Z Day +56

  JAMES

  I didn’t have everything ready when our time ran out. Once I’d returned from Pagoda’s compound, I'd tried to keep myself mentally separated from Shae. I hated doing it, but I was too afraid of her learning what I was up to. It was painful not having her in my head. It was weird not having that link anymore, almost like what phantom leg syndrome was supposed to be like.

  We had talked a bit about Rhi. Strangely, that was a safe subject. Shae didn't seem surprised by what had happened between the two of us. She was surprised I'd let myself be suckered that easily. But she didn't appear jealous, which I couldn't understand because I still felt guilty.

  “We never did get to finish this conversation, did we?” She smiled at me patiently and said, “If this helps, here are the rules. First, no lies. You do something...or someone, we tell each other. If you want to do something—”

  “Or someone.” I helped.

  “Yes, then we talk about it. As much as I hate the phrase ‘it just happened,’ sometimes that's the truth. If you feel the need to hide something, then you probably shouldn't do it and come talk to me,” she said.

  I nodded.

  “Second, at the end of the day, we come back to each other. It’s not always feasible, but as best we can,” she said. She tapped her chin as if she were trying to think of something. “Oh yeah, no animals, that’s just wrong.”

  “Agreed. The things I saw in Amsterdam did not look inviting at all,” I said.

  “No children.” She was serious again.

  I gave her a look. “Uh, pot…kettle?”

  “A child is defined as someone not mature enough to understand what they're getting into,” she said.

  I nodded at that.

  Then the look came. “And never...under any circumstances, without permission.”

  I so wished I could have touched her mind with that one. There was much more behind that sentence than words could express. I made a mental note to come back to that.

  “Do those make sense?” she asked.

  “Perfectly,” I nodded.

  She sighed, “When you're older, you'll understand why I didn't need to tell you any of these silly rules. But for now, if it gives you peace of mind, so be it.”

  “Says the girl, who looks 19, talking to a guy in his 30’s,” I said.

  “Now, who’s the cradle robber?” she teased. Then she straightened her shoulders and looked at me with a very formal expression. “Now then, what rules would you like to give me to live by?”

  I gulped. I hadn't considered that at all. I was the idiot running around doing stupid things, not her. I didn't feel my age anymore; I felt like I was that high school kid again.

  “What? You think you're the only one with desires?” She kept that damned formal expression as she spoke. “You think I haven't considered someone or a few someones? Sure, the selection is much smaller, but you never know when things might ‘just happen.’ So, what are your rules for me?”

  “I don't know,” I finally managed, my mind a jumbled fog of emotions.

  “That, sir, right there,” Shae said. “What you're feeling right now is pure, concentrated jealousy. Maybe the first real dose you've ever faced from the look of it.” Then, her face softened. “Your first lesson is understanding that you are jealous of something or someone.

  “The next step is accepting that it is a natural reaction for you and that you will feel it when you're afraid of losing those precious to you,” Shae continued. “The last,” she put her hand on my cheek a moment before pulling back. “The last is understanding there is no way you'll ever lose me. I don't care if you bang the entire city...Well, I take that back; that's just unhygienic. That would bother me.

  “For a while, your body will be adjusting, and since you were a ‘normal’ hormonally driven man, you'll find some things are a bit overwhelming for you. I'll help all I can, but you must talk to me for me to help,” she said.

  She saw the confused expression on my face. “I know, it’s a lot, and you don't understand yet, don't worry. Give it twenty or thirty years, and we'll have this conversation again. You'll see it in a whole new light. In a hundred years, you'll laugh at this whole thing.” She restrained herself from patting my cheek.

  “For now, no lies and be honest to yourself. That, and I love you, no matter how twisted you might end up. That should see you through. If not, just talk to me. OK?” she smiled kindly.

  I'd nodded, still in a daze, and wished once again for the touch of her mind. I'd never known how inadequate words were until this conversation.

  We were unpacking new-found supplies in the living room when Shae seemed to stiffen and turn to me.

  “James…” was all she managed before the focus drained from her eyes.

  Before anyone could ask what was happening, I had cleared the table between us and hit her in the head with everything I had. Luckily, Rhi had taught me exactly where and how to hit her.

