Created (Book 1 of the Created) (27 page)

Dodging only a small amount, I was afraid I was going too
fast and would be unable maintain my balance. I was doing well until I felt a
bullet puncture my shirt, passing clean through without making contact. The
moving became wide ranging in an attempt to weave and out. The guns quieted as
I entered the main grounds of the training complex crawling with zombie and
human soldiers.

Somewhere within the confusion of soldiers, a single voice
shouted out an order to halt. Halting seemed a great way to get killed so I
opted to find out if I could go even faster. The soldiers were too closely
grouped to take aim at me as I raced past toward the warehouse that contained
the Camaro. If a soldier did fire a shot then the round would probably have a
better chance to hit another soldier than make contact with me. The guards were
too preoccupied with my approach to have effectively secured the warehouse. Two
zombies turned toward me too late. Both of the
Zs
were forcefully pushed backward without injury to me. The door was now within
reach when two shoots pinged off the metal walls in front of me. I dove into
the door as another shot tinged off of the frame of the door to my right. I hit
the concrete floor. The speed with which I plopped onto the floor propelled me
along until I was able to pop up into a run.

I had seconds before the mass of soldiers of both groups
poured through the door behind me. The narrowness of the door would buy me time
as only a single soldier at a time could enter. An attempt to secure the door
was forfeited in an effort to get to the muscle car in front of me.

I begged quietly to myself as I leapt into the open topped
Camaro that the keys were in the ignition. On contact of the seat with my ass,
I reached for the ignition to find my silent prayer answered. Firing up the
Camaro, I spun the Chevrolet to find a mixed bag of thirty soldiers with
assault rifles pointed in my direction.

Unfortunately fifteen or so were too close for their own
health as I used every ounce of horsepower of the eight cylinder motor to toss
the car around in a wide circle, scattering the soldiers with the rear fender.
The remaining ones in the warehouse fled their airborne colleagues. The soldiers,
filtering in through the open door, were forced to adjust or risk being injured
by a flying limb or body.

Straightening the car, I pressed the remote button as I
slammed the accelerator to the floor. The engine roared to life sending me
rocketing across the small warehouse. The large door was moving too slowly
making this exit close. There was a small crack that the Camaro could squeeze
through, and if I held the car steady, maybe only the side mirrors would be
torn loose. I never wavered.

There was sporadic gunfire punching through the thin outer
wall while a few random shots shredded the body of the car as the tires found
the dirt road. A mile then two was soon behind me. There was no pursuit behind
me. There was just dirt in front of me, and a hope inside that I could reach
Sunnie
in time to save her. If I didn't, I vowed there
would be hell to pay.

As the dirt road began to turn into pavement, I realized a
great miscalculation on my behalf. In my haste to go to the aid of an innocent
friend, I had not thought about the fact I had no clue where she lived.

My phone was in my pocket. Struggling to whip it out I
scrolled through the contacts hoping in earnest that
Sunnie
,
or I, had added her number. When I reached the end of the list, which was short
to begin with, I started to throw the phone out the window until it was
illuminated by an incoming text from Darby. "Good luck!
Sunnie's
address is 272 County Road 117.
So
Sorry!"

The address was what I needed and at the right time. I had
been willing to give up the fight. Well, that is not entirely true. I wouldn't
give up until her death was confirmed. My foot had followed a subconscious
command, and I had allowed it to slack on the gas petal, but a renewed spirit
prompted me to hammer the car as hard as she would go.

The Camaro was fierce on the straightaway and the engine
rumbled throughout the night, ticking away the miles at speeds exceeding one
hundred twenty miles per hour. I had slowed once since receiving the address to
put it into the mapping function of my phone, but willed the car to go faster
as I closed in on her house. Twenty three miles quickly became ten then even
faster became three. The Detroit beauty growled a loud throaty expression of
yearning to be unrestrained again as I removed my foot from the accelerator as
I neared
Sunnie's
street.

The Camaro was less than stealthy as I crept along the
streets edging closer to her home. Two blocks away, I decided my best recourse
was to simply drive fully to her house and wish for the best.

The streets were dark and the houses were cookie cutter
representations of structures being built during a time of prosperity for many
after the initial purchase of the property that comprised the Farm. The ones
that had stayed had been flush with money or as flush with money as the people
of the poor communities had ever been. As the money flowed, the surviving towns
sprawled for a few blocks as split levels and ranchers dotted once fertile farm
fields. The street had been carefully laid out to afford comfort and quietness
along with a sense of safety in numbers. The blocks today found well cared for
homes of several decades of age and partially manicured flower gardens and
lawns underneath a canopy of mature trees that hid the properties from the
light of the sun or the moon. At the moment, I was thankful to be a vampire
because there was little natural or artificial light to make out the house
numbers on the mailboxes.

The GPS mapping function was useless as the brightly
flashing dot indicated I was at my destination. The house the indicator had
denoted was off by ten digits. Instead of pulling into her driveway or the curb
along the front of her house, I found myself searching the houses on my left.
Tooling down the street until finding the numbers that matched those that Darby
had sent me, I was grateful to see that house brightly lit and a couple of cars
in the driveway. A large metal portable shipping container also adorned the
driveway forcing the two vehicles, a white sedan and silver SUV, to be stacked one
behind the other. The driveway obviously full, I took to parking along the
curb.

Signs of life could be seen within the home through the
front window which was devoid of any window treatments and the opening of the
front door which was protected by a glass door. A few stray boxes sat empty on
the narrow porch as well as in the living room. The inhabitants maneuvered
around the boxes holding plates of food and drinks.

