Something of the Night (25 page)

“Okay, I’m gonna untie your
hands. We’re not going to have any funny business, are we?” he asked.

Pet’s head shook mechanically
from left to right. Jacob chambered a round into the rifle as an incentive to
behave. He untied the vampire’s wrists, then quickly stepped back and trained
the weapon at the thing’s chest. With an automated jerkiness, Pet began to
strip down to his underclothes. His pants came away without him having to even
step out of them. Instead, they just pulled away from the two sticks of flesh
and bone in a flap of tattered rags. He then struggled for a couple of minutes
as he tried to thread his two feet through the pants. It was like watching an
idiot try to push a square peg through an even smaller round hole, using
nothing heftier than a marshmallow for leverage. Jacob fidgeted in agony.
Eventually, and by the grace of God, Pet pulled the pants up around his waist.

Jacob took his knife and cut
a short length of rope. “Here, use this,” he said. Pet took it and successfully
secured it around his waistline. He climbed into the jacket. Slipped his bony
feet into the oversized boots, and then bent to fasten the laces.

“Don’t even bother,” Jacob
told him, unable to endure the pantomime. Instead he pushed the vampire onto
his behind before quickly tying the bootlaces tightly around the thing’s skinny
ankles. He helped Pet to his feet and then looked him over. Good grief, he
wasn’t gonna kid anyone. “You’ll have to do.”

Pet grinned from behind the
gag, and Jacob figured it was going to be a problem.

“I’m gonna remove the gag,
but I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.” The rifle rose to the vampire’s head,
emphasising his meaning. He slipped the gag down, over the vampire’s pointed
chin, and the restraint became a more fashionable neckerchief. “Just dandy,”
Jacob mocked. Pet grinned but his canines curbed any aspect of goodwill.

“Okay,” the tracker said,
“what are we going to do with this sack of shit?” and he kicked the dead whale
at his feet.

Pet moved forwards and bent
to take a weighty leg. Then, and to Jacob’s surprise, he began to effortlessly
drag the body away from the sentry-post and further into the darkness. He
managed to pull the body far enough for them to be able to hide it in a shallow
ditch. Jacob pulled up a handful of dead shrub before laying it over the
thing’s gut. Not perfect, but it’d do.

They returned to the lookout
and arranged the old vampire’s body so it looked as if he was merely sleeping.
With Pet taking the lead they headed deeper into camp.

It wasn’t long before the
tracker understood that there was something seriously wrong with the camp’s
atmosphere. It was just too quiet. Most of the bonfires were close to burning
out, little more than small stacks of smouldering ash.

Nearly every soldier or
vehicle had gone.

But gone where? Jacob
wondered.

South!

He was too late. Ezekiel had
already moved his army southwards, and towards …
home.
It hit him like a
sledgehammer. Home. The one place he had continually tried to avoid – with its
cramped spaces, bleak atmosphere, damp walls and worn-out people – was home. He
felt a sudden and unexpected rage build within him. How dare Ezekiel threaten
his people, his family?

How long had it been since
the army had moved out? He dropped to the ground and found new tracks cut into
the soft mud. They’d left recently, possibly as little as an hour or two ago.

He looked to the highway and
found it deserted. The trees to the south were still, silent. He took an
unconscious step towards the dark woodland and then stopped. Two things came to
him: one, Pet would not be able to keep up; and, two, would the leader of the
vampires really trek through this damp, miserable woodland with the rest of his
foot soldiers? No. Ezekiel would have made his way south via the highways,
protected by a fleet of armed transports, no doubt.

Jacob spun full circle. He
needed transport of his own. Scattered about were abandoned trucks, cars, a
school bus of all things, and other vehicles that varied in shape and design.
He moved to the first: no keys, no steering column and a complete wreck. The
next proved just as useless: four flat tires sunken into the mud. From one
vehicle to the next he moved, but found only lumps of twisted metal and empty
gas tanks.

His search eventually brought
him closer to one of the few remaining campfires. Silhouettes looked to be
dancing eerily around it, caught on a flickering background. Over the roar of
flames he heard the cackle of laughter. Three vampires stood together,
overshadowing a powerful-looking motorbike. The bike looked well-maintained. A
dirt bike, which looked like it could handle both the woodlands and the highway
with equal measure. And the fact that helmet and goggles hung from the
handlebars promised the possibility of a working machine. All three vampires
had machineguns hanging from their shoulders. Damn.

