Tom took the toothbrush out of his mouth. "The vaccine worked? Then why are they cancelling it?"
Selah laughed. "I don't know! That's the best part. It's like they don't want it to work out or something. One moment ,Wigner and everybody else was celebrating, the next moment, the Secretary of Defense is onscreen telling everybody to shut it down and sending me to a SuperMax." She shook her head and felt tears prick her eyes. "I mean, what the fuck?"
Tom and Gordon shared a look. Gordon shifted his weight on the couch, sitting right on the edge now. "Hold on. Let me get this straight. This is all coming way too fast. You killed Colonel Caldwell. And your vaccine worked."
"Yes. Dominique thinks she can make a vampire vaccine out of my blood."
"And they're cancelling it anyways." Selah nodded. Gordon scowled. "Well, that don't make any goddamn sense."
"It would if you had any brains," said Lee, his voice a lazy drawl. He was still staring at the ceiling, Goggles catching the light.
Gordon turned to the other man. Nothing more seemed to be forthcoming. "Lee, I'm gonna take off my shoe and throw it at you if you don't speak up. What the hell makes sense about it?"
Lee shrugged, a smug smile on his face. "Want me to walk you through it?"
"Come on, Lee," said Tom with long suffering patience.
"A vampire vaccine could be made from Selah's blood, right? Which, if made, would end the war. Not immediately, but over time. You still with me?" Gordon leaned back in annoyance, determined to not respond. Lee smiled, still staring up at the ceiling with his Goggles on. "Now, the Secretary of Defense has ordered the project shut down and Selah locked away in a SuperMax. Which means they don't want the vaccine."
"Why wouldn't the Secretary want the vaccine?" asked Tom.
"Not the Secretary. The President. Ask yourself: Why would Lynnfield not want a vaccine?"
"You're saying Lynnfield doesn't want to end the war?" Gordon's anger was rising.
"I haven't said anything yet. But yes." Lee pulled the Goggles off and rested them on his forehead. He swung his feet down off the couch's arm and sat up in one long easy motion. His black eyes were cool and amused and disdainful.
"But why?" Selah stared at him. "Why would the President not want..." She trailed off. Lee raised an eyebrow. Waited. William's words came back to her. "He's extended martial law again, hasn't he? Which... That would prevent Congress from finally assembling again."
"You're shitting me," said Gordon.
Tom shook his head. "Lynnfield's already exceeded his term limit due to the first war. He's been President, what? Ten years now? You know Congress would demand an election the moment martial law ended."
They all stared at each other, and Lee nodded. "I knew you'd figure it out eventually. Well done, boys and girls." He pulled the Goggles back over his eyes and lay down once more, crossing his ankles again and wriggling into a comfortable position. "It's a big and nasty world out there. The vampires aren't necessarily the worst of it."
Gordon bolted to his feet. He looked like he wanted to break something. "You're fucking kidding me," he said, staring at Selah then Tom then back down at Lee.
Tom shook his head and looked down at the ground. Selah watched Gordon. He was practically vibrating, a study in contrasts to Lee's casual ease. He stepped over the corner of the coffee table and strode past Tom, out into the hall way. They listened to him barge into the gym, and then voices. Jenette, maybe, or Eric Van Holt.
"Fuck me," said Tom. He was staring morosely at Selah. "That can't be right."
Selah reached up and ran her hands over her face, pressed her fingers into her eyes, and then over the fuzz on her scalp. Clasped the back of her neck and looked at the floor. She didn't know what else to say. What else to do.
"Wait," she said. She looked up. Tom was watching her, Lee back in his virtual world. "Tom, can you get the others? I think this is important."
Tom nodded, pushed off the side of the door with his shoulder, and turned out of sight. Maybe.
Maybe
. There might be a way. To avoid the SuperMax. To change everything. Selah felt an uptick of excitement, and squashed it down. She heard more voices down the hall. Reviewed her train of thought. This was going to be key. The next few minutes would determine the course of her life. The course of the war, even.
Tom walked back in, with Gordon trailing behind along with Jenette. She had a towel draped around her shoulders and looked as pissed as McKnight did, her eyes narrow, her mouth pursed into a thin line. Eric came in behind them a moment later, his clothing rumpled but his expression alert. "What's going on?"
