Blood and Stone (16 page)

Laura shook her head and walked over to the FBI agent. “There’s no one in there.”

Pam looked from the building to Laura, then back again. “You sure?”

“Very.”

Josie was at the jeep now. She slung her backpack into the open back and opened the driver’s door. “Hey! We’re in luck! The keys are in it!”

Laura and Pam joined Josie, and all three women climbed into the jeep, with Pam riding in back. Their luck held out and the jeep started on the first try and had a half tank of gas.

With Josie driving, they set out west, toward Chichen Itza.

“So what do we do when we get there?” Keegan asked from the back seat.

“Well, we can’t just walk into town,” Josie said. “I think we should be cautious.”

“Sneak up on it?” Laura asked.

“Be stealthy.”

“Wow. You are his granddaughter.”

Josie frowned. “I still don’t buy into that.”

“Uh, wasn’t your dad his clone?” Laura asked. “That makes you blood.”

“I don’t know what that makes us, but I’m not his kid, or his grandkid.”

“I sure see the resemblance,” Pam added.

Josie gritted her teeth. “He can’t treat me like a kid, just because we share some DNA.”

“Share some DNA?” Laura asked. “That’s pretty cynical for someone so young. You may not think of him as family, but you have to admit he’s at least your ancestor.”

Josie was about to respond when she slowed the jeep to a sudden halt. Up ahead, there was a small town. A hotel sat on the left, greeting visitors to the town. In the road, in front of the hotel was an overturned car. Pulled from the car were two mangled bodies.

“Go...slowly,” Laura said. She stood in her seat and looked around.

Josie drove slowly past the bodies. They had been torn and chewed on, as if by wild animals. Their throats were torn out, their arms and legs and abdomens ripped open.

“Vampires,” Laura said. “Feeding.”

“That’s how vampires feed?” Pam asked.

“No, that’s how these vampires feed. But they’re not true vampires.”

Josie drove on, past the bodies and the overturned car. More buildings came into view—mostly one story. Some were houses, some shops. All appeared vacant, with doors ripped partially off their hinges, and dried blood stains on the ground—indicating where people had been pulled from the buildings.

“I don’t follow,” Pam said. “Are they vampires or not?”

“When that giant ripped out my heart, he stole my ability to make others into vampires. But vampirism is a curse, not a disease.”

“A curse?”

“It’s magical—and I don’t mean that in a happy, fun way.”

They were deep into the town now, and everywhere it was the same. The city of Kaua was a ghost town. Not a single living soul was out. Cars sat in the street, doors open, some with turn signals blinking.

“Without being cursed,” Laura continued, “The giant is making something like a vampire, but not a vampire.”

“What’s the difference?” Pam asked.

“They can’t turn anyone else, for one,” Laura said. “They probably aren’t as strong as me, either.”

“That’s good, right?” Josie asked.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Laura said. “I just hope they have my weaknesses.”

“Weaknesses?” Pam asked. “What weaknesses?”

“For one, sunlight. If I weren’t wearing some kick ass contact lenses, I’d be in agonizing, debilitating pain right now. I wouldn’t even be able to stand up.”

“So vampires really can’t handle the sunlight?” Josie said. “I was wondering why you weren’t on fire or something.”

Laura frowned. “That’s just in the movies. But I’d rather be on fire than the pain sunlight can bring.”

“That’s kind of stupid.” Pam didn’t know what to think of the conversation.

“Curses never make any sense.”

The women finally reached the far side of the town. Josie accelerated as they hit open road again.

“ A whole town... How many vampires would that take?” she asked.

“To eat everyone? Dozens. Maybe even a hundred. I’m not sure.”

Pam swallowed nervously. Her submachine gun was no longer very reassuring. “How do you kill a vampire?”

Laura grinned. “Don’t sweat it, tiny. We die just like anything else. Do enough damage and we run out of the energy to repair that damage.”

“What about cutting off the head?” Josie asked. She’d seen that in a lot of movies.

“Yeah, that works on pretty much anything.”

“Not on the shapeshifter,” Josie answered.

Laura was concerned now. “How do you kill it then?”

“When we figure that out, we’ll be sure to let you know,” Pam answered.

***

The women continued up the road a short distance, passing the international airport at Muchukux. Black smoke still poured into the sky from fires that had already consumed several hangars and most of the main passenger terminal building.

Another four and a half miles up the road, the women came to the town of Xcalacoop. Again, the women found themselves in the wake of death and destruction. The city had also been ravaged by Tezcahtlip’s vampires—citizens pulled from their homes, cars wrecked in the exodus away from the attackers, buildings set on fire and now reduced to smoldering remains.

Again, they pushed on, driving through the town nervously and sighing in relief once they had passed through.

Pam had found a map in the jeep and was studying it intently. “Looks like the road up ahead is going to split—one branch hooking to the north, toward a smaller runway. The other road goes past some hotels and comes up to the south side of the complex.”

“So what do we want to do?” Josie asked. “Front door or back door?”

