Lost Dawn: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (Blood and Power Book 2), page 1
Contents
Title page
Copyright
Disclaimer
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Thank you
LOST DAWN
Blood and Power Book 2
by
Phil Maxey
Copyright © 2022 by Philip Maxey
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
First Printing, 2022.
https://www.philmaxeyauthor.com/
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is purely coincidental.
CHAPTER ONE
Location: Chicago. Westside.
Day two.
Todd’s fingers gripped the inside handle of the SUV. Despite the door locks being in place, he wanted to be able to leave quickly if he got the chance. He was seated behind the driver, a big guy with an operator vibe to him. Ten minutes earlier when they were being led from the old man’s house, Ramses as he appeared to be called, had started to walk Todd and the others to the back of a van, but the guy in charge, August had shook his head and Todd and the others were placed in the back of the luxury SUV.
Karl was to his right with Zoe on her mother’s lap near the right door. Archie was behind the rear seats, his knees against his chest with Cash.
Todd could see why August wanted them to be in the truck and not the windowless van. The city had been reduced to a hellscape of dust and still burning fires. Visibility was no more than a hundred feet, but it was obvious from the mounds that more buildings, some skyscrapers, had collapsed during the night, meaning the once proud vista was missing some teeth. Gaping holes within the shining modern buildings that once stood within the loops.
The gang leader, who was seated in the front passenger’s, wanted his new ‘guests’ to see what lay waiting for them if they decided to make a run for it. His quick sales pitch in the old man’s living room could only receive one answer. There was no real choice involved. He was never going to let them leave of their own accord, but what the city had been reduced too, no doubt, left an impression on all of those that were driving through it.
Todd could feel August’s eyes on him through the rear mirror, but paid the attention no heed, preferring to keep his view on what was beyond the tinted window. Even with the smog which smothered the sidewalks and apartment stores, he knew exactly where they were, and where they were heading, which was north. To the ‘fabled’ bunker as August had sold it to them. A place with ‘Food. Water and a years worth of supplies where you and your children will be safe. No one will harm you, you have my word.’ Was what he said to Evelyn. She still said no, but it was a refusal that August just smiled at.
He also enquired if she had killed anyone before or after being tied up in the basement. The drug dealer was obviously trying to learn the nature of the new world they all found themselves within. That was something. He obviously wasn’t a complete psychopath then.
But the mother of two honestly had no idea if she had harmed anyone. Todd had asked her what she remembered of the previous night, but to her it had been a kaleidoscope of primal images of death, combined with emotions she’d rather not voice, and was relieved when she caught Todd’s subtle shake of a head when August asked the question.
They swiftly moved through the streets which were even more threatening than when Todd had seen them the day before, due the complete lack of signs of life. Gone were the looters. Those that were fortunate enough to be immune from the virus and gone were the things they became at night. But he knew they were out there. Hiding from what little sun made it to the surface. Were they afraid? Or had the feeding frenzy turned them all into mindless beasts? Evelyn and her daughter seemed relatively normal. But was that because they had been tied up? Unable to act upon their instincts?
He sighed just as the SUV and van behind turned into the lot of a still intact high-rise and they were swallowed by darkness. The vehicles’ headlights swung across the bland walls of an underground parking garage. The engine noise and squeaking tires echoing off the concrete. Lower and lower they circled until they arrived at the lowest point possible.
Todd didn’t see any sign of a ‘bunker,’ just a few abandoned vehicles, but then as they approached the far wall the barrier started to slide to the right, revealing a metal box-like room beyond. An elevator large enough to house a vehicle.
He had to fight raising his eyebrows, but it happened anyway and much to his annoyance he knew August caught the surprise.
The door slid closed and not long after opened again with an abundance of light flooding the truck, making those who were sensitive to it, crouch lower.
“We’re deep underground. There’s only artificial light here,” said August.
The SUV turned in an arc and parked next to other vehicles. The two in the front, immediately got out. Others were standing in a living section, which was in front of a kitchen area against the back wall. More of the gang wanted to see the newcomers it seemed.
Before getting out Todd looked across to the family, at least half of which were trembling. “If they had wanted us dead, they would—”
Evelyn’s door was pulled open by August, who with a large grin, beckoned her out.
“Come. Don’t be afraid. This is day one of your salvation. I will introduce you to—”
A man that dwarfed even Ramses came from the door at the end. A man who appeared to not be happy.
“You really think it’s a good idea to bring strays here?” said Noah.