Selah stood up. Everybody was present. Jenette smacked Lee's boots aside and sat down, causing him to swivel upright with a scowl as he pulled the Goggles off. He leveled a venomous stare at her, which she ignored. Gordon sat down heavily next to Selah, while Tom and Eric remained standing in the doorway.
"My project's been cancelled. Wigner and Dominique both think that my blood holds the promise for a vaccine. That it can be synthesized--or whatever--and turned into a cure against vampirism. That would change the war. That would change everything." She paused, held her breath. They were watching her warily. She needed to go slower.
"My blood is special. I found that out when I was deported to Miami. When the first vampire drank from me, we switched. I got his powers, he got my ... humanity, I guess. My ability to feel, to have emotions. They liked that a lot, and I came to the attention of Sawiskera."
"He's dead," said Gordon. "Died a month ago."
"I know," said Selah. "I killed him."
They all stared at her. "Yeah right," said Eric. "You?"
"Oh, yes." Selah smiled at him. "He wanted what my blood could offer. Wanted to become human. Was sick after so many thousands years of being a vampire. You know what he did all night, the most powerful vampire in the world? He watched TV. Watched recordings of the sun rising, over and over again. He wanted to become human, so he did this crazy ritual on me that was supposed to steal my humanity permanently. And make me a vampire."
Tom's brow was furrowed. "He'd become human and you'd get his powers?"
"Right. And he had a lot of power. Halfway through the ritual, his right hand man, a vampire by the name of Theo, interrupted it and saved me." Selah ruthlessly killed the upsurge of emotion in her heart. "We killed him together while he was weak. Then I ran away."
"Theo? Shit." Gordon shook his head at Selah. "You trying to tell us that
The Dragon
helped you out?"
Selah shrugged. "He said I looked like his mortal wife from centuries ago. So, yeah, I am. Because he did. But he didn't do it in time. I remained infected. Sawiskera's curse was still growing in me. I was still becoming a vampire. So I left Miami for LA with a ... with a friend. We went to find somebody who might know of a cure. We found one. I found one. I cured myself, but in the process, I saw what the vampires were up to in LA. How they were breeding vampires, using the Blood Dust to keep the army distracted, keep everybody distracted. It was one big trick. While everybody was looking at the product, nobody was thinking of the source. So then, when I arrived and killed Arachne--"
"You killed Arachne?" Jenette's voice was flat with disbelief.
"Yes. I did."
"Arachne. One of the principal vampires in the war. One of the toughest bitches out there?"
"Yes," said Selah again. "I did." A memory flashed before her eyes. Arachne, her features identical to Selah's, a promise of what she might become. Held aloft by the neck as she squirmed and screamed and fought. "Theo and I killed her and then escaped the Core as the vampires let go of their Blood Thralls. That was the first night of the war."
"Where in all this did you find time to murder the Colonel?" Eric's voice was deceptively soft.
"Halfway through." Selah raised her chin. "It was the price I had to pay to learn of the cure. They told me he was corrupt. That he was the biggest Blood Dust dealer out there and was shipping tons of that shit into the rest of the country. I went to an exchange, and there he was. He was expecting Arachne. I saw him pay I-don't-know-how-many millions for suitcases of the stuff."
"Who told you? The vampires? You believed them?"
Selah turned to meet Gordon's eyes. She was losing them. "Yes. I did believe them. I was mostly a vampire by that point anyway. Sawiskera's curse had nearly won. I believed them and what I saw with my own eyes. Caldwell buying Dust. So I tore out his throat with my own hands and left him there to die. And I've not forgiven myself since."
"Oh, poor you," said Jenette. "You're actually trying to get professional soldiers to pity you for murdering a colonel?"
"No," said Lee. "She's trying to tell you something. So why don't you shut up and let her talk?"
Jenette's whole body stiffened and she turned slowly to stare at Lee. He ignored her and returned his attention to Selah.
