by Matt Rogers
Chapter 44
Nat was going through the footage and was coming up empty. Nowhere was a Wolf or Vampire to be seen. He’d hijacked every security camera but he was unable to catch sight of them. He was becoming extremely frustrated.
The scene in Venezuela showed what the others had; normal Humans exiting the planes. Nowhere was a Wolf in sight. The Vampires, he knew, could blend in and remain undetected, but the Wolves? There was no way a seven foot individual could hide from prying eyes. He decided to retrace the events.
He was fully committed to the act. Every sensory device he had was used to record, evaluate and determine where a Wolf emerged. Every bit of hardware he owned, every byte of software he employed was put to the task of location. He was feeling a bit like Smith and Wesson for he was looking for those who wished not to be found. The computer revealed the paths of the flights and he viewed them through critical lenses. Nowhere on any flight had a detour taken place. No plane made a stop between destinations and no other airlines made an approach to those in flight. He was looking for the handoff, the moment in time where an individual could be transferred from one location to another without anyone the wiser. He saw nothing.
“Where are you?”
He was in frantic mode. Things had gone so awry he’d actually announced the presence of Heaven to Humanity. He wasn’t sure, he couldn’t be positive but he felt his actions would definitely have consequences. Humans were the problem. They could not be counted on for they could not be predicted. They did the unknowable, the illogical, and to him and the rest of his race the problem of uncertainty was the greatest problem of all.
The screen showed the flight paths and he watched as they took him back to their destination. He knew where they’d been, seen footage of them in the airport as they strolled through the terminal and checked their various boarding passes. He’d been curious why they didn’t use their own plane but had verified it was still in their private hanger, still secretly monitored with Heavenly technology and assumed they knew so also. They’d all gone off-screen when they’d entered the restaurants in the airport for they held no security value to the Humans. It was another thing he disliked about their species; they were too mistrusting of surveillance.
He was deep in concentration when it happened. It was a small thing, not much in the grander scheme but significant in its impact. He’d been using everything he had to locate them so could be forgiven his transgression. He was watching as the flights of the day took off from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and was attempting to discern a pattern when he felt it. A slight lessoning of those on his watch.
“What the…?”
He monitored all Superiors for it was his job to do so. He kept a further eye on a few for they held his interest higher. He would follow their path back from the beginning but it would only arouse his curiosity further. The computer monitor revealed it all as he watched in wonder.
Three flights did indeed leave the airport but they were nothing but distractions. The two which left later, an hour past the others from a different location were what propelled his anxiety higher. They were smaller than those of the passenger sect but were easily capable of the distance. They left from the airport of the rich located in the central part of the city and held to the rules governing those who possessed wealth; a flight plan with the number of passengers but nothing else.
He would watch as they flew to two destinations. They would stop midway to refuel but it helped him not for they never left the planes. They flew to separate locations and landed at differing times but he could easily tell they’d had a plan and fulfilled its execution with precise coordination.
Two planes on the ground, one in Europe, one in Asia. Two separate time zones on different continents meant they were acting as one. He hadn’t felt a single loss, it was double the trouble whenever the LeTorque implemented their design. Two Superiors disappeared at the same time from two locations. It should not have been possible.
One cloak was all there had ever been. Only one could accomplish the task yet two events took place. At the same time, thousands of miles apart two individuals of major importance no longer caught his eye; Merri Li and Yin blinked off the radar.
Epilogue
It was where it all began, a place of importance which held meaning. Confrontation could bring out the best in them.
There were two in the pit, two more would arrive soon but they were anxious so they did what they could to waste the time. It was agreed the beheading of another was off-limits so they fought with purpose of skill absent the requirement to kill.
“Who do you think will win?” Merri Li asked.
“I actually do not know” Vivian responded and Trudy nodded her head in agreement.
The two Wolves of LeTorque were in the Pit of Confrontation doing what they did best and challenging the other in combat. It was not for the faint of heart. Blood was everywhere as the two countered the other. Since they were both Alphas it was flowing at an alarming rate.
