Coalition of the Damned - 03 Read Online Free Page A

mind, a lifetime’s worth of memories that weren’t his. He saw life and death, he saw murders and entire families butchered. He saw happiness for such a short period and then pain and suffering…so much suffering.
    When the dark vampire released him, Dom found himself sprawled across the cold stone floor, gasping for air. Slowly he reached up and held his aching head and tried to unsee what had been seen but he knew he couldn’t. The vampire had implanted so many memories into his head…but now he knew. He knew exactly who he was. He knew what he was. He knew what he was capable of as a man, and he knew what he was capable of as a monster. He felt his stomach curdle on him and bile bit the back of his throat before he retched.
    Slowly, Dominic gained his composure and rolled to his knees. He sat up and stared up at the starry sky and he knew. He gulped the cold night air and shivered. He pulled himself up to his full height and did his best to square his shoulders when all he really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide. He turned and looked around the courtyard and found the dark vampire si tting atop the same pile of rubble, absently picking at his fingernails.
    “I wondered how long it would take you to recover. I must admit, you are much stronger than I would have suspected. I honestly thought you were full of false bravado, but you truly are a strong soul,” he said softly.
    Dom staggered toward the vampire and gathered himself as he approached him. “You’re mad,” he stated. “You showed me all of it…and you are one sick, twisted bastard.”
    “Perhaps. But they will pay,” he replied.
    “Oh, well that just makes all the sense in the world, now doesn’t it?” Dom shot back. “God pisses you off so you make the rest of the world pay the price? What about the innocent people?”
    “Aren’t they all innocent?” he asked. “And yet, He arranged that they would be my food. Tell me that isn’t ironic.”
    “You’re shit-house rat crazy,” Dom wheezed. “You still h aven’t thought this through.”
    “How so?”
    “Once you’ve destroyed the world and killed everybody, who will be left to feed you and your vampire horde?” he asked sarcastically.
    The vampire laughed. “We’ll raise humans much like far mers raise cattle.” He stated matter-of-factly. “There is plenty of beef in the world, is there not? And yet, the cattle do not rise up and destroy the farmers.”
    Dom sighed. “You won’t succeed.”
    “And who will stop me?”
    “We will,” he said softly. “We’ll find a way.”
    “You have already seen it,” the vampire stated. “You cannot stop me. And you know it.”

 
    2
     
    Robert Mueller knocked on Colonel Mitchell’s door and waited to hear him bark before he entered. Mueller stepped i nside and stood at attention and waited to be acknowledged. Mitchell looked up from his paperwork long enough to realize that Mueller wasn’t going to speak until spoken to and said, “At ease, son. Spill it.”
    Mueller stood at ease and cleared his throat. “Permission to speak freely, Colonel?”
    “Of course, Mueller. What’s wrong, boy?”
    Mueller’s eyes darted about the room as if he wasn’t sure how to start. “Just spit it out, son. We’ll figure it out once it’s on the floor, okay?”
    Mueller nodded. “Yes, sir. Um…I’d like to go home for a short bit, sir.”
    Matt gave the operator a sideways stare. “To what purpose, soldier?”
    “To say good bye, sir.” Matt saw his eyes start to mist and he fought it. “To my ex-wife, sir. We were talking about trying to get back together…and now we can’t. Ever. I need to at least let her know that it won’t happen.”
    Mitchell’s eyes started to widen, when Mueller added, “I won’t mention what’s really going on here, sir. I just need to see my son and…” He glanced away for a moment, then faced his CO again. “I need closure, sir.”
    Mitchell sat back in his chair and studied the young