Demon Accords 6: Forced Ascent Page 10

  The next two rooms were each packed with six twin beds and bare mattresses, and each had a large square footlocker in the center, big enough to act as a table but likely to contain bedding.

  The last room at the end was a mini living room. It held a couch and two old armchairs with an oval coffee table, which was covered with magazines, most of them porn. Two empty beer cans were lined up on the table as well, along with an ashtray that held several mostly burnt joints. A wooden box had been set on end and a cheap little television was set on top, a white coaxial cable dangling down from above to reach the back of the TV.

  Everything was neat but old, with the exception of the porn mags and the TV. Marnie stood looking at the magazines, her face red, before scooping them up and thrusting them into her husband’s free arm. She picked up the beer cans and the ashtray.

  She pointed at a tapestry hanging on the wall farthest from the television. “The escape tunnel is behind that and has three branches. The left-hand branch brings you up in the stone fence by the road. Some of the stones are fakes, so you end up right in the wall. The middle one brings you out in the little grove of trees across the pasture, and the right one opens inside the tool shed out back.”

  Standing against the walls, arms at her side, she waited, face pale and heart hammering.

  Tanya smiled warmly. “Everything is as it should be. Your duties are met. We have our own supplies, although we might prevail upon you to buy us some food at your local markets.”

  “Of course, although we don’t have much cash until the first of the month,” Marnie said, apologetic, with a quick glance at her husband.

  “We do not expect you to provide the funds and will, in fact, pay you to shop. Is that acceptable?”

  “How much? How much will you pay?” Jimmy suddenly wanted to know. He had a greedy gleam in his eye. Honestly, the guy was such a cliché. The quintessential lazy, deadbeat husband, living off his wife’s trust income, letting her family farm fall into ruin and turning the one foolproof responsibility he had into a man cave.

  “Our business relationship is with your wife,” Tanya said.

  “Listen, this is my proper…”Jimmy started to say but suddenly found himself slammed against the hard cement block wall by Arkady’s single right hand, which had wrapped itself around Jimmy’s portly throat. The .30-30 was gone from fat Jimmy’s hand, now in the possession of Trenton.

  “You will address her with respect at all times or you will cease to exist. You are not worth the patience she has shown you, as your mate may be. This property is owned by a trust which is also the source of your income. We control that trust. Keep your mind on what you have, not what you think you might be able to get.”

  Speech done, Arkady simply dropped him. He turned to Marnie. “Keeper, I would not harm yours but I also will not tolerate threats or disrespect to my que… leader.”

  Wide-eyed and white faced, Marnie simply nodded.

  “Come, we must unload and store our vehicles in the barn,” Tanya said. I was closest to the entrance, so I turned and trotted back up the stairs. As the rest followed us out into the main barn, I moved to the beat-up red and white Camaro and grabbed the back bumper. Picking it up, I walked the car backward about fifteen feet to make room in the front of the barn for our two cars. My crew ignored me, each heading to get supplies or to drive the cars into the barn. Marnie and Jimmy stood looking at me wide-eyed.

  “What’s this? A seventies Rally Sport?” I asked.

  “Ah…’69… ’69 Super Sport,” Jimmy answered, still distracted by the fact that I was holding the back end of his muscle car off the ground.

  “My dad had a ’70 Rally Sport,” I commented before looking up to see Stacia backing the Subaru in, followed by Lydia doing the same with the Accord. Arkady was carrying an oversized cooler of bagged blood and Trenton had the two boxes of groceries we had stopped for before leaving Philly.

  “Where’s ‘Sos?” I asked Tanya, who was now approaching Marnie and Jimmy.

  “I sent him into the escape tunnels to check them out,” she replied before turning to the still-shell-shocked couple.

  Heading into the back room and hidden basement, I checked first on the opened panel behind the tapestry, listening till I could hear the patter of wolven feet. Next, I turned on Jimmy’s television, clicking through the channels until I found the news.

  “-Governor Curry will hold a press conference tomorrow at nine AM. Meanwhile White House Spokesperson Jeff Bleeker continues to deny that anyone in the Garth Administration has any knowledge of the Tomahawk launch. Secretary of Defense Hauser has promised a swift investigation into the events leading up to the firing of a Navy cruise missile into New Jersey. Both the White House and Secretary Hauser maintain that the satellite crash that occurred approximately forty minutes later was merely an inopportune coincidence. Eyewitnesses claim to have seen the Tomahawk leave the water and little more than a half hour later obtained this video of the fiery demise of what NASA is calling an obsolete communications satellite that unexpectedly lost power and crashed to earth, unbelievably striking almost the exact spot that the missile reportedly originated from. I don’t know about you, Melissa, but I seem to recall another falling object striking the Northeast in recent memory, and this reporter wonders if any of it is a coincidence at all. Reporting live from Stafford Township, New Jersey, I’m Chuck Upton. Melissa, back to you.”

