From where we stood, I could make out a long stretch of elevated tracks, looping around the buildings like a huge snake. I remembered, from my mother’s stories, a certain type of vehicle had run on those tracks in the days before, shuttling people back and forth at high speed. Below the tracks, a series of platforms, bridges and catwalks had been cobbled together, stretching between buildings and crisscrossing the streets like a giant web. Which was necessary, because everything at ground level was underwater.
Humans crowded the narrow platforms and walkways like ants, making their way over the dark, turbulent waters. There were swarms of them, more than I’d expected. This wasn’t just a raider hideout; this was a city, a real city like New Covington or any other vampire territory. It didn’t have a wall—I assumed the deep water kept out the rabids—and the humans here were free to come and go as they pleased, but there was no question that we were stepping into the lair of a vampire king. On the bright side, from the number of humans wandering about, getting through unnoticed would be much easier than I’d feared.
The raiders we’d followed didn’t pause to look at the city; I watched their headlights cruise down a ramp, over a ramshackle bridge and onto an enormous barge sitting at the water’s edge. Dozens of bikes were parked there in messy rows, along with a couple of the armored vans I’d seen earlier. I guessed the raiders couldn’t take their bikes onto the narrow walkways of the flooded city.
I felt Zeke peering over my shoulder, felt him take a deep breath, and glanced back at him. “Ready for this?”
He nodded, eyes grim. “Let’s go.”
We followed the same path as the others, down the ramp, over the bridge and onto the barge. Finding a free corner, I killed the engine and stepped away, a little sad that I’d have to leave the bike behind. I wondered if I would get the chance to come back for it.
Probably not.
I turned slowly, gazing at the vast expanse of water on either side. It felt odd, being on top of the water. The ground felt unstable, as if it could suddenly sink into the black depths. A cold wind hissed through the rows of bikes, and the boat bobbed gently on the waves, making Zeke stumble as he stepped up beside me.
Worried, I grabbed his elbow. “How’s the leg?” I asked, noticing he kept his weight off it. “Can you do this? Will you be all right?”
“I’m fine.” He pulled his arm out of my grip, standing on his own. But his face was pale and clammy with sweat, even in the chill. “Don’t worry about me. I can keep up.”
The growl of bike engines distracted us. More raiders were arriving, several of them this time, laughing and shouting over the noise of their bikes. Zeke and I ducked behind a stack of crates, watching as they killed their engines and swaggered toward another bridge on the other side, pointing into the city.
Zeke and I exchanged a glance. “Sure you don’t want to wait?” I asked, and he scowled at me. I frowned back. “You’re still hurt, Zeke. I can find the others on my own if I have to.”
“No.” His voice was rough, final. “It’s my family. I have to do this. Don’t ask me again.”
“Fine.” I glared at him and shook my head. Stubborn idiot. “But at least try to look a little more raider-ish, okay? We don’t want to attract attention.”
Zeke’s snort sounded suspiciously like laughter. “Allie, you’re a beautiful, exotic-looking vampire girl with a katana. Trust me, if anyone is going to attract attention, it’s not going be me.”
I didn’t answer as we crossed the flimsy, creaking bridge into the lair of the vampire king. We didn’t talk to each other for several minutes. If Zeke had asked, I would’ve said that I was thinking of how to find everyone, but that wasn’t entirely true. I was thinking of the others and how I was going to get them out alive…but I kept being distracted by the thought that Zeke had called me beautiful.
*
THE CITY WAS LIKE A MAZE, a labyrinth of walkways, bridges and catwalks, all strung together in the most confusing way possible. A catwalk would lead to a platform, which led to a bridge, which led to the roof of a sunken building, which led right back to the same catwalk we’d already been on. After wandering in circles a couple times, I was ready to jump into the dark water and swim my way out. Torches and steel drums burned along ramps and walkways, the flickering lights reflecting in the dark water and only adding to the sense of disorder.
People hurried by on the narrow walkways, bumping us, jostling us out of the way, sometimes on purpose. Sometimes they would snicker or bark curses as they shoved me aside. I kept my head down and clenched my teeth every time someone hit me, fighting the urge to snap at them. There was no law here, no pets to keep order, no guards to contain an outbreak of violence. A fight erupted once, with two raiders throwing punches atop a narrow platform, until one pulled out a knife and stabbed the other in the neck. Choking, the man toppled off the platform, hit the water and sank from view. After a cursory glance, everyone went about their business.