The tracker reached into his
pocket and felt at the small canister inside. Plenty of power to blow all three
to smithereens, including the bike, time for a bit of creativity. He pulled the
frag grenade free and held it tight. It was going be all about timing and
placement. He searched the immediate area and, after a couple of minutes of
contemplation, he made his choice.

He directed Pet over to the
school bus. Most of the original yellow paint had faded and been replaced by a
coat of rusty metal. Large holes had appeared on the vehicle’s body, eaten away
by time and the elements. Jacob circled around the bus, which brought him to
the front doors. One was in danger of falling off and the other had been bent
out of shape and pushed inwards; together, they formed a narrow entry point.
There was no way Pet was going to climb inside without notifying the entire
world.

“Okay, I’m going inside.
You’re gonna stay here – real quiet like, right?”

The vampire’s head jerked up
and down. “Real quiet,” Pet repeated in a crackle of noise.

Jacob shook his head. I must
be crazy, he thought. He examined the top of the frag grenade and found a pin through
the centre of the timer. Before he pulled the pin, he turned the timer right
down to its lowest setting. If Pet made a move, they’d both be dancing in hell
tonight. The safety came away with a slight
ping
. He kept his thumb over
the timer, pressing it down, keeping the detonator from activating.

He took one last look at Pet.
Then stood on the first step. It sank with a grate of corroded metal. He
stepped to the next and that one held. With a sideways twist, he threaded
himself through the narrow opening and climbed inside. Pet stayed thankfully
silent. Jacob turned the timer to its maximum of two minutes and then released
the detonator. A slight ticking noise signalled for him to hurry.

He looked around the interior
for the best place to put it. Two rows of seats ran in parallel down either
side of the bus. Once it had been packed full of spirited youngsters, but now
the only thing it was capable of delivering would be dust and damnation. Almost
all of the side windows had been smashed, with only the back windshield intact.
He crept along the aisle, careful to avoid the many holes along the way, and
reached the rear of the bus. Beyond the grime-covered glass, the campfire
flickered brightly. In a turn of good luck the bus was positioned with the back
facing the vampires’ bonfire. Perfect. He dropped the grenade at the sill and
quickly returned to the front exit.

Outside again, he led Pet
quickly away. They crossed over to the trio of undead. And as they approached,
Jacob began to rant as if he was in dispute with the vampire at his side.

One of the guards turned
towards the noise. “What the hell is this all about?” the guard asked.

“I’m telling you,” Jacob
continued, “it wouldn’t be the first time Raphael’s mob got caught snooping
around this far north.”

The guard stepped up to block
the newcomers’ path. “What’s this ruckus about?” he demanded.

The tracker stopped
instantly, as if the vampire had caught him unawares. “Gee pal, you almost
scared the crap out of me,” he said, feigning surprise.

“What’s with all the noise?”
the guard asked.

“I’m just telling my friend
here that the southern clans have the capability and gall to attack us this far
north. Yes sir.”

The vampire’s face folded
itself into a look of bewilderment. “I haven’t heard anything about the southern
clans.”

Jacob stepped closer, as
close to the vampire’s ear as he dared. “That’s just it. You won’t hear
anything until it’s too late.” He reared back and gave the guard a look of
concern. “Keep your eyes peeled, they could strike at any time.” From the
corner of his eye he saw Pet wander off to one side. For the love of God! “
MY
FRIEND
AND
I
,” he
emphasised, drawing Pet’s attention. “Were just about to get our heads
DOWN
for
the night.”

“What?” the guard asked.

“Getting
DOWN
for the
night.”

Pet stared back blankly.

“What?” the guard repeated.

The remaining few seconds
ticked down in Jacob’s head. “DOWN!” he warned.

Pet finally understood. His
face went from bewilderment to enlightenment in more ways than one. In one
second, his face looked back blankly, and in the next, it lit up – literally –
as the grenade exploded in a boom of thunder and a shattering of glass. Jacob
pulled the vampire guard to the ground, a wave of heat at his back. They landed
heavily in the mud. The shockwave rolled over them before knocking Pet and the
remaining two guards backwards. The nearest vampire to the bike tripped over
his feet and staggered into the flames of the bonfire. His screams echoed
throughout the camp.

