Chronicles of the Uprising (Trilogy 1): Trilogy 1 (25 page)

She hopped aboard, pulled his listless body out of the hatch, and tossed him to the ground.

“What the hell just happened?” a man from inside the tank called back.

“I’d be more concerned with what is about to happen.” Mira dove into the vehicle and answered back.

The tank lurched forward again, and the driver, a skinny male in oversized clothing, turned around and opened fire on her with his sidearm.

The bullets stung as they penetrated her skin, but they were ordinary bullets, and nothing short of a direct hit to her heart was going to stop her. She lumbered forward, turning her body at an angle to protect her heart.

“Stay back. I’m warning you!” Fear in the soldier’s voice was more than evident, yet his hand remained remarkably still as he held out the gun and fired two more shots.

“I’d have let you live if you hadn’t shot me, but I need to heal.” Though in immeasurable pain, Mira kept her tone calm. She loved the way it invoked fear in her opponent’s eyes. Nothing like cold, calculating, and silent death walking right up to you and taking its prize. “I’ll be kind, though, and make it quick. So long as you put the gun down.”

“No way. You can’t kill me. I… I’m important. I have friends in high places.” By the look of him, nothing in that statement was true. His uniform didn’t even fit right. And it was a soldier’s uniform. He wasn’t even good enough to be special forces or a handler. She had to suppress her desire to call him out on these facts.

“Your friends are of no concern to me.” His attempt was pathetic, but Mira couldn’t blame him. No one wants to die. She snatched the gun from his grip and tossed it to the ground. Her teeth found the throbbing artery in his neck and ripped it open quickly.

Blood soothed away the sting, but she’d been hit too many times for one simple feeding to heal. She’d need more, soon.

The tank crashed into something, sending her and her dinner careening to the ground. Her head hit the metal control panel and everything went dark.

When she finally came to, she peeked outside. Eerie silence enveloped the forest. Her tank had run straight into a large sequoia tree. Tracks still trying to move, the tank was going nowhere. Surprisingly, the tree appeared to not even have been injured in the collision. Patterned beeping inside of the vehicle had Mira ducking back inside again.

“Report A2257. Location and status check.”

Must be the third vehicle checking in. They couldn’t be too far away. Mira needed to round up the rest and get as far away from this place as possible. Who knew when that other vehicle would be powered up and ready to follow?

Chapter 12

She raced back toward the cave, hoping Lucian had been able to get the pack together. Time was short, the sun would be up soon, and with another tank on the way toward their location, they needed to move to a new safe spot…quick.

The coppery tang of blood led Mira to the cave. Cloying and thick, the scent of it was so strong it actually sickened her. Too much had been spilled. Death was close. Surely, someone had to be dead. Muddy crimson streaks made a trail up the side of the mountain toward their cave. She knew it was going to be bad, but nothing could have prepared her for the grim scene she found when she arrived.

Of the eight pack members, only three remained standing; Stryker, Rob, and Terrance. Two more were half-shifted back into their human forms, bleeding and groaning on the ground. Three other wolves were very clearly dead, lying motionless in a bloody pile against a far wall.

Mira opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Three dead. She recognized Samuel, the young, eager-to-please wolf, among the dead. Just hours ago, they had all been alive and joking about what to do when Mira became a resident of Caldera Grove; and now, because of the humans, they were dead. Sadness and anger fought within her to be the controlling emotion. Those soldiers, those humans, deserved more than death. The wolves had done nothing to them, and here they lay slaughtered for being in the way. For being what they were.

“What happened with the tanks?” Lucian asked. His voice barely broke through her silent inner rage. She almost snarled at him, a human, but stopped herself when she caught sight of his face. Dirty and coated in blood, he’d apparently been through quite the ordeal himself, although he didn’t appear injured.

