“Well done,” Brother Al said.“We could not have done it without your sacrifice, Stacey.”
“Please don’t remind me,” I said.
The three of them looked at me, hangdog expressions the lot of them.Was this guilt?Did vampires feel guilt?In a way, it helped me humanize them.
“We have the map now,” I said.I folded my arms over my chest.“What’s the plan?”
“We had a rollcall for all those aboard the ship,” Brother Al said.“At current we have five additional vampires, three human Vassals, a geriatric witch, and some small number of Living Impaired—approximately five.”
“What’s their combat readiness look like?”Eddie asked.
“The Living Impaired are all in no state to fight.Nor is Glynfelda—she is little more than a busted hip waiting to happen.Of the vampires, three are fledglings, with limited development of their powers.Two of them are enforcers—guards I sent as part of the escort operations before everyone got kidnapped and waylaid.This means we have limited offensive capabilities, and a number of vulnerable people to transport.”
“What’s the situation on shore look like?Do we have eyes on the ground?”
“We could,” Vic said.“Let me just do some…”
He bent down, waggled his fingers, and knocked on the table.A number of shadows appeared on the streets.It was… a lot.Like, a lot a lot.Like a mob.
“That is not good,” I said.
“No,” Brother Al said.“And I worry about what those things are inside the city grounds.”
Two large black shadows, looming at least five or six times the size of the rest of the deadies.It did not look good.
“I have guys waiting at the docks,” Eddie said.“They’re supposed to have my bike and a transport van for us.We can load the vulnerable into the back of the van.I have other men still available for escort.”
“I have heard word that Hartshome is safe,” Brother Al said.“Perhaps a detachment of your men could escort the van to Hartshome.”
“My wife is there,” John Steeley said.“She says they’re doing okay right now but could use some backup.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Eddie said.“Here’s another problem.Nagisa’s stuck at Penn Square Mall with his guys… whoever’s left.They’re surrounded.The bottom floor of the mall is teeming with the undead, and they’re trapped on the top floor.”
“So we need at least two groups,” Brother Al said.“A defense team for Hartshome and the survivors, and a rescue team headed Nagisa’s way.Do you have the men available, Eddie?”
Eddie shook his head.
“No.Most of my guys ran—don’t blame ‘em, either—most of them have friends and family they needed to get out of the city.I have just enough guys left to escort the transport van to Hartshome.”
“And they’ll need to stay at Hartsome as backup,” Brother Al said.“This presents an issue.”
“My brother’s gang—up north.If I could break through these big things up here, I could meet up with them at HQ—I need to see if they’re okay,” Vic said.“There’s a possibility—remote, but it’s there—that we could rally enough of my brother’s people to come back and rescue Nagisa’s folks.”
“You don’t want to go straight to the Mall?”I asked.
Vic shook his head.
“I’m powerful, but I’m not stupid.A horde of Deadies like this—they may not eat vampires, but they’re strong.They’d tear me apart.And Nagisa’s gang is no slouch.If Nagisa by himself can’t take down a big crowd of these things, and he’s stuck—there’s not much I can do to get him out of the situation myself.”
“We’re forgetting a big thing here,” I said.“Where’s this coming from?And why?”
“It’s not a Worm Moon,” Vic said.“That’s been over for a while.I could… theoretically… tweak the leyline structure for these… see where the power comes from… maybe.”
He crouched down again, and muttered some things, knocking again on the table and closing his eyes.After a moment or two, little spider-webs of energy began coalescing around the city.Individual strands of translucent energy began to thread their way back to massive spots in the groundwork.
“Look,” Vic said.“Most of these Deadies—big guys included—their energy sources seem to be coming from these three spots.Anybody familiar with the topography?”
“A funeral home, a hospital… and another funeral home on the other side.Oh, and look.A meat processing plant.That’s fun.”Eddie said this last sentence devoid of any mirth.