Jacob pulled himself away
from the guard, and cried, “The southern clans are attacking!” The guard’s eyes
widened with terror. “Go and get help,” Jacob ordered, as he dragged them to
their feet. The vampire froze, trapped between indecision and fear. “Go! Go!”
Jacob called, and pushed the vampire away from the burning bus. “Get help. I’ll
hold them off. Hurry!”

The vampire took off, his
cloak flapping wildly as he raced towards the nearest group of remaining
soldiers. His remaining friends followed close behind.

“Let’s go,” he told Pet.

The tracker reached out and
pulled Pet to his feet. He snatched the helmet up and jammed it onto the
vampire’s head, then pulled the chinstrap tight. It both held the helmet in
place and clamped Pet’s jaws together. He slipped the goggles over his head
before climbing onto the bike. A second later, he felt the suspension give as
Pet mounted the back. “Hold on tight,” he warned. Bony arms formed a tight
clasp around his waist.

Jacob twisted the key and hit
the ignition. Nothing happened. “Shit,” he moaned. Through the goggles he could
see the guard heading his way with a platoon of soldiers at his rear.

“Kick-start! Kick-start!” Pet
chanted in his ear.

Jacob dropped his foot onto
the kick-start, pressed the ignition and then twisted the throttle backwards.
The bike almost launched them into the heart of the fire. He turned the
handlebars and slid clear with only inches to spare.

Jacob seized his chance. He
throttled back on the gas and kicked the bike into first gear. They tore off at
breakneck speed and the trees ahead rushed towards them in a blur. From behind,
they heard the thud of an explosion, followed by the screams of the injured.
Bullets began to tear bark from the trees in front of them. Jacob ducked over
the handlebars and hit the woodlands at over 50mph. Another tirade of bullets
slammed all around them, and splinters and mud flew everywhere. The bike raced
through the woods, following the path the vampire army had scratched out of it
earlier.

Moments later, Jacob and Pet
had disappeared into the dark, crowded woodlands. And the drone of the bike
sounded like a buzz-saw in the canopy of trees, cutting a path to safety.

Chapter
Forty-One

Blinding lights burst on the horizon, cutting through
the night like a razor-sharp knife. The three occupants of the truck raised
their arms in an attempt to protect their eyes. Squirrel jumped on the brakes
and the truck skidded across the highway. They stopped with a jolt. The
mechanic killed the headlights. All three peered over the hood towards the
oncoming display.

“What do you think?” Elliot
asked from the rear.

“It’s not one of ours. Too
big for sure,”
Alice
told him.

“Then whose?” Squirrel asked.

The light drew closer,
intensifying, and a grumble of engine power added to the spectacle. Now only a
hundred yards away, the vehicle began to fill both sides of the highway. It
rumbled towards them and the asphalt began to tremble under its might.

“I think we should get out of
here,” Squirrel suggested.

“Me too,”
Alice
concurred.

“I agree,” Elliot hastily
added. He stood and jumped from the back.

“What the hell are you
doing?”
Alice
asked.

Elliot took a quick look
towards the lights. They were getting much closer. “This is as far as you go.
It’s time for you to get out of here. Now go.”

“No – wait,”
Alice
said,
panic rising in her chest. “I’ll come too.”

Elliot and Squirrel made eye
contact. The mechanic nodded. He threw the truck into gear and revved the
engine. Time to say goodbye.

“What are you doing?”
Alice
cried.

“We’ve gotta go,” Squirrel
said. He nodded for Elliot to hurry.

The young tracker leaned in
and kissed
Alice
. “I love you,” he told her. It had been final. She
opened her mouth to complain. Yet time was running out. She reached out and
hugged him tightly. “I love you too,” she said in a half sob.

Elliot stepped back and
tapped the side of the truck. Squirrel took his cue and jumped on the gas. The
truck turned in a tight arc, before disappearing back the way it had come.

Elliot ducked against the
wind and then headed quickly for the trees at the roadside. A second later an
eighteen-wheeler roared by, flanked on either side by two armed jeeps. Elliot
followed their path along the highway. They were going much faster than he’d
hoped.

“Go, Squirrel,” he breathed,
willing the truck back to the underground and to safety.

