narrowed her eyes at me. Sucking in my breath, I instinctively reached for one of the machetes strapped to my side.
I was too slow.
The woman moved inhumanely fast, faster than even Miranda. She snatched my arm and twisted it behind me, forcing my fingers to lose their grip on my weapon as she pushed me to my knees and held the knife to my throat. The machete clanged onto the ground, far from my sight. Her breath felt hot on my neck as I struggled against her. She was incredibly strong, like there was a powerful beast inside her. My eyes bulged wildly, unable to pull my arm away from her as it burned in pain. I tried to claw at her with my free arm but she shoved me down to the floor, smashing my cheek against the rough concrete slab.
“Get off me!” I grunted, bucking as much as I could as she dug her knees into my back, making me groan instead. She was a bit smaller than me but she had me pinned pretty well. I stopped squirming as she brought the knife back to my neck, snickering as she whispered into my ear.
“Stupid fool, I could slice your throat like nothing.” She pressed the blade against my skin, slightly dragging it along the surface. The sting of the blade on my skin made me gasp as my crimson blood slowly dripped down to the ground. She stopped suddenly, sniffing at the air and shifting her weight but still pressing down on my back painfully.
“You don’t smell right.” She stated. Her voice was now cracking and uncertain. She pushed off me and stood up, letting me catch my breath as I scrambled off the floor, turning to face her as my hand flew to my throat. It was just a scratch but my fear welled up in me like an overwhelming flood, my eyes wild as I stared at the filthy creature before me.
“What’s going on here?” Blaze came storming down the hall, followed by Miranda and Rye as he pushed the woman out of the way. “What do you think you’re doing?” He yelled at her as he pulled my hand from my bleeding throat. He let go and nodded, relieved to see that it was just a superficial wound.
“She’s trespassing. I was about to dispatch her but….” The grimy woman snarled back at Blaze as she turned back toward me. “There’s something off about her, she’s not one of us.”
“We know that! Take her to the infirmary, patch her up.” He snapped to the two behind him. “Seraphin, go clean yourself up, you’re disgusting! Then meet me in the debriefing room,” Blaze yelled back at her, motioning for her to leave.
The woman’s lips pressed tightly together as she glared back at him, her fangs flashing out from under her lips. She turned her hateful look toward me before spinning and running down the hall to who knew where.
I watched her disappear from sight, jumping slightly when Rye took my arm to lead me away. My hand held the cut, keeping it from oozing any more crimson blood down my neck. Walking slowly, I finally slowed my breathing as my thumping heart calmed its ferocity.
“What or who was that!” I said irritatingly, pulling gently away from Rye’s grip. I didn’t want to feel inferior or like I needed someone to care for me. I was used to being alone and doing it all myself. His touch made me seethe as I remembered how easily she had overpowered me.
“That was Seraphin, our double agent in the opposing hive. She’s going to help us infiltrate the hive to find your family. She just got back and we haven’t had a chance to tell her about the plan yet.” He chuckled slightly but stopped as he caught the nasty look I was boring into him. He gave me a half smile but decided to keep his eyes ahead instead of suffering my stabbing look.
“She’s on your side?” I was exasperated. I couldn’t believe that violent and lethal wild-looking crazy woman was part of Rye’s hive. I turned to look at Miranda for confirmation. She nodded and sighed.
“Yep, she’s one of us. She’s a little unconventional but she’s the only one that would fit in with the other hive; they’re not as civilized as we are, April. In fact, you think the wildlings are crazy? They have nothing on them.” She gave a huff as she spoke of Seraphin. I wasn’t sure if she approved of her methods but I was pretty sure that they had little choice.
“Let me see,” Rye said as he tugged at my hand. I let my arm drop away from my wound. He draped a towel on me as he rinsed it out with saline, dabbed it with antibiotic ointment and taped a bandage onto it. I felt silly with the bulk of gauze hanging off the side of my neck but relieved that I didn’t need stitches. Rye smiled and stepped away to wash his hands quickly in the sink. I began to suspect that the smell of blood was overwhelming for him. I glanced at Miranda who was trying to look busy rearranging a cabinet at the far end of the infirmary. Wrinkling my nose, I sighed. I would have to wash off the remainder of the blood and change if I was going to go near the rest of the hive.
“Is it hard to resist?” I said softly, swinging my legs as I leaned forward on the table I sat on.
“Hmm? Is what hard to resist?” Rye asked from the sink as he dried his hands, turning back to me. His face was slightly redder then before, as if he was straining to hold his breath a bit. I waited for his answer but I was already sure about what he was going to say.
He exhaled. “Yes, it is hard to resist. Your blood, it smells amazing. I haven’t smelled human blood in almost a year.” He gulped as he stared at me from across the room. “It’s like food to a starving man. The aroma, promising to satiate the hunger pangs that never end otherwise, even the wildlings blood isn’t enough.” He dropped the towel onto the counter and walked swiftly past me, heading for the door of the infirmary.
“Where are you going?” I jumped to my feet, not wanting him to leave but sure that I couldn’t stop him if he wanted to go. Miranda had already reached the doo
r and shook her head at me as he rushed out and left us.
“Don’t,” she said as I started for the door. “He can resist, but it is like torture to us.” She sighed, rubbing her head. “Go to the left out in the hall and the first inlet on the left will be the showers. There will be a set of clothes there for you and towels. Wash off the blood and then keep going down the hall to the second left and that is our sleeping quarters. Get some rest. We will talk later. Right now, we have to debrief Seraphin.” I nodded to her as she let the door close behind her.
Sitting in the silent infirmary made me feel even more alone than ever before. I pondered Seraphin’s aggression and chuckled at her name. I found it strange that everyone here seemed to have a strange name. I would have to ask Miranda or Rye about it later; maybe there was some reason for it. In the meantime, I went to shower the coppery stench of my blood off my body. I felt no closer to finding my family and the days were rushing by without a thought. After I rested again I would ask Blaze about how soon we could start the operation to rescue my mother and brother. I had waited long enough.
Padding out of the locker room, I entered the corridor, relieved to find no one in sight. But the weight of isolation was making me feel just how much of a minority I was even now, after so long by myself. Now I felt even more alone despite being in a place full of people.
Chapter Nineteen