  “That was our own Chuck Upton on location in New Jersey. For those of you tuning in late, the Governor of New Jersey, Pete Curry, has released a statement that his preliminary findings back up the claim that a US Navy Tomahawk cruise missile has been fired at New Jersey from a submerged source. We’ll replay the footage taken by our affiliate station WPVI reporters, who were covering an unrelated crime story in the Jersey Pine Barrens when the missile crash landed among state police investigators. The missile failed to detonate, but markings seen in the footage seem to indicate it was a live antipersonnel variant. Navy response teams have arrived at the scene, which, from all accounts, resulted in a very tense confrontation with the New Jersey State Police.”

  I could feel the others standing behind me, watching the clips that showed a chaotic scene of reporters, cops, and one lone missile. Then there was footage taped from a news helicopter that showed the same scene from the air, including a long line of military vehicles arriving on site. There was also amateur video of a shooting star flashing down into a distant ocean, shakily taken from the beach with a cell phone.

  The attractive anchor came back on screen, sitting across from a squared-away, serious-looking, fiftyish man in a nice gray suit.

  “Joining me now is ABC National Security Consultant Keith Ortega, who served on the Bush Administration Security Council. Welcome, Keith.”

  “Thank you, Melissa, and thanks for having me here.”

  “What are your impressions from both the aerial footage of the missile crash scene and this clip taken of the satellite crash zone?”

  New footage popped on screen, taken from the air and showing Coast Guard and other vessels, some displaying DHS in large letters, searching an area of the ocean. Several Coast Guard and military helicopters hovered over the water, powerful search lights playing across the roiling sea.

  “So far, the only official word has been that it was an old commercial satellite, yet as you can see, Melissa, the search is being run by Homeland Security. That tells me that it was most likely a military or intelligence asset that crashed.”

  “And from what eyewitnesses have asserted, the crash happened right in the same area as the missile launch was observed. Any chance the submarine that launched the missile was impacted or damaged?”

  “I would say almost certainly not, Melissa. Most of the spacecraft would have been incinerated by the heat of reentry. The small portion that made it to the ocean surface wouldn’t have been able to penetrate deep enough endanger a sub. Also, Melissa, remember that subs generally don’t sit still, particularly after a launch.” />
  “Keith, the conspiracy theorists are out in huge waves after this one, offering everything from an attempted coup to such implausable things as demon and vampire attacks. As outlandish as all those theories are, I have yet to hear anything plausible to explain a Navy missile strike against the Jersey Pine Barrens and an immediate crash of a spy satellite, have you?”

  “The biggest question, Melissa, is who ordered that launch. These things don’t launch themselves, and there is a tight chain of command and control. Also, if a foreign power, say China or Russia, has developed the technology to somehow turn our own satellites into weapons while removing our area intelligence capability, then we are in dire trouble.”

  “Thank you, Keith. We’ll be hearing more from you as more information rolls in. For now, we need to go to a station break, but stay tuned for further updates in what some are calling the Bombing of the Barrens.”

  “You almost hit the sub?” Lydia asked.

  “Not really. As the guy said, subs keep moving and there’s a big difference between a flimsy satellite and a nickel iron asteroid. More of a message, really.”

  “Yeah, a really big FU,” Stacia said.

  “So, are we safe here?” I asked, looking between Tanya and Arkady.

  “Relatively. We need to keep our heads down both in the digital, electronic world and in the real world. Lots of cameras in public places and as the whole world knows, the NSA can tap any of it,” Tanya said while Arkady nodded.

  “What about the rest of the crew… back at the factory?” I asked.

  “I called and told them to go to ground… when I went to the media vans. Borrowed a phone,” Tanya said. “But let’s talk about the fact that someone launched a Tomahawk at us.”

  “Well, I guess that answers the question of whether they want a war or not,” I said.

  Tanya shared a glance with Arkady, reminding me that they had been riding together on the trip here and would have had lots of time to talk about it. “We’re not so sure. I, for one, don’t know the chain of command that allows a sub captain to let a missile off its leash. I’m pretty sure the President isn’t the only one. Think of all the practice shots that ships and subs make.”

  “Particularly before a deployment,” Arkady said. “Sub might have thought it was target practice or systems check.”

  “So what do we do?” Stacia asked.

  “We keep our heads down and gather intel. But I’m serious about staying off the Web, at least with any equipment that can be traced to us and if we find another route, we stay away from any of our accounts, websites, or emails. Just general searches like any other citizen might make.”

  “We could get the papers in the morning,” Stacia suggested. “Nothing to trace there.”

  “Or better yet, ask Marnie to buy papers along with the food items that you list for her,” Lydia said.

  “We also sleep in watches. Someone always awake, always on guard,” Arkady said. “Trenton and I will split the early hours watch, from two a.m. till sunrise.”

  “Chris and I can split the daytime,” Stacia suggested.

