Wayward Son

by Heath Stallcup

  “Do not turn your back on me, woman!” Samael advanced, growing in stature with each step.

  Lilith sensed his reaching for her and jumped to her bed just as his hands closed on empty air. She bounced on the bed and spun to face him, a mischievous smile crossing her face. “Oh, so now you care?” She kicked at him as he crawled across the bed, reaching for her.

  “Do not mock me, woman.” He grabbed her ankles and pulled her to him. “I have waited too long to be with you again.”

  She giggled and laughed as he pulled her into a rough embrace. “Don’t act like you’re truly jealous, Samael. I know better.” She kissed him; gently at first, and then with reckless abandon. He dropped her to the bed and pinned her with his arm, his tongue exploring her mouth. She pushed him away and sucked in air, trying desperately to catch her breath. “Oh, my God, I missed you.”

  “Wait until I’ve taken my full form,” his voice growled, low and menacing.

  “You can do that? I thought you could only inhabit others?” She pushed him back and stared into his crystal blue eyes.

  “Even now, I am altering this body. This…dead flesh.” Samael stared down at the body of the vampire he had taken. “Why did you keep a ghoul?”

  She smiled and stroked his chin. “A pet, my love. A means to an end, that is all.”

  He grabbed her roughly and pulled her to him. “A toy? For your pleasures?” He bit at her neck, and his rough whiskers excited her.

  “He collected the pieces of my body and performed the ritual to breathe life back into my physical form.” She giggled and kicked as he nipped and nibbled his way down to her breast.

  “Why keep him around afterward?” Samael suddenly looked up. “And how did he survive the ritual? A life for a life. Vampires and ghouls have no life to offer.”

  She laughed and threw her head back. “He stocked up on power. A regular vessel that one.” She wrapped her arms around his ever widening back and pulled herself closer to him, pressing herself to his flesh. Her probing hands felt the nubbins on his back that would soon burst forth and form wings. “Oh my…you are altering this body quickly.”

  Samael grasped her hair and pulled her head back, staring at her. “It’s been too long since I’ve had a physical form. I want this one perfected as quickly as possible.” He bit her neck, and she screamed with delight as his teeth scraped along the tender flesh.

  “Oh yes. You will be perfect, that’s for sure.” She pulled him closer and bit his earlobe. “Now quit teasing me and do what you came here to do.”

  Samael jerked her hair back and pulled her writing body flat to the bed. “Your soul is mine. I now claim your body.”

  “Don’t just claim it. Take it, dammit!”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust herself upward to meet him. “Take me…take me now!”

  *****

  “Bravo team, this is Team Leader, sound off,” Spalding whispered into his throat mic.

  “Bravo Two, southeast corner secure.” Wallace scanned his coverage area with the SCAR 17. “Zero Tangos.”

  “Bravo Three, northeast corner secure. Zero Tangos,” Popo reported.

  “Bravo Four, northwest corner secure. Limited visibility. Zero Tangos.” Gus Tracy shifted his position as he reported, trying to get better coverage.

  “Copy that, Bravo team. Approaching now.” Spalding used hand signals to send Delta team forward and fan outward.

  “Team Leader, be advised, you have a single guard heading your location. Five Zero meters,” Bravo Two reported in a whispered voice.

  “Copy that Bravo Two. That should be Apollo. Hold fire unless you see hostile movement.” Spalding stepped from the shadows and walked down the middle of the roadway to the open gates.

  “Spanky, that you?”

  Spalding released the breath he’d been holding and keyed his throat mic. “Affirmative. Contact made. Confirm Tango as Apollo.” Spalding stepped out of the shadows and into the glow of the sodium light. “Apollo, it’s good to see you again, brother.”

  Apollo shot him a toothy grin and reached out to take the man’s hand. “Damned good to see you, too.” He pulled the operator in and clapped him on the back. “How many are you?”

  “Delta and what’s left of Bravo.” Spalding kept his voice low, but was sure the other team members heard the conversation.

