Operation

by Tony Ruggiero

  “But they kill for the blood. They’re unholy.”

  “A minor drawback for what they may be able to deliver for us,” Stone said, with a casual wave of the hand.

  “This is extremely risky, General. If anyone finds out—”

  “That’s your job—to make sure no one finds out,” Stone said, placing his finger on Scott’s chest as he smiled at the Navy commander. “That you should be good at, after all your career is at stake, isn’t it?” He turned away from Scott. “We will make history,” he continued. “But it’s the kind of history that no one must ever know about. Do you understand me?”

  “Perfectly, sir.”

  “Now start working on the plans to get them back to the States,” Stone said as he picked another report to read.

  “Immediately, sir.”

  “Oh, and two things,” Stone said.

  “Sir?”

  “Make sure you let Reese know if the situation gets out of control, subdue the creatures but do not kill them under any circumstances.”

  “But what if they should try and escape or kill—”

  “Is your hearing not working?”

  “It’s working fine, sir,” Scott answered, his voice shaky. “I’ll take care of it. And the other thing?”

  “I want them sent here,” Stone said.

  “Sir?” Scott asked. “I don’t understand. You want what sent here?”

  General Stone looked up from the report he was reading. Scott saw his expression of aggravation by the way he energetically removed his reading glasses. If the general hated any one thing, it was being questioned about something he thought everyone should know or be able to figure out what he meant without him having to say it.

  “Didn’t we just have a discussion about your hearing, Commander? I thought we decided that you were not hard of hearing? Was I mistaken?”

  “No, sir. I just don’t understand what you mean?”

  “Did you not read the same report I did, Commander? This report?” He held up the folder in his hand. Scott recognized it as the original operational report that started this whole affair, the report from the Base Commander of Camp Bondsteel that detailed the murder of the Captain Block and the two civilian girls.

  “Yes, sir. I did.”

  “And did that report detail the deaths of two civilians?”

  “Yes, sir, and the death of Captain Block.”

  “Very good, Commander; I’m glad to see that the damn United States Navy is still teaching its people to read. Now if only they could master the process of thinking for themselves…well wouldn’t that be a fucking grand accomplishment?”

  Scott stood silently, waiting for the tirade to end. He had been through them many before and knew it was best to remain silent.

  “Now, listen carefully, Commander. I want the two civilian bodies sent back to SOCOM. Captain Block doesn’t have a body anymore, it was torn to pieces, so even you should be able to figure out who I mean. Make it happen—quietly.”

  “Yes sir, I’ll have Major Barkley see to it pers—”

  “No.” Stone said adamantly. “Not Barkley. I want someone outside to do it so that this can’t be traced through normal channels. Aren’t there any spooks in the area from Army Intelligence?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Have them do it then,” Stone said and replaced his glasses and went back to reading the report he had started earlier.

  “There may be strings attached, General.”

  “There are always strings attached to everything that happens—that’s the only way anything ever gets done these days. But that’s okay. If things work out the way I think they might, we’ll be in good with our clandestine friends. And if they don’t—well they can just have another piece of me. Soon it won’t matter either way.”

  “Yes, sir, I’ll see to it,” Scott said and turned to leave.

  “One more thing,” Stone said.

  Scott stopped and turned back toward the general.

  General Stone took out a small note pad from his desk drawer and scribbled some things upon it. A smirk appeared on his face as he continued to write. “Somebody will think I’ve gone off the deep end for sure on this one,” he said, as he continued to write. When he finished, he looked over it, verifying what he had written and ensuring he hadn’t forgotten anything. Satisfied, he held it up for Scott.

  Commander Scott walked to where the general sat and took the note from his outstretched hand. Stone did not look at him but returned to reading the report he had begun only moments ago.

  Scott studied the contents of the note for several seconds. His eyes moved over it again and again, re-reading it several times before he spoke.

  “Sir, I don’t…”

  “Just precautions,” he said calmly, apparently allowing Scott some leeway because the content of note was a bit untraditional. “We aren’t really sure what we are dealing with here yet and I am not one to take chances. Just have them do exactly as I have instructed. I know it seems odd, but this way it’s safe just in case…just in case.”

  Scott turned to leave, but only got one step before Stone spoke again.

  “I don’t want him to know about this. This will be our little secret.”

  “Who, sir?”

  “Reese. I want him kept in the dark on this.”

  “I don’t understand,” Scott said. “He’s the expert and—”

  “I don’t care what you think. Just do it!”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Commander Reese and Lieutenant Johnson watched the remote viewers that showed their captives in their underground prison. When Reese had finished his conversation with Dimitri and left the cavern, he felt his knees weaken and he had to lean up against one of the stone pillars to keep from falling down. The legends were true, he told himself over and over again. Vampires actually existed!