She spotted Sarah, tending to one of the injured wolves, wrapping her shawl around his broken leg. Curtis stood like a guard next to her, watching the wolf’s every motion. None of her humans were injured, of that she was thankful, but rage still bubbled inside of her. Damned Iron Gate humans and their incessant need to kill and destroy anything different from themselves!

Rob and Terrance were both tending to one injured wolf, who looked far better than the other, but still had blood matting up his creamy colored fur. Between the whimpering and yelping, Mira barely registered the man speaking to her.

“Mira, did you hear me?” Lucian asked again. “Are you okay?”

Fine. She was, but what did that matter with all the death around? Mira snarled inwardly. It took all the control she had to speak without letting the anger taint her voice. “Two tanks are disabled, but you were right, there’s a third somewhere still in the forest. My guess is it will be here soon. When I left, it was calling for a report.”

Hands fisted into tight balls, she took a few breaths. The three dead wolves were all she could focus on. Their blood called out to her, not to feed on, but to seek revenge for. Three completely unnecessary deaths.

Stryker approached slowly, cautiously holding his hands out where Mira could see them. “Are you okay? You’re trembling.”

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the three dead wolves. “Yes, trembling with rage, and I hope to be able to exercise that feeling on the third tank, if it shows up.”

”We need to be on the move before then,” Stryker said.

She tore her gaze away from Samuel’s lifeless eyes. He was at peace now, she hoped, but she promised he’d be avenged. Mira found the same sentiment when she met Stryker’s golden eyes. He too was coated in blood and bruises, but otherwise appeared to be in decent shape. Beneath the outer calm, though, smoldered a hidden fire of anger and savagery.

Their kindred hatred was a small comfort at that moment. “What of your pack?” Mira asked. “Can the injured be moved? Is there another place we can take them?”

Stryker nodded. “We’re too far to make it to Sanctuary tonight, but there are some other caves we can try.”

Thank the gods for the roughness of the land they lived in. The further up they went into the mountains, the less likely the humans were to follow. She doubted they’d send any flying machines out this far, but just in case, she was happy they had a network of cave systems to hide in.

“I can offer my blood to heal the injured.” If it was anything like healing humans, it should be fairly quick.

Stryker nodded. “Your blood would help, but our kind heal slower. We do not have time to wait on them.”

“Anything to help. I can feed them and let them heal on the road.”

“Do that.”

“I’ll carry one of the injured while we travel, but someone else will have to pick up the other one,” Mira said.

“Sure, I could carry the other, but what of our dead?” Stryker pointed to the three lifeless bodies. “I will not leave them here like this. They are my kin. My pack. We must honor their sacrifice.”

This, Mira understood above all. “Absolutely. What do we need to do for them?”

“We don’t have time for that,” Lucian said. “I don’t mean to be indelicate, but we have to think about the safety of those who remain alive.”

Stryker turned an angry eye on Lucian. “We do not ever leave a wolf behind. Dead or alive. They must be carried too.”

Mira sensed there might be a disagreement between the two men, something that none of them needed. She jumped in before either of them could speak again. “How far to these new caves? Can we make it to them before dawn?”

“If we leave now, maybe,” Stryker said. “Same caves you slept in. They’re on the way, but the terrain will be a bit rough to traverse.”

It had been hard enough without the encumbrance on her last trip; carrying injured and dead would be very slow going, especially with humans in tow. No. That would not do. “What if I built a funeral pyre and held watch?” Mira asked. “You all go on ahead, and I can catch up. If the third vehicle comes by, I’ll be more than happy to take care of them.”

Lucian stepped forward, shaking his head. “No. You’re vulnerable during the day, and that’s very likely when they’ll come to attack. I can’t let you stay behind.”

Mira laughed. While thoughtful of Lucian to think of her safety, he was in no position to actually defend her. Human as he was, he was more a liability if that other tank came calling. Still, though, he cared – and that was endearing. “I’m a big girl, Lucian. I know how to take care of myself. Even during the day.”

Stryker stepped forward, inching dangerously close to Lucian. “I will stay with you, Mira. We can send the rest of the pack on ahead with the humans.”