From my vantage point, I could see
Sunnie
and her entire family. There was a total of five in all gathered on the couches
sitting amongst the unpacking.

"At least they are all alive," I said to myself as
I issued a sigh of relief while peering through the darkness in search of the
GV6.
 

The GV6 hunter could be hiding anywhere. The beast was made
to the specification to complete one single action of proficiency. GV6s were
another generation along the expanse of created vampires in an attempt to get
as close to a perfect killing machine and information gatherer that could mimic
humans as closely as possible. The Hunter model GV6 was ancestrally the same
lineage as the regular GV6, but there was a divergence according to the Farm
field guide I was issued. The Hunter was engineered to possess the same mental
faculties of its brethren while allowing for greater speed, strength, tracking
ability and stealth. The Hunter also possessed an innate ability to become
larger and more vicious after consuming live blood. This was a temporary state
of which the vampire resembled less like the human kind for which it was
designed to kill.
 

Waiting in the car was a wasted effort of protection if the
GV6 were to enter the home through a rear window or another means that was not
to my purview. The Hunter could have the family murdered before I smelt the
blood flowing from the wounds. A vision of
Sunnie
sprawled across the leather couch in the living room, and the GV6 feasting upon
her freshly ripped open throat, flashed before my eyes. Bolting from the car
with the image still dissipating before my eyes, I crossed the yard in two
large strides. I was about to leap up to the top of the steps when I paused. A
stray thought bumped the images of her demise from my mind - the thought of
meeting her parents.
 

Sunnie's
dad without looking away
from the television dryly said, "We didn't order pizza, he is too young
for you
Emeline
, too old for Mandy so he must be here
for
Sunnie
.
Sunnie
get the
door."

Her head inched in the direction of the door as she ate a
bite from a slice of pepperoni pizza. She looked as if she would choke when she
realized it was me standing behind the glass storm door. All three females: her
mom,
Emeline
, younger sister, Mandy and
Sunnie
looked at one another then smiled before a giggle
escaped Mandy. The dad and younger brother continued watching the show on
television.

Sunnie
sat her plate down on the
end table beside her as she rose to come to the door. The smell of her blood
made me woozy as she neared the door. The other females in the room emitted the
same telltale honeysuckle odor. I wasn't sure how well I would do confined to
her home for an indefinite amount of time surrounded by that temptation.

Seeing her less made up than at school me only want her
more. No makeup or eyeliner, barefooted with a pair of grey shorts and an old
faded t-shirt that was too large. Her hair pulled back by a headband,
Sunnie
was radiant. She appeared shocked that I was
standing upon her porch without an announcement. The shock changed to a
sheepish smile as she opened the door to step out to greet me.

I stopped her by pulling the door the rest of the way open.
"Do you mind if I come in?"

Sunnie
was startled by my request,
but did not say no as I stepped across the threshold. We inadvertently bumped
into each other as I hurriedly entered. Pausing, I looked down at her tiny
face. Momentarily, I found myself lost in her sparkling eyes. She smiled a sly
grin of approval at me before the clearing of a feminine throat drew our
attention.

Stepping deeper into the living room,
Sunnie
took my hand as she began to introduce me to her family. "Ethan, this is
my mom
Emeline
."

Her mom was a brunette version of
Sunnie
.
It was very evident behind the graying hair and a few wrinkles that she had
been as pretty as her eldest daughter when she was younger. Time had taken away
a few of the finer parts of her youth, but she was still a very attractive
woman.

"How do you do?"
I shook
her hand lightly.

"It is so great to meet you Ethan. Please have a
seat,"
Emeline
said as she motioned to an empty
spot between where
Sunnie
had been originally sitting
and where she,
Emeline
, was currently seated.

I did as requested. Being inside the home, I had a better
opportunity to protect her and her family so instantly I scanned my
surroundings.

Her dad was still absorbed with the science fiction show
that was blaring on the television.

"The rest of my family consists of my sister Mandy, who
is in the ninth grade, my brother Cassidy, who is in the eighth grade, and Mr.
Personality, my dad, Bruce."

Cassidy turned to study me then when back to shoveling pizza
into his face as he watched television. Bruce was about as emotional. The only
acknowledgement he gave was a slightly raised hand as he said, "Hi."

He followed the example his son had set and returned to his
show and his pizza. Mandy was another story. The girl was blonde and looked
like her dad, who was tall and wirily. Mandy was already much taller than
Sunnie
and wore her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She sat
opposite of me on the smaller couch undoubtedly enamored with me for whatever
reason.

The room was silent except the sound of the television. I
keep my eyes straight ahead with my senses on alert for the presence of the
GV6. In the corner of my vision, I would occasionally catch
Sunnie
peeking at me and beaming. Her hand inched closer to mine. When it almost
touched my hand, I placed both of mine in my lap.

Emeline
finally broke the silence,
"
Sunnie
has told us about a little about you
Ethan. We appreciate the fact that you came to her honor against that asshole
in the lunchroom. Don't we appreciate it Bruce?"

Bruce grumbled, "Yeah ahem. Yeah we do."

"You are very welcome. I was just doing what I thought
was right. Your home is very nice Mrs. Vass. Do you mind if I use your
bathroom?" I stammered up, rising from my seat as
Sunnie
brushed her finger tips against my leg.

I had to get a better sense of the home and escape any
questions that at least the mother was going to ask. I couldn't take the
questions or at least not right now.

"There are so many boxes in the way of getting into the
hallway bathroom.
Sunnie
, show him to your
bathroom."

She had a deer in the headlights look upon her face at the
suggestion. "Be right back!"
Sunnie
ran
from the room jumping over boxes twice and down a hallway that was shrouded in
darkness.