Dead by Dawn Page 24

  “We know something has to be controlling the brain because it’s certainly not the person,” said Dr. Bennet. “So the vampire is more virus than actual human. That is a new way of looking at it, I appreciate the thought.”

  Ben closed his notebook and placed it back on his lap. “Now imagine if you could cut the signal that was telling the bacteria what to do.”

  Dr. Bennet smiled; he couldn’t help it. “They would go nuts.”

  His smile soon faltered as he remembered the details of the vampire in his lab. It was cut off from the signal and had been for weeks. That vampire was still very much alive.

  Maybe the virus could recover and the vampire would still live. But hell, the trauma of having the signal cut would be astounding. They wouldn’t be able to function as a whole anymore. If they were lucky, maybe the vampires would grow territorial and start attacking each other.

  He was torn between researching a plan that could disrupt the vampire’s mind, and spending his time researching other solutions because disrupting a vampire’s mind might do very little.

  No matter how he looked at it, cutting the signal seemed like his only option. So far nothing else had been put on the table.

  He was going to have to find a way to disrupt the vampire’s signal on a global scale. How he was going to do that, Dr. Bennet had no clue.

  “Thank you for your time,” he said. “I’m sorry if I was rude, but I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

  “I didn’t think you were rude at all.”

  “Well regardless, I apologize. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

  “Thank you for hearing me,” said Ben.

  Dr. Bennet took his tray to the garbage and dumped its uneaten contents. He then set the tray on top of the garbage and left the small cafeteria.

  Not having any real plan to go straight back to his lab, he walked the halls for a while. It was nice, he allowed himself to relax.

  There was still plenty of time left in his lunch break. He could have stayed in the lunchroom, but he wanted to get away from Ben. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the guy. On the contrary, Dr. Bennet appreciated the input. It was just that his mind needed a break every now and again. He needed time to not think about vampires for a change.

  He could think about his brother down in Arizona, and his niece who would be graduating high school the following year. He could think about his books and dream about the next chance he would have enough free time to read one.

  Walking down the hall and letting his mind wander to unimportant things, it was like a mini vacation for him.

  His break wouldn’t last long and he would soon be back in the lab, but it was okay, because at that moment he was at ease.

  Chapter 35

  The storage container was alive with the sound of hushed voices. Everyone was awake and all of them were trying to figure out what had just happened.

  Adam, having heard Lindsay crying out, had a pretty good idea. They had been one word away from being sold out to the vampires: that is what happened.

  So far Sarah was staying quiet. Sherry was telling Chip he better not let her go, and Keith was cursing repeatedly. The most notable voice however was Matt, he kept repeating to himself over and over, “I can’t do this, oh fuck I can’t do this. Please please, I can’t do this.” By the sound of it, he was sobbing as well.

  “It’s alright,” Adam whispered in his direction. “We’re alright. She didn’t get us.”

  There was a scream outside. Adam guessed the vampires were finding an easy meal in Lindsay.

  Why did she do it? he wondered.

  Sarah tugged on his sleeve and he looked down, though he couldn’t see anything in the dark. “Do you think she was the one that turned off the lights in the school?”

  “I don’t know,” said Adam. “Maybe, probably.”

  “Oh please, fuck, please,” Matt went on.

  “Keep your voice down,” Adam stressed into the darkness. “We’re safe as long as you don’t let them hear us.”

  He debated going to the other couch and rubbing the guy on the back or something. Matt was blowing a gasket over there.

  Lindsay’s screams cut off and Adam could only guess why. Would they kill her or turn her?

  “They gave her heroin,” Joe said.

  “What?” asked Keith.

  “The vampires bribed her to do their dirty work with heroin. It’s the only way she could’ve gotten those drugs back at the school.”

  “Vampires can bribe people?” asked Adam.

  “Possibly,” said Joe. “They’ve made it this far so they must be smarter than we’ve given them credit for.”

  “Still, bribing seems wrong,” said Keith. “How would they know she depended on that specific drug, and where the hell did they get it? If you ask me, it’s a lot deeper than what you’re saying.”

  “You think they’re manufacturing drugs?” asked Chip.

  “Maybe, but more likely they were just dealing. Think about it, druggies make the perfect patsy for a vampire. They can deal at night in exchange for favors during the day. If the vampire ever got thirsty it could simply take out one of the addicts. Who’s going to question a drug related crime as being a vampire attack? At least before, that is.”

  “Damn,” said Adam. “You think?”

  “I don’t have a clue, but if the vampires baited Lindsay with drugs, there’s no telling what else they have up their sleeve.”

  A squealing noise cut through the night as what sounded like claws were dragged across metal.

  All chatter in the room ceased. The loudest noise was Matt’s heavy breathing and rasping.

  “You have to be more quiet,” Adam forced the words out of his tight throat.

  “I can’t help it,” Matt replied, although he did quiet a little.

  The squealing sound faded. Adam couldn’t see anyone in the dark, but he sensed them all relaxing.