“So chivalrous.” Mira let slip a small hint of a smile. It was not often a man treated her with such respect and care, and now she had two vying to be her protector.

“Don’t be so quick to say that.” His tone was dangerously calm. “I am under orders to make sure you are protected.”

“Oh. Right. Orders.” To say she was disappointed would be an understatement, but Mira wouldn’t let Stryker see that. “Well, of course, you must follow orders.”

Puffing out his chest, Lucian stood tall next to Mira. “Well, she’s my friend. I cannot let her stay here, knowing she’s in harm’s way.”

Stryker stepped up to Lucian, rising to his full height to look down on the human as he spoke. “First of all, Mira is a vampire. She’s infinitely stronger than you. Second, she will be here with me, not alone. Together we are safer and better protected than she would be with a weak human like you.”

Testosterone ran thick in the air and the looks the two men gave each other bordered on murderous. Knowing there was no love lost between humans and shifters, Mira felt obligated to step in.

She used herself as a barrier for the two men’s aggressions. “It’s settled then. We don’t have time to argue. Lucian, you take Sarah and Curtis and go help the pack. They need you more than I do right now. Stryker and I will meet you tomorrow evening.”

Lucian did not respond, but when he turned his mossy green eyes on her, she could see disappointment there.

Mira wasn’t going to let that sway her. They needed to move, and fast. She went to the injured wolves one by one and fed them each a small amount of blood from her wrists. Unlike the humans, the wolves neither flinched nor shied away from her offered help.

Rob and Terrance came to help; they shouldered the injured wolves and headed for the mouth of the cave.

Lucian, still grumbling where he stood, was reluctant to leave Mira in the cave with Stryker. “Are you sure about this?”

“We’ll all be reunited tomorrow night, okay? Just take care of the pack.”

“She’s right, Lucian,” Sara spoke up, her voice weak with fatigue. “We’re in no shape to fight if it comes to it. Let the two supernatural… er… people stay behind and protect our path to safety.”

Curtis put a hand on Lucian’s shoulder. “C’mon, Regent. Help us. These two are more than capable.”

Reluctantly, Lucian grunted and went to help the other injured wolf to stand. “If you’re not back by tomorrow night, I’ll return. I don’t like leaving anyone behind.”

“You’re not leaving us behind,” Mira said. “We’re covering your path. Now go!”

Chapter 13

Constructing a funeral pyre took a few hours. The recent rains made finding suitable wood difficult, and every snap of a twig or rumble of distant thunder had Mira jumping at shadows. That third tank could show up at any moment, and with dawn growing ever closer, she’d soon become a prisoner of the elements. Together Stryker and Mira constructed a sizeable pile of wood, bark, and dried twigs. A hasty trip out to the site of the tank crash provided a few additional necessities. Mira swiped a container of oil to use as fuel, as well as a thick serrated dagger for her own protection.

They worked silently, carrying the bodies of the dead wolves down to their final resting place. Following Stryker’s lead, Mira crossed Samuel’s arms and legs. She gently brushed his eyelids closed with her hand and wiped the bloody matted hair from his face. She hadn’t known him long. No more than a day, yet she felt his loss more terribly than that of an opponent in the arena. He’d been such an eager and friendly soul. Despite not knowing a thing about her, he had befriended her without prejudice. Even Stryker, kind as he had been, had a wall up between them. Not Samuel. So young. So innocent. Such a free spirit. He had died honorably, in battle. She whispered a promise to avenge him if she got the chance, and then backed away and let Stryker have a few moments with his fallen kin.

Stryker knelt before the pile and said a few silent words, a prayer maybe, she wasn’t sure. Then, he tilted his head up, eyes locked on the moon, and let out a long mournful howl.

In his human form, she thought it odd seeing him baying at the moon, but understood that no matter his shape, the wolf must be part of him. She quietly sat back against the stump of a tree and waited for him to finish his wolf-song.