  But his energy and excitement were overshadowed at the thought of what his dream had cost so far: the lives of three men. He fought his own feelings of guilt that he may have contributed to the deaths of the men by the combination of his own self interests with those of the general’s desire to have the creatures. He only hoped the men had not died in vain and whatever the general hoped to use the creatures for would outweigh the losses. But what did the general have planned? Reese had his suspicions, but he wanted to wait—to study the creatures and to fulfill his lifelong dream.

  Johnson finalized the security arrangements for their captives, then made arrangements to have the three bodies removed and taken to the medical facility at the Base Camp. He handled the procedure with a coolness that reflected almost robot-like effectiveness, but Reese imagined that Johnson would deal with his own grief in his own way.

  “I’m sorry about the men,” Reese said.

  “So am I,” Johnson said, looking at him. “They knew the risks. It doesn’t make it any easier, but it’s all part of the job we do and the life we lead.” His gaze returned toward the view screen. “I just hope their sacrifices are worth it.”

  “General Stone thinks so,” Reese said, and fell silent as he gazed at the creatures. They had not attempted to remove the collars, but they stared intently at each other, as if studying the devices for points of vulnerability.

  “I think we have everything covered for the moment,” Johnson said. “We have men outside the room they are in, directly outside of the entrance to the ruins, and one team here on standby.”

  “I’d feel better if we didn’t have distance limitations on those collars,” Reese said. “Once we get back to the States, the first priority will be to increase the distance parameters.”

  “When are we leaving?” Johnson asked.

  “As soon as you make the arrangements,” Reese said, smiling.

  “Another challenge,” he said. “I live for them, you know.”

  “Speaking of challenges, I have some more for you,” Reese said.

  “Should I bend over now?” Johnson asked, still smiling.r />
  “Think of it as a chance to excel,” Reese said.

  “Let me have it, then,” Johnson said.

  “Well, it appears that we will all be under special assignment for General Stone as long as he wants us.”

  “Us?” Johnson asked, referring with his hand to Reese and himself.

  “Everyone—and I mean everyone—involved with any facet of the operation is to head back to Norfolk. So we’re going to need a plane with lots of room.”

  “Not a problem,” Johnson said. “We have a C-5 at our disposal at all times.”

  “Make up a plan, but keep in mind that we have to do everything under the cover of darkness for the special cargo.”

  “Understood.” Johnson answered. “I’ll get to work on it right now.”

  Someone knocked at the door.

  “Yes,” Reese called. The door opened and Corporal Brosnev entered the room.

  “Sorry to bother you, Commander, but Idriz Laupki would like to talk with you.”

  Reese wondered what he was going to tell the man whose children had been killed by the creatures. He knew he only wanted to hear one thing: when would the creatures be killed. This might not be the time to tell him that he had orders not to.

  “Bring him in,” Reese said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Moments later, the two men came into the office. Idriz’s eyes looked intense as he surveyed the room and its occupants. He spoke quickly to Brosnev, who then translated.

  “He says that his mixture worked or you would not be alive. He asks that you please describe how the murderers of his children died a horrible death at your hands.”

  “His mixture worked just as he said it would. We are very grateful for his help,” Reese said, paused and indicated for Brosnev to translate it as he thought about how to explain that the creatures were not dead.

  “We have not killed the creatures—they are still alive, but they are our prisoners,” Reese said, and again indicated for the translator to tell him. As the translator told him, the expression on Idriz’s features became sharp and drawn. Reese decided to just go ahead and tell him everything and get it over with.

  “We are taking them back to the United States for further study and then...and then they shall be killed,” Reese said, knowing the lie was necessary.

  He didn’t like telling the lie; poor Idriz had suffered enough for one lifetime. But there was an opportunity here for research that could not be lost. Reese knew he would not be able to convince Idriz of that now, but maybe later.

  Within seconds of translating, Idriz unleashed a volley of words upon them.

  The corporal translated. “He says that this cannot be true! His precious daughters are dead because of them. They are beasts of the night that cannot be caged like wild dogs, for they are cunning and will learn how to escape. They must be killed immediately before they murder again.”

  “They are not going anywhere,” Reese said, as he showed Idriz the video monitor and continued to speak as the interpreter translated what he said. “You see the band on their necks? That is a special device that contains your elixir.” Idriz bent closer to the screen to look. “If they do anything that looks like they might try and escape, the device will inject the elixir into their body.”

  Idriz continued to stare at the screen without saying anything, but his face portrayed a loathing that was clearly evident.

  “They will spend what is left of their lives as our prisoners and will never kill another innocent person.” Reese paused, looking for any kind of reaction from the man. He knew there was nothing he could say that would heal his pain at the loss of his daughters—and grief could make Idriz a dangerous man. But there were still things Reese wanted and needed from this man. He knew, however, that if he told Idriz the truth, that he didn’t have a choice in coming back to the States, as those were the orders of the general, he might pose a problem.

  “They will need a keeper or jailer to watch over them,” Reese continued. “And I still need help in learning about what else you know about their pasts. If you wish, you may come with us and help us. We need your help, Idriz.”