  Shae hit the floor, out cold.

  “What the hell?” Miria yelled.

  “He’s back.” I rubbed my hand as I knelt beside her, checking to see what damage I’d done. Thankfully, it seemed superficial. “Richard, there’s a Dallas Cowboys bag in my room under my bed; bring it to me quickly and grab a pillow off the bed, please.”

  Richard reappeared with both a moment later.

  I unzipped the bag and pulled a pair of old handcuffs out.

  Mark raised an eyebrow. “And just what are you doing with those under your bed?” he mused.

  “Not now, Mark.” I secured the cuffs to Shae’s wrists behind her back and double-locked them before pulling a small plastic strap out of the bag. I crossed Shae’s feet and looped the zip-tie around her ankles length-wise. Finally, I removed the pillowcase and put it over her head, tying it in a loose knot at the bottom to secure it.

  “Give me a hand, please,” I said before Richard helped me pick Shae up and place her into a closet. I quickly emptied what little was inside the closet and closed the door, leaving Shae inside.

  “OK, what was all that? Who’s back?” Trish asked, drawn to the room by the commotion.

  “Pagoda,” I said.

  “The vampire guy?” Trish asked.

  I nodded.

  “We’re so screwed,” Mark shook his head.

  “Not at all.” I smiled.

  “James,” Richard started, “you know she belongs to him; she told us so. If he’s back and called her, she will go to him and tell him anything he wants to know, including our plan. She has no choice.”

  “Why now? Why didn’t he call her before?” Becca asked.

  “I dunno,” I said. “We knew he wasn’t dead, and their link had a limited range. The fact she felt him means he’s back in the area.”

  “So, he’s just around. Maybe he hasn’t called for her yet?” Miria said.

  “She told me what to look for and what to do when I saw it. If I hadn’t gotten to her, she would have left and gone through anyone who tried to stop her. I’m just glad it happened now and not while she was on watch alone,” I said.

  “You mean this could have happened at any time?” Miria said.

  I sighed and nodded grimly. “I’ve tried to be by her side since I returned. It’s also one of the reasons I made sure the house was so secure, in case we woke up one morning and she was gone.”

  “Well, great. So what now?” Mark said.

  “Now?” I smiled. “Now we follow plan B.”

  “Which is?” Richard asked.

  I explained that Shae and I had devised a contingency plan for when this happened. We’d spend many a long conversation running through scenario after scenario until we could come up with one that seemed like it had a decent chance for success.

  “But wait, if she’s involved with it, doesn’t that mean Pagoda will know too?” Becca said.

  “Only if he asks specifically or racks her brain for the info. Besides, there are a lot of variables in it we can use to keep him in the dark. He may know something’s going on, but never expect what’s coming when I hit him with plan C,” I said.

  “Wait, plan C?” Mark said.

  I was grinning like an idiot now. “Yep, plan C, that’s the one I’ve been working on for a while now. The one she doesn’t know anything about. So, listen up while I run through this. We don’t have a lot of time before she wakes up.”

  The next twenty minutes were spent explaining what I wanted in detail. I laid out what I'd already done, what had to be done and the best way to do it. When I asked for questions or suggestions, there were only a few; some were rejected, others I adopted. When we were done, everyone left me alone with my captive, but I grabbed Trish before she left.

  “What?” Trish was lost in thought about what she needed to get done.

  “I need you to kiss me,” I said.

  “What?” she said.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Kiss me,” I said.

  “James, you do know I'm a lesbian. I know you know this because I've told you,” Trish said.

  “Will you trust me?” I asked.

  “Fine.” Trish leaned over and put her mouth on mine. She was surprised when my tongue slipped into her mouth and even more surprised when I bit her lip. A moment later, her eyes were as big as saucers.

  Two hours later, I was sitting in the closet with Shae. I could sense her coming awake even though she didn’t stir.

  “Do you need to go?” I asked. When she didn’t answer, “If you are going back to him, I will drive you. I don’t want to let you out of my sight. And if he lets you go again, I want to be the one to get you out of there. Do you understand?” I waited. “Shae? Yes, we had plans; we both know they’re pretty much shot, and we didn’t have enough time to do anything about it. Believe me when I say I only want to keep you safe.”