August’s face flashed with anger, although he was facing away from the giant of a man. As he turned away from Todd and to the one who asked the question, his demeanor returned to its default state of a smile. “These people have proven themselves, and are my guests. I would expect them to be treated as such…”
Todd, Archie and the Simmons family stood awkwardly as a silence descended in the large open plan space.
A younger guy with long hair, glasses and a black, heavy metal T-shirt broke the ice. “So… Any of you become a vampire last night? Asking for a friend.”
*****
The CEO of Meditech sat on the fifth floor of his compound building. A structure with a few feet of reinforced concrete and steel for walls and six inches of a specially created polymer for windows. They gave him a good view of the more rural edges of the city of Chicago, many miles distant. It had withstood the blast from the nuclear detonation without so much as a scratch and most of his staff had been inoculated against the Nutri virus, by his company’s exclusive treatment, so never changed when the sun retreated beneath the horizon.
He looked at the gray smudge which hung on the horizon. Darker vertical shafts broke up the uniformed view of the landscape to the east. He knew these to be the remaining skyscrapers of the central districts, the buildings that the fire hadn’t consumed, but probably would collapse anyway. He had been told the fire had burned itself out to the north and west but was still eating its way south.
He looked down to the glass of water and the two small pills. The difference between him turning into a mindless animal that craved blood or remaining human. For a moment he played around with the idea of what it would feel like to move as quickly as the monsters do. To have heightened senses and twenty-twenty vision in the dark. He wondered if he would be able to withstand the mind-numbing headaches and constant hunger to consume those that were different. Most of the trial patients hadn’t. So why would he be any different? Still, becoming a vampire had its advantages.
He snorted at the word ‘vampire.’ A myth to scare children. A marketing ploy to drive older people into cinemas. But the side effects of his company’s work had no better label.
He grabbed the glass, taking a few sips, picked up the pills and swallowed them.
The icon on his laptop’s screen, had been flashing for five minutes. He wanted them to wait. It wasn’t much of a protest but it was something. Something to represent the end of the old world.
He tapped the connect button and the screen was replaced with a middle-aged woman he had grown to hate.
Her blonde, shoulder length hair was perfectly parted in the center of her head. Nothing left to chance. She smiled. “We had an appointment, Randall.”
The longer he remained silent the stiffer her expression became. When she looked like she was about to talk, he did so instead.
“We agreed the bombs weren’t necessary…”
“You agreed, we did not. The committee felt they were enquired to sell the story to the survivors And as you know, they have other advantages.” She looked down at the open folder on her desk. “Now, moving on to—”
“What was the point in developing the virus, if you were going to contaminate half the country with radiation?”
“Not half the country, Randall. Approximately thirty-eight percent of it, and just those areas we can afford to lose.”
“This story, you talk about? The evening news even said, that the nukes came from within the country. Where does that leave your narrative?”
She placed both hands in front of her, one on top of the other. “Randall. There is no such thing as the ‘evening news’ anymore. Or news of any kind. You cannot remake a country or a world even, without banishing the old. When we rebuild, the past will be what we say it is. You may not have agreed to the detonations, but we would not be where we are now, without your… genius. The committee will always be grateful for your contribution.” She forced another smile. “Can we begin the meeting now?”
CHAPTER TWO
Evelyn wavered. Exhaustion was doing its best to claim her. She looked at the concrete walls and rusting iron beams. “How old is this place?” she said to Morgan who was looking through the contents of a metal crate that was piled on top others in the small room.
“It belonged to the old city. Before it was raised. I don’t know how August found it, but he paid some people in the local government to allow him to renovate and keep it quiet.” She picked up a small white plastic box from the crate before turning again to Evelyn. “They thought he was going to turn it into a tourist attraction or something.” She rolled her eyes. “You won’t believe how dumb they were. Anyway, he had other ideas.”
Evelyn’s level of confusion had been slowly increasing since she had arrived. Ready for anything, she had found herself oddly comfortable in this subterranean dwelling. It was deep enough to not feel any sense of the star in the sky and because of August’s words, those that inhabited the place kept their distance, showing almost deference to her and her kids. She still had plans to leave though the first chance she got. Another wave of fatigue sailed through her. She had never been so tired. “So… what do you do for him…”
Morgan smiled. “More than I get paid for.” The chemist looked at her watch. “It’s still early. But we will have to make some plans for what happens when the sun goes down.”
“What… what do you mean?”
“Well… when you change…”
Evelyn pulled Zoe closer to her, who had been sleeping on her lap. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“When you become one of those things? Have they not explained that to you? What happened to you last night?”
