Part fifteen
Meryl watched the suns stretch long shadows across the desert, fully aware of just how much of the day had slipped by. Escaping the deputies and getting back to the farmstead had taken more time than she realized and now on their way back to town, they raced against the encroaching night.
Of course, she wasn't sure which would kill them first, the vampires or Alexis's driving. The Slayer had managed to swipe her keys and was now happily speeding along at rates that would even have made Vash nervous.
As the truck flew over yet another ditch along the uneven terrain, Meryl glanced back at the two people sitting in the bed. Liam rested comfortably in the corner, arms holding on to either edge of the truck. He was again covered from head to foot, not an inch of skin showing, so Meryl couldn't tell if he was gritting his teeth or had simply gotten used to Alexis's unique take on the rules of the road. She also made a note to ask him if he ever got hot in that get-up.
Millie sat opposite him, considerably less Zen-like, and mostly just clinging for dear life to the sides of the bed.
No one spoke. All words, explanations and panicked planning had been made before they left. Now too many nerves and too much tension stilled their tongues, the weight of expectation lending to the grim atmosphere.
This was it. Whatever 'it' was.
They pulled into a silent Salem, the streets clear of any pedestrians. It seemed even the residents had sensed the coming storm and retreated to the safety of their homes.
Alexis pulled over curbside, if by "pulled over" one meant "spun into a one-eighty and somehow managed to stop the truck before it hit a building." Meryl willed her stomach to stop flip-flopping before getting out.
The foursome congregated by the rear of the truck. Alexis leaped nimbly onto the bed, pulling back the tarp there and revealing an array of weapons underneath it. Liam looked back towards the town gates. "You sure they appeared over there?"
Meryl nodded. "Just came right out of the ground. Like something out of a moving picture."
"Hmph." The covered man looked to Alexis. "What do we have there?"
"A couple stakes, two swords, my crossbow, not much in the way of long distance weapons." Alexis placed her hands on her hips and frowned. "Wish we'd had time to get the harpoon."
Meryl raised an eyebrow. "Harpoon?"
"Long story," Liam waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, we'll have to make due with what we have. Millie should stay with Alexis – the stungun will probably slow them down better than just bullets. Meryl, you're with me."
"Going where?"
He didn't a get chance to answer before the suns disappeared below the horizon. As one, the group turned their eyes to the edge of Salem. For a breathless minute nothing happened. Then the ground began shifting, moving, the sediment disturbed as creatures of the night began their ascent out into the world of the living.
"George Romero's spinning in his grave," Liam muttered.
Meryl stared at him. "Who's George Romero?"
"Nothing, not important. We have to find an entrance to whatever caverns they're using, try to cut them off at the source. If Alexis and Millie can keep them off our backs up here…"
It came out as more of a question to the two girls. Alexis shrugged and picked up her crossbow. "As if I couldn't."
Millie bit her lip and glanced at Meryl. "Meryl?"
The insurance woman gave her partner a reassuring smile she didn't really feel. "I'll be fine. Stay here and help."
Millie nodded, took a deep breath, and scrabbled back onto the truck to stand with Alexis. Meryl shared a last glance with her before setting off with Liam.
The covered man took long strides, forcing Meryl to jog to keep up. He unraveled his scarf as they moved, removing his goggles and finally revealing his face again. He shoved everything into one of his duster pockets before unbuttoning the jacket and withdrawing his sword.
"Why do you carry that?" Meryl huffed.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Why do you carry a hundred derringers in your cape?"
"Well, ah." Meryl squirmed. "There are only fifty."
"Sorry. My mistake."
"And you didn't answer my question."
"Tell you what: I'll answer your question when you answer mine."
Before she had time to grow indignant, a sound she had become all too familiar with over the past few months reached her ears.
Gunfire.
There was no question in her mind as to who was in the middle of it.
"Vash."
She immediately ran towards the sheriff's office, Liam never breaking stride to change direction and keep up with her. Rounding the corner, she saw nothing but an empty street. Then Vash came tumbling out the sheriff's door, artificial arm unsheathed and machine gun firing.
"Vash!"
He swung towards her and for one, terrifying moment, she thought he would continue firing. But he lowered his weapon and blinked in confusion. "Meryl?"
Someone burst through the office window and tackled him, sending him to the ground. Meryl cursed and drew one of her derringers, trying to aim it at the outlaw's attacker, even if it was only useful as a distraction. But in the confusion of snarls, limbs and red coat, she couldn't get a clean shot.
She heard the soft ring of steel slicing through the air and suddenly Vash was fighting a cloud of dust. Liam wiped his sword on his sleeve before offering a hand to Vash. The gunman stared at it a moment before accepting it and rising to his feet. Meryl hurried up next to him. "Are you alright?"
"Think so." He certainly didn't look it, with his skin colored a pasty white and his hands trembling. He cleared his throat. "The sheriff's dead."
Meryl reached out to touch his arm. "I'm sorry."
He gave her tremulous smile. "It's okay." They both knew it wasn't but she let it slide. Vash looked to Liam. "Where's Alexis?"
"Covering the town gates," Liam told him. "We're trying to find an entrance underground."
The outlaw closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. When he looked up again, he seemed more composed. "It's at the engineering station."
"How do you know that?" Meryl asked.
"Because there aren't any caverns underneath this town. It's a ship."
And with that, he took off. Meryl wasted a second trying to figure out just what exactly he was talking about when she made the connection. She immediately followed him. "A spaceship? What you and Wolfwood found? How do you know that?"
The outlaw ignored the trail of questions, focused on his destination. Neither of them noticed Liam pause and frown.
"Of course," he muttered. "I should've thought of that."
Finished chastising himself, he ran to catch up with his new companions in arms.
End part fifteen