“Thanks,” Stryker said solemnly as he lit the large pile of stacked wood. “You didn’t have to stay behind to do this, you know.”

“Yes. I did. It was the right thing to do. Don’t make such a big deal of it. Let’s burn these bodies and get some rest. It goes without saying that you’re on first watch.”

“Yes, ma’am.” His tone might have been flat, but the slight glint in his eye said he truly appreciated Mira and her presence there with him on that sad evening.

Singed hair and burning flesh filled the air. Despite the revolting smell, Mira and Stryker sat as silent sentries, watching until the bodies had been completely taken by the fire. If there was anyone else out there, this was a sure enough sign to lead them straight toward Mira and Stryker. 

“We should be prepared for another attack.” Mira played with a long branch, waving it in the air like a sword, secretly wishing she had one at that moment. The dagger at her side would give her some help in a fight, but she’d have to be close to use it. A sword had the benefit of distance.

Stryker absently drew figures into the dirt at his feet. “I’m always prepared, but what about you?”

“I do what I have to do. I’m a warrior, remember?”

“You can’t fight the sun.”

“I’ll fight whenever I have to.” Mira threw the stick away and grabbed her newly acquired dagger. “If that means a little sunburn, so be it.”

“Daggers won’t help you against the sun. You can die from exposure, you do know that.”

“Yes, of course I do, but I can also die from mortal wounds. Which do you think I’d prefer, going out in my sleep, or going out fighting?” Using the tip of the blade, she picked at her nails. It wasn’t the nicest of weapons. Too bulky for a fighting dagger. Better suited for utility, but it would cut flesh if need be. As tough as she wanted to sound to Stryker, she did worry about what the morning might bring. Daylight was no small thing to deal with, no matter how she wanted to sugarcoat the thing.

“You know we’ll be sitting ducks if that third tank does happen to come through during the day. There is too much blood, too many tracks, and not to mention this lovely bonfire to tell them we are not far.”

Stryker stopped drawing in the dirt and looked up at Mira. “Or they’ll think we ran off after burying our dead. Hopefully they find the booby-trapped path.”

At first she thought he was randomly doodling away in the dirt, but now that she was looking at it, the squiggles and slashes resembled an ancient language. Something she’d ask him about later.

 “You give the humans too much credit. They know they’re tracking a vampire. They’ll search caves around the area for sure.”

“Way to think positively about things.”

His sarcasm was not lost on her. She knew her last statement had a very suicidal tone to it. But it was the truth. After all her years of imprisonment, she had a good idea how the humans thought.

“Prepare for the worst. If it doesn’t happen, great! I expected to die days ago. The fact I am still here says I’ve got a bit of luck on my side. Let’s hope it holds up.”

“Kind of a depressing way to look at things – always assuming death is around the corner, stalking you.”

“I’m a realist. It’s the only way to look at things. Life is going to find a way to shit on you. Best to be prepared for it.”

“Or, you could hope for the best.”

“Hope is for those lucky enough to live a privileged life. For people like me, hope only leads to disappointment.” Though secretly, she held onto a small shred of it. Despite her penchant for welcoming death, she did not truly want it. All she ever wanted was peace and freedom.

Stryker stood and stretched. “Life’s not that bad.”

Easy for him to say
. “Were you held in prison for thirty years fighting for your life?”

“Okay, you’ve got me there, but look at the friends you made. If not for them, you would still be in that prison – or worse, dead.”

Mira had to bite her tongue. She knew he meant well with the optimism, but she’d lived through too much turmoil to be swayed from her stance. Arguing with him over this was pointless. “Do you know the caves well? Are there any escape routes?”

“Some are connected, and others are dead ends.” Stryker smiled knowingly. “The cave we were in before has some depth to it. I’m not entirely sure where it leads, but we might be able to use it to our advantage during the daylight hours. At the very least, if we aren’t found, we can keep you out of the sun.”

“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s go check it out.”