Free Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder (Book 1) by Derek Gunn Page B

terrified
being this close to the vampires but, now that he was here, he
began to realise that there was something magnificent about the
creatures as well, something so powerful that it was almost
alluring, thrilling. Despite their evil, despite what they had done
to him and to humanity as a whole he felt himself weakening.
    Surely he would be better
confessing to them, warning them and maybe they would allow him to
live. Johnson felt himself beginning to move forward. In his mind
he screamed at himself but his body didn’t seem to take any notice.
He knew they were evil, he had seen them slaughter his wife and his
daughter in front of him while they laughed, but the compulsion to
throw himself at their mercy was so strong that the images in his
head couldn’t stop him. He took one faltering step forward,
helpless to resist their allure.
    Suddenly, he became aware of a
faint odour of decay on the wind and he stopped moving. The stink
was like a slap in the face as the vampires” true nature came back
to him. The compulsion was still there but now he was able to focus
his hatred and fight against it. He felt a fire grow in the pit of
his stomach and he fuelled it with memories of his family. He saw
them scream as the vampires tore them apart and he felt his resolve
grow. His teeth suddenly stopped chattering and he felt his control
return. One way or the other it would end tonight. Either he would
avenge his family or he would join them.
    “Four minutes,” Harris muttered
to himself as he set the final timer and placed the charge in
position under the barracks. Sweat rolled freely from every pore
while the thralls moved about above him. At one point he could even
see the wood of the floor dip dangerously close to his face when a
guard stopped to warm himself against a radiator.
    Harris thumbed the safety off
his machine gun and rolled out from under the last of the five
wooden structures along the western fence. He had no idea if all of
the buildings were occupied but he couldn’t take the chance. The
facility may have been abandoned for some time now but there had
been over a hundred thralls crawling over it all day trying to get
it ready on such short notice and Harris wasn’t certain how many
had returned to the city and how many had stayed. He checked again
for patrols and then made his way toward the assembled group in the
forecourt.
    The captain approached Nero and
bowed low. “Camera uplink is now ready, my lord.”
    “Excellent,” the vampire hissed
and swept around to face his clan. “Come; let us show this rabble
the price of resistance.” And with that the vampires approached
their terrified prey.
    Johnson watched the vampires
approach and slowly moved his hand toward his side. God, I hope the
others are in position, he thought desperately, or this is going to
be one short-lived act of defiance. He whispered a quick prayer and
gripped his weapon tightly.
    Just then a loud explosion
shattered the silence. Four more quickly followed, so close
together that Johnson thought it was one long thunder crack. He
ripped the crossbow from its hiding place at his side and sent his
first shot at the lead vampire.
    Harrington heard the explosions
and tried to blot out the scene of mayhem below him. All five of
the buildings along the west fence had exploded and now burned
fiercely. Thralls stumbled out of two of the ruined barracks
covered in flames, screaming hideously as their flesh burned and
crackled in the heat. An orange glow illuminated the camp. It
undulated as the flames waxed and waned and gave the whole scene a
surreal, hellish appearance.
    The vampires recovered quickly
though. Harrington saw one of them grab the captain and shake him
violently. Harrington couldn’t hear what was said, but the vampire
screamed at the thrall and gesticulated at the burning buildings.
The captain seemed to recover and gathered some thralls to
investigate. Harrington took all this in from his position in the
west tower and