The Human-Undead War Trilogy (Book 1): Dark Intentions (9 page)

Barnaby chuckled and placed the puppy back in its cage. “If you are asking if they have the means to change a human, the answer is no, Koltz.”  

He opened a drawer below the counter where the Rottweiler’s cage rested and withdrew a paper towel, then bent and wiped up the blood. He dipped his finger in the bloodied towel and brought it to his mouth. He closed his eyes, smiled wide, and then disposed of the towel in a wastebasket. 

Brian stepped back several paces, appalled.  

Barnaby regarded him silently, then moved to an adjacent countertop filled with jars of various sizes and contents. He grabbed one jar from the counter, twisted the lid off, and tipped it. Bandages and a packet of antibacterial ointment fell into his open palm. He grabbed Brian’s arm and pulled.  

Brian broke the grasp and backed up even further. 

“I could kill you anytime I wish, Koltz. You must come to trust me.” 

Brian ruffled his brow and scoffed. “Right.” 

Barnaby was suddenly inches in front of him, grasping his wrist in a steely grip. He yanked Brian’s arm forward, smoothed the ointment on the pinpricks, and covered it with the bandage. Then he broke his hold and turned away. “We are much more than just monsters, Koltz.” 

Brian followed Barnaby around the lab, checking his hand every few minutes to ensure he wasn’t seeing things, that it hadn’t been some slight-of-hand trick played upon him. He couldn’t bring himself to trust Barnaby given the mysterious vampire’s relationship with humanity. However, he couldn’t help but enjoy his presence and admire his choice of hobbies. 

There were vampire snakes in one cage, and Brian stopped to watch them while Barnaby traipsed about. A green snake stared into his eyes as a red one crept up behind it. The red one struck, so quickly Brian couldn’t register movement. The green one slumped to the ground and burst into ash.  

Dead. Just like that. 

Shivering, he moved on to the next animal: A vampire raccoon. It was slow, cumbersome, lumbering toward him without a glance. And then it was splayed against the mesh wire cage, swiping at him through the holes with jagged claws.  

Barnaby materialized beside him. Brian jumped.  

“I would not stand that close to them, Koltz. They have the same insatiable bloodlust any vampire has. However, they are more primal in nature and respond with instinct alone. Your wound will encourage them.” 

Brian gulped and moved on to the next cages, glancing in, observing the movements of the vampire creatures inside. Eventually he got to a large glass exhibit where monkeys swung from trees within. 

It didn’t take a scientist to know why there would be monkeys involved in Barnaby’s experiments. “You’ve worked on humans.” 

Barnaby once again appeared beside him, seemingly out of nowhere. “Of course. Gorillas and vampires as well.” He leaned in close and lowered his voice. “Does that appall you, Koltz?” 

“If you know my work as well as you seem to, you’d know my experiments have been far more appalling.” 

Barnaby straightened up, staring into the glass cage. “I suppose it was all a failure for you as well?” 

Brian nodded. He didn’t want to go into details as to what types of experiments he had put the Undead leader’s minions through. Barnaby was sharp enough to figure it out on his own. 

They continued in silence throughout the lab. After ten minutes of meandering and chatting about general science, Barnaby offered to head back to awaken Ruby. They exited the lab and re-entered the circular dome outside.  

Barnaby stopped in the sunlight still cascading down into the tower’s center and spoke over his shoulder. “This could all be yours, Koltz. The laboratory, and anything else you desire to reach results with your creation. Remember that.” Then he set off through the secret passage. 

Brian followed the dancing finger flame. Although cloaked in darkness the entire way, he felt he’d already memorized this particular path: Down the stairs, forward to an intersection, left at the next intersection, straight to the dead-end, through a hidden entrance, right, down a slight sloping passage, then left and up the U-turn stairwell. If he could get more time to explore the castle at his leisure, he would be able to decipher any path. 

The idea of not being lost in a strange land brought a warm feeling of security. 

