Desolation: Chapters 23 & 24
Dominion of the Damned: Book One
In a world where zombies roam and vampires rule, how far will Hannah Jordan go to survive?
Desolation is the first book in my post-apocalyptic horror trilogy, Dominion of the Damned.
New chapters post on Mondays and Wednesdays. Click here for the navigation page.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The buzzer mounted over Alek’s bed screamed as the flood light it was attached to snapped on, nearly blinding him and signaling it was time to end the charade of trying to sleep. Already wide awake after a day of tossing and turning, he rolled out of bed and padded into the front room, but paused before reaching the front door.
The scent coming from the lobby was familiar, but it didn’t belong to Zach.
A basket of clean laundry that he hadn’t gotten around to putting away sat next to the coffee table. Alek retrieved a T-shirt and a pair of jeans and put them on. He raked his fingers through his hair in an attempt to smooth it into something presentable as he headed for the door. He punched in the code to disarm the lock and pulled it open.
“Hannah.”
She reached for him and took his face in her hands. “We have unfinished business,” she said before crushing her mouth against his. He welcomed her kiss as he drew her into his arms. She went gladly, leaping up and wrapping her legs around his waist as he stumbled backward and into a wall. He turned around, leaning her against the wall as he ravaged her face and neck, all of the desire he’d felt for her that morning cranked up to eleven.
“Alek,” she moaned as his lips traced the line of her jaw and moved down her throat. “Alek.”
“Alek!”
He blinked and came back to reality. The real Hannah still stood in the hallway holding a plasma bag, wearing her scrubs and a look of concern. “Are you okay?”
He needed a cold shower, and he needed to not be near her for a while. But he said, “I’m fine. Sorry. I didn’t sleep well.” He stood back and held the door open for her. “Come in.”
“How’d you know it was me?” she asked as she entered.
He paused before answering. Humans tended to find it disturbing that he could smell them coming. “I sensed you.”
She seemed nonplussed by that. She looked down at the bag in her hands and held it out to him. “Brought you breakfast.”
“Thanks.” He took the bag and started for the kitchen. This time, she followed. “Can I get you some coffee?” he asked as he put the plasma in the fridge. “I need to make some.”
“That’s okay.”
“How’s Noah?”
“Better. His fever’s gone. Paula managed to scrounge up a humidifier for his room. It seems to be helping.”
“Good.”
She moved closer. He could sense her heart speeding up as surely as if it were his own. “I wanted to thank you again for helping out with him. I still don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been there.”
She seemed nervous as she spoke. Afraid. Her face remained composed, but she kept fidgeting with her hands. If she was so afraid of him, why did she come? Why was she standing so close?
He put some distance between them and busied himself making coffee. “I was just doing my job. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Oh.” Was that a note of disappointment in her voice? “Anyway, I’m sorry I kicked you out so abruptly.”
He faltered on his way to the sink, then sighed. “I’m sorry I gave you a reason to. That was… unseemly of me.”
An awkward silence fell between them as he filled the carafe. Finally Hannah said, “I’ve been thinking about Chris.”
“Right.” Alek shut the faucet off a little more forcefully than necessary. “Your boyfriend.”
“What? He’s not—we went out twice. That doesn’t make him my boyfriend.”
“Sorry.” He was losing the battle of keeping sarcasm out of his voice. “I didn’t realize. So what about him?”
“I’ve been thinking that maybe I shouldn’t see him anymore.”
“So, what,” he asked, irritably, “you came to me for breakup advice?” When she gave him a look that said he was being an idiot, he held up his hands. “Sorry. You can’t break up if he’s not your boyfriend.”
“You sound jealous,” Her voice was hard to read. It seemed somewhere between irritated and… amused? “And kind of bitter,” she added.
Because that’s exactly what I am, he thought, but kept silent as he scooped grounds into the coffee filter.
“Anyway,” she went on, “it’s not like I’m exactly swimming in people to talk to about this sort of thing. The closest thing I have here to a mom or a girlfriend is Paula, but considering she’s his mom…”
“Great. So that makes me your de facto best friend.”