Ten, fifteen minutes passed
and then a convoy of trucks began to snake slowly by him. Ezekiel’s entire
army, Elliot thought, horrified. They rolled by in a fleet of battered
vehicles, which ranged from simple cars, most scratched clean of any paint, to
massive rigs pulling long trailers, their contents a mystery. A number of bikes
or jeeps raced past in a blur, flanking the larger eighteen-wheelers like a
squadron of fighters. The procession stretched back for miles, headlights
burning back the night, before eventually disappearing over the horizon. There
must have been hundreds of them.

All were heading southwards.

Elliot’s blood ran cold. He
needed to find Jacob and get back to the underground soon. The tight bend
further ahead forced some of the larger rigs to slow in an attempt to negotiate
the turn. Some of them were taking the bend wide and drawing close to the trees
to gain position. If he timed it right then he might be able to hitch a ride.

He waited patiently until one
of the rigs rolled by without an escort. Then, catapulting out of the
tree-line, he raced alongside the massive wheels. He threw his arm out and
found purchase behind the cabin. Pulling himself up, he took refuge between the
cabin and its trailer. Sandwiched between the two, he hunkered down and pulled
the collar of his jacket up around his neck. At least the square cabin
protected him from the bite of the wind. Now all he had to do was keep an eye
out for Jacob. He turned to one side as a jeep tore past. The driver’s face was
long and bleached of colour. A tangle of greasy hair trailed behind him in a
wet flap.

Not Jacob.

Keep looking, he told
himself.

***

Squirrel felt a sudden thud underneath him. His heart
missed a beat. Now was not a good time for the suspension to give. He eased off
the gas and the truck slowed.
Alice
twisted around and watched nervously as the lights
grew brighter.

“I think they’ve seen us,”
she said.

“No way,” Squirrel disagreed.

So far, they had managed to
keep well ahead of the vehicle behind. In another few miles the wall of trees
flanking them would break, allowing them to turn off to safety. “We’re almost
there,” he told her, confidently, before another thud sounded from directly
below his feet.

“What was that?”
Alice
asked.

“Nothing,” he said, but
unable to keep the truck at full speed, he throttled back.

“Why are we slowing?”

Squirrel grumbled, “I think
the suspension is about to give.”

“Oh – no,”
Alice
moaned.

Another thump sounded and
this one felt like a sledgehammer had slammed directly underneath them.

“Shit,” Squirrel cursed. He
turned his attention to the trees on either side. They were a solid wall of
timber and mostly impenetrable. Only on foot would they be able to find
protection within the dark woodlands.

“We need to ditch the truck.
And hide in the woods,” he said.

“There’s no time,”
Alice
replied.
“Look.”

The headlights had grown into
large orbs, burning away the darkness behind them. The sound of an engine
filled the tight tunnel of timber with its ferocious growl. Then, and to
Alice
’s
horror, two smaller lights cut away from the main beam and began to descend
upon them.

“They’ve seen us,” she cried.

Squirrel chanced a look
behind. Two jeeps had broke formation and were now in hot pursuit. With no
other choice he floored the gas pedal. The truck launched forwards. The power
of the modified engine finally unleashed. The distance doubled instantly.

“Go! Go!”
Alice
chanted.

Squirrel’s knuckles turned
white as they clamped tightly around the steering wheel. Up ahead, the trees
started to thin slightly. Another two miles and they would be able to disappear
down one of the dirt tracks. The speedometer hovered around 80mph. He pushed
the gas down to the floor and managed to gain another 5mph. They would make it.

A bomb went off directly
under them. It exploded in a clunk and clatter of mechanical parts. The truck
slowed instantly, as if Squirrel had swapped the gas for the brake. The
speedometer fell to 60mph. The gears were shot to hell.

“The transaxle’s about to
blow,” Squirrel said, fighting to keep the truck on a straight path. The
steering wheel threatened to pull them headlong into the wall of trees.
Somehow, though, he managed to keep the wayward vehicle pointed forwards. He
gritted his teeth and held the wheel steady.

Alice
turned back and her eyes widened with terror as a
flash of gunfire erupted behind them. A volley of gunfire cut through the
darkness and the air sizzled at her ears. It had been too wide, but barely. The
next attack came closer. Another barrage of bullets chattered from behind, and
Alice
had to pull
herself and Squirrel down into their seats. The bullets tore holes through the
Perspex windshield, and both felt the bite of wind instantly.

“Sons-of-bitches,” Squirrel
cursed.