They finally returned to the guest chamber. Barnaby hit the blue-tinted stone that gained entrance and passed through, Brian right behind.  

Barnaby disappeared. Brian blinked. There was movement to his left.  

He turned.  

The shaft of an arrow stared him down.  

Then there was a soft click, followed by Ruby’s exasperated gasp. 

Chapter 12

Brian closed his eyes, waiting for death to claim him. There was a loud rush of wind. He tensed. Nothing happened. No pain. Just silence. Nothingness. 

Is this death? 
 

But then he heard a soft chuckle. He opened his eyes. The mini-crossbow’s tiller pointed at the floor. Ruby shook, sweat on her forehead, eyebrows lifted. Barnaby’s fist jutted out between them, closed palm pointing toward the ceiling, his body covered in the darkness along the wall to their left.  

Barnaby rotated his arm and dropped the arrow shaft. It thudded on the floor. “That was not meant for me, was it?” 

Ruby blinked. “N-no.” 

Barnaby stepped into the light from the adjacent window. Ruby gasped and stepped back, stumbling. Once again, Barnaby disappeared from view, and then Ruby was steady on her feet. Barnaby stood at her shoulder, arms around her waist. 

“I did not think so, Miss Paige.” 

She broke his grasp and strode to Brian, wheeling about to face their Undead host. “Someone came in here when I was asleep. They yelled, then overturned my nightstand and ran from the room. I couldn’t see them. When the door slid open again, I just…fired.” 

Barnaby smiled and stepped into the light again. 

“How is that possible?” 

Barnaby winked. “Miss Paige, we are both full of surprises.” He glanced at the mini-crossbow she still clutched in both hands. “I thought I searched you well enough to ensure my personal safety, as well as the safety of my people.” 

Ruby flushed and tucked the crossbow into her waistband. “I always keep one hidden. For emergencies.” 

“Of course. And I would never perform a thorough enough search to find your secret hiding spot. It would belie my chivalrous nature.” 

Ruby shot Brian a questioning glance. He might have snorted at that remark, but his mind was elsewhere. He didn’t much like Barnaby flirting with Ruby. It felt contrived, as if he was only trying to get under Brian’s skin. 

“Now that the excitement is finished, I would like to invite both of you out to the grounds to see my kingdom this evening. I want you to see what Safehold has to offer.” 

Brian glanced at the window. “You want us to go out there? At night?” 

Barnaby paced to the overturned nightstand beside Ruby’s bed, lifted it back into place with one hand, and pulled out the top drawer. “You will find several items to protect yourselves. No weapons, of course.” He turned and winked at Ruby again. “That means I must ask you to leave your crossbow here.” 

He strode past them and opened the hidden entrance. “I must take my leave. I request that you meet me in the circular tower Koltz and I passed through earlier, about an hour before sunset.” He smirked at Brian. “Assuming you remember your way.” 

“I’m an astute observer, remember?”              

“Of course.” 

When the door slid shut behind Barnaby, Ruby embraced Brian in a strong hug. “I was so scared, Brian.” 

“I don’t think he’d let anyone hurt us.” 

“But he didn’t know about the person who was in here.” She stared up at him, then hugged him tighter.  

He rested his chin on the top of her head.  

They pulled away at arm’s length and stared into each other’s eyes. He gulped. Their relationship had gone from platonic to emotional in a matter of days, but he couldn’t give himself over to the fluttering in his stomach. Everyone close to him had always been taken away, one way or another.  

He broke the gaze, stepped past her, and cleared his throat. “Let’s see what our gracious host has left us.” 

“Gracious my ass.”              

Brian opened the top drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a leather neck brace, a Kevlar vest, and thick leather thigh guards. “I’ll admit, I’m kind of anxious to see Haven. Before it gets too dark.” 

Ruby giggled. “Yeah, all the freaks come out at night.” 

He didn’t respond, thinking only that the expression could hold truer in the Undead kingdom as opposed to anywhere else in the world. 

