Monsterland (11 page)

“A wild population of what?” the Chinese ambassador asked, his face alert.

“Why, of revolutionaries and malcontents. Think, gentlemen—war will be obsolete.”

There was a murmur of discussion in the room, with some rumblings of approval.

A general walked forward, considering the screen showing a vampire calmly having his blood withdrawn.

“Sometimes being a revolutionary is not a bad thing, Dr. Conrad. Let’s not forget our own great country was founded by revolutionaries.”

“The US government is a democracy and would never turn against its people,” Vincent retorted.

“Governments don’t turn on its people, corrupt politicians do,” the general said gruffly.

“Come now, General Anthony, is it?” Vincent asked. “We are talking about Vincent Conrad and the United States of America. We are all perfectly safe.”

McAdams walked over and pulled the general aside. They spoke, their faces serious. There appeared to be a disagreement, but the general was discreetly but firmly disciplined.

Carter watched the exchange with fascination. Most people were absorbed with the many screens. There was a gasp, and a tremor seemed to travel through the group.

Carter’s eyes were drawn to a monitor showing a deserted street filled with dilapidated houses. The room grew silent as the guests turned their attention to the image of a house that turned into an interior shot. There was a collective inhale, followed by uncomfortable rumblings. There was a mass of squirming people all fighting over something on the floor. The shot closed in on the back of a man’s head. He turned, his eyes blank, his hand holding the disconnected limb of another, his mouth chewing rhythmically on fingers.

The room erupted with sounds of disgust.

Vincent snapped at one of his employees, and the scene changed to the main street of his park. President McAdams looked around, urging his team to be quiet with a stern look.

“Not a pleasant sight, ladies and gentlemen, but a stark reminder of what we are trying to accomplish here today,” Vincent began. He had their attention now. “Monsterland was created with the help of President McAdams and his administration to prevent the spread of the virus, as well as protect the entire population of the United States.” The room quieted as the guests listened with rapt interest. “By nature, we are curious creatures. I myself used my natural interest to discover werewolves. Using my resources, I captured them all and have brought them to the various parks to prevent them from rampaging our communities.”

Carter smirked. He hadn’t heard of any rampaging werewolves. Apparently, they had been in the Everglades for eons and had lived unnoticed by the rest of society. Lie one, he began his count.

Vincent continued. “Vampires have lived among us, on the fringe of society, for a long time, but their disregard for our values has made them a menace as well as a nuisance. Their wholesale thirst to corrupt our youth had to
be stopped and stopped fast. No country is safe from those vermin.”

Carter caught Jessup’s face and rolled his eyes. Vamps had lived peacefully among the population for years. They didn’t bother us, and we didn’t bother them, he thought. They were dying out now, having trouble adding to their numbers. It was against the law to make someone a vampire, the punishment swift and terrible. Only the occasional disenfranchised teenagers found themselves sucking blood, but, generally, it had been brought under control years ago. While they were known to prey on people intent to join their ranks, usually they were turned into drones and released when the blood drawing stopped. Carter shook his head. If you didn’t give them an excuse to find a disengaged person, they eventually moved on elsewhere. With the exception of Melvin’s mother, Carter couldn’t think of another person he knew who had joined them. She ended up in Antarctica anyway.

“That brings us to the zombies.”

“The vitality challenged,” President McAdams corrected. “We don’t like the other term.”

“Of course.” Vincent smiled. “The vitality challenged presented a big, expensive burden to the country as well as the world.”

“We are working on a cure,” the president said to the room at large, his hands outstretched with assurance.

“Indeed, we are.” The doctor took over. “Having them here kills two birds with one stone. You see”—he directed this to the Asian diplomats—“making them available in a safe environment is better for the entire population. Now people can see them safely. Even though their camps were high in the
mountains, pesky interlopers would go there to investigate and, sadly, were infected, making more people at risk. Here.” He pointed to a monitor. “We wear protective suits. We can study them, and people can see them without running the risk of bringing the infection home.”

The room broke out with sounds of approval. Carter grudgingly admitted that Vincent trumped him there. He couldn’t find fault with his logic—except he disapproved of making a freak show from people who were ill.