“What? No! Would you stop? You’re like a hundred years old. How can you still be such an idiot?”
Her words struck him like a glass of cold water in the face. He didn’t have an answer, but she didn’t give him a chance to come up with one anyway. “Alek, you’re… you’re a freaking vampire!”
“This isn’t news.”
“No, but it’s…” She threw up her hands with a groan of frustration and started to pace his kitchen. “I mean, you’re great. Okay? You’re this awesome guy, and you keep saving my life, and my brother’s, but you’re still… I don’t know.”
She stopped pacing and faced him. “I mean, that’s it. I just don’t know. I don’t know what to think, or how to feel, or what’s okay…” He heard a tremor in her voice, as though she were near tears. “I just don’t know, and it’s scary. You’re scary. The things you make me feel are scary.”
She put a hand over her mouth, obviously fighting back tears.
It struck him, then, just how young she was. And he really was an idiot. If he couldn’t figure that out with his century of experience, how could he expect her to have her feelings worked out with only twenty years behind her?
Fighting the urge to go put his arms around her, he turned away and stared at the coffee maker. He stared at it a long time before reaching out and punching the button to turn it on. “You should keep seeing Chris.”
“What? Why?” She sounded confused and a little hurt, and that killed him, but he didn’t let it change his mind. This was right. This was what he had to do.
“Because he’s a good kid. And he’s your own age, and he’s human. He’s not scary, or complicated.” He looked at her before adding, “And he probably won’t break your heart.”
She met his gaze and held it for a moment as a look of resolve settled over her face. She took a step toward him, tentatively, and said, “There’s only one problem with that. I—”
The buzzer cut her off. They both looked out of the kitchen toward the door. Alek held up a finger. “Hold that thought.”
He couldn’t detect any signs of life coming from the other side of the door, and the smell wasn’t human. Bracing himself, Alek opened it and found Carl on the other side.
“We have a situation,” he said.
Alek looked back at Hannah in the kitchen doorway and thought how badly he wanted to hear whatever it was she had to tell him. With a sigh, he turned back to Carl. “Of course we do.”
Within moments, the three of them filed out of the elevator into the building’s main lobby. Zach joined them as they followed Alek outside to greet their visitors.
A line of vehicles rolled up in front of the building; an old school bus, covered in makeshift armor, flanked on each end by two modified Hummers with machine guns mounted on their roofs, each packed full of men with guns. More armed men peered out from the windows of the bus along with a few women and children. Most of the men wore some combination of camouflage and trucker hats. They reminded Hannah of a redneck version of The Road Warrior.
The driver of the lead Hummer got out and came around to greet them. He wore ripped and faded jeans and a blood-stained Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt underneath a camouflage tactical vest. A camouflage bucket hat, the kind with a band around it for holding ammunition, was crammed down over a mass of long, bushy blond hair that blended into a big, bushy blond beard. He stopped in front of the SUV and gave all of them an appraising look before settling his gaze on Alek. “You the head vamp in charge?”
A jolt of recognition went through Hannah. She took a closer look at the man. It was hard to make out his face under all that hair, but his voice was unmistakable.
“I’m Aleksandr Konstantin,” said Alek, heading down the steps. “I’m the doctor here.”
“A vamp doctor?” The man smiled, clearly amused, and looked back at his companions. “Well, if that don’t beat all.” Behind him, men laughed.
“Who are you?”
“Just a merry band of free survivors. We heard tell there was a refuge here, where people and vamps like you were living in peace and harmony. We just had to come and see such a thing for ourselves.”
“Really? Where did you hear about us?”
The man shrugged. “Here and there. You know how people talk.”
“I wasn’t aware there were that many people left outside the camps.”
“Well, there’s more of us than you’d think.”
“Uncle Eddie,” said Hannah. Between his voice and his mannerisms, she was positive it was him. She started down the steps. He stared as she approached, a look of disbelief on what she could see of his face.
“Hannah? Is that you, girl?” He broke into laughter as he rushed forward to sweep her into his arms and spin her in a circle. “Look at you!” he said when he set her down. “Last time I saw you, you were all braces and pimples. Now you’re all grown up.”
