“Oh. For a minute there I thought you were saying…”
“I know what you thought.” He interrupted. “But we fight to defend people from Mexico, the states and Canada. We don’t pick favorites, junior.” He retorted spitefully.
“Sorry, man.” Jake defended.
Dom kept rubbing at his temples wishing he had something stronger than the over the counter pain relievers Jake had. “How were you able to keep the aspirins with you? Didn’t they take everything from you when they dumped you in here?”
“They let me keep my backpack.” He said. “I had a few changes of clothes, the Tylenol and a paperback in it. They took my wallet and passport, though.”
Dom nodded. At least Jake had clothes to change into at one point or another. “Book any good?”
Jake laughed. “I’ve read it three times now. There’s nothing else to do in here but masturbate and read.”
“Okay. Dude…TMI.” Dom objected.
“You asked.”
“I asked if the book was any good, not what you do once the lights go out.”
“Oh, I don’t wait for the lights to go out.” Jake responded. “They never do. Same old gloom in here twenty-four-seven. I have no idea if it’s day or night.”
Dom glanced at his wrist. The bastards grabbed his watch again. “Me neither.” Dom said. “But my guess would be that it was early morning when they dumped me in here.”
The two shared a silence for some time before Jake asked him, “Are we going to die in here Dominic?”
“Probably, Jake.”
The silence was palpable as they sat and listened to it grow. After several more heartbeats, Jake said in a shaky voice, “I really don’t want to die, Dominic.”
“I know, Jake.” Dom said wearily. “I know.”
*****
Rufus and Viktor stepped off of the boat and onto the docks. After helping Natashia and Nadia to the dock and retrieving their bags, the quartet loaded into a black SUV and headed to the warehouse district. Rufus needed to speak with Paul Foster before they departed for the military base where Colonel Mitchell and his human hunters were preparing to meet the threat.
Foster needed to know that circumstances had changed, but really only the ‘who’ that was behind the circumstances. Thorn feared that Foster might try to back out on their agreement, but as long as his copy of the blood alliance was safe and sound, Foster could do whatever he wished with his and still be bound to it. Thorn trusted Foster as far as he could throw the vampire…actually, he didn’t trust him that far, but he knew that he was honor bound to the blood alliance. He could no more break the alliance than cut out his own heart.
The Black SUV came to a stop in front of a non-descript row of abandoned looking warehouses. The only clue that they may be in use were two armed guards standing outside the front double doors. The driver opened Thorn’s door and he stepped out, the guards immediately snapping to attention. Apparently, they recognized their new leader by the call of his power, even if they had never met him.
As Rufus approached the double doors, one of the guards saluted him with a fist across his chest, covering his heart, the other snapped to attention again and opened the door for their new master, saluting him in the same manner. Thorn ignored both and entered the warehouse.
As he walked between the double rows of tractor trailers, vampires and familiars alike bowed to their new master, some bending a knee to show their respect. To some of the older vampires, Thorn gave a nod of recognition. As he approached the offices in the rear of the warehouse, the guards at the door of Foster’s personal chamber snapped to attention. The older of the two vampires addressed Thorn, “Master. What brings us this honor?”
“Is Foster in?” Thorn already knew the answer as he could feel the vampire in the room behind them.
“Of course, my lord. He has ordered not to be disturbed, but for you, master…he will make an exception.” The edges of the guard’s mouth trying not to curve into a smile.
Rufus opened the door to find Paul feeding on a buxom Mexican woman, ravenously feeding from her large swinging breasts. His fangs were sunk deep into her tissues and it was obvious that he had torn one to ribbons and was now working on the other one. She was dazed and possibly drugged as she seemed to sit in his lap, naked and didn’t have a care in the world, her eyes almost glazed over.
“Am I interrupting you?” Rufus asked, his stomach almost turning at the sight of Foster’s piggish activities.