  Idriz suddenly spoke, but did so without taking his eyes from the monitor. Brosnev translated, “He says that he will come with you to the United States. He won’t be their keeper, but their reminder of the painful death that awaits them at his hands.”

  Reese looked toward Johnson, who had been quiet during the exchange, his eyes reflected the same feeling that he had. Idriz would have to be watched closely.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “So, you are awake,” Dimitri said to Josip as he sat up from his crypt. Most of the burn marks that he had suffered had healed and only slight blemishes remained. He touched the tight-fitting device at his neck.

  “Don’t touch that unless you want more of the poison that burned you!” Dimitri shouted.

  “What has happened?” Josip asked, as he looked around. “Did you kill them?”

  “No. There was no way to attack without being killed. Your foolishness almost cost you your life. The device at your neck contains the mixture that killed Franjo. The man, Idriz, whose daughters you killed in your moment of revenge still hounds us.”

  “How can that be?” Josip asked.

  “I don’t know. He has gotten help from the Americans and now we are their prisoners.”

  “Remove the collars,” Josip said, as he raised his hands to his throat again.

  “Are you not listening? Touch it and you die,” Dimitri said. “It has some kind of anti-tampering device built into it. And they are watching us,” he said as he indicated the camera mounted into the ceiling. “They also have motion detectors attached to us, so they know our every movement. Whoever planned this knows about our kind. How we live, how we sleep. Everything.”

  “What are they going to do with us?” Josip asked.

  “I don’t know. The one in charge has not said anything yet.”

  “We must escape.”

  “You surely cannot be that ignorant,” Dimitri said, raising his voice. The others of the group looked toward them now. “Your actions are what brought them down upon us. You will do nothing but what I tell you! We must observe them first and look for their weaknesses and when I feel it is time, we will do what I decide.”

  Josip remained silent.

  “If they were going to kill us, they would have done so by now,” Dimitri continued, this time speaking to the group. “So they have some other plan for us. We will go along with what they ask. The spirit of cooperation we will show shall lower their guard and we will discover our way to escape. Is that understood?”

  They all nodded in agreement, Josip last, his hesitation earning him a glare from Dimitri.

  The sound of footsteps accompanied with the clop-clop of cow feet down the narrow passageway broke their conversation. The lone cow entered their chambers followed by several men, all heavily armed. The leader of the group stepped forward, the one that they called Commander Reese. Dimitri also saw that the one called Idriz was with him.

  “Dimitri,” Reese said. “I need some information from you about your feeding habits. How long can you go between feeding?”

  “You don’t want your prisoners to die?” Dimitri asked..

  “Something like that,” Reese answered, sounding somewhat impatient and not willing to spar in conversation. “We will leave this place in less than a day, and there will be no available food sources for you and your men.”

  Dimitri looked at the cow that they had brought down. “We will be able to survive for two to three days if we feed on this animal.”

  “Good,” Reese replied. “How about being on an airplane? Does that pose any problems?”

  “We...have never been on an airplane before. We have seen them in the sky at night.”

  “So you don’t know if there will be any adverse effects?”

  “No. But I don’t think it will pose any problems as long as darkness is maintained,” Dimitri ventured. “We
will need these crypts or something similar for us to rest in.”

  “I’ll take that for a yes about flying. We will bring these,” he said, indicating the crypts. “We will be back to get you at next sunset,” Reese said as he turned to leave.

  “Where are we going?” Dimitri asked, and then added, “If I may be permitted to know.”

  Suddenly Idriz Laupki spoke, his words echoing in the cavernous area. He had been standing there, along with Corporal Brosnev, who had been translating for him during the exchange between Dimitri and Reese. The look on his face and the tone in which he spoke gave the direction of his words.

  Josip turned toward him and stared for a few moments and then answered him in their native Slavic tongue.

  “What did they say, Corporal?” Reese asked.

  “When Dimitri asked where they were going, Idriz told the one called Josip that they were going to their deaths.”

  “And the creature’s response?”

  “He agreed, but said that they would have much company on their journey.”

  Reese pondered the remarks for a few seconds then turned back to Dimitri.

  “To the United States,” Reese said. “We are going to the United States and I will see any man,” he looked intently at Idriz when he said it, “or creature,” he added as he looked toward Dimitri and the others, “severely punished or killed that interferes with our plans. Is that understood?”

  “Perfectly, Commander,” Dimitri answered.

  “Idriz says he understands, Commander,” Brosnev added.

  “We’ll see soon enough,” Reese said.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  As the next sunset arrived, a wave of activity commenced at the ruins. First the crypts were brought out of the caverns and loaded within standard twenty-foot shipping containers that were on four trucks that awaited them.

  Dimitri and his men waited in the now-emptied area. Each of them had been given a box for personal belongings. Dimitri busied himself by picking some books from the library. He had so many favorites he was unsure which to take.