The speedometer dropped below
50mph. They were slowing fast and the jeeps were gaining with every second. An
occasional gap presented itself within the trees, but the truck was still too
wide to negotiate around the inner circle of woodland. Another burst of gunfire
sounded. Molten metal flew around them like angry little hornets. Some of the
shrapnel found its way onto the back of Squirrel’s hands. There, they sizzled
away the flesh, leaving red welts.

The truck rocked with another
thump, but this one had come from behind. Next,
Alice
found herself
face-to-face with a vampire. The thing grinned malevolently and four sharp
canines revealed themselves.
Alice
felt under her seat. Her fingers wrapped themselves
around a pistol. She grinned back and then pointed the weapon at the vampire’s
head. Its look of contempt disappeared instantly. It jumped on the brakes and
the jeep fell back.
Alice
squeezed a shot off anyway, but it disappeared
harmlessly into darkness.

The jeep responded with an
attack of its own. The vampire in the back, legs planted on either side of a
machinegun, took aim and fired. Tracers filled the dark gap between them. The
bullets ripped into the truck, punching holes in the body and ripping the rear
fender away. It clattered to the road in a shower of sparks. The jeep caught it
under its wheels, and mercifully the next attack went wide.

Their relief was short-lived,
however. The second jeep sped round the first to pull up alongside Squirrel.
Mechanic and vampire looked at each other. The jeep was fast, but had
sacrificed mass for speed. Most of the body was a framework of hollow poles,
fixed together on a chassis and four wheels. The vampire and the machinegun in
the back bounced up and down violently as the lightweight vehicle careered
along the highway.

Over the roar of the wind,
Squirrel heard the machinegun lock and load. He took a quick breath, possibly
his last, and then twisted the steering wheel sideways. He hit the jeep with
the full weight of the truck. With a whoosh of air it flipped over and spun
crazily towards the wall of trees. It exploded in a flash of fire, showering
the woodland with red-hot shrapnel.

The truck bounded on, the
break in the trees ever closer. Squirrel had started to believe they would make
it, when from behind, he heard a deafening shriek. The eighteen-wheeler was
right behind them. The cabin loomed high in the air. Another shriek sounded as
the driver pulled on the horn.

“Hurry, Squirrel. Hurry!”
Alice
called.

He jammed his foot down, but
was instantly rewarded with another heavy thump from underneath. He shook his
head and cursed his luck. They were coasting and the rig behind had all the
advantage of weight and speed. The only compensation they had was that the
truck was smaller, and if they could reach one of the dirt paths then the rig
would be too large to continue its pursuit.

***

Bara’s face twisted itself with ravenous glee.
“Faster,” she commanded.

The driver stepped harder on
the gas and the huge rig lurched forwards. They cut the distance to the truck
in seconds. The driver pulled on the horn and the blast forced the second jeep
out of the way. It drew alongside and retook its flanking position. Now with an
open road, the rig reeled the truck in, drawing up hood to grill.

Bara grinned, her fangs
blood-red in the interior of the cabin. She heard the horn cry again and she
whooped with excitement.

“Squash them like bugs,” she
told the driver.

***

The rig hit the truck and Squirrel and
Alice
were
almost thrown out of their seats. The truck left the highway; its back wheels
spinning freely for a second before crashing back down with a bone-breaking
jolt. The extra purchase of traction catapulted the truck away from the rig.
This increase in speed gave Squirrel an idea.

“What are you doing?”
Alice
asked,
seeing him slip out of gear.

“We’re just grinding metal
against metal,” he told her. “The gears are almost totally shot.” He slipped
into neutral and allowed the truck to coast along. Within seconds the rig
smashed at their rear. The power of the eighteen-wheeler pushed the truck
further along. They were drawing closer and closer to the break in the trees.
Squirrel could see them up ahead. If the suspension held, they’d be able to use
what was left of the gears to break for freedom. The rig slammed into them
again and they felt themselves launched forwards with momentum. A hundred more
yards and they would make it.

Sixty more yards.

He waited and the rig smashed
against them. The truck took to the air for a second time. The moment it landed
a tyre exploded.
Sparks
flew out behind them as the metal rim of the wheel
scraped along the highway. Terrified, Squirrel looked at the speedometer. The
thing seemed to be winding backwards like a faulty clock. They dropped below
30mph.

Forty more yards,28mph.