He pulled her into another bear hug, and she had to hold her breath. Clearly, surviving out in the wild didn’t leave a lot of room for showering. He released her, but kept hold of her shoulders. “Are your mama and daddy here?”
The grin she was wearing faded as she shook her head.
He let go of her, his hands falling to his sides in defeat. “Damn. When I saw you I hoped…” He drew the back of his hand across his nose. “Last I heard, your mama was expecting.”
“She was,” said Hannah. “She had him before… anyway, he’s here. His name’s Noah.”
In spite of everything, Eddie grinned. “Your daddy sure did like those Bible names.”
Suddenly Hannah realized Alek was standing beside her. “Of course you and your party are welcome here,” he told Eddie. “Especially if you’re Hannah’s family. You can stay in the barracks until we can set you up with permanent homes.”
“We won’t be needing anything permanent,” said Eddie. “That is, unless we’re not allowed to leave.”
Alek shook his head. “This isn’t that kind of camp. You can leave any time, as long as you follow procedure to make sure nothing gets in. Although like I said, you’re welcome to stay.” He nodded toward the bus. “Do any of your people need medical attention?”
“Nope. Surely not from the likes of you.”
Hannah bristled at Eddie’s attitude, but if Alek took any offense, he didn’t let on.
“I’ll hold a clinic tomorrow. You can all get some rest tonight, and something to eat. If anybody wants to come see me for a checkup, I’ll be here all day tomorrow. I’ve got vaccinations if any of the children need their shots. Vitamins, too.”
“I’m sure you do. A healthy human’s a tasty human, right?”
“It’s not like that,” Hannah blurted, a little shocked by her own defensiveness. “Alek’s a good doctor. You’re lucky he’s here.”
“They can come to me,” Alek repeated, then with a shrug added, “or not. Their choice. Either way, I’ll be here.” He turned to Carl, who had hung back on the steps along with Zach. “Will you show them to the barracks and help them get settled? And tell Paula about our guests. She’ll make sure they get fed.”
“Sure thing,” said Carl. “This way.” He started walking in the direction of the barracks.
Eddie gave Hannah an appraising look that made her uncomfortable. He cast a contemptuous glance at Alek before climbing back into the Hummer.
“So that’s your uncle,” Alek said as the convoy rolled slowly after Carl. “It must feel good to learn you’ve still got family living.”
“We’re not really related. He grew up with my dad. They were like brothers.”
“Well, he obviously doesn’t trust vampires, so you’ve got that in common.”
“Alek—”
“We need to stay focused. You should go with Carl, help him and Paula get these folks settled. Tell them Zachary will be with me at the clinic. He can handle minor ailments if they’d be more comfortable with a human treating them.”
“What about me? I can help. I can bring Noah up here if I have to.”
“You should give Uncle Eddie the grand tour. Try to convince him to stay, if that’s what you want. And keep an eye on him. I know he’s someone you care about, but I don’t trust him. He has the look of a man who’s up to something.”
Hannah wanted to be able to defend her family friend, but she couldn’t really argue. “Uncle Eddie’s always been a little extreme. I mean, his idea of survival preparedness made my dad look like a cub scout. And we’re talking about a man who built his own back yard bomb shelter.”
“Thank God he did, or you might not be here.” He tore his gaze away and looked back at the building. “I should go back to bed, try to get some sleep. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” He looked back at her. “We’ll have time to talk when things settle down.”
As she gazed into his eyes, she realized that she hardly even noticed the tell-tale coloring that marked him as something other than human. She simply saw him, his soul looking back at her, saw the longing and affection in his gaze.
She suddenly felt a powerful urge to kiss him, to pick back up where she had cut him off that morning. But she didn’t have the courage to cross that line, and she still didn’t know whether she should.
Besides, he was right. They had work to do. They both needed to stay focused.