***

John Ashmore stalked away from the torture chamber. Lost in his thoughts, cowl pulled around his head, he jumped when a hand touched his shoulder. He wheeled about, then fell backward onto his ass and stared up at the unexpected companion.  

Barnaby’s two primary pointed teeth dug into his lower lip. His eyes spat black electricity and wrinkles lined his forehead. His eyebrows pointed in a downward ‘V.’ He leaned in, his tongue nipping John’s cheek and then retracting. “You dare to enter their chamber whilst they sleep?” 

John crawled backward like a crab. He only travelled a few feet before Barnaby’s fingers tightened around his neck and he was lifted from the floor. Then they became airborne and smashed into a wall. 

John wailed as pain wracked his brittle back. He slumped in Barnaby’s grasp, hanging like a rag doll.  

“Answer me, maggot! What were you doing in their chamber?” Barnaby hollered. 

John tasted blood. He gasped and struggled to speak. “To…watch…over…” 

Barnaby dropped him to the floor, then reached down and backhanded him. John’s neck felt like it would snap. New pain roared through his jaw, up into his sinus cavities. He was certain his nose was broken. 

“You do not seem to understand what this scientist means to me, Ashmore. He has something of utmost importance. I will do everything to protect that which he has in common with you.” 

John’s mind whirled. What did he mean? They had nothing in common! His ears rang. Whispers threatened to drown out his master’s presence. He pushed himself up to a crawl but lost his balance, slumping face-first to the stone floor at Barnaby’s feet. He was getting too old for such abuse. 

But he knew the Master would heal him and do it again the next time he was angered. 

A kick to his ribs shifted the focal pain from his face to his side.  

“Quit groveling, pathetic fool!”               

Barnaby grabbed John at the nape of his neck and hefted him to eye level. John avoided his cold, fiery gaze. The depths of Hell reflected in his Master’s eyes when he was upset.  

“You were planning to kill him. Her as well?” 

“M-Master, I swear—” 

“Silence!” The entire structure trembled with the Master’s resounding voice. “Do not think me a moronic buffoon, an imbecile like you and your Neanderthal human brothers!” The Master dropped John to the ground and knelt on one knee beside him. “You cannot hide shit from me.”  

John wanted to lash out and strike his Master and meet his wrath. Instead, doubled over with pain and grief, he began to weep. 

Barnaby stood, spat on him, and turned away. “Father Stephenson will attend to my guests moving forward. You will be confined to the sub-basement of the Keep, nothing more than my emissary. Your first duty is to tell Hammers I wish to move forward in a different direction. I want the jackals released, along with their non-human comrades. The wraiths can wait another week, if the jackals have not destroyed the Human Army by then.” 

John tried to curse, but his lip trembled and he could do nothing more than grunt. Through a mixture of tears and blood, he saw the Master’s silhouette stop at the entrance to the moat crossing.  

“You disappoint me, Ashmore. Your age is besting you. Soon, you shall die. Of natural old age. I will remain here. Forever. And there is nothing you can do about it.” He paused, and hatred oozed from his glare. “Quiver and whimper here for a while. I will send a priest to heal you.” 

Then he was gone.               

John drowned out the nagging voices in his head long enough to bring a mental picture of Catherine to the forefront of his thoughts before he passed out on the cold floor. 

***

Brian led the way through the secret corridors without a torch or Barnaby’s fingertip light to guide him. He held Ruby’s hand so they wouldn’t separate, caressing the guiding walls with his free hand. He picked his way from one corridor to the next, retracing his steps from earlier, leery of the winding pathways that could possibly extend into the farthest reaches of the castle itself. 

Ruby’s hand didn’t make him sweat. He was growing more comfortable in her presence. He liked that. His existing relationship with Ruby, coupled with their current predicament, made him feel more confident. How would she react to his ultimate choice, though? Would he lose what they were beginning to develop? He enjoyed the subtle changes he’d noticed in himself in the last couple of days, and was willing to do anything to protect her and the future of humanity. 

Even if it meant becoming a vampire. 