  He lay back down, doing his best not to jostle Sarah. She didn’t complain and he was soon spooning her. He thought she might tell him to stop, but she didn’t. They had gone through enough for one night and both were thankful to have somebody close.

  Adam woke to Joe lifting the large metal door. Sunlight poured in causing his pupils to shrink in size. He threw his hand up and tried to blink the light away.

  “Time to get moving,” said Joe.

  Keith was already standing up and stretching.

  “Looks like we made it through another night,” said Adam, his voice coming out hoarse.

  Keith pulled out his revolver and checked for bullets before putting it back on his hip. After that, he bent down and grabbed his drag bag. “Let’s not waste the day then shall we.”

  Adam sat up and rubbed his eyes, Sarah did the same next to him.

  “I’m sore,” she complained.

  “Spending all day on a motorcycle will do that to you,” Adam said. “And just think, we have to do it all over again today.”

  “Yeehaw,” she said, sounding sarcastic.

  “Come on. Let’s walk it off a bit before we start riding.”

  They met up with Keith and Joe towards the front office. The pavement underneath them was gray and cracked. The ground sloped towards a drainage pipe in the center of the lane. There was still dew on the grass where the lot ended.

  “I think I got it,” Keith was saying as they walked up. “We’re only a few hours below lake Michigan. If we could get to the middle of that lake before dark, I doubt we’ll run into any vampires on the water. We could come onto shore during the day for supplies. Hell, we might be able to follow that routine indefinitely.”

  “Until winter comes, or there’s a bad storm,” said Joe.

  “True, but that’s something we can think about once we’re out there. Barring good weather it should at least give us a few weeks to come up with another plan.”

  Joe nodded. “Okay, start figuring out the fastest way to Lake Michigan from here.”

/>   “How are we going to get a boat?” asked Sarah.

  “We’ll probably have to steal one,” said Joe. “I’m willing to bet there’s been quite a few left behind after all this started.” He gestured out with his hand as if to show them how abandoned everything was.

  “I don’t know,” said Adam. “I think you might have something with those storms. Ever hear of the Edmund Fitzgerald?”

  “That was Lake Superior,” said Joe. “But yea, that’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  “We’re going to have to risk it,” said Keith. “I’d still say it’s safer than being on land with all the vampires running around.”

  “Unless they decide to swim out to us,” said Adam.

  “We wouldn’t be close enough to shore for them to see our boat.”

  In the end Matt was the last of them to wake up, shortly after Chip and Sherry. He took his sweet time getting to the truck, to the annoyance of everyone else.

  “What’s for breakfast?” he asked.

  Keith tossed him a candy bar they’d taken from a party store the day before. “Bon appetit, now let’s go.”

  Matt grumbled a little, but climbed into the back of the truck anyway.

  “Ready?” Adam asked.

  “Ready as ever,” said Sarah, flipping down the visor on her helmet.

  They stopped twenty minutes later at a small gas station. The open sign lay amongst broken glass where the door had been blown out. A small tangle of wires swayed over the opening, their ends ripped in half.

  Joe went in first, followed by Keith, then Adam, Matt, and Chip. Sarah went in last while Sherry stayed near the truck.

  Everything inside seemed to be in order, all except for the cashier’s desk. The cash register was lying on the floor, its contents strewn about. The money held no temptation for them, it didn’t seem to mean much anymore. Dried blood left a huge black smear across the countertop, judging by the size and sheer amount, the person who suffered the loss was likely dead. A string of scratch-offs stretched into a pile near the cash register, as if somebody had grabbed them at the last moment as they were falling backwards.

  “What do you make of this?” asked Keith.

  Joe leaned over the counter and looked around. “Vampire attack, probably days ago, maybe a week.”

  “Dumbass was working the night shift,” said Matt.

  “Shouldn’t we be getting supplies?” asked Chip.

  “Yea,” said Joe. “Let’s get to it.”

  Back outside they dumped their finds into the bed of the truck. They now had enough junk food to last the entire group three days.

  Across the street from them was a large motorcycle dealership. It looked like royalty, with three story glass walls, surrounded by orange pillars. The bikes beckoned to them from their displays, begging to be ridden. They had every make and model, shiny and new, spread out over all three floors.

  “What do you think?” asked Joe, crossing his arms and leaning against his truck. “We could move a hell of a lot faster if we all had bikes. Save on gas too.”

  “Until the lawyer breaks his neck,” said Keith.

  Adam had to agree with that logic. There were only two types of bikers, those who've crashed and those who are going to. If any of them didn’t know how to ride then they were the latter. Not a good thing considering the current healthcare situation, i.e. none.

  “You know how to ride a motorcycle, Matt?” asked Joe.

  Matt was coming around from the back of the gas station, zipping up his pants. “Now seems like as good a time to learn as any.”

  Chip leaned against the truck. “In his defense, Sherry and I've never driven a motorcycle either.”

  “Looks like we’re sticking with the truck,” said Joe, uncrossing his arms and heading for the cab.