“Okay,” she said, and went to find Carl.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“And this is my place.” Hannah made her house the last stop on the tour. Eddie had been the only one to take it. The rest of his people had gone to Alek’s clinic after all, although she suspected some of them had snuck off on recon missions of their own. She held the door open to let him in. He nodded appreciatively, taking in the surroundings.
“Nice digs. No wonder you seem so comfortable here.”
Hannah ignored the slightly derisive tone in his voice, just as she’d been ignoring it all morning. She shifted Noah in her arms. “It’s a lot more comfortable than a bomb shelter. And it’s safe.”
“Safe?” He gave her an incredulous look, but then his gaze landed on Noah, and he grinned. “Boy, I can’t get over how much he looks like his daddy.” He reached over to rub Noah’s head. “I’ve got all kinds of stories to tell you when you’re older, little man.” Noah sniffled and coughed, and Eddie’s grin faded. “Is he all right?”
“He’s been sick, but he’s a lot better. He just had a bad reaction to his shots.”
“Shots? You mean you let that vampire stick a needle in this boy?”
Hannah swallowed her exasperation. “No, I let his human assistant give him his vaccinations. And I supervised. I am a nurse, you know. Well, student nurse. But they’re training me, so I guess I might actually get to be a real nurse some day.”
Eddie shook his head in disgust. “Trained by a vampire, you mean.”
It was getting harder to hide her irritation. “Yes, actually, because in case you haven’t noticed, he’s the only doctor around. And thank God he is, because he saved Noah’s life the other night when his fever was out of control.” She looked down at her little brother and held him more tightly. “I could have lost him.” Her throat tightened up. She coughed to clear it. “Anyway, here. You can hold him while I make us some lunch.”
Eddie smiled again and took the baby. Noah was all giggles and smiles while Eddie kept tossing him in the air and catching him. Hannah left them to it and went into the kitchen to put together tuna salad sandwiches on homemade bread, courtesy of Paula.
“Grub’s on,” she called once they were ready. Eddie put Noah in his high chair and joined them at the bar.
“Never was a big fan of tuna,” he said, inspecting his sandwich, “but I’ve gotta admit, it’s a nice change from rabbit.”
“There’s plenty of food here,” said Hannah. “There’s canned stuff from the Army stores, and also from all of the town’s grocery stores. And we’re growing our own food. They’re raising cows and chickens, so we’ve got plenty of eggs and milk. They’re even working on clearing a field to grow wheat.”
“Sounds like a real paradise.”
“It beats traipsing around the woods, living off the land and hoping you don’t get caught.”
A derisive laugh escaped Eddie’s mouth along with bits of his sandwich. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. “Hate to break it to you, girl, but you’re already caught.”
“It’s not like that. We’re free here.”
“You sure about that?”
“Alek told you, you can leave whenever you want. So can we. But why would we want to?”
“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe so your every move isn’t supervised by things that’re just one step up from the other things they’re supposed to be protecting you from? Or maybe so you don’t have to pay your rent in blood?” Eddie shook his head. “C’mon, girl. Your daddy raised you to be smarter than this.”
“Don’t tell me how my daddy raised me. I’m doing right by my little brother. And that’s not how it is here. Blood donations are strictly voluntary.”
Eddie scoffed. “Yeah, right.”
“You want to hear about the place we were in before this? Where everybody was forced to give blood? It was a prison. Literally. And it wasn’t safe to go anywhere alone. I made the smart move to go exploring on my own and I almost got myself killed by one of the guards. Worse than killed. Alek got us out of that place. So don’t you tell me how bad off we are here, because you don’t know bad.”
Hannah didn’t have the appetite to finish her sandwich. She pushed it away and got up to fix some cereal for Noah.
Eddie continued to eat in silence for a moment before putting his sandwich down. “Look. I’m not saying it’s easy for us out there. We’ve lost people. Food’s hard to come by. Hell, there are some days when we all wonder if it’s worth it to keep pushing on. I can’t tell you how much I wish this really was the paradise you think it is, someplace we could all settle down and rest. But I can’t rest easy knowing some blood-sucker’s in charge, and I can’t believe that you can, either.”