The screens filled with faces of excited crowds clamoring to gain entrance.

Vincent gestured to the eager faces. “You see, ladies and gentlemen, with the help of the government, we have eliminated the danger, created a place to study and alleviated the suffering of these beasts, and, perhaps—” He paused for effect. “—we might even find that cure.”

The room burst into applause. McAdams came forward, a warm smile on his face, to shake Vincent’s hand. “The people of the United States trust both their government and Dr. Vincent Conrad.”

Carter White exchanged a glance with Jessup. He didn’t vote for this president, and he sure as hell didn’t trust Vincent Conrad. “I thought we had a measure of freedom of choice?” he said out the side of his mouth to his friend.

“Majority rules?” Jessup shrugged.

“What majority?” Carter asked.

The president continued. “The government stands behind Vincent Conrad and Monsterland as a window to the future to preserve and protect the good people of these United States and the world.”

This time the room erupted with cheers. Vincent leaned forward to whisper something into the president’s ear. They shared a private smile.

Carter turned to Jessup. “I’ll bet you a week’s salary that he’s not sharing campaign secrets.”

Jessup nodded grimly. They both watched Vincent escort the president out of the room.

C
HAPTER
14

T
heir feet echoed
in the tunnel; they ran faster, Melvin and Josh laughing nervously. It seemed to go on forever. Wyatt eyed several doors built into the wall, small lit signs above, designating them as Staff Only. There were no doorknobs, he noted, simply a small red light with a keypad next to the almost-invisible door.

The tunnel abruptly ended, opening to a platform with all of Monsterland spread out below them. An opaque glass dome loomed over one of the attractions, but Wyatt wasn’t sure which one it was. The air was controlled by huge blowers that kept it circulating. It felt like it was a steady seventy-five degrees. The noise of the mass of people below swelled up to them. Melvin took out his cell and took a video of the crowd. He saw Josh was busy taking pictures as well. Piped-in music played on an audio system, sounding like soothing white noise. There was a large town square with three paths leading to the attractions. The village was a parody of any Main Street in small-town America, but, instead of pastel buildings and red brick, it was dilapidated warehouses covered with graffiti. A
mist rose off the dirty cobbles. Many of the windows sported large spider webs of cracked glass, doors hung drunkenly, and roofs looked patched. Vendors in garish costumes walked the streets with black and red balloons, masks, toy weapons, but no food. The street was filled with ubiquitous small boutique stores stocked with more products to purchase. There was a huge, dark glass wall lining one whole side. It read commissary, and Wyatt knew it opened in intervals, so people could go in to eat. It was sealed after it filled, so odors couldn’t get out. No food was permitted in the park. The “acts” were fed regulated food and were not allowed anything else. His phone pinged with several messages. He looked at them. Jade asked for them to join their group on the line at the Werewolf River Run. Howard Drucker still hadn’t told him where he was.

“The Werewolf River Run,” Melvin said reverently.

“I want to do Zombieville, right, Wy? Don’t you want to see the zombies first?”

Wyatt gripped the railing, feeling small, insignificant next to the vastness of the park. How had they built this so quickly and without anyone realizing the scope of the whole thing, he wondered. He ran to the end of the balcony. His phone buzzed again. This time Jade texted a message telling him to look straight ahead. In the distance, he could make out the small figure of Jade waving for him to come join them at the River Run. She was jumping up and down, her arms in the air like a cheerleader. They were standing in a long line that seemed to stretch all the way into the recesses of the park. He squinted, watching Nolan separate from the group. He ran toward the mezzanine. Nolan emerged from the crowd, jogging over toward the balcony. His face was red, and he was breathless.

“Come on down; we’ve been waiting for you!” he shouted. “Didn’t you get our text?” he demanded hotly.

“Where’s everybody?”

Nolan shrugged. “Who cares. Jade and I are in the queue to get onto the line for the Werewolf River Run. It’s a two-hour wait. You can use that special pass to get us in the VIP line.”

Wyatt looked at the black rubber band on his wrist.

“Where’s the escalator?” Josh searched the landing.