Foster turned quickly, the woman’s breast still stuck to his fangs. He retracted his fangs and dumped her unceremoniously to the floor. Standing, it became obvious that he had also been engaged in some form of sex with her while feeding, as he, too, was naked in the chair. “Not at all, my king.” He said, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his arm. “I was just having a little snack.” He said, a smile crossing his face as his eyes darkened. He glanced down at his engorged manhood and raised an eyebrow. “And a little fun. You know me…I like to play with my food.”
“I see that.” Rufus responded stoically. “I bring news before my departure.”
“Departure? Are you going to meet with the Beastia Conventio?” he asked.
“Non. I go to the human hunters compound to discuss…military matters.” He said guardedly.
Foster’s curiosity was piqued. “The hunters? I would think that they would be a secondary force in our war against the Lamia Humanus.”
Rufus nodded. “Normally, perhaps. But things have changed somewhat.” He stepped further into Foster’s chambers and took Foster’s favorite chair. Foster pulled up another chair and made no mention of Thorn taking his high backed throne. “While negotiating with the hunters I was graced with an emissary from the Sicarii.” Rufus stated, allowing his words to sink in. He watched Foster’s reaction carefully. Foster had been licking some blood from his fingers until Rufus said ‘Sicarii’ and then froze.
After a few moments he inhaled sharply, “You jest!” Foster all but yelled, a nervous smile crossing his bloody features.
“Non.” Rufus replied, his face stony. “He came as a representative of the Sicarii and bearing a scroll conscripting me into service to his army of vampiri.”
“B-but the Sicarii is only a myth.” Foster argued. “He’s not REAL!”
“You are wrong.” Rufus informed him. “I thought the same, but the scroll was real, the seal was real and the conscript was official.”
“So…we are all conscripted into his service? Why didn’t I feel the change in power?” he asked.
“Because I did not break the seal.” Rufus answered with an evil smile. “I unfurled the scroll and left the seal intact.”
Paul’s brows gathered in confusion. “Is that legal? I mean…truly? Is that all there is to it?”
“Truly.” Thorn answered. “A very old vampire taught me that trick many centuries ago.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Paul mumbled.
“Oui. We all are. We are vampires, are we not?” he stated more than asked. “But the fact still remains, that the Lamia Humanus may be behind the attacks and the war we were preparing to fight, but it is the Sicarii himself who is orchestrating the entire affair.” Thorn allowed a moment for Foster to realize the ramifications of this knowledge.
“Oh, fuck. We are screwed. We are SO screwed!” he cried. He covered his face in his bloody hands, he sucked in air deeply trying to prevent losing control. “We need to back off, Rufus. There is no way we can stand against him! He can FORCE us to his bidding, you realize that, don’t you?”
“Non.” Rufus stated flatly. “We stick to the plan.” He said quietly.
“What?! You cannot be serious?” Paul all but screamed. He stood up and began pacing. “He can physically FORCE us into service, even without the scroll! Rufus, for shit’s sake, he is the Father of all Vampires. He could make us tear at each other while the rest of his army stand there and take bets!”
“Non.” Rufus repeated. “We have an accord
with the humans and we shall…”
“Fuck the humans!” Paul shrieked. “They’re FOOD!”
Rufus stood and a huge wave of power shot across the room, buckling Foster’s legs from beneath him, dropping him to the floor. Rufus stood over him and stared down at the quivering vampire. By taking control of Foster’s people, he had grown in power exponentially. By being made leader of the Lamia Beastia, he had assumed their power as well. Foster had never been in the presence of such power before and it sucked the air from his lungs. “I said, ‘non’.” Thorn repeated again, quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I gave the word of our army…I gave the word of the Lamia Beastia, I gave my word to the hunters that we would fight to the death against the Sicarii to prevent the Vampiri Apocalypto and it shall be so.” He whispered.
“Yes, my king.” Foster said, his head bowed, eyes to the floor.
“You will pull your people together and have them ready to assemble on my word. I do not know yet what the humans have in mind, but I have a strong suspicion that we will meet the Sicarii on a common battlefield, rather than scatter our forces across the globe. But whatever the case may be, I want all of the resources at my disposal ready when I call for them. Do you understand?”