“Neither can I,” said Hannah. “Believe it, I mean. I wasn’t okay with any of it, at first. But I’ve gotten to know them. Him. Alek… he wants a better world than this. And I want to help him get there.”
Eddie burst out laughing. “Is that the line he sold you? Damn, girl. If your daddy could hear you right now he’d roll over in his grave.”
Hannah picked up Noah’s bowl and slammed it down on the counter, splattering baby cereal everywhere. “He doesn’t have room to roll over,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s too shallow. I know because I’m the one who dug it.”
That silenced him. Sighing, Hannah grabbed a dish rag from the sink and wiped up the mess she’d made. Long moments passed in awkward silence as she remade the cereal.
Looking at the remains of his sandwich, Eddie said, “You think you’re safe here. Maybe you are, for the time being. But what happens when that fence comes down?”
Hannah paused on the way back to the counter. “What do you mean?”
“It’s tall and sturdy, but it’s still only chain link. A strong enough wind, or maybe lightning strikes the wrong tree, and you’ve got a breach. What happens then?”
Hannah took a deep breath as she shoveled a spoonful of cereal into Noah’s mouth. “Then we fight. This is an Army base. It’s not like we’re short of weapons.”
“Neither was your daddy. Didn’t do him much good, did it?” He reached across the counter and grabbed Hannah’s arm, not ungently. “If you were out there with us, you’d be protected. We stay ready. And when the others come, we fight, but we’ve got room to run if we have to. We’re not penned in like sitting ducks.”
“You said you’ve lost people. Alek hasn’t lost anyone. And if you and your people stay, we’ll have better odds if the fence ever does come down. We’ll have more weapons and more people who know how to use them.”
Eddie released her arm and sat back, defeated. “I’m not gonna persuade you to come with us, am I?”
Hannah shook her head. “Am I going to convince you to stay?”
“Even if you could, there’s no way I’d convince the others, and they need me too much for me to even think about staying without them.” He stood up from the bar and pointed at what was left of his sandwich. “Thanks for the meal. Damn, it sure is good to see you, girl. You take care of that runt, a’right?”
Hannah smiled. “I will.”
Eddie nodded and turned to go. But at the door he paused. “Just… try to keep your distance from the vampires, and watch your back. Can you promise me that much?”
Hannah bit her lip. Distance from Alek was exactly the opposite of what was happening between them, but she didn’t tell Eddie that. She nodded. “I’ll be careful.”
Her old family friend nodded, as satisfied as he was likely to get with any scenario that didn’t include her packing up and joining him, and then walked out the door.
It had been a long day. The visitors had trickled into Alek’s clinic throughout the day. Even though most had been too wary of him to allow him to administer treatment himself, he’d stayed on hand to assist Zach and answer questions.
What he had seen dismayed him. All of the visitors were undernourished, and most of them had lingering coughs and runny noses. The adults all looked worn out, like the sheer act of survival had run them ragged. Alek hoped that Hannah would be able to convince her friend to let them stay, at least long enough to build up their strength.
The patient visits had stretched throughout the day and into the evening. It was almost midnight when the last was sent back to the barracks with antibiotics and vitamins. Zach felt like he was close to a breakthrough on their vaccine, so he wanted to stay and work on it.
Alek felt ready to drop, but he hated to leave Zach in the lurch at such a critical moment in their research, and if he slept through the night again it would be hell trying to get his sleep schedule back on track. He didn’t really fancy the thought of spending the majority of his waking hours confined to a windowless room.
Besides, he knew if he went to bed now he’d just start thinking about Hannah again, wondering what it was she’d been about to tell him. The look on her face when she’d stood in his kitchen… remembering it made him sigh. It was better not to think about it. That was just another way to drive himself crazy.
Alek leaned back from his microscope and rubbed his face. He wondered if he looked as haggard as he felt. “I need a pick me up,” he told Zach. “I’m going to get some coffee. Do you want any?”
“Why don’t you just go to bed, man? You look like you’re about to fall over.”