“Pardon?”

“We can drive up to the front and probably get ourselves shot, or maybe we can slip past and circle around through the jungle. Approach it on foot.”

“I vote backdoor,” Pam said. “I prefer to be the one doing the shooting.”

Josie nodded and the women continued on. They quickly reached the point where the road split. There were signs pointing to the left, indicating Chichen Itza.

“Look at the size of that thing,” Pam said, looking up at the thick black cloud that still hung over the site.

“Definitely not good,” Laura remarked. “The vampires won’t have to hide from the sun under that thing.”

“Great. Just what I wanted to hear.”

They had driven a short distance down the road, when Laura stood up in her seat, looking west. “Pull over—off the road.”

“What is it?” Josie obeyed, slowing and steering the jeep off the paved road and into tall grass.

“We go on foot from here.”

“Foot?” Pam protested. “My feet were just starting to feel better.”

“I can sense them. That way. Thirty, maybe forty vampires.” Laura was pointing toward the southwest, in the direction of Chichen Itza.

“Can they sense you?” Josie asked nervously as she switched off the engine.

“I doubt it. I learned a long time ago to see and not be seen. They’re just starting off—they may not have even figured out how to sense others of our kind. Assuming they even have that ability.”

Pam noticed a worried look on Josie’s face as she exited the jeep. “What is it, Josie?”

“The Colonel. Where is he?”

Laura smiled, trying to appear calm. “I’m sure he’s okay.”

“She’s right. Shouldn’t we be hearing explosions or something by now? Even on foot he’s still fast enough to have been here already.”

Laura glared at Pam Keegan. “I’m sure he’s fine. Let’s just go take a peek at what’s going on.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The sprawling complex at Chichen Itza, covered in the shadow of Tezcahtlip’s immense black cloud, was once again bustling with activity. The many soldiers killed by the stone soldiers had been disposed of or turned into more vampires. New followers had poured in, from all over Mexico. Some were soldiers, some farmers, some drug smugglers. No matter where they came from, they were all armed and put to work restoring the site at Chichen Itza—or fortifying it.

From their vantage point along the northeast edge of the jungle, the trio of women carefully watched the complex through small binoculars.

“They have patrols now,” Josie said as she watched a pair of soldiers circling the complex counterclockwise. Another patrol was on the other side of the complex also circling slowly.

“Pretty paranoid behavior for an all-powerful god,” Pam remarked.

“I guess he’s expecting something,” Josie said.

A hand suddenly clamped over Josie’s mouth from behind. She tried to struggle against her attacker but he was impossibly strong. She could smell the faint odor of vomit.

“Shhh,” Mark Kenslir whispered into her Josie’s ear. He relaxed his grip on the startled girl and she turned in time to see him releasing Pam Keegan with his other hand.

The Colonel had green and black paint smeared on his face and hands, and even on the arms of his long sleeve black shirt.

“Why didn’t you grab her?” Pam demanded.

Laura smiled. “I already knew he was there,” she said, touching the tip of her nose.

“Come with me,” Mark said, motioning the women away from the treeline. He lead them back into the jungle, well away from view of pyramid complex.

Crouching down, he motioned the women in close.

“You have got to wash that off, Mark,” Laura said, moving so she was upwind of the Colonel. She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out two bottles of water and offered them to him.

“I’ll give you girls credit for getting here in one piece,” Mark said. “But you need to step back and let me handle this.”

“How are you handling it?” Josie demanded. “Skulking around in the jungle?”

“I’ve been observing them, noting the locations of the new soldiers and their defensive emplacements.”

“And?”

“And it looks like more worshipers are showing up every hour. There’s a visitor’s center west of the main complex. They’re processing new arrivals there. Many have been armed and put to work. Many more are just standing around. Waiting.”

“Waiting?” Pam asked.

“To be sacrificed, I’d guess. The giant’s got his own little Army now. They’re cataloging the new arrivals, separating them into groups of healthy and unhealthy.”

“What about the vampires?” Laura could sense her fellow undead.

“They’re overseers of a sort. Walking around, giving directions, occasionally demanding blood from the civilians. Most of them are at the visitor center as well.”

“What about Jimmy and the others?” Josie asked. “Are they still alive?”

“I think they’re keeping them in the temple atop the pyramid. Which is also where the giant is staying.”

“Maybe I’ll just go pay him a visit,” Laura said, her face grim. Her nails suddenly lengthened into claws.

“Don’t be stupid. Not only does he have all your powers, he’s got the abilities of several dozen parahumans and the lifeforce of hundreds, possibly thousands of sacrifices. He’d kill you in an instant.”

“So how do we stop him?” Pam asked nervously. Her submachinegun definitely seemed inadequate now.

“I’ll take care of that—with a little diversion I have planned. If I can draw the giant out of the pyramid, I can sneak in, set the others free. If we hit him at the same time, we can make him burn up his energy reserves until he’s weak enough to kill.”