“Of course, my lord.” Foster said.
“Good. Now stand and see me away.” Foster stood on shaky legs and Rufus placed a robe across his shoulders. Paul was still stunned by the display of power and failed to close the robe as he walked him across the warehouse and to the waiting SUV. When they reached the door, Rufus turned to him again, “I do not know when I will return, or even if I will return. I may well simply send word to meet me. You will prepare our troops, oui?”
“Of course, my king.” Foster replied. He grasped Thorn’s hand and kissed his ring. Thorn touched his head then turned to leave.
Thorn stepped into the SUV and the driver shut his door for him. As the SUV pulled away and headed to the airport Rufus turned to Viktor, “He’ll prepare his people for us. They should be ready to move once we know the hunter’s plans.”
Viktor nodded. “Are you sure that it’s wise to trust the humans?”
“Who better to fight the worst of all monsters than the Monster Squad?” Rufus asked.
24
Laura sat in Matt’s office completely dejected. She brought the initial reports from Team 2 and what they found in Italy. The plane was found parked at the opening of a small private hangar, the co-pilot dead, a fire axe lying near the body. The pilot and any sign of Dominic had been erased from the plane.
Local police had taken fingerprints and scans were sent. They confirmed what they already knew, that Dom had been in the cabin at one point in time or another as his prints were found on the co-pilot’s headset and on the handle of the fire axe. The hunters discovered that the co-pilot was a vampire and dragged the body out into the sun to be turned to ash. The Italian federal police were quickly made into believers, as if the white irises, fangs and black coagulated blood weren’t evidence enough.
The Italians were using facial recognition software and every security camera they could tap into to try to discover what vehicles had come and gone through the airport in the last 24 hours, but at the moment, the trail was cold. It was as if they had fallen off the planet. “I don’t know why I was holding out hope that they would find something.” She said, her voice betraying her. “We’re never that lucky.”
“There’s still that chance that he went on his own, Laura.” Matt said. “I know that nobody wants to think it, and nobody wants to admit it, but there is the chance.”
“Do you really believe that?” she asked, her eyes probing his.
Matt took a deep breath and tried his best to hold a poker face. “I don’t know what to believe. Like I said before, we weren’t there.”
“Bullshit, Matt. We both know that Dom wouldn’t go against a direct order.” She wasn’t being argumentative, simply stating a fact that they both knew.
“Just tossing out possibilities, Laura.”
“Unlikely as they are, right?”
“Unlikely as they are.” He nodded. “Have you notified the squad?” he asked.
“Before I came here. Apollo is not happy…to say the least. He’s ready to hop a plane to Italy himself.”
“I’m sure he is.”
Laura took a deep breath and stretched her neck. The stress of the situation wearing her nerves thin. “I looked for the Chief to inform him, but I couldn’t find him.” She said.
Matt’s face puckered in dissatisfaction and his brows creased. “He’s at the airport picking up the newest member to his team.” He said tersely.
Laura turned an inquisitive glance at him, but he wasn’t forthcoming. She would have to pry it out of him. “Newest member, sir? Who would that be?”
Matt sucked air in deeply as if preparing to rant, but instead let it out slowly. Through clenched teeth he simply said, “Tufo.”
Laura gave him a sideways glance. “The field agent from Ohio?” she asked.
Matt stared off at the ceiling. “Yes.” When he finally turned back at her, she could see the anger in his eyes. “One and the same.”
“Okay. Why?” She asked. “I mean, how the hell did Mark suddenly become a hunter?” a smirk crossing her face. “Is this a joke or something?”
“God, how I wish it were.” Matt sighed. He stood up and grabbed his scotch bottle. He didn’t even bother with the glass this time. He pulled the cork and upended the bottle, pulling two long swallows from it.
“Whoa, sir!” Laura exclaimed. “Slow down!” Matt lowered the bottle and sat back down. “And pour me one too if it’s that bad.” She said, concern crossing her features.