George and Phillip had never challenged the other for neither was sure of the answer. Alphas were different, a breed apart, and the two of them were even further down the line. In the generations there had only been a few, a select group who could legitimately claim the title. Both Wolves of LeTorque not only held the name but were capable of rewriting its definition.
“Do you think he will be angry?” Trudy asked.
“I think he will be curious” Merri Li responded.
The Alien from Heaven had but one overriding emotion; a need to demonstrate his Superiors to the other half.
“Will he figure out our plan?” Vivian queried.
“He cannot. He sees us through the eyes of a master so he can’t contemplate the actual design” Merri Li answered.
They watched as the Wolves fought. It was not easy for the speed was of the split-second variety. One moment the Wolves would be on the right, the next the left. Never had a session held more impact yet not be seen by a Superior audience. The action was both mesmerizing and shocking as two would meet, grapple, strike and then retreat to tend their wounds. Neither held the upper hand for both were masters of their craft. The tearing of flesh and breaking of bone were apparent to all.
“Should we stop them?” Merri Li pondered.
Neither Vamp answered for they were not in the position to do so. They were each, in their own way, Matriarchs of the clan. Melissa may have held the title but everyone knew the truth; Johnny reigned because George and Phillip allowed him to do so.
Merri Li was curious because she was witnessing the change. The two who were in attendance with her had proven themselves to be Superior. They had manipulated events to the point where they were actually able to dictate their own futures. She had met one before and was pleasantly surprised the other was so easy to get along with. Both Trudy and Vivian were of similar thoughts. They had known of the legend but until meeting her had not known the truth for Merri Li was Matriarch in name only. She had long ago discarded the need for recognition which made her accessible. She was not what they feared. She was not a person so caught up in her public persona she actually became the fiction. Merri Li was real. She was a person who spoke and who listened. It wasn’t much, merely the process of conversation but what came from it was the alignment of attitudes which would shape the universe.
“I believe what we are witnessing is unseen before.”
The Wolves were remarkable, beautiful even, for they were the epitome of their trade. Every move, every stance was countered in kind but they weren’t the types to allow for inaction to form. They would willingly get caught in a perilous position if it allowed the action to proceed. The blood which came from their decisions was copious to say the least.
“Do you think he guesses the truth?”
The question was asked by Trudy and in all honestly Merri Li had no answer. If he guessed correctly what would be his decision?
“If he guesses it will not matter. Either we live according to our own wishes or die
according to his.”
The answer was somewhat settling to the Vamps so they watched with curiosity as the top Wolves of Third took turns ripping flesh from the other.
“Aunt Trudy?” the child’s voice broke in.
“Yes, Daemon?”
“Others are here.”
The fighting in the pit halted as the two Wolves of LeTorque realized they would not learn that day who was the true Alpha. Two Vampires stood and turned to watch as the two who once ruled all and one who was Matriarch of Third entered the cave. One moved to meet them alone.
Everyone watched as the reunion took place. Four who were separated once again found each other. Merri Li greeted them one at a time.
“Hello, Sister.”
Melissa answered with an embrace and tears in her eyes.
“Hello, Merri Li.”
Merri Li moved on to the remaining two, the ones who began it all, the ones who were destined to end the game.
“Hello, Yin.”
“Hello, Sister.”
“Hello, Yang.”
They had avoided each other for ages because they knew the consequences if Heaven guessed their motives. They’d made their preparations after realizing the true purpose of their existence.
“So the plan has finally come to fruition?” Yin asked.
“Yes, Heaven has shown its hand” Merri Li answered.
“And you still believe the Humans will act accordingly?”
“Yes, they will accept us as saviors since they fear Heaven and Hell more.”
And so the planning began for the final chapter. All were involved because the whole were needed. Vampires would contrive and Wolves destroy. They were the sum of Heaven’s technology and Nature’s evolution, an answer to Hell and the hope for Humanity; essentially the product of Superior design.