“That was your original plan, wasn’t it?” Laura asked. “Before our plane got shot down.”

“Yes. He can’t hurt me or control me. The team was going to keep the vampires busy while I finished off the giant.”

“What kind of a diversion do you need?” Pam asked.

“I have a charge planted at the visitor center,” Mark answered. “I’ll remotely detonate it. It should draw the giant out long enough for me to slip past.”

“I’ll set them free,” Josie volunteered.

“No, you’d never get in,” Mark said, shaking his head from side to side. “His powers have grown. I’m surprised he hasn’t sensed you three already.”

“But he can’t sense you?” Laura asked.

“Right—I’m sort of invisible to any extra sensory perception.”

“So we just sit here in the jungle, braiding each other’s hair while you go play assassin?”

“I told you not to come.”

“That’s not-“ Josie started to say.

“No. You wait. Here,” Mark said. “And this time, I mean it.”

“This is a reverse psychology thing, isn’t it?” Pam asked. “You tell us to wait, then run off and we follow you again.”

“No! I mean it—wait here.”

“Just an explosion isn’t going to draw the giant out,” Josie said. “You need more than that.”

Kenslir wanted to argue but in the back of his mind he wondered if the girl might be right. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Too dangerous? She’s a vampire, I can freeze things with my mind, and she’s a crack shot,” Josie said. “We can handle some soldiers and blood suckers.”

Josie looked quickly toward Laura. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

Kenslir stared intently at the three women, weighing his options.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them,” Laura said seriously for once. “I promise.”

“Fine,” Kenslir said. He pulled a detonator from a pocket on his assault vest and handed it to Josie. “Give me an hour to get in position. I’ll be behind the pyramid, southeast corner. Set off the device, then do your diversion from the northwest thirty seconds later—from a distance. He’ll think it’s a two pronged assault.”

“One hour,” Josie said, nodding in agreement. “Northwest. Got it.”

Kenslir drew his OA-93 machine pistol from the oversized holster on his right thigh and offered it to Laura.

“Sorry, but I prefer to work up close and personal,” the vampire said, showing her claws again.

Kenslir holstered the pistol, then moved away from the group, vanishing quietly into the thick jungle.

***

Circling the complex, staying well within the jungle, the three woman moved cautiously toward the northwest corner of Chichen Itza. To get there, they had to dash across a wide path that led north, away from the main plaza. A path guarded by two soldiers.

Josie held up a hand for Laura and Pam to wait, then concentrated on the men.

The closest soldier suddenly doubled over, grabbing at his head. Before he could even scream in pain, he tumbled to the ground.

The second soldier was just turning toward the first when he too grimaced and grabbed at his head. He dropped to his knees and fell to the ground as dead as the first.

Laura and Pam dashed from the edge of the jungle and grabbed the soldiers by their feet and quickly dragged them out of sight. Josie joined them in the brush and undergrowth.

“Is that frost on his forehead?” Laura asked, pointing to the soldier she had pulled off the path.

“Cryokinesis,” Josie explained. “I froze their frontal lobes.”

“How far away can you do that?” Pam asked.

“As far as I can see, I guess.”

“Impressive,” Laura interrupted. “But do we have any ideas on that diversion?”

Josie picked up a dead soldier’s rifle. “We could fire these into the air. With our two SMGs that’d be four weapons firing simultaneously.”

“I have a better idea,” Pam said. “We don’t we just kill as many of them as we can?”

Josie gave Pam an incredulous look. “How do you propose we do that?”

“Lure them out in the open, then you do your thing, red here does hers.”

“How do you plan to lure them?” Laura asked. “It’s not like we have any big blocks of cheese.”

Pam sat down on the ground and began to unlace her boots. “They’re men, aren’t they? Even the vampires?”

Laura shrugged. “Yes, even the vampires, why do... oh.”

“What?” Josie asked, looking back and forth between the two women.

Pam had one boot off and was working on the other one.

“Why are you taking off your boots?” Josie asked.

“Trojan horse,” Pam said. She pulled off her socks and was standing now. She unzipped her flight suit, revealing an athletic bra and jogging shorts underneath. “Present them something that seems completely harmless to throw them off guard.”

“What?” Josie asked, incredulous. “Why is your solution to everything to get naked?”

“She’s right,” Laura said. She had her boots off now as well, and was unzipping her flight suit. Unlike Agent Keegan, the vampire wore nothing under hers.

“Stop, just stop,” Josie said. “This is crazy.”

“No, it makes perfect sense,” Laura said. They’ll never suspect us if we waltz in there with nothing but our birthday suits on. Like she said—they’re still men. When they get close… we kill them.”

“Wait a minute—us?” Josie demanded. Laura was stepping out of her flight suit now and Pam was about to pull her athletic bra off. “I am
not
getting naked.”

Laura crossed her arms over her bare chest. “You have a better idea?”

Josie looked quickly at the two dead soldiers laying on the ground.

“Yes. Yes I do.”