He hadn’t dwelled on the idea yet. What would the strength and raw power feel like? How would it feel to have the audio magnitude of bats or porpoises, unmatched speed, the sight of a hawk? 

And would such senses aid him in his journey to uncover Undead genetics or bring him any closer to completing his platelet mushroom? 

He would find out soon enough. 

He navigated all the way to the round tower in which the Undead leader had revealed his ability to withstand sunlight. Barnaby stood in the center of the room, arms crossed over his chest. His garments rustled as the wooden door closed behind Ruby. 

“The protection is to your satisfaction?” 

Brian nodded. 

“Very well.” The Undead leader uncrossed his arms and stretched, basked in pink and orange as what remained of the day’s sunlight filtered through the window behind him. “We will enter into the main courtyard, where Safehold’s marketplace is located. Once there, wander at will. I want you to see how my kingdom operates, and for you to learn about this society. You will be surprised by what you see.” 

Barnaby turned away and walked to the window. “You will have free rein until sunset. However, as soon as the light sets below the horizon, I caution you to stay close. They will sense the presence of pure-blooded humans.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Come, look upon Haven from on high.” 

Brian stepped to the window, Ruby towing behind without resistance. He smiled. She trusted him, trusted his instincts. He needed that, for he wasn’t certain if he could trust Barnaby. There was something secretive and elusive when Barnaby spoke, as if he carried secrets that spanned centuries, perhaps millennia.  

They both looked down, past Barnaby. Below was a gigantic square filled with storefronts and wagons, benches, hay bales, fountains. He couldn’t make out details, but their shapes were distinguishable. The square stretched over half a mile in all directions, surrounded by the main wall and an outer parapet. The giant wall that had been constructed around old southern London snaked along the horizon, thin lines that disappeared from sight on both sides. Past the castle walls, small farming communities dotted lush, green lands.  

Barnaby grabbed Brian’s and Ruby’s wrists. “Hold on.” 

He leapt through the window, pulling both scientists closer to him by their waists. Ruby screamed, and Brian fought the urge to vomit as his stomach inched toward his throat during the sudden free-fall. They passed over a smooth section of stone rooftop, then plummeted. He looked down. The ground rushed toward them. 

“Barnaby!” 

“I told you to trust me!” Barnaby roared as the wind whipped beneath them. 

Within ten feet of smashing into the ground below, their descent slowed. When their toes touched the soft ground it was like riding an elevator. Ruby fell to her knees, gasping, shaking. Brian broke Barnaby’s grasp, stepped around the Undead leader, and bent to stroke Ruby’s back. Then he rose and wheeled about on Barnaby.  

“Fucking asshole!” 

“My, Koltz, such words escaping your mouth are foul indeed.” 

“You could’ve warned us!” 

Barnaby shrugged. “What would have been the fun in that?” The last remaining sunlight glinted in his eyes, adding an aura of mischievousness to his smirk. He dismissed them both and glided away, hands behind his back. 

Brian stared coldly. The Undead leader had an uncanny sense of humor, and an even more uncanny penchant for showing off. He reached down to help Ruby to her feet, holding her fast around the waist as she lurched forward unbalanced. “You okay?” 

She nodded.  

 “I’m sorry. He showed me earlier that he could levitate. I didn’t think to let you know.” 

“I’m fine, really. Just a bit shaken.” 

Brian scanned their surroundings. He could see with clarity the fountains, bales, storefronts, and wagons he’d spotted from above. The main wall of the courtyard was nothing spectacular, just random rocks meshed together to separate the Castle from the remainder of Haven. He turned about and saw the main entrance of Safehold Keep. It was more grandiose than he’d expected: A large wooden drawbridge spanned a moat, separating the courtyard from the Keep itself. 

The moat bubbled and frothed. The waning sunlight cast hues of orange and purple and pink onto the churning liquid.  

Ruby followed his gaze, then stepped toward the drawbridge, pulling him with her. She stopped at the mortar-filled stacks of large gray stones which lined the moat and gasped.