  Apollo’s stature slumped and he lowered his eyes. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am that…” he turned away and shook his head. “Who’s left from my team?”

  Spalding cleared his throat and answered softly. “You lost Bone. If it’s any consolation, he went down fighting.”

  Spalding could have sworn he saw the big man’s lower lip quivering as he nodded. “He was a good man. Hell of a warrior.”

  “Listen, Apollo, I have to tell you something.” Spalding wasn’t sure exactly how to broach the subject and had played this conversation out in his mind numerous times. It never went well. Since there wasn’t really a good way to broach the subject, he felt the best thing to do was to simply spit it out.

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “Before we left, Mitchell pretty much gave us two options.”

  “You mean me, don’tcha?” Apollo rubbed at the back of his neck then wrapped his arms around his chest. “Hit me with it, baby. Whatever it is, I have it coming.”

  “Well, see…he pretty much said our choices were to bring you back in chains or a body bag.”

  Apollo exhaled hard as the words struck him like a physical blow. He shook his head and stared down at Spalding. “I don’t want to go to no prison, Spanky. I can’t do it. I know I deserve it, but—”

  Spalding held up his hands to stop him. “We came up with a third option.” He pointed into the shadows. “Actually, Ing came up with it and the rest of the guys all signed on. All of them.”

  Apollo inhaled deeply. “I don’t guess that third choice was anything like ten Hail Marys and come back to work, was it?”

  Spalding shook his head. “No, brother, it wasn’t. I’m sorry.” He placed a reassuring hand on the big guy’s shoulder. “We’re calling it banishment. Basically, after tonight, you disappear. You just fade into the night and forget that the squads exist. Try to find a pack or something, or…hell, anything. Just steer clear of mercenary work, don’t let yourself become a threat to humans and we both forget the other exists.”

  Apollo nodded, his eyes staring into the shadows. “But if I ever pop back up on the radar…”

  “Then we do what we do best.” Spalding watched as the big man’s eyes turned to him. “Neither of us wants that, Apollo.”

  “No. You got that right.” He turned and blew out a hard breath. “Thank you, Spanky.”

  “Don’t thank me, brother. It was unanimous. Both squads voted on this and…it wasn’t just me.”

  Apollo pulled his friend into a tight bear hug. “In case something happens tonight, thank you, brother.”

  Spalding tried not to groan or break as Apollo squeezed him. “Any time, buddy.”

  Apollo let him drop to the ground and wiped at his face. “We got work to do.” He waved Spalding and the other operators on. “Follow me.”

  Leading the team through a myriad of abandoned metal buildings, they soon came out to a clearing where multiple rows of shipping containers formed lines through the facility. “They’re in there. Silver lined coffins.”

  “Accesses?”

  “Rooftop. Ventilation and access ports.” Apollo pointed to a ladder and Lamb and Jacobs immediately hit the metal rungs and were standing atop the first container.

  Lamb dropped a silver nitrate grenade down the ventilation shaft, and the pair waited for it to go off. The following roars and howls let them know that the grenade did its job. Ing opened the access port and the pair opened fire on the weakened wolves.

  Other members of Delta passed Jacobs and Lamb and jumped to the next container. Lamb whistled to get their attention. “Save the grenades. There’s silver over th
e access port. Just pop the top and let ‘em have it.”

  “Roger that.” Donnie gave him a thumbs-up and Little John cracked open the access port and eased it open. Confirming that the silver mesh covered the area, he threw open the lid and the pair opened fire. As they were cleaning up, Lamb and Jacobs passed them and jumped to the next one.

  Spalding elbowed Apollo. “Care to join them?”

  Apollo nodded. “Why the hell not. These sons of bitches deserve every shot.” The pair went to the next row and climbed atop the containers. Spalding keyed his throat mic again. “This is going a little too easy. Keep your eyes open.”

  Three clicks echoed back in his earpiece as acknowledgment. Spalding watched as Apollo tossed open the first of the access ports and the pair opened fire. Satisfied that the wolves were dead, they jumped to the next container.

