Just after sunset, Jim went to the Security Center and knocked.
‘Yo.’ Biff’s voice.
‘It’s Jim. I want to see the basting.’
‘You’re a little early,’ Biff said. Moments later, he opened the door. His mouth made a tight little O and he folded as Jim rammed a knife into his stomach.
17
Diane was awake, sweaty and grunting, struggling against the restraints, gritting her teeth and flinching rigid each time a contraction hit her.
Jim stared at the screen. Without hair and eyebrows, she looked so odd. Freakish. Even her figure, misshapen by the distended belly and swollen breasts, seemed alien. But her eyes were pure Diane. In spite of her pain and terror, they were proud, unyielding.
Doc entered the Prep Room, examined her for a few moments, then went away.
Jim checked the other screens.
In the Donor Ward, the women had been locked down for the Guardians’ evening mealtime. Some slept. Others chatted with friends in neighboring beds. Jim made a quick count.
In the Specialty Suite, Morgan and Donner were just returning a woman from an Honors Room. They led her to one of the ten
empty beds, shoved her down on it, and shackled her feet to the metal frame. Jim counted heads.
Thirty-two Donors. Only sixteen Specials. Generally, however, the Donors were older women who’d been weakened by the daily loss of blood and by regular mistreatment at the hands of the Guardians. The Specials were fewer in number, but younger and stronger. Though some appeared to be in late stages of their pregnancies, most were not very far along, and many of the newer ones had probably not even conceived yet.
It’ll be the Specials, Jim decided.
He watched Morgan and Donner leave the Suite.
In the Mess Hall, Guardians began to eat their stew.
In the floodlit courtyard, Steve and Bennington climbed stairs to the north and west towers, carrying pots of dinner to the men on watch duty. When they finished there, they should be heading for the other two towers.
Morgan and Donner entered the Mess Hall. They sat down, and Jones brought them pots of stew.
Doc entered the Prep Room. He set a bowl of shimmering red fluid onto the table beside Diane’s hip. He dipped in a brush. He began to paint her body. The blood coated her like paint.
In the Mess Hall, Baxter groaned and staggered away from the table, clutching his belly.
In the Banquet Room, there was no camera. But Jim knew that Roger and his pals would be there, waiting and eager. The absence of the usual table would’ve already tipped them off that tonight would be Special. Even now, Roger was probably picking five to sit with him at the serving table. The unfortunate four would only get to watch and dine on their usual fare of Donor blood.
In the Mess Hall, Guardians were stumbling about, falling down, rolling on the floor.
In the Prep Room, Doc set aside the brush and bowl. He rolled the serving table toward the door. Diane shook her crimson, hairless head from side to side and writhed against the restraints.
Jim rushed out of the Security Center.
18
‘All hell’s broken loose!’ he shouted as he raced up the stairs to the
north tower. ‘Don’t touch your food! Jones poisoned it!’
‘Oh shit!’ Harris blurted, and spat out a mouthful.
‘Did you swallow any?’ Jim asked, rushing toward him.
‘Not much, but…’
Jim jerked the knife from the back of his belt and slashed Harris’s throat. He punched a button on the control panel.
By the time he reached the front gate, it was open. He ran out, dashed across the clear area beyond the wall, and grabbed the bundle of spears.
The gate remained open for him. Apparently, the poison had taken care of the Guardian on the west tower.
Rushing across the courtyard, he saw two Guardians squirming on the ground.
At the outer door of the Specialty Suite, he snatched the master key off its nail. He threw the door open and rushed in.
‘All right, ladies! Listen up! We’re gonna kill some vampires!’
19
Blasts pounding his ears, Jim blew apart the lock. He threw his gun aside, kicked the door, and charged into the Banquet Room.
Followed by sixteen naked Specials yelling and brandishing spears.
For just an instant, the vampires around the serving table continued to go about their business - greedily lapping the brown, dry blood from Diane’s face and breasts and legs as Roger groped between her thighs. The four who watched, goblets in hand, were the first to respond.
Then, roaring, they all abandoned the table and attacked.
All except Roger.
Roger stood where he was. He met Jim’s eyes. ‘ You dumb fuck!’ he shouted. ‘Take care of him, guys!’
The vampires tried. They all rushed Roger.
But were met, first, by Specials. Some went down with spears in their chests while others tossed the women away or slammed them to the floor or snapped their spines or ripped out their throats.
Jim rushed through the melee. He halted at the near end of the table as Roger cried out, ‘Is this why you’re here?’ His hands delved. Came up a moment later with a tiny, gleaming infant. ‘Not enough
to share, I’m afraid.’ Grinning, he raised the child to his mouth. With a quick nip, he severed its umbilical cord.
One hand clutching the baby’s feet, he raised it high and tilted back his head. His mouth opened wide. His other hand grasped the top of its head.
Ready to twist it off. Ready to enjoy his special, rare treat.
‘No!’ Diane shrieked.
Jim hurled his spear. Roger’s hand darted down. He caught the shaft, stopping its flight even as the wooden point touched his chest. ‘Dickhead,’ he said. ‘You didn’t really think…’
Jim launched himself at Diane. He flew over her body, smashed down on her, slid through the wide V of her spread legs and reached high and grabbed the spear and rammed it deep into Roger’s chest.
The vampire bellowed. He staggered backward. Coughed. Blood exploded from his mouth, spraying Jim’s face and arms. He dropped to his knees and looked up at the infant that he still held high. He lowered its head toward his wide, gushing mouth.
Jim flung himself off the end of the table, but he knew he would be too late.
He landed on the spear. As its shaft snapped under his weight, bloody vomit cascaded over his head. Pushing himself up, he saw the baby dangling over Roger’s mouth. The vampire tried to snap at its head, but the tide of rushing gore pushed it away.
Jim scurried forward. He held the child in both hands until Roger let go and slumped against the floor.
20
Afterwards, the Donors were released.
They helped with the burials.
Eleven dead Specials were buried in the courtyard, their graves marked by crosses fashioned of spears.
Morgan, Donner and the Guardians, who’d all succumbed to the poison, were buried beyond the south wall of the estate.
The corpses of Roger and his fellow vampires were taken into the woods to a clearing where two trails crossed. The heads were severed. The torsos were buried with the spears still in place. The heads were carried a mile away to another crossing in the trail.