  It took three hours and one more rest stop before their first glimpse of the lake. It was mostly the roads going east and west that were congested; they had little trouble traveling north. It was still eerie crossing a land without people. At one point they had to slow so they could get through a herd of alpacas that had found their way onto the expressway.

  Sarah reached out and brushed one with her hand as they passed.

  They were odd looking creatures, a lot like sheep only taller and with long necks. Their owner had either evacuated or was dead because they now roamed freely.

  Joe honked the horn when the truck reached a spot they were completely covering the road. When the alpacas failed to move he began creeping forward. Faced with the truck’s large grill, they finally got the hint.

  While waiting for the truck to make it through the herd, Adam glanced to his left. There was a wall of trees attempting to block his view, but he could still see it. A large and dark expanse went on as far as they could see. They had reached Lake Michigan.

  Chapter 36

  Lake Michigan looked in many ways like the ocean. It was vast, lying under a never-ending horizon. Their little band of survivors were smaller than grains of sand by comparison. The water lapped against the shoreline. The shore itself was made of small rocks, most of which were no bigger than a baseball. Sarah thought she could only tell there were two differences between any ocean and Lake Michigan. The first was the size of the waves. In the lake, a three-footer was as big as they got. The second was the scent, it was fresh water and therefore the smell of salt was noticeably absent.

  Of course when she looked harder she could find more. There were no sea shells, instead there was driftwood. If they passed a house the yard usually went right up to the water. She couldn’t say she’d ever seen an ocean front do that.

  As she thought about it there was one particular difference that, she decided, made her like the lake the most, there were no sharks. Because screw sharks.

  Sarah stared out at the lake as they drove along, lifting the visor of her helmet to get a better view. The road they traveled ran along the border of the lake. Only a rocky beach lay between them and the water. On their right was a large pine forest with the occasional stretch of ranch houses scattered here and there.

  Sarah wished they could stop for a moment. She wanted to run over and dip her feet in the water. She thought it might have been the most beautiful place in the world. Now that her life was destroyed, stopping to soak it in seemed like a dream.

  Even the pine forest was magical with rows and rows of trees, layering the ground in a thick, pine needle carpet. The sun came through in places, touching the ground with golden rays and bringing the forest to life. Even surrounded with such beauty, her eyes never strayed far from the water. It was her first time seeing one of the Great Lakes.

  Her eyes froze on a tent as they passed by. It was a small one, for no more than two people. It was red and set up facing the water. The back wall was ripped to shreds so she could see clear inside. Tattered strands swayed in the breeze. She had just enough time to make out a bloody pillow before they passed by.

  Sarah turned away, trying to banish the image that was now plastered in her mind.

  Somebody should take that tent down, or burn it, or something. Leaving it up that way was creepy.

  A mile farther, the road veered away from the lake in order to make room for housing. The houses were all mansions. They were mostly massive brick buildings that stretched the length of three normal houses. With towering glass windows and richly slanted roofs, multiple chimneys and balconies, they were one step short of being castles. It appeared as though each house had been slapped with a three garage minimum, a requirement that most exceeded.

  Joe stopped his truck in front of the first driveway, which was securely enclosed by a luxurious gate. Adam shut off the bike a short way from the tailgate.

  “I think we should stay here instead,” said Sarah.

  “Right,” said Adam. “Screw the lake, look at this place.”

  Joe and Keith were already out of the truck, trying to force the gate open. It went pretty easy when Adam, Sarah, and Chip added their weight.

  The g
ate rolled to the right, doubling up in front of the fence on that side.

  Matt slapped the side of the truck, near where he was sitting in the bed. “Let’s roll.”

  What the driveway lacked in length it made up for in luxury. The entire thing was made of pavers. There was a roundabout in front of the house with a fountain in the center.

  The fountain wasn’t running of course, and the grass was above their ankles. The scenery never failed to display some hint that all was not in order.

  They moved the two vehicles in front of the fountain and all of them approached the house together.

  The front entrance was large and intimidating. Two pillars led the way under an overhang and up a step onto a cement porch. In front of them was a set of double doors made from a rich-looking dark wood.

  Sarah stepped up first and pounded one of the large knockers on the door.

  “I’m gonna go on a limb here and say no one’s home,” said Keith, stepping up beside her. He was holding a palm-sized rock he grabbed from the garden around the porch.

  He used it to break the glass in the door, then reached through and twisted the lock.

  Both he and Sarah took a step back as the door swung open.

  They went in together.

  “Hello, rich people?” Keith turned to Sarah and shrugged. “Told you.”

  Matt came through the doors next, pushing his way past everyone. “I almost bought a place like this. No lake, but the house was the same.”

  “How many people did you have to sue to be able to do that?” asked Joe.

  “Enough,” said Matt, bobbing his head slightly.

  The inside of the house did not disappoint. They came in under a large chandelier, looking up at a balcony crosswalk. The ceilings were high and peaked. Any room with a flat ceiling was ten feet high.

  “Come on,” Sarah said, grabbing Adam by the hand and running up the stairs.

  They reached the balcony just as Sherry and Chip were walking in.

  Sherry looked up at them as she took in the front room. “Wow.”