“I haven’t been sleeping well.” He shrugged. “At least I should be able to sleep when morning gets here.” He slid off his stool and turned to the door just in time to see four burly men file in, led by Hannah’s uncle. “Can I help you gentlemen?”
“Clinic still open?” asked Eddie, and Alek smiled. She must’ve gotten through to him.
“I said it would be as long as you need it. What can I do for you?”
Eddie glanced back at his men and moved further into the room, out of their earshot, and beckoned Alek to follow. “It’s kinda personal,” he said as Alek drew near. He sensed one of the men coming up behind him, and turned to tell him that he needed to speak with Eddie confidentially and that he would get his turn. He was met with a cattle prod to the chest.
Pain and electricity shot through him, freezing him in place while it burned every cell and nerve ending. Alek heard a shout from Zach, then a scream. Then silence.
His teeth and nails extended as his body instinctively prepared to fight, but all of his superhuman strength couldn’t help him move so much as a finger as long as that current coursed through him.
By the time it stopped, mercifully, blissfully, there was no strength left in him. He collapsed, barely holding onto consciousness as he felt himself lifted and dragged by the arms. Shortly afterward, fresh night air hit his face. They had taken him outside.
They dropped him at the top of the steps. Alek braced himself for whatever came next. Then someone kicked him hard in the ribs and sent him rolling, bouncing and banging some new part of his body on every step along his descent.
He barely had time to register all the new pain before he was once again dragged, this time along the street. When it stopped, they bound his hands and feet, then raised his arms over and past his head. They bound his wrists to something. He opened his eyes and managed to focus enough to see that they were tying him to the back bumper of one of their Hummers.
“The others,” he managed, finding the strength to speak. That was a good sign. If his strength returned before they drove off with him, he might stand a chance. But he doubted he’d be strong enough to break his bonds before that happened. “They won’t let you leave with me. Not like this.”
Eddie appeared in his field of vision and crouched down next to him. “You mean the other vampires? Don’t worry. We already took care of them.” He jerked his head to indicate whatever was behind him. Alek looked and saw the bus, full of the women and children and elderly that he’d spent all day tending to.
On the front of it were mounted several heads, all of them familiar. Carl’s head was front and center, gaping at Alek with an open mouth and lifeless eyes.
Alek shut his own eyes. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why?” Eddie laughed. “Why do you think? What, you think humanity’s just gonna lie down and let your kind walk all over us?” He spat. A glob landed on Alek’s shirt. “This is what we do. We eliminate your kind, every chance we get. This is war.”
“Then why not just kill me, like you did them?”
Eddie stood up. He seemed to contemplate Alek for a moment. “You think I didn’t know she was here? We’ve had our eye on your little operation here for a long time. Been watching.”
He laughed at the confusion on Alek’s face. “Oh, yeah, we got our ways. We didn’t survive the last six months by not knowing how to be stealthy.” He shook his head. “When I saw her, I knew I had to come get her. It’s what her daddy would’ve wanted. Only problem is, she doesn’t want to leave.” Again, he crouched down, leaning in Alek’s face. “I don’t know how you did it, but you went and brainwashed my best friend’s girl.”
Alek couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re kidding, right? Hannah, brainwashed? You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
Eddie hit him, punching him square in the mouth. Alek licked his lips and tasted blood not his own. Realizing Eddie had cut his hand on his extended fangs gave Alek a small sense of satisfaction.
Eddie flexed his hand and shook it out, then pointed down at Alek. “Shut your mouth, leech. Don’t you tell me I don’t know that girl. Her daddy was a brother to me, and I’ve known her since she was as big as that brother of hers.” He kicked Alek in the ribs and then spat on him again. “I’m doing this for him. You don’t get to die clean, like they did.” He pointed behind him at the heads of Alek’s fallen friends. “You’re gonna die messy.”
He stood up and called out, “Let’s roll!” A moment later, the Hummer’s engine started, and then it took off down the street, dragging Alek behind it.
Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed this story, like, share or restack to help boost its visibility for others to find.
Be sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss an update!
Don’t want to wait? Click here to get the ebook, paperback or audio book!