“It’s worse, Laura. Much worse.” He poured her a drink and then poured himself one as well. He practically threw the ice in the glass and glared at the bottle. “Mark Tufo was a Gunnie in my old unit.” Matt began. “In fact, he’s the last remaining member of the original Monster Squad. How that son of a bitch survived is beyond me, but he did.” He muttered.
“Anyway, I watched so many good men die in the line of duty. Hunting these bastards down, but somehow, Tufo stayed alive.”
“And you resent him for it?” she asked.
“What?!” Matt exclaimed. “Hell, no. I was tickled pink. I loved that old asshole. He was one of my guys and a damned fine soldier.”
“But…”
“But…we implemented the augmentation protocols.” He continued. “Granted, the first series was pretty crude, but it was effective.”
“And…”
“And…Mark had a family. And I knew what the augmentation would mean to a married man with a wife and child. And I just couldn’t do it. Not to Gunnie.” Matt said. “So I had him booted from the squads. We changed the requirements for all incoming operators. They couldn’t be married or engaged. Only single guys, or divorced, but only if their record deemed them highly qualified and there couldn’t be any chance of them reconciling.”
“So, you did it to save him.” Laura said softly.
“And he’s never forgiven me.” Matt said. “I thought about explaining it to him once or twice. The man was my friend. Hell, I can’t tell you the number of times we saved each other’s lives.” Matt chuckled. “He’s tougher than boot leather. That was the reason I brought him in.”
“I’m sure if he knew…”
“He’d be pissed either way. Here it is, years later, he’s old and broken down and still thinks he can run with these kids. These augmented kids.” Matt said. “Well, he’s about to get his eyes opened.”
Laura smiled at him. “Well, one of you is about to get your eyes opened.”
*****
Jack was driving the military Humvee back through the metro traffic. He had picked up Tufo at the airport and the Gunnie was still not happy. He knew that Colonel Mitchell didn’t want him out there but he would be damned if he’d let the overstuffed politician keep him from rejoining the ranks of the Monster Squad. H
is wife, on the other hand, wasn’t too thrilled with his demanding to return to duty. He tried to explain to her that he had a debt to repay, but she wanted none of it. She knew that Mark was nothing more than an adrenaline junkie, throwing himself into the fray as often as he could, breaking the rules of engagement when he was supposed to only ‘report’ sightings to the squads. He would often engage the enemy and swear in his official reports that he had been spotted and attacked, forcing his hand to defend himself. But now he was back and he wasn’t going to let anybody stop him, least of all, his old CO.
“How was the trip?” Jack asked, trying to make conversation.
“How do you think it was? It was a freaking plane ride. They’re all the same.” Tufo shot at him bitterly.
Jack couldn’t understand the biting remark and tried to let it slide. Still, he pushed to get to know the man who would be working with his team. “So, I hear you used to be on the original squad.”
“Yeah, I was…until that son of a bitch Mitchell kicked me to the curb.” He glared out the windshield, shooting angry daggers at passing vehicles. Jack’s brows knitted and he squeezed the steering wheel.
“Let’s try this again.” He said through gritted teeth. “Hi. I’m Jack Thompson and I’ll be your Team Leader. And if you don’t knock that fucking chip off your shoulder, I’ll do it for you.” He said with a mock smile. “How’s that grab ya?”
Tufo turned in his seat and shot Jack a lopsided grin. “Well, why don’t you just give it your best shot, Sonny?” He shot at him slowly. “I was hunting monsters when you were still shitting green.”
“I doubt that, smart ass. It wasn’t that long ago you were a hunter, Gunnie.” Jack replied. “So what gives? What’s with the anger issues?”
“Why do you think?” Tufo fired at him. “Mitchell betrayed me. I gave him the best years of my life and he betrayed me. Kicked my ass to the curb without so much as a ‘see ya later’, ‘kiss my ass’ or nothing. I think you’d be pissed, too.”
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