  The sound of running feet brought our attention to the escape tunnel just as ‘Sos came trotting out. He stopped and shook his body, spraying a little bit of dust and dirt, leaving just a few cobwebs in his thick fur. He gave me a soft woof as I pulled the webbing off him, his demeanor calm and self-satisfied.

  “I think our escape routes are clear,” I said, actually quite certain of that answer.

  “Well then, let’s get this place set up and then Lydia and I are going to see what more we can glean from the news,” Tanya said.

  ‘”I’ve got first watch,” Trenton said, heading back toward the entrance.

  “I think I want to see these tunnels for myself. No offense,” Arkady said with a nod at Awasos, who just yawned.

  “I’m gonna grab some sleep so I’m fresh for the morning watch,” I said.

  “Me too,” Stacia said, then amended quickly, “but in the other bunk room.”

  Everyone got busy. Some loading perishables and blood into the fridge, others making up the beds while Trenton patrolled up in the barn. Soon enough, I was stretched out on one of the twin beds, trying to shut down my brain. The television played softly in the other room, Lydia and Tanya silent as they flipped from one newscast to another. I could hear running water from Stacia’s shower and beside me, a small mountain of fur rustled as ‘Sos settled into a comfortable position. We were hunted and hiding, camped out underground, but for the first time all day, I felt reasonably safe. As I faded into sleep, I wondered how long that feeling would last.

  Chapter 12

  Tanya woke me near dawn, yawning as she simply slid into my spot, snuggling into my already warmed-up bunk. ‘Sos looked at me with big, blinking eyes, then went back to sleep. I kissed my vampire good day, which elicited a retching noise from the next bed over where Lydia was pretending to look disgusted, threw a pillow at the mini-vampire, and headed to the kitchenette. I sensed Arkady and Trenton in the same bunkroom as Stacia, but whereas I could hear her heartbeat and slow breathing, I got almost no noise from the comatose warriors. Daylight puts vampires into a state of stupor that is very difficult for them to shrug off. Only the very old could function well during the hours that the sun was up. Arkady, at four hundred, could stay awake, but it was more zombie than alert warrior.

  I warmed up two prepackaged egg and bacon breakfast sandwiches in the microwave along with a cup of water for instant coffee. After deciding it was too early for much news, I headed up to the barn, eating my breakfast while sitting on the Camaro and listening to the countryside waking up. Prowling around the empty barn, I found a rear entrance that led to a pole barn structure that may have once housed farm equipment but now held a sloppy pile of firewood. Several axes and a splitting maul were haphazardly strewn about the mostly un-split logs and I got the impression that Jimmy only bothered with the work when the supply on his farmhouse porch got too low. Circling around the barn, I observed the house, noting a light on in the kitchen and hearing the sounds of waking children getting ready for school.

  Forty minutes later, two teenaged children stumbled out the door and trudged to the end of the driveway. The skinny boy must have been a junior or senior in high school, and his sister was a couple of years younger and a stocky contrast to his leaness. Ordinary looking kids who seemed to have no idea what lurked above and below the barn they took for granted.

  About five minutes later, they disappeared into a big yellow school bus and I was left with the sounds of Marnie cleaning up the kitchen and Jimmy still snoring in his bed. When Marnie came outside to get an armload of wood to feed the woodstove, I approached her, scuffing my feet to keep from startling her. She still jumped.

  “Ah, hi.” Brilliant start on my part. “I didn’t introduce myself last night. I’m Tony,” I said, using the short version of my middle name. We had already decided on keeping our real names on the down low.

  She had sucked in a short, quick breath at the foot shuffle. Now she just looked a little shocked.

  “I have that list of items that was mentioned last night, along with some cash,” I said, handing her the list and seven hundred dollars in twenties and fifties. She took them tentatively, still looking startled and now just a little scared.

  “Okay, I’ll get out of your day now,” I said, turning to walk away.

  “I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect to see anyone out in…” she trailed off, but I realized what she meant.

  “In the daylight?” I asked. She nodded.

  “A couple of us are not the same as the others. Altogether different. But we’ll stay out of sight mostly,” I said. She looked at me for a moment, then her head lifted her head to see past me to the barn. A glance over my shoulder showed me what she was looking at—‘Sos sitting at the corner of the barn, watching.

  “Like I said, mostly.”

  “I will get these things this morning, early, before too many people are up and a
round,” she said. Her meaning was pretty clear. There was a lot of meat and other foods on the list, much more than a family of four would require. Maybe more than a family of six.

  I left Marnie and headed back to the barn and my waiting were bear-wolf. I also found Stacia sitting on the splitting stump, watching the rising sun. She had sweatpants and a tight blue t-shirt on. Like me, the chill air did not seem to affect her supernatural metabolism.

  “Making friends with the farmer’s wife?” she asked without turning around.

  “Just giving her our shopping list,” I said.

  “Hmmpf. Next you’ll be shaking hands and kissing babies,” she muttered, still watching the sun.

  “I just gave her the list,” I repeated, sitting next to her on the chopping block. “What bit you in the ass?”