  “Movement,” Gus Tracy reported. “Can’t get a clear bead.”

  “Bravo Four, Bravo Two, location, over?”

  Tracy shifted again on the rooftop and tried to spot whatever it was he saw moving. “Bravo Two, east of the blue metal outbuilding. Over.”

  “Scanning.” Bravo Two shifted his line of sight and scanned the area, coming up empty. “I’ve got nothing. Bravo Three?”

  “Negative. Field of view is empty from here.”

  Spalding paused in his clean-up efforts and keyed his throat mic. “Bravo Four, are you sure you saw something?”

  “Bet my life on it, Spanky.” Tracy continued to scan the area, his finger hovering just above the trigger of the SCAR heavy.

  “What’s wrong?” Apollo asked as he closed the access port.

  “One of the perimeter overwatches noted movement.” Spalding turned and stared in the direction of the reported incident. “Nobody can verify.”

  Apollo shook his head. “Everybody but me should be in these crates.”

  Spalding continued to stare toward the sighting. “Should be are the key words there, brother. What are the odds somebody didn’t go in?”

  Apollo shrugged. “They’d be a wolf. Sort of hard to miss.”

  Spalding keyed his throat mic, “All units, be advised, we may have a rogue wolf in the area. Overwatches, cover your six. Delta team, on your toes.”

  A series of clicks confirmed the order and Spalding motioned for Apollo to jump over to the next container. As Spalding sprung through the air, something grasped his ankle and dragged him down and between the containers. His screams were followed by gunshots.

  19

  “Sir, the satellite is online and we’re bringing it to bear.”

  Jericho spun the command chair around. “When you have the location zeroed in, put it on the big screen.”

  Mark looked up from his station. “Drone is in a holding pattern. Random heat signatures scattered on-scene.”

  “Delineate and tag those heat signatures, Major. I need to know who’s who.” Jericho spun his chair back to the front and tapped at his command console. “Anything out there that’s not supposed to be needs to be reported to Delta Team Leader.”

  “Bravo Two through Four delineated and tagged. Delta Actual, is talking with an unknown.” Mark zeroed in the camera from the drone and switched from thermal to microwave to infrared. “Looks like Apollo has made contact.”

  “Cut into their local coms,” Jericho ordered. The communications tech relayed the communications through the overhead speakers. After listening for a moment, Jericho nodded. “That’s Williams. Tag his signature and…who is that fast runner?”

  Mark looked up at the big screen to see where the runner was. The heat signature cut and weaved from building to building then slipped between the cargo containers. “Checking. Signature is too hot and too large to be one of ours. Recommend warning the squad.”

  “Agreed.” Jericho was keying the coms, preparing to inform the teams that an interloper was in the area when another heat signature disappeared from the top of the containers and a scream mingled with gunfire came across the coms. “Sitrep!” Jericho was punching in the command for a magnification of the satellite’s imagers as the coms erupted with the shouts and yells of the squad as they converged on the area between the two containers.

  “That sounded like Spalding.” Major Tufo was on his feet and staring at the large screen above the far wall of the OPCOM. He watched as the screen resolution changed and the picture zoomed in on the area immediately surrounding the cargo containers. A very large heat signature disappeared from the top of the tall metal containers, and he couldn’t tell from the video what was happening on the ground.

  Jericho had turned the volume down from the local communications and stared at the screen as well. “That’s too tight an area to bring the drone in without risking our people.”

  Mark nudged the Captain. “Any of the overwatches have eyes on what’s happening?”

  Jericho immediately switched to the helmet cams of the three different Bravo members. “Negative.” He cursed under his breath. “We’re blind.”

  *****

  “So what’s this big idea you have?” Foster reclined in the rich leather interior of the car and waited for his brother to expand on his thoughts.

  “You remember Viktor, oui?”

  “Of course. The first wolf that you tamed.” Foster gave him a wry smile. “Who could forget the giant hairball?”

  Rufus ignored the barb and continued. “He has repaired the relationship he once shared with his mother. I intend to take advantage of that.”