“I don’t see a way to get down,” Melvin called as he ran ahead.

Wyatt eyed thick stainless steel poles that were planted every thirty feet. “There’s no way down.” He reached out to touch the smooth metal. “Except for these.”

“Holy crap!” Josh lifted himself onto the railing. “I love this place. Incoming!” he shouted, wrapping his arms around the pole and sliding to the bottom.

Wyatt cursed and then hefted himself over the rail, his palms heating under the friction as he slid down the tall pole. He heard Melvin screeching from the next pole.

Melvin had a messy landing. He turned to Nolan and demanded, “Which way is it?”

Nolan laughed. “That way, you freak.”

Wyatt landed at the base. Josh waited until Wyatt’s feet touched the concrete before he raced off, following the painted boards indicating the way to the werewolf flume ride. He stood close to the metal pole, the crowd closing in on him. From this vantage point, he couldn’t see Jade anymore. The line had grown even longer, eager people talking excitedly about the attractions. Nolan impatiently pulled his arm.

“Come on. Jade’s waiting for us.”

They dodged crowds, running on the uneven cobbles. Melvin disappeared around a bend, and the other three boys followed. Wyatt walked alongside Nolan, who kept the pace brisk. People in Halloween-like costumes roamed the streets, laughing like it was Fat Tuesday in New Orleans. The only things missing were food and drinks.

It was a maze of rutted paths, buildings squeezed together from different centuries, as if they were plopped down by giant hands. Sagging wrought iron balconies sported women dressed like a collection of vampires and zombies in different outfits spanning the centuries, from ancient Rome, to Tudor times, to twentieth-century flappers. It was a bizarre assortment that jarred the nerves. Windows were jammed with merchandise, hawkers standing outside, their zombie makeup running from the heat of the bright lights overhead. It was a kaleidoscope of sounds and colors, as if they rode a merry-go-round at breakneck speed. Guards stood every few feet, their emotionless faces revealing nothing. While they did seem robotic, Wyatt had a sense of peace knowing they were there. Josh ran to a large glass case that displayed a four-foot-long handle with a shiny silver axe at the top.

“Look at that!” he crowed.

“They have them installed at the end of every building.” Melvin observed with awe. “He’s thought of everything. A silver axe can take out a vampire, zombie, or werewolf.”

“And a human,” Wyatt added grimly.

“Why would you even say that,” Nolan snapped.

“Take a picture of me.” Melvin mugged a pose by the axe.

“Are you twelve?” Wyatt asked, thinking of Jade waiting at the end of the line. Melvin could be such a baby.

Wyatt turned his attention to the passing scenery.

The buildings thinned, turning into a wide lane with dense brush intruding. City sounds receded, replaced by bird
calls and the piped-in sound of banjos playing in the distance. Water bubbled, but Wyatt saw nothing beyond the line of eager people waiting like a giant anaconda stretching along the winding road. Soon the concrete was replaced by a dirt road. To the right he saw a giant glass dome with multifaceted windows. They slowed their progress, stopping when they saw the muted figure of a man skitter across the glass.

“Did you see that?”

“What?” Wyatt asked.

“Something was in there,” Josh said, pointing to the dome.

“It’s the werewolves; they’re isolated behind the glass.” Nolan pulled a map from his back pocket. “See that big tube?” He pointed to a thick pipe that wrapped around the side of the dome. “It’s a feeding chute. There’s a silo back there filled with blood and guts. It goes directly into the zombie town.”

“Wow,” Josh craned his neck to look at the long pipe.

They all traced the destination of the pipe to find it penetrating a huge gate at the north end of the park. They could make out the armored mesh the employees wore at that exhibit.

“Wy!” Josh jumped up, pointing. “The zombies, bro. They’re right behind that wall.”

Wyatt looked at the fortress longingly and then back to where Jade waited for them. He shook his head. “We have all night. Let’s go on the River Run.”

“You still have that invitation thing?” Nolan asked.

Wyatt nodded.

“I want to see it.”

Wyatt took the folded square, handing it to Nolan.

“I bet you it’s skin,” Nolan said with admiration.

Wyatt dropped it into Nolan’s eager hands.