  “Then take this bag off my head,” she said bitterly, some of the pre-returned memory Shae coming back.

  I slipped the bag off.

  “You didn’t have to dislocate my jaw,” she moved her jaw back and forth.

  “I sorta missed in all the excitement. So, what’s the deal?” I asked.

  “He’s back, and he wants me by his side. Are you going to drive me?” she asked.

  I held up the keys. “I said I would, didn't I?” I wasn't sure if Pagoda had somehow managed to mess with her head from a distance or if it was her sliding back into old ways, but I was nervous around her again.

  “I swear I’ll take you straight to him, no deviations, no BS. I want to go with you 'cause I don’t want to lose you again.” I freed her from her bonds and helped her to her feet. “Come on.”

  We walked through the house towards the front door.

  “Where’s everyone?” she asked.

  “Uh, they weren’t sure what you would be like when you woke up, so they’re keeping their distance.” I could feel the hurt from Shae as she nodded. She’d spent so long with them, and they still feared her.

  I hadn’t thought about her bike when I offered to drive her. She reminded me of it once we were outside, and I shook my head. I’d been so concerned with other things that I’d forgotten her motorcycle.

  We were on the road a few minutes later. It was late into the night as we sped through the Texas hill country heading west. She drove her bike as I held on behind her. We had to take our time due to all the shamblers. It seemed they were finally starting to migrate out of the city.

  It took nearly two hours before we were on the single-lane gravel road winding through the forest. We’d turned off the main road onto this private one several kilometers back just as the horizon lightened. The fresh light helped me focus on the road but didn’t help me see into the dense live oak and cedar forest on either side. Occasionally, there was a small pull-off in case you met someone on the road.

  “James,” she spoke for the first time since leaving the house, “I’m going to try. I really am. But if he finds out…” She let the words hang.

  I grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it tightly; it was time.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little tap boy to him, remember? No matter what happens, Shae, I love you.” And with that, I threw myself off the back of the bike.

  I tucked, rolled, and came up, running into the dense forest, away from the compound. I saw her taillights flare briefly, but then the bike continued down the road.

  I tightened the straps on my backpack as I ran. It felt good to stretch my legs and let my body take over. It is easy to ignore the horrible things running through my mind while I focused on running through a forest at night. After a while, I heard the water and knew I was close. I'd run a good thirty minutes to reach the hole I'd made.

  I paused at the edge of the dark pool to secure my gear before plunging into the icy darkness. The water didn't hurt like it had the first time I'd been here. My new, tougher skin seemed desensitized to the temperature. Or maybe it was because my body temperature was closer to the water's temperature than before.

  I’d spent the days after I'd left Rhi exploring this underwater cave system.

  The first day, I'd had to sneak into the grotto, which wasn't as complicated as I'd expected. The grotto was a marvel. A man-made, indoor, cavern-like structure filled with artificially warmed sand and a deep entrance into the aquafer. Just as on my previous visit, there wasn't anyone in it. I was going to have to ask Shae about that if we survived the coming insanity.

  I'd spent the next three days diving through the caves, looking for a way out. I knew there had to be one because of how the water flowed. I was just afraid I wouldn't find it in time. I would sleep for a few hours when I needed it in the special place Shae had shown me all those years ago. Aside from learning how not to breathe, the most challenging part was the darkness. I'd found a couple of flashlights in the service area Shae had mentioned, but they didn't last long, and once more, I was in the dark.

  The tedium set in as I had to keep returning to the grotto’s pool to orient myself each time I branched into a new tunnel. It was too easy to get lost, and I didn't want to spend the rest of my afterlife down here. I didn't have the best memory, and being turned hadn't helped much.

  Late into the third day, I found an exit that led to the surface upstream. I'd had to widen the opening enough to get through, but it had only taken a few hours. I'd rested and then spent the entire following day memorizing the route between the exit and the grotto.

  Now, I used the current to get me to the grotto in record time. I slowly approached the surface, keeping myself below it as I looked through the clear water at the motion sensor and camera mounted on the far wall. I sat there motionless for at least twenty minutes as I watched the little red light. When it blinked on and off three times, I relaxed and carefully surfaced.