  Foster narrowed his gaze and shook his head in confusion. “I’m not following you.”

  Thorn watched the town zip by through the tinted windows of the limo, his mind wandering to a different time and place when he could walk in the sunlight and enjoy all that the old world once offered. He turned slowly to Foster, his eyes still distant. “Viktor’s mother’s sister. She is a witch.” He allowed a moment for the words to sink in. “She can see things. Unseen things.”

  Foster snorted, “You believe in witches?”

  Thorn gave him a deadpan stare. “Says the vampire…”

  “Touché.”

  “She can tell us where Damien and his collection of body parts have hidden. Once we find out, we simply take a task force and collect him.”

  “And if he resists?” Foster felt the corners of his mouth curling upwards, his anticipation growing along with his desire to destroy the wayward child.

  “Then we convince him that it is in his best interest to discontinue his activities.” Rufus turned and faced Foster. “If he still resists, we simply remove his head from his body and bring the ashes back to the Council.”

  Foster leaned forward and lowered his voice, his eyes casting furtive glances toward the enforcers in the front of the vehicle. “And if the Council is correct and he has already resurrected the demon whore? What then, brother? You know that she’ll be more than we can handle. Remember what the ancient books said. She can control the dead.”

  Rufus sat back and contemplated such a scenario. “I believe that if we encounter that bridge on our journey, then it will be time to call in Jack once more.”

  “Jack? Thompson? The wolf that wants your head on a platter? Just how do you think you could convince him to aid us?”

  Thorn smiled and leaned his head back, his eyes closing. “By convincing the Monster Squad that Lilith is a threat to humans. They’ll have no choice but to deal with her.” He turned his head slightly and cracked an eye open. “At which point we will step in and retrieve the pieces and ensure they are scattered.”

  Foster laughed and leaned back in the seat, emulating his brother. “I like the way you think.”

  *****

  Kalen exited Azrael’s room and turned to go to his own room. He ran into Brooke and took a step back. “Excuse me, I didn’t mean—”

  “Move it, Keebler.” She shoved past him and continued on her way.

  Kalen lowered his eyes as she stormed away then stepped back into the hallway and squared his shoulders. “Stop!�
��

  Brooke paused and turned to eye him cautiously. “I know you didn’t just use that tone with me.”

  “I am your Second. You will comply.” Kalen stared her down as she slowly faced him.

  “Oh, no you didn’t.” She planted her feet and glared at him. “No man speaks to me like he owns me.”

  “I don’t own you, but I am in charge while Chief Jack is indisposed. You will comply.”

  The corner of her mouth curved upward and Kalen wasn’t sure if it was a snarl or a smile. “Go ahead then, Sugar Cookie. Tell me to do something, so I can tell you where to shove it.”

  Kalen shook his head. “There is nothing for you to do, but you need to listen to me.” He stepped forward and began closing the gap between them.

  Brooke brought her hands up and planted them on her hips. “I don’t need to listen to anybody. I shouldn’t even be here.”

  “And yet, here you are. You have been included as a member of our team and whether you like it or not, we need you.”

  Her eyes registered the surprise at his words. She didn’t expect to hear him say that they ‘needed’ her. Her mind spun as she tried to think of a snappy comeback. “Well…I don’t need you.”

  “I understand that.” Kalen stopped just in front of her. He lowered his voice and tried to soften his words. “You’ve always been alone and done things on your own, I get that. I understand that you don’t like being a force of one. But there is safety in numbers. We all have the same goal here and the Wyldwood claims that we need you. She wouldn’t have said so if it weren’t true.”

  “That may be, but still, I don’t need you.” She narrowed her gaze at him and tightened the line of her mouth. “I’ve done just fine on my own.”

  “I concede that point.” Kalen lowered his voice further and leaned in, essentially whispering to her. “What if the Wyldwood included you because she somehow knew that we couldn’t complete our mission without you? Perhaps she somehow knew that you were the key?” He shrugged. “I’m not saying that is the case, but it may well be. If it is, then we need you.”