The attorney looked away. “They tied us up… I don’t remember…”
Zoe muttered something in her sleep.
Morgan continued. “Okay, so you didn’t harm anyone. That’s good. I still don’t understand what happens to your metabolism. I need to gather more data, and having you here… the data will help us…” The scientist realized she had said too much and looked back to the stack of boxes.
“We’re not your guinea pigs.”
Morgan looked back, holding her hand up. “I just want to observe. Maybe… if you’re okay with it, take some blood. Before the change and after. I might be able to help you. Maybe I can figure out how this whole thing works, and slow or even stop you from changing. Don’t you want that?”
Evelyn silently nodded, although she still had no idea what ‘changing’ actually meant.
“Good.” Morgan looked around the room which had two bunk beds, a few stacks of green crates and a bookshelf with magazines from another era, and well worn paperback books. “It’s not exactly a five-star experience, but it’s safe. Outside, in the main room, there’s plenty of food in the kitchen, feel free to go out there and get what you want. Although stay away from the jar of dills. Noah has a thing for them.” She started towards the door.
“Um…”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for being nice… to us.” Evelyn’s voice almost broke.
The younger woman looked surprised. “We’re not monsters. Yes, we made and sold drugs, and August had some side operations, but mostly it was just putting on expensive parties for hedge fund assholes.” For a moment Morgan looked beyond the walls. “I guess that’s over now.” She looked back again with a smile. “You should eat. I’ll check back in with you in a few hours. I got a lot of work to do before sundown.”
*****
Todd stood at the top of a flight of stairs and looked along the brick ceiling of what appeared to be a huge cellar of some sort, lit by florescent lights which continued for what seemed a few hundred yards. Easily more than a block. He could imagine eight-foot high kegs, holding wine or beer during prohibition, but instead within each Victorian alcove were wooden and plastic crates, stacked as high as the kegs he thought of.
August stood at the bottom. “Impressive, no?” His voice echoed slightly. “Enough to sustain three hundred people for a year.”
Todd wondered where these ‘three-hundred’ people were. So far he had counted twelve faces, but overheard reports that others were on the surface, scouting.
August looked back to the supplies. “It took me over a decade to accumulate all of this and to do it without anyone knowing.” He waved a finger. “That was the tricky part. Keeping it secret. It cost me almost as much to secure people’s silence. But—” He looked back up the stairs to Todd. “— as we all now know. It was worth it. Because we are standing here today, and the rest of this old town are above us, either ashes or worse. They are changed. Raked of their humanity. Transformed into true monsters…”
Todd wondered if he should talk. Wondered what was about to be asked of him.
“So,” said August. “You are probably thinking, why am I showing you all of this?”
“Yeah.”
August ascended a few steps, before stopping and placed one hand on the handrail. “Look around you, Mr. McKenzie. With all you see in front of you. What do you suppose is the most valuable resource in this old storage cellar?”
The answer was obvious. “People.”
August climbed another step. “Yes!” He waved a hand towards the alcoves. “This? This is just a means to an ends. But far more important are people. This city cannot… will not come back from this hardship without people. Soldiers if you will, who are willing to fight.”
Todd resisted sighing.
“You were a soldier, yes?”
Todd nodded.
“I don’t know what led to you living on the streets. But that was the old you. The man I see in front of me now, has come through this trial by fire. You are not like the creatures that crave death and destruction in the streets and homes above us. You can fight. You can help this city become what it needs to be…”
“What about the family.I came here with?”
August looked away. “They are welcome to stay as long as they wish.”
“The mother and daughter are—”
August nodded, while still looking at the supplies. “Yes, I know what they are. But I have people down here. People that can help figure all of this out.” He looked back at Todd. “Are you willing to join us? Or do you want to leave? This time the choice is real. You have my word that if you want to leave. You will be allowed to.”
Damn it, thought Todd. He actually sounded like he meant it.
Todd smiled. “So what’s the plan?”
August climbed higher. “There’s a man in old town we have to go see.”
“You know he survived?”
August walked past, back into the old corridor at the top of the stairs. “Oh, it will take a lot more than a deadly virus and nuclear devastation to end him.”
CHAPTER THREE
Karl sat in a room, not unlike his old one in the apartment. Small, compact, full of technology with obscure death-metal bands adorning the walls. But this space belonged to someone who knew a lot more about computers than he did. “So… you do computer stuff for August…” he asked Callum, who was seated at a desk that looked more like something from mission control, with several screens, and other boxes that he thought were perhaps servers. Their LEDs blinked randomly.