"Listen to me, all of you." Selah took a deep breath. The mood was ugly, volatile, but she sensed a wavering. Lee had given it to her--a moment, an opportunity. "I saw what the Blood Thralls can do. I was there when the LA Base was overrun. They came by the thousands. Not stealth assassins like the first war, taking out our top leaders, but by the thousands, swarming like ants. This is new. They're mindless, going for blood like it's all that matters. I don't know what the LA vampires did to them, but they're different. In just two nights, I think they doubled their numbers. That's not an infection, that's a fucking plague. And I know we haven't heard anything about what's going on outside, but if they get into any of the major cities in the East--Chicago, New York, DC--then it's all over. It could already be over for what we know."
She paused and checked their expressions. Gordon was a closed face. Tom was thoughtful. Eric was expressionless. Jenette's eyes were unfocused as she considered the words. Lee had leaned his head back and closed his eyes as if about to take a nap.
"What I'm saying is, this vaccine, it's important. It's more than important. The whole war could depend on it. And the President just shot it down. Shot it down because maybe he wants to remain President more than he wants to win this war. Maybe he thinks he's got a different solution, and who knows, maybe he does, but the fact remains, he's decided to risk it. And what do you think would happen to him if word got out? If people discovered that he had purposefully shot down a vaccine?"
That got their attention. Lee smiled, eyes still closed. Tom scratched at his cheek. "People would be pretty pissed, I reckon."
"Shit." Gordon shook his head. "More than that. Things would get ugly."
"So if the President is cold-blooded enough to shut down this project to save his ass, what do you think he's willing to do in order to be one hundred percent sure nobody talks about it?"
Silence. Tom, Eric, and Jenette looked at Gordon, who in turn looked at Lee. He opened one eye, looked back and forth, and shrugged. "Makes sense to me. We're all disposable."
"No way," said Jenette. She stood. "There's no way they'd 'dispose' of us." But even as she said it, her voice drained of conviction. She shook her head. "We're citizens. We're soldiers. We're ... there's no way."
"Shit." Gordon leaned back. His anger sluiced away. "I'm guessing the doctors are in trouble too. Anybody who's been involved with your project." Everybody watched Gordon. His square face was locked in deliberation, and he stared abstractedly at the coffee tabletop. Finally, he nodded. "I guess you're right. We're collateral damage in this battle, or soon bound to be." He looked up at the others. "What do y'all reckon?"
Tom shifted where he stood. "I've not sat underground for nearly a year to be liquidated when I'm no longer convenient."
Eric shook his head. "We don't know this. We should communicate with our superiors. Let them know about the situation."
"Sure," said Lee. "Let's each write a letter now and ask Jim to post them. Better yet, let's ask Wigner to deliver them by hand."
Jenette smooth back her hair, the striations in her deltoids flaring into view with each pass. "There's no way. No way."
Selah took a step forward. "Look. They're disorganized right now. I don't think they actually expected the vaccine to work. But if we give them any amount of time, they'll give all the orders necessary to contain this and then we're all really screwed."
Five sets of black eyes locked on her. Gordon shook his head. "This isn't how we operate, Selah. You're not enlisted, you wouldn't know. But we're professionals. It's not in our job description to question. We swore loyal service. What you're suggesting we do, it's not an option."
"Sure it is," said Lee. "I'm going to break out, and if Selah wants to come with, she's welcome to."
"What the hell, Lee?" Gordon almost rose to his feet.
Lee raised an eyebrow. "There's a war going on. From what I hear, we're not winning this one either. We've wasted enough time in this hole. I'm going to get back out there before they put me away for good. Pretty simple."
"Simple?" Gordon worked one fist into the palm of his other hand as if it were a mortar and pestle. "And what, you think you can just hike out to the nearest base and report for duty once you've gone AWOL?"
"No." Lee's casual demeanor slipped and his sudden intensity was shocking. "Wake the fuck up, Master Sergeant. You looked in the mirror lately? We are never going back to ranks. Not after what we've been through. This was a one-way ticket. You think the other boys are going to take us back?" One moment he was sitting, the second he was on his feet, his body having blurred in the vampiric manner she had almost grown used to. He rounded on the others. "Wake the fuck
up
." His last word was a shocking bark. It stung the air in the room, violent and loud and immediate. "Our only hope was making a new division, some sort of Hybrid squad, and now that's gone. Which means we've got to act now, or spend the rest of our probably very short lives hoping we did. I'm busting out, and once I'm out, I'll figure it from there. Come, or don't."