  While the water's temperature didn't hurt as much as it had, I had to admit it felt incredible getting out of that pool and into the warm room. Now I understood why they had kept it so warm in here.

  I walked over to the small rack and pulled a couple of towels off it. I wiped myself down as best I could, at least stopping myself from dripping everywhere. I pulled my boots from the plastic bag I'd put them in earlier. While in a pinch, I could get by with wet clothes; squelching wet boots were unsuitable for sneaking.

  I retrieved the plastic bag containing the little yellow walkie-talkie from my backpack and removed it, turning it on as low as possible. A moment later, I heard Pete's voice crackle through.

  “You hear me?” Pete said.

  “I got you,” I whispered. “What have you got?”

  “Cameras and sensors are looped, but I'll need to watch them to keep them updated as the sun's coming up now.”

  I pulled the plastic bag of dry clothes from my backpack and quickly changed. I'd set aside an old pair of cargo pants for this. They were loaded with what I thought I'd need, and I secured them with my good belt. I tucked in a t-shirt and pulled a baggy shirt over it, keeping it unbuttoned and untucked. In another minute, I had my hardware in place and put the wet clothes back into the bag, burying it under several layers of towels.

  “Calvary is on the way,” Pete informed me as I tucked myself as far back underneath one of the overhangs as I could and waited.

  A few minutes later, I heard the door upstairs open. “James?”

  I leapfrogged my way up the ledges and cleared the lip of the central hole to find Rhi by the door.

  “I thought it was a bad joke when that man called me and said you were here. I figured I would have to make an example of him for messing with me. Guess I was wrong,” she said.

  I thought of a witty reply but didn't have the time for it. “Where's Shae at?”

  “She came in about thirty minutes ago. She's in one of his waiting rooms right now. Pagoda's having a meeting with someone I've never seen before,” Rhi said.

  “Who all did he bring back with him?” I asked.

  “The usual servants and his security detail. A couple of VIPs that I don't know also came in,” Rhi said.

  “How many on the detail?” I asked.

  “About a dozen. Are you seriously going to try this?” Rhi’s eyes were wide.

  “I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do; things are still fluid at this point,” I grinned.

  “You don't have a plan?” The shock on her face was evident.

  “Oh no. I have several plans.” I smiled maniacally. “I just have no idea what I'm doing yet.”

  “You what?!?” She yelled.

  “Package on its way; you've got about two minutes.” Pete chimed in.

  “Thanks. I'm sending Ms. Rhiannon Kachou up to escort,” I said.

  She eyed me suspiciously. “What are you really doing?”

  I waggled my eyebrows at her. “Would you be a dear and go escort a delivery onto the compound? It's a delicate package and must be handled with care.”

  “And where's it going?” she said flatly.

  “The escort driver will fill you in. Now go-go-go-go,” I said with a “shooing” motion of my hands.

  She gave me a look reserved for those who had lost their minds. But she didn't argue and turned to leave. She hesitated and looked back. “If this doesn't go well…”

  “Nope, no chick flick moments. It's not that kinda story. Save it for afterwards.” I grinned enthusiastically.

  “Shae was right; you are an idiot.” Rhi smiled, shook her head, and left.

  “Alright, Pete, let's get to work,” I said, trying to psych myself up.

  Getting Pete to help me had been a bit of a chore. At first, it took him a while to realize I was a vampire, not a new “guest” of Pagoda’s compound. It took even longer for me to convince him of Pagoda's agenda. Since I only had third-hand knowledge, I couldn't exactly do the Vulcan mind meld on him to show him proof. But as we'd talked, he'd started remembering things he'd seen or heard, putting together some rather unhappy realizations of his new surroundings.

  What finally tipped the scales was his mother. He was still counting on Pagoda to bring her to the compound with him when he returned. I knew that wouldn't happen and told him when Pagoda gave him an excuse for not bringing her back, he'd have his proof. I also gave him my word that if he did help us pull this off, I'd personally take him to Houston to look for her.

  The only rub was that I wouldn't know if Pete came through until I showed up here. When that camera flashed three times while I was in the pool, I breathed a huge sigh of relief—once I could breathe again, that is.

  Pete had been the one to provide the walkie-talkies to me. Apparently, he used them when he went out to check wires and such. It let him coordinate with whoever was at the main switch. I didn’t care what they were for; I only knew they were vital on this op.

  “Way ahead of you. Been tripping TASS points all over the compound on and off for the last ten minutes. The guys they keep sending to check on them are pissed when they don't find anything. It shouldn't be too much longer now.” As if on cue, there was a knock on Pete's door. “Here we go,” Pete said.

  A minute later, Pete was back. “OK, I'm going to go and give them the bad news. It’ll probably take five minutes or so. If you're right, you should see some movement a few minutes after that. Good luck!”

  “Thanks Pete. Do me a favor and leave your room and laptop unlocked, OK? Keep your head down and stick close to buildings today.”

  Pete didn’t answer as I checked my gear for the third time and sat back to wait.

  ∞?∞

  THE TRUCK CREW

  “I'm sorry, you're not on the schedule,” the guard was telling the truck driver.

  “I don't care if I'm on the schedule or not. I was told to bring this shipment in, so that's what I did. Do you know how hard it is to get a truck this size through the streets nowadays?” Mark said.

  “I'm gonna have to call it in.” The guard started to turn away.

  “That's fine. I'll wait. Pagoda wanted fresh supplies for his return, but I'm sure he's a very patient man. What was your name again? Cause I'm not taking the blame for any spoilage.” Mark grabbed a pen from the dashboard.

  “I'll take care of this,” Rhi said as she arrived on the scene.

  “Yes, ma'am, " the guard said immediately and got out of her way as she climbed onto the cab's passenger side. The guards made way for them as the truck rumbled into the compound.

  “Mark, Becca, Trish,” Rhi recalled their names from her time at the Hacienda. “So, what's the plan?”

  Mark chimed in first. “No idea,” he said as he drove the truck slowly forward.

  “What!?!” Rhi hissed.

  “We're at the end of plan C, at least our part,” Becca added.

  “He really is a fool—what?” Rhi turned to Trish, who was staring at her intently.

  “Kiss me,” Trish said.

  “What is this? Have all of you lost your minds?” Rhi said in disgust.

  “He told me to tell you to kiss me,” Trish said. “And he said to kiss me HARD.” This time, Trish’s expression was more of a leer as she was practically bouncing in her seat.

  Rhi studied the girl momentarily and then crooked a finger at her.

  Trish gasped, her mouth popping open as Rhi grabbed her and took her mouth, biting into the soft flesh of her tongue. This time, Rhi’s eyes opened to the size of saucers.

  “He's out of his goddamned mind!” Rhi whispered.

  Trish just smiled smugly and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. “He is, isn't he?” she leered again.

  “Stop that,” Rhi scolded her.

  “So, what are we doing?” Mark asked, the truck crawling towards the main house.

  “Take a left; we're not going to the main building,” Rhi said.

  “Where are we going?” Becca asked.

  “To the corral,” Rhi said.

  ∞?∞

  PETE

  “What do you mean the entire system is down?” The watch commander was asking me.

  “Something has fried your relays. I don't know if something chewed through the cables or if the humidity shorted something out. All I know is you're not getting accurate readings, and that's why you're getting false alarms,” I said.

  “Can you fix it?” The commander asked.

  “If it's just wiring, sure. That's easy; it is just a matter of checking all the wiring for damage. If it’s not the wiring, then not so much. I don't have much experience repairing that kind of tech. I only know what I know because my uncle was in the Air Force,” I said.

  “It's going to take hours to check all the cabling,” the watch commander complained.

  “More like all day, longer depending on how much y'all buried,” I said.

  The commander shook his head. “Fine, take some help from the house and start looking.” Turning to the other man sitting at the console, he said, “Arthur, recall everyone. We need to post out on the perimeter until we get this fixed.”

  “Good thing we just got the rest of the boys back. We'll be stretched thin as it is,” Arthur said.

  See that pesky Book 0 again. [Last time, promise. -Rhiannon]